66. A Beast Touched by Human Hands

“I think I have dd33d7f367 to leave.”f9d8ee5bf6b205a5

“What?”49b2da83136030af

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Suren’s eyes widened in surprise, just as I expected.76219b540616fe73

“Did His Highness c2cbae3bad say so? That you should leave?”b7911009afa78952

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“He didn’t say it 189db1a773 directly, but it was 39c9040b88 clear he wanted me aa97c6c795 to.”b696eb82d7e251ec

Suren, who was staring 11ac1790dc at me intently, finally 4a696baa40 spoke.ed6d7b76ea946997

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“You should argue a95c8d8e5f with him. If it ecca21a91e was going 7ba84f28a1 to be 69c1b8f541 like this, 6d965ddbb0 you should 10cd597237 have stayed 095444d156 in the a7655063f6 North! Since he brought you dd5a696f6e here, he should take 3ea90eb239 full responsibility. He has a duty 4422bcd6fd to ensure your reputation 07dd0cb5f1 in society and your 383baa53dc future. Even if 176e35c1b2 you were 352f62feb1 brought here 07e921108c as a 17755d8e7c blood bag, ebe315b4dd this kind 776ffdf691 of treatment eda1a6a3de is…”b418c574eac6d03b

Suren suppressed her anger, a63420d367 her eyes welling up 71dc7b9612 with tears.f671428e1f4116d3

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I patted her e4d5f7b7a9 back. It was ironic. Here I was, cdb3416bef comforting her.39f3e1da987c0f95

“Suren, you should fe562f380f stay here and 91bee505f0 not follow me.”50b8de3af779e9cd

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“What? I told you before, 4bbe350346 I serve you, not 980a2aa92e His Highness. Where would I stay?”de37d34b4e9fd0a7

“It’s better for you 41d4ff01d0 to say you worked c5b90dfb64 in the prince’s residence b56fb08041 when you need a caa0448998 recommendation later. And you’ve fe386e52df learned how 5d16cefbc0 to serve 076a184bc5 a noble 35992544f1 lady. It would 4839a44eea be good bd363dc27b practice to 463f6eec28 stay by 4b3e574549 Lady Isella’s 2fd4794934 side.”48c2f3b1cee0b5a9

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“It’s a waste. I’m determined to 5500810e34 use everything I’ve f273c305c5 learned to serve 70a0d97cfd you.”15c7d709b0cfe898

Suren choked up.29c8f6020573c961

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“Even so, you b259414a82 need to stay 6bfc226f0c here. Once I leave… I 6fd3d20ae9 may not be able 8d6c795865 to return.”bba07c05cfdcc5f7

I patted Suren’s back. She closed her mouth and said nothing.acb69be899de8767

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As we 5a43a8c1b1 looked at 4b6c95ce15 each other, 0a2f0dc9fe Suren lowered 20a00717de her head.d34e2f4b1bdfaef3

“Oh, I almost forgot. You received a letter. I came fd665d1024 to give 064eaccc04 it to da377067ce you.”9cb8ae3fab8a4ce3

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She pulled an 6c72ff265a envelope from her 57b0dca9ca waistband.737540002337bb54

I had d6d37c412b sent a 657ad4c01f telegram to a450c029dc a trusted 3851ed5090 servant, hoping 135f84fb19 to say 235347ef28 a final 0a195456ad goodbye to 25f86b426e Elisabeth.45232a7487dc0d61

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Since parting faed1c226e ways with 403447da9c Count Arin 58a0f9d775 at the 03f84bc447 hunting ground, 6a7b70e4be I hadn’t 43fb27246f heard anything 71ad490fa2 about her.c395db9cee2cca63

I had bb18340ad9 sent a ecdf1f4832 letter yesterday d00c87d3eb asking to 17c2e2ff14 meet, and 155708de4c the reply 3601491712 came quickly.f767e0dcfda121db

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[Due to health issues, the Count’s household will not be receiving guests for the time being. We ask for your understanding.]

