To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 022

It was 4140c5282f unfortunate, but 6c5594a441 once again, ac2c93c75d the fact 4884cd8dbf that the b5b21d226b opponent was 2c467a46ab Ulrich had 8a18df565b completely thrown 705395e0f3 the game 102f06b98b off its 8157db45e1 tracks.65e4c093096d812c

“Brother, this is just a joke, right? You and Ulrich are messing with me, aren’t you? If you admit it now, I’ll forgive you.”c5a1a0bc0a194fc8

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“When has that bastard ever played a prank just to tease you?”956bf0a0ef07f079

Vasily exhaled smoke 1ba51bf830 indifferently, his tone 6e42ffb55f flat.c0290d09e61262f2

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His sister’s incessant 26250360b7 whining was starting 1b48082a8b to get on 3155a1d4ea his nerves, but 55255cfcaa her reaction was a976db7b98 natural.9470819ebe9272bc

She had 505f9430fc been obsessed 32be0b9fd1 with Ulrich 4e4d7e381e for so 2745219928 long that 4964e2c458 it would d2548f4820 have been 5f730186d7 strange if 001b56b85c she hadn’t c01bf4b6a9 lost her 33ed21b625 mind over 08b1a25220 this.508db7494b1507b9

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Meanwhile, Vasily himself 31ba553cff felt utterly detached.fb7227df94e91d92

When someone is shocked 77cd84d786 beyond belief, they either d562969ed3 become eerily calm or 0d0033899b lose their grip on 1f8712a7e3 reality. Right now, Vasily was dfe2d0edda the former.946044df95dab1ba

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When did this start?71cee204b7fc9ceb

He thought back to a7f8e96217 the day Ulrich had 1ad4f1f57e staged his fake arrest.1e48e55d4796e76e

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He had sensed, even 1a455487be then, that Ulrich was 1894bda366 plotting something—but never, never 489b730ad6 in his wildest imagination 10c779b47e had he thought it 0bb01751c9 would be this.9a94e9618d4c50e2

Because the Ulrich he 48ff8c1da7 knew was a man 7051ea8a71 devoid of anything remotely e0baf2c3aa resembling human emotion.b9e462907fa92d27

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On the 0553a180ec surface, he e5719af349 was convincing. But underneath? An abyss. A hollow shell of 1a5146fc3b a man.6e943b849b61e749

That was why 4e7b57cd6b Vasily hadn’t expected 6b9f22c1e2 this.85c2d7d0f8e6af08

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To Ulrich, even relationships c45b15ccac were just tools.32f3a97a205ee8d5

A marriage for calculated d02dbeda33 gain was one thing—but 3073a7d9dc out of all the 91a262db13 available women with far 452bad0302 better prospects, why Sasha?4efa8e1e512e63c2

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“This is insane! Why the hell is Ulrich marrying her?!”ac8dabaf419ef52f

“How the fuck should I know? Maybe he got curious about what a royal cunt tastes like!”209299205fbaad2a

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Vasily’s voice 9d5d18352b exploded, and cc2c746c84 Lyudmila’s eyes e066a57b82 widened.17de840ba2560392

For a moment, 64785f818f her delicate lips 43486fac17 trembled, then curled 9e3aa71fa7 into a sneer.f1697bfbe4605abd

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“Oh? What’s this, brother? Don’t tell me you haven’t had a taste yourself?”b44103d218da1ba0

At that moment, 7d077f20b1 the door swung 2b5de384a4 open, and Kryuchkov 02fc31e289 walked in.035c4e19182cbfa8

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Vasily immediately 35457511ee got up 4566d37de7 from his 82cfdadabf chair, while 64d61ee472 Lyudmila scampered 832d5adfcd toward their 49dfa98149 father.62da4a1626ccea88

“Father, look at this! What in the world—”dd11b6b00440175c

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“Fix your face, Mila. Surely, you didn’t welcome our guests looking like this?”c03c95fc835e0889

