CHAPTER 70 #5
But the Black Cloaks continued to patrol the streets. Tahimik silang gumagalaw sa pagitan ng mga eskinita at madidilim na bahagi ng lungsod, carefully watching their surroundings. They never stayed in one place for too long.
Sa isang madilim na sulok, isang pigurang may mahahabang tainga at mga sungay ang nakatago sa anino. Halos hindi ito makikita sa dilim, ngunit isang kakaibang mata ang nakawalay at nakasilip mula sa kaniyang katawan, slowly observing the Black Cloaks from afar.
Its eye followed every movement.
"Tch!" napakuyom ang kamao ng nilalang.
"Hindi ako makagalaw nang maayos!"
Muli nitong sinilip ang isang babaeng naglalakad sa malayo, ngunit agad itong napaatras nang mapansin ang limang naka itim na cloak na naroroon din sa direksyon ng babae.
"Damn it..."
Napailing ang nilalang.
"I can't take women anymore."
Its gaze slowly moved across the streets.
"Every time I find one, those damn bastards are already there... How long are they planning to keep watching this city?"
Tumingin ang kaniyang kaliwang mata sa kaniya.
The strange eye slowly shifted toward the streets of Sartores, carefully watching the Black Cloaks as they continued moving through the darkness.
Its eerie gaze lingered on them for several seconds, as if studying their every movement and memorizing their patrol routes.
"Baal, we must stay hidden for now."
Bahagyang kumunot ang noo ni Baal.
"Hanggang kailan tayo magtatago?"
"They are watching everyone. Simula nang dumami sila, hindi na tayo makagalaw nang malaya tulad ng dati. The women are no longer easy to approach. Every time we find an opportunity, may isa sa mga naka-itim na agad na naroroon."
Kinuha ni Baal ang kaniyang kaliwang mata at marahang ibinalik ito sa dating puwesto. Bahagya siyang nanginig at napayuko.
"Tch! d-damn it..." nanginginig niyang sambit. "T-the w-women we've already taken should be enough for her... at least for now. S-she doesn't like it when we r-return e-empty-handed... P-paano ko siya haharapin k-kapag w-wala akong h-handog?!"
Bahagyang gumalaw ang mata sa kaniyang katawan, and then its mouth slowly opened as though another voice was speaking through it. The voice sounded calm, almost reassuring, despite the fear still visible on Baal's face.
"Huwag kang mag-alala, Baal. Hindi lamang tayo ang mananagot. Marami tayo," ani ng kaniyang kaliwang mata habang patuloy na tinitingnan ang mga naka itim na cloak. "Mabuti na lang din at tila hindi nila nararamdaman ang ating presensya..."
Bahagyang tumaas ang kilay ni Baal.
"Malamang! we're completely different beings, idiot!"
The mysterious figures wearing black cloaks continued to move silently through the houses, villages, and towns of Sartores.
Hindi lamang sila basta-basta nag-iikot sa mga lansangan.
Each one of them had a specific task. Habang mahimbing na natutulog ang mga mamamayan, they quietly approached each house and left a small black envelope at the doorstep.
Each envelope carried a sealed phoenix, its red wings standing out against the dark wax.
At walang sinumang nakakaalam kung sino ang nag-iwan ng mga sobre. By the time the first rays of sunlight reached the streets, the Black Cloaks had already disappeared, leaving only the mysterious envelopes behind.
Once they had completed their tasks, the Black Cloaks quietly returned to their hidden base.
Isa-isa silang dumating hanggang sa mapuno ang malaking underground hall ng kanilang presensya.
There were nearly five thousand of them, all wearing the same black cloaks with the red phoenix-wing symbol embroidered upon them.
Tahimik silang pumuwesto sa kani-kanilang lugar, waiting for their next order.
"Are you done with your tasks, Mysarea Knights?" tanong ng isang lalaking nakasuot din ng itim na hooded cloak. His face remained hidden beneath the hood, with only his calm voice revealing his presence.
"Yes, Lord Hand Desmond," sabay-sabay na sagot ng ilan sa mga Mysarea Knights.
"We have completed our task. The envelopes have been placed in every household and designated area, just as you ordered. No one noticed us, and we made sure to leave nothing behind except the phoenix-sealed envelopes. Everything was done quietly." ani ng isang Mysarea knight.
Bahagyang tumango si Desmond sa ilalim ng kaniyang cloak.
"Good. Then our task is finished. We will remain here, just as the Queen ordered. We will protect the people from the shadows when the Holy Cathedral's men try to silence them. Do not interfere unless necessary. Our purpose is to keep the people safe, not to start a conflict."
"Understood, Lord Hand!" sabay-sabay na yumuko ang mga Mysarea Knights.
Desmond dismissed the knights and ordered them to return to their respective bases.
Bumuntong-hininga siya at hinubad ang kaniyang itim na cloak at maingat na inilapag iyon sa ibabaw ng mesa bago umupo sa kaniyang marangyang kama. Pinagsiklop niya ang kaniyang mga kamay habang malalim na nag i-isip.
