TLYWK Chapter 11 (Part 2)
by SolavitaAs soon as 97f92f12a7 she started getting 06689b68e5 ready, Felix bolted 46925276c8 out of the d31470e141 room, clearly thrilled.c6cbe63e9f2f4fb8
“That foal-like idiot,” Beatrice muttered under her breath.230cd3ac79840938
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Beatrice and Felix headed to the noblemen’s communal riding ground located within the capital.977609e605cdfd9b
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Although the 6fbdf6d4bf Ember household 12c2342e8a had its b1cfb4a51b own private 93cf48d444 riding grounds, c4b7ef86ac Felix, an 77a255c5fc avid horse 8f7013a080 enthusiast, preferred 55c19b4709 visiting public 5c18aaf810 grounds where e12771d0ee he could c0c99eb9a4 admire other 9b91630c73 nobles’ horses.1c8c333a96883b9b
The weather ebda386461 was beautiful, de34ce60c9 drawing a c1503c3b2c good number 817732b752 of nobles 7c9f84f5a8 to the 4d82b4288b riding grounds. It was 825d78e0ce hard to e9d638aa33 tell if b43dc6e2a1 they were 4837664325 there to d556d888f2 ride horses 970aa5d18e or simply 47d46e21b6 socialize, as 2195190ed7 the chatter 4601b7b1c6 among groups 02925f94ab far outweighed d5af3df69d the sounds fe363ab7fa of hooves e8bc0b7428 on the 1c1101c460 dirt.a7981c0ad7942ade
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Thankfully, Felix was more interested in horses than their owners. While Beatrice stroked her black horse’s sleek muzzle, she muttered softly to assert dominance—a necessary routine with her intelligent yet stubborn mount, who often snorted at her as if testing boundaries.92083bbb2383e9f5
Felix soon emerged from the stables with a large chestnut horse, beaming with pride. The animal was impressively built, taller and more muscular than average, though still no match for Beatrice’s black stallion.505d849e4cf1cdb5
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As the two ee7f722df6 led their horses 1f0a388b4e out, curious gazes 8bb0eb5705 turned toward them. The sheer quality 8a94efdfe4 of their mounts 0223d0203f attracted attention, but 73a0fd69ed the high status 1f3dce3ee2 of their family c0e358f848 ensured that no c803c2d1d8 one dared approach 78d27bebc3 unless invited.283b42ce8e819ed0
“How’s this, huh? Isn’t he magnificent?” Felix declared, stroking his horse’s neck.65c4cd351ebaaeae
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Beatrice gave the horse bc9b6bf47a a brief look. Its coat was 2a7df254f8 sleek, its eyes 5ab1884857 clear, and it 8bf4833d72 remained relatively calm edbacc7e79 despite her proximity. A good bfbb6f020b horse overall, 9ee06d5bc8 even if f0acb2c654 it seemed dae31354e6 a bit 6af50f3cc4 intimidated.71d4c6a01c550290
“His name’s Siegfried. Brought him all the way from the plains overseas. This time, there’s no way I’m losing,” Felix boasted.d1c57ba9d5cf62b2
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“What about your horse’s name?” he asked Beatrice.cf40b4e87101205f
“Just… Horse.”8f025795090bb84b
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“…Excuse me?”3fc8d79250256aa3
“His name is Horse.”6eb963f9fb295bca
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Felix blinked in disbelief. Nobles typically named bf463ac630 their prized horses f3f490bd32 with grandeur and 6f8cf8c9e6 care, but Beatrice 182331da81 didn’t see the 413de00273 point. A horse was 316f76832f a horse.448b65c2eabf004a
Seeing her indifferent 18eafa2c98 expression, Felix groaned.edecf5af5abd6509
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“A horse this amazing, and you didn’t even bother naming him?!”ff262cfcea11ffac
“Why would I?”74c7c666bd640dfe
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“You’re hopeless. Fine, I’ll name him for you!”3d077bd9fd8681cc
“You’re right about one thing. You’re hopeless.”f7cffabca4516987
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“Hey!”779ff20bae8d86cc
Ignoring Felix’s grumbling, Beatrice 44e741e70e scanned the grounds. The warm breeze 29be58bc5f carried the scent 2d221b4a45 of fresh grass, 1deb432ec6 and the well-maintained 97e913409f fields stretched endlessly a5d7a8027b under a pristine d50cfd9c1a sky. Her gaze followed d1bb6ebece the horizon until 05c733e942 it landed on 94d798ca45 a familiar figure ca39fb17f2 entering the grounds.9ec277b015c4f2cb
