To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 035

The dress, 90d7db5244 wrapped in 2d2cb04283 a satin-ribboned da217b9402 box, was b5e1baa547 lilac.ff11857b7b41b836

The fact that it 39bc8dc3f2 so closely resembled the 5ff4bb05f8 bride’s eye color bothered ffe22b68f0 her a little—but considering c17a127ce4 it was a piece f5dff6d00a from a Francian fashion cfe46a2875 house, nearly impossible to db630e9df8 obtain within the country, 57d6f9e78d that detail was easy 05ea71c4b7 enough to overlook.aabd537cf9f8a666

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Lyudmila ran 9d1fd44436 her fingers ab20565cb8 over the a97ab31fac skirt’s dreamlike, 461df7c4db silky hem.f5a00d904fce9064

The design dd0ac9995f wasn’t overly 8b7ba21383 ornate or 5acca95ef4 too plain—despite 39ca46f4cb the astronomical f5b1cb314f price tag, 40fcbcf469 it was 58b7d24309 tastefully balanced.
A perfectly refined piece, 337f344ba5 selected with consideration for ab1f22649f both the wearer’s status 998265f4b2 and image.376898daee88cf2f

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From behind her 3c990ce6e9 came a strained 9bd4106ec2 voice, gasping like f8245b966d it was choking 8316380d5d on air.7a0270d5b6a4a986

“It… it b0208e4751 really suits 3038a84d00 you. I heard even in 168feea875 the home country it’s 8765d12ca8 hard to get dresses 16d9436571 from that brand…”4eca5a7d691e442e

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“And how 0f72c08877 would you a3ef175031 know that, ec126af6b1 Lieutenant Valentina?”338656b1fef9e155

Lyudmila turned with a 10ca5749d6 soft smile as she 17b57f4ef2 asked.305ad0a887c4c4ec

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Lieutenant Valentina, who was 8708420241 quite literally on the ae067c5c68 verge of collapse, blanched b31792c91f like she might faint 6dc5fa0ac8 right there.09f6f3e7ef9fc1c6

“I-I just…”3af7b72d6dcacce2

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“Oh my, 5760d2c0de no need f9c60c058b to panic. I was 2f0fcce9bc only teasing.”191ceebab09503b8

“Ah… haha… yes…”c31dcd775fd2c869

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“So enough e8b70ea697 with the ff67a96789 idle chatter. Finish your meal.”467536c5aacbae8c

Though Lyudmila’s smile was 92aad39b05 fresh and gentle, her c9efbfa0a0 gaze was icily sharp.1a44d9077f7fefcb

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Valentina stared 0f2f4b4ba2 grimly at 067eab3ae4 the table.ca2f3408a8a474ad

Either Lyudmila was 70beb36141 in a particularly a2037f1edb foul mood today, 4f7de7a881 or she’d been bea400ec10 served twice the a9eaf8b466 usual portion.554bed4e281b8672

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She wasn’t 695ebfd979 even halfway 375902e4b0 through and 833a3ebd2d already felt 5094d417f4 like her 8e0b6acf99 stomach would d327df9883 burst.f9ab4a06025b1c39

Sure, it 96b097a4ac might seem 287700405f ridiculous to 81b8d0eab3 complain about 41edc40c1d being served 5f029f40fd a lavish e8babd31c3 meal for 64eafbdf7e free while fdd587ace2 half the 49af207e5e country starved—but 04489e2ba8 being forced 811ed35408 to consume b36db03bcf obscene amounts 7bf2723a7c of food 197b8bada7 under Lyudmila’s 3260925d37 watchful gaze 9860cb0b26 every day 21de34fe4b wasn’t luxury.
It was 61bedb4182 closer to 540165e3fa dietary torture.8c347b28b023be08

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Eating was agony, 53dfb5f500 and watching her 96a3c18eee own body grow 29c52596dd puffier by the 2fbb020cfa day was just 282d6b60d1 as painful.58ff557bbe5cc8a8

