Chapter 139
Chapter 139
The next day, the weather was clear with a gentle breeze-a perfect day for an outing.
Maria woke Tu Nan up early and had her try on several dresses. Eventually, she settled on a tender green gown paired with a small lace hat, making Tu Nan look every bit the elegant noble lady.
“I’m not the protagonist today,” Tu Nan said, watching Maria adjust her hat. “Have you figured out how you’re going to deal with Tracy?”
Maria reached out to tweak the angle of the hat, speaking with an air of indifference. “What is there to think about regarding such a trivial matter?”
“You could try to feel him out and see if there’s any chance he’ll back down,” Tu Nan suggested. “Judging by his behavior yesterday, he doesn’t actually like you.”
“That much is obvious.” Maria carefully selected a pair of heels from a pile of shoes. “I possess a noble status and a beautiful face. To him, I am the perfect candidate for a Princess Consort.”
“A man like him has been educated since childhood to find the wife who suits him best,” Maria sneered. “And so, after much deliberation, he chose me.”
Tu Nan frowned. What would make a man like that give up on Maria?
“What do you think of these?” Maria asked, pointing to a pair of heels.
“I think I’m better off in flats,” Tu Nan shrugged. “The forest isn’t exactly easy to walk through.”
Speaking of the forest, Tu Nan suddenly remembered what Eugene had said at the dinner table last night about the “Forest Witch.”
“Is the Forest Witch in that forest too?” Tu Nan asked. “The apple you gave me before-did it come from the Witch?”
“The Witch lives deep in the forest and rarely comes out,” Maria didn’t deny it. “You don’t need to worry about running into her.”
“How do you know the Witch?” Tu Nan asked in surprise.
Given Maria’s status, how could she have gone deep into the forest alone?
“I stumbled into the forest when I was running away from my marriage,” Maria said tonelessly. “I met seven Dwarfs there; they are neighbors with the Witch.”
“Seven Dwarfs…”
But in the Fairy Tale Hospital, there were only five Dwarfs.
Tu Nan wanted to ask more, but Maria didn’t seem inclined to dwell on the subject.
She walked over to the vanity, put on her pearl earrings, and turned to look at Tu Nan.
“It’s about time. We can go now.”
Tu Nan had no choice but to follow her out.
*
Tracy and Dennis were already waiting outside the Royal Palace.
The four of them boarded a Carriage and set off toward the forest.
“Miss Judy is truly radiant today,” Dennis said, smiling at Tu Nan. “I fear the spring flowers would wither in shame at the sight of you.”
Tu Nan’s cheeks flushed slightly. “The Prince flatters me too much.”
Maria glanced at her.
“Your Highness is also very beautiful today,” Tracy added quickly, offering his own compliment.
“Thank you,” Maria said reservedly.
“Tracy, it’s no wonder sister Maria is so cold to you. That kind of praise doesn’t hit the mark at all,” Dennis joked.
Tracy smiled slightly but didn’t respond.
“Brother, don’t you think you’re like a peacock?” Maria said mockingly. “Spreading your wings every day to find a mate.”
Dennis froze, a look of annoyance flashing across his face.
Tracy let out a short laugh, his gaze toward Maria gaining a touch of appreciation. “The Princess is truly interesting.”
Tracy’s standing in the King’s heart was likely already higher than that of his own disappointing son, so Dennis could only endure it for the time being.
The carriage clattered along for a long time before finally slowing to a halt at the driver’s call.
Their destination was the edge of the forest, where the singing birds and fragrant flowers made it a perfect spot for an outing.
The accompanying maids immediately busied themselves like butterflies fluttering among the flowers, quickly setting up a place for them to rest.
“Miss Judy, would you care to take a stroll with me?” Dennis extended an invitation to Tu Nan.
Tu Nan glanced at Maria, a look of hesitation crossing her face.
“Sister Maria has Tracy to keep her company; she doesn’t need you intruding,” Dennis lowered his voice. “The maids are all watching. When they return, they’ll report everything that happens today to the King.”
“Very well then,” Tu Nan curtsied to him. “Please allow me to say a word to Princess Maria.”
“Of course,” Dennis said, gesturing broadly.
Tu Nan walked over to Maria’s side and explained the situation.
Maria frowned as she swept a glance toward Dennis, then whispered to her, “Though his behavior is absurd, he is generally someone who insists on mutual consent. Just be careful.”
Tu Nan nodded before returning to Dennis’s side.
“Prince Dennis, let’s just walk nearby,” Tu Nan gave him a small smile. “The forest is so vast; it wouldn’t be good if we accidentally got lost.”
Dennis readily agreed.
As it turned out, Tu Nan’s words were prophetic.
-They actually got lost.
One was gallantly trying to strike up a conversation, while the other was racking her brains to ensure he didn’t think she had already given him her heart, yet also didn’t think she was completely uninterested.
The surrounding trees all looked identical. After walking for only a short while, amidst their back-and-forth exchange, Tu Nan felt something was wrong and stopped. By then, she had no idea where they were.
“What’s wrong?” Dennis hadn’t noticed anything amiss yet, puzzled as to why she had suddenly stopped moving.
Tu Nan surveyed their surroundings. “Your Highness Dennis, do you remember the path we took to get here?”
“It’s just…” Dennis raised his hand to point in one direction, then hesitated and shifted to another.
“The paths here… they all look exactly the same,” he said, looking confused.
“I think we’re lost,” Tu Nan said grimly.
“Lost?” Dennis frowned. “Forget it, let’s just wait here for a bit. Once they realize we’re missing, someone will naturally come looking for us.”
*Idiot!*
Tu Nan almost couldn’t stop herself from cursing at him.
This forest was so vast it was practically boundless. By the time anyone found them, she would likely have become fertilizer for the forest.
Besides, she felt that something was strange.
Although she hadn’t paid excessive attention to the route earlier, she had left some marks along the way. Now, those marks had vanished into thin air.
This indicated that they weren’t just normally lost.
“Do you feel like… it’s getting foggy?” Dennis suddenly asked.
Fog in a forest wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence, but this fog had appeared too abruptly, carrying an ominous undertone.
At a time like this, Tu Nan couldn’t care less about whether Dennis lived or died.
Shouting “Run!” was her final act of mercy.
She broke into a sprint, bolting in the opposite direction of the encroaching mist.
“Wait for me!” Dennis’s voice echoed behind her.