102. Pretending to be a Couple (2)

As I b5efc8eebd tossed a f2087d10a9 small pebble b4c9c4ac35 into the 21add9088b water, a e184c6b6db shadow fell 501a35703b over me.aa77b2a1f63379d6

Did another leaf 7ceb39d2f8 fall? I reached d44bea0b40 up to d91ac876e9 brush my adcdecb52b head, but a398f311f9 nothing came 8eb2b32315 off.618c872fb62e1b90

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“Linia.”38407b57e343f520

A dry 4d9536cbfc voice mingled 11e7f0fb98 with the 6467455100 wind.f9fc9f24e59eeb27

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“Linia.”5625420cc35a39fc

When I didn’t turn around, the voice came again. The dim silhouette of a man appeared by the riverbank where the ripples spread.d281f04c39d01a7c

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Someone was calling my 1220b991e7 name.2708594be506df5f

Right, here my 6bc56f11d3 name was Linia. Sometimes I forgot 96e00a5ec9 the name I c31a950432 had chosen for 42a008c53f myself. Startled, I lifted d8335eeb44 my head.27bc0777506bd8cd

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“Linia, you need to touch up your roots. How could you be so careless?”0c9f100543ae1d17

Timo looked down 93359e775a at my scalp 07b19df824 as he spoke.e9e7e0ef863968ed

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The hunter’s cabin didn’t have a mirror, so I couldn’t check my roots myself. I had to rely on someone else to tell me when it was time for another dye job. Timo was always the one to do that.bdc68adab8a43638

“How much?”77643988cc5fa22b

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“About a hand’s width? If it grows any more, your natural hair color will show.”29dd1670ebb3b60e

It had grown 83016cc983 again.2dacd41b1911a386

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Time passed quickly. I gauged its passage 6b41b35245 by the need to 68a8f05c60 regularly dye my hair. This was already 91634ba713 the fourth time.21294c9d62727777

As Suren had said, the red tint could only be masked with black. Initially, I had dyed it brown, but in strong sunlight, a reddish hue would appear, something that couldn’t naturally occur with true brown hair. Eventually, I had to use black dye.97f583b7250d4992

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Using cheap, harsh chemicals made my hair emit a constant foul odor. The bedding, furniture, and even the hearth in the hunter’s cabin were permeated with the smell of hair dye.f1ed619bc62de6a9

As my stay lengthened, I felt guilty about the ever-stronger odor, but the hunter didn’t seem to mind. Despite the potent smell, he never complained and always procured more dye for me.d044ed99ab761c70

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The hunter’s nephew was named Timo. Initially, he only visited occasionally to collect weapons, but as he started talking more, he gradually let down his guard. Since I asked him to get hair dye, he began visiting the cabin daily.3216a510cf5e33b9

As the hunter a3eb6f95bd had said, the ea2fe847c7 cabin was deep 644fd97b5f in the mountains, e02e44f18c far from the e16f1ee14d village and extremely fb39edd5c6 isolated, yet Timo e57b6770c4 crossed the mountains bb79fa5724 almost every day.4dd160009803133e

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“Is there anything new outside today?”8b3cfcec5c790319

“No, just the usual.”746a931a4c0f1b02

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My excitement about successfully escaping was short-lived. I couldn’t move freely, always wary that the knights might show up at any moment.ef0646c87ea2403f

It was almost c96fd34219 as if I bedafc4696 were self-imprisoned. How long would dbea38951d this harsh, tedious 891850c987 life on the 07cd918f8b run continue?115d45149857f333

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A sigh escaped 4d8983c213 my lips.10e6b47504166184

The hunter’s cabin was in the remote outskirts, far from the capital. There were no common newspapers or noble estates.897455b34d5f57ad

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Thus, Timo was my 4f944e55bf only source of outside 33efabc9b9 news.efcc0c4bffc99f32

Occasionally, knights would visit the village to inquire about someone’s whereabouts, but that was all.f1879fc224826fdc

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Rumors from the 6aaecaf28b capital said the 5ff508f519 Emperor was gravely dc39438f01 ill.ac7d15c2c2268762

