The Villainess Dying Wish

XLI. The Man Who Felt Home

Weird.

He's acting very weird.

Pasimple kong sinulyapan ang weirdong kasama ko. Kasalukuyan kaming naglalakad pabalik sa palasyo. Pareho kaming walang imik kaya mas lalong hindi ako mapakali. Ang awkward!

Bakit naman kasi gano'n ang mga linyahan niya? I don't want to assume anything but he's acting as if he's into . . . me?

Mabilis akong umiling para alisin ang pumasok sa isipan ko. Nope. Don't even entertain that kind of stupid thought, Andrea! That will be fucking weird! He's your brother, you know!

But, we aren't really related by blood so . . . Aish! Kahit na!

"What are you thinking?"

Napaigtad ako at agad na napalingon sa kanya. Nagkasalubong ang mga mata naming dalawa. Gano'n pa rin ang ekspresyon ng mukha niya. Seryoso. Pero bakit gano'n? May kakaiba akong nararamdaman sa mga tinging iginagawad niya sa 'kin?

Tangina. Masyado lang ba akong affected? Bakit sa kanya, parang wala lang?

Pilit na ngumiti ako. "Hehe. Nothing, kuya."

Pinakatitigan muna ako nito bago marahang tumango. Ibinalik niya ang tingin sa daan. "Ah . . . I guess I'm the only one affected."

"Huh?"

Not getting what he meant, I kept my eyes on him. He was still looking straight ahead so I was able to freely stare at him. Woah . . . I already noticed this before but damn! He looks very manly. Just look at that face and that body built. Any woman will surely feel safe and secured by simply being with him.

How unfortunate that there wasn't that much information about him in the novel other than the fact that he is Daniah's older brother, and that he's the next Duke of the House of Monde. Even in description, it was only limited to: A very serious man who cares about their family's reputation the most. I actually began to doubt that he could find time to love because of that.

Nonetheless, he's still a man. He's handsome, dependable, and smart. So, even if Ire is a little too uptight, I'm pretty sure that there's a lot of women who are willing to kneel before him, even if he don't ask for it.

Nahigit ko ang hininga ko nang bigla siyang lumingon sa 'kin. Malinaw kong nakita kung paano kumurba ang sulok ng labi niya.

"I don't mind you staring at me that way but if I were you, I'll stop."

Nag-init ang mukha ko. Shit. I was caught off guard!

"Anong! Wala naman kaya akong tinitingnan. Imbento ka!" natatarantang depensa ko sa sarili ko. Halos batukan ko naman ang sarili ko dahil do'n. Tangina naman, anong klaseng sagot 'yon?

Natigilan ako nang marinig ko ang mahina niyang pagtawa. There was a moment of silence within me while looking at him making that little chuckles. Pakiramdam ko may yumakap sa puso ko ng napakahigpit.

"Deny it all you want, my lady."

Winaksi ko ang kakaibang pakiramdam at pinaikutan ko siya ng mata. "Ewan ko sa 'yo! 'Yang mga linyahan mo kasi! Ba't ba kasi gumaganyan ka? Paraan mo ba 'to para parusahan ako? Making me all uncomfortable until I can't take it anymore?"

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" He seems bothered by what I said.

I nodded my head without hesitation. "A bit. I just find you weird. Hindi ka naman kasi ganito." He's acting strange sometimes but today, he's doing it more openly and a bit aggressively. And I fucking hate the way it makes me feel.

"You don't like it? You want me to stop?"

Ilang segundo ko siyang pinakatitigan. This conversation is becoming weird. Even the way he looks at me is weird. It's as if, he wanted me to say no.