Seraphina's POV
It was Sunday, my day of rest. I woke up early in the morning to clean the house and do the laundry. That day, I planned to visit the newly opened bookstore in the city. It was a huge bookstore, and since it was Sunday, many people would surely go. I planned to treat myself to a book, so visiting the newly opened bookstore felt like a great idea. Surely, they were offering discounts.
I finished my household chores at 9 a.m. and decided to have a smoothie and two boiled eggs for breakfast. I planned to eat lunch after I was done buying books.
I immediately took a bath and then chose my outfit for the day. Since I was only going to the bookstore, I wore black jogging pants and a fitted black long-sleeve turtleneck since the weather wasn't too hot. I added a black hat, black rubber shoes I bought last year, and a black sling bag. I didn't know why, but black had always been my favorite color. I don't wear black to work; I only wear it when I'm not going to work.
After looking at myself and feeling satisfied, I went out and walked to the bus stop. The bookstore was not that far, maybe 15 minutes away from our house if the road wasn't traffic-heavy. I put my AirPods in my ears and played my favorite songs on my phone.
I closed my eyes for a bit while traveling. I woke up too early, so I was still sleepy. My body clock affected the time I woke up, even on rest days. When I felt that I was near, I opened my eyes and looked outside the window to check where I was. As the bus stopped, I immediately got off. I walked five more minutes before reaching the bookstore.
I was expecting a huge crowd, but to my surprise, only a few people were there. Maybe it was too early, or perhaps people were spending time with their families at home. I went inside, and a worker from the establishment greeted me. I greeted him back before heading off to explore the newly opened bookstore.
The building had three floors. It was spacious and filled with books. To my surprise, there was also a reading area, but the staff said I needed to pay 100 pesos for two hours to use it. It was a great deal for me, and I was already planning when to come back and spend time there.
I quietly explored the third floor. This floor was very quiet, and no one seemed to be around. I was all alone, freely exploring the huge shelves and wide spaces between them. I read the synopses—if one hooked me, that would be the book I'd buy.
I was so busy looking at the shelves that I didn't notice someone on the other side. I only realized it when we accidentally reached for the same book on the same shelf. I was startled at first because I thought I was alone on that floor; I hadn't heard any footsteps or noise.
"Sorry," I said as I let go of the book and let the other person take it. I wanted to see his face, but I wasn't tall enough to do so. I moved to another shelf to look for other books.
I spent about an hour searching before finally deciding which book to buy. I found it on the third floor. When I went down, I headed straight to the counter to pay. The book cost 300 pesos. It was a big amount for me, but since it was my birthday gift to myself, I let it slide. This book would be added to my collection. Since I was a kid, I had been fond of reading. I still remember how my grandma would surprise me with fiction books whenever she had money. I always gave her a kiss whenever she did. She knew what made me happy. She knew my favorite thing.
"Ma'am, would you like to have more?" the cashier asked.
"Huh? Why do you ask?" I replied.
"We actually have a promo today since it's the grand opening. You can choose any book you want, no matter how many, and they're all free."
"Free?" My voice grew louder. I couldn't help but feel shocked.
The cashier smiled. "Yes, ma'am."
Wow. Am I lucky today? Why me, out of all the customers?
"Is it just me?" I asked.
She nodded.
"You said I can choose as many as I want, right?" I asked again to make sure I didn't mishear her. She nodded once more.
Since it was free, I grabbed the opportunity right away. I chose the books I wanted to read without even checking the prices. I happily placed them on the counter—twenty books in total. The cashier looked shocked at first, but packed them into paper bags while smiling.
I couldn't wait to get home. I was excited to start reading one of the books I had chosen.
"Here you go, ma'am," she said as she handed me the paper bags filled with the books I had picked.
"Thank you so much," I replied, then turned my back to leave the building. But before I stepped outside, I overheard a conversation at the counter.
"She's so lucky. Why did our boss decide to give her that promo?"
"He's so damn rich. Pennies mean nothing to him."
Were they talking about me? I wanted to go back and ask them, but I decided not to interfere in their conversation. After all, I was already satisfied with the promo the bookstore had offered.
***
Lucca's POV
After exercising in my gym inside the mansion, I decided to go early to the newly opened bookstore I had recently planned and built. Aside from the fact that it was an advantage for me, since I was fond of reading books and wouldn't need to waste time looking for other bookstores, that was the reason I decided to build one myself. I went there while it was still uncrowded. I expected it, since it was Sunday. And of course, I built it not for the people, but for myself.
The workers my assistant had hired greeted me with smiles. I didn't smile back but responded with a nod. I roamed around and looked at the freshly delivered books from other countries. They looked pleasing to my eyes and satisfied the urge I had for books.
After inspecting the first floor, I decided to go up and check the second floor, then the third. While I was busy examining each book on the shelves, thinking I was alone, the book I was about to grab was taken by someone from the other side of the shelf.
"I'm sorry," a familiar voice echoed across the floor.
