A Tale About A: Forgotten Princess [Part 2]

Chapter 3: An offer

"How have life been for you?" Aunt Yuri questioned over the dinner table as she plucked a drumstick for father.

But father simply passed the drumstick to my bowl instead and I stunned; not knowing how to react since it was Aunt Yuri who gave it to him. "Life has been peaceful for us ever since we moved house."

Right, I remembered moving from the city at the age of 4, to the countryside. It was a traumatic experience as people in black costumes kept barging in to our house secretly in an attempt to kidnap me away from father. I have came to know that child kidnapping was common in the cities and to keep me safe, father had no choice but to move us to the countryside where no one knew us.

It was also because of that incident, father begun sending me to a martial arts school high in the mountains to learn martial arts to protect myself. I was the only girl in the class as girls were not supposed to learn martial arts. Father paid a lot to the master who trained me and said to only teach skills that could protect myself from danger. Though I have graduated as a senior, I still occasionally pop in to meet my master to spend time with him.

I was warned not to ever showcase my martial arts skills unless I was really in deep danger.

Father suddenly felt the awkward tension at the dinner table and he assured me, "It's okay A-Yeon; you can eat the drumstick."

Aunt Yuri let out an awkward sound as she continued, "R-right...A-Yeon...I can give your father another drumstick. Please, just eat."

"Thank you for the chicken..." I said quietly as I used my hand to eat the chicken.

To my surprise, Aunt Yuri looked shocked when she saw how I was eating using my hands. My eyes grew wide and I froze, unsure if it was really okay to bite down the piece of drumstick.

"I allowed A-Yeon to eat drumsticks with her hands. Plus, it taste better than using spoon and fork to eat it." Father revealed as he noticed her shocked expression.

She gave an awkward laugh as she nodded her head, "O-of course! I agree food tastes the best when you eat it comfortably...It's been a while since I last used my hands to eat a chicken..." She said in embarrassment.

That was when father placed another drumstick on her bowl and encouraged her to eat comfortably.

"Oppa..." Aunt Yuri was not expecting father to do that for her.

"Eat up." Father instructed as he moved on to eat his own meal.

//

After the meal, I went to wash the dishes while Aunt Yuri and father sat on the table to have a short catch-up. I could hear parts of their conversation despite the flowing sound of the water.

"Jong Suk oppa, how could you like A-Yeon wash the dishes?" Aunt Yuri said.

I furrowed my brows when I overheard that and wondered if there was anything wrong with me having to wash the dishes.

"Why not?"

Yeah, why not?

"Because she's...!" Aunt Yuri stopped mid-way and I waited impatiently as I wondered if she had an issue with me.

"A-anyway...I have something for you." She continued and that was the last of the conversation they had.

When I came back from dish washing, I saw father and Aunt Yuri hugging one another and I looked away.

"When can I see you again, I wonder?" Aunt Yuri questioned as they parted from one another.

Father seemed to notice my presence as he called my name. "A-Yeon ah, send Aunt Yuri to the door for me would you?"