FIRST LOVE COMPLEX

CHAPTER 6

Hindi ako pwede magkamali, siya nga si Gregory.

Gregory Hansen was the only close kin of Duke Lorkan Sallamanca. Pinsan siya ni Gregory sa ina. At sa pagkakatanda ko, Gregory was the heir to the House of Hansen in the vale.

Mula nang masakop ito ni Duke Lorkan, ay ipinamahala na niya ang pagbabantay sa vale mula sa mga bandidong namamalagi dito.

However, at this point, mas mukha pang bandido si Gregory sa ginawa niya sa amin. Hindi ko alam bakit kinakailangan niyang harangin ang karwahe namin kung kita naman niya na isa lamang itong pangkaraniwang karwahe na kadalasang ginagamit ng mga mangangalakal.

"Gregory?" Ang di ko napigilan na nasambit sa harap ng mukha niya. Hindi ko namalayan na kanina pa pala nakahawak ang magkabilang palad ko sa pisngi ni Gregory. Halos konti lamang din ang distansya ng aming mukha, making the moment suddenly an awkward one.

I saw how his set of emerald eyes looked at me with pure surprise knowing how I was able to know who he was despite the disguise he did. Maski ako natigilan din, napatitig ako sa mukha ni Gregory muli at para bang bumalik lahat ng alaala ko tungkol sa kanya for the past two lives.

Gregory or mas nakasanayan kong tawag sa kanyang Greg, ay may naging magandang pakikitungo kay Beatrice. Dahil sa likod ng pagiging matapat niya kay Lorkan, ay gano'n din ang pagiging tapat niyang paglilingkod kay Beatrice no'ng mga panahong asa palasyo pa siya ng Kahoma.

Di lingid sa kaalaman ni Duke Lorkan ay madalas na dalawin ni Greg ang prinsesa ng Houndshire upang dalhan ng mga nakuha niyang wild persimmon mula sa vale. Kilala kasi ang vale sa mga masasarap nitong wild variations ng mga prutas na tulad ng Persimmon—ang paboritong prutas ni Princess Beatrice.

Bilang isang side character na wala naman masyadong impact sa storya noon, nasubaybayan ko halos ng lahat ng kaganapan tungkol kay princess Beatrice. At isa na rin doon ang lihim na pagtingin sa kanya ni Gregory.

Isang pagtingin na nauwi din sa kapahamakan ni Gregory.

Sa muling pag-alaala ko ng masalimoot na naganap kay Gregory, hindi ko na namalayan na kanina pa pala ako nakahawak sa mukha ni Gregory. Mukhang maski siya ay bigla na rin natauhan sa napaka-awkward na situation naming dalawa.

Bigla na lamang ay sabay pa kaming dumistansya sa isa't-isa.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Gregory uttered, his face was a bit contorted out of disbelief. "How are you able to know whoI was?" Laking pagtataka ni Gregory.

Batid ko ang di lang gulat pati ang pagtataka niya. Sino ba naman ang hindi magtataka kung ang isang estrangherang katulad ko sa kanya ay bigla na lamang banggitin ang pangalan niya na para bang kilala ko siya?

Oo, sa akin, hindi na bago ito. Ngunit hindi ko agad naisip na hindi nga pala ako kilala ni Gregory. Maski sa past two lives ko rito ay hindi rin naman kami nagkakilala ni Gregory. Nakasalubong ko siya sa piging sa Asnador during my second life ngunit hindi man lang kami nabigyan ng pagkakataon magkausap.

In short, we're complete strangers.

"Don't make me ask again. How did you know about my name?" Muling tanong ni Gregory. And this time, I know his voice really meant that I should yield and tell him the truth.

Subalit, may nagsasabi sa akin na huwag ako basta magsalita. For some reason, I couldn't possibly just tell him about me being given a third life in this fictional world to change his path from dying.

I mean, who would be in their right mind to believe me? Of course not him, no one even.

Although ang mga tauhan sa kwentong ito'y mga fictional characters, sa loob ng kwentong ito pakiramdam nila they're real, they exist. Which was why trying to tell them about it would only make me sound like a lunatic.

And the least thing I would want to become of myself in this world was to be rumoured lunatic daughter of the duke of Sainan.

"Uh,well, I, uh..." Halos taranta ko pa nga kung ano ang isasagot ko sa kanya. Nanginginig din nga ang bibig ko kasabay ng aking mga kamay habang nakatingin sa kanya na ngayon ay muli nanamang unti-unting iniaangat ang kanyang espada upang itutok sa akin.

"If you won't tell me the truth, then I would have to cut your tongue for that." Banta pa niya sa akin.

This version of Gregory now was something I hadn't seen from the previous lives I had. In my two previous lives, Gregory was more of an opposer to his cousin, Duke Lorkan. Pero may isang pagkakataon na sinangayunan niyang matulungan si Lorkan na mabawi si Beatrice mula kay Richard.

He thought that once Lorkan was able to take back Beatrice, He could just usurp Lorkan next and have Beatrice for himself. But when Lorkan's plan to poison king Richard, all of his plans failed. And He knew he had to fully support Lorkan in his rebellion without letting the king punish him for treason.

Sa dahilan na 'yon, pinili ni Gregory na isakripisyo ang buhay niya, hoping that in the spare of Lorkan's life, he would still be able to contribute getting back Beatrice rom King Richard.

It was a stupid goal, indeed.

Pero naniniwala ako na kung may taong nakapaggabay lamang kay Gregory that time, he wouldn't probably die in vain that time. He would probably have lived and perhaps, find the one suited for him.

I breathed softly, enough to compose myself without Gregory knowing.

At this point, I needed to answer back, which was why I mustered my courage to tell him. "I was informed that the duke of Kahoma has a dazzling cousin who happened to be might ranger assigned in the vale. If I addressed you to be that person, then I understand you wouldn't dare hurt me and my companions." I eventually told him firmly.

Kinakailangan ko ipakita sa kanya na hindi niya ako pwede sindakin. Dahil sa pagkakataon na ito, I understand I needed to serve my purpose for coming back into square one, and that was to make sure that those seven second lead characters' fates were altered from their original doom.

"And why should I do that? You don't answer my query and you think I would listen to you? Just who do you think you are anyway, huh?!" Gregory then gently poked me with the dull side of his sword.

Nakikita ko na nagsisimula na rin mapika sa akin si Gregory. Kanina pa kasi ako hindi nagpapakita or nagsasalita man lang ng kahit anong sagot sa mga katanungan niya. Para ba akong nagpapahiwatig na ayaw ko ipaalam sa kanya kung sino ako.

Ngunit, alam kong napipika na rin siya ay muli ko ibinuka ang aking bibig upang tugunan ng sagot ang kanyang tanong. Subalit hindi ko inaasan na bigla na lamang nanlaki ang mga mata ni Gregory habang nakatitig sa akin lalo na nang sinabi ko sa kanyang, "Oh me? I am just Lady Giezelle Gemsworth, daughter of Duke Reagorn Gemsworth of Sainan, and I am travelling to the dukedom of Kahoma to meet my future husband, the duke of Kahoma, Duke Lorkan Sallamanca—who happened to be your cousin, Gregory Hansen."