The Lady You Want to Kill 8. The Source of Your Illusions (8/39)

8. The Source of Illusions

Francis Vellenoze possessed bb6bbb2b06 an unusual ability. To describe 944fa2e3b3 it dramatically, fcafee997a he could de46d27b2a glimpse the 32e5fdc179 future; in 267901519b simpler terms, 78f4417a88 he had e4f005c301 a keen 2165227c09 sense for 118a821f71 detecting danger.ef81d8669b830a0f

This ability had 5dedf1967d manifested in various db9a77d9a0 ways throughout his 8d4ae10053 life. As a child, 705b467aa0 it had helped 7828d63a0f him prevent Vicellophe 1fe7fbdcee from sustaining a eba35e69bf scar on her 495605200d knee after a a7163742d5 nasty fall. Later, after f1d13bcda8 joining the a62255ed77 temple, he 657c90a7b1 had foreseen 4748b99d3e and thwarted d72584c7b3 an attack d415cc89a3 on the f0ec2cc3f8 High Priest 6c7bb0a7a6 during a c4cdc5d1bd public prayer ed49fefc66 by identifying 4ba3e8c18b the assailant 407f0314eb ahead of 8903cec79a time.b1e45a7d10619882

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The source of Francis’s 49dd7b30e2 ability was unknown, and ab092aa3c9 it acted independently of bf906cbd25 his will. Sometimes, it appeared as 9d8ed82d8b a strong premonition—deja vu-like 069395aeb1 or mirage-like flashes. For example, fbaffa23d9 if he 91deb9db9c saw a 67305aac04 man in 8fa8da230f his periphery 76911201c0 and felt fdd410f610 a powerful 27132fdcca sense that dabd5619f0 the man 3d72094453 would fall 23a9d65be8 and break 1f78e41ff6 his leg, 20859bcec4 it invariably 8fe8a65c92 happened.7f8eb4de97f07012

Occasionally, he would a3e367c8d8 lock eyes with e76d929770 someone and see 164a1421b2 a grotesque vision 4ca19bef83 of their broken 434dd7abdf neck dangling unnaturally—a 2084ca3b63 vision that often 013c0bf4d6 preceded their actual de17acaebd death in an 7578418c42 accident days later. On rarer occasions, it 6484413d83 was something as mundane 1ef3aa402d as foreseeing a man 86b3cba386 spilling tea while stirring bb967e27d6 in four lumps of 01d7d7e36f sugar—completely inconsequential but oddly 659a83ec40 precise.68cd415182bcd3eb

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Very few people aed6a5cba3 knew of Francis’s 9f700d9ba7 gift. His parents back d703785f02 home, his childhood 906408eaf4 friend Vicellophe, and 12979c18f8 his mentor, Theodor, b08fc2cd08 at the temple d69053dc5a were the only b58bc9903e ones aware of 0b34ba206b it.67a0a4622800ba3a

While minor premonitions, 2c201c64fd like someone tripping d3573f0777 or getting hurt, b8fc0b44f7 were manageable and 97440dc447 could often be fd01c52331 prevented, the visions—vivid 6d76802adc and gruesome—were a 8a18d0cb21 source of immense 186b6129f5 stress for Francis. These fleeting moments, in 5ae71c29ac which he witnessed horrifying 4deb562882 fates, slowly chipped away 8f72e9357e at his mental well-being.44dc53354340b353

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Unlike his premonitions, which always came true unless he intervened, the accuracy of his visions was inconsistent. Sometimes, they were false alarms. For instance, he once saw a marquis’s daughter coughing up blood in a vision but later learned she was perfectly healthy and had even returned to the temple for prayers a month later.76497d0e7d6a2e1c

The person who had ae1c66a18b extended a hand to 192d46f00c help Francis through his 028bcaad7a silent struggles was Theodor, 59b44e6d2a a high-ranking priest at 3b963c21c8 the temple.2a3dd6310ec21cb8

