Seraphina's POV
My day started with a sore body. Yes, you heard that right. Since we had a physically demanding activity yesterday and it was my first time, my whole body ached today. I could barely get out of bed and had difficulty walking to the bathroom.
Mira mentioned last night during dinner that we would be hiking today. We were supposed to start at 5:00 a.m., which was why I woke up at 4:30 a.m. Even though my body was aching, I still needed to do this because it had already been planned. Besides, I didn't want them to worry about me.
I took a cold shower, hoping it would ease some of the pain. My only problem now was how to go through the day without them noticing that I could barely walk properly. I would do my best not to get caught.
After taking a bath, I put on my leggings and a dry-fit shirt. I also wore the hiking shoes that Mira bought for me when we were in Baguio. She told me I would need them since we would be doing extreme activities.
As I was struggling to put on my shoes because of the pain, a knock on the door caught my attention.
"Yes?" I called out loudly.
"It's me, Mira," she replied from outside.
I hurriedly put on my shoes and headed to the door. When I opened it, Mira was already dressed in her hiking outfit.
"Are you done?" she asked with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm done. Are we leaving now?" I asked.
She nodded. "The boys are already in the living room waiting for us."
I glanced at the watch on my wrist. It was only 4:45 a.m.
"It's better to leave early so we can catch the sunrise," Mira said as she grabbed my hand.
"Wait, let me get my bag."
I gently pulled my hand away and hurried back inside to get my go bag. But rushing was a mistake. My legs suddenly went numb, and a sharp pain shot through them. I bit my lower lip to endure it, hoping Mira wouldn't notice.
When I came back outside, she didn't comment on anything. That meant she hadn't noticed the way I had walked.
Mira went downstairs first while I followed behind. I couldn't stop making faces every time I stepped down. The pain was getting worse, and I didn't know how much longer I could hide it.
"Good morning, Sera!" Dominic greeted me with his usual bright smile.
I smiled back. All three men were already wearing their hiking outfits. They looked incredibly good in them and somehow even more attractive.
My attention was drawn to Lucca, who was quietly sitting on the couch while looking at his phone. He was wearing a white dry-fit shirt that highlighted his muscular build and black shorts that fit him perfectly. He even had knee pads on. His shoes looked expensive, like something worn by a famous NBA player. I liked the color because it contrasted with Lucca's usual style. I had always thought he preferred black, so seeing him wear lighter colors made me think otherwise.
Lucca caught me staring.
But instead of nagging me, he simply stared back with his usual blank expression. I gave him an awkward smile before quickly looking away.
Soon, we all headed to the van because we were going to hike from Marlboro Hills down to Blue Soil.
Even though I was in pain, I hoped they wouldn't notice. I especially didn't want Mira to worry about me and cancel today's activity. I knew she and Dominic had been excited about this ever since they talked about it last night.
After a few minutes, we arrived at the foot of the hills, where our hike would begin.
We met our tour guide, the same one who had accompanied us yesterday. As promised, he would be guiding us for the rest of the vacation. He started by giving us a short orientation and explaining the history behind Marlboro Hills and Blue Soil.
I stayed behind the group because I couldn't keep up with their pace. They walked so fast, while I was struggling with every step. Still, I let them go ahead because I didn't want anyone to notice me.
As I continued walking, I felt someone staring at me.
When I looked up, I saw Lucca watching me. Unlike earlier, when his face had been blank, he was now frowning as if I had done something wrong.
"Why are you walking like that?" Lucca asked, his eyes dropping to my legs.
Uh-oh.
This was exactly what I had been worried about. Once someone found out, they would probably want to cancel the hike, and that was the last thing I wanted.
"Please don't tell them," I said softly, almost pleading. "I don't want to ruin Mira and Dominic's happiness."
"And why should I hide it from them?" he asked.
I was taken aback by his question. Luckily, his voice wasn't loud enough for the others to hear.
"I can't let them cancel today's plan just because my body is aching," I said honestly.
"And suffer even more because of it? Are you in your right mind, forcing your body to hike when you're clearly not okay?" he asked, his voice rising.
I looked ahead, checking if anyone could hear our conversation, but I couldn't see anyone. They had already walked far ahead of us.