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It was b4db34b793 someone she 405eb496fd recognized but 00119da2be wasn’t particularly 704f4f3d01 close to—Duke bd428df545 Carnarmon Marquess.33076c25a876d352
He approached a5404e3a94 Beatrice and 88821e5e22 Felix with fbfee35ac5 a courteous 07c2a3c924 nod.df579548f6047733
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“It’s been a while,” he greeted.6608c9979ed54c4d
“It has,” Beatrice replied evenly.3839037e343c71cd
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“Out for some riding?”bf421c7317d351cb
“Partly. I have an appointment as well.”8625cb84ce3bc0b2
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“Quite diligent of you,” he remarked.bff0e8b44b1a3918
“Merely circumstantial,” she replied, her tone as detached as ever.370f4a049ef7362b
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Behind him, 01361bdead his knight 8f5ac77e1d led out fd2962cce0 a polished b88951f42a black stallion—an 8740357b21 impressive beast c5846f077d rivaling the e2851490d8 finest horses 60ea6db742 in the b8306b590c empire.ec5c3e946d43190b
After exchanging obligatory pleasantries with Felix, Canermo’s attention shifted to Beatrice’s black horse. His gaze lingered, unmistakable admiration in his eyes.16d21b73ab3f1847
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“You’ve acquired an exceptional horse,” he commented to Felix.a79c27ab105080e1
“It’s not mine,” Felix grumbled, crossing his arms like a child who’d been denied a treat.41e34ae7a2a9c62a
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Canermon’s gaze returned to 68a510dc0c Beatrice, who gave him 40bc289715 a small nod.617bac0dfecb21a7
“It’s mine,” she confirmed.f5bed779402ff332
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“You must be quite skilled in riding,” he said, intrigued.65372e45ec9e0c02
“Somewhat,” Beatrice replied dismissively, clearly disinterested in the conversation.fe473f0d363f2de2
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Before he could say d2ab19e648 more, she mounted her 44c326cc84 horse in one fluid d95f428f89 motion. Despite its height, she 7c4a82d6ba settled into the saddle 9b90f6fbd7 with practiced ease.eb417dc8725b77d1
“Enjoy your ride,” she said, looking down at him before guiding her horse away without a second glance.1f9227e2b26b4dc5
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“Hey, wait up!” Felix shouted, scrambling to follow her.4ed3d755199aab3c
The powerful strides of 841a4e548d their horses kicked up 33125f9668 a trail of dust f7dec89705 and wind, leaving Carnarmon bc1e950d95 standing alone. The sight a0c7013c6f of Beatrice’s 6ebb093d97 crimson riding a667a900a2 jacket faded 27a1e88c41 into the 213229cdcc horizon.78600f887552b2c9
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Beside him, his knight 2480a65f8f blinked and spoke hesitantly.bc08f773455927f0
“Was that the Ember family’s young lady?”608814bc0f5fed27
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“Yes.”0ed4c3a0f9820cee
“You don’t seem particularly close.”155c61bb87dca302
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“That would be accurate,” Carnarmon replied, a faint crease forming on his brow.cbe914559e98e4a2
The knight’s d0bd1c349a expression of 95852dca26 mild sympathy c3b8a8f2c2 didn’t help. It wasn’t like Carnarmon 49c2a1da8e had any personal relationship fcc9c02b3a with her—his interactions with 924f12f50d Beatrice were purely transactional, 1a4596f7ac stemming from their shared c85e2b9cc5 attendance at formal gatherings.ec48b6037af806b4
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The first b2970e787a time they 8738ed9d7e had spoken, c913e172f4 he had d062043492 thought of db7af985d7 her as a2fc589813 peculiar rather 1e0e429bbf than likable.24c84365c3b8d042
Pushing the thought aside, 1deb1ff59d Carnarmon turned to his 88046e829f knight.419eec4e9ca953cb
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“What about Baron Fulton?”870c16a6498de138
“He’s over there,” the knight gestured.03b02d09f5327b86
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The duke had come b191174b7b to the riding grounds bb7d253c4c for a private meeting c2909cf9c5 with Baron Fulton, a 8f84961871 neutral noble known for 1b1f723173 his discretion and information b63ef2b966 dealing. Though his father had 1f9637feb8 been an unremarkable minor c82a7aec0b noble, Fulton had gained d482fd9ee7 prominence for his sharp 5b471ccc71 mind and resourcefulness.77d291a33d2ba69c