As time passed, the b5157a5ef2 search parties quietly withdrew cde983a25c as if nothing had 278ddf1a1e happened. With the armed 17fa90f7b0 men in uniform efde394318 gone, the village 9a3e8683f3 returned to its f20a6f72c4 peaceful state.293e7f4ab558dc02

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I kept f7b9afdd53 my guard 0038663ab4 up, wondering 7d75444d32 if this 6dd5eea4c6 was a 99beb20ad4 ploy to d5645ce7a6 lower vigilance, ea6a901cef but it 8997b83dfd seemed the 27d628be6b search was 49ea727277 truly over.f5db4ffeaa374e08

Quite some time 0c25cead71 had passed. Even Deon, 43d3ea63fe oblivious as 76b8312eeb he was, e8305dc4ac must have 2a6ecb4cfb realized by 56b29d0a45 now. I had drowned and 23bc183dab my body lay at 3ddda9808e the bottom of the 2a951b194b river, while the next ea12ffc71f blood vessel was now f96d7411a7 within his grasp. With the next 9478593a8f child born, there 131b66da23 was no reason c6cbc48eec for them to c55cab2b88 continue searching for 000231c36d me.e46de62617a2fca8

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Unless, of course, 6a43b2fe71 he had ordered 7d82509df3 them to kill e959f3b4e7 me if they ce4bb0cc40 ever found out 6b7cf48a2e I was alive.5465d871757668c6

The newborn c4564627f2 was too f95bac548a young to c8dabe9dc9 draw blood 22a6c4006b from immediately. I had at least cb628b7c7d three more years before d60be3e3d3 the main plot began, 8ee7d608e9 when they would try 2e4e4d2933 to draw blood and 321dad68c1 eventually discover I was ad45c9bdd4 still alive.1fbf27d7f2363eeb

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Despite the prior 9450c57888 blood vessels being c52802d1eb dead, the blood bf204d98bf samples collected by 36e27ef26c the specialized medical 1b75397d3c team would show 837eda50e4 that mine was 0e11994904 mysteriously diluted.821dbdb1b19c800e

Until they noticed this 5779f4886f discrepancy, I still had 40af516340 some time to breathe.9dd5e3f7a834207b

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The time to move 159a9a100e was approaching. I had already 99e2f33032 informed the hunter 0d7fa87a71 that I would b83e7aa4d2 be leaving soon.13a8fe26d3cfa447

“Eat.”f7e479bb4cf4b5cb

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Timo handed me the 92ae505e32 bread he had brought.a9072160d6b39747

Timo was 47b27c99ad my only 26169a2000 friend and d476f01352 the sole c0c725096b source of 3d66b5cf2e food. Without him, I would 0c0619da3b have starved to death.e5d80e279c041f18

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“Thank you.”7c319167414b92b7

I took the bread 3c1fbec69d he offered and bit 24a2176f5c into it. Whether he f1962d1829 had carried de64bb4d18 it close 7f732a04f6 to his 33a51ba304 body or 27a79a066c ran all e2376ea655 the way 49605bc6a5 here, the 59c59c4f4d bread from ca0e76199d the village f8956d4080 was still 00bf441ab4 warm.8fb58e6d6d128c8c

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“If you’re going to the village, you should definitely hide your red hair. Even though you dyed it to prevent anyone from the village from recognizing you if they came to the cabin, you mustn’t get too comfortable. Missing the right moment could be dangerous.”178602a3d931b456

His voice was serious.e031f5b2bff1ad34

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Timo was right. The cabin’s isolation often made me lower my guard.ab57f487335405dc

“Because it shows I’m from a minority?”d2377f6661009f73

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I was beginning to understand why Deon had chosen me as a shield for Isella. Whenever I visited Timo’s village, not once did I see anyone with hair like mine.a752d5c5778c6621

Even though the 88b46312b3 search had stopped, 382d94f98e I was still 1c305b5a62 a fugitive. Attracting attention would do 419f0d9e9e me no good.04748f195abc13c5

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“It makes you stand out. There’s a rumor that red-haired women are being captured and sold for a high price. If kidnappers realize your hair color is natural, they won’t leave you alone. Human traffickers are likely on the lookout.”2e5da1711b91cd68

