A/N Ok. Wazzup, dear readers! New day, new chapter to read.
Psst. What I wrote was a reference to JaMill ("Ja" comes from Jayzam Manabat while "Mill" comes from his girlfriend, Camille Trinidad.) They are the power couple of YouTube, but in the Philippines. Fyi, they're not my favorite Youtubers. I know them because my sister loves to watch JaMill either alone or with me.
Ok. So here are the notes I was supposed to write.
-Yes. Governor-General Carlos was an army officer in the Carlist Movement. Hence why he is a fierce liberal.
-Matthew 6:1-4 contains what Jesus wants us to know about praying and doing good things not in the eyes of man, but in the Eyes of God.
-Btw, I was reviewing my story when I realized that I have two Alphonsas. To avoid confusion, I'll just write Alphonsa's name (Padre Mathias' servant) as Alfonsa and the other one with the "ph".
Ok. I guess that's all for now. Enjoy reading!
Esmeralda goes to the living room to check on Isabelle. What she saw was a beautifully melancholic statue sitting in the living room; a brilliant snowflake resting in the midst of bustling servants. Not wanting to disturb her, Esmeralda goes back to her bedroom to look after Thérèse.
Fortunately, Isabelle's wait will not last half a century, but rather half an hour.
Later on, Jose walks back to the mansion with a radiant aura of serenity. He opens the door and enters the mansion to go to the living room. And there she was! His precious jewel, sitting down and staring at the ground. Since her presence doubled his positive feelings, he does not hesitate to walk to her and receive her in his arms.
"Jose, it's so good to see you again." Isabelle said, facing him with her loving eyes.
"But it's better to see you here, living as a free woman." Jose said, making her smile.
"Come and sit down with me, Jose." Isabelle said, bringing him to sit down and talk with her. "Do you want anything? A drink? Or something?" She asked, once they sat down.
"No, no. I'm fine, but thank you for asking me." Jose replied. "How about you? Do you want a drink or something to eat?" He asked.
"I'm fine as well." Isabelle replied. "But I do want something from you." She added.
"Anything you want, I will give it to you." Jose said assuringly, making her feel more comfortable.
"Where were you when Esmeralda and I were released?" Isabelle asked.
"I was here, talking to Jehan." Jose replied, staring at the floor instead of Isabelle.
"What were you talking about?" Isabelle asked.
"Oh. You know, just things about our lives." Jose replied.
"That's strange. I thought Padre Mathias told me you were going to tell me...something...far more serious." Isabelle said, hoping this will push Jose to confessing the truth.
"Well, that is the only answer I could give you. Nothing less, nothing more." Jose said, bringing up his eyes to Isabelle's face. Padre Mathias hears Jose's answer from the staircase. Wanting Isabelle to know the truth, he hurriedly walks down the staircase and goes to the living room.
"Come on, Jose. We talked about this last night." Padre Mathias said as if he were telling a child to say the truth.
"Fine." Jose sighed, sparking the eagerness of Isabelle.
"What happened, Jose?" Isabelle asked.
"I just wanted to hide my face from you." Jose said, staring at the floor once again.
"Why? Have you done something wrong?" Isabelle asked.
"Yes. I did something very, very, wrong." Jose replied.
"What?" Isabelle asked.
"The governadorcillo said he would release you under one condition: I will never insult the priests. If I will insult them, you and Esmeralda, along with me, will go back to prison." Jose said, feeling humiliated.
"What's wrong with that?" Isabelle asked.
"I feared that you will ridicule me for being so weak." Jose replied.
"Padre Mathias, is it alright if you could leave us for a moment?" Isabelle asked.
"Of course." Padre Mathias said, nodding slightly.
Hearing Padre Mathias leave made Jose feel speechless and defenseless. Now, it is time for him to hear her rants and screams; it is time for him to receive another painful blow.
"Jose..." Isabelle said kindly, holding his wrist. Her kind voice urges him to look up and hear what she wants to say. "You and I are the same."
"I know what happened to you, Isabelle. But what I did is something far more worse than yours." Jose said.
