The Next Heiress

Chapter 18 - Acceptance

A hefty sweep of wind blows my fringe, making it scattered all over my bumpy forehead. The cool breeze welcomes me like it promises a nice weather for the day. Some dried leaves roll all over the grassy ground as if they are a tumbleweed in a desert. As I walk slowly towards the stilt house, my throat can't help but to gulp down in an attempt to ease the growing tension that is surrounding within me.

I hope he will like these things, I whisper to myself, licking my mouth in nervousness. I don't even know what I'm doing.

There are three bags that are attached to both of my hands—a faint pink lunch box on my left hand, and two kraft brown paper bags on my right one. My lips cast a tiny smile when I take a peek of them, reminiscing the busy nights that I have prepared to make these things possible.

Happily, I stroll towards the door of the Nipa Hut. My feet step up alternately for five times on the small wooden staircase before putting the bags down the old bamboo floor. A tensed yet excited sigh escapes from my red glossed lips.

You can do this, Celine, I tell to myself, cheering her a little as I shake my body playfully.

Before entering, my right hand curls up, forming a rock shape to knock on the door.

"Tadeo?" I call out in a soft voice. "I'm here."

A brief moment of silence proceeds, causing my head to tilt on the side with wonder. Once again, I call out his name to get his attention that I'm already here inside the oil painting to visit him again.

"Oh, my love!" He chirps from the inside in the most excited tone that he could ever make. "Come in!"

To my surprise, the guy hasn't shown on the door. A small pang of disappointment hits me. My expectations of him opening it just for me and helping me to carry these bags inside the house have vanished in the thin air.

What a gentleman, my nose scrunches in annoyance.

With my rolling eyes, I pull the wooden door to the right side. As they open, my eyes widen in their almost maximum level due to the shocking sight in front of me.

Tadeo doesn't have a shirt on.

He's fixing a dirty white towel on his hips to cover the half part of his naked body. His black hair is wet, falling down to his temples like little waterfalls. While wiping his nape with a small cloth, his eyes remain closed as if he is feeling his own gentle rubs on himself.

"U-uhm, hey," I fake a cough to draw his attention.

In a snap, Tadeo opens his eyes and gives me a bright smile on his face. "Yolanda, oh! I'm sorry! I haven't noticed the sound of the door," he giggles. "I was so caught up with my own massage."

My eyes blink rapidly. "Why are you naked?"

"I just took a bath in the lake," he beams like showing his half-naked body is nothing. His head tilts on the left, eyeing my belongings. "Oh, what are those?"

"I—uh...I brought them for you," I reply, looking at the bags to avoid the sight of his bare torso. "I think it would be nice if you—"

Before I could even say my request, Tadeo steps forward to get the lunch box and paper bags from my hands. He carries them and continues to walk inside. Due to awkward quietness, I haven't moved on my position. When he observes that I'm not detaching myself on the doorway, he stops sauntering.

"Why are you not following me?" He asks.

I lift a brow. "Where are we going?"

"Uhm...inside?" He answers, looking a bit clueless to my question. "In my bedroom."

Upon hearing his three last words, my eyes broaden once more. This time, the exposure of my eyeballs has become so great that I've thought I'm going to pop them out of my skull. His response has surely caught me off guard. With my palms, I cover my mouth in shock, and I stare at him with flushing heated cheeks.

"A-are you out of your mind?!" I remark, not knowing the volume of my voice is increasing due to surprise.

The oddly confused man frowns at my reaction. "What's wrong?"

With his reaction, tons of questions begin to swim inside my mind. Some of them are about the Nipa Hut and its contents. There are also forming queries about his routines and activities in this kind of world; but what makes my heart drop on the floor is that one specific question.

Is he going to ask me to make love with him?

Due to my uneasiness, I shake my head in response before I even answer his question. My right hand crawls to my chest, caressing its middle part to calm myself down. I could feel my heart pumping too fast.

"Tadeo...I'm not ready," I blurt out.

He just stands there on his position, staring at me blankly.

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SEVEN HOURS EARLIER...

"Are you sure you're going back to your own house?" Mrs. Conchita De Jesus asks me for the third time. She has been watching my every move inside the apartment since the past thirty minutes, but I don't mind the awkward attention that I'm getting from her.

"Yes," I answer softly. "I accepted it."

In a careful manner, I arrange my clothes and shoes inside my beige suitcase, ensuring each item is placed in a secure position. In another travel bag, I put my uniforms along with my undergarments. As for my books, they are inside a green eco bag.

After fixing my belongings, I give a quick complete scan on each of them by moving my gaze from the left to the right. Feeling satisfied with the preparations, a small smile plays on my lips.

"What do you mean, my child?" The old woman asks. "Accepted what?"

I shift my eyes to glance at her. Her wrinkled face shows a confused expression. My head draws back, letting a deep sigh escape from my mouth. "My fate...I already accepted it."

