The Montelier Bride

Chapter 1: Free

He also makes sure to leave detailed and colorful notes on how I should heat food in the fridge if the ones on the table are insufficient. Every chore in the house, he does it. He never misses a grocery moment every week and always leaves a snack and a glass of milk at my doorstep before he goes to sleep.

Quite friendly for a police officer. But then... aren't all policemen only nice until you're at the receiving end of their gun?

Pagkatapos kong kumain, iniligpit ko ang bawat kubyertos sa kung paano ko rin nakikitang kunin sila nang isahan ni Calvin. Though I've been a slave my whole life, it's quite surprising to realize I can't even do the simplest of tasks so he won't have to take care of me every single time. I'm not even sure in what order should I wash these tablewares. Kaya heto, nagtititigan lang kami ng mga hugasin sa lababo.

Para namang huhugasan ng mga kubyertos ang sarili nila kapag tinitigan ko. Hays.

I pouted in disappointment as I didn't want to mess things up kung magmamagaling ako. Amid my frustration, my eyes led me to the lime-colored plastic bowl containing various fruits on top of the table, and a bulb simply lit up.

As a way to tell how apologetic I am, dinampot ko ang dalawang mansanas at i-pwinesto ang mga ito bilang pares ng mga mata bilang panimula. Samantala, naglapag ako ng isang lansones sa pagitan ngunit bandang ibaba ng mga mansanas nang sa ganoon ay magmukhang ilong ito. At panghuli ay nagtanggal ako ng mga apat na saging mula sa piling para magporma ng mga labing nakabagsak sa magkabilang dulo.

Nasasabik akong lumayo kaagad mula sa mesa upang tingnan ang ginawa ko ngunit habang mas tinititigan ko, mas nagdududa ako. Makukuha naman niya siguro ang mensahe ko sa ganito, hindi ba? O hindi...?

Napakamot ako ng ulo sa pagkawala ng katiyakan ko na sapat na ito para maiparating ang nasa isipan ko. Kahit kasi kayanin kong makapagsalita ng ilang kataga, binigyang diin nina Archer at Hunter na mas ligtas na rin na akalain ni Calvin na pipe ako. Nang sa gayon, hindi niya ako laging susubukang lapitan o hindi kaya'y tanungin ng kung anu-ano tulad ng kung sino ako at kung saan ako galing.

Sa bandang huli, napag-desisyunan kong isang kahibangan ang nasa lamesa at isa-isa ko ring ibinalik sa pinanggalingan nila ang mga prutas. It's better for him to think of me as an ungrateful wench rather than being curious of what kind of person I actually be.

After all, I'm only staying here to hide from my hunters temporarily.

My gaze then inadvertently turned to the sofa where peeking white bags containing complicated puzzles, cubes of different shapes and sizes, books, and discs of various genres were resting. My feet pulled me right in as I tried to stimulate myself as much as when the first time he bought me things. But this time, my chest is rather cold, unmoved by the repetitive gesture.

Anong akala niya sa 'kin? Bata? Geez. I can't help to smile in appreciation for his efforts. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough that both sides of my lips eventually lay flat.

The puzzles, in the end, would always get solved. It's up to me whether to finish it quickly or slowly. The cubes are merely like holes and cracks in a wall. You can leave it fixed or undone, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a wall. The books are interesting but, sadly, fiction--- not true and products of imagination. And every time I notice that I'm being sucked into that fiction, it's like another cage using illusions to restrict me from facing the reality I mean to see.