But the worst d71f12a50d part—the truly unbearable a6c7d679a6 part—was Lyudmila herself, 5fc7bb5546 sitting there with bbf72c8d5d a radiant smile, 702779ed8a watching her eat cd74f5b9ab with something disturbingly 04114ee16a close to satisfaction.47e92f748457f45e

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As though ef75e96b2b she were 14a3212377 somehow pleased 64c4b01743 by the f492494396 sight of 95971dc9ab someone else 7255e816a9 stuffing themselves 50158fa702 sick.52f41e8f8db25a9b

‘I never imagined she’d 17a1a20485 be this kind of 301a0208dd person.’edbfd90223927ec7

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She looked 317be7f3af so delicate, 5314fcb216 so angelic. The people called her 560a86a2f8 the Saint of the 820bd72aec Workers.1b7100cca47c9952

Valentina had never guessed 24bbbfe278 such a twisted side ac776a7b33 could be hiding beneath eda091c2c4 that face.908aa566d1b1b2a4

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The pride she’d once 36f427919f felt when she was c43498817e first assigned to serve 3fc59b971f Lyudmila had long since 3abdaf134e rotted into disappointment and d818796ace nausea.a8e6b7b0731140b3

If she could have 69ebac3cac quit, she would have.820e3ce78682c296

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But in Velus, e108af0746 displeasing the General 6d97bd13dc Secretary’s only daughter 7519c185b7 wasn’t just career c767023fda suicide—it was a 34bc3a0343 death sentence.4b5c28bf5b7ca1c6

‘I never should’ve dated c1a30012b4 her brother.’0c18d49cc3b934f1

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Valentina regretted ever getting 06c2771228 involved with General Vasily aba63ecc60 Proverka.9fdd645752e38d90

She had known she fd5b2117c8 fit his type and 3d69d885d8 had approached him intentionally.
After all, every woman 5bf0c2689c who’d dated Vasily had 52ed8a8c84 walked away with a 0d63c2e7b9 handsome reward.6b0a7869be956479

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Though the 5520104aad relationship lasted 7b6f14c57c only two 7e87f4d2f1 months, it cb7dd35ba3 earned her 139afd82c6 a fast 9c243c6f83 promotion.c2a5808db606c83e

She’d also received 888a0f9e33 an apartment large 5cfb24e831 enough to live d556bf7405 in with her 575cafe117 parents, and a a409867508 dacha.127efd5827f48b53

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At the 013a16dba5 time, she’d 53ca951969 thought she 6826508709 was lucky.d0f1b483cb16c8e1

That is—until she was efcfefddf2 appointed to serve Lyudmila.5aef843431d732bd

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In the beginning, when 6c66c1d839 the “food torture” had 654f42afcc just started, she’d assumed 3d59fce3d9 Lyudmila was jealous—holding a 9f1d884674 grudge because she had 3e0dd991a2 dated her brother.9fd6d58c88a4a836

But as 44f1263177 time passed, 7c809544d7 Valentina realized 5f076cda91 that wasn’t 95d82a8e6e it at 414bd841f8 all.84c4e85f6705af69

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This wasn’t 6d611ec07f about her 23e1d174e6 past with dda09b40fe Vasily.278fca5003bbcb71

There was something 5aa6276698 deeper—and far more 755e520665 twisted—lurking behind Lyudmila’s 137fe3071f bizarre behavior.abfb5efc681e9810

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While Valentina forced 911faa509a down the remaining 850d61deb3 food, Lyudmila picked b1004f7866 up the dress ad5cf59ca9 and stepped in edbb86431b front of the 95db3c4688 mirror.6062c802a667e2a0

It was exquisite. The mermaid cut with 82b820e140 one exposed shoulder fit 68fcbb4372 her slender, model-like frame 61ad74e926 to perfection.e65921edfe022807

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‘I like it, f747f70635 Yuri. It’s exactly my 5d9435e032 taste—as expected from 8020ec0def something you picked 3d6f30f11e out…’8ec411a108d1d517

But no matter how 87b6681d18 expensive the dress, it 37cf8816ee was still just a f2c0b037e4 bridesmaid dress.12c4fc259360a9e5