"How could yours be worse than mine?" Isabelle asked. "If I disobeyed them, I'd receive death. But you, you are luckier. If you disobeyed the governadorcillo, you could just go to prison." She said.
"But we could receive death in prison anyways." Jose said.
"I take that back." Isabelle said, after realizing that her statement is wrong. "But still, I don't want to ridicule you." She said, resurrecting Jose's serenity.
"Thank you. Thank you." Jose said, holding her hand tightly.
Isabelle just nods, smiling faintly. As if out of nowhere, both of them hear someone approaching the living room. Not wanting to be the hot gossip of the city, they let go of their hands and sit still. Padre Mathias enters the living room to unlock a special door and get a bag of money. He closes the door and locks it again.
"Excuse me, Padre Mathias, but to whom shall you give that bag of money?" Jose asked.
"Oh. This is for the travelling family." Padre Mathias replied, sensing Isabelle's curiosity. "If you're wondering, the family is from Cavite and they are going to Bulacan." He said.
"At least Bulacan is a nice place." Isabelle commented.
"Please excuse me." Padre Mathias said before leaving both of them for the second time.
As Padre Mathias leaves the living room, Esmeralda walks in the living room; as he carries the bag of money, she carries an urgent question; as he drops it in the hands of the father, she drops a greeting before dropping the question.
"Good morning, Jose." Esmeralda greeted.
"Good morning, Esmeralda." Jose greeted back.
"Jose, can I ask you a question?" Esmeralda asked.
"Yes, you may." Jose replied.
"Do you have a plan to capture Phoebus, Ramil and Enrique?" Esmeralda asked, igniting the curiosity of Isabelle.
"Yes, Jose. Do you have a plan?" Isabelle chimed in. "You know we cannot let them escape."
While Don Enrique, his sons and his accomplices are eating breakfast in the dining room, a knock was heard on the door. Don Enrique commands the person to enter. Elise and Mae-Mae appear before them. Mae-Mae walks up to him and hands him a letter.
"Don Enrique, this is a letter from your mother."
"Really?" Don Enrique asked.
"Yes." Mae-Mae replied without a trace of malice.
Don Enrique gets the letter from her hands. One of Señora Esperanza's guilty pleasures is to lace her letters with fragrant perfume. Before he opens it, he smells it. The faint scent of orange blossom blesses his nostrils and forces him to open the letter and read it.
The boys shoot their questions into their father's ears. But Phoebus and Ramil shielded Don Enrique from answering their questions by verbally pushing them away. Don Enrique, not wanting his sons to feel like abandoned puppies, puts down the letter to answer their questions.
"Papa, what did Grandmama say?" Philippe asked.
"What happened to her?" Domingo asked.
"Is she fine?" Martin asked.
"Will she visit us later?" Diego asked.
"My dear sons, eat your breakfast while I read this letter. Once I am done, I will tell you everything I read." Don Enrique said fondly, receiving their obedient "Yes, Papa."
Mi hijo, Enrique,
Desde España, escribo esta carta especial. Estoy aquí porque quiero alejarme de tus malvados hermanos.
Tu ausencia realmente me rompe el corazón y me dan ganas de morir. Tu maravilloso acto de tratar de matar a Jehan me agrada mucho. ¡Oh, qué valiente eres, mi dulce y pequeño león! ¡Oh, qué listo eres, mi príncipe perezoso! ¡Oh, cómo quiero ser tu fuerte aliado, mi valiente caballero!
Si me dices a dónde vas y tus otros planes, no dudaré en volar hacia ti y darte toda la ayuda que mi corazón anhela brindar. ¡Oh, no rechaces esta súplica mía, mi querido hijo!
Quiero volver a verte a ti y a mis nietos. Quiero acariciar tus hermosos rostros, abrazarte y besar tus mejillas. ¡Quiero reír y llorar contigo! Por favor haz esto, muchacho. Por favor escríbeme solo. Tu carta será la única que pueda hacer que me entregue a ti.
Tu madre amorosa,
Esperanza Frollo y Calderón.