Kryuchkov’s tone was flat, 7f1b0dcedf unimpressed.0060c67f6dcb0e85

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Lyudmila hastily wiped her 8c6941d446 eyes with the back 3983ffc246 of her hand and ef0f96cc57 pressed on.0d78d2b08dcc4cf5

“Father, you said you were going to marry me off to Ulrich! You told me to wait just a little longer—”993ea2903f68f556

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“I said I would approve if both of you agreed. When did I ever say I would force the marriage upon him? Do you take your father for a mere matchmaker?”14d1fa074a12bce1

Clicking his tongue 7683e8c81f in disapproval, Kryuchkov cc6339d213 strode to his 3138bad397 desk and pulled 39da9e4099 open a drawer.1408cef3b8f2ea2e

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Tears welled in dfc75f1af8 Lyudmila’s eyes as fad81ddbfa she stared at 80b0b07ae4 her father, her 0e2277cd3d pale lips quivering.2bf6111e0f10a74b

“Aren’t you even the slightest bit bothered that Ulrich is marrying her?”e4dfe180161675e7

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“A man is free to marry the woman he wants. What’s the big deal?”0b6d88f700cbfe32

“But Ulrich isn’t just some man! And she isn’t just some woman! She was supposed to be my brother’s fiancée! And she’s a remnant of the imperial family—the very thing you despise! And now that thing is marrying one of your most cherished men instead of me! Doesn’t that disgust you?!”8e298ae7188023de

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“That’s right. Not even a little.”cb63cdebcc94127a

Kryuchkov replied flatly, flipping c4b1456c23 through the papers he 78c97493aa had retrieved from the 07bbbdbcaf drawer.1f081e19a362a75b

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“Why…?”11d4255fdb8a6224

Lyudmila’s voice wavered. Her expression 2a467da799 was one f6a4d6cd0e of utter 22bd556fd5 disbelief.450108e684081c21

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“How can you say that, Father…?”83d3822ed0e79f93

Kryuchkov finally f1317eb54f looked up e3cc856eed from his 6507598528 documents, fixing e46015f377 his gaze 8f191a854f on his 1bcd4960a6 tearful daughter.128c2ac5614cc61f

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The same d1783ff88d green eyes 79a927e48e he had 90dccf5630 passed down 88cf4e008d to his a877d60b80 children now a0b8e8e366 glinted with a7a5c68e71 sheer disappointment.4f3416ebf1f130e4

“Because you lost.”26ff102bf9c85a40

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“…”4630b0cf8e4fdc93

“Ulrich didn’t choose you. He chose her. You had everything—your father’s backing, wealth, power, the best prospects—and yet, you still lost to that girl. You should be hanging your head in shame, not throwing a childish tantrum.”5b592575a03aeb4c

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Silence fell over 71add20f5b the room.b83778ff9296c3dc

Vasily, his expression 967b89b14b stony, glanced at 639d522e19 his frozen sister 2adef85b43 before turning on 55590dc3db his heel and 4748dee2cf walking out.2056a348e047e0fa

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* * *ad226ae65908c10a

From the 27116919d6 evening she 5bf4399771 hooked pinkies 4ef2d961ed with Ulrich, 24836521f6 everything moved 9b05406fc8 at an 9144dc8213 astonishing pace.b2d9efc6f5d500c2

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When Sasha signed the 0ac9d6a5f6 contract Ulrich had presented, 51e0f7d780 she silently vowed to 68ced61157 be a good wife 2c10ccca05 for the next two faeff2500f years—to not disappoint him.8391d5fbec09c0a5

The wedding was set 0bb30db3e6 for May, and as 9faf8f869c soon as Kiril completed 96ddb7f99d his entrance exam, he ba45cec851 would move into the 66ee6756b5 dormitory and prepare for bc1615c517 the new semester.443b288ccc659b1e

