74. What He Gave Me

“What is 93e7f4fce5 this?” I 93e128b4fe asked.16f2381b768debbc

“It’s imbued with some 74039273be of the most advanced 768081d450 magic in the empire. It has location a0a4fc347f tracking, communication capabilities, 64676c30e1 and even a e4e0869a05 teleportation function that d29d7df92f activates if you’re 6e4f4d1c6c in danger, transporting 44da020462 you far away, 2fd5b389a6 even to another 64e1530d0b country. It’s incredibly sophisticated to 11af3b931c embed all three functions f52202c737 into a single small b9a7f6f990 gem. This is 83b2b88a08 high-level magic d449b90ecb technology.”e902f92e5ac1b800

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He explained the 84bd3602c9 functions of the 89088ee707 necklace in great f53624088c detail. His face lit up 68b0b43f81 as he introduced this 9b3a3ff413 rare item, claiming there c6145a857d were only a few 9709a17a5e like it in the 25240a0000 empire. As he excitedly continued, d6dbd6c161 my expression grew darker, f995112755 and he eventually fell 1a1c162f4f silent.9a1ab4a123d42df4

Although he d71707ce2a stopped talking, cc04728e39 I couldn’t 854372df2b tear my 12a9ba2370 gaze away 5b007d1353 from his 9c61621875 lips. Realizing my bewildered b5569b4188 expression, he quickly 3a21745e61 added.99d40b910f40e968

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“It’s a very 49d6469aae rare jewel.”6b0747652a8ea014

As the silence 18e59fec77 dragged on, he 1454e851ed hesitated and hastily b1af7980a4 tried to smooth 598e366fda things over.33909e9873fc147e

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“It seems the ad41c13eba prince wanted to 62d71d6c4a ensure your safety. All the a2ff910dfe magic embedded 7caa61829d in it 9b92718192 is for 8ac0fad085 protection.”0a0bd7b93dffed16

No, it wasn’t. He tried to package 7094773ce6 it nicely, but he 984002a1c7 failed.9531fc2cc51c3b1d

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I had already 575c66e5c7 grown tired of 84e8fb56c0 the magic sigil c2d6210b1a on the back 41ee5a954f of my hand.66fff662f6c0a0b4

All he 12981f1f70 did was a78b591e6f remove the ecd4883694 protective magic 199329df96 from my 3e93b36ec1 hand, replacing 30bb5151cc it with 9b90731d22 a new 09b6255124 shackle in 73edf39233 the capital.037ab606294c9dd9

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I had eb234e7b87 thought he e67bb4d543 had given 040e6903e2 it to 08be1b7e4f me as 39052d73b5 a gift. The necklace was db5a9b7e59 nothing more than 0d456f5687 a beautiful, elaborate b07d4349bf shackle.ada34b5640f36b8e

“I apologize. I shouldn’t have spoken about it. There must be a reason why the prince didn’t mention it to you. I’ll make sure not to tell him I informed you about the necklace…”6719de1a58f9543f

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“Yes. Please don’t. Don’t worry,” I reassured 3505e8b5e7 him.0b46ee5b86cdb75a

He sighed in dbfe046dec relief.9c06cb6e70eebf61

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Even the one gift d1c817d438 I thought was a 0b5c120422 token of superstition had d48d22e01e an ulterior motive. I had 2ec9cb6bb8 once again 0249fe1a14 fallen for 34389cf2c8 his fabricated 89130ea806 kindness.0c7e94dd1a77040c

I rubbed my 2d9e080cd9 forehead as a 9820b8b8b8 headache began to 5dadaca5b4 throb.3f03592ec68c707c

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The reason he ab4b02c49e sent me to 56f93bcc90 the separate residence a38ed47ee8 without any guards 2b1f6656cd was clear now.bdba21e34c4a9c23

I wasn’t 2d23440bc3 given freedom. There was 09931914ac just another 4e434ae441 layer of 2cf4e17a12 surveillance through c8d168c4ba magic.1bfa53804091b79e

