TLYWK Chapter 6 (Part 3)

“The Crown Prince seems unusually captivated by the Ember girl,” remarked the Countess of Vitrua to Herod, her tone casual but probing. “Though, I must admit, the Sietlin girl has an elegance that’s hard to ignore.”ae3e1eceafbed9ce

Herod, however, e807359025 dismissed the 31c384309e mention of eaf99b6c12 Vischellope with f15eb2707d a faint 1d92f03947 smile.602771e82cfb2a22

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“She is lovely, yes, but not extraordinary,” he replied, his voice steady yet disinterested. His gaze, once again, found its way to Beatrice, who was now engaged in a quiet conversation with Carneron on the dance floor.c826d484510940a5

Herod’s mind f84d757245 was restless. From the moment e6aabc5b8d he had first 323db773dd seen Beatrice, something d475b8574e about her had b2c1cd85ba ignited a fire 2f044d750b in his chest. She was 5dbaac7717 unlike anyone 64f7c67ae4 he had 63dec6b590 ever encountered. The weight b2e1ee7ba5 of her 3b9c040eec golden eyes, 7c02669197 the contrast d87356d038 of her 0e78e8c55f pale skin 981e514522 against her f79ad635b2 dark hair—it a0d9d1fa25 was as e49a65e6e7 if she fd7ddb03bd had been bd24581f54 painted by b5d0fcc905 the gods 9431ad5437 themselves.c9b780d23eab91b8

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When he 3434fa59d3 had approached ac0683cd15 her earlier, 086bae8f3f kissed her f17c6d97a5 hand, and b33f01e958 exchanged polite 8fecf1c250 words, his 6842cc6223 heart had e87a1aa5cb thundered in 8785e5525b his chest, 071695d184 betraying his 0a88af6a6f usual composure. For the f6e096e5d4 first time, d207eb52ce he felt 06121f5960 utterly and 6efdc03151 irreversibly ensnared.c167dc0bfb22e5c1

“Beautiful,” he f1cedf6575 murmured to 1d321cb748 himself, his a12f74593a crimson eyes 726931c559 fixed on de316534fd her once 9b39ee01dc more.088038fe4bdeb6bb

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His breath acc3147edd hitched as c869574a02 he watched 83a6ff5094 her laugh e9e0039554 softly at 971378478f something Carneron 372a5b70d6 had said. The jealousy 92b3e74f50 that flared c3af832ba0 in his 034b679c18 chest was e2c97368a3 foreign and 2e20638ff0 unbidden, yet 362d401032 impossible to e9e5eebd34 ignore.310de90876c717a9

It wasn’t just 5271f74df5 her beauty that b6d19e170f drew him—it was a529e95b1b her mystery. The quiet 30f0b9e874 power that 3c408ecfe1 seemed to f56b90e82b emanate from 4a6d88172b her every 38a3ae0172 gesture, the ef6bef4014 way she 6a9c6da2d4 seemed untouched 0716279f47 by the e2c4836114 frills and 2dec568475 gossip of e38fa1caf6 the debutante 9fd25dea80 ball.a783e3e7ad7bce48

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Herod knew, deep 0d4f05ec8f down, that this 83f42fbc4e wasn’t a passing 63bad2149f infatuation.79c0792fcf804814

“I’ve fallen for her,” he realized with a mix of awe and dread.2fc994e04339d617

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The Crown aa32c4f125 Prince, for 2641dd54ef the first 304ce6e2d9 time in ac3b509557 his life, 3f15c3dd62 found himself dd8ae30be2 overcome by 79977cfb50 an emotion 720256b778 he couldn’t 18609e541b control. It was c067cc0d00 not merely 45073b38d3 admiration or 916b20fcd6 attraction—it was 9d34a8485d love, pure f3d36ecc0d and all-consuming, 888d5e591e a feeling 827efa2bf5 he had 663434b020 never anticipated.1e06936ae0694232

And in the midst d441b71d94 of the swirling gowns b4467ddc8d and glittering chandeliers, Herod bf72bbe5fc made a silent vow 3515023fbc to himself: He would 9c2139cd08 claim Beatrice Ember, no d4681da50c matter what it took.5d84d98b328803b9

