Royale Marriage: Lay with Me (English version)

Chapter One SABRINA I breathed in the fresh air from the balcony, where I had a perfect view of the vast garden and the enormous fountain in the middle of it. I smiled when I saw the colorful birds perched along the edge of the fountain to drink the water. Against the refreshing green of the garden, covered in grass, the birds looked even more vibrant. They complemented the blooming red roses that lined the edges. With the overwhelming workload and population of Metro Manila, I had missed the peacefulness of Royale Palace here in Tagaytay. I still remembered how, when I was a child, I would always play here with my cousins. If Mama and Papa hadn't decided to move out and live separately from Grandmama Charlotte, I might have grown up here. Even so, my love for Royale Palace had never faded. To most people, it was simply a vast and magnificent estate, but to me, it was home. Whenever I was here, I felt like a free princess—Princess Sabrina Royale. "Señorita, Madame Charlotte is looking for you." My smile widened. I had just arrived at the estate and had come straight here when the maid told me that Grandmama was looking for me. I followed her, and she led me to the living room, where Grandmama was sitting. Her hair was white and curly. She looked aged, of course, but her smile was so sweet that it made her look younger. Anyone who saw her could immediately imagine how beautiful she must have been in her youth, and that beauty had never truly faded. "Grandmama!" I almost squealed excitedly as I called out to her while approaching. "Oh, my sweetheart. I missed you," she said softly as I wrapped my arms around her. When we finally pulled away, I sat beside her and held her hand. "I missed you too. I'm really sorry that I haven't visited you here for the past couple of months. I just have a lot of projects lately." What I said was true. The business I had started two years ago, Reyna Royale Jewelries, was slowly expanding. Ever since I was young, I have loved wearing jewelries. Eventually, I realized that I could actually design them myself. So, after graduating from a course related to business management, I decided to build the business I had always dreamed of—a jewelry brand that wouldn't only be known in the Philippines but would eventually become recognized in other countries as well. These past few months, I had been working on a major deal with a well-known brand in France, and that was what had kept me occupied. That was why I hadn't been able to visit Grandmama for months. "Good thing it's my birthday. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't have visited me yet." I pretended to frown when I sensed that she was sulking. I put an arm around her and rested my head on her shoulder affectionately. There were only three nights left before her birthday, which was why I was here. There was no way I would miss the eightieth birthday of the grandmother I loved so dearly. "Grandmama, no matter how busy I am, I will never let this pass. That's why I came here right away, so we could spend some time together before your birthday, Granny." "You know what, sweetheart? I was willing to forgive you for not visiting me until you called me granny.'" I laughed. Actually, I had deliberately called her granny. She really hated being called that because she said it made her feel old. If only she could have gotten away with having us call her Mommy, that was what she would have taught all of her grandchildren to call her. But she was afraid our mothers might get jealous, so she settled for Grandmama instead. "Wait, is your brother and sister coming?" I fixed my hair and slightly pursed my lips. Before coming here, I had already spoken to Alessandro. He asked me to apologize to Grandmama on his behalf because he didn't think he would be able to come home to the Philippines. Alessandro was in charge of our businesses and investments in London. The Royale family was originally from there, but when Grandpapa married Grandmama, whom he had met here in the Philippines, they decided to settle here instead. "It's not certain if Ale can come home because he still has a meeting the day after tomorrow," I said hesitantly. When I saw Grandmama's smile fade, I gave her an affectionate smile. "But don't worry. Samantha will be here tomorrow. She just has something she needs to finish, so she didn't come with me." Grandmama forced a smile. "That's good. I would be sad if Samantha couldn't attend either." I tried not to grimace when I heard the disappointment and sadness in her voice. I thought of another topic to steer the conversation somewhere else so I could take her mind off it. A voice suddenly echoed through the room and caught our attention. It was Nichola, my cousin. "Sabrina!" I stood up with a smile and welcomed her into a hug. She ran her hand through my curly hair and looked me over. "How are you, my dear cousin?" "Well, I'm so glad I made it here. I feel like I'm on vacation." She grinned. "Not for long, because you're going to help me with the party preparations. So, no vacation for now." I wasn't actually planning to go with her because I wanted to spend more time talking to Grandmama. But Grandmama insisted that I go with Nichola so I could see the venue. She was proud of it and kept saying how beautiful it was, so she wanted me to see it. Eventually, I agreed. We reached the place by riding horses. Good thing I was wearing pants and boots with my blouse, so I was comfortable. I had also missed horseback riding. Out of all of our cousins, Nichola was the only one who lived with Grandmama in the mansion. Her mother had passed away when she was young, and she didn't even know who her father was. Grandmama had raised her, which was why Nichola was also the one organizing the party. "It's beautiful," I exclaimed as I looked at the enormous mansion before us. The design reminded me of houses in England. It looked like a grand palace. Nichola crossed her arms. "I wanted Grandmama to remember Grandpapa's home there, so I carefully thought about what kind of design I should use." I smiled. For a moment, I felt as though I were in London. This part of the estate used to be nothing more than a vast stretch of land. I remembered my cousins playing football here. Last year, Grandmama decided to give this part of the estate to Nichola so she could build her own house here. The last time I had visited, the house wasn't even finished yet. I never imagined it would turn out this beautiful. And I certainly hadn't realized that its design had been inspired by Grandpapa's home in England. "Has she seen it yet?" "Not yet. I want to surprise her on her birthday. Grandmama doesn't really come to this part of the estate. The only pictures I've shown her are of the inside, not the whole exterior." "I'm sure Grandmama's gonna love it." We continued riding our horses. We were quietly chatting when, all of a sudden, we heard a gunshot. Before I could even react, the horse I was riding suddenly panicked and bolted forward at full speed. "Sab!" I heard Nichola's panicked scream, but I couldn't bring myself to pay attention to her. I simply tightened my grip. It had been so long since I had ridden a horse that I was no longer used to it, especially with the horse running in a complete panic. I felt as though I was about to be thrown off. In the distance, I saw a group of men looking in my direction. I had a feeling they knew the horse was out of control. "Let go!" a man's voice shouted. I had no idea where it came from. I closed my eyes because my heart was pounding so hard inside my chest. I only opened them again when I heard the voice much closer to me. I was already approaching the group of men. "Come on, I'll catch you! Let go!" one of the men shouted. My brain had stopped functioning properly. So, when we were right in front of them, I suddenly jumped off the horse. My body slammed into something broad and firm. My entire body was still trembling from the adrenaline and fear. "Hey, are you okay?" My breath nearly stopped when I heard the voice coming from directly in front of me. Only then did I realize that I hadn't been hurt because a man had caught me. When I opened my eyes, they immediately met a pair of eyes. A pair of deep brown eyes I had never seen before.