His Royal Highness's Scandalous Passion

Kabanata 8

Humikab ako nang matapos ang huling pahina. That's a lot! How can he do this every night? Without a sleep too.

Binagsak ko ang sarili sa malambot na sofa. Finally! I can take a nap! It was almost a week, and all I did was read inside this office. Kaunting idlip ko lang ay dadagdagan na naman ni frog prince ang babasahin ko. Right! He's not a frog prince! He's a cruel prince!

"Are you done reading?"

Ugh! "So done that I'm sick of it."

I heard his small laugh. He likes tormenting me.

I understand that I need to learn this all, but I want to start my business right now! But since I need this jerk's help, I have to do everything he said—wait. Do I?

Tinignan ko siyang okupado sa kaniyang binabasa. I can do things on my own without him knowing it.

If I did not do anything now, matatapos ang taon na wala akong nagawa. All I did was sit here, eat, sleep, and read like a madman. Is he really going to help me with my plan?

Kinagat ko ang labi ko at pinirmi ang mata sa chandelier. Wait! What if his plan all along is to keep me here and use me as a hostage? He will start demanding something from my family in exchange of my freedom? I snickered.

Nah man. That's super lame. A prince cannot do that pathetic thing. Isa pa, kung iyon talaga ang rason niya dapat kinadena niya ako at kinulong sa kwarto. And if he really makes me a hostage, it won't be useful since my father disowned me. I'm no longer a Kaiser, he knows that since he already ran a background check on me.

Hindi ako sigurado sa plano ng prinsipeng to, and I don't trust him. But I have no choice, I need him now. I guess I'll just keep hanging around with him until he is useful.

But right now... He's not very useful! This won't work! I'm running out of time!

My father will find out soon that I'm trying to compete with his business. He or my demon brother Albert would sabotage everything before I even started and would laugh at me.

If that happens, magiging katatawanan ako at para ko na ring sinabing tama sila. Na incompetent ako at walang ibubuga!

Alarken Kaiser, the worthless Kaiser! That will make Albert even better than me, and I can't let that happen! I must ruin him! I must ruin Albert!

I looked at the pile of papers above the table. It said from this documents that the Kaiser's building construction cost too much. That's because the building was reconstructed on Albert's whim. What a brat! He wasted too much money on a building when he never even visited it!? And Father agreed on that?

I smirked when I thought of an idea. I may not have the power or connections for now, but at least I'm good at something. Making trouble.

"Hey! My butt hurts from sitting all day. I'm going out."

Huh? What is he doing?  Why is he not speaking?

"Ginagawa mo?" I wondered aloud, noticing the prince sitting quietly in his study chair, eyes closed. Is he meditating? Di ba pang matanda yun?

Wala siyang sagot kaya lumapit ako. He's not moving. I even waved my hand in front of his face. I leaned closer, curious, and then realized, "He's sleeping?" I blurted out.

Humalakhak ako ngunit kaagad ding tinakpan ang bibig dahil baka magising siya. 

So, he sleeps, huh? It was a rare sight to see. Hindi ko siya kailanman nakitang natutulog sa kalagitnaan ng pagtatrabaho. No, I never see him sleeping at all! Naisip kong baka natutulog siya kapag nabalik ako sa kwarto ko para magpahinga o kaya naman ay sa kusina para kumain. 

But this is my first time seeing him asleep. And he looks so funny! He's sleeping while sitting.

"Mother..." bulong niya.

Mother?

Is he dreaming? His face looks troubled by dreams.

"Mother..." he murmured again, his voice almost cracking with emotion. I hesitated, unsure of whether to wake him or leave him. For a moment, I stood there, watching him.

In the soft light of the dimly lit study, his face was relaxed but troubled. The tension in his body had melted away, different from his firm and serious expression.

Bahagyang tumatakip ang ginto niyang buhok sa noo dahil sa pagkakayuko, ngunit pansin ang pagkunot ng noo niya.

I move closer, my hand reaching out for his hair. Hinawi ko iyon para tuluyang ilantad ang natatakpang parte ng mukha. 

The brush of my finger jolted me back to reality.

Fuck!? What am I doing? Kaagad akong lumayo at nag-iwas ng tingin. No, seriously...

What the fuck am I doing? 

"What are you doing?"

The voice cut through the silence like a knife. Nanigas ako sa kinatatayuan. Dahan-dahan akong humarap sakanya, at nakita si frog prince na nakatayo at nakakunot ang noong nakatingin sa akin.

"I... uh..." I stammered. Gumapang ang mata ko sa mukha niya. He's back at his old expressions. 

"What?" he said, tilting his head slightly. Para bang nakalimutan niya na kaagad ang masamang panaginip niya.

I swallowed hard, trying to come up with something. "I... I finished reading it all. Pwede ba akong lumabas. Saglit lang! Promise."

"Suit yourself."

"Okay! Thanks!" Sumaludo ako at dali-daling kumaripas palabas ng office, niya.

Never looking back, I run to the hallway. Away from that room. 

Tsaka ko lang napansin na kanina pa pala ako hindi humihinga nang makarating na ako sa hagdan.

Napahawak ako sa noo at huminga ng malalim. What am I trying to do back there?