Chapter Forty

Cain and Lacy were talking when a voice interrupts them.

"You two looked like a happy couple." Napatingin naman ang dalawa sa likod nila at nakita nila si Valerie na nakangisi sa kanilang dalawa.

"Sir Valerie," Cain said, and smiled at him. "I thought you already left," he added.

"Why? Did I really interrupts you two? Well I can leave you two alone if you want," Valerie teases. But Cain just laughed with that and shook his head.

"We were just talking," he said, and smiled at him. But Valerie looks at them with malice.

"Okay, if you say so," he teased and smirked at him. Wala namang magawa si Cain sa pang-aasar nito. Nag-uusap lamang talaga silang dalawa at dumating bigla si Valerie.

Hindi niya alam kung saan nito nakuha ang ideya na sinasabi niya. Wala siyang alam sa ganiyan-ganiyan dahil hindi naman siya masyadong nakikipag-interact sa mga babae, bukod sa nakababatang kapatid na babae at sa ina niya.

Mabait lamang talaga siya sa tao, kaya siguro ganoon na lang ang naiisip ni Valerie.

"What are you doing here?" takang tanong ni Lacy pero may bahid pa rin ng inis. Dahil hindi naman sila maayos na nag-uusap o hindi talaga sila nag-uusap.

Kahit na binati siya nito nang maayos, hindi niya pa rin malilimutan ang discrimination na nangyari noong unang pagkikita nila.

"What? Am I not allowed here?" masungit na balik na tanong nito. Lacy didn't hesitate to nod her head.

Valerie just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Anyways, I know you can change his highness' mind, Sir Cain. I don't trust that girl, she can't even distinguish who's who. She's just another heavyweight on our part." Nangunot naman ang noo ni Lacy pero hindi siya nagsalita.

Nakinig lamang siya sa isang tabi at hinayaan ang dalawang mag-usap.

Pero hindi niya rin mapigilang magtaka sa kung ano ang sinasabi nito, he's talking about a girl.

She concludes that there's someone new joined his highness' group. Since kanina ay mayroong pinag-meeting-an sila at para kay Valerie isa itong pabigat na walang kwenta.

Ganoon ang pagkaka-interpret niya sa sinasabi nito.

"His highness made his decisions and you know no one can change that, not even us," Cain told him, and he accidentally turned his gaze at her and he squinted his eyes.

Napataas naman ang kilay ni Lacy roon at nangunot ang kaniyang noo nang makita na nakatingin ito sa kaniya at mukhang napansin rin ni Valerie na nakatingin sa kaniya ni Cain kaya naman taka nitong tinignan si Cain.

Sunod naman siyang tinignan ni Valerie at bahagya pang nagtaka kung bakit ba nakatingin si Cain sakaniya pero ganoon na lamang ang pagliwanag ng kaniyang mukha habang nakatingin sa kaniya.

Lacy looked at the two weirdly and she was about to ask what's with their stares when she remebered what Cain just told Valerie just a minute ago.

She gasped and stood up.

"No," she firmly said. "Know what, I need to go now," she said, and quickly walk away from them. Pero mabilis siyang sinundan ng dalawa. Kaagad naman siayng lumiko sa isang pasilyo pero sinundan pa rin ng dalawa.

"We know that you know what we meant, Lady Lacy," Valerie suddenly politely said. She shook her head and walks faster.

"He's right, my lady. You are the only one who can change his mind," Cain added. She rolls her eyes and frowns.

"Oh yeah and pigs can fly," she said, as if it's imporrsible to happen.

Tsaka hindi naman ganoon sila ka-close ni Lord Pickett para kung mag-suggest siya ay ganoon na lang nito kabilis a-agree sa kaniya.

Wala naman silang malalim na relasyon upang maging ganoon ang binata sa kaniya. Hindi niya mababago ang nasa isip nito, kahit na siya pa, katulad na lamang ng sabi ni Sir Cain kanina, no one can change his mind even them, na nakasama niya for a long time.

