188 Chapter 188: Hate me?

Looking at the door, he asked cautiously, "Are you planning to tell him everything?"

Hazel furrowed her brows. She turned her head and peeked through the small opening. She saw Rin sitting on his bed, gazing at the wall in deep thoughts making her sigh.

"It's not like we have a choice, right? He is too smart for his age"

Julian let out a smile, "Like his father"

Hazel had a small smile on her face as she agreed with his statement. Her brother was one of a kind who was brilliant in everything he did, a perfect heir to the throne. Rin had inherited all of her brother's genius genes making it very hard for them to lie to his face.

Her smile vanished when she thought of how would he react. Pursing her lips, she glanced up and said while her eyes focused on the door.

"If he hates me after this..." she shifted her eyes to her father and mumbled sadly, "I will be fine, so don't worry about us."

Julian's heart ached for his daughter who was still taking the blame. This was one of the reasons why they hid the matter from Rin until he is of age to understand everything. But now, they were unprepared and could only hope for the best.

Julian said, "It is not your fault, dear." Hazel looked at her father who had never once blamed her for Hezekiah's death. He always placed the blame on himself trying to decrease the guilt on her.

"Never forget that" 

Hazel bit her lips and hissed when she bit on a sore part. Julian pursed his lips and his face darkened as he mumbled with clenched fists, "That brat"

Hazel looked at Julian who quickly composed his face making her shrug. 

She walked towards the door to open it when she noticed her father following her in. She turned around and asked, "Would you let me do the talk?"

Julian raised his eyebrows in confusion. 'That was what they were going to do, right?'

Hazel shook her head as she enunciated, "Alone"

Julian asked her dumbfoundedly, "Why?"

"I think he prefers if it was just me"

Julian grumbled something not audible under his breath before he looked up and nodded.

"Fine, I will be waiting here then"

Hazel wanted to say no need but if Rin abhorred her after knowing the reason behind her father's death. Then she would need her father's help. So she nodded and turned around leaving a helpless look on Julian.

He wished for Rin to not blame Hazel as she had already gone through a lot of pain.

Clenching his fists, he waited outside the door.

....

Hazel pushed the door and entered the room. Taking a deep breath, she took a few steps forward, instantly meeting with Rin's gaze. Smiling gently she asked, "How are you?"

This was one of the reasons why he loved spending time with his sister. 

After a minute, he slowly said in a low voice, "I don't remember what happened"

Hazel nodded her head as she leaned back against the headboard. She asked, "What do you remember?"

Hazel noticed how the little boy's hands clenched tightly under her question. From his reaction, she could already guess what he remembers.

True to her thoughts, Rin was exactly worrying over whether he was part of their family or it was just a mere illusion. He didn't know whether what his father had said was countable or not.

He wanted to know whether he was part of their family biologically. His heart was racing for quite some time thinking of the possibility of not being part of their family. He didn't want to let go of his sister at all. Even though he didn't exactly show how much he loves his parents, he couldn't fathom the idea of them leaving him.

Feeling deeply insecure, Rin latched onto Hazel and buried his head on her waist. He mumbled, " Who am I?"

Hazel ruffled his hair as she sid without hesitation, "The future king of Crystal Kingdom"

Raising his head, he looked at Hazel to scrutinize whether she was hiding something or not. 

She smiled, "You are part of our family. We didn't lie about that"

He furrowed his brows as he asked, "Then what did you lie about?"

Hazel pursed her lips as she thought of how to break it down for him. Rin tugged her clothes as he asked worriedly, "Am I not your brother?"

Hazel smiled sadly as she shook her head. Rin was dispirited by her answer that he let go of his hand completely. 

On seeing his sad face, she chuckled lightly and hugged Rin.

"You are my nephew"

Rin was bewildered. 

Nephew?! 

So Sister Hazel is actually my aunt?

But then remembering something, he blurted out, "But didn't Father only have you and me?"

He frowned when he saw with his own eyes how his sister's eyes fell. 

That look! 

He remembers that look. 

In the past, his sister was always having a lifeless gaze. It was only when he was around her, that he saw the small joy in her gaze. To make her smile widely, Rin visited her at every chance he got. Slowly over the years, Rin saw his sister breaking out from that cocoon and enjoying her days.

But little did he know, that it was only in front of him that Hazel had a warm expression of a sister. On the training ground or battlefield, she was a monster.

When Rin noticed the similarity in her gaze, he understood that his sister never really forgave herself.

"That's not right, Rin" Hazel whispered forlornly. " I had an older brother" 

"Your father, Hezekiah"

She looked at him and smiled, "A wonderful older brother. He was brilliant in everything, outshining everyone during those years slowly becoming the heart of the citizens. He was a serious and cold person in front of all his subordinates."

She chuckled, "A cold and ruthless prince was his nickname." Sighing she said, "But he had a warm heart, a sincere one that he showed only to me."

"He was always there to do anything for me, his little sister. He spoiled me, bought me everything I wanted which in turn made me willful. I thought everything should happen as I desire and yet he proved me wrong when he stopped me from visiting the city"

"I was the trapped princess of the Crystal Kingdom."

Listening to her words, he could vaguely understand that his father was an important person. But he didn't understand why this person would abandon him.

"He didn't want me, right? My birth father" he spatted nonchalantly. He didn't know what to feel towards a person who had never held him. Yet he was surprised when he heard his sister's denial.

Taking a deep breath, she looked down on her lap as she reminisced about those horrible yet bittersweet memories. Rin sat there blinking as he took in all that she had offered. His mind was spinning when he heard how his sister was in danger and how his father, Hezekiah sacrificed his life for her.

His eyes stung when he heard of his father's death. From the time he was born, all he could remember was his sister, father, and mother but now it turned out to be that his parents were dead while his sister was actually his aunt.

She looked at Rin and said, "Your father loved you..adored you since the time you were in your mother's womb."

"He was excited to bring you to the palace but-"

Hazel lowered her face as she said, "It was because of me your father died." 

Rin glanced at Hazel who was staring at her lap angrily. He remembered how her eyes brightened every time he was near her. He could finally understand why his sister...no aunt held him as the apple of her eye.

Hazel smiled bitterly when she saw his blank countenance.

He must be hating me now!

"When you came into my life, it was like God gave me another chance" She looked at him who returned her gaze passively, "A chance to protect you"

"I didn't want you to go through what I did, felt, and experienced. So we tried to instill in you how important your title is without restricting your freedom."

"Your grandfather, my Father, had always worried about you and thought that you were too young to know the entire history. He didn't want to shatter your heart at a young age so he decided to hide this matter."

She leaned against the bed and let out a breath, "Since we didn't know who our enemies were. And, the citizens weren't aware of my brother's secret marriage, so we decided to hide you under the easiest solution."

"That you were the third baby of King Julian and Merlene."

Hazel looked at Rin who was frowning as he stared at his small fingers. She pursed her lips as she finally understood how it feels to walk on tenterhooks the entire time.

Gazing at Rin, she asked him the dreadful question she was holding in for long.

"Do you hate me now?"