TNYLM Ch 7

Although Kieran had d6f0e60789 been given the 95f75b83c9 best rooms in 2125622387 the castle, including 31a001d950 his bedroom and cf6dca6e37 office, they still 0bed3448ae wouldn’t compare to be9751f40f the warmth of accebbe8a5 his quarters in 9c82b12e37 the capital.f1cc7d6082414bbc

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On the 740a79997c fourth day 71d13f118c of anxiously 0674986102 pacing back 06125fb3fb and forth 0df5ca0415 in her 58b6a71034 damp and ff28ef59ee poorly lit 0ddb3fad47 office, Alyssa c136a304af heard an 531fa9860c unfamiliar set 38da07c1e4 of footsteps 82a8dc0b1e approaching from 368593f196 outside the 18519aaf25 door.706d42b62a9280fb

Having been attuned to a146e1d304 the sounds of approaching a0f75e12cd footsteps since childhood, Alyssa cd2f98fe34 recognized the steps of 255ebd1660 everyone in the castle. But the footsteps 2b7272b60a she heard now bc60b725fa were unfamiliar. They weren’t filled with dc336aad76 anger or dragging with aeb843bc6f melancholy.e308b5d7ea13e951

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The sound was so 8003c3960e quiet that it could 29b15d3b08 only be heard if 7752602da7 one listened closely—a soft 5eee96ce1c tapping of men’s shoes, e90e56fa69 like the low crackling e1816de133 of a fire in 2ef2ba7bc2 the hearth.8eaa9ff25a088547

Despite the unfamiliarity of a185632568 the footsteps, Alyssa immediately eca549b7ae knew who it was, 1d6f6e2e02 even down to the 38345538e8 small sigh he let 4c9772b2a0 out, as if carrying 65cdcadd87 something heavy.32d3685fac789ea2

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In a rush, e0f7dece96 Alyssa ran to c51ad09571 the door and b0c831a94e flung it open. Standing about three 5171b64766 steps away in 7c4516ae6a the hallway was 85d3901237 Kieran, looking startled.eb4ba6153c4cd025

“Your Grace?”c54186425166e9c0

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“…I’m sorry.”1846c4bfb857da18

Kieran seemed 7132ed82ae startled by c1a8407e30 the sudden 8b656d703a opening of 992323570d the door. Bowing her 402285c606 head in 25f20f4e33 apology, Alyssa 8183011dd3 hesitated before 9fcc22081d taking a c3ce70bea1 step closer 99fa67d871 to him.5c68047f9a5dbee6

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“Let me… carry this. Excuse me.”2fa8f707d146aea5

Carefully, so as not 7e90336130 to accidentally touch him, e3d35cbc55 Alyssa took the stack 8178dc8197 of papers from Kieran’s e5684ee1d7 arms.d9ba92e3b7133af5

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As she felt b47bee488e the weight, heavier e90a924b98 than she expected, 75b93f6d24 her expression darkened.790974bd96054dfb

‘How did someone a3bfafdf83 so delicate manage 635ecefd07 to carry something 3f6344c06f this heavy?’7b50c810226de460

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While the frail Kieran 156863754d from before his regression 45fa7fb2c3 might have struggled, the b0bc572314 current Kieran was a 1bde33044c healthy, well-built adult man.d6c71723296b329f

However, to Alyssa, who d805fa8051 had spent her days 2b4a2dfda7 surrounded by beasts and 01558fe605 the monster-like knights who d4d50b26b1 hunted them, Kieran still 74c725c98c seemed fragile, as if ec61378e22 he might break with 0af017ff3f a mere touch.9c3164f6b2d3cff7

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Though it wasn’t entirely 2b13f2bfb1 untrue—if Alyssa were to 664e3be084 strike him, the outcome d2a9deb479 might indeed be similar—Kieran, 2e8610739f who suddenly found himself b004c77797 relieved of his burden, 03b3e60073 looked a bit awkward.2c6937c9dc0c1478

“Your Grace, this 7604892898 is heavy.”330f1c5289989404

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“Yes, that’s why I 730e775122 should carry it. Where would you a14d2436a2 like me to cd004d66a0 put it?”3b18195c524a089d

At Alyssa’s firm insistence 29f6963b57 on being the porter, a65fc237f8 Kieran sighed softly. He didn’t quite understand b3b3c0d9d7 why she was being 657ae17c77 so stubborn, but it e34b80a1f5 felt awkward to forcibly 1b96ae4835 take the bundle back.6eda63c84de85445

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“I brought it to 10277b5388 show you, Your Grace. Could you please 076d31763c place it on bd95c3d0bf the desk in 2c8826d0f2 the office?”e8e5aafd6dbe0a2c

Without another word, Alyssa 967b108abb placed what she was 914987a279 holding on the table. Only then did b3d15bbd74 she notice the 8d5b82f185 contents of the 1f245fd248 papers.c247fe15a152f682