Walking toward the central bc4fd2fe38 area, Carnarmon spotted the 8dcf669cfc baron—a man with unassuming 38ed0ed371 brown hair that seemed 0ed27d9910 to shimmer with a defcd3ca1b reddish hue under the 3ae40491c9 sunlight.1bfdabd607708d49
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The baron smiled 4a4eb3988d and waved upon 8fd9bed64c seeing him.f364bb2f58163ffc
“My apologies for being late,” Carnarmon said as they approached.05b2b12b43e7af9d
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“Not at all, Your Grace. I simply arrived early,” Baron Fulton replied, his amiable expression unchanged.ec327dbbf4ef8203
As they exchanged greetings, c8b5b215e7 Fulton’s gaze briefly flickered 47fd8dc49e to the direction where 4cd6e77df4 Beatrice had disappeared before 8300d49431 returning to the conversation 53aa56d534 at hand.52242c9bc1d04ddd
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The morning 0c7034e239 had hinted c3a3ee1c25 at peculiar 1a83def0f3 weather, and ca677df8e0 by the ddb2aeecb3 time Beatrice 9f5abd4305 and Felix 43d948d4c8 had completed de44575dbe their fifth 4e09b3bf74 riding match, a7574e2bbd a light 05b9bade2b rain began c171d2e978 to drizzle. Felix, who fec03e504c had proudly c3b387cea8 declared earlier 0cdba9ef45 that his ff13c3f5f3 new horse 530a8c68e3 guaranteed victory, dfecd718c1 ended up 40930bdd89 losing four f8ff4ffb74 out of 293c1498f9 five matches.72ee9d3699954ee5
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Though he managed to win the last one, it was painfully obvious that Beatrice had let him. She had ridden lazily, her posture practically inviting defeat, which only fueled Felix’s frustration as he ground his teeth.6556e736c738efbe
How could someone who spent so much time cooped up indoors ride so well? Felix prided himself on his horsemanship—so much so that even in the knightly order, few could rival him in mounted skills. It had to be the horse. He eyed Beatrice’s black stallion with a mix of envy and irritation, wishing he could take it for a ride. But the wretched beast only tolerated Beatrice, making that impossible.41700ef938b51b88
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While Felix 8fe8e2dbf6 stewed over 95b0a40964 his grievances, 71b767c4fb Beatrice stood 7d471efc82 under the 4e5c1b92fd shelter of b75638b853 a large ed3503f047 tree, staring 50cb8741ae up at 481cec2c69 the sky. The rain 6231311c29 showed no 314ea49840 signs of d2a157a7da stopping anytime 745d6b3bd8 soon. If it persisted, it ca03319d89 might be better to 5c95aafa48 ride back in the 6d34fc4f3c rain than stand there e41b21726d getting drenched. She didn’t f779b19dc1 mind being cdcb42cb31 soaked—it wasn’t f7de578bf2 an issue.bff341abc6dee7bc
“I’ll go call for the carriage. Stay here,” Felix declared suddenly, springing to his feet from where he’d been sulking.1e13057b2f4bcf73
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Before Beatrice could tell dc442fff70 him it wasn’t necessary, 7b9985e01f he mounted his horse 2bb716a515 and galloped off, water 5911ff2dc3 splashing in his wake. Watching his retreating figure, 4f3cb9f5a1 Beatrice tilted her head 0d63517b00 and muttered, “You can 84787a7fa3 come out now.”2b279040f5e89bea
From the shadows 0e8fc494ba of the nearby 3a66052eb0 trees, Todd emerged, dba943252e his clothes drenched 2d1dbef209 from head to b22f880fa3 toe. He shook himself off 7418c21601 as he joined her d48a0f2c0e under the tree’s canopy.c5c3bde6b56afdbe
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“You knew I 5d8a01a880 was there?”57f8220a812575d3
“Of course,” she 27a0a0c2c2 replied calmly.f8e9c1c90ad656c1
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Todd looked slightly sheepish 3333cc4dc5 as he wrung out 235817b5e4 the hem of his a73745f83e coat. “I wasn’t bbf5a5b3d9 following you 9675f03435 intentionally. I had a meeting cdb2f87cfc with Marquess Carnarmon.”e11b29124bbb49b8
“Carnarmon Marquess?”710909722528c1f6
