/
The incoming wind blew into the garden and past the tea table, through His Majesty’s hair. His crimson red eyes spotted through strands of hair made her heart beat faster, and even stop her sobs.
[P, please leave!] Haniel tried kicking up a tantrum but there was no way her eldest brother would listen.
Clatter. Rashid placed down the cup and stood up from his seat.
‘What should I do?’ Her now reddish nose was all stuffed, making it difficult for her to breathe. If only her mother was here, she would have cleared it for her. Her mother was the only one she missed the most right now.
[Mommyyyy!]
“
Quiet.” Haniel tried to run further, but those sharp and long grass hindered her line of sight.
She desperately hoped that her eldest brother wouldn’t have seen her but she soon saw a pair of black shoes stop in front of her. She panicked in an instant and fell on her butt.
[N, no! He’s here again!]
“Tiny.” Rashid slowly bent down, and a smile flashed across his face as he thought it was interesting but Haniel had her eyes tight shut as she tried her best to deny reality.
[
Please go. I’m not Haniel.]
“What’s it saying?” Rashid wondered as he raised his brows, wondering if the baby white swan actually understood his words, and Haniel slowly turned her head away. As always, Haniel was scared of him and even more so right now.
[Sobb.] The dog might have taken pity for Haniel’s situation and started barking beside her. Haniel looked at her ‘brother’ with hope, but there was no way he would be able to win her eldest brother.
Grrrr
“Shut up.”
Whine whine
The dog soon lowered its body as it was intimidated by Rashid’s frown. The dog’s tail was even tucked between its legs and avoided Haniel’s eyes with an apologetic look. No matter how much it pitied the young princess, it had to save its own life first.
[
Sob.] Haniel could only blink her large round eyes when her sobs had calmed down.
‘I can’t cry! Mommy said I shouldn’t cry!’ Haniel tried to hold back her tears as she watched Rashid’s hand reaching out to her.
“So much noise coming from a tiny body.”
A similar situation happened in the past back when Haniel was still in the palace. How could she help it if her tears had started flowing on its own? That was how much she was afraid of her own brother.
As Haniel’s eldest brother continued staring at her with that frown, the exhausted young one felt a tingle coming up her nose, and her quietened sobs had turned into hiccups.
[N- no cry. Haniel won’t cry. And I’m not Haniel.]
“
Reina.”
[Yeah, I’m Rei
] What? Haniel opened her eyes at Rashid’s words before falling into a state of panic. Though it wasn’t her real name, it was still given to her by her mother.
‘But how did the Emperor brother know of this name?’ He shouldn’t have known about this name. She wanted to tell him not to call her by this name, but she couldn’t even bring herself to say it.
Honestly, she didn’t even know what she should tell him. [
M- mommy.]
“Your mommy isn’t here.” He could understand her?!
Haniel was going to take a tiny peek but instead opened her eyes wide at his words. She heard a low chuckle but would have never thought that it was from her eldest brother.
“Just stay here. Your mother went somewhere else.”
[Mommyy. Haniel’s mommy!]
“
I said she’s not here.” Rashid slowly extended his hand. Haniel was courageous for a moment upon hearing about her mother but soon shrugged it off.
Mr. Darren said before that to pretend dead if they met anyone bad.
[
Quack. Haniel is dead!]
“There’s really nothing you can’t do.”
[I’m ded.] Haniel answered Rashid’s questions without fail like a baby does as her body stiffens. Worried that her eldest brother would hit her like the old times, she turned her head away immediately.
[
He’s a meanie if he hits me
]
“How could I wear this on you if you do that?” Haniel had assumed that Rashid would have hit her, but his finger found its way under her head.
Though her eldest brother was a scary but a great know-it-all, it felt strangely awkward when his fingers touched her cheeks. She couldn’t really pinpoint it, but it was very much different from when her mother touched her.
“
Stay still.” His actions as he tied the silver ribbon on her felt similar to how her mother had done it. The once breathless and terrified Haniel’s eyes widened at the ribbon tied onto her.
[R, ribbon
]