[√]Lady of the White Rose

51: The Truth

VESPER

Just like before I didn't have enough time to grieve, to mourn for my brother's death. Pinaayos ko na lamang ang libingan nito kahit pa wala na talaga doon ang kanyang bangkay.

Wala akong panahon para magluksa, para malungkot. Sa dami ng mga problemang dumating ay halos hatiin ko na ang katawan ko para lang masolusyonan ang mga ito. I was thankful for all the people beside, who supported me, and because of that, they unknowingly help me keep my sanity.

"Your Grace, dinalhan kita ng makakain mo. Hindi ka nagtanghalian at hapunan kanina at halos hating gabi na," It was Abby, may dala itong pagkain sa opisina ko. Isang tango lang ang sinagot ko rito bago sana magpatuloy sa ginagawa ngunit ay bigla nitong kinuha ang aking panulat.

Napilitan akong tumayo sa aking upuan at kainin ang kanyang dinalang pagkain. And just when I smelled the food, my stomach growl. I eat the food she brought as I read some papers from my table. Hindi ako mapalagay na walang binabasa, siguro nasanay na ako na laging may ginagawa o binabasa.

Ilang sandali lang ay tapos na rin akong kumain, inayos ni Abby ang mga pinagkainan ko bago umalis. Dumating naman si Alfonso ilang minuto nang makaalis si Abby. Sinabi nitong dumating na ang mga hinihintay ko. They were waiting at the basement.

Isang tango lang ang sinagot ko rito bago itinabi ang binabasang papel bago sumunod sa kanya. He leads the way as I followed behind him silently.

Ever since that day, where the monsters attacked the Dukedom I feel like I've change. No, I think ever since my father met that accident in the past, I've changed. Tho not instantly, the change happened subtly, almost unseen and unnoticeable. All those things that happened in me change me slowly, every single day.

I grow a little tougher each day, a little tired and drained too. Scars piled up in my heart that it a little harder... And colder.

Habang naglalakad ay napunta ang tingin ko sa kabilang bahagi ng mansyon, halos kalahating bahagi ng nasabing gusali ay sira. Makikita mo rin ang bakas ng apoy at ibang elementong ginagamit ng mga magician.

May iilang parte pa ng mansyon ay nawasak o di kaya ay nagtamo ng mga pinsala. Tila napansin naman ni Alfonso ang mga tinitignan ko.

Tumikhim ito, "We had it rough, the monster attacked and the Magic Tower."

"Don't be too surprised, Alfonso, soon, the whole Kingdom will turn against us."

Nilagpasan ko ito at naunang maglakad sa kanya. Nakarating na rin naman kasi kami sa pupuntahan namin. Binuksan ko ang pinto at pumasok sa loob. Agad na bumaling ng tingin sa direksyon ko ang lahat ng tao sa loob. Inisa-isa ko tignan ang mga mukha nila. Nang makitang kompleto ang lahat ay dumiretso ako sa upuang nakalaan para sa akin.

Sunod na pumasok si Alfonso, siya na rin ang nagsara ng pinto.

I cleared my throat, "I see that everyone's present."

There's the High Priest, the Saint who is smiling pleasantly at me, parang mapupunit na ang pisngi niya sa pagkakangiti. There's also Aidan and Ashley na kakagising lang din. Wala na ang mga sugat nito, ginamot siya ng Saint.

At ang dalawang taong hindi ko inaasahang makikita ngayon dito. Tho they were not complete stranger to me, but we're also not close, not even acquaintances.

Chain Von Caliber and.... Rence. The magician. Yung magician na masama agad ang tingin sa akin unang kita pa lang namin.

"Since you're all here, I'm expecting that you're all in this, right?" Inisa-isa ko silang tinignan sa mga mata. Naghahanap ako ng pagdadalawang isip o kaya ay pagdududa sa mga mata ngunit sa kabutihang palad ay wala akong nakita.