Paano pa kaya siya na kakakilala lamang at sinabihan niya na agad na ayaw niyang magpakasal rito. Mukha bang may magtitiwala sa ganoong tao? Syempre wala.

Kaya naman napakaimposible ng gusto nila.

"Well, I am always seeing pigs in our city that flies. I guess that's possible," Cain innocently said. She chuckled and shook her head.

"Magicians and mages exists, so I guess everything is possible," Valerie added, and she heard Sir Cain agrees with what he said.

"Can you two stop following me?" inis na tanong ni Lacy sa kanilang dalawa. Pero parang batang umiling lamang ang mga ito at tuluyan na siyang inabutan sa kaniyang paglalakad.

"We will not, until you agrees with us and help us," Cain said, and showed him his sweetest smile.

"So you're asking for my help now?" prangkang tanong niya. "Well, we don't have any options other than you, right now. So... you're the best option, for now."

Kaagad naman niyang sinamaan ng tingin si Valerie nang sabihin niya iyon. Nanghihingi na nga lang ng tulong, nang-iinsulto pa.

"Sorry to say this, but you wouldn't have the answer that you needed."

That's what she said and now, look at her. She's part of their meeting now.

Nakalipas na ang tatlong araw at pinuntahan siya nina Cain, Valerie at may bago silang recruit na si Golden.

Siniguro ng dalawa na sasama talaga siya kaya naman bumisita sila sa kanilang bahay. Pasalamat na lamang sila at wala ang kaniyang Ama sa bahay nila dahil marami itong inaasikaso ngayon.

Bored na bored siyang nakatingin sa harap at hindi na niya rin maiwasan na husgahan ang babaeng bago nilang recruit. Si Bella Gomez.

Maganda siya at matalino, hindi tulad niya na kaya lang naman niya alam ang mga abgay-bagay dahil alam na niya ang future. Pero kung ikukumpara ito sa kaniya. Masasabi niyang may ibubuga ang babae.

Teka-- bakit ba niya ikinukumpara ang kaniyang sarili sa babaeng iyon? Pasikreto siyang napailing sa kaniyang sarili.

Pero hindi niya maitatanggi na tama sina Valerie at Cain. Hindi talaga gagana ang plano nito.

Ang plano niya palang ginawa ay nangyari rin noong nabubuhay pa ako sa dati kong buhay at nag-fail iyon.

Ang inaakala nilang pagligtas ng mga bata sa ilalim ng dungeon at kaagad na napalitan ng mga hayop, katulad ng baboy, manok, aso at kung ano-ano pa.

Dahil nakatunog ang may-ari kaya naman nagkaroon sila ng pagkakataon na tumakas at itago ang mga bata sa ibang lugar.

Nakakalungkot lamang dahil hanggang sa namatay ako hindi nailigtas ang mga bata.

Kung itong Bella Gomez man ang nagplano niyon, hindi ko dapat siya sisihin ngunit, kasalanan niay pa rin.

May kasalanan pa rin dahil mas lalong nag-ingat ang mga taong ganid sa kapangyarihan upang hindi sila mabuko at mahuli.

Lacy once sighed again adn this caught Bella's attention. Kaagad namang nagsalubong ang kilay ni Bella at masamang tinignan si Lacy na bored na bored lamang na nakikinig at tila ba walang interest sa kung ano ang ginagawa nila.

"Hey, you," tawag ni Bella rito sabay turo. Kaagad namang nagtinginan ang mga nasa loob ng kwarto sa kaniya.

Hindi napansin ni Lacy noong una na siya ang sinabihan dahil wala nga siyang interest sa nangyayari, hindi dahil sa hindi siya nag-aalala dahil pwersahan siyang dinala rito.

Nakaramdam naman siya ng isang pagsiko sa isang katabi niya, an si Golden. Tinaasan niya ito ng kilay at mayroong inginuso sa harap. Kaya naman tumingin siya roon at nakita niyang inis na nakatingin ang babae sa kaniya.