"I can manage. You can go on without me. I'll just walk little by little," I said, forcing a smile.
Lucca was being rude again today. No wonder I sometimes thought of him as a woman going through her monthly period.
He didn't follow what I said. Instead, he just stood there, watching me.
What did he want from me?
He could simply leave and continue walking.
"Sera! Are you still there?" Mira shouted, her voice echoing through the trail.
I bit my lower lip and took a deep breath before shouting back.
"I'm okay! You can go on without me. I'm just enjoying the scenery!" I replied.
I looked at Lucca again, who clearly wasn't pleased with what I had said.
"Go on, Lucca. I can manage," I said, trying to shoo him away.
"Give me your bag," he said coldly. "I'll stay with you."
"No. You don't have to. I can manage on my own. You should go ahead," I insisted.
I couldn't focus on walking if he stayed beside me.
"Why are you so stubborn? Are you familiar with this place or something?" he snapped.
I frowned.
"And why are you being so rude? I don't need your help. I told you I can manage, but you keep insisting."
His eyes darkened, a clear sign that he was genuinely angry now.
"Should I tell your friends about your condition and ruin this day because you're being hardheaded? Fine. Go ahead and manage on your own, since you're so confident," Lucca said before turning around and walking away.
I continued walking, still frowning.
His strides were much longer than mine. Within moments, he was so far ahead that I eventually lost sight of him.
I bit my lower lip again.
I knew I was being stubborn.
I just didn't want Lucca helping me again.
Every time he lent me a hand, it made me feel awkward.
Every act of kindness from him made me uncomfortable.
In short, everything Lucca did somehow made me feel awkward.
But you're thinking about accepting his offer, aren't you?
I shook my head when that thought surfaced.
Right.
I was planning to accept his job offer.
If I did, I would have to get used to seeing him every day.
"Ouch!"
I cried out when I failed to notice a large rock in front of me.
I stumbled and fell hard.
The pain instantly intensified.
I could feel scrapes on my hands, knees, and feet. Since my mind had been wandering, I had only made my situation worse.
I looked down at my hands.
They were covered in dirt, and several scratches were visible from the sharp rocks I had landed on.
Those rocks were sharper than I expected.
"Now tell me if you can manage."
I looked up and saw Lucca standing there with his arms crossed, staring down at me.
I was prepared for his mockery because, after all, this was entirely my fault.
Instead, I simply closed my eyes and stayed where I was.
My feet hurt so much that I didn't think I could continue.
This was the consequence of being stubborn earlier.
When I opened my eyes again, Lucca was already pulling me up by the arm.
He was practically carrying me.
He guided me to a spot beneath a group of trees and helped me sit down.
Then he removed my bag from my shoulders and placed it beside me.
I was about to speak when he beat me to it.
"What? Do you want me to walk away and leave you like this because you don't want us to cancel today's trip?" he asked sarcastically.
"No... I just wanted to say thank you. And I'm sorry," I said quietly.
For a brief moment, he looked taken aback, but he quickly returned to his usual poker face.
He opened his hiking backpack and took out several supplies.
"You brought a medical kit?" I asked.
"Why? Isn't it necessary?" he replied, still dripping with sarcasm.
He gently took my foot and poured some betadine onto a piece of cotton before carefully applying it to the wounded area.
I could tell he was being gentle because he seemed to be making an effort not to apply too much pressure and cause me pain.
I simply stared at what he was doing, unable to stop myself from admiring how handsome he was.
I know I always emphasize how handsome Lucca is.
Now I wondered why he was still single.
How did I know he was single?
Because if he had a girlfriend, surely he would bring her on every trip. Or perhaps he wouldn't be spending his time helping me if he already had someone special.
"Done staring?" he asked.
This time, he took my hand and started applying betadine to the wounds there.
I immediately looked away and felt my cheeks grow warm.
"I was just watching what you were doing, not staring at you," I said as an excuse.
"Tsk."
I frowned.
"Why are you always so rude and sarcastic? Can't you talk nicely for once?"
"If I'm talking to someone who's this stubborn? No."
I was caught off guard by his response.
I hadn't expected him to answer so bluntly.
After applying betadine to my hands, he looked at me.
"What?"
"N-Nothing," I stammered, not knowing how to respond.
