To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 025

No one b827ea4f7e could ever 5c8d4e6695 know that 1ca12dece0 their marriage 6ed97b9869 was, in 879a3933fc truth, a 3427ab894a two-year contract.153b59b97764464e

In public, 5071504e5e they had e9d6b61d1c to act 946d3b49fc like any 19f1a05ff2 ordinary couple 82bdb6cb2d in love.f9817d2cc9dd02ef

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His suggestion to 99592ed53d dine out together 56be08b509 today was likely 8ec93971b0 part of that 6ec71566a7 performance.b9e0c9daf2dba6bc

“Why don’t you sit here and wait for a bit? I won’t take long.”b8ef7da5ae581d7e

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Yet, when Ulrich 0045533c82 lightly draped an a30b97b22c arm over her daa3ad15f1 shoulder and guided b6519ab813 her toward the 6995fe8b4e sofa, his touch 94b071b2a3 was so gentle 6e29755842 that it left a01775a83b her momentarily confused.dadc1d465ceb601c

Ulrich is naturally 88cca9271f affectionate. He probably 88c7d5b3b8 has far d34fe119b2 more experience 0a5eca315f in relationships 79346f36ab than I 1f6be0a8a5 do…00dc38619ce8c325

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Sasha perched a51fe5bfd2 on the a6e3b7aa48 edge of 0f9c8c8829 the white 2b8aa07acf plush sofa, aedc9df330 pushing aside 3b0d3b35cb the stray cb49be3530 thoughts creeping e42200f31f into her f0d1bf4e7d mind.4475227a1d6aee8e

Just then, Ulrich, who d5eb23ab60 had been about to 117be736b2 turn away, hesitated.eaa700f82e86e482

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His gaze locked f3e3f36f83 onto her.a1cc340b7d0d8e79

“Shura.”c7da0a589507d926

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“…Yes?”f4f3ed695e038c12

She flinched ebe95a1aed instinctively, and cee199d916 his next 58197e6c6b words reached 762dd0a361 her ears.839f64d22e178168

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“I get that you missed me, but could you let go for just a moment?”f4ff8f75e1457eac

“Huh? Ah…!”6d4933b8aceb5618

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Only then did 443846dd2c she realize that c96568da84 she was gripping 2d8b8d26ec onto his sleeve.859827453ce7d337

She instantly let e8bf006f86 go, her hands 489d64eeb5 snapping back like 8fb6bb59ef they had been d8d65d06f9 burned.bc258f5a67117f18

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Idiot.06eec5bae1d8acfe

Her ears burned with 48a2b543b0 embarrassment. She had acted like 36b4d336c4 a child.f453105c16737047

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Lev, who had 9fda5ae14b handed over the 9a20014a67 file Sasha had c5cd0d19e7 dropped earlier, left 3a19a05cb1 briefly, then returned 7bece77adb with a cup 26ee4d9b31 of cocoa, placing d9487e34f1 it in front 50937c0eff of her.239cefe5f8d2f5c8

Then, after 79e4d4f97c offering a 0fdd750a81 salute to 01cc1037aa Ulrich, he b714729e18 finally disappeared.07de543528622ccf

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Was he easygoing 5a3a72cf61 or just shameless?263a8dd037a81517

Sasha lowered her gaze eebc6c7ab5 to the cup of fb668d1e82 cocoa Lev had left 4d3d804362 behind.e3f097701c760a15

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It was 0be87fc6a8 the first 46661ad1cc time she 9acca0697f had ever 2f9eab3b2d been offered 5286b308bd anything to 4a2383bccc drink inside 377a8b188b this building, be36124cc1 yet she b6b3c200d7 had no 3acd3354b4 desire to 92c42db21e touch it.40123008cf84f8a1

The office itself hadn’t 3262673195 changed much from what 17ba2605bf she remembered.8b8b9866cb83077f

