The Murderer In My Shadow

Chapter Ten: Sprouting Romance

The next day and the day after, Conrad and Amberlene keep seeing each other early in the morning. Yaya Dolor noticed the warmth and blooming face of Amberlene when she visited her in her chamber.

“Looks like everything is fine, my dear. Am I right?” yaya Dolor was teasing her, but Amberlene just ignored her.

“Come on, yaya. There wasn't anything happen. You're just dreaming,” still she lied to her yaya.

“You can lie to others, but you can't lie to me, Amberlene. So, how was it? How's the feeling of sharing your thoughts to other person, or at least revealed your face in front of Conrad?”

Her eyes were widened when her yaya Dolor mentioned Conrad's name. “Yaya, lower your voice. There are eyes and ears here in this mansion. And why Conrad? What does it have to do with my glow today?”

“You're lying again. You're even blushing when I mentioned his name. So, why hiding it?”

“Okay. All right. You won, I lose,” she gave in to the yaya's naughty side. Yaya Dolor won't stop teasing her if she won't tell her that it was Conrad who made her happy every day.

“Now, spill the beans, Amberlene.”

Her yaya was combing her hair while she was talking to her in front of the mirror. She shared how Conrad said that her face was beautiful, how they jogged early in the morning, and chit-chat until the sun rises in the morning. Yaya Dolor just giggled and teased her again.

“Do you think, he likes you?”

Amberlene was surprised by her Yaya Dolor's intriguing question. She doesn't know what to answer, but she clearly remembered how his face turned red when he pranked him that he's about to be kissed him in that garden. He wanted to tell it to her yaya, but she preferred to keep it as a secret. A memento, perhaps on her mind.

“I don't think so. And besides, were just getting to know each other. He was the only one whom I can talk freely without having to worry of the moon-shaped scars in my face, yaya. You know what I mean, right?”

“You're right, dear. At least, you made the first step to overcome your fear and insecurity in your body, most especially when it comes to your face. Conrad is a good person and I know he can take care of your secret in the mansion. Just be careful not to get caught, or else...”

“I'm not afraid of that anymore, yaya. I can reveal my face to each one of them, but it's not yet the right time. I won't give you a hard time. And besides, I don't want my parents to worry me.”

Yaya Dolor just nodded. She just finished braiding Amberlene's hair and arranged her make-up. Her deep set hazel brown eyes and moon-shaped scars were a sight to behold. It was actually a beautiful scar. If only Amberlene can treasure it, it won't give her a hard time accepting her true face.

LUNCH time and everyone was waiting in the dining area of the mansion. Twenty chambermaids were standing on the left side of the table while the twenty butlers including Conrad were on the right side of the dining table.

The foods were prepared and settled in the table. Yaya Dolor cooked her favorite Chicken Curry, Grilled Pork, and Sinigang. The head of the chambermaids and butlers also prepared her favorite grapefruit wine she requested to get it from the basement where liquors and wines were preserved.

The table was set for only one person and that's Amberlene, the head of the mansion. The chairs made of fully varnished Narra tree were aligned both sides of the table. When the head of the mansion arrived, everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes, except for yaya Dolor and Conrad who were smiling at her.

“Are we having a feast today? Why are there so many foods prepared in the table, yaya Dolor?” she asked the head of the chambermaids and butlers on the food she prepared for her.

“It's sort of, Amberlene. I cooked all of your favorites, so you can be satisfied for today. All I knew was, you have an appointment outside, right?” yaya Dolor whispered the last words in her ears, making her tickle and giggled. “You're blushing, dear?”

She immediately put her hands on her face and glance towards the direction of Conrad, trying to control his laugh. She just gave him a what-are-you-smiling-at look and returned to being serious. Yaya Dolor just giggled after seeing the both of them taking a glanced at each other.

Amberlene sat down in front of the table and yaya Dolor put some rice and viands on her plates while having a glimpse on Conrad's location.

“You're making yourself obvious, my dear?” She tickled again after hearing her yaya whispered those words in her left ear.

She just focused on her food and started eating while everyone were still bowing their heads while their eyes closed. Not only that, but she noticed that it was hard for them to do that everyday, and she was guilty of giving them a hard time because of her look. Then, Amberlene called yaya Dolor and whispered something in her ears.

The head of the chambermaids and butlers left for a while and headed towards her room. As requested by Amberlene, she looked for a moon-shaped mask engraved with a butterfly on it's edge on her table. When she found it, she returned to the dining table and give the mask to Amberlene.

The head of the mansion wore the mask, hiding her moon-shaped scars, only showing her lips, so she can eat. Then, she announced something very important in front of her chambermaids and butlers.

“Yaya Dolor, how many seats are there in this table?”

“There are 42 seats to be exact, my dear.”

“Then, why don't you all be seated and eat together with me. Open your eyes now and sit down.”

Everyone was hesitant to open their eyes. They were afraid of losing both their lives and their jobs if they agreed to open their eyes in front of their master.

“Stop bowing and open your eyes. Sit down and let's have a sumptuous meal together. Open your eyes, so you can see that I am not pranking each one of you.”

As soon as they heard their master spoke again, they opened their eyes. For the first time, they saw her smile, but not her entire face. They followed her instruction and all of them sat down.

“Enjoy eating everyone.”

Yaya Dolor and Conrad saw Amberlene's smile forming on her lips while hiding her face inside the mask she was wearing. Both were proud of what she did, then eventually seated down to join the meal.