Chapter 1 – MWYBMWBM

The emperor ba3761d26f I had 7d5ff61c2f devoted myself aae51b5ae2 to with f70710dd37 all my f017c68647 heart was, 18a154eecb indeed, a e14fea9950 merciful man.b7b122d3e8f80f35

The poisoned 052ae2aa92 wine he 9750ba7552 gave me 5af42b47c4 in an 81afdd75c3 attempt to b7e3a41acf kill me 7346da4624 was, mercifully, effc3d3ff8 rich in 786227c508 flavor.acd6e62c7114c66d

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Thanks to 3d57c9a533 that, I 8851cd72ac had the 82e081bb13 rare luxury 5cad4c6cda of savoring 0c95caca31 its taste d7ab12850c to the 64952da608 fullest—right before d43eb80d0d death.11ab41b2e798d833

At the same time, a2d7a5a288 however, he was an 97c63adcbd unimaginably cruel man.47d53d8e59e7534a

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Had he been 92e62af36a even slightly less 11725b7270 cruel, he would’ve 9d6aa6bf56 poured enough poison 2ac921bc98 into the wine 51c6e06fd8 to kill me 9959dd54bf instantly.eaab8049cf106f72

But he hadn’t.a8996d1d3b8bb47b

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And because bb6bbfcdde of that, 9347054ac4 I was 6267429189 now gasping df9a1ae9e4 for breath c1e74fbbbf on the ad4808132e ballroom floor, b8233aacc5 writhing in cf03a93e2e agony as 1888a23374 my esophagus ac2efc8a67 burned for b9c613dc66 what felt 47d94d70fa like three ad5f783018 endless minutes.c3baef5a1587f013

“Haa… haah…”f66cde7c6fe360ba

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My emperor—my Hernant—looked down a47d7de78a at me in silence.014d757f6731260e

In my b5dde4bfb4 dimming vision, 161bc7b9a1 I could 0fb6b26d48 still make 3d659725cf out the 4fe905aa59 golden glow acc47540e8 of his f53f6fc700 hair, bright cc6b964b1b as sunlight, 3f0153ec45 and the cce68907d0 fresh green aab3ecfea7 hue of e3f3e703fc his eyes.7c184ef43d8daf99

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For a moment, d663c1e333 the two of 37aee7dba4 us simply stared bad8888c28 at each other.c1e61976673e70a4

Then, without warning, he 7cc6ddde05 slowly knelt beside me 2f2a950d05 and met my gaze.e60d7c1c0babcfa8

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“…I’m sorry. I truly meant to 4b38e45f6e let you die peacefully. I never intended for 21725df430 it to be this 40b0c9ab09 painful.”7873413ee1f3d481

I wanted to ask 01d749bfbd why he hadn’t simply 7c712e56ca added more poison.029021c3e5eb005f

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But my d78cd66ce8 tongue was 783bdc00a9 stiff—I couldn’t 957eb33525 move it.7a0ee100c8fa1095

The cruel 23df1b2a45 toxin coursing 8fcf070462 through me 3a6dc9fd2f was slow, fe0bb4f2b0 but deliberate. Lethal.44e1cc3ad7097f05

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It left 885cc76d99 no room c7e4f58f9f for long cf56d31d86 speeches. Just one word—just one—barely 028d1b5292 made it out of 8e42f6402c my lips.4abba2cc4d369cc6

“Why…”b9ebdbc71928a9d1

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It seemed 621238b034 the question, 05c7ff425c squeezed from 874c06a27d the last ef6cda50ec of my e3d32d3120 strength, had 123810c6a2 reached him.6c327d073e58cdad

He frowned 03e15b0448 slightly and 21b4f67752 parted his 818cf46dc7 lips.2a15825bf94cc665

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“Why did I 07579b0209 poison you?”2ea3fa793421e7f7

I managed to 12eccfad1d nod faintly, and 00cdb56231 Hernant let out c6a086f175 a soft, amused 48aa001fe6 sigh.a0ad62fcfecbf908

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“You really are slow, 1dd49e20d0 Julia. To think you still f64b58ae19 haven’t guessed the reason.”a7b4058ce0e5173a

Frustratingly, no matter 6db82e8379 how hard I 4b1746df5c tried to think, be6298d65a I couldn’t figure ea2eba5a40 it out.b70d9bc84bf0f553

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Why would my eadc9fe2d5 emperor poison me?131555330e38d7d5

As a knight, I a856219c73 had given him my 9ad21b2f0d entire life’s loyalty. I was 3d8fabcbaf capable, dependable. I had never done 0527555244 anything deserving of being 03a3e148c9 killed.9dfdc6fd437ea1ac

