HINDI pa man kami nakaaabot sa kanya, malinaw ang pagkasigla't pagkahinga nang maluwag ni Reinald nang mamataan niya kaming paparating sa kinaroroonan niya. Liban pa sa kaniya, maging ang apat na tauhang nakabantay sa pinto ng conference room ay pawang may alam sa kasalukuyang predikamento at nagsisilay ng ngiti sa pagkarinig ng tunog ng suot kong mga stiletto.

"Rein, how is it? Hindi pa ba tapos?" Unang nangamusta si Rupert sa kung ano na ang kalagayan sa loob ng silid. Sinulyapan siyang saglit ng consigliere ngunit sa huli'y sa akin natuon nang mariin ang atensyon nito.

"We need you to come in as soon as the chance arises, ma'am," he answered sternly. "The Re──"

"What is this? May itinatago ka ba sa amin, Mr. Montelier? Wouldn't that be an insult to the oath we all swore as members of the organization?!"

A loud yelling erupted from the door next to us. So loud it was enough for Reinald's mouth to halt and for us to almost jump in surprise. Even so, if we were to argue about which is more surprising, the unnecessary yelling or the crooked accusations we just heard, I'd have to say neither. Because the very idea of Caesar most likely not having this kind of bullshit for the first time is enough to surprise me to the core.

"My, my. What would Don Julian say about this, Mr. Montelier?"

"As the deputy head, hindi ba't ang pagtanggi mong magpaliwanag sa 'min ay isa nang paglabag 'di lamang sa prinsipyo ng organisasyon kundi pati na rin ng pamilya ninyo? Tsk."

"A woman is just a woman. What's so hard about admitting you've brought a woman unless..."

Each of us standing by held our breaths as the pause hung on the air like a thin thread, fearing the worst that could slip from that old man's scheming lips.

"...unless that b*tch is here for something else other than warming your bed?" he continued nonchalantly, covering his sharp hostility with his eloquent speaking.

Napasinghap ang mga kasama ko sa kanilang narinig, ngunit ang sumunod nilang mga reaksyon dito ang tunay na nakapag-pasinghap sa 'kin. Pinagmasdan ko ang mga panga ni Reinald Cortez na umigting sa pagtitimpi, ang taas-baba niyang dibdib, pruweba na hindi siya bingi. Ang guwardiya ko na kilala sa pagiging isip-bata at inaasahan kong magpapapadyak sa inis ay walang magawa kundi ang magngitngit lamang habang sa pader nakatitig.

At that moment, when everyone seemed shackled from their necks down to their limbs, I allowed myself to be washed away by impulse. My ears turned dysfunctional, shoving what Reinald could have muttered to stop me at the back of my mind. And just like on every mission I had before, my body readily answers to the shrills of my emotions.

What do they shrill for right now? Violence.

"Pardon the intrusion, good sirs." 'Di tulad ng bara-bara kong pag-itsa sa mga pinto papabukas, malumanay akong pumasok, dala-dala ang ngiti sa mga labi't mata ko bagama't paghingi ng paumahin ang pauna ko. "I didn't know we have such gentlemen as guests. I've just returned from a trip, you see."

And I brought hell as a souvenir as your treats.

"I apologize for coming in abruptly. I thought there was a commotion after hearing some wretched stinking statements from outside," I added fearlessly, flaunting the fact that I heard everything, and I came here to wrap them up and throw them into the trash can.

Animo'y nakakinita ng rumaratsadang tren na biglaan na lang tumigil, natutulalang tinitigan ako ng lahat, pawang nahihiwagaan sa bagong presensyang lumitaw. Tinitigan ko rin sila pabalik subalit sa paraan kung paano magmatyag ang mangangaso sa mga usang kanyang kikitilin.

"Oh my. For sure, I am misunderstanding something, but who on Earth are you pointing your finger at, Mr. Salonga?" I refer to the only standing guest, a young man who can't even dress himself in a proper tie and neat coat. I'd like to snicker, but a deer so terrified will only run away. "If you rudely stick your finger like that, I'm afraid it'd bring you unnecessary trouble."

Inilapat ko ang ilang daliri ko sa mga labi ko at pumasinghap, umaktong nababahala sa aksyong nadatnan. Nanginginig ang mga mata namang sinulyapan ng binata ang sariling daliri, animo'y ituring niya ito na buntot na hindi maitago at ngayo'y nahuling nakalawit.

"Shouldn't a mere son of the actual executive show utmost respect to his father's superior at all times, especially when he's not even a sworn member of the organization himself?" Sa mabilisan kong pagbanggit nito nang may papataas na kilay, awtomatikong tumiklop ang daliri nito at namumula ang mga tengang sumalampak sa upuan niya.

"O-Of course. P-Please forgive my impoliteness," he said in embarrassment, his head down as if it's the first basic instinct and reflex taught to him. "It won't happen again!"

Of course, it won't. The next time you do that, it's your whole hand that I'll amputate.

