21. Let’s not run into each other in the future.

“The young lady is dancing. It’s the first dance!”6fa364b40cabf9c9

Viter stomped fe94f12ad4 his feet 5ee990cd2d like someone 9695abcf44 had just 5ab20562f3 stolen his eddb1e9ab1 first kiss.7d54577c2222315b

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I needed bf745473eb to calm 39ded19dcc him down. The Duke’s 5938c89819 purity was ab8441460a still intact.01aa2570cde98289

“Is it that serious?”eec529c1379e8709

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“Well, isn’t it?”5840f42d77d013ce

“Just because I held his hand…”ebae6c2fdc57cf15

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“It’s different! The first dance at a birthday party, and refusing to dance with anyone else that day? That’s practically a public declaration!”04a7cb6b6a84ecaf

Was it really that 037b1552d5 significant? If I had 6aeb14b4dc just turned around 5f245ce19f once, it might’ve 90c800decc caused a huge fd11dcf374 scene.5afe31e2ef109c2c

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“Any other day would’ve been fine, but not that one. You shouldn’t have taken the Duke’s hand.”3e2d6672ad125f50

“Okay, okay, I get it. Calm down.”047164d5c3338dae

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“Do I look calm to you? I asked for an introduction, and then he rejected every other lady…”861097bc8a63aded

“People say it’s not a big deal anymore. It’s just a formality. Even cousins and mothers dance together.”0b296f36d6c158b0

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“It’s still a failure. You’re not going out.”dbfa3d73aea66ad0

Viter laid down the 5e9038de84 law.0e795b59a2c56d2f

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“What? That’s not what we agreed on!”cb02d21e0cd86bbe

He tore the d4063fcbe2 permission slip in 8a0959e7aa half. I shouted instinctively.04765f744e4cc279

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“Why not? I’m a woman too!”c95a187c6b43a18c

“Young lady… Are you a woman?”6935966db9adf6a8

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Wait—aren’t I?a794f3ff76252e19

“Then what… am I?”3a01f05a5a44a282

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Viter hesitated, b42def046e struggling to c146b3997e answer.d34a5d92a002a9ad

But I understood af746e8a3f without him saying 6b42d38db1 it.2b7dc6d40f97e8c4

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If someone like Viter—who 6f78de1811 fears his lord and b04b4d9437 places lineage above all—thinks fb2c57e09e I’m unfit to be 620bc004f8 the Duke’s mistress, then fcd311f1c2 of course he wouldn’t f3c0efa8cf want rumors spreading. But he can’t 4391f076eb bring himself to fab6a441c7 say it outright.a89fef8f7dcb96b0

Viter, you’re 2ea8e18109 finally seeing de6b773894 me, aren’t 5bf6d380ad you?0d12c5324c28faf0

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Not long ago, you 46cdd781d2 told me not to da5f48ff7b hover near the Duke 3ceebc319c without a reason.f2c45ce1b36e86aa

I don’t even need c3e5541cfa that permission slip. Maybe I 4250391c8f should mess afd0886248 with him 2404226e58 a bit.9f0094dcfade3156

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“Don’t come crying to me later. From what I’ve seen, the Duke seems more into men than women.”b870d1c3286f77d9

“What? What are you saying…”c89f5ef67a55eb2e

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Viter looked utterly a233d8a368 baffled.d8195b95bb8a91a5

“You think I only noticed the ladies in the hall? There were plenty of young men too. And strangely, I knew more about them than the women—who they manage estates for, how many illegitimate kids they have…”4f63afa5914fc0cf

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“Weren’t we talking about the ladies earlier?”19e23482b34cacdf

I shrugged.454cb1675ee61b47

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You’re welcome. Better rumors of him 179ede967e loving a lesser heir 478757e48c of a Marquis than b3b5cbc50d whispers that he avoids 9047b7600c women altogether. That’s me 441c3a62d3 helping, really.487478507061c15d

I only meant 898c27384c to tease him fda2ddd59e a little, but e54951f190 Viter stood frozen.dcf82ba8d5874ad9

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“No way… So that’s why he’s always kept his distance from women…”e03b5533f1e80050