His words had completely backfired on me because deep down, I knew I had been stubborn.
If only I had accepted his help earlier, I wouldn't be covered in wounds now.
He rummaged through his bag again and pulled out some bandages and a cold pack.
He placed the cold pack on my ankle for a few minutes before carefully wrapping it with a bandage. He even put bandages on the wounds on my hands.
"Is the bandage really necessary?" I asked.
I didn't want Mira asking questions.
"Yes."
"Can you please not tell them? I told you I don't want to be the reason everyone stops enjoying the trip."
He frowned at me.
He looked as though he was about to say something, but I stopped him by raising my hand.
"Please don't nag me. Just this once. I think I can still walk. I can do this," I said firmly.
For almost a minute, he simply stared at me.
Maybe he was deciding whether he should listen to me or not.
"I can reapply the bandages later in my room and use another cold pack. I can even put ointment on the wounds to help them heal faster," I added with a forced smile.
He stood up and slung his bag onto his back while placing mine across his chest.
"I'll treat your injuries again when we get home," he said.
"But I can manage—"
I immediately stopped talking when he shot me an irritated glare.
"Stop using that word. It pisses me off. Who do you want helping you instead? Mira? Dominic? Then maybe I should tell them what happened."
"No! Okay, okay. You can come to my room later and help me treat my wounds. I won't complain anymore."
I raised my hands in surrender.
For a brief second, I thought I saw him smirk.
Wasn't that close enough to a smile?
He helped me stand up and supported me by holding my arm.
Even though my foot still hurt, I tried my best to walk normally.
Surely, Mira would question us if we took too long.
"You can let go of me when we're near them. I don't want them asking questions," I said.
"Are you really that conscious? Do you always have to worry about what other people think?" he snapped.
Did I say something wrong again?
Suddenly, Lucca stopped walking and released my arm.
Before I could ask what he was doing, he placed both bags on his back and effortlessly lifted me into his arms.
My eyes widened.
I gasped in shock.
I hadn't expected that at all.
"Lucca!" I exclaimed.
I couldn't even look at him properly because of how close we were.
I could feel his gaze on me, and it made me feel as though I might melt.
"We'll be late if you keep walking at that pace. Didn't you say you don't want them wondering why we're taking so long?" he said as he continued walking.
"Aren't I heavy? What if they see us?" I asked nervously.
"I'll put you down when we're close enough."
This had to be the most embarrassing moment of my life.
No one had ever carried me before.
And it wasn't just anyone.
It was Lucca.
I sat stiffly in his arms, afraid to move.
I felt guilty because he was carrying both our bags and me at the same time.
I wanted to look at him, but I was afraid he would catch me staring.
So I only stole quick glances.
Each time I looked, he seemed completely focused on the trail ahead.
Several minutes passed, and he still hadn't stopped walking.
I started worrying that he might get tired.
"Lucca, aren't you tired? I'm pretty heavy," I said.
"Heavy? Who?" he scoffed. "It's like carrying a piece of paper."
I wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, but I decided to take it as a compliment.
At least I wouldn't have to worry about my weight.
"I'm sorry, Lucca," I said sincerely.
Ever since our trip to Sagada had started, I felt like I had become a burden to him.
"If you're sorry, you should've listened to me in the first place," he replied.
I nodded.
"I know."
"And if you're really sorry, you should accept my offer already."
My eyes widened.
Now I had no reason left to refuse.
Not after everything he had done for me.
I nodded.
"I accept your offer."
Who was I to refuse in the first place?
I would benefit from it anyway.
Who was I to reject him after everything he had done for me, even if he was rude and sarcastic most of the time?
Maybe the only challenge I would face was learning how to deal with his personality.
Perhaps if I stopped taking his words seriously, I could survive longer in his company.
"May I ask something?" I said.
"Aren't you already doing that?" he replied.
I frowned but asked anyway.
"What exactly will my job be? You never gave me any details."
"My personal assistant."
"Personal assistant?"
I couldn't stop myself from shouting.
He immediately frowned.
"I'm not deaf, you freaking woman!" he snapped.
Now he was genuinely irritated.
Who wouldn't be shocked?
A personal assistant?
That meant I would be with him almost all day.