(My son, Enrique,
From Spain, I write this special letter. I am here because I want to stay away from your wicked brothers.
Your absence truly breaks my heart and makes me want to die. Your wonderful deed of trying to kill Jehan pleases me very much. O how brave you are, my sweet, little lion! O how clever you are, my lazy prince! O how I want to be your strong ally, my brave knight!
If you will tell me where you are going and your other plans, I will not hesitate to fly to you and give you all of the help my heart yearns to give. O please do not reject this plea of mine, my dear son!
I want to see you and my grandsons again. I want to caress your handsome faces, hug you and kiss your cheeks. I want to laugh and cry with you! Please do this, my boy. Please write back to me only. Your letter will be the only one that can make me surrender myself to you.
Your loving mother,
Esperanza Frollo y Calderon.)
Don Enrique, whose heart is filled with overwhelming enthusiasm, eagerly answers his sons' questions.
"My sons, your grandmother misses us and wants to come with us." Don Enrique's answer delights all of the boys.
Phoebus remembers the plays and operas he attended as well as the novels he read. These three things are different yet they share a lot of things. In almost every ending, Phoebus observes that goodness is the victor while badness is the loser. For a long time, he did accept such a concept. Besides, he always dreamed of becoming a gallant hero and receving the love and attention of the masses. But now, with the police chasing his tail, he rejects it as if it were Martin Luther's writings. Since he wants to avoid the painful consequences, he leans on the arm of his chair to whisper his thoughts.
"But, Henri, what if that letter is a trick? What if your brothers wrote that letter so they can capture us?" Phoebus asked.
"But this has my mother's perfume." Don Enrique replied in a low voice.
"Maybe that clever Claude secretly used her perfume." Phoebus replied, shattering half of his friend's hope and joy.
"But what about the writings and the words here?" Don Enrique asked, showing the letter to Phoebus.
"Maybe that letter was written by that old man." Phoebus replied, forcing Don Enrique to forsake his hope and joy.
Don Enrique excuses himself and leaves the dining room. Phoebus tried to follow him, but Ramil stopped him and gave him an excellent explanation. Mae-Mae leaves the dining room to follow Don Enrique.
"Non preoccuparti, Phoebus. Sono sicuro che Don Enrique si vendicherà con una lettera ingannevole. (Don't worry, Phoebus. I'm sure Don Enrique is going to retaliate through a deceiving letter.)" Ramil said in Italian, not wanting the children to have a glimpse of the truth.
Phoebus sits down and finishes his breakfast, along with the rest. The dining room's silence is broken when the children start conversing among themselves. Honestly, Phoebus and Ramil are glad their weddings did not push through. Had they married their annoying fiancées, they would regret knowing them on their wedding nights.
Meanwhile, Don Enrique goes to his bedroom to write down a letter for his mother.
Querida madre,
Aprecio el amor y el apoyo que deseas darme. Pero, solo puedo decirte mis planes y necesidades si vienes a Manila. Que las aguas y los caminos te sean benévolos, Madre.
Tu buen hijo,
Don Enrique Alejandro Frollo y Calderón
(Dear mother,
I appreciate the love and support you desire to give me. But, I can only tell you my plans and needs if you will come to Manila. May the waters and the roads be benevolent to you, Madre.
Your good son,
Don Enrique Frollo Alejandro y Calderon)
Don Enrique folds it. Knowing that Mae-Mae is right outside his bedroom, he goes out and orders Mae-Mae to accompany him. With a deep nod, Mae-Mae leaves. She comes to a halt in front of the dining room, waiting for whatever will happen.
Don Enrique enters the dining room. The first person she appraoches is Elise. Since
"Woman, join her and keep an eye on her at all times. After that, come back here and tell Phoebus everything." Don Enrique said as though he were a general.
"Yes, sir." Elise said, nodding deeply.
"And, remember, by the time I hear that you have failed me, you know what will happen to you." Don Enrique said coldly, piercing her heart.
"Yes, sir." Elise said, nodding deeply again.
