Meeting the Female Lead-Part 3

"I..." As Seiran tried to counter Danial's words, her brothers' worried voices are then heard, calling for her attention.

"Ran! Ran, where are you?! Ran!" Arthur, Sean, and Julian screamed their little sister's name in panic.

Danial's eyes widen in shock. Ran? This girl is Seiran Knight, the only daughter of the scary Duke Knight? This is bad! If her brothers saw him with her here, they might misunderstand the whole situation and he will end up dead. Danial turned around and ran away in haste. He ignored Seiran's desperate pleading for him to stop. In a flash, Danial's back no longer visible for Seiran to look at.

Seiran clutched her left chest. Without her realizes, a drop of tear is rolling down on her flushed, pink cheek. A surge feeling of sadness and dismay are erupting in her heart. She felt hurt. And breathless. Danial's refusal of her help affected her by this much. Just why? Why is she feeling disappointed when he ignored her? Why would she crave Danial's attention so much? She fears Danial's rejection above anything else in this world.

"Ran?! Are you okay? Why are you on the ground? Your dress will get dirty, silly girl!" Sean, the mother hen, started to scold his sister the moment he saw her crouching on the dirty ground. Dirt and pebble are stuck on her pretty dress and ruined her elegant appearance for a bit. "Ran...?"

Seiran looked at her brothers with tears streaming down on her cheeks like a waterfall. Her once beautiful face is tainted with tears, and she looks extremely pale.

"Oh my god! What's wrong, Ran?! Why are you crying?" Sean squatting beside her and pulled their body closer as he easily lifted the little girl into his embrace. The girl is too thin for his own liking. She should eat more.

As she followed her instinct, Seiran buried her face into the crook of her brother's neck, inhaling his relaxing scent as she needs the comfort of her family to calm her tense nerve.

"There...there..." Sean rubbed her back gently. "Let's go home, okay?"

Seiran silently nodded her head. She closed her eyes. Her steady breathing is indicating that she has already fallen asleep.

Sean, Arthur, and Julian are exchanging glances with each other. The knowing looks that plastered on their faces are arousing their friend to ask a question that had been bugging his mind from a moment ago.

"What's wrong with your sister? I never saw her cried this hard before. She looks heartbroken." Kyle inquired.

Arthur sigh.

"Well, she is indeed heartbroken."

"What? Seriously? Who the idiot who rejected our cute goddess?!" Kyle exclaimed.

"Who knows." Julian pinched his temples in distress. "Ah, her birthday is next month, isn't this too early for the sign to appear?"

Sean gestured his chin toward the sleeping girl in his arms.

"I think, we need to talk with mother and Lona about this situation." Arthur caressed Seiran's curls from her forehead. A weird crescent moon symbol suddenly appeared there and glowed in a faint golden light. "She meets her soulmate here, and was half-rejected by him."

"Ugh, how dare he rejected our cute, little sister without a second thought! I will kill him later." Sean's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.

"You cannot do that, stupid. You will kill our sister if her soulmate is murdered by her brothers." Julian hissed.

Sean clicked his tongue.

"Fine, I will break his limbs. Is it okay?"

"Enough arguing. Let's go home." Arthur put a stop to their childish squabbles. With a snap of his finger, the five of them disappeared into thin air.

--------

A dark forest, which even the sunlight is unable to penetrate the thickness of the forest. It's located outside of Snowflake Town and normal people are forbidden to enter this cursed forest, as monsters and beasts are always roaming around, searching for food and hunting for prey. Right now. the both of them are sitting under an abandoned hut.

Jae Woon scanned his surroundings suspiciously. Is Mochi tried to prank him? Why did Mochi bring him into this place, desolate from people and any living being?

"Mochi?"

(Yes, host?)

"Am I offending you before?"

Mochi tilted its head.

(No. Why did you ask such an odd question, host?)

"Are you intend to kill me here, and buried me in the place where no one comes?" Jae Woon distanced himself from Mochi as he said this. "You promised to help me. And yet, you tried to kill me here?"