Her almost white bushy brows squish together. "Is that why you're returning?"

"Yes," I nod.

Her eyes blink steadily. "I think I'm going to miss you, Celine," she says, making me surprised.

I have only lived in this unit three-two-nine with this old woman for almost two weeks, yet she has expressed her feelings that she's going to miss my presence. As I stare at her worried face, a splash of sympathy enfolds me. It feels like it sucks to leave her alone here in the apartment, but I have no choice. I have a life of my own.

"R-really?" I reply, halting my voice to c***k. "Don't worry, I'll visit you here in Sampaloc whenever I have free time."

"Oh, thank you, dear," she beams, showing her incomplete set of teeth. "My unit has become livelier because of you. I haven't felt this for a long time ever since my grandchild has left me."

My right palm covers my chest. "Oh...I'm sorry, Lola Conchita. I didn't mean to—"

She raises her hands in assurance. "No, it's fine! She's not dead yet."

"Oh, that's good," I chuckle awkwardly. "I just thought she passed away. Where is she, by the way?"

She shakes her head in response. "I have no idea."

Before I could ask to know more about her granddaughter, the gadget inside my cream jacket's pocket rings loudly, causing my body to startle a bit. "I have a call!" I tell her, getting my phone with floral case. "Please excuse me."

The old woman nods in approval. I walk away from her. My finger slides the green button, and I place the smart device on my ear. "Mom?"

The middle-aged woman on the other line heaves out a sigh. "I have been waiting for you outside the apartment. Are you done fixing your belongings? I've also rented a cab."

"Uh, yes, I'm done. I just chatted with Lola Conchita. I'm going down now."

"Okay. Make it faster. The cab driver is also waiting."

I bite my lips. "Yes, yes."

The phone call is cut. Immediately, I put it back inside my pocket and grab my belongings. My old roommate offers to help me, but I politely decline. My body can manage to drag a suitcase and carry two bags. Instead of assisting me, I just ask Mrs. De Jesus to open the door for me, and she agrees with it. 

"Goodbye, Celine! Please visit me, okay?" She bids farewell in a cheerful manner, in opposite of her reaction earlier.

"Yes, Lola Conchita. I will!" I wave my right hand with my bags. 

The old woman closes the door with a smile on her face. I turn around to start walking towards the elevator. I press a button, and it opens. In a hurried approach, my feet step inside, and my pointer finger pins another button. I wait patiently until the platform reaches the ground floor. The door opens once more, leading me outside. As I walk away, my head bows slightly when I meet a lovely lady on the reception area. In return, she nods and gives me a sweet smile on her small pink lips. 

"Celine!" A voice calls me.

When my head moves to the direction of the sound, I find my mom waving at me. She motions me to come to her. In a swift manner, my left hand drags the suitcase, and I dart towards her. She welcomes me by getting my two bags on my right hand.

On her side, I greet the cab driver with a smile, and he returns the warm gesture. He takes my other luggage bag and puts it inside the car's trunk. After ensuring that everything is on their right places, we go inside the car to start traveling back to my own house.

"Dear," my mother whispers, breaking the silence inside the hired vehicle.

"Mom, stop, I already accepted it," I inform her, hinting a little annoyance. I don't have an idea how many times that I have said that sentence today.

"You won't run away again?" She asks as if she's evaluating the sincerity of my words.

"Of course," I scoff at her question. "I don't want another deep wound or worse...I don't want to die."

With my frank answer, I could feel the cab driver's eyes peeking at us through the rear-view mirror. When I catch his curious sight, he instantly looks away at us, continuing to drive.

"Then you must accept everything," Mom reminds, giving another mysterious thing for me to ponder. I stare at her, unable to say what I should respond to her puzzling statement.

Gently, my mother caresses my hair. "You will find out it all, my dear," she adds, planting a kiss on my temple.

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Tadeo drops the bags on the floor carefully. "Yolanda, please. Calm down," he shushes me with his benign voice. "Don't be afraid at me."

Slowly, he walks closer to me until his heart-shaped face is only a few inches apart from mine. At first, I hesitate to look at him, and my feet even step backwards, until this man gets my right hand and places it on his bare chest. My palm touches his firm skin, feeling its warmth against it. There are tiny pumps bouncing inside.

"What are you feeling?" He asks, boring his bright brown eyes to mine.

"Y-your heartbeat," my voice quakes.

Upon hearing my answer, Tadeo gives me a sweet smile. "That serves as a reminder to what I feel about you. Always remember that."

My lips part in surprise.

"I can wait," he says, taking my hand again and drawing it closer to his face. He kisses it softly, letting his lips touch my skin. I could feel my heart slowly detaching from my body due to the jittery sensation.

"I'm sorry if I'm putting some pressure on you," he leans his cheek on my hand, closing his eyes to feel it further.

Is this what my mother has said to me? To accept everything? My brain has flooding lots of questions about his behavior.

To sleep with him?

