FIRST LOVE COMPLEX

CHAPTER 3

Mababaliw pa yata ako sa kasalukuyang kinatatayuan ko ngayon!

I feel so cornered. Hindi ko alam papano ko sasagutin ang hari ng Volterion. Surely any women would instantly swown over what the king had just hushed before my face, but for some reason, hindi ko maiwasang di pag-isipan ng ibang meaning ang sinabi niya.

Para bang there was some kind of hidden passage between the lines he just told me. I don't know what could it mean aside from the fact that he really was eyeing me to become his future queen, pero alam ko sa sarili ko na nang marinig ko 'yon ay hindi ako kinilig.

Bahagyang nawala 'yong kaninang kilig na naramdamam ko at napalitan ito ng kakaibang kaba. Dahil kaya ito sa alam kong may mali dito since it was supposed to Beatrice who's in my shoes right now and not me?

I thought I would still have to endure being alone with the king of Volterion for a while. Mabuti na lamang ay may mga dumating mula sa mga kasamang escort ng hari at agad kami na nilapitan ng mga ito.

"Your Majesty, forgive us for the sudden intrusion." Agad na saad ng mga ito, napansin ko na naman na bigla umayos ang postura ni King Richard, maski ang mapanukso niyang titig kanina sa akin ay bigla na lamang naging blanko. No one could read what was going on in his mind rigt now, particularly when he chose to hear why those men were here. Agad naman na dinugtungan ng isa sa mga escort ang sinabi nito kanina, "The duke of Sainan wished to seek your audience and welcome you formally to their estate."

King Richard eventually chuckled.

It was a soft one yet full of tease as he covered his mouth with his knuckles. "Oh, I thought they're already thinking that the lady here would be enough welcoming party fit for a royal visit. At least they've noticed." sambit ni King Richard sabay alis kasama ng mga escort niya.

Ni hindi man lamang niya ako nilingon nang umalis ito. Laking gulat ko na lamang ng mapagtanto na para ba akong isang laruan na matapos mag-entertain sa kanya'y iiwan nalang niya basta-basta sa tabi.

"Now, would you look at that. Guess his true nature finally came out too early." bulong ko sa sarili matapos tuluyang makalayo ni king Richard mula sa kinatatayuan ko.

Bigla ako nangsisi na nakaramdam ako ng kilig sa kanya. Oo napakakisig at gwapo niya, pero ubod naman sa pagiging basura naman pala ang ugali niya. Kaya pala ganun na lamang ka-weirdo ang nararamdaman ko habang magkasama kami kanina. Dahil pala sa kabila ng maganda niyang mukha, nakatago ang pangit niyang paguugali.

Agad tuloy ako napaisip kung papano nagkagusto si Beatrice sa haring to kung ganyan naman kasama pala ugali niya. Mas lalo pa nga ako nanghinayang sa mga nasayang na buhay ng mga second male lead sa nobelang ito dahil hindi naman pala deserving ang male lead na si king Richard dahil sa mabantot nitong asal.

Sa sobrang inis ko sa nangyari ay napaira na lamang ako bago ako muling umakyat sa aking kwarto. Dala ng sobrang inis ko kay king Richard, ay hindi na ako muling bumaba pa para tumulong na asikasuhin sila.

I was supposed to help with the preparation of the luncheon. However, because of what King Richard did to me earlier, I just lost all the thrill of engaging with the preparations. I'd rather stay all day in this room and read the books that the real Giezelle previously owned rather than acting all familiar with the king of Volterion despite his bad attitude.

Subalit, ang inaakala kong tahimik nang paglalagi ko sa loob ng kwarto habang nagbabasa ay panandalian lamang pala. Di rin nagtagal ay napansin nila na wala ako sa ibaba.

"Lady Giezelle, please open the door. Your father would be furious to you once more if he learns that you've been avoiding to see the king." Ang kanina pa pakiusap sa akin ni Agnes.

Paulit-ulit man ang hiling niya sa akin, ay di ko pa rin ito pinakikinggan. Ngunit sa makailang ulit kong pagbingi-bingihan sa kanya, palagi pa rin naman niya tugon ang pakiusap na bumaba na ako bago pa ako akyatan ni aking ama.

"I can't bare to imagine what his grace would do to you if you even let him be the one to enter this room to get you, my lady. So please, come down and join them for dinner." Sa huling pagkakataon ay muli pa rin na nakisuyo sa akin si Agnes.

Subalit nagmatigas pa rin ako at pilit na binalewala ito. "Agnes, it's not like skipping to join dinner with them would ever change the fact that my father would be furious of me from what transpired this day anyway, so might as well go with an option where I won't have to endure attending a ridiculous dinner with that king,"

Mabilis naman ako sinensyasan ni Agnes na wag masyadong lakasan ang boses ko. "Good gracious, silence yourself. If the king ever heard you addressing him that way, who knows what he is capable of bestowing you as punishment. You should know that not even your father's position as duke of Sainan could ever stop the king from cutting your tongue if he wished to."

Bahagya naman ako kinilabutan sa paalala ni Agnes. Pamilyar naman ako sa pagiging brutal ng hari ng Volterion, pero ang maimagine na gagawin niya ngang putulin ang dila ko'y nagbigay sa akin ng katakot-takot na pangamba bigla.

"You don't have to remind me that, I know how cruel that king was." Sagot ko kay Agnes.

My response eventually urged me to travel down the memory of my past two lives in this novel. Apparently, it all that I could remember was how ruthless king Richard could be in order to protect Beatrice from her other persuers.

It was for that reason why those other seven second lead male characters partly became antagonist on Beatrice and Richard's love story. Panandalian man pero doon ko nasaksihan kung gaano kabrutal mamarusa si king Richard.

"That's why I insist that you should go downstairs before your father even comes here." Pakiusap muli ni Agnes, sa kabila ng pagwalang bahala ko sa sinasabi niya.

At habang patuloy pa rin ako sa pagwawalang kibo kay Agnes ay laking gulat nalang namin dalawa ng biglang pinatabi na aking ama si Agnes nang sa gayon ay makapasok siya sa aking kwarto.

"There's no need for that, Agnes. Please, leave Giezelle and I alone for the moment.
Mabilis na pakiusap ng aking ama kay Agnes. Halos ayaw pa ga sana ako ni Agnes iwan dahil alam niya kung ano nanaman ang possibleng maganap. Mabilis ko rin na tinignan si Agnes upang ipahiwatig sa kanya na wag sana niya akong iiwan kasama ang aking ama kahit na anong mangyari. "I'd like to speak with my daughter in private." dugtong ng aking ama.

Subalit, sa huli ay wala rin naman nagawa si Agnes. I was still left alone with my father inside my room. Fear has completely enveloped me. I don't even know how I would face my father at this rate since I know for sure he'd repriminad me again not just for the humiliation I brough him upon the arrival of the king in our estate, but also if king Richard decided to tell my father how I spoke so boldly with him.

The moment that Agnes left everything with my dad, he instantly caught me by surprised when he seated beside my bed and said, "Now that's it's just the two of us, I think it would be safe for now."

BIgla ako napataas ng isang kilay, I was confused what my father be referring to at the moment which was he suddenly said those two words to me. I don't remember Giezelle's father to be the type who would enjoy engaging into a deep conversation for long even in my previous two lives.

However, at this moment, I was surprised when my father all of a sudden came down to lure his face and tell me, "Listen very carefully, I want you to gather just the importhing belongings you have, Giezelle. Because you need to travel away and out from this estate as soon as possible. You need to leave before the king ever notices that you're not around anymore."