Chapter Thirty Seven

Pickett was just looking at his father and Lacy talking. Naririnig niya ang kanilang mga pinag-uusapan at tungkol iyon sa paghingi ng tawad ng kaniyang Ama sa mag-ama.

"Then, is there something you wanted the most? I am sure I can give anything to you as my compensation of what had happened."

Nakita niyang ngumiti ang dalaga bago tumingin sa paligid at nang makita siya nitong nakatingin sa kanila, ngumiti ito nang kakaiba sa kaniya.

She said something to his father that made him run for his life.

"There is, your majesty. I am sure that you are the only one can do that," saad nito sabay baling sa kaniyang ama.

Mas mabilis pa sa alas kwatro ang kaniyang pagtakbo pero walang pa siya sa kalagitnaan nang kaniyang pagtakbo, para bang binuhusan siya ng malamig na tubig nang sabihin ng dalaga ang kaniyang pakay.

"I want my opportunity of marriage to be nonbinding," she said with a serious expression on her face. Napatigil naman ang lahat ng nasa loob ng hall lalo na ang kaniyang ama, si duke Lucian at lalo na siya.

Nanlamig ang buo niyang katawan at hindi siya magalaw sa pwesto niya dahil napatigil siya sa kaniyang pagtakbo.

King Levi creased his forehead and confusingly look at the lady in front of him.

"Pardon me?" tanong nito. She once smiled again at her father and looked at him then pointed her fingers at him.

"I want our engagement to be nullified," she said again. Pickett sighed, and went closer to them.

"Am I hearing it right? You want your marriage with the Crown Prince to be null and void?" pagtatanong ng hari at tumingin sa ama ni Lacy.

"Did you know about this, Duke Lucian?" pagtatanong pa nito ulit at siningkitan ang mga mata na tumingin sa kanila.

Duke Lucian nods his head and bowed down. "Yes, King Levi. I discussed this already with my daughter and she said the same thing to me. I asked her for her reasons and she said she wanted to cancel their marriage," duke Lucian politely said.

Nagpupuyos naman sa galit ang kaniyang ama sa narinig sa dalawa. Paniguradong pakiramdam nila parehas sila ng kaniyang ama na tinraydor.

Alam niyang siya ang nagsabi sa duke na ayaw ni Lacy na magpakasal sa kaniya o sa iba pa niyang kapatid na lalaki. Pero akala niya ay hindi hahayaan ng duke na gawin ito ng dalaga.

Bagkus ay sinuportahan niya pa ito, against all odds, ika nga nila.

"Then who among my children do you wish to wed to you?" the king Levi asked once again. Hoping that even his secret love child will be chosen, or his other sons, aside from the crown prince.

Ang dating kasi kung pipili ito ng isa sa mga kapatid ni Pickett ay, nasa harap mo na nga ang dyamante pero pumili ka pa ng isang bato.

"None, your majesty," she said, and bowed down her head. "I do not wish to tie knot with any of your sons. I hope you understands that," she added, and smiled politlely at his father.

Pickett shook his head and he felt pissed after hearing it once again from the young lady. Alam niyang darating rin sila sa ganitong sitwasyon pero hindi niya inaakala na ganito kaaga.

"I apologize but I am afraid that I cannot do what you are asking me to do," sagot ng hari at tumingin kay Pickett. But the latter just turn his gaze away and tsk.

"But, your majesty, you said you can do all things for me to forgive your family wrongdoings I was accused of. You swear on your name, and it's a shame for you not to do that," sagot ng dalaga rito at inosenteng ngumiti.

Tinignan naman siya nang masama ni king Levi.

"Of course you do not want that to happen, since you are known for your fair and wise decision making. So think wisely, your majesty. Do you want to be the laughingstock of your people for not fulfilling this young lady's wish? Or we can just settle this in private and forgive you in exchange of this wish?"

