"I am sorry, but I've just recently encountered a woman instantly shift emotions; you have been sobbing recently, then terrified when you heard my impersonation, and now you are blazing with rage." Leticia was taken aback by the young man's statement, and she looked at him with amazement. When she heard what the man stated, her two eyes nearly enlarged, and her chest almost throbbed.
"Did you happen to notice that I was crying?" She asked then she abruptly departed, sitting on a huge rock, much to her astonishment, she then stepped on the ground for the second time. She was concerned that the young man may inform her parents that she was crying, and she promised that she would never allow it to happen; she didn't want to know, especially because her father would undoubtedly reprimand her.
"Aren't you the daughter of Rajah Benicio and Lakambini Leila, the one who rules San Agustin, not far away?" When the young man nodded in response to the girl's query, he suddenly asked the question then Leticia instantly knelt in front of the shocked young man. He attempts to lift the woman off her knees, but she is obstinate and refuses to listen to him.
"Never tell my parents, have compassion on me; they couldn't possibly know how stupid and weak I was." As she stayed on her knees on the ground, Leticia pleaded with the young man, forcing him to accept her words rather than just condemning him to his parents.
"Don't worry, I am not going to say anything. But wait, weak and stupid? due to the fact that you cried?" He couldn't believe what he'd responded, and he couldn't believe what the girl had said and the girl could nearly breathe easily again because of what he spoke, as she hugged the young guy closely because of her happiness. She released go of their grip as soon as she understood what she had done wrong. It was extremely forbidden for a woman and a man's bodies to stick with each other or touch together throughout that period, especially if they were not married.
"I am sorry if—"
"You have nothing to apologize for because the issue is with me; I was quite emotional when you indicated you would not expose me to my parents, particularly my father. He does not want me to show weakness to others, thus I'm used to not expressing any emotion to them, even if I have difficulty. I don't want to be labeled as a coward or a pathetic loser. I also don't want to disappoint them since I am courageous in their eyes." Leticia interrupted what the young man in front of her was trying to say, and tears welled up in her eyes as memories of times when she was alone and without anybody by her side.
She cried for a time as well, and she saw the guy was staring at her quietly, so she turned to face him. "Sorry if I am crying right now, I don't expect to display vulnerability in front of a stranger." She mumbled something and then wiped her tear-streaked cheek. She stopped wiping her tears when the man offered her a handkerchief, but it was tattered, not as she had imagined. She chuckled when she noticed the young man scratching his head; perhaps he was embarrassed by her because of his handkerchief, considering she gazed at it for a long time before taking it from his grip.
"Sorry if the handkerchief I offered you for your tears isn't pleasing to look at, but don't worry, it's clean. With that handkerchief, I only want to let you know that you may reveal to me your weaknesses and expect me not to judge you, but instead to sympathize with you and not to forsake you." Says the young man, and when he sees the girl merely staring at him with a smile on her face, he instantly thinks negatively that the girl could believe he is untrustworthy and has a secret agenda for her because of what he did recently, as a result, he did not wait for the lady to say something.
"Whenever your parents arrive at the house of the Rajah, I always see you left in the carriage and I have also noticed that you're usually unhappy. I was only able to imitate a wild beast's sound earlier because I knew you wanted to get out of your chariot but couldn't since there were people watching over you, so I deceived them so you could get out. But if you are apprehensive about my personality, don't be; my name is Sullivan, and I am a trustworthy and compassionate man." Leticia let out a faint giggle in response to the young man's remark.
"Even if I was afraid previously, your impersonation of a dangerous animal fascinated me. Don't worry, I know you're dependable and trustworthy, unlike Eulogio, who often complains to my parents anytime I do something he dislikes." She confessed, she never wanted to be close to the young man Eulogio because he always felt in danger whenever she was with him as if she wasn't comfortable, so whenever they come to the San Isidro area, the girl prefers to be alone and away from the Rajah's son.
Leticia was taken aback when she observed that Sullivan, the young man, had suddenly gone silent, and she wondered whether she had said something unintentionally the previous time she spoke.
"Is there a problem?" he asked of the young guy, he had a cause to return his gaze to her as he looked her in the eyes.
"I had no idea you were acquainted with my brother, Eulogio. He had disliked making friends with the people in this area since he was a kid because his mother prevented him from communicating with slaves like us in this place." Leticia looked at Sullivan with a shocked expression on her face as Sullivan responded, perhaps he was taken aback when he discovered Eulogio was the young man's brother.
"How—"
"Your suspicions are accurate. My father was Rajah Tavio, and my mother was a slave in this location, therefore they were unable to fall in love. When the Rajah's parents discovered that he was having a relationship with my mother, they promptly separated them and they decided to marry my father to a young woman from a wealthy family, who is now his wife Lakambini Isabella. I was already one year old when they separated. My father did not even want to marry someone else, but her parents threatened to kill my mother and me if he did not, so he consented to marry for our protection, even though it meant he would no longer be able to be with us and be near to us. A few months later, My mother became ill unexpectedly, and I had no idea what caused it; she died as a result. My grandfather claims that someone was angry with her and cursed her. Words have too much power; they have the ability to kill." When Sullivan informed Leticia about it, his voice was full of anguish, and the girl quickly patted Sullivan on the back as a gesture that she knew what the young guy was going through and was unhappy to hear what it was.
"I am sorry to hear that..." after tapping the young man's back, remarked the girl. "Don't worry, what matters is that you appear to be better and more appealing than your half-brother." Leticia kept hoping that what she said would see the calmness of the young man's face again, and she wasn't wrong; he smiled at it in some way.
Two years later...
"I am glad to see you again after a month of not seeing you at San Isidro. I attempted to see you, but your knights are quite tight, and they do not allow strangers to enter without your father's consent. I tried again to imitate the sound of a wild animal, but I am concerned that they will grill and eat me." Sullivan remarked to Leticia, who laughed at what he said.
Leticia is presently at San Isidro since her parents visited Rajah Tavio's house, for an excessive amount of time her parents returned to Rajah Tavio's house to discuss such necessary topics. She never saw Sullivan whom she had secretly loved during those moments, and because it is not desirable for a woman to confess her feelings for a man initially, she could not admit her feelings to the young man, believing that Sullivan simply considered her as a friend. She told her parents once more that she wanted to be left alone inside the carriage, and when the Rajah and Lakambini left, she instantly confounded her guards then she went straight to Sullivan's house, where she hadn't seen him in a long time. But she had previously encountered him not far from the Rajah's residence before he arrived at the young man's place.
They've been close for two years, and even if they don't confess it, their words and deeds can't disguise their feelings for each other.
"I am sure you won't stay here long since the excuse 'I'd want to get some fresh air' will not be working for your security personnel again. Thank your lucky stars that they don't report you to your father since they've always seen you step on the ground." Sullivan stated reason to come back to Leticia's thoughts what she was doing compromising on her guardians since there were still moments when she claimed to be unhappy otherwise she'd pretend that they'd all be removed as Rajah servants, giving them a cause to dread Leticia; she'd do it so that no one would report the incident to his father.
Someone was silently observing them in a corner at the time his name was Eulogio, he was enraged to see Sullivan and Leticia laughing and joking with each other because he has long adored Leticia, but she simply avoids him. He considered leaving out pure frustration to inform Leticia's father, Rajah Benicio, who was at the time conversing with her father, Rajah Tavio.