"A gardener takes care of his precious flowers in order to bloom. It is the same as marriage, Theodore and Cygnus. I may sound possessive, but you take care of your betrothed to keep their petals of feelings bloom only for you" - Javier Salvatori, Theodore's grandfather.
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Tahimik ngayon ang buong bahay ng lola nina Theo.
Bagama't halos lahat ng mga magpipinsan ay may pasok kung kaya't tahimik ang buong bahay.
Ngunit, sa likuran ng pamamahay ay matatagpuan mo ang mga matatandang Salvatori na nakaupo at tila nakabihis panglaro ng fencing.
Pinapanood nila ang dalawang naglalaro ng fencing sa damuhan.
"Teka nga lang!" sabi ni Cygnus at nahinto ang dalawang magpinsan sa paglalaro.
Tinanggal ni Theo at Cygnus ang kanilang head gear.
"Bakit kayo nahinto?" tanong ng kanilang tito Leo.
"Parang hindi naman nagseseryoso kasi tong si Theo, tito" pagrereklamo ni Cygnus.
"Napansin ko din iyan anak. May problema ba?" tanong ni Nathaniel sa kanyang anak.
"May iniisip lang ako pa" sagot ni Theo at naupo sa tabi ng kanyang ama.
"Ano naman iyon?"
"Naku tito, iniisip lang niyan si Mayari" pangaasar ni Cygnus kay Theo at uminom ng juice.
"Cygnus"
"Hayaan mo na anak. Ano ba kasi talaga iniisip mo?" tanong ni Mathew sa kanyang pamangkin.
"Pa, alam mo ba yung tungkol sa Ophiuchus Family?" Theo curiously asked.
"Ophiuchus? Holder of Serpent?" Cygnus also asked.
"Saan mo narinig yan?" Nathaniel asked Theo.
"Nakita ko si Mayari nung Monday na binabasa yung libro na 'History of Ophiuchus Family'" Theo answered and Nathaniel sighed.
"They are one of the sixteen old families here in our town" Fredrick explained.
"Aren't there only fifteen old families?" Cygnus asked confused at the information he learned.
"No there are originally sixteen families"
"And they are?"
"First, our family, Salvatori family. The jewelers, Ochre family. The blacksmiths, Duncan family. The former painters turned photographers, Vicente family. The restauranteurs, Makawara family. The wine makers, Sanguine family. The businessmen, Wang family. The hoteliers, Aquila family. The doctors, Lakandula family. Your mothers' madien families, Aphelion, Yang, Fiorento, and Lavigne family. The mall owners, Nazareno family. And the seamstresses and tailors, Cortez family" Leonardo explained at his nephews.
"You only said fifteen, tito Leo. Who is the sixteenth?" tanong ni Theo.
"Ophiuchus Family" simpleng sagot ni Nathaniel.
"Kung meron man talagang Ophiuchus family, bakit walang tao na Ophiuchus na apilyedo dito sa atin?" tanong naman ni Cygnus.
"It's because they were killed"
"All of them?!" Cygnus exclaimed.
"No! Sit down Cygnus" pananaway ni Fredrick sa kanyang anak.
"Only the patriarch and his wife were killed"
"Nasaan yung tagapagmana?" Theo asked.
"Si lolo at lola mo lang ang nakakaalam Theo" sagot ni Mathew.
BINABASA MO ANG
Admiring You From Afar (The Cold Masks Has Fallen: Book 1)
Fiksi PenggemarTheodore Xerxes Salvatori has it all. First child of their generation of his family, future head of the Salvatori family, fortune, intelligence, everything he can wish for. What's the catch? He faced many rejections from the girls he liked. The resu...
