Not My Sins

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 

Rain bit her fingers nervously as she headed into her residence, even though she had been with the family for nine years, her residence was still detached from the main building. 

Even though they had made it seem like they accepted her, she was still an outcast, so this time she chose to abandon them first. 

"What is it?" Marine asked curiously, she noticed the small frown in between Rain's red eyebrows, the girl had been distant for a while, and it troubled Marine a lot. "How did the celebration go?" 

In an attempt to lighten the mood, she asked. 

"Uhm…" Rain muttered the frown reducing, she handed her bags to Marine's outstretched hands. "I don't know." 

"Don't tell me you didn't attend it too?" Marine received the bag and walked her inside, Rain was as tall as Marine now. A small smile reached Marine's lips when she noticed the height, just like they say, time flies, the girl was pretty and strong, and in her coming-of-age ceremony, there would be tons of men lined up to seek the girl. 

She wondered what kind of man the Duke would give her to. 

"I told you to try to hang around your peers," Marine found herself scolding. "You can't stay hidden forever." 

"Marine, can I talk to you?" Rain asked softly, and Marine confirmed her suspicion, something indeed bothered the girl, she wasn't usually this distant. "But you can't tell anyone." 

"Who would I even tell?" Marine teased with a light smile and Rain nodded before she closed the doors to her chambers and walked towards her bed. 

"The Crowned Prince has been acting strangely." She started in an unsure voice, peeping out vacantly as though she was expecting someone to come in. "I don't know what has gotten to him, but he is being very weird." 

"What did he do?" Marine sounded very alarmed. "Did he hurt you again?" 

Rain became silent. 

What the crowned prince did... can it be classified as hurting her?

The prince made her scared and he threatened her, he also called her his, like she was a belonging.

"The Crowned Prince threatened me." She confessed. "He strangely looked at me, he told me I belonged to him. He said a lot of things that bothered me."

"He desires you?" A fresh smile peels on her face, and Rain frowned instead. "That's a good thing, if the Prince desires you, you should tell your father about it and watch yourself become the Crowned Princess of the Empire." 

"Desire?" Rain muttered. "Is that supposed to be a love confession?" 

Marine nodded hurriedly.

"No, that can't be." Rain got up from her bed immediately, she began to pace in her room, with her hands in her hair. "The Prince shouldn't desire me." 

"And why not?" Marine asked. "Do you feel you are unworthy to have the Prince's love because you are an illegitimate child?" 

"No, that's not it," Rain shook her head. 

"Then why?" Marine seemed persistent. "If the Duke knows about it, he will do anything he can to push you to the top." 

Rain laughed. 

"Why would the Duke make me the Crowned Princess?" Rain queried. "You know how the society is against bastards like me, please don't give me false hopes." 

 Rain stared outside the window but that was not the reason she felt attacked, from where she stood, she could see Doni riding on the horses, he had grown into a fine man with toned muscles and an agile spirit.

He was even more attractive than what he was as a child, despite being a slave, he was as regal as an emperor. Even though she had not brought herself to him during those nine years, she had always watched him like this, hopefully, every day she would sit at the window and pray he rode a horse, so she could see him. 

 "Is it that boy?" Marine asked curiously, it had been a while since she noticed Rain liked Doni a lot.

She never spoke about him or left to find him, but her heart always yearned. 

She had watched him from the top of her window like this every day for those long nine years. 

"I know you like that boy," Marine confessed. "Do you think it's worth it?" 

 "It's not because of him." Rain added with a small smile, she would never fight a war she could never win, there was no way her love was stronger than the hatred Doni had for her and her household. "Because of him, I don't mind being with the crowned prince." 

"Then what is the reason for your refusal." 

 "Lily." Rain muttered. "Apart from the fact that I don't have any lingering emotions for the crowned prince. Lily had loved him for a long time." 

Marine grew quiet. 

"I don't want to hurt Lily, and I don't want her to hate me." 