I believe Queen Rassia's plan will work.
By tomorrow, the people will start wondering and eventually gather themselves.
Kailangan ko silang protektahan sa abot ng makakaya ko upang hindi masira ang plano ng Reyna.
This is the least I could do... she freed the people of Mysarea. This is the least I can do for her.
Napatingin si Desmond sa milktea na kaniyang binili kanina. Saglit niya itong pinagmasdan bago bahagyang napangiti.
"Queen Rassia has no idea... she's actually quite popular as Madame Rische..."
Kinabukasan, sa Imperial Palace, tahimik na naglalakad si Lurtheron sa malawak na hardin ng palasyo. Suot niya ang kaniyang puting marangyang kasuotan, habang si Athena, ang anak ng dating Pope Theodoro, ay tahimik na sumusunod sa kaniyang likuran.
By then, Athena had already become Lurtheron's concubine. Hindi pa nais ni Lurtheron na magkaroon ng Empress, ngunit bilang Emperor, alam niyang mayroon siyang mga tungkuling kailangang gampanan.
Athena was already eight months pregnant with Lurtheron's child.
Tahimik lamang siyang naglalakad habang marahang nakapatong ang isang kamay sa kaniyang tiyan. Lurtheron occasionally glanced at her, but his expression remained difficult to read.
"My apologies for the burden, Lady Athena." Lurtheron said out of nowhere.
"I'm only doing this, not for you, Your Majesty. Alam kong ito ang magiging kautusan ng aking ama kung siya ay nabubuhay pa," malamig na sagot ni Athena.
Tahimik na napangisi si Lurtheron.
"How ironic, isn't it?" bahagya siyang tumingin kay Athena. "You liked my brother, Vincenzo, is it not? I noticed the way you looked at him when we were young... in this very garden."
Saglit na natahimik si Athena.
Lurtheron's smile remained faint. "I still remember it. No matter how many years have passed, some things are difficult to forget."
Sandaling tumigil si Athena at nanatiling nakatingin sa kaniyang tiyan habang marahan itong hinahaplos. Napahinto rin si Lurtheron sa paglalakad nang mapansin iyon. For a moment, Athena said nothing, as if she were gathering the courage to finally speak about something she had kept buried for years.
"Yeah, I liked him, Your Majesty." bahagya siyang napangiti, ngunit walang saya sa kaniyang mukha.
"No... more than that, actually. I loved him."
Marahan siyang napabuntong-hininga.
"Hindi ko lang magawang umamin sa kaniya because I was a coward. And honestly, I already knew that he wasn't interested in me. Kahit noong bata pa kami, alam kong iba ang paraan ng pagtingin niya sa ibang tao. I just refused to accept it."
Muli niyang hinaplos ang kaniyang tiyan.
"Since we were young, lagi akong pumupunta rito. Ginagamit ko pa si Cayena bilang dahilan para makapunta sa hardin at kahit sandali lamang ay masilayan si Vincenzo. I would wait for him, hoping that perhaps he would eventually notice me."
Bahagya siyang natawa, ngunit mapait iyon.
"But most of the time, wala rin naman siya. Lagi siyang nasa Emberman, training with the previous Archduke, Cesare. At sa tuwing hindi siya narito, I would tell myself that perhaps he was simply busy. Na kapag dumating ang tamang panahon, maybe he would finally see me."
Dahan-dahan niyang itinaas ang kaniyang tingin kay Lurtheron.
"But I was wrong."
Tumahimik siya sandali bago nagpatuloy.
"Eventually, I realized that Emberman wasn't the only reason he kept leaving. I guess I was right. He was going there to see that woman... Rassia."
Naging malamig ang kaniyang tinig nang banggitin ang pangalan nito.
"I confirmed it during the late Emperor Luthor's banquet. I still remember that moment clearly. Rassia was supposed to fall, and before anyone else could react, Vincenzo caught her... That was when I finally understood. The way he looked at her wasn't the way he looked at everyone else."
Ngumiti si Lurtheron at dahan-dahang lumapit kay Athena. Marahan niyang inilagay ang kaniyang kamay sa tiyan nito, his expression unusually calm.
"Unrequited love is a cruel thing, isn't it?"
Saglit siyang natahimik.
"You spend years loving someone... you wait for their attention, hoping that one day they'll finally look at you the way you've always looked at them..."
Dumilim ang paningin ni Lurtheron habang sinasambit iyon. Para sa kaniya, hindi lamang tungkol sa relasyon ang tinutukoy niya. Sometimes, unrequited love could come from the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally, such as a parent whose affection was never given equally.
Biglang sumagi sa kaniyang isipan ang mukha ng dating Emperor Luthor.
His father.
For years, Lurtheron had watched how differently their father treated his children. There were moments when he tried desperately to earn his father's approval, hoping that perhaps one day, Luthor would finally look at him with the same warmth and recognition he so easily gave to others.
But no matter what Lurtheron accomplished, there was always someone else who seemed more deserving in his father's eyes.
It was always his brother, Vincenzo.
Or Cayena.