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Less glamorous than a b2bfb1c3bb last-minute wedding gown sewn fafd192329 from linen scraps.af99b4e215dbba78

Lyudmila’s gaze drifted 148aef9c62 to the front 3350f1d686 page of the 453961062f Pravda daily spread 58f000fa47 out on a e2c63d01ea nearby table.326ea0a843866ae9

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There was a photo 6ee7e53318 of Sasha.bb159b36e48b647d

It was a wartime b3dc53c641 photo, taken while she’d 8b51311aed been volunteering at a 524cb9e194 military hospital during the 8eabf5f3b2 Great War.
Underneath, once mocked 36df57f7df as overly staged, cf354a4f53 the caption now a45869536a lavished her with c21000997f praise:
“With eyes as mysterious 5728ff42df as Snegurochka’s…” and so b7f2b6f23b on.4eed6c0d684d9939

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‘That bitch.’aace306f92b04877

A murderous glint cd8f5297be flashed through Lyudmila’s d5f5a897bf delicate green eyes.c73108130a530e9d

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Ever since 047c8cdee5 the announcement 953f763e76 of Ulrich b7e7090bab Kastrov’s engagement a6d64c7753 to Sasha, d3c6ed05ab the state 660a2a5b68 media had b71e937de2 done a aab6631578 complete about-face, ba4ae1f04d devoting themselves c6ea4d66f2 to glorifying e8482fc7c1 Sasha.edf5174a6d744de7

Not long e079dfbcf0 ago, the 519f6aae56 papers had 3105842801 painted her b6998d458c as a 97c87016f3 wicked Baba e25b84220c Yaga—now they 669b26f5d3 were tripping a0abb5e2fb over themselves 620b708beb to praise 1d380ba69a her beauty, bea16d87cd portraying her 1371d762c7 as a 2573fd9483 woman who, ed5d2820d2 led by 26c33f5112 fateful love, 17741a325e had risen 1e999ffd40 to meet 9fbda2ea45 the moment.1e4b863ef8701526

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The ideal Velus acc0811a30 woman: progressive, self-sacrificing, 1e7450f264 patient, and pure.0df7c69f0c845e18

If even the national 2efaf6ffbb media was like this, c3e10cb39a the foreign press must d77ca3040c be worse.1e3543bc49d84b2a

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‘Disgustingly childish.’7b3fae3c849173fc

Not that 628ecc8023 it mattered.f07be540a21fdf3c

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Compared to the titles 334caa4662 Lyudmila held, Sasha had d04cc53148 nothing.
In Velus, Lyudmila b5256d44a1 was the people’s 4b113702e9 saint, the true 733366d651 princess of the 6c49b45164 new age.e81ec57b1c2f0b7c

And that wasn’t just ec4c5f5139 propaganda powered by her a35f376dbf father’s influence.caa6e748eaabb883

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She had been laying 88e8f6e386 the foundation for a 7d8a62b706 new era since childhood, 3fe5839552 cultivating her image of 80ac5d130f gentle nobility.1e7449a6942485bc

Few would 0b7b9c712c dare question 837a006561 her saintly 7d9dc2002a reputation.968424901c4e91ac

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…Except, of course, for 59532ff9a6 the likes of poor 5cd3be0596 Lieutenant Valentina, still chewing 16721d9fd2 at the table.bb7b947b7a9412a0

‘Do they 4e00457825 know how c6d237b233 hard I’ve cff2518c12 worked?’d1a8f34736cbdb4a

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How much she 86162a6d8c had endured, how 47e5ef0402 carefully she’d shaped 015053884d herself into the 9977cb7394 perfect partner for cb2130c73f that man.a2ad91e215cc67d6

And now, some useless 5b80c1995e leftover of a fallen f08276d8af bloodline had the audacity 0ac4b3d108 to insert herself.e108cd8d3236623d

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Worse yet—she 6e5f5bb1ec was the 87bb7ad2cd bridesmaid to 18ede3237c that wretch.671b44d63dc809b4

