The Rozovsky Heirs 13: Aletheia Hartmere Rozovsky (The Princess' Downfall)

Prologue

Prologue

Girl

I didn't understand before why my bother, Adam Mikolos Rozovsky, would want to go back to the Philippines. May rason kung bakit umalis na ang pamilya namin doon. And my parents already choose to raise us in Germany.

But now I think I understand him. Because he's now living a quiet life in a place in the country with his wife and children.

And now I'm going to visit them in Masbate, Philippines. Doon na nakatira ang kapatid ko at nagpalaki ng pamilya niya.

While me? I think I'm just trying to see what life here in the Philippines is like. Gusto kong makita ang pamumuhay ng kapatid ko. At baka rin just like him I could also find peace here and I might just decide to stay here. Who knows?

I'm in my late 20s now, at mag-isa pa rin ako—I mean I'm single. And what's wrong with that? It's just my parents who were pressuring me sometimes about getting married and having children, so I left our home in Germany. Just for a while lang naman. At nagbabakasyon lang din ako ngayon para magpalamig din.

Magpalamig sa Pilipinas? Well, I will spend my time swimming in the beaches here and relax.

And I also understand my parents. They're just worried about me. Given na maaga rin nag-asawa si Adam at nagkaroon ng sarili niyang pamilya.

At babae pa ako. Alam naman natin na parang may expiration "daw" ang mga babae na gaya natin. It's something about mahihirapan ka nang makapag-anak because of old age. But I don't really believe in such nonsense, anong expiration ang sinasabi nila? At isa pa, I'm not old yet. I'm still in my twenties, you know. Even though I'll reach my thirties soon... But I just won't think about it now.

"Ate!" My brother welcomed me wholeheartedly in his home with his wife and children.

Ngumiti naman ako at niyakap ko rin siya. He's really grown so much into a man. And now he's a husband and a dad to his own family.

Nakita kong nakangiti rin sa akin si Aeva, ang wife ng kapatid ko, at binati rin ako.

Nagkaroon pa ng conflicts din sa mga pamilya namin dati. Aeva came from a family who even tried to harm my brother. But in the end Aeva couldn't do it to Adam. Siya kasi ang inutusan ng pamilya niya na ipahamak ang kapatid ko at dahil din ito sa isa nilang client. And that client used to be connected with my mom. At isa rin sa mga dahilan kung bakit nagpakalayo na ang pamilya namin noon. But it's okay now. Pwede nang mamuhay ngayon nang mapayapa rito ang kapatid ko kahit papaano.

And our family is also protecting him and his family.

I went to also hug Aeva at mukha pa niyang hindi inasahan ang ginawa ko. Ito naman. Close na kami ngayon since she married my younger brother. And we're family now. At Nanay pa siya ng dalawang cute na mga pamangkin ko.

Let's just leave the past behind, I guess...

"Mikolos! I miss you!" Niyakap at pinanggigilan ko pa ang pamangkin ko. Ang panganay na anak nina Adam. He grew taller now at naging kuya na rin siya to his little sister. Kaya mas lalo pa yatang naging responsible din ang batang ito.

"Oh my! Ito na ba ang isa ko pang pamangkin?" Dumapo naman sunod ang mga mata ko sa isang baby na nasa loob pa ng crib.

Lumapit din naman si Adam at tiningnan na rin ang anak niyang natutulog doon. "Yes. She's so adorable, right?" He said.

At tahimik na lang naman akong tumango na bahagya rin napangiti habang pinagmamasdan ko ang baby...

I shook my head in an instant as not to remember anymore of a memory from the past. Nasa nakaraan na nga iyon at tapos na. Wala na rin namang silbi kung iisipin ko pa rin ang mga bagay na tapos na hanggang ngayon.