Chapter Twenty Eight
2136 Words
Yes, I was doomed.
Jang pulled me by my left arm to get me close enough to her. He made a gesture with her hands and I thought that she was going to slap me, so I closed my eyes but then I suddenly felt her body all over me. She just hugged me.
"What---"
"Where have you been! I was so worried!" she hissed at me, then she went on scolding like as if she was my parent. "You made me worried sick! I was already contemplating on reporting you as missing!"
"What? But why---?"
"Why? Really? You are asking me that?" she added with her eyes bulging and accusing me. "After hours of you gone, you are really asking me that?"
"Jang, I was out doing the chores that Madame Morris---"
"No you were not, Rainha," she said and I immediately felt silent because I knew that it was already pointless arguing with her. JAng already knows that I lied when I told her earlier that I was going to work overtime for a couple of errands that Madame Morris assigned to me. "I asked around and searched for you but we could not find you anywhere. I even have to ask Kaylie's help to search for you, you know? We were worried! We thought that you were already abducted too just like what happened to your Aunt Milca!"
I almost run out of breath from what I heard from my dear best friend. And I was already teary-eyed. She searched for me. She went to ask Kaylie's help just to find me. And now, she was waiting in case I returned. She truly cares for me and there's this warmth inside of me that's very unfamiliar but pleasant to feel.
"I'm s-sorry..." I told her while weeping. "I should have not made you worry--- I was out of the castle. I should have not just lied to you, Jang. I feel so bad right now. I am so sorry." And with that, we hugged each other again while I cried on her shoulders. I just let it out, and I admit, half of my tears right now were also from the stress and fear at what happened at Kajos and I am just pouring it to Jang's shoulders. But this warm, fuzzy feeling of being cared for, that someone really took their time to know what happened to you was equally touching that I think I would gladly do the same for her too right here, right now.
"That's okay," she told me softly, and then we faced each other again. She looked relieved that I was fine, but I know that she was also deeply concerned. "What happened? Where were you? It is almost dawn you know. And you went missing by half-past nine. Where on earth did you go?"
I could not lie to her. "I went to Kajos."
Her facial expression when she heard that was priceless. "What? What are you doing there?"
"I went to our ancestral house there..." I said. "I checked if my Aunt was there..."
Her astonished expression softened when I said that. "Oh, Rainha! You should have told me! I would have gone with you!"
I shook my head. "I don't want you to be involved in this. I think someone who knows my family well is behind all of this, so I don't want you to get involved in case they come for me next..."
"Okay, I can understand that... But how did you even managed to go there? And who were you with? Because I will refuse to believe you if you say that you went there alone..."
Again, I was speechless at this. I could not tell her that I was with the Crown Prince of course, but I could not think of someone else that would make a great alibi too so I was having a difficult time answering her question.
"You're not telling me..." she said, eyeing me suspiciously. "So it must be him."
I gasped. Does Jang know?
She smiled at my startled reaction. "So I am right. It is him."
"H-How did you know---?"
"Oh, Calyx told me about it!" she said and I could hear the childish resentment towards me in her tone. "Remember? I told you that I saw Calyx at Aurville. He actually asked me about this person you were with when Calyx met you on the Underground Tunnel and also back at your house... I just remained quiet."
I could not believe it. So Jang actually knows about me and the Crown Prince's unusual relationship? But wait... if she knows about the Crown Prince, then does that mean that Calyx also knows about the truth?
Oh my God.
I think I'm super doomed.
"Why didn't you tell me that you already know about him?"
She made a funny grimace at me. "Because I wanted you to tell that to me yourself," she revealed, and now I just feel worse. "I kept quiet because I was waiting for you to tell me about him. I thought of asking you about him myself, but it was not a good time too, you know? I know that you're worried about your Aunt. It would have been rude for me to pester you about your boyfriend when you have more important matters in your mind."
It was then that I realized how a good friend Jang is to me and sometimes I am just taking her for granted. I wanted to thank her for the rest of my life. She really knows me well and she really thinks of me first before anything else.
And then I paused because I thought I heard her say something that was odd. "Wait, did you just said that he is my boyfriend?"
She looked confused by my question. "Well, yes! That's what Calyx told me! That guy you were around with is your boyfriend, right?"
"Huh?"
I could not understand what she was implying. "That guy that was also there at your house! The one Calyx met too! He's your boyfriend, right?"