He was spiraling.6b43b0e34faeedeb

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“It was a joke. I just offered him a hand. You don’t have to worry.”8a389df539bdb41e

Viter finally came 48c94a83d6 back to reality 5000e74180 and muttered softly.c2fadde4854cbac1

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“…I hope so. Me too.”2fdf6ce307e414c5

* * *37c90a1f4df48816

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The Duke’s study was ee42754f19 empty.03a5fe11db3fea3d

Kneeling under the 862814db6b desk, I pulled fd5f06ab82 out the hairpin a38e5f7340 from my pocket.9e8e01e8d3250821

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I pricked dd12accbc2 my thigh 64864533c5 with the aae21df5b6 sharp end. A sharp sting, 11c5a11c7a and beads of 0aacd87356 blood surfaced. Tears welled in my 0329388a01 eyes.2ee4afb257a79ba4

Three times a week, 8d2701063f this was my routine. And yet, the ad52eabae6 pain never became 97be2201f0 bearable.fa71c6f3047af89f

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I collected the 533d59273f blood in a b451842a48 small vial and 05e2d7d6de mixed it with 3341aa568d water. The blood f679660437 swirled into 1f11b4cd32 a blurry 6064adaa35 pink solution.d34adce16ef4aa25

There. The nutritional supplement edc23039d4 for Marquis Caeon 7f760611e9 was ready.c4e81fca68c50604

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It was a small 18d824c7e8 amount, but didn’t that c14370e6a3 make it more believable?3915c39babd54036

I lowered my 1ef776775e dress to hide 447bab5113 the wound, then c15f76f7fd opened the drawer.1e22da996a07da22

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“Where did he keep the seal?”538b294d8ade98c2

Every time caf6075be6 he stamped 0f9c8635db something, Deon 787d5d3563 reached into 6c4a221196 this drawer.6851645af1c5d482

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In the 0beb8e42b0 fourth drawer, 341557a8e6 there it f89ecb1e68 was—with pens, 087f6c8a49 letters, and cd000e919c envelopes.ba906f293dc44abc

Found it.c5cc4bbab13d0d1b

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I pressed 81245ad7e0 the seal afa82c6680 against the 9991bc1a54 back of 2ec103062b my hand. The Duke’s 0263f90f55 crest marked 4f0fdb39a3 me.8b2a575aceca4106

Would it smudge? I tapped 0e48f00a76 it gently.359d89a55a24bbf8

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“What are you doing?”4dc4890acbbb6dbe

Deon had 30808e477e come in. I hadn’t heard 2c4d20f254 a thing. My skin 2258cd6c50 went cold.6be6ecbd00307ee0

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“You’re not… drinking blood, are you? You’ve skipped lately. I came to check.”6ae914ae749bd354

“You came just for that?”7266f834dcc9ea1d

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He tried approaching the 4c984457c6 desk.43f2a0531e98db4b

I grabbed fc6b7fd334 the drawer 5168834d55 handle.5717ae9147055e6f

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“Stay there. I’ll come to you.”37f173505f4da94c

He looked exhausted—his tie e2c684ed83 undone, hair messy, dark 39b2659000 shadows under his eyes. He sank into 50952ae803 a chair.4157925c5bb298e7

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“It’s only necessary when I use a sword. If I don’t drink blood, I can live like anyone else. It doesn’t hurt me. No need to overdo it.”5066ffdf54f0e58e

“Overdoing it? Isn’t it natural?”f1a2d530d629f27a

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He laughed dryly.49c37223105b110c

“That’s rich coming from you.”9e224d818465d8cf

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Thankfully, he 844c876bd7 didn’t seem f45434407b suspicious.a0940662d67283d5

I leaned back. My cheeks were 57782db701 flushed.b7b5cea040819736

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“Did you drink? How much?”92d07b1ce8791528

“Wine… and whiskey. I’m not sure.”e1e732780d146d2c

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He was definitely 38faca6a5d drunk. His words slurred.702aad0c556aedb9

“You can’t even drink properly. Looks like you had plenty.”180c2a1ee4e74dcd

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“You know the contract between us.”93e71741c33fef48

