Chapter 34: The Clue

Before we went to bed, we had to clean the room. They brought pails of water and a broom. They wore white masks and gloves. They even tied their hair up as they cleaned the blood on the floor. They should have looked terrified after seeing a pile of corpses, but it didn't last long as their expressions darkened with smiles of triumph, the fear was replaced by satisfaction— and as I queen who just proved her capability, I couldn't be happier. Besides, aside from killing for them, I even offered them money and gold and that would make them happier as well.

Sinubukan ko silang tulungan maglinis ngunit pilit nila akong pinigilan at hinayaan na lang nila akong manuod sa kanila. They placed every three corpses on a wooden cart, and they covered it with rags and old clothing, with a sway of my hand, I removed the noise that the wooden cart would create in the hall, and they pushed it to the back door.

"Do you want me to help you bury them?"

Mira shook her head. "We are used to burning the garbage after our service and cleaning our room tonight wouldn't be suspicious. May gabi talaga na kailangan namin linisin nang maayos ang aming silid," paliwanag sa akin ni Mira.

"Hindi na nila mapapansin ang mga katawan ito. Magpahinga ka na, Mahal na Reyna," dagdag ng isa sa kanila.

I smiled. "Alright. Thank you."

Habang abala sila sa paglilinis ay nagtungo na ako sa paliguan. May nakasalubong pa ako na tagabantay na hindi man lang sinisita iyong bawat kariton na lumalampas sa kanya.

I shouldn't have gotten worried then, huh?

Sa halip na pansinin ang mga kababaihan na abala sa paglilinis, ay ako iyong higit na pinansin ng lalaking tagabantay.

"Bakit hindi ka tumutulong sa kanila?"

"Nagawa ko na po ang parte ko. Sila naman ang maglalabas ng mga basura." He didn't look at me suspiciously and he nodded.

Isa pa, paano niya iisipin na may mga bangkay mula sa silid namin? It was good that he chose to round when everyone's done cleaning the blood, but with my strong sense, I could still smell it.

Magpapatuloy pa sana ako sa paglalakad nang maramdaman kong tumigil muli siya. "Saglit."

Tumigil din ako, humarap sa kanya at tipid na yumuko. "Ikaw iyong bago, hindi ba?"

Tumango ako. "O-Opo..."

It was easy to manipulate his mind or even threaten him to play with my hands, but I was already satisfied with those women and their loyalty. I had to play this right.

"I can smell blood..."

Dahil kapwa nasa likuran ko ang kamay ko, agad kong pinahaba ang isa kong kuko at gumawa ako ng malaking hiwa sa braso ko. Habang papalapit ang lalaki ay agad ko nang iniharap sa kanya ang nagdurugo kong braso.

Napahakbang siya at napangiwi. "Habang pinagsisilbihan ko ang isang maharlika ay may nabasag na bote ng alak dahil sa kanyang kalasingan. Sinubukan kong linisin iyon sa sahig ngunit dahil sa akin pa nagalit ang maharlika ay nagawa niya akong itulak. Tumama sa nabasag na bote ang braso ko. Kaya hinayaan na rin nila akong mauna sa paliguan para malinis—" inangat niya na ang isa niyang kamay.

"Madali para agad iyang maghilom."

Tipid akong ngumiti at yumuko sa kanya. "Maraming salamat po."

Nang sandaling kapwa na kami tumalikod sa isa't isa, marahas kong iwinagwag sa hangin ang braso ko dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng tilamsik ng sarili kong dugo sa pader kasabay nang mabilis na paghihilom ng hiwa sa balat ko.

Hinawi ko ang mahaba kong buhok at taas noo akong naglakad patungo sa paliguan.

Dahil naituro na sa akin kung nasaan ang paliguan ng bahay ng aliw ay hindi na ako nahirapan na hanapin iyon. I was welcomed by a huge old wooden sliding door with small glass panels, the panels were blurred— misted, it could be the design, or it was due to old age.

Hinawakan ko na ang pinto at unti-unti ko na iyong binuksan. I was welcomed by another sliding door but before it, I could see two huge cabinets on each side of the wall filled with different divisions— there were towels and a few essentials needed for a bath. I also saw a basket in the corner of that small room where I had to put my dirty clothes.

