Awakening of the Half-Blood

Chapter 20

Heydrich Oxen Pria Ehrenberg’s Pov

“Please don’t talk about my love life as if I can’t hear you.”

Natigilan ako at doon ko lang napansin na nandito pa pala kami sa labas ng office ni Xan at nakabukas pa ang pintuan nito kaya dinig na dinig niya ang lahat ng napag-usapan namin.

Bumuntong hininga siya pagkuwa’y tumayo sa upuan niya at lumapit sa amin. “Just to let you know, I am not in love with a mere mortal.”

“Stop lying,” alma ko. “I know what I saw in your memories.”

“I know you saw my memories because you taste my blood but what you only saw is me staring at some picture of a woman.”

“Yeah,” sagot ko. “Every night. You look at her picture every night. So if that is not love, then what is it?”

Tinitigan niya ako pagkuwa’y bumuntong hininga. “It is love but what I am telling you is she is not a mortal.”

Kumunot ang noo ko. “What do you mean?”

“Is she a vampire?” tanong ni Zeri. “Or a seirei?”

Muli siyang bumuntong hininga. “You don’t need to know who she is because even though I am in love with her, I am not planning to let her know what I feel for her.”

“What?” asik ko. “Bakit naman?”

Tumingin siyang muli sa’kin. “I know that you just want to do something for me after all the things that I did for you in the past up to now but Heyd, don’t meddle with my personal affairs. I know how to handle it and I don’t need anyone’s help if I ever pursue my feelings for her.”

Hindi na ako sumagot dahil tama naman siya.

This is too personal to him for me to interfere. And even though I am his friend, I still don’t have any rights to meddle with his love life.

Yumuko ako. “I am sorry. I just thought of giving you something to show you my appreciation of everything you have done for me.”

“It is not necessary, Heyd,” sagot niya at ipinatong ang kamay niya sa ulo ko. “I did all of that because I wanted to.”

“Aside from that, siguro ay naging masaya lang din ako dahil nalaman kong capable ka pa din pala na magmahal ng isang babae lang,” dagdag ko tsaka iniangat ang ulo ko. “You know, nag-aalala na din kasi ako na baka habang buhay ka na lang ganyan at hindi na magkapamilya pa.”

“Hindi ba dapat ay sarili mo ang inaalala mo?”

Kumunot ang noo ko pagkuwa’y itinuro ang sarili ko. “Ako?”

Tumango siya. “Kei is gone so how are you able to build your family?”

“Kailangan ba ay nandito si Kei para lang magkaroon ako ng pamilya?” Hinila ko si Hei at inakbayan. “He already gave me a daughter.” Pagkuwa’y itinuro ko naman si Zeri. “Zeldrix also gave me another set of family.” At siya naman ang itinuro ko. “And there’s you.”

Natigilan siya at napatitig muli sa akin.

“I don’t need a man to build a family that I want because I already have one,” dagdag ko pa. “Bonus na lang siguro kung may makikilala pa akong kahit amazing ni Kei. Doon ay baka magdesisyon akong dagdagan ang pamilya natin.”

Dahan-dahan niyang inalis ang kamay sa ulo ko pagkuwa’y tinakpan ang niya ang mukha niya.

“Eh?”

Bumaling ako kay Hei at nakayuko naman ito. Habang si Zeri ay nakatalikod sa akin na hindi ko alam kung bakit.

“Anong nangyari sa inyo?” tanong ko. “May nasabi ba akong masama?”

Hindi sila sumasagot. Naririnig ko nalang na sumusinghot itong si Hei habang si Zeri naman ay parang pinupunasan ang kanyang mukha.

“Hoy! Ano ba ang nangyari sa inyo?” giit kong tanong. “Bakit kayo umiiyak? May hindi ba kayo nagustuhan sa mga sinabi ko?”

“That is actually the problem, Heyd,” sabi ni Xan pagkuwa’y dahan-dahang inalis ang kamay niyang nakatabing sa mukha niya at doon ko nakita ang maluha-luha niyang mga mata. “We appreciate what you just said.”

Kumunot ang noo ko. “Why? There is nothing special to that.”

“It is special to us, Heyd,” sabi naman ni Zeri na nakaharap na din sa akin ngayon at namumula ang mga mata dahil sa pag-iyak. “Thank you. For considering us as part of your family.”

Hindi ko alam na magiging big deal pala ito sa kanila.

Well, iyon kasi talaga ang nararamdaman ko.

Zeldrix’s descendants did everything to protect my clan and all the things that we own until now. And they are not getting tired of doing the said job even though I am still not with them.

Xan has been my friend right from the beginning and I owe him a lot of things until now.

And here’s Hei who is legally my daughter that Kei gave to me.

So, I assumed that it is normal for me to treat them all as part of my family even though I am not saying this to them.

“As for me, I guess, I never expect that a mere mortal just like me and my brother, who just have to decide to serve you will be treated as part of your family,” sabi ni Zeri. “Lagi kasing pinapaalala sa amin ng mga magulang namin na isa lamang kaming taga-silbi at protektor ng iyong angkan at huwag kaming maghahangad na mapabilang sa inyo.”

“They never met me so you should just drop all the things that they teach you and start listening to what I am going to say.”

“And for me?” sabi ni Xan. “I guess, hindi ko lang hinahayaan na lagpasan ang linya sa pagitan natin. I always told myself that I am just a friend and nothing more.”

“Kei trusted you so much, Xan,” I said. “Not because you are his second general but also because you are his friend. So I don’t mind treating you way more than friends.” Bumaling ako kay Hei. “And you, young lady? Tama naman ang sinabi ko, hindi ba? You are legally my daughter because my name was written in your adoption papers. Kaya bakit nagulat ka pa din sa sinabi ko?”