"W-Well---"
"You don't need to deny it, Rainha!" she said, and then her mood suddenly changed. I don't know why but Jang looked very excited right now. She even hurriedly pulled me to my bed so that we could sit there and have our chitchat comfortably. "I know it's your first relationship so it's natural to be shy about it! I was already expecting this! This is also why I waited for you to open up about this rather than confront you because I know that sharing this thing with me would be really awkward for you!"
"Uhm, thanks? But I think you had it all wrong---"
"Who is he? I really wanted to ask you that, Rainha! So who is your boyfriend? What is his name?" Her face light up with that question while I was dumbfounded.
I have to think fast when she asked that. It only means that she doesn't actually know that the 'boyfriend' that Calyx saw me with is actually the Crown Prince. She only knows that I have a boyfriend because that's what Calyx only knows!
I wanted to laugh. Why did I even think that they knew who was with me during that time? Prince Kao was always covering his face when he was with me. And I'm pretty sure that Calyx is not someone who can recognize the Crown Prince's voice and match it with my 'boyfriend's voice.'
I worried too much for nothing and right now I just felt relieved too. "So that's it? You're really going to keep it from me? You're not even going to share his name with your best friend?"
I was now panicking because I know that this was a tricky situation. Of course, I could not share with Jang who I really was with. The Crown Prince had trusted me with that secret. Plus, Madame Morris had a point when she said that it would be pointless keeping the secret from her if I will share it with people close to me just like Jang. But also, if I don't tell Jang anything that would also become a problem. So I have to be as quick-witted as possible.
"Alright! Alright! I am going to tell you his name, but promise me to not tell it to anyone else yet."
"I would keep your secret to the grave and you that, right? But Rainha, isn't it too late for that when someone like Calyx already knows about it?"
"You're right," I told Jang. "I need to talk to him too so that he'll keep his mouth shut. There's a reason why I am still hiding our relationship---" I had to pause in mid-sentence because Jang just giggled childishly at what I said.
"Oh, I am so sorry. I just can't hide my excitement for you, you know. You are now a lady! A man is in love with you! I am very happy for you!"
I faked a smile and how I wish that I could tell her that all of what she is being happy about are fake, but I am already deep in this white lie and I could no longer take this back. And I also feel very bad that I have to lie to Jang, who only cares for me and my well-being.
"Thank you, Jang. I feel so happy that you are happy for me."
"So who is it? Quit stalling me! I know what you are doing!"
I laughed loudly at her quip and she had to silence me so that no one would hear us. "Alright. His name is Travor," I said with an imaginary lump in my throat, it was hard to swallow. "Travor Dubstein."
Joy was clearly etched on Jang's face when she said that. "Oh wow, that's a rare name, Travor is. And wait... why is it so familiar?"
I shrugged. "Maybe you heard about him before? He is a Royal Researcher after all."
That made her gasp with delight and excitement. "Is he really! Oh wow, Rainha! That's a very high-ranking position! If you'll marry this Travor guy then you don't have to work here in the Palace anymore!" Jang was so happy about my lie and I feel like I was dying inside from the guilt of lying to her. She even hugged me tightly after my name-drop of my supposed lover.
And because of that, we forgot to sleep anymore. She demanded that I share with her how Travor and I met, and I have to lie to her again and tell her this made-up story of mine. I told her that I met Travor in the Palace and that he started asking me if we could date weeks ago. It was actually tiresome thinking of anything to tell her that would sound convincing. This is when I realized that it is actually just easier to tell the truth than to make up a convincing lie.
But I have no choice but to lie, so I just went with it. I went on telling Jang of all the things that had happened between me and Travor, including the incident regarding my Aunt. I feel so, so bad about lying because Jang seems to believe in every word I say. I just hope that if the day that I have to tell her the truth comes, I hope that she finds it in her heart to forgive me. I don't want to lose her because she is like a sister to me already.
But until then, I'll just have to pretend that I have a boyfriend named Travor Dubstein. When we started to work in the morning, it was still our topic. "Garreth will be angry about it, that's why I am still keeping it a secret from everyone."
"Good luck with that," Jang said. "Knowing what kind of person Blasie is, I bet that she already told your brother about Travor."
That made me feel nervous because that was an actual concern. "How did she know about that?"
Jang smiled at me. "Sometimes you're so naive, Rainha. In case you have forgotten already, Blasie lives near you. So she would have heard from your neighbors that have seen Travor that you already have a boyfriend. Don't expect great things from that madwoman."
"I suppose you are right," I said thinking. "But even so, I still need to talk to my brother."
"Oh yeah, you have to. You need to inform him about what happened to Kajos."
"Yeah," I said and then I froze where I was cleaning because Prince Kao was now walking towards me and I think I am hyperventilating.
- Writer