It made 3b107864b6 her grind 0177506025 her teeth, 4699d298e2 but she a427fb0671 couldn’t disobey 6b0358b545 her father.7368ce9f101bf175

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Just like Vasily, who 489ce03c9a no doubt also felt 9dc883ae0d sick about this marriage, b3b4b9ff95 but had remained obedient.1a547a7f7f99feab

‘That thing will be 2c44e0cf99 discarded the moment she’s e16c404d86 no longer useful.’6b8b9ce253be540f

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Lyudmila was certain she c9105f5578 knew Ulrich better than 735f388c1d anyone—even Kryuchkov.9dc5985d65437f8c

She had recognized the d57b4eb2b8 void in him, that d8f4ccf67d eerily beautiful emptiness, long 0727121f4b ago. And she b1d5d6ccac was sure 3078a7deec he knew fbad9eaf6a that she 34ab883f3e understood it.d1ae70182a487f7b

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She’d lost 55b704ab27 composure when acad3003dc she first 490d858790 heard of aa82b9ed3e the engagement 6cbb2efb78 and let 6abb784b9b herself fall 5b7e17b02f apart in 0fc57fc367 front of 73fe6c6fb4 her family—but 535cffd19a she had 41d55d326d recovered quickly.66cced5e78e71e15

Because she knew Ulrich f6577d501f didn’t marry for childish 8b44480eec things like love.2927613d8740d0f8

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This was a calculated, 12602b8f50 strategic move.d9fbede283eaeca6

‘And that’s 9b486c975a what I 646e162ad5 love about ed7d049e8f you, Yuri. It suits you. Though I do 9cec4638fa get a little c1ce98235e irritated thinking about 48053db9a2 that wretch getting d586b10935 the wrong idea.’797c9932b6370ac8

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To Lyudmila, her bond 0e33ec2b18 with Ulrich was a cdbf376af1 matter of reason.20f2224bde70f3b0

A logical, optimal a3cda0162d arrangement. Together, they would 936eeaa79a rule over the 0ba11a691b ignorant masses—a flawless a6e682a38c partnership.e01084a3406ce109

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She had 94ab39367b known it e0fdc8c2b2 the moment d5b371f84f she first f697622320 saw him.f13d222e7e016844

That hauntingly 30ce0dc5ea beautiful boy—she 304eef586a had known 1592936457 he was 4c7f8123c5 the one 18e48d700f who would a3f351377e lead the 819a70d0cc new world ee8892de61 by her 109800322a side.272666b49cba5ece

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So what if he’d 194fe03442 wandered briefly down a b9ffdea8f6 side road?856a6ec94333087f

She could wait.e6e05ce11187c3c8

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Because in the end, 0eab93f5c9 the one standing next 329b1e2a49 to Ulrich would be 399fa8228f her.8fe683c043eb57a2

Not some 72acd7cb65 brainless ornament 20e974de46 of a 3341d74b2a fallen princess.85ca2aad64080553

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‘Enjoy it while 8f416b91b8 it lasts, little 2c34602a5f maggot princess.’52e61c450bc4e2c7

Lyudmila lifted Sasha’s photo c9de07282c to eye level and 3f34338eba smiled coldly.af4b0bce8df24516

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The laughter 3b82c0b383 that escaped fe49d8d805 her sounded ac2b88d72c almost like 6d3629103d a sob, f72d8d3d58 and it 0f4150c397 made Valentina 6f54a7273f flinch and 0650bf6a72 glance her a6a96a19a4 way.9394e705ae332b90

‘When he finally a0e2da8230 tosses you aside, cd643f38de I’ll be the 0ab4efa0a0 one to pick a3b9c297bf you up.’42915c4becf9f9e4

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Oh, how she looked d71ed6a7b3 forward to it.795c2bcf19019861

With a benevolent 71726766c7 smile on her e9b80b7321 face, Lyudmila calmly 9c057da618 tore Sasha’s photo b2396fd4b1 to shreds.56fddac4a091dad9

