《Kissing The Wind》


 Chapter 1

    Just like the wind, I was invisible.


    No one dare to get close to me. During recitation, I would volunteer myself to speak in front because teachers wouldn¡¯t choose me. For them, I was thest option.


    I had no friends. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t get along with a poor girl like me, because almost all students here in my school were born with a golden spoon in the mouth. I was the exception.


    The good thing of being alone? I could do what I want.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I smiled while watching the little kitten ate my leftover fish in my lunchbox. Earlier, I didn¡¯t finish my lunch because I need to finish some projects. So when I got pass by here and saw the kitten, I just gave my leftover away.


    ¡°We¡¯re the same,¡± I whispered under my breath. ¡°People don¡¯t want us.¡± I heaved a sigh.


    I waited for almost ten minutes before the kitten finished my leftovers. ¡°Good,¡± I said before I put back my lunchbox inside my backpack.


    When I stood up, I saw the students nearby looking at me with ridiculous looks. Sometimes they¡¯ll whisper to each other and giggles. And I knew that it was me who they were whispering about.


    It¡¯s okay. I was born to be ridiculed anyway. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked ahead.


    The sun was setting on the horizon. The color of the sky was like a painting, with red and orange streaks. It drew a smile to my lips as I wondered how much time was left before the sun finally hid on the west.


    I always saw the sunset after school. Every day, while I was strolling the road way home, I constantly look above and wonder how magnificent the sunset was.


    I heaved a sigh again. I knew that my mom was making soup now, as I continued my journey towards home. She was like that. She was fond of cooking, and I love every bit of it.


    ¡°Miss!¡± someone shouted from behind.


    I stopped in my tracks and turned around. I saw a man walking gracefully towards me. Furthermore, I faintly smiled at him. ¡°Yes, Mister?¡±


    He smiled back. ¡°I saw you giving some food to a kitten near the campus gate.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± I blinked. ¡°Yeah. I did it earlier.¡±


    I looked past him. We¡¯re almost a kilometer away from the campus gate. I saw the signage, since the sidewalk follows a straight path.


    ¡°It looks like there¡¯s something in your food, Miss.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked back to the man and I saw no sign of his smile now.


    There¡¯s something on my food?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    He brushed his hair using his own fingers and gave me a weird smile. ¡°The kitten is dead.¡±


    What? The kitten is dead?


    I knitted my brows at his remarks. I was not sure if he was kidding or saying the truth. The mischievous smile on his lips didn¡¯t help either.


    ¡°I think I should go,¡± I said and turned around. I briskly walked away, but I abruptly stopped when he said something.


    ¡°You must not get away from your crime.¡±


    I turned around again and scorned at him. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulder. ¡°When you passed the gate and gave something to the kitten, I was just around the corner watching for you. I have seen the entire crime. I witnessed it all, Miss. And you know that I am not the only witness.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I harshly breathed and gave him a warning look. ¡°Don¡¯t use me! I did not do anything wrong!¡±


    ¡°How do you exin the dead kitten outside the school campus?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± I looked away and crossed my arm. ¡°If the kitten is dead, then I should be dead also. What I gave to the kitten was my leftover, so don¡¯t use me of a crime I didn¡¯tmit in the first ce!¡±


    ¡°Angry?¡± He chuckled and put both hands inside the pockets of his pants. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in cool heads, shall we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding with you, Mister. Don¡¯t y with me!¡±


    I turned from him and stormed away. I couldn¡¯t believe someone will use me of murdering a kitten. It was impossible for the kitten to die. That man was hrious!


    ¡°You still don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    The voice was near. I looked behind while walking ahead, and I saw the same man. He was keeping up with my pace and smiled at me when our eyes met.


    Not again!


    ¡°Will you stop following me? Or I¡¯ll call the police!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re heading on the same path.¡±


    There¡¯s no way that this man will stop nagging me. I gave up. I stopped and turned around at him. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked.


    He stopped walking and smiled again at me. Come on, what¡¯s with that smile?


    ¡°Will you please stop smiling? You¡¯re creeping me out!¡± I eximed.


    I could no longer feel the rays of the sunset. The faint smell of coffee from a coffee shop nearby lingered in my nostril as I walked past the shop earlier, but I smelled the strong perfume of this man when the wind passed by us. I almost throw up because of how strong the smell was.


    He suppressed his own smile while looking down at me. ¡°I guess, my smile won¡¯t work on you.¡±


    I faked a smile and gritted my teeth in annoyance. This man was really getting into my nerves.


    ¡°I am not here to see your disgusting smile. Show me any evidence that the kitten is dead. By then, I might believe your usations.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He brought his phone out from his pocket. ¡°I knew that you¡¯ll ask for it, so I got you a picture.¡±


    He showed me his phone¡¯s screen. I adjusted my vision and I saw a picture of a kitten that looked like the one I feed outside the campus gate. The kitten in the picture wasying on the dusty sidewalk.


    I shrugged my shoulder. ¡°He justy down there. Maybe the kitten is going to sleep.¡±


    But the man showed me the next picture. This time, the perspective was somewhat nearer. I could see that the kitten¡¯s mouth was open, and some white foams wereing out from its mouth.


    I blinked. Was I seeing a dead kitten?


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man put his phone back inside his pocket. ¡°Do you believe now?¡±

 Chapter 2

    My forehead creased. ¡°This might be a misunderstanding. It¡¯s impossible for the kitten to die. We ate in the same lunchbox, yet I am still alive.¡± I shook my head. ¡°This is crazy.¡±


    I tried to turn around to leave, but the man grabbed my wrist. ¡°Wait,¡± he calmly said.


    I looked at him. He stared deeply at me. ¡°What?¡± I weakly asked.


    ¡°The kitten was poisoned.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I guess it is food poisoning.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m afraid that it is after you.¡±


    My forehead creased even more at what he just said. ¡°After me?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± I desperatelyughed, but I guess it sounded like a nervousugh. ¡°And who would be after my life?¡±


    I shook my head at the thought of someone who wanted me dead. I could not think of a reason why someone¡¯s after my life. Not only that, but I think that idea was impossible.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡± I coldly said and shoved away his hand that was holding my wrist. ¡°I don¡¯t even know you, so stop making a ridiculous idea, will you?¡±


    He weakly smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Anthony Bermeda, the new teacher. Please be careful, Miss.¡±


    He walked pass by me. I followed him with my gaze as he walked away. Teacher? He is a new teacher?


    I blinked and scratched my nape. I hope he won¡¯t be my subject teacher or else¡­


    My mother was not the best mom in the world. I thought she was the worst. She was selfish and could not do her job as a mother. The only thing that set her aside from other moms was that she had the skill of a best cook.


    ¡°Did you eat your lunch?¡± she asked as I get inside the house.


    I looked at her and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She stared intently at me, from head to toe, and then smiled. ¡°Soup is ready.¡±


    I faintly smiled. The picture of the dead kitten was still clear in my mind. I do not want to raise a suspicion to my mother, but what she asked first when I got inside was something¡­ odd.


    Why would she ask about me eating my lunch?


    I followed her to the kitchen while unzipping my backpack to get the lunchbox. Surely, I did not want to bring it up, but I might not rest well due to suspicion.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I put the lunchbox at the kitchen sink. ¡°Is it you who fried the fish?¡±


    ¡°Fried the fish?¡± She put a bowl of soup at the center of the table and faced me. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± I washed my hands and dried them up. I looked at my mom. ¡°When I feed the kitten at the school, that same kitten died out of a poison. Uh¡­ I do not mean to ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Suspect me?¡± She raised her brow. ¡°Are you suspecting me?¡±


    ¡°N-No. I mean, no. I just want to ask you if you had put something on the fish?¡±


    She crossed her arm. ¡°Did you eat your lunch?¡± she asked.


    I gulped hard. The same question again. I nodded. ¡°Yea, I had some.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re well?¡±


    I nodded again. ¡°I g-guess?¡±


    ¡°So why would you suspect your own mother?¡± Her forehead creased and walked closer to me. She picked up the empty ss at the kitchen counter and stepped closer to the dining table. ¡°If I had put something on your food, you must be dead by now.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± she huffed. ¡°You suspect me of something heinous, and you did not even think that maybe the kitten ate a poison before you feed him? You have your mind to think, Sydnee!¡±


    I looked down the floor. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Even though I know that you don¡¯t do well in ss, but I expect you to at least have somemon sense.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry, Mom.¡±


    She put water in the ss and drank it. She breathed deep and looked scornfully at me. ¡°Throw your lunchbox away. If that kitten died out of poison, then your lunchbox is not safe.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mom.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t just feed some stray animals, Sydnee. Those are dirty, and you should not get close to them!¡±


    I heaved a sigh. ¡°Okay,¡± I said and picked up the lunchbox.


    The truth was that I have been feeding stray animals for years now. I had kept it a secret to my parents because I knew that my mother would get mad if she¡¯ll know about it.


    I have been sharing my lunch to stray animals, and it was the first time that an animal died after I feed it. In the past, there was no incident like this. But maybe my mother¡¯s words were true.


    Maybe the kitten had eaten something poisonous before I feed it. And maybe it was just a coincidence that the kitten had died. But I just could not believe with a mere coincidence, though.


    Nheless, I did what my mother instructed me to do. I threw away the lunchbox at thendfill nearby.


    I could smell the stink of garbage that had been piled up over the years. My stomach churned. Even though I had lived for years near this ce, I could not get use to it.


    I hurriedly walked past thendfill and back to the humble nipa hut, just kilometers away from the mountain of garbage.


    ¡°If only he did not steal something,¡± I whispered.


    I could see the dim light from the inside of the nipa hut. I knew that my mother was waiting inside, but I stopped just a meter away from it.


    The scene of a humble nipa hut was not what my grade school self hoped for. My grade school self was dreaming of a big and fancy house where someday she and her parents will live in. But all of those dreams were burned along with our former house when my dad stole some of his boss¡¯ money.


    Our house was burned into ashes andter that day, my dad was used of fraud. He was put to jail, but my mother bargained to the boss to free my dad in exchange for the same amount of money that dad had stolen.


    And that was hard for my mom. Because dad did not have enough savings. My mother did not have a work, so where could she get money to free my father?Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I remembered how she cried all night while we stayed in the lonely street of Conscion. I still remember how I got so fascinated by the city lights in front of my eyes, while my mother was silently crying at my back.

 Chapter 3

    My innocent and young mind did not know the reason why we stayed on the streets, or why dad was not with us. I just thought of the fascinating city lights. I even tried to chase after the cars if not of my mother who scolded me like that was herst night.


    Not only that, but I could see how angry she was at me. She med me for why we are staying on the street, and why dad was put to jail, and why our house was burned. She scolded me like there was no tomorrow. Furthermore, she spanked me hard, even pped me in my both cheeks.


    I cried because of so much fear and pain.


    And in that one night, I saw how cruel the world was. And still up to the present, I could still experience the cruelty in both my school and in my own home.


    Home. Is it really¡­ where the heart is?


    I took a step forward. I walked closer to the nipa hut and entered in. A few more steps and I could enter the small kitchen.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    And I saw mother. She was silently taking a sip on her small bowl of soup. ¡°Take some soup,¡± she said without looking up at me.


    I silently heaved a sigh and sat on the other side. I quietly pour some soup on my bowl when she said something.


    ¡°Pour more. You need to finish the soup.¡±


    I gulped. ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    My insides curled. I was still scared of my own mother.


    The memories of my childhood never ever leave my memory. They stayed there like an old friend, who visited me from time to time to remind me that they were still there, and I could count on them when I need them.


    But I didn¡¯t need those memories.


    I didn¡¯t like to have them!


    But every time I tried to run away from those memories, they keep on chasing after me. They were chasing close enough to touch me. And in those times, I knew, I could not escape them.


    They had already made a home in my mind.


    IT WAS unusually quiet. My ssmates talked less, and I find it weird since I knew that they were really talkative. Maybe this morning was different.


    I silently walked in the aisle and sat on my chair at the back. I looked around, but nothing¡¯s weird except the stillness of my ssmates. They were really quiet.


    I wanted to ask my seatmate on what happened, but I knew that no one will answer me. I shrugged my shoulder. It was the usual response.


    I opened my backpack and got my notebook. Today¡¯s first subject was Math, and Isucked on this subject the most. I didn¡¯t know why I could not get the right solutions for math problems.


    It was really easy if the teacher was demonstrating it to us, but when I got the term paper and read new math problem, I always end up staring the test paper wondering how to answer such strange and new math problems. I always ended up in a panicked state where my mind stopped processing.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± someone greeted from the front.


    I looked at the one who strolled happily towards the teacher¡¯s table at the front. At first, I did not recognize him but when he stood firm and looked at the whole ss, my mouth opened slightly in awe.


    He was the guy yesterday, the witness of the ¡®dead¡¯ kitten. I blinked twice, but yeah, I guess he¡¯s really standing in front of the ss.


    ¡°Good morning, Sir!¡± my ssmates greeted.


    He looked again the whole ss and gestured us to stand up. ¡°We¡¯ll have some activity where I¡¯ll introduce myself to you, and all of you introduce yourself to me,¡± he said.


    My ssmates looked unto each other. I just nodded slightly, hoping that he will not notice me ¡ª


    ¡°Miss, with silky ck hair at the back,¡± the teacher called.


    I breathed deeply and smiled. ¡°Yes, Sir?¡±


    ¡°Would you please stay here in front?¡±


    His favor to me silenced the whole ss. My lips parted slightly as I contemted if I heard him right. I did not raise my hand nor said something to get his attention.


    And I was sure that my ssmates thought of this as a weird start of the ss.


    ¡°You want me to go in front, Sir?¡± I asked.


    I want to rify if I heard it right or nah. Maybe my ears betrayed me.


    Anthony, as what he told me yesterday as his name, nodded with a little creased forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat myself, Miss.¡±


    Oh. I guess he¡¯s a strict teacher. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked past the ssroom¡¯s aisle. The scourging stare of my ssmates made my scalp go numb. They wondered why the teacher picked me, and so was I.


    As a matter of fact, I was not the first option. This was the first time that someone picked me first.


    ¡°Now that you are here,¡± Anthony whispered. He stalked closer to me and handed something. ¡°Write down the names of your ssmates on the chalkboard, including yours.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    His lips formed a small smile. ¡°You want me to repeat myself?¡±


    I immediately shook my head. ¡°I-I understand, Sir.¡±


    I got the stick of the chalk from his hand and started writing on the chalkboard. I breathed deeply as my lips started to quiver.


    ¡°Make it a table like list, with four columns and five rows.¡±


    I silently looked at him and our eyes instantly met. I looked back to the chalkboard and focused my attention to writing the names of my ssmates.


    Four columns and five rows¡­


    I did what he instructed me to do, but in the middle of writing, I quietly stopped and looked at the ss. The truth was I only knew a handful of names of my ssmates.


    I did not know the whole ss, just half of them. And those I knew were once became my group mates or pair during an activity. So how am I going to write all of their names?


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    I blinked and looked at the teacher. He should not pick me up in the first ce. Right then, I just hope that he did not pick me first.


    ¡°I could not write them down, Sir.¡± I looked on the floor.


    ¡°And why?¡± he asked.


    There was a hint of yfulness in his tone. I wanted to confront him, but I did not want to shame him in front of his ss or talk as if he was not a teacher. I did not want to be rude, so I just shyly smiled at him.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°I only know a few of them,¡± I humbly said.


    The intense feeling of stares from my ssmates was not good. I wanted to sit back on my chair at the back, but I did not want to appear disrespectful to the teacher.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± He yed with his pen on his fingers and calmly smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll perform the activity first.¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I mean¡­ uh.¡±


    ¡°You mean what?¡±


    I gave up. I shook my head. ¡°What will I do, Sir?¡±


    ¡°Kindly introduce yourself in the form of singing. Make the lyrics your name, age, and what you love the most.¡±


    My cheeks burned red in embarrassment. He wanted me to sing? In front of my ssmates?


    ¡°Is there another ¡ª¡±


    He interrupted me. ¡°No other means. Only singing.¡±


    ¡°But I am not uh¡­ super with singing.¡±


    ¡°Just try it.¡±


    I knew that whatever I reasoned out to him, he will always win because he was the teacher in ss.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I did what he wanted me to do. So I sang my name. ¡°Sydnee Lurica loves being alone for sixteen years of her life.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°That¡¯s all, Sir.¡±


    He stared at me longer than usual. And I find that disturbing, so I looked down on the floor. That was when he pped for three times. ¡°Unique voice and creative, Sydnee.¡±


    The moment my name rolled out in his tongue, my breath hitched. The way he pronounced my name was something special and¡­ intriguing.


    ¡°T-Thank you, Sir.¡±


    I immediately walked back to my chair, but he stopped me. ¡°Please write your name on the board.¡±


    I turned and walked back to the front. I got a chalk and hurriedly wrote my name on the chalkboard. Not only that, but I even misspelled my name because of nervousness.


    ¡°Oh, I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said softly and reached for the eraser. And that thing was near the teacher, so I had to move closer to him.


    ¡°Write calmly, Sydnee. No one¡¯s after you,¡± he whispered and chuckled a bit.


    My forehead creased again. No one told me that he was aedian, or some sort of. I just slightly nod my head as an acknowledgement and erased my name on the board. I wrote it again, neatly as possible.


    ¡°Finished, sir.¡±


    I put the eraser back on its ce and walked back to my chair at the back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give some apuse to Miss Sydnee for participating in ss.¡±


    I stopped in my tracks when I heard the pping of my ssmates. My heart skipped a beat as I listened to them, pping their hands for me. This was the first time that they did that for me.


    And that was because of Teacher Anthony.


    I turned around to look at him, but he was busy reading the ss record now. I sighed and sat quietly on my chair. My seatmate even gave me a weird look and a small creeping smile.


    THE SUN was shining brightly in the clear blue sky. The clouds were flying to and fro in every direction, and all I did was to stare in awe. Surely, the morning was beautiful.


    I was leaning on a tree while looking up to the skies above, when a shadow blocked my vision. I adjusted my vision and blinked twice. My vision was greeted with the smiling face of Teacher Anthony, and he was looking down at me.


    I gulped and stood still. He was tall, maybe around six foot. He had a massive bodypared to my small height of five and a slim body. His muscles were bulging in his tight white T-shirt.


    And he was the moreno type. His skin matched his huge, masculine body. I did not notice it when we first met yesterday because he was wearing a big jacket, unlike today.


    ¡°S-Sir,¡± I greeted him. ¡°Uh, what are you doing here?¡±


    He just smiled.


    I scratched my nape and looked away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m too rude yesterday. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re my teacher.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something worth mentioning, Sydnee.¡±


    I looked back at him because of what he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t get your point, Sir.¡±


    He breathed deeply. ¡°I am here to ask you about the poison inside your lunchbox.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t bring my lunchbox today.¡±


    He slightly nodded and smiled again. ¡°Just what I thought you¡¯ll do.¡± He looked upwards. ¡°What did you do in thest months?¡±


    I stared intently at him. Why would he ask about my whereabouts? My forehead creased. Even my own mother won¡¯t ask about my whereabouts, so why would he?


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Sir ¨C¡±


    ¡°Please call me, Anthony.¡±


    My forehead creased even more at his remarks. I dared not to lose my sight unto him. ¡°You are my teacher, so I should address you properly, Sir.¡±


    He looked down on me again. There was a yful smile on his lips and his eyes were searching my face. His expression made my stomach churned. Nobody did stare at me like that.


    And it made me uneasy. I did not want to think of something bad with him, but with that expression, I thought that he was making fun of me. It was not funny nor amusing at all.


    ¡°I am not that old, Sydnee. I just graduated from college.¡±

 Chapter 5

    I looked away. I was afraid that he might see the uneasiness in my eyes. He would surely think of me as someone he could y with, and I did not want that.


    ¡°Okay,¡± was all I could utter at that time. I did not know what to say or what to do. I just looked down on the grass and yed with the hem of my uniform. My heart could not stop beating so fast.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°That incident was not an ident, Sydnee. Someone wanted you dead, and that person might not stop until you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°Are you scaring me, Sir?¡±


    And I heard hisugh. The deepugh from my Math teacher was not really amusing. In fact, it was rming that I made himugh like that. It was as if I made a very stupid move, and he might give me a lower grade.


    ¡°You can say that,¡± he said after some time. His smile never faded on his lips. ¡°But do your parents know about that? Have you told them?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°What¡¯s the point? I don¡¯t like talking about school to them.¡± I secretly sighed. ¡°And as if they care,¡± I whispered.


    I did talk to my mom about that incident. In fact, I even questioned her, that earned me a very good scolding from her. What¡¯s the point of insisting to her about that incident? What¡¯s the point of telling her that someone might after my life?


    Besides, it might be an ident. That kitten died out of prior poisoning, so what¡¯s the fuss?


    ¡°You should talk to them. This is a serious matter,¡± said the Math teacher, Anthony.


    I heaved a sigh again and smiled faintly at him. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Sir. But I should go now. The ss will start shortly.¡±


    I slightly shoved him, and I immediately apologized for my rude behavior.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he called.


    I stopped from walking away and turned to face him. His brown eyes were the first that I saw. There was no hint of smile on his lips, unlike earlier where he teased me with his charming smile.


    Wait, charming?


    I blinked. ¡°Sir?¡± I asked.


    ¡°See youter after your afternoon ss. We need to talk something.¡±


    ¡°Is it about that poisoning incident, Sir?¡± I drew a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sir. Don¡¯t worry about that because I¡¯m sure that it was an ident. No one will kill amoner girl like me.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell.¡±


    I brushed my hair with my fingertips. This teacher was driving me to the edge. Why would he keep on insisting that incident? Why won¡¯t he stop?


    ¡°Sir,¡± I said seriously. ¡°Please stop it. I hate it when someone keeps on insisting something. I don¡¯t want to appear rude to you because you¡¯re my teacher, but please know your limit!¡±


    His emotionless face was not helping at all. Why so emotionless? Was he mad that I shouted at him? He will give me a low grade in Math, wouldn¡¯t he?


    I gulped. Only in this time, I realized what I did. I should not disrespect him. Even though he was quite¡­ annoying.


    ¡°Sir.¡± I gulped hard. I should exin to him my side, but it was harder to exin to other people what I really mean with my words. ¡°P-Please don¡¯t give me low grades in Math because I am rude to you. It was just so annoying when someone insists their will on me.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    He understood? I slightly smiled. ¡°Thank you, but you should not worry about that incident because I am a hundred percent sure that it was all a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t really tell that it was a coincidence, Sydnee.¡±


    I felt like my blood rose to my head. He was really an annoying man!


    ¡°Why, Sir?¡± I sounded like a helpless bear with my tone.


    He must have sensed it because he looked away and said something. ¡°I was once a victim of food poisoning.¡±


    My breath hitched for a second. He was what?


    My forehead creased. ¡°Sir¡­ you¡¯re really ¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Sydnee. I was a victim of food poisoning and the culprit was my friend.¡± He sighed. ¡°And it was not an ident, because my friend was trying to kill me out of jealousy. So consider that it was not a coincidence, Sydnee. Someone is trying to kill you.¡±


    AFTER WHAT my Math teacher said, I always keep my mind upied in order tonot think of his words. Those words were really impossible. No one would kill me. Why would someone want me dead when I keep my low profile in school andmunity?N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    There¡¯s no room for jealousy andpetency, so why bother wasting time in amoner?


    ¡°Hey,¡± someone said from my side.


    I looked at my seatmate, who was staring intently at me. ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    She smiled. A creepy smile. ¡°You know Anthony?¡±


    I blinked at her question. ¡°Anthony?¡±


    She nodded, and her grin grew wide. ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Uh, who¡¯s Anthony?¡± I looked around the room. ¡°We have a ssmate named Anthony? And why did you ask me?¡±


    It was weird that she talked to me. Normally, we were just silent in each other¡¯s sit and not minding each other¡¯s business. But today¡¯s different. Really different.

 Chapter 6

    She shrugged her shoulders and grinned again at me. What¡¯s with that grin? And why was she staring at me like I¡¯ve grown another head?


    She then shook her head. ¡°No. What I mean is the math teacher.¡±


    Just when I thought that, I¡¯ve sessfully shooed that teacher away in my mind. I rarely smiled at her. ¡°What¡¯s with him??


    ¡°I see that you are close to him.¡±


    Me? Close to that teacher?


    I chuckled at what she had said. ¡°We¡¯re not close. You saw it wrongly.¡±


    ¡°No. I saw you two talking under the tree in the middle of the field. You are close to him.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat at her words. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Are you his girlfriend?¡±


    My cheeks burned red in embarrassment. ¡°What? Of course not!¡± I yelled.


    Sheughed like crazy. She even had the guts to harshly tapped my shoulder. I shoo her hands away and held my shoulder. ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°You blushed!¡± she eximed.


    I held my cheeks. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    But she looked around the room and yelled. ¡°ssmates, look at themoner! She¡¯s blushing!¡±


    My heartbeat raced when some of my ssmates turned around to look in my direction. Most of the boys grinned at me, and some girls rolled their eyes at me.


    ¡°A blushingmoner?¡± Rogie, the boy around my age, stood up and walked towards me. ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± he said and chuckled.


    I did not know him. I saw him reciting in ss, but I only know his name, Rogie Camero. Nothing more.


    ording to them, he was the ss most handsome boy. But for me, he was not. I did not believe it because he had this prideful look that made him ugly to my eyes.


    I believe that prideful people only looks unto themselves as higher than anyone else. That¡¯s the biggest turn off. That was also one of the reasons why I did not want to hang out or be friends with my ssmates. Most of them were prideful, and I hate that attitude.


    Because my Mom was once a prideful woman before Dad was put into the prison. I always endure her hateful look every time I had done something that humiliated her.


    I faintly smiled when I remembered a distant memory. Not only that, but I was clumsy back then, so I always put my Mom in rage whenever I broke something. And every time our rtives visited in the house, I was always in my own room waiting for my Mom¡¯s approval to go out.


    I did not have a good childhood, and now I¡¯ve grown indifference towards prideful people. I was afraid that they would be like Mom.


    ¡°Hey,moner!¡±


    I sat straight and looked up to Rogie who was standing in my front. His two eyebrows met, and his lips formed a straight line. He was in rage.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered and looked down.


    ¡°You! Bit ¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    The room fell silent when the Physics teacher entered in. Rogie threw a hateful and warning look at me before walking back to his own chair.


    Phew. That was close. I did not know that I spaced out when Rogie was talking in front of me. I even did not get his words. Furthermore, I didn¡¯t know what it was he talked about earlier.


    ¡°You made the prince mad,¡± my seatmate whispered.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I gulped hard. I only wished that Rogie would not hold it as a grudge on me. He was a prideful boy, and I was sure that he would not let his pride be stepped down, especially with themoner like me. I should go home earlier than usual.


    The physics ss went like a normal ss for me, but Rogie¡¯s hateful look reminded me that I should run hometer after ss.


    So when the Physics teacher exited, I immediately snatched my backpack and ran towards the exit door.


    ¡°Sydnee!¡± Rogie shouted, but I already exited the ssroom.


    I held tightly my backpack as I ran past the seniors. They even followed me with weird looks.


    ¡°Sydnee Lurica!¡± a familiar voice shouted from the back. When I looked behind while running, I saw the face of Rogie in rage.


    Uh. I should run faster. I looked again in front, and I elerated my pace.


    ¡°Move aside please!¡± I shouted as I was about to pass the varsity group that¡¯s walking leisurely in the hallway.


    But to my surprise, they did not bother to move aside, instead they blocked me while grinning widely. I must have known.


    I stopped before I could bump the boy in the middle. ¡°Why are you running, huh?¡± he asked and looked behind me.


    I also looked behind, and my eyes grew big when I saw Rogie walking slowly towards me. He had his small grin in his lips and his hands were inside the pockets of his pants. It was as if he was walking in amercial.


    That was when I realized that I was holding my breath for too long. I breathe deeply and tried to slow down my heartbeat. I did not remember that I ran this fast in my previous years. Not only that, but I even felt the sweat running down on my cheeks. Did I really run that fast?


    ¡°You little brat,¡± Rogie said. He brushed his hair with his fingers and grinned at me. ¡°You tried to run away? Do you think you¡¯ll get away from me?¡±

 Chapter 7

    ¡°I-I did¡­¡± I breathe deep. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡±


    Rogie wanted me to follow him. I did not want to, but he insisted. He even tried to take a hold of me, and I was thankful that a teacher approached us and asked what¡¯s happening. I got a chance to escape from his grip on me.


    The varsity team flew even before the teacher came close to us. Of course, they would not want to involve in any acts that will vite the school rules because doing so will cklist them in school¡¯s varsity.


    ¡°That boy,¡± I hissed and checked my wrist.


    It was reddish because of Rogie¡¯s tight grip. I sighed and walked hurriedly. I did not want to be caught again by Rogie, knowing that he was looking for me.


    ¡°Sydnee!¡±


    My breath hitched, but I immediately recognized the familiar voice. It was the Math Teacher, Anthony. I turned around to face him.


    ¡°Sir,¡± I greeted.


    It was weird that I felt relieved upon seeing him. Just this morning, I did not want to see him again, but I was happy that it was he who found me and not that notorious Rogie. It will be disaster if thetter had found me.


    He stepped closer. ¡°I see that you¡¯re going home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I showed him my smile. ¡°The school has ended.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He stopped just meters away from me. ¡°Did you forget something?¡±


    My eyebrows met at his question. I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I forgot something, Sir. I¡¯ve finished the sses for today, and it is past four in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Heughed a bit. ¡°We had an agreement, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    I blinked. Agreement?


    Just as I thought that I did not forget something, there came to my mind a distant voice that told me that the teacher asked to meet him after ss.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Y-Yes,¡± I breathed. ¡°But it is nothing now, Sir. Don¡¯t make me overthink again for that small incident.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°As much as I want to talk with you about that, but I have one important matter to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Sir?¡±


    His smile faded. ¡°Mister Ramirez had given me the ss records before I take his position. And it came to me that you have a low performance in Mathematics.¡±


    I blinked. What did he say?


    ¡°Sir, I really don¡¯t like Math. But why do you bring it up to me?¡±


    ¡°All the students in your section performed well in Math except you, Sydnee. You almost got a failing mark.¡±


    I gulped hard as my cheeks went red. Why would he say it to me face to face? That¡¯s embarrassing! I looked away. I dare not even to stare at his eyes.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he called again.


    I heaved a sigh and looked at him. ¡°Sir, I know that I suck at Math, but please keep it to yourself, okay?¡±


    He stared at me for a few seconds and then burst out augh. He even held up his stomach and his eyes were wet after heughed at me. I pouted. He was really mean. Heughed at my performance.


    That was a secret between me and the former Math teacher, Sir Ramirez. I did ask Sir Ramirez to not tell it to anyone, not even my own ssmates, because I might end up being ridiculed by them. I did not even tell it to my own Mother because I know that she will get mad real quick.


    But this new teacher discovered our secret, and he could not help himself but to mock me. ¡°Sir,¡± I said in a low tone. ¡°I will go home.¡±


    I turned around to leave, but he called me again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if Iughed, but it is not about you. Iughed because it is ridiculous for you to say that you suck at Math.¡±


    I stopped and looked behind. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re actually doing good at Math. You could keep up with the school¡¯s retention. You don¡¯t suck at Math, you just had a bad teacher.¡±


    I reflected for a moment at what he just said. But then I sheepishly smiled at him. ¡°I know what I can do, Sir. I know that I really suck at Math.¡±


    ¡°Uhh.¡± He smiled again at me, that made me flustered. What¡¯s with that smile? Nobody did smile at me like that!


    ¡°Please, I want to go ¡ª¡±


    ¡°The people around you has been your constant pressure. They excelled in fields that you could not, so you think that you were not good enough. And what you do to cope up with that pressure is to think that you will not excel in those fields, making you perform lowly in every field you¡¯re in.¡±


    I was dumbfounded by his words. How did hee up with such an idea?


    Out of respect, I just showed him my smile and bowed slightly to him. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Sir. But I really need to go.¡±


    ¡°Sydnee, do you want me to tutor you?¡±


    I thought that he was kidding, so I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money, Sir.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t pay me anything. I just need you to be my assistant in faculty for a month.¡±


    I coughed when the dust pped me in the face when the wind blew. ¡°Sir?¡± My face went sour. ¡°You¡¯re just kidding, right?¡±

 Chapter 8

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± He looked around.


    I looked around, too. It was sunset again, and I was standing in front of my own teacher and talking to him as if I was not a student. It was really in trouble if anyone would hear how I respond to my teacher.


    ¡°But, Sir, I think that¡¯s not possible. I am still your student, and anyone would suspect that you¡¯re giving me a favor if you¡¯ll be my tutor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I ask you to be my assistant.¡±


    ¡°Even though, Sir.¡± I looked at him again. ¡°Being an assistant or being a tutor, that means a big trouble.¡±


    ¡°I will pay you.¡±


    Pay me? Is he serious, when I should be the one paying him if he¡¯ll be my tutor? I just smiled and shook my head. ¡°Please let me be, Sir. This quarter is almost done. I will study hard to prove that I could pass Math without a tutor.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be dependent on my service, I mean I¡¯ll help you in topics that you find difficult to understand. That¡¯s the teacher¡¯s job.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± I blinked twice. ¡°Why would you want me to be your assistant?¡±


    ¡°The faculty had a lot of worktely, and I need help. This is my first work, so I¡¯m still growing as a teacher. No one is qualified to be my assistant except you.¡±


    ¡°With all the students¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, with all the students, I know that I could count on you whenever I need help.¡±


    I thought for a while. His offer was quite tempting, but I should consider the consequences I face if I ept it.


    One week before Christmas. The loud music that came fromrge speakers that stood on the four corners of the ssroom was gibberish, as the operator increased the volume that made my heart worked harder. But the increased in volume made my ssmates gone wilder than earlier.


    There were lots of decorations hanging from the ceiling, usually stickers ofnterns, and most were pictures. The pictures were my ssmates¡¯ wacky faces, that¡¯s what the boysughed at as the girls tried to remove those hanging pictures in embarrassment.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I saw the photos earlier when I entered the ssroom. They were already hanging. I did not know where the ss officers got the photos, but they might have snapped on social media. Yesterday, we were not in school because it was a holiday, and the ss president asked permissionst Monday that they would decorate the ssroom during the holiday so that by Friday, everything would be ready for a fun party.


    It would have been okay, but as I looked at the photos one by one, I didn¡¯t even see my face in them. I went around the room two more times to see where my photo was, but I could not find it. There was a pang in my heart. I felt like I didn¡¯t really belong to that ss because they didn¡¯t even hang my photo.


    I tried to smile every time I cross paths with my ssmates, but they did not even nce at me. They chatted happily with their colleague, so I hurried back to the corner of the ssroom.


    I just grabbed a juice in pack and went back to my seat there in the corner. It was better to be alone than to be the target of bullies. I did not want to experience again what I had gone through in the past.


    It wasst year. It was a night full ofughter, a night where I and my former ssmates came together to celebrate our Christmas party. There was no problem with that party, not until I identally pped one of my ssmates, as they turned my night into horror when they made fun of me.


    They edited a picture of me lying next to a pig, where my body waspletely covered in mud. They teased¡­ I was a pig because I was poor. So I could no longer restrain myself. I pped the girl who approached me, who tried to sprinkle the chocte drink over my body.


    She fell on the floor and soon wept aloud. The ssroom became quiet, so her cries were heard even louder. Soon, the teacher came in and took me to the guidance office while the girl I pped was taken to the clinic, even though there was only a print of my hand left on her cheek.


    The principal, as well as the teacher and guidance counselor, reprimanded me. They shouted at me as if I were deaf. They forced me to bow in front of the girl I pped, forced me to apologize, and they forced me to promise that I would never do what I did, because otherwise my schrship would be revoked, and I would be forced to pay all the tuition fees for the past two years.


    It was still clear to my memory what happened after ¨C a woman wearing expensive clothes and jewelry entered the clinic. And suddenly that woman pped me hard. I fell on the floor because of the force she used. My cheek went numb for a while.


    ¡°You dirty beggar! Who told you to hurt my daughter?¡± the woman shouted.


    The teacher was taken aback and forced me to bow in front of the woman.


    ¡°Apologize,¡± she whispered to me, angry and disappointed.


    At that moment, I realized I had no right to that school. I had no right to protection. I had no right to stand on my own principles. There was no justice for me at all.


    So I never went near to them again. I did not make friends anymore, and I did not let any of them get into my life, because I already knew what was going to happen.


    I did not have a parent or anyone I could approach for help. Not only that, but I was the only one capable of protecting myself, so it was better to be alone than to be hurt repeatedly. I could no longer bear the pain when that horrible incident happen again.


    I snapped back to reality when I heard someone asked, ¡°You are alone?¡±


    I sat up straight and looked up at the person standing in front of me. It was Rogie. His forehead was furrowed, and he looked at me badly. I looked down. ¡°Yes.¡±


    I had never forgotten what he didst time. And just like when he chased me down the hallway, he also did note near me the next day. I did not know if he chose not to approach me the day after he teased me or not.

 Chapter 9

    I could not understand Rogie sometimes.


    ¡°Go in the middle!¡± he shouted. The volume of the music grew louder so he had to shout.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± I refused.


    He smirked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±


    My eyes widened as Rogie pulled me into the middle. The memory ofst year¡¯s Christmas party shed through my mind so I struggled from his hold. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, Rogie. I don¡¯t want!¡± I refused again.


    He tightened his grip and pulled me further into the center of the ssroom. I harshly pulled my wrist back that my juice in pack fell on the floor. ¡°Rogie!¡± I rebuked him and pulled myself together.


    ¡°You should be there in the middle, joining the crowd! I want you to dance in the middle!¡± he shouted.


    I thought my ssmates nearby heard what Rogie had shouted so they looked at us while the others were busy dancing. They started pping as they watched me still struggling under Rogie¡¯s tight grip.


    A cold feeling ran down my spine when I heard their apuse. That¡¯s also what I heardst year. They apuded me as if I were aedian entertaining them. I did not want to experience that humiliation again!


    I wanted to cry but I did not want them to see me crying.


    Rogie finally pulled me right in the middle of the ssroom. My heart was throbbing fast when I felt how ridiculous the stares of my ssmates were. Often they smiled at me as if waiting for what I would do next.


    But then, Rogiemanded me. ¡°You should dance, Sydnee. Dance!¡±


    My vision became blurred. I could no longer stop the trail of tears from my cheeks. Even though Mama hurt and always humiliated me in front of our rtives back then, I never felt the kind of shame I felt during this time.


    Over the years, I appeared strong and unaffected but only that night that everything they had done to me had sunk into my realization. All the embarrassment, annoyance, and sadness came together so I couldn¡¯t stop sobbing. I covered my face with both hands and cried.


    The musicing from therge speakers was still loud and that gave mefort because I knew they could not hear my faint sobs.


    ¡°Sydnee!¡± Rogie roared, annoyed.


    I stood up straight at his front and looked up at him. He was shocked to see me crying. ¡°I don¡¯t want to dance!¡± I cried. ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like an animal, Rogie!¡±


    I covered my face again and cried. I felt Rogie touch and hold my wrist again and pull me towards the exit. I sobbed and bowed my head. I quietly cried. As we walked farther away, the music that¡¯sing from the ssroom became faint.


    Soon, Rogie stopped walking. I could faintly hear the music from where I was standing so I was sure we were outside the school building and away from other people. It was at that moment that I dared to look up. I saw Rogie¡¯s back. He was still holding my wrist so I cleared my throat and called him. ¡°Rogie.¡±


    He turned to me. He slid his hand holding my wrist down to my hand. He put something in my hand and said nothing. He then leaves without saying anything. I frowned at what he had put on my hand.


    I looked down. I saw a handkerchief and a photograph. When I put the photo under the light that¡¯sing from the nearby building, I saw my face smiling on the picture. That photo was taken when I was still a child. When the family I thought was perfect, was yet to copse¡­


    Rogie and I did not talk again after that night because there was no ss the next morning. It was Christmas break. A vacation.


    When I opened my eyes, the surrounding was still dark. I stared at the dark ceiling above and did not move. Even though my ssmates treated me badly, I would rather go to school than spend my whole day at home. I did not want to stay inside the little hut because even before the rooster was crowing, I heard Mama¡¯s angry voice outside my little room.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Sydnee! Get up! You¡¯re going to bezy again!¡±


    I slowly sat up from lying down. The surrounding was hot and cold. My vision was also spinning. Every time I move my head, the whole world turned upside down and my head hurts. It looked like I got a fever. I put the back of my hand on my forehead and I was not that hot. I guess I did not have a fever.


    I got up from the floor I had made to sleep. I put away the nket and pillow and then left the room. Mama was not in the living room and I thought she was outside, getting firewoods. The surroundings were still dark because the sun had not yet appeared in the east. I think it¡¯s only three in the morning. The dew entered the house at dawn. I even hugged myself when I felt the cold.


    ¡°Sydnee!¡± I heard her shouting outside the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake!¡± I also shouted back so she could hear me.


    Then, I could no longer hear a shout from outside the house so I just assumed that she heard me. I decided to go to the kitchen to cook rice and a dish. Mom saidst night that she will go to work early today, so maybe that¡¯s the reason why she was shouting earlier than daybreak. I was thankful that our neighbors were awake too at the first crow of the rooster because I could not think of what will happen when they would be awakened by Mama¡¯s loud cry.


    After I prepared breakfast I went back to the room to get a towel, but Mama called me to wash the dirty clothes. She sent me to the back of the house because theundry was there. It was even dark outside and still full of fog. The dew was a little thin near the house but thicker in the distance. Maybe because it had rained so hardst night so there was too much fog at dawn.


    After a few hours of washing, I hang the newly washed clothes. I could not hear Mama¡¯s scream anymore so I assumed that she was gone to work already. The sun was slowly rising in the east and the surroundings became brighter every passing minute. I think it was already five o¡¯clock in the morning.


    I went back inside the house and smiled as the heat engulfed my body. Earlier, I was shivering outside but I washed the clothes early so that I would have nothing to doter.


    I nned to go to one of our neighbors forundry. I would use the money I¡¯ll get from theundry for fares or to buy some things for school projects in case there¡¯s some. Christmas break was a good vacation too. I had a lot of time to earn a living and if I was lucky enough, I could raise money to buy school supplies for the next school year.


    Nothing special happened that day. I was the only one left in the house all day long, and I was d that Mama had note home yet. I knew that it was bad to be happy about it, but when Mama¡¯s around, I could not rest myself for a bit because she had so many orders and she would not run out for things to nag at me.

 Chapter 10

    For years of living with her in that small nipa hut, I was used to being told what to do and being scolded for things I did wrong every day. Sometimes it¡¯s tiring so I prefer to go to school than stay at home. Now that Mama has a job all day, my day will be quiet as well.


    A few days passed and still, nothing changed in my life. After waking up in the morning¡­ I will eat, wash clothes I and Mama had worn yesterday, will eat again, go to the neighbors to doundry, go home, and wait for Mama when the afternoones. I have already collected enough amount of money but I still prefer to collect more because I know I will not be able to go to the neighbors when school dayes.


    When Christmas eve came, we only had soup and rice ready. We also did not bother to give each other presents, so after a few minutes after the clock struck midnight, Mama and I were asleep.


    It was the same set-up when the new year came. But before New Year¡¯s celebration, someone from our neighbor gave us five pieces of fried chicken.


    Their house was a bit far from our small hut but they still wasted no time in giving it to us. So Mom said that she would volunteer to do theundry for the family without a charge. But thedy did not want to ept a free charge service from my mother. She said that she wanted to pay for Mama¡¯s services so she would give my mother a sry. Mama just nodded and said her thanks to thedy.


    Having those friend chickens at our table during the new year uplifted our spirits. Mama could only afford fish for the past few months, but the fish became expensive as Christmas was approaching so she could not buy it for Christmas eve. She also did not want me to use the money I had saved to buy Christmas and New Year¡¯s ready meals because she said that I needed it at school.


    I did not force Mama because it was true that I needed to save for school. There were fees in ss and sometimes, circumstances force me to buy a dish in the canteen every time I could not bring any to school.


    After the New Year, time flew fast. I did not even realize that I would be entering school again next week.


    I also did not understand why I was sad thinking that I¡¯ll enter school again. Maybe it¡¯s because the house was quiet after Mama got a job, so in recent weeks I¡¯ve been able to rest well. But even so, I still had to go to school.


    Graduating from school was the only way I saw for us to get out of poverty. Mama did not object to my studies she encouraged me to study well, and that¡¯s one of the things I¡¯m thankful for. One of my neighbors stopped schooling because her mother did not want her to study, instead, her mother wanted her to work already. It was horrible for my neighbor but she could do nothing and just obliged her mother¡¯s request.


    I looked up at the blue sky. It was past three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. The sunlight was even on the trees nearby. I also heard the chirping of the birds not far away. There were no clouds in the vast sky so I knew that it wouldn¡¯t rain at night.


    Tomorrow¡¯s the start of another school day after a long vacation, so I had to go to bed early that night. I also cooked rice for dinner and I finished cooking the dish before the sun went down on the west.


    I was just waiting for Mama, as I thought that she¡¯ll be home at six o¡¯clock. I smiled softly as I stared at the lone cloud flying slowly away in the bluish sky.


    My backpack was ready for school and tomorrow, I would do my best to study Mathematics. The exam¡¯s approaching and it should be next week, so I had to study hard to pass that exam.


    The sunshine was beautiful that day as I rode a tricycle to school. Since I had saved a lot of money during the holidays, I decided to ride. After all, I would bete for ss if I did not get on the tricycle because I woke upte.


    Fortunately, I¡¯m not toote for ss. There was no teacher in the ssroom yet and my ssmates were noisy. They were narrating what happened to them during the holidays. And since I did not have any friends in ss, no one bothered me.


    Soon, Teacher Anthony came inside. He had a bright smile on his lips and he was still carrying his big Math book. I then remembered that I had promised myself to study that subject. Next week¡¯s the exam and I have to pass Teacher Anthony¡¯s subject.


    ¡°Good day!¡± he greeted us. He looked around the ssroom and when our gaze met, his smile widened.


    My ssmates greeted back, ¡°Good day too, Teacher.¡±


    Teacher Anthony nodded and made us stand for prayer. He then directed a student to go to the front and lead the exercise that morning. Fortunately, he did not point me. I could not bear to dance in front of my ssmates. I still remember the scene at the Christmas party, when they urged me to dance. I gasped.


    After the little exercise, Teacher Anthony told us to sit on our chairs. Then, he started teaching the lesson. He also informed us that the said lesson would be thest lesson he would discuss with the ss because the exam¡¯s approaching fast and he wanted us to study well the previous lessons.


    ¡°I¡¯ll not add another headache to you,¡± he joked in front of the ss but my ssmates did notugh because they were horrified at the word ¡®exam¡¯.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    At lunch, I hurriedly ate my lunch, then walked to the library. I still had forty minutes to read and memorize the Math lesson from the beginning of ss. And five minutes before the clock struck one in the afternoon, I was back in the ssroom for the afternoon ss.


    When the ss was dismissed at four o¡¯clock, I went straight to the library to study for a while. The library will close at five o¡¯clock so I still have plenty of time to study for the lesson.


    But unfortunately, sitting in that quiet ce was not a good idea after all.

 Chapter 11

    I could not remember exactly what I had memorized during lunch.


    I tried to write a form on paper and answered a math problem. Still, I could not get the right answer. I scratched my head and relearned the lesson I had memorized this afternoon.


    The next day, I did the same. I went to the library to study for the next lesson but sometimes, I would go back to the first lesson so I would not forget it. When the ss was dismissedter that afternoon, I left the ssroom and then hurried to the library.


    But I found out that I kind of forgot the lesson I memorized yesterday, as I had finished memorizing the next lesson that day. I wiped the sweat on my face.


    If this is how I do it ¡ª forgetting the first lesson every time I memorize the next lesson ¡ª I will forget all the lessons when the exames and all the time that I had spent in that library will be wasted. I breathed deeply in annoyance.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± called a familiar voice in the back.


    I turned to look at the one who had called me and I saw Teacher Anthony. He stepped closer to where I was sitting. I swallowed and quickly looked back at the open book on the table. Why was Teacher Anthony here?


    ¡°You¡¯re studying. That¡¯s good,¡± hemented and sat across from me.


    My heartbeat suddenly quickened in fear. There might be someone watching us, while we were facing each other at the same table. That person might think of some malicious thoughts about us. I did not want to go to the Principal¡¯s office anymore.


    I gathered my things so I could leave that table. Teacher Anthony might notice my n so he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Sit down first, Sydnee. We need to talk.¡±


    I could do nothing but sit back in the chair. I was not raised to be rude for disobeying his orders. Also, we have something to talk about and it might be important.


    ¡°What¡¯s it, Sir?¡±


    He smiled and then ced the book his holding on the table. ¡°Are you studying Math?¡± he asked.


    I looked at the book he had ced on the table. It was the same book I had borrowed and studied that afternoon. I nodded. ¡°Because the exam ising up Sir, so I decided to study.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he smiled as he nodded in agreement with what I was doing. He also ced both hands on the table and sped them together. ¡°Do you remember what I offered youst year, Sydnee?¡±


    Offeredst year? I thought for a moment, then his offer to be my Math tutor came to my mind. I blinked and nodded. ¡°I still remember, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Hmm ¡­¡± He opened his book to the page I was reading earlier. ¡°Do you know why the answer to the given math problem turned out to be four?¡±


    I stared at the page he opened. Because I also wanted to learn, I opened the book in front of me and looked for the page that Teacher Anthony was looking at. The math problem that was there was the first lesson I always forgot whenever I memorized the second lesson.


    I nodded to Teacher Anthony and exined to him why the answer was four in the given example. I just finished going back to that sample problem so it¡¯s still fresh in my memory.


    Teacher Anthony smiled and nodded. ¡°You did get the answer, but do you know what the shorter and faster solution to this math problem is?¡±


    I looked up at him. ¡°I don¡¯t. How to do it, Sir?¡±


    A smile spread across Teacher Anthony¡¯s lips and he taught me the shortest and fastest math trick. I was still dazzled to see how he got the answer to just two solutions. The one in the book took five more solutions before getting the right answer.


    ¡°You got it, Sir,¡± I said in amazement as I stared at the paper with his solution. But I scratched my cheek when I realized something. ¡°But I easily forgot the solutions, Sir. I can¡¯t memorize the solution in the book so it doesn¡¯t seem to work on me either.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t memorize it, Sydnee. You just have to understand the concept of Math and you can answer the problems even if you only remember the form.¡±


    I looked up at Teacher Anthony again. He stared at the paper on which the math trick was written. I stared at his face and thought for a moment.


    I could not memorize all the lessons in this book. The exam¡¯sing up and I could not help but think about how to study Math effectively. Maybe it¡¯s not bad if I ept his offer?


    ¡°Sir?¡± I called him.


    He looked at me and our gaze met. ¡°Mmm?¡± he hummed.


    ¡°Your offer is still open, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Teacher Anthony blinked and when he understood what I meant, he smiled sweetly.


    There was nothing I could do but to ept Teacher Anthony¡¯s offer. After all, he meant no ill intentions on me. What he wanted from me was to help him, to be his assistant, and it was certainly good for me. I would not spend even cents for his tutorial service and it was a great opportunity to excel in Math with little investment.


    Huh, investment.


    That day¡¯s lesson was business Math and Teacher Anthony taught us how to invest our money wisely. I then thought of the little money I got during the holidays. I could invest some amount in a business, but I was afraid that it would all go to waste. After all, I did not have the opportunity to experience having a small business nor investing at all. How could I do it properly?


    After the ss, Teacher Anthony asked me to stay for a moment inside the ssroom. Since I epted his offer, I obeyed him. A few minutes passed and all of my ssmates went out of the ssroom for lunch. I and him were the only ones inside.


    He then looked at me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. I nodded and looked at the paper works on the teacher¡¯s table. Teacher Anthony might notice where I was staring at and heughed. ¡°Come here,¡± he said.

 Chapter 12

    I walked closer to the teacher¡¯s table. He was sitting behind the wooden table and I stood in front of him. The sturdy table separated me from him.


    ¡°I have signed all these documents,¡± he said and shifted things on the table. He put them inside a folder and handed them to me. ¡°I want you to give it to Rogie.¡±


    I blinked at what he said. What? Rogie?


    I scratched my nose lightly. ¡°Why it has to be Rogie, Sir?¡± I asked, disappointed.


    Teacher Anthony leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms on his chest. He then stared at me longer than usual. ¡°You¡¯re blushing,¡± he said in a matter of fact.


    I smiled wryly. I knew that my cheeks heated up when I heard Rogie¡¯s name. It was an odd reaction and I knew that, but I could not help blushing out of embarrassment and annoyance. I never forgot what he didst Christmas party and I never forgot how that boy stared at me the whole time during ss hours. If not because of my seatmate whom I made as a shield from Rogie¡¯s stare, I would certainly blush throughout that morning.


    I did not know what happened to that Rogie guy but I knew and I could feel that he was up to no good. And now, hearing his name upon Teacher Anthony¡¯s lips, I could not help but show my embarrassment. I gritted my teeth silently.


    ¡°It was nothing, Sir.¡± I cleared my throat and reached for the folder on the teacher¡¯s table. ¡°I will go and find Rogie.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s in that folder?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head and looked down. I felt Teacher Anthony shift in his chair but then he did not stand up. He just seated there and watched after my every move.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Your credentials,¡± he said in a serious tone.


    That was when I looked up at him. Our gaze met but I did not mind it at all as what he said mattered more to me. ¡°What about my credentials, Sir?¡±


    ¡°Rogie wants to revoke your schrship and kick you out of this school.¡±


    I blinked for how many times. I even stepped back as I felt my knees lose their strength. I immediately opened the folder and read every line written on that sheet.


    It was indeed a behavioral report. The report stated that I did cheat on tests two consecutive times. And I knew that if that report fell in the hands of the prefect, I would certainly bid goodbye to my school days. The school admin would kick me out of that school instantly.