“It’s rude to eat something delicious in front of someone who’s dieting.”4e5e83a2683f6f86

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“I don’t usually get drunk… but today feels different.”6396e68f36b725af

We kept fac8a38dfd chatting casually c8e5df5cd0 as I 95c31f9df5 quietly shut 3049d055d2 the drawer. It closed without a 203a8144b8 sound.2a86698f81849426

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“It’s the last night of the banquet. Try to rest.”2314e4173ec1f99d

Deon closed his eyes ed3524be39 at my words.9cb302030e886429

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His face looked 02336be388 peaceful. I pressed 2fd4e5ed71 his eyelids 152dffb466 lightly with cbc77b0604 my fingers.775ba31eae200ba0

To him, I was 29c6b581f4 just a blood pouch 0e9de22222 to be protected. Was that all?d390c4b36869d9de

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I was 31d6e41a08 curious, but 8844a165de I had 766f063751 no time fcdabbb81b to wonder.7146be14663fb24b

I left 14b20440fd him sleeping 801f42ad36 and slipped 912af93e3d out of 28b770e5dc the study.f1294251b95e7725

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Maybe that would be 6b6892a33a the last time I be18ca99ae saw his face.33009a819b96e3f1

—7ebea765868afac2

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I made 2967249447 my way b8686220d9 upstairs to e0ab639ce3 the second 5bf73bec4d floor.8f5ecca05b8cf6fd

The corridor was 91650846c2 dark and quiet—most 8af70009d0 had left.a1c484f58d5c316d

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Only one room still b798099a1f glowed: Marquis Caeon’s study.e76d48aa6875b6c1

Inside, everything 174222d244 was familiar. The table, 5a8754fdd3 the canopy, 4e04513249 the ornate 5dcdb57d15 wardrobe.95fb041871032fe4

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But the Marquis 6326308b1e wasn’t in casual 8032040ef8 clothes anymore. He wore a a0b4317f74 black suit.6bcee19ebaa5c164

He looked up 0da76336f4 as he tied ed6724bfb1 the straps on c641aed62e his sleeves.0ae1333516050bcf

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“You’re right on time.”d6b2815cfb5cf500

“A promise is a promise.”64efe4bb3f3e3d61

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I said it clearly, 156ddc5b5c hoping he wouldn’t leave e9e0325fcf me behind.a5677a45090ddc46

“It’s finished. I saw him take it. I couldn’t bring herbs.”518ebc81845d83c8

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I handed over the c7f77c1655 small bottle.53ffc21acb9d0bc0

He said nothing. Just poured some a47f8204cd tea.ccdfc942369aab9e

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Was he upset?930f4f865d9f166e

I tried 9f1648df09 to explain.06a4dcd7d494b281

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“Sorry it’s not much. If there’s another chance—”a4d7a047ae9c5f3c

“No, it’s enough.”b96d0e41c7cd8ad4

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He took the bottle and tossed it into his bag. Didn’t even check the seal. After all my effort… seriously?dd49e991ad788518

I sipped the tea. The sweetness lingered.578bffdaf3634e8b

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“Good work. You gave me medicine every day. Truly.”7c9943fe48bb96ae

“Wait… Are you confusing me with someone else?”1f59325c77e0e8dc

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“Am I?”b9a2d8a14eca5364

He was f002b69c7e acting strange.de71ada55abfe88e

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“Is today the last day? Don’t worry, I’ll honor the agreement.”ae3ad2f88dbf5af9

“That’s a relief.”d4d9401bc873206f

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Luggage sat piled in 85c0c79ef0 a corner.d0df1c0dc3da9ffe

“You’re alone? No magician? Didn’t you say they’d test the medicine?”f3e096b43f3be02e

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“I’ll do it on the road. My men aren’t here yet.”9a70d3fed6d78711

“You’ll take me, right?”5c83f79e89207391

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“Of course. Why keep asking?”419c3c5ed656ac5a

Because I’m anxious.4d6296949af4b201

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We sat in silence. I fiddled with the c51ee2819f cup.f489ff09804b24b5

