Instantly, Lizzy felt like she wanted to run away. How could she take care of her backyard!?
"Ally! You also want me to take care of your backyard?" Lizzy tries to confirm what she hears. As far as she remembers, she never said that when she made a deal with her.
Lizzy is very familiar with the garden condition behind Allynna's house. Some grass has grown taller than her, and many fallen leaves have piled up without being cleared. The garden behind Allynna's house is quite expansive. How could she clean it by herself? A professional gardener tends to take care of the garden at her own house.
"Of course, Liz. My backyard is part of my house, too," Allynna said while inwardly laughing as she noticed Lizzy's jaw almost touching the floor. It was fun to tease this pampered lady.
"Ally darling, why don't you call the gardener?" Lizzy suggested. "If you don't know how to contact the gardener, I can help you contact them. I have an acquaintance who used to take care of my garden."
"Why should I use the gardener? You already promised to help me, right?" Allynna asked casually. However, Lizzy felt like someone had struck her ears.
Allynna ignored Lizzy's protest as she met her gaze, took a banana from the basket on the coffee table, and began eating it, paying no attention to Lizzy's sharp glare.
"Ally, when did you become like this? I know you have a heart of gold, but now you're gradually turning into a cold, heartless best friend," Lizzy stared at her with gloomy eyes, hoping to change Ally's mind. "I can't understand that behind your beautiful goddess-like face, you harbor a black heart and make your best friend suffer like this, Allynna Frost... please return to being my kind-hearted friend, Allynna," Lizzy said, her voice genuinely filled with misery.
Allynna was left utterly speechless, observing her dramatic performance.
"Can't we just hire a gardener, huh!?" Lizzy continued to try and persuade Allynna to change her mind.
However, Allynna completely ignored her words. "Liz, you know what? You really have the talent to be a movie star. I'd have believed it if I didn't know you so well. Your acting is outstanding..." She said while clapping.
"Jeez! You clever young lady—" She cursed at her and then returned her focus to her drama.
Shortly after 9 p.m., Lizzy bid her goodbye and went home.
...
Allynna was all alone again. Another day passes by. But today, she was grateful to go through the day cheerfully without shedding sorrow.
She immediately locked all the doors and went up to her room. She is in a good mood now because she's finally succeeding in finding her new hobby, cooking.
Now, she looks forward to experimenting with another dish using her mother's recipes. And she also wants to try baking, making her favorite cake, choco lava cake.
After preparing her book to bring to school tomorrow, she cleaned herself, changed into her nightgown, and sat on a blue couch to continue reading the history book.
She wanted to finish this book as soon as possible.
However, it turns out her eyes betrayed her.
A few minutes later, she started yawning more often. Her eyelids began to feel heavy.
She closed the book and threw herself on the soft bed after turning off all the lights. Only the lamp on the side of the bed was lit with dim light. Slowly, she closed her eyes, and in no time, she was fast asleep.
****
The next morning.
When Allynna woke up from her sleep, she felt remarkably refreshed. This marked the first time she had awakened in a good mood since her parents had passed away.
She didn't get up immediately but instead savored the sounds of birds in the forest behind her house. She also could hear the faint crashing of waves in front of the house.
The distance from her home to the beach was only about half a mile, and she could still hear the waves hitting the rocks. The sound was refreshing and never grew dull.
Today, she had set her alarm earlier to make breakfast, specifically a delicious French toast. Sir Leon had sent a lot of fresh, natural bread yesterday, and she needed to consume it quickly to prevent it from going moldy.
Allynna proceeded to the kitchen and swiftly prepared the necessary ingredients: eggs, bread, milk, butter, and a pinch of pink salt for added flavor. She skillfully whisked the eggs, milk, and salt together. Afterward, she heated the frying pan, dipped a slice of bread into the egg and milk mixture, and began to fry it. While waiting for the bread to cook, she retrieved a box of apple juice from the fridge and some fresh grapes.
She intended to have breakfast while watching the news about the Royal Family, which had piqued her curiosity in recent days.
Allynna found reading or watching the news about Emperor Aolis Sylgella Bells' family exciting. She also had just learned that the crown prince of the Bellsor Empire was named Eleon Thodas Bells. The crown prince's identity remained a mystery, as his face had never been revealed.
What intrigued Allynna even more was the striking similarity between Prince Eleon's name and Leon, her future husband.
"Could they be the same person?" But she later chuckled at the thought. A crown prince couldn't visit this small island without any accompanying bodyguards, right?
It didn't take long before her toast was ready.
Allynna sat on the couch, ready to enjoy her breakfast, which was her first breakfast since her mother passed away. Usually, she had only eaten what appeared to be a sandwich that Lizzy had given her or had skipped breakfast altogether.
...
After finishing breakfast and tidying up the kitchen, Allynna hurried to her room. She didn't have much time left, as she needed to get to school.
A few minutes later, Allynna was ready in her school uniform. She promptly left her house, but Lizzy's voice startled her.
"Ally, I thought you were still sleeping..." Lizzy asked worriedly. "You're not usually late. Are you okay?
"Ally, I thought you were still sleeping..." Lizzy asked worriedly. "You're not usually late. Are you okay?
