Aster Veren
Episode 115's

- Ansel

The time was already 11:00pm when I returned from my long vacation.

"Sister!" Shouting Arsel to my surprise, I saw him immediately walk quickly into my study with a very disturbing sparkling expression after his hands opened the door so tightly that he let out a loud enough sound.

"What's wrong with you? Did you eat wrong?" I asked not to be hounded.

"You didn't forget, did you?"

"What?" Kernyitku still could not understand his expression that way.

"Throughout the year, Brother Aster," Khael's tiny voice made me turn to my side, I saw that he was standing next to me with a big smile.

Since when did he come in? I didn't realize it, my mind was trying to recall how Arsel got into my study. I sure didn't see Khael go in with him.

"Did he follow behind him?" I muttered while watching Arsel who was still standing in front of me who was sitting in my chair.

"Really! Aster's birthday, we should celebrate it very grandly and lavishly." He said while folding his hands together while nodding his head with hidmat.

"I'm really upset that I couldn't celebrate Aster's birthday so grandly because he was in Singapore. But this year, I'm going to celebrate his birthday as grand as possible. Bigger than Nathan's birthday! You agree with my idea, right?" It continued along with my hand that had grabbed onto Khael's body.

"Papa has made a very beautiful dress for Aster loh." Said Khael while raising his head to meet me.

"The dress is so pretty, Khael wants to see Brother Aster wearing it. Surely Brother Aster will look very pretty." It made me stroke his head.

"I want to see it too" I said before returning his smile.

"really right? Khael was also very eager to see her. Khael longs for Aster, said the father Aster brother came home long ago. But if we're having a party for Aster's sister, we can meet with Aster's sister."

"Let's go, I'm not sure she can go home to celebrate her birthday."

"Hee... why?" He asked with an adorable expression of disappointment.

"Don't listen to your useless uncle! Let your papa take care of Aster's return." Ansel's words sounded very annoying with that confident expression of hers.

"Useless?" My murmur made him throw away my gaze as fast as he could.

I just got back from my vacation, why am I upset by someone like him? Though my recent days have been good enough to avoid Ian and Albert, including this annoying kid in front of me.

"Aren't you going to throw a party for Brother Aster?" Khael asked to distract me, I saw that he was still putting on an expression of disappointment whereas Arsel, he had already gone to the sofa near the window.

"So, I'm still thinking about it because her birthday is still a few months away." I answered again stroking the top of his head.

"Just because there is still time, we can prepare it from far away, right?" Said Arsel with his mouth full, I saw his hand already holding an apple.

He likes apples, right? My mind can't say anything more when it comes to remembering all Arsel's coming to my office. The boy always ate the apples available on the table with a bunch of other fruits in a small basket.

"Why not share an apple with Khael?" Khael asked who also noticed his father's behavior.

"Khael wants?" Asked with an innocent expression sucks him.

***

- Esther

"The heat" I murmured as I went down the stairs holding my bottle.

"... wait Lea!" Nadin's voice stopped me right on the last step of the stairs, I saw him talking four eyes together with Kalea near the entrance of the dormitory.

"Can't be allowed!" Kalea looked very upset.

What are they talking about secretly like that? My mind while continuing my footsteps that had stopped. And somehow I became curious about the look on Kalea's face that seemed to hold back her feelings of regret.

It seems like they were unaware of my presence due to being too serious about chatting .., I continued still in my heart while putting my bottle under the tap of the dispenser and pressing the blue button on top of it.

"Please yourself, I told you, right? I'm fine, I'm fine with the decision that Nathan's taking." Nadin tried to calm Kalea.

"What does that mean?" I could not understand what Nadin was saying. What do you mean by the decision that Nathan's brother made?

"All right how? Obviously he canceled his engagement unilaterally. How can you say you're okay? Let go of me, I'll teach him a lesson!" Kalea continued to surprise me and reflexively turned towards the two of them after my bottle was filled with water.

"What?!" I said later, making the two women look at me simultaneously.

"Aster?" They spoke in unison with slightly rounded eyes in surprise.

"What did you say Lea?" I asked, trying to ascertain what I just heard.

"That's .. the Nathan broke off his engagement to Nadin." He replied after sighing as deeply as possible to control his emotions, but his regretful expression did not change in the slightest. It was only his tone that he forced to sound ordinary.

"Huh? Ba–how can?" I murmured that I could say nothing more.

"You even dared to call his name without being preceded by the name of brother huh?" Nadin's words pulled me back from my daydream.

Yeah, I just don't believe what I just heard. How could Nathan's brother cancel his engagement to Nadin when everyone already knows their engagement. And again, wasn't it his birthday that day, he looked happy with Nadin? Why did she suddenly cancel her engagement?

"... I told you, right? I'm fine, trust me Lea. Maybe this is all punishment for me for taking Nathan's brother away from you, I've betrayed you and made you suffer. Then .. Nathan's brother, it seems he has liked you for a long time. Our engagement is also not an engagement on the basis of love, all of this is due to the coercion of our family." Obviously Nadin with the look of his shoulder eyes, his voice also sounded full of regret.

"It doesn't make any sense! If you are engaged by coercion from both sides of the family, then do they know about the cancellation of your engagement? And why did that person suddenly cancel his engagement?! How dare he play you! I don't accept it!" Kalea was still unable to control her emotions.

"The reason is because he doesn't love me. Then she already knew my bad intentions to get engaged to her, she already knew all my crimes. So I think I can understand his decision, if it's about family, Nathan said he'll take care of it himself." His words make me even more confused.

"Your crimes?" Kalea muttered unable to take her eyes off Nadin.

"Yes, you know what? I've made you suffer for the last three years. Then my bad intention to engage with Nathan's brother was to make you suffer for your jealousy. But you didn't show your jealousy at all, and Nathan's brother was even more interested in watching you." Clearly, while showing her a smile.

"You like Nathan's brother, don't you?" I asked spontaneously to make them look at me.

"The time you spent with Nathan's brother wasn't for a minute, you're definitely starting to like him right? Lying if you're okay." I made the two of them round their eyes looking at me questioningly.

Maybe they were confused as to why I suddenly said that, but that's what I was thinking. Judging from the look on Nadin's face, he couldn't hide his own feelings now. Then, I somehow wanted to make her realize her own feelings.

"... Do you feel bad for me?" Kalea asked with her soft voice making Nadin stare at her warming blue bead.

"Do you want to tell me a secret?" It made Nadin cringe as well as me.

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Thanks for reading...