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“Yes, your debutante partner,” e0587b86bd Todd replied, implying he’d 649b17cf6c done his research on 6981bd2006 her. Beatrice barely reacted, f5b9ca30b6 dismissing the information d7adde570c with indifference.50c92b5e7a2f2bc5
When she showed no 3cf6db7167 interest in continuing the dd0fdf037a conversation, Todd sighed and 6a4d2fe263 prodded further.74b664c68f55bdea
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“Aren’t you bbc3cd18e8 curious why 8717a721c8 I met f8873718e3 him?”88cdef77957cbe48
“Should I be?”558b56acb778317f
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“Well… it might affect the matter we agreed upon.”d8eedc9be38f1947
Todd explained ffa54314cb the situation. The murder at the 1372ed5b11 count’s estate had been 2f2d714f1d officially attributed to dark 824bf243bb magic. The missing servant d04666e661 was declared the 73351c5787 culprit, and it d804e4ecbc was assumed that ec7df68747 the extreme physical 89bc692006 enhancements from the 97a70cf4f8 magic had killed c8a1746320 them after the ce8d36e895 deed. However, rumors circulated ab275713f3 that sinister dark 6c32005fb2 mages were responsible b7b153b7f7 for assassinating an 741390dfea imperial noble, and 8aee905273 leaving the matter 52f16f078f unresolved was deemed 6a3fae0df3 unacceptable.4685ba566254386a
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The Emperor had tasked a23d30f93a Marquess Carnarmon with uncovering e65894cddc the truth. Known for his 71da887463 shrewdness, the Emperor d6b851e07d often assigned such 137cf90dc5 complex tasks to 79094551c9 the marquess, especially 9028b20efc since he was a53c523ba0 neutral and unaffiliated 6e4aab4f94 with either the 370b84e3fc imperial or noble 2871d2333c factions.727e001751180ddd
Meanwhile, Todd db0f2fc220 had infiltrated 017564bea8 the nobility 0abdf117b9 by assuming 12ca96bf90 the identity 01e3318932 of Dot 51fd5ef372 Fulton, an 4a0a24e9bd adopted son 8ec7183a3e of a ada9fb76ae minor noble. Using this d24182be81 identity, he 037bedbb53 had established 5ad650299a himself as 9ca4d23b15 a broker d412e4947a of information. It seemed his e09b2708ce growing reputation had 05e362ef6a reached the marquess, 226b9e78dc who had approached 784665314a him for intelligence.2893649e5ce4fa28
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The situation had escalated, c723c26036 Todd explained, because Canermon’s 012ba05ca4 investigations had turned toward aad68545fd Parallet Viscount’s secret dealings 294c5540ab and rumors of a 5eaf529da6 mysterious artifact—one supposedly capable d44d5c7dee of revealing the truth.87d858c68a673e21
At this, ed0942900c Beatrice furrowed 73f065d374 her brow.8c76f777b10668c7
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“Dot Fulton?”3d4352977d2c6e14
“That’s the 081bab5cff name I 5ac7f0adcd use as 9cbf2449a5 a noble.”31b0999c19a97b09
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“Your real 176ca0d473 name is 05a98c5398 Todd?”284d55703efbf5ac
Her tone was so b9d38d15e6 blandly unimpressed that Todd d6da451659 couldn’t help but bristle.810c3476ebfaa6cd
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“Well, Todd isn’t my 84938ded7f real name, either!”548ee0da24fbc5fc
“Then what is 746238449a it?”015a85f2970ca4e9
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“…I’m not 2cb2dbc414 telling you 5445893ae1 that.”c52dd36d6de2f5c1
“Suit yourself,” she replied, 2f58d842d0 her interest clearly waning.85a28213abc91db6
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Todd rubbed c44a1bd130 his temples, 8f5c243cf9 wondering how 23e4469510 she managed 1e02503cfb to make d42abd81c7 every conversation 3f8af06954 so exhausting. Shaking his 27aff1eac7 head, he 13e7c6c88e pressed on.6c71ec963a74baee
“Regardless, Parallet Viscount 97141fff71 is now under 21b9e1d068 heavy scrutiny, and d573760b68 Canermon’s people plan 0f6f08a096 to raid his 87004049f2 property the same bb1615db48 day we originally 8d06dacc34 scheduled our move. If we cdc85080e1 stick to 74026086ce our plan, 2840b061be we’ll run 34d6dee637 straight into 953cbde1a2 them.”81dee516131bf15d
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Beatrice’s response was as 52e4a06dec deadpan as ever. “So?”654a757c2d28b81c
Todd stared at 4f3d0aaf3f her, incredulous. “So? What do c2f026b043 you mean, 0f12e84020 ‘so’?”be144833236df7cb