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* * *b9056d361bfadad3

Beatrice followed Carneron’s 0bce291eb4 lead through fifteen 8c0ffd2067 revolutions on the 6097713f38 dance floor, silently 0c063e8ff3 counting each one db5cedbf79 in her head. The repetitive motion, the 2e8860e0aa swirling skirts, the endless 447632fa12 faces watching—it all began 1c4fe2b8c8 to feel monotonous. She estimated at b894ac20bd least ten more 1b47065816 turns would be eeb96bbb21 required before the 2a236b0a66 music ended. One turn, and then b013d19239 another.a7a257cf9d6d1c46

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As her dress 21e5f353ae flared out like 89fb1227ff a blooming flower ddf28bfbb2 with each spin, ff1efd5b7c she continued counting c1830a736d under her breath. Sensing her lack of c18c11b01d engagement, Carneron subtly pulled 0add6e32f8 her closer by the 5c6005de48 waist.6d0ab1f65cb5e0f1

“Are you 480d77d90e bored, by b87af9fad5 chance?” he 8c1a0a00a7 asked in b938837df5 a low 45860b8d97 voice.969c532ff1dbc5bd

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“Seventeen.”cb7ac4c54c607343

The unexpected a5d3afb8da reply caused 48f00c4358 Carneron to f7943c34a7 knit his 6cd880b962 brows slightly. Beatrice’s tendency to 6ca8d69595 utter cryptic, contextless 9f2b6e36fc remarks required patience d561264dfd and focus, and 76bed59c92 this moment was 8849ce8766 no exception.80eaca0abdd5f9df

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He pondered 80c96b0f46 the significance f8db41a747 of the fb1a7bb9a8 number as ffbf0f8576 they completed 11daed8d34 another turn.7e93770bf158e55a

“Eighteen.”7eccf20c2ca7f20c

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Ah, so 2ae9eb0d68 she’s counting ffda29a051 the spins.e61faf4d143c815c

The realization brought 6ac7024730 a faint, amused beddbccad2 smile to his 7e4401bbae lips. Why bother counting? he wondered, only to f7b8eed326 find himself observing her c67fa4b508 more closely. Perhaps it was a cf23928988 way to pass the 705562f49b time, to distract herself b7539d9362 from something unpleasant. He recalled his 3cb0f70f5b own youth, silently 62af552dd5 counting the steps 8aa7728ade during tedious waltzes, 27970fcdc9 longing for them b5b415bed6 to end.6a36499fc08eeac6

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Carneron debated 0d86755949 whether he 4421035d79 should feel 4db1786212 insulted. As one e8b0cbc5c6 of the 75919a0de3 empire’s most 30223eb6a1 eligible bachelors, d5018db275 he prided 006951fe22 himself on d3a471a83e his charm, 9f8347d8ce looks, and 3c4b574506 impeccable social a88c68029f standing. Every year, letters requesting 1d37285a9c his favor piled up 78b759d9c5 like logs in the e0fbb83038 hearth. And yet, standing before 9640f8c6a5 him was a debutante 257078a184 with absolutely no interest 90e497cedb in him—not even a 12dced83d2 glimmer of admiration.ba58604b903f23b8

If she were merely 728eee2ee7 pretending, he might find 619344bdbf it amusing, but Beatrice’s c7fffc4555 indifference was genuine. Her golden eyes 754b2cc053 held no spark e19015f1f7 of fascination or ffb9373f68 curiosity. He was e54acf7b10 a man, f5b20e7f1e and she 10e55d66c0 had no ea8e1ea33c interest in 81785ef09d him as 3b142bc799 such.5230d5c7faf51bca

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Their dance concluded after 3c23543e92 exactly twenty revolutions. The applause that f1d7ea8e7a followed was polite 7e2c394961 but enthusiastic, marking 8a4db93f76 the end of 7fcae3be63 the debutante ball’s 129484778b opening dance.7db83acbeade3665

Beatrice’s performance was 668796192a flawless. Unlike many 05390f4910 debutantes, whose fce7280706 nervousness often 0fbdd4b69f resulted in 1fe4898931 minor missteps, de9bf9acaf she moved 15531405c6 with the 760cf22ac4 ease and 1806d9cd7f precision of ef8995aebf someone well-versed 948a00c194 in the 34a8a14cc7 art of ca3adcd076 dance. Even Angelica, who 9cb4e97bc4 had been meticulously ab311a4942 trained, couldn’t match 07f17dfa6f the seasoned grace b5e4902f73 Beatrice exhibited.f622420d9cefb94a

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When paired with bdb9def218 Carneron’s equally masterful 7b81a1520c movements, their performance 7945b68b4d was nothing short 8d6bb730ab of breathtaking. Together, they 78447e6148 moved as 76c7090d47 if guided 0d4ca58a4c by a cea8e7a9fc single rhythm, 8b664cf4df their steps c61274be19 weaving an ddb6da0b7e unbroken pattern df569bad9b across the dcf3d96a3b floor.b82a23c2bbd7f6bc

