Chereads / NEXT SPRING (Tagalog) / Chapter 12 - CHAPTER 11

Chapter 12 - CHAPTER 11

S A K U M I  ✿

I keep on looking for another book that was tackled about seasons but somehow, I failed to find one, the books extended longer and its possible to search for one day, it'll take about maybe a weeks or half a month to find it.

I past a window and as the wind kiss my skin I moaned it's gentle embraced. It's was refreshing. Natures breath  swirled through the atmosphere, whispering secrets and stories of distant lands.

The wind, playful and spirited, danced with the leaves on the trees, orchestrating a symphony of rustling melodies. It weaved through the branches, harmonizing with the chorus of birds that soared the cerulean canvass above.

I left the room while carrying the same book, I was interested to know more about the Stonecore  and went to the empty corridors and lead myself to his study place and knocked on his door.

"I'm busy"

"It's just me" I replied, maybe it's not a good day to disturbed him, maybe some other time. "Next time nalang my lord" I said and about to leave

"Okay, come in" I heard his bored tone inside and I stop walking, as I open the door I saw him resting. His arms on the table, burying his face with it. He seems sluggish today rather enjoying the beautiful day, actually it's a good day today how come he's not feeling it. His room was dim and that created an ambience of emptiness on the room, it's boring. That's why he felt for it.

"You okay? You want something my lord? Are you having cold?" I bombarded him with a question

He just groaned and raised his face, his eyelid sagged "Just call me Endemion"

"But your a Duke's son so my lord..."

"Just leave that somewhere, it's the two of us here" his voice a nearly- whisper.

Seems the bad energy starting to affect me, I yawn and I don't want to sleep "I know what you need"

"Hmm?"

I waddled over the window and spring open the curtain. The trees, standing tall and majestic stretched their limbs towards the heavens, as if reaching the ethereal wonders hidden within the azure vault of the sky. A gentle zephyr brushed against my cheeks, carrying the fragrance of the blossoming flower.

The light pushed the drowsy ambience of the room and he boredly covered his head. A gentle knock resounded, followed by another. I stood up and walked towards it, turning the cold handle of the door, I opened it.

A middle- age man, his butler, waiting outside carrying a tray of food, I take it and put it on his table and the butler later leave and shut the door and I heard his fainted footsteps.

He raised his head slowly waking up from his slumber. I sucked in a breath as I finally had a good look at him, he was like a golden sun ray that frame his face effortlessly handsome.

He just stared at the food in front of him and he looks tired. Basa rin siya ng pawis niya  Wala ba siyang balak na magpalit ng damit.

"Help me" me mumbled something

"Help you?"Tama ba pagkarinig ko? "Help you...?" I repeated his words to  know what he really meant. I gave him a look of Help you on what? WHAT!! But he didn't replied and button-down his collar.

"Oh you mean undress you"

He seemed down and almost fell on his spot. I quickly catch him before he stumbled on his spot and his arms are weak. I just sighed and took a dress from his wardrobe and place it beside the vacant seat. I unbuttoned his shirt revealing his body. I awed while watching it. Papa has big belly bat this one his muscle are the evidences of his workouts routine.  I wish I had this type of body so I can flex it.

Seeing a man's body is not new to me, karamihan kase sa costumer namin ay naghuhubad ng damit at sinusukat yung damit na bagong tahi ni mama.

He just recoil immediately and covered his body and he was terrified "what are you doing?!"

"You told me to undress you"

"Did I?!" I nodded and he look so confused and shocked. His forehead drawn a line.

"You're just murmuring and unbuttoned your shirt so I thought you asked to undress you"

He facepalm "Because it's hot in here, you woman are scary"

"I didn't do anything, paki klaro kase ng sinasabi mo gago"

"Minura mo pa talaga ako?!"

He sighed and  stood up sat beside the bed. His about to undress himself and he stared at me

"What?"

"Tumalikod ka nga, Ikaw mapagsamantala ka talaga" inis na sabi niya at tumingin ako sa bintana.

I heard a door shut nearby and I slowly leaned and he went to the bathroom. I covered his food to keep it warm until his finished. Wonder why his not in a mood today.

I walked around the room and look at the pictures that were displayed on the wall. Something clicked on my mind. I only saw his father but I haven't seen his mother. Nor even heard anything about her.

Here I am again. Di ko na dapat pinapakealamanin ang buhay nila. manahimik ka nga sakumi

My eyes darted on small picture frame on the cabinet and saw a picture of a beautiful woman with her wedding gown. The man beside her is the duke. Her hair stretched down to her waist and her body revealed her sexiness my attention drawn to mama-mia, curvaceous figure. Her physique, however, was truly stood out-- generous curves adorned her frames, boasting large breast, and a sharp derriere. Despite her youthful appearance in her late teens her aura held a mature allure.