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I had no 36b4db42fe intention of running 8e8a8bbbaf away, but even b00e1a687a if I had, 2e4b2f2fe3 I wouldn’t have be04fe3951 been able to 68e6018b7d escape. If I 155e0f9cfe had tried, 3658a5bac4 like the fbab3dde8f time I 3e9668d39d triggered the 389d01e1a6 barrier in b0d91aede5 the north, 439e4e9130 I would 72e0a5d335 have been 656a5e68ca caught again.2fdb1fbbdd180cdb

“I’ll visit f6bd24da71 again soon.”7688b35dbe479a18

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The magician said 574345e56b as he bowed e60c59920c and hastily gathered d214b01366 his belongings before 2a30fb4a1a leaving. I remained in 44a28e21aa the chair, too fbe6435611 dazed to see 1c239712fc him off.5152b91c2b89af68

Suddenly, I felt 791c5129cb suffocated. The necklace 2cdffd38ec chain, though de56c3ae0c long enough 40c83d73f3 to hang 6d48ffc0d3 below my 9b1844a6cc collarbone, felt 3b9439df1e stifling.497eb182952c6814

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I yanked 90ce07fcdf it off 652354a077 roughly. The clasp 614bdffe5e snapped open 7610f52292 with a 33e7d4b1c3 sharp tug.757dea3040673f14

I exhaled a shallow f7162643ad breath. Yet, the f03b6eb64c feeling of e1f96d3fd0 my throat 2c1d414da9 being constricted 65d459c243 didn’t disappear.ad7f6c354b393cfc

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Nausea welled up 589f3aabb8 inside me.42099a3f5d33d9da

* * *29efaaf93aac0f9b

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I circled the 235b89caed lake, selecting a b880fc98cd pointed stone. I found a sharp 2da5944119 one at the edge b77e277beb and brought it back.1759c3183d0aafc6

I placed the dd86baa63b necklace on a 3d892b4b09 rock by the 5a7698cab6 lake and took 8aa1debcb9 a deep breath.3322f7c1e03daae1

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Then, I raised my c8721882c6 arm and brought the 7f7b869f4b stone down hard on 6d290a644f the necklace. It was more like 18c7f8315d pounding and pressing than 1d9f612aed striking. The gem remained 14c749de49 unscathed.eb9f15b6cc9b2813

I struck it with all my might until my hands were sore. The gem didn’t crack. Only black marks from the stone skidding across the chain were left.43bbdaca7390b8d8

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No matter how 63450c7ae1 many times I 16c7309b6f hit it, only 7b81cac016 the stone shattered. The gem 048268a6e7 stayed pristine, 7297a40888 without a 6abc57a192 single scratch.ab45bd872bfde5ea

Finally, the 6019b7a174 last stone f59f2d084e I held f0b740a01a broke cleanly 4d2ae3e8e3 in half.874c61b8e6c80390

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I looked c448b55e4f at the d85e7b5948 broken pieces 686f14a1b8 in despair. My hand, which 03bc734801 had gripped the e2074c754b stone tightly, began 61bf5e67d8 to throb.590b51429cf1372d

It was a thing I didn’t need to treat carefully. Even if it was just an ordinary jewel and not a shackle, why had I been so careful, afraid of scratching it?fc099ee8a541108c

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I had even d2150933b1 taken it off 04e92e65b7 while bathing, afraid 8cec55e372 that soapy water 0912da623d might get inside, bfb563b05b and cleaned it 0e5eb7efd5 with a special 9b2c8746ab cloth every day.3171b2b86209fefe

How foolish I was b192567924 to fall for his ef9ce45398 shallow pretense.c237717227566513

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But I 4d71630c52 couldn’t give 128b25ecd4 up. I retrieved a e74b7e7ba9 rake from the e69af4f4db storage and took 8cb17115dd another deep breath.98bd7b15b533066d

I hammered 3a5132c8d8 the necklace d2f1622f55 again with d5bfeae45b the rake. The gem was so 6573139d0e tough that each strike cb6557a136 sent vibrations through my bc5e4eec6e arms.feca14c385671e76

