Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Seraphina

"Change your clothes. We're going shopping now."

I looked at her, confused, still holding the ladle.

"Wore a dress to match mine," nakangiti sabi niya.

I heard Nikolai sigh. He looked done and rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by Maine's presence.

"Pink. Okay?" She said.

I nodded slowly.

Where was I supposed to find a pink dress? I had one, but it barely reached my knees.

Maine looked effortlessly pretty in her red dress, and I couldn't help but wonder if I could even match that.

I went to my room and changed my dress. The pink one. Kahit maliit, sinuot ko pa rin.

"Perfect. You look pretty," she said.

I smiled. I really felt confident being praised by another woman. Pakiramdam ko ang ganda-ganda ko.

"Too small."

And that's how my smile faded. Hindi ko naman hinihingi ang opinion niya pero nagsalita pa rin siya. Kahit p****k short pa itong suot ko, wala naman siguro siyang pake.

"What do you mean small? It looks perfect," Maine defended me.

Well, he's a man. What would he know about dresses anyway?

"Her legs are showing."

"And?" tinaasan ko siya ng kilay.

He looked at me, straight in the eyes. "I don't like it."

Nagkatinginan kami. Walang umatras, walang umiwas. Para bang kaming dalawa lang ang tao sa paligid. Pero magkaiba ang tingin namin sa isa't isa. Nikolai was looking at me with softness in his eyes. While I was staring back at him with nothing but irritation.

But then, Maine suddenly cut in, enough to make the both of us turn to her.

"Ano ka ba. Alam kong masyadong maganda si Sera sa suot niya. Pero uuwi siya na asawa mo pa rin."

That word gave me goosebumps.

"It should be me who was with her. It's our honeymoon."

Honeymoon my ass. He couldn't even wake me up last night to let me sleep on the bed.

"What do you mean? You're going to work. You're going to leave her here with nothing to do?"

"Well, she can do whatever she wants. Besides, she doesn't know anything outside since she's not familiar with the place. What if she gets lost?"

I sighed. Maka-overthink naman siya, parang lolo ko. Ano ba tingin niya sa akin? Tanga?

"I can handle myself. Even if I get lost, I'll make it back here alive," I said.

Napatingin lang si Nikolai sa akin. Even Maine smiled after I said that.

He sighed again. He looked irritated, but not mad.

Tumayo siya at kinuha ang black suit niya na nakapatong sa upuan.

At bigla siyang lumapit sa akin at isinabit sa magkabilang balikat ko.

He smirked when he made eye contact with me. Then inilapit niya ang bibig niya sa tenga ko. "Then... be safe."

Medyo kinabahan ako sa sinabi niya. Be safe? Ano bang meron sa lugar na 'to. Marami bang kriminal? At saka magsho-shopping lang naman kami ni Maine, hindi naman kami pupunta kung saan.

Well, I get it. He wants to be that so called protective husband. Pero pati ba naman sa pag-alis ko, ipagbabawalan niya pa? Ayoko lang naman mabulok dito sa mansion niya.

But before I could pull away, his hand slid to my cheek and he pressed a slow kiss there.

Ramdam kong uminit ang pisngi ko. Napahawak ako sa kanya at itinulak siya nang bahagya.

He smirked, his eyes dark as he looked at me. Then he slowly licked his lips, like he was holding himself back, like he knew exactly how much he was affecting me.

He's really weird. And not in a good way.

Maingay. Siksikan. Sigawan.

Pagdating pa lang namin sa mall, malalakas na sigawan na agad ang narinig ko.

Puro pangalan ni Maine ang sinisigaw nila.

Ito siguro ang ibig sabihin ni Nikolai sa sinabi niyang be safe.

Dahil sa mga fans ni Maine.

Puro camera ang nakatutok sa amin. Nakakasilaw, nakakasakit sa mata.

"Kayo po asawa ni Nikolai, diba?" Tanong ng dalawang dalaga sa akin. Nasa tabi ko sila, nakikisabay sa mabagal naming lakad.

"Nakita namin sa post ni Maine. Ikaw yung kahalikan ni Nikolai."

Kahalikan? That peck? 'Yun pa talaga ang pinost ni Maine sa dami ng pictures namin doon.

Tumango ako.

"Pwede po pa-picture?"

I smiled but shook my head.

Hindi naman ako artista, bakit sa akin sila magpapapicture. At pakiramdam ko awkward na ako rito, lalo na't hindi ko alam kung paano ko matutulungan si Maine na makatakas sa kanila.

"Sorry po, pero hindi ako nagpapapicture sa iba. Pasensya na po," sabi ko.

Nakita ko kung paano natigil ang babae, tapos ay umirap siya sa akin. Ramdam ko ang inis sa mga mata niya, parang natapakan ko ang ego niya dahil lang sa hindi ako pumayag magpa-picture.

