Chapter 10
02_Secret forest
As she headed toward the secret forest, Prina recalled the Mother Superior’s parting words to her.
“Prina, even after you return to the royal palace, always conduct yourself with purity. Never forget the teachings of the divine, so you will not bring shame to the name of the monastery.”
As she left, she also overheard the whispers of the other nuns.
“That girl’s a princess? Does that even make sense?”
“Right? There’s no way something so ominous could be the king’s daughter.”
“Shh, she’s coming. She’ll hear you.”
Even hearing such words, Prina couldn’t say anything in response. She had lived so long having forgotten it herself, and even now, reminded by others, it all still felt unreal.
She was soon to return to the royal palace. The king had said he was looking for her again. So, to Prina, he was her father. But he was someone she had never actually called ‘Father’, someone whose face she didn’t even remember… that kind of person. She was leaving the monastery to live with her family again, but rather than joy, she felt a bit anxious and awkward.
Why had he called for her all of a sudden? She had known of her family’s existence, but never once met them.
“Prina, you are of royal blood. Remember that and always be especially careful in your conduct.”
She had been told of her princess status by the Mother Superior when she was young. As a child, she sometimes pinned her hopes on uncertain dreams of being reunited, but as she grew, those hopes faded away.
She thought she was a princess in name only, and the royal palace was not a place for her to return to. No one had come for her until she turned twenty, so to her, it was as if she had no family at all.
She had thought she had been forgotten by everyone. Perhaps her father had secretly worried about her all this time. Everyone here disliked her. What if it was the same there? But maybe, since they were blood relatives, they would accept her as she was.
A strange mix of anxiety and hope coexisted in her heart.
She heard the palace was far from this place. She couldn’t quite imagine it yet, but once she entered the palace, she would have to adjust, and it might be less free than the monastery. She might never be able to come back here again. So today, she had to visit the forest.
For a while, she hadn’t been able to come to the secret forest because of her unease. But there was something she absolutely had to do before returning to the palace.
‘As long as I don’t go deep into the forest, it’ll be fine.’
Even if she ran into that hunter again, Prina had done nothing wrong. She would simply greet him and pass by.
She arrived at the field where she always sat to eat a late lunch. Prina looked down at the rabbit resting quietly in her arms.
“I thought something terrible was going to happen back then, but I’m so glad you healed so well.”
Though it still had a scar, with all the care and good food, it had grown plump and healthy.
“See? You’ve gotten so much better.”
Prina stroked the rabbit’s glossy fur. The rabbit, too, seemed pleased, rubbing up against her as if showing affection. She tied a yellow lace ribbon around its neck so she could recognize it if they ever met again.
Just as she had done for Lizzy, the bird whose broken wing she had healed, she wanted to leave a mark of herself on this rabbit as well.
After squatting down, Prina carefully set the rabbit down in the grass. Even after being set free, the rabbit didn’t want to leave, circling Prina’s ankles as if clinging to her.
“I’m sorry. I’d like to stay with you too, but I can’t.”
She didn’t even have the means to guarantee her own safety, so she had no ability to take responsibility for this small animal. Even though she knew it was impossible, the small, fragile bundle of fur tugged at her heart, making it so hard to leave. Prina rummaged in her pocket and held something out to the rabbit. It was some clover.
“You eat this, right? I thought you’d like it, so I brought it for you.”
The rabbit twitched its tiny nose, then began to nibble at the clover.
“Want to see this? Clovers usually have only three leaves, but this one with four is really special. It’s called a four-leaf clover. They say it brings good luck to whoever finds it. You wouldn’t believe how excited I was when I found it.”
A four-leaf clover. Even though it was different from the usual kind, instead of seeing it as unlucky, people regarded it as lucky. Prina liked that.
“Maybe meeting you is my good luck. Will you think of me that way too?”
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