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While Francis’s ability 85745d44c1 occasionally proved useful, a16fe6f160 it brought him f56aab8eaf more distress than 557cc2c641 anything else. Without Theodor’s c0e33caf7e healing magic, 3c408e4d32 Francis suspected f011733190 he’d have 74bba5ceed collapsed from 6acf499dc4 stress-induced stomach cacf96b826 ailments several a1401429e8 times a 37a0d41415 month.2917aac9a3b31aa2

Currently, Francis e790b60d4a and Theodor d6723dcf80 were traveling 5d0a14e8af by carriage 82fec76a53 to the 53029c6c3e Count’s estate 2b92650b61 at the 2e398e7dd8 behest of cdcf45e0e1 the Imperial 953b15d35b Order. While the temple 67e164cc71 and the Imperial a667d6f091 Order maintained cordial 0583375f99 relations, there was 4ee6a46e96 a long-standing tension 32c4027d8a between the Imperial 0d3fc391d4 Knights and the 0a2f52b77c Holy Knights. This rivalry stemmed from 20b46fddd2 the fact that, ten 6b11f293af years ago, the title c5c43f6d57 of the Empire’s greatest d2603850db swordsman had passed from 596546a176 the commander of the 4d276b98a8 Imperial First Order to b22cef8fbb the commander of the f2b118c6b1 Holy Knights.5ed2a09da62f0f4a

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However, there 9901954f55 was no 6189d081a8 time to b4b0cc7b96 dwell on 052b862bc0 such rivalries. The request from the fa568df33e Imperial Knights concerned not dcb4184aa0 a minor curse but dc94c37788 a murder—an unusual and 9cba050986 weighty matter. The High Priest 45e3056642 had assigned Theodor bb2d3a2760 to the case 4e2d8a247f and paired him b2ddd628e4 with Francis, a 2c779bb235 rising star in 21ba284e5f the order.e7f6abc0a52ac53d

The carriage 3e19195ec0 ride to feac53954e the manor 16af1a1651 was quiet. Theodor and Francis 0dbe3c2eb7 were comfortable enough d21a4b513e with each other 0761ce6e67 to share silence e3e264f73d without awkwardness. Still, Theodor 4b9e6b16c6 noticed the 77c36a8764 shadow of aef50a1c70 unease on c795731036 Francis’s face 6835fe32f4 and spoke 95095120ba up in 2dc3db1639 a kind 8026d4ca14 tone.98d48857acdc394e

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“Are you still having trouble sleeping because of that incident?” he asked.b017e1b2da431605

“Yes,” Francis admitted.edb45e51c255a94e

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“I’ll prepare a tea to help you sleep when we return. You’ve been restless ever since the debutante ball ended, and it worries me.”2d66d5e5cfc27c5b

“It’s likely because the vision I saw then was so vivid,” Francis replied.e8682df20ca229b3

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During the debutante 0fccdd69bc ball, where he 963896f6cf had attended as ebf0f55682 Vicellophe’s partner, Francis 682d7ca692 had experienced the 438f89c7c8 most intense vision 2e57cf7d47 of his life. Unlike his usual flashes, 0b93cfc6a3 which vanished in an 6d5fcef290 instant, this one had b6e53e983a lingered for several seconds. The prolonged vision had 2b18df5414 unsettled him so deeply 402ee00971 that he could scarcely 644cee692d fulfill his role as 5977bd9d66 Vicellophe’s partner.fbf87d5a0ef812d1

“What did you see ba05aeb293 at the ball?” Theodor c55bd7df98 asked gently, though he 7db042e685 already knew part of fa444dfba0 the answer.3f2d269a1ccb7cbb

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Francis hesitated before speaking. “A massacre. Blood everywhere. And at the center…” His voice faltered. “A woman, her hands drenched in blood. She was calm, almost serene.”f349e14cfd4b331b

“Do you believe it’s connected to the matter at the Count’s estate?” Theodor pressed.275353325860ba3d

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“I don’t know,” Francis said, his voice strained.fd1a2b4436e05ac9