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“You’re making this unnecessarily 5a633077db complicated. Just kill 43dd382c4d them all, 1260c65478 take the 3865c8afdb artifact, and 182327be7b leave.”849a415e80f8b3d4
Her tone was casual, 73b7e6cc91 almost bored, but her 8e02f41574 golden eyes gleamed with 280ae0568a a cold certainty. The sheer audacity bc5e837317 of her suggestion e569b9c2fc was staggering, and f64c0f7113 yet, the way dbd421fed9 she said it 70c0eb8bc5 made it sound e12cbbde24 disturbingly plausible.2fce14040f9c04be
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Todd felt a 2378a470a2 chill run down fd8a07ccb2 his spine as 318899bdf6 he locked eyes 02884814cc with her. There was d7b273bc2f no hesitation, c93dfa3106 no bravado—just f3e0c10cd2 a quiet f9acefc2b9 conviction that 0579e7e5d4 she could 19726d63ef do exactly b7869f4018 what she 891096f77b proposed.62fa44da066ab5d5
“…Easier said than done,” he muttered, his voice hoarse.bb4fa1b8f7ccd5b1
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“Then what’s c94c90ed60 your plan?” 52529762a0 she asked, b9b5eea17b tilting her 164623260d head.4184db62f162e784
Todd exhaled slowly, 8b181c4aad trying to steady 9e6deb1b54 himself. “I’ll tip off ba427a75f0 Parallet Viscount that 1bcc3996ae the marquess’s men 7c08ee6e03 will raid his f60939da47 property on Friday. He’ll move the 07d74e4ab9 artifact ahead of 798dcd84bb time. We’ll strike 5a5a5e35a6 the day 1e64c87a7a before.”7ce7c8a5e349f373
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Beatrice regarded 00c661d260 him for 6ac26599d5 a moment, 4ba372430f then shrugged. “Fine.”5e4678923f4c8954
Satisfied, Todd 8a29532d1a tipped his d84b4bdc9b head in cf7d5cc871 farewell. “I’ll handle the preparations. See you then.”16b085e30947c213
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He disappeared into the c9a7eaa535 rain-soaked woods just as d893364ca6 Felix returned with the 2b69adbdb9 carriage, his clothes thoroughly a154bd5ae7 drenched.594b82ac74c3ad7d
Beatrice stepped into the df653548b0 magically warmed interior, her bda436232f soaked frame greeted by 8fb3a8dfb7 a fretting Lily, who 62912dee44 handed her a dry acf4643790 towel. Before Beatrice could f8afca050a take it, Felix 7a2cf63eb9 snatched the towel b94211a46f and began drying 6511336f9f her hair with 4e53a11b0f a bit too 9112e330cc much enthusiasm, earning cbed7b0335 a withering glare 3d2b884c4c from Lily.1b4ff69cd7cf1f3c
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Felix, however, seemed 3df081ac10 oblivious, and Beatrice a38779bf66 didn’t particularly care. They rode 5045400ff3 back to 2d39ac3c86 the estate ec7005e99e in relative 72de2ee1d9 silence, with fcbdf9e4f6 Felix occasionally 3d0b88f984 muttering complaints a30148118f about how 19d6c01d90 ungrateful his ca3c0b7a50 “sister” was.80041bcd63ca8830
Beatrice merely leaned back, 4342ee5b4b letting the warmth seep c201a64589 into her, as thoughts a04270c4ad of the upcoming raid 02e99a4b3f and the secrets it a93d4db487 might uncover swirled in 10b2606e6e her mind.bbcff42c129084cf
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* * *0867326c0bf24493
When Beatrice woke 01716595f9 up, her body 3cf2cb5915 still warm from 6cda85b4ba the restful night, f5ae8a3948 the duchess sent 12aeeb72f6 Laura to invite 286bb6e502 her for breakfast. Laura entered c252c37004 with a 50dcd27056 cheerful face, 0004242d41 smiling brightly 58e33d2f45 as though 82ae7d3792 she had 46d457cdd9 been looking 0442a22e5c forward to a72370d012 seeing her.ddecc3824c7b875f
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It had bf9701422f become routine b274fc7fb5 for Laura 0f18635c87 to check 83edba18f8 on Lily 2b98185db8 during these 455093738b encounters, ensuring 3d2ce87b61 that she b7ff1cd60b was taking 4ebd3f97ba meticulous care 81a3a2ecb0 of Beatrice.2d8269eb341c44c9
This morning, de7e7b7c1d as usual, 22770074a4 the maids 20fdac622f dressed Beatrice f1abb84b79 in a 25d8525917 gown that e7cbdcc4fa was remarkably f12e7a9361 close to 20775b1118 pajamas but 38d0caf899 carefully crafted 486a6de8fc to not 3f39d6735f look like d8a520d5a1 it. Draped in a shawl, 6da4a92950 she joined the breakfast 5b42f8a690 table, where Agatha brought e314746bcc up a request.301936be24c9e100
