The Princess Outside A Fairytale Story

The Bet

Syr can’t hide the disappointment on her face. She thought Ryuu will agree because Ryuu is kind but Ryuu didn’t, after all, Ryuu barely know her. Ryuu maybe helped her, let her stayed for the night, and offered her breakfast but it doesn’t mean Ryuu is trusting her already. Ryuu barely knew her and Ryuu probably helped her because Ryuu pitied her. Something bad almost happened on her last night and Ryuu is just kind- just generous so she helped her but letting her stay in Ryuu’s apartment is a different side of the story. No matter where Syr looked at, she’s a stranger to Ryuu’s eyes.

Syr didn’t speak and just looked down at the table. She’s now regretting that she already finished her food and coffee, if she still hasn’t then she will have a good reason to not answer or delay her answer. But right now, she doesn’t have anything she can use to defend her silence. Syr is pretty sure that Ryuu saw how disappointed and frustrated she is.

“Look Syr, why don’t you just went back to your country? You can try to talk it out with your father. Say that you really don’t want to be married yet. I’m sure he will understand it.”

Still looking down on the table with a pursed lips, Syr countered,

“But I don’t want to.”

A long sigh left Ryuu’s lips, she can’t believe that she’s hearing those words from a 28-year-old woman. Syr is acting like a spoiled 7-year-old kid. In terms of acting, Ryuu is thousand times mature than Syr.

“Look Syr. Your parents are probably worried about you already. They don’t have any idea where are you. You should just go home or went to a different country that's closer than your country instead of this country.”

Syr raised her head and meet Ryuu’s a little bit annoyed orbs. She had her hands on her lap, fingers intertwined while scratching her palm with the other hand’s thumb.

“But they knew where I am.”

“What do you mean they knew where you are?”

Syr shrugged her shoulders and kept the pout on her lips as she answered Ryuu’s question.

“I told them where I am.”

Ryuu stared at her in disbelief with slightly agape lips. She looked away for a moment then back her eyes again on Syr. An unamused laugh pushed its way out of Ryuu’s lips. Ryuu placed both of her arms on the table and leaned a little bit against the table.

“Are you kidding me? How can you call that running away from home if you informed them? You know that if they knew where are you they will come after you and bring you home.”

Now it was Syr’s turn to be confused.

“But they never did that. This is not the first time I ran away from home. I’ve been doing it since I was 15 years old and I always informed them where am I so they won’t be worried and looked for me.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Ryuu blurted out a little louder than needed as she let her back fall on the backrest of the wooden chair.

Syr crossed her arms on her chest and leaned her back on the backrest as well.

 “But I’m not. I swear. My mother is even supporting me and giving me the money I can use to travel and enjoy my stay in a foreign country.”

Now, Ryuu is even more shocked. She had her mouth and eyes wide opened for a few seconds then she closed her mouth and blinked rapidly to absorb the new information.

“Now, what are you? An unemployed 28-year-old woman?”

Ryuu asked a little bit harsher than she intended to be. Syr doesn’t look offended at all. She just nodded her head slowly, not finding any offending word or tone at what Ryuu just asked.

“Yes. My parents never let me work.”

Ryuu didn’t get to speak right at the moment she heard Syr’s retort. She was too shocked at everything she heard from Ryuu. She knew that Syr didn’t come from a poor family or at least a middle-class family. Ryuu is sure that Syr came from a wealthy family. She has soft and clear skin. Syr’s hands are soft and looked like she’s not even doing any housework or at least fix her own bed right after waking up. She looked like a spoiled daughter of her wealthy parents. But hearing Syr, a woman who is 3 years older than her confessed that she never experience working because her parents doesn’t want her to is exaggerating. Syr is already 28 years old, aren’t they supposed to let their daughter get a glimpse of the real world and let her stand on her own feet? This is ridiculous, really ridiculous.

“And why is it then?”

