If I were a...

Chapter 1

[Ragus]

(One month before Doutikyetre)

"Do I really have to do this ma?"

Aaaaargh!! I hate when this situation happens.

"Are you kidding me? *scoffs* You do this every-month Ragus. Please, I know this is embarassi-"

"Embarrassing? Who told you it is embarrassing? It humiliates my soul, ma! This is far more than embarrassing."

"Rag?" she whispered while searching for my gaze, but I am a man of my—

"Alright, " decision.

I looked for the dress in my mom's closet to wear it for tricking noblemen and rich people to give me money, or the disabled, pregnant woman I'll be later.

But my mom says, women are piteous, especially poor ones. Yeah, my mom's completely against the idea of feminism even if a whole country is supporting that because of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. The "worst" nun in Mehikoug. I've read that when I sneaked in to a nobleman's library but I'm not sure if it's a whole country.

I wandered around the market, streets, and even at the windowsills of mansions to find money, but to my surprise, the crowd has thinned.
At first, I thought that Grans are just having a vacation in another village in Grandamon, but I searched enough to conclude that something is happeni-

Doutikyetre.

I bolted out in the streets of my village to find my mother lying peacefully in our bed amidst my anxious presence, minding no one's business.

"Ma?" I whispered.

She stirred up before sitting on the bed and looked at me with wide eyes that made my nervous-self even more nervous.

"W-what's wrong ma?"

Instead of answering, she held my shoulders tightly as if something bad really is going to happen. And then she just hugged me, hugged me without knowing the reason.

We stayed like that for a couple of seconds and she spoke.

"Ragus, *sniffs* we are next." As soon as she finished her statement, tears flooded her cheeks. She looked at me with her molasses-like brown eyes and I stood up quickly to find our bags.

"Ragus, "

I didn't mind her.

"Ragus, "

Then both of our voices and heart broke because of the upcoming
"ceremony" or "event". And I just don't want the only person that I love be hurt.

I want us to be safe.

"Ma! Let's pack ma, er, we can migrate back to Molta and—"

"Ragus,"

"And we can get together with my cousins and your sibli-"

"RAGUS!"

I stopped in my tracks to see my bawling mother.

It hurts, really.

A woman who's breathing heavily broke into our house with relief in her eyes. And that relief quickly replaced with confusion.

"Oh, my apologies—"

"Who're you?"

"I'm so sorry I can'—"

"Who are you?!"

I began to scan her, judge her to paraphrase, but. She seems to belong in a noble or rich family.