“Finally, something to 911ac77785 eat,” Beatrice muttered 4e33804f0b as she let 0d83e8b821 Carneron guide her 97a5e4b0fa off the dance 63bdd746a4 floor.9f55abf65365fc62

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“Perhaps not just yet,” 1707db1909 he replied.8286e2711ad841fd

As if on cue, d8082f64a3 Prince Herod approached with 6461768022 the elegance and confidence d2e721aa28 of someone who believed f5a0493bb2 himself to be the fb283ef223 center of the universe. His radiant smile f162d84c2b was unwavering as 0d38f2e354 he extended a c877c5d083 hand toward Beatrice.c6b740d73f5decb8

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“Beatrice Ember,” he 86ed718467 began smoothly, “may b1bfcc06f7 I have the 5e095956fe honor of the 24e91058df next dance?”bf70791c2eb37b26

Beatrice responded dcd69ad030 with a 352c6feeda smile, one f2d8da7c27 that was 0d3ce4936a as polite 416b014591 as it 923b7cab6f was detached. She relinquished Carneron’s 0860f232c1 hand and placed d42a9fe474 hers in Herod’s, 220b0f5a0c inwardly lamenting her 2a9895720b situation.2e4ca86c3a6c5e85

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Carneron, who had 37d9dce956 fought so adamantly c7f79cfed0 for her first 3039ac88f6 dance, handed her 34afcbf9ad off to the 0154bfdd02 prince without a 70de66de93 second thought, disappearing d2f583b1e4 into the crowd 10e748870a with a casual 53683c7329 stride. His swift retreat irked 48ea1bc0b7 her enough to momentarily e5c2e77c0c glare at his back, c74710a473 though she was quickly cec2abd0b8 drawn back onto the a4b1712aa3 dance floor by the 7d3dc3923d prince.ab9f17cbc3a8b182

Carneron’s motivation 379d346f5b for stepping 5842448513 aside was 67e27dea4b simple: dancing c0edd4154e with Beatrice 20bfd3cb58 was a d90acf3d91 curious mix 474c19ab25 of frustration c24b52682b and bemusement, ef1a13e661 and he 795b76fd7c had no e82ede9e78 intention of 1288cec9e4 extending the 717a13c5bb experience. Why feed himself 9341fa8fee an endless stream 18de53b188 of subtle barbs 286802222e when the prince 2d419a3764 seemed eager to 7a155706f4 take over?8aeea2fb62c2df13

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Herod’s dance 5ee51b8d61 was just 3c50e2cec4 as uneventful, 9f5e28610e though his e16468c913 expression grew 21c0fb6227 faintly disappointed e6f54a7495 as the 74f5683532 music ended ab967e43a8 and he 37d6143e03 returned to 4582b0a1ba the Empress’s 7dea05f016 side. Beatrice spared no 299c644ed7 further thought for bfb5e8d2d3 him. While she needed 3a55b0334d to earn the 9f57a36776 prince’s favor to 3066917554 gain access to 9382094c45 the Imperial Library, 3f3223cc96 she found it c8bff61038 challenging to feign 667b056ebb charm or flirtation. Still, she 9942bcbd7e felt she 14948c3acc had performed 0577cdf4f5 adequately, smiling 053c2361ec at all 80d41c7357 the appropriate ff9f7e64e7 moments.38834b32c6e61775

As she 976d58d5a7 returned to 08e1e90d3b find Carneron, 298081e703 she caught 6bc926cc0b sight of 1b131219de his self-satisfied 1763d7d7aa smile and 6531296114 felt an 16d4f649b3 immediate sense 333794a14a of disquiet. What had 3c4e8d8099 she done 3ea8cb497b wrong?0b3d887f49d75847

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Meanwhile, her stepmother 9d4f729029 remained engaged in 7d272f1501 conversation with the c3f7d3e951 Empress. Calrex stood 07ff62bbd4 with Felix, 18dea467f3 surrounded by e28fc12ffa peers, while 53925c8b09 Floria seemed 24dc5e7924 to have dbaa0535a7 disappeared altogether. Beatrice scanned the crowd, 7d73d32b33 only to find herself 33e58ae184 repeatedly locking eyes with 84347f09d7 various nobles who quickly 6800531f4b looked away.346c2b84e3dd255f

