Erudition of Doyle: Volume One

CHAPTER 32: CASE VII - WHAT'S THE SECRET OF WILD GLAMOROUS SHOW

Case 7: What's The Secret of
Wild Glamourous Show? (The
Good News and Bad News
Chapter, Part Two)

ROSALINDA

Hindi ako makapaniwala sa balitang aking narinig. Kinuwento nila ang lahat ng nangyari noong debut ko. My mother died, and not only her but also my non-immediate family. The name of the man who slaughtered them is Satan, one of the members of Herald Mortiferum, the man who escaped from prison.

Ngayon ay nakatitig ako sa lapida ng aking ina. I admit that I hate my mother, but I did not wish for her to die. I'm not a good daughter; I know that. I don't know how to express my love for her, and I often struggle with showing my true emotions. But it doesn't mean her death means nothing to me—it pains me too much. I still can't comprehend everything that has happened to me, to the people around me.

Am I cursed?

Since that night, I have been abducted by Mammon—another member of Herald Mortiferum. Now, I cannot run away or hide from them; it seems they easily find me and wait for the day that they will show no mercy on me—or on us.

If I had just signed the contract and didn't escape, lahat ng mga nangyayari ngayon ay hindi mangyayari? Napahilamos ako ng mukha. I don't know anymore.

"Rosalinda?" a man called my name from behind. I turned around to see who it was, but I don’t know this man at all. I guess? "I'm glad to see you here, paying respects to your mother's final resting place. I am aware that you hold a strong loathing toward her, which makes it somewhat surprising to see you here." He smiled sweetly with an angelic face. "Could you share how your day has been thus far?"

He seemed to know me and my mother. I guess he was part of the memories that I have forgotten because of the unimaginable things Belphegor did.

"I'm doing fine," sagot ko na lamang, as usual wala akong pinapakitang kahit anong emosyon sa mukha at boses ko. He doesn’t seem like a dangerous person nor does he have a knife to stab me when I am off guard. Is he decent?

"August! Why are we here? I thought we were going to the mall to buy me the new Xbox—" Napatingin ako sa lalaking nagsalita na kasama niya 'ata. As my eyes landed on the boy, my heart immediately felt a shock as my eyes widened.

"Harley, as previously discussed, we have planned to visit your mother's grave today, particularly on her birthday," ani ni August. Nanatiling nakaguhit ang ngiti nito sa labi. "Considering that your sister is also present, how about the three of us go together to the mall? What are your thoughts on this suggestion, Rosalinda?"

His face reminds me of my brother; his appearance hasn't changed a bit. He just grew and matured slightly. He does resemble our mother a bit. If I remember correctly, my brother's name turned into Harley Chaves. That means… this boy standing in front of me is my brother?

Wait! My brother has been found?!

Napatingin ako kay August. Lalong lumapad ang kaniyang ngiti. "Indeed, your brother was located yesterday with the assistance of Clark and his father. Our original intention was to surprise you once we had finished our shopping, but due to unforeseen circumstances, you were unexpectedly present here."

Mabilis akong tumakbo kay Harley at niyakap siya ng sobrang higpit. He didn’t move a bit, nor did he talk to me. Hinayaan niya lang ako.

"To be completely honest, Clark knows it was important for you to know that they were successful in locating your brother. However, your brother adamantly insisted on keeping it a secret and not informing you about this. I'm unsure of his reasoning behind this decision and why he was so insistent on maintaining it as a secret. In fact, he went to great lengths to create chaos and prevent the police and Clark from providing you with a full report. Nevertheless, your brother's efforts proved futile against me, which is why he didn’t resist when I informed him of our plan to surprise you," August explained. "But please rest assured, I will provide a comprehensive account of everything that occurred."