Chapter 4.2

Hinawakan ko naman ang mga ito at masasabi ko talaga na worth it ang pagbili ng dresses sa kaniya. Kahit na hindi ako nakabili noon.

"Sometimes I still sew dresses. I guess old habits die hard."

"How much?" I asked. Jakob looked at me before turning his attention to the wardrobe.

Para bang pumipili ito ng damit, at ilang sandali nga lang, may inilabas itong skin-tone dress that had little yellow and white flowers on it. Ang tela nito ay medyo magaspang at see through ang dalawa nitong balikat. Ang lente nito at lagpas paa. May tali rin ito na nakabuhol sa gitna ng dibdib.

Kita ng bahagya ang aking dibdib kung susuotin ko ito, pero kahit na ganoon ang itsura, maganda pa rin ito tignan.

"This dress will surely suit you better," he said and handed me the dress that he's talking about.

"You're not going to accept payment for such a beautiful dress?" I asked. "It's my compensation for what I have done to your hand." Well... I guess it's not bad at all.

"You should accept payments. Also I was the one who's at fault earlier and for barging in without any consent," I said and handed him an envelope as my payment.

"I told you-"

"Just accept it," I said and looked at him with puppy eyes. Wala na siyang nagawa nang ipagpilitan ko na tanggapin na niya ang bayad ko para sa damit. Sinobrahan ko iyon dahil sa nanggulo rin ako sa kaniya at bumisita nang walang pasabi.

"Come to me and work for me, I'll give you everything that you need and what you deserve," I offered. Tinaasan naman niya ako ng kilay na para bang nagsusungit pa rin sa akin.

"What? Do you think that I am living my life so poorly and wasting it?" he irritatingly asked. Kaagad ko namang iniling ang ulo ko sa sinabi niya at binigyan siya ng isang ngiti.

"Of course not, I am just offering a contract to you that I know that you truly deserve," I said while smiling, he just looked away and that made me smile even more. Is that a yes?

"Just give me a visit and I'm going to make you known," I said and stood up while holding the dress that he gave. "Wait," kalmadong tawag niya sa akin bago ko siya talikuran.

"Yes?"

"I don't know your name, may I know it?" he shyly asked.

"Oh... Didn't I tell you?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I am Lacy. Lacy Cunningham Marquez, young lady of the Marquez," I introduced myself. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Jakob Isis," I said and left him.

You are really doing great, Lacy. First mission, complete!

Grabe! Pagod na pagod na ako! Ibinagsak ko naman ang katawan ko sa kama ko. I feel so refreshed! I'm so happy and I just feel great. My efforts didn't go to waste.

Come to think of it, it's also a blessing in disguise na nasugatan ako dahil pumayag si Jakob kapalit ng pagsugat niya sa akin, and I thought that it's failed but it isn't! It actually came out well!

My eyelids are already heavy and I can't help but close them, but I think I saw a shadow...

***

Lacy is now sleeping while the man in the cloak stares at her before turning his gaze on her wounded hand. His steps are silent, halos wala ka ng marinig na hakbang ng mga paa sa kaniya. Para bang isa itong spy sa sobrang tahimik.

Ma-ingat itong lumapit kay Lacy na tulog na tulog, bahagya pa itong gumalaw na syang ikinabahala ni Pickett.

Yes, it's none other than Pickett dressed in black cloak to easily hide himself. If things don't go as he planned, he can escape easily without exposing his identity.

Ma-ingat nitong hinaplos ang kamay ni Lacy na mayroong bandage, he saw what happened earlier, he can't help but to grin whenever he's thinking what happened. Napa-iling siya ng maalala ang kaniyang nakita kanina, hindi niya alam kung baliw ba itong babaeng ito o may sira sa utak.

Sino ba naman kasi ang matinong gagawa ng ganoong move sa isang tao? Lalo na kung binabantaan nito ang buhay mo. Pickett thought that Lacy is just mean girl who likes to do shopping just like the other nobles. A lady who's mean to other ladies below them, a girl that's annoying and full of girly thoughts.

But clearly she's not like those girls. She's not one of them. She's a hella different, she's a brave woman. Mali siya ng iniisip sa babae, dahil ibang-iba ito sa kaniyang iniisip noong una, dahil ganoon rin naman ang usap-usapan tungkol sa kaniya.

Madalas nang-aaway ng ibang nobles na hindi niya nagustuhan, laging masungit, hindi mo rin ito malalapitan ng basta-basta. Pero sabi rin nila na mayabang ito, well, she can brag about her life. She’s pretty, a wealthy noble, the daughter of the Hero Lucian Marquez, she has wit about politics and other things. Overall, papasa na nga siya bilang reyna at hindi nga siya nagkamali.

Just like what happened earlier, that man can kill Lacy easily as she approaches him but the look on her face says that she doesn't even fear death, she's not afraid to die or to get hurt in the process. She didn’t even waver or flick when she was being threatened. What a fearless woman she is.

She'll do what she wants and it seems like she doesn't care what's on her way, all she wants is to get what she's aiming for.

That's what Pickett thought of her.

“What a fearless woman. You have caught my interest now.”

Pickett held her wounded hand and even though it has a bandage on it, he feels her warm and soft hand, to the point that he doesn't want to let go of it.

When he thought of looking at his fiancé's face, he almost cursed when he saw her silver-blue eyes staring at his red eyes.

Nakaawang ang bibig nito na para bang gulat na gulat kay Pickett at marahil nagtataka kung bakit ito nasa kwarto niya.

“W-what... Who are you?”