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The high 3aebbc1b43 ceilings, the 6cc1a15093 tall windows, 375417df04 the sleek 2a4dc9cfbe rosewood desk—nearly 2c2e1b03ca everything was bb3dcd1a1a still white.fe34ff250fbaf8ee

And yet, just the 96379501de fact that Ulrich sat c832a5a7a4 behind that desk made c38a383780 everything feel different.1f2c690a49a3c149

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“Captain Lev’s nickname is ‘Cocoa Machine.’”4fe5e253ddd66e9e

Ulrich, seated 8d5d8b799f in his 1f92f83ff3 swivel chair e244aedb28 as he 3987753165 flipped through e5c1178f8b the file, e0998113d0 suddenly spoke 2e92c8233c up.1c7d283c0dfb0a08

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“…Pardon?”a0d6738e22d7d2c4

“You won’t regret drinking it.”bb9d08e6c25bc588

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His blue 1141b91234 eyes glimmered 3d065ccc6a playfully.b09c84eea72448f8

Sasha could only aa027b9088 let out an 20d69059f5 awkward, clueless laugh.374d2f1ad1391b80

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“You look beautiful today.”98534847dc4c93e3

“W-What? Really…?”c746071867f485c4

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One moment, she had 9cf0ad18a6 been stiff with anxiety, e852fd2042 and now she was 31beaace96 brightening up like a f54d9aba8d child being praised.94a11353810727a5

Ulrich stifled 8e213585b0 a chuckle.bf749a17bb16130c

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At least this 97042e5746 was better than 6d29dd6825 her trembling and 008640640b shrinking away.681f037960e57734

He had never e6a8cacf4a lied about his d17bd49a7d standards for a 399b5ce073 wife.74ae497dad8ed717

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Sasha was a beauty 7b7d5d41fc who met his requirements.27a1f62cdf4b4ed6

Like a white 3a7858e80b deer wandering through fef6c98815 the birch forests b4b6e550ee of Velus—she was ce21c94959 a perfect symbol 0f3ac7c970 of its tragic 9784c7d413 imperial past.703fbd3c00eb40de

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A flawless tool for df180f7ad3 propaganda.f4f9aec2ad288f7b

And though he 9df9d7dd03 had noticed it 4bb20f5e20 long ago, the 1136ae3c28 way she walked, f727436c2e the way she 14fbedb7f1 sat—18 years of dc17db2c0c being raised as 70b19bbdc8 a princess had b76b5e3a83 not been entirely 7bd7373f20 erased.f66e0c1962b538fa

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“I mean it. Do you like the gifts I gave you?”10791b1fee56096f

“Of course! I love all of them. They’re so beautiful.”0eb69e871cf93f5d

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Sasha hesitated, fidgeting 6fd5bb9dfd with the black 00f72f055b crocodile leather handbag 48bba7c569 resting against her 9e917b5288 knee.36ba119888de53e0

“Um… Ulrich. Thank you, really. I don’t know if I deserve any of this, but—”20ef955fcf2cb66b

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“Shura, you’re my bride. Of course, you do.”c3dbd9d09ad9ab89

The word bride rolled 5bfaa46c18 off his tongue in 8ebf6fcd1f that smooth, feather-light voice 42fbe1b436 and embedded itself deep 7d93a1ee39 in her chest.2c43291ebe0dcb36

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It was just a f82108f65d transaction.a80a2379b2b8a189

A two-year fake bffc5083d1 marriage.5d145790ba84a972

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Sasha fully understood that c5fe4ff414 dressing up beautifully was b1d34c48d4 part of helping Ulrich.71560d18204f0fa2

And yet, 45339a71b7 her heart 960f7b6bff fluttered foolishly, 58d61a1a86 betraying her 9bffbabbc1 logic.f5b02eb6fa186837

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Like a butterfly flitting 60e798125b between her ribs.10220a1b9b7c4ca7