    ¡°Cheating?¡± I eximed. ¡°I did not cheat! When did I cheat on your test, Sir? This is a mistake!¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you sign these papers!¡± I paced back and forth in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money the pay my tuition for the previous years! My schrship is myst hope to study, Sir. Please, don¡¯t do this!¡±


    He did not say anything and just stared at me that made me more upset. ¡°Sir,¡± I said between gritted teeth. ¡°You know that I did not cheat. Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for your good.¡±


    ¡°My good?¡± Iughed bitterly. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry for being rude but you don¡¯t have to do this! I will respect you if you want but this revoked schrship is too much for me. Sir, please!¡±


    He sighed and stood up. ¡°Come, let me escort you to him.¡±


    I stamped my foot in defiance. ¡°No!¡±


    Teacher Anthony squinted his eyes on me. ¡°You promised to respect me, Sydnee.¡±


    I whimpered under his gaze and looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hand these to Rogie.¡±


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he warned.


    I looked up at him, eyes were in a rage. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why do you people always push me to the edge? Why are you treating me so badly? I just want to study and I never stepped on anyone to bring myself to the top like what you¡¯re doing to me! I always keep myself low so I could study peacefully but you people always step me down further from where I am now! Why are you so heartless!¡±


    I made him speechless after I said those words but I did not have the n to apologize. There was nothing that I should apologize for. My words were all true.


    The students in that school mocked us who were only there because of a schrship. I did not mind it at all for years because I thought that it was normal. But at that moment, when I read that report, I knew immediately that those treatments were not normal at all. They were stepping us down, adding salt to our wounds, treating us as if were lowly rats and pigs in that society.


    And it was not good. We were still people! I clenched my jaw in rage and closed my fist.


    Teacher Anthony stepped closer to me and snatched back the folder. He sighed. ¡°It was not like that, Sydnee.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak,¡± I whispered, eyes glowing in rage and disappointment. ¡°I thought that you were different from them but I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he whispered under his breath. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your good. Please understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for my good but your selfish motives, Sir! Rogie is a bastard who wants nothing but to ruin my life because of such petty things! He is a worthless bastard just like you!¡± I spat in his face and stormed out of that ssroom.


    I did not know what I was thinking but I found myself in front of Rogie. We were inside the canteen. I could hear whispers and I could feel their gazes on me. But those did not bother me at all.


    What I wanted at that time was to p and tear Rogie apart but I held myself back. I wanted to know what did I do to him that he went too far in revoking my schrship. Since it was myst day in that school, then I should enjoy myself tearing him apartter after I hear his side.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he said, lips curved into a thin smile. ¡°I did not expect you to have the courage to stop me from drinking.¡± Then his gaze went down to my hand holding his wrist.


    I hissed. ¡°Bastard,¡± I cursed under my breath.


    Rogie¡¯s eyes glinted and then heughed. ¡°Such innocent lips cursing me.¡± He used his other free hand to hold my hand. He swiftly loosened my grip on his wrist and he drank his soda in the can while staring at my raging eyes. He then crooked his lips and put the can on the table. ¡°I wonder what brought you here. We haven¡¯t spoken sincest year, hmm?¡±


    I stopped myself from hitting him and I closed my fist tightly. ¡°Why do you want to revoke my schrship?¡±


    I saw how he was stunned for a moment, but then he smiled sweetly at me. ¡°You cause me to lose face many times. Normally, I will take my revenge in this way.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what will happen when my schrship will be revoked?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°No.¡± He crooked his lips again and crossed his arms on his chest as he leaned back on his chair. ¡°I don¡¯t have a n to know either.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a heartless man, Rogie.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Sydnee.¡±


    Right then, I could not stop myself. I swiftly raised my hand and pped his cheek hard. I could feel the numbness in my palm as I stared at his face facing the left side. Then, a red handprint slowly appeared on his cheek.


    I secretly smiled in satisfaction. I never knew that I could have the chance to humiliate and p an heir in that school, knowing that students like Rogie were treated as VIPs in that school.


    There was a wave of silence inside the canteen. Then, secondster, a girl sitting across Rogie¡¯s table stood up and walked closer to me. I did not know who that girl was but ording to her looks and moves, I knew that she was a daughter and an heiress too.


    Before I could say a thing, the girl pped me hard on my cheek that I found myself being mmed on the cold tiled floor of the canteen. A searing pain washed away the satisfaction I felt when I pped Rogie. Numbness enveloped my whole body as my mind focused on the part where the girl had pped me.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a schr in this school. What right do you have to inflict pain to the VIP?¡± The girl sneered at me. ¡°Do you think that you could get away by just revoking your schrship?¡±


    I did not answer her. I raised my hand to touch my cheek but I groaned quietly when I felt the searing pain again. I panted. Sweat trickled down from my forehead. My mind went nk for a moment as my heartbeat raced wildly.


    Someone pulled my ID up. I gasped as my body was forced to be lifted. The ID sling choked my nape. I lifted my gaze and I saw the face of the same girl who pped me. She smirked and then I saw her bring out a small and pointed scissor from her pocket and cut the ID sling. Then my body fell on the floor with a thud. The students inside the canteen made noises. They were cheering for the girl who cut my ID sling.


    I grimaced as I felt pain all over my body. I was just thankful that the floor was tiled or else it would be more disaster for me.


    ¡°Sydnee Lurica. A schr and in herst year of high school,¡± said the girl while staring at my ID. ¡°Not bad. I would love to teach lessons on a mighty schr who thinks highly of herself. What do you think guys?¡± the girl asked the crowd. There was loud vibration as the students showed their support to the girl.

 Chapter 13

    I looked around. There were a lot of students inside the canteen. Most of them were paying for their tuitions because they looked arrogant and cheering for the girl. I then saw a handful of students silently eating their food. They did not raise their heads nor look at my way. I then knew that there were schrs like me because they would never interfere in situations like this.


    They were afraid that they might end up in the same situation if they would help me out. I understood them and I did not hold a grudge for them. I would be happy if they would not interfere. At least, their schrships were safe.


    I spat. ¡°I don¡¯t think highly of me,¡± I said, disdain was in my voice.


    The girl looked down at me and then sneered again. ¡°Schrs like you think highly of yourself. Because you excel in every subject, you think that you can trample us down. Well, I tell you, you can¡¯t trample us down!¡±


    ¡°Excel in every subject?¡± Iughed bitterly. I crooked my brows as I looked up at her. A smile made its way onto my lips. ¡°It¡¯s you who think highly of us.¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak that tone to me!¡± She breathe deeply and squinted her eyes on me. ¡°You only have the privilege to study in this school because of your schrship. If not because of your high grades, you wouldn¡¯t step a foot in this school.¡±


    I burst into augh that stunned everyone inside the canteen. ¡°I think you made a mistake there, Miss. Who said that every schr was genius? We were just lucky to get a schrship because of hard work. Unlike you guys, you depend on your parent¡¯s wealth to enter and study in this school.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The girl stepped forward and raised her hand.


    I immediately closed my eyes and waited for her p, but seconds passed that I did not feel any pain. I opened my eyes and I saw Rogie standing over the girl. He was holding the girl¡¯s wrist, preventing her to p me again.


    Rogie spoke, ¡°Enough, Azalea.¡±


    The girl squinted her eyes on Rogie and harshly withdrew her hand back. ¡°You were pped by her. I would not just stand here doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°You had pped her once and we¡¯re even. pping her again means she owed me another p.¡±


    Rogie¡¯s words silenced the girl. He then helped me to stand up but I shoo his hands away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± I said.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    His forehead creased. ¡°I know that you are not done taking your revenge. Why not do it in private so others won¡¯t interrupt?¡±


    I red at him. ¡°I¡¯m done with you. If you want to revoke my schrship, then do it. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± I looked away.


    He held my chin and forced me to look at him again. I knotted my brows when I faced him. Before I could utter a single word, Rogie brought his lips onto mine and kissed me. My breath hitched and my mind went nk.


    After a few seconds, Rogie pulled away and smirked at me. ¡°There, you owed me one kiss. If you want to get even, thene with me in private.¡±


    Then Rogie stood up straight and walked out of the canteen.


    I did not waste a single second. I immediately stood up and ran after Rogie. If I did not, maybe the girls inside the canteen would attack me right away. I still remembered how they red at me after that¡­ that¡­ uh, what Rogie did.


    ¡°Rogie!¡± I called. I stopped for a moment and panted hard as I watched him walk ahead. ¡°Rogie!¡± I yelled again.


    I ran after him as I saw him walk towards the back of the sophomore building. My forehead creased but I did not stop.


    I turned at the alley where he walked right into and before I could yell again, someone pulled me into a hug. My face hit that someone¡¯s hard chest and my cheeks burned hot. I smelled the familiar scent of Rogie so I pushed him away. I heard him chuckle at what I did.


    I red at him. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I spatted and hissed. ¡°You think I¡¯m joking with you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, chill.¡± He raised his hands in the air in the form of surrender and then grinned at me. ¡°I do you a favor, ya know.¡±


    I squinted my eyes and crossed my arms. ¡°Since it¡¯s myst day here, I might as well take my revenge for bullying me sincest year!¡±


    I charged at him and pped him hard again on his right cheek. ¡°That¡¯s for threatening me!¡± I raised my hand again and pped his left cheek. ¡°That¡¯s for being a jerk!¡±


    I raised another hand again and before I could hit him, he caught my wrist and looked straight at me. ¡°No more p avable for you, Sydnee.¡± And he let go of my wrist and held his chin. He winced in pain. ¡°You have heavy hands,¡± hemented.


    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Eat my schrship if you like! You shameless jerk,¡± I cussed and turned around to leave.


    But Rogie held my shoulder to prevent me from walking away. I harshly removed his heavy hand on my shoulder but to no avail. I hissed. ¡°Take off your dirty hands on me!¡±


    ¡°Dirty?¡± Heughed a bit. ¡°Since when you learned those words, Sydnee? I never knew that you¡¯re this brave.¡±


    I forced myself to face him again and squinted my eyes. ¡°I only stayed low for years to protect my schrship, and since you revoked it¡­¡± I gritted my teeth and red at him. ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason why I should hide my anger now. You made me like this, Rogie!¡±


    He raised his brow and the side of his lips crooked. ¡°Really? I haven¡¯t revoked your schrship yet. Do you want me to forget my n so you will hide your wild side again?¡±


    ¡°Jerk!¡±


    I used all my strength to free myself from his grip, but Rogie pinned me on the wall and moved closer to me. I could feel his heavy breath fanning my face so I looked at the side. ¡°Let go,¡± I warned.


    But he chuckled and moved his face closer to mine. His lips touched my ear and I heard him whisper, ¡°I will revoke your schrship ¡¯cause I want to be your benefactor. So be kind to me, will you?¡± He blew on my ear that made me squirm under him.


    Heughed and let me go. I watched him walk back to the entrance of the alley as he whistled a happy tone. I sneered.


    But I knotted my brows as I tried to process what he meant by his words. Then, my eyes opened wide and my lips parted. He wanted to be my what?


    I followed him to the entrance of the alley but he¡¯s no longer there. I heaved a sigh and had decided to go back. I need to clean my desk and prepare myself. Someone from the principal¡¯s office might fetch me in my ssroomter. I might as well clean my desk.


    This was the life of schrs in that school. Students like me would always experience being bullied and an incident like revoking schrship wasmon.


    The school did not want to offend those rich kids, and the administration would obey those rich kids, to the extent of revoking schrship. They would only reason that the student had done things that broke the school¡¯s rules and kick that student out like garbages. I used to think that the admin would rather lose one schr than offend the powers holding the whole city.


    Maybe I was not fated to change the status of my life.


    Being poor in this society where people in poverty do illegal things for survival, it was usual to be bullied by those higher than us. They saw us as criminals, and even if we were just kids, they would think that we would soon follow the steps of our forefathers.


    But I was not born as poor. I was born in a middle-ss family but after my father was thrown into jail, people would always think of me as a criminal who would soon follow the path of my father.


    I sighed again and erased those thoughts from my mind. I should not think of the past. My father wasfortable in the jail so why bother thinking of him?


    After all, he was the reason why I and my mother lived in istion and distress. If not for his crime¡­


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± someone called my name.


    The voice came from behind so I stopped walking and turned to face that person. I saw Teacher Anthony. When I looked down, I saw the folder in his hands. I gulped hard. ¡°I see. So you¡¯re giving it to him. Go on, Sir. I don¡¯t care anymore,¡± I said and turned around and walked towards my ssroom.


    Teacher Anthony did not stop me nor call my name again.

 Chapter 14

    I hissed and gritted my teeth. I thought that he was different from them! It turned out that he was also heartless.


    I entered the ssroom in rage, but I did not expect that someone would p me and pull my hair the moment I stepped a foot inside.


    ¡°Come on, girls. p her!¡±


    I gasped when someone pulled me and pped me in both cheeks. My knees wobbled at the sudden attack and I was mmed on the floor. The impact made me a little bit dizzy.


    ¡°Why did you do that, Maureen? Rogie said we can¡¯t hurt thatmoner,¡± a girl voiced out. Her voice was familiar but I could not name her. Maybe one of my ssmates who always participated in ss.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t know. Besides, this girl seduces him. Who knows if she used tricks to tame the well-known Rogie Camero.¡± Maureen scoffed. ¡°Rogie is not someone who would step down for amoner. He is well-known for being a yboy and a bully!¡±


    ¡°Right. Rogie is not a good boy in ss. Who would have thought that he would care for thismoner?¡± another girl chirped.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I heaved a sigh and shook my head. I had regained my strength after what they did. I slowly forced myself to stand up, but I yelped when someone pushed me down. I have mmed again on the floor. I gasped. My blood boiled at what they did.


    ¡°Since Rogie said that he¡¯ll revoke your schrship, why did you enter this room again, Sydnee Lurica? You should stay outside. You don¡¯t have the right to enter this room without your schrship. Or do you n to pay your tuition?¡± Maureen said sarcasm was in her voice.


    I squinted my eyes and red at her. The smile she had on her lips dropped as she stepped back. ¡°What? You want to fight back?¡± she asked, amused.


    I drew a deep breath. ¡°You think that I like to enter this room? Hah!¡± I stood up and red at them. ¡°Full of pretentious students, aiming for high ranks but will never defeat a poor schr like me?¡± I smiled at them mockingly. ¡°You know in yourself that you bribed the teachers not to pick me during recitations because you are all afraid that I¡¯ll defeat you in ranking.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,moner!¡± Maureen yelled.


    Iughed and crossed my arms. ¡°Since it is myst day, why don¡¯t you guys let me voice out my hard feelings for all of you here?¡±


    Maureen took a step forward but a girl stopped her. She then looked at me. ¡°Go on, Sydnee. We¡¯ll give you this chance,¡± said the girl.


    I sighed and looked at them one by one. ¡°You guys aim to be on top and you don¡¯t care that you have been pulling people down to get yourself on top of everyone.¡± I shook my head. ¡°But you will never be on top because of your dirty tricks. When you pull people down to get yourself on top, someone from the bottom will pull you down to get themselves on top. Can¡¯t you see it? You¡¯re fooling yourselves.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s a fool, it is you!¡± Maureen said and crossed her arms on her chest. ¡°You think that you are intelligent enough to beat us, but you are just putting yourself in difficulty. You can never beat us!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of your problems!¡± I yelled back. ¡°You think that everyone ispeting for power, for dominance. You see everyone as yourpetitor! You see them as a threat to your sess!¡± Iughed bitterly. ¡°You think that everyone is aiming to be on top? No, Maureen. Not everyone is aiming for what you aim for. I, I didn¡¯t aim to be on top. I just want to finish my study peacefully, that¡¯s why I kept low over these years because I know that you guys will pull me down further than where I was standing.¡± I shook my head as tears brimmed in my eyes. ¡°You are all selfish. You don¡¯t even know how to care and how to be friends with everyone.¡±


    Maureen rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop being dramatic. Just go get your things and leave this room.¡± She scoffed again.


    I wiped away the tears that trailed on my cheek and walked towards my seat at the back. I picked up my bag and walked towards the door. I could even feel their stares, like expecting something. But I did not know what they expect me to do, so I just walked past them and exited the door.


    The hallway was silent. I could not see anyone standing or walking in the hallway. Maybe they were all inside their respective rooms since it was ss hour already.


    I heaved a sigh. After I said those words and confronted Maureen, I felt the heaviness in my heart had gone away. I felt at ease, but I did not feel at peace at all.


    I did not know what to say to Mom. I knew that she would punish me, but I could not do something. Maybe I¡¯ll invest the little money I had, and save enough money to help myself enroll in another school.


    It would much preferable for me if there¡¯s a public school in my city, but the public school was on the outskirt of the city and I could not afford to pay the everyday fare. Even Mom¡¯s extra money would not be enough.


    So my only option was to get another schrship program and transfer to another school. I sighed again. I was in myst two years in high school and transferring to another school was not that convenient.


    ¡°Sydnee?¡± someone asked.


    I stopped and looked ahead. I saw Teacher Anthony. When I lowered my gaze, I saw that he was no longer holding the folder. I knew that he handed it already to Rogie, and knowing Rogie, he would be jumping in dness by now.


    I looked away. ¡°Good afternoon,¡± I greeted. ¡°¡­ Teacher Anthony,¡± I added then bowed slightly at him.


    I walked past him but he caught my wrist. I saw in my peripheral vision that he looked at my backpack. ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go home.¡±


    ¡°Home?¡± he asked, confused. ¡°You still have an afternoon ss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not part of this school anymore. I will get my credentials at the principal¡¯s office tomorrow, pay all my tuition for thest two years, and transfer to another school,¡± I said casually.

 Chapter 15

    But I said those words because I wanted to p him the consequences I would face because of his impulsive decisions. I knew. I should not have trusted him in the first ce.


    He was dumbfounded for a moment, and then he cleared his throat. ¡°Have you talked with Rogie Camero?¡±


    I sneered when I heard that name. ¡°He doesn¡¯t value humanity. That bastard wanted to revoke my schrship.¡± I looked at Teacher Anthony. ¡°And you are his aplice.¡±


    He gulped when our gaze met. ¡°Did he tell you anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done with that bully. Please let go of my arm.¡±


    Teacher Anthony let go of my arm. ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°What thing should I understand¡­ I don¡¯t care anymore, Teacher. Thanks for your tutorial offer but what a waste. We would part ways before we could start a thing.¡±


    I then walked away from him.


    I continued walking towards the school gate, but when I reached the gate, the guards stopped me.


    ¡°Cutting ss?¡± one of the guards spat. ¡°Go back to your ss, Miss.¡±


    Iughed at myself. How proud you were when you exited the ssroom, Sydnee. You forgot that you could not pass through the school gate at ss hours!N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I heaved a sigh. Maybe it was the reason why my former ssmates looked at me expectantly. Maybe they knew that I could not exit the school until dismissal and that I could not stay outside the ssroom during ss hours or else I would be reprimanded by the perfect. But why should I fear the prefect when I was not an official student anymore?


    So I just smiled at the guards and turned around. I walked my way back to the school buildings.


    The hallway was still silent. Few students were passing by, and I knew that some of them would go to the restroom and some were ordered to go by a teacher.


    With the silence and stillness of the surrounding, I could not help but feel nervous. I never roamed the hallway during ss hours because it was forbidden to roam around during ss hours.


    I bit my lip as I passed the closed ssroom doors. I could hear the teachers¡¯ discussion from the outside. I drew a deep breath.


    I did not know where to go after leaving the ssroom. I should find a ce where I could stay while waiting for the time. I should not roam around.


    Just when I was about to turn to another hallway, I saw the principal standing at the end of the other hallway. The principal was looking at something, maybe inside an open ssroom.


    I gulped hard and ran towards a closed door. I twisted the doorknob and opened the door. I entered and closed the door immediately. I even locked it from the inside.


    My heartbeat went wild after that incident. I gasped for air then Iughed softly at how silly I was. It was my first time to run away from the principal in fear of being caught.


    I shook my head. At least I experienced what those students who cut ss had experienced. I sighed again.


    I turned around to inspect the room I¡¯ve entered into. I knotted my brows as I roamed my eyes around. It was familiar, but I could not name what room I had entered.


    The surrounding was dark, but there¡¯s a little light that¡¯sing from the gap in the window, and it was enough for me to see the whole room.


    The silence was deafening, not until I heard steady footsteps from the outside of the room. I held me breathe. I knew that it was the principal¡¯s footsteps. I closed my fist and eyes and I did not breathe until I could no longer hear those frightening footsteps.


    I gasped for air as I raised my hand to touch my chest. I had held my breath longer. Well, the principal¡¯s footsteps were constant, and I was afraid that the principal could hear me breathing inside the room. That would be a disaster.


    When my heartbeat had calmed down, I decided to tour the whole room. It was a big room full of the canvas. There was a lot of nk canvas, and there were also those that were covered with paint.


    I walked past them as I tried to look at each painting carefully. I then concluded that the room I had entered into was the art club¡¯s private room. But why it was not locked?


    Then, I heard footsteps from behind me. My eyes grew wide and I turned around. I saw Rogie as he was walking closer to me.


    I stepped back as my heart raced. How did he enter the room? Why I didn¡¯t hear him opening the door?


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked and looked away.


    He stood in front of me and his lips curved into a thin smile. ¡°I should be the one asking you that, Sydnee. You entered this room in a hurry and roamed around like you¡¯re part of the art club team.¡±


    I pursed my lips into a thin smile and red at Rogie. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t see me again the next day so don¡¯t bother hiding your disdain. We¡¯re alone in this room.¡±


    He squinted his eyes on me. ¡°Do you see me as your bully?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you expect me to see you as my hero after you¡¯ve bullied me for how many times?¡±


    He drew a deep breath. ¡°Look, Sydnee, I¡¯m sorry for the things I¡¯ve done to you. Let¡¯s call a truce, shall we?¡±


    I was dumbfounded by his words. I never expected him to say sorry but then, I huffed. ¡°No,¡± I said firmly and looked away. I even crossed my arms against my chest.


    He stared at me for seconds and then smiled sheepishly. ¡°You should ept my apology.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You call that apology?¡± I smiled fakely at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to apologize, Rogie.¡±


    Of course, I would not expect him to apologize truthfully. He was not raised likemon people, and I bet that he was taught to not apologize to someone. He was an heir after all. What should I expect?


    He knotted his brows and raised one. ¡°How to apologize then?¡± he asked, sarcasm was in his voice.


    Hah. I was right. He did not know how to truly apologize to someone. I smiled at him. ¡°You want to apologize? Then, you need to do some things first.¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°What things?¡±


    ¡°Buy me a sandwich.¡± I grinned. ¡°Buy me white roses. Greet me every day. Protect me from bullies.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Easy.¡±


    I squinted my eyes at him. I knew that he would not do it so I told him even more silly things. Just to piss him off.

 Chapter 16

    ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± I said between gritted teeth. ¡°Pay my expenses. Carry my bag. Compliment me. Eat with me every lunch. Invite me for a dinner at your house. Apany me home.¡±


    Rogie became silent after I said those words. I chuckled as I watched his serious face. His gentle eyes stared at me and it took me a few seconds before I noticed it.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Why are you staring like that?¡± I spat.


    But he just showed me his smile. ¡°Your demands are easy,¡± he said.


    ¡°Demands.¡± I huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t demand a thing. Do you want to apologize? Then do it,¡± I said and showed him my infamous smile.


    I would not be here tomorrow so I was sure that he could not do it. Even so, I did not believe that Rogie would do it. He was a prideful bastard that knows nothing but to bully others.


    At dismissal, I was ready to sprint home. However, the faculty assistant approached me and asked me to follow her to the principal¡¯s office. Right. I knew that it¡¯s almost impossible to escape that dreadful office. I sighed and followed the girl.


    The hallway was full of students and most of them were regr students. Some of them stole a nce at me but they would look away after split seconds. And that was when I realized that we were traveling through the administration building. Most of the students in the first hallway of that building were schrs, so that was my haven so far.


    But while walking ahead, I heard some whispers from them. ¡°Isn¡¯t she¡­?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s lucky to have one.¡±


    ¡°I saw her making a scene with a VIP in the canteen. It¡¯s good to know that one of them spared her and even elevate her status in this school.¡±


    I stopped in my tracks and looked at the two girls who were standing at the side of the hallway. They were just meters away from me and because of the silence, I easily heard what they were whispering. And I did not have to guess who they were whispering about ¡¯cause it was pretty obvious that it was me whom they were pertaining to.


    I pursed my lips at them, and they returned it with a small smile before walking hastily in the opposite direction. I heaved a sigh. Elevate the status? Nonsense.


    Forgetting what I just heard from those two girls, I continued walking towards the principal¡¯s office, following the girl assistant closely behind.


    The sun shonezily, hanging low in the afternoon sky. A chilly wind passed by me and I released a breathe that I did not know I was holding since I heard those girls.


    I knew it wasplete nonsense. No. I should not believe them, but part of me was anticipating the truthfulness of it. Being expelled by the school was more problematic than facing those bullies. I admitted it.


    Suddenly, the girl turned around and said, ¡°Miss, please enter now. The principal is waiting for you.¡±


    With a shaky breath, I stepped a foot inside the well-ventted office of the school principal. It had been months since myst visit and I was nervous to the core. In the past, stepping inside meant danger. And it was no different in that afternoon.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± I greeted.


    The principal nodded and gestured for me to sit on the visitor¡¯sir. I immediately obeyed her.


    ¡°You are Sydnee Lurica?¡± she casually asked and opened a folder. I recognized the folder as the one that I¡¯ve seen in Sir Anthony¡¯s hand earlier.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathe.


    She put the folder t on the surface of her wooden table and looked at me. ¡°Your teacher reported to you that you cheated on his subject, is it true?¡±


    I gritted my teeth but I did not let her see my annoyance. I looked away. ¡°No. I did not cheat.¡±


    ¡°So you are telling me that your teacher lied and filed a fake report?¡±


    Amazed by her statement, I turned my face towards her and stared back at her careful gaze. I gulped hard before I opened my mouth. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, but I know in myself that I didn¡¯t cheat in his ss.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°So you know this teacher¡­?¡±


    I was caught off guard. I sped both my hands and stared pleadingly at her. ¡°Maam, I did not know. I don¡¯t know why they insist that I cheated but I know in myself that I did not. But whatever I¡¯ll do, whatever I¡¯ll say, no one will believe me. So please, investigate it, ma¡¯am¡­¡±


    There was a long silence between me and the principal. She stared at my face so I looked away and bit my bottom lip.


    She was not the principal that I used to fear and hate. ording to the school publication, she was newly appointed principal by the board of directors after the previous one was found using forbidden drugs. Maybe it was the reason why the previous principal was not that¡­ good.


    But upon seeing and answering her questions, I could see that she was not the same as the previous principal. She let me speak up my mind and let me defend myself before concluding. The thing that made the set-up suspicious was that I was the only one answering her. For most cases, like the one I¡¯ve seenst year, the two parties should be present.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± the principal called, cutting my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your previous grades and I am impressed by your performance.¡± There was a small smile lingering at the side of her lips which made me more nervous.


    I forced a smile. ¡°Thank you, Maam. I studied hard toplete high school.¡±


    ¡°But I noticed that you performed low in Math.¡±


    I looked away. ¡°I¡¯m struggling in that subject.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ and your Math teacher reported you. Should I believe the report now that you¡¯ve admitted that you¡¯re struggling in the subject?¡±


    ¡°W-what¡­¡± My brows knotted a little with a thought. ¡°I didn¡¯t admit the usation, and low performance in the subject is not a guarantee that I will do what they used of me.¡±


    The principal leaned her back on her swivel chair and skimmed over the opened folder file in the table. ¡°You¡¯re quite careful with your words.¡±


    I faintly smiled at her. ¡°If I am not careful, someone will take advantage of my weakness. They will use it against me.¡±


    Dealing with those bullies had taught me a lot of things. It¡¯s just that I had kept myself low so they would not target me, but when my schrship was on the brink, I knew that I could no longer keep it safe from them. So why bother keeping low when there was no more thing for me to protect?


    ¡°I see.¡± She closed the folder, ced it aside, and opened another one. ¡°This school is your benefactor, and because you broke the condition of the schrship, then immediate termination is invoked.¡±


    I pursed my lips into a thin line. ¡°I have no money.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Her lips twitched and I noticed a hint of amusement in her eyes. She looked at me and then looked at the folder. ¡°You can rest assured that the school will not ask forpensation and punitive damages from you. Someone paid for the sum. I will give you good news.¡±


    ¡°Good news?¡± My forehead creased even more at her remarks. ¡°Howe good news? And did someone pay for¡­?¡±


    She nodded and a cheeky smile appeared on her lips. ¡°Camero. One of the most influential families paid for the sum and you should serve them.¡±


    ¡°Camero¡­¡±


    ¡°Rogie Camero,¡± the principal said. She then cleared her throat. ¡°And not only that, but his family will pay for your tuition until your high school graduation. You are lucky to have them so don¡¯t do anything reckless starting now. Don¡¯t disappoint the Camero.¡±


    I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°But I¡¯m not his obligation nor I am obliged to serve him.¡±


    The way she stared at me was like I¡¯ve grown another head. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing. You don¡¯t want it?¡± she asked while ying the fountain pen in her fingers.


    No, of course, I wanted to have a sponsor who is willing to cover my supposed to be penalties. Buting from Rogie¡¯s family? The Camero? No, I can¡¯t ept it.


    I shook my head and opened my mouth to assert my disapproval, but the door burst open and I saw Rogie walking towards me with his boyish grin. ¡°Have you told her?¡± he asked and faced the principal.


    She frowned. ¡°Mr. Camero, you¡¯re in my office. Behave yourself.¡±


    But Rogie just shrugged his shoulder and nced at me. His gaze was intense, making my blood boil in anticipation. His looks somehow reminded me of the day we were alone in the corner of two buildings. I looked away and held my gaze on the wooden table.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her?¡± he asked with a disapproving tone.


    I lifted my gaze onto the principal who was looking amused at Rogie. My throat felt dry so I swallowed. ¡°I will not ept it, Maam.¡±


    My body shuddered a little when I saw in my peripheral vision how hasty Rogie looked in my direction. ¡°You want to pay the penalties by yourself?¡± he asked then snorted. ¡°Come on, Sydnee. Be realistic.¡±


    His remarks made my cheeks burn red not in embarrassment but anger. I shot him with a hateful re, not wanting to believe nor listen to his words. ¡°You nned this all along, am I right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I just want you to be a regr student.¡± He threw both of his hands in the air. ¡°You don¡¯t want that?¡±


    ¡°What? Am I not a regr student for the past years?¡± My eyes narrowed at him. ¡°Go, get my schrship back. I didn¡¯t vite any of the school rules and you just admitted that you n this all along. So it¡¯s your mistake, not mine.¡±


    ¡°Woah, easy there.¡± He chuckled and ced both hands in his waist, then clicked his tongue, showing his disappointment. ¡°I just did you a favor of changing your status and you¡¯re not grateful for my heroic deed?¡±


    I shook my head. He has his ego and I am certain of that. ¡°You think that bing my sponsor will elevate my status? What? I was not informed that this school has a hierarchal system. If I had known, I should have reported it to the officials.¡±


    Rogie¡¯s eyes became sharp at my sarcasm. ¡°Sydnee, watch your mouth.¡±


    ¡°You know why I don¡¯t want to ept your offer, Rogie?¡± He did not say anything so I continued. ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to be in debt with your family. I know what rich is thinking. nting investments and then what? You¡¯ll reap it someday with huge interest. I¡¯ll be in my grave if that happens.¡±


    His expression changed from confused to a cold one. ¡°So you think that this whole setup is an investment?¡± He reached for his tie and arranged it, loosening a bit. ¡°That I am taking advantage of you?¡±


    I opened my mouth to answer him but the principal cleared her throat and we both looked at her at the same time. She had this awkward smile on her lips while her eyes move from me to Rogie and back to my ghastly face. ¡°Maybe you two could talk in private? Settle everything and thene back here again for the conclusion.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rogie hastily said. ¡°She¡¯s not a schr anymore, but a regr student. All the privileges that I am enjoying on the campus will be enjoyed by her also.¡±


    ¡°Rogie -¡±


    He cut my words and shot me a re. ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯ll give you more privilege that all regr students will envy you. You don¡¯t want that to happen, Sydnee.¡±


    My fist closed tight at what he said. Of course, I did not want to grab attention. If he¡¯ll give me more privileges than those regr students are enjoying, then I will surely garner all the hate that those students can give to me ¨C even ten times than what I had experienced before. That¡¯s how society works and even in school, that system is still running around wild and freer than the morals that every student should have.


    ¡°Shameless,¡± I muttered under my breath and looked away. He did not say anything but he sat on the chair across mine. My brow raised but I did not argue with him anymore and looked at the principal. ¡°I¡¯ll ept that offer as long as there¡¯s no contract involved -¡±


    Rogie cut my words again. ¡°No contract then.¡±


    I snorted and rolled my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be entangled with another contract. He is persistent even though that I want to disapprove so¡­¡± I looked at Rogie. ¡°I¡¯m not indebted with you.¡±


    He stared at me for a few seconds before he crinkled his nose. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be in debt, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I am cautious. I don¡¯t have trust with people like you.¡±


    Rogie shook his head and showed his cheeky smile at me. ¡°You¡¯ll receive an allowance for other expenses.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fool around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fooling.¡± He crossed his arms against his chest. ¡°You asked me to pay for your expenses, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What? No way!¡±


    My eyes widened when Rogie threw his head back andughed so hard that tears brimmed at the corner of his eyes.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

 Chapter 18

    I stared at him ¨C bewildered by what he was doing. Then he looked at me with tear-stained eyes. ¡°You¡­¡± Heughed again before he continued. ¡°Why is it easy for you to forget things about me, and yet, I did not forget the things that you have asked from me earlier when I wanted to apologize to you?¡±


    Things I asked from him?


    I went silent for a few seconds and thought hard. I tried to recall the things that we had talked about inside the art room, and my eyes squinted at Rogie who was grinning at me. ¡°It was just a joke,¡± I said. ¡°I thought that I¡¯ll not be here tomorrow so forget those foolish things that I had asked from you. I¡¯m just kidding earlier.¡±


    It was true. I just said those things to y with him and I never expected that I will still be a student in that academy. If I had known¡­


    ¡°Sydnee, I gave you my word and Camero never take back his word.¡±


    Before I could protest, Rogie pulled a card from his coat¡¯s inner pocket and put it on the table. He looked at the principal. ¡°Give it to her. It¡¯s mine and nothing to do with my family.¡± He nced at me before he stood and walked towards the door. One secondter, I heard the door close with a thud.


    My mind went nk as I stared at his credit card lying on the wooden table.


    I had epted Rogie¡¯s credit card but I did not use it. The convincing plea of the principal had gotten hold of my conscience. She just wanted the best of me. It would made me an ungrateful girl if I could not give her what she needed when she gave me a chance to stay in the academy.


    A long sigh escaped from my lips as I looked ahead. I did not tell mother what happened in school. We¡¯re not that close though. Another day had risen and I was standing again in the school ground.


    The students nearby no longer do gossip about me nor talk behind my back, although weird gazes still follow me around. They knew that the Camero paid my tuition for the rest of my school days and they did not want to offend someone who had the most powerful family in the city behind her back. I knew it. And I was notfortable with it. But I need to continue my school life or else no one will.


    With a deep breathe, I started to walk ahead. Some of the schrs nearby were watching my every step and I recognize the emotion dancing through their eyes ¡ª envy. I was taken aback but I tried to shoo that weird feeling away. It¡¯s not my fault and I was not happy for the result of Rogie¡¯s foolishness. I did not beg Rogie to do it. My conscience was clear. I sighed again.


    ¡°Sydnee?¡± someone asked behind me.


    I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face the one who called my name. It was my seatmate. She smiled at me but I did not know what to reply so my face grimaced. ¡°Yes?¡± I said in a low voice.


    ¡°Can I join you?¡±


    My eyes blinked for a few seconds before I nod my head. I turned around and walked ahead, then I saw her in the corner of my eye, walking beside me.


    There was a long silence hovered above us but she cleared her throat after a few minutes and asked, ¡°Are you free tonight? Er¡­ ire is celebrating her debut this evening. She had invited all of our ssmates to attend the party.¡±


    ¡°Including me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, including you.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Another silence.


    We passed by a group of freshmen giggling while holding a romance book in their hands. They were loud but no one hushed them to silence.


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t go, though I¡¯m thankful for the invitation.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She cleared her throat again. ¡°I mean, you can go if you want to.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I can¡¯t go because I will not go.¡±


    ¡°You have missed a lot of parties with us. At least join this one to celebrate one of our ssmates birthday.¡±


    ¡°No. I still don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°But ¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to wear nor gift I could give. Plus, I¡¯m not the ss favorite so there¡¯s no need for me to attend her debut.¡±


    ¡°Our ssmates¡­ they will be disappointed if you don¡¯t show up.¡±


    A chuckle escaped from my lips. I saw in my peripheral vision how she tilted her head to look at me with a confused expression.


    I shook my head. ¡°Nah. No one can change my mind. I don¡¯t want to attend if I will be aughing stock tonight.¡± Then I walked inside the ssroom, leaving her outside wondering what I meant with my words.


    And I don¡¯t care if she got my point or not. They just seemed nice to me because they were curious why Rogie took care of amoner. Hah. After years of humiliation, I did not want to be that naive and timid girl again. Gone were the days that someone enjoyed bullying me.


    ¡°She declined the invitation,¡± someone whispered, but their voice were enough for me to hear. ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s stupid or not. ire¡¯s family is known for having connection with the duke. Sydnee must be out of mind.¡±


    Someone snorted. ¡°Just let her be. She¡¯s kind of pathetic to cling onto Camero. She knows Rogie will never take fancy of her.¡±


    I sneered at their remarks. Gossip did have wings, but I don¡¯t mind it at all.


    My eyes wandered around the ssroom but I did not see Rogie. Where¡¯s that boy? I haven¡¯t seen him around this morning and that¡¯s weird. He¡¯s not the tardiest in ss.


    Then, the math teacher Anthony entered the ssroom with a small smile on his lips. His smile widen when our eyes had met but I looked away. He might received the news of my new status in school.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted the ss.


    It took him almost three hours inside the ssroom dicussing the lesson for that day and giving us quizzes. His brow raised when he had a glimpse of my score, and the corner of his lips curved upward. My ssmates did not notice it but my eyes never lied to me.


    I felt my cheek burned hot in embarrassment so I looked outside the window, although I could sense how teacher Anthony¡¯s stare lingered in me for seconds.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give Sydnee a round of apuse for having the highest score in ss today.¡±


    Most of my ssmates did a hesitant p while some did not bother to p at all. It did not matter. I was too embarrassed to even look at Teacher Anthony again.


    I used the trick he taught me once at the library and I knew that he noticed it. We¡¯re not in good terms yet so I felt awkward. I just did not expect him to inspect each of our answer sheets after the quiz. If only he didn¡¯t do it¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s all for today, ss.¡± He bit his goodbye.


    We stood up to bit our goodbye also, but his eyes found mine and we stared at each other for a few seconds before he left. Only my seatmate noticed the looks I shared with the teacher but she didn¡¯t ask about it. I heaved a sigh of relief.


    Rogie entered the ssroom minutes after the math teacher exited. I was taken aback when he stood in front of me. I looked up at him but he just snorted and held my hand. He tried to tugged me out of my chair but I held my other hand on the armrest to prevent myself from standing.


    ¡°L-Let go!¡± I whispered a groan.


    His face sunk at my repulsion and let my hand go. I still felt the tingle when I looked up at him again. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± I breathed.


    But he held my shoulders and brought his lips on mine. My eyes shot up and tried my best to push him away but his hands moved down at my back and pulled me closer to him.

 Chapter 19

    Rogie pulled away from the kiss and stared at me. My cheeks were red because of embarrassment and it burned even brighter when I noticed my ssmates looking at me with ridiculous stares. I grimaced and deliberately pushed Rogie away and pulled a handkerchief inside my pocked to wipe my lips.


    My sharp re was still on him. ¡°Bastard,¡± I said between my breathe. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I asked, my face flushed in anger and frustration.


    His shoulders moved up and down. I could hear his heavy breathing and my brows knotted in confusion. What¡¯s wrong with this guy?


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he whispered and stepped back.


    I lowered my gaze and sighed. ¡°Another trick?¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    His gaze lingered for seconds before he averted his eyes. Rogie did not say a word when he turned around and left the ssroom. Just then, numerous gazes pierced through me and I felt ufortable. A burst ofugher was heard on the corner of the room.


    I shot a re there and the girls sitting in that area looked away when I had met their gazes. I knew that it was I whom they wereughing about. But I did not mind. I noticed that my ssmates went silent after Rogie¡¯s little show, but they never point a finger on me. I sighed in relief. At least, they did not cause me trouble.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± my seatmate whispered suddenly.


    I turned to her but I noticed that she was looking at her notebook, skimming through her notes. I cleared my throat. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Congrats for achieving the highest score in our math quiz,¡± she said while her eyes were locked in her notes. After a few seconds, she closed her notebook and looked sideways at me. Her expression was cold. ¡°I never expected that you¡¯ll ace that quiz. You know¡­ it¡¯s quite hard.¡±


    I blinked and a small smile of truimph was on my lips. ¡°Thanks. I¡­ kind of studied the lesson in advance.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She shrugged her shoulders and looked at the front. ¡°I should never underestimate a schr like you.¡±


    I frowned.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°I mean, in the past months, you sucked in math. You surprised me, and not just me but all of our ssmates.¡±


    My cheeks blushed in herpliment and I lowered my gaze. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not ¡®nothing¡¯, Sydnee. Did you notice how the top students re at you? They envy your score.¡±


    I suppresed augh and shook my head. ¡°Envy? Well, I only ace that quiz. I wonder what would they think if I ace a quiz again?¡±


    A sly smile spread across her lips. And it motivated me to study more.


    Every dismissal, I stayed in the library for thirty minutes before walking my way back home. Mother scolded me because I got homete than usual but I exined the reason to her. She didn¡¯t believe me, but when she saw me studying after I washed the dishes, she just shrugged her shoulders and reminded me not to stayte at school.


    I only nodded.


    Days passed, subjects after subjects, quizzes after quizzes¡­ I got the highest scores. And I noticed that in every highest score, the re of my ssmates began to get sharp. They ignored me at all. I felt more invisible than I felt for years studying in the academy.


    The only one who actually talked to me in ss was my seatmate. And after months of not minding each other¡¯s business, I only knew her name that afternoon.


    ¡°Isa. My name is Isa.¡±


    I smiled at her and shaked hands with her. I did not attend ire¡¯s debut and that¡¯s what they were talking about that morning, after the organizer postphoned ire¡¯s party due to unforeseen events in the venue.


    But since I did not attend, I could not rte to it. Isa did not try to narrate what happened to the party and I was thankful for that. Not that I mind mentioning it, but I knew that my ssmates deliberately talked about the party because I was not there.


    Huh. I was not jealous, either. There¡¯s no need for me to perk my ears to their gossips.


    The days passed by in my favor. More hateful res from my ssmates because my scores did not disappoint me. All my teachers were surprised that I perform better than the top one student in my ss. Teacher Anthony was more than happy. He knew that I was doing well.


    ¡°Keep it up,¡± was all my teachers said.


    Some of them raised a brow whenever they saw my scores in quizzes. They tried to challenge me and the top one student in oral recitation and that¡¯s where I failed.


    The subject was not my favorite and I did not expect that the teacher will ask questions that supposedly for the senior students. We were still juniors and that caught me off guard. I just stared at the top one student who, in a confident voice, answered the teacher¡¯s questions. He garnered ps from the teacher.


    ¡°You¡¯re still my number one student,¡± the teacher said to him and red at me. ¡°Sydnee, you must study more!¡±


    A burst ofugher echoed through the four corners of the ssroom. My confidence was shaken but I held my head high and smiled at the teacher. ¡°Sure,¡± was all I could utter.


    Her brow raised but did not question me further. I sat and sighed silently but I felt my seatmate¡¯s hand pressed down on my shoulder. I looked at her and saw her smile at me. ¡°p that teacher with your sess,¡± she whispered.


    I nodded.


    And I did my best to study in advance that subject. I even studied the higher order derivatives which was supposed to be a lesson in Calculus One in college. Well, the teacher was surprised that I got her questions correct in our second oral recitation. Although the top one student had answered the question right, I still made the teacher shut up in her overconfident tone.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go back to our lesson,¡± the teacher said.


    But I smirked because I knew why she stopped questioning us. The top one student had a hard time thinking of the answer and it took him awhile to answer it correctly. When the teacher asked me, it was a hard question and it took me awhile also to answer it correctly. The teacher even tried to null my answer but I argued with her and she gave up in the end. That¡¯s where she stopped with her ridiculous questions.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°You did well,¡± Isa praised when I sat on my chair.


    I gestured to her with my hand and we both supressed ourugh when the teacher red at us before starting her discussion. I shrugged my shoulders and Isa grinned at me.


    I just did not expect to catch Rogie¡¯s stare at me. When our eyes met, he smiled at me. I hastily looked away.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I WAS tired, barely keeping up with my quick breaths as I ran my way back home. The sun had sank in the horizon and darkness enveloped every corners of the town. The faint light from inside the hut made my heart beat fast. I knew mother inside, preparing dinner for tonight.


    I got homete that evening because I forgot time was running fast and that night was still early even after Christmas. It was a chilly February night.


    But my brows knotted when I felt something was strange inside the hut. I smelt a faint scent lingering in the air. A man¡¯s perfume. Was someone been here?


    Before I could call Mom, a figure appeared from the small kitchen door. A man. His face so familiar that my feet stayed rooted on the spot. How? Why?


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± called Mom as she appeared from the kitchen¡¯s door. She stood beside him and took his hand. A small smile curved at the side of her lips. ¡°Your father is back.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± I was more of a whisper than a question so I cleared my throat and said, ¡°He¡¯s not wee in this house.¡±


    A long silence passed between the three of us. Mom was scrutinizing at me while the man, my father, had looked away. Hurt shed in his eyes but I did not let it soften me.


    He was a criminal and he was the reason why my life and Mom¡¯s life became a mess, and will always be a mess. If only¡­ if only ¡ª


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± father called. ¡°Please let me exin.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°We had survived without you. We had survived and we no longer need you,¡± I spat.


    His other hand clenched. But before he could utter another word, Mom took a step forward and pped me across my cheek. I faced sideways and I fought my tears as they brimmed in my eyes. My cheek went numb and I swallowed the lump in my throat. I would not cry.


    ¡°Ungrateful child!¡± Mom spat. ¡°He is your father! You don¡¯t have the right to talk to him like that!¡±


    My body shuddered at her words. Dad held Mom¡¯s shoulder and faced me with a tired, pleading look. ¡°It was an usation, Sydnee. But I don¡¯t have the power to fight with a duke. They put me to prison because they were afraid that I will ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough with your excuses, Dad.¡± I faced both my parents with a nk expression. ¡°Do you know how those students look at me at school? They made fun of me and they loved to bully me. They thought that I am also a criminal like you. And I endured those things, Dad. All because of you! You shouldn¡¯t ¡ª¡±


    Another p and I stumbled back. I threw a horrified look at Mom and gently covered my bruised cheek.


    Her eyes were dted in anger and her breathe came in quick rose and fall of her shoulders. ¡°Out,¡± she said and pointed the door at my back. ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°Hon,¡± Dad interrupted.


    But I did not want his words. I ran outside the small hut and back onto the highway. It was not long ago that I strode the same street going back home, but here I was, running to where my feet will bring me to.


    My mind was racing with questions as my feet slowed until I walked the sideway. Did father escaped from prison? Did he bribe his way out? But he did not have the luxury to bribe someone nor to buy some expensive things¡­ so why he came home with such expensive perfume, not to mention, his clothes were expensive too!


    A body mmed against me that I lost my bnce. Someone held my shoulder to help me find my bnce, and when I did, I looked up to the man who helped me. A stranger.


    ¡°Look ahead,¡± he said. His brows knotted.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled and walked passed him.


    My eyes wandered the sorrounding. I was in a park. I took a step ahead and sat on a swing. No one was around the park. The big lights were on and the chilly air blew passed me. I shivered in the cold.


    Not long after, I heard the sky rumbled like a heavy stone was rolled above. My heart beat fast and I stood up. But the rage in Mom¡¯s eyes stayed in my mind. I sat back on the swing and let my feet sway the swing gently.


    And then the rain poured with unforgiving strength that soaked me in seconds. I sighed and looked at the big and heavy raindrops falling under the streetlight. After a few minutes, some water umted near the swing and other hollow spaces in soil around the park. I kept still, but when a lighting struck at the distance, I stood up and walked under the rain.


    I hugged myself and looked around the ce. I only noticed that the ce was a residential area, but there was no waiting shed nearby. So I walked and walked under the rain. Cold wind passed by me. I kept my arms around my body and asionally rubbed my palms against my arms.


    My n was to look for a waiting shed but as minutes passed by walking under the cold rain, my steps became small until I stopped in the middle of the rain, shivering because of too much cold.


    I could not see clearly ahead because the rain blurred the images around and I must be delusional to see a car approaching me. The headlight shone right on my face so I had to cover my eyes with one hand and squinted them to see clearly.


    It stopped before me and the driver¡¯s door opened. An umbre popped overhead before a tall man stepped outside and closed the driver¡¯s door. Rain chattered on the car¡¯s roof.


    The man walked towards me. Because the headlight was against my eyes, I could not see the man¡¯s face clearly. I only recognized him when he spoke louder than usual.

 Chapter 21

    ¡°You¡¯re doing suicide, are you?¡±


    I blinked for a few times before I swallowed and said, ¡°Teacher Anthony?¡±


    He sighed and ushered me towards the passenger door. ¡°But I¡¯m wet ¡ª¡±


    He cut my protest. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    I sat on the passenger seat and Teacher Anthony hastily closed the door. It was only then when I realized I was standing in the middle of the road when Teacher Anthony saw me shivering under the heavy rain.


    When he sat on the driver¡¯s door, he looked at me for a brief moment before he ran the car ahead slowly. After a few minutes, he stopped the car at the sidewalk and looked at me again.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°What are you doing out there?¡±


    My eyes looked down. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he called. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you back to your parents. What¡¯s your address?¡±


    I shook my head and a dryugh escaped from my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have a home.¡±


    ¡°Sydnee.¡±


    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to go home. My mother don¡¯t want me to go back there.¡±


    His brow knotted. ¡°No parents could afford that. They must be worried for you. It¡¯s raining hard and you¡¯re outside.¡±


    ¡°At least¡­ I feel safe outside,¡± I said and looked outside the window.


    Teacher Anthony did not argue with me anymore. He just told me that he¡¯ll bring me to his home, that I will spend the night in his home.


    I nodded and muttered thanks to him.


    It was a big house and the roof was chattering under the heavy rain. I noticed the huge gate just meters away from the main entrance where the car stopped in front of it. Teacher Anthony pushed open the driver¡¯s door and he told me to wait. I nod.


    Using the umbre, he walked in front then opened the passenger door. I stepped outside and sumbed under the umbre he was raising over my head. My breath hitched when he put his arm around my shoulder and ushered me towards the door.


    ¡°I live alone,¡± he said and opened the door. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I shivered when a cold wind swept my body but Teacher Anthony¡¯s heat helped me overcame it. I shook my head in response. I had not eaten dinner but because of the cold, I felt my stomach froze and therefore, I did not feel any hunger as of the moment.


    The cozy sofa greeted me when I stepped inside the house. Blue and silver dominated the living room. A faint smell of Teacher Anthony¡¯s perfume lingered in the warm air around the medium size living room.


    I heard the door closed in my back. ¡°You must be cold. I don¡¯t have any girl¡¯s clothes but I¡¯ll try to find some clothes for you.¡±


    I looked down the tiled floor. ¡°Okay.¡±


    I found my self inside Teacher Anthony¡¯s room, a warm towel covered my body, as I watched him look for something inside his cab.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said and turned to face me. ¡°You can use this one.¡±


    He ushered me to a guest room just beside his warm room. He told me to take a bath and use the clothes he handed to me. I uttered my gratitude again.


    His eyes lingered on me before he turned around to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare our dinner. If you need something, just find me in the kitchen.¡±


    I took a bath and wore his shirt and pants. I suppresed a smile when I noticed how big his clothes were on me. But I used the belt hanging in the wall to hold his pants on my small waist. I sighed in relief before I walked outside the room to find him working in the kitchen.


    The sweet aroma of dishes filled my nostril. My stomach rumbled and Teacher Anthony turned to face me. He smiled. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    I sat on the chair and dug in. I felt Teacher Anthony¡¯s gaze on me but I ignored his stare and ate in silence. After awhile, I was full.


    ¡°There¡¯s a n ¡ª¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m full. T-Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He stared at me then cleared his throat. ¡°You can rest in the living room. I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡±


    Then he rose and started cleaning the table. I stood and helped. He forbid me but I only insisted. It took us minutes before we cleaned the kitchen.


    The sky outside rumbled and a streak of lighting was seen in the distance. It lighted the dark sky and it nearly made me jumped. A hand rested on my shoulder. ¡°Go to your room and have a rest. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±


    I didn¡¯t argue with him. I hastily walked back to the room and mmed the door shut. The dark room made me gulped. I reached for the switch and turned on the light. I blinked in the sudden brightness before I walked towards the soft and huge bed in the middle of the room.


    It was not my first time to have a luxury of bed, but it made me shudder as my childhood memories came rushing my mind. I remembered the time when we were still living in a house like this, but those memories also came with ugly ones. I sighed and closed my eyes and forced my self to sleep. The soft whisper of the wind in the balcony, the rumbling of the sky, and the streak of lighting outside the house lulled me to darkness.


    A beam of sunlight entered the room. My eyes opened and an unfamiliar ceiling greeted me. Realization dawned me that I was in Teacher Anthony¡¯s house. I shot awake and sat up. My gaze flicked as I studied the room under the sun rays. I was not dreaming at all.


    So¡­ father was back and I ran from homest night?


    I heaved a sigh and got up. I went to the bathroom and washed my face. My mind was still shock by the fact that I was standing inside a big bathroomplete with bathtub and a shower. In the little hut, I only used basin and a dipper.