I felt a sudden chills when I felt a warm breath on my nape and I whirled back and stumbled backwards with a clenched fist. Ready to attack.

His towel wrapped around his waist. I saw an illuminating light coming from his topless body and I squinted my eyes. It's blinding it's like a mirror place under sunlight and it reflect directly to my eyes.

He looked around and his eyes were sharp and I'm standing near the wardrobe. I walked away but he yanked me and pushed me to his bed. My eyes and body went frozen at that moment and I can feel his warm arms on my fingertips even he just got out of the cold shower.

And I heard a whistling sound and a dagger strike past his head and crash to the vase. And he agile pulled it back and tossed it back out of the window.

But as soon as he rose his towel slipped down and saw his cute  buttocks. I quickly looked away and covered my head with a pillow. I sat up and saw him  pinching the bridge of his nose with disappointment.

"Shitoru!" I heard him muttered after that our eyes met and it was like a lightning strike that killed me on the spot. He's just staring at me and I bit my bottom lips trying to hold my laughter. It hurts my stomach but I don't want to burst it out or I'll be dead. I closed my eyes and stone face to stop me. Tightly gripping on the mattress, holding it back

Moment later...

As I took a sip on the fragrant tea, I savored the warmth that originated from my tongue and spread through my throat, a comforting contrast to the tension in the room that felt like a frigid knife against the skin.

There was a brief silence paused as we continued to sip our tea, the sound of clock tinkling filling the silence.

Shiver ran down my spine...

I don't like his gazed..

I shifted my eyes away, avoiding any eye contacts with him as possible, my gut is killing me. I huff and air and puff them out of my lips, calming myself and trying to forgot the cute white slice of bread I saw ..... I slapped my face trying to stop myself.

My own lack of emotional expression causing me to remain unperturbed by the situation

By my traitorous eyes met him and I burst and spilled the tea to his face and I coughed, dampening my chest.

Pumutok naman ang plema ko ng wala sa oras na kinatameme niya "Sorry" I stated in my usual composed manner, my voice devoid any hint of embarrassment.

I tried to hold it because all I can see his face was his ass. I bang my head on his desk and felt the impact and it was good, I woke up from my senses and I raised my head and chuckles.

"Your bleeding!!"

➖➖➖

We rested in a flower covered Gazebo near the pond. It was just a few miles away from my favorite spot. I wish had found this place because the view was heavenly.

"I can't let you go after what you saw, twice!"

"Don't threaten me your the one whose careless, you don't need to be a shame you have nice ass though"

His face turn red and a blood spurts out from his nostrils. He lost his soul in a minute.

•••••

Shut up" he shushed me, and I bit my lower lips, snickering at the scene and he slugged my arm .

"Ow!" I whined, rubbing my arms.

Knife glide through the tender meat with the ease of warm butter, eliciting a glimmer of hope. My eyes locked into his face, trying to gauge his reaction. His a foodie. He couldn't help a goofy smile that spread onto his face, until he noticed that I'm staring at him.

Time slip fast, while we're walking back, the sun was already setting painting the sky in numerous shades of Orange, pink and violet, all turning into a slowly darkening blue. The forest got a slightly orange hue and the cold breeze had reached its most peaceful moment of the day. And the chirping of the bird and sound of their shuffling steps could be heard. The whole atmosphere was soul refreshing.

As the shadow of the town stretched ever longer. The street lamps set up around the city flickered to life as the evening passed into the night. After those scene finally calm down, I've decided to continued to master the sword, remembering what he thought me and this time I manage to knocked few dummies because of the techniques. Pero palyado parin. I stroke the dummy sword to the ground and stretched my lips. I opened and close my arms because it's numbing.

My eyes kept flickering from the ground in front of me to the forest surrounding the manor. A sudden uneasy chill ran down to my spike as if the forest itself was watching my every move. But I ignored those feeling and continued. Even it was cold outside but I'm sweating like I was walking on the desert land.

I can hear the voices from the forest, it's creepy and that makes the night like a spirit is freely roaming around, looking at me with a smile. My mind created something that scares myself but spirit are not dangerous.

"Lady sakumi you need to rest, it's not good for a lady to be out here alone" a butler came to me with a handkerchief and I wipe my sweat.

"It's okay I have to work hard Madam and the lord of this mansion are expecting something from me I don't want to disappoint them"

"So that's explained you past your bed time, I know what you meant by that but rules is rules a lady must stayed inside when the sun sank below the horizon, you can still continue this morning, you know sunlight is good, there's a lot of benefits you can get from it but not now. You should rest"

I can't just rest because I don't have any relatives or parents here. I was just hired and they feed me and treat me well, homeschool and trained me that is too much. I don't want to be a nuisance. Nakakahiya ayokong maging palamunin lang.