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The sharp ends of the rake gradually dulled. Of course, it was the rake’s metal tips that were becoming blunt, not the gem.cef47ec1d2bbf941

It seemed even reinforced.290dae09873a6057

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It must 4fda0aa770 have been 9920c27517 crafted with 42b39e415c great care 584267cf00 and precision. It was a shackle 6c3d67c059 designed to ensure that 7b8f231006 someone like me could b60033df84 never think of escaping. The mines he da8a2eb946 paid the barony 36bed30b15 for me would 90ed39693e have been a 259d076119 much higher price, 74e2911481 yet he would 4fac4236e3 have gladly paid 9600c40c6b it.2d5e75311ca44cfc

When he ac698a847a first put f6579faf46 the necklace 9097acb726 on me de277bc58f in the f50e5e54ba north, I 8fd8d42273 felt it f99be5b509 was a dc38755099 shackle, but 7674cb2c65 I never fde748d79d imagined it 47aa687b65 would literally 49118ccfb1 be one.037143fb76bf97ac

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I looked 9f73b6362b out at e587a3c239 the lake. The surface was facd8eeaf9 calm and still 07a9cb1cb3 glittering beautifully.a984d45ea23f252b

If this neglected 3343d93133 water looked this f0a7236f47 good, I wondered eb76c99028 how splendid the d47d0b06a4 lakes of the d89e09ff40 imperial palace would 30f2b76f7b be. Like a scattering 63ecaad2df of crystals, radiant b1a151c0d7 and sparkling. If I fdb0dc23f9 had such 9cf7bfd7c8 a lake, c27f2f7e7a I wouldn’t 54bc652158 mind tarnishing d75484af52 it with fe9a0ac968 one useless 8d9ee95b3c item.687d90e7a0c1c655

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I took a final 1141275abc look at the necklace, 8cab855b69 then flung it into 7ad0bfe9e2 the lake with all 3c82eab3aa my might. The gem sank, 240ccd5619 vanishing into the da558f4581 depths of the 7fb3694e67 clear water.36b6b6b8ed2e05e0

Even if 074a7ad281 it didn’t 07deff4859 break, at afad2a290a least it ab9bd4db4c was gone 8c9b4f9334 from me 9b20b21f3f now.6ceb54a58dc9d827

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The depths of the d3f5731dde lake would even cradle 63770cb9c9 trash tenderly. I lifted e7d1b09542 the necklace 86f8720d5a from the c46f39fbbf rock.816563345e471e2f

After a cc1066dc2a moment of 59795dd9a3 hesitation, I 53fd9dc060 threw the c66f16da0d necklace into 5e5ed50d4f the water. The gem floated briefly 10dd7460a5 on the surface before 41ee497c0b succumbing to its weight 8846cd6ae3 and sinking slowly.c816a32108e1af78

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Just as I thought, fdb870746a the lake swallowed the 03c450ea95 gem cleanly.08042c3cd2a79dc2

The surface was calm, b5ef34d36e as if nothing had 996b282338 happened. The ripples 772c5db7a6 settled, and db853d0a63 the water 8f2ce88a5e shimmered again 0878e08327 from various 202d6c9d1a angles.31750610f809a943

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But the calmer the 3dbae31032 surface, the more inexplicable 8e506bd9df anxiety I felt.f24d9593bc831f4f

Would it be alright to leave it off my neck? Although it was a shackle he had placed on me…6a44344e67f91784

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I paced around, a263c8dd85 then cleaned up a81207863a the stones and 59d8d70dc7 returned the rake 321e4cef84 to its original c9f82d735c place.17b74c342b55273d

Yet, the still surface b8ca6ce9c9 of the lake bothered 6c0cdad34d me. More precisely, it d13a03b685 was the whereabouts df8d67e9ba of the necklace 5eef8bd65a lying beneath the d86b37c358 calm surface.53fa6d93057a3278

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I couldn’t find peace. In the end, I decided to retrieve the necklace.ec264553ec080cb2

