Aster Veren
Episode 66

- Ansel

I let out my weary breath as I walked towards the room where the Ravindra family was having a party for his son along with Ian and the other parents.

"You seem to be so exhausted, right? Are you okay coming to a party like this?" Ian's question made me glance at him at a glance.

"Not a big thing." I answered briefly as I entered the party room after the two servants standing at the door opened the door for me and the people behind me.

"They came too?" His muttering made me look at the direction Ian had seen, I saw a well-dressed man in a black suit with a white vertical stripe talking to the host. Even my eyes could not turn away from the figure of Claretta standing beside the man.

"That?" I ask I can't continue my own words.

"Albert and Claretta." Ian's reply assured my vision.

"It seems he came with his two sons ...." He then made me look at two boys who looked like Albert, they were talking to some women who swarmed them.

What about Kalea? My mind immediately looked for the figure of the girl, somehow I felt understood by Kalea's feeling if I saw a scene like this before her eyes.

He could even still laugh like that without caring for his daughter. I was still in my heart when I found Kalea who had just entered the room through the other door along with Victor.

"They just arrived? Where is Aster, by the way? Why is everyone surrounding the empty space in the middle? What's up there?" I muttered as I approached the crowd when I saw Carel staring annoyed at something in the middle of the crowd.

"They are dancing, Ansel, look! They're so compatible." Ian said, who had gone first to the crowd, he even showed a sweet smile that made me creep when he saw it.

"They're really compatible huh?"

"Who is that woman? I just saw it."

"Was the new student?"

"His brother?"

"His theme?"

"Don't his girlfriend."

"Beautiful ... The clothes she wears also look beautiful, what is Arselio's design?"

Such were the whispers I heard from the girls in front of me, making me instantly focused on the scene before me when I heard Arselio's name mentioned.

The boy has been a famous designer since my departure to Singapore. But I never imagined that he was famous among young people too.

"A–what's that kid doing?" I muttered when I saw the son of the Ravindra family dancing with my daughter.

"Otherwise? Everything is as you can see, they're dancing to Ansel." Clearly Ian was full of emphasis at the end of his sentence with his thin smile.

"I'll stop them!" My growl was immediately stopped by Ian and Rigel right on my first move.

"Please calm yourself, sir," Rigel said immediately holding my left hand, while Ian held my right.

"You're stupid, huh?! I know you love your daughter very much, but not as protective as this either. Maybe your daughter won't be able to make any new friends other than my son." Ian continued nagging me with his flat expression that was more irritating than anything.

"Curtain!" My dechih along with the applause of everyone who watched Aster's performance with Nathan come to an end.

I'm really going to see you Arsel! My mind was upset at that man, because he made such clothes for my daughter. She's dancing with Nathan, the main character of tonight's show. I was prepared to block all the men who approached my daughter.

"Miss walks here, sir," said Rigel, releasing his hand from me immediately, as did Ian, who let me go.

"Papa, why was the meeting so long?" Aster asked when he came to me with a red hue on his face, besides he also looked exhausted.

"Sorry earlier–" I stopped when I saw the white-haired child with the red bead standing next to Aster with a look of regret.

"Why are you dancing with that guy?!" His words almost screamed startling Aster.

***

- Esther

Finally done, I was really embarrassed. Want to go home .... My mind couldn't help my embarrassment from being the center of attention, plus my feet had stepped on Nathan's feet several times. Nathan must be in pain because of me.

After saluting Nathan, I walked over to the father who was standing between Uncle Rigel and the other man. They really held the hand of the father firmly while the father thrashed, trying to get away from them.

"Papa, why was the meeting so long?" I asked when I arrived before the father who was busy tidying up his clothes.

Not long ago, I replied, Carel is standing next to me with an upset expression, "why are you dancing with that guy?!" His almost yelling speech made me a little surprised by his reaction.

"Dare you yell at my daughter, huh? Can I cut off your tongue, huh?!" Father's words were full of emphasis with his piercing glare.

He said my son? Don't tell me he's Carel's father? My mind wonders with the man beside my father.

"Hee... Are you also a dear father of children? You love your son so much, but you can't make him happy? Every time he ran away to my house. Looks like you guys aren't getting along?" Exclaims dad with his sarcastic smile.

"You!"