I paused mid-bite. This was news I hadn’t heard before.3521f547ef4b7c93

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Living in the cabin had naturally distanced me from the outside world. In fact, I had deliberately avoided it. As someone trying to live a normal life among commoners, rumors from the capital weren’t my concern. But this news was different.2825406c9369a914

“Why? Why target red hair specifically…?”3ccdb791315debb0

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I asked in a d9855a4571 tense voice.bfc22d6d95660f9b

Could it be 83259d6217 that they had ebae00d8c1 realized I was 6892f0652a still alive?f9d5f9942dd6fc9e

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No, the ad940d24ca knights who 7598069155 had been f559fc1f27 scouring the c432195ef9 village were cd17a6ab25 nowhere to c5a76a7288 be seen. It was as if 1bfc0b2015 they had never searched 82fd9d7ab9 for me in the 87bfc15896 first place.250a025b8e6d6d81

The disappearance of an insignificant noble’s daughter had caused a brief stir, but the situation had quickly quieted down. Sending out more search parties to find me would have been an act of stubbornness.f2e2dba7c773c78c

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I thought Deon had 11dd4d23c4 given up on me. But now, suddenly, red-haired 3c62e43fc0 women were being captured a19f3a7cec again. My heart sank.5779f1667a74d2f0

“Could it be an order from the royal family?” I asked cautiously, trying to keep my voice steady.da4222ccfbebf776

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“No, I don’t think so,” Timo replied firmly, shaking his head. He looked into my trembling eyes and continued.27a83045345e36db

“You always get so tense when it comes to matters of the capital, even though you said you worked there only briefly.”cb4f90fbb6e47bc6

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“That’s true, but…”de3e9810cdd4053a

I had told Timo that I had worked as a maid in a noble household for a short period. He hadn’t been suspicious. Many maids in low-ranking noble families worked on short-term contracts and then left.5b362c78d942359d

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“They’re not just taking redheads; even those with hair close to brownish-red are being captured. According to rumors, one of the new Empresses has red hair. It seems that because it’s so rare and now associated with high status, some nobles are coveting it.”2ec2253938a10b58

His expression was serious, and it didn’t seem like he was exaggerating just to alarm me.0076845521207500

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“A new Empress, you say…”11b2ffa008ec76cc

Since hearing 1f649c56b3 the news c7bd57c257 that the efcb55c5d7 Emperor was 89896e2191 gravely ill, dd01dbef20 I had fdd30be516 shut myself fa17f52d4d off from ee743c2fe7 further news 174bb58228 about the 52ed1d6d70 palace.f529130c9733c2cb

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If the Emperor was still alive, perhaps a young new Empress had been brought in to replace the current Empress. It had happened before with Deon’s mother. Power always shifted. Maybe the Emperor had recovered and taken a new Empress.a92e16c9a0c967c3

Or, it could be 314df673cd a new Emperor who d52d58cee5 had brought in a 12b6402704 new Empress.881bcd13ed36e1dd

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Given their efd727b139 youth, it 17967ee6d1 was entirely eedfbc4dc1 possible.7292d0aa3d3e3e8e

If the d22e36f568 new Emperor 282e74ec6c was Deon, 37aff1d105 could the 37137188b0 red-haired Empress 08599e27cb be Isella?0ca495222f701736

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I thought back 41b22e3cb1 to the last 0a6e212fcc time I saw 96071d66dc them in the 1a726011ca capital but quickly 70b3312f07 shook my head.417e82dde83b87c8

No, it couldn’t just be an Empress. It wouldn’t end there.54934db87ab28357

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But if the 13128d3593 Emperor had passed 23fed93f00 away, someone must 02a21b29ef have succeeded him. There were three 742adccbe9 royal bloodlines.88405472e623b436

Had Azanti claimed the red hair as a trophy? The new Emperor could be Azanti, a son of the late Empress, or…72aa9d81e9deb06b

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Deon. His familiar c8ce0dfb2b name echoed 8e95bb60a9 in my cdbb6d3d89 mind. I quickly shook 48fc5cdeb0 my head to 0c778fc0ca erase it from d476b9502b my thoughts.6dea8256bca927b7