"Don't you already have a personal assistant? Besides, I don't even know how to do that job."
I ignored the fact that he had just called me a freaking woman.
Even while talking, Lucca continued walking without slowing down.
How could he carry me for this long without even breaking a sweat?
"I do," he answered. "But I need another one."
Great.
Now I really needed to learn how to deal with his attitude.
I wasn't sure whether accepting his offer had been a good decision or not.
Still, I hoped the job would be easier than my previous one.
An easier job with a high salary? Are you stupid?
I shook my head at my own thoughts.
The salary was high.
I shouldn't expect an easy workload.
I needed to prepare myself once this trip was over.
I didn't realize more than an hour had passed until Lucca told me we were close to Blue Soil.
Soon, I could already hear Mira and Dominic laughing in the distance.
"Put me down now," I whispered.
He carefully set me on my feet.
The pain immediately returned, but I endured it.
"Thank you. Aren't you exhausted? You didn't even stop to rest."
"I don't need to. It was a piece of cake," he replied confidently.
Our conversation was interrupted when Mira called my name.
I looked down and saw her waving enthusiastically at us.
I waved back and carefully made my way down the slope.
Lucca stayed close beside me, ready to catch me in case I stumbled again.
But this time, I was determined to be more careful.
My goal was simple:
Don't make anyone worry.
"Are you tired?" Mira asked with concern as she handed me a bottle of water.
"Yes," I admitted.
I accepted the bottle, but instead of drinking it, I offered it to Lucca.
Mira immediately made a face.
"I'm not thirsty," Lucca replied before sitting beside Dominic and Damian.
Mira looked at me meaningfully, but I ignored her expression and drank the entire bottle myself.
To everyone else, I probably looked exhausted from the hike.
Little did they know I had spent most of it being carried.
"After this, let's have breakfast at one of our restaurants," Mira suggested.
She moved over and offered me a seat beside her.
I gladly accepted.
"Why were you and Lucca so slow? Did something happen?" Mira asked.
If I had to estimate, we were at least thirty minutes behind them.
"You know this is my first time doing this kind of activity. I couldn't keep up with your pace, so I stopped trying to catch up. Lucca helped me," I explained.
"Lucca?"
Mira looked at Lucca and then back at me.
Her eyes were filled with questions.
"Yes."
Before she could ask more, Dominic jumped into the conversation.
"So, where should we go next? I'm not even tired yet."
"Wow. What a strong man," Mira muttered before laughing.
I forced a smile.
Whatever activity they planned next would probably be torture for me.
"How about the Hanging Coffins and Echo Valley? We'll be doing a lot of walking there too."
Walking.
Just hearing that word made me want to cry.
There was no way I could keep up anymore.
But what excuse could I give them without revealing I was injured?
Suddenly, Lucca stood up.
Everyone looked at him.
"I don't want to go."
His voice was calm but firm.
"I'll stay at the villa."
Then he looked at me.
"You, Seraphina. You're coming with me."
The authority in his tone left no room for argument.
I noticed Dominic and Lucca exchange a look.
It was as if they were communicating without words.
A second later, Dominic smiled.
"Would that be okay with you, Seraphina?" he asked.
Deep inside, I wanted to scream yes.
I was exhausted.
My entire body hurt.
But I kept my composure.
"Yes. I think I should accompany Lucca."
I forced a smile.
Meanwhile, Mira looked completely confused.
She seemed unsure how to react.
"Then it's settled," Dominic said cheerfully.
"The three of us will go."
"But wait—"
Mira was about to protest when Damian finally spoke.
"It'll be our time together, Mira. Don't force your friend and Lucca."
Mira looked at him and instantly blushed.
Well.
That settled everything.
I couldn't shake the feeling that Dominic and Damian were helping Lucca somehow.
Neither of them seemed bothered by the fact that Lucca and I would be staying behind together.
Although technically, we wouldn't be alone.
The staff at the villa would still be there.
After resting for a while, we started heading back toward the exit so we could finally have breakfast.
Lucca stayed beside me the entire time.
Calm.
Quiet.
And always ready to help if I needed it.
"Thank you again, Lucca," I said sincerely.
"Tsk."
That was all he said.
Maybe I should start treating that as his version of "You're welcome."