    With careful steps, I walked outside the room and looked around. The house was indeed big and had a touch of luxury. I wondered why Teacher Anthony bought this house if he was living alone. Was he not lonely?


    ¡°Good morning,¡± someone greeted behind me.


    I nearly jumped in shock but I held myself and turned around.

 Chapter 22

    I saw Teacher Anthony. His hair was wet and he smelt of shave and manly perfume, like the scent he usually wore in school.


    My throat went dry. School. I had a ss. I smiled at him and looked away. ¡°Good morning, Sir.¡±


    A smile curled in the corner of his lips. ¡°Just call me Anthony. I am six years older than you but I don¡¯t like to hear you calling me Sir in this house.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I cleared my throat and looked at him sideways. ¡°Are you going to school today?¡±


    His shoulders shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s no ss for today, Sydnee. The roads were full of waters fromst night¡¯s thunderstorm and the authorities were still cleaning the roads. The principal cancelled sses for two days.¡±


    Good news then. But when I took a nce outside the balcony, I remembered the little nipa hut. Was the storm swept clean the little hut? I hoped not. My parents were still there.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs. I¡¯ll cook our breakfast and I¡¯ll return you to your home after.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home yet.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay long in my house, Sydnee. Your parents will freak out.¡±


    My gaze held his for a few seconds and then I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll send them a message. But I¡¯ll stay here for a few days.¡± I blinked, cheeks flushed when I noticed how his brow raised. I cleared my throat and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Well¡­ if you agree, Anthony.¡±


    A chuckle escaped from his lips and then he grinned at me. ¡°You must be hungry. Come.¡±


    I did not let Mom knew where I was staying for the next few days. She knew I would not go home and she did not bother to argue with me to bring me back. That did not surprise me. Ever since, I knew that Mom and I would never have that mother and daughter rtionship most of my ssmates were enjoying in their lives. I did not mind that at all. But most of the time, I was envious.


    Why should I bother myself thinking about it now? I sighed and shook my head, forgetting the thing I thought minutes ago.


    I looked ahead and saw the sun shining from the east. It should be a bright morning but I told Anthony that I would not go to school. His brow raised and I reasoned out with him. In the end, he did not insist and just let me rest in thefort of the cozy room. He reminded me of the things I need to watch out such as the uing parcel today. He wanted me to ept the parcel in behalf of him. I nodded.


    The telephone rang. I nced at the telephone ringing in the corner of the room. Anthony did not tell me that he expect a call today. But then, I walked towards the noisy thing and picked the call up. ¡°Hello?¡± I asked.


    There was silence before someone cleared his throat on the other line. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    I recognized Anthony¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I forgot to remind you not to let someone in the house.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I whispered and nced at the balcony where the rising sun was disyed in all of its glory. ¡°I know that.¡±


    Then silence.


    It was not afortable one so I cleared my throat and bit goodbye on the phone. Anthony reminded me to be careful and to call him if I needed something. Well, I did not know his number.


    I received a chuckle from him. ¡°There¡¯s a number beside the telephone. You can call that one.¡±


    I squinted my eyes on the number clearly disyed beside the telephone. Indeed, I saw a string of numbers there. ¡°Okay,¡± was all I uttered under my breathe.


    Atst, Anthony bit his goodbye. I put the telephone down and sighed. My feet found their way towards the door and down onto the first floor. I found myself walking towards the kitchen.


    I had not eaten breakfast yet. I woke upte. Anthony just knocked on the door earlier to bit his goodbye, but I stayed on the room until the sun rose in the east. I realized that Anthony drove to school before the sun rise.


    There was nothing to do in his house really. I just watched television, thankful that Anthony instructed me how to turn on the device before he left. But after some time, I got bored so I turned it off and strode outside the house.


    I did not expect to feel a faint fog lingered on my exposed skin outside the house. My gaze roamed around and I realized that Anthony¡¯s house was inside a subdivision, although houses were separated from each other. The green bushes in each side of the huge gate meters from where I stood were swaying in the morning breeze. Some birds flew overhead and I heard their cries, cheering for the heat of the sun.


    A faint smile curled in each side of my lips as I closed my eyes and felt the sorrounding moved around me. Cold air tried to swept me off my feet and my body fought its temperature. I shivered as sunlight roamed my body in a slow and steady pace.


    It was my first time to stood and wait for the rising sun. In the past years, I did not have the luxury to do it. And those years passed by like a haze in my mind.


    I did not realize until now that time could be sometimes slow if one would stood and wait for the nature. I thought life was fast but the pace was only in a person¡¯s perspective. One should be wise enough to spend it.


    My arms raised overhead and I opened my eyes. The sun had already rose in the east. Its rays stretched in the horizon like streaks of golden lights. I sighed again in contentment. If only life would be this slow and peaceful¡­


    When the sun set on the west, I saw Anthony¡¯s car made its way through the opened gate. I noticed that the big gate was automatic so I did not have to go outside and manually open that thing.


    I just waited for Anthony at the entrance. Darkness started to engulf the neighborhood and the lights turned on like a show.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he greeted when he stalked towards me. ¡°All is well?¡±


    I nodded and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned your house.¡±


    His brow raised but did not say anything. We went inside and I noticed how his gaze roamed around the cleaned living room. My chest swelled with emotion that I only felt in that time. Proud and happy.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°This¡­ you¡¯ve arranged my things?¡± Anthony asked, bewildered at the drastic change of the house.


    I sighed and shyly smiled while peeking at his amazed face. ¡°I wanted to change your¡­ err¡­ house? Sorry, I did not inform you.¡±


    ¡°Why did you change it?¡± he asked and walked closer to the sofa. Heid his jacket there and turned to face me. ¡°Is there any problem with the old arrangement?¡±


    I gulped at the sudden change of his tone. He even crossed his arms against his chest. I bit my lower lip. He did not like it?


    But I thought that the house were livelier now than the old arrangement?


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll change it back tomorrow,¡± I said and lowered my gaze.


    Silence hovered around us for a few minutes before he spoke again. ¡°Did I say I didn¡¯t like it?¡±


    My eyes shot at him and I blinked for a few times. ¡°You¡­ like it?¡±


    A smile yed on his lips. ¡°Better.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Then shrugged his shoulders and led me towards the kitchen where the food I cooked earlier were served. ¡°But let me know next time,¡± he said.


    I nodded. ¡°So¡­ I can work on yourwn tomorrow?¡±


    He stopped from his tracks and lowered his gaze at me. My eyes locked with his and I saw how amusement danced across his eyes.


    ¡°You know how to work that out?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed. ¡°You know¡­ I can clean the whole house.¡±


    His gaze darkened at my words. ¡°Sydnee, I did not bring you here to be my housemaid.¡±


    ¡°I volunteered to do it.¡± I sighed and lowered my gaze. ¡°My body liked to work. Can¡¯t be idle.¡±


    ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s what you want.¡± He cleared his throat and bore his gaze on me once again. ¡°But when will you go to school? Examination week is fast approaching, Sydnee.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I yed with the hem of the sleeve of his shirt I was wearing. Anthony promised to buy me clothes tomorrow. I bit my bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯m not ready now. Maybe next week or so.¡±


    His brow knotted but he kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°WHEN you move your queen here,¡± Anthony said and gestured to a tile. ¡°My queen will kill yours.¡±


    I pouted and gestured him to take away my queen. He grinned and did it. I released a sigh and moved my king to a tile. His brow raised but did not say anything. He moved his queen to the side.


    Five days had passed since I ran away from home. Anthony had brought me clothes to wear and I had cleaned the whole house except for his room. He said that I should not enter his room and so I followed his order.


    He still kept on asking me to return home and to go to school but I refused. I did not want to see father in the house and I lost the courage to be at war with the top one student in ss. All but one ce did make me lose my enthusiasm.


    ¡°Isa and Rogie asked about you,¡± Anthony suddenly said.


    My fingers stopped from moving my ck general and stole a nce at him. ¡°They did?¡±


    He looked at me and nodded. ¡°Rogie wanted to know what happened to you. He asked me.¡±


    ¡°Why should he ask you my whereabouts?¡± My brow knotted and moved my soldier instead of my general. Anthony¡¯s white general killed my soldier. I squinted my eyes.


    ¡°He knew you¡¯re staying with me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I shot a nce at him again. ¡°You told him I¡¯m here?¡±


    He shook his head and moved his soldier before my general. A smile formed in my lips as I let my general escape from imminent danger. He chuckled and my smile vanished when I saw how his white general killed my ck general. I shot him a re but he gave me his widest grin, taunting me to think of a defense against his pawns.


    My face went sour and smacked him in his chest. His lips parted in shock. ¡°Did my cranky girl hit her limit?¡± he asked, grin as wide as ever. I rolled my eyes and heughed.


    ¡°You told Rogie that I¡¯m here,¡± I said and crossed my arms against my chest. ¡°Nobody in school must know that I¡¯m with you. Else, they will think of something between us!¡±


    His brow raised. ¡°Rogie is your benefactor. He should know that you¡¯re alive and kicking and would go to school soon.¡±


    I stood and told him to wait. I ran my way towards the stairs and I felt his gaze followed me until I disappeared from his sight. Minutester, I got what I¡¯m looking for in my backpack and ran down the stairs.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Anthony said when he saw me running like a madman.


    I grinned and sat before him. I ran after my breath as I handed Anthony the credit card that Rogie gave to me. ¡°Give it back to Rogie. Tell him that I didn¡¯t spend even a dime in his credit card. And I promised to pay him back the tuition when I find work after I graduated college.¡±


    Anthony stared at the credit card for a few seconds before he shook his head. ¡°You should give it back to him personally if you want.¡±


    I frowned and put the little thing beside me. ¡°I will not go to school for the next few days and I¡¯m afraid, I¡¯ll forget to give it back to him. At least, I remember my agenda now.¡±


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± Anthony called. ¡°Rogie gave it to you. You must be the one who¡¯ll give it back to him if you don¡¯t want to use it.¡±


    I heaved a sigh and nodded. ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯ll keep it for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to school tomorrow so you can give it to him?¡± he asked.


    My eyes squinted at him. ¡°I knew what you¡¯re ying at.¡±


    A small smile curved in his lips. I watched him moved his queen and my breathe hitched when I saw that his queen was two tiles away from my king.


    ¡°Checkmate,¡± he said.


    My brow knotted in response. ¡°Did you moved my king when I¡¯m not around?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± he denied with a smile.


    My lips pursed into a thin line and tried to move my king in other tile. But his queen still captured my king and the game was over. I sighed and crossed my arms. My re bore onto him and heughed at my expression.


    ¡°Better move next time,¡± he said. But his words made me roll my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re cheating,¡± I said.


    He shook his head. A small smile was still lingering in his lips as he arranged the pieces. ¡°You must go to school tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°How many times should I tell you ¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Camero threatened their sponsorship. Sydnee, they want you to study well. They knew you¡¯re doing great for the past weeks and they were surprised to know that you stopped for awhile.¡± He looked at me. ¡°You muste back.¡±


    ¡°I lost¡­¡± I cleard my throat. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be at war with ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just continue doing great. You¡¯re not obliged to trample June.¡±


    I looked away. ¡°But they want me to be at war with him. I¡¯ll admit, I kind of enjoy trampling those top students but Anthony¡­¡± I looked at him again straight into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m tired of everything.¡±


    ¡°Why are you tired?¡±


    My eyes looked down and yed with the hem of my long sleeve shirt. ¡°My father came back and my mom didn¡¯t want to cast him away. But I don¡¯t like living with him. I still remember the time when three policemen came to our house to capture him.¡± I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply. ¡°I begged them to free my dad but my father¡­¡± I choked. ¡°My father shoved me away and my body crashed on the garbage bin while my head hit the driveway. My mother did not help me to stand on my feet. She ran after the police car and eventually drove her car to follow them. They¡­ they left me alone in the house. My head bled some blood but I ignored it and tried to clean the small wound.¡±


    A hand rested on my shoulder and I opened my eyes to see Anthony¡¯s soft gaze. I tried to smile at him but I can¡¯t. I bit my lower lip and continued, ¡°When night came, I tried to cook for my own food. But¡­ but I ended up burning our house. When morning came, Mom came back to see our house burnt down. She yelled at me and pped me hard. Even tried to make me her punching bag if not for our neighbors who stopped her.¡± I sobbed as memories came rushing my mind, rumbling, and taunting me of my foolishness. ¡°She didn¡¯t even know that I burned my back. I cried but it was not because of the pain I suffered from my mother, but because of the searing pain at my back. Even the neighbors who left me escape the burning house didn¡¯t know about it. I-I hide the burn and until now, the scars was left to remind me of that night.¡±


    ¡°Have you told her about your scars?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. No one knew but me. I didn¡¯t tell her and she didn¡¯t bother to ask if I was okay or not. I just saw how murderous her eyes were when she learned that I burnt down her dream house.¡±


    Anthony put the table between us at his side and gestured me to move closer to him. I did. I gasped when I felt his arms around me and pulled my head to his chest. He patted my head in a slow, rhythmic move. I closed my eyes and hugged him. I felt his body tense but then, he rx and his arms around me tighten.


    ¡°I understand now,¡± he whispered.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    My lips curled into a small smile and did not say anything. We stayed in that position for a few minutes before I break away from his hug.


    I stole a nce at the wall clock and bit my lower lip. ¡°It¡¯ste. You¡¯re not sleepy?¡±


    ¡°No. But you are.¡±


    I chuckled and stood. He also stood and he put his arms around me. I did not forbid him. We strode our way up to the stairs and we stopped before the closed door of my room.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he called.


    I tilted my head to looked up to him and our eyes met. ¡°Y-Yes?¡± I breathed.


    ¡°Sweet dreams.¡±


    I chuckled at his remarks. ¡°Wake me up early tomorrow. I¡¯ll go to school.¡±


    His surprised looked fascinated me that a crooked smile formed in the corner of my lips.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°What? Did I surprise you that much?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± He grinned. ¡°As you wish.¡±


    His arm was still around my shoulder so I hastily wrapped my arms around his torso and looked up gently to meet his eyes. ¡°Thank you for listening,¡± I said.


    His thumb caressed my cheeks and his lips curved into a gentle smile. ¡°Good night,¡± he said. The warmth of his arm around my shoulders diminished as he put his arm down.


    I sighed and entered my room. I closed the door while staring into Anthony who was still standing in front of the door, scrutinizing me under his gaze. Only when the door closed that I exhaled a sharp breathe. I did not notice how I held my breathe while staring into his soft gaze.


    The air had changed around the corner of the school. More gazes fell on me as I walked in the school ground. My brows knotted in annoyance and curiosity. Why were they staring at me like I was a strange prey?


    ¡°Have you heard the news?¡± a girl whispered to herpanion sitting on the bench in the hallway as I walked passed by them. ¡°It¡¯s shocking!¡±


    ¡°I know. But they said that Rogie didn¡¯t like it and he started a fight with his parents. Now, he is bullying the girl!¡±


    ¡°What? How could he bully a duke¡¯s daughter? It¡¯s against the rule!¡±


    ¡°You know who is Rogie Camero. His family rule this town. Of course, he is the exemption of rules.¡±


    I stopped in my tracks when I heard their whispers. I turned around to face them but when they saw me approaching, their faces turned ashen and they quickly stood and ran away. I blinked in confusion. What happened to them?


    Just then, I saw Isa approaching me. I smiled at her and she returned it with a small smile. ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted when she stood in front of me. ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°You had jumped from the pedestal and your enemies rejoiced when you¡¯re not around,¡± she snorted. ¡°You must get to the pedestal once again.¡±


    I sighed at her words. Of course, I knew that the top students were d that I did note to school for a number of days. My gaze trailed on the students nearby who were looking at me. They never looked away when I had met their gazes which turned my blood cold.


    ¡°Had something happened when I was not here?¡± I asked.


    Isa gestured me to walk towards our ssroom and I hastily nodded. We walked side by side. And each step felt like a death march because of how hateful the stares of some students were. Why? What happened?


    ¡°Have you heard the news?¡± Isa asked, and it was the same question the girl asked earlier to herpanion.


    I shook my head and I heard her sighed. ¡°Rogie is engage to Lisa Montefalco.¡±


    That made me stop in my tracks but when I saw that Isa did not stop, I continued my walk beside her. ¡°Montefalco? The duke¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve heard of her,¡± she said, annoyance was in her voice.


    My brows knotted once more at her tone. ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡±


    ¡°Lisa is the number one bully in other section.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re batchmates?¡±


    Isa chuckled. ¡°Of course. Silly. You never knew who is Lisa even if she¡¯s quite famous for bullying the lower years.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care who¡¯s who,¡± my voice trailed off. ¡°But why they were staring at me like I¡¯m to be butchered?¡± I asked as I stole nces around.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re to be butchered by Lisa herself.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Before Isa could speak again, a group of students stood in our way. In the middle of the group stood a girl around my age. She had those brown curls and bright blue eyes. I blinked as Isa and I stopped in our tracks. Who were they? And lo, they all stared at me like I was their most evil enemy.


    I tugged Isa¡¯s sleeve but she shoved my hand away. That made me gulped hard. I knew I¡¯m in trouble.


    ¡°Sydnee Lurica?¡± the girl in the middle asked.


    I blinked and carefully nodded at her. ¡°Why?¡±


    The girl smiled and she took a step ahead. I took a step back. She chuckled when she saw what I did. ¡°Easy there, friend. I wanna talk with you about something.¡±


    I looked around but all the students were looking away when our gazes met. Some of them held my gaze and I was the one who looked away and stared back at the girl with a maniacal smile on her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± I said. I heard some gasps from the crowd nearby. ¡°But we can talk after ss. Time is running out and I and my friend need to attend morning sses.¡±


    After I said those words, I held Isa¡¯s wrist and dragged her passed the weird group. They did not bother to stop me nor Isa. After some steps ahead, I started running and so was Isa.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± she said between her breathe when we stopped in front of our ssroom.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Iughed and ran after my breathe. ¡°I don¡¯t know them yet they stopped us.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Dumb girl,¡± she spat. ¡°That¡¯s Lisa Montefalco and her group of bullies.¡±


    My brow raised and I squinted my eyes at her. ¡°Really? Weird. They did not stop us when we walked pass by them.¡±


    Isa huffed and crossed her arms against her chest. ¡°Lisa and her group are not some low level bully who¡¯ll stoop at their opponents level. You know that being a duke daughter has benefits not only in this school but outside the school too. Be careful when you walk outside the school.¡±


    That made me stopped grinning for awhile and stared at Isa. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°I hope to kid you, alright? But no. And you dragged me in this mess.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything bad to her!¡±


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t,¡± she said then entered the ssroom.


    I pouted and walked inside after her. Then my ssmates re bore on me and that was not unusual. I sighed and sat on my chair next to Isa. I turned to her. ¡°How to stop Lisa from targeting me?¡± I asked. ¡°Should I give her something?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you shouldn¡¯t.¡± She stared at me from head to toe. ¡°You think you can give her things that she could get in seconds?¡±


    ¡°But how could I stop her?¡± I asked again. I let my voice be louder than usual so my ssmates could hear me. ¡°Our ssmates bully me and now that they stopped in their habit, I want to enjoy my freedom from bullies.¡±


    I heard some scoffed at my words while some whispered gossip that I could hear. I suppressed a smirk on my lips. Nah. They should not bully me now that I had trampled their top one student¡¯s pride.


    Isa gave me a ridiculous re. ¡°You still don¡¯t know why Rogie kissed you in that same spot you¡¯re sitting at?¡±


    My face turned ashen at her question. Yeah. My mind remembered the time when Rogie entered the ssroom and kissed me while our ssmates watched me struggling under his tight grip. They did not bother to stop that weird guy from murdering my lips.


    My cheeks blushed and I looked away. ¡°Let¡¯s not start talking about that now,¡± I said.


    Isa scoffed at me. ¡°Then you should ask Rogie why he kissed you in that day.¡±


    My brow knotted and before I could ask Isa again, I saw Rogie entering the ssroom like a model. His hair danced through the cool breeze as he stalked his way towards his chair, lips crooked into a thin smile, hands inside his pockets, and wearing his uniform with a reddish stain. My lips parted when I noticed the strong smell of ketchup around the air.


    Someone whistled from the outside. Then Rogie¡¯s only best friend which I didn¡¯t know his name entered the ssroom and smacked Rogie in his shoulder. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re insane. Lisa is wailing after you left.¡±


    ¡°Let her be,¡± Rogie said and cast a nce at me. He smirked before he sat on his chair.


    That made me blinked in confusion. His best friend shot a nce at me before he sat on the chair next to Rogie.


    I felt Isa¡¯s hand smacked my arm. I gasped and red at her. She grinned at me. ¡°Talk to him and ask him to spare you from Lisa¡¯s anger.¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s the only one who knew why Lisa is hunting you and the one who¡¯ll protect you at all cost.¡±


    My brows knotted at her words and silently shot a nce at Rogie who was staring right into me. My eyes went wide and I looked away.


    My heart was thumping inside my chest.

 Chapter 25

    I bit my lower lip. ¡°And you said I dragged you in this mess. Should I ask Rogie to protect you too?¡±


    She waved her hand. ¡°No need. Lisa can¡¯t touch me.¡±


    My brow raised. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because honey¡­¡± Isa grinned from ear to ear. ¡°I am a princess.¡±


    Iughed at her joke. But even though she¡¯s grinning like a madman, I saw the seriousness in her eyes. Princess or not, I did not want her to be bullied because she apanied me in the hallway.


    ¡°You should be careful too when you walk outside,¡± I said.


    She nodded and we both turned our heads to the front when a teacher enter the ssroom.


    My heart was beating hard against my chest when I walked towards him. He was staring at me, scrutinizing me under his gaze. I, too, was staring at him. I did not know if I should stalk to him or to walk outside the ssroom. But I found myself holding his gaze like how he was holding mine.


    My feet stopped in front of him. He was still sitting on his chair like a king, legs spread apart and arms crossed against his chest. He leaned his back on his chair and staringzily at me.


    ¡°I like how you stare at me, love. What do you want?¡± he asked.


    His voice was deeper now than what I remembered. But what perked my ears was his endearment¡­ love.


    It took me seconds to clear my mind. Earlier, I told his best friend that I want to talk with Rogie. I saw how Rogie¡¯s grin grew wide when his best friend told him that I wanted to talk with him, and he ordered my ssmates to left the ssroom after ss.


    Now, it was only the two of us. And even though the air cooler was turned on, little beads of sweat formed around my forehead. My knuckle turned white under his gaze.


    He clicked his tongue and I shuddered when he stood, towering me with his height. I had to looked up to him.


    His hand brought a handkerchief inside his pockets and he gently wipe the beads of sweat forming in my forehead.


    ¡°Rx,¡± he cooed. ¡°I won¡¯t bite unless you want me to.¡± And he grinned at me.


    That made me rolled my eyes and scoffed. ¡°Oh please. Save your sweet tongueter,¡± I said, voice was full of sarcasm.


    ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded, a grin was still on his lips. ¡°Saving my kissester.¡± I pushed his chest and heughed. ¡°Andrie told me you want to talk with me. Do you need something?¡±


    I heaved a sigh and brought out his credit card from the pocket of my skirt. ¡°Here,¡± I said and held his hand to put the little card in his palm. ¡°I¡¯ll give it back to you. I didn¡¯t use it.¡±


    His grin vanished from his lips and it took all of me to stop myself from taking back my words. No. I should not let him know that I appreciate his kind gestures or else, he¡¯ll assume that I¡¯m using him to get money from his pockets. I looked down.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t need that thing. Keep it.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I gulped hard. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you. I mean, your family had paid my tuition. And to be honest, it¡¯s enough for me. I think having that credit card is not good.¡±


    He squinted his eyes at me. ¡°Not good?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please, take that thing back.¡±


    ¡°But Sydnee,¡± he pleaded. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I can give to you.¡±


    I looked up and stared at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me something. You¡¯re not obliged to give something to me, Rogie.¡±


    He raised his hand and caressed my cheek. A sigh escape from his lips and stared longingly at me. ¡°Did Lisa hurt you?¡± he asked.


    I blinked at his question and then shook my head. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Tell me if she hurt you, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re engaged with her,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t mean to scoff but my voice betrayed me.


    A grin appeared again in his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous. I don¡¯t taste bully lips.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re a bully yourself. How ironic.¡±


    ¡°Ah. You sound like a jealous girlfriend.¡± He winked at me. ¡°My lips are only yours to bite, love.¡±


    ¡°Stop kidding.¡± I put my arms down and looked away. ¡°Isa told me that you know why Lisa had set her eyes on me. Why is that?¡±


    His smile diminished and he coughed on his knuckle. He looked away. ¡°The sun had set. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    He held my wrist and dragged me out of the ssroom. But I let my feet heavy on the ground so he could not drag me away that easy. Rogie turned to face me. His expression soften at my stubborness.


    ¡°Sydnee,e on. I¡¯ll drop you off the teacher¡¯s house.¡±


    My eyes squinted but I remembered Anthony telling me that Rogie knew I was staying in his house. I breathed deeply. ¡°No. I¡¯ll stay here until you tell me everything. I suppose the reason has something to do with you. So tell me now.¡±


    He stopped dragging me and sighed. He sat on a vacant chair and gestured me to sit. I sat on the chair beside him but he drag me to his arms until I fell onto hisp. I gasped.


    ¡°Good,¡± he murmured against my ear. ¡°Now stay where you are and don¡¯t move.¡±


    But I was notfortable sitting on hisp. I tried to stand but Rogie put his arms around my shoulder and waist, and he pulled me close to him. I felt my back hit his hard chest. I gasped again.


    Heughed. ¡°Just pretend that you¡¯re not sitting on me.¡±


    ¡°Bastard,¡± I muttered. ¡°Let me stand. I don¡¯t want to be your mistress.¡±


    ¡°Who said you¡¯ll be my mistress?¡± He sighed and nuzzled on my jaw. ¡°You¡¯ll be my wife.¡±


    My brow knotted and my face went sour at his words. ¡°Did you hit your head? I think you¡¯ve forgotten something.¡±


    Augh vibrated from his chest and onto my back. I gulped. Rogie blew on my nose that made me squirm. His arms tighten around me.


    I had to look onto the door to see if someone wasing. No one should see how Rogie held me in his arms or else I¡¯ll be in doom again.


    ¡°Someone might see us cuddling,¡± I said, panting in his arms. ¡°Let me go,¡± I ordered but it felt like a whisper under my breathe.


    Rogie only tighten his arms around me. I groaned in frustration. ¡°I think air has gotten in your head,¡± I spat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cuddle for awhile.¡± He sighed and put a light kiss on my cheek. ¡°I might never hold you like this again.¡±


    That made me stop squirming in his arms. My forehead creased. ¡°Of course. We¡¯re not suppose to do this.¡±


    I felt him leaned back on the chair. A quiet yelped escape from my lips when my body had leaned on him, following his movement. I heard him sigh again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked when I noticed his frequent sigh. ¡°You¡¯re weird today.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    My eyes rolled heavenwards. ¡°Really.¡±


    Then silence hovered around us. I blinked as I heard the ticking of the wall clock. When I looked at the clock ahead, I saw that it¡¯s passed five in the afternoon.


    Had Anthony finished his work in the office? Was he waiting for me at the parking lot? He told me earlier to wait for him at the parking lot because he had some things to finish in the faculty. Then I was here, caged in the arms of a weird guy who bullies his fiancee.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I called Rogie.


    ¡°Mmmm?¡±


    ¡°Do you n to stay here overnight?¡± I asked, sarcasm was evident in my voice.


    ¡°If I could hold you like this, why not?¡±


    ¡°You must be kidding me.¡±


    ¡°I hope to kid things like this, Sydnee. But I¡¯m not. I love holding you like this.¡±


    I was dumbfounded for a few seconds before augh escape from my lips. But I stoppedughing when Rogie¡¯s lips enveloped mine. I blinked as I taste mint in his tongue.


    When he broke away, we were panting hard. My eyes zed. And after a few seconds, Rogie brought his lips close to mine and put a light kiss beside my lips. It made me shudder as his arms continued tightening around me.


    ¡°R-Rogie,¡± I called. ¡°Stop kissing me.¡± I tried to re to him but I only meet his soft gaze. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°It might be thest time that I can kiss you. Let me.¡±


    And he was attacking my lips again. My hand held the back of his hair and pulled it back but he only deepen the kiss. When he broke the second time, my eyes were closed shut and panting heavily. He brought my head to his chest where I stayed still for a few minutes to run after my breathe.


    I could hear his heart, pounding loudly against his chest. I shuddered in response. ¡°Your heart¡¯s p-pounding hard,¡± I whispered.


    He hugged me close and his lips pressed against my ear. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you like this,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°W-What?¡± I squirmed again but he only tighten his arms around me. I stopped struggling. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m engage to Lisa but I only want you, Sydnee. I want to break that engagement but I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He breathed. ¡°It¡¯s part of the deal I had with my family. To pay for your tuition and to free your father in prison.¡±


    ¡°Y-you what?¡±


    I started to squirm again but he held me tight. I felt drops of hot liquid fell on my neck and I realized that Rogie was crying.


    ¡°They want me to leave, but how can I leave the girl I ever want?¡±


    That made me shut up for a few minutes before I cleared my throat and said, ¡°Rogie, let me go.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    It took him seconds before he finally pulled away from the hug.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 26

    I squinted my eyes on his face. I was right. There was a streak of tears on his cheeks and I was dumbfounded. It was my first time to see a man crying because of me.


    I looked away. ¡°Stop bbering. It¡¯s not your obligation to free my father from prison nor to provide for my tuition. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll see it as a loan and I¡¯ll pay you in the future with the interest ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not charging you.¡± Hebed his hair using his hand and scoffed. ¡°Your father was not a criminal. Lisa¡¯s father, the duke, wanted to put him to prison because your father was an upright man. They charged him fraud and nted fake evidences. Lisa was betrothed to me since childhood and they wanted us to wed when timee. I took that chance to seal a deal with the duke and my parents.¡± His gaze on me soften. ¡°I want to stay here to protect you but I can¡¯t do it when I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Because Sydnee,¡± he whispered and caressed my cheek. ¡°When I first saw you, I fell in love with you. And I will always be in love with you.¡±


    I bit my lower lip, hard, because I did not believe his words.


    Anthony was waiting for me at the parking lot. His shoulder sank, brows knotted, and eyes were zed. He looked tired. And I was tired too. He drove the car with nothing but silence between us.


    My mind always yed that scene in the ssroom where Rogie had his confession, which I did not believe. He was a trickster in the beginning. Why should I believe my bully?


    But I was gued by the idea that his tears were true. The feeling of warm liquids falling on my skin was still fresh in my mind. I was torn whether to believe him or not. But years of being a bullied had taught me to be wary of a bully¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯re silent. Is everything okay?¡± Anthony asked.


    I blinked and my mind came back inside the car. I hastily nodded and looked outside the window. The streetlights were on and so were the lights in each establishments. My hand reached for the button and I watched as the ss rolled down to hide under the window sill. My face weed the fresh air plunging inside the car. A small smile tugged the side of my lips.


    If Rogie was telling the truth, then Lisa will be out of the picture. I would not be wary when I¡¯m outside the academy. That made me d but not entirely, because whenever I think of Rogie moving away too, there was a pang in my chest. It made me confuse with my feelings towards him who stole my first kiss.


    Not long after, we arrived in Anthony¡¯s house. I hopped out of the car and followed Anthony who was walking mindlessly towards the entrance. He did not utter a word and he just sat on the sofa and started doing some work. I walked towards the kitchen to cook for our dinner. After sometime, I called Anthony to eat the foods I cooked for the two of us.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a good cook.¡± He grinned at me. ¡°You¡¯ll be a good wife someday.¡±


    My smile was faltered. ¡°I don¡¯t have n to spend my days inside the house, cleaning and taking care of babies.¡±


    Anthonyughed. Sparks erupted from his eyes as he stared at me. Gone was the tired expression he wore earlier. ¡°Tell me when you¡¯re ready to be someone¡¯s wife.¡±


    I shook my head.


    After dinner, Anthony volunteered to wash the dishes and I did not object because there were some assignments that I needed to work on. I was absent for a number of days and the teachers gave me loads to do. The bad thing was I need to pass the outputs within the week.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    And while I was engrossed in solving math problems, I did not notice Anthony who sat before me. He did not bother me and just started working on hisptop.


    When I finished the things I need to do in that night, Anthony had finished his work too. I invited him to y chess. He agreed. But I noticed that his favorite word was checkmate.


    ¡°Rogie is leaving,¡± I said to break the silence hovering above us.


    He hummed and moved his pawns. ¡°In two days,¡± he said.


    ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°The boy told mest week.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡±


    He shot a nce at me. ¡°His family will continue sponsoring you until college.¡±


    My brows knotted in annoyance. ¡°At the expense of their son¡¯s happiness.¡± I tasted bitterness in my tone.


    He looked down on his pawns and then to me. ¡°Are you sad that Rogie is leaving?¡± he asked.


    I did not answer his question but it left me in turmoil for a night. I stared at the darkness inside the room and it did not let me sleep peacefully.


    When morning came, I found myself looking for Rogie in the hallway. I found himughing while pouring red liquid to Lisa¡¯s head. No one bothered to stop him from bullying his fiancee.


    I, too, was left dumbfounded and rooted in the spot. Lisa looked like she was about to cry but the girl held her head high. Not so like me because if I were in Lisa¡¯s shoes, I would looked on the floor and hoped that the bullying will stop soon.


    Rogie caught me staring at his work ¡ª Lisa¡¯s body coated with red liquid that I thought was ketchup. I stared back at him, wondering if he would walk closer to me and drag me out of the scene like he always did for the past few months.


    But he did not. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and walked away. I gaped in shock. Seconds passed and whispers started to sorround me. I saw how Lisa smirked at my shocked face. I closed my mouth and regained myposure.


    I looked on the floor and walked passed by her. She did not stop me. I heard more whispers from the students nearby who saw how Rogie ignored me. Some of them evenughed at me. And I found myself running towards the ssroom.


    Inside was not better also. Rogie continued to ignore my presence. He did not nce at me like he always does. Something was wrong.


    When lunchtime came, I tried to call after him in the hallway. But he did not stop nor look over his shoulder. It was like he did not hear me shouting his name at all. I huffed in annoyance. What¡¯s wrong with him? I started to doubt his confession yesterday. Maybe he was toying with me and he wasughing in secret because of how easy it was for him to fool me. I scoffed.


    I stopped following him in the hallway and held my knees. I was panting hard when a group of students started to sorround me with their taunting smirk. My brows knotted and I stood straight.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, cautious in my tone. Their faces were not familiar.


    I yelped when one of them pushed me back. I stumbled and my butt mmed on the floor. My eyes closed tightly in pain and I hissed under my breath. Another group of bullies? Great.


    ¡°Poor girl. No one will protect you now,¡± they chanted as they stepped away from me.


    I squinted my eyes as I watched them walked away. Who were those students? I stood carefully, aware of the whispers and jeers around me. I walked back to the ssroom and I did not even try to eat lunch in the canteen. I had enough humiliation for that day. Thankfully, Isa gave me biscuits that I secretly ate while listening to the lecturer.


    But when afternoon came, just fifteen minutes before dismissal, Rogie dragged me out of the ssroom. The teacher did not bother to stop him since the ss had ended and we¡¯re just waiting for the school bell to ring.


    He dragged me to the alley where he had my second kiss and where I first pped him for being a jerk. He turned to face me andbed back his hair using his hand. I noticed that his eyes were zing in anger but his voice was gentle when he said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    ¡°I want to t-talk with you.¡± I gulped hard when I felt my heart start to pound faster against my chest.


    ¡°Then talk.¡±


    But when I tried to recall what I wanted to tell him, my mind went nk. I forgot what to say.


    ¡°What now, Sydnee?¡± Rogie asked.


    I looked away and my mind looked for some words to say or to ask. I swallowed and took a deep breathe. ¡°Can¡­ can you s-stay?¡± I felt my cheek burned red but I did not mind it at all.


    Rogie seemed shock but he regained hisposure and cleared his throat. ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± he asked, voice was calm.


    I closed my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    We stayed there, alone, for a few minutes before Rogie reached for my jaw and guided it to face him. My gaze locked with his and he smiled. ¡°Do you remember the picture I slid to your handst Christmas party?¡±


    I blinked in confusion. My mind wandered back in time when he slid a picture of my family in my hand. I nodded.


    His smile grew wide. ¡°You might not remember me, Sydnee. But we spent our childhood together and we promised to marry each other.¡±


    My brows knotted. ¡°I didn¡¯t remember,¡± I said. But I wondered if I said those words in curiosity or I just bbered because I did not believe him.


    He put a finger on my lips to shut me up. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He sighed. ¡°My family wants me to move with Lisa into the duke¡¯s ce. But I did not want it, so they made a deal with me. If I break it, they will stop the benefits you¡¯re enjoying.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not happy with Lisa. I saw you bullying her.¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders. A chuckle escaped from his lips. ¡°Lisa is a bully. I only give her a taste of her medicine.¡±


    ¡°The duke might not be happy.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, love. The duke wants me to discipline his daughter.¡±


    I shook my head in disbelief. But Rogie stared at me that made me still. ¡°What?¡± I asked, aware of the sudden change in his mood.


    ¡°Someone pushed you in the hallway and I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to being pushed around.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I should ¡ª¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯re affected?¡± Iughed, taunting him that earned me knotted brows from him. ¡°You might forget how you bully me some time ago.¡±


    He smile sheepishly. ¡°About that¡­ I¡¯m sorry, love. I was pissed that you don¡¯t remember me and I don¡¯t like you being weak. I want you to fight.¡±


    ¡°By adding your name to my bully list?¡± I mocked. ¡°You should realize how ironic that is.¡±


    He sighed.

 Chapter 27

    Tomorrow came and Rogie was gone. The principal had visited our ss and personally announced Rogie¡¯s departure. I just did not expect her to denouce bullying at school. With all those years, I thought bullying was normal in the academy for even the administration did not bother to defend the bullied.


    ¡°It was Rogie¡¯s plea. He wanted to stop the bullying system in the academy,¡± the principal admitted when I asked why she denounce bullying.


    My brow raised. He stopped the system when he was gone. Great. I should not question it, right? He was the master bully. Of course, he must stop the system because he¡¯ll transfer and he¡¯ll build another bullying system in another ce. I huffed.


    What a perfect story.


    While walking back to the ssroom, I could not erase Rogie¡¯s face in my mind. Especially his crying face. I sighed and shook my head. I chose to be silent for that entire morning.


    Later that day, our adviser announced the annual PTA meeting next week. It was mandatory for the parents to the attend but it made me nervous. I was not in good terms with my parents. How can I suppose to have someone to attend? Anthony was not my guardian.


    And that meeting was my problem for the next few days. I was not even surprised that Anthony noticed my restlessness. When he asked me, I did not hesitate to tell him the thing that bothered me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to reconcile with your parents,¡± he said.


    I looked at him with a huff. ¡°I did tell you why I don¡¯t like to live with them.¡±


    ¡°But Sydnee, it¡¯s not good that you keep grudge with them in you. That emotion won¡¯t let you rest.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I whispered and looked away.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t forgave them.¡±


    That made me sigh. ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to condemn me but you don¡¯t understand how they broke me. It was engraved in my soul and a part of me was still afraid of my mother. I was just a kid then. The trauma I endured was still clear in my mind.¡±


    Anthony looked at the distant. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon. We were standing in the balcony, chillin¡¯ with each other. I had finished my homework and Anthony finished his work for the weekend. I urged him to let me stay in the balcony and I was d he stayed to apany me.


    But I was not happy to hear him urging me to reconcile with my parents. I did not like to idea of living with them. Just the glimpse of my mom would make me cringe and I could not stop myself frowning at dad. I thought it was impossible for me to mend what was broken between the three of us.


    ¡°Have you let go of your hatred, Sydnee?¡±


    My brows knotted at his question. ¡°Hatred to whom?¡±


    He looked at me sideway. ¡°Your hatred towards your parents.¡±


    That made me raise my brow. ¡°I don¡¯t hate them?¡± I asked and I meant to be sarcastic, but I thought I did not sound like that.


    Anthony blinked. ¡°You hate them,¡± he said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You sound unsure.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I sighed and looked at the distant. More orange streak of lights formed in the horizon. The breeze was bing more chilly as time went by.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate them. I¡¯m just¡­ afraid.¡±


    ¡°If you insist that you¡¯re afraid, then you did not know yourself well.¡± His hand rested on my shoulder and I did not shoo it away. I saw in the corner of my eye how he stared at me, scrutinizing me under his gaze. ¡°Whenever you talk about your mother, Sydnee¡­ I always see hatred in your eyes.¡±


    I blinked for a few times before I looked at him, unsure of my expression. ¡°You do?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°You might think you¡¯re afraid, but it was hatred that you can¡¯t let go that¡¯s why you can¡¯t forgive them. Hatred stayed in your heart, manifesting as fear whenever you think of your mother.¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± I muttered. ¡°How about my father?¡±


    His brows knotted before he said, ¡°Hurt. You were hurt by him but it was not hatred that stayed in you. You¡¯re indifferent to your father.¡±


    A dryugh escaped from my lips. ¡°You sound sure saying things I could not even think of me.¡±


    ¡°I can read you from here. It was all in your face, Sydnee.¡±


    I gulped and closed my eyes. I inhaled sharply. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I could let go. You know¡­¡± I opened my eyes. ¡°I lost the will to reconcile with them. They hurt me. And I¡¯m not ready to experience that hurt again if I open myself to them, allowing them to hurt me again and again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you lost your will, but you don¡¯t trust yourself anymore, Sydnee.¡±


    ¡°Stop reading me like I¡¯m an open book!¡± I spat, angry at his remarks. ¡°You don¡¯t know me so don¡¯t urge me to do things I can¡¯t do!¡±


    He went silent. I heaved a sigh and looked down. We stayed still for a few minutes before I said, ¡°Please¡­ d-don¡¯t push me.¡±


    I gasped when Anthony pulled me closer to him and guided my head to his chest. He patted my head and hummed. ¡°For Godmandeth saying honor your mother and father, and he who curses mother or father shall be put to death.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°That you should honor your parents but do not follow their deeds. Respect them but do not obey everything they order especially when it is immoral. Sydnee, hatred will only give you nothing but restlessness. Indifference will only make you cold and apathetic.¡±


    ¡°So¡­?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to stay where you are? To never feel freedom from your past? To never feel the power of forgiveness? To never feel the love that somebody could give to you?¡±


    ¡°Is there forgiveness for me?¡± I asked. ¡°And will somebody love me?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Of course.¡± I felt his fingers moved in my hair, feeling them as he yed with the softness of my lock. ¡°There is someone willing to love you, Sydnee.¡±


    His words broughtfort into my being. Strange. But I let myself drown in his warmth. My arms wrapped around his torso and my face pressed against his hard chest. I felt his body rxed and he hummed. Again.


    A smile spread into my lips and it lingered there for a few seconds before I asked him. ¡°Have you loved someone, Anthony?¡±


    He was silent for a few minutes before he answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    My eyes shot open and my body tensed at his word. I tighten my arms around him. ¡°Now? Is there someone in your heart?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    His second ¡®yes¡¯ made me lose my arms around him. I looked down and sighed. ¡°Who is she?¡±


    He tugged my arm and tried to pull me to him again but I made my foot stayed rooted in the spot.

 Chapter 28

    He failed to hug me the second time.


    ¡°She¡¯s not someone who you should think about, Sydnee.¡±


    But I turned around and looked at the horizon while my arms were crossed against my chest. I did not know why my heart pound with constant pain. I found it hard to breathe.


    Anthony hugged me from behind. My heart skipped a beat. And it pounded faster than usual.


    I gulped hard and whispered, ¡°Tomorrow. I¡¯ll go back home tomorrow.¡±


    HUMID air danced across me as I watched the little nipa hut at the distant. Anthony had dropped me here earlier. I just did not want my parents to think that I stayed with my teacher while I was away. That idea would freak them out.


    I breathe sharply and took a step ahead. Little by litle, my insides curled. I was not really ready to face them, but I wanted to get Anthony¡¯s approval. I knew that he wanted me to reconcile with my parents. There¡¯s a hard pound in my chest, and then it quicken and quicken until I was out of breathe. I stopped in my tracks to breathe for a few times before I continued walking ahead.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    The faint smell of a burnt dried frish caught my nostril. My brows knotted in confusion. Had my mother overcooked some dried fish? Well, she was not that kind of cook who would waste resources.


    My mouth gaped when I heard some rumbling inside the hut. Then some crashing noise of broken ss. I hurried towards the small door and looked around the hut.


    My parents was not in thepact living room. I found myself running towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Mom? Dad?¡± I called, but it was more like a whisper than an actual calling. I winced because of how hard the pounding of my heart was. I could not breathe properly. The ce reeked of fear and I knew something was amiss.


    Just then, I heard some faint wailing and some grunt and pping. I followed the noise carefully and it brought me to the back portion of the kitchen.


    And I saw them.


    My father was kneeling while smacking my mother¡¯s face who was lying helplessly on the cold bamboo floor. He had this kind of expression wore by some voilent guy in the streets, and I was horrified to see his smiling face while pping my mother. Clearly, he was enjoying the torture he was inflicting to the woman lying helplessly in and out of consciousness on the floor. And mother¡­ she was not defending herself. She let dad hurt her like there¡¯s no tomorrow.


    I yelped, a terrified scream that could reach our neighbor¡¯s ears whose house was a little farther away from ours.


    Dad stopped in his doing and both of them looked at my direction. My eyes widened when I saw my mother¡¯s batered face, and even if it was not the right time to joke, I could not help but mutter, ¡°Dad, you battered mom like a chicken.¡±


    He stood and watched mom as she tried to sit up on her own, struggling. I wanted to step close and help her, but I was wary of dad. He might drag my face down on the floor or even smack me straight into my face. I did not gamble on that big possibility after I saw how maniacal he was.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I called and swallowed hard. I tried not to wince in her situation. ¡°A-Are you okay?¡±


    She did not answer me, instead, she red at me. Like I had disturbed her most favorite game. Insane. I shook my head. How insane were she to even enjoy being battered by my father?


    ¡°Why did youe back?¡± she spat.


    I looked at Dad. He was looking at me with his nk expression. I could not assume his emotion in that time so I had to avert my eyes and instead look at mom whose re was murderous. She was not happy that I saved her? I swallowed hard.


    ¡°I want to¡­ t-to get things back together,¡± I whispered thest word. ¡°But I saw how he hurt you. W-Why are you¡­ why dad hurt you and you let him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯te back here. Go back to where you stayed,¡± she said and looked away. She had this scoff expression in her face but my mind was in a battle between two sides. I wanted to believe that both of them were ying games, but the bruises on mom¡¯s face and arms were not a kind of joke. I even saw blood on her bottom lip.


    I was confused on what¡¯s happening inside the hut. And my breathe hitched when dad took hold some of mom¡¯s locks and drag her towards me.


    ¡°Dad!¡± I shrieked and stood in front of him. I opened my arms wide as an attempt to stop him from dragging mom even further by her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt mom! Stop this!¡± I hissed.


    But he looked at me straight in the eye, and not long after, heughed. Hard. My eyes squinted at him. I shoo his hand holding mom¡¯s hair away. He released mom¡¯s hair and stepped back.


    I hurried to help mom stand on her feet but she kept on shoving my hands away. My nose wrinkled and I huffed. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s get away from him. He¡¯s hurting you!¡±


    I tugged her to stand on her feet but she tugged back, not wanting to stand. Her eyes nced at dad for a few seconds and I saw fear crossed in them.


    My decision was finalized by then. I would bring mom out of that hut and away from dad.


    My mind wandered to hundreds of possibilities on how we could escape from dad but then, a p rang on my mind. My head jerked sideways and I gasped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you. Stop tugging my arm and go away from me. From us!¡± Mom hissed.


    My brows knotted at her words and I looked at her. ¡°Why are you mad at me?¡± I stood and pointed my forefinger to Dad. ¡°He¡¯s a monster who hurt you! I saw it in my two eyes and yet you don¡¯t want to leave him? Are you out of your mind, Mom?! Leave him! Now!¡±


    Her murderous gaze was prating when she looked at me. ¡°Did I tell you to help me? I won¡¯t leave your father so stop bbering. You left us. Why did youe back? We don¡¯t ask you toe back. In fact, I was happy that you left. Now, don¡¯t take away my happiness like you did in the past years. Leave us alone. Don¡¯te back again, Sydnee!¡±


    Her bellowing made me stumble back. I fought the urge to cry and I did as what she ask. I ran out of the house with a pale face and a straggling breathe.

 Chapter 29

    I ran and ran away from that horrendous hut. I did not stop until I reached a clearing. That¡¯s where I realized that I was standing on a cliff overlooking the city.


    Sweats beaded my forehead and some even trailed down my cheeks. Withbored breathe, I tried to stand upright and look at the blue expanse of the sky. Then, without thinking, I shouted in the top of my lungs.


    I did not just shout, I wailed. Tears brimmed in my eyes and after a while, they ran on my check like a flowing river. My body shook. Fervent. Like a rattling of roof during a heavy rain.


    My chest hurt. And I had a minute of doubt to what Anthony said that I hated my mother. If I hate her, then why I was here, wailing under the scorching heat of the afternoon sun?


    The wind blew cold against my damp skin.


    My body¡¯s shuddering diminish after awhile and I had to look around for some seat. And I saw bench not far from where I was standing. I took a deep breathe before I strode towards that white thing.


    I was alone on the cliff. Maybe because that day was hot and people would only flock the cliff during nighttime when city lights starts dashing and twinkling under the dark sky. And I sighed in relief on that thought, though the memory of my mother¡¯s face sent me shuddering under the bright day.


    While sitting on that bench overlooking the city, some ridiculous thoughts entered my mind. What if I was an orphan that¡¯s why mom would always hurt me?


    I kept my hands around me as a distant memory of my ssmate way back in my elementary entered my mind. She was an orphan and I always caught her arms full of bruises. I wanted to drag her towards the principal office to ask that man for some help but she always dismiss the idea. She did not want to cause trouble to her foster parents who raised her since she was just a baby.


    Her words when I first saw her bruises rang on my mind, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Pretend you don¡¯t see them.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I still remember how I huffed at her words as I crossed my arms around my chest. ¡°What if I don¡¯t? Your so-called parents were monsters. You should fight them. Ask for help. The principal will help you.¡±


    Her chuckle made me raise a brow at her. She looked at me sideways. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, Sydnee. Not everyone would eager to help someone they don¡¯t even know. And what if the principal will help me? Will he call my parents on the office and reprimand them? What? Are they children like us who needed some so-called guidance?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. He would not reprimand them. He would question them and advice them not to hurt me. And well, my parents wouldsh out on me when we got home.¡±


    ¡°But at least they¡¯ll get questioned by the principal!¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t do any change, really. I would only get more bruises.¡± She sighed. ¡°Sometimes fate is cruel. But no one could fight it, could we?¡±


    And she never got the chance to report the bruises to the principal becauseter that day, she was killed when cars rampaged the street while she was crossing on it. Some said that it was an ident. But there were rumors in the school that she deliberately crossed the street when it was not safe.


    Maybe she took her life or maybe it was just an ident that took the life of the first girl who ever talked to me when I entered grade school. But I came to think of maybe, theter was a lie I tried hard to believe.


    I stood and walked carefully towards the railing, where I saw how steep the cliff was. Warm air blew against me, shoving me back but I held my feet still on the ground, not minding how sweat started to bead on my forehead as I thought of the pain I¡¯ll get when I throw myself over the edge of the railing. And if someone would actually cry and mourn over my dead body when I¡¯m gone?


    I took a step ahead and I swallowed hard. My trembling fingers trailed the horizontal railing full of dust from winds carrying particles around. A fear crept onto my heart and my chest started to weight heavy that my shoulders sank.


    Should I throw my body over the cliff? I gulped hard. But the bottom pit was not inviting as I saw some vines full of thorns entangled itself on the branches of the bald trees. And even though I noticed nothing, I knew that snakes lurked around the area, waiting for some fools to plunge themselves down the cliff. I knew it will not be a bloodless, quick death.


    My knees wobbled and I took a small step back. But I gasped when strong arms circled around my waist and pulled me far from the railing.


    I yelped and thrashed around like a wild boar. I heard the person holding me grunted in annoyance. ¡°Stop struggling, Sydnee!¡± he ordered, voice was familiar that it made me shut up and stopped thrashing around in an instant.


    ¡°A-Anthony?¡± I breathed, eyes shot wide in sudden realization. What was he doing in the cliff?


    He put me down when we were far from the railing. I turned around and stared at him and gasped in shock. His shoulders were moving up and down as hebored for his breath. I noticed how his fist opened and closed, like struggling for his control over his emotions.


    My mind went nk for awhile but I blinked when he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re this desperate to end your life.¡± His voice wasced with raw anger and annoyance.


    A heat tingled in my spine and something tugged in my heart. I held my chest and eyed him warily. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked.


    Dryugh escaped from his lips as he moved his fingers over his hair. He squinted his eyes on me. ¡°I saw you running in the highway like a madman while driving my way back to your ce. I thought something happened so I followed you. My car even horned at your side but you kept on running away until you reached this area.¡± He closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose with his two fingers. ¡°I heard you scream and wailing. And I let you have some time to gather yourself but I didn¡¯t expect to see you looking over the cliff like drooling over an ice cream. If¡­ if I was not here, you¡¯ll plunge yourself into that cliff. What are you thinking, Sydnee?!¡±


    I blinked and blinked again before my eyes squinted at his face. I even tipped my head back to look at him directly onto his eyes. ¡°You sure that I¡¯ll plunge myself there?¡±


    ¡°If you only saw how your eyes scanned over the cliff, you¡¯ll see how desperate were you to jump off!¡±

 Chapter 30

    ¡°Calm down,¡± was all I could mutter as I stole a nce at the railing.


    Did I ever think of jumping on that odd cliff?