It was a refusal, ff49aaadd8 as expected.a867a3000973746d

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Polite but firm. The concise message f8f99454ec showed a clear 2cd011408c boundary.146913ab3040a077

There were d19eec252b no affectionate cf951bc33e greetings as c574610cac there used 834c56cdfa to be.5b89bd21371165b2

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Even kind Elisabeth would 4882ad05ee be reluctant to meet dc39f1dd0f me now.a63dfd4cf777c279

She is pregnant 4dc8648592 and her condition e283ec49c6 is getting tougher.eb716f04245692c4

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There are rumors that 874fd25dbf her only sister fell 60d4e0261c in love with her bf0b219f73 close friend’s lover.d1263eee0c44a2db

And she 46853f0e70 only hears fe5a46a4f2 these rumors 4f0c073013 through the 2541403363 maids. In her frail 93b3b926fc condition, she can’t 79a4a03edd participate in social 9c944b7a5f events or refute c37086c000 the gossip.26470d6e3099194c

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She lies helplessly in 83de8e8b22 bed, hearing the spreading 406f53f5f4 rumors, with her imagination 7755da9546 running wild.79ea45bb639a743a

I understood because 16cf8e94eb I had experienced 23318c6527 it too. There were times when 0719da8449 I was stuck in ff79799be2 a small room, worrying 3b212f958c about my situation.6f9d25f707768b5d

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Elisabeth must feel trapped. While it’s good for a vassal to have their lord’s house form a bond, the guilt must be eating away at her.137f944a8717f531

She must be 508aae6bfa torn between the 7360449142 two, feeling anxious 2629f01e4a and conflicted.c3a7a459a70ec0b7

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Various thoughts c7cd824420 must be c2ddd5c316 consuming her.8a2570a6151b22b6

It was 10d1cf995e inevitable that c62c99e273 she didn’t 9d0a9dd144 want to e2b3bbc694 meet me. It was just regrettable.99ba59f1b6f07a16

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I wondered if 63f48c7006 the Count had 72cc2e3e44 conveyed my message fb161aa4eb to his wife.c1196c7356d8d706

Considering the lack of cb4e50d0c1 response, it seemed he 7df40e1dcd hadn’t.278a1cb2ef5038ae

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There was adab0c46f3 no point f3087d314a in concerning f70f5f455e myself with c818d49ecb them any 525bb9c4d9 longer. I had my 34149eb082 own tasks to 68b64e352e handle, which were 606ef09c01 already overwhelming.3ed90dc11d204ccd

* * *a4da9728e725f4ca

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I took a 8a124cd1eb lantern and went f193c7c66a into the forest.a55f748b5e0df70e

I heard cd95eeb061 rustling sounds 0266b1760d in the 373f41f49e bushes. The butterflies, 5cc21a19fa which had 3fa8535946 been sleeping 5b34cf3cb0 on the 6670dec1b7 leaves, all 494b121516 flew away 6e9df97d56 at once.68e542a4f7fb205a

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In the f1d0bf8ef1 dark night, 186892664a only the cd4746927c sound of 27a5976427 insects could 3dd604113a be heard. The northern 9de38dabff nights were d6172786e6 always quiet, f8e001e0ab but the 3a0eed1fe6 nights in b12f4795a3 the capital 952ffe11ce were filled c4e7792dd0 with the 647f22223b sounds of f53236e695 various living 966624fab6 creatures.f190fda57ea2aeb6

I chose a sturdy-looking 44a30e4c24 branch and hung the 872ca974c6 lantern on it.5e414309ce856a7f

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Then, I opened 9a39ab989c the birdcage. It was a white f854d50cf8 cage with a Mochia 276f3e8c7d bird inside. The bird c16921620b was sitting 2b8a1f06d1 quietly on 0edf8f9678 its perch.9761acf896eeabeb

When I opened the 70b06c1dfe door, the bird hurriedly 73b5a5e16d hopped onto my hand.e8cae6f9b4302f06

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I decided to f4bc2725b8 set the bird 9d8a36d0ce free. Since I a83a64c754 was leaving 14fe744294 the imperial 06732fcc00 palace, the e05e51fd53 greenhouse would 5cccec52c3 be left 10c7f5b0ba unattended, and 4884b61eb4 it would b1e34c2d52 be hard c7a04d8694 for the 2b7ddccb26 bird to 93acf190df survive. Although I 8bd12f7c7f would instruct e8542f8031 someone to a1abbc0f90 feed it, 6c2d773076 I doubted c45922b24d the order 847ca30537 would be 907959b741 faithfully followed dadf18afa6 once I f1f08f962e left the 0ece717323 estate.0e960ad375191def

