Second: The Queen's Lament

04

04

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The man towered over me when he introduced himself. I didn't know Damian has a twin. Well, it's not like you know that man well, Saoirse.

"And you are?" the man who introduced himself Deioces asked. "You like my shoes?" his eyes gestured over to the shoe that fell. Nangunot ang nuo ko sa tanong niya. "You can take it but you're well-dressed for a beggar."

Napaawang ang bibig ko sa narinig. What did he just say? Not only is he intimidating and a threat, he is presumptuous. Damian is nothing like this twin of him. He may be intimidating but he has manners.

"No, thank you very much. And I am not a beggar," I replied but gave him a hostile look. His thick eyebrows rose in amusement. I even caught a glimpse of a ghost smirk.

How dare he make fun of me?

"Then what are you doing here?" Deioces crossed his arms as he looked at me with condescending eyes over his rimless rectangular eyeglasses.

I don't like this guy. At all.

"I'm Louisiana and we're neighbors. Damian is... a friend." I introduced myself.

"Yeah, that doesn't answer my question," he said nonchalantly. His tone uninterested but his expression says otherwise.

Bahagya akong nakatingala sa kaniya. My 5'8 height cannot simply beat his 6'3. I did not like this height difference at all. Not only did I feel small, he also looks down on me like he is supposed to.

I held my head high but not high enough to be seem arrogant, but confident. I want to show him that I don't get easily intimated by an arrogant likes of him. And I think he noticed it since the sides of his lips curved for a smirk.

"I simply wanted to confirm if Damian's here. Bukas ang ilaw sa labas but he wasn't home for the past two weeks so I was confused," I explained.

Deioces nodded before tilting his head. "Then?"

"What?" It almost sounded like a whisper.

"That's all? Did you confirm that Damian's here?"

I bit my lower lip in annoyance. His eyes followed it. "No."

"Then you can go home, neighbor," he turned his back to me. "Damian won't be home for the next six months, if he hasn't told you."

My lips parted in disbelief. And before I can stop myself, I bursted.

"Can't you show a little bit of hospitality for your brother's visitor?" I bit my lips immediately when I realized my outburst.

The man stopped from his tracks and turned to me.

"Isn't telling Damian when he's coming home enough hospitality?"

I gasped. "That-"

He cut me off. "Isn't offering you my shoe enough hospitality?"

"I am not interested in your dusty shoes!" I uttered in disbelief.

I am a patient person. But this man gets into every last of my nerves. The man chuckled and closed our distance once more. He was then again looking down on me.