King Levi looked at her thoroughly and closed its eyes before sighing. Then he look at Pickett and with this specifically emotion in its eyes that tells him that this is it.

This is the end. It's game over already, even though it hasn't started yet.

King Levi sighed once again and look at his son apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Son," hingi ng paumanhin nito habang nakatingin sa kaniya.

Samantalang si Lacy naman ay biglang nagliwanag ang mga mukha nito at ngumiti nang malaki.

"But it's over." Napantig ang tenga niya roon ay kaagad na iniling niya ang kaniyang ulo nang paulit-ulit.

Narinig niya ang pagtawa ni Lacy sa kaniya habang tinuto siya nito.

"You're such a loser, Lord Pickett. Too bad, your dreams to be with me will not happen," saad nito na siyang sinundan ng tawa ng ama nito na si duke Lucian.

Narinig niya rin pagtawa ng ibang tao sa pailigid niya. napasigaw naman siya sa lahat ng kaniyang naririnig. Gusto niya itong pahintuin at patigilin.

"NOOOO!"

***

Napatalon naman sa gulat si Lacy nang bigla itong sumigaw nang walang dahilan.

"NOOOO!" Gulat na napatingin si Lacy sa lalaki at nawiwirduhang lumayo rito.

Para itong nababaliw na, kanina niya pa ito tinatawag pero natulala na lamang ito bigla at na lamang nito iniiling ang kaniyang ulo nang paulit-ulit at kung ano-ano ang kaniyang binubulong. Tapos ngayon naman ay bigla-bigla na lamang itong sumisigaw nang walang dahilan.

Patuloy pa rin nitong iniiling ang kaniyang ulo kaya wala nang nagawa si Lacy kundi ang batukan ito nang malakas sa kaniyang ulo, upang magising na sa mga kahibangan nito.

Nakaramdam naman si Pickett nang malakas na tama sa kaniyang ulo kaya naman nagising na siya at nakabalik sa kaniyang normal na ayos.

Hay salamat naman, saad ni Lacy sa sarili.

"Hey! You okay?" pagtatanong ni Lacy rito matapos nitong batukan siya.

"You hit me on my head and you're going to ask me if I were okay? What kind of question is that?" inis na tanong ni Pickett rito at hinimas ang kaniyang ulo na natamaan.

But Lacy just shrugged her shoulders, and looked at Pickett.

"Well you are out of your mind, that's why I did that," she plainly said, and walked towards the bench.

Kanina kasi ay tinanong siya ng king Levi kung may gusto siyang kahit ano at gagawin o ibibigay niya iyon. Anything is possible if it's the king who'll grant your wish.

That's when she accidentally looked at Pickett and smiled weirdly. At first, inisip niya ang pagvo-void ng marriage pero masyado pang maaga para roon, hindi pa ito importante sa kaniya para patigilin at sayangin ang oportunidad na ibinigay sa kaniya upang tuparin ang kaniyang mga kahilingan.

Of course, in exchange of their forgiveness, she needs to say her wish. But she just told his majesty that she'll think about it and once she has something on her mind, she'll tell him right away.

Pero bigla-bigla na lamang tumakbo si Pickett papunta sa kanila at bigla siyang hinila sa braso at tinangay papalayo sa hall kung nasaan sila kanina. At ngayon ay napadpad sila sa isang mini garden sa loob ng palasyo mismo. Hiwalay pa ang nasa labas ng palasyo, sa siyang sakop rin ng kanilang lupang tinitirikan ng kanilang palasyo.

Kailangan niyang pag-isipan ang mga bagay-bagay at i-jot down lahat ng importanteng gagawin niya upang hindi siya ulit magsisi sa huli. Ngayon ay siya na ang gagawa ng kaniyang tadhana, sisiguraduhin ni Lacy na ang lahat ng planong gagawin niya ay aayon sa takbo ng kaniyang naayon sa buhay niya ngayon.

