113 Chapter 113: New Plan

'Crap! How will I face him again!!'

Stella very much wanted to hit herself for behaving foolishly until she heard a small chuckle.

Shocked, she slowly raised her head and looked at Loki dumbfoundedly. His eyes were shaped into crescents and his hand covering his mouth as he suppressed his laugh.

Loki cleared his throat when he felt her gaze. Stella shook her head as she hurriedly stood up and bowed, "I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable... I didn't know what came to me."

Loki raised an eyebrow when he saw her close her eyes tightly. His lips lifted slightly as he said, "It's okay... I don't mind"

Stella looked at him hesitantly and on seeing his face still had that cold mask with a small curl, she nodded her head before turning away from him.

Loki's smile vanished when he saw her turn away from him. He saw her rushing towards Hazel with a scowl.

Stella stopped a few feets away from them and looked at the little boy who was by Hazel's side before her eyes shifted towards the girl on the table. She knitted her brows together when she saw the injury on the small girl. 

She approached Hazel slowly making the little boy clutch Hazel's dress tightly. The little boy looked at Stella warily making Stella pause in her steps. She looked at Hazel sadly which made her smile. Hazel glanced down at the little boy and patted his hand gently making the boy glance at her.

"Don't be afraid. She saved you, she helped you so don't be scared."

The little boy drew his brows together before his eyes shifted towards Stella. He looked at her for a minute before he nodded his head.

Stella smiled widely at the boy before she looked at Hazel and asked worriedly, "Is she okay?"

Hazel bit her lips as her eyes focused on the little girl. She looked at Stella and said, "I'm not sure... I will try my best to save her." then she looked at the boy and said, "Can you look after the boy for a while?"

Stella nodded eagerly as she stretched her arms out for the boy. The little boy looked at her for a minute before he took a step towards the lady. When the little boy stopped in front of Stella, she wrapped her hands around him and lifted him.

She directed the boy towards her shoulder as she hid the little one from the operation. She watched as Hazel approached the table with her needles out. She looked at the rest who was slowly leaving the room.

Stella also followed them, leaving Hazel to work peacefully. As she reached the hall where the rest were all waiting, she felt her dress being tugged.

She glanced down and saw the boy looking at her anxiously as he asked, "Is my sister going to be okay?"

Her lips curled up as she rubbed the boy lovingly, "Yes, the beautiful sister would try her best to help your sister."

The boy nodded his head slowly as he swayed. Stella looked at the boy in alarm when she saw his eyes close.

Liz suddenly spoke, " Let us treat his wound before its too late."

Stella glanced at the chubby hand which was covered in blood. She nodded her head worriedly as she sat down and placed the boy on her lap. Liz hurriedly took out her medicine kit and started to disinfect the deep wound.

On seeing Liz spread the medicine on his injury, Stella asked amazed, "You are so good at this."

Liz smiled, "Not really, Hazel is the best in this department. I only know the basic steps."

"But you are awesome, Liz" Zelal chirped in making Stella chuckle.

Liz rolled her eyes as she mumbled, "Go away, fool"

She suddenly stopped when she heard the boy groaning softly. She blew on his wound making his brows relaxed.

Liz smiled as she mumbled, " He is so brave for single-handedly protecting his sister."

Stella glanced at the boy who had his head against her bosom and smiled, "Yeah"

Both of them looked at each other and grinned.

After two hours, Hazel stepped out of the room exhausted. She was massaging her strained neck. When she reached the hall, she saw everyone looking at her anxiously.

She dropped her hand as she smiled and showed a thumbs up.

Cheers erupted inside the hall as the rest beamed in happiness. Stella squealed as she hugged the boy in her arms tightly, waking the boy up.

Hazel smiled as she removed her gloves and wiped her hands before turning to the official who was watching her nervously from the corner of the hall.

He wanted to leave earlier but he wasn't allowed to move from this spot unless the princess says so.

He had sweats dripping down from his forehead as he watched her nervously.

Hazel tilted her head as she asked coldly while handing her gloves to Jinha who stepped into the hall. 

"Didn't you guarantee that there were no survivors?"

The official shivered as he felt the chills down his spine. He took a step forward as he stammered, "W-we came here first as it was the Chief's house but we didn't find anything amiss."

Jinha smirked, "So, you didn't count the bodies? didn't check the entire family list to see whether anyone was missing?"

The official kept quiet as he lowered his head. 

Stella stood up glaring at him as she spat, "That means your staff doesn't do their jobs well."

The official gulped as he closed his eyes in shame. 

"I'm sorry...I will look into it properly now."

Saying that he turned around to leave when the next words froze him.

Zelal stated calmly, "If you find an additional body alive or dead, I assume you would take the responsibility for your irresponsible actions."

The official gritted his teeth as he nodded, still facing away from them. He marched outside and shouted, "You fools, comb through each house and check whether everyone is on the list."

His subordinates nodded their heads as they quickly got on to do their jobs.

Liz looked at Hazel and asked worriedly with her eyes on the boy who was yawning, "What would we do with them?"

Hazel looked at her before glancing at the boy. She bit her lips as she mumbled, "I don't know"

Stella asked confusedly, "Why are you guys confused?"

Seeing their blank stares, she asked, " Isn't it simple? Can't we take them with us?"

She grumbled, " I don't trust the official to do his job anymore. It's only safe if we take them with us."

Hazel looked at her and said softly, "We can't take them to the academy."

Stella tilted her head as she asked, "But then where –" 

She stopped when she realized something. She held the boy tightly as she asked, "You can't be thinking of leaving them at the orphanage, right?"

Seeing no one respond to her words, Stella gasped, "You can't.... they wouldn't be able to survive."

Liz sadly remarked, "We can't bring them to the academy. They would also suggest to leave them at the orphanage."

Stella grimaced when the little boy in her arms struggled. He was frantically shouting, "No orphanage... Sister, didn't you say you will take us to Mama and Papa?"

Stella looked at the boy who was hitting her arms. She bit her lips as she held in the pain and said, "Don't worry. Sister won't let them take you to the orphanage."

The boy stopped struggling as he asked, "Really?"

Stella smiled, "Really, really."

She looked at Zeke and asked desperately, "Zeke, there must be another way right?"

Zeke looked at her sadly and shook his head. Leaving them at the orphanage was the best alternative they had. All they could do was search for good foster parents for the two children.

Hazel looked at the boy who had calmed down in her arms. Her eyes softened as he resembled her brother in age. She didn't want the boy to be alone.

So Hazel said, "Well...I have another alternative. Well, I guess this could be a good plan."

Stella hurriedly looked at her and said urgently, "As long as it doesn't involve the orphanage, I'm in."

Hazel smiled softly, "We can take them to my kingdom. My little brother would be happy to have a friend of the same age."

Stella's eyes sparkled as she said excitedly, " Perfect"

Hazel shook her head as she continued, "but the thing is I can't leave the academy now."

Stella looked at her dejectedly, "Why?"

"Because we still have the event to prepare for. We need to prepare a lot of things before we decide to send our students into the forest. So maybe till then, we can leave them at the orphanage?"

Stella grimaced as it still had the orphanage plan. The boy looked at her in fear making Stella tighten her hold on him. Her eyes suddenly brightened as she said, "I can go... I can leave them at your kingdom and come back right in time for the event."

She looked at Hazel excitedly. She grinned when she saw Hazel look at her and nod.

"That is a good plan."