Chapter 20
I don't have any idea where I am heading to, basta ay sinusunod ko na lamang ang daanan na feel kong lakaran lang.
The game has just started. Tagu-taguan lang naman at alam niyo kung sinong taya?
Wala namang iba kung hindi si Gulliver!
I cannot move on from how his face looked earlier! Hindi ko alam kung naiinis na o natatawa eh. Probably he got mad but he have to smile! Hahahaha! Deserve!
"You're a stalker."
Kaagad akong napahinto sa pagtawa sa isip ko dahil may narinig akong boses kaya napahinto na rin ako sa paglalakad and to my surprise, when did I reached the garden?
I didn't noticed because I was thinking too much.
Iniangat ko ang tingin at itinago ang gulat dahil nasilayan ko si Frederik na nakaupo sa isang bangko habang hawak-hawak ang isang baso ng alak.
Ano'ng ginagawa niya dito?
Kaagad kong itinuro ang sarili ko. "Ako?"
He just stared at me like I am somewhat stupid for asking dahil dalawa nga lang kami. Sabagay, ang tanga ko nga.
"Bakit naman kita susundan? Enhypen ka ba? Ano? Celebrity gano'n?" I rolled my eyes.
Oo, gwapo siya pero iyon lang. I have seen someone who's more attractive and hot. Hulaan niyo na lang kung sino siya dito.
"Wow, your foul mouth. Who the heck decided to put you inside Erin?"
I dramatically gasped, sinadya kong maging oa talaga.
"Aba malay ko ba? And hey, give me space there! Uupo ako!" I declared and my eyes widened when he didn't even move an inch!
Alam kong bago ang character niya dito kaya hindi ako pamilyar pero wow, hindi gentleman?
"Why would I? You sit on the ground." sabi nito sa akin at ininom ang alak na hawak.
Aba! Lumalaban?
Wala bang gentleness sa katawan ng lalaking iyan? Nakagown kaya ako.
"Who are you in Earth?" wala sa modong tanong ko sa kaniya.
Pinanliitan niya ako ng mga mata niya. He's obviously judging me inside his mind. Ayaw niyang sabihin? Fine!
"Are you sure it's me who's judging? Kanina mo pa ako pinagsasabihan ng kung ano-ano sa utak mo." napatikom ako doon.
Nakalimutan ko saglit ang abilidad ng lalaking ito.
Tumikhim ako, napahiya eh kaya change topic.
"But kidding aside, we need to talk. I am also from Earth—"
"I know, Attorney General Sariyah Leondale. Known for her freezing gaze. Hindi ko alam na ganito ka pala dito, ibang-iba sa totoong ikaw." tumaas ang kilay ko sa kasarkastikohan ng boses niya.
Just how deep he read me inside my mind?
"Sa trabaho oo, pero hindi ako ganoon kung wala naman ako sa field ko. We should stop talking about me. Now, let us talk. What do you mean—"
"Here." kaagad kong sinalo ang binato nitong papel.
May nakasulat na lugar doon.
I frowned. "Let's meet there three days after this party. Now, let's focus how will we win over Duke who's heading here right now."
He is calm, halatang sanay maipit sa mga kritikal na sitwasyon kaya gamay na ang mga gagawin sa mga bagay na ito.
I don't know him and that's dangerous dahil alam niya kung sino ako.
If only this body posses some magic even a bit, life won't be this hard.
Huminga ako nang malalim. "I'll bait him, you hid your presence and tap him kapag may opening. This is just a game anyways." tinatamad na paggawa ko ng plano at kibit balikat na lamang siyang sumunod sa akin.
I remained standing when he dissapeared, nagtago na yata.
Wala pang ilang minuto at naririnig ko na ang mga yabag ng kaniyang paa papunta sa hardin.
"This game is bullshit."
And he's here.
Kaagad akong lumingon sa kaniyang deriksyon. I knew he noticed that it was me kaya hindi ako nakakita ng gulat sa mukha niya.
"Pagod na?" natatawang tanong ko sa kaniya.
Wala kase siyang choice kundi mag-agree na lang dahil ang daming mga nobles ang may gusto sa idea ni Prince.
"I'll kill that bastard." sabi niya sa akin kaya natawa ako.
"Want to kill yourself first? Why are you so mad? Laro lang naman ito?" ah shit, my mouth.
Kaya tayo namamatay nang maaga eh, lintek na bibig to.
He look displeased by the way I talk to him kaya tumahimik na ako.
"You're...I don't know. I am kind of surprise seeing you change but it's too much now, you forgets your place. Let me remind you, you're just a lady, no magic at that. So what are you so proud of? What makes you think that you are above me? Walang babaeng mas mataas sa lalaki." he said in a flat tone.
I know, I always crossed the line. Alam ko namang dapat may respeto pa rin dahil Duke nga siya but I couldn't get myself respect him lalo na at alam ko ang pinagdaanan ni Erin sa mga kamay ng lalaking ito.
He is a slave of his position. Gagawin ang lahat para sa kapangyarihan. It tugs my heart everytime I remember that he let Erin died from the Empress.
He's an asshole.
"Who said that?" I laugh my ass off.