    Anthony was still in rage when we arrive at his house. I kept my mouth shut as I climbed my way to the stairs but I halted when he called my name. I was in the middle of the stairs. I turned ahead and looked down on Anthony who was squinting his eyes on me while his arms were folded against his chest.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he said. I could not figure out if he was still mad but the fine creased of his forehead told me that he was still upset.


    I gulped hard and descended down the stairs. I stopped in front of him and I did not bother to tip my head back to look at him.


    I heard him sigh. My body tensed when he reached for my shoulders and pulled me close to him. After a few seconds, I found myself hugging him back. His strong arms were around me and sometimes, his hands rubbed the small of my back and my nape to help ease the tension in my body. I rxed in his hold.


    ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± he said, voice was soft.


    And I did what he ask of me. I told him the things I saw when I entered the hut and the words my mother said that made me flee the hut in seconds.


    He crooked his head and looked down at me. We were still standing by the stairs and I was holding him in my arms and so was he. I cleared my throat. ¡°Actually, I wanted to jump off the cliff but I changed my mind after seeing the scene below the cliff.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I breathed and nodded. ¡°And you scooped me like some whore on the street.¡± My eyes narrowed at him. ¡°So I thrashed.¡±


    ¡°You freak me out,ss.¡± He sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t attempt that anymore. Understand?¡±


    A sly smile appeared on my lips. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    He smiled and ushered me towards the kitchen. He wanted me to grab some foods before going to my room.


    I did not tell him that I have no n to go back to the hut, and he did not insist nor say something about it either. It¡¯s like we came to mutual understanding that I should not go back to the hut. At least, not now. But then maybe in the future, I would go back to see whether my father was still a madman. And the thought of being an orphan lingered in my mind for a few days.


    The day that I dreaded came and my mind was in haze for a day. Anthony dide to the meeting as my guardian. I did ask the principal that I would ask my teacher to represent my parents. And since the principal was under an oath with Rogie, she let me drag Anthony in the meeting.


    The other teachers made fun of Anthony when they saw him attending the meeting. They asked him if he had a child and he replied with augh.


    I was in dire need to hide myself. So I did walk out of the scene and find myself making my way to the alley where Rogie always dragged me inside. I was alone there. The wind blew outside the alley. I sighed.


    I stood there for awhile before I leaned my back to the wall. I huffed and closed my eyes tight. I dragged Anthony in this mess and I was ashamed not for myself but for him. He was a teacher in the school. He was not supposed to attend some parent-teacher meeting as a representative of a student unless he had a child, a nephew, or someone rted to him by blood or byw.


    And we were not rted at all.


    I lost count of the time and only when a surge of cold wind entered the alley did I decide to step outside. The sun had finally sank in the horizon. I blinked in confusion. How many hours did I stayed in the alley? Thest time I checked, it was one in the afternoon. And by looking at the sky full of orange streaks, I knew that it was passed four in the afternoon. I hoped the meeting has ended now.


    My feet strode back to the populous area of the academy. I was not wrong. I saw some students with their parents walking towards therge gate, while some walked towards the parking lot. My head snapped at the direction of the school building where Anthony was supposed to attend the meeting.


    I saw a number of parents walking out of the building. I should look for him, but the shame and fear blocked my feet. I let myself be a coward and just wait for him in the parking lot.


    When the sun almost kissed the horizon, I saw Anthony in the distant walking towards me. I stood on my feet and anxiously waited for him. The soft afternoon rays of the sun kissed his cheek and I held my breathe. I blinked for a few times while staring at him straight in the eye.


    He stopped in front of me and I smiled at him. ¡°H-Hey,¡± I greeted.


    His lips crooked into a small smile before he walked towards the passenger door and opened it. ¡°Hop in,¡± he said.

 Chapter 31

    I nodded and did as what I was told. But before I hopped in, I looked around and no one was watching us. Then Anthony strode in front and entered the driver¡¯s door. He drove the car out of the academy and onto the highway.


    The afternoon breeze entered the car as I rolled down the ss of the passenger¡¯s window. I closed my eyes and savored the chilly wind caressing my exposed face.


    ¡°Where do you want to eat?¡± Anthony asked in a sudden.


    I opened my eyes and look over my shoulder where I saw the side of his face. He was facing the road ahead. I brought my face back outside the window and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°We will be eating outside?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    My eyes trailed on the stall of finger foods beside the dusty road. ¡°What if someone from the academy see us eating together?¡±


    It took him a few seconds before he spoke again, ¡°Another town then.¡±


    And before I could protest, he speed up the car towards the outskirt of the town, driving farther from the business district where the academy stood. It took me a few seconds before I found my voice again. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    A sly smile shed on his face. ¡°I know some good food somewhere in the next town. It¡¯s not far away from the border.¡±


    My eyes squinted at him but I did not argue. I also wanted to see the next town. I heard from Isa that the next town was a sophisticated city and full of tasty delicacies and dishes. And it was unlikely of the people of the next town to ignore folks from other towns like us.


    It took us a few minutes before we passed the border. And lo, I gasped as I saw how blinding the lights of the next town were. I closed my eyes but then the blinding lights were gone in a second.


    ¡°It¡¯s a security protocol of this town,¡± Anthony said when he saw me confused in the sudden outburst of lights.


    I blinked, my eyes zed. ¡°It¡¯s blinding.¡±


    ¡°You just have to close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t warn me!¡±


    Anthony justughed at my outburst.


    He asked me again where I wanted to eat but I smacked his arm and huffed. Heughed and I rolled my eyes. It was my first time to enter the next town and I was gaping over the stalls of hot pots and finger foods still steaming above the charcoal.


    The ce was full of huge streetlights and it brighten the whole area like daylight. In that moment, I wished that my town was like them. But I knew that the officials would never pay to build huge streetlights like the next town. Even though I was never told of the official¡¯s bad side, I knew that corruption was prominent in politics.


    ¡°There are a lot of good foods in the area, but there¡¯s one ce where you can enjoy foreign foods. It ranked the best restaurant in this whole town and only those privilege could reserve a seat or two,¡± Anthony said.


    I nodded. ¡°I knew it. With this ce like this, there¡¯s a lot of privilege people living in this suburb.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Some officials live within this area.¡±


    My lips formed an ¡®o¡¯ at his words but I didn¡¯t ask further. It was just my guess that privilege people were living in the suburb because of how grandeur the ce was. Anthony said that it was just an outskirt and the business district was four miles away from the suburb. If the outskirt was this grand, then I¡¯ll not imagine the grandeur offered by the town¡¯s business district.


    But I blinked when I realized something. ¡°Do you have money to reserve two seats?¡± I asked.


    A small grew onto his lips and not long after, I heard himughing. I frowned. ¡°Don¡¯tugh at me.¡±


    He stoppedughing but there was still traces ofugh in his crooked lips. ¡°I owned the restaurant,¡± he said.


    I shrugged and looked sideways because I was still upset on how heughed at me, but when the information sank in my mind, I gasped and looked at Anthony. A smile of triumph was disyed on his lips.


    ¡°You owned it?¡± I asked and gaped.


    His smile diminished and he winced. ¡°Technically. I inherited it from my grandmother.¡±


    My brows knotted at his confession. ¡°So you¡¯re from this town?¡± A few seconds passed before he nodded. I blinked and then asked again, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re alone in the house. You¡¯re from this ce.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Your parents are still alive?¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re not my biological parents.¡± A sigh escape from his lips. ¡°They¡¯re my foster parents.¡±


    That made me sank in the passenger seat. So Anthony was adopted? My eyes squinted at him. ¡°They never raised a hand on you, right?¡±


    He nced at me before he brought his eyes on the road ahead. ¡°Never. They loved me as their own. Why are you asking me that?¡±


    I looked outside the window. I saw glimpses of big houses as the car ran passed by them. I never had issues with orphans but my mind could not erase the look she had on her face when I saw her bruises. And even I still have the doubt. What if I was an orphan like her? Because of what I saw in her life and my life, I often associate orphans as battered children.


    But I never encountered someone like Anthony who was an orphan yet his foster parents loved him as their own. And my mind wondered if she and I was just unfortunate to encounter foster parents as brutal as ours?


    My jaw clenched. ¡°They never reprimand you, insult you, nor raised a hand on you?¡± I asked again.


    He was silent for a few seconds before he answered, ¡°They once reprimanded me and insulted my works, but they did that to guide me to the right direction. But they never raised a hand on me.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Though, they made me kneel on salt as punishment.¡±


    The relief to know that he experienced what that girl and I experienced in our life made me sick. I should not feel happy that he experienced that, but at least I came to realize that foster parents always hurt their orphans. I shivered in that thought.


    ¡°So you lived in other town to escape from them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sort of.¡± He clicked his tongue as the car entered an intersection. ¡°But it¡¯s my decision to live alone. I wanted to do things on my own, you know¡­¡± He trailed of. ¡°I want to buld a name with my hardwork and not because I was an heir of a magnate.¡±


    ¡°An heir of a magnate?¡± I gasped. ¡°You¡¯re rich?¡±


    It took him a few seconds to react at my shocked face. He grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± I closed my eyes tight. ¡°You never told me!¡±


    ¡°You never asked,¡± he said betweenughs.


    I rolled my eyes and leaned back on the passenger¡¯s seat. Rogie was a child of a magnate. Lisa was a child of a duke, one of the priveleged people in the country. And these two bullied me to their heart¡¯s content.


    And learning that Anthony was an heir of some powerful and rich business man, I could notprehend how things on rich people work. I always told myself to hate, ignore, and to never entangle myself to the likes of these people. But I never thought that I was depending on someone who should I ignore too!


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he called when he noticed my silence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I never told you about it. But it¡¯s still me.¡± His forehead creased. ¡°Do you hate me for not telling you who I am?¡±


    I looked outside the window. ¡°Can I afford to hate you?¡± I spat.


    I could not understand what I¡¯m feeling. Part of me was upset at the sudden revtion, but part of me was also assuring myself that he was still my Anthony, who would provide me shelter and food to eat even if my parents would not.


    He never hurt me. Yes. Anthony did not hurt me and he will never hurt me. Right. That¡¯s what I should believe.


    I heaved a sigh and gathered my courage to look over my shoulder where I saw Anthony. He was looking ahead and a small creased was between his two brows.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you,¡± I whispered. I noticed how he nce at me before his gaze moved back to the road ahead. ¡°I¡¯m just suprised to know the truth. I never entangle myself to rich people and the truth hurt my head. But I don¡¯t hate you for being rich.¡±

 Chapter 32

    ¡°You hate me for not telling the truth?¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Not at all. I was just upset but I don¡¯t me you either. I was just a peasant living in your house and you¡¯re not obliged to reveal yourself wholly to me. My reaction was just¡­¡± I trailed off. ¡°Some outburst. No hard feelings.¡±


    He sighed after he heard my words. ¡°d to know that. But don¡¯t think of yourself as a peasant. You¡¯re not a peasant.¡± A smile crept onto the side of his lips. ¡°And we arrived. Wee to a part of my life, Sydnee.¡±


    And true to his words, the car halted to a stop.


    The restaurant he was talking about was the grandest restaurant I¡¯ve seen in my entire life. I gaped in shock. Golden lights shone in eachmppost and guards were standing and roaming around the whole building. I saw the great signage and the blue hues from inside shone before my eyes.


    We walked towards the huge entrance of the building. The guards near the door snapped their heads in our direction. Secondster, they stood erect and greeted Anthony who was walking beside me.


    ¡°Are they inside?¡± Anthony asked when we stopped in front of them.


    One of the guards shook his head. ¡°The Sire and Madam were not inside. Few of our guests were the lords and dukes from other cities.¡±


    Anthony raised his brow. ¡°Is there an official meeting inside?¡±


    He shook his head again. ¡°As what I¡¯ve heard inside, a celebration was held inside.¡±


    ¡°Celebration?¡± Anthony clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s not unusual,¡± he said and ushered me towards the small entrance beside the closed huge double doors.


    The guards gave way for the two of us, and I did not notice that I was holding my breathe since we arrived. I gasped and looked at Anthony sideways. ¡°Am I really wee?¡± I asked.


    I could notprehend how well-guarded the ce was. I thought that it was normal for this ce to have it heavy guarded, but I realized that it¡¯s because the officials were inside.


    My stomach churned at the realization. The dukes and lords were not fond of associating withmoners like me so I never had a glimpse of one of them since my father was put to prison. The only duke I had met as what I¡¯ve remembered was the duke of the next town, who was also Lisa¡¯s father. I gulped hard as my hands went cold. I knew that my face had turned ashen.


    Anthony chuckled at my pale face. ¡°Have you seen a ghost, Sydnee?¡± he teased. Then he tucked my hand in his elbow. ¡°Rx,¡± he cooed.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± I whispered and peeked inside the small entrance. But I was greeted by blue hues hanging in the walls. Ah, that¡¯s where the blue lights wereing from.


    He squeezed my hand. ¡°The officials won¡¯t hurt a little girl like you.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re rich and powerful. They love to bully the weak and poor.¡±


    ¡°Not all of them,¡± Anthony whispered back at me. ¡°Not all rich were like that.¡±


    And we both took a step inside. Cold air swept by me and I shivered. Anthony was fast to wrap his arms around my shoulders and pulled me close to him.


    He ushered me towards a dim lighted door and I gasped as I have a look ahead. The ceiling was high and it hosted a grand chandelier that was made of ss. The floor was wide with intricate designs that I often seen in medieval period movies that my ssmates liked to watch. Tables and chairs were scattered in big groups. Some had people sitting at them while the other big tables had none. There was a grand staircase at the side and it led to a another ce up there that was hidden from the sight of the customers sitting in the chairs around the big tables.


    ¡°So wide,¡± I muttered.


    Anthony nodded. ¡°That¡¯s how big the ambition of my grandma was.¡± And he chuckled before he gestured me towards the grand staircase.


    Some waiters walked passed by us and they greeted Anthony who always smile at them. Some girls even giggled before walking away. That made me huffed. Anthony grinned.


    We climbed the stairs and I blinked when we reached the top. I thought the ce below was grand enough to surprise me, but the ce on top of the stair was magnificent. It was a less wider than the ce below, but every corner spoke of elegance and wealth.


    There were fresh flowers blooming in each nt box decorated ordingly to match the style of the ce. The chandelier, smaller than what¡¯s hanging below, was made of diamonds. An aroma of freshly picked flowers lingered around the ce.


    It was overwhelming that I had stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes for awhile. I felt Anthony stopped beside me. I had to breathe deeply for a few times before I opened my eyes again.


    I was not dreaming. Indeed, I stood in a ce shouting with wealth and I never imagined that I would enter in my entire life.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± Anthony called.


    I looked at him and the gleam of lights around us shone in his eyes. For a moment, I was afraid of the man who was standing in front of me. I took a step back.


    He frowned at what I did and he stepped closer to me. But I stepped back, giving some distance between us.


    My breathe became shallow and quick. I thought that I could ept the status of Anthony, but while walking on the grand path, I could not help but to shudder in fear. I never knew this kind of wealth. It was crazy. And the man standing in front of me owned this ce.


    I was not a fool who would plunge myself in this kind of wealth.


    ¡°Sydnee, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    ¡°T-This ce¡­¡± I breathed. ¡°It¡¯s shining in wealth and I could not¡­¡±


    My knees wobbled. I lost my bnce but Anthony was already holding me in ce so I would not m my body on the cold floor.


    He grunted and in one swift move, he carried me in his arms like a bride. ¡°A-Anthony,¡± I called.


    The creased in his forehead deepen and he looked down on me. Our eyes met. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± he said.


    And I did what he asked me to do. I even nuzzled at his chest, never even dare to open my eyes until I felt him lowering me on the floor and holding me in ce.


    When I opened my eyes, a sigh escape from my lips. The ce was not shouting with wealth but I could still see a glimpse of elegance around the area.


    ¡°Where¡¯s this ce?¡± I asked while looking around.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°It was the crew¡¯s quarter. Outside was the ce where we could eat our dinner.¡±


    I turned sideways to Anthony. He was staring at me. I gulped. ¡°And why you bring me in this¡­ ce?¡±


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he called. ¡°Are you afraid of ces like this?¡±

 Chapter 33

    My gaze lowered on the wooden floor. ¡°Maybe I am. Ever since father was put to prison, I came to loathe ces like this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°My mother.¡± I inhaled sharply. ¡°She loved ces like this. And I could not stand this kind of¡­ kind of wealth.¡± I brought my gaze up and I met his. My eyes squinted, zed. ¡°Anthony, who really are you?¡±


    Silence passed between us and he turned his head sideways, avoiding my gaze. He then spoke words that brought me to my knees. ¡°I am the Duke Regent, the high ruler of Conscion.¡±


    Even if I did not n to, I wept in front of Anthony. He was taken aback by my outburst and he hastily helped me to stand up. ¡°Sydnee,¡± he cooed and pulled me to his embrace. His arms wrapped around me and I felt the warmth he brought to my body. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°You are a duke,¡± I whispered, barely audible. My fingers curled on his chest. ¡°How did you end up in my town disguising as my math teacher?¡±


    He broke away from the hug and stared at my face before he said, ¡°I¡¯m just a recement. My father was the one who rules Conscion. I am his sessor and I did tell you that I want to make a name by my own hardwork.¡±


    ¡°And this ce¡­¡± I gestured around. ¡°Was the inheritance you got from thete duchess?¡±


    He nodded and I gasped. That¡¯s why it was grand and it ranked the best restaurant of the whole Conscion. I now understand why lords and dukes from other ces flocked this ce because it was built for the privilege ones.


    I inhaled sharply and looked away. I wanted to say something but my mouth gaped when my stomach rumbled audibly. I noticed how Anthony stilled when he heard the sound, and secondster, he burst out augh that echoed through the four corners of the room. My cheeks burned red.


    ¡°Stopughing!¡± I shrieked. ¡°I said stop!¡±


    He raised his two hands as an act of surrender and nodded at me. But the smug smile on his lips and the tears brimmed in his eyes was enough for me to burn my temper.


    ¡°Jerk!¡± was all I muttered and turned away from him. I crossed my arms and huffed in annoyance.


    Not long after, I felt strong arms wrapped around my waist that pulled me back. My back hit his hard chest. I gasped.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled and let go of me. ¡°I was kidding. No offense meant.¡±


    I rolled my eyes heavenwards but I made my temper an excuse so he would lead me towards the dining area. I also told him that I¡¯ll dine in the corner to avoid gazes from other guests. He was hesitant but my knotted brows made him agree on my requests. I hid my smile.


    At least, he was still the Anthony that I had known. But clearly, there was a fine line starting to build between us. I tried to ignore how grandeur his life was but I could not do it, not the entire time. For whenever I looked around, I saw how filthy rich his parents were. And I did realize that it was just a speck of their assets.


    A lowugh was heard from the side portion of the hall. It looked like a group of sophisticated men and women were there chatting about something I could not hear quite clearly. There was a thin and vague cloth acting as a partisan between the group of people and the other portion of the hall to hide the faces of those inside. But the lights inside the partisan was enough for me to see how those men and women raised their wine sses for a toast. I looked away.


    I did notice that only two tables were upied in the hall. The table of the group and ours.


    When I looked at Anthony, he was silent. But I noticed his asional nce at the partisan.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°You know them?¡±


    He looked at me and shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re the special guests my people talked about. The dukes and lords of other cities with their wives.¡±


    My eyes blinked for a few times before my face turned ashen. So I was meters away from the group of officials? I did weep in front of Anthony. How would I react to a group of them?


    A hand rested on mine on the table. I looked up to see Anthony¡¯s soft gaze on me. ¡°Just eat. Don¡¯t mind them.¡±


    I nodded and I looked down on my te. I tried hard to ignore the murmur from the group but a familiar voice made my ears perked.


    ¡°I will live alone. Just put her anywhere she want. Don¡¯t bother to put her belongings in my manor.¡±


    It was Rogie¡¯s voice. I shot a nce at the partisan but I could not see past the thin sheet of cloth. But I knew his voice. I shook my head to ignore the idea of walking towards the partisan to peek on them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want. Not that I have a choice with this arrangement. But don¡¯t touch Sydnee. She knows nothing of this joke.¡±


    Before I could think clearly, I found myself walking hastily towards the group. Anthony tried to stop me but it was toote for I found myself standing inside the partisan.


    The group of rich and powerful people were indeed inside. The clothing and jewelries wore by the women and some girls around my age could provide me food for years. The tuxedoes and expensive watches of men and boys around my age were enough to intimidate me. But I did not care about those things. My eyes wandered around the group to seek the owner of the voice I heard earlier.


    And I saw him there in the corner of the rectangr table. He was gaping at me and a girl was sitting beside him. Lisa.


    It was only in that moment that I noticed the gazes of the people on me. My hand began to shook and I had to hide it in my back.


    ¡°Who is this girl?¡± asked a woman sitting beside a familiar man. And I blinked when I recognized the man. It was the duke that I had met years earlier. He and Dad knew each other but I did not know if he knew me too.


    Before anyone could answer the woman¡¯s question, Rogie stood and strode towards me. His brows were knotted and I was not sure if it was because I annoyed him or because I stood there uninvited.


    He stopped before me and held my wrist. He then tried to drag me out of that ce but a man cleared his throat. ¡°Son, don¡¯t be impulsive. Introduce this brave girl to us.¡±


    Rogie halted and looked over his shoulder. Our eyes had met. There was uncertainty in his eyes but an unfamiliar emotion danced across them. He faced the group and cleared his throat. ¡°This is Sydnee Lurica.¡±


    I curled my hand into a fist as I felt scrutinizing gazes fell on me. There was a wave of silence hovered above us before the man who had spoken earlier clicked his tongue. If I was right, he was Rogie¡¯s father.


    The man looked at me straight in the eye so I had to lower my gaze and bit my bottom lip. I regretted that I went inside this little enclosed ce.


    ¡°Speak,¡± the man said.


    My insides went cold but I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I-I thought that I heard a familiar voice that¡¯s why I tried to peek i-inside.¡±


    ¡°Well, you certainly went inside our ce.¡± The woman sitting beside the familiar man snickered. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with my godson?¡± she asked.


    I looked at Rogie who was staring at me. It took all of me to answer without stammering. ¡°He¡¯s my former ssmate.¡±


    ¡°ssmate,¡± the woman whispered and nodded. But the smug smile on her lips did not go away. ¡°You¡¯re Sydnee Lurica?¡±


    I nodded.


    The woman looked to a man in histe 40s. The man had some resemnce with Lisa so I assumed that he was Lisa¡¯s father, a duke, just like Anthony¡¯s father.


    ¡°You put Henry Lurica into prison years ago,¡± the woman said. I blinked at her words and my body went still. She said my father¡¯s name without blinking. They knew him.

 Chapter 34

    ¡°But I heard that you release him from prison recently.¡±


    Lisa¡¯s father snorted. ¡°Rogie won¡¯t marry my daughter unless I release that bastard. Ask your good godson, Lady Geneva.¡±


    The woman whose name was Geneva turned to Rogie. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Rogie nodded and did not say anything. Lady Geneva squinted her eyes on me. ¡°Girl, you are very brave. I apud you for standing in front of us. But Rogie had married Lisa. And they will live under one roof from now on.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rogie shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t live with Lisa and that¡¯s final.¡±


    Rogie¡¯s father squinted his eyes. ¡°She stood in front of officials. It¡¯s a disrespect, son. Do you want Sydnee to be punished or you¡¯ll live with Lisa?¡±


    I felt Rogie tensed at his father¡¯s words. I gulped hard.


    Before one of us could protest, someone entered the partisan and stood beside me.


    ¡°Sydnee is just a kid who knows nothing. Please excuse her disrespect to the rulers of thisnd.¡±


    I looked sideways at Anthony. There was no smile nor a sign of amusement in his eyes. Nothing but a nk expression that I never knew he could muster.


    The people around smiled at Anthony.


    ¡°The duke regent. My pleasure to see you here,¡± Lady Geneva said.


    I noticed the other women were silent. It was only Lady Geneva who kept on talking around. The man beside her did not say a single word. He just kept on mustering his nk expression. And sometimes, he shot a smile at me.


    Just like that, Rogie dragged me out of that ce while Anthony was left behind to deal with my foolishness. I closed my eyes tight as cold wind passed by my body. Rogie brought me out of the building, onto the back portion where only one light was shining in the dark.


    He pinned me on the wall. I gasped in shock and looked at him. He stood before me and both of his hands were either in the sides of my head. I could not escape from him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked, voice was soft, as his gaze travelled from my head down to my feet and back to my eyes. ¡°You know what you did back there? Stupidity.¡±


    The heat from his gaze vanished at hisst word. I squinted my eyes on him. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid,¡± I spat.


    I noticed his amused smile lingering on his lips and I fought myself hard not to wobbled my knees. I tried to smack his chest but his hand caught mine and pinned it overhead. I tried to thrashed around but he pinned my torso using his body, legs were wide apart to caged my body between him and the wall behind me.


    I hissed. ¡°Let go,¡± I warned.


    His brow raised and he lowered his face to meet my eyes. ¡°I saw how desperate were you while looking for me,¡± he whispered. His eyes moved down on my lips and he smirked. ¡°Did you miss my kiss?¡±


    ¡°Bastard,¡± I muttered. ¡°I heard you talk and I did look for you to confirm my suspicion.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He breathed. ¡°I thought you missed me that much to mess with the dukes and lords.¡±


    I snickered at his words. ¡°I don¡¯t really care who¡¯s who. I wanted to see if you were really there.¡±


    ¡°And if I was not there?¡± His brows knotted in annoyance and he looked at me straight in the eye. ¡°Who would protect you from unreasonable things they will do to you?¡±


    I looked away. ¡°At least I was right,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± he called. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive. Don¡¯t mess with those people next time, okay?¡±


    My lips pursed into a thin line as I fought the urge to spat at those people. Now that I was free from their gazes, all I remembered of them was their ridiculous stares at me. They looked at me like some kind of insect. And thinking about it, I just wanted to smack those smug smiles of them, specially that Lisa. I huffed.


    ¡°And you¡¯re angry?¡± Rogie asked. ¡°Do you know what punishment you¡¯ll receive for disrespecting an official? You¡¯ll be called to court andter, you¡¯ll clean a whole manor without help.¡±


    My brows knotted when I remembered the words of Lisa¡¯s father. ¡°Why do they want you to marry Lisa?¡± I asked.


    Rogie let go of me and I shuddered in the cold wind. He looked away and sighed. ¡°Lisa is the only heiress of a Duke. She should be wed to a man with strong political and economical background in order for her to inherit the ce of her father. Women can¡¯t rece a duke¡¯s position unless they marry strong men.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s means you¡¯ll be a duke someday and she¡¯ll be your duchess?¡±


    A few seconds passed before he nodded. I inhaled sharply at his confirmation. ¡°But if women can¡¯t rece a duke¡¯s position, then why do Lady Geneva is quite bold in dealing with other lords and dukes? With all the women, she¡¯s the only woman I heard who talk without limit.¡±


    ¡°Because Duke Theodore, her husband, is dumb.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°He¡¯s what?¡±


    ¡°Duke Theodore is dumb so it was Lady Geneva who do the work.¡±


    ¡°Dumb since birth?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°An ident happened eighteen years ago and since then, he did not want to speak. It pushed Lady Geneva to speak up her mind in order to fill her husband¡¯s work.¡±


    That made me still. I remembered how Duke Theodore smiled at me. I wonder if he remember Dad or he knew me. But it was not possible. A duke could not possibly remember that pathetic kid who cried in front him to ask for help after I and my mother was roaming the lonely street of Conscion without water and without food. It was him who provided us some money to spend in order to buy a house.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    But mother was so ashame that she build a house near thendfill where no one from her circle of friends could possibly knew who we are. And until now, she was living in that little nipa hut with my father who turned into a madman. And thinking about it, I could not help but to shudder.


    I felt a hand in my cheek moving my face to meet Rogie¡¯s face. Our eyes met and before he could say something, someone cleared his throat.


    My head snapped in the direction and I saw Anthony. He was staring straight into my eyes. I blinked.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he said without blinking, but I noticed how his body tensed while watching me under Rogie¡¯s hold.


    I looked at Rogie who grimaced at the sight of Anthony. I knew that these two know each other and I wonder if they acknowledge each other¡¯s position in the society. And certainly, I could not reach either of them.


    My hand found Rogie¡¯s palm resting on my cheek. I let his hand fell on his side as I stepped away from his hold. My feet walked towards Anthony whom eyes searched around my body for any possible danger. When I reached his side, he circled his arms around my waist.

 Chapter 35

    My body tensed and I felt Rogie¡¯s stare bore onto my back.


    Anthony looked at Rogie and I saw a small smile crept onto his lips. ¡°Congrats on your wedding. But you should attend to your wife.¡±


    I could hear Rogie¡¯s whispered grunt from where I stood. I knew that Anthony¡¯s words hit home. He snorted. ¡°You surprised me. At least tell me that Synee will be here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ast minute decision.¡±


    Rogie did not argue with Anthony anymore and just bit his goodbye. But when he walked passed by me, he tapped my shoulder. A tingle spread down my spine as I watched him walk away.


    Anthony¡¯s grip on my hand tighten.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± I huffed and opened the passenger door but Anthony held my wrist. I turned around and tipped my head back to look into his eyes. ¡°Stop meddling with us.¡±


    His lips twitched and let go of my wrist. ¡°He¡¯s married.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I looked away and crossed my arms against my chest. ¡°We just talk about Lady Geneva and her husband.¡±


    His forehead creased but he did not insist again so I opened the passenger door and hopped in. Minutester, the car drove its way back to the town. We did not talk until the car halted in front of his house.


    But when I got inside the house, he asked, ¡°Do you like him?¡±


    I halted to a stop. Fist closed, I turned around to see him walking leisurely towards me. His hands were inside the pockets of his pants. He was staring at me. My throat bobbed. ¡°I don¡¯t. Why are you asking me this?¡±


    He shrugged and stopped in front of me. ¡°He likes you.¡±


    I stared at him longer than I intended. He was not kidding. It was a statement that surprisingly I find hard to admit. Rogie said that he like me but I always dismiss his words because I believe that he was kidding. But hearing the words out of Anthony¡¯s mouth, I did not know what to say. So I just looked down and turned to climb the stairs. Anthony did not call for me again.


    Morning came and I attended my ss. I thought that it was a normal school day but the principal visited our ssroom before the teacher dismiss the ss. She looked around and smiled when our eyes had met.


    ¡°It¡¯s the month of love and our prom night is fast approaching. There will be delegates from some organizations and I will appoint the student council to arrange everything.¡± She looked around again. ¡°This ss will be the representative for junior ss. I hope your ss president will coordinate with the student body.¡±


    A wave of silence enveloped the whole ssroom. Then, the ss president stood up and agreed to the principal.


    ¡°Great,¡± the principal said. She looked at me before she exited the ssroom.


    I heaved a sigh but Isa pinched my arm. ¡°Why was she kept on staring at you?¡± she asked.


    She might be asking about the principal so I shrugged my shoulders. I did not want to think of something but maybe she had something on her mind and it¡¯s not my business to know it.


    During breaktime, I saw Anthony on the hallway. He looked at me and his gaze lingered for a few seconds before he looked away. I lowered my head when I walked passed by him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talkter,¡± he mumbled.


    I stopped in my tracks and turned around to look at him. But he was walking away. I could not help but to stare at his receding bulk. Was he mad at me for ignoring him?


    Isa cleared her throat. ¡°You¡¯re living with him. You know it¡¯s rude to just ignore him.¡±


    I looked sideways at Isa. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She crossed her arms against her chest and gave me a half-smile that made her look¡­ wicked. ¡°I know who he is and I know that you two are living together.¡±


    My eyes blinked and I hastily pulled her aside. ¡°Don¡¯t say that again!¡± I looked around and my breath hitched when I noticed from gazes on me. But I stared at Isa. ¡°No one other than you, Rogie, and Anthony should know where I was living.¡±


    Isa smirked. ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not a fan of gossip.¡± Her brow raised. ¡°But it¡¯s inappropriate. I hope you know it, Sydnee.¡±


    I lowered my gaze on the ground and sighed. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a taboo. But what else can I do? I don¡¯t know where to live.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any rtives?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t recall having close rtive at all but nobody ever visited us in the hut over the years.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t live with him forever.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know.¡± I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe. ¡°Summer break ising and I¡¯ll definitely find work so I could find myself some apartment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I guess.¡± She smiled at me again before pulling a card from the pocket of her blouse. ¡°Here¡¯s my calling card. If you need anything or there¡¯s a problem, you can call me.¡±


    I epted her card and inspected it. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re not using him to meet your needs. So I wanna extend help to you too, if you ever need anything.¡±


    My gaze lingered in her face and huffed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you.¡±


    She shed her smile and winked at me. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to please a duke, and definitely not easy to please a princess like me.¡±


    I just shook my head in disbelief and put her calling card inside the pocket of my skirt. ¡°We¡¯ll bete for the next ss,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a coward who hates some spice,¡± Isa muttered.


    But I did not argue with her and just dragged her back to our ssroom. Well, the hallway was silent these days because the two notorious school bullies were gone and bullying was long gone, denounced. A good riddance indeed. But sometimes I wonder if what would Rogie think of this change?


    ¡°He won¡¯t mind,¡± Isa said and patted my shoulder. ¡°Rogie should be jumping in joy right now.¡±


    My brow raised and I looked at her. ¡°What?¡±


    She just grinned. ¡°You missed that boy?¡±


    I blinked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be dumb, Sydnee. Rogie should be a happy husband right now.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But I heard that he¡¯sing back for the prom night.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Trust me. Don¡¯t be a pathetic lonely girl there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I said. I even shook my head.


    Isa huffed. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you¡¯re just dumb or some kind of¡­ you know.¡± My brow raised at her words. Isa grinned. ¡°I heard what you didst night in the next town. You can¡¯t run after Rogie now that he¡¯s married, and you can¡¯t just pair up with our teacher Anthony. Girl, why don¡¯t you give yourself a break and stop sucking up in a forbidden love?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± My brows knotted. ¡°You just assume things, Isa.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Sheughed. ¡°You¡¯re the worst liar I¡¯ve ever met, Sydnee.¡±

 Chapter 36

    ¡°I bought you a dress.¡±


    I stopped chewing and looked at him. He was busy on his te but I noticed his asional nce on me. When our eyes met, I knitted my brows. ¡°Dress?¡±


    ¡°For prom.¡± He reached for the ss of water and took a sip before facing me. ¡°Next week. I bought a dress for you.¡±


    I looked on my te and my cheeks felt hot. I thought he would reprimand me for ignoring him in school ground but I did not know that he wanted to talk about a dress. And I was still thinking about Rogie¡¯s appearance in prom. I kind of reluctant to go since he ising and maybe Lisa too.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Anthony asked.


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°About the dress, I have money.¡±


    He just grinned and said nothing. We spent the next minutes eating and thinking of our own affairs. But I noticed how knitted Anthony¡¯s brows were. I cleared my throat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    He looked at me and then shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± He resumed eating.


    I looked on my te and finished the food. Then I went back to my room and prepare for tonight¡¯s prom. There¡¯s nothing to prepare much but my palms were sweating when I think of tonight¡¯s event. It was my first time to attend such grandiose ball. I heaved a sigh and prepared everything I needter.


    It was dusk when I walked out of the house. Anthony was waiting for me on the outside, casually leaning on the hood of his car. I took a deep breathe and walked towards him. He was staring at me, and when our eyes met, his lips curved into a dazzling smile. That made me smile too.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± he praised.


    He ushered me towards the passenger door. He drove the car to a hotel owned by the school¡¯s president but I urged him to pull over when we were twenty meters away from the hotel.


    ¡°See youter,¡± I said and hopped out of the car.


    Anthony tried to open his mouth to say something but I already closed the passenger door. My eyes scanned the sorrounding. The whole hotel¡¯s facade was shining in the dark. It was a lovely sight but my heart was just beating faster in every passing seconds. I swallowed hard and took a deep breathe.


    My feet walked towards the hotel. There were cars passing me by and I was not sure why but some of those were blowing horns when they passed by me. Well, the persons inside those cars were jesting on me who walked towards the hotel while wearing a ballgown.


    I bit my lip when I felt that my cheeks burned red in embarrassment. I just hoped that they won¡¯t stop by the sidewalk. My luck did not give me a break. A car had pulled over by the sidewalk and when I walked pass that car, the window ss of the driver¡¯s door rolled down.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Sydnee!¡± a loud yell was heard from inside the backseat.


    I nced on the man who was sitting on the driver¡¯s door but I only saw a stranger¡¯s face. But the voice on the backseat was quite familiar. I guess she was one of my ssmate.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hop in my car?¡± another voice called out in the backseat but it was a male¡¯s voice. It was also familiar, maybe one of my male ssmates.


    I shook my head. ¡°No need,¡± I whispered and then walked in the front. I heard some snorts inside the car but I saw in the corner of my eye that the car had drove towards the hotel. That was when I heaved a sigh of relief then I pick up my pace.


    Anthony was nowhere to be seen when I arrived at the hotel, but I saw the familiar car in the parking lot. I did not know where the prom was held so I just follow a group of girls who dressed invish ballgowns. Sometimes they whisper to each other and giggle specially when they saw handsome males. They did not notice me but some of the males took nces on me. I lowered my gaze and focused on following those girls.


    Not long after, a hall full of lovely lights and music stood before me. There were a lot of people inside and their faces were unfamiliar. This world¡­ was not meant for me.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± someone called from behind.


    It took me seconds to realize that someone was standing behind me. I turned around and I saw a girl of my age, wearing a green evening dress and she had an enchanting smile on her lips.


    My brows knitted a little and I opened my mouth. ¡°Isa?¡± I asked.


    Sheughed and then held my arm. ¡°Come on, what are you standing here for?¡± she asked and dragged me inside the hall. ¡°You don¡¯t know but I was waiting for you to show up. It took you almost and hour after our meeting time, huh?¡±


    I smiled sheepishly. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Nah. Come,e. Let¡¯s drink!¡±


    Before I knew it, Isa had dragged me towards the corner where there were different kinds of sses full of beverages.


    ¡°H-Hey,¡± I tried to protest but she shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± she guaranteed but the smile on her lips was not an honest one. ¡°Trust me, you won¡¯t get drunk on this.¡±


    Then she reached for the ss filled with blue substance. ¡°Here, try this.¡±


    I sighed and epted the drink. I sipped and my eyes widened when I tasted an unfamiliar sweet yet sour taste.


    ¡°It¡¯s blueberry juice,¡± Isa said while reaching for another ss. ¡°It¡¯s my favorite. By the way, don¡¯t drink on the sses served by those handsome males out there.¡± Isa pointed some male in red uniforms walking through the crowd and passing the sses of wine on some male. ¡°There¡¯s some sort of alcohol in those sses and you might get drunk.¡±


    ¡°I thought alcohols are prohibited?¡±


    ¡°Of course. But you can¡¯t control those weird guys. They pay the manager to deliver mixed beverages on them. They won¡¯t give mixed drinks on girls but it¡¯s only for those who paid the manager.¡±


    ¡°And you know it?¡± I nced at Isa who was looking on the group of guys somewhere in the hall.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to obtain information in this party. But the president doesn¡¯t give a damn on those guys as long as they won¡¯t bring harm on others.¡±


    I took another nce on the group of boys then I shifted my gaze.

 Chapter 37

    Third POV


    Not long after, the party started. There were a lot of activities but unlike Isa who actively participated, Sydnee just sat on the corner while silently watching the ongoing activities. Her eyes squinted when she saw how Isa identally kissed her guy partner when thetter tried to lift Isa.


    She bit her lip to prevent herself fromughing. Isa had her brows furrowed and her eyes frequently throw daggers to the guy who held her. When the contest was over, Isa and her partner did not win which made Isa frustrated. When the guy realized how bad the girl¡¯s temper was, he immediately fled to the crowd.


    Sydnee¡¯s lips curved into a sweet smile when she saw Isa walking back to her direction. Then she looked around again. Anthony was still nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°That bastard!¡± Isa cursed under her breath then looked at her. ¡°You should participate!¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Sit down and watch them y games.¡±


    Isa snorted then pulled the chair beside her to sit down. She noticed that Isa was looking around. Maybe she was looking for her partner who she identally kissed. Sydnee chuckled and did not tease her further. She had noticed that Isa was really in a bad mood.


    Not long after, the next contest begin. Isa tried to push her out of the chair to participate but Sydnee kept still. Isa snorted then stopped pushing her hard.


    When the contest was ongoing, she finally saw Anthony in the crowd. He was walking towards the corner where the teachers were sitting at. Then she noticed that he looked around. When their eyes met, he smiled. Sydnee smiled at him too. He turned around and sat on his chair.


    ¡°Hopeless,¡± Isa muttered.


    She took a nce at the grumpy girl beside her and she noticed that Isa was looking at her, then looked at Anthony. She cleared her throat. ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t smile at him. He¡¯ll creep me out when his lips curve.¡±


    She shook my head and did not bother with Isa. Her eyes darted towards the participants of the contest.


    Minutes passed by and the emcee announced that it was time for the evening dance. A slow melodious music filled the air. Then a boy walked towards where she and Isa was sitting. She noticed that the boy was staring at Isa.


    He stopped in front of her and then offered his hand. ¡°May I ask for a chance to dance with you, princess?¡±


    Her eyes travelled towards Isa who was pursing her lips. She thought that she would deny the boy, but her mouth dropped when Isa extended her hand and put it on the boy¡¯s hand. She then turned towards her then gave her a wink. She mouthed, ¡®I¡¯ll be back¡¯ then she walked to the center of the hall with the boy.


    Sydnee sighed and looked around again. Anthony was missing in his chair. Where did he go?N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The dance had started and many of the boys had asked the girls they like to dance with them. As seconds passed by, the center was filled with pairs dancing with the music. Some of the teachers had their pairs and they too danced with the music. There were only some of the individuals who was still sitting on their respective chairs. One of them was Sydnee.


    Not that she dislike to dance, but no one had offered her their hand for a dance. It was not a big deal for her but the asional nces of some girls towards her made her blush in embarrassment. She was the only one sitting on the chair on that part, so anyone would notice the lone girl at the corner when they look in her direction.


    Some of those pairsughed when they looked at her while some had a hint of pity in their eyes. Sydnee swallowed then stood. She looked around and then walked towards the small door where the waiters were going in and out. She wanted to go outside for a walk first because she could not stand those disdainful nces. The huge hall entrance was filled with securtiy guards and she believed that she would not have a chance to exit in that door while the party was still ongoing.


    She silently walked towards the corner then entered the door. She stopped when she noticed that she went inside a kind of green room where beverages and food were stored when its ready to serve the guests.


    ¡°Girl, you¡¯re blocking the way,¡± a man said.


    Sydnee snapped back into reality then she immediately gave way to the waiter. The men were busy doing their business that only the manager had noticed a lone girl in the room.


    ¡°Girl, why are you here?¡± the manager asked then walked towards her.


    Sydnee looked at the man in his thirties. He had a gentle smile on his lips and he was studying her. So Sydnee smiled sheepishly at him. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the restroom¡­¡±


    The man pointed the door at the corner. ¡°Just walk straight into that door and you¡¯ll find the restroom.¡±


    ¡°Ok, thanks!¡±


    She immediately walked towards the door and entered in. There was a long hallway before Sydnee saw two entrances. One for the restroom while the other is for exit. Without thinking, she walked right into it and exited the building.


    The night breeze brushed pass by her and she closed her eyes. She stood still under the moon and stars. Behind her was the lively building filled with melodious music. The rhythm was carried into the air as the wind blew and the leaves rustled around her.


    Soon, she heard footstepsing towards her. She looked onto the left and she saw a shadow of the man walking towards her. The silhouette was familiar to her and when the man stepped under the dim streetlight, she held her breathe.


    It was Anthony. He was still wearing the suit he wore for the party but the mild breeze messed up his hair, though it increase his masculinity.


    ¡°You should not be here,¡± he said with his husky voice.


    Sydnee was confused. ¡°You are here either. What are you doing out there?¡± Then she took a peek in the dark where he came from.


    Anthony reached for her shoulder and tried to ushered her back to the building but Sydnee stayed rooted on her spot. Anthony noticed it so he looked back at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get inside.¡± She sighed and looked away.


    There was a moment of silence hovered between them for a few minutes, before Anthony let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s cold out here. You should get inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Sydnee stole a nce at him before she looked away. ¡°You seem¡­ down tonight.¡±


    ¡°Just a tiny problem,¡± Anthony said. He stared at her longer than usual before he asked, ¡°What are you doing outside? Was someone bullying you?¡±


    Before she could answer, a sudden burst of apuse was heard inside the hotel. Then a voice was heard in loud speakers, weing Rogie and Lisa as guests of honor, and some other officials.


    Sydnee face changed when she heard the introduction. Now, she did not want to go back anymore. If there¡¯s a chance, she just wanted to go home as soon as possible.


    Maybe Anthony noticed the change in her vibe so he just ushered her towards the other side, where a small park was. He let her sit on the swing and he swung it.


    They had not said something to break the silence around them. They were busy thinking of the things that they had been handling over the few days.


    But suddenly, a slow and sweet music hovered around the air. It came from the hotel not far from where they were. It enveloped the whole sorrounding that even Sydnee had stopped being in a daze.


    She then looked at Anthony who was staring at her!


    A sudden jolt made her stood and smiled at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She hid her embarrassment in her smile.


    Then Anthony held out his hand. ¡°Dance with me.¡±


    Those words made her mind went nk and heart beat fast. She stared at him in daze and it was when he smiled that she woke up from her stupor. She immediately put her hand on his palm.


    Anthony then pulled her into his embrace and started dancing under the moonlight. Sydnee had been biting her bottom lip and not daring to look into Anthony who was staring at her face. She felt hot in both cheeks but dared not to meet his prating gaze.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± Anthony suddenly whispered.


    But she did not obey. Anthony did not force her but she noticed how tight he was holding her and that he pulled her closer to him.


    She gasped and finally raised her head to meet his deep gaze. ¡°Y-You¡¯re holding me tight,¡± sheined.


    But Anthony smiled and without a word, he spun her around. The hem of her skirt yed in circle and her hair followed the mild wind caused by the motion. It had created a good visual that made one to look approvingly.


    Just then, before the music stop and within a heartbeat, Sydnee uttered words that made her life change drastically.


    ¡°I like you¡­¡±

 Chapter 38

    A deafening silence echoed in the sorrounding. It made Sydnee¡¯s breath hitched. She swallowed hard and waited for Anthony to speak but thetter did not show any emotion. He just stood there, silently watching her.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± She looked away and tried to ease the ufortable feeling in her chest. ¡°I-I like you. Don¡¯t misunderstand that. I just want to say ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± Anthony stopped her then he looked away, just like she did. ¡°It¡¯s cold. Let¡¯s get inside.¡±


    She spent a few seconds before she look at Anthony. Thetter was looking at the ck horizon in the distance. Sydnee lowered her head. ¡°I want to go home.¡±


    Sighing, she turned and took a step towards the parking lot. She knew it. Anthony was not into her. And why should he be?


    Sydnee swallowed hard, blinking away the tears brimming in her eyes. There was a pang in her chest but she ignored it. She knew that she and Anthony would not¡­


    Footsteps were heard in the cold night and leaves were rustling around her. She knew that Anthony was following her behind and there was a distance between them. She did not mind though. After her confession and apart from the pang in her chest, she felt embarrass. At least, she did not want to face Anthony soon.


    She stopped in her tracks and then breathed deeply. She looked around but only darkness greeted her. The constant footsteps behind her also stopped. Silence enveloped them again but it was broken by the sudden gush of the wind. The cool breeze yed her hair and even swayed it in the night.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Sydnee closed her eyes.


    It wouldn¡¯t do. She should stop seeing Anthony if she wanted to move on, and staying in his house was not a good idea. Her brows knitted while she was thinking, and she did not notice that Anthony walked pass her and stood in front of her.


    She just came back to her senses when Anthony called her name. She looked up and the faint light from the streelight ahead covered his face. Only the silhoutted of his face could be seen.


    ¡°W-What?¡± she asked under her breath.


    Anthony looked at her deeply before he looked sideways. Sydnee also look to where he was looking and she saw a familiar car. It was Anthony¡¯s car. A faint blush made its way to her cheeks but the darkness of the night hid it away from the sight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home,¡± Anthony offered.


    She wanted to refuse but thinking about it, she did not have money to pay fare. Also, it would be safer if Anthony would drive her home.


    So she agreed. And while sitting in the passenger door, she counted the possibilities where she no longer have to see Anthony everyday. What if she¡¯lle back home?


    Maybe it¡¯s really time to go home. Her parents might be sad to see her again, but she was still their child. Her mother¡¯s anger would have faded already. She sighed.


    Back at Anthony¡¯s home, Sydnee excused herself and walked straight to her room. She looked around and noticed that for the couple of months staying in that house, Sydnee umted some things that she never dreamed to have previously. Anthony liked to give her a present and those gifts was lying in the closet and the drawers.


    She wondered if she could leave those things. At least, she did not want anything to do with Anthony.


    Sydnee packed her things away and put them aside. She nned to go home tomorrow. There would be no ss for it¡¯s weekend. But after changing clothes and lying on the bed, her mind was still awake. She could not sleep.


    Her heart pounded hard when she heard footsteps outside the bedroom¡¯s door. She was sure that it was Anthony. He might be walking towards his room which was just beside hers.


    She took a peek on the closed door. The faint lighting froom thempshade standing on the bedside table illuminated her dark room.


    The footsteps stopped right at her door. Her heart skipped a beat. What? Was he trying to open her door?


    But minutes after, the footsteps continued until she heard the door beside hers opened. She breathed deeply. She did not notice the thinyer of sweat in her forehead.


    Sydnee closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep. It was only dawn when she finally calm down and lulled to sleep. When she opened her eyes again, the sun was hanging high in the sky. It was almost noon.


    She jumped from her bed and ran towards the bathroom. While taking a bath, she repeated her n in her head and then nodded, as if confirming her thoughts. She should leave as soon as possible. It would be better if she would not talk to Anthony about her n, in case something happens.


    A faint scent ofvender hovered in the air while Sydnee was busy wearing her dress. Then, she walked out of the room.


    It was silent. She stood at the top of the staircase and listened to the sorrounding. Her forehead creased when she heard nothing. Was Anthony not in the house?


    She looked on the garage and found that Anthony¡¯s car was still there. It was only mean one thing. Anthony was still in his room, sleeping. Her lips curved into a smile then she walked towards the kitchen.


    Since the man was still in his room, she decided to make breakfast for him. It was thest act for her to show her gratitude to him.


    It took her almost an hour to prepare everything in the kitchen. Then, she wrote a note and put it on the table. Sydnee walked back to her room to get her things.


    She stood in the entrance and looked back. The house was silent, as if reluctant to part with her.

 Chapter 39

    But she had decided and she would not put any more pressure on Anthony.


    Maybe, he woulde back to his hometown soon after she leave.


    She curved her lips into a faint smile and then turned towards the entrance. Her foot took a step forward, then another, and then she waspletely out of the gate.


    The sun was high in the clouds but the wind was cool, blowing into her, touching her skin.


    She walked back home.


    It was only three in the afternoon when she stopped walking forward. A few meters away from her, she saw the small nipa hut which seemed familiar yet unfamiliar to her. It was months since shest saw the hut and seeing it again, she could not describe her feelings.


    She breathed deeply and then continued taking steps forward. She had been walking under the sun for nearly five hours and asionally stopped at waiting sheds to drink water she bought at the store and to shed from the sun.


    When ite to perseverance, she stood in the rank. She was used walking to where she wanted to go so it was not a difficult task to her. Also, she wanted to save money and to move her limbs. Ever since she live in Anthony¡¯s house, she had been riding car and she thought that it was not a good habit for her.


    The wind blew pass her.


    Not long after, she reached the entrance of the nipa hut. She listened for any noise but there was only the sound of rustling leaves nearby. Was anyone home?


    Her brows knitted but she still walked inside, not minding the strange silence of the nipa hut. What on earth was happening?


    She saw her mother in the kitchen, slicing garlic and onions for cooking. Her mother¡¯s back was facing her so the woman had not yet realized that she came back home.


    Sydnee roamed her eyes around but she did not see her father. Where was he?


    A loud bang was heard when her mother identally broke the wooden board she used to cut meat and vegetables. Sydnee swallowed hard and cleared her throat.


    ¡°Mom,¡± she called.


    The woman froze for a few seconds, before she hurriedly turn around and looked at the girl who was standing by the kitchen door. Sydnee could see how horrified her mom was when their eyes met. Her brows knitted in confusion. She did not expect that kind of expression from her mother.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Her mother murmured while pointing her fingers on her.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Sydnee swallowed and then looked around again. ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± she whispered.


    There was a moment of silence between them. She waited for a few minutes for her mother¡¯s scolding but the woman in front of her remained silent. She could not help but ask, ¡°Mom?¡±


    Her mother looked away and then turned around again to continue what she was doing earlier.


    Sydnee was even more confused by her strange behavior. As far as she knew, her mother would scold her until there¡¯s no words to utter anymore. But why did the woman stay silent?


    ¡°Where¡¯s Dad, Mom?¡± she asked.


    Then, her mother froze again. Sydnee had noticed that her mother would froze on the spot which was weird. Her mother was decisive and not someone who would cower immediately.


    A cold voice asked her, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Sydnee blinked. What happened to her mother? But even though she was curious, she ignore it and answered her mother. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯ll live in here again,¡± she whispered thest word.


    There was a pause before her mother said, ¡°Go back to where you came from.¡±


    A pang made its way to her chest. The rejection from her mother was more than she could bear, but thinking about it, she should expect it. Her mother was not fond of her as if she was nothing in her eyes. Sydnee sighed.


    Instead of arguing with her mother, Sydnee asked her again. ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    In fact, she did think about it when she was away. Her father was imprisoned for many years and now that he was freed, she should stay with him and try to mend the broken rtionship she had with her father. Her mother was right when she wanted to let her father live with them, but because she was blinded by the anger and hatred in her heart, she did not think of it that way and even ran away from home.


