Warning: today was a double update, make sure you read chapter 18 first before reading this one :3
The following days I avoided being alone with Hika-niichan because I knew he would ask lots of questions I wouldn't be able to answer. Neither did I talk much with Arata, I wanted to keep the things that had happened a secret form him.
Hika-niichan's kidnapping, the assassination attempt and seeing Aunt Aneko, I won't tell anything to him. I know it's silly of me not to trust my own bodyguard but after my reunion with my aunt I didn't know whom to trust or what to do anymore. Becoming princess again.. my aunt couldn't have been serious right?
All those questions I had and the confusion I felt kept circulating through my head and the whole week passed by in a haze. I just had come home and taken off my shoes when my cellphone rang. The display showed an unknown number. "Hello, this is Fujioka Haruhi." I answered.
"Good afternoon, Haurhi, it's me, Akito." I heard the familiar voice reply over the phone.
"Good afternoon, Akito." I answered.
"My apologies for the sudden call but I wanted to apologize for my mother's actions, I only recently found out that she forced you to meet her." He apologized. "I hope she didn't hurt you."
"No, I'm fine." I answered. "I'm sorry for making you worry."
"That's all right, were family after all." He said and laughed.
"You didn't have to apologize for your mother, no one chooses his parents." I said.
"That's true." Akito laughed again." But still I feel obligated since I accidentally let something slip about you wanting to meet her before my preparations were done." He replied.
"It's all right, I don't mind."
"I'm glad to hear that, so, were you able to ask what you wanted?"
A dull pain struck through my chest but this time no tears came, I had cried up all of them the previous nights. But, as I thought, it still hurts to be reminded of mom and dad.
"… yes. I was able to." I answered after a short silence.
"I see." Akito voice sounded softer.
"She also asked me something strange." I said.
"Something strange?" he repeated.
"She told me to make my identity as crown princess known." I said, maybe Akito could help me with solving this. "Why do you think she said that to me?" I asked and a long silence followed. I stepped into the living room and putted my bag against the wall. I sat down next to the table as I waited for his answer.
"I have no idea why she have said such a thing." Akito said after a long pause. "But… are you going to do it? Becoming princess again?" he asked.
I sighed deep. "Honestly… I don't know, Akito. I don't want to become princess again but I do want revenge for my parents." I replied honest. "I'm sorry to say this but I can't forgive your mother."
Akito chuckled, surprising me slightly. "That's all right, Haruhi. I don't mind that you can't forgive her." He said. "Because… neither can I."
A shiver went down my spine as his cold voice said the last words, for a moment I felt scared of just hearing his cold, heartless voice. "Eh?" I managed to say.
Akito laughed warmly. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?" he asked playful. I heard a second voice interrupt his laughter but I couldn't hear what was being said. "I'm sorry, Haruhi but duty calls." He said. "Oh, I see. Good bye, Akito."
"Good bye… Haruhi." He said and hung up I looked down at the phone in my hand and sighed. I hadn't gotten a step further with finding a solution on my questions. "I guess I'll just make dinner." I said to myself and stood up.
I sat at my desk, packing my things. I had told Hika-niichan and Kao-niichan to leave first as I still had to look for something.
Truth was that Arata finally became tired of acting like he hadn't noticed my strange behavior and he had told me to wait in the classroom after classes. Though I had hoped to avoid talking to him a little longer but I knew I actually couldn't keep it all to myself any longer.
Arata sat in the chair from the desk in front of me and watched as I gathered my things. I heard him sigh softly. "Haruhi-sama, do you trust me that little that you won't tell me even the smallest things?" he asked. "I didn't want to bother you." I lied, without looking him in the eyes.
"What happened?" he insisted and I stopped putting my things in my bag. "Did Akito-sama do something?" he guessed. "Or Aneko-sama?"
"What makes you think so?" I asked. Slight surprise showed on his face.
"Then did those hosts do something to you?" he asked.
"Arata!" I called him, annoyed. "They would never do something that'd hurt me." I defended them.
Arata looked down. "I'm sorry, Haruhi-sama, I had no intention of insulting them." He said. "It's just… that I'm worried about you"
I sighed. "There was an assassination attempt some while ago." I said and I wasn't lying, though it was the problem that bothered me the least.
When my eyes met Arata's I saw his were full with surprise. "So there was an assassin again." I told further. "And… you weren't there so I got really scared." I almost whispered the last part. "I thought… that if Arata was with me… no one could harm me."
I looked at Arata form the corner of my eye. His hands were clenched around the back of the chair and they were shaking. Arata hid his eyes behind his hair. "Arata?"
"… I'm sorry, Haruhi-sama… I'm so sorry…." He kept repeating he was sorry. Confused I touched his arm. "Arata, what are you apologizing for?" I asked.
"I'm sorry…" he said again.
"Arata…"
"I'm really sorry!" he yelled, surprising me. "I want to serve you and yet… and yet..."
"Arata, what's wrong?" I asked but he didn't seem to hear me at all.
"You're right not to trust me." He said, surprising me again. "I thought that when I'd find the princess, everything would be… I thought that you, Princess Haruhi, finally could.. could…" suddenly his whole body froze and he turned around in one movement.
All of a sudden Arata had a sharp looking knife in his hand.
"Who's there?!" he yelled at the door. Confused I looked from Arata to the door and I almost wanted to start calming down Arata, telling him he was imagining things, but the door opened.
Shocked I stared at the familiar face.
Could he have heard… everything?