CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

KATRINA

“You’re on private property. Stay away from the border,” that man barked harshly, waving me off like I was nothing but a stray animal.

“Beggars are not allowed here!” another guard shouted from behind him, his voice dripping with disgust. That's not very nice.

Well, how could I possibly get inside a place like this, looking the way I do?

But whatever. I’ve come this far.

I might as well try.

It’s not like I’ll drop dead just for taking a chance.

So I stepped forward but it was enough to set them off.

“THIS AREA IS RESTRICTED FROM OUTSIDERS!” Before I could even take another breath, they charged toward me, determined to chase me off.

I held my ground and let out a deep breath.

“It’s freezing out here and yet your tempers are blazing hot. You don’t even know who I am, and already you’re ready to throw me out?”

They hesitated, slightly thrown off by my calmness or maybe by the nerve I had to talk back.

“Well,” I continued, lifting my chin with defiance. "Your master... the one you call Prince Percival Pierre Cario... is my fiancé.”

Right then, a powerful gust of wind swept through the grounds.

The dry leaves on the path stirred violently, caught in the sudden rush of air. They scattered and danced between us, swirling past our feet.

And in that moment, not one of them moved.

A tense silence settled between us.

The four guards exchanged glances, as if silently confirming something among themselves, then all turned to glare at me with the same sharp, disapproving look as if I was filth they couldn’t wait to get rid of.

I forced down the lump forming in my throat, swallowing hard, though it did little to calm the nerves building inside me.

“STEP BACK AND GO HOME!”

The command came out like a gunshot, echoing in the cold air. One of the guards shouted it so forcefully that my body instinctively tensed, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut for a moment just to collect myself.

Of course, they wouldn’t believe me.

Who would?

Who would believe that someone like me could be the fiancée of their master?

This was my fault but I find it funny though.

I should’ve brought my father with me.

Maybe it would’ve made some difference... or maybe not. Perhaps we’d still end up humiliated, both of us kicked out like we didn’t matter.

What we really needed was someone they knew.

“GET OUT OF HERE!” another guard yelled furiously

I shook my head and turned away from the gate.

I walked further away, until the guards were completely out of sight. But even then, I was still within the estate’s towering brick walls.

Eventually, I slowed to a stop and moved closer to one side of the wall. I leaned my back against it, then let myself slowly sink down onto the grass.

I sat there quietly, staring blankly at the empty road stretched out ahead of me. Not a single car had passed by. Not even the distant sound of an engine. But I wasn’t surprised.

This was private property, after all.

The only reason I’d even been allowed through the village entrance earlier was because I had shown the guard a card, one I wasn’t sure would even work. Thankfully, it had. At least for that part.

As I stared at the tree-covered stretch of road in front of me, I yawned. My body was starting to feel heavy from the long walk.

I let the sounds around me fill the silence. The soft rustling of leaves… the creaking of bamboo swaying gently with the breeze. It was soothing. The air was cool and damp with mist, and birds chirped somewhere up in the trees, their songs echoing through the quiet.

Before I even realized it, my eyes had started to flutter shut.

I caught myself nodding off and forced my body to straighten up. I yawned again, pulled the straps of my backpack off my shoulders, and let it drop to the grass with a soft thud.

“Guess I’ll sleep for a bit…” I muttered.

I used the bag as a pillow and lay down right there on the grass. My skirt was long enough to reach my feet so I curled up and used the fabric as a blanket, folding my legs up underneath me to stay warm.

It probably only took a few minutes before I was completely out.

“KATRINAAA!”

The thunderous voice of my father snapped me awake.

I bolted upright, heart racing, and looked around in a daze, unsure for a moment of where I was or what had just happened.

"Kitty!"

I turned around and I heard Dad's voice coming from behind me.

And I was right. There he was, standing just a few steps behind me, holding the back of his neck with one hand, wincing a little like he was so stressed again.

“I knew it... I just knew you wouldn’t follow through with what we agreed on last night!”

I let out a big yawn and looked around. I must’ve slept longer than I should have. The sun was already high up, blazing in the sky.

The morning mist had completely vanished. Thankfully, the area I was in was surrounded by trees. Even though I fell asleep out here, I was lucky, I didn’t end up getting baked by the sun.

As I took a moment to scan my surroundings, something caught my eye, and even Dad kept on scolding me.

A fancy-looking car was parked on the side of the road, just a few meters away from where we stood.

“Sweetheart… Boss Valerion is inside that car! Get up, now! We’re going home! You need to change clothes! I need to speak to Boss Valerion first! You can’t be looking like that when you meet Boss Pierre!”

And with that, my father straightened up and briskly walked toward the vehicle.

I watched him approach the backseat window. Then, slowly, the black-tinted glass began to slide down with a hiss.

I saw Boss Valerion.

His face was composed and perfectly still.

And I noticed, he didn’t look at my father.

He glared straight at me.

“Bring your daughter inside the car," he commanded.

My father stiffened instantly.

“Y-Yes, Boss…” he stuttered, nodding with a nervous smile before turning toward me.