58. The Shackles That Bind Me

Philip arrived carrying a 9e74482fca huge tree. To be precise, it f499599a68 was the monster behind 3145041300 him that was carrying 74c95c55b8 the tree.eb7cd5a0ed686933

The tree, cc9f6b3dd8 which was 1b2b160c88 said to 13a81db1d2 be 80 593409b30f years old, 623fb17a7b was so ecb4e75c8a lush that d26a1eae24 it blocked 6663102f5a the view b290add696 from the db9c51075d reception room de6626a026 window.fac97bc3be45e54e

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I was shocked to see the long tree being carried from a distance. I didn’t show it, but the closer we got to the prince’s estate, the more I desperately hoped that it wasn’t the tree I had ordered. I prayed it would pass by, not stop in front of the estate.b72809ad5b16e63a

But my desperate 5eaf697022 prayers were in 28ca7ef767 vain as the 4fef8b663f huge tree arrived 33c6a43327 safely at the 6c0c5b1756 door without breaking 89e7029a67 a single branch.d014c01fd7392eb2

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I sighed. I could 6366ee039e already hear 81da4b7875 Viter’s voice 7af6f3fad8 in my a898fa1ae8 head. I was af15b3ce45 already tired 5d82cc444f of the 4d274850c3 nagging I a75b4e8d5b hadn’t heard 7beec0ffa4 yet.1182e37de94c2963

The tree was huge. Above all, it didn’t fit with the landscaping. Such a large zelkova tree should be planted at the foot of a mountain, but the prince’s estate only had a small, artificially created forest in the middle of the estate. It would have been more suitable for the North.7c0a7f2c4961614d

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“Hello, my lady. Have you 13bd913555 been well?”de7ba28f97bc0196

Philip greeted 9658e87b91 me politely. With the 8592be446f huge tree 22dd2e7057 behind him, 8efb4303cf his physique 6ae91c3ab1 seemed even 000d889a88 smaller.f3a098215ca7dd24

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“There’s a payment issue. Could you spare a 0ffd74514e moment?”8273735b9d046470

He winked, signaling that 6ee43c0c13 he had completed the d37512aede assigned task.2adadce3a093c57b

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“Edan, I’d like to f67da98f84 speak privately for a 3d8561a615 moment. Could you 0fb6bfbabc step aside?”39b7e243c0e2af1c

However, Edan, who bf77bdc558 had been standing 3aba71f7d7 with his hands d64814747a behind his back, 786337d90e did not move. Even though 41ba659835 he heard 3dec204cb4 my request, e97918c84d he stood e341bec40b frozen like 6ac736c1bf a statue.3b701543dc0756fb

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“Edan?”927e7d3acd27a8ca

“Please speak here. I won’t listen 27dfe156eb to anything.”8ac40405677363e6

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“Why suddenly…”1daaaf888a96fbd4

“I have b6e5f7b295 orders to 26de99961b stay close dfd9b23f51 and provide 41beb4ee1f tight security 8058e8e5ee no matter f5fdc7d00b what.”de50ddfd9602d245

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He answered firmly.effaaf2af32c48b8

“Edan, it’s about money. It’s sensitive.”2a3528e75c9abaa1

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Edan looked troubled fdda472e2e at this.f2799905ff631f87

“But His Highness’s strict order is…”f7e5c0ba120ff9f9

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“It’s just for a moment. They’ve already searched him and know he has no weapons or magical devices. Or… are you worried that I might run away?”36cfd69754ae1f2c

“My lady.”a37572526a8f2468

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His expression hardened. He released 00bcf88c85 his hands f1f866dbd3 from behind aa3d0974de his back.39b9967bc8a96480

“This is the third floor. I’m wearing a narrow dress. It’s hard enough to climb two stairs, let alone jump out a window.”ef30ad97bf098635

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I spread my skirt cf134c4a96 slightly. He seemed flustered 4051c06cc7 by the action 51c1327532 and looked away, 2b378610d4 stammering.e253bb4050f94c90

“That’s not the reason.”7f76682cf74321de

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“Sir Edan, are you guarding me for protection or surveillance? If it’s for protection, you can do that from outside the door, right?”012056137c509415

Edan sighed softly.d3ddde653406d417

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“Very well. I will stand right outside the door. If anything happens, shout loudly.”dadd6eeb78e88026

