Aster Veren
Episode 154

- Esther

It was getting dark, and I was still on my way home with Uncle Hans, who was taking me to meet with my father's client.

Very tiring, my mind sighed wearily, watching the scene outside the car.

The sky looked dark covered with clouds, there were no stars there. The streets were crowded with vehicles since this afternoon, I did not even know that now everyone is also busy at night.

Before, as I remember. The vehicle is only solid in the hours of return work only, now it is almost 10:00 pm the vehicle is still crowded.

"Have everyone switched to private vehicles?" I still watched the view outside.

"It seems so," replied Uncle Hans, making me turn to the rearview mirror, and I found uncle Hans's narrowed gaze in the mirror reflection. It looks like he just smiled.

"I don't know when exactly, but everyone is more comfortable using a private vehicle now." His next makes me understand.

Is it possible because they are not comfortable when crammed in public transportation? That's how I thought while turning my attention to the bunch of cars outside.

"But because everyone uses private vehicles, the road gets stuck."

"Surely miss ... does the lady feel tired? Want to stop by somewhere first to fill your stomach?"

"... ah right. I'm hungry" I said after a few seconds of silence to confirm the state of my stomach. I don't know, I've been feeling hungry a lot lately. Maybe because I was too busy and kept thinking about my father's condition. Until I was unaware of my own hunger.

"Then I'll find the perfect dinner spot for the lady. Hmm.. If not wrong in the front fork there is a good restaurant. Want to try stopping by there?" Uncle Hans said he'd meet me again.

"Yes, let's just go there." Nod after taking a deep breath.

***

- Carel

"Calm down!" Cried Teo sitting next to me. Trying to calm me down who can't control my anger.

I don't know, I'm really angry right now. Maybe because I couldn't meet Aster, but I had come all the way from the academy to see him. But he wasn't at his house, and now I'm stuck in traffic with Teo. We had to get to the academy at 10:00 p.m., but it was past. And I'm hungry!

"Miss Aster ..he hasn't returned from out of town."

"Out of Town?" Tanya Teo precedes me.

"True, miss went to meet with her client Mr. Ansel."

"When will he come back then?" Next asked.

"So, I haven't received a report from Hans as a right-hand lady."

"Hans being Aster's right hand? Since when?" I asked again, really surprised by what I just heard.

"Since Miss returned from Singapore. Master has already appointed Hans as a confidant of the lady." Evidently.

All those conversations back in my head, somehow the more I thought about the more I was sure that something had happened in the Veren family.

And again, since when can the old man entrust his beloved daughter to others?

"May I ask?" I said to the waiter who had hosted me and Teo.

"Please sir." The answer.

"Is it true that on the day of Alterio's departure, Aster went on holiday to Singapore?" I was able to make the waiter's face change, looking agitated.

"Tell me the truth!" I continued to slightly raise my tone.

"On that .. you should ask her directly to the lady." He tried to control his expression.

"Stop Carel, you're scaring him. It's not polite to keep urging her like that either." Teo spoke up again. Tried to stop me, but from what I saw. He looked like he was hiding something too.

"You know something, right?" I asked as I glanced at Teo who was sitting next to me.

"What?" The question distracts him from the traffic jam out there.

We were in a taxi and stuck in a long traffic jam. "You know the truth about Aster, right?" I repeated my question, trying to make him understand.

"You mean?" Ask again with that stupid look. Looks pissed.

"Aster came to Alterio's residence right? He didn't go on holiday to Singapore, did he? And you hid that fact, who told you to?" I almost got out of control.

"... no, Aster really went to Singapore. I didn't know if he was on vacation or not."

"Jadi–"

"Yes, let's just say he went on vacation." His cut made my hopes fall. Though I wanted to hear the word untrue from his mouth, I wanted to hear that everything Dwi said was a lie. I ....

Nah! Think back to Carel. If Aster really went on vacation, why did Kalea look so moody and keep avoiding me during the break? Does the child also know the truth of Dwi's words? The secret that he said would tell me if I was a good boy during the academy?

Or is he sad about not being able to take a vacation with Aster? No, he was no longer thirsty for attention from the old man anymore. He also gets full affection from Victor, if he wants to go on vacation or go after Aster. He could ask his father for that, right?

"... The rails!" Exclaimed Teo disperse my reverie.

"What the hell?" My grunts were upset that he had disturbed my concentration.

"Aster!" Point it out the window.

I quickly saw the direction Teo was pointing at, I saw Aster walking into a restaurant followed by a man. "Let's go!" I said then, get off the taxi I was riding. Then ran towards the restaurant entered by Aster.

"Wait!" Shouted Teo who was late chasing me. Looks like he's late for having to pay our taxi fare first.

I stopped my steps right in front of the door of the restaurant Aster entered. I set my breath a little stingy as a result of running at full speed.

"Huh huh, why did you just walk away? What if what I saw wasn't Aster?" Teo asked who was standing next to me with a breath of his breath.

"I'm very confident in my vision senses, so don't worry." I said as I pushed the door of the restaurant in front of me and went inside.

I searched the whole corner of the restaurant, looking for Aster's whereabouts. Then my eyes stopped on the figure of the man standing next to Aster, "Hans?"

Without wasting any more time, I set my legs aside to get close to them.

"Young master?" Hans said as he saw me standing in front of them.

"Carel? Teo too?" Aster looks very surprised by my presence and Teo.

"Good night young master." Sapa Hans who was late to give his greetings.

"Yes, good night." I briefly pulled an empty chair in front of Aster, then I sat down in that chair without taking my eyes off his figure.

"Why are you here?" He asked along with Teo who just sat himself beside me.

"Hah~ I'm sorry Aster, this kid insisted on seeing you. We were on our way back to the academy after visiting the Veren residence. We came to see you, but your waiter said you were outside. And we accidentally saw you come in here." Teo obviously after a long sigh. What does it mean to apologize to Aster? Did he ask Teo to keep his mouth shut?

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Thanks for reading...