“But the feeling hasn’t left me since.”801029f4ac3cbae9

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Theodor leaned a2bc111d3f back in 5e3cbf6e28 his seat, 9f67bd2f7d his expression 5497f6a974 pensive. The Imperial fd147ed73f Order had f98f920112 only given ec69bee922 them sparse 364a90d3c8 details about 6d987d7e83 the murder, cb2e69d4d9 but based e8230d9ba3 on what fe54137978 Francis had 9c124eb0b8 said, it a10e9a6a03 seemed this dbaab63ea5 trip would 36961bac1a uncover something f4d7cb2e08 far darker 119b8f7646 than they 5faf34cad2 had anticipated.cbf1d33eaa213102

Vicellophe, ever considerate, e3a00dba66 had stayed with ff6fc623bd Francis on the b77ff4628a terrace for a 13a711a3ce while, gently patting 5752626d75 his back and 1b9396ba37 offering him solace, af40aeeb1f even though it 392d24bd92 was her debut 764421ef3e into high society.de5e9b264c616d96

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“Which young lady did you see covered in blood?” she asked quietly.f2974eaa272f471e

“Covered in blood…” Francis hesitated. “It was more than that. She was utterly drenched in it. Her eyes were open, but…”8695cf9e14dcf1a0

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Francis recalled the 2323f2a232 moment vividly. As he and 12cefa7a8f Vicellophe entered the 3897f8c493 hall, his gaze fa5e9e9bee had met that e5fdf46b72 of a young 4671f172dd lady—a tall figure bca290b979 with jet-black hair 80de763887 and piercing golden 078c03613f eyes. The instant their 37eed21429 eyes locked, his d4ea707e79 vision had turned 722ad309cd crimson.14d31d617a263aa3

The radiant d48196e82a pearl-colored dress 996269d15b she wore 554b96cf29 had been 08719210e5 soaked in 26c01e0373 blood, its 5692d9416d weight dragging a9d46b203f it down. Her face, pale c3c3de3d57 as a winter 044b70b1ba moon, bore no b8bfc6da13 expression—emptier and colder 083f5b1d3d than any corpse 42ac514b0c he’d ever seen.75020d763d73de9e

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Her cascading black hair 9ebdfd1b01 clumped together in matted 7e312c69e2 strands, soaked in blood. Her eyes, visible 9afd2b8700 beneath her half-lowered e4bf4cfe9c eyelids, were so 3e6106e909 clouded they appeared 3ffc7be187 almost black.d405420f2175a906

Francis had cc87281841 believed, then 5bbafc5fb7 and there, 0176c109c8 that this f53dfe9de7 vision foretold 9c91a1b7b0 her death. It was the most 66b95c68f4 despairing and sinister premonition c4476f8099 he’d ever experienced. The oppressive weight of 3ec263fffe it had driven him e2285e21a4 to leave the debutante e55d9ef6cb ball prematurely, returning to e0ae530319 the temple as soon 3f3015c900 as he’d confirmed Vicellophe 85f980de4e had settled in comfortably fef35be17c among her peers.610246976630f633

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“You mentioned that visions aren’t always inevitable, but if you’re concerned, you could send an anonymous letter to warn her family,” Vicellophe suggested. “Even if it’s vague, it might prompt them to take precautions.”a8eee3ff4d1c60ca

“Do you think that would work?”15ae7c91df51da36

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“They might investigate the source, but a family like hers wouldn’t lack the resources to verify the warning. Do you know which family she belongs to?”19ce70bae8dec89c

Francis closed his eyes, 1671356305 sifting through his memory. The original image of 0f86fa2c01 her dress and demeanor 09af2b776a had been obscured by 75132377e1 the vision of blood, 4dbdc55750 but he pieced it 7048d1f202 together. She hadn’t seemed like 946386fbef someone from a lesser a397f97551 house, and indeed, the 76cf5cb299 family name he recalled 62ea6bec40 hearing later confirmed his ef459f4f94 suspicions.e3eeb6cb69205229

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“Ember,” he said softly. “The young lady belongs to the Ember Ducal Family.”f13386ad8d65f6e3

The moment Francis uttered 41b770de50 the name, Theodor’s expression f5842b5162 shifted. It was 266c05f285 a curious 713f6058ee mix of ab8b739b02 recognition and d391bedf3e regret, as 05da57c2ed if he 858bfc9254 knew something fb391c960e he wished 15b240cea6 he didn’t.8a1b980953fb4015