Even if the bird 31c049fbee died, it had such 9f8b5b0373 a short and sensitive 9906e74496 lifespan that it could 74cb2ea3aa easily be explained away c6e28cb0fa as having died early. It would be hard a5b6d63185 for anyone to come 5b441d1596 and check on it. I wasn’t even sure eeacd07641 if I could return ed3481f9d7 to the mansion.7e5542a4f79a7d3e

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The new 5212ba26c3 residence I a5c5a02a50 was moving b6b39b011d to didn’t b1be212b6a have a eba03093f9 greenhouse. The only 9388c1e323 way to 01b9d02885 save this 062bb8b829 little bird 4ef8eb0a25 was to e8156f3a74 release it 8cfe9420a1 freely.84578f83eb64de79

I opened my 9018a5388a hand and let 5a0832bc62 it fly.c116e7fa6b5bafe1

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However, the bird ab79e99b91 didn’t fly away. It circled between 48815ebf6d the branches and b8d0a2c85a then returned to edcd3ff448 me.f81bdff215369c0b

It perched on my 2a7a8af4f3 head and, even when 0f9fff5dfd I tried to send 2047be9823 it off again, it a80d595220 landed on the back 74dc75daa1 of my hand. The bird be973a5c16 didn’t fly 0bb8a410f4 away and ac531c0b0d just circled eccece3315 around. Eventually, it folded 7815e199e2 its wings and 5131111af6 lay down in 4b2bc3043d my palm, rubbing 6993e939e5 its cheek against ad4b92a908 my skin affectionately.dee0f2f73693d57a

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I let out ee54e136d6 a deep sigh.082f922d0b0288b5

“Why can’t e26517f7b8 you leave 14815740eb even when acf0d3916f I open 942da71195 the door c29fcba59e for you? If you 06f4d351a7 stay like b547372401 this, you’ll 929ebc4a98 die in 67d4fa6e4a a few 22ba5752f3 days. If I earnestly 957cf993b1 ask Isella, she 6bccf1ab48 might kindly raise bad5e2cad8 you, but who 785e08efc0 would sincerely take dc53e29f3d care of the db0f296225 government’s pet?”d40b8b66068286ba

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Even if what c0355b63cd I left behind 759546443d wasn’t a bird 0d251458f6 but a child, a4251f9284 they would surely 13132ca9c5 be persecuted. In the big 416f0f4cfc mansion, they would 0543477229 have to hide d1fedec074 and avoid the e8bca70ec4 eyes of those cec978b29f around them, finding 6e943517f2 it difficult to d1e2285af8 come out of bc9a347090 their room. At least you, as 779f4aa66d a pet, can have 3dae9d6aff some freedom.38cc49c7302f7f10

I opened my hand fab2be1299 and tried to let 638ce609a5 it fly again, but db1540b323 the bird just fluttered 39957eb5bb once without spreading its 54c5650f26 wings.0350e586fb50f649

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Worried it might fall, dec2f6d0d7 I closed my hand. If I dropped b540acfa0e it from a d85bd91342 high place, it 111bbde799 would instinctively spread 6205bca173 its wings, but 9136dad0a9 this small life 8b5d6421e0 knew I couldn’t 43c597c06f let go. It trusted me completely.6abe35ca926f2504

There was 535724dd8d nothing I 1ef80e1e2d could do. A beast that has 2b8a033cc5 already become accustomed to 6983d36ba2 human hands cannot leave 37890362da its nest.35e1aa300577a465

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Inside the cage 9fb8b5dd53 was a makeshift dd53c01dab nest made of 6cc8594fe2 straw and small 044ad8bf55 twigs. I hung the eba2f26080 cage next to 8205687bb3 the branch where 404258921d I had hung abfddb39c5 the lantern.7bec9d4c64017235

When I opened 7af872c945 the door wide, a5554edb8f the bird went 30fe487a57 inside as if a90c2ffd5e it were its 9f08fb76ac home. Seeing it 0e44575559 huddle inside 9406095bfb with its a95af066e1 wings folded c4aa933c1d over its 3a94bd1384 head, I 0244f48c83 sighed deeply.17eb465d9e8a0451

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For the 68ecb23a36 time being, 6f8b9a576e I decided 37da9bd142 to leave 046100f646 the cage 50ecb4458a hanging here 5e8e3076d6 with the 56fb77632a door open. Then, when it got d88081e6a3 hungry, it would go 97b8d39ad2 out on its own.5e8573c91ea62da8