    She could not help but to sigh again for a few times. Sydnee wanted to apologize to her father but she did not see him around. It had been months when he came out of prison and she thought that it was impossible for him to find a job right away. At least, it would take him a long time before he could find a decent paying job.


    Maybe he was working?


    So she did not say anything to her mother again and just walk towards her former room. Strangely, there was a faint smell of blood lingering in the air as she walk towards her room. Her brows knitted again.


    When she entered her room, she immediately stopped in her tracks.


    For she was horrified to see her father¡¯s mutted body lying in the center of the small room. There were blood everywhere and it was still fresh. When her eyes roamed swiftly across the room, she saw a butcher knife stuck on the wooden wall.


    She took a step back. What happened?


    Sydnee closed and opened her eyes, only to see the same scene again. So it was true. Her father was murdered!


    Her knees wobbled and she almost tripped if not because of her fast reflexes. She stood by the door and when she collected her thoughts back, she immediately ran back towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Mom!¡± she screamed. ¡°Dad is dead! Someone killed him!¡±


    Panting, she stopped by the kitchen door. But to her surprise, she saw her mother cutting meat. It was not a meat of some animals because she saw the tattoo in the skin of the meat. And the tattoo was simr to what she had seen printed on her father¡¯s skin.


    Sydnee gasped.


    Her mother stopped cutting those meat and slowly turned around to face her. It was only then that Sydnee realized how cold her mother¡¯s eyes were. There was no hint of emotion seen in those eyes, just like a dying man¡¯s eyes. It was as if she had lost her life.


    Sydnee instinctively took a step back and her mother noticed that subtle move of her. She smiled at her. ¡°What? What about your father?¡±


    ¡°M-Mom¡­¡± Sydnee could not even breathe properly while facing her mother. The sudden realization took a big hit on her senses and her mind went nk. ¡°W-Why¡­ Why?¡±


    Her mother opened her mouth and burst out a high pitchugh. Sydnee grimaced at that noise.


    ¡°That bastard could not stay in his ce.¡± Her mother smiled maniacally. ¡°He hit me and wanted to find that woman. HAH! If he could not wait to find that woman, then I should cut his legs so he could not leave this house!¡±


    ¡°M-Mom¡­¡± Sydnee¡¯s voice was dry and hoarse. ¡°Y-You killed him. You killed Dad!¡±


    Her mother red at her and pointed a finger at her. ¡°You! Bastard! What right you have to yell at me? Hah! I should not have raise an ungrateful wretch like you!¡±


    Her words made Sydnee shut up for a few seconds. Sydnee opened and closed her mouth but she could not find the words to utter.


    Seeing her like that, her motherughed again. She reached for the knife she used to cut meat and walked slowly towards Sydnee.


    Sydnee saw her making a way so she took a step back. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Sweat beaded on her forehead. What would her mother do? Why was she holding a knife and pointing it at her?


    ¡°That face of yours,¡± her mother said and stopped walking forward. They stood face to face with each other. There was a meter distance between them and Sydnee secretly sighed in relief. But her mother continued. ¡°The face of that woman.¡± Then, she swung the knife towards Sydnee.


    Sydnee shrieked. ¡°What are you doing, Mom?!¡± She immediately stepped back for a few times to create an even longer distance between them. Her eyes were ncing at her mother and the knife she was holding from time to time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me mother!¡± The woman yelled. Her eyes were bulging that it might actually fall from their sockets. ¡°You are that woman¡¯s child whom your father slept with! Hah! A good for nothing daughter like you should die! You are the reason why my marriage was broken and why he was imprisoned! If not because of your useless father, I really killed you back then!¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her lips went pale as she stared at the crazy woman in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re not my mother?¡± she whispered, disbelief was evident in her voice.


    The woman grinned. ¡°That¡¯s right! I just raised you so I can vent my anger to you! I love seeing you so pitiful in front of my eyes. And now that youe back home, I should do what I should have done back then. Fortunately, you bring yourself in front of me. You saved me from finding where you¡¯ve been hiding!¡±


    Then, the woman lunged towards Sydnee with eyes full of hatred and anger, those raw emotions that was more than what she felt for her own father.


    It was then that Sydnee realized that the woman raised her like a pig made for ughter.

 Chapter 40

    Sydnee pushed the table to hinder the woman from approaching her. She turned around and ran her way out of the house. Frustrated screams could be heard from inside the hut but she did not mind it at all. The good thing was that she still have her backpack which contain all her important things.


    Now, she needed to find shelter and to ask for help. But she did not know where to ask for help. She spent nearly an hour running away from home before she slowly stopped. She bend and put her hands on her knees, panting hard. Her back was drench in sweat and beads of sweat umte in her forehead.


    A few minutester, she stood straight and looked around. She was standing in sidewalk and asional cars were seen passing by the highway. Her forehead creased. She was not familiar with the street. Where was she?


    She looked sideways and the afternoon glow of the sun shone on her face. She squinted her eyes and turned back. A car was seen parking two meters away from her.


    The backseat window of the car was down so she saw the man sitting inside. It was not unusual but what made Sydnee froze was that the man she saw was familiar and he was staring right at her!


    She gulped when the man smiled and waved at her.


    What? Would it result to kidnapping now that the driver¡¯s door opened and the driver hopped out of the car?


    Sydnee stepped back when she saw the driver walking towards her. But before she could run away again, the driver raised his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. My boss wants to talk with you.¡±


    She looked between the man inside the car and the driver standing in front of her. They looked decent and they seemed good guys. But kidnappers were seen everywhere nowadays, right?


    Sydnee was ready to turn back and to run away when she saw the man in the backseat opened the back door and stepped out of the car.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    He was really familiar to her but she could not remember where she had seen him.


    The mysterious man walked towards where she and the driver was standing. Not long after, the man stopped right in front of her and looked deeply at her face.


    She waited for him to talk but five minutester, the man was still looking at her. Sydnee was confused so she cleared her throat and grabbed the opportunity to ask first.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The driver who was standing aside cleared his throat. ¡°My boss is Duke Theodore Mondragon. He is the current duke of Abatan. Show your respect to the ruler.¡±


    Sydnee gasped when the driver said those words. She immediately lowered her head and saluted to the man. ¡°My apologies. I pay respect to the ruler.¡±


    The man waved his hand and smiled at her once again. Sydnee stood straight but her eyes did not meet his again. She asked once again, ¡°The name is Sydnee. What could I do for the ruler?¡±


    The driver asked, ¡°You are Sydnee Lurica?¡±


    She nced sideways to the driver. She wondered why the man in front of her did not speak any words and why he let his driver speak for him. But it was not her business to know about it.


    She nodded to the driver. He nodded too and then looked at Duke Theodore before he faced her again and asked, ¡°We had visited the hut where you lived yesterday. But your mother did not know where you are. We are about to visit again this afternoon but we saw you running towards here.¡±


    Her forehead creased to what he said. She looked at Duke Theodore and then hastily looked back at the driver. She could stare straight in the eye of the driver, but she could not do it to the duke. She put weight on her other foot.


    ¡°Why are you looking for m-me?¡± she asked with her dry voice.


    She was thirsty but her water bottle was already empty. There was no store nearby so she nned to walk ahead.


    ¡°You might not believe it at first, but you are not that woman¡¯s daughter.¡± The driver cleared his throat, nced at Duke Theodore again before looking at her. ¡°Duke Theodore is here to bring you back to where you supposed to be.¡±


    Sydnee blinked, disbelief was written in her face. She just faced her mother¡¯s craziness earlier, and now, someone imed that her current identity is fake. She did not know whether to cry orugh at her situation. Clearly, she just learned about her identity and have no ns what to do after running away from home.


    If what that woman said is true, then her biological mother must be somewhere. Now that Duke Theodore is iming something about her identity, he must know the truth.


    Sydnee spent quite a few seconds looking at the duke who was silently watching here with a faint smile lingering on his lips. She cleared her throat. ¡°M-May I ask if you know my t-true mother, Duke Theodore?¡±


    His driver answered, ¡°He knows your true identity, Miss Sydnee.¡±


    She blinked and lowered her gaze. A scene suddenly popped in her mind and she gulped. Sydnee remembered that Duke Theodore was the one who helped them when she and her mother was homeless in Conscion. He was also the husband of Lady Geneva whom she had met next town when Anthony treated her a dinner.


    Her foot took a step back and she raised her head to look at the man. Her face wore aplicated expression. She did not know what to do. But believing on the duke who took care of her when she was young¡­


    Sydnee blinked. ¡°M-My father is dead.¡± She exhaled. ¡°He was killed by my mother. A-And she tried to kill me.¡± Her head raised to looked at the duke again. ¡°S-She¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    The wind blew after she said those words. The atmosphere was depressing that Sydnee found it hard to breathe. Duke Theodore was staring at her but she noticed a sharp glint in his eyes.


    Not long after, he raised his hand to signal for his driver. The man standing on his side nodded and then he called someone over the phone. After the call, the man looked at Sydnee and said, ¡°We will immediately send someone over the nipa hut. Where¡¯s the body?¡±


    ¡°Still lying there,¡± she whispered. Sydnee closed her eyes as the image of her father¡¯s mutted body popped in her mind.

 Chapter 41

    She blew a breathe and shook her head, trying to erase the heaviness in her chest.


    The sun had set on the west and darkness slowly engulfed the sorrounding. The driver invited her to the car, and although she was skeptical, she still followed along. It felt surreal yet she had no choice.


    IT WAS noon when Anthony opened his eyes. There was a faint noises in the neighborhood and the wind was blowing in and out of the window. He sat up and looked at the clock on the bedside table. Then he got up and took a bath.


    When he walked out of his room, thendline rang. He went back to his room to answer the call.


    ¡°Anthony,e back home. His Royal Highess wants you and your dad¡¯s presence in the banquet.¡±


    There was a pause between him and his mother. Then he sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± His voice was hoarse.


    ¡°What? Are you still asleep?¡±


    ¡°Nay.¡± He looked on the window.


    He heard his mother sighed on the other line. ¡°Your time is up. You should resign in that academy. Now that the king wants you to attend, he will eventually arrange a marriage for you. Your father once told you that he will leave Conscion to apany His Highess in another country for the preparation of the princess¡¯ wedding. He will pass on you the responsibility.¡±


    Anthony¡¯s forehead knitted on what he heard. He had prepared himself for this time but he could not grasp the feeling of being an official duke. He still wants to apany someone.


    ¡°Anthony, are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Be here before dinner. Lady Geneva will visit tonight.¡±


    He lowered his gaze and said his affirmation before he put the telephone back. Then he walked out of his room and down to the first floor. He went to the kitchen, only to see a note with those covered dishes.


    Anthony roamed his gaze around the house. It was unually quiet. Was Sydnee still sleeping?


    When he looked at the wall clock, it was already twelve noon. She had overslept, hadn¡¯t she?


    Then he reached for the note and read it. His brows knitted and he put the note back on the table. He stood there for a few minutes, deep in his thoughts. Sydnee had left and she might be in her home.


    Anthony sighed.


    His eyes swept over the covered food containers that Sydnee prepared for him. A smile made its way to his lips and he sat to eat.


    After eating, he got ready and drove to the academy. The faculty office was open everyday except for Sunday. Now that Sydnee took the initiative to leave, he had no reason to stay in that town anymore. When Sydnee confessed that she like him, he had thought that he should quit the job immediately. He did not want to ruin Sydnee¡¯s future, even though he have feelings for that girl.


    It was a forbidden love afterall.


    ¡°Anthony?¡± A voice called from behind. He looked over his shoulder and saw one of the faculty teachers. The woman smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s a first time to see you here during weekends.¡±


    He turned around to look at her. ¡°I have some errands in the principal office.¡± He looked on the handful folders lying on the woman¡¯s arms. ¡°You have a lot of workloads.¡±


    The womanughed and walked to his side. ¡°As usual.¡±


    They walked side by side on the hallway and just parted ways when they reached the faculty office. The woman walked inside while Anthony kept walking until he reached the Principal¡¯s office.


    He knocked on the door before opening it and took a step inside. A well ventted room greeted him. The wooden and well polished table was in the middle, and the principal was sitting behind it.


    When the woman saw him, she smiled. ¡°It¡¯s surprising to see you here.¡±


    Anthony had a faint smile lingering on his lips as he sat on the visitor¡¯sir across the principal¡¯s table. He then crossed his arms against his chest. ¡°I¡¯m here to submit my resignation letter.¡±


    The woman blinked in surprise. ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to manage the estate,¡± he sighed. ¡°I might not be back in the couple of years so I need to resign.¡±


    In the whole academy, only Isa, Sydnee, and the woman behind the desk knew that he was the esteemed duke regent of Conscion who was recently rumored to be hiding in another state because of a heartbreak. Well, those rumors were spread by him in order to divert the attention of his father who was constantly nagging at him.


    But at present, he might really need to go back.


    The womanughed. ¡°I see.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Okay. Just submit your resignation letter and you¡¯re free to go.¡±


    Anthony shrugged his shoulders and then stood. He walked closer to the table and put an envelop on the top before nodding to the woman and turned around to leave the door.


    The woman watched as Anthony walked out of her office. A glint passed in her eyes before she picked the envelop and read the note inside of it. Her brow raised when she read a sentence on the bottom.


    ¡®Sydnee Lurica. Look after her.¡¯Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The woman squinted her eyes while looking at the name printed on the paper. Is that the girl whom Rogie Camero asked her to take care of?


    ¡®Huh, interesting¡¯ she thought and kept the resignation letter. She might visit the girl soon and see what made her caught the interest of two big fishes.


    ¡­


    After Anthony left the academy, he drove straight out of the town and into the business center of Conscion. He brought gifts for his mother and for Lady Geneva. He was not sure if Duke Theodore would visit too, but in the past, the duke stayed on their estate.


    Then, he drove to their mansion. But he was surprise to see his father standing on the entrance of the mansion and he seemed waiting for him. Anthony knitted his brows. He was not expecting him to appear before his eyes. He thought his father was busy handling state affairs.


    ¡°You took so long toe back, huh?¡± his father said, grinning from ear to ear.


    Anthony shook his head. ¡°Why are you here, dad? The king¡¯s banquet will be held tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle back tonight after dinner. I heard that Lady Geneva will visit tonight with her daughter.¡±


    He paused for a moment before he continued. ¡°What are you nning this time, Dad?¡±


    ¡°n?¡± His fatherughed and waved his hand while shaking his head from side to side. ¡°Oh no, no. I just want you to meet her daughter. I heard that she¡¯s pretty and you might be interested in her.¡±


    ¡°Save it, dad.¡±


    His father followed him to the living room where his mother was busy instructing the maids. A smile made its way to his mother¡¯s lips when she saw him.


    ¡°Anthony!¡± his mother eximed and walked hastily towards him. She noticed the odd expression in her son¡¯s face and when she saw her husband following her son, she knew what¡¯s the reason. ¡°Ahya, hon, what did you say to Anthony?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Her husband shook his head helplessly. ¡°You need to persuade him to get a wife. He¡¯s not young anymore yet he does not want to marry, even get a girlfried of his.¡±


    His mother clicked her tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t push him too hard.¡± His mother faced him and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s almost three in the afternoon. You might want to rest for awhile. I¡¯ll ask someone to notify you when dinner is ready.¡±


    He smiled to his mother and he gave her the gift he bought before nodding and climbing the stairs.


    He heard his dadining on how unruly his son was in not buying him a gift. Anthony shook his head. His father didn¡¯t need a gift. He knew what his father wants and he was not ready to get married and have a child, because he was waiting for someone.


    Now that he¡¯s back to his true identity, he wondered how many years he would spent waiting for her. He wanted to take care of her but he also knew that she needed to grow on her own.

 Chapter 42

    It is not a secret that rulers live in a seclusive area. It is an area that was built since the ancient monarchical era of the country. There, a broken castle was still standing against the test of time and one mile from it is where the mansion of Duke Theodore was built.


    Duke Theodore is the duke of Obando, a state next to Conscion, the state of Anthony¡¯s father. And standing before the enormous mansion made Sydnee felt powerless and small.


    It was already evening when they arrived and the maid informed Duke Theodore that Lady Geneva and Catarina had gone to Conscion half an hour ago. The two was invited for a dinner in Duke of Conscion¡¯s house.


    Sydnee wondered if Anthony also attended the said dinner. She knew little of the rulers¡¯ life so she just kept her mouth shut and silently roamed her eyes around the huge mansion. The luxury inside was a clear distinction of how the worlds of rulers andmoners were apart.


    It was not the kind of luxury her father had when they had lived in a big house when she was still a little kid. No. It was not so Sydnee did not know what to do or what to think about it.


    She was thrilled to see new things yet she was nervous. Her hands were sweating and small beads of sweat formed in her forehead.


    ¡°Miss Sydnee, the duke invited you for a dinner,¡± someone said from behind.


    She was startled but she immediately pulled herself together and followed the man. She did not noticed that Duke Theodore had gone away while she was astonished. A faint blush appeared in her cheeks.


    Not long after, she and the man entered the dining room. Just like the living room, it was a huge area where a long wooden table was on the middle. There were a lot of foods on the table and the aroma filled the air, making Sydnee¡¯s stomach grumble out loud.


    A deafening silence enveloped the whole room and the maids around the room turned their heads to look at her. Sydnee bit her bottom lip and lowered her head.


    Such embarrassment!


    Lowugh echoed in the whole room. Sydnee raised her head and she saw Duke Theodore sitting on one of the chairs around the long table. He gestured for her to sit and she did not waste any seconds. She immediately sat on one of the chairs across the duke.


    She saw how the duke gestured for the people around to leave. After a few seconds, only the two of them remained in the dining room. The big wall clock ticked and the constant sound caused by the duke¡¯s utensil and te echoed in the whole room.


    Sydnee sat ufortably on her chair. She did not like how silent it was and she was nervous to eat with a duke. Except for Anthony whom she was familiar with, she was still wary on how the duke treated her. She did not know what was the motive behind his actions.


    Suddenly, a husky voice was heard. ¡°You don¡¯t like the food?¡±


    She was startled again and gasped as she looked at the duke who was now staring at her. Sydnee blinked. She had clearly heard him talk and it was the first time she heard him talk.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Because of theck of response, Duke Theodore knitted his brows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sydnee immediately shook her head and lowered her gaze. ¡°N-Nothing. I-I¡¯ll eat,¡± she whispered before putting foods on her te.


    The duke resumed eating and Sydnee secretly breathe a sigh of relief. She was nervous everytime the duke stared at her. His eyes were like hawks, reading her mind and soul. And as much as possible, she wanted to avoid those sharp eyes.


    After dinner, the butler brought her into a huge room where she could rest for the night. Sydnee walked in without asking questions.


    Earlier, the duke walked out of the dining room before she could finish her dinner. She did not see him again for the rest of the night and the she did not ask the butler who apanied her.


    Although she had just arrived, Sydnee noticed how the servants and butler around the mansion distanced themselves and the weird behavior of the butlers who served the duke. As if they had taken him as dumb person. Sydnee kept her silence in discreet.


    Evening passed by but Sydnee had not seen even the shadow of Lady Geneva. When morning came, it was Duke Theodore who greeted her at the dining room for breakfast. The driver who apanied the duke yesterday was standing at his side.


    The duke smiled at her and gestured for her to sit. Sydnee return a sweet smile and sat on the chair across his.


    The driver, also served as a butler, cleared his throat. ¡°Miss Sydnee, Lady Geneva and Miss Catarina might not be home for the next couple of days so the duke wants you to stay here before you can meet your true mother.¡±


    The frank words of the butler stunned Sydnee for awhile. Apprehension shone in her eyes and it did not escape the duke¡¯s eyes, yet he did not speak. After she gather herself, Sydnee gulped and smiled at Duke Theodore. ¡°No problem.¡± Then she looked carefully at the duke in front of her. ¡°I wonder who my mother is?¡±


    The butler looked at Duke Theodore before facing her and smiled. ¡°You will know when Lady Geneva and Miss Catarina will arrive. For now, you can explore Obando. If you are freeter, the duke will personally tour you around the mansion and the broken pce.¡±


    Broken pce? Is that the pce in ruins one mile from the mansion?


    But what astonished Sydnee was that the duke offered to personally escort her!


    She blinked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ right?¡± she whispered.


    The butler slightly shook his head.

 Chapter 43

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Sydnee. Duke Theodore originally nned to visit the broken pce today. Bringing you along is nothing.¡±


    Although she was skeptical of the idea, she did not want to let the duke down. So Sydnee nodded.


    And the sun shone brightly in the east while a group of people inside the horse carriage slowly made their way towards the fallen pce.


    She saw the broken pce at the distance and she did not expect it to be enormous when she stood right in front of the old and rusty pce gates. Although it was ruined, it did not hinder the majestic look of it.


    Duke Theodore and his entourage had stepped inside the gates so she followed after the group. It took them a few minutes before they entered the broken pce.


    ¡°Say, Duke, the Lady Geneva will arrive the next day. Do you want me to arrange everything for Miss Sydnee?¡± asked the butler walking beside the duke.


    Sydnee caught a glimpse of the duke¡¯s back, who was walking ahead of her, before averting her eyes to the walls of the pce. The wall¡¯s paint had wore away. Basically, there was nothing noteworthy to look around inside. But she did not know why her instinct tell her otherwise.


    ¡°No need. She will understand,¡± the duke said.


    The butler took a nce at Sydnee before averting his eyes. ¡°Lady Geneva will be angry.¡±


    ¡°She will.¡± The duke shrugged his shoulder. ¡°But there is nothing I can do. She should not trust that little vixen, but s, Geneva can¡¯t fight the urge to believe that good actress.¡±


    ¡°Duke¡­¡± The butler said, hesitant. ¡°Miss Sydnee is walking behind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She will not say anything. Besides I trust her.¡±


    Sydnee took another glimpse at the duke¡¯s back before lowering her gaze. He trust her? A bitter smile made its way to her lips.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    The butler cleared his throat before he faced her. ¡°Miss Sydnee,¡± he called. ¡°You might heard the rumors about the duke being dumb, but that is not true. Within the walls of the mansion, besides me and the duke, there is no one who know that the duke can talk.¡± He stared at her longer than usual before he opened his mouth again. ¡°Please don¡¯t let anyone know what you heard in this ce.¡±


    She blinked and nodded. Then she lowered her gaze again. As what she deduced, the duke had hid the truth about his condition. She knew that it was not a good idea to spread rumors. Besides, she wanted to repay the favor he gave her.


    ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t say a thing,¡± she whispered.


    She saw in the corner of her eyes that the butler nodded before he ran after the duke who already walked further in front. Sydnee was silent as she walked after them.


    The clock ticked by as they walked ahead, stairs after stairs and hallway after hallway, until they stopped in front of a huge door. The paint had wore away in time, but she could still see some remnants of golden paint on it.


    The duke pushed open the door and it creaked. She grimaced as the sharp and loud sound echoed in the hallway. But it was as if the duke did not hear anything as he strode inside. Sydnee was left with no choice but to follow him.


    It was an enormous room and there was no window, but only old walls rising until the ceiling. The room they entered was like a four corner room to store a treasure.


    And surely, Sydnee¡¯s thought was right when the duke stopped in front of a wooden chest. It was not that big, just a palm size chest. And it was locked.


    ¡°Duke, you found it,¡± the butler whispered under his breathe which Sydnee heard because of the stillness of the ce.


    Duke Theodore nodded and he looked at Sydnee. She blinked and unwittingly stepped back.


    He chuckled when he noticed what she had done before he gestured her toe close to him. Sydnee gulped hard and stepped forward until she was standing face to face with the duke.


    He smiled at her and reached for the ne hanging around his neck. He then connect the pendant with the lock on the chest, and opened it. There was a click before hepletely revealed what was inside the chest.


    It was a small pendant shaped like an eagle. There was a long golden chain connected to it, and it was when Sydnee realized that the pendant is an emblem of the ancient monarch whom she had studied in school.


    She blinked. ¡°Mondragon,¡± she whispered. She gasped in surprise.


    Mondragon was the monarch who ruled the whole kingdom before the downfall of the n. It was rumored that the crown princess fell in love with amon man and the king disagreed with their rtionship, leading to a massacre of the man¡¯s whole n. The princess and the man escaped from the kingdom and lived faraway. Due to this, the kingdom was in chaos and the enemies of the king took the opportunity to usurp the throne. And thus the downfall of the mighty Mondragon n happened when the king was assassinated while sitting on his throne.


    The emblem symbolized the n of Mondragon and she was astonished to see it with her own eyes.


    Duke Theodore watched her expression before he spoke something that baffled her. ¡°This is the family heirloom of the Mondragon, and this is for you, Sydnee.¡±


    She raised her head to look at him, eyes wide in confusion. ¡°F-For me?¡±


    The duke nodded and he reached for the ne. Without a word, he walked behind her to put the ne around her neck. Then he walked right in front of her and smiled. ¡°Your mother, Lady Geneva Mondragon, is my wife. So you can call me father.¡±


    There was a long pause before Sydnee stepped back in surprise. ¡°W-What?¡±


    He sighed and looked ahead. He seemed to think of something before he continued. ¡°My great grandmother was the crown princess whom I talked about. And that is the family heirloom that she failed to obtain in her lifetime. Now that I came back to where the Mondragon once ruled, it¡¯s my life mission to get what is due to my n.¡± He looked at Sydnee. ¡°That heirloom was supposedly for Catarina but I was wrong to trust her. Now, I am giving it to you.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­¡± She gasped as her mouth opened but no words came out. She stared at him in utter shock.


    When he realized that she was at loss of word, he chuckled. A gentle smile curved on his lips. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Geneva and I were not so lucky to have a child. Since you are her biological daughter, I might as well give it to you.¡±


    ¡°S-She¡¯s my mother¡­¡± Sydnee blinked for a few times before she lowered her gaze.


    It was absurd. Her biological mother was a noble whom she had met before. But Lady Geneva did not acknowledge her. And this Catarina, as what she had heard from the housekeepers, was the adopted daughter of Lady Geneva who lived with the couple for almost ten years. It was only at this time, when Catarina was already a young woman, that Lady Geneva let her wander outside to build connections with other nobles. It was also the reason why almost no one in the outside world knew of Catarina¡¯s existence.


    But if she had lived with the duke and Lady Geneva for years, then what was the reason for the duke¡¯s hesitation to give the family heirloom to her? Why he imed that he was wrong to trust Catarina?


    Sydnee raised her head and stared intently at Duke Theodore who was giving instructions to the butler. There was something amiss with this current identity of her, specially when it was too good to be true.


    The most important thing for her to know was the truth behind Lady Geneva and her father¡¯s rtionship with each other. Since the day she learned to write and read, she never met Lady Geneva. Her father and foster mother never mentioned anything about the nobledy.


    Except¡­ her eyes narrowed. Yesterday.


    When she came home to see her father¡¯s mutted body and her foster mother reasoned that her father abused her and wanted to find¡­ that woman.


    If she was thinking the correct picture, the woman that her father wanted to look for was Lady Geneva.

 Chapter 44

    A day passed by after the shocking revtion of Duke Theodore, but Sydnee was still skeptical and did not believe it fully. She wanted to ask Lady Geneva if it was true, or she might ask her foster mother, Dianna. But the problem with Dianna was the woman¡¯s madness, she might kill her on the spot before she could ask.


    Thinking about Dianna, Sydnee could help but to sigh. She had not received any news about her from the duke and after visiting the broken pce, the duke left because of some state matters that the king gave to him. So she was still thinking where Dianna had gone into. And whether her father was buried somewhere near her former house.


    The wall clock ticked by and Sydnee was still standing at the veranda of her room. It was daybreak. The sun rays brought warmth on the sorrounding.


    It was a perfect morning if not due to a lone car¡¯s arrival. She peeked from the railing and her eyes blinked when she saw a girl around seventeen to eighteen years old, climbing down from the passenger door. A few secondster, the driver¡¯s door opened and a woman whom face she recognized appeared.


    ¡°Mama, I want to marry him!¡± the girl yelled while following Lady Geneva whose brows were creased in annoyance.


    The woman looked over her shoulder before she snorted. ¡°Catarina, do you want me to abduct that young man for you? Don¡¯t forget that he is the current duke of Conscion and his father is the king¡¯s closest aide. We should not do anything that will displease him.¡±


    The two walked towards the entrance of the mansion. Two maids followed behind them while the butler parked the car on the garage.


    ¡°But he fit my taste.¡± Catarina grinned and giggled while daydreaming about the young man. ¡°He is handsome, tall, sturdy, and¡­ he is a noble. See? We are perfect match for each other! Mama, I¡¯ll definitely marry into his household in the future!¡±


    ¡°Lower your voice! If you want to marry him, you must uphold the virtue of ady. Or else he will not even look at you!¡± Lady Geneva said, reprimanding Catarina for her misbehaviour.


    Catarina lowered her head and silently followed Lady Geneva inside the mansion.


    Watching the whole scenario from her room¡¯s balcony, Sydnee bit her lip as her heart thumped wildly inside her chest. Her mind raced as she was contemting whether to present herself in front of Lady Geneva or just ran her way to school and wait for Duke Theodore¡¯s arrival before introducing herself to her¡­ mother.


    She sighed before she ran towards the bathroom and prepared herself for school. Duke Theodore had bought her another set of school uniform yesterday even though she still have her old school uniform. He reasoned that it was nice for her to dress properly since shewould officially enter his household as his heiress. Sydnee thought that it was reasonable so she wore the new school uniform.


    Sydnee watched herself in front of vanity mirror. Her cheeks flushed when she saw how well-dressed she was. It was the first time for her to appreciate her beauty. She lowered her gaze and sighed before she stood and reached for her new backpack.


    She walked out of the room and silently travelled along the silent hallway until she reached the staircase. She climbed down and took a step towards the kitchen, where she could hear Catarina¡¯s giggles and hushed whispers of Lady Geneva. Perhaps, they were having their breakfast, oblivious to the fact that someone had entered their family of three. Actually, she was not an official heiress yet since the duke would yet to start preparing the papers for official adoption. But sooner, she would eventually join them.


    The maids standing near the dining hall looked towards Sydnee and they whispered among each other. She lowered her gaze, somewhat became hesitant for a moment. She gulped and sighed. Then she walked right into the dining hall while mustering her courage.


    ¡°Good morning, Lady Geneva. I-I am Sydnee Lurica,¡± she said while her gaze was focused on the shiny white floor.


    Catarina¡¯s giggles stopped and there was silence in the dining hall. Sydnee could feel the burning stare from someone in front of her. She was not clear whether that gaze was from Lady Geneva or Catarina. Her tiny body trembled under that scrutinizing gaze before she heard someone cleared a throat.


    ¡°Sydnee Lurica?¡± It was Lady Geneva. She nodded. There was a pause before Lady Geneva spoke again. ¡°Raise your head. Let me take a look on your face.¡±


    She raised her head but kept her gaze low. She did not have the courage to look at her straight in the eye specially when she saw at the corner of her eye how sour Catarina¡¯s face was.


    ¡°Who is this peasant? Someone,e! Throw her outside! I don¡¯t want someone to interrupt my breakfast!¡± Catarina yelled.


    A series of footsteps were heard behind her. Sydnee¡¯s body tensed but she could not find her voice to stop the two guards from dragging her out of the dining hall.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lady Geneva said, stopping the two guards. Sydnee silently let out a sigh of relief and tried to straighten her body and stood silently in front of Lady Geneva. The woman¡¯s brows were creased as she looked at her from head to toe. ¡°Your name and face are familiar. Who are you?¡±


    Sydnee gulped hard before she looked at Lady Geneva. ¡°We had met before in Conscion, my Lady. I am someone whom Duke Theodore brought with him the other night. I-I am living here for a day and two nights. I am waiting for your arrival before I present myself in front of you.¡±


    ¡°My husband brought you home?¡± Lady Geneva¡¯s brow raised.


    Catarina was bewildered hearing the wordsing out of Sydnee¡¯s mouth while a glint shed through Lady Geneva¡¯s eyes.


    Lady Geneva snorted. ¡°Basil!¡± she called. A woman in her 40s walked quickly towards Lady Geneva. ¡°Give me my phone! Quick!¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡± The woman briskly walked towards somewhere. A few secondster, she returned and handled Lady Geneva a phone.


    Lady Geneva called someone over the phone. A few minutes passed before someone from the other line answered the call. ¡°Lady Geneva,¡± the man on the phone greeted. It was the voice of the butler whom always by Duke Theodore¡¯s side.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Give the phone to Theodore,¡± Lady Geneva ordered between her gritted teeth. A few secondster, she cursed out loud. ¡°Husband, you are so diligent to find me a young recement.¡± She huffed. ¡°You actually brought your mistress home!¡±

 Chapter 45

    There was a pin drop silence in the room. Sydnee blinked for a few times before she regained herposure. Mistress? Was Lady Geneva serious? She was just a high school student. Could it be that Lady Geneva think that Duke Theodore and she had a rtionship? That¡¯s absurd.


    Thinking about that makes Sydnee want to puke.


    ¡°Mama, what are you saying? Dad has a mistress?¡± Catarina then red at Sydnee. ¡°And the mistress is she? Come on, Dad is pricky. He won¡¯t choose a child.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    She mentally pped her forehead upon hearing Catarina¡¯s words. Sydnee thought that the girl would speak for her, who knew that she would just add fuel to the fire?


    Lady Geneva¡¯s lips twitched. She hummed and looked away. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me anymore, then let¡¯s divorce!¡± the woman said on the other line of the phone.


    There was silence before the duke¡¯s assistant spoke, ¡°Lady Geneva, are you talking about Sydnee Lurica?¡±


    When Sydnee heard her name, she froze once again. She was not ustomed to have someone, a stranger to her, call her full name with respect. For all she knew, the assistant only spoke her name carefully because of the duke.


    ¡°Who else other than this sickly looking girl on front of me?¡±


    Sydnee lowered her head and closed her hands into a knuckle that they turned white. She did not know whether tough or cry. To be honest, since the day she faced Lady Geneva in Conscion next town, she knew that the madam was not someone who had a simple mind who would follow the Duke¡¯s arrangement without thinking. And Sydnee was thinking whether the saying that blood is thicker than water was true. If so, why Lady Geneva could not feel something when facing her? They said that mothers will know who was their child or not, but in case of the madam in front of Sydnee, it¡¯s not actually true.


    ¡°Lady Geneva, the duke wanted Sydnee to stay in the house. Sydnee was chased out of her house by her mother, and the Duke pitied her,¡± said the Duke¡¯s assistant over the phone.


    She drew a breathe. Pity? So¡­ all of it was just charity? Heh. She did not know why there was a small disappointment growing in her heart. She thought that Duke was helping her due to kindness, but the truth is, in his eyes, she was just a beggar he pitied on. Her lips formed a thin line. But what else could she do to this noble family? She was nothing in their eyes.


    She sighed. She was right not to believe that the world of the rich was honest and warm. There was no such thing as kindness. All they could think of was a good reputation. It¡¯s just a pity that she was beginning to ept the life of a noble, not hating them for once because of Duke Theodore¡¯s warm hospitality to her. But what a joke. She was like a fleece to him whom he pitied on.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lady Geneva¡¯s brow raised while assessing Sydnee. She then smirked. ¡°What pity? Husband, do you think that my house is an orphanage?¡±


    There was a pause before the butler answered Lady Geneva. ¡°Mydy, the duke wanted you to let Sydnee stay in the house.¡±


    A hystericalugh echoed in the dining room. Silence hovered above them as Lady Geneva continued to attack daggers to Sydnee through her gaze. ¡°You think poorly of me, my husband. Do you know that you¡¯re not suited to be a good samaritan? In my eyes, you¡¯re the most horrible monster that slept with me in the same bed. What rtionship do you have with this filthy girl? Answer me!¡±


    Sydnee opened her mouth to speak, ¡°Lady Geneva, it was I who ¡ª¡±


    But the butler cut off her words when he said, ¡°The duke wanted Sydnee Lurica to be his adopted daughter. I hope that mydy will understand.¡±


    Lady Geneva was stupefied upon hearing the butler¡¯s words. She eyed Sydnee, assessing the girl¡¯s face that was familiar to her. She thought that she saw that face a long time ago, but she forgot where shest seen that face. She remembered that her godson, Rogie, introduced this rude girl who barged in the room of the rulers in Conscion. But she did not examine closely the features of this girl. She remembered that her name was Sydnee Lurica so it rang a beng. But while staring at the girl¡¯s face, it became so familiar to her that it bothered her so much.


    She knew that she saw this face a long time ago, but she forgot when and where shest seen it.


    The ackward atmosphere was broken by Catarina. ¡°Adopted daughter? Have you seen this filthy girl, dad? What made you think that it is okay to adopt this girl?!¡±


    ¡°Catarina, shut up,¡± Lady Geneva said while squinting her eyes on Sydnee who was cowering in front of her. ¡°This girl¡¯s face is familiar,¡± she blurted out in a whisper.


    But it was enough for Catarina to hear it. Catarina sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you think, mother, that she has the same face as you?¡± the girl said in disgust.


    Right then, Lady Geneva¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She seemed to have hit her head while looking at Sydnee. Yes. How could she not notice the huge simrities between her and the filthy girl?


    Lady Geneva clenched her fist. ¡°Theodore, howe this Sydnee¡¯s face¡­¡± she whispered on the phone while gritting her teeth. She could not believe that a mere girl was so desperate to catch the attention of the duke, that she actually gone into stic surgery!


    What a despicable girl!


    The butler cleared his throat. ¡°Lady Geneva, Sydnee is your biological daughter.¡±


    Catarina covered her mouth in shock while Lady Geneva¡¯s face paled. Sydnee swallowed hard while standing in front of the two. The prating gazes she received from them was overwhelming. A sweat trickled down from the side of her forehead and she tried to moved her gaze away from them.


    A few momentster, Catarina recovered from her shock. She turned to Lady Geneva andined. ¡°Mom, you have a daughter? And she¡¯s the same age as me?!¡±


    But Lady Geneva continued staring at Sydnee, trying to figure out what to feel about the situation she was in. Facing a girl with the same features as her was not pleasant. She thought that her husband was ying tricks on her, changing the girl¡¯s face. Besides, stic surgery was famous in foreign nations. She wanted to see a sign in Sydnee¡¯s face that it was all a joke, but all she could see from that girl was uneasiness and embarrassment.


    What a joke! What a good, good joke it was!


    ¡°Mom!¡± Catarina yelled and grabbed Lady Geneva¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom! Tell me that it¡¯s not true!¡±


    Lady Geneva turned to look at Catarina who was anxious and scared. She sighed and pat the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Catarina, go to your room,¡± she whispered.


    Catarina stepped back. The girl¡¯s eyes were wide and mouth gaped. ¡°It¡¯s true? Really?¡± Then she looked at the floor. ¡°So she will stay in this house?¡± Catarina whispered.


    ¡°Catarina ¡ª¡± Lady Geneva was cut off of her words when Catarina ran away, climbing up to the stairs.


    The dining hall was silent once again. Lady Geneva then turned to Sydnee who was still looking at the floor, without the slightest intention to lift her head. Lady Geneva drew a breathe and put the phone beside her ear. The call was still ongoing and she knew that her scumbag husband was listening.


    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Lady Geneva asked the man listening from the other end of the call.


    Silence answered her. She then gritted her teeth and fist closed tightly, that her knuckles turned white.


    ¡°Bringing this filthy girl born out of rape? Is this what you want, Theodore?¡± Lady Geneva blurted out.


    Sydnee jumped because of the woman¡¯s yell. She lifted her face and looked at Lady Geneva with widened eyes. What? Born out of rape? Was she talking about her?


    Lady Geneva squinted her eyes and raised her hand. She pointed a trembling finger on Sydnee. ¡°You, that bastard¡¯s daughter! Your father raped me and you are not allowed to call me mother! I don¡¯t have a daughter with that monster!¡±


    ¡°L-Lady Geneva¡­¡±

 Chapter 46

    Sydnee was still in daze when she found herself standing outside of the mansion. After confirming the duke¡¯s words and upon knowing that she was a biological daughter, Lady Geneva heartlessly threw her out. The woman urged the maids to pick all her things out and to clean the ce she stayed inside the big house.


    Now, she did not know where to go.


    The sun was scorching and Sydnee felt beads of sweat starting to form in her forehead. She picked up the bag where her clothes were and she was thankful for the thoughtful maid who put all her things inside it. Then she started to walk to nowhere, without realizing that she was walking to the direction of the marketce.


    It might be her luck that pushed her, but a few hours walking under the heat of the sun, she saw the bustling marketce. Sydnee¡¯s cracked lips curved into a big smile and her vision blurred. Atst, she might find an inn to hide from the sun.


    She was wearing the brand new uniform of the Academy in Conscion. And since she was walking in the streets of Obando, nobody noticed her. If she was still in Conscion, maybe a few gazes will follow her.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± her hoarse voice sounded. Sydnee cleared her throat. ¡°Miss, excuse m-me?¡± she tried once again.


    The girl stopped walking and turned around to face her. Sydnee was startled when she met her gaze. The girl was about the same age as her but her eyes were shallow, and no emotion could be seen in those dark orbs. Sydnee swallowed hard. ¡°C-Can I ask where is the inn?¡±


    A few secondster, the girl answered which made Sydnee sighed in relief. ¡°No. Are you lost?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Sydnee nodded. ¡°I am new here and I don¡¯t know where to go.¡±


    ¡°Then follow me,¡± said the girl and turned around to walk ahead.


    Because she did not know where to go, Sydnee silently followed the girl. But her throat was dry since earlier and if she would not drink water, she might faint in the street. So Sydne looked around and happened to pass by a vendor selling bottled water. She brought one and hurriedly drank it.


    ¡°You¡¯re that thirsty yet you did not tell me,¡± a familiar voice sounded behind her.


    Sydnee turned around and saw the girl earlier. Her brow raised and she was crossing her arms around her chest. Sydnee drew a breathe. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No need to say sorry. Looking at your face, I should ask you first to quench your thirst before asking you to follow me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Sydnee beamed. ¡°But where are we going?¡± she asked.


    The girl had started walking and Sydnee felt much better after drinking water. She jogged beside the girl and they both walked ahead at the same time. She then realized that the girl brought her in a small alley.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a student so you can¡¯t easily enter an inn around the main road. I will apany you to the inn that epts students.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Sydnee sighed. ¡°How much will I pay for rent?¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s student friendly, I guess you can afford it. If you can¡¯t pay the rent, the owner has a program where you¡¯ll clean the inn and she will let you stay for free.¡±


    ¡°Really? How generous!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be happy.¡± The girl snorted. ¡°The inn was not open for almost a decade and they just opened recently, so there are a lot of things to clean up. And for your information, girl, that inn is big.¡±


    Sydnee thought for a moment before asking the girl. ¡°Are you living in that inn?¡±


    ¡°Is that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Sydnee shrugged her shoulders and giggled. ¡°You know so much!¡±


    The girl smirked and did not utter words again. Sydnee looked around and tried to memorize the way towards the inn. In fact, Sydnee was not really that sociable but facing a girl around her age who had been through life, she felt connection. She thought that they were the same, people at the bottom of society who were struggling for a living.


    In her life before her family met its demise, she was studying with students who were of equal standing as her, those students that were living better than most of the crowd, but not above those who were truly wealthy. But when her father was put in jail, she was forced to transfer school to meet those students that were struggling in their studies and life. And when she entered highschool, thanks to her schrship that she entered a prestigious school. What she did not expect was to face a bunch of rich kids who love to bully weaker ones. And Sydnee was their best target, that¡¯s why her highschool days were full of horrible memories.


    Even though she was the target of bullies, she maintained her grade except Math. Thanks to her math teacher Anthony, she pulled it off towards the end. Sydnee lowered her head when she thought of Anthony. She was really grateful for her teacher and was also sad that she left him without saying goodbye.


    How was he doing in Conscion?


    ¡°Are you thinking of a man?¡± the girl asked suddenly.


    Sydnee was startled andughed. ¡°Why did you ask that?¡±


    ¡°I see your foolish smile. Every girl I met with that smile were thinking of a man. You¡¯re no exception.¡±


    A blush crept to her cheeks. She looked away. ¡°Don¡¯t stereotype. It¡¯s not always the case.¡±


    ¡°But I am correct, aren¡¯t I? You¡¯re thinking of a man,¡± the girl insisted.


    Sydnee felt that the girl was teasing her. She cleared her throat. ¡°We are talking for a long time, yet I didn¡¯t know your name.¡±


    ¡°She.¡±


    ¡°She? That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°She Martinez.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sydnee smiled. ¡°Nice name.¡±


    She did not say anything after that.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    After exiting the small and long alleyway, Sydnee find herself in the woods. She blinked. She thought that Obando was a city, but seeing that she was walking in the middle of the woods, she might need to re-evaluate what she knew of this ce. A few momentster, they stopped in front of a huge iron gate full of rust.


    Sydnee was speechless. When She said that the inn was full of dirt, she had not expected to see a tall iron gate painted with rust. Just how old was this inn?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± She said and entered the open gate.


    Sydnee nodded and followed She. She grimaced when she saw the weeds growing anywhere in the frontyard. There was also an old fountain in the center of the frontyard that was full of green moss. Seeing that, she knew that it would be slippery and she wished good time for the one who¡¯ll clean that fountain up.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if you behave upon entering the inn. First impressionst,¡± She reminded her.


    Sydnee nodded with a serious face, as she tilted her head up to take a closer look of the huge and tall building. Her mouth gaped. Well, it was not an inn at all. She knew that it was an old mansion!


    An old mansion in the middle of the woods? Was this some kind of mysterious ce in a horror movie where the killings happened?


    And could somebody tell her why there was a royal insignia above the old and rusty door?

 Chapter 47

    Just as she stepped inside the old mansion, Sydnee was startled when she met face to face an old woman with stern face. The old woman was holding a small record book in her right hand, and a meter stick in her left hand. Sydnee remembered her terror teachers way back in elementary.


    ¡®Same disposition,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    She bowed before the old woman. Sydnee also bowed even though she was not sure who was the woman standing before them. But she had a hint that maybe the woman was the mistress of the old mansion.


    ¡°Madam, I got a new girl that wants to stay here. She is a student and is not from Obando.¡±


    The stern woman looked at Sydnee. ¡°Where are you from?¡± she asked.


    Sydnee secretly gulped hard upon hearing the woman¡¯s voice. It was rough, and she could not help thinking that maybe her vocal chord was damaged?


    ¡°I-I¡¯m from Conscion, Madam¡­¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Conscion? What are you doing in Obando?¡± She looked at the big backpack Sydnee was holding. ¡°Did you run away from home?¡±


    Sydnee was stunned upon hearing the old woman¡¯s words. Her body trembled and she immediately lowered her head. ¡°Y-yes.¡± Even though her action was justified since her foster mother wanted to kill her, Sydnee was still afraid that the old woman would throw her back to Conscion. She was not ready to face her mother again and also, she could not possiblye back to that hut. Her life would be in danger.


    Silence hovered above the three of them for awhile, before she heard the old woman sighed. ¡°I see. Youths today are so bold, aren¡¯t they?¡± she said and raised her hand to gesture Sydnee.


    Her eyes lit up when the old woman turned around and walked away. Sydnee immediately followed the old woman, afraid of taking back the consent. She turned around to look at She and thanked her hurriedly before she ran after the old woman.


    She watched as Sydnee and the mistress of the house disappeard before her eyes. She sighed. That new girl was different. Maybe something big will happen in the future. She looked over the entrance and watched as the rain started to pour hard outside of the mansion.


    The old woman was named Kris and she was the caretaker of the mansion since three decades ago. The old mansion was owned by the aristocratic Mondragon, Duke Theodore¡¯s grandfather, before their status ascend in the society. The royal insignia on the main door symbolizes the fallen ancient monarch to honor the family¡¯s roots. All these things were told by Madam Kris to Sydnee.


    ¡°I notified Duke Theodore that you are here, so he¡¯ll fetch you soon,¡± Madam Kris said.


    Sydnee widened her eyes. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When Lady Geneva threw you out, the duke notified all his confidants nearby the Duke¡¯s mansion to fetch you whenever you wander near our territory.¡±


    Sydnee thought for a moment before she gasped. ¡°So you send She out?¡± she asked.


    Madam Kris nodded. ¡°The duke wants to make sure nothing bad will happen to you. You¡¯re safe here.¡± The old woman gestured her to enter a door.


    When Sydnee took a step inside, she was astounded by the granduer of the room. The big bed and the carpeted floor overwhelmed her. She never thought that the old mansion had that kind of room.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay here,¡± said Madam Kris. ¡°I know that you are tired so rest first. You don¡¯t have to work on this mansion. Just wait for the duke to arrive.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sydnee muttered while looking around the room. ¡°I want to work.¡±


    There was a brief silence before the old woman agreed. Not long after, Sydnee was standing alone in the middle of the room. She signed and walked towards the big bed. The style seemed like that of the victorian era and there was a faint fragnance of sandalwood hovering in the air inside the closed door.


    No wonder that she feltfortable by just standing inside for a few seconds. Sydnee did not waste any more minute. She threw her body on the bed and closed her eyes.


    When she woke up, she heard her stomach grumbled. She got out of the bed and walked towards the door. Just as she step outside of her room, she heard a loud screetch from the hallway. Then a series of curses followed by a loud bang.


    Sydnee peeked to where the noise came from and she saw a boy, older than her for about a year or two, sprawled on the floor while breathing hard. Next to him was a cat. And it had fainted from fright. Her mouth opened in surprise as she gaped at the duo.


    The young man felt her undisguised gaze. He raised his head and their eyes met. They both frooze. It took a few minutes before the young man stood up hastily and bowed before her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the mess. My cat is ying around.¡±


    Sydnee raised her hand andughed awkwardly. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to apologize. Uhm, is your cat alright?¡±


    The young man looked down at the sprawled cat beside his foot. He seemed surprise before he hurriedly picked up the cat. ¡°Ginger? Hey,¡± he said and poke the cat¡¯s ears. There was some movement from the cat but it did not wake up. The young man sighed in relief and turned to her. He smiled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry. He has fainted from exhaustion¡­ I think?¡±


    Sydnee shrugged her shoulders and walked towards the opposite direction. She did not know the man and did not really care if his cat got injured or not. Looking at the cat, she remembered the stray cat she had fed with her lunchbox whomter got poisoned. Her fists clenched hard. She knew now that someone targeted her in the first ce, and that was her foster mother.


    She sighed and stepped down the stairs. Looking around the old mansion, Sydnee thought that it was not bad as what she thought in the first ce. There was elegance hidden in the old style of things around the ce.


    ¡°Sydnee?¡± a familiar voice called her when she stopped in front of a huge painting. It was an abstract painting and ording to the signature below, it was painted around the time of Duke Theodore¡¯s grandfather. Indeed, it was an ancestral mansion.


    She turned around and was greeted by a flying saucer towards her. Her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth gaped in shock. Before she could utter a word, someone pulled her to the side.


    The saucer shed with the painting hanging in the wall. There was a crack on the ss protecting the painting. It was unsightly. She grimaced as the saucer fell on the floor.


    ¡°What in the world are you doing, Hector!¡± Madam Kris shouted from upstairs.


    Sydnee flinched.

 Chapter 48

    Loud footsteps echoed in the whole house. It only stopped when the old woman was standing in front of the painting. Madam Kris¡¯ brows were furrowed as she looked at the poor thing. Then she looked at the corner, where a young boy was standing. The boy had a blonde hair with blue eyes. Sydnee was surprised to see his features. Those features were of royal blood.


    She remembered some time ago, a news in the television that featured the coronation of Prince Edrick as the Crown Prince. He has a blonde hair and blue eyes, traits that were seen in western countries. It was justified because the current queen has the same traits, but some folks believe that the current crown prince was a fake one.


    Seeing someone with the same royal traits, Sydnee could not help but to swallow hard. She had a bad premonition of what would happen to the poor kid if the king knew of it.


    ¡°Hector,¡± Madam Kris called the boy. ¡°You can¡¯t y saucer inside the mansion. You almost hit Sydnee. Apologize to her!¡±


    She was startled by Madam Kris¡¯ words. She hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No need. He did not hurt me at all!¡± she said andughed awkwardly.


    Madam Kris raised her brow at her and looked at the young man standing beside her. It was at that moment that Sydnee remembered the one who pulled her back to avoid being hit by the saucer.


    ¡°Sir,¡± she said and turned towards him. She bowed. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡±


    There was silence, and then a deepugh echoed in the four corner of the mansion. Sydnee froze when she heard the familiar voice. ¡°Miss, no need to be polite!¡±


    Two warm hands held her shoulder up and helped her to stand straight. Sydnee raised her head and she saw the same young man who she had met upstairs. He was smiling down at her. Flustered, Sydnee immediately looked away. ¡°Uh.. uhm okay,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m d that the problem¡¯s resolved immediately. Sydnee, you can go to the kitchen and get something to eat. Charles, help Sydnee out. She, follow me outside. And Hector, go to the punishment room to receive your punishment. You¡¯ll copy a hundred of memorials. And make your handwriting clear. Do you understand?¡± Madam Kris asked the poor boy at the corner.


    Hector nodded. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Then Madam Kris and She walked towards the entrance.


    Sydnee then stepped forward, walking towards the kitchen when Charles stopped her. ¡°May I introduce myself?¡± he asked.


    She looked at him and smiled. ¡°No need.¡± Then she turned around and continue walking ahead.


    Charles watched Sydnee¡¯s back and then smiled to himself. He found an interesting girl, but Madam Kris warned him not to mess with the new tenant. He wondered why? Nheless, it was fun to watch Sydnee¡¯s flustered face. He grinned and followed her.


    When Sydnee arrived at the kitchen, she saw a few cooks who were working hard. She took a glimpse at the big wall clock near the door and found that it was almost six in the evening.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Charles stood behind her. ¡°Tell them and they will cook it for you.¡±


    ¡°I thought we will cook our own food?¡± She tilted her head to the side while watching the two cooks busying themselves at the kitchen.


    If there were cooks, then where do Madam Kris get the funds for their sry? Uh. She forgot. They were Duke Theodore¡¯s men. ¡®Of course, the duke will provide,¡¯ she thought to herself.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Charles said.