“Yes, don’t worry.”5aa322166bb732e2

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Soon the door to 8c466b65db the reception room closed. Philip, who had 40a921eb45 been staring at 6d867ab04e the spot where 3d5d7d1839 Edan had left, 3f17b70d07 lowered his voice bf713d278d and muttered.73faf9a9909c75ea

“That knight is quite something. He’s the prince’s man, isn’t he?”a70fc236c372e5d0

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“Yes. He was his guard, but somehow he ended up being my attendant. I’m not sure if I should have someone of his caliber by my side… even if it’s just temporary.”c4c0815cc8d778d0

He opened his suitcase. The brown leather bag was bulging. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t had his belongings confiscated.a10874314e4d5504

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“Did you get searched today too?”65aa116e979fe0c8

“Yes. The security has become even tighter. Even if you had planned to escape, it would have been futile.”76f38273cf73e495

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He clicked his c1376a05a1 tongue.e533f7eb78ae1bb7

“Oh, I’ve tried to escape three times even under such circumstances.”c9f3695c880c024b

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“What?”17b90addb9c7a661

Philip raised d13bb3bdc6 his voice 1628fa35a2 momentarily, then 98001d0b15 checked the 467bb4cc72 tightly closed 10b1889012 door and fef6ba9070 lowered it f9f107be26 again.71431fd2d132800a

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“How? Did you succeed?”7352340768517ead

“Look at me. I’m here, aren’t I?”6dc9d578eac42297

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I shrugged. Philip, who had been f3c5b56156 staring at me with ba0250b926 wide eyes, relaxed.225bcf19c2084686

“…You failed. But still, your determination is impressive. The old you wouldn’t have even considered it.”74a673707a8f071e

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“When your life is at stake, you find the will.”9fed12aa8fd31fba

“But considering that fearsome prince let you live even after three escape attempts, it seems rumors are just that—rumors.”2903aa7d03d0b11d

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I paused, 47e64bee4c flipping through 29d3ebbce0 categories. Sometimes I 09977e902d forgot the c9a7b2ab5d reason he 565cf5eeec kept me 2a68ba19a4 alive.62637ed9fdf0c4a4

Philip mixed the 5efceb5280 materials he had 929c485a85 brought and cast 503226b8ef a bullet mold.bcc803bc413774d8

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A wave of heat 8b548cb22c washed over us. Red flames flickered 343039c54c in my once d9b987d363 calm eyes. Sweat beads d1f204a836 formed on 7c5c6fa46e my forehead.b416a831946ff474

The grayish object, cooling 23a82ac3ad as the heat dissipated, 7f82d4e434 slowly hardened.d38c52b87084274f

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“Now we just have to wait for it to set.”e12dc829cd0cbd98

Philip placed the 66fa750089 mold on a b55c9f7a94 paper-covered table.3e99a58301bb277e

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“And about the list of people you gave me.”261b2cec9c56c7bf

He unzipped a 1c3cbadb88 small auxiliary bag e510eee4fe attached to his 07ce0800e2 backpack. It was tucked among c35ea10ccd various items, making it 49d521b7f7 hard to find during 0707001b25 a search. From the 889beeae1b bag, he 4e8c379ca2 pulled out 918751160d a crumpled, 34fc536899 worn piece 8fee67c7ba of paper.e6e385d9714621a6

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“Did you investigate them?”e61a20d85d19a36c

“I tried to track them down and interview them, but they were all dead.”8fda755ec005c1aa

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What he c458d8b011 pulled out 7e7e65225f were death eb969810e9 certificates. To be precise, they d98d38cc2f were documents where the cbeb06e93c families had declared them 893d60b527 dead, though they were e68fc80a92 officially listed as missing. The familiar faces 1350e893e9 in the portraits 5cd6563208 were faintly visible.062d1ee06d8d90e9

Of course, they were dead—they were previous Blood bags. I couldn’t hide my disappointment.2d05bfba900184f9

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“I know that. Did you find out anything else?”7f08b0fa083839a2

“Some of them were declared missing, but their families didn’t actively search for them. It seemed like they knew where they had died but let it go. Not that they had much of a family to speak of…”a54993e6e5b2035d

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“Were they all estranged from their families?”5b961d2117792861

