Kabanata XV
Duchess

***

CLEOBELLE / SINCLAIR

"Anong gusto mong sabihin?" tanong ko kay Aslan habang nasa loob kami ng karwahe.

"Wala." Nag-iwas ito ng tingin.

Ngiti akong napangalumbaba doon. 

"You keep glancing at me. Is it because I'm pretty?" I teased.

Hindi ko inasahang agad siyang tatango. 

"Yes. I think you're very beautiful, duchess," he casually admitted.

That made me halt. He never told me I'm beautiful in our past lives. What's up with him?

I cleared my throat. "I know right?"

"Why do you keep calling me duchess anyway? We're not yet married? Who knows? You might find someone even better?" I shrugged.

"I don't want anyo—" he sighed. "I don't intend to make anyone my duchess, but you," he said seriously.

He's full of bullsh*t.

'Someone's still affected,' the ice spirit queen, giggled. 

'Stop spouting nonsense. Falling for him again only means death by his hands once again. I don't intend to repeat my fate for the 6th time,' I hissed as I talked to them on my mind. 

'Really? It seems like you're taking the same path tho,' she frowned.

"May gusto ka pa bang sabihin?" tanong ko nang nanatiling nakatitig ito sa akin. 

"I'm sorry if I didn't come early. I wanted to take you with me to the north right away at that time, but the Baron interfered," he sighed.

"It's okay, he's dead anyways," I said on a bored tone then met his gaze.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit parang hindi siya mapakali.

"What again? I frowned.

"Are you really sure you wanted to marry me?" He asked.

"Why? Do you want me to back out?" I asked.

Natigilan siya doong tila ba nag sho-short circuit ang isipan. 

"No—but if you want. . . . Uh—I won't stop you?" He sighed.

Is this a side of him I haven't seen yet? Pretty sure I see him act like this before but not so open like this.

Did I get his trust at the cruise? Did I badmouth the Emperor too much?

Para siyang batang nakahanap ng kakampi. . .  

I smiled at him teasingly. "I don't intend to marry anyone too, but you, Duke aslan."

Nakita kong natigilan siya doon kasabay ng pamumula ng kanyang tenga saka pinagpayan ang sariling tumango lamang.

"Then please bear with me as I tend to be a little timid. I don't know how to understand emotions that much, so do tell me if I offend you. I have a lot of flaws, more than what you can imagine, but I'll give you a better life while we're married," he stated.

I wonder if this is what he was thinking back then? In the past, he just seemed uneasy, as if he wanted to say more.

After I married him, although he was indifferent to me, he did give me a good life, more than I can imagine. 

Aslan is just a misunderstood character. I know that much after our past marriages.

'If he he wasn't cursed and if he lived a normal life, would it be different?'  I asked myself.

'Yeah, you still got it bad,' Elsa commented while shaking her head beside me.

Hindi ko siya pinansin.

"Let's discuss the contract, Aslan," I smiled at him.

He nodded his head at me.

After that, we discussed our pre-nuptial agreement.

"I know this marriage is hard for you—" he cut my words off.

"Nope, not at all," he said, honestly. "Is it hard for you?" he asked.

Umiling ako doon.

"I wanted to escape from our home. This marriage does me more good than bad, why would it be hard?" I frowned.

"That's great then. .  ." He gave me a boyish smile.

"I want you to be free too, Aslan. You were marrying me because the Emperor ordered you to—"

"Not really—"

I cut his words off. "Are you just gonna keep denying things?" I arched my brow.

"I'm not though. . ." nguso niya.

"Listen to me first then," I clicked my tongue.

"Okay." Agad niyang sagot saka ibinalik ang seryosong ekspresyon.

"This marriage should only last at least three months. That's enough time for both of u—"

"Make it a year at least," he hissed, coldly.

What's up with him? Is he actually bipolar?

"Okay, a year." I wrote down. 

"If we need to extend it, we shall," he added.

"For what reasons?" I asked.

"If we suddenly receive a letter from the Emperor?" he uttered.

I nodded my head on him. "Fair point."

Napangiti siya doon.

"How much will be my a allowance?" I asked.

"I have tons of money, you can just spend as much as you want," he shrugged.

My mouth forms an 'o'  "I like that," I grinned.

'Wow, not even hiding how greedy she is,' my spirits commented, which I ignored.