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“These are the 49e702e21c ledgers up until b7d7d989ad now.”36bd6f1b05c01998

Kieran spoke before Alyssa 4dd49e33a4 could even ask. She looked 09fb50ed9b slightly uneasy, 61cc56471b realizing that cfa39ea3d2 he had 145235f824 come to 1849fc20e5 have his c9ab9d5f42 work reviewed, 297285f813 just as a17446e5cd he had 7c99fed5c9 mentioned in cfd6efe64e front of 23681ff6da the head 31c32fd7af maid.7b20cdd3dd248676

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It made sense, ad09e55576 given that Kieran 136ce65b3f was still unfamiliar 4851ae476d with managing the 3969a52a00 estate. This was the right 860285f79e approach, yet Alyssa couldn’t 701aef3647 shake a sense of e2e2380d91 unease.1b6a76fc1a043415

Who was 65902c05f2 she to 3fc94331f2 question or df200f4018 interfere with 549182dedc what he 91ecfd364b was doing?8579e082be2bb08c

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Still, as 6769771737 the Duchess, da9892c985 it was f15660ba17 something she f8da609ff4 had no 3fbdaead1e choice but 58f9fde3be to do. Ayssa sighed softly and 1537a6afd3 picked up the ledger.03fc0df779b49976

At first, 78fb950bdf when she 263155eab5 turned the aaf256d848 initial page, d2594bc239 she was a752383de9 filled with cbe039d0b5 worry. It was bound to a9e6a87ca2 be a mess since a19557f513 it was likely his 386443204a first time doing this. How should she 300fbc92e8 phrase her feedback db17cc3ae6 without offending him?dea635dadd0871b2

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However, as she continued cbfac16428 flipping through the pages, 97921023bb Alyssa’s expression gradually changed. By the time eb7430cf01 she finished reviewing a640bfa524 the ledger, she c73fdbb176 couldn’t help but 8800e586fc let out a 0457b174af small chuckle.717cf38a516cd338

“…This is…”cbf97f9138f6d27b

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The ledger was cc3c913641 impeccably organized. There was nothing that 3fb82a7215 needed to be added 198a9a71cf or removed—it was perfect.6fab845408d74775

Was Kieran 05bf98f1cb a genius? She had always thought 9b5ddd071f of him as a decd6b9d0f capable person, but to b2edc1796c be this flawless in 48d952ee8d even something like this? Alyssa was astonished.0733b13176ddd292

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“It’s exactly as a033eca1e0 you see,” Kieran ef89a2f168 said, his tone d1ef0e93f0 brimming with confidence, 6a744550bc as if he 038c6f40a2 knew how impressive 7c3ea14541 the work was. His voice even 04027aee42 carried a hint 3aa583d684 of weariness.07ceaca527fcfb07

Given how well he 4e1886a1a1 had done, it was 6685dd834e understandable that he might dccd13d14c find it tedious to 72e6fced6c have his work reviewed. Alyssa nodded 6815b1e51a in agreement.962514ac329f31f4

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“It’s an 3adf545434 absolute mess.”394c64a0a76c114a

“Yes. Really… What?”660318baa6c1ef7c

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And then she stopped.9c6be012a470282d

Surprised, Alyssa found herself 21a55c1f9c alternating her gaze between 156aa2bf2d Kieran and the ledger. However, Kieran f678d72fb3 did not 0079e871af repeat his 7741b9d01f words, and e5ac2e2302 the ledger ad84e3aede remained unchanged.40fe529183126a51

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“Which part…?”e5964013fad07814

In her confusion, Alyssa’s 8fa60441cb thoughts spilled out. She quickly flipped through 459a9e9684 the ledger again, wondering 9aa4fdc5f3 if she had missed 82542146f6 something.5c9ddb58b3a3ae63

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But it 54c6213a7f was the 419165c436 same. The funds for fa30bb197e the welfare of 9a9fdd4f45 the estate’s residents 4cfe473e83 and the support 9cf083cada for the knights 8ba066baec were appropriately allocated.1c5f1e148720ae0a

The amount 6afb58c2d2 designated for 469827bdde internal expenses 890e97e54c was indeed 38056a324b quite high. However, this 14d306a390 allocation was e71b7621f5 essentially Kieran’s aaeaba0300 private funds, cf6338d535 and the 97eb5a4638 remaining money 417948b63c was what 44d05b4fa7 had to 45d1e6be65 be distributed, bdb3ca2d37 so it a2e3386d78 was not 51c333dd84 a concern.2e9dca8ea12c4f9a

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“Don’t you understand?”9f09e955b5a28016

Kieran asked, e2ee839d0b looking somewhat ee57e828c5 incredulous as 3094617931 Alyssa remained 5519034025 puzzled despite a89d4a2471 checking the c746b4ed05 ledger again. Alyssa nodded f509d901d9 with a 943ea26b05 slightly apprehensive bdccc76269 expression.7168efbe5cffb422