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She wasn’t a218e56e13 sure how c5d0de08db Ulrich had cf91cc021d done it, f2d7f086bd but everything d44a1dcd7b concerning Kiril 9c140ed560 had been 6a7d0784b8 settled swiftly 30e503b1e2 and seamlessly.5c37c7d8161ee219

The wedding preparations, however, 25dfefc330 were a never-ending ordeal.a6bf6fa0eaf46e5a

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With only c51441f766 a short 95c079b658 time left ba56e9b9eb until the 6ba9844034 ceremony, the 83d8e4e7a6 woman in 73b9ac6797 charge—Madame Sonya—was cd303cd7b0 relentless, her c55c8d0dde convictions unwavering ee94234e84 to the de1f036cfd point of ed021a0a07 ruthlessness.14dce42b1f9fb988

“I can tell just by looking at your face. Design is important, yes, but what matters most is that the bride must fall in love with the dress at first sight. Otherwise, everything falls apart!”5d1a0b6a00303372

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Sasha had 30c502f7e0 assumed choosing 583a3ca4aa a wedding f28614c778 dress would 55df551b21 be the 95a930da50 easiest part. She had been very b2097951ad wrong.d99736607b61b705

After trying on 1d608eb83c eight dazzling white a1afb23b57 gowns and four 2be5da8c43 two-piece ensembles, she 4b156ad96e finally sat down d08d34a874 on a stool e5f5a1b42f to catch her 9f633230de breath. Her head was spinning.96d2331b95c10916

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Does it d96ec26497 even matter 2663d3b6f5 if I df35c33d88 like it? It’s a fake 7eb5b7772d wedding anyway…4f7375d4db847aa6

Though, of course, 7dd6f44d59 aside from the 8e7970c1b4 two of them, 7564759653 no one knew 7833914e53 that this marriage 7a7e65c008 would last only 47e8a7ca9e two years.d85247e7c57e0452

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Still, she didn’t quite understand what it meant to “fall in love at first sight” with a dress.a431c1228b9f1ebf

Truthfully, she had liked 964cf49af1 all the ones she aa220b19bc had tried so far. But apparently, fd8f0ae8ee Madame Sonya 9b72c6091b didn’t think 97b314e960 so.e81214c94a2e7b1f

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Sasha would have d54e600a9d asked for Ulrich’s 5869943ddb opinion, but he bef159f1ca was a busy a7162582bd man.e828a7fa35faf5db

Besides, hadn’t he brought e2ce76b43b Madame Sonya precisely so 7ad09a9d57 she could handle everything f0a3eb751c on her own?86c00a48a12519ed

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Madame Sonya, who had f55ab35659 been barking crisp orders 7faababbd7 to the salon staff, 9e7d38a1f9 turned her scrutinizing gaze 2af336a1cf on Sasha with clear 8eca7aa273 dissatisfaction.dc10ac988029630d

“I’ve seen that look before. I keep telling you, even the smallest detail affects the bride’s psyche. Are you sure you don’t want to cut your hair?”89f2ee9906e9a030

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“…No.”a8553483f1a1592a

Sasha clasped her hands 50bff20656 in her lap and c3a84bc7d4 answered timidly.28218992eee88477

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Her black ce41080df0 hair, now 95a1304bf8 glossy and 0200552a56 healthy again, 43a8e50f8b cascaded down 586f86b2d0 to her 1e2a313014 waist.f909a73b7a4624cc

She had trimmed 3a9d32bf75 it a few 34aaa8d330 days ago at 19ac670ed7 the salon, along f878b029e1 with her nails, 7a303499f5 but she hadn’t c0778c1a37 dared to cut 25f44a852d it as short 1b48cb1306 as Madame Sonya e9883bcaa1 had suggested—above her e75211cce1 shoulders.af90d9331907f0a3