Hindi naman ako bago sa ganitong paliguan dahil noong bata ako'y minsan na akong isinama ng kaibigan ko na maligo kasama ang ilan pa sa mga kalaro naming mga batang tagasunod sa palasyo.

There, I started stripping my clothes, threw them inside the rattan basket, left my footwear in the corner, took one of the towels from the cabinet, wrapped it around my body, and slowly opened the other sliding door. At first, I was welcomed by a mist— my eyes got blurry with the familiar touch of warmth on my cheeks. Barefooted, I took a few more steps, adjusting my gaze in front of me, before the white smoke began to get thin.

Unlike the usual bathroom I had in Sartorias, where servants had to attend to me, I was welcomed by a small artificial lake. It was surrounded not by a marble floor but by a combination of boulders, fields, lava rock stones, and even crushed stones beneath my bare feet. The entire artificial lake, which served as the bathhouse, was enclosed by tall bamboo walls, creating an overwhelming creaking sound as they danced with the wind. My teeth clattered as I desperately asked for warmth. With hurried steps, I dipped myself into the warm water, enveloping my whole body.

Napahinga ako nang maluwag matapos kong ibabad sa mainit na tubig ang buong katawan ko. I might be on a mission right now, but finally, my whole body felt a sudden relief after all those exhausting experiences I had from the moment Kreios and Juniper had her fake wedding, the theatrics we had in front of Mudelior, Livius's sudden appearance, Luna and her groups' involvement, and this whole new mission with them.

I shouldn't feel relaxed at all, with our mission not in progress, but the comfort brought by warm water made me feel like maybe... I could steal a moment of peace.

Inilubog ko ang katawan ko sa tubig at hinayaan ko ang sarili kong panatili sa ilalim ng tubig habang nakamulat ako. Even with the thin mist in the bathhouse, I could see the brightness of the moon and the stars filtering through the water.

Dapat ay may makuha na akong impormasyon bukas.

Hinayaan ko ang sarili kong manatili sa ilalim ng tubig, at nagawa ko lang agad na sumugaw roon nang tila may anino na tila dumaan sa itaas.

I took a lungful of air and looked around, finding that sudden shadow and I was right about it. Sitting on one of the biggest stones, near a small tree was Delilah. She was hiding behind the shadow.

"Tell me."

"I had already collected all the information they gathered in each house of pleasure. Each house of pleasure is aware of the legend. Halos lahat ng kababaihang naglilingkod rito'y ninanais magkaroon ng kapangyarihan ng tubig na iyon."

"Ganoon din ang narinig ko sa bahay ng aliw na ito. May iba pa ba silang nalalaman?"

"King Kreios and Livius found out that..."

"That?"

"Your father... King Thaddeus once visited this place."

Saglit lang akong natigilan ngunit hindi naman ako nagulat. My father had his adventures even when he was still a prince, I knew that he'd visited a lot of different places in this world.

"What of my father?"

"One of the old owners of the House of Pleasure said that it was King Thaddeus who spread the rumors about the water in the legend that can be found in the Entertainment District."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Si ama?"

Tumango si Delilah.

"The question is, how are you going to take this information, Queen Harper? If it is true that it was your father, the late king of Parsua Sartorias who purposely spread rumors that the water from the legend could be found in the Entertainment District, what was his real reason? If he was trying to guide you, why does he need to attract the interest of other creatures by spreading rumors instead of strictly leaving the clue only for his daughter? Would it be more complicated if other creatures were after the water?"

Lalo akong natahimik sa katanungan ni Delilah. I had been used to father leaving clues for my siblings, but what Delilha said was right. Kahit noong mga nakaraang misyon nina Naha, Kalla... Iris, Anna, at maging kay Reyna Leticia, kung nagbibigay man siya ng gabay sa kanila ay nasisiguro niyang tanging sa kanila lang makararating.

I knew how cunning and smart my father was, and his clues could be a trap or part of a more complicated puzzle, but how about now? What was he trying to convey this time?

"H-How about Kreios and Livius? Ano ang sitwasyon nila?"

Hindi ko na nakausap pa si Kreios matapos siyang tila himatayin kanina. "Hindi ko sila nagawang lapitan, Mahal na Reyna. They were surrounded by a lot of servants inside the biggest house of pleasure."

"Hindi naman siguro nakalilimot ang dalawang iyon ng kanilang misyon?"

