Blood Emperor's Lazy Doctor [Under Revision]

Chapter 10: A Web of Truths and Lies (I)

"Are you going to tell us what happened? Or will you leave us to pick at the haystack looking for a needle?"

Despite knowing she should give her time, to not interrogate her so soon after waking up, Halona knew Hong Luo too well. If she were to approach her gently, this lazy squirrel would wise up, hiding all her nuts away before anyone could even dare think to steal them.

The Hong Luo they knew was just like that, a squirrel that is both bold and timid. Hard working yet equally as lazy. No one is as silly as her. Yet no one is as stubborn when she's determined to keep her mouth shut.

As she waited for a response Halona grasped Hong Luo's hand, caressed it with her thumb to soothe her. "Listen. Now I'm not trying to pressure you but you know how your uncles are, once they've been enraged to this extent, they'll stop at nothing to cause a trail of destruction. They'll follow the path you took to get back, using it as a guide and won't discriminate who's guilty or innocent. It's a miracle they've managed to hold themselves back for so long already."

Crack- in response to those words, Istaqa popped his neck and rolled his shoulders, inducing several more cracking sounds. Once he was satisfied he leaned back against the wall, smug and taut with energy. His whole demeanor screamed, 'give me an excuse'.

Sitting with her head hung low, Hong Luo remained quiet.

Unwilling to let her find a hole to hide in, Halona gently urged once more. "At least tell us where you were. We don't even know that much. One day you just up and vanished, your family's home had its yard covered with damage. There was nothing to tell us what had happened. No letter or trail to follow. We didn't even know if you were alive or dead. Nothing for eight years. And now when you've come back you're on the verge of——– ha, sweetie you really scared us."

Hong Luo flinched hearing the heartache in Halona's tone. It reminded her of the cycling nightmare that had plagued her. The pain in her kids' voices was too much for her to bear and now she was hearing it once again. She couldn't help but tear up, her eyes glistening with a wall of water that refused to fall.

But her eyes remained fixated on her fingertips, for she couldn't say anything.

Not because she wanted to protect the ones who nearly caused her death again, but because so many years had passed she barely remembered all that had happened. Her memories were extremely vague. She only had brief flashes of insight but not the whole picture. She remembered her twin cousins very well, and her uncle who was cold as ice, apart from that it was far too broken. Her life in that manor was akin to an incomplete puzzle.

Besides, for them, this discontentment was still considered fresh but for her she'd already lived several decades. She'd long grown out of any childish tendency, her animosity had long dried up like water in the desert sun.

Aggrievement? She had it but it was more towards herself then to others.

Revenge? If she can barely even recall the details, is there even a point in it?

Although she understood why they wanted to know, she couldn't see the logic in telling them. On one hand their curiosity will be cured. Whilst on the other hand they will engage in useless conflict that the 'victim' had long gotten over. It will pull apart what did not need to be pulled apart. It will cause a mess that could have easily been avoided.

With all that said, even though the logic told her otherwise, the nightmare she had made her look past logic, and she was actually considering telling them. It quite honestly disorientated her.

If she were to convey her thoughts as best she could instead of leaving things to fester, leaving the choice in their hands, would that not lead to a better outcome then what her nightmare had portrayed?