Lizzy was concerned because Allynna didn't wait for her as usual. She immediately walked to Allynna's house to check.
...
Allynna sighed before responding, "I spend my mornings in the kitchen. I thought making breakfast would be faster, but it turned out to be quite time-consuming as well. I'll never make breakfast again." She laughed while walking beside Lizzy.
Lizzy's eyes lit up when she heard about Allynna making breakfast. "What are you making this morning?"
"Just toast... it's not difficult. It's just that I got too detailed in making it. I also think it's because I watched TV news for too long. I don't know what got into me. I watched the morning news about the royal family and lost track of time," Allynna sighed deeply. She felt like she didn't know herself anymore. In the past, she disliked history, including the royal family, but her curiosity about them was growing.
"What! So, you're watching royal family news now?" Lizzy was surprised to hear that. "Wow! That's totally unlike you, Ally. Are you changing your habits? Do you like watching TV now? If you do, you have to tell me. We could watch my drama together..." Lizzy's voice trailed off when Ally pinched her cheek.
Lizzy was speechless.
Since childhood, Allynna had two things she didn't like. First, she wasn't interested in studying history, including royal family stuff. Second, she didn't enjoy watching TV. The only person who watched TV in her house was her father. Ally and her late mother didn't like watching TV.
"I know... Well, Liz, I feel like I've become a weird person. First, I started to like history lessons, and now I'm watching TV. What has happened to me?" Allynna asked. She smiled bitterly after looking at Lizzy, who could only answer her with puzzled-looking eyes. Her best friend seemed confused, too.
As they walked for a few minutes, Allynna spotted Helan standing on the side of the road. He seemed to be waiting for them.
"Helan? Are you waiting for us?" Allynna asked him.
"Morning, Ally, Liz," he smiled, "Yeah, it happens. The sky is so beautiful, and the weather is so warm; it makes me want to walk..."
Lizzy nearly tripped over her own feet when she heard Helan's cheesy words.
Allynna ignored Helan's strange words and began to talk to him about her plan to enter the Faculty of Technology.
"Helan, I'm interested in Royal Intelligence. So, I followed your suggestion to enter the Faculty of Technology..." Allynna glanced at Helan beside her.
Helan turned his face to look at her in surprise.
"What did I say? You are suitable to enter Royal Intelligence because you are also strong in Math and very fond of technology-related things." Helan nodded in agreement with Allynna's choice. "So, now you have fixed your admission to the Faculty of Technology, right?"
Allynna nodded.
"How about you, Helan?" Allynna asks him.
"I don't know! I still have my doubts." He presses his nape before continuing his words, "Well, there's still plenty of time to decide. I'm not in a rush. After all, if I enter the Army, I still have a chance to be admitted to Royal Intelligence even though the chance is small."
Helan then glanced at Lizzy, "Liz, you better join Ally admit to the Bell Royal University."
"Helan, can you stop interfering with my own choice? You are not my boyfriend. Why do you care?" Lizzy glared at Helan.
Lizzy was too lazy to think about her problem. Her brain was drained to think of ways to explain it to her father. The best plan she found right now is to register at the Art Faculty before telling her father.
Helan could only smile upon hearing Lizzy's words.
"Liz, why are you so annoyed? You're right. I'm not your boyfriend—" Well, not yet, he thought. "—But you are my best friend. As a friend, I must remind you to think more carefully. Because, once you've admitted to art and regret it, you can't change your choice anymore."
Lizzy frowned at Helan before avoiding his gaze, ignoring him. She snuggled closer to Allynna and wrapped her arms around her shoulder. "Ally, let's go... we don't need to hang out with Helan. He's getting more and more like my father, too chatty. I can't stand him."
Allynna and Helan laughed at Lizzy's sulking like a child.
After walking silently, Allynna remembers the Royal Family news she watched this morning. She asked them if they had seen the Crown Prince in person.
Lizzy and Helan send a grievous look to Allynna.
How could this girl not know about the crown prince?
"Lady Allynna Clueless Frost... no one ever sees him. By no one, I mean outside of Royal Families and Royal Intelligence. Even in Royal Families, I guess only the Emperor and Empress ever see his true face." Lizzy answers Allynna's curiosity.
Lizzy is also curious about the appearance of the Crown Prince. Since childhood, she has been interested in him. Unfortunately, the photo of the crown prince circulating until now is only a photo of him as a child. Even then, the picture is blurry. So, no one could guess what his face looked like.
"Yes, Ally, even my father, who has been invited to the royal ball party several times, has never seen the prince—"
Allynna was interested even more.
"It turns out that what I read on the internet is true…?" Allynna said.
"Yes, Ally! Well, if you want to see the prince, you need to join 'Royal Intelligence' because the leader of that division is Prince Eleon."
Allynna was slightly stunned.
"Well, I am also interested in the Crown Prince. I wonder, is he handsome?" Lizzy said, her eyes beaming to imagine Prince Eleon.
"Well, for that, I can't say anything... I'm also clueless." Helan voice sounded shaking because he suddenly felt jealous when Lizzy took an interest in the crown prince.
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