    ¡°So tenants who can¡¯t pay the rent are only task to do the cleaning?¡±


    ¡°Clever girl.¡±


    Sydnee walked towards the table full of light dishes. Those dishes were also served at the duke¡¯s mansion, and she did not know the names of some yet she found them delicious.


    ¡°Miss Sydnee, Madam Kris told us that you¡¯ll only eat light foods because it is alreadyte,¡± one of the cook said.


    ¡°Late? What do you mean?¡± she asked, confused.


    She then heard a chuckle from behind. ¡°In this mansion, we are not allowed to eat past six in the evening. It is not good for the body to eatte. Also, it is rmended to eat light foods if you eat past six.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± She looked at the foods on the table. ¡°Okay then.¡±


    She just woke up and if not because her stomach was grumbling, she would not eat. She had no appetite after woking up but now that she knew about the little tradition in that old mansion, might as well eat than wait for Madam Kris¡¯ scolding.


    Charles sat opposite her and he watched her as she ate. She was flustered as she felt the prating gaze from him. Sydnee tried to ignore his presence but whether intentional or not, Charles would put something on her te when she was not minding him.


    ¡°C-Can you go out?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What?¡± Charles asked, even though he heard clearly what Sydnee was asking of him. He just wanted to tease the girl sitting in front of him. He was a little bit annoyed that Sydnee was ignoring him.


    ¡°Can you not s-stare? It¡¯s rude,¡± she said and her brows furrowed in annoyance.


    Charles smirked and smiled at her. Before he could utter a word, he heard heavy footstepsing in their direction. His eyes widened a little bit. He was familiar with that sound of footsteps. Wasn¡¯t those from the duke?


    He was right when he saw the man appeared in the entrance of the kitchen. The two cooks heard those footsteps ahead and knew that the duke visited once again. They stopped their work and bowed facing the entrance.


    Sydnee felt the strange atmosphere so she turned her head to look at the entrance and saw Duke Theodore. Her mouth gaped in shock and she hurriedly stood. ¡°D-Duke,¡± she greeted, flustered by his sudden appearance.


    The duke raised his hand and Sydnee calmed down. The butler behind the duke spoke, ¡°Miss Sydnee, the duke is here to fetch you.¡±


    Then Duke Theodore looked behind and the butler nodded. ¡°You can eat your dinner first. We will wait for you.¡±


    And just how fast they appeared, the two disappeared before her eyes. Sydnee gulped hard. The duke would wait for her?


    She immediately sat to finish the food in her te.


    ¡°So you are thatmoner who was picked by the duke,¡± Charles said.


    Sydnee did not mind what Charles was saying. She put all her attention in finishing her food. A few minutes after and she cleared her te.


    Charles chuckled. ¡°How lovely. You finished it all.¡±


    Sydnee reached for the ss of water and drank. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± she said and stood.


    But Charles also stood and held her wrist to stop her. She was startled and she looked behind. Before her eyes, she saw Charles smiling at her. What¡¯s wrong with this guy?

 Chapter 49

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Sydnee asked.


    Charles looked at the door where the duke had left, and then sighed. ¡°Do you need to go?¡±


    Sydnee remembered the anger in Lady Geneva¡¯s eyes and the scorn in Catarina¡¯s face. Right. If she go back, how could she face Lady Geneva¡¯s wrath? If she stay in Duke¡¯s mansion, how could she live with Catarina?


    Her brows met and she scratched her chin thinking what to do with her situation. It was not good if she go back because she knew that Lady Geneva would never ept her. But staying in the old mansion¡­ Sydnee tipped her head back to look at Charles who was also staring at her. Her lips formed a thin line and she looked away.


    ¡°It¡¯s the duke¡¯s arrangement. I can¡¯t go against his words anyway,¡± she said and sighed. Her shoulders sank upon the realization that she was left with no choice at all.


    ¡°Why not tell him that you¡¯ll stay here?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± She looked at Charles who had a solemn expression. He was serious and Sydnee gulped. ¡°No. I can¡¯t go against his wishes.¡± She crossed her arms around her chest while looking up at Charles. ¡°Why do you care anyway?¡± she asked.


    Because Charles was more taller than Sydnee, in his perspective, Sydnee¡¯s posture was like a cat hissing and showing her ws at him. A grin stered on his lips as he touched his chin. ¡°Why not? You¡¯ve came and moved out on the same day.¡±


    She shook her head and walked out of the dining room. The duke was sitting on the one-seater sofa while the butler was standing beside him. Madam Kris was sitting across the duke and the two were talking. Sydnee stopped in her tracks and decided to wait for them to finish their business. But the duke had a keen sense and he saw her standing not far away. He beckoned her to walk close. She obeyed.


    The butler said to Madam Kris. ¡°We will go now, Madam. The next month¡¯s budget will be transferred to your ount.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your grace,¡± Madam Kris said and smiled a bit.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Sydnee followed the two towards the entrance. She happen to see Hector and She standing not far away. She waved her hand at them and smiled. They smiled back and waved their hand in return.


    The marketce was not far from the duke¡¯s mansion. It took them a few minutes before Sydnee found herself standing again in front of the mansion. It was the same scene when she first stood there. The only thing difference was that Lady Geneva and Catarina was standing at the entrance.


    ¡°Husband, you are so good to that filthyss, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lady Geneva spat, sarcasm was evident in her voice.


    The duke¡¯s face darkened at the Lady¡¯s words. Catarina was scorning while ring at Sydnee. Theter decided to ignore the presence of the two.


    The butler cleared his throat. ¡°Lady Geneva, the duke wants Sydnee to stay in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree!¡± Lady Geneva yelled. She pointed a finger on Sydnee. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see the face of that trash!¡±


    Catarina giggled upon hearing Lady Geneva¡¯s words. Duke Theodore¡¯s face darkened even more and his fists clenched. Although Sydnee wanted to interfere, but seeing the situation, she decided to shut up. It was not the good time to admit that she like to stay in the old mansion. At least, nobody would bully her in there. But she did not want to make Duke Theodore lose face in front of Lady Geneva. The duke was trying to fight for her right to live in the mansion, and she was grateful for the duke¡¯s mercy on her.


    ¡°If Lady Geneva doesn¡¯t want Sydnee to stay, then you are free to go,¡± the butler said.


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing what the butler uttered. ¡°What are you saying? You¡¯re just a butler! What rights do you have to say those things?!¡±


    Duke Theodore raised his hand and gestured to the butler. Theter nodded and faced Lady Geneva again. ¡°The duke will file a divorce if you will throw Sydnee away again.¡±


    There was a pindrop silence in the air. Sydnee was dumbfounded and stared at Duke Theodore. Her eyes was misty due to tears but she fought the urge to cry. She would never cry in front of Lady Geneva and Catarina.


    To be honest, she did not harbor any hope that Lady Geneva would ept her. Since the day that the woman imprinted to her mind that she was a product of abuse, she knew by then that there¡¯s no way that the dignified Lady of Obando will ept her. There was also no lingering feelings in her heart for the woman standing in front of her. She was not raised by her. And seeing the woman, it was like seeing a stranger to her.


    So it was unexpected that Duke Theodore would stand up for her. Even though he was not her real father, but the kindness he showed to her was enough to let a warm feeling lingered in her heart. If being his heiress was the only way for her to pay back the duke, she would dly ept the title.


    And since she made up her mind, her fondness of the old mansion had diminished. She wanted to stay in the duke¡¯s mansion and fight for the inheritance if that¡¯s what makes the Duke happy. In the first ce, she was brought in that ce by him to fight for the inheritance. But she wondered why the duke did not want Catarina to inherit the title. Although she was curious, she was sensible enough not to ask. It was the duke¡¯s secret.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Lady Geneva yelled. ¡°You will divorce me for that trash?¡± The Ladyughed. ¡°What on earth are you thinking? She was the daughter of that scumbag Henry!¡±


    The duke was silence for a moment before he gestured the butler. Theter said, ¡°Lady Geneva, Sydnee is your daughter even if you deny her. The duke will give Sydnee his inheritance and nobody will change his mind.¡±


    Lady Geneva gasped and she gritted her teeth. ¡°You want that trash to inherit the dukedom? Are you out of your mind? She doesn¡¯t qualify to be a ruler!¡± Thedy turned her fiery gaze to Sydnee. ¡°Amoner who dreamt to be a ruler? Hah! What a joke!¡±


    ¡°Lady Geneva,¡± the butler warned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if that trash could hide her stench! Sooner orter, you will regret it, Duke Theodore!¡± Lady Geneva said and both she and Catarina entered the mansion.


    Sydnee sighed.

 Chapter 50

    The day that she officially entered the Duke¡¯s household as an adopted daughter, there was no celebration at all. It was only a dinner and only she and the Duke were present. Lady Geneva and Catarina had gone outside to eat. Not that Sydnee mind it, but she was ufortable when the maids standing at the side kept on staring at her.


    The butler standing behind the Duke cleared his throat. ¡°Congrattions to you, my Lady. You are a Mondragon and no one should look down on you.¡±


    Sydnee raised her head and stared at the butler. He was looking at the floor and slightly bowing his head on her. Sydnee gulped. She did not expect the butler to show his respect on her, specially when he threatened her when they went to the ruins. ¡°Uh¡­¡± she sighed quietly.


    Suddenly, the Duke put his utensils down and gestured to the butler. One minute and there was no one around the dining room except for her, the Duke , and the butler.


    The Duke looked at her and spoke, ¡°When they look down on you, they are also looking down at me. Do you want to tarnish my reputation?¡± he asked.


    She froze upon hearing his words. She immediately bowed her head and apologize. ¡°I-I can¡¯t stop them from l-looking at me,¡± she reasoned out.


    Duke Theodore narrowed his eyes on her. ¡°You can¡¯t stop them from thinking bad about you, but you can shut their mouth and pull their gaze away from you.¡±


    ¡°I u-understand.¡± A bead of sweat trickled down her back. She was not used on domineering side of the Duke. Often, he appeared harmless to her so she forgot how terrifying it was to face an angry duke.


    ¡°You will study basic etiquette starting tomorrow. In the afternoon, you will study the history of the kingdom. After you learn this two, you will study basic swordmanship. Do you understand me, Lady?¡±


    Sydnee blinked for a few times before nodding her head. It was one of those few times where the duke spoke longer than usual and she was still amazed by howposed he was.


    ¡°Yes, Duke.¡±


    He stared at her, then he stood. She watched him walk away when the butler turned around to face her. ¡°My Lady, please follow us.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡±


    She did not have a choice but to stand and follow the duke. They walked for a few minutes before the duke stopped in front of a well-guarded prison. It was at the back of the mansion with vines hanging at the walls. It was her first time to be there and her eyes widened when two sturdy doors in front opened. Two armored guards standing beside the heavy doors bowed at the duke.


    The duke entered and so she was. She then find herself standing in front of a dying man. The lightning in the area was limited so she could not see clearly the face of the man, but it was clear to her that the man was tied on the wall with only a piece of cloth covering his manhood. Bloodied lips were cracked, hair unkept,plexion was pale and dry, blood was dripping from the open wound in the middle of his stomach. What made Sydnee froze was the fact that the nails on his fingers and toes were all ripped away and only rotting flesh remained.


    The heavy stench of dried blood and rotting flesh overwhelmed her that she almost lost her bnce, if not for the butler who held her still.


    ¡°He is a spy from the enemy kingdom that the intelligence recently captured.¡± The duke nced at her pale face. ¡°What should we do to him?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± She lowered her gaze and tried hard not to gag. It¡¯s was not possible to capture spies from the enemy kingdom. Every year, there is a mass execution being held in the capital. Anyone could visit and watch the execution, but she never had the chance to visit the capital so it was the first time for her to see a tortured spy. ¡°What do you mean, duke?¡± she whispered under her breath.


    The Duke watched her as she trembled in sight of the dying man. He then looked away. ¡°This is not the only thing that you must see. Being a noble, you will learn the things that amoner can not learn.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡± She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She wanted to escape from that horrible ce but the duke was still there and she had no courage to ask for permission to leave.


    ¡°You, being a Duke¡¯s daughter, you stood above everyone except for the royal family and anyone who rules a dukedom. Even the business tycoons will bow down to you. You must raise your head and do not show reluctance to punish anyone who dare to look down on the duke¡¯s prestige.¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing his words.


    ¡®Stood above everyone except for the royal family and the rulers of dukedoms¡­¡¯N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Suddenly, she felt cold all over her body. The power that the duke gave her was enough for her to feel suffocated. This¡­ a heavy responsibility¡­ can she really do it?


    ~~~


    It¡¯s been a week since Sydnee officially entered the Duke¡¯s household. Since the day that he showed her the dying spy, the duke arranged someone to tour her around Obando wheremoners were being bullied by the nobles and rick alike. She was not surprise to see such things because she experienced it beforehand.


    But she did not expect those nobles and rick alike to bow down to her upon seeing the Duke¡¯s emblem on her right chest. The duke insist that she would wear the emblem upon touring Obando so people will know who she was.


    When she stood in front of them, she felt ufortable and relief at the same time. So it was what power felt like. Everyone would show you respect even if they have too powers of their own.


    With that, Sydnee¡¯s name as Duke Theodore¡¯s adopted daughter spread throughout Obando and even spread in other neighboring teritories like Conscion. It did not took long for the academy¡¯s students to know that Sydnee raised in ranks above them all, having the title of Young Miss of Obando.


    With her surname as Mondragon, students raised their brows at her.


    After a few days of touring around the ce, Sydnee came back to school only to find out that she had been the new gossip in the academy. Everytime that she pass by, the students would whisper to each other while looking at her. It was like that when bullying system was still in the academy, but instead of gloating, she was greeted with condemning stares. They thought that she seduced the Duke in order for her to enter his household as his adopted daughter.


    There was also a gossip about Diana, her foster Mother who tried to kill her, and Henry, her biological father. But those students did not know the truth behind Lady Geneva and Henry, so they assume that she had no noble blood that¡¯s why they criticized her more and more behind her back. But it was not like she did not know about it. She just kept her silence in order to not escte things further.


    ¡°I heard thatmoner became a duke¡¯s daughter. Geez, entering the duke¡¯s household through seduction? What do she think of Lady Catarina?¡±


    ¡°Lady Catarina of Obando will not let her win the affection of the duke!¡±


    ¡°Of course. As a Marquis¡¯ daughter, I knew the dirty things of noble families. They will try hard to hide things from teh public eyes, but who knows what happens behind the doors?¡±


    ¡°Uh. I really hate thatmoner. She really think that by bing the Duke of Obando¡¯s daughter, she now has the right to be included in nobles? She is dreaming in broad daylight!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°I just hope that she will soon disappear from this academy. A sl*t like her does not belong to this prestigious school. Hah! I need to contact the thugs. Might as well scare her so she will note back. Who knows what she will do to the guys? We might wake up someday finding that sl*t bes a prince consort!¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s lips twitched upon hearing the whispers around her. She threw a nce at the group of girls. They smiled at her and crossed their arms around their chest. Her eyes narrowed and she took a step closer to them.


    ¡°Are you talking behind my back?¡± she asked.


    The girl in the middle of the group snickered. ¡°Who else is the sl*t here? What? Do you want to fight me?¡±


    Sydnee smiled and before they knew it, she smack the face of that girl. That girl¡¯s butt mmed into the cold hard ground. She heard gasped from the crowd and silence descended around them.


    Doing menial tasks over the years made her body more robust than most girls around her age. Although her strength was no match to the guys, still, pping a girl was not hard for her.


    Being a victim of bully made her realize that bullying was directed to her because she did not fight back. If only her bullies knew that she was not as fragile as they thought of her, she might not be a victim for many years.


    But she only kept her silence because she did not want to burn her schrship. Now that she is not a schr anymore, she has gained confidence, specially when she now became the duke¡¯s daughter and Duke Theodore warned her not to let people look down on her because looking down on her is looking down on the Duke¡¯s prestige.


    The girl tipped her head back and red at Sydnee. ¡°Do you know who I am? I am Marquis Antonio¡¯s daughter!¡±


    She raised her brow and crossed her arms around her chest. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sydnee smiled. ¡°You are a Marquis¡¯ daughter, but you are nothing before the Duke¡¯s daughter.¡±


    The girl was dumbfounded. She pointed a trembling finger on her. ¡°W-What did you say?¡±


    Sydnee clicked her tongue. ¡°Put down that finger of yours before I cut that down. It seems like the Marquis did not teach his daughter well.¡± Sydnee leaned closer to the girl who was staring wide eyes at her. ¡°Do you want me to teach you how to respect the person above you?¡±


    The girl¡¯s shoulder shranked back at her threat. Sydnee smiled sweetly before standing straight, turning around, and walked away. The burning gaze of the girl bore a hole in her back but she did not mind it at all. She knew that the girl would hold grudge against her, but she was no pushover.


    Although she did those things with confidence, Sydnee felt her hands sweat profusely and a bead of sweat trickled down her chin. She simply wiped it off and released the tension she felt while teaching the Marquis¡¯ daughter a lesson. She remembered that the girl was one of her bullies, so it was not surprising that she would attack her.


    Imagine the one who you bullied back then, rising above you in status. Hah. It was a pain in the ego.


    Sydnee shook her head. She just took a step inside the ssroom when she felt something cold and sticky poured on her from above. Then a burst ofughter echoed inside the ssroom.


    ¡°Oh my! The Duke¡¯s daughter is taking her bath inside the ssroom. What a poor girl. She must be starving too. Give her something to eat!¡± someone yelled.


    Before Sydnee could utter a word, paper crumples was thrown to her, sticking on her uniform.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± she yelled, gritting her teeth in annoyance.


    She just finished teaching the Marquis¡¯ daughter, and now, she was greeted by another round of bullies? She thought that the bullying in the academy had stopped?


    What did they mean by doing all of this?!

 Chapter 51

    Nobody listened to her and she was not surprised. She let them threw insults to her and waited until the hype died down. It did not took too long. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, someone cleared their throat. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re all doing, ss?¡±


    The ssroom went silent. Sydnee turned around to see the adviser standing by the entrance. She was one of the people who Sydnee respected in the school. She was considerate and never looked down on schrs in the academy.


    The teacher looked at her and smiled apologetically, ¡°Do you want to take a shower first?¡±


    She did not want to make things difficult for her adviser so she nodded. Just as she exited the ssroom, she looked over her shoulder and smiled coldly at her ssmates. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± she said and followed the adviser towards the gymn.


    She did not know that when she left, the atmosphere inside the ssroom plunged into coldness. Rogie was no longer studying in the academy, and the princess Isa was absent. They did not know why the princess did not attend sses for the past few weeks after Sydnee stopped attending school too.


    They were confident to bully Sydnee because her two greatest supporters were absent. But they knew that what they did was too much. What would Sydnee do to them in the future?


    Almost all of the students inside the ssroom threw sharp res at the girl sitting at the back seat of the ssroom. The girl was a transferee who attended sses a week ago before the news of Sydnee being an adopted daughter of Duke Mondragon broke out.


    They never knew who the girl was because even though their families have little powers in the society, the academy was protecting the information of that transferee.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    When the news of Sydnee broke out in the academy, it was the girl who suggested that they should bully Sydnee in order for Sydnee to fear them and to not rtiate against them.


    They knew that Sydnee was their victim not long ago, and they were very disturb by the fact that Sydnee now stood above them all, that they should bow their heads to her. How humiliating was that?


    So they came up with the idea that they should bully Sydnee first before she could retaliate against them. But s!


    The Sydnee just now was not the same silly and scared rabbit of the past. Who said that Sydnee would fear them when they bully her first? Those eyes that looked back at them were filled with loathe and coldness. They shivered upon remembering those eyes.


    ¡°Selena! You said that she will fear us Did you see how she looked back at us?¡± one of the studentsined at the transferee.


    ¡°Yeah, right! I think Sydnee is promising to retaliate with her gaze. Why is it happening?¡± another one protested.


    ¡°Fools,¡± Selena muttered under her breathe. She looked at the scenery outside of the window and did not utter another single word.


    The whole ss went silent again. Although they were very dissatisfied with Selena, but the fact that the academy took good care of her was something that only a child of rulers could enjoy. They were no match to her so they just sat obediently in their seats and kept quiet.


    It did not take long for Sydnee to finish her bath inside the school¡¯s gymn. There were a lot of athletes in the school, so there should be shower rooms in the academy.


    She wore her new uniform that her adviser handed to her. It fit her perfectly. A soft smile rarely appeared on her lips. She then strode towards the door and exited the shower room.


    She did not wear the emblem that Duke Theodore gave her inside the academy because it was forbidden to unt the status of students inside. That¡¯s why there were a lot of hidden young masters and misses inside the academy that many students did not know.


    It was also the reason why some of the students, even though they dig the information about somone, could not find any information because the academy kept their identities secret.


    Just like Selena rize.


    Sydnee stood in front of Selena who was sitting on her chair and looking outside the window. She pursed her lips into a thin line. ¡°Excuse me, that is my seat,¡± she informed her.


    Although Sydnee wanted to teach lessons to her ssmates, but the fact that the teaching time of her considerate adviser was not long, she decided to postphoned it. As long as they would not instigate another bullying session to her, she would not retaliate. But if her ssmates would pull another tricks on her, she would not mind teaching them the rules on how to face a ruler.


    Even though the academy did not want students to unt their status, it was not entirely impossible to teach the students how to respect the rulers. It was the exception to the rules implemented inside the school grounds.


    The whole ssroom were silent. The Young Miss of Obando was openly oppossing the student who was protected by the academy. What an interesting show!


    Some snickered upon seeing Sydnee and Selena. They both hate those two because they need to bow their heads in front of them and respect them with their hearts. Bah! What respect? What bow their heads? No. They never want to show any weaknesses to them, but societal norms and ethics would not let them do what they want!


    Soe on, let the two fight each other!


    But contrary to the expectation of the ss, Selena looked at Sydnee and smiled at her. ¡°You are Sydnee Mondragon?¡±


    Sydnee blinked for a few seconds before nodding her head. She did not know why this girl was giving her a familiar vibe.


    Selena¡¯s smile widened and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to share this chair with you. I can look over the scenery outside in this seat, so why should I transfer seat? Why don¡¯t you sit beside me and let¡¯s enjoy the scenery together?¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s lips twitched upon hearing her words. What did she mean by that? ¡°I can¡¯t. That¡¯s my seat,¡± she said.


    Selena shrugged her shoulders. She did not want to obey Sydnee¡¯s words because she was not born to obey anyone, except for her brothers and father. Even her biological mother would bow to her, so why should she obey a mere Duke¡¯s daughter¡¯s words?


    ¡°Sydnee, Selena used that chair when she first attended school. Why don¡¯t you sit in front? In that way, you could focus more on the lesson?¡± the adviser hurriedly interfered upon seeing that a fight might broke.


    Her back was already drenched in sweat because two powerful girls were in the same ss. It did not matter if Rogie and Isa were in the same ss before, because one is a tycoon¡¯s son and one is the king¡¯s daughter. It would not contradict anything because Rogie would give way for Isa and Isa would not want to have anything to do with Rogie. As if they lived in two separate worlds.


    But now, a duke¡¯s daughter and a royal princess. What should she do if they fight each other? The principal clearly warned her not to disclose the princess¡¯ identity because the princess is on the mission directly given by the king.


    If she would not disclose the identity of the princess, and Sydnee would fight with the princess, what would she reasoned to the principal if the princess was offended?


    And Sydnee, she knew that this child suffered so much and upon having a title, she knew that Sydnee would not take another grievance. She understand if Sydnee would pick a fight with the princess because in the first ce, it was Sydnee¡¯s seat.


    So she had to think something to disrupt the brewing tension betwen the two.


    On the other hand, Sydnee knew that the teacher only wanted for her to have a peace of mind so she sighed and looked away.


    ¡°Since you are a transferee, I will not hold it against you. You can have my seat and I hope that you¡¯ll enjoy the scenery outside.¡± Then she turned around and walked towards the vacant seat in front.


    ¡°You are so kind, Young Miss of Obando. I heard that you are naughty and would not take any grievance. You seem different from what I¡¯ve heard,¡± Selena said.


    Sydnee froze for a second, before she continued walking towards the vacant seat. She sat there and looked over her shoulder where she could she Selena clearly. Their eyes met.


    She curled the side of her lips and spoke, ¡°I am not kind. You misunderstand my intention.¡±


    Selena also raised the side of her lips. ¡°Is that so?¡± she said.


    Sydnee shrugged her shoulders and sat straight. But Selena continued watching Sydnee from her seat. In fact, she chose that seat because she knew that Sydnee would sit in front of her. By this arrangement, she could watch the movement of the Duke¡¯s daughter.


    It was Sydnee who misundertood Selena¡¯s intention, because in the first ce, Selena¡¯s mission is to watch the girl who easily entered Duke Mondragon¡¯s household.


    From the day that Duke Mondragon signed the adoption letter, the royals already set their eyes on Sydnee Mondragon. And it was only the beginning of the y that Duke Mondragon had started eighteen years ago.

 Chapter 52

    ¡°What? You will not take responsibility for what you did?¡± Catarina scoffed. ¡°Who else is the cheap sister of mine who stared longingly at my blue sapphire nest night?¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s brow raised at what Catarina said. She just wanted to grab snacks in the kitchen, but Catarina blocked her and used her of stealing a blue sapphire ne that the second prince gave to the girl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± she tly denied and walked pass by her. She just took a step forward when her hair was grabbed from behind. ¡°H-Hey, let go!¡±


    ¡°You deny it, huh? Thief! Give me back my ne!¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s scalp went numb from Catarina¡¯s tugging. She pushed the girl away, but she yelped when Catarina held her hair tightly, not letting it go even for a second. A mouthful of curse came out from her mouth and she held Catarina¡¯s hands.


    Then, she twist the girl¡¯s wrist. Catarina yelped and jumped away from her. Sydnee huffed and arranged her hair. She had started her swordmanship training since the other day, and her body had became more firm that she could take a maid off the ground by pping her hard. Of course, it was all due to the basic self-defense training she tookprior to swordmanship training.


    Catarina red at her hatefully but Sydnee did not mind it at all. That girl could hate her all she want, and Sydnee did not have ns to change the girl¡¯s perspective of her. Being the only heiress for years, Catarina would never take another candidate for the inheritance. And Sydnee was not dumb to notice the slight killing intent that Catarina was showing to her.


    That killing intent started sincest week, when the second prince visited the Duke¡¯s mansion. Sydnee was introduced to the prince and Catarina was angered by the look of astonishment in the prince¡¯s eyes while staring at Sydnee¡¯s face.


    She might not understand Catarina¡¯s jealousy, but she knew that the girl had a thing for the second prince.


    ¡°Sydnee!¡± Catarina yelled but she did not stop nor look over her shoulder. What an arrogant bit**! Catarina cursed.


    Meanwhile, Sydnee was happily eating some night snacks in the kitchen. She was hungry because she locked herself in the room to study the lessons she missed when she stopped attending school, when the duke first brought her to Obando.


    But while munching snacks, Lady Geneva entered the kitchen with Catarina. Sydnee stopped munching and drank a ss of water before facing the mistress of the house.


    ¡°Lady Geneva,¡± she greeted and did a salute. It was one of the things that she learned from her etiquette teacher.


    Lady Geneva¡¯s face turned sour upon facing Sydnee. Nheless, she maintained herposure and cleared her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pretense. You know why I am here,¡± she said.


    Sydnee stood straight and looked at the mistress. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she sighed and looked on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m just having my night snacks here,¡± she mumbled under her breathe.


    Lady Geneva pursed her lips. Even though she wanted to punish this brat, there was no reason for her to do so. She could not find anything wrong with how Sydnee speak, stand, nor walk. She could see that Sydnee learned everything the etiquette teacher had taught her. Unlike Catarina who was still acting as a spoiled brat.


    She scorned and looked away. ¡°The second prince gave Catarina a sapphire ne as a giftst night. But this morning, the ne was gone. Catarina said that it was you who looked greedily at the ne. Tell me, are you the one who stole it?¡±


    Even though she believe that Catarina would not lie to her, still, Lady Geneva knew that she could not use Sydnee directly without an evidence. If she use Sydnee and then it was revealed that the usation was false, then she would never raise her head again because of shame. As a mistress, it was one of the things that was needed for her to know in order to maintain order in the Duke¡¯s household.


    But Catarina was not thinking like that. When she heard what her mother said, her anger surged. ¡°Mom! She stole my ne! I know it! She wants the ne because it was given by the second prince!¡±


    Lady Geneva¡¯s lips twitched. She gestured Catarina to remain calm. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t make a scene here.¡±


    The maids and butlers were standing at the side. Their heads were bowed but they were listening to what Catarina was spouting.


    ¡°But Mom!¡±


    ¡°I said enough, Catarina! Do you hear me?¡± asked Lady Geneva. Then she turned to Sydnee. ¡°If you say that you did not steal it, then let the maids check your room.¡±


    Sydnee nodded and led the way. There was no way that the ne would be there inside her room because she stayed inside since this morning.


    When they entered Sydnee¡¯s room, Lady Geneva brows raised. She did not expect that this brat was a clean freak. Her things inside was neat and in order. She secretly snorted. She wanted to scold Sydnee if her room was untidy, but seeing the brat¡¯s room, she could not say something bad to her.


    ¡°Check every corner,¡± Lady Geneva ordered the maids.


    The maids nodded and started searching. Catarina scorned and crossed her arms against her chest, while Sydnee stood by the corner and watched the maids turned her room upside down.


    Sydnee pursed her lips. She put her time cleaning and arranging her room, only to be tossed aside by the maids. If she knew better, Lady Geneva was doing it to mess with her. She looked away.


    After a few minutes, the maids stood in front of Lady Geneva and bowed their head. Their leader spoke, ¡°We found nothing, Lady Geneva.¡±


    The Mistress narrowed her eyes and snorted. ¡°Since it¡¯s not here, then let¡¯s go.¡± The Lady turned around and left the room. Catarina followed.


    But before the maids could go out of her room, Sydnee stopped them and scorned at them. ¡°You tossed my things around and you will all leave it be?¡±


    The maids looked at each other and immediately cleaned and arranged Sydnee¡¯s things. She stood by the door and watched them busy themselves with the cleaning. After awhile, they finished and stood in front of her while bowing their heads. Sydnee sighed.


    ¡°Go,¡± she said and gestured for them to go out.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Miss.¡± Then they all went out. Sydnee was left alone inside her room.


    Catarina and Lady Geneva were clearly messing with her. But she was trained by the duke himself to stand up above everyone. She could remember how the duke warned her firmly not to sumb to anyone who dared to look down on her.


    She did not know but if felt like she was raised by the duke as a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.


    IT WAS a fine day but the students¡¯ faces were unsightly. Sydnee sneered and looked at the girl who just finished bullying a schr.


    Why? She clearly knew that bullying system was denounced. She thought that students only bullied her because of jealousy so she never imagine that schrs would be bullied again.


    ¡°You dare to bully the weak but fear the strong?¡± she mocked the leader of the bully group.


    The girls looked at each other. A few momentster, they all had a resolved expression on their faces. Then the leader faced her and smirked at her. ¡°Who is strong? You? You¡¯re just an unworthy daughter of the duke. You don¡¯t have noble blood in you so why should webow our heads to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± She licked her lips and took a step closer to the leader. ¡°I don¡¯t have a noble blood?¡± she asked and then smirked.


    Before the girl could utter another insult, Sydnee¡¯s palm went straight into the girl¡¯s cheek. The girl went dumbfounded as she mmed into the hard ground.


    Sydnee snickered. ¡°I don¡¯t have a noble blood, but I have the title. Don¡¯t you all respect anyone who have the title? What noble blood? Does it matter?¡±


    Being a noble themselves, they knew what she meant by it. In the kingdom, having a noble blood would not matter if one did not have any title. Why did it matter if a noble is disowned and is stripped off their title? Nobody would respect a fallen noble much less someone who was stripped out of their titles.


    They were all silence by Sydnee¡¯s words.


    Just then, they heard someone pped. They turned their heads to the brave student and saw the transferee, Selena rize.


    Selena had watched how Sydnee punished the bullies and she was amazed by her courage. She thought that this girl was easy to bully because she did not fight back her ssmates who bullied her.


    But she was wrong. Sydnee was eloquent enough to make a nasty truth seemed dignified.


    ¡°You always surprise me, Young Lady.¡± Selena smirked at Sydnee. ¡°Making a scene in the school ground, are you not afraid of consequences?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 53

    Sydnee narrowed her eyes on Selena. The girl was standing not far away from her. She could not help but to be vignt around her. There was something amiss with how Selena always disregard her title as Young Miss of Obando.


    ¡°I want them to stop this bullying habit,¡± she said and looked away.


    Selena chuckled. ¡°Sure you are, but it¡¯s no use. These fes would not stop their habit because they were taught to treat people with low status as trash. You¡¯re just wasting your time, Young Miss.¡±


    Sydnee drew a breathe and looked down on the girl who was still sitting on the ground. She snorted and walked away. She understood what Selena was trying to say, but at least, she saved someone from humiliation in that day. Not like what she experienced when she was still of low status, when no one from the group of noble was kind enough to interfere with the bullying.


    Now that she was given the chance to stand above the bullies, of course, she would do something about the bullying. She could not just stand and watch them inflict pain to the schrs.


    Sydnee was brought to reality when her ear caught some whispers around her.


    ¡°I heard Selena is a noble too. So it¡¯s not surprising that she would talk to Young Miss Sydnee so casually.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Someone sighed. ¡°How disheartening to know that someone is still above you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just shut our mouth and not talk about it. Nobles are way tooplicated.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Sydee watched the two girls with extraordinary bearings walked away. She assumed that they were both daughters of wealthy businessmen who had some connections with the nobles.


    Then she remembered Isa. Her first friend in the academy was a princess who disregard status as something not worthy to be mentioned. It was the reason why the girl befriended her. But she was surprised to know that Isa was a princess. So it was the reason why Isa seemed not afraid upon knowing that Lisa would wait for them outside the academy to look for trouble.


    But when she came back to the academy after bing the duke¡¯s daughter, the adviser told her that Isa did not attend sses since the day that she was chased out of her house in Conscion. Maybe Isa was brought back to the capital, she thought. Even so, she was upset that she knew of her friend¡¯s identity from other people and not from Isa herself.


    ¡°Hey,¡± someone called Sydnee.


    She stopped walking and turned around to face the one who called her. It was Selena. Sydnee felt unsettled by the fact that Selena made a move on her. She knew that Selena was hiding her identity, but many rumors spread in the academy that Selena was higher than her when ites to nobility. Those were rumors, but the way Selena handled herself and the way the girl was not afraid to talk to her was something that nobody could muster to do so except when they were a royalty or of the same status as her.


    Well, she was still learning being a noble so it was good if she could gain friends rather than enemies, but with Selena, she could not read the girl¡¯s thoughts and it was hard to predict what this girl wanted from her.


    A stiff smile curved at the side of her lips. ¡°Hello, Miss Selena. Do you need something?¡±


    Selena¡¯s brow raised upon her tone, then sheughed and shook her head. ¡°I just want to ask about Isa.¡±


    Sydnee pursed her lips and nodded. Both she and Selena walked shoulder to shoulder in the hallway. Many of the students made a way for them. Some did not even have the courage to look at their direction.


    ¡°What about Isa?¡± she asked.


    Selena sighed and watched Sydnee from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Do you know who is Isa?¡±


    ¡°Not that much.¡± Sydnee lowered her head and sighed. ¡°They said that Isa is a princess born from amoner, that¡¯s why she was humble and did not cause trouble with the schrs.¡±


    There was silence before Selena nodded her head. ¡°She was indeed¡­ born from a servant. She was raised in this remote ce and when she reached the right age, the king ordered her toe back to the capital. She would marry the prince from the neighboring kingdom.¡±


    Sydnee froze in her steps, but quickly resumed her pace. ¡°Is that so?¡± she whispered.


    ¡®So it was because the king would marry her off,¡¯ Sydnee thought to herself. She wanted to visit Isa to check on her but she knew that it was impossible. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.


    Selena saw howplicated Sydnee¡¯s expression was and sheughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad.¡± Selena looked ahead and smiled brightly, like she was reminiscing something in the past. ¡°A princess was born to be adorned by jewels and expensive silks, and then be married off for political gain like a piece of sh*t.¡±


    Sydnee once again froze by Selena¡¯s words. Princesses have a distinct influence in the kingdom, so the nobles andmoners alike should not speak ill of them. But Selena¡¯s words would make them both lose their heads.


    ¡°Shh, stop mentioning anything about the royals,¡± Sydnee muttered under her breathe and looked around. Nobody was listening to them. She signed and looked at Selena who was grinning at her. She could not help but to squint her eyes and huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t say such things again, okay?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Selena asked while secretlyughing.


    ¡°What ¡®why¡¯? They could have persecuted us on the spot when somebody hear you ndering those people.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know,¡± Selena said as she waved her hand. ¡°Nobody was listening so you can rest assured.¡±


    Sydnee drew a breathe and looked ahead. It was good that Selena was cautious, but Sydnee realized that having Selena by her side might not be a good idea at all.


    Since the ss had ended, they were walking towards the school gate. But before they arrived there, Selena treated Sydnee an ice cream in the canteen when they passed by the ce. Sydnee could not afford to reject her when she saw how sincere Selena was.


    ¡®Maybe, it was good to have another friend besides Isa?¡¯ Sydnee thought. But having a friend with extraordinary background was not something that Sydnee could afford to have, specially with Selena who was asking her a lot about her family.


    ¡°When did you meet Duke Mondragon?¡± the girl asked as they sat beside each other at the bench near the basketball court. It was a few meters away from the canteen and Selena wanted to sit for a moment while enjoying their ice cream. Sydnee thought that it was good idea so she did not reject the girl¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when exactly, but all I remember was that Duke Mondragon helped me and my mother Diana settle somewhere after my father was brought to jail.¡±


    ¡°I heard about what happened to your father. It must be hard on you.¡±


    Sydnee lowered her eyes. ¡°Yes. It was hard, but my mother did her best to provide for us.¡±


    ¡°Then your mother is a good mother.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She smiled again and licked her ice cream. Her mother was good? She almostughed at what Selena said. Both Diana and Lady Geneva did not care about her at all.


    When she was still a child, she once hoped that someday, Diana would care about her too. But it had been years and that little hope in her heart died when Diana tried to kill her. All her effort to be epted by Diana had gone to waste.


    It was the same case with Lady Geneva. When she first knew that the nobledy was her biological mother, a hope aroused from the bottom of her heart. She hoped that Lady Geneva would ept her just as Duke Theodore epted her. But it was all her fantasy when Lady Geneva revealed that she was a child born out of rape.


    Hah. It was ridiculous to beg them for love when she grew up without the love of a mother. So since then, she did not hope that these two women would ept her. She had lived her life without a mother¡¯s warmth, so she let go of all her fantasy.


    Afterall, she was living in reality. In this way, she could be happy when she was not expecting something from these women. It was already enough for her that Duke Theodore was giving her all the things she needed and a title that could protect her from bullies.


    A few minutes had passed and they both walked towards the school gate. When they arrived, the sun was almost hiding from afar. Darkness started to sorround the ce so more and more streetlights and lights from establishments began to light up everything in the dark.


    Sydnee did not notice the time but Selena did. It was just she deliberately dyed Sydnee so she could gather more information from her.


    But all the girl talked was the life she had living in the slums and the life she had when she joined Duke Mondragon¡¯s household. There was no mention of anything about someone or something that could potentially rte her to the spy of the enemy kingdom.


    Selena was having a hard time. Sydnee might not be a spy, but all the evidences the intelligence gathered all these years were pointing to the household of Duke Mondragon.


    The Duke was active in capturing spies all around the kingdom, and her father the king trusted the noble man. Even so, the king ordered the intelligence to not let the Duke Mondragon knew of the evidences gathered about the spy on his household so that they would not alert the sly enemy.


    Unknown to them was the fact that Duke Mondragon already knew who was the spy living in his household. It was just he did not have any evidences to prove that Catarina was the spy from the enemy kingdom so he could not touch her. He thought that the evidences were all destroyed by the spy who tried to harm him eighteen years ago, but he never imagined that the evidences were in the hands of the intelligence. The Duke was careful not to alert Catarina so he did not raise this concern to the King, and the King was careful not to alert the unknown spy in Duke¡¯s household so he did not let the Duke knew that he had the evidences unless the intelligence caught the spy first.


    In this set-up, only Sydnee Lurica, the hidden trump card of Duke Mondragon, could stir again the stale chase inside the Duke¡¯s household. So the Duke¡¯s fraction, the King¡¯s intelligence group, and the enemy¡¯s spies inside and outside of the kingdom were watching Sydnee Lurica without the girl knowing. When Sydnee officially joined the Duke¡¯s household, she was directly thrown into a hot seat with the three strong forces vying for her loyalty.


    Watching Sydnee¡¯s car going farther away from her, Selena had mixed feelings. She pitied the girl who thought that she hit jackpot when she entered the Duke household. Well, Sydnee entered theplicated life of nobles and she had no way to help the girl when timees.


    Selena brought out the picture she had when she first entered the academy. It was a photo of Sydnee when she was still a child around four years old. Beside her was a boy around five years old, and that boy was Rogie Camero. Selena wondered why Sydnee did not remember her past before her father, Henry, was thrown into jail. And it was one of the reasons why she, a noble princess, was tasked to befriend Sydnee.


    She had to know what happened in that big fire that killed the King¡¯s beloved son and Rogie Camero¡¯s twin brother Renald, fourteen years ago.

 Chapter 54

    When Sydnee arrived home, a huge crowd ofmoners was gathering outside the huge mansion gate. The driver slowed down the car. Not long after, the crowd was dispersed by the head maid servant of the house. Then the car entered the gate that was opened up for them.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sydnee asked the head maid servant when she hopped off the car.


    The maid lowered her head in greeting and answered, ¡°They just want to see the second prince, Young Miss.¡±


    Sydnee raised her brow and looked at themoners outside of the gate. There were still some of them lingering around the corner, but majority was dispered already so she was not worried.


    Then she looked at the huge mansion. It was then that she saw how lively it was. She smirked. So the second prince visited Catarina again? Was it an ordinary visit or a way to intimidate her?


    Nheless, Sydnee walked inside the mansion. What greeted her was the smiling second prince and Catarina. The second prince resembled the King a lot. It was not like the blue iris and the blonde locks of the crown prince who inherited the traits from the reigning queen.


    The second prince had a hair as ck as the starless night and eyes that were colored after the ck obsidian. He also had a fairplexion which created a big contrast with the color of his assets. It was no wonder that he was a top notch when ites todies, and clearly, Catarina was one of them.


    Just as she turned around to leave, the second prince raised his head and called after her. ¡°Young Miss Sydnee.¡±


    Sydnee secretly sighed. She just wanted to climb the stairs and rest for awhile after driving through the border. Without a choice, she turned around and politely smiled at the prince. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you, second prince. Do you need anything?¡± she asked as she did a salute to him.


    The prince was silent for a second before he cleared his throat. ¡°Catarina told me about the stolen ne. The ne was retrieved this afternoon. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡±


    Her lips curved upwards. ¡°There¡¯s no need for an apology. I understand.¡±


    The prince looked at her for a moment. Catarina noticed the peculiarity of the prince so she turned her head to Sydnee and secretly sneered. ¡°You have assignments to do right, sister?¡±


    Sydnee looked at Catarina for a moment before she bowed before the prince. ¡°Yes. I have something else to do, Prince. I will excuse myself.¡± Then she turned around and hurried away from the living room.


    She climbed the stairs and she only sighed in relief when she reached her room. Watching the prince with the same eyes as Isa, she remembered her friend. Her lips twitched. She could not do anything about that but she hoped that Isa would be okay.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Her foot just stepped out of the bathroom after a stress free bath, when a knock sounded at the door. ¡°Young Miss?¡± the maid called from outside.


    She stood before the whole body mirror and dried her hair using the towel. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered.


    ¡°The duke asked of you.¡±


    Sydnee looked at the wall clock and it happened to be six in the evening. The duke might called her for the dinner, but she hesitated. The prince was in the mansion and she would feel ufortable facing the second prince. Sydnee pursed her lips. Nevermind. She would just finish her dinner faster.


    So after dressing up with a simple purple dress without the help of a servant, Sydnee made her way out of the room. The maid who called her earlier was still standing at the hallway to wait for her. When the girl who saw, she lowered her head to greet her.


    Sydnee raised her hand to stop the maid from saluting. ¡°Is the second prince still around?¡± she asked.


    The maid nodded. Her brows met while walking her way towards the staircase. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, but she managed to hide her discontent upon standing before the Duke. She saluted.


    The duke smiled at her and gestured her to sit down. She sat at the chair opposite the second prince. It was her dining chair afterall, even though she hesitated at thest moment. Nevertheless, Lady Geneva might ask her why she changed her seat. Might as well ignore her discontent if it would save her the trouble.


    ¡°The dishes were served ording to Your Highess¡¯ preference. Please do enjoy the food,¡± Lady Geneva said.


    The second prince smiled at thedy. It was normal for Lady Geneva to speak to the prince in behalf of the duke. It was rude to let the butler ry the duke¡¯s messages, so as formality, the wife of the duke would do all the talking. While the two daughters and the duke kept their silence.


    But Sydnee froze when the second prince turned his head to her and said, ¡°This is the newly adopted daughter of Duke Theodore?¡±


    A second of silence before Lady Geneva answered the prince. ¡°Yes. It is Sydnee Lurica. The duke pitied her when her mother tried to kill her, so he decided to adopt this girl.¡±


    Sydnee tried her best to swallow the food in her mouth. She then reach for the ss of juice and drank a bit. She lowered her head. ¡°Yes. I am Sydnee Lurica.¡±


    The second princeughed. ¡°It is interesting to know that amoner entered the duke¡¯s household.¡±


    ¡°You never see how she dressed when she first arrived here in the mansion. She was like a beggar if not for my father who took pity on her,¡± Catarina chirped in.


    There was another silence hovered around the air before Lady Geneva reprimanded Catarina. Then the woman turned to the prince. ¡°Don¡¯t mind what this daughter of mine had said, Prince. Sydnee was indeed not like this when she first arrived in the mansion. But with proper care and proper training, she looks like a dignified noble now.¡±


    Sydnee fought hard not to twitch her lips. It looked like Lady Geneva was defending her, but in other perspective, the Lady was mocking her for being dirty. She bit her bottom lip and reached for the ss of juice again.


    ¡°I see,¡± the prince said as he looked down on his te. ¡°Then the duke must do his best to educate Sydnee. It is not easy to enter a noble household afterall.¡±


    There was a hidden message in the prince¡¯s words. Except for Catarina, maids, and the butlers standing not far away, they all understood what the prince was saying. Sydnee narrowed her lowered eyes.


    The duke once warned her that she should be careful upon dealing with the royals because they were too cunning and the pce was full of schemes. In the surface, they might be sound cheerful and friendly, but on the inside, they were already nning their scheme against their rivals and suspected spies.


    If she was not wrong, the royals were wary of her who recently entered the duke¡¯s household. It was not something that she did not expect. The duke had taught her about the power struggles in the court and the princes, as well as the power struggles in the harem. The king who seemed powerful kept a bnce both in court and in the harem, but this ruler was not simple. He also kept an eye on every household of his subjects to maintain the bnce and the power was still on the throne.


    She, being amoner who entered a noble¡¯s household, was an opening for the king to suspect the duke. And it seemed like the royals would not wait any longer. They had started to move, and the first wave was the second prince who just recently took notice on Catarina Mondragon.


    Lady Geneva smiled. ¡°We will teach Sydnee the things she need to know.¡±


    The rest of the dinner was spent in silent. The people sitting around the dining table was lost in their thoughts.


    Duke Theodore looked secretly as Sydnee.

 Chapter 55

    ¡°Oh. I never thought that royals would spare time to visit a noble¡¯s house in a regr day,¡± Selena said, while munching her lunch.


    Sydnee told Selena about the second prince¡¯s prejudice against her and his frequent visit in the duke¡¯s mansion. She had already saw Selena as one of her friends beside Isa. ALthough the girl¡¯s background was suspicious, but she knew that Selena would not do anything bad for her. She could feel the sincerity of the girl so she wasfortable telling the girl about the duke¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the prince saw in Catarina, though I don¡¯t really care.¡± Sydnee sighed. ¡°But Catarina kept on pestering me and using me of being a thief when I don¡¯t know about the things the prince gave her.¡±


    Selena¡¯s ears perked up upon hearing Sydnee¡¯s words. She cleared her throat and simply reached for her drink. ¡°And then the prince believe what your sister was spouting?¡±


    Sydnee smiled helplessly. ¡°What else could Iin? Catarina was good in acting as a victim and pushing all the me to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Selena¡¯s mind was racing at Sydnee¡¯s words. This girl was opening up to her. She could gain a lot of information. A smile yed on her lips. ¡°Just teach Catarina a lesson. If she is getting out of the line, you can do it. As long as you are good in controlling the situation.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to quarrel with her. She is supported by Lady Geneva and although the Duke is supporting me, he is not always in the mansion. What if I touch Lady Geneva¡¯s bottom line?¡±


    Selenaughed a bit at Sydnee¡¯s words and then shook her head. This girl was still new to her world. Sydnee would never survive in the pce for a day if this attitude continued on.


    ¡°Then¡­ you just let her bully you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no.¡± Sydnee smiled at Selena. ¡°I¡¯ll teach her a lesson if she would trouble me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Selena returned Sydnee¡¯s smile. ¡°If you need some help, just call me up. I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    Sydnee nodded. Selena watched as Sydnee ate her lunch. She never imagined that it was easy to get the girl¡¯s trust. Anyway, now was the great time to investigate.


    ¡°I heard about rumors that Rogie likes you,¡± she said while looking around, although she was observing Sydnee in the corner of her eye. ¡°Is it true? Did he confess his feelings for you?¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s cheeks flushed and Selena caught the bashful appearance of the girl across her. Her brow raised. So Rogie was indeed interested with this girl.


    ¡°He confessed but I turned him down,¡± Sydnee said while lowering her gaze.


    Selena hummed. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s engaged and¡­ I don¡¯t like him.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Really?¡± Selena observed Sydnee. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    Sydnee raised her head and looked at Selena. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not, then why are you so defensive?¡±


    Sydnee was silent upon hearing Selena¡¯s words. She did not continued defending her innocense about the matter because she knew that Selena would not gossip it in the academy. While she was silent, she tried hard not to remember the embarrassing scene when Rogie hugged her from behind and confessed his feelings. She thought that Rogie was kidding so she did not take it to heart. But upon remembering that afternoon, she could not help but felt a little pity on Rogie. She saw how serious he was, so she was contemting whether Rogie was saying the truth or not.


    Due to Sydnee¡¯s silence, Selena concluded that Sydnee might feel something for Rogie. Well, she was the kind of person who did not take to heart any confession. Growing up in the royal family, she knew that love was not real for her.


    ¡°I understand your feelings,¡± Selena said as she sighed. ¡°But you were amoner back then, and now that you have the title, Rogie was now married to Lisa. I pity you both.¡±


    Sydnee coughed and she reached for her ss of juice. ¡°What are you saying?¡± she asked the girl.


    Selena shrugged her shoulders and smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You might find someone who¡¯s better than Rogie Camero.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Selena ignored Sydnee¡¯s little protest. It was normal to be bashful when talking about someone special so she did notment on Sydnee¡¯s red cheeks. ¡°Anyway, I heard about the new gossip in the academy about your father who was jailed due to fraud. Was it true?¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s brows met. Selena was checking her past?


    Selena knew what Sydnee was thinking so she immediately smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You know that I have extraordinary background, right? It was normal for nobles to check on each other¡¯s background.¡±


    Hearing Selena¡¯s reason, Sydnee rxed her vignce. She knew that Selena was telling the truth. She looked away and sighed. ¡°Well, my father was put to prison because of fraud. But he was freed a few months ago.¡±


    ¡°Really? Where is he staying now?¡± Selena asked, although she already knew that Henry Lurica was killed by Diana Lurica, his wife and Sydnee¡¯s mother.


    The intelligence gathered this information a few months ago when aint in the small court aroused. Diana¡¯s neighbor in thendfill filed theint against Diana because of the stench emitting from the small hut. They happened to find Henry¡¯s mutted and decaying body inside the hut. The authorities arrested Diana.


    Selena wondered why Sydnee did not tell the duke about her father¡¯s corpse but a few weekster after Diana was arrested, the intelligence gathered an information that Sydnee did tell the Duke but around that time, the King ordered the Duke to do something about the spies lingering in Obando. Selena concluded that Duke Mondragon forgot about the matter and Sydnee did not try again to remind the Duke. It seemed like the Duke did not care about anything except for Sydnee.


    Well, it was not important now.


    Sydnee¡¯s brows knitted. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead,¡± Selena said in a low voice.


    ¡°Right, he¡¯s dead.¡± Sydnee clenched her fist. She totally forgot that her foster mother Diana killed her father, and the body was still inside the hut. The Duke promised her that he would take care of the matter and she wondered what happened to Diana as well as her father¡¯s corpse?


    Selena knew what Sydnee was thinking based on the girl¡¯s facial expression, but she had no n to reveal everything she knew about the incident. It would only make Sydnee to suspect her.


    ¡°Who killed him?¡± she asked instead.


    But Sydnee shook her head and did not say anything at all. She trusted Duke Theodore. So she just smiled at Selena and tried to divert her attention. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that thing. Anyway, why are you so interested with Rogie Camero? You kept on asking me about him since yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Selenaughed. ¡°I was just curious in your rtionship with him. They said that he had a twin brother that was killed by the big fire happened in the Vi Casa. And I happen to know that Vi Casa was where your former home was located.¡±


    Sydnee froze. She gazed at Selena. ¡°Twin brother? Fire in Vi Casa?¡± Her forehead creased. ¡°Tell me the truth, Selena. Why are you asking me these things?¡±


    Selena felt Sydnee¡¯s defensive aura and vignce. She sighed and looked away. ¡°I like Rogie Camero so I want to know more about him.¡±


    On the outside, Selena¡¯s cheeks flushed in embarassment. But on the inside, Selena was trying not to gag and not to twitch her lips. She really hate it when someone was talking about romance, but the girls like Sydnee would only believe something about romance.