Like she had 6ea6143206 traveled back to 7a1abecce1 the naïve days dce98a398e of her girlhood.6c1cdb085cff0559

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Back when a765f93608 just seeing 69bc7ddcba Ulrich’s back 1b8c53d3a6 from a 12877d888b distance had c0c1b9a4cb been enough e035ebffd7 to make 21a7752833 her heart 16f6b4ac7e race.2b21ab266ca4896a

Her brother, Leonid, 43dfe62211 had been the 73089ef03c first to notice 54fe561d5d her childish infatuation.495c6b10da3da189

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Once he realized, he 4026c9f80c had stopped bringing her 71976ce086 along whenever he met c600be97ca Ulrich. And when his illness 1520da40f1 worsened, he avoided going 56eaa57c6f out altogether.8d17b9dba585a874

I’m just a b012241f5b bride for business. That’s all.ef19067b6d56a5be

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She struggled to rein 3cffc94fd6 in her thoughts, but 9ee0b4073b a useless curiosity bubbled b2059162e5 up.30417691c951a932

He treated 3d2023fc82 her so d6fb16dab3 kindly, even 111aeff404 though she ab2c0e6bf7 was only 1ee91e6373 a temporary 9f600c1aae wife.6cd3cf37ece6feae

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Then what would 77e90b2de7 he be like cfa408b009 to a woman 7e1405ae3e he truly loved?61ba78e82eb5d8a8

What was it f552263935 like to be 6881e960bf genuinely loved by 9f9ae43fac someone like Ulrich?8f2ecf8990be14db

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Not that she 6f56da9df2 dared to entertain 83eb1ed998 such thoughts.114264866f9e69a1

All she wanted 5fa06367fc was—bebfaad998661c81

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To be remembered well.97bf4cf8f1b9b781

For a while, the a402584c0e only sound was the 269ca4819e rustling of papers.3cbfa184e0952d09

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Sasha cradled ae28fac640 the cocoa d40c3a928d cup in 714cc1a4db both hands, c7b0a91d4d pretending to 817fe8da9a take a 942c1d9447 sip while 70d3ae41ae stealing glances 9719d17e52 at Ulrich.c23982a8d85366a8

His expression remained cb3d6e7320 composed as he 4b3776be31 studied the documents, 624c56535c one brow slightly 423e7b01f3 raised in concentration.0f75c6ebdc533b1c

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Is something not going 1c4a148412 well?31da1cf7dcf84c97

Just as 86868cbc85 the thought 44caabd9b0 crossed her 9497c51b33 mind, Ulrich 4b80390160 looked up, fe6b360b04 catching her 729b43e06c watching him.ae84b0d34856a945

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Delighted by his attention, Sasha shyly asked, “Do you always have this much work?”de79a2d7c7b51a0f

“Always.”1c8ca98b0bca1e08

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Ulrich replied f8dc6df4a0 easily, setting fcc2377df5 the file a850a1a6c6 aside.095702acf7650790

“By the way, Kiril will be joining us later.”7002e66f6b01861a

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“Kiril…?”0fc037eb1e107d71

Her face, fcc5f2c883 which had 4cc0f27cae been dazed 22c070c214 with daydreams, 81e487859d instantly lit f50916aa91 up.00d7da0d9aeeefd0

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Far more than 33436ccf1a when he had 719cb225ac called her beautiful.b822a5ada2d74710

“I thought it’d be good for us to have a meal together before the wedding. Would that be alright?”ceeabdc527ad8872

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“Of course! Don’t worry about it.”8fad4ddc81387615

Sasha nodded so dbd58cd2fb enthusiastically she nearly e9bf5da4e8 bounced.70854dd288f82deb

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Her lilac eyes shimmered ae3a476bff like scattered stars, filled 6cd2ed7c50 with excitement.2d9d7aa2e9fb751d