"Stop! You two make me ashamed!" Carel's words caught the attention of the two of them for a moment, but they clashed again without regard to our presence. Not even Uncle Rigel could break up their quarrel.

"They are always like that, just ignore them and go have fun." Uncle Victor's voice made me look towards his arrival.

"Uncle," I muttered as I saw him smiling kindly at me.

"Good night Aster, good to see you back as cheerful as ever." His speech made me smile in embarrassment as his right hand grabbed the top of my head.

"It seems I've made a lot of people worry huh?" I mumbled to remember my days that continued to moody lament the departure of grandma, especially I had time to cry chilly also in front of the grave grandmother. And then Victor's uncle was there too.

"No need to think about it, now go and have fun with other guests who are your age." He again showed a friendly smile as he removed his hand from the top of my head.

"Really! Just leave this bunch of stupid old men. Let's go!" Carel said after sighing his post, agreeing with Victor's uncle's words and immediately pulling my wrist towards the terrace.

"Where are we going? Didn't Victor's uncle tell us to mingle with the others?" I asked to start the conversation while following his wide steps towards the terrace.

"Carel?" I asked again not to get an answer from him.

... It seems like papa is unaware of my departure, if he realizes it .. papa must have stopped Carel immediately. My mind while looking at the father who is still fighting with his father Carel.

"White-haired uncle is your father?" I asked to look for another topic, hoping that this time he would respond better to my question than before.

"Hem." His answer was short without looking at me.

What's really wrong with him? My mind while sighing.

"... anu–why are you here?" I again could not help my curiosity with his presence. I don't know, on the other hand, I feel good when I see it. Moreover, the last few days he disappeared and never saw me again. So when I saw her, my heart couldn't hold back my feelings of joy.

"Why?" He asked back while letting go of his hand as we reached the terrace.

"Any thing, aren't the people invited to tonight's event the students who are going to go to the academy and the upperclassmen who are close to Nathan's sister? Yes–though I feel not so close to Nathan's brother that I should be invited to his court." Clearly I remembered father's explanation and immediately put aside my feelings of pleasure.

"Yah–it .. actually I also decided to enter the academy. So I attended that guy's party with my dad. And again it wasn't the guy who arranged the invitation, so this has nothing to do with your closeness to Nathan. I'm not even friendly with him." Clearly before he breathed his heavy breath.

"Ja–so you entered the academy? Wh why? Is it because of me?" I asked to be surprised for a few seconds, I don't know if my heart doesn't feel right now. I feel bad for Carel because it has been a bait for him, but before I felt very happy.

"Eh? A–aku entered the academy because of my own decision why do you think like that?"

"Don't lie! I remember how you were expressing that day. You're very, very unwilling to enter the academy because you can't visit your mother often, besides you don't want to be the successor to the Alterio family. But, why are you ... What about your mother?" I explained my mind.

"I didn't lie, I entered the academy to realize my ideals. My mother also supported me and she promised to recover soon for me, so you don't have to worry." Clearly while stroking the top of my head gently, even the look in his eyes looked so warm melted the annoyed look he had shown earlier.

"... aren't you glad I got into the same academy as you? I thought you'd be happy–"

"Te–of course I'm very happy.But .. your father? Your granddad? Do they support you?" I just can't stop looking at that red bead, I'm really worried about it right now.

"Dad supported me, didn't know about Grandpa. He said he'd take care of Grandpa for me. Besides ...," He said hanging, making me frown at confusion waiting for him to continue his words. But I didn't get it.

"What?" I asked when I didn't get the answer I was waiting for.

"No, you're not cold dressed like this?" His reply shifted the conversation with his gaze which began to notice my appearance from the tip of the foot to the tip of the head.

"Pretty." Continuing with a big smile made me misbehave when I heard his praise.

"Ja–don't switch the conversation!" My protest was upset by her unrepairing bad nature.

"I didn't switch the conversation, you did can–" She was truncated when she saw Kalea finding us in the room.

"Ka–kalea ...," I muttered, unable to say anything more than looking at her flat expression that looked firm, but her gaze looked foggy. I've never seen his expression like that.

What the hell happened to him? She looks ... sad?

"Searching?" Carel's question made me turn to her who was already staring at Kaela with her cold gaze.

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Thanks for reading...