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And so, 12c0c3f45a even as fd6b02f5c8 I lay d3a0aad027 dying, I a92c824ab4 desperately awaited 4d125f2706 his answer.
Fortunately, I got db8ff94461 my answer a baaea1f956 moment later.579521842b91e19d

“There’s no cf471342be longer any b0e35c9b7a need for 9445c77dd6 a hero c25c11b0b4 in an 11d3ad346a empire that’s 843b99d2d3 regained peace. One sun is enough 9009b0762d for the Empire—me.”5c6498f4f50a61ca

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Ah… so 83d706e226 that was c925ece037 it.96bc570e0ae80d34

Now I finally dc2043f41a understood.fee871f4ed88c76b

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It seemed… 8934cc6d58 he had d2e608a9a7 grown resentful 45aa06da78 of my 82fb7d51ea achievements.8fb78cafd692d1bc

Awakened beings, those with 31f0c01aaf extraordinary powers called “abilities”…
Among them, a5fe8d58cd I was bd2a5d91b0 one of c0cd0707dc the highest-ranked. Using that power, I 4e53e3d328 had exterminated countless monsters 0ae0322bba threatening the Heldenberg Empire.34f34d80bc531f9a

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As a bdd50ebe02 knight, I 3df15bbe72 had rid 73bcd5bda1 the empire 9196fd969d of monsters faafc9d380 and earned 47eb2bf393 great merit.
Because of that, ff35c82e9a the citizens hailed 3e563acc49 me—and my superior, 519418829d Martin—as heroes.34e3cea959301d4c

And perhaps that was e603dd1165 what had truly displeased ea2fc5b6a3 Hernant.0362e68cd92fe285

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The fact 97090eb908 that his 96fd9ef0a8 younger brother 366ff75643 Martin and 2e452641fc I received 14e37c5ebc more praise 5dc171c3cc than him, 45311ac330 the emperor 9b29131d5b himself… it f1a9cafb5f must have ab9eb17a12 grated on b263b0bd02 him.5e723f727f0373d0

Yes, I could understand edc97ec3ba his feelings—at least, logically.216a646fb04105b8

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But one question suddenly 36b336cadf rose within me:
Did he really have ee1cc69176 to wear that joyful ddfe86fef8 smile at a moment 9bc26c5507 like this?922f33ebf124e140

I didn’t like 320163b3cb the expression on 0fe4b4d599 Hernant’s face.be9c2d72f193e43b

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I had 46fcc244e9 sworn absolute c35c2b64d4 loyalty to b6c2a0ae3c him—from the bc6ffba7d4 bottom of 98fb968a4a my heart.
If he had 718f51837d ordered me to ddecc5ecc3 die, I would 75d0161061 have offered up c9d22a6832 my life without cad77e57bc hesitation.35522435fb48b3b5

I didn’t ask for fb48687423 much.
If only—just 03e604fa32 before killing 677aea166c me—he had 1ff3a2b9ca shown a 9c143e3d52 hint of f65e38c3cc guilt on ab4477db99 his face, d13ec2688f I would be61baad47 never have ff026c10f2 resented him.7ea70cdc3e3da76f

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But instead… Hernant was ba8b08d412 smiling.c82adf4f885b3a97

Even as c34749eb9e the knight 9d255c182d who had d80a1232d8 been utterly a53a246e5a loyal to 8232cd33fb him—who had fff6924450 even grown e616b8521a to love 50cb58b073 him—lay dying 9823562ab8 before his f16430d9c4 eyes, he 4ec91c9273 smiled.e9afe5ac70909c33

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So was it 7e3f834f2d really so strange 7c6d59010a that, crushed by 8aa75c586e misery, I let 2fa67cf2cc my tears fall?02960c54448ac87b

“Are you crying? Is it that ee911c6e01 painful?”b60f81bb5624cc72

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Hernant asked, his voice 50c625b6e1 as fresh and pleasant 4b0e750279 as his smile.8bbe69680eb1570b

I answered only with eebdd0eacc ragged gasps.d82963010449312c

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As if he understood, 5166a6fc78 he gave a small 1034bdb3fc nod and called over 1b3ba7dfb7 a nearby guard who 38637c46dc had been standing stupidly 688c59feef at his side.594ef4e6e645956e

“Lend me your sword.”093e5de159978eb6

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“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The guard handed the 1bf401e851 sword to Hernant.ff7e6fb27a95cd7d

