YOU. || Gregorio del Pilar x Reader

KABANATA V.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You hummed to yourself as you sat on a bench under a tree in the spacious garden of your estate. You're alone, finally, you think, some peace and quiet. One of the rare times that you're by yourself, no servants following you around and watching your every move, in case you get hurt.

The silence around you made you think and reflect on your life before you went home from Italy.

When you were about ten years old, your father and mother decided to send you to Italy for your studies. They said that you needed to be safe from all the chaos happening here, and you needed to study. You didn't understand at first, why they wanted to send you away. You felt sad, of course, being away from your parents at such a young age.

They prepared your family estate there for you to stay in. You had a hard time adjusting there. You're not used to being away from your mamma. She often wrote you letters, sending them to you every week. Telling you about everything that's happening at home, how she misses you.

You had learned to speak foreign languages during your time there. You wrote letters to your mother, telling her about everything you've learned.

When you turned fifteen, you received a letter from your father, saying that you'll finally go back home after five long years away from them.

When you got home, you of course oh-so-cheerfully told your parents about your learnings. And, yeah, your father, being who he is, decided to celebrate for his only daughter's "homecoming". And yes, he invited almost all of the townspeople.

Even though they're both practically masters in speaking foreign languages, your parents did not encourage you to speak like a foreigner. Well, mostly your mother. Your father didn't have a problem with that, and you didn't really mind, you understood your mother. Though, you couldn't help sudden slip-ups.

When you turned seventeen, suitors started to pile up your home. Young men from various families, nobles and 'commoners' - as they like to call them, you never liked that term, though. - alike, visit your home almost everyday, shooting their shot and asking for your hand in marriage.

Though, your father made it clear that he wouldn't be allowing you to marry anytime soon, denying every suitor of yours left and right. One, because he doesn't want his only child to be away from him so soon. Or... He, or you, hasn't found a man who is suitable for his standards yet.

Or because your father knows that all those men just want to marry you because of your father's money. And you're his only child, automatically making you his heir. God forbid something happens to him, all your family's fortune will be passed down to you.

And so, every time a suitor visits your home and asks for your hand, they get the same answer. No.

You don't even know by now just how many suitors your father has denied. There are so many you've lost count.

You didn't mind, though. You really didn't want to marry anytime soon. You wanted to enjoy your youth. To finish your studies. You wanted to build a future by yourself. You wanted to stand on your own feet, be successful without the help of your parents.

One of the reasons why you were only sad that your parents decided to send you to Italy. You didn't protest. Because you wanted to encounter new things. Because being away from them meant that you're free to do as you please.

Sometimes you hoped that they would just send you back to Italy. So you can do what you want to do. With no worries.

Now, at nineteen, you still dreamt of the same thing when you were young. To be free.