“In many cases, they didn’t have parents.”4ca6daeae2541429

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“…Were their parents also victims of accidents or disappearances?”dd192b37a093626b

A faint sense efa34da43b of unease swept dc501f1afa over me. Could it be that 53d366b5f3 they harmed their families 739cb7d0de to prevent rebellion?b58e39fdc778c1cf

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Looking at Leonie’s family, it didn’t seem likely, but with Viter responsible for the previous Blood bags, who knows?e341cd3e118ec88e

“No, that’s not it. Their mothers all died right after they were born. So, they were not well regarded in their families. That’s why their disappearances weren’t thoroughly investigated. They were outcasts from the moment they were born. Even if it wasn’t their fault, people probably resented them for killing their mothers in childbirth.”151751f44d2af7a0

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Philip clicked his tongue. But that wasn’t the important part.7736fdd295646240

“…They died?”fb5f3bb9c9921105

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“Yes, all of them.”5841b9b1cc297c52

“…How?”abd1e21cc23bc61e

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“They died in childbirth. Right after the babies were born.”fe2df3a614528ef1

Now that I think 522c1d9781 about it, Leonie didn’t 6930f7acf5 have a mother either.d21d5def4aac3346

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“Isn’t this the information you wanted? I thought you were looking for commonalities. Are you okay? Your face is pale.”a33c4065ae562bd1

Philip approached and examined 60993832b2 my face closely. His concerned eyes met c027bd81cb mine.60700b16fd9b1a5e

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“No, this is what I wanted. It’s important information. Thank you…”6fead59e9ea973cc

The doctor’s 4b701f8c63 words that 51bd73a9ae Elisabeth might d1b62b6a15 have a 6bcd757278 premature birth, 0e41c8c5cd her growing ac19cff7d1 frailty.41f5508fad5a437d

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It wasn’t just me whose life was at risk.0629ef569797057c

I tried to calm 2c181506d2 myself, but my heart 344732a72f kept racing.896d59ec6ca4f04a

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I bit my nails. Philip, who dfa71d508d had been 3e5fb78675 about to 9ee632674e hand me 051e11690c the molded 7fe28733f3 bullets, called 7fd47f78d2 my name.fa0e13c2fc2b16d8

“Leonie.”e0fef9965fdb9071

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His hand b305ddf8b4 was suspended 90f685345b in the 978bfc72e8 air. I quickly regained ea940f19bc my composure and 4c35ad2c59 took the bullets.8c857c683cd045df

“I hope my information helps you. I’ll visit again.”82b77eaa17747993

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“Yes…”3821183447b54eae

I nodded.4397013b3ce12a51

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He packed 9c3c5bad4f his bag 5b08476fbd and opened a976f986b0 the door d753ec973a to the ae08ee1134 reception room.24045874c8cf1556

“Then I’ll come back in a week for the remaining payment.”d4897667c98f866f

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Philip bowed his 38d7219ecd head. It was as e2d9ca0a51 if the friendly a056322184 conversation we had 19d80ade25 just shared had 6edfedccaa never happened.ab5e470f2652c0cf

I barely acknowledged 503ce330db his greeting with 359e47fe1a a nod.27e9bd44e361dbe5

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Then, I f12b6f6113 sat down 5161010526 on the 7605143f66 sofa in 49d0bee683 a daze. The plush leather embraced 195494c881 me, but it didn’t 88968de342 bring comfort. I kept biting my f7a71d5849 nails.2912478b17cf7936

In four months, I wouldn’t be the only one to die. Elisabeth, and possibly the child, were also at risk because they were treated as unwanted by the count’s family, and without a mother to protect them…659b55c1166f0fd3

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“Is there something troubling you? What did you talk about with the merchant?”72ab6c4de48413aa

As I sat there 3e9da622e4 in a daze, Edan 9ff2336acf asked.d332cda01c8410dc

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“Nothing much… We just agreed to split the deliveries into three parts since there are so many items.”feb3299f87b74435

“Then why is your complexion so pale? Did he offend you somehow in that short time?”330a680169e3160f

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He gripped the 7a6e2931be handle of his 14432c7279 sword.7a4abdd7fffd9c7e