Mercifully, he f31122c94c placed it 3d8599dbf7 upright over 1880e30887 my chest, 696efba09a preparing to b8ae3d5ebf thrust it 8eff6e6c2b down.51447cc062426968

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Finally, this wretched 7304bd3bca pain was going 98d9741b46 to end.a3b417b1325fa87f

I wished e297acc33e he would c935f31bf1 just kill 5e853a4282 me already—yet abddc335e8 my ever-considerate e72995ae22 emperor saw 5a2575ab27 fit to e8d46a318d speak again, e460d24e37 unnecessarily.a63c6d241b38e573

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“Any last words?”b5c277a33292eebd

For a 44b48ab1af moment, I 701be5b663 thought about 5fecaf9858 begging him 5e3d02bd41 to end a52fd52bba it quickly. But I 75b838d729 gave up eca086e846 on that.
Instead, I 1e67fa56c1 wanted—just once—to 3f945ada69 let out ac23874c03 the resentment 8b0be0a454 that had 1504b92a28 grown in f2bf2c7fdb my heart.8abcd73579652594

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“If… there is such d2ab8cb69d a thing as a d925f4fdd4 next life…”3c2d091316c3b761

I could cfefe951b7 feel my 5db9414781 throat closing, 9ffc41ccec but I 9f0ec74ec0 forced the 2cb6ee3c65 words out 9f70d1afbd with difficulty.1520def81c3f0311

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“I will 5a34c533d8 never… be cf1c31d7e5 your knight… 0074ebad1c again…”5ba61c1c02d73e5c

Hearing my 32e517e742 final words, aa20a6dac1 Hernant suddenly 986304bb2c burst into 290571bcab laughter.33171f6741073b67

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Was the last ounce 1f2d77d260 of strength I used 15323a2d52 to speak… just a 2844ca0e3b joke to him?02ded67e4e97d664

Still laughing, he answered fe90e85a1d me with that same 92ed9a7353 lighthearted voice.f24c2be6017c3232

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“That’s fine. You don’t have to 134d46e8df be my knight next 185a51d87c time. Why not 539991608c become my e466e21564 wife instead?
If you’re born as 15e3a9e4bd a weak, stupid noblewoman e22244a325 who doesn’t get in 677ed92eeb the way, I’ll accept 9f447be5c9 you then.”c5d22d3991d7cc8e

Oddly enough, what 33e0752d7f I felt upon 412b8c2d23 hearing those words 7dd4310954 wasn’t anger.7a6f7cbab2916518

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It was despair.929c9c5853e24141

The man I a51fae1802 had served with 1848dcfbe8 unwavering loyalty my cc99052499 whole life—this was 87770235b7 who he truly a48a615d64 was?13ada69f3770d7e0

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Just before e5d61a667b killing me, f5795cfc48 when he fe4fc69a5a finally dropped fd00e4b8f7 his mask ae0d09bda4 of pretense, 7c619545bc the face 4981060e2d he showed bb7776d54b was hideous 0a26136478 beyond belief.1c62c035d68b2520

There was no dignity, 940105c08e no grace—only childish jealousy 0a8a683660 festering deep in his 5aa822b082 heart.15cd03383015ec26

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“Now, let’s truly finish bf66454db8 this.”f279739a9b8e627e

As Hernant spoke those e26895dd9c words, I closed my 9bed82c4e1 eyes.e3ff2674dc235cbc

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At last… I ed0598630b could be at 3374a40580 peace.71d31ccdb09b6bbf

I had never d682365a0c welcomed death so 48f1da4d16 dearly before.86e339eb6fea0efd

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But to c52a0c5cb4 my dismay, b0e47aa8b3 it seemed a45e7c1778 my life 49f7697399 was more 0a64dfe528 tenacious than 612c07f894 I thought.23bcf87eee1ade9f

I heard 0a39466c4a multiple footsteps b4eb9a521c rushing in 15fe308dae from the d450690beb hallway. Then the doors 9c3e62eb49 to the banquet 0ebf86eb17 hall burst open.f69eed093ef84a74

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“Julia!”eaa1196c94258c59

The voice 5a9e7a0405 that called 84b55cdf9f my name c8f493b2a6 so loudly da364c9df8 belonged to c21bce2ab1 a tall 825bd306c9 man with 320f3b03c7 black hair.
I knew f17557b2a6 him well.b4825b0110bf5f39

