Branch's POV

Unbelievable. I obviously have higher standards than that purple troll who did nothing but to boast that he's incredibly handsome. Still, everyone thinks he's the best. Being the son of the duke doesn't mean you're already amazing. What about everyone else, or even me? All attentions are already on Creek even though others are better than him? That's unfair.

Still, his non-existing charms unbelievably mesmerize everyone—including Princess Poppy!

Well, that doesn't mean I'm jealous or something. It's just I'm trying to tell the truth that Poppy is liking someone whom she doesn't deserve to like.

But why do I have to say this stuff when I'm just a hopelessly stupid, gray troll? Besides, I'll just waste my time telling the truth when everyone does not even try to believe me.

And here we go again. Another day brings me into another cockamamy, nonsense Creek mania. What is getting into this crazy troll again and she's still unbelievably in-love with that creep? This girl is driving me crazy!

"Argh, Creek is such a cutie!" The Princess exclaimed, squishing her cheeks while having her eye on the purple troll from another distance.

I rolled my eyes and groaned in annoyance. "Ugh, Poppy?"

"AGH!!" Poppy screamed into death, being oblivious that someone would be actually watching her crazy obsession with Creek. "B–Branch! Have you been watching me the whole time?!"

"What the?" I replied, having a slight grimace on my face. "Me? Watching you? Ugh, no way!"

"Then, why are you here?"

"U–uhh," I emitted, scratching my nape. "I...uhm, nevermind."

Poppy rolled her eyes, smirked, and crossed her arms, knowing that I have nothing more to say.

Suddenly, my eyes widened and my eyebrows puckered in annoyance. "What the heck just came into your mind that made you that insane and addicted to that—" I paused for a moment to give space for a barf. "—that guy?"

"Isn't it obvious? Well duhh, that cute little boy right there is killing me!" she answered. "He's making me attracted with his smile that's so—"

"Cheap?" I said, trying to make her annoyed.

Poppy rolled her eyes again. "Adorable. Now, shoo, shoo. I'm busy staring at that precious boy wearing those cute yoga pants."

I pursed my eyebrows in irritation and stomped away. "Go enjoy your obsession with Creek."

Poppy's POV

"Pssh, yeah right," I answered right after Branch goes away. I sighed in contentment as I continued gazing at Creek, knowing that no one would be disturbing me at this moment.

Why is he like that? Branch tries to claim Creek is ugly even though he himself isn't even cute!

Suddenly, curiosity got into me. "Where is Branch heading?" I asked myself.

Instead of keeping up on staring at Creek, I turned my eye to see where Branch is going and what he is going to do.

~♥~♡~♥~

It has been forever since I started to follow Branch and right until now, I am still right behind him trying to follow his footsteps, without him even knowing I was there. Where the heck is he really heading? I even have no idea where we are right now!

"Agh," I whimpered, trying to make it as quiet as I could in order to have Branch not finding out that I'm following him the whole time. "Man, I'm exhausted..."

Branch is so unbelivable. Like everyone would've been crazy-exhausted after walking for a thousand miles already while this implausible baby doesn't even think about having a break in just a second!

He continued walking, with me secretly following him from behind. Not looking where I was walking at, I accidentally stepped on a twig, making a sound.

"Who's there?!" Branch yelled, instantaneously turning his head to where he have heard something and startlement getting on his disconsolate face.

I hid myself straightaway, cloaking myself with my hair.

Branch budged his ears and made a profound stare with his two vigilant eyes widened, trying to know who made that certain sound. I suddenly felt nervous, not wanting him to know I'm there.

Fortunately, Branch let it alone and continued walking. As soon as he turns his back, I let out a big sigh and carefully controlled my hair back into its normal pace. "Phew," I quietly said in relief.

"Well, well," a familiar voice suddenly said. And as I looked to see who it was, it was Branch snickering and wearing his irritating smirk.

"Oh uhh...Branch! What a surprise-"

"Now tell me, who's the one 'watching' the whole time?" Branch asked, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow. His eyes staring onto mine made me start to feel nervous. But as I stare back into his blue eyes, it unexpectedly made me want to stare at it for hours.

"Wait, so you're trying to say that I'm watching you?"

"Uh-huh," he answered straightly and confidently.

I tittered. "What? That would be imposible!"

"Then why are you here?"

His question left me nothing to say. "I—uh... Um—"

"Oh c'mon, Poppy. Stop making excuses," Branch grumbled.

"Excuse me?!" I raucously retorted and returned his irritating stare with a gawk. "Maybe you're the one who's making excuses the whole time," I added, trying to make him think he's the one who kept on following me.

"Hey, we're tackling a different matter here. You're now mentioning something that isn't part of the topic—"

"Aha!" I exclaimed. "Another excuse, eh, Branchie?"

Branch rolled his eyes in irritation. Nevertheless, sweat started streaming on his forehead, knowing that he lost the argument.

