'" I never had expected that you too would serve the royal family, let be serving the daughter of the woman responsible for your father's dead."'

I gasped which drew Arata's and Akito's attention to me. Akito looked surprised at me. "Haruhi, you didn't know?" I didn't pay any attention to his question instead my eyes were focused on Arata, whom was sitting on his knees, his injured face filled with shock.

"Haruhi-sama…"

"Arata… What… is going on?" I asked, my voice was unsteady.

My mother could never be a murderer… even so…

If something really had happened between my mother and his father Arata should have told me, now I think about it…

What do I even know about him?

Arata faced the ground, hiding his face behind his black hair that had fell over his face. "Haruhi-sama… It's… true that my father died… while protecting Haruhi-sama's mother but…but…" He looked up and looked me straight in the eyes.

"I absolutely don't blame Kotoko-sama for what happened!" He said in one breath. "Neither would my father blame her for what happened."

In silent I stared into Arata's blue eyes, trying to figure out if he was lying or not. Not once did he look away when he told me the story. "My father felt always proud about serving the royal family and he if he would die for Queen Kotoko, he would regarded it as an honor. That's what he always told me…" Arata took a deep breath.

"My father… He got shot the night that Kotoko-sama and Haruhi-sama escaped from the palace while he tried to slow down the guards." He fell silent and broke the eye contact. "I'm sorry… that I didn't tell you, I just thought… that it wasn't necessary since I never thought about blaming your mother for what happened to my father…"

"I see…" I said in a soft voice, I couldn't bring myself to say more. I closed my eyes and memories of that night appeared. I never had thought about the possibility that people could have died that night… for me and my mother's sake. I opened my eyes again.

"Arata…."

My bodyguard didn't look up when I called his name. "Let's go home." I said.

This time he did look up, in surprise. "Haruhi-sama…"

I turned to Akito. "Thank you very much for everything you have done for me tonight but it's time for me to go home." I said.

"I understand." He answered. I don't know if I heard it right or not but I thought I heard some disappointment in Akito's voice.

Arata stood up, relief written on his face. "I parked a car just outside the garden."

"Then I guess I don't have to escort you." Akito said to me. "Take care, Haruhi."

I said Akito goodbye and followed Arata to the car. After walking for five minutes in silent, Arata turned his head to look at me.

"Haruhi-sama…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you… for trusting me…"

He faced forward again and kept walking in silent. I suppressed a sigh and started to feel guilty.

It's not that I trust you…

I want to trust him, believe in him… but I don't know any more if I'm able to do that.

...

The next morning at school, I really didn't want to face my niichans. Yesterday I had sent them a message that I didn't feel well and that I had gone home. My cellphone had rung for a while but I hadn't answered any call from them.

I knew they were worried but I just didn't want to talk them at that moment. I was too tired. But now I was at school I couldn't avoid them any longer. The moment I stepped into the classroom I was surrounded by Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan.

"Haruhi!" they said relieved.

"Good morning." I said while I walked to my desk.

"Are you feeling better?" Hika-niichan asked.

"Ah, yes, sorry for suddenly disappearing but I felt a bit dizzy." I lied without looking them in the eyes.

"Maybe you drank too much." Kao-niichan teased.

"Yeah, probably." I was not in the mood to laugh with their jokes.

The twin glanced worried at each other and then turned to me. "Haruhi…" Kao-niichan started. "If there is something you're worried about…"

"… You know you can always talk to us, right?" Hika-niichan continued.

I smiled and nodded. "I know, thanks for worrying but there's nothing wrong. I'm only a bit tired from yesterday." I lied.

There's no way I could ever tell them the truth.

...

I closed the door after the last customer had left and went to clean up all the teacups. Tama-niichan had opposed to the idea of me working today because I didn't feel good yesterday but in the end Kyo-niihchan convinced him to let me work.

The club's activities went on as usual but I noticed that Taka-niichan glanced at me from time to time. It must be about what happened at the party…

I really didn't want him to confront me with it and when the club closed I almost thought my wish came true but when I started to pack my stuff, Taka-niichan appeared next to me.

"Haruhi, I want to talk with you."

I knew I couldn't escape from it so I just agreed to talk with him, though it made me feel bad I had to lie again to one of my friends.

Kyo-niichan and Tama-niichan were discussing the new theme for the next club activities and Mitsu-niichan was eating the sweets that were left over from today. Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan had already left, something about helping their mother. Taka-niichan and I went outside the clubroom to have some privacy.

"Is it about what happened at the party?" I asked him before he had started to speak.

"Yes."

"That… I'm sorry Mori-senpai, I wasn't feeling well and I…"

"Haruhi." Taka-niichan interrupted me. "Why were you afraid of the prince?" he asked, ignoring my explanation.

Now I think of it, it's the first sentence I hear in which he has used so many words…

"Why… do you think I was afraid of Akito?" I answered his question with a question.

"You hid yourself behind my back because you were scared." He answered.

For a moment I was speechless. "…I…I …"

"Haruhi…" Taka-niichan interrupted me again. "I want to tell you a story."

"Eh?"

"Ten years ago, I knew a girl with the same name as you but one day that girl disappeared and for a long time I thought she was dead but…"

"M-mori-senpai…" I didn't want to hear this. It's way too painful if he talks about us from the past when I'm actually right in front of him.

"Please listen, Haruhi." He said in a tone that surprised me so I kept my mouth.

"One day," Taka-niichan continued. " When we were little and the girl hadn't disappeared yet, the girl was hiding for her aunt. I happened to be around and just like you the girl hid behind my back…" I didn't need to hear the rest of the story, with shock I remembered that day, back then I had let my head rest against his back as a thank you, just as I did at the party.

Could it be… that he recognized me…?

Sorry for the late update but I got a bit depressed since school is going to start soon and I really don't want to, though school can be fun, studying will never be fun.

Updates will come less regular since I will have homework to do but I promise to update as soon as I can ^_^