If I could recall, Tadeo has already mentioned that he has felt something strange with his relationship to Yolanda Alcantara—my great grandmother. My mind concludes that maybe the past heiresses have declined to give him some intimacy, which is why he feels that something is off. I don't know about his relationship with his original girlfriend, but I bet lovemaking has a huge role to express their love to one another. 

Why do I feel like my turn for this obligation has a bad timing?

All of a sudden, he becomes suspicious during my shot as a heiress. Out of all moments, why mine? Just thinking about sleeping with the man that my great grandmother had a relationship with is too much for me to contain.

But no, I have already accepted this.

I have even said that for multiple times.

Not just only to me, but also to my mother.

"Forget about it, love," Tadeo decides to change the topic, snapping me back to reality. "What have you brought? Show them to me."

"Uh—I brought some foods and...clothes," I respond, still stuttering.

"Really?!" His ravishing face quickly lights up like a flash effect from a movie. "New clothes for me? Can I see them?"

"Sure," I laugh loudly, eliminating the awkwardness of the moment earlier.

I am about to get the brown paper bags from the floor, when suddenly, he grabs my arm to stop me from walking.

"But first, can we eat? I'm hungry," he grins sheepishly like a shy kid wanting an ice cream from his sister.

I snicker at his childish yet cute action. "No problem. Let's eat first."

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"Oh my! I thought you're taking a two-week rest?!" Brielle widens her hooded eyes when she sees me, entering the classroom with no complaints on my wound and walking towards my seat. Everyone in the classroom stares at me in shock.

"Hey, Celine!" Jim calls out, having the same expression like my best friend. "Is your leg okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine now," I roll my eyes, feeling a little annoyed at their exaggerated reactions. My butt meets the wooden seat to sit down.

Brielle shakes her head in a dramatic way. "I can't believe it."

After the day when these two have rushed me to the hospital, my body has become totally well. I could walk without feeling the pain of the deep wound, unlike before. Then, I notice a massive change on it. Instead of continuous healing, it has already transformed into an ugly scar after two days.

Great.

Now, I have two hideous scars on my body. One on my right ring finger—a heart-shaped cicatrix that gives me the reminder of my obligation, and the other caterpillar-shaped one on my leg that serves as a sign of my stupidity of abandoning the man inside the antique oil painting.

My best friend stares at my leg, eyeing the scar as if she's examining it like a bacteria under a microscope. "There's no way in hell that your wound will become like that instantly," she says when she notices its fast healing.

I remain quiet on my seat. What should I do? Tell it to her? Even if she's my bosom buddy, I'd rather keep this obligation to myself. Nobody should know this strange secret. I'll lose myself if someone would find it out. Keeping this is so difficult, but I have no choice. Aside from myself, I also have to protect Tadeo.

Instead of responding to her comment, I try to ignore her.

"A lot of things are getting weird and even weirder with you, Celine," she looks up to glance directly to my eyes. "I have already said this, but I can't help it."

Jim takes a glimpse of Brielle's expression before shifting his eyes to me. "Yes, I agree. I could notice it too," he joins with her statement.

My back slumps on the chair, running thousands of thoughts in my head.

Oh, if you both just know, I pinch my chin in disbelief.

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After eating the foods that I have brought, Tadeo and I have agreed to let him wear the clothes that I have carried along with. I let him choose to what he would like to wear first among the items. Minutes later, he comes out from the other door that I suppose as the bedroom.

As soon as he steps outside, my eyes blink rapidly. I cannot believe at the sight in front of me. Staring at his body covered in a black cashmere suit is the last thing on my mind. If there are two words that could probably describe his look right now, I would strongly say that they are "gorgeous" and "art". As I gaze even more to his appearance, I just can't believe that an ordinary servant like him from the thirties could pass as a model in the outside world. My eyes are portraying him in the lens of a living sculpture.

"My love, how do I look?!" Tadeo asks, beaming at me. A great excitement is evident to his voice.

"Uh—I don't know," I answer nervously.

He pouts, maybe half-disappointed at my boring answer. "Don't I look good to you?"

"Uh, no!" I wave my hands from side to side. "What I mean is...I'm too speechless to say anything."

The young man dressed in a formal attire giggles at my response. "You're too cute."

I could feel my cheeks heating up with his sudden compliment, so I lower my head slowly to conceal the blushing sides of my face.

"Hey, don't bow. Look at me," he says, tilting my head upwards using his hand to glance at him. "I said look at me."

With a loud beating heart, my head rises up to meet his beautiful face. Before I could say anything to him, a wet kiss from his plump lips meets my left cheek, causing my eyes to expand. I could feel the inside of my stomach getting tickled with his sudden affection. The soft contact from his mouth has quickly sent my delicate heart from here all the way to the moon.

"I love you," Tadeo whispers on my ear, then tenderly brushing his nose against mine.

I freeze on my spot. Those three precious words has struck me like a lightning.