It was annoying because he was watching her every move, guarding every spoonful of food that she eats. She slightly moved her body and she nearly had a stiff neck while trying to evade his gaze and so she won't take a look at his face. His got gaze was disconcerting. "Look. I don't want to hold you here, Deive. Maybe you have more important things to do than staring at me. There might be rats, cockroaches, or snakes in this house that you want to hunt. I am not fond of them so you are free to chase them out of my house."
"Mang Lito told me that there are no snakes or rats inside the mansion. They are only at the fields."
"Clean up the fields then so you will be more productive."
He breathed deeply. "Callea, don't tell me you are still mad at me."
She gave him a sullen glance and kept on eating. "Do you want me to be happy with what you did? You asked my designer to change my designs. You bothered my bat friends. You are sabotaging my job. You are trying to ruin my life."
"Look. I said I am sorry. I am trying my best to make amends here," he complained while peeling off the mandarin orange. "I can't let you stay mad at me for long. I won't bother your baby bats anymore, Batgirl."
"Really?" she asked and her annoyance slightly dissipated.
He nodded and put the slice of orange near her lips. "Yes. I am trying to make amends here. I already said sorry about your bat friends."
She thought he was only trying to be nice to her. She didn't expect him to apologize to the bats as well. She opened her mouth and took the orange he offered. "Well, you still have another fault. My dress..."
"Yes. I won't force you to wear those." He stood up and searched her closet. He was dismayed when he didn't find the clothes. "Where are the clothes I bought for you?"
She pouted in the direction of the old treasure chest. "It's in there. I won't use them anyway."
"No!" he wailed. He opened the treasure chest and picked up a lavender floral dress. "Here. Wear this one. We have to go somewhere."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I won't wear that one and I won't leave the mansion."
"Come with me. Please?" he begged and put his palms together as if on a prayer.
"If you want to bring me with you then you have to bring me looking like this," she said then put her hair in disarray. Let's see if he would still want to take her out of the house looking like a witch who had never met a comb before. There was still a smudge of eyeliner and mascara in her eyes. She looked pale and she was wearing a white bloody dress. She was in the mood the be a white lady that morning.
"Fine! I will take you out of this house looking like that."
She cried out when he carried her over his shoulder like a sack of rice. She hit him on his back and tried to kick him out but his stance remained steady. He was not bothered by her actions at all. The beast! And he won't be ashamed to leave the house with her looking like a horror house queen? Was he serious?
"Great! Try wiggling some more and keep on hitting me with your brutal love. The two of us would tumble down the stairs," he warned.
She stopped moving. She stopped breathing at all. She didn't want to get hurt and she didn't want a trip to the orthopedic with Deive. She was not a bad person. She just wanted to be free. "You can put me down."
"No," he answered nonchalantly then proceeded to go downstairs. When they finally landed on the landing, she started wiggly and tapping his back once more. "Put me down! I wanna puke."
"No. I won't let you go until we reach the car."
With her vision upside down, she passed by Mang Lito, Aling Poling, and Marina. They were lined up on her way to the door. "Help!"
"Please have a safe trip, Señorita," said Mang Lito.
Aling Poling at Marina also waved at her. "Drive safely, Sir Deive," said Marina.
"Luna!" she called for her cat. But she only yawned while lounging on Marina's feet. She didn't even attack Deive. What kind of sorcery is this? Deive was also friends with her manhating cat? So, she had no one on her side.
"Traitors! All of you are traitors!" Callea wailed in despair.
Deive put on beside the driver's seat. She tried to get out of the car but he firmly held her shoulder and backed her against the seat. "Stay put!"
"Where are you taking me?"
"To the mall. You need a total make-over."
"No way! Try it and you will regret it." She curled her palm while he clasped her seatbelt. Why did she ever think that they would get along? That he was really apologetic a while ago and he really wanted to respect her individuality. She was wrong. "You are a monster! You are no better than other people who are after the outside beauty of a person. That's the only thing important to you."
He closed the door then took the driver's seat. He closed the door with a bit of force then used the power lock. "I am trying to make things work here. Marriage is not as simple as you think. Not because this is a marriage of convenience, you can act the way you want. We have to make adjustments to reach our goals."
"I thought you accept the real me?" she asked in a hurt voice.
"For example, we'll do things your way and we have to face my grandfather with you looking like yourself right now. Honey, he will pull me out of the wedding. It would ruin his friendship with your grandfather for providing an unsuitable bride. You will lose Villa Celesta. Do you want that?"
"There must be some other way." She hated people touching her, attempting to make her shine.
"There is no other way, Callea. So we will do it my way."