Chapter 16 - Family Record Book!

I slept throughout the carriage ride until I reached the Winter Villa. I thought Crown Prince will wake me up when we reach the villa but instead, he called for the maid's to carry me.

"Make sure she doesn't wake up." He said to the maids in a low voice.

I could hear footsteps coming towards me, Maybe that's mother and father.

"We greet the rising sun of the empire his highness the crown prince!" Both of them said.

"Irene what's wrong with her?" mother asked. She must be surprised seeing me like this in the maid's arms.

"Nothing she is just taking a nap." Crown Prince said but why does he sound so irritated.

"Nap...but why are her eyes swollen!" Mother asked.

"Crown Prince although I respect the royal family but if you do anything wrong to my daughter I won't stand still," Father said in a serious tone.

"Lord Winter if something like that ever happens you are free to stab me with your sword but today the reason she is like this isn't me....it's you." Crown Prince said straightforwardly.

Even though I have closed my eyes I could still feel the tension in the air.

"What does his highness mean?" Father asked.

"I wouldn't get into details since I have already taken care of it...but the only thing I can say to Lord Winter is that your silence won't help anyone instead it will only add fuel to the fire.

So even if it's for your family, you need to speak up, I don't know much about the winter family history but I am quite sure that lord winter is far different from how you are described in the rumours now.

So, please end this matter faster so that she won't have to suffer anymore." Crown Prince said as his voice softened at the end.

There was pin-drop silence in the room. None of them uttered a single word.

"Then I shall take my leave." The crown prince said.

"Return safely Your Highness." Both mother and father said. And with that, I could hear his footsteps getting farther and farther away from me.

Now is it only me, my parents and a maid in this room, with uncomfortable silence between us?

"Give her to me I shall take her upstairs," Father said in a gentle tone.

"Yes my lord." The maid said as she handed me to him.

He held me gently just like the day I opened my eyes in this novel. His arms have always been the safest place for me.

In truth deep in my heart, the thing that hurts me the more is the fact that father is keeping everything to himself, when we are in need they help us in whichever way possible so why when it comes to them.....why do they tell us to ignore it...why father I wish I could have been a little more reliable to you and mother.

Father put me on my bed gently without making even a single noise.

"My daughter, father is sorry you must have gone through a lot these days because of me right," Father said as he held my hand they were warm but shaking.

Father are you perhaps crying...

The Next Morning, I don't even remember how my night passed because too much happened in just one day.

I went outside my room for breakfast but father wasn't present there. I didn't ask mom where he is but still, she said that he has gone to attend some important business.

"Important business huh, after what happened last night one thing is for sure father can't be the killer but why is he keeping silent in this matter. Why??" I talked to myself.

"Shall I tell you that?" A voice said I turned around to see Leal standing there with his emo face.

"Greeting to Uncle Leah," I said as I bowed towards him.

"Uncle..." he said shocked. I tilted my head in confusion.

"There is no blood reaction between us wouldn't it be better to treat me as a servant," Leal said.

"Huh, It's not like there are only blood-related relations in this world and farther more uncle Leal is a family!" I said with a smile.

"ha..as excepted of brother Raymond daughter!" He said as he patted my head.

"Uncle Leal can you tell me the reason behind father's silence," I asked him.

"About that let me lend you this book." He said as he handed me a big book which had our family emblem on its cover.

"What is this?" I asked as I held the book it was quite heavy.

"It's the family records of the winter family since its establishment. I can't promise you will find the reason behind my brother's silence but I guess with this you will get a rough idea of his past, and also about the other members. After that You can decide on your own whom to believe and whom to not." Uncle Leal said as he turned around and exited the room.

"Our family record, "I murmured, as my heartbeat rose I am going to see my other family members, I wonder how they are...will they be like father or would they be like grandaunt, I wonder and right then Ash entered my room.

"Sister I saw a man leaving your room just now. Who was that?" Ash asked as he came near me and sat on the opposite side of me.

"It's uncle Leal," I said.

"Uncle Leal our relative I have never seen him before....oh I have never seen any of our relatives before!" He said as scratched the back of his head.

Right he hasn't seen them either, "Hey Ash uncle Leal gave me this family record book it has the record of all of our family members, wanna take a look together." I asked.

"Yes, I would love to!" He said with excitement.

Saying that he moved his seat near me, we opened the book with warm hearts hoping to see our family members but

"What is this..." Ash said.

Our dream family was a lot different from our imagination....