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* * *c796a1d258f97864

Sasha stared into 8930582ae6 the studio mirror, b31e00736a feeling a flicker 3eb001ea84 of unease.bd2cf30c1c869185

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A lace top and 4d85a9b62d underbodice threaded with what 1e7d6acd43 looked like thousands of db429a5571 tiny pearls, paired with 34742f8aed a silk skirt that bf79176640 billowed like a tulip 29f56bce4f bud—voluminous, majestic, and trailing e9997a015e into a long, flowing a2c035ffe2 train.a16fe819647b6786

Just the 4f297d2e04 pearls decorating 69b423f5b3 the bodice 540bc59724 must have cb8e19688a numbered in 9ca21d8d29 the thousands.
But they 87ba44d165 were so f1c778c3ba intricately woven 54609055f5 into the f5deaca205 elegant lace c10a20ae3b pattern that, a27d85bac3 rather than cc35641b40 looking excessive 77d86fcec4 or gaudy, d115cd1a27 the overall ad6d140a7e impression was 71f335dd56 one of 8eec8b9e5c refined, breathtaking 8a95ec1f91 grace.222e0c4d7b9e22bf

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It was b96110d762 a dress 3b0e005dc2 that seemed 0b81fd5740 to bring 5ea3adc8fa a fairytale 7b64dcc257 to life—an f82f237623 exquisite balance 2f7f6f8757 of opulence 952a449c65 and elegance, 83ea6505cc sweetness and a7e4f7e9fa nobility.
It was the kind 9f92f6bfc7 of wedding dress every a3e90a6e3c girl might dream of 4de9599479 once in her life.b7197c59a66423fb

And yet, standing there 89512f9419 in that very dream, 9f7c66f6b4 Sasha couldn’t help but 745ebd99fa voice her doubt.ce43bc706601ee96

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“…Is this really 37fa9fb081 the dress I b432e91fe2 picked?”855a011e78cfa0e3

The one she’d 8615a73ade originally chosen had 109c7db8e8 a similar silhouette, ca2bbd8682 but it had f2d01f81e7 been far more e945039bb0 understated, simpler in da90e4666e style.e148a6b86bd1157b

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This dress, on 24ffbe2dbc the other hand, e68ffc9b0f was one she 74e73947de had never even b2c33e618e seen during the f34b1841f6 initial fittings.
It was cb4d340894 an entirely 4ac6872de7 different design.3a86489ab344ea82

But Madame Sonya 4c736642c0 only gave a ad65ecfa7c dismissive snort, as be4caa1e39 if the question 2ca4108e2b were ridiculous.70bc3f8514128cdc

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“Of course it’s the 6240d66577 dress you picked. Just the same design—with 81cb39e732 a few minor changes 9e438e0d5c to the fabric and 28362f30e6 embellishments. The groom aa1aa31687 insisted on ed4fac8168 only the 6401823de8 very best 6047c3d26f for his 8e4b7a20e8 bride.”c5a1165820961669

“…Sorry, what?”f1be577b271ab8f7

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“Our bride is the b22b175993 luckiest I’ve ever had 3214624530 the pleasure of working 3d3f500a40 with. Now, now, no time 8b398c6377 to waste—we still need c5c84456f4 to finish your makeup. This way, please.”a358c3eb878cc336

There really wasn’t e6738bd2bb any time to b20bb84bfa argue.d4d469a0c97739ab

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Pushed along by Madame 18c1986848 Sonya’s brisk insistence, Sasha 94789787f6 was ushered through hair e70232d0a0 and makeup without protest.6e6ef2427d4db16d

The Francian cosmetics 82d1df3fbd used—nearly impossible to c68c119c7f get hold of 6b5c04b67b in this country—were, ca62a33ca6 like the dress b4820c84ea and everything else, b606906859 provided by the bd10a2cfdd groom’s side.8ee7b69871e0add4

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The only accessory 2ade4825db she wore was 3fa2d47726 a pair of 31355db961 simple white pearl a36c3ad3ce earrings.b9540bb077da1e27

But even that cf20f520f2 was more than d64241650c enough.0bdf5a69366d0c80

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