章節 11: I will bark for you
I didn't know how long I slept, but I was certain I slept like a baby. I slowly opened my eyes, moaning at my aching muscles. When my vision grew clearer, what first caught my eyes was a ceiling. My brows furrowed, assisting myself up with my elbow.
"Huh?"
A confused hum slipped past my lips as I looked around this small room. It wasn't that small per se, but it was smaller than my room back home. I looked around and nothing, in particular, caught my eyes aside from how simple it looked. There was just a bed, a bedside table with a small lamp on it, a wooden chair right beside the bed, the window covered by a curtain where light could only penetrate the small gap, and then a closet.
'Did we reach Althea?' I wondered while licking my dry lips. 'That was quick.'
Well, considering how fast Hugo could run, it wouldn't surprise me if we reached Althea already. Did I sleep for a day? To quench my curiosity, I flung my legs out of the bed. They ached and felt very heavy, a result of straining my body, but I should get used to it.
I sat on the edge of the mattress and pushed myself up after garnering enough strength to stand. As soon as I was on my feet, my stomach greeted me with a grumble.
'I'm hungry...' I rubbed my tummy while dragging my feet towards the window. For reasons unknown, I hesitated on sliding the curtain open.
"They're not... I'm scared..." came out a muffled voice, staring at the light on my foot.
I was afraid to see what was outside. My jaw tightened as I gritted my teeth, rubbing my thumb and index on the end of the curtain. I was never out of the castle and the first time I went out was that night I met Hugo. My eyes flickered with bitterness as the heaviness in my heart weighed heavier.
So, my enthusiasm to see the world was now replaced with fear. That experience was surely an eye-opening experience.
KNOCK KNOCK!
I jumped and clutched my chest as my thoughts trailed off when I heard a sudden knock outside. The door creaked slowly as it opened, making me raise my eyebrows when I saw Hugo peek his head in. His eyes dilated when it landed on the bed.
My lips parted, but before my words could escape my mouth, my stomach greeted him with a growl. I bit my lower lip in embarrassment, gazing down at my stomach as it was a little chatty today.
"Oh, goodness! I thought you went out or something." I raised my head and saw him enter the room, patting his chest. "The food will be ready soon. Tito will bring them here once it's done."
"Oh..." I nodded and just stared at him. There was a moment of silence between us as neither of us talked for a minute.
After some time, he let out a sigh and ruffled his hair. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Are we on Althea now?" I asked under my breath, feeling a little awkward. He set his eyes back on me, planting his hand on his hip, and then nodded.
"Why don't you check outside?" he said, perking his chin towards the window behind me. "You slept for a day, so it's still past noon. Also, everyone is busy preparing for the festival."
"Ahh..." Again, I just rocked my head while gazing down. No wonder my stomach was too loud.
"You don't want to check?" his question snapped me out of my trance as I lifted my head again.
"No." I shook my head, but that made him frown. Before I could explain my fear of disappointment in the outside world, Hugo trudged in my direction.
"What... wait, I..."
Hugo passed by me, and light soon devoured the dullness in the room. I gazed down and saw my shadow stretched to the bed, but my heart was pounding so loud against my chest. I didn't want to check outside, as it made me recall how devastating the capital looked last night. There was this lingering fear that all I would see was the result of the rebellion.
"See? This is the little kingdom Althea." His warm baritone voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "The outside world is, indeed, dangerous, but there were still good places like this one."
He kept speaking lazily, but I remained frozen on my spot. Suddenly, a mild breeze blew past my back, making my lilac locks flow forward.
"Listen, Bambi," he said, causing me to raise my brows. "It's not as bad as you think it is."
Hugo didn't speak anymore while I focused on the indistinct noises outside the window. It slowly grew distinct; the cheerful laughter of children, a man yelling to purchase his goods, and just about everything that sounded light.
I turned around to see him leaning his arms against the windowsill, looking back at me with a smile. The light from outside shone upon his dark ash hair, while his pair of golden eyes felt warm and kind.
"Come, Bambi." He cocked his head towards the window.
"Al... right," I whispered, dragging my feet towards him while holding my breath.
Once I stood next to him, I squinted my eyes before slowly opening them to see what he was talking about. I gazed down and was mesmerized to see the bustling street. My face brightened up a little and turned to him when he spoke.
"See? It's not that bad." Hugo playfully poked his head to my shoulder, and I gazed at him.
Looking at him urged me to pet his hair. It looked so soft. Before I knew it, I already raised my hand and ruffled his hair weakly. He looked at me, stunned by my action.
"You're right. Thank you, Hugo," came out a soft voice as the side of my lips curled up into a gentle smile.
"My god... I will bark for you, Bambi," he murmured, which made me giggle.
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