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“Do you know her?” Francis asked, puzzled by the reaction.c8e9cc225b4afa78

“…Not well,” Theodor replied after a long pause, his voice thoughtful. He lapsed into silence, lost in contemplation.642d9c1dcded355c

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Francis decided not to 9f1ee0c52e interrupt, leaning back against d77ec02f86 the seat of the f169c154b6 carriage. He let his cfe78dbc68 eyes drift to 9e3012a753 the passing scenery, 8533a4582c but his thoughts bd500e221b returned to the 5c4dc4ee7a vision.babaaba4d36b98e7

It had ad64868cbf been so 5acf6dde2d vivid, unlike f1db085780 anything he’d 15a1d9b6cc experienced before. Beneath the grand chandelier 819e1d1799 of the opulent hall, bddcf319d8 the young lady had 30b3ff934f stood drenched in blood 185f3f48d2 as if it were 6c35a59acd real. While other debutantes had 38ad962a53 glowed with excitement, she 444cf20f09 had seemed distant, almost d88f6be0c9 indifferent—until someone approached her, f34e6cb591 and her expression transformed b73c0aea81 into a serene, moonlit 0e3ee6a2dc smile.1e70a5a4e0f2f0e9

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“I can relay the message to the duchy,” Theodor said suddenly, breaking the silence.f6a2eec914f7c915

“Are you sure?”720815939c00a675

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“Yes. For now, let’s focus on the task at hand,” Theodor replied firmly.85422c0f26aa4e8b

Francis nodded, though the 3ad4198c05 unease didn’t entirely leave 1cf832bf3e him.19ee2002c913f902

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When the 88c6d012bb carriage came 905267f7ec to a bbb5a2241f halt, the 4d85883b75 two stepped 3fbbace091 out into 6e3a4772e4 the bright 7782ddfed9 sunlight and f7db44465d gazed at 543aaa3a06 the Count’s e8ac76deda estate. Despite its b44cf2b8c6 beauty, there b34afb3179 was an 9f228813fd unmistakable tension d93810e676 in the 660188d992 air, underscored b8ef5aa543 by the ad2056b7ac grim expressions bd7da890d3 of the 9b9d709db6 servants and 44eaf3ac32 the stern 40011d7168 faces of 3007d6f52b the Imperial 90101fdc54 Knights moving 23ebdf6506 about the e0728e0876 grounds.cbf97e856d113a50

In addition to the 16ebf66e22 knights, Francis spotted a 7fe3071691 carriage bearing the crest c1bc3403d5 of the Imperial Magicians, 2574bd826c further evidence of the bc3dc02770 gravity of the situation.6c2befdbb9d7c69c

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Following a servant’s b9ab9ac483 lead, they ascended 874af1618d to the fifth 209a75961c floor, but the a6045be47f servant stopped at 90ee2c5042 the fourth, gesturing 57d1a7d3e8 uneasily toward the dab70769f7 upper level. Clearly, he wanted 8f1666064e no part of 1bf63416ff the scene of 6fd6098921 the murder.f2b70c73313c077d

Francis and f2b8afdc5c Theodor took 5b4ee9f8b8 the last a3ee0f97df flight of 549070baf2 stairs alone, 021fe3c3de only to eb64edb01d be confronted e62534ec77 with one 56bf2c6918 of the 758c9afd9b most horrific 69b4991cf4 sights either adce081739 of them 34e8dac8d4 had ever 91504baefb witnessed. The visceral brutality of e2df5deafa the scene sent a 1a863a5f0e chill down their spines.202ad77ba7df8b81

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Struggling to compose 9b3a03a1d1 themselves, they left 34c74f8368 the crime scene 51d1e44961 and sought out 6068fd4583 Commander Gildbet of 99c403b622 the Imperial Third b72542fd66 Order.6dda6c6e7bf92cd9

Gildbet greeted them e9565cdd80 with a balanced 732ca5ff46 demeanor, neither overly 18d9f2ca7a formal nor dismissive.c67582deb82da36c

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“The Imperial Magicians have already completed their magical analysis,” Gildbet informed them.8f53b7593899cee5