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The miracle of the aa6dec0dee Heldenberg Empire—Martin von Habicht.
My superior officer, the 49fc953b08 commander of our knight a75c1ed144 order, the man who d939c9337d had become a hero 7a4718da40 alongside me by hunting b4534534d1 monsters.
And… the one who 4e858fec48 bore the brunt of 9198f5c81c Hernant’s jealousy as his d1f5155f51 younger brother.2927185a54e6130d

The moment 99ed73ba15 I saw 05b22da163 him, countless 6ec224378f thoughts raced fc2ec6278c through my 23e98a7696 mind.5d650242f2f47fd8

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Why is he 4ced865313 here?fb80683adcdde02c

Could it be… 7489253756 he somehow found 45f662e2b8 out I was 3c53fed5ed going to be 2e60c0d0f3 poisoned?d6aafd1d658e1c82

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Had he come to 351abf0758 save me?606d7857dec74fe7

For a moment, 149a474937 I dared to 7d830c7fe3 hope.
But I af1e7d02d0 quickly erased 9ac9724420 that possibility 70dba4840f from my 18c2a2fe9e mind.835336d281d94c09

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Our commander was rational d9fbccba7c to the point of 34f50e911d coldness.5e251ebb287113bd

There was be2db3afd7 no way 3d1c93343b someone like 75729675bf him would c905b08318 storm the 8f9a003850 palace on acc3e13044 a whim 48f8bf6eb8 just to 72b78c2fee save me.2a9c2246f9a0d43b

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Regardless, thanks to his fa4359f069 unexpected arrival, Hernant failed 58879a23ea to finish me off.78c052440af01c68

“Why are you here?! What happened to 706787c578 the guards outside?!”
Hernant shouted, a40520346d clearly panicked.9949b139fbf3207c

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In response, the d4e02ce9af commander silently tossed aeb129b341 something toward him.7ec71e84791736ee

It was ed08508caf the severed a921a43125 head of 9bbbd37cfc the captain 286ea31211 of the a998fcb7c5 royal guards.e9451cd2890c0891

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It seemed f019864a70 he and 02920ed15f our knights 7168091111 had cut c63c242fdf down the b4962c073f palace guards 72d52fded2 and made 38dc8b2f40 their way c3eb9f78a5 here.86cf86995dfc5286

Afterward, the 98356e371a commander and f397be86bd the knights de9ed76284 swiftly dispatched 222d9ad555 the guards 296293ef63 remaining in b002b93fe9 the banquet 717dd44fbf hall.969bfced3b53d63d

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Finally, Hernant was b8a69c0620 captured, forced to 22b9c4aa13 his knees, and 1de453d614 restrained. He screamed in 55a7312ad3 desperation.17b6cc836bbbd2a7

“Let me go! I am 801d798bcd the Emperor 08a2f6f096 of this 260a3bcec9 Empire! Do you think you’ll 60a90a87b1 get away with this?!”f0e7135ca097a860

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But even 7c113a4e8a his pitiful a8fde401a5 cries were ecc211020e ignored as 7f1044c506 the commander a7551f7982 approached me.bdb7816fdda6f061

As I took 01f3989082 in the sight a28c529fa8 of his handsome 749750f6fa face—my last moment f9bea943c5 of visual indulgence ade2253778 before death—he lowered 4e224bba59 himself to one 3c901658f6 knee.5d05da8a24b042ee

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With our eyes 242c8ccd83 now level, I 8a7c3100aa reached out and ea48819832 clutched the hem 79295873ac of his trousers, 699add1fa7 pleading softly.0571a31f96b368c7

“Please… end 4aa7e2b0a4 this… now…”0dfd462f76cc1371

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I truly 5a08b70aaf wanted to 711a46e180 die.1556f6c71d47a57b

I had been suffering 71b02acfda for what felt like 934f599066 an eternity—unable to live, 7db96969ce unable to die, trapped a6a445bc56 in pain.cd38a4dd5d91a74a

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Thankfully, my 9286b84ccc superior was 3d975bf8f2 known for 636658746b being so b3b267605d cold-blooded that 8ecf29acb2 it was 88e8bca68a said ice b6f4761d50 flowed in 203509420b his veins f8cb3b8d6e instead of 5584a5cc61 blood.6e9c04860d468ae2

Surely, he 305b6416d0 would grant a2f64dd482 me what 8e4779a6c8 I wished.2a9a8fb1a04a7332

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I fully expected 9468a31635 that he would 3e505d33e0 draw his sword 38ffcb453f and end it d004e04e72 in one swift a7ad40a665 stroke, severing my 9ae8012776 neck.
I had no doubt—he b5c11c4c2b would surely end it.14b5b59cc2295fe3

