Chapter 16

“I'M SORRY. I'm sorry. I'll help you—”

“No, Your Highness. Please, let us clean this for you. Baka masugatan ka na naman po.”

Nahihiyang tumango si Kai sa mga tagapagsilbi saka muling bumalik sa kanyang kinauupuan.

“Trip mo bang magbasag ng mga gamit ngayon, Kai?” Nakataas ang kilay na sambit ni Kaycee at mabilis na sumimangot after seeing Sebastian's glare at her. 

Napayuko na lamang si Kai sa naging litanya ng babae saka iniiwas ang paningin.

“Are you alright, Kai?” Sebastian asked.

Kai closed his eyes saka huminga ng malalim.

“I'm sorry. I'm a bit tired. I'll take my leave for now.” Sagot niya saka iniwan sa lamesa ang dalawa at mabilis na naglakad paalis.

Sebastian looked at him as he made his way out of the dining room. Something's a bit off. Kanina pa wala sa sarili si Kai. He noticed that Kai was zoning out since this morning after their talk. He wondered if something happened while he was out. Unconsciously, he looked at his cousin na agad namang nagtaas sa kanya ng kilay.

“What?” Kaycee muttered, gesturing her hands on the air. “I didn't do anything.”

“I didn't said anything either.” Ani Sebastian saka magalang na tumayo. Akmang aalis na sana siya nang biglang magsalita si Kaycee.

“By the way, we need to talk later.”

Sebastian's forehead creased, “What for?”

“Mom told me something. And it's horrible.”

Napabuntong-hininga na lamang si Sebastian, “Okay. I'll talk to you later.” Aniya saka nagmadaling umalis at naglakad-takbo patungo sa direksyong dinaanan ni Kai kanina.

He promised him that they will talk after his meeting with the minister pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin niya mahanap-hanap si Kai. He even tried going outside the palace in hope that he could find him but to no avail, he couldn't. Nasapo na lamang ng prinsipe ang ulo.

“Where did he go?”

He was about to take a look outside nang biglang sumagi sa kanyang isipan ang music room. Bago pa man niya iyon maisip ay parang may utak ang kanyang paa na naglakad patungong music room na kunwari'y may ideya ito kung saan niya posibleng makita si Kai.

But before he could actually proceed and enter the room ay may tumawag sa kanya. It was a royal servant.

“Your Highness, Duke Tzuzibhor is now waiting at the conference hall and so does the Marquess.”

Napatigil sa paglalakad ang prinsipe saka nilingon ang tagasilbi. Sebastian then looked back at the door infornt of him, the music room. He sighed saka nagdesisyong bumalik sa kanyang nilakaran kanina. Mabigat ang paang tinahak niya ang daan patungong conference hall kung saan naghihintay sa kanya ang Duke at ang Marquess.

“Once everything's settled, I really need to talk to Kai.” 

KAI ENJOYED himself with the piano at hinayaan lamang ang sariling daliri na gumalaw at tumugtog ng tonong lingid sa kanyang kaalaman. He doesn't want to think of anything. He just randomly pressed random keys and to his delight, it actually sounded quite good.

Ilang oras din siyang nanatili sa silid. Matapos gamitin ang piano ay nagtungo naman siya at kinuha ang gitarang naroon. He sat on the floor. He looked down and the long lashes from his eyes were revealed as he continued playing the guitar habang ang paningin ay nanatiling nakababa. He leaned on the wall, his mouth half open.

He brushed his fingers with the strings. He hummed and the moment he started strumming saka niya binuksan ang kanyang bibig at kinanta ang isa sa mga paboritong kanta na kanyang ginawa.

“...if only I can tell you.”

As he sang the last lyrics of the song, hindi niya mapigilan ang sariling isiping muli ang nangyari kanina at maging noong sa isang araw. Napabuntong-hininga na lamang siya.

“What the hell am I even doing?” He muttered under his breath.

Maingat niyang nilapag ang gitara sa sahig saka siya tumayo at naglakad papalabas sa silid na iyon. Muli niyang nilakad ang malaking pasilyo pabalik sa kanyang silid. Marahas na napabuga na lamang siya ng hangin matapos masaksihan na naman ang sabay na paglabas ng dalawa sa isang kwarto. It was Kaycee and Sebastian. Before he could go back to his own room, Kai needs to get passed on Kaycee's room and maybe seeing this scene almost every time is a part of it? Maybe.

