Dulling Glisters of the Diamond (Casa Fuego Series #5)

Chapter 4

Bodyguard 

Dalawang linggo ang lumipas na hindi ako lumalabas ng mansion. Our estate is pretty large. Our mansion alone is palatial and huge so I have places to go around. May hacienda kami sa tapat ng lupain na kinatatayuan ng manor namin, at imbes na sa manor ako manatili, sa hacienda na lang ako naglalagi.

"Senyorita, hindi pa po kayo nakakapag-ayos..."

Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang aking sarili. I am wearing my nightgown and my fur slippers. Pumasok na ang dalawang kasambahay para tulungan akong mag-ayos sa umagang ito. But something in that short experience in the island made me appreciate being not-so-made-up.

"I'll just stroll around then I'll come back here. Saka ako mag-aayos."

"P-Pero kung makita ka ho ni Donya Roselle-"

"My parents went out for Papa's airsoft tournament, right? Walang tao, Lourdes... I can freely walk around in my nightgown."

Napayuko silang dalawa. I went out of my four poster bed and went out of my room. Walang tao ngayon dahil maging si Lola ay may importanteng lakad. Conor is out for a golf session.

I spread my arms and let my fingers slide on the baroque wall as I made my way to the courtyard. The train of my nightgown smoothly trailed on the baroque floor. My footsteps echoed in the high ceiling door, and I could almost hear the serene nature.

Tumagos ang sinag ng araw sa magkakasunod na nook at bintana. The successive golden sunlight lit the hallway until I reached the courtyard.

Napatingala ako nang humaplos ang sinag ng araw sa aking balat. Hinubad ko ang aking fur slippers at umakyat sa bricks ng fountain. The coldness of the stone bricks penetrated on my feet as I walked around the fountain. I bent my knees down and touched the soft gush of water. Tanging ang marahang ragasa ng tubig, ang mga ibon, at ang hangin lamang ang naririnig ko.

I have always loved Casa Fuego. The rolling mountains, the flower fields, the plantations, the mansions, and the haciendas. When I was younger, I feel like I was born in the wrong generation. I have a sense of fondness in ancestral mansions, especially the colonial ones as it display generations of unwavering grandeur and prominence that endured time. Our manor in baroque architecture still gloriously erects in the middle of our vast estate, with wide lawns and spectacular gardens impressively welcoming the guests upon entrance from the gigantic brass gate.

The distance between our mansion and the gate cannot be covered by simply walking. Our ancestors purposely built the mansion far from the gate, and planted huge trees to cover the inner part to maintain our privacy. All rooms of the mansion are connecting rooms, and all are well-decorated with antique furnitures, vintage vases, memorabilias, and original paintings from world-class painters. The walls sculpted with intricate gold linings and curvy patterns painted in shimmering metals. Red curtains styled with gold tussels parted sideways on the nook revealing a glimpse of the beautiful scenery of the lawn and garden.

Whenever I think of Casa Fuego, I can see a lady in her corset running barefoot in the lawn in front of the grandeur baroque mansion, with her ginger hair dancing along her movements. She spreads her arms and let her fingers smoothly glide on the flowers. She looks up and sees an eagle fly in the sky. The palace-like mansion, the lawns and gardens, the flower fields and plantations beneath the rolling mountains, all within the reach of the lady's eyes. That's what I remember when I think of Casa Fuego.

I smiled and spread my arms as I look up. I could hear the humm of the birds and the wind howling on leaves. The ends of my hair slowly being blown by the wind as I twirl around.

"Freedom..." I whispered as I close my eyes.

My grandmother has a hidden vault in the underground of the mansion, beside my grandfather's billiards room. I was astonished when I first saw her jewelries. Within the velvet drawers are the heirloom accessories of the Villacorta women, including the heirloom ring. Hindi na iyon suot ni Lola dahil natatakot siyang mawala.