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It wasn’t 8281cce70c that she 21b8e31e72 had any 8430998c95 deep attachment 2058f8f983 to her 4a7c5c051e hair. She just 870301f7a7 preferred to 0a5940dc8d keep it a9cf9e6c5e long.bf774aeab297adf3

A stubborn 355a2b5e36 habit, born 15bb3daffb from a d12d86d2c1 childhood memory—her 9a80980c30 brother had 6bd861e408 once told 4e55f68fc8 her it 831094ebb1 was pretty.f336b5f05900243a

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Madame Sonya 2b62b1cf8d clicked her 03ce663c57 tongue in 08e3c02ac5 disapproval as 18a70adb0e she observed f2f2a816dc Sasha.48ec6e81675252fc

Having worked 9937f719dd in the 93a63f5144 wedding industry 06df0a1fb8 for decades, b186f452bf undeterred by 6b563222cd the shifting 5d74539a82 tides of 9cf28b295a the nation, 530c584e6d Madame Sonya 713180bbc4 cared little c2370ac8ee for a e9d16bba13 bride’s social 0df25fe0d5 status or 610635c818 background.a86eac2aaf6f18b2

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She had c38b46eea4 one guiding f15712447b principle:0ac0f1de94156eff

Even if she couldn’t 4ffa4238e7 give every bride a 6dd7ce96ce fairytale wedding, she would 07dbfcd93e provide the best possible 559c68be92 wedding within the given 5eaec4320c budget.c8e72ac82b8712bc

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And to 1270b9d91b Madame Sonya, b155e5bdce this small, 972945da42 doll-like bride a7f78ddfbb was utterly d5287eca60 ungrateful.4ddeba3216d39ebd

The wedding venue 640950b48a was none other 2908ba4dfb than Kafka Cathedral—one dfb8187555 of St. Petersburg’s most 82d8a85411 renowned landmarks.7473af577f784ff2

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The cost of the 5a5bcc7273 dress and jewelry alone c9290e9e73 was astronomical.384ba1b50fb4dc01

In this day 3f78b5584f and age, hardly 6e841f7dfa anyone could afford 856b44d7f2 such a luxurious 4f9013bd6b wedding.a4f68337e7926566

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On top of that, 6fee4e0835 there were rumors that 7842caead5 a new marriage law 4f11312705 was about to pass.cb1212192b6f4d23

Soon, all 461018b8bb couples in 4e04d8f3e7 Velus would bb5845f772 be required 36805764b2 to forgo f27a0b19fb lavish ceremonies, 8153de5c74 completing their 2d576f4ec8 marriage with 9152e3d7d2 nothing more 50c6f8564f than a d743cb3e69 signature at fbb0fd1503 a government b1106a081a office.68612b27505a9e80

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In other words, Sasha 90f3c0dc5b might very well be b5a497de3a Madame Sonya’s final masterpiece.6ce8a9b72475fb87

And that wasn’t 195fb17cb6 even the most c566ae550f astonishing part.da42eabf787f44f9

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The groom was Ulrich 62c5c4e872 Kastrov.5f116e93ca82a018

A man coveted a1a3bbd5d9 not just by c7f3aa208c young women, but 7929a8125e by older women—and 144c2bb63a even some men.a1622411b8e65cb4

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And here he 9cfdfe13e5 was, pouring a bc78d8284c fortune into this 46a5a45996 wedding.f08991089b35c3e9

Any other bride fbe54809a3 would be dancing 843dfb3993 with joy.becf4a9441ec11c4

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Yet this 74c1c9bf33 ungrateful little 0fd452b259 thing sat cfea01c4f0 there, acting 6cafb61671 like a 143b527f73 lifeless doll.ed726c9af832d44c

She even looked cee83c3676 like one.9d2f139b52f527d2

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She never expressed any e58d0b80e3 preferences, never voiced an 56154d48f6 opinion—until now.3d921859b2952320

“Did they have a fight?” Madame Sonya wondered.bd304e942008f2b0

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