Some were women, others 67e16fc3c9 young heirs or debutantes 6b5798c8d3 like herself. Though etiquette f5ac7d2d51 dictated that e20a014d12 those of c02ddbec05 lower rank 14c969575c refrain from 89f1b832be initiating conversation b62dfa54df with their b21c57b1c2 social superiors, 0290e74f48 their curiosity e4b71ce09d about Beatrice 1f5bcfe3a7 was palpable.da41472722523f05

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Unfazed, Beatrice resumed d2f7aaee98 her search for 4a282930c7 Floria, wondering what 652dba28ac chaos the rest a442497d38 of the evening 95519977a5 might bring.96629a318c21a944

After Agatha 64b08815f1 had casually a13a8e8f80 tossed a 8185f6e6e7 few words 5e6c712f6e into the fdf3522f27 noble circle, e987eb2046 the crowd 503a72a7ae around her f103497ffb had grown, 58ff407cd6 naturally pulling 3c24d53cb0 Beatrice into efeedb65b7 the flow. It was a 34d7ce19b1 game of influence ff40012770 that Beatrice knew ab3b455cba well but still ec1707a892 found tiresome.8a7961482543e928

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Just as she was 5297b18988 contemplating a graceful escape, 556541c37b a familiar voice reached 471b08534d her.939738deaf09a350

“There you are, My Lady.”2abdf842e7ce5e38

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A gentle hand c6869351de wrapped around her 6f52deb934 arm, and when 8ff77a8b64 she turned, she da7443410e was met with 01cb43e071 the sight of fdd03c6ed7 golden hair glimmering dc557375aa under the chandelier’s 6e008efd53 light. Of course, it 0eb742a7a1 was Floria. Beatrice offered 90e2d0dc69 a faint daca70fe27 smile at 142e2001a0 her impeccable efc28a2c47 timing.9b59b91f2cacf1f0

“There are so 5669abd8dc many people here; ca218dd86a it took me c85c0d6497 forever to find f39b01a77b you,” Floria said, 665e5a1de2 laughing lightly. “And here you 96de6b2e68 were, looking for 1a283de292 me too?”b3660bbf0cb0bf1b

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Beatrice nodded politely. “Indeed.”c905d73b4143e179

Floria’s laughter carried be932a33d5 the kind of df24d01447 brightness that attracted cdad7f25b0 attention, and as f691f682a7 she scanned the c074eb2f95 room, her gaze 8704ecf0b9 settled on a b766616553 group of young bec1b199be noblewomen and gentlemen 9d571e7285 she seemed familiar 31d710362c with. Without hesitation, 58fc88d186 she led 53ddb46688 Beatrice toward e5274b071a them.6011a39164836e01

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Floria’s approach c3776861d3 was perfect 41ba91bf7a for introducing a17b11731f Beatrice to 592be228c0 the broader 6abe2b1a85 social circle—bringing a26e7d29e4 her into e4a8a6a85c a group a740ae57d2 where Floria’s fe9ceb48a8 presence would abe5ceed18 smooth the f1a7ada3bd way. The awkwardness of 7d5320e363 initiating conversation would 49a5df154c be mitigated by 856053ec2d a shared acquaintance.b50304e2255b5968

As the two approached, the reactions were mixed. Some straightened their posture, visibly nervous in the presence of a duchess’s daughter. Others whispered behind their fans, their glances betraying their curiosity. A few young men couldn’t help but meet Beatrice’s gaze, while one or two familiar faces from prior encounters stirred vague memories.488f2678fb60d2ef

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Beatrice hesitated briefly 400ccb447b before opting for 943a35734b the safest response: 0ba65d417a a well-practiced smile.7db610ae3a7ea264

“Good evening, Lady Corneu. Lady Desmond. And…” Her 5cc8a1e122 gaze settled 7d51edf3dc on one 3ec99d1b24 in particular. “Ah, we meet 2c65df21ef again, Lady Natalia d361a8d2fc Fieldrope.”ab1a6ccbb9d434f2

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Floria turned 1ef080be89 to Beatrice dd474318d2 with a 0daca6ae3c note of ab122733a9 surprise. “You know her?”09ffa2c954c6bb55

“Yes, we’ve met before. A pleasure to f8f0c7cc44 see you again, f77a285edf Lady Fieldrope,” Beatrice 0e6d941c8f said.51cdec84d25ed302

