Aruna looked at him with a different look. The eyes that never showed anger were now throwing fire.

A moment later, she seemed to exhale, closed her eyes, and melted: "Let go of me". Her voice weakened. She muffled her anger again and again. The girl who was good at hiding things was trying to hide her pain deeply.

Who could bear to see this? Including the man who fell in love with her was also destroyed because he saw the expression on her face.

He gazed at something incomprehensible. How could he use his brain when that girl's expression was too unpredictable?

"What if I don't want to??".

"Enough, Hendra!". She pleaded.

"Just like you who consider our marriage agreement is important, that's how I'll get my rights". Mahendra started to grope her again.

"You'll violate it, HENDRA!!".

"I don't care".

"If breaking the agreement was normal in your eyes, my father shouldn't have sacrificed his daughter. My father should've violated it. I should've been able to escape the status of a family welfare assurance girl. Why am I here? Locked up all day and TREATED LIKE A TRASH!!". Aruna started screaming.

"You can't answer that, can you?". That girl's words made someone freeze.

"No need to think and no need to answer. But don't ever forget, I'm here because of the agreement of my dad and your grandfather! The girl who guarantees family welfare. Doesn't your mouth always say that when you're angry?!". Aruna didn't want to be touched anymore. Her strength had almost collapsed. She spilled something that shouldn't have been worth saying even if it was to protect herself. But she was still a human, not an angel. No matter how innocent that girl was, she had the same instincts.

It wasn't the real reason, but once again Aruna had to protect herself and protect what she couldn't say.

Aruna had no other way but to remind the blue-eyed man about her presence in this place.

The anxiety in the girl's heart was actually as great as the anxiety in the man who desperately hoped for her. Who could withstand the touch of someone who was slowly also allowed to fill her life?

But who was she? She wasn't the subject of events that had been arranged every time. She was an object that had to receive treatment.

"Aaaargh!!". Wiryo's grandson hit the water which slowly became calm. Along with the slow movements of Lesmana's daughter wearing clothes that were no longer proper.

Now, it was the turn of a man with the status of a husband to stare blankly at the dark sky.

The woman stepped out of the bathtub with red eyes. Drops of water from the way she walked, even though the man didn't look at her at all, he knew another painful drop had melted into one.

Just like him who eventually fell down. Mahendra lost his strength. He never once wet the corners of his eyes.

Ever since his eyes were dry and his voice was gone from crying, lamenting the fear of losing his mommy, he no longer felt a sense of sadness that meant to be lamented.

Except for today. The day when his eyes were red, as red as the horizon. The first color he noticed when he glanced at his wife's eyes earlier. The first time he started to unzip her dress. His little girl also saw the sunset panorama so that her corneas also turned red because of the orange reflection of the sunset trail leaving one side of the earth's surface.

Along with the sound of the shower, washing the woman inside it. That man complained alone.

~

"Hendra.. Haven't I been a good assurance girl? I never asked for anything from you. I always pay the compensation you want every time I want something and you give it".

"Especially now that you're healed. You can get what you want from any girl".

"Who told you I was sick?".

"Without being told, seeing your unique behavior, anyone will try to look for explanations. How I knew it, it doesn't matter. The most important thing now is that you're no longer dependent on me".

"Does that mean you're telling me to find another girl?". Hendra reached the limit of his anxiety.

Aruna didn't give him an answer.

"Tonight I'm sleeping in Dea's room. Tomorrow we'll go for a walk, okay?". Aruna's voice could still be gentle. That girl even caressed his cheek.

_What kind of behavior is this?! She just shouted at me, then broke my heart, now caressing my cheek_ Mahendra wanted to get angry and scream but he couldn't.

"You haven't answered my question?!".

"Tomorrow we'll have fun.. It's a shame we've come all the way to Bali.. Later we'll try the banana boat". Aruna changed the subject.

"You haven't answered my question?!".

"I'm hungry. Surely the food here is delicious. What if later we…".

"You haven't answered my question?!". Hendra repeated the same question, even his tone was the same.

"I want to have fun as compensation for the injuries you did today".

"You haven't answered my question?!". Hendra insisted.

"Hm.. Like I said in the beginning, if tomorrow you and I have the opportunity to see the sunset together, I want to be accompanied to walk on the beach. Maybe there's an answer there".

She left a peck on the cheek before that woman stepped out of the bathtub.

~

~

[Flashback. Chapter 26, The First Thief]

(After the departure of Hendra and Aruna from the main house of Wenceslas)

"Huh? What brings my daughter to meet her father? Is there a big incident today?". Wiryo was quite amazed after almost 20 years this father and daughter had never spoken to each other.

"I told Lesmana about Mahendra's illness". The beautiful face refused to look at her own father.

"Exactly what I thought". Wiryo answered briefly.

"He wants his daughter...". Gayatri hadn't finished her words.

"I already understand. He can take back that kid any time". Wiryo finished her words.

"If that day comes, don't hurt my son".

"Do you think I don't love my grandson? Even though I once expressed my refusal because he suddenly appeared, I never hated him one bit. I love him as much as I love you". The father hoped that his only daughter would be willing to just put a picture of himself in the eyes of the beautiful little one who had transformed into a woman without emotions now.

"You make him your tool". Gayatri insulted.

"I never thought of him that way". Wiryo denied his daughter's accusation.

Gayatri just smiled. A disguised contemptuous smile.

"He must be strong to survive in this family. I'm only preparing an heir who can carry the burden passed down from generation to generation from the Wenceslas family". Wiryo said.

"Yeah… Not a weak heir like me. You use my son to avenge your mistakes in educating me". Gayatri looked at her father now. But not a look that he expected, more like a look of anger.

.

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