/
I couldn’t back up any further as I was about to fall into the lake behind me. Could he have done it deliberately
?
“Slowly, ahh!”
“I asked you a question, didn’t I?” He grabbed onto me with both hands as if he had been waiting for it. Oh, I hated the smile on his face that showed him enjoying my demise as I opened my eyes in relief to find myself not yet in the water.
I wanted to retort by asking him what was wrong with him today but there was someone else here who was shocked as well.
[H, he’s here again!]
“Hmm?”
[Emperor brother! He’s here again!] Haniel’s entire body shuddered while she remained in the basket. All her friends had already made a run and left poor little Haniel alone, who was adamant about protecting me.
[W, watch me! I’ll scold him real good!]
Tap tap. Of course, she could not take more than two steps out. She stuck close behind the dog and waved her wings harshly at Rashid for him to see.
I’m unsure whether she’s doing that because she’s gotten much closer to the dog, or because she had that much hate for her own brother. I quickly reached out for the basket.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?”
[Sob, mommyy.] As I approached Haniel, she arm into my arms and started crying. She seemed to be trying to protect me but eventually broke under the stress.
[Sob, sob. E, emperor brother
 he said to push mommy!]
“Huh?” That’s not it.
Since she was speaking between sobs and her emotions were escalating by the minute, Haniel was just spouting nonsense and editing her own memory by now.
[He wanted Haniel to push mommy into the lake!]
“No, we’re looking for Mr. Darren.” I quickly whispered into Haniel’s ears to calm the little one down, without letting Rashid hear our conversation. But he wasn’t tactful enough to be setting a distance between us, and soon butted into our conversation.
“What’s wrong with her now?”
“Your Highness!” Regardless of how bad Haniel was sobbing, she was just a chirping little bird to him. Even if he had seen how the poor baby white swan was trembling, he just raised his eyebrows.
“How weak, it would only be increasing Catherine’s worries.”
[Bad Emperor brother!] I gulped silently as I was stuck between the two siblings’ words. Well, Rashid was his usual self, but Haniel on the other hand, was looking quite serious.
One would usually get freaked out by those words but Haniel put so much energy in making out those sharp looking eyes made her look so much like her brother.
[Emperor brother is ugly!]
“What?” I understand her feelings but isn’t that a bit too much?
I would like to teach her to accept facts while putting hate aside, but Haniel’s soul was already torn into pieces.
Haniel’s legs were shaking terribly from the aftermath of spouting the most abusive language she knew throughout her three year old life.
[You’re ugly if you teaz Haniel’s mommy! Mr Darreng said people are ugly if they make fun of friends!]
“Is your daughter unwell again this time? What’s the reason behind it?”
“Umm
” She said you’re ugly, and had a nasty temper.
“
What did she say now? No, what is it?” The way Rashid shook his head as he corrected himself was looking quite anxious. I knew he wasn’t such a guy but he looked quite sensitive over something so trivial.
“What kind of twisted judgment does a bird have against me
”
“It’s not that.”
“Catherine.”
[Mommyyy!]
It’s a relief to see that they aren’t looking at each other. Both looked identical as their heads were tilted slightly to the left at 15 degrees while looking at me. But of course, the more persistent one was Rashid.
Rashid inched closer relentlessly even though he saw how much the little one was protesting with her eyes wide opened.
“Look, are you going to
”
“She seems to think that Your Highness looks much more handsome today!” I’m sorry, sweetie! I shut my eyes tight and covered Haniel’s with my palm. “Not me, but my daughter.”
***
“Haniel, are you angry?”
[Emperor brother isn’t handsome.]
“You’re indeed angry.”
[He isn’t handsome. He’s not. Not handsome, hate him.] Even after we returned to the residence, Haniel was still murmuring the same lines over like some magic chant and even avoided my eyes. I must be a bad mother if I wanted to bite those bloated cheeks of hers that were filled with anger, right?