Ryuu again asked, a little sound like uninterested in the topic as she played the remaining coffee on her cup, swirling them around using her spoon. The coffee that was left on the cup is surely cold already and because she was sure that she will no longer drink it, playing with it is fine.

“Actually, I’m a princess so I’m really not allowed to work.”

Ryuu nodded her head, continuing playing with her coffee when she suddenly realized that something’s wrong with the statement. Her hand halted its movement and just stared at the coffee that is still swirling around the cup.

What did Syr say again?

Ryuu replayed the statement in her head again,

Actually, I’m a princess so I’m really not allowed to work.

-and again,

Actually, I’m a princess so I’m really not allowed to work.

-and again.

Actually, I’m a princess so I’m really not allowed to work.

Still, Ryuu can’t see what’s wrong with the statement so Ryuu asked Syr to say what she just said again.

Syr on the other hand calmly said, “I’m a princess so I’m not allowed to work.”

Though it doesn’t have any difference from the previous statement, that new statement of Syr finally made Ryuu realized what she thought was wrong.

Ryuu laughed out loud. Feeling Syr,'s eyes on her, Ryuu tried to stop herself from laughing because she knew she’s being weird and rude but she failed and again laughed out loud, this time she can’t stop herself from laughing.

“What- What’s wrong? Why are you laughing?”

Syr asked, slightly getting annoyed at Ryuu. Syr didn’t say anything funny so why is Ryuu laughing?

Ryuu coughed to force herself to stop laughing but still have that annoying grin on her face. Ryuu once again crossed her arms as she stared at Syr.

“You’re joking, right?”

The question completely pissed Syr as she raised one of her brows then looked annoyed at Ryu.

“I’m not. I’m really is a princess.”

“Of what? Your parents?”

Syr looked so disappointed at what just heard from Ryuu. That kind and soft Ryuu that helped her last night and she’s talking with earlier can no longer be found. Ryuu is now nothing but an annoying person sitting in front of Syr.

“Why don’t you search it then for you to confirm that I’m telling the truth?”

Syr confidently challenged Ryuu, crossed arms, chin a little bit higher and one of her sexy brows raised.

“What?”

“Come on. Take out your phone and search for it. Just type, princess of Jura on google then clicked into the images.”

Syr motioned for Ryuu to take out her phone. The annoying grin on Ryuu’s face earlier vanished and she’s now staring at Syr in disbelief. She’s now looking at Syr like she’s a crazy girl that loved to assume things.

Ryuu didn’t say any word neither take out her phone. She just kept on staring at Syr, asking herself repeatedly if Syr is serious or just pranking her.

Syr stood up from her seat and approached Ryuu. She leaned her weight on the table, beside Ryuu and lend her hand to Ryuu.

Ryuu just again stared at Syr, not understanding anything. Syr wiggled her hand while mumbling, “Phone. Give me your phone.”

Ryuu absent-mindedly really lend her phone to Syr, still not saying any word. Syr didn’t unlock the phone yet and just held the phone with a confident grin on her lips.

“Let’s make a bet. If I’m telling the truth, you’ll let me stay here at your apartment but if I’m not, I’ll leave your apartment right away.”

Ryuu wanted to refuse. Her mind is telling her not to agree ‘cause she will lose but she doesn’t want to. She’s not believing anything that Syr said.

How can this girl be a princess? She looked so unreliable and childish as a princess. There’s no way she’s telling the truth. She’s just playing with me.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Syr said grinning even wider. Syr unlocked Ryuu’s phone but it’s asking for a password so Syr raised one of Ryuu’s hands and get a hold of the index finger to place it at the back of the phone where the fingerprint will be scanned.

Finally got the phone unlocked, a picture of Ryuu hugging a girl from the back is what welcomed her. They are smiling and looked really happy together then Syr remembered that Ryuu mentioned earlier that she has a wife so Syr assumed it was this woman.

Syr pursed her lips, lightly nodding her head. She has great taste. This woman is absolutely beautiful.