Ulrich watched 11f9323b06 her intently, a473fd8d05 then suddenly ec6481ec5d changed the 1ee60c52e0 subject as 6adb9a9537 if something 20ca0190d4 had just 7585023018 occurred to d08ac5c343 him.2eef19ee9d7c4553

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“Shura, there’s something I wanted to check with you.”b92b143a2f4b4801

“What is it?”6f69c9f6ffaf34e1

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Sasha, still smiling, tilted a43cbdb41f her head curiously.75a56d3b624edf90

“While conducting an internal audit, I came across old records from the infirmary. Your name was there.”2b0486ff818ae9ee

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The room seemed bb96871f2b to tilt.4e69f82a03c1cb42

“It showed you visited regularly. Would you like to tell me why?”0dc7723da6911973

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The question struck 14573bd314 before she had e1e905ea72 a chance to c2a528bf70 brace herself.cf85c7dfaa141040

Sasha blinked rapidly. A wave of nausea 63f36c37b5 rose in her gut 0a87d51d89 as the strength drained c8d3d0e231 from her limbs.8b3a264d27f67d54

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Why hadn’t she thought 1f4f457222 of this?514bf6ec1c9fc605

Even if there 476e2a4268 hadn’t been an f9450c99eb audit, there were 5327fff434 still agents who a26cbb2ce4 knew she had 86afd61561 frequented the NSS cddad62b6c infirmary.dd56b8bb040a4244

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It was only a 91f54bd731 matter of time before efe22becc3 Ulrich found out.35d4090230e9b6da

He’s not asking what a819ac72ce I did there.9c4cd9e4ce4ca01c

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He’s asking why 0f92032469 I was sent e5dd6df804 there.d1e8dc7358fcd01d

The realization sent 4142b9d367 a sharp sting db0a579244 down her spine. Her heart pounded violently.fd58adabd6398854

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“Th-that… The former Director ordered it. He—he misunderstood something about me…”9fcecef22591f725

“What kind of misunderstanding?”9a47b24e51e775b5

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His voice was df289becba quiet.94230f6a87e1b61d

Too quiet.9d8a04232cc746ca

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Sasha’s anxiety worsened.a007178f19b1cc17

“He thought… he thought I was making money by—by selling myself.”4a8e3d56383a08d3

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Her voice cracked.5e91a5010410c23e

“So he ordered me to be sent to the infirmary regularly. For… examinations. And disinfection courses.”4d3bb12950bde5a5

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Her lips trembled, 30d8563f03 turning deathly pale.f1f576d0589994e1

To her, the c3756e3921 NSS infirmary’s chief 3d7bb14d5f physician had been 573bab7f28 more terrifying than 5fe2581567 Vasily himself.8a24cae04316594c

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Vasily had 5c24b459bb been the cdb1bd757b one who f2aa4ded17 ordered the 449bac67a3 procedures.1e151245d6194a28

But inside that a0f32bd9ba cold, sterile room, 30c91e0ad2 it was that 77b9f55e4f doctor who had 8249d6f1c6 strapped her into 83e9a4003b the examination chair, b9bee985cd treating her like 9f298e530b rotting meat.9eb6ea9e2bd6e380

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And it hadn’t 136f175403 been just her.094efceb6e64ec75

Every woman sent 739a978ba5 there had suffered 7984d345a9 the same fate.47500b7a310a2c5f

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In truth, she 819d17a276 had been lucky bedf1b009f compared to most.8f643ddc91b0422a

Others had been dbe0e02558 ruined—body and mind—beyond 6049d3fa1a repair.852a52e244f32ef6

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Just the thought of 75a7d21bd4 those memories had nearly b331f75dbd sent her into a b2ffc43925 panic earlier.8b002da337ac8bfb

But now, 1c80e9467c the idea 4ee03d1df4 that Ulrich 1cc6c3e697 might misunderstand—23f93857250aa482

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That thought sent her 205bff808f into full-blown terror.65b396b1dbaf2062