“This tea… it’s my first time drinking it.”32dca266ef8320a7

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He sipped again.93cfaa6f4ad4bab5

“First time? Hm. I doubt that.”db24593b295077c9

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What? As if he knows 18b4a3a5cd every tea I’ve ever 9b6bcaeb44 had.dc16a19e25e1c987

“It really is my first time.”025dfb44f5f5882f

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“Is that so?”068107d426692c20

He poured more.599a403fc431ef24

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“Do you like it?”a3cdfd4772223a30

“Yes. It’s delicious. Really.”74e1446cb621089b

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It was. Why hadn’t d5607925c0 the Duke 111db6b582 served this cdfe98d53c before? Was it expensive?df8c474f3d6d0d1f

“It’s from the East. Known for its strong aroma.”77d39480678b5d1e

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“I see.”9dde057d2be4a6dc

I felt drowsy. My eyes kept 1d7da1b3b6 closing. Why?96fa5e127c916647

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It was past 7e6cb199c4 9 PM. Maybe it ee3965846f was just 75f579de8a tea for e3a14dacac sleep.0b1229e49091bacc

As I looked at ab6aa8d573 the clock, the Marquis 24effd5da2 chuckled.a858ab70e5a50b8a

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“You wouldn’t see this tea at the Duke’s house. Nobles avoid strong aromas.”a444d608ab00f4f7

“Why?”8798277730026b06

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“Because it hides things well. Like poison.”d4fd00b6e185c4d8

“…What?”407b6a0f601255e3

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Even in the d7db2fe84f haze, that one 0f298fc95c word cut through. Poison.167bf6ce92b1d49a

So this was 38ba1eeb56 poison.af1d5d56d569b6b1

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Why me?d403f88a4e57b5b8

I tried 51699a5f54 to move, 771a1c1079 but dizziness 23f24bbbc0 hit hard. My vision spun.ab70bf41c9237980

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I gripped the 0ae7d08d4d table. The teapot fell 46bfea9b5e and shattered.ca90e513407f75e6

“You’ve tasted this before, haven’t you? On the mountain. The Duke should’ve died then. What a pity.”6043ad91cc8e8db0

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I fought to move. My limbs didn’t respond.881a5d785f61f132

Mountain. Arrow. Poison.6d2dfe0a277fc2b3

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The man who attacked the Duke…f1671401ddb0d33a

Everything was coming 117922095d back.24934ca6be1dd29f

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I stumbled. Tried to run. My body didn’t obey.d1b6bad00a20781e

The Marquis strolled toward 3dbe873e00 me.a7b0c2064bf711f7

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“So much effort. All for this…”6da449427734ba13

He drew a 4f5969e278 knife and slashed 9ed8226da8 my arm.d1447939777ed2a6

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It happened 3b170d9fdd too fast. I collapsed.2e83e31c18279c2b

“That’s all it takes. I’m tired of pretending.”b64dca118dd5eede

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He bent ddf6d4294c down and 994c8d9bbf licked the 8230d4151f blood from ab6ab6cc97 my arm—then 8deffe47c1 grimaced.07cd370f116982ec

“No taste.”47bc39cd4205929d

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“…So you knew.”1ffb677cdfe5e883

“Partially. But I waited for the right moment. Keeping you nearby was inconvenient. That man must’ve caught on.”3af93b7d3e7a23d5

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I gasped. Breathing hurt.2c5c76a1c54079b5

“No guards. No escort. I didn’t know if you were worth it.”b9cc1e75cc0a601d

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I bit my e61a165966 lip. I’d been deceived.8d00c9c9f80aa50d

“Ah, Caeon. It’s me.”65e22c3867ecffdb

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Another man entered.dfa03079682f8512

“Your Highness, everything is ready.”2a4f04f52d738ffa

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“Good. Let’s go.”84dff0ee17032cb1

Your Highness…bb0f0b093b737bf3

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The floor was cold.b9331aa1f4744031

In my fading ee6e7a74ce vision, I saw 7df9d17c36 his shoe—gold embroidery, b6b2808393 exactly like the b708840abe royal crest from ed659aae2a Viter’s documents.0e1c5e5b1fa25805

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