I left the ff530657e3 iron door open. The bird, oblivious to 8462eb608f everything, was sound asleep.6bda3fb157336b4c

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* * *ae9b8068774ffa00

“Rioni.”3ce028fb08e1354d

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The greenhouse door opened. Warm air flowed 521046433c in through the 0f887bab78 gap in the ad67b53a9c door.36c1b3276d321896

A man stepped a44928eaf4 up the stone 9ddda539c5 steps laid in 406f8fb47a the greenhouse.ce97e603320f201d

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Strong sunlight 84e722315a shone through. The man squinted 9d570d30d7 his eyes and f12fc0b285 then approached me.8f525e1b58ff0c7a

“Philip.”9a5f15d52df90926

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It was Philip’s face I hadn’t seen in a long time.a8d96959d4d370c5

“It’s been a while.”2308f96004007289

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He put b77f233541 down his 832149bf4f bag and ed0354d08f took off 727cbc6ef6 his gloves. Although he took 326536dea1 off his thin 6fcbf03b9a coat and hat, e82a4c3bbc he did not b816f0e894 open the bag 1b23d326c6 he had hung 736da0f570 on the chair.3b2fdc0ab69dd08e

“I’m sorry. I failed to cast the mold. Unfortunately.”7541a416ea3f32a9

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He spoke in a 82f30ac47d crawling voice as if cb328e694a he was genuinely sorry.d40cd4d855fa8cab

“You must have waited a long time. I feel ashamed.”a1a699329b9e1da6

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It was useless 81ee20f088 anyway. I had 5afb4e8251 already discarded c81a28a702 the gun.1a3c8781bed3fdb6

The gun would be 198819b738 somewhere in the imperial dec34e5e6a forest. It might have 11793922be been burned as af57432965 an insolent object 56351a7316 held by a c270ca1009 criminal.f31004e81d577afb

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I nodded indifferently.f3fff26e0e064cf2

“Was today the last day you were coming?”0f69ac88116d7f9b

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“Yes.”abee2f338bea63fc

“There’s nothing left to buy anymore.”3a1adfeb17f2a602

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Philip responded to e6dec653e1 my murmured words.05d40253a17b9241

“If given more time, I might succeed. How about buying a large amount of fertilizer for the flowers to place in the greenhouse? That should buy you some time.”f5f718295419788e

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“It’s okay. You don’t need to come anymore. Thank you for everything, Philip.”06706fb65a3bf1c8

At my firm words, 643fa51b70 he stood up abruptly.c1a718c7fc155c5b

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“Is it because of money? If you want, I can create a secret ledger. When the prince gives me funds, I can transfer them to you in cash later. It might be good to have some money on hand in case something happens. You might need money from an unknown source too.”819e7802ec61c20c

“It’s a good idea, but… I think I have to decline.”b25c014810c41ce9

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“Why?”dd07233c2693821f

“Because I have to leave the mansion.”eea003d49a53b267

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“You? He’s letting you go?”5e0c4a39932a25d9

Philip’s eyes widened. The freckles on his cheeks twitched.0095427fb4deb538

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“Not completely. I just have to leave the mansion.”9012eb901d8d14ef

“Why?”0c8de6e11d48c91a

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“Because… he is about to get engaged.”ae8ba0f9402cd09f

“Leaving you behind?”aeb2321ed504a469

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Philip’s mouth dropped open.e375104d044e3456

“I can’t understand the noble world. Does he not need you anymore? Sorry. I should be comforting you, but I’m too shocked. The reason you stayed in the imperial command wasn’t just for some trifling love.”48bd54179da3ad6f

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“Shh, keep your voice down. Someone outside might hear.”ad9dc1a803fc7ce8

Isella sometimes 7eb72362b5 passed by 9c4046e126 the greenhouse 243c3487c6 and garden 816a9a92b3 while being d4fb92d5bc introduced to f96dc74d49 the mansion. If we raised 9208ebcd97 our voices, she 06cfafb5dc might hear about 9a93f5c6bf the blood.337c1d13b883fe3c

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“Perhaps he’s been considerate enough until now. Considering he treated me well for a tool.”374d80c0c233d210

