The Butler

Chapter2

Nakatulala ako habang nakatingin sa kawalan.

It's been a week, since I decided to kill myself, and it has also been a week na nakastay lang ako sa hospital bed ng infirmary, nakaposas, at walang magawa. Ngayong nasa liwanag na ako, mas lalo kong nakita ang kapayatan ko.

I was almost too thin. Kitang kita ko na ang mga buto ko, at nakakapa ko na rin ang lalim ng pisnge ko.

Iginala ko ang mga mata sa loob ng kuwarto na pinaglagyan nila ako. Halos walang laman, at tanging ang kama lang na ito ang gamit dito.

Naghihirap na ba ang Alarie?

I looked at the window, naka-fence din ito na bakal. Na akala mo'y may tatakas na kung sino rito. Even the door also have a metal door sa mismong labas, narinig ko noong may pumasok ditong nurse na pinapainom ako at pinapakain.

The door on the outside opened, at it created a screeching sound. Mas lalo lang napatunayan ang hinala ko na malaking pinto nga ang nasa labas.

I heard the dangling of the keys before it eventually opened the last door, the room that I was staying at.

Iniluwa noon ang lalaking bumisita sa akin sa dungeon. He was smiling, almost smirking as he tried to wipe the stain of lipstick, kahit wala naman talaga doon ang mantsa at nasa kabilang parte.

Tss, womanizer.

"How are you? You still kickin'?"

"You tell me," I lazily raised my hand, na nakagapos sa posas at nakaloc sa hospital bed.

Tumawa siya at inisog ang paa ko, bago umupo sa higaan ko. "I'll tell you, then." Nawala ang ngiti niya sa isang iglap. "Pinapatawag ka niya. Just beg him. Beg him to take you back. Be guilty of your sins, and accept your punishment with grace."

So the day has come, huh?

If this is the seeking I was trying to find for the sake of our friendship, f*****g forget it.

"Just kill me, Leo."

He was taken back, mukhang hindi niya aakalaing tatawagin ko muli siya sa pangalan niya. Inayos niya ang damit niya at napaismid.

"You can't do anything about it, he issued it. You will go, or Oiseau will die."

Nasipa ko siya paalis ng kama ko sa galit. "That is hers! He gifted it to her, Leo!"

Oiseau is the bird that he gifted to Margaux before he eventually imprisoned her. We... Margaux and I had loved the bird with all our heart, hindi ko lang siya nakuha agad para maisama ni Margaux because it was almost time.

But to kill that bird, he is insane!

"Then I got your answer then, ipapadala ko na ang mga maglilinis sayo. You need to look decent, in front of him."

A small chuckle escape my mouth. "Decent? I am decent in times of dungeon, he should've visit and killed me right then and there."

Hindi na niya pinansin ang sinabi ko pero bago siya umalis ay lumingon siya sa akin.

"Nakabawi na ako sa'yo, Servair," saad niya bago tuluyan ng umalis.

Napakunot noo ako bago tinapon ko ang unan ko sa inis.

Fuck, he really is insane! That f*****g s**t!

Nasabuntuan ko ang ulo ko lalo dahil sa nararamdaman ko. I am frustrated as hell!

When we entered the hall, mabilis na nagbulungan ang paligid. The maids were looking at me with pity, and some are avoiding my eyes, afraid of something.

Ang katamikin at ang tunog na bilog na metal na nakasabit sa paa ko ay kinig na kinig na sumasagi sa malamig na semento ng daanan na 'yon.

I clenched my jaw when we finally able to enter the throne room. This room was his father's, pinagawa para sa asawa nito na lumaon na rin dahil sa sakit. Na ikinasunod naman ng amahin niya dahil sa lungkot at pagkawala ng asawa nito.

And there comes the devil.

After three f*****g years or so, nakita ko rin siya.

He was seating on his throne, and it suited him, perfectly. He looked like he was the Demon itself. Prente siyang nakaupo roon, habang ang kamay ay nasa may bibig, nakatitig lang sa buong katawan ko.

I saw how he gulped and grinned.

Muling umigting ang mga panga ko sa inis. Inayos ko ang sarili ng tuluyan na kaming tumigil sa paglalakad. They left me in the middle, at pumunta sa gilid.

Ako naman ay parang tuod na nakatayo doon. I know what they are expecting me to be.