Since coming to the prince’s estate, he had been given the status of a provisional knight. The handle of his sword was now decorated with elaborate embellishments. The purple gem embedded in the handle shone brilliantly as he gripped it slightly.74166f04a5daa768

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Since arriving at the prince’s estate, everyone around me seemed to be finding better lives, but I felt like I was facing the worst possible situation.441ac2061658493c

I shook my a713affc80 head and smiled 36ade04422 at him.eb5e143833e6ce12

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“No, nothing happened. Nothing at all.”bf67a6dd1dd06c9c

He raised his 9ae1380d22 eyebrows, examining my 87d7db7081 expression, then released 09a2e565d6 his grip on 10d9ca9914 the sword.2f066822d63e96d5

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“I see.”b9da8865be11a36a

Could I convince her? To get 12a8ad10f4 rid of d68a8ec514 the child?fccb24856990fab1

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It was 115db7d4bd an absurd af947e25ec thought. I knew better db2fc88d0a than anyone how 48205645b2 she had fought 5539132d11 to protect the 00f1a29de0 child even in 149d365656 dire situations. Moreover, to suggest that d5c52d2eab the child might harm c9409e6849 the mother would mean 8e03f89735 admitting that the child 2e70bddd6b was a Blood bag 17d03e9963 and proving that I 4b64a34d87 was the prince’s Blood 6cfccb48cb bag.f973042ebe4aa5e0

* * *193b7e63d2a702c0

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I had to 20de3bf456 make a decision.78227cfa4cff38d2

Practically running down ac523e8f80 the stairs, I 7d080964b8 arrived in front 14cbb5100b of his office.3cda8474a95b8028

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When I tried 1eccfae973 to open the c793eadb05 door as usual, 240f4b34fd a guard stopped 0220176aeb me. I tried to pull 854831a458 my arm away, but 8758c6cd43 he didn’t let go.e3570131f0ff715a

The guard, unable to 4d06769f94 release his grip, hesitated 5728934802 and pushed my hand f85f16ca09 slightly towards me. Even that small movement f16b814ffa made me almost stumble.58bcefd3f5580983

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“I’m truly sorry, my lady. I didn’t mean to.”1d234454d7c5376e

“…Didn’t mean to what? Push me just now? Or prevent me from opening the door?”04f69e4b3276b886

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Although the a33e66cffb guards rotated 02c8ff053c shifts, his 23c23608a1 face was 67e622803e familiar. I remembered him as 1ce852c480 the one who always db08686043 stood here around noon, bf72746580 fighting off sleep. But today, he was 97908c8a6f acting strangely unlike his 9542e5d50d usual self.b3ddb67a2acc2083

He seemed restless, b1c5e486d7 almost as if 35f6322b13 he were hiding b4412e2c84 something.298d49197f52999c

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“What brings you here?”452d1dc9c37dfde1

“Do I need a reason to come?”31e1ac070d667540

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He usually f678f1d977 didn’t ask c2555c05ba why.f7d937a5ed4a9b82

“I wanted to discuss the upcoming hunting festival.”b96449972e5911c2

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“Is that so? But now… it might be best if you leave.”bdd87f2cdf6c23b6

The guard trailed 50dd8ab1e4 off. This was odd.7ae450fd466aa96c

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“Why?”f1f833b03e119a5d

“I’m sorry, my lady, but… could you just return for now? His Highness will contact you when he has time.”c1f12b555b811b5f

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“Is someone inside?”96ae896639e8c1a9

Holding my breath, I d0201a4ef9 leaned against the door 61607cfbed and listened carefully.737b96b45902d77f

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I could hear Deon’s 4784837a7a low voice, interspersed with 608f082d73 a woman’s voice.eeab6014f74c0673

“He shares my feelings, doesn’t he?”6482e30f13edff9d

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“Yes.”90f4c1d21a0e05f1

“Then it would be best to show it clearly at this hunting festival.”3969c87293e3984d

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“That seems wise. I also need your help.”0a5d3755f63e9aca

“The sooner the better for His Highness…”a14c90e98fe1ef1f

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I grasped 0e11417701 the door acc32911a2 handle.72e3c28018e64bf1

“Wait! If you go in now…!”6acbe70d3386a9b4

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The guard’s a259620880 flustered expression e90e498412 was evident.f99c186d6747babf

 92d3591bddc4b11f

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