✓ | The Altered Version (Fate's Transgression Series, #2) [UNDER REVISION]

TAV 30: Warm Hug

CHAPTER THIRTY: Warm Hug

Omniscient | 3rd POV

A week after Clarinette's disappearance, Teirro tried to suppress the internal turmoil brewing in the Duchy. He failed to secure the safety of the only Duchess of Dior, the mother of Sofia and the wife of the Duke. Hindi alam ni Teirro kung anong mukha ang ihaharap nito sa Duke.

When the report went straight to the Palace, there was an order from the King. The very first day of her disappearance, thousands of Knights were deployed discreetly to canvass the forest and connected villages. However, none had seen a woman that resembles the snow in winter.

Even Valan stood in the frontline to look for Liana. He deployed his own troops to scout the deepest parts of the forest, and even the darkness corner of every cave. But, all hopes run down for these months of looking for the Duchess, she is still not found.

Nagkakagulo na ang buong dukedom, pati ang Palasyo. There are other people who took advantage of the empty positions that protected Dior, and inferred in the middle of chaos. Marami ang nagsamantala sa kaguluhan, niyanig pati ang mansyon kung saan nanatili ang ulilang bata na si Sofia.

Because of the disappearance of Clarinette, the overall protection of the Dukedom is at stake. Clarinette is known as a curse, and the idea of her as the wife of a Duke is a threat for others. Marami ang mga taong nakatakas sa paglilitis at alam nila ang kayang gawin ng Dukesa kung sakaling sisiraan nila ang mga Silverstein.

It has been Wallace Dimitri's desire to take over the Silverstein Clan and their assets towards the land of Dior, that is why he picked Clarinette for the marriage, because he knew his daughter will not aim for luxuries. But now that Clarinette is the sole survivor of the fall, people eventually accuse her as the one who tipped them off.

Partly true but yet, accusation will never hold basis without evidence. And this couple already burned the only thing that can prove Clarinette was the whistleblower.

"Nay!" sigaw ni Clarinette ng makalabas sila sa bukana.

She scanned the whole place while looking for the figure of the person who has been with her for the past year. Subalit, hindi siya sinalubong ng boses nito na palagian naman ginagawa ni Nanay Bebe.

Nagtaka ang dalaga at binitawan ang Duke ng paupuin niya ito sa isang malapad na kahoy. She immediately ran inside the small house and repeatedly called out Nanay Bebe's name, but still had no response.

Napansin ni Clarinette na hindi umuusok ang kalan, kaya napaisip ito na baka nasa bayan ang matanda. Kapag walang usok ang kubo, ibig sabihin walang tao.

Mabilis na lamang kumuha si Clarinette ng malinis na tela at tubig. Binalikan niya ang sugatang asawa na ngayon ay nakahandusay na sa malapad na tabla kung saan palagian nilang ginagamit sa pagbibilad ng tuyo at ilang mga pagkain.

"Your grace!"

She cupped his face but the man is now unconscious. Mabilis na lamang ang kilos ng dalaga bago pa man siya atakihin ng kaba. Kailangan niyang magamot ito dahil hindi tumitigil ang paglagas ng kanyang dugo.

She knows quite a few things about emergency aids, but there are no apparatus that can help her get the bullet out from his system. Clarinette has no choice but to proceed with what is available.

Gusto na nga niyang maiyak sa nangyayari, dahil hindi ito ang nasa isip niyang sitwasyon kapag nagkita na sila ng asawa.

Because of her curse and the upcoming time of her death, Clarinette gave up the thing she always wanted even when she was still Liana. Alam niya na hindi siya mananatili sa mundong ito, kaya iniwasan niyang pakainin ang sarili ng kahit isang bato ng romansa.