Mochi stared dumbly at its host. Soon, a wave of laughter is bursting out from Mochi's mouth.

(Really, host? I am an AI. Not a serial killer. My job is to guide my host on his mission and accompany them on their arduous journey. Although some of the hosts I guided deserved to be boil in a big pot of hydrochloride acids, I will not do such a thing to you. Rest assure, host.)

"Then, Why am I here? You said we're going to meet my ally. I don't think the Female Lead will live her life in a scary place like this." Jae Woon rubbed his arms as the atmosphere turned more chilly than before. His warm breath becomes visible to him and white frost is falling on the forest ground like falling snow.

A steady step is approaching them from afar. Jae Woon couldn't see the owner of the footsteps as his sight is kind of blurry, and the white frost is disrupting his sight even more, but from the silhouette, that person is a girl. Her silky, blond wavy hair is tied high on her head and decorated with a silver hairpin. She is wearing a knee-length white dress adorned with beautiful white gems and paired with her black, expensive military boots.

Jae Woon furrowed his eyebrows. What is this familiar vibe that I got from her? Do I know her?

She stopped exactly at one meter in front of him. A beautiful smile is gracing out on her tantalizing lips and her almond-like eyes are staring deeply at his brown-eyed one. For a moment there, Jae Woon saw her eyes are brimming with love and tender gazes. As he blinked his eyes again, those hazel eyes turned back to normal.

"My prince." She greeted him. "Fancy in meeting you here. Do you perhaps, remember me, my prince?"

"You're...the fem..." Mochi coughed. Jae Woon rolled his eyes when he realizes the reason for Mochi's sudden interruption. No OOC, right? "You're Seiran Knight, right?"

"I'm utterly happy that you remember my name, my prince. Feels free to call me by my first name only." She said.

"Then, called me Danial. Or Danny, or whatever you like, Seiran. My prince is a bit too formal." Jae Woon replied. He stretched out his hand towards her. "Nice to meet you."

Seiran's unconcealed shock is visible on her beautiful face. She looked at the outstretched hand with wonder.

Did she felt disgusted to touch my hand? Jae Woon mentally said. He ashamedly retracted back his hand when suddenly a warm and tender feeling is engulfing his callous hand. Sparks shot out the moment both of their hands touching each other.

Jae Woon gasped in surprise. He almost slapped away Seiran's hand, but, the girl is gripping his hand so tightly as if gripping to a lifeline. She bit her lips.

"Seiran?"

Seiran shook her head and immediately let go of Jae Woon's hand. She turned around avoiding his curious gazes, whilst wiping her tears with her sleeves.

"What are you doing here, Dan...Danny...?" Her face is hotter than molten iron as she muttered Danial's nickname. "This place is dangerous, especially...for normal people like you."

"I...umm...strolling?"Jae Woon replied in an unsure tone. He glared at the system beside him. Why did Mochi bring him to this place? Didn't Mochi say to peek at her secretly, not to openly stalking her in the public like this? "What about you, Seiran?"

"Oh, my group is in charge of patrolling this area today. So, that's why I am here. You want to go home? I can guide you back." Seiran offered her assistance as she felt worried leaving Danial alone in the middle of the dangerous forest with no means to protect himself.

Jae Woon scratched his head. Why did he felt this girl is treating him like he is some sort of damsel in distress? He might be a coward, but, he still a man.

(Just accept her kind offer, host. This is your chance to talk with her, alone.) Mochi is urging him to agree with Seiran's suggestion.

{Ugh, You are acting weird, Mochi. Are you sure, your role here to accompany me? Not matchmaking me with the Female Lead?}

(Of course not, host.) Mochi chuckles. Well, I didn't need to bother with the matchmaking stuff as both of you are already tied in the red thread of fate.

"Danny?" Seiran is nervously waiting for Danial's approval. She is hoping for the male in front of her to agree.

"Huh? Sure. Thanks for the help, Seiran."