"Ha! I win," I cheered and made a silly face to annoy him. It did not annoy him, unfortunately. What I just received was a chuckle and a little arch on his lips.

Surprised, I stopped and said, "Branch, you're smiling!"

"What?!" he hollered. "No way! And I don't care if you win this time. You still followed me and you did made excuses too!"

I raised my eyebrow and let him blurt out words from his mouth.

Soon enough, Branch had a sudden change in his mood. "You know what, sweetie?" he uttered in a low and rather flirty voice. "Stop being such a brat and just go back to the village."

"Oh, don't worry," I replied with a displeased emotion. "I will go back home without you telling so. I don't wanna end up on being lost here with a crazy troll like you."

"Crazy, huh?" Branch said, crossing his arms. "Well let's see if—"

Suddenly, Branch stopped from talking and had his alert eyes briskly looking around.

"What was that?" I asked, a bit scared.

"I don't know," Branch whispered. "It's probably a Bergen, so we have to go hide somewhere safe now."

Hearing the word Bergen made me start to quiver in fear. But soon enough, I started feeling skeptical about it.

"Wait," I said, now without a little shiver on my voice. "Are you just trying to make me scared this time? Oh, I would never let you."

"What?!" Branch quietly complained. "You really think I'm just joking this time? Can't you be serious even just for now?!"

"Oh c'mon, Branch. There ain't no Bergen here, you know. It's been gazillions of years already and they still haven't showed up," I replied, making Branch roll his eyes in aggravation.

Suddenly, an idea came into my mind, making me give a smirk. "Oh no, what are you planning this time?" Branch asked, half nervous, half annoyed..

I began screaming and did silly noises, as Mr. Gray Troll shushed me to death.

"Poppy, are you nuts?!" Branch wailed, fear conquering his emotions. "You're gonna lead us to death!!"

"Oh really?" I asked and gave him a smirk, still not believing him.

I continued screaming noises to annoy Branch—not until he hears something strange again, making him instantly pull me into a tight hug and covered us with his hair.

"Branch, what are you doing?"

"Shh!" Branch uttered, making his hug tighter. "The Bergen is here," he whispered.

I guess he's right. There really is a Bergen, and now my lips started to quiver. Good thing Branch is here to protect me. I had nothing left to do but to stay quiet and wait for him to tell me what to do.

Because of fright, I immediately shut my eyes and wrapped my arms around Branch, without noticing that I did so. "Keep me safe, keep me safe, please keep me safe!" I whispered, saying them in between shivers.

And as soon as I noticed that Branch and I are hugging, I slowly turned my eyes to him and saw that he was gazing at me too. He quickly turned his eyes away, with me still looking at him, head to body.

Did I just saw him gazing at me like that? And, I have no idea Branch is actually kind of... Let's just say, cute.

Wait, what am I saying? I should just be focusing on the danger that's happening right now.

~♥~♡~♥~

General POV

"Your majesty," the king's royal servant called as he entered the room.

"Yes?" King Peppy asked. He was in the middle of paperworks, so he did not bother to turn his eye on his servant.

"The duke is here to talk with you for a moment," the servant replied.

"Oh! Let him in," Peppy ordered, making his servant open the door for the duke.

Duke Oleander, Creek's father, came in the scene with a greet. "Good morning, King Peppy."

"Oleander," Peppy uttered, his eyes still on the papers on his desk. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I just heard the news about you allowing the princess to hang out with that... You know, that crazy, gray troll," the duke calmly answered. "May I just ask: why did you uhm... permitted your daughter to do so?"

"Not really hang out. Why have you asked?"

"Well, I suppose it is preferable if you, your majesty, let the princess hang out with better and good-influencing trolls—my son Creek, for instance. Not with psychopaths like that dodgy, gray muck—"

"I told you, my daughter is not hanging out with that gray troll," the king complained. "She is just doing her responsibility as a princess. All she wants to do is to accord that troll."

"Uhm okay, I understand, your majesty. But what I just wanted to point is that maybe, your daughter could be badly influenced by that troll and, you don't want to have a future leader that's a psycho too, right? As the second leader, I am not just worried for the people's future, but I am also worried about your daughter's situa—"

"So you think my daughter is easily influenced by others?" King Peppy asked, gravely staring on Duke Oleander's eyes.

"But—no sir! I mean—"

"Enough with this nonsense talk," he ordered, putting his focus back on his paperworks.

"Your majesty, I am just trying to warn you because—"

"I said, enough. I don't need any of your opinions, Oli."

Duke Oleander calmed himself down. "Y-yes, your majesty," he said and went out of the room.

With the duke's opinions, King Peppy stopped for a moment to think: "is it really right for me to allow Poppy?"

Outside King Peppy's office, Oleander whispered something to himself, with doubt in between his words: "I know there is something mysterious with that gray troll."