    And just as what she expected, Sydnee sighed in relief. Selena snorted. Really? Just a mere crush and this girl lowered her guard? Nah. If she was in the pce, who knows how many hours would she stay alive?


    ¡°You like Rogie? That bully?¡± Sydneeughed. ¡°Don¡¯t kid me. He has entric personality that I could not understand. You¡¯re just wasting your time with him.¡±


    ¡°But you said that you don¡¯t like him, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Sydnee was sulking while sighing. ¡°He was bullying me and I hate his guts. I don¡¯t understand him because he kept on changing his attitude. One moment and he is kind, and one glimpse, he would taunt me. If you heed my advice, then don¡¯t fall for a jerk like him.¡±


    ¡®Of course. I don¡¯t have time for romance,¡¯ Selena thought but she never voiced it out. She just smiled at Sydnee and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. So, he has a twin brother?¡±


    Sydnee was silent for a moment before she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only meet Rogie in this academy and¡­¡± Sydnee winced when her head hurt. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that his twin went to this academy.¡±


    Selena¡¯s brows knitted a little upon hearing Sydnee¡¯s reply. So she was right that Sydnee did not remember the past. She cleared her throat. ¡°But when I did a background check, I learned that you, Rogie, and his twin brother were childhood friends. It¡¯s impossible that you don¡¯t know that he has a twin brother.¡±


    Sydnee froze and she stared at Selena with eyes wide open. ¡°What did you s-say?¡±


    ¡°You and Rogie were childhood friends. You don¡¯t remember?¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s brows knitted in confusion and she tried hard to remember Rogie in her childhood memories, but all she could remember were vague voices and blurred faces of two male children ying with her. The first boy was smiling at her while ying inside the familiar house.


    It was her former house where she used to live with her parents. The whole ce was dark and only the light of the moon was lighting up the sorroundings. She remembered that it was the night were a big fire happened in their vi. She could not see clearly the face of the boy in front of her but she felt familiar with him.


    Then the boy lighted up a candle to ease the darkness away. The candle lighted up the ce and the lightsing from that thing illuminated half of the boy¡¯s face.


    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Sydnee wanted to voice out but she could not.


    The boy in front of her led her away from the candle. It was when the long curtain caught the candle¡¯s sparks and fire started to devour all things in the living room. The boy caught her wrist and they ran towards the exit, but the fire had blocked the entrance and nobody was there to help.


    ¡°Brother!¡± someone shouted from behind.


    They both stopped running and turned to the one who shouted. It was a boy around their age. He was trapped in the fire and he was wailing. Sydnee felt a lump in her throat and her vision blurred because of tears. She was familiar with the trapped boy.


    ¡°Go!¡± the one beside her shouted and pushed her outside of the house.


    Sydnee yelled when she felt falling on the ground, and that¡¯s when she opened her eyes. She caught her breathe and sat on the bed while scanning her sorroundings.


    She was inside the white room. The smell and the things around told her that she was inside the school clinic.


    Sydnee held her forehead as her head throbbed in pain. She remembered that she was with Selena. What happened to her?


    The door was pushed open and ady wearing a white uniform stepped inside the room. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.


    Before the nurse could answer her, Selena entered the room and walked towards her bed. ¡°Are you okay? We were just talking about Rogie Camero in the canteen and you just passed out in front of me.¡± Selena let out a breathe. ¡°You scared me!¡± she whined.


    But deep inside, Selena was confused on Sydnee¡¯s behavior. Nheless, the nurse told her that Sydnee fainted because her mind was triggered and old memories resurfaced. Sheughed secretly upon hearing the nurse¡¯s words. While eating in the canteen, she added a potion on Sydnee¡¯s drink to trigger the memories inside the girl¡¯s unconscious mind.


    She knew that Sydnee now remembered what happened in the past and she was d. Although she felt sorry for the girl, it was all worth it because now, Selena couldplete one of her tasks.


    It would also erase Sydnee¡¯s name on the intelligence¡¯s list of suspects in the big fire of Vi Casa, if she could prove that Sydnee had nothing to do with the big fire.


    Now that the king was not in good health recently, the fight for the throne between the princes in the pce would begin sooner orter. It would implicate every officials who took sides.


    Duke Mondragon was in the hot eyes of every pce fractions because the Duke of Obando held the power of the kingdom¡¯s intelligence, except for the royal¡¯s exclusive intelligence group where Selena belonged to, and the duke was also one of the trusted aides of the King.


    If anyone could implicate the Duke¡¯s household, then it was Sydnee who entered the Duke¡¯s household recently. The suspicious background and her involvement in the big fire years ago that killed one of the king¡¯s son were things that the duke should watch out for.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Sydnee creased her forehead and took a deep breathe. ¡°I think I remember something in my childhood. I guess you are correct that I and Rogie were childhood friends.¡± Sydnee bit her lips when she remembered the picture that Rogie slipped in her hand on the night of Christmas party.


    Selena thought that she was doing Sydnee a favor. She smiled at Sydnee and spoke in gentle manner, ¡°Tell me everything that you¡¯ve remembered. I am listening to you¡­¡±

 Chapter 56

    ¡°You said that Rogie and his twin brother Renald were sons of the King?¡± Sydnee rified. Her eyes widened in surprise upon learning the secret of Rogie¡¯s identity.


    Selena nodded while she reached for a slice of apple. They were still inside the clinic and the nurse earlier had given them sliced apples to munch on.


    ¡°Rogie and his twin brother was born ofmoner mother, a servant of the king,¡± Selena said while watching the funny expression of Sydnee.


    ¡°Just like Isa,¡± Sydnee muttered under her breathe. Seriously? How many illegitimate sons and daughters do the current king have?


    Selenaughed. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think too much. It was not a secret that royals do have illegitimate children but nobody would dare to openly discuss it unless they want to be beheaded.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Sydnee chirped, but she also asked, ¡°But such coincidence that I knew them both. And I forgot about them too.¡±


    Selena shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Maybe because your mother Diana and Rogie¡¯s biological mother were half-sisters.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Rogie¡¯s biological mother and your mother Diana was born of the same father. That¡¯s why you and the twins had met each other during your childhood years. After the fire, Rogie and his twin brother were not seen in the Vi Casa. But I just knew that Rogie was saved by a good hearted man who lived next door. He tried to adopt Rogie after he buried Rogie¡¯s twin brother, but when he took him in the capital, a notable businessman without an heir took notice of Rogie and brought him from the kind hearted man. This notable businessman was Rogie¡¯s current father.¡±


    Sydnee stared at Selena. ¡°You know all of these?¡±


    ¡°I told you, before I befriend someone, I would check their background as well as the people around that person. So don¡¯t be too surprise. You can do these things too since it would be more favorable to you if the people around you are trustworthy.¡±


    Sydnee tried to reason out with Selena¡¯s idea, but she could not refute the girl. All she said was true so she sighed and epted her defeat. ¡°Alright. But do the king knows of Rogie¡¯s identity?¡±


    ¡°Who knows what¡¯s inside the king¡¯s head?¡± Selena said and smiled at Sydnee. Of course, the king knew of Rogie¡¯s identity, but because he was born out of amoner, the king did not care about him.


    But Selena was sulking when she first saw the list of names of her illegitimate half-siblings of the same father. She could not fathom why a man like the king would tangled himself with women of low ss. But when she learned the dark secrets in the harem, she then understand why the king would rather sleep with amoner than the notable daughters of his ministers.


    But of course, when a child was formed in the womb of those servants, the king would drive them out of the pce and gave them enough gold to take care of the child. The intelligence had kept a list of names of the king¡¯s illegitimate children so that when something happens to the legitimate children inside the pce, the throne could be pass on the person with the king¡¯s bloodline even though it was a disgrace for a person with amoner¡¯s blood to sit on the throne.


    Just like in Isa¡¯s case. She was a princess born from amoner, and when the pce need a princess to be send off for political marriage, the king decided to let Isa took the role because the princess who originally should take the role wasmitting suicide in order to stop the marriage.


    In Selena¡¯s case, she was a princess of noble blood and she knew what happen to the princesses in this kingdom. It took her a lot of courage and blood to be listed as one of the exclusive intelligence agents just to protect herself from any political marriages. Now, she knew almost all of the kingdom¡¯s secrets and the king trusted her a lot.


    ¡°But all these years, Rogie loved to bully me. Did he also lost his memories?¡± Sydnee asked under her breathe.


    Selena shrugged her shoulders. ¡°You can ask him.¡±


    Sydnee signed and munched on the sliced apple while thinking of the times that Rogie was bullying her. If they were childhood friends, why would he bully her?


    ¡°Oh right!¡± Sydnee suddenly snapped and turned her head to look at Selena. ¡°You said that you did a background check on me, right?¡±


    Selena was bewildered by the sudden change in Sydnee¡¯s attitude but then she nodded. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°So you know about the fraud case of my father?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s brows met. ¡°Did my father really stole money from his boss?¡± she asked.


    It was not really an important thing now, but Sydnee could not guess if that case was true. She knew that this incident was the reason why her life changed for the worse.


    ¡°I just knew that this fraud case was fabricated by Jubel Montefalco, Lisa Montefalco¡¯s father. You know Lisa, the wife of Rogie Camero, right?¡± Selena asked. Sydnee nodded so she continued. ¡°Jubel Montefalco was Lady Geneva¡¯s friend and years ago, he decided to fabricate a fraud incident and me it to your father, Henry Lurica. He put your father in prison and nobody ever tried to stand up for your father because Jubel was an official.¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s brow raised but he did not say anything, so Selena continued again. ¡°I just knew that Duke Theodore helped you and your mother Diana to settle by giving your mother enough money, but Diana bought a small nipa hut in thendfill.¡±


    Of course, her foster mother did not want to beugh at so she decided to live far away from her circle of well-off friends. Sydnee was contemting again when she noticed something. She looked at Selena and asked. ¡°Is that all the things that you¡¯ve researched about me?¡± she teased to hide her nervousness.


    If Selena was doing a background check on her, then she might know that her biological mother was Lady Geneva. But what she noticed in the girl¡¯s tone, it seemed like this girl did not know all the things about her identity. She was surprised to know that the duke could hide this great secret to the extent that the mysterious force supporting Selena did not find out everything about her past.


    Selena knitted her brows. ¡°I have already told you the things about your parents. But I know something about Lady Geneva that you might be interested.¡±


    Sydnee could feel a lump in her throat. She gulped hard and munch on her sliced apple bfore she let Selena continued.


    Selena grinned from ear to ear. It seemed like Sydnee was trusting her so much. She cleared her throat. ¡°Eighteen years ago, Lady Geneva was pregnant of the duke¡¯s child. But it was a pity that the child was stillborn.¡±


    ¡°S-Stillborn?¡± Sydnee muttered. If she was not wrong, she was the child that Selena was talking about. She gulped hard again. ¡°And what happened after?¡±


    ¡°The duke and Lady Geneva was in cold shoulder for years, specially when the Duke was not able to talk after the car ident where he was involved. Her child had died and her husband became disabled, so it was not surprising that Lady Geneva wanted to adopt a child. And that child was Catarina.¡± Selena stared intently at Sydnee who was gaping at her. She smirked. ¡°Now that you know that Catarina is an adopted daughter, you don¡¯t have to be intimidated by her. You were both adopted daughters with the same status.¡±


    Sydnee wanted to say that she already know that Catarina was an adopted daughter, but seeing the seriousness in Selena¡¯s eyes, she could not help but to just sigh and nod her head. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said.


    She secretly breathe a sigh of relief because it was now clear that Selena did not know about her true origin. It was for the best. The duke had already told her that she should not disclose her true rtionship with Lady Geneva.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    If everyone in the kingdom knew that she was a child of disgrace, then she could not inherit the dukedom and Catarina would snatch the inheritance away from her. Sydnee would never let that happen.

 Chapter 57

    Sydnee was standing together with her ssmates who wore big smiles upon their lips. The day hade that they hadpleted highschool. She was nervous and ecstatic at the same time.


    The duke did not attend her graduation day but the butler by the duke¡¯s side was with her. He kept on reminding her that she should not be nervous, but the more he reminded her, the more nervous Sydnee was.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I got it,¡± Sydnee said and sighed. She waved her hand to let him known that it was her turn to receive the highschool diploma. She walked towards the stage.


    ¡°Congrattions!¡± The director said to her and smiled.


    She received it with a smile and stood steadily on the stage tolet the person below took a picture of her. Then she stepped down from the stage.


    ¡°You¡¯re beaming too much. Please hide your smile or else I won¡¯t see a thing!¡± Selena joked when she was back to her seat. The girl was sitting beside her and was teasing her since earlier.


    Sydnee rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop that. There are many eyes on us, right now.¡±


    Selena giggled but stopped teasing Sydnee. She was happy because she hadpleted her mission in that academy. During the past few months, she was observing Sydnee and even tapped a wire to listen to Sydnee¡¯s activities outside the academy. But even doing so, Sydnee never got in touch with any of the known spies around the kingdom. She was sure that Sydnee was not a spy and she totally let her guard down in front of the girl.


    The graduation day also signified that she should go back to the pce. Having Sydnee as her friend during the past few months, Selena was already ustomed with her. It was a pity that she studied in the academy only toplete the mission.


    After the graduation ceremony, Sydnee and Selena bid goodbye with each other. Sydnee took a ride towards Obando while Selena took a ride towards the capital.


    Sydnee looked beyond the car¡¯s window. She watched as the sun set on the west. The ss was down so the cool breeze was fanning her face.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Young Lady, the duke instructed me to bring you outside for dinner,¡± the butler who was sitting on the passenger seat said. There were only three people inside the car. She, the driver, and Duke Theodore¡¯s most trusted butler.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said and cleared her throat. ¡°Is he alone?¡±


    ¡°Lady Geneva and Catarina would be there also.¡±


    Sydnee knitted her brows. She did not want to be with Catarina even for a minute, that¡¯s why she had been avoiding the girl since a few months ago. But tonight, she could not escape her any longer. She sighed again.


    Not long after, the car parked in front of the restaurant. Sydnee froze in her seat. It was the same restaurant where Anthony brought her a year ago. If she was not mistaken, Anthony¡¯s family owned this restaurant.


    The driver opened the back door for her. ¡°Young Lady,¡± he greeted.


    Without a choice, Sydnee drew a breathe and hopped off the car. She walked towards the restaurant¡¯s entrance while the butler was following her behind. Just like what she remembered not long ago, it had the same interior design. There seemed to be no changes at all.


    ¡°Young Lady, this way please,¡± the butler said.


    She followed him. After a few minutes, she arrived at the VIP room that Duke Theodore had booked in advance. The truth was that she believed that this dinner celebration was not needed, but in order to put up with the tradition, she had no choice but to greet them with her perfected smile as she expressed her gratitude.


    At first she was surprised to see some unfamir faces inside the huge VIP room. It seemed like both Lady Geneva and Duke Theodore had invited a lot of guests for the dinner celebration.


    ¡°Now that you havepleted high school, it is time for you to choose the course you want for college. What do you want to study?¡± Lady Geneva asked while grinning widely. If she had not known, she would think that Lady Geneva was happy for her. It was no wonder that nobles tend to fool the public easily.


    ¡°Thank you for inquiring, mother. I have not chosen a course yet, but I definitely no disappoint you,¡± Sydnee said and she too smiled broadly at the Lady.


    All the guests had an approving look on their faces. But Sydnee just wanted to end it all. Her lips were twitching because of non-stop smiling to put an act for the guests. She sighed secretly.


    But she froze when someone entered the VIP room and greeted everyone in sight. Lady Geneva beamed excitedly and stood. ¡°Duke Anthony, it is nice to have you here. Thank you for epting my invitation.¡±


    Anthony smiled at Lady Geneva and lowered his head to greet thedy. He then looked at Sydnee¡¯s direction. The smile on his lips deepend. ¡°It was fortunate to finally meet your daughter, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°It is my pleasure, Duke.¡± Lady Geneva then turned to Sydnee. ¡°Come here, child.¡±


    Sydnee was trembling because of nervousness upon meeting Anthony¡¯s eyes. It had been almost a year that they did not meet and Anthony had changed greatly, from being a gentleman to an imposing Duke.


    Thest thing she remembered about him was the note that she ced on the table, stating that she wanted to go back home. She did not even say goodbye to him face to face. It was indeed a rude behavior but she was still innocent back then and did not know the basic courtesy of being a noble.


    Sydnee tried hard not to bite her lips as she stood in front of Anthony.


    Lady Geneva noticed the weird atmosphere between the two and she cleared her throat. ¡°Duke, this is my daughter, Sydnee Mondragon. Sydnee, he is the Duke of Conscion, Duke Anthony Bermeda.¡±


    She saluted and greeted him. When she raised her head again, Anthony was smiling gently at her.


    ¡°Your daughter is beautiful. Congrattions, Lady Geneva. Here is my gifts for your daughter. I hope that she will continue to strive harder for the betterment of the Kingdom.¡±


    Anthony signaled the butler to hand over the gifts that were ced inside the chests. Lady Geneva then ordered the maids waiting for orders in the corner to put the chests aside.


    ¡°Thank you for your generous gifts, Duke Bermeda,¡± Sydnee mumbled.


    Anthony looked at Sydnee who had grown a lot since thest time he had seen her. He was amazed when he learned that Duke of Obando epted her as an adopted daughter. Sydnee really exceed his expectations.


    ¡°You are wee,¡± he whispered.

 Chapter 58

    There was a change in the atmosphere when Anthony joined the dinner celebration. The other nobles might not notice it but Sydnee felt it, specially when Anthony was giving her extra attention. She did not need him doing stuffs like picking up shrimps and meat and then put it on her te. No, this attention would definitely invite trouble for her.


    She smiled at him when he put a piece of cake on her te. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Duke.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Anthony said and ignored her silent protest.


    She could feel the fiery gaze of both Lady Geneva and Catarina. Ladies, she did not beg him to do that, okay?


    Until the end of the dinner, Anthony was showing her favor. The guests were all gone and apart from the four of them, Anthony was still inside the VIP room.


    ¡°Uh, no need to do that,¡± she immediately declined when she noticed that Anthony was going to get her a drink.


    It was when the Duke noticed the strange behavior of Anthony towards Sydnee. While in the dinner, he did notice that Anthony was giving a lot of attention to his adopted daughter, but it was at that moment that he knew something was going on between the two.


    Duke Theodore raised his hand and the butler standing beside him cleared his throat. ¡°Ladies, the Duke wants to talk with Duke Anthony. Please let the maids see you out.¡±


    Lady Geneva showed a displeased expression but she heeded outside. Catarina was sulking while following the Lady, while Sydnee was silent. When she arrived outside, Catarina had blocked her way. She sighed. As expected of this girl.


    ¡°Are you trying to seduce Duke Anthony? Wake up, you trash! He will never notice you!¡± she yelled.


    Sydnee winced. They were still inside the restaurant and there were many guests. Why was this girl shouting at the top of her lungs? Could she just hold her anger and vent it out once they arrive at the mansion?


    ¡°Let¡¯s talkter,¡± she said and walk passed by her.


    Catarina continued her yelling so Lady Geneva immediately reprimanded her. They went outside first with two maids in tow. A maid was left standing behind Sydnee to serve her.


    Not long after, Duke Theodore and Anthony walked out of the VIP room. Sydnee stood in front of them and saluted. ¡°Greetings, father. Greetings, Duke Bermeda. Mother and Catarina are waiting outside.¡±


    Duke Theodore immediately knew that Catarina was throwing a tantrum, so he bid goodbye to Anthony and walked out of the restaurant together with Sydnee.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Anthony watched the father and daughter duo walking away from where he stood. A smile crept into his lips and his gaze was gentle while staring at Sydnee¡¯s back.


    When college started, Sydnee did not travel far away. The University inside the teritory of Obando was enough for her. It was one of the prestigious Universities in the kingdom, so the other nobles in neighboring teritories would travel to Obando just to enrol into the said University.


    ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want this dress!¡± Catarina was throwing a tantrum again while Sydnee tried hard not to wince.


    The corset that she was wearing for the first time made her gasp a little to breathe. It was hard to breathe and with the dress on her, it was even harder to move around. Why should she wear like this? She was not attending some sort of ball.


    Lady Geneva coaxed Catarina. ¡°No. It¡¯s the first day of school so you should wear this. Any freshman nobledies would wear it.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t breathe!¡±


    ¡°Just rxed your shoulder and muscles. You would find it easier to breathe.¡±


    Even though the advice was meant for Catarina, still, Sydnee did as what Lady Geneva said. True enough, she could move around in a limited manner, but it was okay than being held up by the corset that she could not move around even for a bit.


    After a few minutes of tantrums, Catarina calmed down. It was also the time for them to enter the car that was waiting for them outside. Catarina and Sydnee were studying in different academy during highschool, but Duke Theodore decided to let them study in the same University during college.


    Even though Sydnee was not really okay having Catarina with her in the same University.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like a kid inside the University. There are many noble young man inside and you should uphold your image as young and delicate noble young miss,¡± Lady Geneva warned Catarina.


    Sydnee did not listen to what the Lady was saying. She checked the time in her phone. One hour before the first ss would start. Seriously? How many more minutes did she have to wait for this girl?


    ¡°Go and enjoy!¡± Lady Catarina said before the car sped up. Sydnee sighed in relief.


    There was only silence inside the car until it stopped in front of the University. Sydnee was the first to hopped off the car. She did not wait for Catarina and just walked briskly towards the entrance. It was almost time!


    When she arrived in her designated ssroom, all Sydnee could see was unfamiliar faces. She gulped and secretly drew a breathe. With the unordinary bearings of her new ssmates, she could guess that they were all nobles inside and outside of Obando. Her lips pursed into a thin line before she walked at the back, where a group of boys were sitting quietly.


    She chose to sit in the chair on the back beside the window. Just like what Selena liked, she also wanted to see the scenery outside the ssroom and that chair would let her do it freely.


    ¡°Are you Sydnee Mondragon?¡± someone beside her asked.


    She turned her head and she came face to face with a young man. He had an auburn hair and blue eyes. His distinct features were often seen in the capital. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Do you need something?¡± she asked and turned her head on the side so she could not see his face again.


    In the corner of her eye, she noticed the young man smirked. ¡°I am Aleksander Tamarin, from Alta Sosyedad.¡±


    She guessed it right. This young man was a noble from the house of Tamarin in the capital. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Young Master Tamarin,¡± she said.


    Aleksanderughed. ¡°I heard that you are also an adopted daughter of Duke Mondragon. How was it?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I asked how was it being a noble? You were once amoner so it is understandable that you can¡¯t adjust to the lifestyle of my world.¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s lips twitched. What did this young man mean? Was he just trying to insult her?


    She shrugged her shoulders and smiled helplessly at him. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°If you need something, you can count on me!¡± Aleksander said before he stood and walked back to his chair in front.


    Sydnee¡¯s expression darkened. So he was originally sitting in front and he just went in the back to tease her?


    So rude.

 Chapter 59

    Aleksander continued to pester Sydnee but he never once tried to visit the Duke¡¯s mansion. Some people spected that Sydnee was hooking up with Aleksander, abolishing the norms of elite circle.


    She raised her brow when she first heard the rumors about her inside the University, and it did not take long for her to know that Aleksander was the useless bastard of Tamarin house. People oftenughed at her saying that the two of them matched with each other, one was a bastard of Tamarin and the other was the bitc* of Mondragon.


    Sydnee¡¯s patience went out after hearing those new rumors. She decided to wait for Aleksander in the parking lot, that¡¯s why she was standing under the ginko tree not far away from the storage room. She was not sure where Aleksander¡¯s car was, but she learned from his friend that he was using a car.


    ¡°Young Lady, do you need something?¡± the maid standing beside her asked.


    Sydnee shook her head and patiently waited for Aleksander. She already told the driver to fetch her at six in the evening, and she let him drive Catarina home first. She drew a breathe. She did not mind if he waste, but she hoped that she could talk to him.


    Her eyes lit up when she noticed Aleksander walking towards the red sports car parked not far away from where she was standing. She smirked and walked closer to the young man.


    Aleksander stopped when he noticed Sydnee and theter stood in front of him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk,¡± Sydnee said then turned around and walked towards the back of the storage room. She just hoped that no one would notice them.


    She stopped when she reach the bench at the back of the storage room and turned around to face Aleksander. She then drew a breathe. ¡°Please stop pestering me.¡±


    Aleksander was silent before he said, ¡°Pestering you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She had met his eyes with determination. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the rumors about us? They wereughing behind our backs and I don¡¯t want to taint the reputation of Duke Mondragon because of these rumors.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s brows met and her lips twitched. ¡°What do you mean with ¡®oh¡¯?¡±


    Aleksander nodded and then touched his invisible beard. ¡°So you want to be a nice girl for a good prestige?¡± He smirked. ¡°Since when you care about your reputation?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You were a bullied girl in your highschool days. I¡¯m surprised that after you gained foothold, your first concern was your reputation. Isn¡¯t that a bit¡­ ironic, littledy?¡±


    Sydnee gritted her teeth in annoyance. That is what she hated with Aleksander. He kept on reminding her of what she experienced in highchool, without a slight concern whether it hurt her or not.


    ¡°At least care about your reputation!¡± she spat.


    Aleksander chuckled. ¡°Why would I? Isn¡¯t it a bit boring to take care of a good reputation?¡± He grinned at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it amusing to have rumors about you?¡±


    She signed. This guy was really hopeless. ¡°What do you get in making your reputation bad, huh?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°The angry expression of my good father, I guess.¡±


    She went silent upon hearing his words. Then her forehead creased. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless. Don¡¯t make your father angry or else he¡¯ll disown you eventually.¡±


    The grin on his lips were not affected by her words. Aleksander flicked her nose andughed. ¡°You were amoner so you don¡¯t understand. Don¡¯t worry. If you feel agrieved, I¡¯lle to your rescue, princess.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a princess!¡± she huffed and crossed her arms against her chest. ¡°Now that we are clear about it, please don¡¯t pester me anymore. I want the rumors to stop.¡±


    ¡°Clear about it?¡± Aleksander leaned forward and whispered in her ear. ¡°In your dreams!¡± Then he stood straight, turned around, and walked away.


    Sydnee was left huffing mad at his words. She clenched her fists and strode towards the gate. The maid was silent behind her. As she stood under the waiting shed, countless thoughts were running in her mind. No one enjoyed making his reputation bad, unless he did it out of provocation. But who was the one that he¡¯s provoking?


    ¡°Katliya,¡± she called the maid behind her.


    ¡°Yes, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°Let me know everything about Aleksander Tamarin. Don¡¯t let anyone know that I¡¯m checking that guy¡¯s background.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Not long after, the familiar car stopped in front of her. Katliya, her confidante, opened the door for her. She hopped in. The driver drove the car back at the mansion.


    When she arrived at the mansion, she saw countless dresses in the living room. There was also a woman in her mid-30s who were checking on the dresses. Catarina was sitting in a one-seater sofa in a behave manner. Sydnee raised her brow. It was rare for Catarina to behave as a prim and properdy.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Catarina called when she entered the mansion.


    Sydnee winced but she forced a smile on her lips. ¡°Yes?¡± She knew that Catarina was putting an act because of the auntie, and she was used in acting anyway.


    ¡°The meeting ball is fast approaching . The auntie here is helping us to choose a dress that we¡¯ll wear in the ball. Please choose your dress!¡±


    Meeting ball? Sydnee became silent as she looked at the colorful dresses present in the portable wardrobe. She looked at the auntie who smiled at her. She smiled back and walked closer to the dresses.


    But her attention was in the dresses that¡¯s why she did not notice that Catarina strucked her foot forward when she was about to pass by her.


    Sydnee stumbled forward and her face almost kissed the floor if she did not turn her head in thest minute.


    ¡°Young Lady!¡± Katliya yelled and helped her got back on her feet.


    Sydnee smirked and patted Katliya¡¯s hand before she looked at Catarina who was looking away and simply drinking the tea.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°My dear sister, please don¡¯t let your leg block my way. It¡¯s improper for a youngdy to act like a prankster. You don¡¯t want mother to reprimand you again,¡± she said to Catarina before walking closer to the dresses.


    The auntie who saw the scene knew that it was Catarina¡¯s intention. And she was amazed at how Sydnee handled the situation. An approving look appeared on her face.


    Sydnee on the other hand was secretly observing the auntie¡¯s face. When she saw the approving look on the auntie¡¯s face, she knew that she had achieved her goal. She could not help but to smile brightly while choosing a dress.


    It did not take her long to choose for a dress that suit her. After she and Catarina had their chosen dress, Lady Geneva led the auntie out of the mansion while she and Catarina was left sitting in the living room.


    Catarina¡¯s face was dark and she red at her. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you are doing!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sydnee raised her brow as she sipped tea from her cup. She smiled sweetly at Catarina behind the cup.


    ¡°You trash! You think I don¡¯t know that you deliberately stumbled in front of the auntie?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sydnee put the cup back on the table and raised her eyes to Catarina. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that you block my way. Don¡¯t be ridiculous, sister.¡±


    Before Catarina couldsh out again, Lady Geneva had entered the mansion. Sydnee greeted the Lady before going to her room.


    THE meeting ball that Catarina mentioned was the annual gathering in the capital of the nobles across the kingdom. It¡¯s main purpose was to build more connections and to establish names for the young lords anddies in each household.


    It was the first time for Sydnee to attend such gathering. The duke specifically asked her to stand next to him during the gathering. She worried that she might made a mistake and tarnish the duke¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Youngdy, there is nothing to worry about,¡± Katliya said while helping her putting on the corset. ¡°The Duke is kind and has a good reputation. No one would look down on him during the event.¡±


    Sydnee bit her lips and slightly creased her forehead. ¡°What about the information I asked of you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Young Master Aleksander is the illegitimate son of Marquis Tamarin. Since he was young, he was a subject of ridicule in the capital. The other young masters often bullied young master Aleksander, and the Marquis sent the young master to study in Obando. Most of the people think that it is the Marquis¡¯ way to throw his illegitimate son away.¡±


    Sydnee went silent. Katliya¡¯s informat was from the duke¡¯s intelligence group so she was sure that the information was correct. Although she ordered Katliya not to let anyone knew of her order, Sydnee knew that Katliya was informing the duke. In the first ce, Katliya was a high-ranking intelligence officer that the duke gave to her for protection and whom she could trust to run errand.


    ¡°He won¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble, wouldn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°If he cause troubles for you, Young Lady, you can always tell the duke.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Sydnee shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just a trivial matter.¡±

 Chapter 60

    The ride towards the capital was peaceful. Catarina did not throw tantrums like she would usually do. Lady Geneva did try to pick on her. Sydnee was d because of silence.


    She looked outside the window and watched as their car drove past other vehicles and establishments. It was her first time to visit the capital and she was nervous yet excited at the same time. The duke had asked her to do her best to appear humble and dignified in front of the officials. Of course she knew why. She would be the center of biggest power fractions in the capital and the duke had also warned her about the royals who would set eyes on her.


    When they arrived at the capital, Sydnee was left in awe while watching outside the window. The teritories like Conscion and Obando were nothing like the capital. The ce was full of buildings that were so high, one could like at the sky to spot the end of the buildings. There were also a lot of people wearing revealing shirts and there was no distinction between a man and a woman.


    She found it interesting. While she was still amoner, she always wear a dress that reached below her knees. But the normal citizens in the capital could wear dresses that¡¯s mid-thigh. No one would bother to correct their clothing and no one would take time to gossip about the way they dressed themselves.


    ¡°Is it a bit too revealing?¡± Catarina suddenly asked while watching the people in the streets.


    ¡°The butler in the passenger seat cleared his throat. ¡°It is, Young Lady Catarina. Butst year, the king approved of this clothing to ease the women¡¯s difort because of the hot season. But they are only allowed to wear that style during summer.¡±


    ¡°How about in Obando? Themoners are not wearing that kind of clothing?¡± Sydnee asked.


    The butler looked at the duke before smiling at Sydnee in the rearview mirror. ¡°The Duke did not approve of it. It is not mandatory for women to wear these clothings during summer.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Then silence followed. About half and hour passed before the car entered a towering gate and stopped in front of the mansion. Sydnee frowned but did not say anything. It was Duke Theodore who exited the car first, followed by Lady Geneva. Sydnee wanted to hopped off but Catarian brushed her away. She scorned. This girl was really picking a fight with her.


    Even though Sydnee wanted to stomped on Catarina¡¯s long dress so the girl would stumble out, she did not do it. They were not in Obando and she was careful not to embarass the duke in front of other nobles. In the end, it was Sydnee who exited the carst.


    She tipped her head back to look at the huge mansion in front of her. Sydnee could not help but to stare in a daze. It was much bigger than the mansion in Obando.


    ¡°Look at the country bumpkin. Stop acting like a fool who did not see something like this mansion, Sister. Who knows what would you do if you visit the pce?¡± Catarina said whileughing.


    Sydnee¡¯s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She looked away and pursed her lips into a thin line.


    ¡°Stop teasing her,¡± Lady Geneva said and followed Duke Theodore inside the huge mansion.


    Catarina sneered at her before walking inside the mansion. She could see the gloating smile on the girl¡¯s lips but she did not counter the girl. This time, it was her fault for being overwhelmed. If there was nobles around, she would be theughing stock again.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Sydnee then learnedter on that the big mansion was the first property that the king gifted to Duke Theodore. When the king gave the Duke a teritory to rule, Duke Theodore decided to move into his teritory.


    ¡°The meeting ball will be held tonight,¡± Lady Geneva said over breakfast.


    Sydnee had adjusted herself in the mansion. She tried herself to not be overwhelmed by the riches in the capital so that she could remain dignified in the meeting ball.


    ¡°Mom, is Duke Anthony attending the ball?¡± Catarina asked.


    She froze for a minute before she regained herposure. Anthony would attendter? She pursed her lips. She knew in herself that she could try to act dignified in the meeting ball, but she could not trust herself if Anthony would be there too. After that dinner, she could not stop thinking of that man.


    ¡°Yes, he is invited by the second prince.¡± Lady Geneva frowned. ¡°It¡¯s best not to tangle yourself too much with Duke Anthony. The second prince and the crown prince are vying for his loyalty but Duke Anthony seemed not interested with the power struggle in the pce.¡±


    ¡°But I like him!¡±


    ¡°Catarina,¡± Lady Geneva hushed. ¡°Just wait for a while before approaching that young duke. Everybody knows that second prince is vying for our loyalty. If the crown prince could pull the young duke in his side, then things would beplicated. We can¡¯t afford to offend the two princes.¡±


    Catarina was sulking because of Lady Geneva¡¯s words. Sydnee was in deep thought. She didn¡¯t really put emphasis on the fight for the throne but when she thought about it, she could not help but frown. She was worried for Anthony¡¯s safety.


    When evening came, Sydnee was ready to attend the ball. She stood by Duke Theodore¡¯s side while walking towards the entrance of the function hall.


    She noticed a lot of guards standing outside of the hall wearing armors from head to toe.


    ¡°Husband, it should only be me by your side,¡± Lady Geneva whispered to the Duke. The Lady was standing at the Duke¡¯s left while Sydnee at the right. Catarina was behind them and the girl¡¯s face was dark since earlier.


    Duke Thedore patted Lady Geneva¡¯s hand on his arm and then turned his head to look at Sydnee. He smiled to the girl standing beside him.


    Sydnee smiled stiffly and secretly gulped hard. She could not fathom why the duke made her stood beside him while Catarina was left behind with two maids in tow. But ording to what she read, standing beside the head of the family means being his heiress. Her heart thumped wildly upon learning what it means to stand beside the duke.


    Before she could utter a word, the nobles inside the function hall turned their heads on them. Her insides curled and chill ran down her spine.


    Their gazes was full of malice hiding behind their beautiful smiles. She knew by then that Aleksander said the truth. She did not understand him at all.


    ¡°Duke Theodore, I am honored to have met you tonight,¡± a man with a mask on his face stood in front of the duke and saluted.


    Sydnee froze upon hearing his voice. Wasn¡¯t it Aleksander Tamarin?


    Duke Theodore smiled at the young man. Lady Geneva beamed. ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure to meet you too, Young Lord.¡±


    Aleksander grinned and looked at Sydnee. The ball was not a masquerade party, but some young lords anddies were wearing masks to hide their appearance. But Duke Theodore did not intend to hide Catarina and Sydnee¡¯s faces so they were not wearing any masks to hide their beauties.


    It was no wonder that nobody recognized Aleksander except for the ones he interacted for the past few months. Sydnee thought that it might be because the Marquis was ashamed of his illegitimate son, so he approved of Aleksander wearing a mask.


    ¡°The music is lovely and I have nopanion. May I ask for thisdy to grant me a dance or two?¡± Aleksander said while staring into Sydnee¡¯s eyes.


    Sydnee fought the urged to beat up this young man standing in front of her. She could guess that he was teasing her and was so amused that his lips curled up.


    ¡°Of course. This is my daughter, Sydnee. Sydnee, you go and have fun,¡± Lady Geneva said while beaming excitedly.


    In the surface, it seemed like Lady Geneva was giving Sydnee a favor, but she knew that Lady Geneva just wanted to psuh Sydnee away so she could put Catarina beside Duke Theodore.


    It was not difficult to know the intention of her so-called mother, but she did not want to incite trouble in the meeting ball. She put her hand on Aleksander¡¯s outstretched palm. The young man smirked and led her away from the duke.

 Chapter 61

    Aleksander led Sydnee in the corner where there was no one. Sydnee then pull away her hand from his hold. ¡°What do you want?¡± she huffed.


    The man looked down on her and grinned again. What on earth did he want with her? Sydnee frowned.


    ¡°It looks like the duke¡¯s favor is on you, huh?¡± he said.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Be careful with the people around you. You never knew who is secretly watching you.¡±


    Before Sydnee could utter a word, a man stood beside her. She was startled. She did not notice how the man got close to her. It was surprising because Sydnee was trained to notice every movement in her sorroundings under the duke¡¯smand, that¡¯s why there was no one who could get past her defense, and this is also the reason why Sydnee could counter attack Catarina in every petty tricks.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± the man called.


    Her eyes widened when she recognized the voice. It was Anthony. Sydnee tipped her head back to look at him and her breathe hitched when their eyes met. Anthony smiled at her. ¡°What are you doing here? Go back to the hall,¡± he said.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ o-okay.¡±


    She looked at Aleksander and bid farewell before turning around to walk back to the ball. She did not try to look back again because she was afraid of any mistakes she would do if she stayed in front of Anthony.


    ¡°Sister, here you are!¡± Catarina called her.


    Sydnee was startled before she looked at Catarina. The girl was standing not far away from her and there were at least two boys and girls watching Sydnee¡¯s every move. She wondered what tricks this girl was ying at the moment.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she greeted and then looked at the fourpanions of Catarina. ¡°I am Sydnee Mondragon, Catarina¡¯s sister. It¡¯s nice to meet you all.¡±


    One of the girlsughed and held out her palm. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Generika Montno.¡±


    Sydnee smiled and shook hands with the girl. But she was startled when the other girlughed. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of her, Generika,¡± she said.


    Generika pulled back her hand andughed again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that this girl¡¯s a country bumpkin who did not know how to salute.¡±


    Her brow raised upon hearing the girl¡¯s words. She smirked. So they were making fun of her because she shook hand with the girl named Generika? Well, themoner do shook hands with each other, but the nobles do a saluteexpressing their greetings.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sydnee interrupted the girl. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who held out their hand first. If I had known that you want a salute, then don¡¯t stretch out your hand least you¡¯re just making a fool of yourself.¡± She then turned to Catarina and smiled brightly. ¡°Sister, you must listen well to your etiquette teacher. Don¡¯t make other peopleugh at you because that won¡¯t look good specially when you want a notable reputation.¡±


    The group went silent because of her words. Sydnee grinned at Catarina before bidding goodbye to them and turning around to walk away.


    Jeez. That girl would always pick on her. Sometimes, she just wanted to smash Catarina¡¯s face.


    Sydnee stopped in the terace. She drew a breathe. The moon was shining brightly on the horizon. There was rustles in the trees not far away from where she stood. The noises from the meeting ball was faint and she enjoyed the caress of the night breeze on her skin. A smile crept onto her lips and she closed her eyes.


    ¡°Sydnee,¡± someone called from behind her.


    She opened her eyes.


    ¡®That voice¡­¡¯ she thought and hastily turned around.


    Her eyes widened when she met Rogie¡¯s gentle gaze. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Sydnee, I¡¯m d you came.¡± He smiled at her.


    Sydnee took a step back and swallowed hard. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I followed you.¡±


    ¡°But ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one would know.¡±


    Her lips twitched. Why did it sound like they were doing something illegal? She looked away. ¡°What do you want?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I want us to talk about you.¡±


    She pursed her lips. She did not say anything so Rogie continued. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ are they treating you well? The duke ¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She frowned when she remembered what Selena revealed to her about Rogie¡¯s identity. She looked at him.


    There was no resemnce of the king in Rogie¡¯s face, that¡¯s why she did not notice that he was one of the king¡¯s sons. She could still see that during these months of not seeing him, other than the maturity in his eyes, nothing changed about him at all.


    ¡°I was surprised to know that Duke Mondragon adopted you as his daughter.¡± He smiled again and looked away. ¡°That¡¯s good. No one would bully you again.¡±


    She was silent for a few seconds before she asked, ¡°How about you and Lisa?¡±


    Rogieughed. ¡°Nothing¡¯s new other than she was more violent than when I first married her. She got jealous easily so I couldn¡¯t work peacefully.¡±


    Her lips twitched and she looked away. Silence hovered around them for a few minutes before Rogie broke the silence. ¡°I heard that the first daughter, Catarina, is taking the side of the second prince. Please be careful.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Silence. The atmosphere was awkward and Sydnee just wanted to escape from Rogie. After a few seconds of hesitation, she faced him. ¡°I need to ¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Rogie pulled her and hugged her tightly. Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Let me hug you for a moment,¡± he whispered.


    She pursed her lips. The memory in that fine afternoon resurfaced in her mind, where Rogie kissed and hugged her. She frowned. ording to Selena, Rogie and her were cousins. But then, Selena did not know that Diana was not her biological mother, so Rogie and her were not blood rted at all.


    But feeling his tight hug, she contemted whether to tell him the truth about them being ¡®blood rtives¡¯ to shake off Rogie¡¯s advancement.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said and looked at the stars in the night sky that were visible from her perspective. ¡°Do you know that we¡¯re blood rted?¡±


    She felt Rogie froze for a moment. He hugged her even tighter. Sydnee frowned. ¡°Your mother and my mother were half-siblings. You are not thinking of being together with your cousin, right?¡±


    Call her being heartless and inconsiderate, but Sydnee was unhappy of Rogie¡¯s advancement on her. He was once her bully and it was not easy to forget those horrible memories.


    After being a noble and knowing a lot of things, Sydnee regretted that she let Rogie took advantage of her when she was in highschool. How naive and clueless she was in those times? Rogie was clearly taking advantage of her and she was letting him do everything that she was supposed to stop.


    So to stop this mess, she would let him believe that they were blood rted. If Rogie would still insist on taking advantage of her everytime they met, she would really think that he¡¯s insane.


    ¡°Blood rted?¡± he whispered and chuckled. ¡°I know that you don¡¯t believe my feelings for you, but don¡¯t try to deceive me, Sydnee.¡±


    Her lips curled. ¡°I¡¯m not deceiving you. You should check my origin before confessing, else, you might marry your half-sister.¡±


    It was true. There were many illegitimate children born from the king. It would be horrendous if he ended up with his half-sister.


    Rogie pulled away from the hug. Sydnee sighed in relief.


    He frowned when he noticed how Sydnee rxed when he released her. ¡°What are you sighing at?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She crossed her arms around her chest and tipped her head back to look at him. ¡°Go back to your wife. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Sydnee¡­¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re disappointed that I was not like before? Naive and easy to fool?¡± Sydneeughed. ¡°Don¡¯t assume that I like you. It¡¯s enough that you¡¯ve bullied me before but I would never take any grievances again specially from you.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry for bullying you. I just want you t-to fight back and not be a c-coward¡­¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Stupid.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Go. I don¡¯t want to see you again!¡±


    ¡°Sydnee¡­¡± Rogie held her shoulders.


    Suddenly, a high pitch voice sounded from the entrace of the terace. ¡°What are you doing with my husband, bit**!¡±


    Sydnee was startled. She pushed Rogie away and she came face to face with Lisa. The girl was not wearing any mask so she could see how knitted Lisa¡¯s brows were and how hateful the girl¡¯s re on her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± she said.


    ¡°Not what I think? You tried to seduce my husband?!¡± Lisa yelled.


    Before she could utter another word, Catarina¡¯s voice sounded from where Lisa came from. ¡°Oh my, sister! You tried to seduce a married man? You should have said that you wanted to marry so badly so I can rmend a young man for you!¡±


    Sydnee froze. She looked at Catarina and she saw a lot of nobles staring at her in disgust. Her brows knitted. She knew it. Catarina led Lisa in the terrace to tarnish her reputation!


    ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense, Catarina, else you will pay with your tongue,¡± she warned.


    Catarina appeared afraid of her threat. ¡°I just wanted to help you, sister! If it makes you mad, then I won¡¯t say anything again!¡±


    ¡°Sydnee, you should not threathen Catarina. She just want to help you out,¡± Lady Geneva said in a calm manner, but she saw disgust and contempt in thedy¡¯s eyes.


    She chuckled because of the hypocrisy of the two. She turned her head to Rogie who¡¯s face was dark. ¡°You better exin to them what happen or else they would not stop pointing fingers at us,¡± she uttered before facing Catarina with a smirk on her lips.


    Wanna y with her? Since Catarina wants to y, she will beat that girl in her game of ying as thoughtful sister.


    ¡°We were talking about personal matters,¡± Rogie said and looked away. His knuckles clenched tightly that it turned white.


    Catarina gasped and looked at her and then at Rogie. ¡°Personal matters? Is it about your ambiguous rtionship with my sister?¡±


    Many whispers started to emerge from the crowd because of Catarina¡¯s words. Rogie knitted his brows. ¡°Ambiguous rtionship?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Catarina nodded. ¡°You two were once ssmates. You bullied my poor sister back then, even forced her to submit to you unwillingly. There were many rumors that you kissed her in private. I don¡¯t believe it at first, but seeing that you and my sister were alone in this terrace, and sister Lisa¡¯s yelling that my sister is seducing her husband, it is now clear that you two are having a secret rtionship!¡±


    More and more eyes were staring at Sydnee with disgust. A woman even voiced out, ¡°A typical bitc* who¡¯s habit is to climb into a man¡¯s bed.¡±


    ¡°You said so,¡± the other woman voiced out. ¡°I heard that this new girl is hooking up with the bastard of Tamarin.¡±


    There wasughter in the crowd. ¡°A bitc* and a bastard. What a perfect couple.¡±


    Sydnee narrowed her eyes. Who would spread the rumors here in capital? She looked at Catarina who was feigning wronged, yet she could still read the gloating in her eyes. Hah. What a pretentious girl.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Sydnee said and smiled at Catarina. ¡°Sister, you are wrong. Don¡¯t spread false rumors or else you are destroying the duke¡¯s prestige. You don¡¯t want to bebeled as a nderer, are you?¡±


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t say anymore. People won¡¯t believe the words you said! Don¡¯t deny what¡¯s happening between you and that young man!¡±


    Tch. This girl was really getting into her nerves.


    Before she could utter a word, someone from the crowd said, ¡°Who is ndering my fiancee?¡±


    There was a pin drop silence in the crowd. The group of people parted to make a way for the man who was walking towards Sydnee.


    Sydnee¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing Anthony. There was a mask on his face so no one knew who he was, except for those who recognized his voice. She frowned. What was he saying?


    He smiled at her and stood beside her. His arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer. ¡°This girl is mine. She is not seducing someone¡¯s husband.¡±


    Catarina¡¯s face darkened. What was this foolish man thinking? She was a step closer in destroying Sydnee¡¯s reputation and this man just showed up to announce such non-existent agreement? Sheughed. ¡°What are you saying, young man? My sister has no fiance!¡±


    Anthony turned his head towards Catarina and smirked. ¡°You kept on ndering your sister¡¯s name. Are you not afraid that it would also affect your reputation?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Catarina stuttered. ¡°What affect? My sister is the one hooking up with a married man. It has nothing to do with me!¡±


    Anthony lowered his eyes on Sydnee. ¡°You are just talking with your cousin. Why would your sister Catarina kept on bbering nonsense usations?¡±


    The crowd went silent and looked at Rogie who was trembling in the corner. He raised his head and threw a sharp re at Catarina.


    ¡°Are you done spouting nonsense? Just keep your mouth shut if you don¡¯t know anything!¡± he spat.


    Holding Lisa¡¯s wrist, he walked out of the terrace. The crowd was parting wherever he passed by.


    Sydnee¡¯s brow knitted. He just epted the words she threw at him earlier? Did he know already about them being ¡®blood rted¡¯?


    The show had ended so the crowd went back into the hall. Lady Geneva had long gone away with Catarina in tow. Duke Theodore was not present in themotion because he was called in the pce by the king for an emergency order.


    Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Aleksander¡¯s voice sounded below the terrace. ¡°Well, well¡­ Sydnee, you are a trouble ma!¡±


    Her lips twitched.

 Chapter 62

    After themotion in the terrace, although no one talked about it during the rest of the meeting ball, Sydnee knew that she was the center of gossip in the nobles¡¯ private chats. She could feel gazes from everyone thus she left the hall earlier.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t enjoyed the party yet,¡± Aleksander said while ying with the wine ss in his hand.


    Sydnee huffed and looked at the man. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me. Go back and enjoy the party.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a pity. I couldn¡¯t enjoy it without you.¡± Then he winked at her.


    Anthony, who was walking beside Sydnee frowned and looked at Aleksander who was on the other side of Sydnee. ¡°Go back, Tamarin.¡±


    Aleksander gaped, feigning shock while staring at Anthony. ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°Stop pestering Sydnee.¡±


    Aleksander put his free hand on his chest and looked at Sydnee sadly. ¡°My beloved Sydnee, I¡¯ll go back. The man beside you is dangerous and I couldn¡¯t win against him ¡ª¡±


    Before Aleksander finished his words, Anthony took hold of his shoulder and threw him back on the hallway. Anthony then held Sydnee¡¯s wrist and dragged her towards the exit of the building.


    Sydnee sighed. She could not help but to look over her shoulder to check on Aleksander. Even though that man was annoying, he was still a noble. It¡¯s not good to have another enemy.


    To her surprise, Aleksander was still lying on the hard floor in aid back posture. When he saw her looking back at him, he grinned and winked at her again.


    A ck line appeared in Sydnee¡¯s forehead. She turned her head to look in front. That man! He was making use of her to anger Marquis Tamarin again!


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get close to that bastard. Only trouble would await for you,¡± Anthony warned.


    She knew it. Whenever that man was lingering around her in the past, troubles would stick to her like a second skin. She pursed her lips in annoyance.


    They reached Anthony¡¯s car. The man opened the passenger door for her. Sydnee was startled. ¡°Uh¡­¡± She look over her shoulder and she saw Katliya. She knew that this confidante of her was following her secretly to ensure her safety. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ¡ª¡±


    Anthony stopped her protest. ¡°I know where Duke Mondragon¡¯s mansion in capital is located. I¡¯ll drive you home. You can call your maid.¡±


    Sydnee stared at him for a few seconds, before she gestured Katliya to hopped in. She sat on the passenger seat while Katliya was left alone on the backseat. Anthony sat on the driver¡¯s seat and the car drove out of the parking lot and into the bustling streets of capital.


    She had notified the duke that she would go home earlier than them due to headache. When she received a reply from Katliya, she immediately left the hall. She did not bother to notify Lady Geneva because she knew that thedy would only hold her up in the party.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Anthony suddenly asked her.


    Sydnee looked beyond the window and unto the bright streets. ¡°I¡­ I want to eat a light dinner.¡±


    The party had just started that¡¯s why the dinner was not served yet. It was also too early to go home, so Anthony asked her first.


    ¡°I knew of a ce.¡± Then he turned the steering wheel around.


    Not long after, they arrived at a bustling restaurant. It looked like a foreign restaurant because of the unfamiliar designs.


    Anthony led her inside and unto a VIP room. There was a woman waiting for them. When she saw them approaching, the woman smiled brightly. ¡°Wee, Sir Anthony. What would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°The usual. And serve something light. I want the best dishes.¡±


    ¡°Right away!¡± the woman chirped and then walked away.


    Anthony pulled a chair for her to sit. ¡°Thanks,¡± she whispered before she sat on it.


    ¡°This is a foreign owned restaurant and whenever I visit the capital, this is my favorite ce to eat to. The auntie earlier already knew me ¡¯cause I¡¯m a patron here,¡± Anthony said to open up a topic.


    Sydnee¡¯s brow raised. ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°The capital has a lot of foreign influenced businesses because the king opened up the trade market with other kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°I see. The development in the capital can¡¯t bepared with Obando. It is more lively here during nighttime, not like the peaceful nights in my ce.¡±


    Anthony smiled at her.


    She was curious about the fiancee thing that Anthony had announced earlier and she wanted to confirm it with him, but she was afraid and felt it awkward to ask about it. So she brushed the thought aside and just treated it as a joke.


    A few minutes passed and the woman came back with two servants walking behind, both holding a tray containing the food that Anthony had ordered.


    ¡°Hello, Sir!¡± the woman greeted. ¡°Here is your order.¡±


    Anthony nodded and smiled at the auntie before gesturing Sydnee to eat. Sydnee curled her lips before scoping foods onto her te.


    There was only silence as they eat their own fill, while Katliya was left standing not far away from them. Sydnee noticed the girl at the corner of her eye, so she gestured her to book a table and eat her dinner. Katliya smiled at her and shook her head. She was not tempted by the aroma of foods around the ce because she was trained to discipline herself. Being a high-ranking officer, she could go all night without having a dinner.


