Aster Veren
Episode 169's

- Ansel

I really couldn't hold it any longer, my mind felt a pain deep within my heart as it remembered the child's face. Why would she have a face like that with Helen? And why else would he be in my house? Everyone seems to respect him.

"Is it true that my memory is lost? But why is it only the memory of that child that I can't remember? Are they fooling me?" I continued to try to remember the moment of my togetherness with a child whose face was not visible in my memory.

I quickly shook my head, trying to shake off that memory as I felt a great throb in my head.

Everyone says that she's my daughter, a few years ago Arsel found her and brought her home. Then somehow I became close to her and accepted her to be my daughter. But there's nothing I remember, even though Hans showed me a photo album of my time with the boy.

"When have I had children?" I said as I put a sheet of paper in my hand, then I got my body up from my seat and walked towards the window of the room, intending to close the window curtain there.

Waitaminute! My mind halted my steps and turned around tracing the entire room in my room as it recalled the shadow of the little boy that filled my room. I faintly looked at the adorable figure of the child with her expression still blurry.

Is he really my son? I continued to be in my heart as I remembered his stature which was similar to the photo of the little boy Hans showed me a few days ago.

***

This morning I saw the boy leave the house with a black stellan that I rarely saw. His short hair was neatly severed with a floral accessory attached above his right ear.

"Everything is ready, miss." Hans greeted him under the stairs.

I who was watching him upstairs could only frown in confusion, where was he going this early? That's how I thought, remembering all the busyness Rigel told me.

As long as I was unconscious, it was the boy who took over all my work. And it seems that now I have to take over everything from him again.

"... strangely why is such a small child given the confidence to take care of all my work? What can he do?" My murmurs immediately went downstairs, preparing to have breakfast before visiting Kalea at the academy.

***

- Esther

"We've arrived miss." Hans stopped his car right in front of the road leading to the cemetery.

I quickly got out of the car and walked towards the resting place of my mother and grandmother. "You just wait in the car!" I cried to Hans who followed me from behind. I don't want her to hear all my complaints and the sound of my crying when complaining to mom and grandma.

"Ta–but miss,"

"Just wait." I said once again, managed to make him obey and get back to his car.

After arriving in front of the mother's nutrition, I immediately put the white Lily flower in front of the tombstone of mother and grandmother. Then my tears just spilled, remembering I once came to this place with my father.

"How are you, ma'am? Long time no see yes, Aster misses the mother of the hiks," I began to sob and stroke the tombstone of the mother with my right hand. I wish my mother was in front of me and holding my body as tightly as possible.

I was so tired of pretending to be okay in front of everyone. There's no place for me to complain now. Can only babble alone in front of the funeral of mother and grandmother.

"I'm hiks .. I miss you so much. But my dad's memory of me was lost in an accident a few weeks ago. My mother ...," I stopped when I remembered my father's cold gaze lately. It feels so sad.

Time was running fast, and I had to return home immediately to finish my work today. I don't want to go back to my mom and grandma.

Hans, who was waiting for me in the car, drove straight after I got into the car.

Silence, there is no topic of conversation I can talk to him about. And I saw Hans keep stealing glances from the rearview mirror. It seemed like she also felt the awkwardness I felt since I returned from the funeral.

"Is there still time?" I asked back again to make Hans glance at the watch on his left wrist.

"It looks like we have quite a bit of time before Miss returns. Miss wants me to take the lady to where?" His reply made me think a little hard to determine my destination.

I don't know, I don't really want to go anywhere myself. But if you see Hans worried expression, it's really weighing on me. And I want to get rid of that expression immediately.

"We went to Oliphia's cafe only," I broke up after remembering my meeting with the four daughters of the family who worked with the Veren family.

"Well miss."

"My name is Jane from the Oliphia family." The voice of the woman's introduction again flashed in my head.

"By the way Hans, how's the Oliphia family business these days?" I was curious about the family business.

"So far it's gone smoothly, even from the information I've gotten. Oliphia's company and the cafe business run by Miss Jane are doing well." Clearly, he was still focused on his drive.

"Thank God, then" I muttered again to the view outside the car.

Arriving in front of Oliphia cafe, I immediately got out of the car and walked into the cafe, while Hans. He went to park his car.

I breathed in the sweet aroma that burst into the cafe, awakening my hunger. I quickly picked a convenient place to enjoy the dishes I was going to order.

I picked a corner spot with big windows and a pretty good view. Then I saw a servant standing beside me and gave me the menu book in his hand.

"I ordered chocolate macaroon, sacher torte and vanilla flavored ice cream jumbo" I said after choosing my order.

"Well miss." Said the waiter after he finished taking down my order, and he left me alone.

It turns out there's a macaroon and a sacher torte. I haven't eaten both of those foods in a long time. My mind felt a little happy, even without realizing my mood had improved.

***

-Sean

I clenched my hands that I had put in my jacket pocket as tightly as I could. Thinking about my meeting with a mother I hadn't seen in a long time.

I met my mother while going outside the academy to buy the black ink requested by Mr. Vito, it just so happened that the ink sold in the academy environment was empty. So inevitably I have to go out after asking Justin for permission.

Who would have thought I would meet my mother on the street? And saw him holding a little boy across the street.

I who was intending to approach my mother immediately abandoned my intentions when I saw the street lights turn green, and I saw my mother cross the road with the child she was holding in a hurry.

"... Has he not thought of me all this time?" I still clenched both my hands.

The child ... Is the mother married again?

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