"Thank you for your concern, that was thoughtful of you, but I need to do this. Training won't kill me anyway" I said with a smile and he sighed and let me do what I wish.

He had no choice but to agreed "If your hungry just find something in the kitchen, filled yourself okay and if there's any treat alarm the manor"

"Yes, thank you sir"

I tightly grip my sword and slash my sword in a horizontal way and the dummy split in half. I pick the dummy puppet and tied them again. I felt my left shoulder sore. I just patted it and continued. I'm about to slashed it but my sword got stuck behind me and i turn around and saw lord Endemion holding the tip of the sword.

"My lord" I turn back with a bow.

"What are you doing here at this hour you know that ladies aren't allowed to be out at night"

"I know the butler told me about it"

"Then why are you still here?"

Dapat ko atang sabihin sa kanya na bat ako nandidito tsaka hindi ako pwedeng magsinungaling dahil nakikibahay lang ako dito  "I want to be stronger... Like you"

"Like me?" That made his left brow arched and he bend a little "You think you can surpasses a man's strength?"

"I didn't say that..or..." I leave a hint with a mixture of sneered, grinning and that scares him and he knows I have something on my mind that would ruin his reputation "Or should I told them about the polished ass I saw back th..." I stop when he booped my nose using the scabbard

"Fine you got me, dahil makulit ka, Then let's have a duel this time I'm going to kill you so no one would know what you saw" he just challenge me from out of nowhere and only took a stick with him and he gave me a dummy shield.

After a moment he asked me to do the first move. He only dodge a little while I'm releasing so much energy and force. His footwork are fast and it's easy for him to glide smoothly. His like a delicate leaf flowing in the breeze and he hit me with the scabbard.

"If you manage to hit me then I'll talked with my Trainor to help you joined us so he can teaches you like how he trained me and maybe I'll change my mind in replacing you as my partner" aniya

If i failed then where will I go? I came here to trained and be his partner and nothing more, I can't go home empty handed. One hit is not that hard. I can do it, I know I can. I huff an air and move my blade by force and he just dodge it. I do all the sword movement, I hit the bushes and  cut a few twigs yet I didn't even hit him not even a scratch.

I stop and catch my breath first and he walked towards me and I move back and slash my sword and he recoils backwards with a chuckles. I saw the tip of my blade ran a few inches away from his neck.

I leapt forward continuing moving it and heard a slashing sounds on the air, I heard nothing but only my chest is beauting like itll be the last day of my life. Racing on a never ending road a head of me. Until I heard a sound that I hit him and his glove slip away.

"W-- wait, wait"

I still didn't listen and because I was in doubts already, I don't want to go home without bringing any to make them proud. Until I hit hit left arm by accident. And I recoils back and apologize. "I'm my gosh I'm sorry!!"

"It's fine" he said and he looked so anxious. And he turn pick up his glove and leaned on me and asked me to go back inside.

Natakot na ako sa ginawa ko mukhang napalakas ko ang pagkatama ko sa braso niya. I keep up with him his so fast and I still follo him.

"Ako na ang gagamot sayo, pasensya na talaga"

"You don't need to worry I was the one who encourage you to hit me"

"B-but that impact..."

"I said it fine" he said it and look back. "Let's continue tomorrow" nakahawak siya sa sugat niya at tinakikuran na ako. "Go to bed" he left me in the hall and his shadow slowly decreasing until the his foot step fainted. Di ako makapakali kase ang lakas ng pagkapalo ko at nakita ko ang pasa at dugo. Di ako mapakali at sinundan ko siya.

He went to the lab and I'm tip toeing but luckily the evening crickets was loud and he didn't notices my footsteps until I entered the lab successfully without him noticing me inside and hid by the table.

He open the light. Nakita ko siyang nahirapan na ibalot Ang kanyang pasa. "I can help please don't stop me"

"What did I say to not worry!?"

"Di ako makatulog kapag may nagawa akong kasalanan"

"I still forbade you go back or I'll send you home" he said it and his sounded so serious and I frowned and bowed before I left. Ii went back to the yard to clean up the mess I did and I saw a shadow past

It just disappeared and I couldn't take a glimpse on it.

I walked slowly and heard a crunch sound under my shoes and I'm standing on dried patch of grass.

Wala ito kanina. Possible kaya Yung anino na dumaan Ang may kakahawan nito? Someone touch my shoulder and I whirled back to attack the person, but he stop me and it's lord Endemion. His scowling again

"Bat ba ang tigas ng ulo mo!" Inis na sambit niya at hinatak ako sa loob. "Matulog kana o matutulog ka sa labas" tiningnan ko lang ang braso niya at itinago niya iyon sa likuran niya "Rest now don't make me repeat myself"

I nodded and went straight to my room. I had a bad feeling. Those dead grass are not a simple phenomenon. It's still spring then how come the grass dried like that?  I need to investigate it tomorrow.