Maingay. Magulo. Tinutulak kami ng mga tao.

Natigil lang ang lahat nang dumating ang mga guard ng mall.

Being a celebrity is really that exhausting. Kahit private life mo, pinapasok nila.

"Masanay ka na. Kapag lumalabas kami, palagi talagang ganyan," sabi ni Maine, eating her cake as we sat at the cafe. "Mas safe lang ako kapag si Nikolai ang kasama ko."

"Ganun ba siya ka-overprotective?" tanong ko.

"Hindi overprotective," sagot niya. "Pero kapag kasama mo siya, ramdam mo na safe ka."

I nodded slowly, letting her words sink in.

I glanced around the cafe, noticing how people still stole looks at us, some whispering, some pretending not to stare. It felt suffocating, like there was no space to breathe without someone watching.

"I guess that kind of life isn't for me," sabi ko. "Sanay ako sa tahimik."

Maine smiled at me, parang napansin niya na nakatingin ako sa mga tao rito sa cafe. "You'll get used to it. Or at least, you'll learn how to survive it."

I wasn't sure if I wanted to get used to it at all. But one thing was clear. Life beside Nikolai meant a world I was only starting to see.

"You want to go home?"

"Wala ka na bang bibilhin? And Nikolai is still at work at this time."

"No, he's at home," sabi niya.

Napakunot ang noo ko. "Nasa work 'yun."

"He's waiting for you at home."

Me? He was waiting for me? And for what? To question the dress I wore?

Maine dropped me off outside the mansion. She didn't come in.

Well, maybe she was exhausted too, being surrounded by so many cameras and eyes at the mall.

There were bodyguards and maids outside the mansion. Mukhang may hinihintay sila.

"Good afternoon po ma'am." sabi nung isang maid.

Kinukuha niya ang mga bitbit ko, pero agad ko rin nilayo ang kamay ko.

"Ako na, hindi naman mabigat ito."

"Pero ma'am—"

"Ako na."

Hindi na siya nagsalita.

Pagpasok ko sa loob, I saw Nikolai waiting on the sofa, reading a book. May mahina ring tugtog sa paligid, maybe to keep him calm and relaxed.

"Welcome back, wife," he said with a smile as he looked at me.

"You didn't come to work?" I said as I placed the clothes I bought beside him.

"I was waiting for you."

"Me? Why?"

"We should be spending the day today. As husband and wife," he said as he stood up.

"Kahit hindi na. This is just fake. Kahit huwag na nating gawin ang mga gawain ng totoong kinasal."

He stopped in front of me. Sobrang lapit.

"Why? You nervous to be in love with me for real?"

I chuckled. "You wish."

He brushed his finger against my hand, slowly tracing up to my arm.

"You want to start it today?"

Napakunot ang noo ko. Start what?

"Can you dance?"

Hindi pa ako nakakasagot nang ilagay niya ang isang kamay niya sa baywang ko at ang isa sa kamay ko. Napahawak ako sa balikat niya nang bigla siyang gumalaw.

I froze when I felt him move. Slow and careful, like he was afraid I might pull away.

"Relax," mahina sabi niya. "I won't drop you."

"I'm not scared," I replied quickly, even though my heart said otherwise.

He smiled, like he knew I was lying. He guided my steps to the quiet music playing around us. No spins. Just one step to the side, then back. Alam niya yatang hindi ako marunong sumayaw.

"See?" he said. "It's easy."

"For you," I murmured.

His hand on my waist tightened just a little, enough to keep me close. It wasn't awkward. It wasn't too intimate either. It felt... safe.

Sa oras na 'yun, I forgot this was fake. I forgot the deal, the reason we were here. All I could feel was the calm in my chest, the silence between us.

Then I looked up.

He was already looking at me. No teasing smile. Just his serious eyes on mine.

"This is how it should feel," he said. "Not forced."

I didn't answer. I just swallowed and looked away.

But he didn't let go.

We kept moving slowly, quietly.

But then I felt his hand lift to my chin. Gently, he tilted my face up so I had no choice but to look at him.

"You are beautiful."

I felt his forehead touch mine as his eyes closed, like he was listening to the music and just enjoying the dance. Then his lips brushed against my ear.

"My wife is so beautiful."

My heart started racing. His words hit me hard. I knew he meant every single one of them.

He was complimenting me. He was the first person who ever called me beautiful, aside from my grandparents. The first person who danced with me even though I did not know how. The first person who waited for me at home.

The man I married for convenience. The man I promised myself I would never fall in love with.

So why was my chest racing like this over something so simple?

His face slowly leaned closer to mine. I could feel his breath now, warm and steady. We were so close that only a small space remained between our lips.

Just a little more, and we would touch.

But then a voice cut through the moment.

"What's happening here?"