Imperial Academy: The Villainess

Chapter 23

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓

"Scarlet! Scarlet!" I was chilling on a chair with my legs on top of the table when I heard Caius.

I rolled my eyes. Napapikit naman si Brio sa takot at taimtim na nagdasal sa gilid. I waited for him to see me in this position. Lalo kong sinandal ang aking ulo ko upuan. We walked for almost half an hour and I woke up early in the morning. Gusto kong magpahinga.

"Good grace! You weren't inside a jail!" Caius came. Halos lumuhod siya sa sahig para lang magpasalamat.

"The market master called me! He said that a young lady caused trouble!" Caius yelled. I wanted to cover my ears.

''Caused trouble? Una sa lahat ay siya ang mali sa amin at hindi ako. Winasto ko lang ang paraan niya upang makabenta ng madami.'' Walang gana kong sabi habang hindi inaalis sa tingin sa aming kisame.

''You may have your reasons but the people in the market told me a different story!'' Hindi ko man siya tingnan ay alam kong halos umusok na ang ilong niya dahil sa nerbyos. Napailing na lang ako't natawa.

''Let them think anything they want, I know the truth. I know what really happened. Ako ang saksi kung ano man ang nakita ko't hindi sila. Kung ano man ang narinig nila galing sa tsismis at kung ano man ang paniwalaan nila'y hindi ko na problema.'' Natatawa kong sambit.

''Scarlet!'' Caius called out for me for the second time. I rolled my eyes. When I glanced at him I saw a familiar person standing beside him. 

''Nandito ka pala! Ba't parang iba ang tindig mo ngayon?'' Brio said. Huminga siya nang malalim bago lumapit sa taong nakatayo na animo'y poste sa gilid ni Caius.

''You.'' I paused to make him look at me. ''What is he doing here? You know we are running out of meat.''

''Watch your mouth! He's a visitor!'' Nanahimik ako dahil alam kong hindi pa siya tapos magsalita, ''I was going to introduce him to you even thought I'm aware that you know this person. But I didn't think that he will be greeted by this.''

Hindi ko na tinuon ng pansin ang ibang parangal ni Caius. Hindi na bago sa akin ang pagiging bungangaro niya't kahit ano'ng paliwanag naman ang gawin ko ay hindi siya makikinig. I told him my side.

The vendor in the public market is using a black magic to attract and gain customers. I saw it with my two eyes. I'm not fool to make stories, that's it. I won't explain it anymore. Hindi ko na problema kung hindi nila ako papakinggan.

''I'm sorry you have to witness something like this in the morning, Mr. Egan.'' Caius calmly said.

''He's Blaze not Thunder,'' I told Brio. All of them went silent. Nagkibit balikat na lang ako dahil wala namang mali sa sinabi ko.

I have no energy to know why Blaze is here. Nanatili akong nakaupo sa kusina habang nakatingin sa kisame. Caius keeps on saying things. Kahit naman hindi ko pakinggan ay alam ko na kung ano'ng mga sinasabi niya. With just one glance at Brio's face, I knew Caius is mad.

"I volunteered him to explore in our area!" He exclaimed once again. Saglit ko lang siya tinapunan ng tingin at tinagilid ang aking ulo.

"It's weekend." Halos pabulong kong sabi.

"It's weekend yet you're making trouble!" Tumaas na ang boses niya. He breath out to calm himself. "Please tell us the truth. How did you know that the vendor was using black magic?"