Medyo matagal na rin akong nakasakay dito sa carriage ni Duke Daniel. Okay sana eh, malambot at kumportable ang biyahe, kaya lang sabihin naman sana nila kung saan nila ako dadalhin di ba?
Hindi ko naman makita yung labas kasi sabi nung female knight kanina na isara ko muna raw yung bintana. Kahit na kaduda-duda ay sinunuod ko nalang. Kung may gawin man sila ay talagang sisigaw ako at tatakbo agad.
Feeling ko naka-dalawang oras na kami ng pagbiyahe. Nasa capital pa ba kami? Nakatulog na nga ako't lahat hindi pa kami nakakarating kung nasaan man si Duke.
"Lady Violet Glyn?", katok nung female knight.
"Yes?"
"We have arrived at the Thessadare Forest", huh? Did I heard that right? Binuksan nung knight yung pintuan at ako naman ay ayaw lumabas. "Young lady?"
"Why are we here?", tanong ko.
Thessadare Forest is a forest within the Voclain's territory and it is infested with monsters. Sa lahat naman ng pipiliin na lugar dito pa?
"Don't worry, my lady. We've been exterminating all the monsters here in Thessadare Forest for the past three days. Most of them are already dead and of course, we will ensure your safety. Please step outside, I will escort you to the Duke's tent", paliwanag niya.
Bumaba na ako ng karwahe. And just like what the knight said, she escorted me to a big tent in the middle of the forest. Pumasok na ako sa tent, nagtaka ako dahil hindi sumunod yung knight.
"Duke? Hello? Ay shocks, may pa-foods nga..", agad na punta ko sa nakahain na mga pagkain.
"Ginugutom ka ba at ganiyan ka kumain?", biglang dating ni Duke Daniel.
"Hindi naman, masyado ka".
"Sit over there", umupo ako doon a tinuro yung upuan. Umupo rin siya sa may tapat ko.
"Are you sure it's fine for me to be here? I mean, you look busy with those monsters. By the way, aren't you going to eat?", sunod-sunod na tanog ko habang kumakain.
"I'm not really busy though, my knights doing all the works. I'm just overseeing the extermination and that foods are all yours. Nagkakasawa na rin kaya yan".
"Edi ikaw na mayaman. So, how's being a Duke?", parang one-on-one interview with the duke ang peg ko.
"Boring and a lot of work", sumasagot naman siya.
"Are you really not going to eat? You prepared a lot".
"Yep, I actually am craving for street food or something deep-fried", ani niya.
"Now that you mentioned it, I also crave for it. Yung corn dog at potato twister pa lang yung keri namin i-provide eh".
"Ah yeah, I tried those before. But I want to eat fishball, kikiam, kwek-kwek...", kakabanggit niya ng mga street food crinave ko rin tuloy.
"I don't know about the fishball and kikiam but I think I can make the kwek-kwek"
"Really? Tawagin mo ako kapag nakagawa ka na, ha?"
"Sure, sure. So, on to our business, the next scene of the novel The Beauty Within will be with you and Lily in the national library and that's tomorrow"
"So soon? What will happen? Should I do something?"
"You'll know what to do once you're in there. Just go with the flow. It will be just a typical meet-up again between you two anyway. Hehehe... cough-cough", inabutan naman niya ako ng tubig.
"Thank you. Then after that, it will be a scene of Lily and the crown prince. You don't have to think about that, just focus on your events, ok?"
"But I'm just curious, what can you say about Lily?"
"I'm not sure".
"What? You're not attracted to her? At all?"
"I don't know".
"Tsk"
"Anyway, I heard something funny at the Monde's house", hmm? Pati yun nakaabot sayo?
"Ah, about my mini show? That was nothing. They tried to humiliate Lily but failed. Then, they targeted me instead. Ha! I sang those nursery rhymes with feelings pa, letchugas sila"
"HAHAHA.. Naimagine ko tuloy", kung anu-ano pa naikwento ko sakaniya. Puro mga kabaliwan ko karamihan yung na-ishare ko. Pagkatapos ng chikahan namin ay pinahatid na niya ako pabalik ng Glyn estate.
Tsaka ko nadatnan sila mama, papa, Cyan at pati na ata and buong tauhan ng Glyn estate na nakaabang saakin. Mahaba-habang kwentuhan nanaman ito.
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Kinabukasan ay maaga akong nagpunta ng national library. Lily likes to read historical books. His father, the baron, is fond of collecting old books kaya naman nawili rin siya magbasa ng magbasa.
Malaki itong national library kaya imposibleg makita nila ako dito. Ang plano ko ay panoorin sila sa malayo.
"Violet?", sabay kalbit saakin ni Duke Daniel. Napakamot nalang ako sa ulo. Napatingin ako sa paligid, maaga pa kaya wala masyadong tao at buti nalang din walang nakatingin saamin.
"Kakasabi ko lang papanoorin ko kayo sa malayo.. Tsk, kanina ka pa dito?"
"Kararating ko lang"
Oh siya, lumayas ka dito. Doon ka sa may bandang entrance para pagpasok ni Lily ay makita ka niya agad", sabay tulak ko sakaniya. May second floor itong library na ito kaya naman dali-dali akong umakyat at doon ako manunuod.
Napansin ko naman na kumuha ng libro si Duke at kunyaring nagbasa. Gee, how could he stand there so handsomely? So annoying! Napatingin ako doon sa may entrance ng library dahil sa bigla itong bumukas.
Bakit parang lumiwanag ata? Bakit parang umuulan ng feathers? Ahh, kaya pala. Dumating na si Lily. Dire-diretso lang si Lily sa pagpasok, ni hindi man lang niya napansin si Duke Daniel na nakatayo doon. Duke Danile looked at me with a questioning look.
Lily headed straight to the corner where the olds books are. Kumuha siya ng isang libro and she started reading it. Tumingin ulit ko kay Duke Daniel na parang hinihintay niya utos ko. Ininguso ko na puntahan niya si Lily.
Kinunutan niya lang ako ng noo kaya naman bumaba ako ng second floor at kunyaring dadaan ako sakaniya. "Lapitan mo na. Mababagsakan siya ng libro kaya puntahan mo na", mahinang sabi ko sakaniya.
Pagkasabi ko nun ay takbo ako sa isang shelves at nagtago doon. Lumapit na rin doon si Duke Daniel. Sakto naman na may mahuhulog na libro sa ulo ni Lily nang sapuin ito ni Duke Daniel.
That's it. It's the same as the novel. "Duke Daniel?", Lily.
Dahil sa nasa malayo ako ay hindi ko marinig yung sinasabi nila. Umaasa nalang ako sa lip reading at sa ikinikilos nila. Since napanood ko na yung gusto kong mapanood ay aalis na ako. My work is done, kaya na niya sarili niya. Wait? Didn't he tell me that he has social anxiety?
But he's talking to Lily comfortably though. Does it mean that she is special to him? Palusot ka pa Duke Daniel, pero bet mo rin siya. Lumabas na ako ng national library at nakita ko doon yung ibang knights ni Duke Daniel.
Ahh, so loyal. Hinihintay ko lang yung carriage namin pero napapansin ko yung mga titig nung mga knights ng Voclain. I am not a suspicious person. I'm a friend. Teka, nasaan na ba yung karwahe namin?
Nang makita kong papalapit na yung carriage namin ay agad-agad akong tumakbo doon at sinalubong. "My lady, what are you doing?"
Kahit na hindi pa ito nakakahinto ay ako na ang nagbukas ng pintuan at nagdive sa loob. Those stares from the knight is uncomfortable. Uuwi nalang ako. Damn it! I need a hobby.
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