The Montelier Bride

Chapter 19: And Protect

"EXCUSE me?" Reinald asked with his mouth agape. His spectacles most likely cost a fortune and the papers he held so dear a while ago, they fell onto the floor as if they'd just been shredded to ashes. Even the hand he had on his waist dropped shortly as soon as he heard my response to Caesar's worries.

"S-Six times..." the doctor muttered in a daze, almost as if he lost the ability to grasp whether the number is too little or too many.

The others' reactions didn't come differently from theirs. They may doubt what they heard or even assume I am simply bluffing to serve them a plate of laughter, but can they really? Can they really doubt or carelessly assume something about me when they knew nothing of me in the first place? Can they really treat me like a weak feeble woman when they're aware that even a senior inspector like Calvin Aguirre seemed to have his own fear about me roaming freely in the public?

"You're kidding, aren't you? It couldn't be..."

Bumaling ako kay Caesar na natagpuan kong lubos na nagugulumihanan din sa mga sinabi ko. Gayunpaman, wala akong balak na bawiin iyon. At mas lalong hindi ko sinabi 'yon upang lalo siyang mag-alala, mataranta, o maalarma kung sino talaga 'ko. He already made it clear who I am now. If our deal is to persist, all of us must pretend my over two decades of being someone's lackey never existed.

"The Queen of the Hunt only happens every three years. If you're claiming that you've won it six times in a row, that would mean you've been participating in it since you were a kid," he argued slowly. A prominent huge frown on his face is telling me he's still contemplating all while speaking.

Iniangat ko ang kamay ko mula sa balikat niya at dinampi ang hintuturo sa sentro ng pagkakakunot ng kaniyang noo. "Sorry to break it to you, but you see, Don Montenegro never fails to throw a Queen of the Hunt party every year. The ones you attended, they're the official ones. The not-so-dirty ones," I explained with a sigh at the end.

"P-Pero paanong hindi ka namin nakita kahit sa mga opisyal na piging?" agad niyang balik, mga mata'y nanlalaki sa kuryosidad at gulat.

Halos gusto ko muling mapabuntong-hininga. Ang mga kumakawalang salita sa bibig ni Caesar, napakalayo sa mga inaasahan ko. Alam kong maiksi ang nauna kong paliwanag pero bakit ang ideya na kahit kailan ay 'di mo ko nasilayan doon ang una mong kwinestiyon? Ba't hindi ang pagkukubli sa 'yo ng tinatawag mong matalik na kaibigan?

"You couldn't possibly entered the competition without formal invitation or a sponsor," Tyrell seconded fiercely still, his hand resting on his chin. Mukhang maging siya ay inaabangan kung paano ko lulusutan ang mga butas na nagsisibukasan ngayong may kakayahan na akong magpaliwanag.

"It's just as you said. It's either I have an invitation or I have a sponsor who's influential enough to get me in..." I replied. "...and also powerful enough to hide me as a shadow."

Bagama't muli akong naglantad ng katotohanan, pansin ko ang biglaang paghigpit ng kapit ni Caesar sa bewang ko. "By sponsor... Iyon din ba ang taong naglagay sa 'yo ng device na pumipigil sa katawan mo na mag-function nang maayos?" malamig niyang tanong. His eyes were restless, not because of the unveiling of truth but of something I could dare define as anger.