Chapter 3: Princess

My eyes widened. He’s right. For a moment, I forgot about it all… And I can’t deny that my heart feels lighter now that I don’t have any negative emotions.

I released it. All thanks to him.

“I guess you’re feeling that good, huh? You didn’t even notice your phone ringing.”

“Huh?” I looked at my phone and realized he was right. “Shit. It’s Dad.”

Crap. Did he already know I’m not with Mia right now? But how?

I slapped my forehead, realizing that Dad has many eyes around me. 

How could I think about staying away from them when they could bring me back home in a snap?

“Shit,” I cursed again, staring at the phone. I don’t even want to answer it.

And the phone died, revealing the wallpaper I had. It’s our family picture.

River looked at it, and his expression darkened. It didn’t even change, as my Dad called me again for the nth time. 

I didn’t even notice it earlier—I was too busy cursing River while the rollercoaster took different turns.

Shit. What should I do now? I know I should answer the phone and beg for his forgiveness.

But my hands aren’t moving. I couldn’t even muster the courage to answer the call.

River noticed it, so he extended his hand with his palm open, looking at me. “Give me the phone. I’ll talk to him.”

“Are you crazy?” I exclaimed, my eyes widening, and my voice louder than usual. “You’ll talk to my Dad? You don’t even know who he is—”

Before I could finish my sentence, River pulled the phone from my hand and answered the call.

“Hello?” he said, his tone low and somehow intimidating. “It’s me, River Sage Palmer. Don’t you recognize me by my voice?”

My brows furrowed. River Sage Palmer? It doesn’t ring a bell.

I also don’t know any members of the Palmer family here in our country, as their main place is in Italy. This is just a coincidence, right?

But why would he ask my Dad if he didn’t recognize him? Do they know each other?

“Oh, her?” he looked at me, his lips curving into a smirk. “I just saw her somewhere, so I took her to the amusement park to let her frustrations out. You can ask your people to fetch him here.”

River listened to what my father was saying on the other line. He even pulled the phone away a little bit from his ear.

It only meant one thing. Dad is scolding him.

“Come on, Rico. She’s a grown-up woman. Why are you monitoring her as if she was a child who isn’t capable of living on her own—” River grimaced and pulled the phone further this time. “Fine. Just go here.”

River ended the call before giving it to me. “Here.”

“Do you know my Dad?” I asked, confused.

“No.”

“Then why are you talking to him like you two are close?” I asked, confused. “You don’t even know who you’re talking to—”

“Ricardo Miller,” he said, interrupting my sentence. “I recognized him in the picture.” He pointed at my phone.

“So you know him.” I scoffed. “Yet why are you acting like that toward him—”

Again, I couldn’t finish my sentence when a white car stopped in front of us. I immediately recognized it. It was from one of my butlers working under Dad’s authority.

And yes, Mom and Dad have security teams on their own. If there’s only one thing they have in common, that is they follow me wherever I go.

“Here’s your chauffeur,” said River as he leaned toward me, breathing in my ear. “A più tardi, principessa.”

Before I could ask what that meant, River kissed me on the cheek before leaving.

I gasped as I held my right cheek—the part where he kissed me. What was that? And why do I feel my cheeks heating up?

But the important thing is, what did he just say to me? Did he just curse me or something?

***

After thirty minutes, my butler safely drove me back to the Miller Mansion.

He opened the door for me, and I immediately went out. My hands and feet were trembling as I knew what was waiting for me inside the house.

They would scold me, or worse, have me grounded again. I can’t even blame Mia for this mess. After all, I shouldn’t be receiving this kind of punishment at this age.

However, my parents scolding me isn’t even bothering me that much now. It was the statement River let out before he left me in the amusement park.

A più tardi, principessa.

“See you later, Princess?” I muttered, the confusion evident in my tone. “Why would he even say that?”

“Young mistress?” Rojan, my butler, called as he snapped me to my senses. “Master Ricardo and Madame Eleanor were waiting for you in the living room.”

I shivered. I knew it. Mom and Dad won’t let this slide—especially now they know that I left Mia in the bar to be with a guy. They won’t like it.

But I didn’t notice that I had already stopped walking as I pondered about my thoughts, leaving Rojan no choice but to talk to me.

“Alright… Thanks.”

I sighed and walked toward the living room. 

“Mom, Dad, I—”

“Serenity, we’ve been waiting for you since earlier,” Mom said, interrupting my sentence. “We have a visitor, and I can’t wait to introduce him. Would you mind changing to nice and comfortable clothes and going to the dining room?”

“Huh?” I blinked my eyes twice in surprise. Isn’t she going to scold me?

“You heard every word I said, right? I don’t need to repeat it,” Mom told me, and I could hear the irritation in her voice now.

Still, she managed to hide it with her fake smile.

“Go. Quick,” she said and slightly pushed me to go upstairs.

So I did.

I was still confused, but I managed to change into nice and comfortable clothing—just like Mom instructed. I wore a purple casual dress—something that complimented my features a lot.

“This couldn’t be another blind date, isn’t it?” I asked myself as I stared in the mirror, biting my lower lip. “I’m already engaged to Hans Continental. Knowing how influential the Continental family was, they couldn’t easily retract it.”

There were so many questions forming in my mind, yet I mustered all the courage I had to go into the dining room. I should just be glad whoever the visitor I have that my parents’ scolding at me was postponed.

“Good evening, Mom, and Dad.” I bowed to my parents as soon as I went to the dining area. Then, I looked at the man across from them. “Good evening, Sir—”

My words halted, and my eyes widened upon seeing who the mysterious visitor was. “River?”

River smirked, looking at me from head to toe. “Why are you so shocked, princess? I told you earlier that I'd see you later, right?”

“I know… But what are you doing here?”

“Serenity,” my mom suddenly called, her tone laced with warning. “It’s rude to ask our visitor that question. You didn’t even greet him properly.”

Hearing the annoyance in my mom’s voice, my body and lips trembled in fear. I don’t know why, but every time I’m near my parents, I always feel like everything I do will be wrong.

Like I can’t do anything right. That I will always need their guidance to survive this life.

“Sorry, Mom,” I muttered and bowed to River this time. “Good evening, Sir River.”

River didn’t answer. Instead, he only stared at me—as if he was studying me. The confusion was evident in his face, and I know why.

I wasn’t this shy while I was with him earlier.

“Take a seat, Serenity,” Dad commanded, and I obliged immediately.

I sat beside River, who looked dashing in his three-piece suit. This jerk. He said he didn’t know about my father earlier, yet look where he was. At our house!

“River, this is Seraphina Serenity Miller, our only daughter,” Dad introduced me, his tone holding confidence and authority.

“Nice to meet you, Princess,” River said as he took my hand and kissed the back of my palm.

I was shocked, and I would almost pull my hand from him if I hadn't just controlled myself.

“This is a tradition in my family every time we greet someone from the Royal family,” River explained, seeing the confusion in my face. “I hope you won’t mind.”

Instead of getting an answer, I only raised a brow as his statement confused me more. 

“But I’m not a royal…”

“Of course, you’re not.” He smirked, his piercing gaze locking with mine. "But only a fool wouldn't recognize a princess when he sees one."