Muli niyang naalala ang sinabi ng babae sa kanya. How she and Sebastian did it and the red mark that the prince left on the woman's chest. Kai couldn't stop himself from sighing. As much as he wanted to act fine and calm, his brain wouldn't let him. Even if he doesn't mean to, his body starts trembling and quivering. Why he was trembling? He doesn't know either.

‘They probably did it, again.’ That was what his mind was telling him.Unconsciously, he closed his hands tightly saka magalang na ngumiti sa dalawa.

“It's great to see the both of you, uhm, together.” He doesn't mean to but the words he vocalize were kind of bitter sounding or was he just overthinking it.

“Hi Kai! Where are you heading off to?” Sambit ni Kaycee sa kanya.

“I was just about to head straight to my room then I saw you guys.” Pilit na ngiting sambit niya, “I-I probably need to go kasi—”

“I'll accompany you to your room, Kai.” Sebastian cut him off saka lumapit sa kanya but Kaycee instantly went between the two saka tumingin sa prinsipe.

“We still need to talk Sebastian. You promised!”

Sebastian looked at her consfusingly, “I thought we cleared everything al—”

“No! We still haven't!”

“But—”

Lumingon si Kai sa prinsipe, “Sebastian, you should probably talk to her. I'll go first 'cause I badly need to rest.”

Hindi na niya hinintay pa ang sagot ng prinsipe. Nagpatuloy lamang siya sa paglalakad hanggang sa tahimik niyang narating ang kanyang silid. He leaned on his door saka pagak na ngumiti.

“And he even told me that he'll listen to what I'll say today yet he seemed to forget what he said and choose to stay with that woman.”

How could he be way too cruel.

“Will you stop holding me?!”

Taas ang kilay na tiningnan ni Kaycee ang prinsipe. “That's because I still need to talk to you!”

Sebastian turned to her saka galit na tiningnan ang dalaga. Kaycee saw it and was taken a back.

“I told you to get off me, right?”

“I—”

“Why can't you understand that?!” Sebastian abruptly took her hands off his arms saka nilingon ang dinaanan ni Kai.

F*ck. He needs to talk to him. He promised Kai na mag-uusap silang dalawa ngayon. They were supposed to talk kanina pa sana if those people didn't came here! He was pertaining about the duke and the Marquess.

Lakad-takbo ang ginawa ng prinsipe hanggang sa makarating siya sa silid ng lalaki. He knocked and called his name for several times yet wala siyang narinig na sagot mula sa loob. He knew for sure that Kai was in there ngunit ayaw manlang nitong magsalita.

He sighed. 

“Kai! Open up! You said we'll talk ri—”

“Fuck off, Sebastian.”

Finally he replied but the response he received somehow made him flinched.

“But I thought...”

“Fuck off. Just fuck off!!”

Nagugulat man ay nanatili pa ring nakatayo sa kanyang posisyon ang prinsipe. Truth to be, his words pained him. Sebastian stayed there for hour yet Kai remained inside his room unmoving. 

Kai couldn't stop thinking if Sebastian already went away or if he was still outside. He didn't hear any foot steps either, reason why he was hesitating. Baka nagkamali lang siya ng pandinig. Maybe he already did went off. But little did he knew, Sebastian was waiting for him to open despite the shivering cold outside his room.

“Your Highness?”

Wala sa sariling naitaas ni Sebastian ang kanyang ulo sa tagasilbing nagsalita. How he wished it was Kai. Gulat na inalalayan siya ng tagapagsilbi upang makatayo. Gabi na at mas malamig ang panahon sa ganitong oras and his jacket weren't enough to protect him from the cold kung kaya't alam na niya kung bakit ganoon na lamang ang gulat sa mukha ng tagapagsilbi. 

“You should go back to your chamber, Your Highness. Masyadong malamig ang panahon ngayon para manatili ka rito sa labas.” Nag-aalalang sambit ng tagapagsilbi. “Baka magkasakit ka po.”

Ayaw man ngunit hindi nagpaawat ang tagapagsilbi sa kanya na ihatid siya sa kanyang silid para makapagpahinga. Sakto namang bumangon si Kai sa pagkakahiga sa kanyang kama saka nagtungo para buksan ang pintuan. He wasn't surprise when no one came into the view. Yes, he wanted to expect that Sebastian waited but looks like he really did forgot his promise.

Kai tsked. “Talk about shit.” Aniya saka isinara ang pintuan at muling bumalik papasok sa kanyang silid.