A Villain's Ever After

Chapter LXIII- Untold Tale

ANASTASIA LEONHART

Dinala ako ni lady Dominique sa gilid ng hardin river kung saan tanaw na tanaw namin ang tulay.

I don't know why but the bridge seemed to reflect the full moon's moonlight. Ang ganda tuloy tignan.

Ilang segundo kaming nananahimik hanggang sa nagsalita na rin sa wakas si lady lady Dominique.

"There was a legend behind this cursed bridge," panimula niya. "A long time ago, it was said that if someone crosses this bridge with someone else at the peak of twilight, they'll be doomed to forget each other."

Woah, may ganun pala.

Bigla siyang umupo saka pumulot ng isang asul na bulaklak. "And the strangest thing, this flower bloomed right where it stood." Ang tinutukoy niya ay ang forget-me-not. "Ironic, isn't it?"

Naalala ko tuloy bigla ang nalantang bulaklak na nakaipit sa storybook niya.

"Was... the legend true?" takang tanong ko.

"Unfortunately, yes," sagot niya. "However, maybe... because of these flowers, the other one seems to remember."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

Tila kumislap ang pilak niyang mata sa ilalim ng buwan. "Let's take you, for example. If I judge correctly, you've met Nicolis when you were once young and naive. However, you seemed to have forgotten."

Napakurap-kurap ako. Hindi ko napaghandaan ang sinabi niya.

"And you met in Gravine where there's a likely chance for you both to have crossed the bridge by mistake," dagdag pa niya.

"B-Baka nagkakamali lang—"

"You keep on denying, impostor," putol niya. "Alam mo ang totoo."

Natahimik kami. I guess I need to talk to Nicolis properly for this.

"What about the look?" pag-iiba ko sa usapan.

Kumunot ang noo niya. "Look?"

"Remember when you told me you knew someone with the same look as I did?" tanong ko.

Sandali siyang napaisip bago nag-iwas ng tingin. "Ah." Bumuga siya ng isang buntong-hininga. "I did saw someone. He had that same look on your face—" Lumingon siya sakin at tinitigan ako sa mata. "—Upon seeing the person he likes. The crown prince and the second prince had that look too."

Nag-init bigla ang pisngi ko. Ba't dinadawit niya si Heinz sa usapan?!

"Sometimes, I saw it in the Hunt lord's eyes as well," dagdag niya na ikinatigil ko.

Seryoso akong napatingin sa kanya. "My lady, what does that got to do with the bridge?" tanong ko.

Ngumisi siya sabay tingin sa kalangitan. "Well, that someone I knew crossed that fucking bridge and lost that look in his eyes... until the present day." Pagkasabi niya nun ay nagkibit-balikat siya. "Anyway, it was an old forgotten tale. That was ten years ago, I think?"

Na-curious tuloy ako. "Sino ba yung tinutukoy mo?"

"And that's a secret," sagot niya na ikinasimangot ko.

"Ano ba yan, ang daya. Sinabi ko sayo lahat-lahat tapos may pasecret-secret kang nalalaman diyan," sambit ko.

"Eh paki mo?" balik niya. "Eh sa ayoko, bakit ba?!"

Ang hanep talaga ng moodswings ng babaeng to.

Magsasalita pa sana ako nang bigla akong naihi. "Ah, lady Dominique?" tanong ko. "Dito ka muna ah? Aalis muna ako."