~Recap~

At this point, Azura was actually feeling somewhat bad for what she did and she was even concerned if the man would catch some sickness and such.

“Oh… I uhh… I–”

“It's alright. You don't have to say anything if you're not ready. I already said this before and saying again now, the wait is worth for you.”

Once again, Azura was too captivated by Theo's words that she couldn't do anything to react or revert but just stay still. Not receiving any response from the lady for a long, the man decided to speak again. “Well, we are going to have lunch together everyday from now on, right?”

“Yes!” Azura didn't know if why she agreed instantly for this. Maybe that's because poor Theo deserved this after all that. Or maybe because she was not just a blatant monster.

Or maybe… Maybe she actually cared about this strange man. She cared about Theo and she didn't even know. Perhaps, she did but she'd rather not admit.

______

“Oh dear, just look here. You see this, Vivian? Not even more than two sunny days and it started becoming cold again.” The subtle manly voice echoes through the cold wind as the owner begins shoving more of the cold snow away from the ground.

“It just won't go away. What do I do, Vivi?” Asks the man to himself before he answers his own question. “I know, I know what you'd say. Oh Frederick, we shouldn't live in the woods. We can live anywhere that's far, far away. Right? This is why you went away from me as well when I couldn't move from here. But you know what, you'll realise that there must be some reason that the almighty put me in this situation, in here. There must be some wonder in the woods.”

“And I also wonder if how you're standing all tall and broad even in this decreasing temperature.”

Chuckling at the familiar tone, Frederick shifts his head a little to the back. “Oh sweetie, what I do for a living is no different than what I'm doing right now. Well, wonders on you since how you're not cold already when you're not even wearing anything much warm.” He motions towards the casual clothing of the young lady.

Azura looks at herself and nods nonchalantly at her father's sarcasm. “I'm also surprised that it again started cooling here because at the college, the weather was quite good and warm but throughout the way here, it seemed as if it would begin snowing anytime soon and wait, is that already a bunch of snow?” Points the lady at the gathered snow in one place.

“Oh this, yeah. The snowfall already took place here. I had to brush it all away as soon as I got back here from work. Even some gems got shattered. Had to throw them back in the coal.”

“Now I know as to why I was hearing their sounds.” Azura almost whispers but it is audible enough for Frederick to get worried and reach his daughter with a concerned face.

“Were they in the woods? Did you see them? Or did any of them attack you, please let me know if you're fine, honey.” Frederick asks his daughter while caressing her cheeks soothingly.

The daughter offers a soft smile as she speaks, “No, Dad. Not really. Just some growls and grunts. Which I didn't even hear but more like sensed. Though, nothing serious happened and I'm totally fine.”

Frederick shakes his head in denial. “No. Winters are not so far away and here around our house, the cold begins earlier. They must hang around here and there especially when they smell a human scent. Your scent, Azura.”

The concern on the man's face was genuine and so his words. He was not really wrong with his and Azura knew it as well. Which is why she chose to just cool down the topic. “Dad, there will always be something which raises the chances of uncertainty. If that will not be them then there will be something else. We can't just pack ourselves in a protection which bars us from the world, no?”

“Yes, you are right, sweetheart. We can't just pack ourselves but at least we can take extra precaution. I'm dropping and fetching you from college from tomorrow–”

“Whoa, whoa. Dad, it's alright. Yeah, we can for sure be careful but what do you think, do I not stay alert? I'm your daughter after all. And still you don't believe in me…” Azura fakes being hurt and crying but manages her father to soothe down.

“Aww, dear. I believe in you. It's just I–”

“Great! We're done here then. I knew you must believe in your one and only Azura. By the way, it's so cold here. What's dinner? I want to get warm and have a hot meal…” Azura concludes, not letting her father another chance to argue anymore.

And although Frederick seems to be tending to say more of his worries out loud, he just shuts his lips and sighs before he begins following Azura behind.

______

It was once again just another normal day at the college. With Cindy and Leanne being to bit– meaning the queens which they were.

With Azura trying hard to stay invisible and mostly, to avoid Theo but wait, how could she avoid him anymore when she literally had agreed on having her lunch with him everyday just yesterday?

“Oh dear almighty, how in the world can I be such a fool? And that too because of Theo.” Azura mumbles to herself and although she claimed to be a fool because of Theo verbally, she was rather being a fool for Theo internally but obviously, who was going to say that out loud? Of course not Azura.

She almost tiptoed through the campus, making sure to not let anyone know that she was there when she was basically just standing all clear and visible right there. Luckily for her as usual, no one bothered about her existence in the middle of the way but what was unusual that her luck was really by her side that this time she happened to catch Theo first without his awareness.