Curious, I held onto the book to see who owned that voice. Since I was tall, I only caught a glimpse of the person's forehead at first. But when she lifted her head, that was when I saw her face clearly.
It was Seraphina—the small, fragile woman Dominic had a crush on. She didn't see me and moved to another shelf to look for more books. I followed her silently, careful not to make any noise or cause a distraction. The night before, just before I slept, her image had crossed my mind. It was unusual for me, since I wasn't interested in remembering people's faces or names. But she was an exception. I didn't know why. I had no control over it.
Seraphina was busy reading the back cover of a book, putting it back on the shelf, then picking up another, only to return it. The same process was repeated. As for me, I stood in the corner near the glass window, silently watching her. Her aura was different today, even though she was dressed entirely in black.
"What book should I buy? I can't buy both," she said while holding two books in her hands.
Seeing her torn between her choices, I decided to go down to the counter and speak to the cashier.
"Tell the woman wearing all black that there's a promo today, and that she's eligible for it. Let her get whatever she wants, I'll pay for it," I instructed.
Suddenly, my phone rang. I felt the vibration in my pocket and took it out to see the caller. It was my master. I answered immediately.
"Hello," I greeted him.
"Where are you?" my master asked, ignoring my greeting.
"At the bookstore."
"Bookstore?"
"The one I built. Today is the opening day."
"Come to my house today. Let's have lunch together," he said.
I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "Okay. I'm on my way," I replied, reminding the cashier about the promo before heading out to my car.
I sped up, driving at my usual pace. My master wouldn't call me over just for lunch. He always had something to say. Either it was about the black ring or something concerning my family or myself.
When I arrived, I parked my car near my master's gate and entered without knocking. I was sure he already knew I was there. As I opened the main door, silence greeted me. I went to his prayer room and saw him kneeling, praising the deity he believed possessed him.
I waited for him to finish. During sessions like this, my master hated being interrupted, especially while praying. I left the room and waited in the living room instead. It must have been about an hour before he finally came out of the prayer room.
"You didn't say you would come home this early. I thought you would stay longer at your bookstore," my master said.
"I thought you needed me right away," I reasoned.
"Lunch isn't ready yet."
"Can't we just order lunch?"
"Yeah, rich people tend to buy food outside because they have money," he said sarcastically.
I frowned at his gesture, though it wasn't a big deal to me. He wanted me to eat his homemade meal.
"By the way, are you okay? I heard you went to Dr. Keith last time."
"Did he mention that to you?"
"Yes, because I asked," he said, trying to protect the doctor. But I already knew him. He would report everything to my master about me.
"I'm fine," I said, then rested my head on the sofa.
"Medicine is not always the solution, Lucca." His tone turned serious.
"I know."
"Open up to him if that will help you."
"He can't help me."
"And why do you say so?"
"Because I know."
"Yet you trusted his prescription, huh?" he said sarcastically.
"Prescription and talking sessions are two different things."
"You only have less than a year to live, Lucca. You have to change." His sarcastic voice turned into a pleading one. I knew where this conversation was coming from. He was afraid of what would happen to me. He believed that if I changed, the deity he served would pardon me, and I wouldn't die after a year.
Though I didn't believe in my master's deity, I still listened to him out of respect.
"Have you found the black ring?" he asked.
"Not yet. But Dominic and Damian are helping me look for it."
I looked at his face. He wanted to say something, but chose not to. Like me, my master was secretive. He knew how to suppress his emotions, too. If I didn't know who my real parents were, I might think he was my father, as we shared the same behavior.
"Master… have you ever tried reading someone's emotions just by looking into their eyes?" I asked out of nowhere.
I remembered the fragile woman I met earlier. I didn't know why, but she kept bothering me. I was curious about the pain and sorrow I saw in her. Why were her eyes like that? Why did her pain seem to connect with me?
"Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious," I answered.
"You wouldn't ask just out of curiosity. I've known you for a long time."
I sighed deeply. I didn't add any more details because I didn't want to share what I experienced yesterday.
"I heard about Dominic's crush," my master said, changing the topic.
"Who told you?" I asked.
"Who do you think?"
Right. Why did I even ask when the answer was obvious?
"He called me last night and told me about her. A flirty one trying to get serious?"
I agreed. Among the three of us, Dominic was the flirty one. I couldn't call him a womanizer—he didn't two-time—but he never stayed single for long. If he broke up with someone, he'd have another girlfriend within a week. That was how different he was from Damian and me.
Damian and I each had only one ex-girlfriend. Damian ended his three-year relationship five years ago, while I broke up with my one-year relationship three years ago. Mine wasn't even serious. It was forced—part of a bet. Damian and Dominic knew about it since my ex-girlfriend used to be our friend.
That fragile woman wasn't suited for Dominic. He had a strong personality, the complete opposite of hers. But who would have thought that just by being cute, she would capture the heart of our unserious friend?
Her face flashed in my mind again, as if rewinding in my head.
Was I thinking of her because I pitied her after seeing her emotions that day?