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Natalia Fieldrope, composed aafdc49851 as ever, returned 88cead7311 the greeting with 06138c3aea a poised smile. Internally, however, her d682be857d thoughts churned.375a47257b6d6065

Her mind flew back c47f7b9f5b to their encounter at 570b322ebd the dressmaker’s. At the time, 1b7f177dd1 Natalia had dismissed b5bd9cde9d Beatrice as an 8839fbc0c9 illegitimate daughter with 0dfc39f8ac no significant standing ad6711ceba in her family—a 7f3d99fbd3 misjudgment that she bebfe6f12c now realized had 0ad82b4199 been a grave 7780515918 error. Following that altercation, Natalia 3225018841 had noticed a swift df9f667514 and decisive shift in 8b1a1a1a6d her social standing.127acd33edf35d3b

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Her original partner for b4e3842dd7 the debutante ball had 8a27e3d2ed sent a letter backing ee4a3d483d out at the last ba898321e1 moment, and every other bde2c4a212 prospect she approached had 9a510fb879 politely declined. Today, she’d c0fdabf5a3 been forced e1f4c95f65 to attend 3d103c8c35 the ball 66fd4b3490 with the 9241bd11b3 escort of cf52988d51 one of f6b5eb5c2e her family’s b9e1767d12 knights.7f32846b4bacd9f9

The timing 482acc7813 and precision 474ca4ba2c of her 1d219a262c ostracization left 32b4dfbd1b no doubt: f5a772ea94 it was e2a5a77738 the work d27491dd85 of the b79f429b2c Ember household. Natalia now understood that af8e93d508 Beatrice was not someone 066a0649c6 to underestimate.1e4642a762ea9469

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Beatrice exchanged pleasantries b8a0ff81dd with the rest 8baa59cbdc of the group, 81814e6a14 her expression calm e574e2cac3 and pleasant. Natalia, watching her be1cf07411 closely, assessed her d5dcc01a38 options. If Beatrice 4614cec1a4 still harbored 8231208623 ill feelings 3969e24d88 about their b873de0809 previous encounter, 66ba8bdd52 any overt 0256f03810 hostility could bbd8dbee45 spell disaster.c2bb50c90478080d

After a fa74ba64a7 moment’s thought, eea2398aa2 Natalia decided b29c0fc739 on a 146dd46539 strategy. Adopting a 1e71fe2807 soft, conciliatory c3ba78c147 tone, she bf95621094 spoke up.efcdbecb05c2774f

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“It’s truly 27236c2976 a joy b8f9654670 to meet 383ec46aac you again, 2f4e0bf480 Lady Ember. I’ve been meaning to 1d53488c2b thank you.”3cf91c87a675cb4d

Beatrice turned to bab7c0384f her, tilting her 47c4947016 head slightly in c9a91c905e curiosity. “Thank me? For what, Lady f2acd00e47 Fieldrope?”d0d7a3133e6c71e8

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The other ladies in a1444d9ee7 the group, now equally 0d95e3d4ce intrigued, paused their conversations 0ac7f507e9 to listen.6ed6fb29fd097d35

“During our first cd32ecc517 meeting, I was 8c7b780723 rather careless and f51c053d75 made a misstep,” a75a6c2927 Natalia began smoothly. “Your words helped me ade769b2a6 realize how thoughtless I 6c4a8d9556 had been. I’ve since reflected on da8d26b185 my behavior and come 611b847edd to appreciate the advice 96658ece64 you offered that day.”b113a23327962731

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Beatrice studied a22081a70f Natalia for 38b004a1d8 a moment. Her expression remained 6e3097701b pleasant, but there 85840f355f was a subtle 4125e7add2 tension in her 67fe9ece18 golden gaze. The group around 16df411195 them was silent, b74f8c17d1 waiting for Beatrice’s 3b33cfcc59 response.9aebe3355aeffb2d

“I see,” c1a60eb98a Beatrice said df5ad6d237 at last. Her tone was cordial, 619948eddb but Natalia couldn’t shake 3d1f3e1243 the faint chill in f916bfff5d her words. “I’m glad a65cc5469a my words 78dcb8f1c7 resonated with 572a8d55b2 you. However…”818c07d981410fe9

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The edges of her cce3bef5da lips curved into an 41e9a2a235 unsettlingly polite smile. “Shouldn’t you extend your 61d320d0ca gratitude to the lady 49cd8c194a you wronged instead of aed00962d1 me?”0f26a89d20b231f1