After staring for a good 2 seconds more, Syr finally looked for the browser and clicked it. She no longer waste more time and typed ‘Syr Evans, the Princess of Jura’ then clicked the green button with an icon of a tool looking like a magnifying glass. She clicked the images and once it finally loaded, the phone screen of Ryuu was filled with her pictures shot in different places and times.

Syr no longer looked for the best picture, everything is the best. She looked beautiful in all of them there’s no doubt about that. She just chose the picture that her whole face can be seen. She’s not looking at the camera. She had her father standing beside her and her mother standing beside her father. They are dressed elegantly and looked like will attend a party. Syr tried to remember what party it is but immediately gave up.

“Here.”

Syr faced the phone on Ryuu.

Ryuu wrinkled her eyebrows as she stared at her phone. She then took it from Syr’s hand and inspected the picture. Of course, she’s not yet convinced of the picture so she clicked the article where the picture is attached. She read the headline and the first paragraph of the article. She then clicked the picture again then looked back at Syr. She repeated that dumb action a few more times before her eyes widen in realization.

Syr is telling the truth. She really is a princess of their country. Now Ryuu felt stupid. Syr won’t do anything on me, right? After all, I saved her last night. She still owed her life to me. She can’t just do something indecent with me just because I get in her nerve earlier, right?

Syr leaned away from the table. She dusted off her palms, lightly rubbing her palms together then grinned even wider at Ryuu.

“So I won the bet.”

“What bet?”

Ryuu finally asked, raising one of her brows at Syr.

“The bet we agreed at earlier, that if I’m right, you’ll let me stay here in your apartment.”

Ryuu stood up from her seat in shock and shook her head.

“No. I didn’t agree in that bet.”

“But you also didn’t refuse. Don’t you know that silence means yes?”

Ryuu closed her eyes, still shaking her head.

“No Syr. You really can’t stay here now that I even discovered that you’re a princess. There’s really no way I will allow you to live here.”

Syr looked at her, disappointed then averted her eyes, pissed at Ryuu. That looked made Ryuu nervous as she consider the proposal again but still was convinced that she really can’t let this woman stayed at her apartment.

“Come on Syr. I have a job. I can’t take care of you like what your maids in your country are doing to you. I’m not always around the house. There’s no one who will take care of things for you and there’s no way I will take a leave on my work just for you.”

“But I’m not asking you to take care of me. I’m just asking you to let me stay for a few days. I just really don't want to be alone in the hotel.”

Ryuu sighed as she brushed her hands on her hair, making it even messier but also sexy.

“But you will still be alone here most of the time because I’ll leave early in the morning and returned late in the evening.”

“But you will still go home so it’s still okay.”

Ryuu didn’t say any word and pinched the bridge of her nose as she turned her back on Syr, not considering the idea, just annoyed.

“Ryuuuuu.”

Syr called, dragging the letter u then continued. “Please. I promise I won’t make any trouble and I’ll do the housework for you and even pay you for the rent.”

“What do you even know? You’re a princess. I doubted if you ever experience washing at least one glass.”

Syr pouted her lips, slightly hurt at what Ryuu said but it was really the truth. She had never ever done any housework caused they have maids who will do it for them. 

“But it doesn’t mean I can’t learn. Come on. Please.”

Ryuu again didn’t say any words and just closed her eyes to calm herself.

Syr didn’t stop pestering her. She kept saying please and other words just to make Ryuu said yes. Ryuu just wants to leave the kitchen but Syr is preventing her from doing that. She really is now annoyed and just wants this to end so, in the end, she just sighed and motioned for Syr to stop talking and moving for a moment. Syr really did stop and stared at her expectantly.

After heaving a long sigh again, Ryuu finally said, “Fine. But just for 1 week.”

“What? 1 month! One week is way too short.”

Ryuu clenched her jaw, then she realized who’s this person standing beside her. Right, she’s a princess, the most annoying princess.

Ryuu faked a smile and lowered her head a bit so her eyes and Syr’s will have the same level.

“Two weeks. Agree or leave the apartment now.”