 Doni stretched his arms tiredly, he had just washed up from the day's work, and he tightened his hands and watched his veins pop out, physically it wasn't enough for the manifestation of the star. 

He needed more training. 

It would take about four months. 

"Just wait, mother." Doni sighed as he toweled his hair, "In four months I will avenge you, I will send the Duke and his family to the cold place he made you go."

 He followed the grassy path of the estate, just once in a while, he strolled around the place, living his life as a dog in the estate.

 It seemed the Duke was worried about his hair and had hidden him for a long time, but recently, he bought him hair dye and made him hide the color instead. 

 According to the rumors, the Crowned Prince had been visiting the estate often, it seemed the Duke would get one of his daughters engaged to the Crown Prince. 

Doni's lips curved in a smirk. 

What a greedy dog.

He should have known from the start. 

The Duke coveted the throne. 

 He spotted some bright red wool-like material in the distance, someone was sitting on the swing, and they used it carelessly. The swing had been placed under maintenance repair. It would seem this person didn't know, as he moved closer he realized it was his other friend.

Rain Roni. 

 She gripped the strings tightly, her knuckles turning white, she seemed lost in thoughts as she swung, the girl doesn't just listen. 

 She didn't even know how dangerous this place was for her, and yet she walked around without any protection. He couldn't allow her to avoid him forever, he stepped out of the darkness and walked towards her, she didn't notice him until he was only a few feet from her. 

 Rain's eyes widened, and she gripped the strings tightly, it felt almost surreal but Doni was walking towards her, she stopped abruptly and the string snapped. 

"Ah…" A short squeal escaped her lips and she fell to the ground. From the loud snap she heard she could tell her legs were in bad shape. Doni got closer and she moved away, using her hands to create as much as much distance as she could between them.

Doni's blue eyes lit up in amusement, it was a bit thrilling to see her afraid. 

"Why do you run, my lady?" He asked with a smug on his face. "Are you scared?" 

 Tears had well up in her eyes, she turned her head to the other direction, but she was alone in the wood with him. No one comes to this part of the estate, only the servants and they could only come here in their free time. 

If Doni wanted to, he could… 

She gasped when he knelt and reached for her leg but the harm she expected didn't come. 

"This is a nasty bruise, you should take care of it or it will scar." She took her legs away from him immediately. "Shall I help you to your chambers?" 

"N-No…" she whispered. "I-I can go on my own."

"Don't be like that," He grabbed her arms and she yanked it away from him abruptly, he grinned openly. Seeing the Duke's daughter, squirm with fear and anxiety brought him so much joy. 

"I-I said I can go on my own." 

"Is this how you say thank you to someone who saved you?" He asked referring to the night he protected her with his life, Rain gasped slightly, when he pulled her arms again, her face inches away from his. 

"Saved me?" She whispered. "Thank you." 

"Thank you?" He questioned in surprise, he didn't expect her to just thank him, she tightened her arms again and pulled them out of his grip.

 "What should I say to someone who tried to kill me?" Doni's eyes narrowed immediately when he heard the statement. 

Was she talking about that night? 

"I know it was you." She answered. "You hate me so much to attempt to kill me, why are you acting nice and trying to help me when I fall?" 

He snickered. 

"I didn't know the daughter of the Duke keeps a grudge." He answered, Rain felt offended. 

"Isn't that good enough to hold a grudge?" She whispered, she didn't hold a grudge but since he chose to look at it that way. "You might be trying to kill me even now, once you have attempted something, it wouldn't be so difficult to do on the second try." 

 Doni tightened his jaw in fury, he got up and hauled her up, she squealed in fear, and he held her arms with enough pressure to break them. 

"I'm not sure how the Duke raised his daughter but once someone offers to help you, you should thank them." She tried to disengage from him but he gripped her even tighter, making her curl towards him. "You should keep quiet and receive my help, you're in no position to act like a brat."