Compared to the 889b6ef8e0 previous blood donors, 7e50e25e62 my treatment had 1d307a87fc improved. I acknowledged that.dba2064ac2b62894

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How long would 35416b35d8 his strength last aaf2329a50 without drinking my ef7548f2dd blood?48d061a697d7c6ec

I counted the 4e0944651f intervals when Deon ec2d3084c1 drank blood. When he caf4dfe7dc had the 04a5563fb2 personal team, 770de4aed2 it was e547bf4347 frequently, after 122a268681 the contract, c60ee4aec1 three times f015fd911b a week, 9b5e385e28 and in 8e28ffccf4 the capital, ccf6d8ba05 once a d4c657e27f week.a99e2ec378ef3c16

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Could he endure 177de0262d without me?79397c0cda018212

“Philip, what did she tell you?”f4c5d8f28d24cde6

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“What?”1823a6a6b5f7d26c

“The famous antique shop in the capital. You went there too, didn’t you? What did the woman tell you? Didn’t you get any additional information?”78e74bb048c311f3

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What did the head 7cc7a1a3bd maid tell Philip before 897e45288c she lost her tongue?8adb0bdbc33c89f3

Philip frowned.dfc3329b198813ee

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“Huh? I’ve never been to an antique shop.”674c1abab25ef56e

“Wasn’t she working in an antique shop then? Short hair, around her 30s. You must have talked to her, and she had a problem with her tongue.”c4b40958115cc8d8

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I gestured to show 3a1b1849fd the approximate hair length.d583c9538ef2a43d

Philip stared blankly abbaed5b81 at my hand 4a6d7cf67e moving in the dde40f4639 air, his mouth 9ffdfe5f0f open. He seemed not to 768ed38ed9 understand what I was 03853d0d9c saying.bc56625412235bca

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“I don’t know. Not at all.”87d0111fb72dfe79

“Didn’t you ask her…? No. How did you know I was going to the duke’s territory for blood?”b9c3426b446c8bc9

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I felt uneasy.51260deb40886601

“I knew you were going north from the letter you left, but I never heard from anyone else. I didn’t ask either.”63c506906ee8b757

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“Then who?”88f0d3b7b9a523d2

Sweat trickled down 4f0a7205ee my back.d4fc3a1d3ff56d63

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Only one name flashed 70c420bd48 through my mind.85facc51072a952d

Azanti.3f98fab0349885af

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How much does a19277fbd5 he know?b7f5be7097d8adcd

Was that why he 8d4d672023 floated a crystal ball 765b8b5cee in the forest?f807aba0f692019f

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Because the only 2888ceb772 way to survive 18767d4fff the pouring monsters ab2766c9d2 was to crave 87801352e4 blood. To capture a8d508a7f9 evidence of 3cd3b37276 taking blood.5a74bf653dce6f14

If I feb23f2699 assumed that, 5257291398 everything that 8c447a72eb happened in c2e601a4b5 the forest 7a041a9203 made sense.4186e317526f7509

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But he missed one dcb0227b1c thing. I was no ef5f03292c longer forcibly bound d138cd2171 to Deon but 46c4438a42 had become his c82829e6dd person. Contrary to 430d1cb41e the thought 50f98dd923 that I 180fe3ebc8 would be 28ca752b18 forcibly held ad3d356e0d and my ef3e24c90b blood taken, 910016d00a I had b30c6482ef been pretending.203cfc25be34bc47

It might not be 1e1370691e Azanti who broke the 4b3d76af81 oath and made the 061d601719 maid speak.319ce7e42c35fbe4

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But in any a99bbc893b case, there was 5351976a87 someone outside who d887bec1db knew about the edd3ffbc94 existence of the ea4615f465 blood.ff47be05d35e5420

TL/N: So 0f48265bc1 guys I 13aba93e17 edited the db6336cde3 old chaps 1bf387dfab and I 81a7da2316 just found aafe00d8d7 out the b72c30dfe0 2nd prince 454aacbc9b name is 11afb29b47 indeed ‘Azanti’ 63447457c0 and I af044ad847 have been ed1eddbb20 calling him e129279c3a crown prince 7a2b2f51c8 that was 3fcb406349 wrong for 0885a4b9d3 me cuz bc549346f4 crown prince d2d8a4f40f is not b167511450 decided yet 39246e8e58 so no ef114e4b76 one is 86854f7911 CP here.7146d7b1dba8f196

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