Jennie sighed as she sat still in front of her painting canvas, her hand not moving anymore. A few days worth of not seeing Jisoo was enough to make her irrationally miss the Venusian. Irrational indeed, because Jisoo would marry her anyway and she could wake up next to her beautiful face every single day in the future, but she couldn't help it.  Her other concern revolved around whether the other girl missed her in the same way. 

A slight tingling pain on her arm called for her attention. Her eyes moved to her scar. It was healing now, just small disturbances like this every once in a while. Another question popped up in her head then: what happened actually that night? Because every time she gave it a thought, it was strange to have an ambush attack during a ball in a peaceful planet like Venus. The fact that it occured at the night they were supposed to announce their engagement made it even more absurd. 

She did inquire her mother about it, but the Queen of Mars simply replied that they were investigating and she was not to lay hands on the case further. It was more of an order, so Jennie shut about it. 

Her hand was motioning to take her paint brush again when her ear picked up a voice from somewhere behind her. 

"Princess Jennie" It was one of her maids. "I am truly sorry to interrupt you"

"Yes?" Jennie stood up and looked around. "Did mother call me?"

"No, she did not, My Princess, but I have an information to tell you"

"What is it?"

"Princess Nayeon rom Pluto is coming here in a few days. Your mother received this news already and ordered me to inform you"

"Princess Nayeon?" Jennie's expression brightened up upon the name. 

"Yes" 

"Thank you for letting me know" She answered.

Silent, the Martian Princess waited as the maid permitted herself. She laid her eyes on her half-finished painting again, but her attention was not there. Nayeon was a precious childhood friend of her. Admitted, anyone could have a childhood friend that lasts long enough to be a best friend, but to a person whose world was so limited to outsiders, Nayeon meant a lot to her. Her lips pulled up to a smile in reflex as she placed herself on her stool again. 

* * * 

"Princess Jisoo" 

"Hmm?"

"Princess, are you not going to eat? It is past lunch time already and your chicken must be getting cold" 

"I will eat it soon, Mandy" Jisoo slackly muttered. She had been in the same position for half an hour or so on the balcony; arms placed on the fence and head resting on the arms. . 

Mandy was left in silence as the Venusian Princess laid her eyes on the trees outside. She realized she felt sorry for acting this way these past few days, ever since Jennie left actually, and she knew she probably got some people worried. But her appetite was lost, her energy to entertain people with her usual witty jokes was lost, and she herself was just... lost. 

"My little sister is troubled, huh?" 

A voice she knew very well finally made her flinch. Turning her head, she found Irene a few distance from her. That older sister of her was throwing her a bold, gentle smile, yet she could only return her a weak one. 

"That's okay, I know that that is how it feels to be in love" Irene continued with a comment as she stepped closer to the younger girl. 

Jisoo changed her posture only to rest her chin on her hands this time and set a nonchalant look. "Who are you talking about here?"

"You know, if you really miss her, perhaps you can ask mother if you can visit her on Mars"

"I don't miss her" Jisoo responded as brief as she could.

"Right, and you don't love trees" 

"I love trees more than anything in the world!" 

Jisoo had successfully made Irene shake her head then. "You have always been a stubborn person but this is the stubbornest stubborn of your many stubborness"

"But I really don't miss her!" The Venusian's second princess said again. "I am just... wondering if her wound has got better"

"Okay, then to put it simply, you want to see her"

"I don't!" 

It elicited a sigh from Irene. "Jisoo honey, even if you admit that you like her and you miss her, I won't laugh at you. Anyway, let's eat your lunch, okay? I am sure she doesn't want you to eat late either"

Jisoo stared at her sister's back as the older woman stepped out first. She felt annoyed beyond words, not at Irene, but more at herself. She was irritated by the thoughts of wanting Jennie there to during meal times, during practice time, during anything she was doing. Maybe she just felt lonely without her, maybe not. Bottom line was, her heart was troubled.

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Yes, I know this is very short and probably not very comment-worthy but I'd still appreciate comments to motivate me. I will try my best to update the next chapter soon. Thank you for reading :)