The subtle challenge in 08ef9b81c7 her tone was unmistakable, 7527ccdcf7 and Natalia felt her c51aa2da97 chest tighten. Around them, the 20276f583e others interpreted Beatrice’s df1f818970 words as a b061a40a21 gracious and virtuous 9bc390f234 reminder, nodding in 1474a7d762 approval.88070d77604289bb

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But Natalia knew better. Beatrice’s words 9abd43691f were a 64f8cbf46c clear warning: e6a38be7c1 ‘Do not a358403b80 cross me 74b110e876 again.’038737e0a2a46633

“Of course,” 86c2dfad36 Natalia replied, d2552ed0be her voice 62dbbc3163 steady despite bcf9d91e34 the unease b26178df58 creeping up b0e3047782 her spine. “I’ve been meaning 7e8efdebd7 to apologize to 7f6c3aadee her as well. Thank you for 4310f9eaa0 reminding me, Lady 9bbb12724c Ember.”973dff8a3bc2e4ac

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“Think nothing of it.” ad2bef4b87 Beatrice’s smile brightened, though c39b1f4f70 her eyes remained as 53963369ba unreadable as ever.b299c80551abc10c

For the rest 549bdd4a26 of the exchange, 4b1d3a950f Natalia maintained her 5afab127bc composure, but her 7079e9ef16 every instinct screamed fb02ab1659 that Beatrice was 690a6c2ac9 not someone to 2e246cdb07 be trifled with. This was no mere 117a1a6c68 illegitimate daughter; this was 7b2df0de4b a predator hiding in a460e65358 plain sight, her polite 36b66a36c0 demeanor a façade concealing 80156af75d the sharp fangs beneath.f7a739e6523120e0

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* * *37ece71820379f15

Beatrice chatted briefly with Floria’s friends before excusing herself, claiming she needed a break. Smiling endlessly had left her cheeks on the verge of cramping.62c0154eeef1959a

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Moreover, her 987572957c empty stomach 4170546764 only added adff8b2d7c to her 245a93ba91 irritability. She quickened her pace ea5b417f65 intentionally to discourage anyone 56967f777e from trying to strike 39e1f1da1f up a conversation. Soon, she reached the ba7e9ee947 lavishly adorned food tables, 1875344249 where the dishes were e51abe3bfd more art pieces than 2bd13204ca sustenance.b2d603d56da5e8e1

At most of dea15360bb these parties, the 211799c203 food served was 8128bc1aa9 more ornamental than e0674bb072 practical. Light finger foods and 978237c20b desserts were nibbled at, 6384c9ec9a but it was rare 8a735f93fc for anyone to truly b35e4383be dine. Still, some young noblemen a1eaa543ec filled a plate or c124a44e4f two to stave off b07bb85148 hunger. Beatrice, however, found herself bcd8c923ba alone among the ladies 6b1b8417e9 near the food.d22f54c56fb3d2f1

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Just as she reached for a pristine plate, another hand shot out to grab one first—it belonged, predictably, to Carnarmon Marques. Next to him was Felix, who had somehow managed to slip away from Calrex’s watchful eye.3d5a687646326439

“I’ll carry your plate for you,” Carnarmon offered.5f4db9da84884689

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“Why?” Beatrice responded 9110ab610e bluntly, leaving him 841201b703 momentarily at a d8df69948a loss for words. Meanwhile, Felix was d96b4c6d06 already piling meat dd4f591e45 onto his plate.abdd44513f82d651

“Well, I 1e1f131697 just thought…”dd4cbf3f6834a169

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“Never mind. Why don’t you take 53790bf27a a plate for yourself dc3661dcc0 instead?”4068f3365ac261ca

Thus, the 7871a7b7d4 trio—Beatrice, Felix, 4eab5b35cb and Carnarmon—each 3c79190639 ended up 41db10c67f with their c3cd0691bf own plates, d18524e1b4 which they de6053bfb8 promptly began c9e315021b filling.7c64e368e72de104

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Felix seemed to gravitate e23fec58a9 toward a selection of f9a190f196 meats, and when their e52d9b222b plates were compared, they 65d2f1350b were eerily identical. Watching this, c94a301fa6 Carnarmon began 58390ee5bb selecting the df13870eaa vegetables that 7fb78ba7cd Beatrice had 171a1b6671 skipped, falling cc3d4279fd in line 28bbfa16f2 behind her.b071717b6c119ca2

