Aster Veren
Episode 56's

- Esther

It was 09:45 p.m., everyone was resting in their room. Likewise with Khael who had fallen asleep in Uncle Arsel's room with Brother Wanda.

Hana's sister had also rested in the servant's room after driving Carel and Tomi's uncle home to the door before locking him from the inside.

"Grandmother" I muttered remembering my days sleeping with my grandmother before my departure for Singapore. That night my grandmother told me a lot about my father and uncle, but now it's all just a memory.

Speaking of dad, all of a sudden I wanted to see him because I haven't seen him since morning.

"Is papa still in Grandma's study? I hope you pay more attention to his rest." I continued while walking out of the room with my worried feelings.

"Miss?" Uncle Rigel's new voice coming out of Grandma's study shocked me.

"Is papa still inside?" I asked directly to the point.

"Yes, sir is still working inside." Uncle Rigel answered making me rush into the grandma's workroom which might later become the father's work space for the future.

"Papa?" I said, closing the door to the workspace.

"Aster, come here." Dad's voice sounded tired, "why haven't you slept?" And then when I got to my dad's side.

"Papa, why haven't you slept yet?" I answered back to ask along with his hand that had grabbed my body into his lap.

"Pa–papa, Aster is already big." I feel ashamed to be treated as a child by my father.

"For your father to be a child, 13 years can not be called big." Obviously dad pissed me off when he saw that flat expression.

"That's it, since you've come we'd better get some sleep now." He continued while releasing me, but before long father immediately grabbed me by my body and carried me towards his room after rising from his sitting position.

"When my body is heavy, papa still likes to carry Aster," I muttered as I wrapped my hands around my father's shoulder, then buried my head in his shoulder.

"Did you say something?" Dad asked me to shake my head quickly.

Clamps!

The sound of the door opening brought my steps to a halt, "master?" Uncle Rigel's voice discouraged me from looking at him, I don't know if I'd be embarrassed to look at him. Right now I'm embarrassed that Uncle Rigel saw me being carried by my father.

Although maybe this was common to him, because Uncle Rigel had seen my father carry me a lot while we were in Singapore. But to me it's a shame, people might think I'm a spoiled child.

I don't know why I remember Carel now, if he sees me like this. He will surely mock me to the satisfaction.

"To this day you may rest, I will also go to rest. See you tomorrow." He continued his steps past Uncle Rigel who was still standing near the door as I quietly glanced at Uncle Rigel to see the expression he made when he saw me.

"Well, good rest sir." Said uncle while bowing his body slightly when he saw father leaving from before him, he also smiled kindly as my eyes met his gaze.

"Haah~ papa," I said after sighing heavily while feeling the heat on my face.

"Yes?" Answer my father in response to my words.

"Next time don't ever hold me in front of anyone else." I obviously took a heavy breath back.

"Since when has my daughter been embarrassed like this?" Dad asked me to be surprised.

"Ugh, pu–have you embarrassed? Of course Aster's got a shame from birth." I answered while pulling my back hair a little.

"Pft, ouch! I mean, you used to run up to me when you saw me free. Then without shame you ask to be carried when your feet are sick from walking for a long time. That's why you can't walk far and your physique becomes weak–" explained father after complaining because of my craving and make me more upset when he heard his words.

"My scales aren't as weak as you think you know!" Ketusku defending himself immediately cut off the words of father while releasing my snouts.

"really?" Dad asked with a look of disbelief that made me depressed when our eyes met.

"He didn't want to be carried, why now even look to enjoy it?" Dad's question embarrassed me half to death, even so I really like being carried by my father. It felt very comfortable and warm, especially when his big hands hugged my body gently, it felt like the affection of my father flowing into my body.

"By the way you've met Khael?" Dad switched the conversation.

"Yes, he's really handsome and adorable." I answered back to meet my father's red bead when I turned to him.

"really?" The question refocused on his steps towards father's room.

"I love his chubby cheeks." I couldn't stop smiling when I remembered her adorable behavior this afternoon.

"It should be that your cheeks can be chubby too." Father's murmur made my smile fade and looked at her with my cold gaze.

"My face can look ugly if only my cheeks contain. Could it be that every day Carel pinched my cheek so anxiously, today he has pinched me how many times?" I explained my thoughts after grunting.

"Hhaha.it seems like she likes you a lot huh." Said the father with his thin smile that somehow looked cold.

"Why can you speed up his footsteps? If you walk this late when are we going to bed?" I said as I realized that my father's movements were so slow.

"You realize that?" Dad asked me to get me back to dunking my face in his shoulder, then I felt the warm touch of dad stroking my head gently, making the corner of my lips lift.

"Father don't think of anything ...." Mumbled to recall an old incident while making a new friend in Singapore, my father actually intimidated him with his sharp gaze.

He was a kid, but I never looked at him to intimidate people close to me. I just found out that papa is this protective of me. My mind sighed tiredly.

"What do you mean?" The question made me shake my head again and smile faintly at my father as my eyes met again with my red bead.

***

- Arshel

"You haven't slept?" Wanda's voice surprised me who was daydreaming near my bedroom window.

"What's wrong?" He continued while tying up his unraveling hair before leaving his bed and walking towards me.

"I just thought of something." I try to show my best smile.

"There's no need to force yourself to look okay in front of me Arsel. How long do you think I've known you?" His speech made me chuckle when I saw his flat expression.

"Well, you're right. There's no point in me hiding this from you" I said after laughing.

"Hide what?" He asked after sitting next to me and holding my hand with both hands.

"On mother's death," I replied trying to control my overflowing anger.

I don't know, I felt really upset and angry when I heard Tomi and Eric's explanation this afternoon. Even of all the things I can do just obey my sister's words.

After all, the next successor of the Veren family is a big brother because I've been out of my mother's house and never want to take part in taking care of the family company.

So for me who saw for myself how the struggle of my brother in taking care of all the family companies and family pieces. I can only obey when big brother says to wait for him.

I became unable to move freely, my mind as I tightened my right fist that was not held by Wanda.

"What do you mean?" Her question collapsed my daydream, making me look at my wife who had shown her surprised expression.

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Thanks for reading...