"By the looks of it, they were enjoying the liquor, My Queen."

Napabuntonghininga ako. Dapat ay magagalit na ako ngunit kilala ko si Kreios. He could completely look so useless and a mess, but behind that foolish mask was his accurate plan.

"May nais ka pa bang idagdag, Delilah?"

"Iyon lamang ang nakalap ko, Mahal na Reyna."

"We can still stay here for a day or two. Let everyone investigate more."

Tumango si Delilah sa akin at sa isang iglap ay naglaho na siya at ang kanyang anino. Mariin akong pumikit at hinayaan ang katawan kong lumutang-lutang sa tubig habang nakatulala sa kalangitan.

"Will you guide me like how you guide them, Father? Or I continue to follow Mother's path? Will you let me see you again?"

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili kong luha na humalo na sa tubig nang tila ipakita ng mga bituin ang ngiti ni ama sa kalangitan.

He had that wide smile like Caleb's, the way he stood like King Dastan, the way he confidently spoke like Evan and Casper, he could be unpredictable like Finn, he could utterly look cold, dark, and dangerous like Zen, and he could be the sweetest like Lily. Every day in Sartorias reminded me of my father as he left glimpses of himself in my siblings. Pero iba pa rin talaga sa pakiramdam na siya mismo ang makita ng aking mga mata.

Minsan ay naiinggit ako kay Divina. It wasn't proven but I heard stories from my little niece and how she could play and talk to her Grandfather King. Sa tuwing nakakausap niya ba si Divina ay sumasagi sa isip niya ang bunso niyang prinsesa?

Did he ever think that I'd have my own mission like this, and if this was really his clue— was it as simple as stating this place and letting me find the hidden treasure?

Hindi rin nagtagal ay hindi na lang ako mag-isa sa paliguan dahil nagdatingan na ang mga kababaihan na natapos na sa pagsusunog ng katawan. Agad silang yumuko sa akin nang makita ako.

As much as I wanted to be alone inside that bathhouse, I knew that these women needed a bath. Nag-aalangan pa nga sila sa pagtubog dahil naroon ako.

"Come on, you can join me. Wala akong nakahahawang sakit."

Nang sabihin ko iyon ay isa-isa na silang tumubog sa tubig. Dahil alam ko na hindi sila lalapit sa akin ay ako na ang nagkusa. Habang silang dinadama ang init ng tubig ay pinili ko nang bahagyang umahon at maupo sa isang bato na may mababaw na tubig.

"Bukas ay nais kong makatanggap ng bagong impormasyon."

Tumango sila sa akin. "But if you have other information about the water from the legend, you can tell me now."

Pansin ko na tila may nais sabihin si Mira.

"Mira?"

"Sa opinyon ko, Mahal na Reyna ay wala rito ang hinahanap mong tubig. Maaaring nililito lamang ang nais maghanap nito."

Isa rin iyon sa nasa isip ko. Dahil hindi ko inaasahan na basta na lang ibibigay ni ama ang impormasyong iyon na malalaman na ng halos lahat ng nilalang na naririto.

"If not in the Entertainment District, where?" bulong ko sa sarili ko.

The Entertainment District, Asta Wellingzon's Devil's Fountain, and the Holy Land itself.

I need to find that water... If I can't find a better clue in Mudelior, how could I possibly move to Asta Wellingzon? How could these locations be connected but too far away from each other?

Sa sandaling mahanap ko ba ang tubig dito'y sapat na iyon para kay Finn... at Kalla? If I happened to reach Asta Wellingzon, would Finn appreciate the bargain in Devil's Fountain? I don't think Dastan and Lily would sacrifice life for Finn... and the only creatures who reached the Holy Land were the blue fire. Freya, Veda, and Atlas.

And If Father happened to reach the Holy Land... he should have at least left a clue to someone... who could be someone who frequents the Entertainment District the most and probably heard thousands of whispered stories from women in different houses of pleasure, had managed to reach Asta Wellingzon, and probably connected to Holy Land, someone who managed to enter other bone-eating portals like the cave in Sartorias, the old ruins in Fevia Attero, and the Sea of Eronia... those mysterious places from different worlds.

If Father managed to reach all of those places, I only knew one vampire who managed to reach all of them...

My not-so-favorite Le'Vamuievos.

Rosh...