"If you are not interested with what we are discussing, the door is open for you to leave," prangkang saad nito sa kaniya na siyang nagpataas ng kaniyang kilay.

Okay... what the hell?

Tinaasan ito ng kilay ni Lacy at inilagay ang kaniyang mga braso sa kaniyang dibdib nang naka-cross.

"You didn't even give your suggestions and yet you had the audacity to sigh for over and over again. Can't you just respect the people who are working here seriously and finding a solution that's better for the children who needed saving?" tanong pa ulit nito, at pumewang pa sa harapan.

Nagsitigil naman sa paggawa at pakikinig ang iba at nagsitinginan sa kanilang dalawa. Lacy leaned back and looked at Bella.

"Because your plan sucks and obviously it'll fail," Lacy suddenly said, and threw a bored look. Napaamang naman si Bella roon at hindi makapaniwala sa narinig kay Lacy.

"What?" gulat na saad ni Bella.

"You didn't give us any certain plans after that. You expect that a surprise visit in the casino will make your plan be a success? You might want to think twice again," Lacy said, and Bella felt like she was given an insult.

Ang plano kasi nito ay magkakaroon sila ng special inspection sa lugar and of course, magkukunwari sila na doon lang unang makikita, which is stupid. Dahil malalaman iyon ng mangyari ng Casino and just like what I have said earlier, they'll have time to escape and retaliate. Therefore, hindi nila maililigtas ang mga bata. Dahil mga hayop ang makikita nila doon at sasabihin lamang na ipinapa-exchange lang iyon sa mga naglalaro.

You'll pay, not cash but the circle thing with different colors, but also with different amount of money, then you'll get an animal to eat or as your pet.

It's just three colors, red, green, and blue. Those primary colors has certain amount that you can bet with it. Of course, ipapapalit mo iyon sa pera mo and when you're playing, those plastic coins are your money. But I know there's a gold coin which is hard to acquire, only those who has a lot of money and connections that they 'have'.

Well, that's their excuse, of course, dahil wala namang masama doon, kaya hindi sila magtatagumpay at mas lalo pang maghihigpit ang mga iyon upang hindi sila mahuli.

"Am I hearing it right? Did you just insult me? Didn't you know that I am one of the geniuses here in the Faeroe City, I exceeds in exams and became part of the youngest geniuses and I am always at the Top 5," pagmamayabang nito habang nakangisi sa kaniya.

"What about you? You don't even belong in any type of groups that helps our country, there's nothing special about you." Napasingkit naman mata ni Lacy nang marinig iyon at nangunot ang mata.

Kaagad naman siyang hinawakan ni Golden sa siko upang pigilan pero hindi niya ito tinignan.

"No one cares about you, little Miss Heartless Angel, because of your bad attitude. Didn't you know that every person inside of this room hates you and they are just forcing themselves to be with you because you are the daughter of the so-called Great Hero, Duke Lucian," dagdag pa nito. Napataas naman ng kilay si Lacy at bahagyang natawa.

Pickett's eyebrows met and glared at Bella. But he just closed his eyes and told her to stop. But Bella didn't listen to him and snickered at Lacy.

"Stop it, Ms. Bella," Pickett said, and worriedly looked at Lacy.

"His highness is right. we didn't come here to fight," Xabi added while knotting his forehead.

"No! I am not stopping saying these things to her, because she's too much already! She needs a lesson because she might harm other people," pagmamarunong nito.

Tinanggal naman ni Lacy ang kamay ni Golden sa kaniyang siko at malamig na tinignan ang babaeng nasa harap niya na kuda nang kuda.

"Let her be," saad ni Lacy rito habang walang emosyon na makikita sa kaniyang mukha.

"See? Even her! She knows that she's have bad attitude and that needs to change!" sagot nito at ngumisi sa kaniya. "Well... I am happy to be your teach you some lessons."

"Okay," Lacy plainly said, and shrugged her shoulders.

Valerie exclaimed and called her, but she just glance at her and looked at Bella again.

"Let her tell what she wants, the more they talk, the little their brain is."