Woke up screaming.

Loud scream.

And then they poured water on me.

Ice water.

- Argh , what...? - jumped up from a makeshift bed, shaking off the water from her body.

- It’s so hard to wake you up, - Princess Jihyo shrugged her shoulders, twisting my arrow between the index and middle fingers of her left hand. - This is the payment for a kiss, princess, - she grunted, walking measuredly past her. - If you need it, I'll give it, only - raised a finger up - for a fee. More precisely for one service.

- What do you need? - twisting her clothes from the water, shaking off her hair, she glared at her.

- Service. I'm looking for my middle sister, she was seen near the port. Without her, I will not return to the kingdom. You will help us find and safely deliver us home, I will give your arrow and thank you again - she pursed her lips in amusement, smacked her lips.

- Yes, you choke on this arrow! I don't need her! I’ll find my betrothed myself, anyone will suit me, as long as it’s away from you! - she shouted, stamped her foot for fidelity, turned and went through the forest without stopping.

I wanted to go.

Really.

But my legs became stiff, and my body ached from improperly lying on the ground.

My pride, that's what's left.

But pride won't help move my body.

Eh.

And why am I stuck with such an ill-mannered boor who just pisses me off just looking at her!

Although, it must be admitted, Princess Jihyo is very personal.

Soft slightly tanned skin.

Big eyes.

Broad smile.

Bust, hmm, wow, I would be there ... um ... well, you understand (even the ears turned red).

A little plump, not skin and bones, I like it.

Pyshechka, but not puffy, all so soft and fluffy, like a kitty.

Until he opens his mouth.

- Why are you frozen? Well, how do you agree? She extended her hand in a matter-of-fact way, confident of her victory.

“According to my rules,” I said, clenching my hand into fists. - Agree on some points, then we'll get along!

- Why did you think that I would agree with them? She raised her chin, defiantly looking down at her, even though I was taller than her.

- You want me to help you - in the morning for the umpteenth time she sighed heavily, massaged her temple from annoyance. - If not, then come on, I went. I have no time to chill here with you.

- Okay! I said okay! I’ll give in,” Princess Jihyo said reluctantly, once again holding out her hand for a deal. – What are your conditions?

- First and foremost - stop bothering me! Second and foremost - help me! she snorted, but did not withdraw her hand when I grabbed it for a shake. - And the third, yes, the third - she bent her finger on her hand, smiling maliciously, - I'm not your servant to babysit, so, be kind, do everything yourself! - she exhaled, then took air into her lungs again, nevertheless turned and went along the path into the very thick of the forest, not caring whether she followed or not. “Since you and I figured everything out, let’s go, it’s a long way to the port, and I don’t think that when we get there, we will find your sister.” She must have gone home by herself.

For how long, I don’t know the time, but we went out onto a normal, wide road, a lot of people walked here before us and there are dents from the wheels of the wagon.

How long is it not enough…** *…. forgive me, father, that a stupid thought came into my bright little head, but if you knew my father, how Princess Jihyo got me !

Look, it's not my fault, I held on as best I could, but my patience hung on the tip of a thread, my hands itched, but I kept myself from killing.

My brain was planning how and where to kill Princess Jihyo.

All the way, this was the only thing that distracted me from the murder.

You know, no matter how beautiful Princess Jihyo is, her spoiledness, capriciousness and laziness spoil everything.

Just listen to what this mademoiselle ( and how do I know such an eccentric word? hmm ) said to me when I picked wild berries along the way (for a snack, otherwise it’s not thick in my stomach, because someone snorted from slightly moldy bread and sour wine and wished for other food).

So, when I kindly handed her the collected berries, she took one, after which she spat it out and grimaced:

- Fu, I will not eat this sour meat! - she returned them to me, moreover, having specially poured out half of them on the ground, and even trampled them into the mud with her fashionable shoes (what on her legs, oh, how cute they looked, you can admire).

I threw the berries into my mouth, chewed, swallowed, regretted that I had not collected more:

- Nothing like that, with sourness, just like that I like - she wiped with the back of her hand.

After, well, you see, not to eat the same berries, I noticed a wild chicken (yes, yes, I wonder myself what fate she got there, okay, that’s not the point), I decided to catch her in order to have a normal lunch (brunch). I asked that I keep my eyes on the chicken while I make something like a net to catch the chicken.

Remind me of my 2nd clause in the agreement? Help me.

When I was ready to go hunting for a chicken with a homemade net, she was gone.

“Princess Jihyo, where is the chicken?” - restraining impulses of murder, I muttered through my teeth.

- What chicken? Princess Jihyo asked indifferently while examining her nails.

- The one I asked you to follow - give me strength, father, sisters!

- Oh, so she ran away, over there - she waved her hand towards the tall bushes, gracefully yawning into her palm. Will we have breakfast there soon? I want to eat.

- Never - I threw up my hands, not believing what I just heard. “Our breakfast just ran away and it was you who missed it, princess!”

- Hmm, so say someone else - shrugged manneredly, sitting down on a branch in disgust, straightening her clothes. “Go, I’ll stay here,” she commanded majestically, “I’m kind of tired.”

- Seriously?! You are tired?! Why are you tired, huh?! – groaned from despair. "I should be the one talking, not you!" I! She poked her chest, raising her voice, almost breaking it from screaming. - I drag all things, I climb through the bushes to collect at least some, but food! I'm not your babysitter! I'm not your servant to order me! We made a deal, and the only one keeping it is me ! - she took a breath, again massaged her whiskey several times in the morning, closing her eyes.