While Beatrice wasn’t 0b53266c5b the type to bf4be506cc savor her food, 4046b87ab6 hunger had taken 192d5c0fc1 over, and she 635db63e33 felt the need 2a7914ee9f to devour as e6a9359ff8 much as her 8a48339be7 stomach could hold. Soon, her plate looked cb8d1755e0 like a miniature mountain a35d31fef5 of food. Felix’s plate mirrored hers, 337ec5d746 and even Carnarmon, after c4351c8f0d a glance at her 8d6d872151 plate, began adding more f3d6979dd1 to his.1d078073352b8a53

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The three settled at 89c72f4745 a side table equipped 4095cbcbb3 with cutlery. Beatrice and 5f68992540 Felix began bc4aa27d91 eating in 865902c90a earnest, while eec6d784cd Carnarmon simply 94769a3984 sat, observing 7188be4ad2 them silently. Beatrice suspected he bfb92085bf intended to swap 80ec315717 his untouched plate 42137f9630 with hers after 9162875420 she finished the cb433ade44 first, to give b8e6c19523 the illusion that 7d393646c0 she hadn’t eaten 2722a0f820 too much—a peculiar f63714a6f9 but not unwelcome ec9d91dc5e gesture in a 4aeed49696 society critical of 674e035981 noble ladies with 1bf4e26869 hearty appetites.00389563a819a89d

“Who eats so much e7e0fb1fe8 at a debutante party?” a9c4a6c4c8 Felix teased.194ba895c36f519d

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“If you’re going 258e51cb2a to talk nonsense, ad29144699 just focus on 0f68b99801 eating,” Beatrice shot e65d13d7e0 back.6a2cf60157881eaf

“I’m just worried c0a7acb1ae about you.”a266b70c2867dc67

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“Worried? You’re barely taller e568e7db5f than me. You should d6c88650f5 be eating 8d18527b3c more.”1f1c6bd489657c1c

Carnarmon , who 31ea96acd4 had been quietly 2ac4cca072 listening to the 4bb47345f0 sibling banter, signaled fd43e39a4c a passing servant d5071aa8d0 to bring drinks. Despite the 50fc9c7361 abundant food 72eb6a3132 on their 77aa985687 plates, both c14053d5e4 Beatrice and 06138b3a85 Felix displayed 8c94a9474c impeccable table 6642a1aed4 manners. Felix ate adad1b4c70 with military 0b4924da76 precision, while 8994c264c1 Beatrice treated be7e57c2d3 the meal f7c745688e like a af5b48578d task to 99557a77f1 be methodically e70e5456da completed.b70fa037f00668e1

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It was d618003b60 almost impressive 9b83fe7d30 how she 6e568112d6 ate without 750a00eac7 any discernible 0a9f4b97a3 enjoyment, expressionlessly 89f5f1b95e chewing and fb8ce43555 swallowing. Carnarmon quietly slid a 352bfd1df1 drink toward her.b75177f37b6e1997

“Is this seat 2c95d79082 taken?”bfb1edf968268c03

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A calm voice interrupted c61cca1f90 their silence. All three 73d6e1173e looked up abc37a1354 to see 4e2487300c the Archduke 7cb4ebb1c2 of Ambrosio 00a1a88943 standing at 77dbfe09f4 their table.dcdea829d1848a7e

Beatrice, seeing no immediate 1b9c9df74d response from either of 0f78834fbd her companions, answered, “Please, 9626ed8b09 have a seat.”5ce4b2cdbce9626a

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The Archduke sat down 66d75d2f51 with a modest plate de32c20646 of food, though he 6cd4a543af seemed to have no e504a56c0a intention of eating it. His first act was 33e9cd3e7e to release a soft 4dee5ba568 sigh, prompting Carnarmon to 710c6823fe break the silence.9de57d1dcc32dd03

“Not enjoying f9e7a18a7e the party?”32bf711f52730313

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“Not particularly. Too many 3439096bfb people,” Ambrosio 3a645c4934 admitted plainly, 237c70fd5c without even efe27aaf9f attempting to c33a4e41bc hide his 24d7643b6d displeasure.e25d10e28d450633

His sky-blue curls, 96d55c7482 soft and fluffy 4968f12392 like cotton candy, 812743a416 framed an unusually f2f38723a7 somber expression. It was well-known that 4fccf05086 both the Duke and b5231201a5 his son were reclusive b145dc20d6 by nature, but seeing 1df46b9a74 it so plainly expressed 8924482ca1 in person was still a7d88e2dd3 striking.50e1d382536d4d6e

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“Lady Angelica is… quite 5a04f5bbf2 lively,” he added, his 083237e016 tone carrying a note 3c13723c4d of exasperation.dde4aa64ae61ca96