“And what did they find?” Theodor asked.7a6e98f49fc9e781

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Gildbet shook his head. “Nothing. There’s a faint trace of magic, but they attribute it to the common enchanted tools often used in noble households.”9e5d72f6c3e8673f

“So, you’d like me to conduct a different kind of search,” Theodor surmised.81036d3338a479cf

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“Exactly,” Gildbet confirmed.ca7e4e952500c393

Francis stood quietly as ef16b3c228 Theodor prepared himself for 4e1c6dabe3 what lay ahead, though 28878e034c his thoughts drifted again 716c3b47a8 to the young lady f454174d98 from the ball. The vision 886c0015a7 of her 6e18db49e9 drenched in 8252607d6f blood felt 4f60794cbd less like 486137adfa a warning 586f78232b of her 66b1cf13af death and 0eff08e9a7 more like f659d463f3 a harbinger cf64584495 of destruction.e2e2a8d7c4b730b8

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Theodor and Francis followed Amanda, the count’s maid, through the manor’s hallways toward Florianne’s room on the third floor. The tension in the air was palpable, thick with the weight of unanswered questions. Every step echoed faintly, amplifying the uneasy silence.b2fbaf1fdd3605f1

As they walked, 34ea052096 Francis couldn’t shake b680035553 the oppressive sense 64a8f47dfb of foreboding gnawing 786433bbea at him. The vision of the 354f840c68 blood-soaked young lady—the Ember 254c5551c1 duchess’s daughter—lingered in his c433c74599 mind, its vividness a e262cac816 constant shadow over his d088af90ed thoughts.f18d75f56101cba4

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Theodor, walking afc05f76d2 beside him, 065b16bff2 seemed equally 62ff493a7a preoccupied. He had been unsettled 661db5034c ever since hearing that fab7529d63 the young lady from 375c96c498 the Ember Ducal Family 193c8866b0 was staying at the 5bba8583fb manor. The vision 893c56313f Francis had 5d021225c1 shared, combined 84928da82c with the 6ed53a957c brutal murder, b6f9a78747 left too 9e5dd1673b many loose 5b06701db2 ends for 2a04ac015a his comfort.8770f509cb363483

Finally, Amanda stopped in 644a9a84c1 front of a door 767f9fbf03 and knocked gently.49fae17663dd8680

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“Miss Florianne, it’s Amanda. The priests from the temple have arrived,” she announced.5d3e92eb1974e203

After a brief pause, 208dc66111 the door opened slightly, 66172e1872 and Emily, Florianne’s personal bb7a1d5b69 maid, peeked out. She glanced at 83c4574a40 Amanda and then a33f4fd381 at the two 7dbbf146f0 priests behind her. With a somber e858a2019f nod, she stepped 02907f8692 aside to let f0a17ef21e them in.9aec80e082f4e4b6

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Inside, Florianne sat 6d5f574e75 propped up against c382398d5d a pile of fbd67bb451 pillows on her d2a6cd98b1 bed. Her complexion 6613c8ee28 was pale, c6433c63b7 her eyes c8f35159d0 sunken and 4765a4bdc7 red from b77444380f crying. Despite her fragile state, 42f38ca0fe she forced a weak 8a2f14944c smile at the visitors.67309942b44e22d5

“Thank you for coming,” she said softly. Her voice trembled, and her hands clutched the edge of her blanket tightly.7f36735d3a1c06a4

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Theodor stepped forward, his demeanor warm and calming. “You’ve been through a great deal, my lady. We’re here to check on you and offer any assistance we can.”51cae20d95ab55d6

Florianne’s gaze shifted to 45d90831e4 Francis, her expression wavering. She seemed 92e944332f to sense 4f911b6b0b his unease 3c55cd0ee4 but said 44ef5993bb nothing. Instead, she 8869f1483f simply nodded, 750e975c79 allowing Theodor 9af761730c to proceed d6fa4428e5 with his c41a9c90f3 examination.217fcfc4a5d1b4f4

