Chapter 77 - Handprint

Not a single tear fell from Miyu's eye. She's cried so many times from the letter that she could control her streams.

Miyu got the letter just after her mother died. Her mother's guardian, in the shape of a small chickadee, arrived at her room where she was crying miserably on her bed with the letter in it's small, sharp beak.

When she got the letter, she cried even harder. She vowed on her heart to not break these promises.

Sadly, she broke one.

She got involved with a royal.

*****

Kasumi woke up next to her sister. They decided to wait till morning to talk to their father about their mother's absence. They were too scared to encounter their father's wrath in the middle of the night more then in the morning, and they could lie that they discovered the fact of their missing mother when they went to check up on her in the morning. That way Kasumi and Hanae won't get in trouble for chasing after her.

Even though they care for their mother, it's a dog eats dog world.

They would not sacrifice themselves for others, not matter how much they love them. Kasumi and Hanae are that selfish.

Kasumi nudged Hanae, who groaned from her touch.

Hanae opened her eyes and asked, "It's morning already?"

Kasumi sighed, "yup, so get ready. It's time to meet our father's wrath."

They got up from the bed and brushed their hair, bathed, and dressed up. They still have school, but they were able to wake up early enough that they'll have at least three hours of free time before school begins.

They arrived at their father's study, already knowing that he's in there working at early hours. Hanae fidgeted as Kasumi knocked on her father's study's door.

"Come in!"

Kasumi entered, Hanae right behind her.

Their father was already surrounded with pounds of papers. His desk was filled to the brim with pages upon pages of documents. Their father had small glasses on and had a paper in his hand. He was looking intently on it, seeming like that the paper was his whole world.

After a moment of awkward silence, their father said, "What is it?"

Kasumi gulped visibly and put on a depressed look, "Father, unfortunately, it seems that..."

She didn't have any words for what she was saying, irritating her father.

"Well, spit it out!"

Kasumi trembled and cried, "Mother is missing!"

Her father stood up from his desk, "What?"

Kasumi pointed out the door, "You must see for yourself! Send the dogs! Mother is not there, or anywhere. I can't find her!"

Kasumi began to cry as Hanae patted her back, on the brink of tears.

Her father stood up and stormed out of the room, "Where could have your mother have gone?"

Kasumi and Hanae followed their father as they headed towards their mother's luxurious room. They began to cry like babies, pleading their father to find their mother. Their cries began to annoy their father, making him want to get this over with so that they would shut up.

Their father opened the door, and they expected him to storm straight out to get the dogs, but instead their father looked them straight in the eye, "Do you think I enjoy your joking?"

Kasumi raised an eyebrow as Hanae bit her teeth.

"What do you mean? Joking? Mother's disappearance isn't a laughing matter!"

Their father was fuming by the end of her sentence. And in all of his anger and annoyance, he raised his hand to shut the squeaky mouth in front of him.

When he laid his hand on Kasumi, she was shocked. He never slapped her! NEVER!

She coughed and held her face with her hand. Hanae saw the blooming handprint on her sister's cheek and screamed, "Why father? Why?"

Her father screamed, "Your joke has gone for far too long! Your mother is right on her bed, sleeping like a baby!"

Hanae looked around her father's shoulder as she comforted her sister. She gasped as she saw her perfectly fine mother laying down on the clean sheets.