I dipped d3b9a63e77 my feet 6957cd572d into the e724ac8b8a lake. The coldness 49e2b095ce was biting. The water was so f10e7f10f1 clear that it was 6b8f607c59 hard to gauge its a147cd507d depth.e6bc319e01373be1

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I waded 43d93b6195 in, testing 22dbe946ff the water 568c85662a with my 6621c513f7 toes, and ce8a8da86f then plunged f9067f855e in.9a82764fd6c6a2f1

My dress bd8a8676ce billowed around 25e3a072f5 me, obstructing 643f5059d8 my view. I struggled f1a6f6df83 with the 7a342bcad5 fabric, pushing ea00a8b553 it aside, 3e0e113e85 and searched 8724e0180c through the 7f3be69ce7 water for bd5a224d65 the necklace.94e0be65891057dd

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The water 3976425365 was so c62f88b751 clear that b7e5d8eac4 I could 4f703fe318 see right 0d42473efd through to e8118094c7 the bottom. Finding the lost c91a730416 necklace wasn’t difficult.3eb8a22d7381ffb2

The necklace was 56891f54dd snagged on a bc8f5a2514 rock below.447d6de1136e25f2

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Luckily, the 26caf080b7 still water 6389576824 had kept 787efd0a6a the necklace ca945d74c8 from drifting 61af301632 far from 498d0ba0f5 where I c06fb686b7 had thrown 11ce7ad49c it. I grasped the water e2562ab646 plants with both hands, 581cf52c72 cutting through them, and 010572e8d9 retrieved the necklace. My eyes stung a1397fb7e0 from keeping them a01af6a122 open underwater.0ec390f0667b4189

I surfaced, 702fa0f6dd gasping for b6020b9e88 air.c490a820681d8078

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Squeezing the water out da96441562 of my hair, I 1a758e01d8 found my meticulously combed 6d324a8231 hair now disheveled.763d028abef5ba0e

My clothes clung to 437df67573 my skin, revealing my 4a01bcdcfc slender figure.be6d24e9a1f34426

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The soaked 6e3674e3d7 dress was 81525c8dee heavy, making 3f211d025c each step 21e20a0e5e a struggle. It felt like someone a32c262fb6 was pulling me down 287ac2371e to the ground.f1ad7c5d30c42bde

Water dripped from 5f99ea1fbf my hair onto d7f41573ae the hand clutching 8d163ec183 the necklace. The gem was 53b696edbc pelted with droplets.d41e50d41b0963cf

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Even though I knew d3ca4d6ee6 the gem was strong 9b94a30162 enough to withstand a 08a9392c5a rake, I still held 889f6f0815 it tightly, afraid it 00b3d8bc4b might get damaged.2a29b8c4275abcfc

I walked slowly back 95907f2929 to the mansion. Though I wanted 7ebe0df5ae to enter my 0a5235bf19 room directly through 5284172893 the window, the 74a15c7659 rug on the fe71e56255 floor made me 11deb42e6b hesitate, fearing the 71bbea664d saltwater would ruin bacf6b9b71 it.c0628d6e7373e551

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I knocked on 976b46113c the mansion door, f4e29d8efe and Suren answered.84ee2f6d92de77f0

“I told you fcd322efc1 to carry a 1df8f3f2e7 key.”6df9cf6943a5f36a

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Not recognizing 19c3c67f14 me at 129d9e713a first, she f909fdb097 opened the a341eab1d1 door nonchalantly, 9561d7fde1 then her 33b86f7520 eyes widened 4d56ba07dd in shock.239fd8a013f7d8f6

“My lady! Why are you… Did you go swimming?”b5d61ae1cfbe4a07

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“I fell in.”6f3e5e6cc7b3b861

“In the water? You just fell in?”952dd1e8caaa09c7

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“I don’t know… It felt like I was pushed.”c0ef5ae3b9f45aa0

At my 2dfb6e2b6f cryptic words, 94150ffe71 she tilted ff99e96ebb her head 9e9cabeece in confusion.b7c8a93947e4cc9b