"Now, go and bring her out." Don Enrique said.
"Yes, sir." Elise replied then performed the task.
Don Enrique walks towards the table. To not scare his sons, he wears the smile his sons are familiar with.
"My sons, go to your rooms and tell the servants to dress you up. And do tell your other governess to prepare Alfonso."
"Are we leaving, Papa?" Philippe asked.
"Yes." Don Enrique replied.
Philippe and his brothers get off their seats and leave the dining room in the blink of an eye. Ramil, knowing what to do, gets up from his seat. Don Enrique stops him from leaving the dining room. Thus, he is confused. He orders all of his servants to leave at that moment. Once the silence envelopes the room, Don Enrique renews the plan.
"Ramil, I want you to stay here with Phoebus." Don Enrique said.
"But I thought we agreed that Phoebus will be the one to be left behind." Ramil said.
"Well yes, but I want you to help Phoebus in doing one more act." Don Enrique replied, sparking their eagerness.
"What's the new plan?" Phoebus asked.
"If my mother will come here, tell her everything she needs to know and bring her to Vienna. But if Claude will be the one to come here, you better kill him. Whether he's alone or with his companions, he must die." Don Enrique replied.
"Along with his companions?" Ramil asked, hoping to have more blood in his hands.
"You silly fool! Did you ever think of what will happen if we will spare his companions?" Phoebus asked.
"Of course, Phoebus! I was just getting Henri's blessing." Ramil replied.
"You two better not mess up this plan!" Don Enrique said, pointing at them.
"Don't worry, Henri. We'll do our best and take care of the rest." Phoebus replied in a seemingly relazxed manner.
"Cross my heart." Ramil said, crossing the left side of his chest.
Don Enrique leaves the dining room. This may be the last time they ever spoke to each other.
In their bedrooms, each of them receive another layer of clothing. Afterwards, they depart from their rooms and hop on their carriage. Don Enrique carries Alfonso as he sits beside Philippe, who carries Martin on his lap. On the other side, Ramil sits beside Domingo, who carries Diego on his lap. Their luggages are just above their heads. Ramil opens the small window behind the coachman to give him the order to go to the docks.
They leave peacefully, not knowing what kind of future awaits all of them.
Earlier, Jose kindly lent his carriage and coachman to Mae-Mae. She felt a sea of shyness flooding her, but she felt a tiny ray of dignity shining inside her heart. Despite the glow of that ray, she kept her humble beliefs close to her heart. After hearing the words of assurance from Jose, Padre Mathias and Doña Joquina, she got on the carriage.
A few hours later, she returns to San Lorenzo. But this time, she returns with Elise, who was a reincarnation of her beliefs and feelings. Using the same words she heard earlier, Elise joined her.
"Please stay here." Mae-Mae said.
"Alright." Elise said.
Mae-Mae gets off the carriage to go directly to Claude's bedroom. In there, she sees one of her first masters and the people who recruited her. Claude, not wanting the secret to be revealed, politely sends away his stepmother. She eagerly obeys him and retires to her prayer room.
"Don Enrique wrote this." Mae-Mae said, handing the letter to Claude.
Claude receives it and reads the letter. While reading every word, he felt his blood boil. He sends away Mae-Mae, letting his rising anger control his voice. Mae-Mae, knowing what will happen, runs away after nodding simply. From the sound of his voice, they knew that the plan was a huge failure. Even if he had to crumple the paper and throw it away while shouting, "DAMN THAT SLIMY BASTARD!", they already knew what happened.
"What should we do now, Claude?" Jose asked.
"We're going to Manila tonight. Therefore, it would be wise for us to prepare for the battle." Claude replied.
"Are there any allies we could invite?" Don Oscar asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, I can invite a few guards to join the battle." Jose replied.
"Of course you can." Don Oscar muttered sarcastically, envying Jose's radiant honor.
"God is the best ally we could have in moments like this." Doña Joaquina said, causing Don Oscar and Jose to laugh at her.
"Of course, dear Saint Joaquina. A god who would side on sinners can help us." Don Oscar said in the midst of laughter.
