Aster Veren
Episode 126's

- Esther

After the dance session with my father was over, all the women started coming to me one by one, they came to me and said happy birthday until I didn't realize that my body had sunk between them.

"Happy birthday, Aster" Nadin said along with Tia. I saw them smiling widely, making me feel a little calm despite being mobbed by many people. But still, I wish I could get away from them. It's nothing, just standing in the middle of them makes it hard to breathe.

Moreover, they all keep asking about my relationship with Carel, what is the matter with my relationship with Carel? Does it look weird if we're close?

"... Now you're 14 years old, right?" Said Kalea who was standing next to me, but a few seconds ago I saw her talking to Teo near Sean.

"Kalea," I murmured.

"You look like you fit in your dress, but it looks like you're having a hard time." Her words made me look down, watching my lower dress sweep the beach.

"Yes, honestly, it's hard. It's my first time wearing a long dress like this hehe." Obviously I was scratching my neck. It feels a little embarrassing.

"But you're good at dancing that well with your dad. Your father's handsome, too." Tia's words made all the women around me nod approvingly to her words.

"That's right,"

"Eh that?" Said a girl I didn't know her name, but I knew she was in class with me. Looks like I should also start hanging out and memorizing the names of my classmates.

"What?" Answer all the women around me.

"Look! That woman .. I just saw her for the first time. A transfer boy?"

"True, I also just saw her for the first time. There's no kids in the dorm either, right?"

"Who is he?"

"Is he that close to Carel?"

I saw Carel talking to the woman my friends were talking to. Is it okay to think of them as my friends?

"But it's true too.. indeed Carel once had a female friend other than–" My mummy stopped as she felt Kalea's gentle clap on my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" The question confused me.

"What's wrong? What's?" I asked him back to make him breathe deeply.

Eh? Did I answer wrong? My mind, feels bad with the expression shown by Kalea. But look around, ever since he was in a relationship with Teo. I think I saw a lot of different expressions of Kalea. It was as if the old Kalea had returned.

"Thank God." Reflex.

"Huh? Syu–shukur?" Said Tia with a surprised expression, I saw all the girls around me had also turned to look at me with the same expression as Tia.

"You seriously said that when you saw Carel close to that woman?" Further asked.

"E–eh? What's that supposed?" I was surprised by what Tia said.

... It seems they misunderstood. I continued in my heart, unable to turn away from the look on their faces.

"Hah~ seems like you're not aware of your own feelings huh?" Nadin asked after sighing heavily.

"What?"

What does that look like close? I continued in my heart, looking back at Carel and the black-haired woman beside him.

The woman looked awkward and forced herself to chat with the bored-looking Carel? The kid, I want to hit his head. He could have behaved like that to a woman. My mind is upset.

"Well, my daughter looks so pretty." The voice of a foreign woman, I turned my attention to her figure who looked beautiful and graceful.

"Mother." I muttered as I saw the figure of Carel's mother smiling sweetly at me.

"Mother?" Said Kalea along with Tia and Nadin who looked confused and frowned.

"Ah–that's, she's Carel's mother." I answered feeling confused about what to introduce her in such a way, let alone mother not telling me her name. She just asked me to call her "Mother".

"Ah, greetings." Say them all while bowing his body to pay respect to Carel's mother.

"There's no need to give me this respect" said the mother, visibly surprised by the reaction of my friends.

"In addition, can I borrow Aster?" Then he showed his sweet smile again.

"Te–of course, let's go friends." Tia's saying made them all disperse.

"Happy birthday, Aster." Mom suddenly hugged my body happily.

"A–ah yes, thank you." My reply in his arms, may sound vague by mother.

"I've prepared a wonderful gift for you, I've asked your father's servant to send his gift to your room." He said after releasing his embrace.

"Te–thank you." My words were stirred, somehow I felt like everyone was watching me. Especially the crowd of elders who glanced at me silently.

"Sister Aster!" The cry of Khael who suddenly hugged me, made me surprised by his arrival. I didn't even realize it.

"I forgot you." Mother's words confused me.

"So pretty." He said with his sparkling expression, still hugging me adorablely. Her tiny body was almost swallowed by my dress.

"Thank you Khael." I could not help but smile when I saw his expression, I grabbed his head with my right hand and stroked it with anxiety.

"ah! Don't be like this, Khael's hair can be messy." His words let go of his embrace and grabbed my hand with both of his tiny hands.

"Ahahaha, it can be fixed again." My laughter could not heed her request not to mess with her hair.

"No, you can't!" He tried to get my hand off the top of his head.

"Come on, don't be stingy, Khael's a good boy."

"Pft, you guys look really close huh? It's adorable." Mother's words made me realize with her presence that I had forgotten because this little boy suddenly appeared before me.

"Be–so." Mumbles.

"Let's dance one song with Khael!" His exclamation made me look down at his serious expression. Looks adorable to the point that I didn't realize I had pinched her chubby cheeks. How could this cute kid have the courage to ask me to dance with him? Very amusing.

"Ouch! Why is Aster's sister so annoying today? Don't pinch me." Said complaining.

"Khael's end is funny" I explained along with Carel's mother who had crouched before Khael.

"Right, you're very funny. With your body, can you freely dance with your brother?" Her speech made Khael's expression turn–seen in shock.

"Well, look at his expression. Looks like he's very shocked to realize reality–" continues truncated.

"You bothering a kid again?" Carel's voice caused me to reflexively look towards his arrival.

"Shock it, who do I think?" Said Carel's mother back up from her squatting position.

"Po–just let's dance with me!" Khael said again exclaiming to make me turn to him.

"Well, let's dance to a song." I feel like I can't continue to judge him.

"really?" Ask looks so happy.

"Can't!" Sankal Carel made Khael's expression change again, but this time he put on an upset expression.

"Why?"

"Ca–carel?" I murmured as I saw the mischievous expression on his face.

This kid! Does he intend to make a child cry in the middle of a party? I continue in my heart to feel annoyed at this one nature.

"Hoho, my daughter's up for grabs huh?" Said Carel's mother looking happy.

"Anu–Aster?" The voice of a woman beside Carel who had been out since when she was standing there. I didn't realize it.

"Happy birthday." Further.

"Yes thank you, it–"

"Lusy, my name is Lusy from the same class as Carel. Hello to you." He said when he realized my confusion.

"Ah, greetings to Lusy."

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Thanks for reading...