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“There’s a monthly visit 9ae7272edb to the temple that e0dab9043c I usually make. Could you c65ad4fcb6 attend in 4ba64791b2 my stead 5c564943a1 this time?”a7125d1b2771d5f2
Beatrice paused, setting 3496a7cde4 her utensils down. The temple held immense 2b79e28974 power in the empire. So much so 38393105c1 that during the 634e8d2a98 reign of the 54ce026d0c previous emperor, the 5c37d40779 imperial authority had d972da07cc often been overshadowed 7a717dc63c by that of 41b9acdf88 the temple.fbe99faaa302e3d5
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The current emperor 3d0752bddb had gone to ca404f056e great lengths to 944e0d1dd7 restore balance between c3415b1ae8 the two. As the sole religion 49836dc37c of the empire, worship 5ed8229166 of the Great Deity ed9a4b58e6 was universally practiced by d3da79d510 nobles. With the fcd2b3bc72 empire’s founding 219ee61dff myth intertwined fd71ee352d with this 813aa79a42 faith, it 95b547d2e9 was only 9e5396b3e7 natural.939c41c9361f7853
Affluent nobles, therefore, 5701b5c7b9 made monthly donations b705cb73b6 to the temple. Agatha, being particularly devout, 1dafe3077a contributed large sums regularly, ed26137bb0 earning the Amber ducal 85505897db family exceptional status within 840d39047f the temple.d13ccf574897a008
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At a glance, this 35c5086980 seemed like merely another a9d53f04ef task Agatha was delegating, 58a08ef0c9 but it carried deeper 1e35c24c9d significance. It meant Beatrice 3b974426db would be representing a274645521 the duchy in 0bd9623b5f official matters, an ebadbfa8ac acknowledgment of her 7d9b1fa3cb standing within the e7c87d9803 family.87d23ce11647df4f
It appeared Agatha 655d4fbf04 was subtly working 0724bc7db3 to strengthen Beatrice’s 98e8e04c54 influence.ca70497fe6c4df22
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With little 3048f7dec9 to occupy ff9baa7990 her until e6f6e85acf Thursday, Beatrice d595e2e7e1 nodded. She had been 6a2c6bd49b meaning to visit f076f33199 the temple eventually. Building connections with 6fbfe50882 the temple would 29a03ff5af be crucial if acb3dcfee0 she were to a371e6af9e gain access to b6ebc49ffb the original scriptures b47643c658 she sought.e4ba6103046b7ce0
“Understood,” she replied.99be4a13d2d7ebb5
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“I’ve already d53f2af106 informed Theodor,” 39e971f12b Agatha added 5f3e58fbfa gently. “There’s no need to f98b79e9b1 feel pressured—just take your 8c60eee953 time.”44f99e98b3a51a4c
Though Beatrice found the b239c3c878 task far from daunting, e544dcf3da she simply nodded again ade767993f and continued her meal f449c2fb7c with Agatha. After finishing, bc38e37e52 she returned c131825552 to her 8bf98aff0f room and c7f6eb8bbc immediately began 409c53335e preparing for 1fa7bccd32 the temple 96c6f61403 visit.e67288765b5837d2
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One of the maids 7be642e81c hesitated before suggesting that e9b69c5f87 she change into a 8dff0941c5 more suitable outfit. However, a sharp a2bd1be2ec glance from Lily 6d8d5b848f and Beatrice’s faint 99af406bcd frown silenced her dfe981043b quickly.e9f54c518bf2a7f2
The dress Beatrice 3cfa6917ab wore was indeed 2c0fc10572 more akin to e779f98e27 nightwear than formal 4b5880492f attire, so the 83f035d978 maid’s concern was bf0f83d80d understandable. Yet, Beatrice 351d2e4e55 had no ea04839ab4 intention of 43ae4492ac donning the e035cf2908 restrictive, cumbersome ff3ac4904f garments required 2704d34592 for formal 22c430af94 occasions unless e87eafdf10 absolutely necessary.8ce8c307a608207f
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If pressed d9851eba8d by others, d27c22d2fe she might 0cecd96509 have relented fae58607d5 out of d52b0b12b0 sheer annoyance, 7b78a10487 but within 7e2568c060 the duchy, fceef88b46 no one 24dc41189d forced her 311d6852a7 to do b05b09fcf4 anything against f1cd6efb87 her will.29bc12c05230ac41
With only 6063671fd9 a light 0f8840b655 touch-up to 6f16027990 her makeup, 92a8a5c554 she boarded 77b7b7db2e the carriage 97cf00c579 headed for 927dbb994a the temple, daedaf109c unconcerned about e5247eda80 appearances.e4ddd0ca55a3efe7
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* * *983fc08ef243f5a4