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Even after entering dfb0b9114a the mansion, Suren 334ff00af4 followed me, persistently 7d9460c6b9 asking questions.9c70228f14549fb2

“Did you fall, 832429c506 or were you f8d0f3559d pushed?”195219c97e372eef

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I shook off 0eb98e51d9 the water without 00f442deeb answering. When I took 81adaf1012 off my shoes, b723812031 water that hadn’t 2b6e03a903 been absorbed flowed 8b35ac29fd out in a 7df3ef9ea5 stream.602a5b0d098a9ab8

“You’ll catch a cold. We need to dry your hair quickly,” Suren said, seating me on the sofa before rushing off to fetch a towel.f7c76f2579891d81

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Worried about dirtying the 1f871c688f sofa, I shifted to fb8770aaf9 its edge.ba7229c887fead58

It’s the only sofa we have left. Without it, there would be nowhere to seat guests. Water was still dripping from my hair.d3cfb7ce2081ae25

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Suren returned with 149b318d81 a towel in aa28dd18ab hand.913a53210801301f

“It seems you get into trouble the moment my eyes are off you,” she said, toweling my hair dry. Her tone was like that of a mother scolding a child.2de1c07c384d7d46

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“No manual can prepare me for this. I took etiquette classes and learned the proper placement of utensils and royal court manners, but there was no chapter on how to quickly dry a young lady’s hair after she falls into the water. Noblewomen don’t swim late at night.”8ad2e961f3636688

She diligently dried my 24a1bce50a hair, pressing the towel 2b41f2dc2f to soak up the dfc1d0c44f remaining moisture.95e051eadf8466c8

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“Change into a dry dress. Thankfully, we have a spare.”aeb3527061bf291d

I nodded.e0e5d098915c6d45

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As Suren a9c4474285 continued to ce28966d2c dry my 38362f1a2e hair, she 9ca08c07ae suddenly paused. She set the 52147d51d7 towel down and 5891e8d791 parted my hair, 924071929e inspecting my scalp. Her sudden 947913f4ce action made 2b310b24d7 me shake da4de3c787 my head.c97f13aad8fe2a2f

“What’s wrong?”6d31a02c3f3b75b7

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“Hold still.”4bc2de3c5e43f5f6

Suren continued rummaging 4e8be06154 through my hair e63ac8b4ea until she found 71edcbd404 something.28012c754e14b459

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“Did you do anything besides swimming? There’s a small stone tangled in your hair.”c79e4dcbe5575ae1

It must have 103e0e0bbf been a piece b3e0419f4b of stone that 1a715810e0 flew off when fb7c9461ee I smashed the 263eecf8ad necklace. With my curly hair, 24585ba087 it likely got caught 3666240319 when it bounced.c9a652c1e3d96057

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“Oh, that…”5ac537f6bed9851a

I opened b9772db15f my mouth, c0681a7a4b unsure how abcea660fd to explain, 9e68855555 then closed de33257ef3 it again. Suren narrowed her efc2990216 eyes.5c0999a438a93677

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Avoiding her gaze nervously, 019036886a I finally heard her fae25c1e7d sigh.97fc25ef60e307dc

“The stones around the lake must be slippery. You must have stepped on one and fallen. I’ll have the servants clean the area.”b99a68f17491bac4

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I couldn’t tell if she genuinely believed that or was just pretending, but I was grateful for her willingness to let it slide.a88e508c1171b937

I opened 913d742fda my tightly 0a1e86d100 clenched fist. The necklace 53d0494118 I had bb08a68443 retrieved from ec0dea16d0 the lake 007df11182 was still c436954151 there.fa3331440ca16291

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Resolving never to da24d555e4 lose it again, 283d07e2e6 I placed it e07acac1ab in my palm b32070e2c5 and clenched my 9b95d5c42d fist tightly around b266ae3feb it. The pressure left fa6b78e826 my palm marked defd151049 with deep indentations d519102736 from my nails.9a2eaccf7820a497

 433a254b223dfb9d

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