    Sydnee shrugged her shoulders. She knew that Katliya was only doing her job. She would just ask the auntie to take out some dishes so Katliya could eat themter.


    After the dinner, Anthony led Sydnee towards the park not far away from the restaurant. There was a firework show in that night so they stayed in that park, chatting about the things that happened to him and to her recently.


    Sydnee was long ustomed to Anthony¡¯s presence that she did not find it awkward to chat with him. A rare gentle smile was on her lips as she watched the fireworks painting colors on the night sky.


    The lightsing from the fireworks reflected on Sydnee¡¯s face, so when Anthony lowered his gaze on her, he was amazed by her beauty. Her clear eyes held the colors of the fireworks and the gentle smile on her lips brought peace within his soul.


    Anthony leaned his face closer to Sydnee¡¯s cheek and gave it a peek, before he sat up straight and looked up in the colorful night sky.


    Sydnee just felt a warm and soft thing poked her cheek and it vanished as quickly as a wind. She looked at Anthony who was looking onto the night sky. Then she lowered her gaze and curled her lips.


    AFTER a night of gentle warmth, Sydnee was back again in the cold mansion that she viewed as a battleground. She happened to arrived at the mansionte so Lady Geneva was already waiting for her at the living room, while the duke was reading a magazine in the corner.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Sydnee roamed her eyes around. Catarina was not here?


    ¡°Who are you with?¡± Lady Geneva asked and crossed her arms against her chest. ¡°Is this what a nobledy would do? Hooking up with someone and not even introducing him to the family?¡±


    She pursed her lips and greeted the duke and Lady Geneva. She then stood straight and lowered her gaze. ¡°I was with Duke Anthony. He invited me to a dinner and enjoyed the capital before he dropped me home.¡±


    There was silence, then Lady Geneva stood. Sydnee thought that thedy would walked out, but she was startled when Lady Geneva stopped in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak, but before a word came out of her mouth, a resounding pped echoed in the four corners of the living room.


    Sydnee¡¯s face turned to the side and her mind went ck.


    ¡°You unfilial daughter! You are hooking up with Duke Anthony? Do you think that you can marry into his household? What a bitc*! You are what they say!¡±


    She blinked her eyes. The stinging pain in her cheek let her knew that Lady Geneva had indeed pped her. It was the first time that Lady Geneva raised her hand on her.


    In the corner of her eye, she saw Duke Theodore gesturing the butler. The butler than spoke, ¡°Young Lady, you can go to your room. There¡¯s no need for you to be here.¡±


    Sydnee nodded and without saying a word, she turned her back on Lady Geneva and climbed into the stairs. She walked towards her room but before she could enter, Catarina blocked her way.


    ¡°Good for you, bitc*!¡±


    Sydnee¡¯sst thread of patience had gone. She faced Catarina and smacked the girl¡¯s face with her fist. Catarina yelled in shock and she mmed on the floor. The girl looked up on her with eyes wide open.


    ¡°Good dogs don¡¯t block the way,¡± she said then entered her room. She shut the door so hard that it vibrated for a few seconds. She knew that the sound was heard by the people in the living room, but she did not care.


    Frowning, she changed her dress. Katliya was nowhere in sight.She did not mind.


    After she got dressed in her pajama, Sydnee closed her eyes and let her consciousness drift away.


    THE gossip about her circted in the noble circle the day after the meeting party. She was a scoundrel, hooking up with noble men to climb into their beds.There was also a rumor that she was not a virg*n, and that she was hooking up with the worthless bastard of Tamarin.


    Because of these rumors, the family of four drove back to Obando in the very same day. The Duke also decided to let her home schooled.


    Catarina was gloating because of her destroyed reputation. Sydnee just sneered. ¡°Do you want to get pped again?¡± she asked when Catarina blocked her way as usual.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be proud, my dear sister. It is only the beginning!¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Are you filming some kind of drama?¡± She brushed her aside and walked away.


    Catarina was left huffing in annoyance. Katliya, who had seen the interaction between the two, could not help but to chuckle. Ever since the Young Lady Sydnee practiced the art of concealing once¡¯s emotion and presence, she had became more brave. She was not like the coward girl who first stepped inside the mansion. Katliya sighed. She remembered how embarrass the Young Lady was when she first practice self-defense. There were many bruises on the girl¡¯s skin but she never gave up.


    ¡°Katliya, did the tutor dropped by?¡± Sydnee asked.


    Katliya stood attentively and answered, ¡°No, Young Lady. No one dropped by.¡±


    Sydnee raised her brow. It seemed like someone was obstructing her path to education. She sneered inwardly. It must be the right time to rece the rumors about her with other ¡®more interesting¡¯ rumors.


    ¡°Katliya, have you retrieved the lost shdrive?¡± she asked.


    Katliya nodded. ¡°Yes, Young Lady. The incident was clearly recorded in it.¡±


    A sly smile appeared on Sydnee¡¯s lips.


    One of the misses who smeared her reputation was the first daughter of Baronness Jenica. Just a year ago, a rumor had spread in the noble circle saying that the eldest miss was hooking up with a guard. Unfortunately, the third prince who Baronness Jenica supported had stopped the spread of the rumor.


    It happened that Katliya¡¯s informat had retrieved a shdrive containing the incident of ¡®hooking up¡¯ with a guard. Since the eldest miss wanted to smear her reputation, it was rude not to give back.


    ¡°Spread that video among themoners. Let it spread in the capital only. Don¡¯t let anymoner in Obando get a hold of the video. I don¡¯t want them to suffer the wrath of the third prince. Also, let it spread first in the house of the fifth prince,¡± Sydnee said then she chuckled.


    Since it was inevitable for the princes¡¯ fight over the throne, why not let them get ¡®busy¡¯ first cleaning up the mess that their great supporters made?


    ¡°Understood, Young Lady.¡±


    This incident and the incidents that would follow would be the catalyst to begin the princes¡¯ fighting for the throne.

 Chapter 63

    The copy of the video spread across the capital. The eldest miss of the Baronness who were active in spreading rumors about Sydnee paled when she checked the video that circted overnight. It was her being tangled with the guardst year. Who recorded this video?


    The eldest miss immediately summoned her maids and talked with her mother. She and Baroness Jenica went into the third prince¡¯s manor to ask for help.


    Meanwhile, in the fifth¡¯s prince manor, the maid who picked up the memory card while buying something in the market yesterday wasughing with the other maids. They were maidenmoners who had not seen a naked man and they were fascinated with the ¡®good¡¯ body of the man in the video,


    They of course, did not know who was the two people doing it in that video, but they enjoyed watching it. It spread in the whole manor and outside of the manor. The fifth prince who were stationed in the border did not know about this thing.


    When the third prince¡¯sckeys investigated the incident, they found out that the video was from the fifth prince¡¯s manor. The third prince then ordered his confidante to spread the rumors of Marquis Lehandro¡¯s daughter having an affair with her half-brother.


    It just so happened that the daughter of the Marquis was one of the misses who ndered Sydnee.


    When the new rumor spread in the capital, Marquis Lehandro sent a message to the fifth prince in the border. The letter contained the happenings in the capitaltely. It did not take too long for the prince to reply.


    He then ordered his confidante to investigate the maid who spread the video and who was targeting his mansion. But no matter how hard they tried to investigate, there was no good result. It seemed like all the incident in his mansion was just an ident. The prince brushed it off.


    Amidst the bustling rumors spreading in the capital, Sydnee was enjoying her leisure time in the garden. She just received an interesting information that the fourth prince¡¯s number one supporter, Ling Dun, was seen smuggling illegal logs from the neighboring kingdom.


    It was good for her. Ling Dun¡¯s second and third daughters were the ones whomented against her while she was confronted in the terrace.


    Sydnee smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s erase Dun family in the capital. me it on the sixth prince,¡± she gestured to Katliya.


    Katliya nodded and went out. When she walked through the doorway, she saw the Duke. She bowed in front of him. He looked down on Katliya and nodded. She immediately fleed. The Duke knew of the Young Lady¡¯s moves, but he did not intend to stop nor encourage her. He would only stood up when a crisis arise.


    Katliya sighed. The Young Lady was taking her revenge in every family who ndered her, but ording to what she knew of her, the Young Lady was bullied in her elementary and highschool years, yet she did not take revenge on them. Why?


    Katliya could not understand why.


    Sydnee, who was left in the garden, was silent. She knew that her actions were dangerous, because she was dancing with fire. But what else could she do?


    No one would protect her reputation except her and no one would clear her name.


    All the tutors were being bribed or being killed while travelling to the mansion. The higher officials were now suspicious of Duke Theodore. Sooner orter, those envious old men would take action.


    Sydnee was just stalling for more time. She needed to clear her bad reputation first, while making sure that this household would maintain a neutral position in the court. Or else, they would also get drown in the power struggle in the capital. Stirring the power fractions in the capital would make those envious old men busy for awhile.


    She sighed and took a sip on her tea. Katliya had informed her of the dark secrets behind every household who ndered her. Those households were supporting at least one prince, but there are some white-faced who were serving two masters behind the princes¡¯ backs.


    A smirk made its way to her lips. After a some time, Katliya returned with confirmation that the instructions were all delivered.


    She nodded and then yed with her fan. ¡°Do you remember the names of those who were not loyal to one master?¡± she asked Katliya.


    Katliya nodded. ¡°I do remember them all.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Sydnee squinted her eyes on the small dots written in her fan. It was the special code that was exclusive to her and the Duke. The code was a knowledge passed down by the Mondragon¡¯s ancestors and no one in the kingdom except the duke and she could decipher the code.


    ¡°Let some of them lose their supporters, specially the second prince. There were many white-faced nobles behind his back. Let¡¯s gift him something he should be grateful for.¡± Sydnee smiled sweetly and gently fanned her face.


    She could still remember that the second prince was giving her a warning. Tch. Now¡¯s the payback time. After this move, the second prince woulde knocking on this household. But she would never let anyone ept the prince¡¯s offer.


    ¡°Understood, Young Lady.¡±


    Katliya then ran an errand once again.


    In the next morning, Ling Dun, a sixth rank official was sentenced to death for treason and bribery. The members of his household would be executed three dayster and all the wealth of the official would be confiscated.


    Not long after Ling Dun died, another unfortunate event happened. At least seven ministers and twelve nobles were jailed because of bribery and criminal charges. But Sydnee knew that it was those princes behind the movement.


    Now, the power bnce inside the court was disturbed. It was also the time to put her men inside the court. Three newly appointed officials were under Sydnee¡¯smand and she was satisfied with the result. She did not need a lot of men inside the court or else it would be easy to find fault with her.


    But it was not enough. Themotion barely touched the higher officials. Sydnee wanted to turn the court upside down so they could not find time to reach their ws inside this household.


    Sydnee then ordered Catliya to spread rumors about an official who used his position to abuse a high school girl. The rumors came from the other neighboring teritory, where the crime happened.


    After three days, the rumors spread across the kingdom¡¯s teritories, and themoners filed a petition to the king. In the capital, there¡¯s a revolt. Themoners stood in front of the officials¡¯ manor, yelling their protest to punish the official whomitted the act.


    The court was in chaos and the king was furious.


    During this time, another rumor spread. It¡¯s about the recently adopted daughter of Duke Theodore Mondragon, the duke of Obando, who protected a needy woman and son from the barbaric thiefs in the streets of Obando.


    When themoners heard of this heroic deed, they praised Sydnee and talked about the other ¡®wonderful¡¯ things that she did in Obando. They praised her wits and kindness to help themoners. The people even called Sydnee as the only noble who truly understand the need of everymoners.


    This good reputation spread across the teritories. After the bad picture painted by the bad official, hearing about a noble¡¯s adopted daughter being kind to themoner, it was like a sun shining in the darkness.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Themoners spread Sydnee¡¯s good reputation and it did not escape the king¡¯s ears. Because of the previous outburst of the people, the king immediately summoned Sydnee to the pce to elevate the ¡®kindness¡¯ of the noble. He wanted to reward this noble¡¯s daughter so that he could make a good impression to the people. The king even helped spread Sydnee¡¯s ¡®kindness¡¯ and making Sydnee as the standard of true virtue of a nobledy.


    While everything in the kingdom was in chaos, the perpetrator was reading a book peacefully in the garden. Sydnee flipped on the next page and continued reading.


    She knew that it was chaotic outside so she did not go out of the mansion these days, except when she would perform her ¡®kindness¡¯ to the people. Not that she was hypocrite, but Sydnee was not the kind of person with a big heart for themoners. She was just using them to build her reputation, but of course, she would try to ask what things themoners need so that she could provide it for them.


    She was still the Young Lady after all, and she did not control the mansion, so it was impossible to help all of themoners.


    ¡°Young Lady, there is an invitation from the pce. The king summoned you,¡± Katliya said while handling a letter.


    She raised her head and took a glimpse on the letter before she nodded and gestured Katliya to put it away.


    When she flipped on the next page, there was a smile ying on her lips.


    What she did was just an experiment. She first let the people know of the bad things a noble did to themoner. In this way, the people would go mad and would turn the pce upside down.


    Then she would appear in the middle of the chaos like an angel to let the people believe that there is still kindness in the noble¡¯s hearts.


    Through this, she did not only soothe the anger of the people, the king would be grateful to her for soothing the people¡¯s anger. Besides, these two variables would spread her good reputation and she would be a legendary figure in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    And seeing the invitation from the king, she knew that her n had seeded. She now had a good reputation, the duke¡¯s prestige had increased, and there¡¯s a favor of the king. These three things were enough for her to get an excellent tutor for her education.


    Well, she had the chance to go back to the University, but she had no ns to go back anymore. During her stay in the mansion, she discovered that she could lessen her stress and she could have more time for herself. It was a nice.


    When the duke arrived home, he beckoned Sydnee to dress up. He would take her to the pce. Catarina, who learned of Sydnee¡¯s good reputation was in bad mood, and the was even more mad because the duke would not take her to the pce.


    ¡°Young Miss Catarina, the King only asked of Sydnee so the duke would only take the Young Lady.¡±


    Catarina huffed in annoyance and red at the butler. She rolled her eyes and marched out of the mansion. She wanted something to punch and the newly cut bonsai in the garden was good enough. She then destroyed it.


    Duke Theodore and Sydnee arrived at the pce. There was already an eunuch waiting for them at the gate. He greeted them and led them towards the throne room where the king was currently sitting.


    Sydnee could not help but to frown a little when she felt her palms sweating because of nervousness. She rolled her eyes inwardly and sighed secretly.


    ¡®Come on, Sydnee. You were the one who nned it all, right? It has already went down to this point so what¡¯s the fuss?¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°The duke and Young Lady are here,¡± the eunuch said to the man beside the door.


    The man looked at Duke Theodore and Sydnee. He greeted them and then shouted, ¡°The Duke Theodore Mondragon of Obando and Young Lady Sydnee Mondragon have arrived!¡±


    The two big doors opened. The first that caught her attention was the man sitting on the elevated throne with a golden crown upon his head. He was sitted like aid back king in her imagination. Sydnee was surprised to know that what she imagined the king would be was quite¡­ precise.


    The Duke walked inside. Sydnee followed. She was walking beside yet behind a little to the duke. Since she was a girl, she was taught to walk behind a man. She did not mind it at all because she respected Duke Theodore in her heart.


    ¡°Greetings to His Majesty,¡± Duke Theodore bowed in front of the king.


    Sydnee curtseyed to the man on the throne.


    ¡°My Duke,¡± the King greeted. He set his eyes on Sydnee. ¡°This is the girl who is kind,passionate, and gentle?¡±

 Chapter 64

    The king sitting on his throne smiled at Sydnee. ¡°Raise your head,¡± he said.


    Sydnee raised her head while she maintained her gaze on the floor. She was taught not to meet the gaze of the king as a subject.


    ¡°Your daughter is indeed a beauty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, My King.¡±


    Sydnee tried hard not to pursed her lips nor to look at the Duke who was standing beside her. She thought that the Duke did not let anyone know that he could talk, except for his confidante. But it turned out that the king knew that truth all this time.


    It was good that only the King and the eunuch by his side was present in the throne room excluding the two of them. At least the information that Duke Theodore could talk was still a secret. It was nice not to invite unnessary trouble on the household.


    After some time, the king granted Sydnee a tutor for both etiquette and education. She lowered her head and thanked the king, although she was indignant with the tutor of etiquette. Did the king think that she still needed an etiquette teacher?


    ¡°You seemed mad,¡± Duke Theodore said when they were inside the car.


    She smiled and looked outside the closed window. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, duke.¡±


    ¡°Now that you achieve the things you want, would you still stir the powers in the capital?¡± he asked.


    Sydnee thought for a while, before she shook her head. ¡°I have what I wanted, and it¡¯s not good to continue stirring them. They might notice something amiss and would find fault in silent officials eventually.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You know when to strike and when to retreat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Duke.¡± Sydnee beamed at him.


    The Duke just smiled gently at her and pat her head. ¡°When you graduated college, I¡¯ll announce an official heiress. For now, just endure the troubles in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth mentioning. Catarina would always pick fight, but I could still control her.¡±


    ¡°Be careful when dealing with her. I have received an information that Catarina had started to contact the spies lingering across the kingdom. I am still going after their clues. Sooner orter, she would contact the spy outside of the kingdom. And they would make move at that time.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She frowned.


    The duke had already told her why he would not want Catarina to inherit the dukedom. It turned out that Catarina was a spy that the enemy kingdom sent to Obando fourteen years ago. The enemy kingdom nned to take roots in the kingdom through Catarina when she inherited the dukedom, to bring disaster upon the kingdom.


    Sydnee could understand how a mere dukedom could be the downfall of the whole kingdom. Didn¡¯t she just usetely the intelligence group under the Duke¡¯smand? And being the trusted aide of the Duke, she happened to form a group of elite officers from the intelligence division of the Duke to run errands for her.


    She was just a little girl who stirred up the powers in the capital, yet it was a bigmotion that if those princes didn¡¯t use their wits to investigate and stop the spread of rumors, would ended up to more troubles and more fractions would be destroyed.


    If Catarina could get a hand over this kind of power, what could be the kingdom¡¯s status in just a month?


    She sighed. ¡°When will the tutors arrive in Obando, Duke?¡± she asked.


    Her eyes watched the big buildings outside the car¡¯s window. The car was travelling towards the border and unto the next teritory.


    ¡°They might arrive tomorrow,¡± he answered.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Then they went silent until they arrive at the mansion. She let the Duke exited the car first, before she hopped off. Catarina was nowhere in sight. She sighed in relief. That girl would only there to pick on her but she was not in the mood to teach that girl a lesson, because she was going to prepare for tomorrow.


    The duke watched Sydnee ran to the entrance. He shook his head and chuckled. The girl was really¡­


    There¡¯s nothing much to prepare but Sydnee was nervous. The king ordered the two royal tutors to teach her etiquette and education. These tutors were the ones who taught the princes, so she was excited and nervous to meet them.


    She jumped off the bed when there was a loud banging on the door. Sydnee frowned. Was it Catarina again?


    She opened the door before another loud bang, and a body fell on the floor. She looked down on Catarina who was sprawling on her doorway. She chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there¡¯s a beggar inside this mansion.¡±


    Catarina red at her and stood. The girl¡¯s cheeks were red due to embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to quarrel with you, sister!¡±


    Sydnee raised her brow. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°The second prince is below! He wants to talk with you!¡± Catarina huffed and walked away with her head held high.


    Oh. The second prince was looking for her?


    She checked her dress and it was presentable, so she immediately went down. Sydnee first saw Lady Geneva on a one-seater sofa, and the second prince was sitting opposite the woman. They both turned their heads on her when they heard her footsteps.


    Lady Geneva¡¯s face darkened when she saw how unkept Sydnee¡¯s dress and hair were. ¡°My good daughter,¡± she said between gritted teeth. ¡°Come and join us for a tea.¡±


    Sydnee shrugged her shoulders and sat on the sofa far away from the two. She turned her attention to the second prince. ¡°Do you need something?¡± she asked.


    The second prince frowned at how disrespectful Sydnee¡¯s tone was, but then immediately smiled. ¡°The tea is imported from the neighboring country. It is delicious and has a gentle taste.¡± The prince offered her the tea cup.


    Lady Geneva twitched her lips while Sydnee frowned. Sure thing, this prince has something else in mind. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked.


    The smile on prince¡¯s face faded as he faced Lady Geneva. Thetter left them two in the living room.


    ¡°I want to get your support for my ascension to the throne.¡±


    Sydnee raised her brow. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do with the throne. Why are you asking me? I don¡¯t have power in the capital.¡±


    Did he know that she was the one who instigated the recent chaos in the capital?


    The second prince leaned slightly into her direction. ¡°I see that the duke cares about you more than your sister Catarina. Now that you have gained my father¡¯s favor, it is enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Sydnee yed the tea cup but she never took a sip. ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡±


    The second prince smiled at her words. ¡°Marry into my household as a concubine.¡±


    Sydnee froze. A glint shed across her eyes and then disappeared after a second. She put the tea cup back on the table. ¡°Concubine?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And why do you think that I¡¯ll agree with your proposal?¡±


    ¡°I will protect you from my brothers. I will also give you all the riches and make you equal with my princess consort.¡±


    Sydneeughed. ¡°Just a concubine and you are bragging your riches. Don¡¯t assume that I¡¯m easy to fool, prince. Now that you have lost a lot of your supporters, you are knocking on our doors. Being humble won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    The prince gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. ¡°I am giving you a favor. Don¡¯t becent!¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders and grinned at the prince. ¡°I won¡¯t marry into the royal household. Not to you, nor to your brothers, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    ¡°Sydnee Lurica ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mondragon. And of course, the king had granted me the title of First Princess, if your informat haven¡¯t told you yet. If you have nothing else to say¡­¡± Sydnee stood and turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. Please enjoy your tea.¡±


    Early in the morning, the duke¡¯s mansion was bustling. The tutors have arrived earlier than usual so the maids were busy preparing meals for the esteemed guests. Lady Geneva and Sydnee weed the two tutord. Duke Theodore was doing errands for the king that¡¯s why he was not present in that moment.


    One of the tutors named Manuel looked at Sydnee. He nodded. ¡°A young and brave girl. I can teach you the virtue of a royal princess as what the king had instructed me to do.¡±


    Sydnee smiled and bowed her head to him. ¡°Thank you, tutor.¡±


    She received an approving gaze from the two of them. In that morning, she toured them around the mansion. Lady Geneva did not pick on her and put an act of being a lovely mother to Sydnee. She did not mind it at all. She was d that Catarina was not around to make troubles for her. The Lady might lock Catarina in her room to avoid any troubles.


    The very next day, Sydnee started to learn from the two tutors. The course session which was an alternative education to her college was being held in the morning, while the etiquette is being held in the afternoon.


    Sydnee was learning well, but after sometime, Catarina would pick troubles with her. So the Lady let Catarina stay in the University dormitory.


    Time flew by and it was the fourth year of Sydnee¡¯s home schooling. The two tutors did not only taught sydnee the course lessons and etiquette, they also taught her the political structure of the kingdom and other neighboring kingdoms.


    The Duke asked the king¡¯s permission for her to learn the political structure to prepare Sydnee in her inheritance. The king first hesitated because Sydnee was born of amoner, but since the public has a good impression of Sydnee and that Sydnee became the living ¡®connection¡¯ between the noble and themoner, the king agreed and gave his blessings on Sydnee being an official heiress.


    Little did they know, the spies from the enemy kingdom who hid across the kingdom were waiting for Catarina to inherit the dukedom.

 Chapter 65

    ¡°What did you say, Mom?¡± Catarina faced Lady Geneva and gaped her mouth in shock. ¡°Did you just say that Dad would make this trash the heiress of the dukedom?!¡±


    Lady Geneva hushed Catarina. They were still inside the hall and the ce was full of aristocrats and officials alike. It was the day that Duke Theodore would announce his heiress. The royals were also present.


    ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± Lady Geneva sighed. ¡°We can¡¯t stop your father in his decision. Let¡¯s just ept it dear, okay?¡± Lady Geneva coaxed and ced her hands in Catarina¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°No!¡± Catarina broke away from the Lady¡¯s grasped. ¡°I can¡¯t ept it! Mom, I was with Dad all these years! I studied how to be a good duchess, but¡­ but that trash take my inheritance away!¡±


    ¡°Catarina!¡± Lady Geneva said and dragged the girl onto the corner where no one was around. ¡°Just let this event go in peace. We can deal with Sydneeter, okay?¡±


    Looking into the resolute gaze of Lady Geneva, Catarina finally calmed down. She clenched her fists and vowed that she would never let this matter go!


    Meanwhile, Sydnee was inside the room where fine dresses and make-ups were prepared for her. Her lips curled and looked at Duke Theodore. She smiled at him.


    Duke Theodore noticed Sydnee¡¯s gaze. He looked on her and smiled in return. He pat Sydnee¡¯s head and gestured her to prepare for the party. Then he went outside.


    Sydnee was then dragged by the maids in front of the vanity mirror. They dressed her up and do her hair. After a few hours of sitting, one of the maids informed Sydnee. ¡°Young Lady, you can open your eyes.¡±


    She opened her eyes and what she saw on the mirror made her freeze for a while. The girl¡¯s face reflected on the mirror was unfamiliar, but the girl¡¯s gaze¡­ Sydnee knew that she had seen those eyes before.


    ¡°Young Lady, you are so gorgeous!¡±


    The girl on the mirror smiled upon thepliment. ¡°You all did a great job,¡± she praised.


    The maids blushed in embarrassment and thanked her.


    Sydnee stood and put on the dress. The maids helped her out. After a while, she faced the whole body mirror.


    She wore a blue ball gown and her hair was tidied up into a bun, with a few strands hanging at the side of her face. A sigh escaped from her lips. Never had she imagined that this day woulde where she could wear such a fine dress.


    ¡°Young Lady, smile. It is not good to sulk,¡± Katliya who just entered the dressing room joked.


    Sydnee chuckled and waved at the maids. They all went out except for Katliya. ¡°Did you spot those mice?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Katliya helped her put the tiara in her head. ¡°There are at least twenty spies spotted in the area.¡±


    Her eyes squinted and her lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Catarina would make a move after this event,¡± she said.


    ¡°How do you know, Young Lady?¡±


    Sydnee traced her right forearm that were covered with bluece. ¡°Lady Geneva would check on Catarina to make sure that the girl won¡¯t make any trouble. The royals were here, so of course, Lady Geneva would put a leash on Catarina. But after the event when no one was looking, Catarina and her spies would make a move.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Lady Geneva is still your biological mother.¡±


    Sydnee stopped tracing thece and looked at herself in the mirror. She stared into the girl¡¯s cold eyes. A crooked smile appeared on the girl¡¯s lips. ¡°Even the royals could kill their brothers and father for the throne. Lady Geneva and I were just strangers living in the same house. Of course, she would not stop Catarina in making my life worse. For her, I was just a pest in her life.¡±


    ¡°Young Lady¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s also a stranger to me. I didn¡¯t grow up with her and she didn¡¯t take good care of me.¡±


    Katliya went silent because of her words. Sydnee drew a breathe and practiced a smile on the mirror. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said and walked out of the room.


    After waiting for a while, the man announced Sydnee¡¯s presence. The two big doors opened up for her. Sydnee walked on the red carpet towards the center of the hall, where the king was sitting on the elevated tform reserved for the king. Sitting beside him, at the lower left, was the current queen who had blue eyes and blonde hair. On the lower right, the stern face of the crown prince was what she saw.


    When she arrived at the foot of the elevated tform, she curtseyed and greeted the king and the queen.


    ¡°Rise,¡± the king said.


    Sydnee stood while lowering her gaze.


    The king gestured to the eunuch and the man opened up the sealed scroll and read out loud the edict written on it.


    ¡°Sydnee Mondragon, daughter of Duke Theodore Mondragon and Lady Geneva Mondragon, given the title of First Princess and the authority to own a hundred cities under themand of the King, the noble youngdy who is kind, gentle,passionate, and has the virtue of a royal princess¡­ hereby given the title of Obando Heiress, a title to seed the reigning Duke Theodore Mondragon. You, Obando Heiress, ismanded to submit yourself under the King¡¯s authority and Duke¡¯smand. This title is granted to this day and shallmenced until death.¡±


    She bowed her head. ¡°I, Sydnee Mondragon, dly ept the edict.¡± Her hands epted the edict given to her by the eunuch.


    She secretly sighed in relief. Now, another title was granted to her.


    The king then gestured to continue the party. Sydnee then excused herself and although she did not want attention, but because she was dressed in mboyant blue ball down, she became the center of attraction. Many noble young men ask her for a dance, she just smiled and put her hands on their outstretched palms.


    Deep inside, she was indignant. Her feet were aching so bad and her knees were wobbling, but because she was the ¡®star¡¯ of that party, she could not escape from their clutches. It was rude to turn them down.


    Some of the prince also danced with her. Sydnee¡¯s insides curled because of nervousness, but she did her best to smile and appear elegant. She fought hard not to twitched her lips and to not roll her eyes.


    When it was the second prince¡¯s chance to dance with her, she immediately declined.


    ¡°My feet hurt, prince. I can¡¯t dance with you.¡±


    The second prince smiled gently at her, but she could see the anger in his eyes. Sydnee was overjoyed. Hah! How dare he to offer her a concubine position and even bragged about his riches?


    ¡°I understand, First Princess. Let me escort you to your room to rest.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Sydnee pursed her lips but still smiled at him. She saw the crown prince stood from where he was sitting and the prince walked towards her.


    She was even put into a hot seat. She just hoped that the crown prince was not targeting her, but to her dismay, the crown prince stopped a foot away from her and stretched his hand on her.


    ¡°I will escort you to your room, First Princess.¡±


    Sydnee blinked. She watched in amusement at the corner of her eyes, how the second prince¡¯s expression changed. It was said that both the crown prince and the second prince were great rivals.


    She almost held out her hand, when she saw Anthony at the corner of her eyes. Her expression changed, and then bowed to the crown prince.


    ¡°Your highness, I would like to solve my necessity first,¡± she reasoned out and maintained her gaze on the floor.


    Beads of sweat formed at her back. Just let her go, okay?


    The crown prince was silent before he nodded. Sydnee smiled at the prince and walked away. She happen to pass behind Anthony.


    ¡°Anthony,¡± she whispered before she continued to walk away from him.

 Chapter 66

    The moon was big and round. It shone so bright that the stars could not be seen in the night sky. The night breeze caressed her skin. Sydnee closed her eyes and smiled.


    The translucent moonlight shone on her blue dress and the tiny crystals shone when the moonlight touched them. In the middle of the night, Sydnee was like a fairy who descended into the world.


    It was the scene that Anthony saw after he followed the girl. He was d that Sydnee was granted another title, but he was unhappy to see her dancing with men. He wanted to also dance with her, but he was being watched by both the crown prince and the second prince. He did not want to implicate Sydnee.


    His foot stopped a meter away from the shining girl under the moonlight. He drew a breathe and called out her name. ¡°Sydnee.¡±


    When she heard Anthony¡¯s voice, Sydnee opened her eyes and looked at the man standing before her in a daze. The moonlight shone on his suit and his eyes emitted a gentle brown light. She smiled and walked close to him.


    ¡°I knew it. You woulde here,¡± she said.


    Anthony reached out and tucked the dangling strand of her hair onto her ear. ¡°You called my name. Of course, I¡¯lle to you.¡±


    A blush appeared on Sydnee¡¯s cheeks at what Anthony did. She looked away and cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯m sick of the noises so I want to escape. I happened to see you so I called you out.¡±


    Anthony just hummed and continued staring at her face. She bit her lips and turned around. She then drew a breathe. ¡°Anyway, I want to ask you something. Do you n to side one of the princes?¡±


    He leaned forward and hugged Sydnee from behind. His lips touched the girl¡¯s ear. ¡°It¡¯s not the right ce to talk about it, isn¡¯t it?¡± he whispered.


    Sydnee shuddered at the close proximity. Her hands immediately held Anthony¡¯s, but before she could remove them from her waist, a rustle was heard nearby.


    Her instinct told her that the people hiding behind the bushes were the spies under Catarina¡¯smand. She pursed her lips and pat Anthony¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Let go,¡± she whispered. Her body was tensed and she secretly gritted her teeth. They were brave enough to get close, huh?


    It seemed like Catarina¡¯s patience had ran out. Sydnee smirked. Good.


    Anthony, who knew that a number of eyes were watching the two of them, did not let go and instead hugged Sydnee even tighter. He scanned the sorroundings in the corner of his eye. True enough, there were hidden mercenaries. Spies?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside,¡± Anthony said and snaked his arms on Sydnee¡¯s waist.


    He was not afraid to confront those hidden guards, but he was afraid that Sydnee might get hurt. He tried to drag Sydnee back to where he came from, but the girl was standing firm on her ground.


    Anthony looked back at Sydnee. The girl was watching him and the bright smile on her lips blinded him for a moment.


    Then, a gunshot echoed in the silence of the night.


    He immediately pulled Sydnee to his body. There was a hole to where the girl was standing earlier. Anthony breathe heavily and checked Sydnee. There¡¯s no wound. She¡¯s okay, Anthony consoled himself and hugged Sydnee.


    Then he lifted her up and ran back to where he came from. Another gunshot was heard and more holes were running after Anthony. He held Sydnee tighter to his body and jumped towards the stairs.


    The gunshot were loud that all the forces around the vicinity were alerted. They immediately gathered their men and ran towards the location of the gunshot.


    Meanwhile, the assassins and spies hiding in the bushes were gritting their teeth in annoyance. They had received an order from the leader a while ago. Their mission was to assassinate Sydnee Mondragon, but the girl was lucky to have escaped from death.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe to run after them. Let¡¯s go!¡± one of them said and they all ran away from the ce.


    But just as they turned around the corner, a group of well-dressed guards appeared from nowhere and immediately disarmed them. They also crippled them so they could not run away.


    Right at that moment, the men of various forces had arrived in the area.


    The mysterious group of well-dressed guards threw the caught criminals into the den of the forces.


    When the assassin raised his head, he saw the royal guards and private armies. He gritted his teeth. He tried to attempt a suicide, but the captain of the guards saw his tricks and hastily stopped him.


    ¡°Running after a failed assassination?¡± The captain sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t die yet. We haven¡¯t captured your leader, eh?¡±


    The mysterious guards left a note to the captain. It was written that the target of this group was Sydnee Mondragon. The captain¡¯s expression changed and he kicked the assassin.


    ¡°You tried to assassinate the First Princess?! Are you done with your life?!¡± He kicked the assassin again and again.


    The assassin¡¯s face was dark while he was cowering on the ground. He was not the only one who tried to assassinate the First Princess. Why was he the only one who received the beating?


    INSIDE the dark room in the second floor of the building, Anthony ang Sydnee was standing face to face with each other.


    Sydnee was silent while Anthony was frowning. ¡°You knew it all along?¡± he asked in a low tone.


    She gulped and looked away. ¡°I-I knew it¡­ but I have a n. And my secret guards have locked the target,¡± she whispered and then bit her bottom lip.


    Her expression was filled with guilt that Anthony was wondering if he would cry orugh at her. He pressed his palm on his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again,¡± he warned.


    Sydnee¡¯s lips twitched and she took a peek at him. ¡°If my people could catch the mastermind, then there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Anthony touched the bridge of his nose and sighed. ¡°You are really a trouble maker, huh?¡±


    She beamed and faced him. ¡°I know who is the mastermind, but I need evidence to prove that she is the one behind the assassination.¡±


    And also, it was her life mission after she agreed with Duke Theodore¡¯s deal. If she could catch the spy inside the Duke¡¯s household, then it was easy to trace the spies across the kingdom. Well, Catarina was the key to find the other spies that¡¯s why Duke Theodore agreed for Catarina to stay.


    ¡°Are you certain that they would confess?¡±


    Sydnee looked at the open window. A smile made its way into her lips. ¡°I have my ways to let them speak.¡±


    THE assassins and spies where brought into a metal box intended to restrain the criminals while travelling. Because the King was still in the hall, the captain decided to bring the criminals into the dungeon first to detain them.


    It waste in the evening and the crickets were loud, as if cheering for them who were locked up in a metal box. The assassin sneered when the captain looked at them who were put into a small box.


    The caravan did not stop midway. Because it was rude for the group to pass through the streets of the capital while dragging the metal box, the captain decided to take a detour.


    But while travelling into the depths of the darkness, a group of bandits blocked the group of royal guards.


    ¡°Bandits!¡± yelled the guard at the front of the caravan.


    All the guards brought out their swords but they were easily disarmed by the group of bandits. Soon after, the royal guards fell and only the captain remained standing.


    ¡°Who are you!¡± he yelled while brandishing his sword. ¡°You are brave to steal in the capital!¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The leader of the bandits did not exchange pleasantries with him. He disarmed the captain and walked towards the metal box.


    The deeds of the bandits were seen by the criminals inside the metal box. They were in awe. Who were they?


    Soon, the door of the metal box fell off and the people inside were gaping at the bandit who smacked open the metal door.


    While they were still in daze, the bandit threw a set of keys into the assassin.


    ¡°Duwag at mahihina, puntahan niyo ang lider,¡± the bandit said. (trantion: Coward and weak, stay close to the leader)


    It was at that moment that the assassin woke up from his stupor. He immediately freed himself and hisrades from the shackles. When he raised his head, the five bandits were nowhere to find.


    ¡°Is it them? The experts?¡± one of the spies asked.


    The assassin gritted his teeth. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The group then fled to a certain direction. Then the five ¡®bandits¡¯ came back the the scene wearing different clothes, and a blue insignia was in their chests.


    When the captain who was in daze after waking up took a nce at the insignia, he immediately stood. ¡°Royal Guard Captain Guerero, Sir Knight.¡±


    The man named Knight nced at the royal guard and nodded. ¡°The criminals have gone away. Let¡¯s catch them.¡±


    Without waiting for his reply, the man named Knight and the other four were already chasing towards a certain direction.


    It took a few seconds before the captain overcame his excitement. With a serious face, he said to his royal guards, ¡°Follow the Knight Warriors! The criminals are running away!¡±

 Chapter 67

    The group of criminals who had ran away went inside a shabby inn. They were running like a madman without stopping for the fear that the guards would catch up with them.


    It was also the ce that the group agreed to meet with the lider of the spies in that night. The assassin looked around and only the old woman who was busy ying with the abacus was present inside the inn.


    ¡°Hey, old woman!¡± the assassin yelled. ¡°Give us something to drink!¡±


    The old woman paused and brought out a tray of cold drinks from the bottom of the counter. ¡°Here. Twenty cents.¡±


    The assassin brought out twenty cents and distributed the cold drinks on to hispanions. He then motioned the one who was near to the door to check outside.


    After a few minutes, the man came back and shook his head. The assassin grinned. Those slow royal guards could not catch up with them? Hah. Whatme guards!


    They nned to spend the night inside the shabby inn. The group just sprawled on the floor, wearied by the things that happened in that night. They did not worry about the old woman who was still ying with her abacus.


    The clock striked midnight and there were light footsteps walking towards the shabby inn. The assassin was the first to wake up from his nap. He stood and looked at the old woman, but she was not there. He shrugged his shoulders and then faced the door. He also kicked hispanions. They grumbled but the stood when they heard the light footstepsing into their direction.


    A creak sounded when the wooden door slowly opened. A figure wearing a cloak with the hood covering half of the woman¡¯s face.


    The assassin gulped. It was not the first time that he had met with the lider, but those red lips were tempting him to take a bite. If not for the sharp daggers dangling by the lider¡¯s waist.


    A clear and timid voice was heard. ¡°A bunch of useless fools,¡± the woman standing by the doorway spat. ¡°Just a girl and you did not kill her!¡±


    He lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, lider.¡±


    ¡°What else could we do but to wait for another great opportunity to kill that trash. If not for your past achievements, I just let my other spies to kill all of you!¡±


    They all shuddered by the naked threat of the woman. They all kneeled and swore that they would never fail again.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Hmmp!¡± The woman sneered. ¡°How about your other mission? Did you put your men in the court?¡±


    The spy with dark hair shook his head. ¡°No. They were not promoted into the court. Instead, three country officials from ordinary background were promoted instead.¡±


    ¡°Arg! Useless fools! How can you not take advantage of the recent chaos? Now that trash has a good reputation, and I did not even reaped even a benefit? Say, what should I do with you fools?¡±


    Just then, a chuckling voice sounded from inside the shabby inn. ¡°Why not just kill them off?¡±


    The woman with hood froze upon hearing the voice. She immediately looked at the reception desk where the old woman was stationed earlier. ¡°S-Sydnee?¡±


    Sydnee smirked and yed with the tip of her hair. She wore pants and tight long-sleeved shirt. It was one of the styles that themoners in capital wore when doing hard work like climbing trees. The style was influence by the neighboring kingdom.


    ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡± The woman stuttered and took a step behind. But there was someone waiting behind her. When she turned around, the man named Knight was blocking her.


    It turned out that the five bandits were Sydnee¡¯s men whom she cultivated for four years under constant practice. She even deployed them to participate in the ongoing war between the two neighboring countries, but of course, these men of hers had disguised themselves as ordinary citizens.


    Now, she was proud to see them effectively lured the group of criminals onto the lider of the spies. She looked at the lider and gestured to Knight.


    Knight took off the hood covering the lider¡¯s face and Sydnee could not help but to smile widely. Atst, her mission has ended.


    ¡°You!¡± Catarinayelled and tried hard to cover her face, but Knight easily tore off the hood from the cloak. Catarina shuddered in fright because of the man¡¯s strength.


    ¡°My dear sister, just surrender. We had already traced the other spies lingering in Obando. Tonight, I will flush them out of the kingdom and onto the afterlife. As for you¡­¡± Sydnee pointed her finger on Catarina who was trembling. ¡°¡­ you will be sentenced to death.¡±


    Then, Catarinaughed. ¡°Go on! Let¡¯s see if the King would spare that dam* father and mother of yours!¡±


    Sydnee¡¯s lips twitched. She frowned and looked beyond Catarina. Outside of the shabby inn, Duke Theodore and Lady Geneva was standing behind the King.


    ¡®Oh, dear mother. Your daughter is naughty,¡¯ she thought but did not voice it out.


    Sydnee stood and curtseyed to the King. ¡°Your Majesty, the lider of the spies is now found. The other group of spies were traced across the kingdom with your help. We are thankful for your help in tracing them. I, Sydnee Mondragon, the lider of Knight Warrior, will do my best to execute thest of the spies in your kingdom.¡±


    Catarina mmed on the floor. She turned her head and her horrified face was there to see by the King. Duke Theodore¡¯s face was stern with coldness into it, while Lady Geneva was crying quietly. She gaped in shock. Why are they here? Why are they standing behind her?


    ¡°It¡¯s a m-misunderstanding!¡± Catarina denied in front of the King.


    The bright lights from the hundred of torches made Catarina even bewildered. They were many royal guards behind the three people standing in front of her.


    How? How did it all of these happened? The years of preparation was destroyed by just a girl who was once amoner?


    Catarinaughed.


    The King frowned and ordered the guards to fetch Catarina. He would execute the lider of the spies tomorrow at noon, in the execution tform, for all the people to see.


    Then he looked at Sydnee who was bowing her head in his front. His expression softened and ced his palm on the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You have done well, child. I will reward you generously.¡±


    When tomorrow came, as what the king had promised, Catarina¡¯s execution was held in the execution tform where hundreds of people were watching. After Catarina¡¯s execution, over a hundred spies who were caught across the kingdom followed their lider in the afterlife.


    There was a big celebration in the capital and in the neighboring country.


    Sydnee had requested the King to not reveal to everyone her name as the one who caught the lider of the spies. Even though the neighboring teritories were celebrating, the teritory of Obando was silent.


    Their young miss was the lider of the spies, and they were afraid that the wrath of the king would fall upon them. The whole teritory was tense and nobody dared to celebrate the fact that the kingdom was freed from the clutches of the spies.


    ¡°Young Lady, do you want some tea?¡± Katliya asked.


    Sydnee was once again resting in the garden. She did not go out after the tiring night and did not ask what happened to Catarina who was being executed in the capital.


    Lady Geneva was mourning for Catarina and the Duke locked the Lady in their room. She did not care what the Lady would do after Catarina¡¯s death. She knew that the Lady loved Catarina so much.


    ¡°No. Water would do. Give me some pancakes also.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Then Katliya walked away to get what she asked.


    But while she was enjoying the fresh air in the garden, a maid hurriedly walked towards her and lowered her head. ¡°Young Lady, an eunuch from the pce is here. There is an edict for you and for the Duke.¡±


    She frowned and asked the maid to tell the Duke. She then walked towards the living room where the eunuch was waiting. Duke Theodore was also there.


    Both she and the duke bowed their head on the edict. The eunuch opened the scroll and read it out loud.


    ¡°The wise Duke Mondragon of Obando, I the king, bestowed you the title of Grand Tutor. Beside the King and the Queen of the Kingdom, you are above all else in nobility and status. A hundred chests of gold, a thousand metre of silk, the tiger insignia bearing the title of Grand Tutor are hereby given to Duke Mondragon!¡±


    Duke Theodore epted the edict.


    The eunuch then opened the second edict. ¡°The intelligent and brave Obando Heiress Sydnee Mondragon did a great favor to the kingdom, defeating the leader of the spies and attaining the favor and approval of the king. Therefore, Sydnee Mondragon is given the title of Grand Princess and hereby awarded with five hundred chests of gold and a peacock insignia bearing the power and authority of the Kingdom¡¯s Grand Princess.¡±


    Sydnee epted the edict in a daze. The eunuch big goodbye and the whole household was in silence for awhile.


    The Grand Princess was a title with equal status as the Crown Prince. It was the highest rank a princess can get. She could not believe that the King granted her with that title even though she had no blood rtion with the royals.


    ¡°Congrattions, Duke. Congrattions, Young Lady!¡± the maids and butlers said.


    Sydnee¡¯s lips twitched and just nodded at the smiling faces around her.


    Just as she was about to go back to the garden, Anthony came to visit her. When Duke Theodore saw Anthony, a profound look was reflected in his eyes.


    ¡°Duke Mondragon, Heiress Sydnee,¡± Anthony greeted.


    She was surprised that the duke motioned her to go back to the garden. She took a peek at Anthony before she walked away.


    Sydnee did not know what the Duke and Anthony had talked about, but when she was almost bored sitting in the garden, she saw in the corner of her eye the man whom she was waiting for.


    She immediately stood and beamed at him. ¡°Hey,¡± she greeted.


    Anthony smiled at her. They sat face to face with each other but there was only silence hovering around them. Sydnee felt awkward.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ what brings you here?¡± she asked in hope to open up a topic.


    ¡°I want to say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Anthony took her hand in his. ¡°I would represent the kingdom during the three kingdoms convention next week. I will be away for a month.¡±


    Sydnee blinked and then looked away. ¡°Is the war still ongoing?¡±


    The war between the two neighboring kingdoms had started five years ago, but up to that moment, there was no clear sign when it would soon end. So the three kingdoms including the kingdom she was living into decided to have a convention in hope that the two neighboring kingdoms would reach a bteral agreement to end the war.


    ¡°I will send you letters while I¡¯m away,¡± Anthony said.


    Her cheeks turned red and she red at him. ¡°Who needs your letter?¡±


    Anthony chuckled. After a while, he spoke again. ¡°You are at the right age to marry. Wait for me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I will ask for your hand in marriage once I¡¯ve returned from the convention.¡±


    Sydnee gaped in shock. ¡°W-What?¡±


    Anthony tucked the stray strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°Be a good girl and wait for me.¡±


    She blinked her eyes and watched as Anthony walked away from her. Sydnee bit her lip and looked away. Her cheeks burned red.


    Marry her?


    A rare smile appeared on her lips as she tipped her head back to watch the white clouds rolled by in the blue sky above.


    She remembered the first time she and Anthony had met. She was a naive girl back then and he was an insensitive man who used her of killing a kitten.


    The years had gone by and they both grew up separately. The once naive girl could now rule a teritory and the insensitive man understood what it means to live for his loved ones.


    She and Anthony were fated to meet in that one fine afternoon. One who was longing for kindness, and one who was full of kindness from people around him.


    The wind blew and dandelions flew in the air. The feelings lingered and the memories brought warmth and peace.


    Just like a kiss in the wind¡­

 Chapter 68

    Three yearster¡­


    Sydnee frowned when she saw Niki dressed like a hooligan. The small body was covered by a thin ck silk that was a gift from the Crown Prince.


    After Anthony went back from the convention, he brought great news that the two kingdoms had decided to end the war and signed a bteral agreement. It was all due to Anthony¡¯s strength in persuassion.


    The king then asked what Anthony wanted as a reward, and being a sly man, he asked the King to grant him Sydnee as his wife. In the same day, Sydnee received an edict about her marriage with Anthony.


    Duke Theodore was not as surprised as she was because the duke had a bet with Anthony, that if Anthony would bring good news from the convention, then the duke would not obstruct his n to marry Sydnee.


    A year after she was married off to Anthony¡¯s household, Sydnee bore him a son who had a great resemnce with Anthony. This called for a celebration.


    Since then, when Niki would celebrate his birthday, the maids would dress their young master like that of Duke Anthony.


    And now, staring at his son who was blinking his innocent eyes on her, Sydnee¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Who dressed him up?¡±


    The maids giggled before someone answered. ¡°It was Katliya, My Lady.¡±


    Sydnee face palmed. Katliya was the mastermind of dressing Niki up as a mini version of Anthony. When she looked at the clock, the party had started. She picked up Niki and walked out of the boy¡¯s room.


    She had met Aleksander along the way and his eyes widened in surprise upon looking at Niki. Without asking her, Aleksander directly snatched Niki from her and ran away.


    Like¡­ she was Niki¡¯s mother, right? Why would that bastard snatch her son from her without her consent?


    When Sydnee arrived at the hall, she saw Niki being treated like a ragged doll. He was passed onto another, from Anthony¡¯s mother, to Anthony¡¯s father, to Duke Theodore, and to Lady Geneva.


    She shook her head and walked towards Anthony who was busy slicing the cake.


    Two years after she married Anthony and when Niki was born, Lady Geneva had finished mourning for Catarina. The Duke let her out of their room. And when the Lady saw Niki she was moved that she kept on visiting the young man.


    At first, there was indeed an awkward silence between her and Lady Geneva, but eventually, they greeted and started to talk with each other. Sydnee was struggling at first in getting close with the woman, but Niki became their connection to mend their broken rtionship.


    Anthony saw her and he smiled. ¡°Do you want to take a bite?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Without a word, Anthony kissed her. Sydnee¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You said you want to take a bite?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the cake!¡± Sydnee huffed. ¡°Tsk. Your son picked up after you. Look at his appearance, what a hooligan!¡± she whispered to Anthony.


    Anthony chuckled and snaked his other arm around her waist. He picked up the spoon, get a small part of the cake, and brought it to Sydnee¡¯s lips. She opened her mouth.


    ¡°Have you visited your foster mother?¡±


    Sydnee stopped chewing for a second, before she swallowed. ¡°Yeah.¡± She sighed. ¡°She was¡­ mad. I mean her mind is not in the right condition. Although she tried to kill me.¡± Sydnee frowned. ¡°I still want her to get treated. She was the one who brought me up after all.¡±


    Anthony hummed.


    They joined the celebration and they drank and danced the whole night. It was a family bonding so there was no outsider except for Aleksander who was so thick-skinned that he volunteered to be one of Niki¡¯s godfather.


    But after sometime, a maid informed her that someone was looking for her. Sydnee excused herself for a moment and went outside. There, she saw Rogie with Lisa.


    Their eyes met and Sydnee was the one who looked away first. After the meeting ball and what happened in the terrace, Rogie and she did not talk nor meet with each other again. It was the first time after so many years.


    Rogie had changed from a haughty boy into a dignified man. Lisa who was standing beside him had also changed. She was more mature than shest seen her.


    ¡°I heard that your son is celebrating his birthday,¡± Rogie said and gestured to the maid behind him. The maid handed her a box wrapped in a delicate gift wrapper and ribbons. It was girlish at first sight, but the designs were fit for a young boy¡¯s preference.


    Rogie cleared his throat. Lisa who was silent started to speak. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry about what happened back then, sister-inw.¡±


    Sydnee felt her scalp went numb. That¡¯s right. She did not tell Rogie the truth that they were not blood rted at all. The man still thought that she was his ¡®cousin.¡¯


    A stiff smile appeared on Sydnee¡¯s lips. ¡°Thank you for this gift. Why don¡¯t youe inside first?¡± Because she felt it was good to at least let them see Niki, being a good ¡®cousin¡¯ to Rogie whom she deliberately deceived years ago.


    Rogie shook his head. ¡°We are travelling towards the capital and happen to drop by to give this gift.¡±


    She did not hold them and they bid goodbye to her after saying more pleasantries. She watched as their car drove away.


    ¡°Lady, the night is cold. Pleasee inside,¡± Katliya, who was standing behind her, said.


    She nodded and walked back inside the mansion. The family was still celebrating, but Sydnee was sleepy due to heavy workload that she epted this morning. She kissed Niki¡¯s cheek and bid goodbye to her inws and parents.


    Anthony then apanied her back to their room.


    She looked behind her and saw her husband following her like a loyal dog. Her lips twitched. ¡°Hey, go back. I will just sleep. You, entertain them.¡±


    But he did not listen. Instead, he picked up Sydnee in a bridal manner. Sydnee covered her mouth in shock. She red at the naughty man but he just kissed her forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you back. You walk slower than a snail.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Anthony shut the door and threw Sydnee on the bed. Not long after, distinct noises that could make a maiden blush sounded from behind the closed door.


    Yearster, Niki was sulking because he was not the center of attraction. His little sister who grew up looking like his mother was stealing the limelight. But he could not do anything, because just like everyone else, his little sister was so cute that he could not help but to give all her wishes.


    s, the big brother wearing a maid¡¯s uniform was sulking beside the little girl who was wearing a prince¡¯s attire.


    *click*N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The camera sounded and that cute picture lingered in their parent¡¯s room even after Sydnee and Anthony had passed away due to old age.


    THE END.


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