The rest of the guests were simply left in shock, contemplating whether they were even given a choice to retaliate over what I did or not to begin with. Murmurs followed suit as I decided to stride closer to the long mahogany table, eyeing the only man whose hair resembled the color of my ensemble.

"How are you, mon amour?" Asking this so sweetly, I carefully glided forward to the head seat. The seat where the prince charming, who saved me from the tower, awaits his turn to be rescued. "Sorry for being late. I must've left you worried sick."

Wala sa wisyong sinundan ni Caesar ang bawat galaw ko, lalo na kung saan nakatutok ang tingin ko. "Quinzel..." he called my name softly as my left palm touches the coldness of his cheek.

I caressed his skin with my thumb, not breaking our eye contact. "You okay?"

"Now that you're here, I am," he replied, a relieved smile pasted on his lips after a few blinks. He then slightly leaned his head on my palm and sighed. "Your hand's so pleasingly warm. What took you so long?"

"I'm really sorry. Don't worry. I'm here now. I'll make it up to you."

Subalit hindi nagtagal ang ginhawa sa mukha niya. 'Pagkat simula nang madayo ang tingin niya sa isa ko pang kamay, madaliang nangunot ang noo niya. Tanging nang hablutin lang niya ito at pisilin nang bahagya nang mapagtanto ko kung ano ang problema.

"Why are you bleeding?" he grunted, his jaws clenching. "What's your stupid guard doing by your side exactly?"

Err... it's not his fault, though.

As if the small blood gushing from my palm held the most importance at the moment, he swiftly pushed his other hand into his coat. "How did you even get hurt, hmm?" he hushedly asked with a click of his tongue, uncaring of the elders' keen gazes on us.

'Well, I was pissed off by how they insulted you, so I unconsciously clenched my fist too tight that I dug my nails into my own palm,' is what I want to say. But how could I even say that to you here?

"Have Pherenn look at this later, you understand?" Caesar tugged me closer to him, his hand revealing a chocolate-color handkerchief which he unfurled immediately. "He looks lazy, but he's a decent man of medicine field."

"Mmm." Base sa kung paano siya mag-interoga at manisi ng mga tauhan niya sa simpleng sugat pa lang, mukhang wala na rin namang mas bubuti pang tugon kundi ang tumango na lang.

Metikuloso niyang dinampi ang tela sa kamay ko pero maya't maya rin niyang sinusulyapan kung mapapangiwi ba ako. "Sabihin mo sa 'kin kung napapadiin 'yong dampi ko, ha?"

"Okay..."

Kakatwa. Hindi pa rin humuhupa ang kunot sa noo niya at maging ang paniningkit ng mga mata niya ngunit heto ako at nangingiting pinapanood siya. Seeing him like this is almost like a temptation. One that I'd gladly embrace if there is no deception lingering between us both. Kakatwa talaga. Kakatwang kung kailang may maskara na kaming suot dalawa ay saka lang kami nagkaroon ng rason para maabot ang isa't isa.

"By any chance, you didn't meet any nuisance on your way here, did you?" Caesar's next question came like a snake's hiss, interrupting a moment I thought to be of bliss. A hiss so calm, yet you'd shiver from the chills it brings.

Oh. I forgot. That's right. Deception. Reality. Purposes.

"Not really." I swept off what tiny delusions were left in me with a bitter grin. "After all, even the enemies of the Montelier should know when not to bark and whom to wag their tails at when they can't even bite at all in the first place."

Mula sa pisngi ay pinadulas ko papunta sa baba niya ang libre kong kamay, iniimbitahan siyang iangat panandalian ang tingin niya. "Seriously, they should stop trying to increase their numbers when there's nothing but death awaiting for them at our gates."

Without a second thought, he obliged as if my very word was an oracle so important to humankind. It would be a lie if I said it didn't catch me off guard when, unlike the concerned look he had a while ago, he met my gaze with a composed yet intense one.

"They should," he responded smugly.

He momentarily glanced at the visitors, each one of them still dumbfounded at what kind of play was rolling before their presence yet could barely see the chance to interfere. "Pero sa tingin ko may mas magandang tawag sa kanila," dagdag niya.

The master then turned to me once again. "I can't seem to remember it. Do you happen to know what they should be called, mon amour?" he cheekily chuckled as he threw the endearment back at me. It's as if all traces of being shaken by my barging in have faded, and he's telling me he's more than ready now to go all out for our play.

I remember it well. Rupert made sure that I did. "Tu-ta."

Kanya-kanya man sila ng pagtatago, hindi nakatakas ang banayad nilang pag-igkas sa gilid ng mga mata ko. Ang hindi nila alam ay sa pag-igkas nila, mas lalo akong nasasabik na hulihin sila sa sarili nilang mga reaksyon. 

******

BETA READER x AUTHOR CORNER

My beta reader sa landian nina Caesar at Quinzel:

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YESSSSSS, IT'S A MASS UPDATE TO MAKE UP FOR MY 2-3 YEAR HIATUS