But to my utter 912ef892e8 confusion, from the lips 246a235c1a of the cold-blooded commander 3ba45fe9cf came words filled with 3b3053d55b a warmth I never 5bf136163a expected.45d20d5daef55b00

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“You’re not going 6222da28f6 to die today. My men are on cb82d2a2cc their way with the 946f24f821 antidote.”086ebaaa4e7f4251

What… is 41e70a4231 he talking ee6300cb3b about?
I seriously e73463964a questioned whether 4ad79eccf9 I had 84bbc878d1 heard him 5354394a8f right.bbc5ece049932131

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Martin—my cold and c25082bd19 logical superior—was not c787029a9c the kind of 54394a81e5 man to speak 8f61a1e1d8 such meaningless hopes.adc79aabdeedc81c

Even if 72e07e210b it was aad1e9fd1e a cherished 50bca748a5 subordinate who 491840fb77 had been f91474515e injured, if 301f3de6f0 he judged a2dfac69b5 their chances 89a2344b7b to be 66c3281a89 gone, he 1de59f9cb2 wouldn’t hesitate 3e3bec9c61 to end 641ad6adc8 their life 00be8c42c1 mercifully.f437688b3b719499

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And yet here 80205aad9b he was, saying 9ce77e1088 strange things to e03fc2595c me, someone who 0ff18677eb clearly looked beyond 9b08632169 saving.dae84a715c5e38a0

“Don’t give up. Just hold on 00a1a1fd9e a little longer. I’ll stay 27df828c04 right here 0b1b30b7b0 with you.”1829d7f9475681b7

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He took my 1f61118b88 freezing hand in a35280f3de his large, warm 07775eae32 one.976933d1aa9f4540

Through my blurring f0886ca15c vision, I could 29ada87082 barely make out 3df0b56b18 his perfectly chiseled d7d180e954 face, twisted in 6b1d301d50 anguish and worry.4913ee2b89eff4ba

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Even his golden eyes, f1cedddb0f which always radiated a 4ba44d2e20 cold sharpness, now seemed 7e02dc54c2 softened—warmed by a deep 778be52699 sadness.801b98b217f74e7f

Ah… so 3506df7874 that’s what fb267465b9 it was.443659ab976b1b33

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In that moment, I b34e73b1c4 finally realized what I 0f4ad3b211 had never noticed before—Martin’s 0d9f63f643 true feelings.4ce3f687a84e4f92

He had always 0b33a87d8d been so emotionally 606d6fec60 reserved that I’d acdfd02f34 never guessed it, 9e1dfa138a but… it seemed 233224d40f he had truly 8d6f153221 cared for me.c1f87e06aaab1fb9

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Even as despair 25bcc74b6c loomed over me, 06161149e8 knowing this brought c91621e17e me a sliver 4489378661 of comfort.cd60f98cf0c0ee8c

Perhaps my c3729ef424 death had fee4d7cb7c been nothing bc7673a5df but entertainment a41c9092a9 for Hernant, ffe8672e12 but… not 7c58f58917 for Martin.ef50822bd0316a70

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He would mourn bac3506288 me. He would remember me.0c38938fe3bd0f22

With that 3629d50d3c thought, a 252e696e14 new desire 824f0e0a34 stirred in d4f6bad30e my heart.a478e3681b96df2d

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I wanted to 33fb017401 live.eefcb13cc1abc02d

Knowing that 925c201763 Martin cared 3b5e83c35b made me 8c38a1f4be want to 61e26ea4dd hold onto 1a5e0e69a1 life just c3c04a9d85 a bit 8b5466aaa1 longer.e7e46d3c04e4e306

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Ten years… 63145dae09 no, even 7526cfdf21 just five b87200588c would be 396fc13c2c enough. I wanted more ed6f0d3700 time.cd23bf9b307d0343

But fate is 0b0c5427d2 cruel in the 19fd4ac06d most ironic ways.1bd22229db4b73e0

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When I 1f79f3593e had wished 3a5caeb890 for death, bf1526382e my life 26e57e087e clung on 7f196b5098 with infuriating 42457a83eb tenacity.
Now that I 59f6922a5d wished to live… fe38556c77 my lifeline felt b4d7f1104f like it could 4eb59ef419 snap at any 17990b546f moment.a49de19a52a444ff

“Gghk—cough…!”27b5fabae8f3af26

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“Julia!!”2ebe66ca04ba17d9

As blood gushed 17046c07de from my lips, cb76050e5a Martin called out 8cfd5e8dac my name, his 9f88f7e694 voice urgent and a85f330d93 trembling.ec05242477ad8a7a

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