Days turned to night and Anna had just three days left to complete this task, if she spent some time on rehearsal tonight it'd be reduced to two, which wasn't a bad thing considering that the dance was the next day.
But she'd rather have extra days to complete the mission just in case she doesn't succeed and might come up with a new plan, quickly too.
Sneaking out for the final practice was just as easy as the first time, and she had gotten used to the dance she practiced without the system's help. Her team noticed that something was slightly off with her performance, but Anna blamed it on tiredness from working all day.
But as the morning came, Anna had to face the reality that she had dreaded for such a long time. Talking to her father would probably be the most difficult thing to do, especially if she opted for a peaceful conversation.
However, just before she could face the old man to tell him what she intended to do, he called her first to the fish pond at the backside of the farm, and Anna approached him wearing a concerned look. Amy was there with him as well, and so was her mother, so Anna had every reason to think that she had gotten into trouble.
"You called me," she said.
"Ah yes, Anna," Her father replied, his tone was quite welcoming, like he was very excited to see her today, but Anna wasn't a fool, she sensed that something was still off because he did not spare a glance at her.
"I need you to do something for me."
"Oh," Anna heaved a sigh of relief knowing that it may not be as serious as she thought.
"What?" She asked.
"I want you to join Philip to the next village to buy some fish food."
At these words, Anna's jaws dropped. A trip to the neighbouring village market could take most of the day, and she had barely three hours to meet the dancers.
"Why can't we buy from the market here?" She inquired.
"I have my reasons." His father replied, his eyes fixed on the pond and his hand behind him.
"I can't," Anna uttered and shook her head from side to side,
"I have other plans for today, but I can't do it. Let Amy go…
"She can't go alone," Her father interjected, still maintaining a friendly tone.
"Philip, whoever he is, will go with her, I can't go anywhere today, I have other things to do" Anna concluded, and was about to walk away when her father said those words that she despised.
"It is what I said you will do Anna, and you will do it."
"What the fuck?" Anna didn't realise how quickly those words came out of her mouth. She pauses and turns around briskly, walking up to her father and looking him in the eyes.
"I don't care what you say," she snapped at him, leaving her mother and Amy shocked.
"You can't control me like that anymore."
"Anna!" Her mother grabbed her by the hand and drew her away from her father,
"How dare you talk to your father like that?"
"He can't control me like that," Anna replied,
"For crying out loud mom, I'm an adult, he should give me a break."
"Over my dead body will I let you go to the Palace to dance!" her father yelled from where he was standing, the anger was evident in his voice, and he didn't plan to change his mind. Now it was clear to Anna that her father's reason for this sudden errand was to make sure that she doesn't attend the dance.
"You knew," Anna scoffed, but she wasn't even slightly surprised and didn't care to know how he found out about it.
"I don't even care, you can not stop me anyways."
"Anna!" Rossi cut her daughter off once more,
"There are better ways to talk to your father than that, what has gotten into you?"
"Men," Anna replied,
"Men are just selfish, as long as it pleases them, they don't care about who it hurts. I swear that in this life and out of it, no man will control my life, or stop me from getting what I want."
"He is not a random man, Anna, that is your father."
"If you step out of this house today, don't you ever think about coming back…
"A threat?" Anna interjected with a smile
"Fine by me," she added, and stormed out of the backyard without turning back or giving anyone a chance to stop her.
Never has Anna been so indifferent towards anyone in her life. She was motivated by the fact that these people were only meant to appear at the beginning of Emma Broadway's plot just to set the stage for the main story to begin.
So why should she care about what they say or think of her? Whether they liked it or not, she was going to leave this world sooner or later and wouldn't have to deal with them any longer.
Anna flung the door to her bedroom open, and started to pick up a few things that she would take along with her, from the sandals to the dress she intended to wear for the dance. Anna was done in less than ten minutes, when suddenly, Amy came into the room.
She stood at the door for a while and said,
"He knew from the first night that you nuck out."
"And I've begged him not to talk about it and let you just do it since you won't have to live within the castle walls, mother tried as well but you know father… he doesn't listen to anyone."
"Thank you for trying," Anna acknowledged her effort,
"I truly appreciate it. But if I don't stand up to him, he won't give me a chance to live my life."
"So you are leaving?"
"Not right now, but yes." Anna replied,
"And I don't think I'll be coming back home either."