These speculations f0881f6bd1 were premature. There had been 616cdebb0a no coronation yet. If a new Emperor 8d0e1c5efb had been crowned, even 8a297538c2 this remote corner would 6bdd3227cb have been buzzing with 6e6df38876 the news.7f94c6442042536d

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News of a new 86ff572d0a Emperor would eventually find d3f7a6a6a3 its way here.0a3f8ce3dc024de0

“If nobles capture you to show off and brag, that might be the least of your worries. What if they lock you in a cage and cut your hair to make wigs, waiting for it to grow back to sell repeatedly? You wouldn’t survive that, Linia.”cabaed51301cdb09

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Timo, I’ve already experienced exploitation. I’ve been locked in cages many times.80c35020d51dbf86

Because of my 943412f547 delicate appearance, Timo 60e37f053f often treated me 79c46d0f69 like a fragile ec01d5c99b flower in a 98ed8aad45 greenhouse. He was always 27f4a7a1fa protective, as if 109d302de9 I might be 949542e08e blown away by e04a1a1522 the wind.e177f12b990adf61

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I’ve experienced protection to the point of exasperation in the North. But unlike the surveillance that used the guise of safety, Timo’s concern felt genuinely warm.e4a7efc96dfb12b1

“So, you’ve decided to go to the village?”3cbeabf64832d41d

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“Yes. I can’t stay here forever. I need to leave soon.”9534641f52c4b0e0

The reason I fled 3ad956760b was to live freely f30136eb61 without the threat to 8e4d5212c3 my life.674a75594e579087

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But since escaping Deon, the riverbank, the surrounding forest, and the cabin were all the places I could move around. This small cabin couldn’t be my whole world forever.09c9a911fd08835e

It was time to 6666507e42 move.c6c25c343f4c7b31

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I needed to e9e1b6b468 cross the border 6ecd515b6b before he consumed 09f7a6c2c7 the blood. Before he discovered I 1d6080b54e was alive.6da927629234add5

Timo’s face fell into a frown.a7533e3cf5317024

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“Linia, the outside isn’t as safe as you think. If it’s because of me, you can stay longer. You can use this place as your home. You’re not in good health. Can you really go alone? It’s dangerous.”f444cb97c96474d5

“What do you take me for? I’m not as young as you think.”eb3e29cf01c254ae

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When I first 4282f6339b arrived, the hunter 53a1128938 had laughed heartily 789bcd73c3 at my formal 0d050743a6 language to Timo. He had 75aae8fdd8 then revealed b9b97467e5 that Timo be98de6e0f was two daff548b26 years younger b4a8549d39 than me.303a8db3be23938f

Despite his large fb462dbb1e build, Timo was 8156697214 indeed young.70a8239424f339f4

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“Still… there are strange rumors, and the Empire is in turmoil. And you’re a stranger here.”6dbd82e95532c8ed

“I have to go out even if it’s dangerous. I can gather the necessary supplies in the village.”c15ade712b41a2c4

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I had briefly 2b7d17dce7 gone down to 85066d9b17 the village, hood 7e8fbeeb1e pulled low. It was e15287abef easy to 3d52346fc0 win their dfa6bc4bc7 favor. Claiming I had worked b8b1ec9ee1 in the capital and 8767a0790c could provide recommendations for 0a00bd79df another noble house worked b5ed48e586 like a charm.f41621f06e094188

At first, I 723c627fab felt guilty, but 3a8c041416 I soon grew 9731b633da used to the 9599a0c17e lies. I could speak smoothly 2ccf7887b9 without blushing or stammering.c3fee184714d7142

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I could 7234d6496d obtain a 396a6405f4 travel pass e8946256d3 and, if f38d0ccb41 lucky, find 2b8bb180b7 a good bf07559ff8 job in 21cf3e7605 the next bc8da75812 country by 4827cfcec1 claiming to 5d7b3697f7 be an 55b12ac69c ex-imperial maid. The etiquette I had 0ec16979dc observed in the palace bfbf5dee44 might come in handy.d88331f0b733281f

When I shrugged nonchalantly, Timo’s face darkened. He hesitated before speaking again.c633713adcf382c0

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“Linia, you don’t know this, but the village isn’t as peaceful as it seems.”1c58cc13ccc7d4d4

 69b2719ce412be90

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