"How could He help us? By descending from Heaven to help us? Or by sending us a mist with a human body and a pair of wings?" Jose asked in the midst of laughter.
"Whether you will believe or not and whether you like it or not, God will help us. Because He is the Father of the oppressed, He will be on our side." Doña Joaquina said.
"If God is the 'Father of the oppressed', the Filipinos should be free by now." Jose said, infuriating Don Oscar.
"Knock it off, Indio." Don Oscar said, raising his hand to hit him. Jose catches his hand and throws it away, stirring up a glaring contest between themselves. Their intense glare doubles the hellish anger of Claude.
"YOU TWO BETTER KNOCK IT OFF OR I WILL SHOOT BOTH OF YOU!" Claude threatened them, holding their collars like chickens.
"For God's sake, Claude! I demand to be put down right now!" Don Oscar demanded. Claude lets him go at the same time he lets go of Jose.
"For the sake of peace, I and Jose will be the ones to go to Manila." Claude said.
"What?!" Don Oscar asked, outraged by what he heard. "But, Claude, I am your brother! Why choose that Indio over me, a man who shares your flesh and blood?!" He asked, desperately wanting to go with him.
"You can come with us when we will call you." Claude explained. "Now, stay here and be the patient boy Madre always wanted to see." He added.
"But I am no longer a young boy! I am a man! An illustrious man in the industry of wine, a man with a quiet wife and a small army of sons and man with the greatest virility and appetite for life!" Don Oscar said, defending himself.
"Yet I see you as the most immature and licentious man in my whole life." Claude said.
"Fine! You win, Claude! You're the golden boy of our parents! You're the holiest of holies! You're the most genius out of all geniuses! You're the bravest of all warriors!" Don Oscar said sarcastically.
"Oh how great is that filthy mouth of yours! Your mouth's greatness is so huge that it needs to rest by being shut forever!" Claude said back sarcastically.
"You want me to be silent forever? Well, in that case, I'll just leave." Don Oscar said before walking away furiously.
Jose's guilt kicks in. To make up for his mistake, he asks Claude if he wants to lie down. A tired Claude replied that lying down is what he needs right now. Jose places a hand on Claude's shoulder and another under his arm to assist him in his return to his bed. Doña Joaquina, feeling the same guilt, asks him if he is thirsty. Claude, knowing what she will do, declines her kind offer. She gets on both of her knees and clasps her hands with Claude's.
"Claude, forgive my husband for saying those unpleasant words." Doña Joaquina said sincerely, being the mirror of the various mothers who approached Claude.
"There is nothing I can pardon from him, Joaquina. That wretched husband of yours has always been like that." Claude said.
Doña Joaquina turns her dark yet merciful eyes to Jose. In those eyes, he thought he was looking at Isabelle. He cannot help but remember the act of fiery mercy Isabelle did to him; he cannot help but have the desire to tell everybody about Isabelle's saintly piety. If he were to do this, he might receive a light slap or a light blow on the head from Isabelle. Nonetheless, these would make him feel more blessed to have the touch of her delicate hands.
"Jose, I forgive you. With my whole heart, I forgive you." Doña Joaquina said.
"Eh. Thank you." Jose said.
"Excuse me." Doña Joaquina said then left the bedroom.
"Jose, please tell Esmeralda to visit me at dusk." Claude said.
"Why?" Jose asked.
"I'll just tell her what she needs to know." Claude said.
"Alright." Jose said.
A/N Shoutout to erinjoypangelinan and klasshysss! Thank you very much for adding this fanfic to your "Favorite Stories" section! klasshysss, thank you for being my second follower! I highly appreciate your generosity! I'm so happy I could scream up to Mars!
Me: *screams so loud that my male version can hear me from the other universe*
Male me: "Did you just hear that?"
Male version of sibling: "Yeah. It sounds like a screaming camel."
Male me: *shrugs and goes back to praying*
Male version of sibling: *goes back to drawing Mona Lisa doing the Orange Justice dance*
Bye! Have a great time!