- Oh, - she pretended to be a fool (I *** am sure of this **!), Patted innocently with her long eyelashes, coquettishly looked down, - I'm sorry, I forgot.

- A great actress dies in you, princess, but this will not work with me - calming down a little, she grinned at her. “My older sister is better than you in this regard. No one will ever replay her - for some reason, the mere mention of Nayeon became easy and fun for me in my soul.

How are you, Nayeon, I hope that your arrow flew to the right place and you are now getting to know your fiancé.

- If you're tired, stay here, I'll go on. I think that we are very close to the port, I can smell the sea - I continued calmly, straightening my shoulders. “I’ll leave your things here,” she placed them at the feet of the princess, smiling lightly at her. - I have nothing to carry someone else's and my own is enough. Think about it, I'll be waiting for you at the pier. If you come, then you agree with my conditions and you will not argue with me. If not, then we'll decide.

Nobody followed me.

Father bless me, for I am free! - raised her eyes to the clear blue sky, leaving the forest.

I am free! Like a bird in the sky!

I am free!

My happiness did not last long. My freedom did not last long.

She caught up with me immediately near the exit from the forest.

It means that she caught up with me and is so kind and fluffy, took my hand without permission, put her head on my shoulder, looked at me in a flattering way and in a childish voice:

- I'm sorry, princess, I won't do it again! – I already shuddered, I thought that only my sister Nayeon could annoy me with this voice. But no, there are worse.

- Okay - after all, what beautiful eyes she has, hey, Princess Jeongyeon, I don’t understand what the joke is! “So, um, what does your sister look like?”

- Penguin - the girl smiled happily, snuggling closer (more precisely, her magnificent s pressed closer to my hand, so softly, softly ...)

- Ha, and who are you then? Sloth? I laughed, imagining the faces of the flight attendants when I ask: have you seen the penguin? Yeah, they'll think I'm crazy.

- I? I am a unicorn, she boasted proudly.

- Who? I didn't understand what a miracle.

- A horse with a horn in the middle - explained to the stupid, smiling proudly again.

- Horse?! You?! Ha ha ha – burst into laughter, laughing so hard that she had to kneel down or she would have fallen.

- What are you laughing at? What's so funny? Hey Princess Jeongyeon, stop it!

It was the first time she called me by my first name, but I laughed so hard that I just missed it.

- Horses - swallowing laughter, I tried to explain the unlucky girl - horses are working animals. They are hardworking and obey the owner. You are not a horse with a horn - you burst out laughing, but managed to restrain yourself, wiping only tears in your eyes. “You definitely look like a sloth!” Sloth does nothing but eat and sleep. Just like you, Princess Jihyo!

- Not! I am a unicorn! She stamped her feet, angry. “My dad said I was his favorite unicorn!” I am a magical unicorn, Mina is a cute Penguin and ... - then she fell silent, turned away, stomped to the shore.

AND?

Hm, why did she stop? Did she mean to say about the third sister?

Okay, maybe I laughed for nothing, but... Mina, that's the name of the one we're looking for. So, now it remains to find out her appearance and the matter of the ointment.

I won't apologize.

I won't. Not exactly...

- Hey, I'm sorry, okay? Well, I laughed, just agree, as long as I know you, you show only your bad sides. It's like you're doing it on purpose, but I don't understand why.

Not in the eyebrow, but in the eye. If I was more attentive, I noticed a shadow that flashed over her face, but then my eyes focused on her heels, for some reason it seemed to me for a moment that I saw a hoof mark, and not a foot.

Brr, what the hell? Overheated in the sun? Yes, no, the sun is not so hot, and the forest covered the sky.

Lack of sleep. Decided. And I forgot.

- Don't talk nonsense, princess, I'm always like that - haughtily moved her shoulder, raising an eyebrow in her direction. – Are you going?

“Uh-huh, so what does Princess Mina look like?” What? Seeing her frightened expression. - What are you? She said that was her name.

- Oh, yes, exactly - exhaled, looked around, came closer to me, again took my arm. - Let's go, while we go, I will describe it.

So, they saw her. A glimpse. Maybe. And what will it be?

Am I going to only meet stupid people? Father, sisters, help me with your clever advice!

None of those asked answered only in this way, shunning them like the plague. And some even seeing us from afar, crossed themselves, shouted “perish the unclean”, and for some reason all these exclamations were arrested by Princess Jihyo.

Shrugging. Why be afraid of her? A beautiful girl, with soft dark brown hair, sweet dark eyes, a charming wide smile. And she always smells like that.

- I saw a similar girl - said one old man - she ran away from the youngsters, ran into the forest and that's it.

- I saw her, she had another fellow traveler with her, a nice girl, then I was picking mushrooms, I already see these pigeons, they stopped near the stone of three roads.

- Then what, grandfather?

- Further, I don’t know, I lowered my eyes, someone crawled over me cursed, picked them up, they were dumb, their darlings disappeared.

And in this way we again returned to the forest, from which we left and went to look for the stone of three roads.

I'm thinking, did we do the right thing by believing unverified information?

Well, guess what, let's find out.

In the meantime, I need to gain strength and patience so as not to break loose and commit a sin, I mean, commit the murders of the annoying, capricious, lazy, but very beautiful Princess Jihyo.