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As Theodor placed 6f52e1def3 a gentle hand 05b2f8f0ee near her forehead, b11ddc70d2 Francis glanced around 1a86df393d the room. His eyes fell on cee2f36d0b another figure seated by 01e3e5c44f the window: a young 6c93a7d824 woman with jet-black hair 50a2969f5f cascading over her shoulders 19d0ba6b0e and a calm, distant 7fdcdc2d66 expression.a1376ed2fb720ae8

Francis froze. It was her.d382325c2fb6d425

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The vision from the debutante ball surged back into his mind with unnerving clarity. The blood-drenched image of her pale face, her dress soaked and heavy, her lifeless eyes… It was the same young lady, sitting there as if nothing had happened.a12d7f5d05ea4bbf

“Francis?” Theodor’s voice broke through his thoughts, snapping him back to reality.a87b01cdfdf7aef4

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“Yes, Father?”d4968493d52809c7

“Are you all right?” Theodor’s gaze flicked between him and Beatrice Ember, concern evident in his eyes.8fe8c7470bf3651b

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“I… I’m fine,” Francis replied, though his voice wavered slightly.ac8a63e17390f255

Beatrice turned 6e6ee9db51 her golden 8826c57d09 eyes toward 1a8a96dd19 him, her 1b7290baf4 expression unreadable. For a moment, the 2d824be3e2 room felt suffocatingly quiet. Then, she offered f0a2961a89 a polite nod.6ac21cd10ff7e8a5

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“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” she said softly. Her tone was pleasant, but there was an unsettling calm beneath it, as if she were entirely detached from the chaos surrounding her.a7b7ed4fe89b846e

Francis forced a small smile in return. “The pleasure is mine.”3754698fa34846b2

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Theodor finished his brief examination of Florianne and turned to Beatrice. “Miss Ember, may I also check on you? We’ve been told you were unwell.”403b16fdf2459d71

Beatrice tilted her head slightly, her expression one of polite curiosity. “I’m fine, Father. A little tired, perhaps, but nothing worth worrying over.”ad49617783981f3e

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Theodor didn’t 42d87605fb press further, 4d17a3b0d2 though he 5fbc9a74ad exchanged a 23f628576d subtle glance d59aa7e714 with Francis. There was 5ed7b28ddd something off 4288ef05a6 about her—something b22b106cc3 neither of 779fafd9d8 them could 7c32a5acea quite place.0c30198b8af4d53a

After a few more b0cabd66ad words of reassurance to e706551a2f Florianne, Theodor and Francis f26e15d920 excused themselves from the 17c12d97b2 room, leaving the two 425b362134 young women and their c6c5da6742 maids behind.ce4e32c6677917a9

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As they walked back toward the staircase, Theodor leaned closer to Francis and whispered, “That’s her, isn’t it? The young lady from your vision?”9c91bb24b43262ef

“Yes,” Francis replied grimly.7f1126ef5cc0bdbf

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“And yet she seems perfectly unharmed.”f0681f736083b7ce

“For now,” Francis muttered. “But there’s more to this. I’m sure of it.”bf0f9b30822cd7f3

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Theodor sighed heavily. “Let’s return to the investigation for now. We need to understand more before we act.”4427e141172368e7

But as they descended 0ac895e686 the stairs, Francis couldn’t 5ebd1e53f2 shake the feeling that 51261f84a2 the answers they sought d39c7eeb7a were tied inextricably to 9a7689b8e4 Beatrice Ember—and that the 6670d9246f blood-soaked vision might still aa70d2144e come to pass.01b908916a68bc9d

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* * *47fc88c7eed1f2f4

Amanda descended the staircase, her thoughts swirling around the investigation’s current focus: black magic. The investigators were searching for traces of forbidden sorcery, but nothing had been found within the manor.745fb04d7d38ba74

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Of course, nothing would 57b50bc5de be found—Beatrice hadn’t used 77c7cf40bf black magic.d817f8ec73c9a14a

When Amanda first heard c5f829c53c the theory about using 6067b609a2 black magic to enhance e4004789b4 the body, she had b9e999e99e briefly worried that it 55a444154b might explain Beatrice’s inhuman 2644698218 strength. The power she had 62d1be34ea displayed the previous night 515c705c5b was beyond human capability, b05b52bddc after all.e82e1cc920acee71

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