Enticing Series 1 (Part 2): Here Comes The Nightmare

Chapter 18

Asper Reign’s Pov

“Asper!” bakas sa mukha ni Kuya Jasper ang inis nang sagutin ko ang video call na sinimulan niya para sa buong pamilya namin. “What the hell did you do this time? Nagkakagulo na naman sa palasyo pero dahil naman ngayon kay Miracle.”

Pero agad ding nawala ang inis niya at tulad ng mga kapatid ko ay nagulat na lang din nang biglang sumulpot sa tabi ko si Jyn.

“Good evening, Sir Alexis, Ma’am Trea,” magalang na bati ni Jyn sa magulang ko.

“Don’t be so formal, Caspian,” masayang sabi ni Mommy. “You can just call us Daddy and Mommy. Or kung nabibilisan ka naman, kahit Tito or Tita lang muna.”

Ngumiti si Jyn. “Okay po.”

“So, my daughter managed to lure you into her trap, huh?” comment ni Daddy na ikinaikot na lang ng mata ko. Well, I never told him that I was trying to lure Jyn here. Ang alam niya lang ay pinapakilos ko ang mga tauhan ni Jyn para ubusin ang kalaban ng Rioghail na nagtatangka sa buhay ko.

Other than that, nothing else.

But I guess, hindi din nakaligtas sa kanya ang isa sa agenda kung bakit ko ginagawa ito. Oh well, ano pa bang aasahan ko kay Daddy?

“I don’t really know if I am fortunate or not but I will let her handle everything for now,” Jyn said. “Siya ang higit na nakakaalam ng sitwasyon ngayon at base sa mga nagawa ko nitong nakaraan, siguradong makakagulo lang ako kung makikialam ako.”

Tumangu-tango si Daddy. “Good choice.” Medyo nabigla ako sa sagot na iyon ni Daddy. I mean, I know that he trusted me but handling everything that involves a mafia is not that easy, yet he just told Jyn that it was a good choice for him. “Your situation now is complicated because you are the boss of the mafia involved yet other countries couldn’t do anything about you because of your family. So, they can only put pressure on the country you are in now.”

“So, you are aware of this situation, Dad?” Kuya Jasper asked. “Why haven’t you talked to me about this?”

“Azaria and Dahlia have been keeping their eyes on each other ever since they took power of this country,” Dad said. “On their side, they are afraid that our family might do something to take back the throne, but on our side, we were just aware that they will soon do something to widen their influence.”

“Wait,” putol ko. “You got me on something, Dad. What do you mean by ‘take back the throne’? Did our clan once lead this country for us to have a claim on leading this country?”

Dad sighed.

Kita ko sa mukha niya ang pagsisisi na nabanggit ang tungkol sa bagay na ito. I even saw how our mother caressed his hand while nodding, as if she was giving her a signal to say something.

He sighed again. “You shouldn’t really need to know anything about this but I guess I don’t really have any choice but to explain since it already slipped in my mouth.”

“What we are about to tell you will ruin what you know about the history of Hexoria,” Mom said. “But please bear in mind that we are only telling you the story of your grandfather. It is all in the past and as much as possible, we don’t want to change anything in our current standing in this country.”

“Promise us that you will not do anything that will change our current status in this country,” Dad added. “Especially you, Asper. You will not use this information to your advantage no matter the situation you might be in.”

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko dahil na-special mention ako ni Daddy. “Is it really that big for you to call me out, Dad?”

Tumango siya. “Kapag nakalabas ang impormasyong ito, hindi lang buhay nyo ang posibleng magbago,” aniya. “Kahit ang buhay ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan ay maaapektuhan nito kaya mangako kayo na wala kayong ibang pagsasabihan nito.”

“Ahm, should I leave?” Jyn asked.

“You are already part of the family, Caspian,” ani Mommy. “You have the right to hear this. Para na rin maintindihan mo kung bakit mainit din ang mata sa amin ng mga Azaria. But just like what we are asking for our child, you also have to promise not to use this information to your advantage.”

“I can promise that, Tita,” mabilis na sagot ni Jyn na ikinalingon ko sa kanya. “And you don’t have to worry, no matter how tight the situation we are in now, I can assure you that Asper will not do anything to take advantage of what you are about to tell.”

“Hey!” alma ko. “You can’t just decide that for me.”

“Yes, I can, baby girl.” Ginulo niya ang buhok mo. “From the reaction that your parents are showing, this information will put you in grave danger once you take advantage of this and I can’t let that happen. Never again, Asper. So, sorry but I will stop you if I have to.”

Well, I can’t really blame him.

Ngayon pa nga lang ay humaharap na kami sa panganib at ngayon pa lang ay hindi na maganda ang tingin sa akin ng mga Azaria.dahil sa impluwensya ko sa publiko.

Iilan pa lang sa kanila ang humahabol sa buhay ko, paano pa kaya kapag buong angkan na nila ang nasa alanganing sitwasyon dahil sa sasabihin ni Daddy?

I sighed and faced the screen again. “Fine,” I said. “I promise not to use or take advantage of what you are about to say.”

Medyo na-offend ako dahil sa pagpapakawala nila ng hininga na para bang nabunutan sila ng tinik sa dibdib matapos kong bitiwan ang pangako ko.

Alam kong nagiging gahaman ako sa mga bagay na gusto kong makuha ngayon at hindi ako nagdadalawang-isip na gamitin lahat ng mga bagay sa paligid ko. Pero kung ganito naman kaseryoso ang impormasyon na sasabihin nila na posibleng ikapahamak, hindi lang ng pamilya namin, kundi maging ng mga inosenteng mamamayan, kaya ko namang isantabi ito at hindi makialam.

My siblings also promised not to tell anyone about what we were about to hear. And after that, Dad’s aura around him suddenly changed.

Intimidating na talaga si Daddy noon pa man. That was already given since he was part of an ancient family that has roots in this country. He has this grace and noble aura that will tell everyone that he is from a noble clan.

But his aura right now is more intense than what he usually has and I have seen it in someone else.

I slowly turned to Jyn and gulped. “Oh, boy! Please tell me I have the wrong idea here.” Bumaling akong muli sa screen. “You are not some previous crown prince of this kingdom, right, Dad?”

There was a hint of shock at what I said since they still hadn’t said anything, but he slowly smirked at the camera. “Oh? How did you manage to deduce that?”

“Oh my god!”