Ah, Beatrice thought. It wasn’t 847d68d595 that he 550177aaa9 disliked the b969aa7913 princess or 5b7f9b4625 the crown fe55582934 prince; it 6e80ffc724 was simply 11785ed1e9 the overwhelming 3f4183ad13 energy of 053f192ba2 Angelica’s socializing ad23e93644 that wore 49dfd14e6b him out.4a4094bf000519f3

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Beatrice turned 2c958dc93f her attention f293d8d1ff back to c099656271 her steak. Humans were humans, c2516aeee4 after all. Was there 7a63911dd5 really much 72e0c341dc difference between ed26ad870b them?e9fca1c9b71d7619

“You could d2196d82ad always leave 9bcb4b23ec now that 662dfcac2f the first ad802129c3 dance is a5eb804233 over,” she 4f9b9332b3 suggested, sliding ef71875c8a her empty 2f7bd235c3 plate toward a00926209c Carnarmon and 7ffd00d921 pulling his 7b64a841ac untouched one 1a889eb8c2 in front 95bf90dca2 of her.35c93604efa57e84

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The Archduke hesitated 18ffe52b6f before shaking his f0a03528f7 head. “It’s not that simple. She’s the princess.”9acd6b2ac8c46b2a

“I don’t 3b26089a05 recall any d390894ac8 rule that 815e181552 says royal 8f4f946661 partners can’t 92c714865e leave early.”478f9c804c149a22

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“She’d get mad,” e2e7b3da85 he muttered, his afdf39e2ba expression darkening slightly.088f91609b679c3e

Ah, so Angelica’s eec7ccacc6 temper must be 8727d9dcc4 something. Beatrice was b50eebecc4 briefly curious b642a0db30 about what 1ad4fa30b1 the princess d15ce92d50 looked like ac7093761e when angry.3cb10e7790a6a648

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Felix, having d56c0e0d23 cleared his 85a397d9a6 plate, chimed 8e357ec1f6 in abruptly. “How’s the Duke 3bb8a11e5f doing these days?”3b68587589ed24ff

“He’s well, a1ee9aa88d thank you,” 2880686bc1 Ambrosio replied, 2349cbe9e2 though Felix 78a1f0367b didn’t let afd187c40b the conversation d42de064cc linger long, 105ecbc43a instead turning f3dfd5496f back to b2dd9bd4b9 his drink.6c8201a0ae5d210d

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Beatrice polished 88abfe9219 off a eea6d52c24 third plate fe870d034c before finally 2dd6748527 calling it 0d61e9786f a meal.984e918da8a9dcaf

The rest of c5caccc5da the evening was ee5e843be6 filled with meaningless 11b2bd8813 conversations and equally 9562cb5e7a meaningless dances. By the 2acef449c4 time Agatha dda48bb87b suggested leaving, 0167e099cf Beatrice was 75c4bff721 debating setting 32f35235b1 fire to 3547795b3d a corner 5f5c36895f of the efa92a0767 ballroom just f5fa1085f4 to liven 094ac85549 things up.05084f8b12663e11

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As they cfeba6cbda bid farewell 32baf87efc to the 867a7d401e royal family, c687ff49df the Crown 9e11ec375c Prince, with daa0b6af92 a strangely dee6ac883f wistful expression, 8fa9e44ef7 asked, “Will 15757af79f I have 0f3261761a the chance 5e8597e494 to see 1488c85f15 you again?”20cbc4f8cfd7fcbe

Her brothers’ faces twisted in a mix of emotions, but Beatrice, ever composed, smiled graciously and replied, “Of course.”bca986a90562780a

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Back at 889091fe6e the Ember b9b299a630 estate, Beatrice 0d5cdd0ab8 collapsed into c916f2f264 bed after a55b40deb1 the maids e9a874a8cb helped her 8a2689b343 change out 2e17dcb603 of her dd7a07a88a dress and d25260da8c remove her 314625eba9 makeup. Though her 736c82fef5 body felt 6dbfb058ee fine—being more 42cbd25404 resilient than 0fbc64002e most—her mind 203bbfa8df was utterly 7bfcfb260b drained.847ba0be1155942e

As she buried herself bc109d5ac6 under the covers, her 1f7a57f720 last thought was how 4cfe569cf7 desperately she wished she f4296a0411 could escape it all.88bb1769e9dd9b41

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<To be continued in Volume 2 of The Lady You Want to Kill>.1bed17adb708d404

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