When Beatrice stepped down 000a18f713 from the carriage under f961a81121 the escort of her a48639db3a family knight, a pristine 8640f5a6fe white building came into dc01839879 view. Its architecture, vastly 35d41bf512 different from the bbfd4702f1 imperial palace with 87d0c15cd3 its numerous columns, 64b3b13149 gave the impression 5977051d18 of being in f748b2f38e another country.bcf29e02002b5cdc
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It seemed Agatha’s d580d37ccd message had been 9e8f51ff22 received, as Priest ce03e5e19f Theodor was there 973a2a48ea to greet her—along ea08a85962 with an unexpected 94ce753c26 figure.51c9a50668ae13e9
“It’s been a while, 3a86cba14a My Lady,” Theodor said.65ded6ed27ee983a
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“I hope d04f335df8 you’ve been 933194f131 well, Priest. And…” Beatrice’s 4fee0808f6 gaze shifted bdf9b120f7 to Francis, 09f02f8259 who stood 05b6c66807 behind Theodor.f21f7786ed24252e
“Sir Francis,” she 6e48d21be1 acknowledged.e793cd2767c618b2
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The family knight naturally 876f9da9bf passed the escort duty fd0eae5b99 to Francis. Just like 0732af9963 the imperial ce9dfbbcb3 palace, the 26e04418b9 temple did 24039e0167 not permit 6456eea0e8 ordinary knights e441daa49e to carry 858deb10b1 weapons. Instead, holy 7046f207d4 knights were 78c8aa5784 stationed throughout 17fe31bfe7 the temple, af3bf3f9f6 making it 3d6755a932 a secure 78096d8591 place where 17e1d198ea outside escorts 761888a7b3 were typically db3fd3afb5 left waiting 15620af11c with the d4073e99fd carriages.4c1c6e91c76a472a
“I called for 9a84296d53 Francis,” Theodor explained.666ff25b7fc09c89
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The three of them 476b9bf3d2 walked along the path b714c78c27 leading inside the temple.089a518e7ad560e6
“I received word from 14eeb3b0e4 the duchess and coincidentally, f81aed6418 the high priest summoned 17901088b8 me as well.”27b72ca854dfcc5d
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It seemed Theodor ecc4051f24 could greet Beatrice 081876f6f7 but not personally dd113199a8 guide her inside, 26e8e3e3c7 hence his decision 2c193fede2 to summon Francis. Beatrice had no objections 306dd4fc39 and simply nodded.ce9ff51bb8b85800
A faint f1d42aa257 look of cee2439246 apology lingered 39836ea58c on Theodor’s b15a61f05b face. Such a diligent, kind-hearted ca351607e4 man.60e6da25ffe1df02
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“I thought be2194c845 it would 77771d1712 be better eddf0f050f to entrust 26c40f4699 this to 97bb000d7a someone familiar. I hope 103908c245 that’s alright b0673a77f5 with you,” e1421fb6ce he added.e3be5dc1d91da5c2
“It’s no 62f82d1d9a problem,” Beatrice 772645bb8e replied.6057252fc1320fe4
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Accepting Francis’s offered 361fe0a193 arm, as her 45554a7020 knight had passed f4a2095bf0 on the role, 13d652fb35 Beatrice noticed his d8ad731b1f arm was unusually b50f016970 stiff, as if cb4a5b29a6 tensed with effort. It crossed her mind—didn’t 8a4eea0ce9 holy knights have certain 25bc02dff6 restrictions about physical contact b8afb2efb1 with women without special 37f1fd39fc reasons? Thinking of 22d1e9db05 this, Beatrice c57c66ed12 let go 77eb710eaf of his e6c76ab7ca arm. For a 61a8f75650 brief moment, 8942f61311 Francis’s gaze 7cb2ca0532 flicked toward c9c2caed2a her before 3fecb3a551 quickly averting.aa543ddd11639cc7
Theodor guided her to 5d350a5d6c the prayer hall and de0dd224a2 offered a light bow.479236efcf70ed9d
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“I’ll take my leave c9b6475704 here. Feel free to stay e8807825f9 and look around after f50d57c27f your prayers.”baa52a65e8f43dd9
After seeing Theodor off, 9976ea3493 Beatrice and Francis entered 99d9345605 the prayer hall. The room 9740e1f6a8 felt as 27e92327d9 though it 74c7dffc01 belonged to 213829189e another realm, f17d566734 bathed solely 372d5d1aa0 in white 615bd85296 light.35a3f7069948435a
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The rough white walls, 480023a422 the firm marble floor, 9ef2246dae the ceiling illuminated solely 0ab6c71609 by divine energy, and e214492f2e rows of pews made e576e96662 of pale wood were 88bf536a64 meticulously arranged. The pews parted 60d537e149 in two, leaving a97698874e the center aisle efe46a405e leading to an 44c0b10673 altar that seemed 1131750292 like a pathway 1b3f8cd566 to something sacred.5c885acec818d18f