To f*****g kneel.

But I won't, why would I? Mamatay na lang ako.

"So this... what made you in 4 years."

Fuck... 4 years? Akala ko 3 years, tangina 4 years pala?

Malamig lang ang mga mata ko na nakatitig sa kaniya, he also did the same, just more terrifying and evil.

He yawned. "Kneel."

Hindi ako sumunod. I held my chin up, and he almost chuckled.

"Kneel," he murmured.

But this time, they forced me to kneel.

Napaigik ako ng maramdaman ang pagtunog ng tuhod ko sa biglaang pagluhod. I winced in pain, katulad ng dati napaubo ako ng napaubo hanggang sa tumalsik ang dugo ko sa semento, sa mismong harapan ng hagdanan ng trono niya.

Kumalat ang tawa niya sa buong throne room.

"You really... you're dying?" Na parang joke, tumawa muli siya habang marahang bumaba papalapit sa akin.

Nang makababa na, he lowered his body just to level mine na napapapilipit na sa sakit. Sumabay pa ang kung anong sakit sa dibdib ko.

"But you can't die... yet. You need to be punished, remember?" he mumbled, hinawakan niya ang pisnge ko, he caressed it and it almost made my hairs stood up.

"Now, Servy," malambing niyang tugon at umupo sa harapan ko, katabi lang ng dugong inubo ko kanina lang. "Serve me again,

Servy, and I'll forget everything you did. Swear your loyalty to me, and only me. Love, Serve, and prove your loyalty to your master, and I shall take you back in," he uttered, as he lean towards me, mouth grazing my ear. "All of you."

Nababaliw na ba siya?!

Mabilis pa sa kidlat na inilayo ko ang tainga ko, dahilang ng pagkahiga ko sa malamig na semento. Habol ang hininga ko ng hawakan niya at sapilitang inupo uli mula sa pagkakahiga.

Tinapunan ko siya ng blanko at malamig na tingin. "I... rather die, than to serve you, Étienne."

His smile falter, hindi na 'yon umabot sa tainga niya. He then grinned, blankly. "You're trying so hard... it's almost cute."

Dinuraan ko siya na ikinatawa niya. Tumama ang dura ko sa may gilid ng labi niya na mabilis naman niyang dinilaan. "If that's your way of kissing me, you're doing it wrong."

What the hell is he saying?! Kabadong nilingon ko ang paligid ko, they were all stiff, hindi na sila nahinga, but I knew better, they heard, of course f*****g f**k they heard! This fool is doing things he don't usually do, what the f**k?!

"What are you doing, Étienne?"

He pouted and purred at me. "I just... got tired of all the boring 'by-the-book, follow-the-rules' nonsense. Blah, blah, blah. Ugh. Now tell me—what's the best punishment? Here's my offer: love me, and I'll let you love me back... while I torture you. Romantic, isn't it?

Honestly, it's so much more fun this way."

The way he talks, f**k what the actual f**k?

This is not, Étienne!

Nilingon ko ang mga guard, at tumigil 'yon kay Leo.

Malamig ang tingin at deretso lang. f**k he did not remind me of the actual situation!

"Don't strain yourself, love. I can have an entire conversation without you. Watch—'Yes, Master, you're brilliant!' 'Oh, thank you, prisoner, you're too kind.' See?" Mala dramang sigaw niya na umalingawngaw sa buong kwarto.

I glared at him, halos mabingi ako sa sigaw niya, ngumisi lang siya at hinawakan ang panga ko. "Ah, yes, I see that glare. That's prisoner code for 'Please, Master, f**k me harder.' Don't worry, I'm fluent."

Mas lalong dumilim ang tingin ko sa kaniya bago napabuntong hininga. What is he even saying Ibang iba siya sa Étienne na kilala ko. Étienne that I know is cold, merciless, and harbors a disgust towards me. Halos hindi niya ako makakausap gaya ng ginagawa ng kung sino mang 'to.

"What happened to you, Étienne?"

Nawala ang ngisi niya at napalitan ng nakakatakot na titig. The same eyes that had looked at me when he cursed me out because he accused me of being a faggot, sticking to him like a leech even though I was just doing my job. The real Étienne.

"What happened to me? Oh, you mean this dazzling glow-up? Jealous, are we?"

Fuck, what do I expect?