"Then what the hell happened? I thought you told the King, my father to cancel our engagement?" Pickett hysterically asked. She frowned at him, and shook her head.

"Well, I thought of that. But it's such a waste opportunity for me if I am going to wish for that. So I told the King that I'll think about it for the mean time."

"Besides, I can nullified the engagement without his majesty's approval." Nangunot naman ang noo ni Pickett roon pero nang tanungin niya ito kung paano, hindi na ito sumagot sa kaniya.

Bagkus ay ngumiti lamang ito at umiling pagkatapos at kumibit balikat lamang ito.

"Plus, how can I tell that to your father if you dragged me here, huh?" saad nito sa kaniya at tinaasan siya ng kilay at umiling.

Nahiya naman si Pickett roon at humingi ng paumanhin. Sinandal naman ni Lacy ang kaniyang ulo sa may sandalan ng inuupuan nila at ipinikit ang kaniyang mga mata.

Tinitigan naman ito ni Pickett at inisa-isa ang bahagi ng kaniyang mukha, simula sa kaniyang noo, pababa sa kilay, sa mga mata, ang mga mahahaba nitong pilikmata, ang pointed-nose nito. Ang rosy cheeks nito na natural na natural lamang, ang kissable at pulang-pula na mga labi nito at ang makinis nitong leeg.

"Stop staring at me," biglang sabi ni Lacy rito at ibinaling ang kaniyang ulo sa direksyon ni Pickett sabay dilat nito.

Nakita ni Pickett ang mga magagandang mata nito nang malapitan at hindi niya mapigilang titigan ito nang matagal.

"I think there's something wrong in your eyes," saad ni Pickett rito nang wala sa sarili. Nangunot naman ang noo ni Lacy sa isinambit nito.

Kaagad niyang tinignan ang bracelet na binigay kanina ni Yana, pero hindi naman ito nag-iba ng kulay at alam niyang kalmado lamang siya.

Kaya papaanong nagbago na naman ang kaniyang mga mata.

"What?" naguguluhang tanong nI lacy rito.

Inangat naman ni Pickett ang kaniyang kamay at dahan-dahang inilapit sa mukha ni Lacy. Nagtataka naman si Lacy sa ginagawa ng lalaki.

Inihaplos ni Pickett ang kaniyang kamay sa may bandang pisngi ni Lacy at saka dahan-dahang hinawakan nang may pag-iingat ang eyelid ng kaniyang kaliwang mata. Hinaplos nito ang kaniyang pilik-mata at ang ibabang bahagi ng kaniyang mata.

"Because everytime I am staring at you, you just keep on enticing and echanting the hell out me," saad nito na alam niyang silang dalawa lamang ang nakarinig.

Lacy's lips twitch with what he said. Muntik pa siyang mapangiwi rito kung hindi lamang nito biglang inlapit ang mukha sa kaniyang mukha.

"How did you do that, my lady?" Kaagad namang kumunot ang noo ni Lacy nang parang may narinig siyang pamilyar na boses sa kung paano iyon sabihin ni Pickett.

Pickett then held a strands of her hair and smell it.

"How could you do that to this poor young man?" dagdag pa nito. Napailing na lamang si Lacy rito at itinulak ito nang bahagya papalayo sa kaniya.

"If you're taking any illegal medicines or illegal drugs. Stop it, before it's too late," she worriedly said and look at him the eyes.

"Because what you're doing right now will just cause confusions and distractions," she said, and squinted her eyes on him.

Pickett licked his lips and Lacy can't help to follow his tounge, unconsciously.

"Well, I love confusions and distractions especially if it's with you."

Para namang tumigil ang tibok ng puso ni Lacy nang marinig iyon, her breathe hitched but after a second she just shook her head. She secretly sighed, and pressed her lips together.

Stop it, Lacy. He's just playing. He's not on his right mind, she scolded herself.

She just smirked and answered him shortly.

"Then suit yourself, your highness."