Ramdam ko ang pagtagis ng bagang niya pero hindi ako nakaramdam ng takot o ano man. Babae ako, hindi babae lang.
"This time, I'll let you hear my real feelings no sugar coating. You badly want my honest feeling right?" natatawa pero ramdam na ramdam ko ang pagdiin ng galit niya sa bawat salitang lumalabas sa kaniyang bibig.
I am not Erin so I am not interested about your damn feelings.
Taas noo ko pa rin siyang hinaharap.
"This marriage? It's bullshit, who wants to marry someone like you anyway? You thought I choose you? Hell no, your family beg their asses just so I can marry a trash. Let's set aside how fuck up your background is, let's talk about you. You're freaking ugly that it stings my eyes whenever I look at you. And how dare you love me? Wala kang karapatang mahalin ako. I can't wait to divorce you now that I have find a better wife than a pest like you." he said without a pause and without breaking our eyecontact.
Mata sa mata niyang sinabi lahat ng iyon sa akin. Of course, masakit hindi naman ako robot.
I'm glad Erin isn't here, this will break her white heart.
It's tragic, she loves a man for too much who doesn't even care a damn about her.
Bakit kaya mahal at patuloy na minamahal natin iyong tao kahit ang sakit-sakit na? Why do we kept admiring roses despite of the pain it brings from its thorns?
Love is an ocean. You drowned because it's beautiful, oceans are pretty reason why we forget that it is a bottomless graveyard.
I don't know what emotion to convey, I am both hurt and happy.
"And you know what's disgusting about you? You are a slave, Erin, my very own slave. You even beg and kiss my foot in order for me to stay. And do you know what's keeping me entertained staying with you? I am interested how low you can be, just for me." I am shocked, of course.
D-Did Erin really beg?
Sa putang lalaking ito?
I hid my clenched fists. I have to stay cool, hinding-hindi makikita ng lalakimg ito ang nanghihinang ako.
He doesn't deserve to see something beautiful.
Huminga ako nang malalim. I got hurt for Erin.
Paanong mahal niya ang lalaking ito?
What's so good about this man?!
"Now you shut your mouth eh? It still doesn't matter what I say, you still love me." he said as a matter of fact kaya natawa ako.
"Nagdrugs ka no?" he ignored me.
"You—"
"Got you. You lost." he was cut off by Frederik.
Halos hindi namin namalayang dalawa ang pagdating ni Frederik, he succesfully tap Gulliver's shoulder kaya nanalo kami.
Siguro ay masyadong intense ang napag-usapan namin ni Gulliver kaya pati siya ay nakalimutang ongoing pa rin pala ang laro.
Tuluyan nang nawala ang bigat ng paligid sa pagdating ni Frederik.
Gulliver frowned. "Get your hands off me."
Kaya kaagad namang tinanggal ni Frederik ang kamay sa balikat ng Duke. Frederik shrug his shoulder and then left us here dahil nga hindi naman niya problema ang mga narinig. And he's obviously giving us a privacy dahil usapang mag-asawa ito.
"The game is still on, talo ka." natatawang sabi ko sa kaniya kahit ang totoo ay nanginginig na ang katawan ko.
What I heard was too much.
Wala pa akong narinig na ganiyan sa ibang tao, siya ang unang nagsabi sa akin ng ganiyan. I know hindi naman ako ang sinasabihan niya pero masakit pa rin.
"And Duke, I used to love you but not anymore. Hinding-hindi ako magmamahal ulit ng lalaking katulad mo." nakangiting sabi ko at tuluyan siyang iniwan.
"You said that to me already but you still beg."
Hindi ako makapaniwalang nilingon siya. "Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng hinithit mo pero totoo ang sinabi ko. I am not the Erin that you used to know. Hindi ako si Erin."
Kaagad ko siyang tinalikuran at hindi pinahalatang gustong-gusto ko ng umalis.
Hindi ako si Erin, and I will never love someone like you.
My heart throb, may mga tao pa palang ganiyan dito.
"Your husband is fucked up in the head."
Hindi ko na nagawang magulat sa biglaang pagsasalita at pagpapakita ni Frederik sa tabi ko.
"Be careful with your words, Duke pa rin siya." walang ganang pagpapaalala ko sa kaniya.
Dahil baka may makarinig at mapahamak lang siya dahil doon.
He laughed kaya nagtaka ako. "He's just a Duke." kumunot ang noo ko.
Just? Just a Duke?
"But you really need to cut ties with your husband. He's danger, baka gawin niya sa 'yo ang pinaggagawa niya sa totoong Erin."
"Ikaw na lang kaya ang asawahin ko?" kaagad siyang tumigil sa paglalakad at tinignan ako nang seryuso.
Weird ko, but I cannot help it since it's so awkward.
We're not close kaya hindi ko siya magawang seryusuhin.
"I'm not a rebound." natawa ako dahil sa wakas ay may nakakausap akong tao na nanggaling sa parehong mundo kaya gets niya ang humor ko.
"Ay ayaw mo? Maganda naman ako."
He rolled his eye. "You're also fucked up in your head." sabi niya bago magwalk out kaya natawa ako.
"Gago, joke lang!" pahabol na sabi ko't tumakbo na para sana habulin siya.