GRETEL flexed her arms as she yawned. She had woken up from her usual afternoon nap on the grass after reading her book. She felt refreshed.

“Gretel, dear, can you help me over here?” her mother called. She was standing on the wooden gate of the fence.

“Sure, Mother.” She stood up and ran to her, carrying the book in her arms.

Her mother was putting freshly picked vegetables into a huge basket.

“I thought the harvest starts tomorrow, Mother,” she said.

“That’s because we have a special customer. Mr. Javier del Mundo, the man who lived in the mansion on the hill.” Her mother looked excited.

“Really?” Gretel uttered in amusement.

“His personal assistant approached me at the market this morning. He heard about our vegetables, and he wanted to buy everything we got. If he likes it, he’ll be our regular customer from now on. That’s why I want to give him the best we got.”

“Mother, everything we have here is the best.” Gretel began picking ripe tomatoes. “I’m sure he will be happy about these vegetables. Our product is one of a kind.”

And maybe, she would finally get the chance to meet the owner of that mansion.

Gretel glanced at her mother with a sheepish smile on her face.

“Mother, can I come with you? I want to take a closer look at that mansion. Do you think the owner is kind?”

“I hope he is. Let’s hurry. We should get there before sunset. Mr. del Mundo is strict with time.”

*** *** *** ***

GRETEL could not help a smile as the mansion became bigger in her eyes while they came closer. It looked like from one of her favorite fairytales. 

“You look fascinated with the mansion, Gretel. Do you dream of living in that house?” her mother asked.

“Yes, with you and Hansel, Mother. I won’t be very happy to live in a beautiful house alone.”

“When you get married, you’ll move out eventually, remember?”

“I don’t mind becoming an old maid, though,” she said, pouting her lips.

“What made you say that?” her mother scolded. “I won’t be around forever. You will have to build a family of your own.”

Gretel clacked her tongue.

“It won’t happen sooner, anyway, Mother. So, I don’t want to think about it now.”

*** *** *** *** ***

THE CART stopped in front of the tall steel gate. Hansel got down on the horse right away and rolled to the back of the cart, helping their Mother put two huge baskets down. Gretel was the last one to get down.

“Whoa,” Gretel uttered as she stared at the view behind the gate. The garden looked lively, with tall trees and flowers. It looked like a field.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Martinez,” their mother greeted the man wearing a butler’s uniform who opened the gate for them.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Hermosa. You’re just on time.”

“These are my children, Hansel and Gretel. Children, this is Mr. Martinez, Mr. del Mundo’s personal assistant.”

Hansel and Gretel greeted him politely.

“Your children took after you, Mrs. Hermosa,” Mr. Martinez remarked.

Their mother blushed.

“Thank you.”

“Please follow me.”

Mr. Martinez took the other basket from Hansel as they went inside the gate. The three proceeded into the mansion while Gretel remained in the garden. She could not seem to get enough of the beauty that surrounded her.

“Wow,” she ran into a vast plot of roses. There are roses as red as blood, and there are roses as white as the cloud.

Whoever taking care of these roses and the entire garden are doing a magnificent job.

She stooped down and put an arm on her knees as she took a closer look.

“I’ve never seen roses as beautiful as these.”

She managed to grow ones in their garden, but they don’t look like this.

Gretel reached for the stem of a red rose.

“You can look, but you can’t touch.”

“Ouch!” Gretel jumped. The next thing she knew, tiny drops of blood ooze from her finger.

She stood up and turned to the familiar voice that startled her. Her eyes widened at the sight of that man.

Suddenly, Gretel was more distracted by his presence than her finger getting pricked. She blinked as she stared at him. How did he get here? Could it be that…

The man crossed their distance in an instant.

“Were you trying to steal my roses this time, woman?”

“I am not—” Gretel blinked again. “What do you mean ‘your roses’? Y-you…” Then it dawned on her. “You’re Javier del Mundo.”

“I’m surprised there’s still a single soul who does not know me.” Javier pulled her hand with a pricked finger. 

Gretel flinched at the warmth of his hand against her skin. It was as if tiny bolts of electricity were creeping through her. She had only read that feeling from books before.

“I did not know you were worth knowing,” she uttered.

Javier chuckled before pulling her bleeding finger into his mouth. Gretel inhaled sharply. She felt him suck and lick her finger. She swallowed as her heart began to pound hard inside her chest. Javier did not take his eyes off her. She felt like melting all of a sudden.

“Y-you did not have to do that,” she said as he finally let go of her hand. “And for the record, I’m not trying to steal your roses.” Gretel frowned as she walked past him.

“How about you tell me your name in exchange for the roses?”

Gretel stopped and turned to him abruptly. It sounded ridiculous, but she found it tempting at the same time. Javier looked stern, though.

“I could have told you my name if you just ask nicely. You don’t have to bribe me. Is that how you look at the things around you? They always come with a price?” she smirked.

“Aren’t they?” Javier asked matter-of-factly.

“Then, I feel sorry for you.”

Gretel was about to turn her back again, but Javier caught her arm and pulled her toward him. She sucked a breath as she found his face only a few inches away from her.

“What did you just say?” he asked sternly.

“I feel sorry for you,” she said stubbornly. “You look powerful on the outside. But on the inside, there are still things you can’t afford.”