REFLECTION |COMPLETED|✓

CHAPTER 12

    MADILIM ANG ANYO ni Demtri habang naka tingin sa babaeng naka higa sa kama. Napaka putla ng balat nito na para bang bangkay na lamang.

Nag aalala naman ang matandnag butler na nasa tabi ng Grand Duke. Habang nanginginig naman ang mga kamay ng healer na sumusuri sa kalagayan ng dalagang walang malay.

"Is she dead?" Malamig na tanong ng Grand Duke. Napa ayos naman ng tayo ang doktor na sumusuri sa kalagayan ni Rynaira.

"She still have a pulse, but her body is too weak, and I'm afraid to say this but—"

"Make sure to keep her alive and breathing. If she die then I'm gonna bury you together with her corpse." Seryosong saad ng Grand Duke na nag-hatid ng takot sa kawawang doktor.

Hindi naman alam ni Butler Furge kung ano ang nararamdaman, pero pag tataka ang nangingibabaw sa kanya. It's really confusing, the Grand Duke is willing to kill someone because of this weak noble lady.

Pinagpatuloy ng healer ang kanyang pag susuri sa katawan ng dalaga. Napansin nyang marami itong rashes. Napansin naman iyon ni Demtri at maging ni Butler Furge. Agad na nag salubong ang kilay ng Grand Duke.

"What's that?" Kunot noong tanong nya.

"I think her skin is too sensitive. I think she get these because of wearing low quality fabrics." Paliwanag ng doktor at napa tingin pa ito sa suot ng dalaga at doon nya nakumpirma ang hinala nya.

Napa taas naman ang kilay ni Demtri at binalingan ang matandang nasa kanyang tabi. Napa yuko naman ang matanda upang maiwasan ang nakakatakot na tingin ng kanyang amo.

"Grand Duke, I just followed what you commanded. You told me that I should give her a maid's uniform." Pag papaalala ni Butler Furge. Dumilim naman bigla ang anyo ng Grand Duke.

"Are you saying that it's my fucking fault?" Mabilis naman umiling si Butler Furge dahil mukang ilang hila nalang ay mapuputol na ang pasensya ng kanyang amo.

"N-no Grand Duke." Agad na bawi ng matandang butler.

"Grand Duke, I beg my pardon but this young lady look familiar. I-Is she the missing lady of Dalore?" Usisa ng mang gagamot. Nakuha naman no'n ang atensyon ng matandang butler dahil may hinala sya na galing sa isang mayamang pamilya ang babaeng walang malay. Ngunit hindi nya akalain na isa itong Dalore.

"I mean, if she's the young lady of Dalore, then she need to be taken care like what the Dalore treat her. She have a weak body and immune system." Paliwanag ng doktor. Bigla namang naalala ni Butler Furge ang pag papahirap ng kanyang amo kay Rynaira. Napa lingon ito sa kanyang Master at hindi na sya nagulat nang makitang wala man lang bakas ng awa o konsensya ang muka ng Grand Duke. Mas magugulat pa sya kung makita nya itong nag aalala.

"Do your best to keep her alive. And don't you dare to tell anyone about this. You know the consequences of every action you make. What you hear and see here, leave it here." Mariin na saad ng Grand Duke at walang pasabing umalis.

A MAN WHO'S WEARING a black mask carefully cut the black roses and as soon as he was satisfied with the number of those flowers he gently put it in a porcelain vase.

"How thoughtful, I don't know if the Grand Duke really wanted to keep her alive, she's already dying yet he wanted her to offer these flower to that clumsy creature." Naiiling na saad nya. He was also confused about what suddenly happened to her that night.

"Maybe she was really that weak." Kibit balikat nyang saad. Maybe the Grand Duke is really keeping her alive because he knew that she was about to die anyway. And he also don't believe the hunch of his master. She was too weak and clumsy to be a spy. But who knows she might be acting as one.