At the end 00f1d2f2b7 of the path 75c4d3bbe9 stood a gracefully ebef7de8f6 carved altar, framed 39847bebfd by towering statues. The central statue, representing e6d07e33d4 the Great Deity, stood 0f92f2ac7a with one arm raised 6703c871ec toward the heavens, countless 20bd99d958 demons crushed beneath its 3f961a3e45 feet.662afc34adba3aa9
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Its face, androgynous and 14322bf6c2 expressionless, gazed down impassively. The raised hand ece8697cc8 was empty, devoid f09964ec7e of any symbol.c5aa7028d21eb4d9
“I’ll begin my prayers,” bf935d50b0 Beatrice murmured.6536b206056a5851
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She glanced up 82d8d31e9e at the statue 90bd759233 of the Great c1f65a9d7c Deity for a 336f7adb85 moment before leaving 78a782dcbb Francis standing where 46f3c68a97 he was and be308a93fb walking toward the 1af0eebc7a altar. Ignoring the 2991dd2668 prayer pews, bc7acc0fbf she stood d75b23b2d9 directly in c7eea201eb front of 4471d4213d the low f8f52eed00 altar, her 82221ea8ab gaze rising 32db655455 to meet eabea3bf7d the imposing 2463b574ab statue.299611fcfd86c7c8
In her previous lives, 291d765aff Beatrice had visited countless 765277dddb temples, but not once 0c77733661 had she prayed. It wasn’t 2118eedb86 that she fb277f202f ‘disbelieved’ in 553d1fa789 the gods, 1b99e937a3 but rather 6957b887e2 that she d86787d4e5 ‘distrusted’ them.2370462591a46922
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Gods likely existed. After all, the events 90ac153e78 she had experienced defied 6d88bd0fdc logic.8e97916af223a7cc
But she never ec070ac2c1 believed they would 70ca6f05ad intervene on her 45ddfc0394 behalf. Thus, she had 9a4208945a never seen the 01dc59c443 need for prayer. Yet now, a whim be7015e46e overtook her—what if the eba266b1e9 gods responded to her 5ac3e87ee1 prayers?198ef74af98e9368
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A copy c3a0dc5547 of the 693a991ced scripture lay 056f1e5151 on the b4c427cfea altar. Turning it to face 424edd94de her, she opened it. As the pages unfurled, 9fdbc37a7f she began her prayer.d7e742c25344f18f
She neither closed 45c17c3ca6 her eyes nor de831e9bae clasped her hands 119db8ecb6 as others might. What is prayer, 6a926f6d51 really? A plea to the c2bfcaa15a divine, a letter, a def5ed40b8 longing, a lament, a ad719f2816 wish—all forms of unattainable abc4121f66 desires entrusted to something df2877de33 beyond human capability.4b80c8e5abe5670b
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To Beatrice, f12c7bc6b3 prayer was f5f646db2c just that.f7a00ec106aeb64d
She began reading 50c40a8c2b the scripture slowly 2a78e425f1 from the beginning. Much of it 589122cd06 was familiar—tales entwining 8234870b79 the empire and b2887feddc the sacred texts.e0774a5d9e5338e3
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She skimmed e9bb0f83e2 through the b264d0b955 words, meaningless b65fd02b68 to her, 4ba85d0b57 as if f324c412e3 gliding over 9f2e7fe6c6 the surface 7e51f9465c of water, ff9322c047 while inwardly fc4d75745f continuing a 1dee67fd1d “prayer” meant 6f55a94c8e for no dc1c9bfa95 one to f969473d01 hear.e37d3f2f181c52a5
The scripture recounted efc15d9940 how the foundation d1e7f32f10 of the empire 026b4d6834 was laid by f5b16921f5 ‘Abroros’, the first 7d3be75ea9 king of the 452ec7cfab Rosantium Kingdom, born 64dc38c530 during an era b1a07653b9 when the land 5a603c20c2 was teeming not 815abeab08 only with humans 065b44acc5 but countless otherworldly a87ed75094 creatures.cce5aade51bc2df5
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Long ago, fd792795f5 the term 9902202d2d “other beings” 62f3f942e1 did not 4b333f5496 refer to 804bce672a the long-eared ed43e9cafe forest clans 20a75b08b7 or the 83cd01be3c winged coastal 0d04da26c2 tribes as 952adfdad4 it does 4929d629ac now. Instead, it spoke 4fa66b08ef of entities far ec33da47bd beyond human comprehension, 262ad5ad75 with powers rendering 4ba2fd78f6 humans as insignificant 94f08797b5 as ants.6a3b6c30bf27df99
3e3e2cd1b711f92e
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