The Last Snow

Chapter 56: The Harvest Festival part 3, The Elven Prince

"You okay, Jieun?", asked Jennie.

"Jieun? What's wrong?", asked Lisa who was as worried as Jennie. She couldn't help but think that maybe Jieun noticed something. She carefully placed her hand on Jieun's elbow to grab her attention. And when Jieun looked back at her, she asked if everything was alright.

"Prince Lee is in love with his servant, Jennie. Oh wow. I did not expect this.", thought Jieun as she looked into Lisa's eyes. She nodded and sat back down. She closed her eyes and shook her head as if to wake herself up.

"What happened? Do you feel unwell?", asked Lisa out of concern, both for Jieun's wellbeing and for her secret relationship with Jennie.

"I'm fine, Prince Lee. Sorry, everyone. It's just that Prince Lee was telling me earlier about the grilled octopus he ate a few days ago at the docks. He said the same thing that you did, Jennie. Hahahahaha.", replied Jieun. She forced herself to laugh and hoped that it sounded authentic.

"We need to be careful, Nini. She might have noticed something. That laugh was fake."

"Yeah. I know. Don't worry about me. Just be a good date to Jieun, Lili."

"Would it be okay if I ask for some more rice, Lady Ryujin?", asked Irene with a smile. When she looked up from her ribs, she noticed the three ladies looking at each other awkwardly. And then, her gaze fell on the pack of biscuits in the middle of the table.

And as Lisa, Jennie, and Jieun kept exchanging glances, a pair of small hands sneaked to the center of the table.

What followed was a futile attempt to open the pack of biscuits without drawing attention.

*shick*

"Sorry. Don't mind me."

*kwish*

"Wow. Did a sailor tie this knot?"

*sshisshh*

*sheesckkhhssiiishhk*

All their attention was on Irene now.

Irene pouted her lips cutely as she looked at the others and said in the tiniest, most adorable voice, "Help."

"Haha. I'll do it.", said Jennie with a giggle. She pointed her finger at the knot, and it unraveled within seconds.

"Show-off.", joked Lisa, to which Jennie just smiled. They didn't look at each other, yet the way their lips curled up was all the evidence that Jieun needed.

"They are definitely in love with each other."

Lisa grabbed a biscuit and placed it on Jieun's plate. She did the same with Irene and then with Jennie. "To new friends, hopefully.", said Lisa before raising a biscuit as if it were a mug of ale. She looked to her right, and Jieun smiled back at her.

"To new friends indeed.", followed Jieun.

"Aww~ Strawberry biscuits. To new friends.", said Irene as she bumped her biscuit with the others.

"I'm just a servant. But I hope you'll have me. To new friends.", said Jennie. They all ate their biscuits and started coughing. The red chunks that Irene thought were strawberries turned out to be fire peppers.

"That's what they meant by hot biscuits. I can't feel my tongue.", said Lisa. She assumed that hot meant freshly baked. She was wrong.

"I am being punished for breaking my diet. Forgive me, Everlight.", followed Irene.