Xhemin cannot sleep that night. Before she left Professor Owen's hut, the old professor said that it was rather safe for her to be here deep in the mountain far away from the Chieftana's sight and so he didn't anymore protest her being a handmaid. However, Professor Owens must not be expecting that life here in the youngest princess house was a terrible one. Actually she wasn't really concern about their food or their safety, what she was worried about was the youngest princess health. Who was going to tend to her now when the physician who was attending to her was gone?

She also thought that it was rather weird that no one from the chieftain's household came to check on the princess. Was it because the Chieftana despised her? Professor Owen had already told her about the whole political situation in the Manggan Island and she knew that the youngest princess was not the Chieftana's biological daughter. She was a full sibling of the Chieftain's heir and now that the heir was dead, there was no one she can hoped for.

​​

What was more suspicious was that the physician was gone and the ration never came the moment the Chieftain's heir went away with Baruk Gu. So she thought, the moment the chieftain's heir crossed the par line, they knew he would never come back. If not, then no one would dare to treat the youngest princess this way. She supposed, because the youngest princess was a full blood sibling of the Chieftain's heir, then the latter must have loved her much.

More thoughts came to her that night including the people she left behind. As the night deepened, Xhemin fell asleep with tears in her eyes. There was no cure for longing, but she had no choice but to get through it.

***

Handmaid Lin, the one who welcomed Xhemin yesterday in the princess' house was walking to and fro outside. The sun will soon set, but Xhemin had not been back. When she woke up this morning, she found a note from her saying she'll go and gather some herbs and she was afraid that the new comer might have lost her way in the woods.

"Poor lady," She whispered to herself. She thought of finding the girl but she couldn't dare to leave Princess Song. Her condition wasn't in a good to say the least.

'Highest God, let the lady find her way'

When the darkness covered the sky, handmaid Lin went inside and lit some candles. She was saving the candles they have left so she only lighted one. She went to the kitchen to heat up the last of the crops she gathered when she heard a noise at the entrance.

"Lady is that you?" She called running on the hallway with the candles.

"Yes it's me, can you give me a hand?" Xhemin politely asked and reached the basket to the girl. It was full of different things she had no idea of.

"What are these?" She asked in confusion. She tore her gaze to the new comer and saw that she had another basket in her back.

"That is food," Xhemin declared before she carefully pulled the basket she was carrying at her back "This are herbs"

The handmaid blankly stared at Xhemin. How can a mere handmaid be sure of the things she just said? Like her, she supposed that Xhemin was an ordinary trained handmaid.

"How do you know these are food?" She asked her eyebrows arched.

"Let's just say I once had a teacher who was very fond of plants" Xhemin said and gave her a wink. "Do you only have once candle?"

"I still have some but I'm saving them," Handmaid Lin said to her.

"Let me borrow two, I'll exchange them with something better tomorrow."

"But—

"Just let me borrow it, I'll promise I know what I'm doing" Xhemin cut her words of protest "Go to the princess room and accompany her. It's dark, she must be very afraid by now. Wait for me there"

Although handmaid Lin had so many hesitations, she thought it was no use by then. So instead of arguing with Xhemin, she just went to Princess Song's room.

Xhemin on the other hand went to the kitchen and looked for whatever was in there. She barely found anything because everything was empty aside from salt. When she was in the woods, she only picked up plants that were familiar to her. Some of them were the same plants she already knew from the other side while the others she become familiar with from Professor Owen's book.

With salt and with all the lushes she had in her basket, Xhemin started cooking.

It only took few minutes when the aroma of wild onions being heated and some other pleasant appetizing smell flew around the house. It didn't escape from handmaid Lin's nose and even the princess flutter her eyes weakly at the smell.

"Princess you are awake," Handmaid Lin went to assist her as she wanted to rise from her bed.

"Cough…cough…did you cook me some delicious meal… handmaid Lin?... it smell good" The princess smiled weakly at her.

"Princess I.. I.." Knowing how the girl long for good food. Handmaid Lin was having hard time explaining to the girl that she only had root crops for her. Perhaps they had been denied of good food long enough that both had been smelling delicious food.

"Tell me what do you have for me handmaid Lin..cough..cough"

Handmaid Lin was about to tell the princess the fact that she nothing for her, but even before she can say so, the door flew open and Xhemin came carrying a wooden tray full of food.

"Princess, handmaid Lin and I cooked you a good dinner tonight. Come and eat" Xhemin said. Being the only girl in Richmond Ranch, Xhemin knew how to cook, not as skillful as a professional chief but good enough to make the Youngest Sire and Diamond prince's belly full.