"I heard it's a tradition for your family to consumate the marriage the night after the ceremony?" I asked. 

"You're not obligated to—" 

I cut his words off. "It's okay, I want to have sex with you," I said casually.

Nanlaki ang mga mata niya roon.

"W—what?! What are you saying?!" he said, shocked.

"I said I want to do the deed with you? That's normal witin married couple? Are you a virgin or something?" I stated.

"I—I'm not," he denied and looked away.

Is he always this bad at lying?

"Okay, virgin," I shrugged.

"Why, are you not?" 

Kunot noong tanong niya.

"Does it matter?" I grinned.

"It does not. I don't think, a woman's value lies within her purity," Aslan answered truthfully. 

"Ibinabalik ko lamang ang tanong mo," dagdag niya pa.

Well, I've never given myself to another man other than Aslan anyways. I think I'll never will nor I can.

We continued our terms until we reached the north.

It's still the same Dukedom that I know of. Everyone fears Aslan, so even though I am ignored by everyone here before, no one bothered to mess with me.

"Welcome back, Duke," the maids greeted us.

Lahat sila ay nakahilera at nakayuko lamang.

"Her name is Sinclair. After our marriage, she'll be Duchess Sinclair Bloodthorne," he introduced in front as my face remained stoic, looking down on them.

"Today onwards, she'll be your Duchess. Treat her with the same respect as the Duke, give her everything she asks for and obey her commands. Looking down on her is looking down on me too. It's treason, punishable by death!" Aslan declared.

Napakurap ako doon. 

Sa mga nakaraan kong buhay ay hindi nangyari ito.

Aslan never gave me this kind of power before, as he thought of me as the Emperor's spy.

After I rested properly, the maids helped me prepare for the wedding.

"Duchess, the Saintess is here," the maid, politely informed me while they're dolling me up.

"Why?" I asked.

"The duke asked her to perform the ceremony together with the high priest. It is so no one can ever oppose to the wedding and no one would look down on you as a duchess," the maid explained.

"I see," I said. "Let her holiness in," I commanded.

Holy sh*t you mean. I just don't like the people from the temple.

"Greetings, Duchess Bloodthorne. Congratulations on your wedding!" she smiled as soon as she got inside the room.

I signaled the maids to leave us for awhile.

Thanks," I said on a bored tone. 

"Is that all you wanted to say, your holiness?" I asked.

Umiling ito sa akin saka sumeryoso ang kanyang mukha.

"To be honest, I can see the aura of death in you. It's as if, it's very familiar with you. . . What are you?" she asked.

I just stared at her coldly. 

"Of course, death is my bestfriend," I joked, but my gaze remained cold.

"If that's all, you may leave, as I am still preparing," I said.

"Please run away from here. The aura is reacting strongly towards the duke. You'll die in his hands if you don't get away from him!" she exclaimed.

"My death is none of your concerns Saintess. I appreciate you informing me, but what purpose do I even serve in this world for you to meddle with someone elses fate?" I smiled.

Napayuko lamang siya doon. "Patawad. . . Mauna na ako," tipid at malungkot na ngiti niya saka umalis na sa aking harapan.

After I'm done preparing for the wedding, I went straight to the wedding hall.

The double door opens; the hall is grand and luxurious. There's no other people but the High priest, Saintess, me and at the end of the aisle is Aslan, waiting for me.

A scene I've already seen multiple times, but it still makes my heart flutter. 

Irritating.

The ceremony began and we both stated our vows. As I am listening to Aslan, somehow I felt like something has changed.

"You won't regret this are you?" he asked again.

"I won't," I answered, truthfully. "Are you gonna regret this? The emperor gave me to you as a reward for mockery after all?" I asked.

"I am not the Emperor's dog as everyone thought," he chuckled. "I am the Northern Duke. Do you really think he could easily command me if I don't want to?"

Natigilan ako doon.

'That's true, he can even kill the Emperor if he wants, he can easily dethrone him, due to the power he possess,' Elsa commented on my mind.

"I am merely being polite to him as he is my remaining family, but if I don't want to, I won't do it even if he kills me," he smiled at me.

In all my past lives. . . Did Aslan purposely marry me?

Aslan. . . It's the sixth time, but I really don't get you.

"I have one more condition, Aslan," I smiled. "Don't you dare love me."