Aster Veren
Episode 15's

- Esther

Tonight I went to bed early accompanied by sister Hana because uncle is still busy working in his study.

"Why haven't you slept, miss?" Ask Hana, who was sitting on the side of my bed, and her hands began to gently stroke my forehead.

"Sir Hana sleep next to me here." I answered while patting the empty space next to me.

"Hhaha.can't miss, a servant like me shouldn't sleep with miss." Sis Hana confused me.

"Why can't it? We used to sleep together in Hana's room, why can't we?" I asked to remember the times I slept with sister Hana.

"That's .. Miss is sleeping now. Close your eyes, I won't leave before you fall asleep. And again, isn't tomorrow the lady will go to the grand madam's residence with the young master?" Clearly diverting the conversation.

Come to think of it, at dinner last .. Red uncle also told me about tomorrow's event. Uncle said grandma wanted to see me, and uncle also told me a lot about grandma and dad .... My mind was overjoyed when I remembered my conversation with uncle.

I can't imagine if I had a grandmother anymore, even now I feel like all the good I've got is like a dream. I hope you're there too, and I hope you and grandma are as good as red uncle. I could not stop imagining the kindness of my father and grandmother that I had never met.

"Sir Hana's right, it looks like I have to sleep now." I said while watching Hana's warm smile that made me smile before I closed my eyes.

Tik .. tok .. tik .. tok ....

The clockwork noise that disturbs my sense of hearing when my eyes begin to close, but it feels like time has passed for hours. Even now I can hear the sound of the door opening and then closing.

Uh sister Hana must be gone by now because I thought I was asleep, but I really can't sleep now. My mind opened my eyes again and immediately grabbed a glass of water on the table beside my bed.

I should be able to sleep alone .. Uncle said I should sleep on time so as not to have dark circles in my eyes. So let's sleep now Aster! This time I really need to sleep. My mind continued to babble after it finished gulping down the water in the glass. Then I lay back and closed my eyes after seeing the wall clock that was 08:54 p.m.

Again the clockwork sounded clearer as my eyes closed. Even the atmosphere of this room is getting quieter and there is no noise outside the room. It felt really too lonely until I felt scared, until finally ....

"Ugh ... I can't breathe, sa–sick as hell. Le–leherku ...." My murmur felt the clutches of a grown man's hands on my neck, and I slowly opened my eyes to see who was doing this evil thing to me.

"Pa–paman Tesar?" When I remember this incident, I desperately tried to release the clutches of his hands that were getting hardened to make my breath choked, and my neck was getting more painful. Even unconsciously my tears have flowed rapidly because they are unable to withstand the pain I receive.

"I should've finished you sooner." He said it sounded scary in a dark room like this, there was only a little light coming in from the door of the room that opened a little. The sound of rain was faintly heard in my ears invincible with the roar of lightning.

"Ke–why uncle .. me–do this? A ... Aster salah–what?" I stammered along with my tears that were getting louder, even my saliva came out because of difficulty swallowing my saliva due to the giggling.

I saw that frightening glare made me shudder even more in horror and wanted to scream for help, but my voice could not come out any harder because it was stuck.

"Le–let go uncle, this ... very sa–kit. Pa–paman ...." I continued to plead for mercy from him, but only the terrible grin and glaring glare I saw as lightning bolts were reflected from the window of my room.

"Aster? Aster wake up Aster!" The sound of someone calling my name was faint and at the same time I opened my eyes. Then I found the figure of red uncle who looked anxious with his worried expression clearly visible on his face.

Even his hand clasped tightly onto my right hand, I quickly got up from my newest position and hugged my red uncle as tightly as I could. I myself did not realize the clear circle that had soaked my face, all I wanted right now was to get a hug from mother. But I knew it couldn't happen, so I decided to jump into uncle's arms.

"Uncle hiks ...." I muttered as I realized it was all a dream, and I was grateful that it was just a dream.

"You're having nightmares again?" Uncle's voice sounded soft and his hand was stroking my head which still buried my face in his arms.

"Did you dream about it again?" It made me nod my head weakly and immediately gulped my saliva as I imagined the big hand clutching my small neck tightly.

I heard Brother Hana tell my nightmare to red uncle, and uncle told me and asked him directly. And since then I've been sleeping with my uncle, but for a few days I've rarely had that nightmare.

"But why is uncle in Aster's room?" I asked while releasing my embrace and immediately wiping away my tears.

"That .. actually I intend to make sure whether you have slept soundly or not. But when I came in, I saw you crying while you were asleep. So I woke you up right away, thank goodness I came to see you ...." It clearly ended with a warm smile.

"Paman–" I said to a halt as uncle's hand reached for the top of my head.

"It's okay, it's just a dream. Now sleep again yes, I will sleep with you again. Tomorrow we'll meet grandma." Said uncle again showed his warm smile.

Then I laid back my body and uncle lay down beside me and stroked my forehead gently.

***

- Arshel

I took my foot to Aster's room to see if he had fallen asleep or not. I was worried because I hadn't seen him.

""Le–let go uncle, this ... very sa–kit. Pa–paman ...." Aster muttered making me walk quickly towards his bed after opening the door of his room.

I saw his eyes still closed but there was a clear circle coming out of his closed eyes.

"Hiks ...." His sobbing made me wake him up immediately, however I did not want to see him having nightmares like this.

"Aster? Aster wake up Aster!" I tried to wake her up while stroking her cheeks slowly, hoping that she would wake up soon from her sleep.

"Aster!" I managed to wake him up.

Thankfully .... My mind sighed with relief when I saw him looking at me and made me tighten my grip on Aster's hand.

Then quickly Aster got up from his lying position and immediately hugged my body tightly, "uncle hicks ...." His murmur gripped my clothes with his trembling body.

"You're having nightmares again?" I tried to ask as gently as possible while stroking his head.

"Did you dream about it again?" My continued making her nod weakly irritated me when I saw her scared like this because of her past.

I'm completely inexhaustible with this brengs*k guy who intends to finish off my niece. Why would he be able to go that far to make this little boy suffer, what would he want to do by killing Aster? And how ... how did Aster survive that bedeb*h? I want to know. But I can't seem to ask Aster directly .... My mind while watching Aster who was wiping his tears after releasing his embrace.

"But why is uncle in Aster's room?" Ask.

"That .. actually I intend to make sure whether you have slept soundly or not. But when I came in, I saw you crying while you were asleep. So I woke you up right away, thank goodness I came to see you ...." I said while giving my best smile to cover up my annoyance.

"Paman–" he said immediately I stopped with my hand that immediately grabbed the top of his head.

"It's okay, it's just a dream. Now sleep again yes, I will sleep with you again. Tomorrow we'll meet grandma." I try to make her comfortable by showing her my smile again.

Then without saying much, Aster laid back his body and I lay down beside him while stroking his forehead gently, hoping that this time Aster had a good dream.

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Thanks for reading...