177 Chapter 177: Over my Dead Body

Hazel looked at her father in horror. Her eyes widened as she shook her head and staggered backward. 

She dropped to the ground devastated. She stared at the ground and mumbled in disbelief, "How did this happen?"

She looked at her father and said, "We made sure to keep it hidden"

Julian pursed his lips as he looked at her daughter who was close to tears. They barely survived through a catastrophe some days back and now, trouble came knocking at their doors. Again!

Hazel clutched her chest as she asked, "Are you sure, father?"

He closed his eyes as he threw something at her feet. Hazel knitted her brows as she glanced at it. Her eyes widened when she saw her kingdom's invention lying by her feet. 

It was a voice recorder hidden inside the crystal device. It was a fairly good device as no one would imagine a piece of jewelry to have a voice recorder embedded inside it. When someone started o record, the crystal would generate some heat, and right after the recording, it sends the recording to the other user. 

The crystal emitted a green light as the recording started to play. 

A panting voice accompanied by hurried footsteps echoed inside the room.

"Your Majesty... they know...they are coming" a panicking male voice sounded through the device.

A sudden cry of shouts was heard when the voice remained silent. It looked like he was recording it as he was escaping.

"Find him" a snarling voice that brought shivers sounded making everyone inside the room glance at the device. 

After a moment of silence, the male voice said softly, "I have been found out, Your Majesty. I don't think I can escape this place so..." trying to hold his tears in, he requested, "Please look after my mother for me."

Suddenly they heard the same snarling voice, "Found you"

The agonized screams echoed as the recording died that left the room masked in silence. 

Hazel gawked at the crystal that had lost its green shine and now rolled on the ground. His pleas, his sacrifice to convey this news, his words were ringing in her ears as she looked lost. 

Her eyes burned as she zoned out from the surrounding talk. Her brows twitched when she heard a faint voice in the background asking, "What do we do now?"

Hazel looked up at Jinha, who had asked the question, and roared in uncontrollable fury, "What should we do?!"

Her rage held all the power of a wildfire, one could practically see the flames roaring in her eyes, ready to ignite anything that she came in contact with. Her voice reverberated inside the room, making everyone's eyes widen.

It had been a while since they saw her lose her cool in front of them. 

Jinha gulped, " Freya-"

Hazel ignored him and looked at her father as she enunciated each word carefully.

"We are going to fight... protect him"

Julian shuddered under her cold gaze but found the energy to nod his head.

"Obviously, princess"

Her eyes shifted across everyone in the room as she said, "I will never let anyone take him away from me."

Her eyes stopped at Jinha as she said at last, "Over my dead body"

A long silence descended upon everyone as they gaped at the Princess who was glaring at everyone. Jinha sighed as he rubbed his forehead and said, "No one here mentioned handing him over, Freya"

His face tensed as he said, "We would never do that."

Hazel relaxed her stance as she closed her eyes in relief. She felt someone touch her shoulders and gazed upward to meet her father's worried eyes.

"We won't let anyone take him, my dear."

He smiled stiffly, "He is my son too"

Hazel's eyes welled up in tears as she clutched her Father's robes with her tears streaming down her cheeks. Julian's heart ached as he wrapped her inside his arms and patted her head.

"I won't let my family down again."

"Never, Freya"

Hazel's eyes widened when she heard her Father call out the nickname her brother loved to call her. She bit her lips as she hugged him tightly making everyone gaze at them softly.

Julian leaned back and looked at his daughter's face. He smiled as he wiped the tears from her face and said, "Especially when it comes to him." 

Hazel nodded at him. For a moment there, she was scared... scared whether the darkness she was fighting would devour her. Scared that the will to fight against the darkness would disappear along with him. 

She looked at Jinha who nodded, "We have already alerted the guards to prepare for any attacks"

Hazel bit her lips as she moved away from her Father's embrace. After her sudden outburst, her mind cleared up as she started to think. Her brows furrowed as she proceeded to give the orders.

"Don't let the people know"

Zeno immediately asked, "Is that okay?"

She nodded, "We don't want to alert them."

"Notify all the soldiers to be prepared at a moment's notice"

Everyone nodded but paused when they heard her say, "Make sure my brother wouldn't hear about this."

They nodded as they all knew what she meant. They didn't want the little Prince jumping to fight like before.

He was their future King! They need to protect him.

Hazel sighed but her heart was filled with anxiety. A bad feeling crept in her heart as if warning her she would lose him.

"I will start with the preparations"

She nodded at her father as she turned around to leave. Right, when she opened the door, a voice filled with surprise greeted her, "Sister?"

Hazel froze as she looked down and saw her brother looking at her with a confused gaze.

"Rin-Rin" she gasped as the people inside the room froze.

Rin tilted his head as he asked in disbelief, "You came out?" 

Surprise and shock filled his voice as he knew how hard it was to get her sister out from big brother's room. He had to threaten her sometimes for her to willingly come out but today, she stepped out without his aid. 

He spread his arms as he hugged her legs and shouted happily, "Big brother is awake?"

No one could blame the little kid for thinking like that. He had seen it with his own eyes how his sister spent her time in that room, aiding big brother. As days passed, his sister lost weight and her figure looked like it could break with a simple tug. 

So the only possible reason for his sister to come out would be because his big brother was awake, right?

But to his dismay, he felt his sister's body tremble as water drops fell on his face. He touched his face with his small chubby hand and glanced at it for a minute before looking at his sister who had tears streaming down.

His eyes widened as he grabbed his sister's clothes and asked, "Sister, what happened to big brother?"

His small orbs widened in fear at the thought of something happening to Usui. He had seen...clearly seen how his big brother protected him from the demon. Rin thought that he was responsible for his big brother's state. 

So when his sister started crying, his mind drew upon the inevitable. Hazel crumbled down to the ground as she hugged her brother tightly. Rin gazed at the people inside as he asked, "Sister, did something happen to big brother?"

Hazel tightened her hug as she buried her face in his small neck. Rin pursed his small lips when he realized that his sister wouldn't give him an answer. He looked at brother Jinha who immediately smiled, "Nothing happened to big brother."

Rin frowned as he looked at his crying sister and back at Jinha. His gaze was obvious.

'If nothing happened, then why is my sister crying?'

Jinha slapped himself mentally but put on a smile as he said, "She was worried about Usui"

Rin softened his gaze as he used his small chubby arms to pat her back. 

"Sister, big brother would get well soon."

"He is strong... he knows you must be hurting so much so he will come back soon."

Hazel hugged Rin as she nodded making Rin smile. Everyone inside the room gazed at the siblings gently. Merlene went forward and hugged her husband as she gazed at her children.

Rin's face soon shifted to a frown when he heard his sister say, "Don't worry, Rin. Sister would never allow anything to happen"

Rin moved back as he looked at his sister's face and asked confusedly, "What do you mean, sister?"

Hazel smiled through her tear-soaked face.

"Do you trust me, Rin?"

Rin nodded almost immediately making Hazel chuckle.

"Do you believe that I won't harm you?"

Rin nodded confusedly.

Hazel grinned as she kissed his cheeks and said, "Good"