Let Go of The Head, But Hold On to The Tail

"Is that true, Runa?"

His father's voice was like a sharp sword stabbing in the night's silence. Runa could hear the echo, and what kind of expression was Chris showing even though Runa hadn't looked up to look at him.

Runa put the fork and knife onto the plate, then looked at Chris with a faint smile on her lips. "Yes, Father. I—uh—have a hard time adjusting this year."

"Does this have anything to do with you living alone? Maybe you feel lonely and have trouble concentrating."

"I don't think that's the problem."

Right after saying that, Runa fell silent. Her father did not like to be denied, especially in front of others. One fatal error was followed by another. Runa's palms began to sweat, as did her back.

She breathed carefully, while a long silence filled the dining room. Not even one of the Hales family continued their eating. Everyone was waiting for Christopher to speak.

"Well… kids can get stressed sometimes too, right?" Chris said then, followed by a wide smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. "As parents, we have to understand it."

As if they had escaped from a moment of death, the three members of the Hale family smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. Even Mr. Hale laughed a little loudly and said, "I thought you were a strict person in educating your daughter."

Chris, who was munching on a piece of steak, let Mr. Hale waited for him to finish before replying. "I have my own method of educating. And I think you can use it too, if you want your son to be like Runa."

"With pleasure, Mr. Crowns! What's your method?"

"It's Crown… drop the S," Chris said, sharply. Reprimand for Mr. Hale showed Chris' mood swings.

"Ooh, I'm sorry, Mr. Crown."

Chris' words may sound normal to Mr. Hale. But Runa, who had known her father for so long, could feel the displeasure in his words. She glanced at her father and found a glint of anger there. Just a little, but enough to make her stomach queasy.

"So, what method did you use in educating Ms. Crowns?" asked Mr. Hale moments later.

Mr. Crown put the knife and fork onto the plate. He had finished his meal and soon the dinner was coming to an end. After wiping the corners of his lips with a white dinner towel, Chris called one maid and told her to take away his plate. Realizing that her father had finished eating, Runa put down her knife and fork. She didn't finish her meal even though there was little left, because she knew her father would be furious if anyone still ate after he removed his plate. Mr. and Mrs. Hale, who saw Runa's plate being taken and carried away by the maid, put down their cutlery, but not Edmund. The boy was still continuing his dinner until Chris cleared his throat and Mrs. Hale elbowed Edmund in the ribs, telling him to stop.

Mr. Hale gave Chris a faint, regretful smile, as if asking for forgiveness and acknowledgment, but Chris didn't return it.

"Let go of the head, but hold on to the tail," Chris said suddenly. Mr. Hale frowned, not understanding.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"That's how I raise my daughter."

---

Dinner ended fifteen minutes ago. After receiving Chris' advice about educating children, it seems that Mr. and Mrs. Hale were at a loss for words. Maybe they didn't understand and thought that Chris' advice was just a way to shorten the explanation about how to educate Runa. In fact, that is exactly what has happened all this time. Her father offered freedom at such a high price, but he could also revoke it at any time. The Hales hurriedly said their goodbyes after finishing half of their desserts.

"Library. Now," Chris growled at Runa, as soon as the guests left their house.

Runa walked behind her father, down the halls decorated with crystal chandeliers and thick cream carpets, to the west of the Crown residence. Chris pushed open the double doors made of carved wood about three meters high, then stopped beside the open doors. He waited for Runa to enter without saying anything.

As soon as Runa heard the double doors closing behind her back, the horror that had been creeping up her body like a shadow now felt like a grip on her chest. Runa tried to calm down and focus her mind on the regularity of her breathing.

"Why didn't I hear anything about it?"

Without context, Runa knew what her father meant. It's still a matter of Runa's shifting rank. She didn't completely blame Edmund for mention it. In fact, Runa wondered why her father hadn't heard of this. Though his ears and eyes are everywhere.

"Are you telling the lecturers and staff to keep this matter from me?" asked her father, as he walked past Runa, who was standing near to the library entrance with her hands intertwined in front of her body. She didn't lower her head, because her father hated it when she looked insecure. In any situation, Chris requires Runa to make eye contact.

"No. I would never do that," replied Runa, with no emotion in her words.

When Chris turned to look at Runa, she found her father's lips curled down. "Looks like tomorrow I'll have to call someone from campus to confirm," he said.

Now Chris was sitting on the edge of the table in the middle of the room. His hands rested on his lap. "And don't think you can get away with it after this embarrassing incident."

"Yes, Father." Runa nodded resignedly, not daring to argue. She once tried to argue, and it ended badly for her. From then on, she reminded herself not to disobey, at least not directly.

"I'm going to find out how badly you've fallen on campus. And if I hear one more failure, I have no choice but to destroy that little cabin of yours and have you back here."

No. He still has thousands alternative to punish her, Runa thought. He just wait to destroy Runa's residence if the opportunity arose. Runa nodded, but no words come from her mouth. She still shuddering when she caught the sly and cold glint of satisfaction in the pair of gray eyes that stared back at her.

"You can go," Chris said, satisfied with threatening Runa in such a subtle way.

Even though there was no one but the two of them here, her father still felt the need to act as a wise father figure.

For so long, Runa had felt so disgusted by the man in front of her, until it left nothing but numbness.

"Tell the maid to call Sophia here," Chris ordered as Runa opened the library door. She quickened her pace to get out of there, before her father changed his mind and called out to her again.

Raindrops as light as cotton wool greeted Runa as she exited the main house and crossed the beautiful, gloomy renaissance garden. She could have come back to ask the maid to get her an umbrella, but she chose to enjoy the pouring water from the sky, which might wash away her worries even if only for a moment.

The path with white garden lights accompanies Runa's steps back to her residence. Actually, walking alone in the forest at night was scary enough, but Runa felt herself safer here than under the same roof with her father. After all, this territory was still within Crown property. Nothing will pass or harm her.

Or she thought so.

When the rain was getting heavier, Runa quickened her steps, a few more meters and she could already see the dim light from the terrace of her small house, when a shadow flashed right in front of her.

The black shadows flashed like a swooping bird.

Runa was frozen, unable to move. And when lightning struck in the distance, it sent a dazzling light that made her catch a figure in front of her. Just a moment, but enough to make her legs tremble.

A creature with a long-handled scythe and a pair of burning amber eyes.