Chapter 158 - THREE

"Why are we talking about these? Did we agree not to tackle marriage or relationship---" He lightly pushed her, and made them face each other. Yanarym saw the redness of his eyes and his pained expression.

"You will be crowned as next to my throne too, don't worry about being a Hara, it suits you well…"

"I am in love with you Yanar! I love you so much, but I know you don't love me too, that's why I hated you. Did you know? I rather kill you than give you to another man." Yanarym blinked her eyes with this sudden confession, she looked at Maki's grieving expression. He's not even joking. 

"... however, that was before… but now, I don't know, I can't even think about making you cry. I can't hurt you, I can't kill you, and also...it seems like I can't have you..." Yanarym reached out her hands and touched his face. She knelt on the bed that made her taller than him. She bent and grazed her lips at his forehead, nose and lips. As she caressed his cheeks, she smiled at him. 

"Maki, stop crying, you're making me cry too." She whispered and sat on his lap and embraced his body. 

Maki was startled by her sweet actions, "Bai?"

"Do you want to hear something ridiculous?" She asked him, peering into his eyes. He nodded in response. "I can't choose between you, Lapil or Achis. Because I like you all… I want you all." 

Guide-sama: "Are you serious, Yanarym?"

"I was born pampered, I can get whatever I like or whatever I want. Baba and Iloy had never restricted me about anything. But they had taught me about true love..." 

"They said that it was the greatest thing that we could have as humans that Abba gave us. Yet, it seems like my heart is divided into three." 

"You can call me selfish and evil or even a whore, but I can't decide between anyone. That's why I keep on stalling my marriage because I will be miserable if I can only have one." 

"Yanar… "

"Isn't that completely ridiculous?" She smiled at him, more charmingly, more enticing. And he was mesmerized, he was bewitched, no matter how outrageous she became. He would believe and accept her, because, for him, she is absolute. 

"It's not about status, wealth, ranking, or power Maki. You don't place last anywhere, you actually have my heart but it's not solely belong to you… I'm sorry." 

At the balay of Datu Achis, Tala was alone in the big room with him. As soon as she landed on the island, she immediately headed to his house to have a favorable response on conversing with him. She still thinks it is a loss not having Achis on her side, he has a lot of potential and he is a very intellectual individual. If he would not become her ally, he would become her disastrous enemy in the future.

In the middle of the balay, sitting in front of one another, they were served by the hayohay with some refreshments as they talked. Visible on Achis' expression was how phlegmatic he was listening to her. 

"Did I not tell you that I already declined your offer?" Achis said solemnly, cutting her rhetoric of getting back on her side. There's no reason to insist this, Yanarym will not come back to him, instead if she found this out, she would never see him again. It's like he will make things worse than it is now. He knew that much after spending over a year with her. 

"That's why I am here to convince you once more." Tala's persistence was not like any other. Truly, if she gave up just like that, she wouldn't gain any allies. Being a woman puts her at a disadvantage, no one listens to her. But if she was pertinacious and diligent, she would get there. She can have what she needs.

"I am no longer interested, go home." He was about to stand up but Tala abruptly said another statement.

"I heard that your bride was missing. If I help you look for her, will you join forces with me again?" Achis smiled depressively, Tala saw his aggrieved reaction and noticed that the young Datu had lost his weight and had a thinner body from their last encounter. 

It's like she's seeing Datu Pita when he lost his wife Ara before. Of course, Datu Pita was in much worse condition. 

"You don't even know her face, how will you find her?" He retorted and grinned at her, Tala couldn't say anything.

Honestly, she had no idea what she looked like under the veil. She had no chance to do so, she asked Maki but he told her that she did not take it off, similar to what her other servant said that she ordered to watch over the woman. 

"That… "

"This is pointless, you should leave," Achis said again and stood up from his seat, however, Tala was not done yet.

"Datu Achis! If that is the case then, why gain more power and wealth? In that way, you can look for her easier." She exclaimed, Achis looked at her and sighed. 

"...Do you think she was missing because she was stolen from me?" He said looking more broken. Does she think he stopped looking? He's not, until now he is searching for her. Wealth? Power? It won't help him.

"Huh?"

"She's not. For sure, she is hiding from me." He told her grimly. "You can't find someone good at hiding unless she showed up herself." 

"Hiding… ? Why would she… do that?" Tala was confused by this assertion. She saw them at the banquet before. Although she was wary of that woman, she could see how harmless she was. Just like any other binukot, she was being treated like a princess. Achis was good to her and they were a very harmonious couple.

"Because I did something horrible to her, so she ran away from me."