Pagkatapos ng pag-atake ng mga halimaw ay halos isang araw din akong tulog, walang malay. Mabuti na lamang at maaasahan ang mga tauhan ko. Alfonso and Aidan took over and handle the situations efficiently. I was also thankful with the Temple's helped they gave when we are experiencing a crisis. Halos kalahati ng Dukedom ang nagtamo ng pinsala.

We experienced significant losses in our agricultural sector. Maraming pananim ang nasira kung saan naghahanap buhay ang karamihan sa mga mamamayan ng Frontera. But even with all those financial losses, what broke my heart is the fact that a lot of my citizens have died.

Even with the swift response from the knights to issue a force evacuation, still numerous people have met their demise in the hands of those monsters.

Right after I woke up, I visited the evaluation camp and I saw children who lost their parents, a sister hugging the clothes of his dead younger brother, a mother with bandages all over her body, wailing and sobbing because she just lost her son. A wife who lost her husband and a father who lost his daughter.

Hindi ko na pinagtuunan ng pansin ang nasirang mansyon ko dahil mas nangangailangan ngayon ang mga tao ko. Aahin ko ang magandang mansyon kung walang bubong na masisilungan ang mga mamamayan ko?

Besides, even with all the losses, I'm still not broke. I'm still fifthly rich.

"Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mga rason niyo why you want to join me in my cause. But what I'm planning to do isn't changing the Kingdom for the better, nor uprooting corrupt and evil people from their position. What I aim is... Revenge. And eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth." Sambit ko. "The group and the people I'm after are connected to some of you. Ayokong nasa kalagitnaan tayo ng misyong ito tapos mag-iiba ang opinyon niyo, biglang ayaw niyo na palang makitang bumagsak ang pamilya niyo, ang organisasyong kinabibilangan niyo."

My eyes landed to Rence, "Yes, I'm referring about you and Chain. Since, I'm after the Magic Tower and the Caliber Dukedom."

"I don't mind. I'm also investigating the Magic for a long time now, I just couldn't find any evidences to prove that they're doing something that they shouldn't do." Rence answered with a shrug.

"Don't worry, I won't change my mind. I'm willing to cooperate to bring my family down. They've gone too far, I wanted to stop them." Chain said with determination.

Ilang sandali ko pa silang tinignan, pinapakiramdam at tinatantya if they're sincere with their words.

Chain Von Caliber, the eldest son of the Caliber family. I've only saw him only a few times in the past, in the grand ball and the Queen's birthday a few years back. And that time when I was with Gran, the two people we accidentally found fighting at the forest. It's Chain and Ainelle.

Nothing were known aside from him being known as a talented swordman. The spotlight and fame was directed towards his brother, Ainelle Von Caliber.

We started talking more seriously, exchanging information about what we know, what we found out through investigation and theories about the said matter.

The High Priest said that a mysterious man appeared when I lost consciousness, it's wearing a cloak and couldn't see his face but what remained to his memory was the moon pattern to his cloak. And Aidan commented that he might be from the Blue Moon Organization. Since, according to his investigation, moon pattern on their cloak was the trademark of the said organization.

And Chain confirmed that the mysterious man is really from the Blue Moon, as it was recently hired by his family. The higher ups of the said organization recently joined the project of the Caliber family.

"Those monsters were their projects," Chain said. "Tho they're still not perfected, they still pose a threat to the safety of not just us in Lorence, but in the whole world."

Still not perfected? "What kind of monsters are they, anyway?"

"They're called Hellion," he answered. "Created through the dna's of multiple other species. Monsters, beast, chemicals and... Even human. Just like what happened to... Kaido Von Frontera." Tila nag-alangan pa ito nang banggitin ang pangalan ng kuya ko.

"Your family must be crazy, creating such disgusting thing to dominate the world." Rence scowl.

Hindi naman nakaimik si Chain at tumikhim na lamang sa upuan nito.