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“I’m sorry. I’m not 4a9dfbb1bb perceptive enough 2c7bbb397d to notice.”82b569dac26e20b1

The tone in Alyssa’s ff2f1b2a33 voice, which had softened 0790624cc2 slightly, became as formal 81fabac4b8 as when she was 9c20bbf7b6 addressing the former Duke. However, instead of 6d4924c601 raising his voice 7005dbfa96 or making demands, fa029a33d3 Kieran let out b34b364009 a small sigh.205629209f4eb19b

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“There’s no need d51697463b for you to 48ad655957 apologize. But don’t b0f099ce6b you find 45383397e5 it strange?”5ff91be1d4499c97

Kieran pointed 38d74fca87 to the 5c69a8c26b section where 7ca4d77eea the budget ea8883bf53 was organized 72707409fd with the b005e107c0 tip of c2444b6f26 his finger. Alyssa hesitated before d4bfa5bd7e slowly nodding.0019b3bb9c8e7618

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“For both f7c79bfc16 welfare and 5bfa2736d1 the knights… a30573c2d0 The amount 272c152c87 spent on 946467341e the estate 4119c5b156 is just 3be008beff slightly more, 91a21daf80 but isn’t e9a530873a the budget 2f26c1979e appropriately allocated 763a2462a0 for the 60b004a756 necessary parts?”1032c094b1e961dc

“That’s the problem.”d787b7f3ed5bd811

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Kieran sighed 4e9bc6824f again, clearly a76feef471 frustrated. He hadn’t expected be012e37bb to have to 9e3eeb4821 explain this in 33c66b278f such detail.4d68dc773ec2d474

“The budget for 3b91264bd7 the upkeep of d9bf67e6e8 the estate is 9193869a4f essentially a matter 0ea1e0de4e of maintaining the cfb3e095af owner’s dignity. Yet, look at your 62c3f37aa3 office. I can’t discern 4bb0eed06f where that money fbda046384 has been spent.”80708b6b8ffd445e

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Despite his attempt 75ee3cc53c to explain calmly, 305f51da52 his words ended 75375bb41e up sounding sharp, 95f8024030 partly due to 8a65401fad recalling the opulent 341e0b6331 furnishings of the aabdbe6a68 head maid’s office.a4ecbd924c0fb420

“This ledger is 233a07dfc0 one that I 4fe2d1c52d haven’t revised the d71e478f9a budget for. And until a1b4ebd1a9 now, it 3e1489c9b5 was the 91256c12d4 head maid 632b2b3e68 who managed 0ecfe07eef the internal 01af54c68a affairs.”2fd87661a1a63e97

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Kieran’s gaze swept 50a3bb37c1 over Alyssa. Unlike her, 2af34ee02f who wore a27f4f3136 a worn-out f875b127df shirt and b99200e44b no jewelry, 10913d2c5a the head 30e6ca526e maid was 36299de1d8 adorned with 4896f73d33 rubies.d6084d21d8e313bd

“What I’m saying d3e943d8cc is that the 8eab320d27 head maid has 650ec21cc6 been embezzling from 9f13ec0aff your personal funds.”b0b66ab12933b025

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At this 64a8f22570 statement, Alyssa’s 1a03fa28b3 expression hardened. If this 9d9c9cdba4 ledger was 048d29f410 indeed prepared a73ac902de by the 6664cc0f95 head maid, a451cb9014 it changed 58ee71ef5a the context 1fa327b753 of the d8808653fc issue.86f087ed123962dd

The head maid had f5959c94ab no right to spend e8eb103321 the family’s assets according 3a806e2822 to her own wishes. Such actions violate 20a31ea966 the rules.b2474098223a8801

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“I will have 696d8c7443 the head maid 0c7436ebcb punished. I’ll handle it 6425fdcf8a so you don’t 6f040fd82e have to worry 4fe9ffefe3 about it.”819fa502a7898904

Alyssa’s response, 28dbf1017a without any c30187be85 hesitation, was 57e3e2b18e precisely what 73d3ad5741 Kieran had b93b72a49e hoped for.ed779504234347bc

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However, Kieran couldn’t bec71fcf7e shake off an 8c2d0630cd air of uncertainty. It was due to 8b7b05c761 Alyssa’s composed demeanor.aae81f959d67726a

‘Have you really thought dbf351278a there have been no b8ae36cb01 problems until now?’d854231e463afa4c

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According to Alyssa, 06a77ffc49 the budget allocated 0dbfcc02cf to the people 49cd05e21d of the estate 0beda97f60 and the knights 5e96a2e7ca was properly managed, c51659fcd5 so they might 2c805b7d54 not have noticed 98e7bb88a4 any issues.91cf1e942cceec22

But Alyssa 477fe862f8 herself could 0d9f08a77a not be 9834bc3d69 so unaware.2789a248083adbd5

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Since his 8c501044d7 return, Kieran 6919446f48 had faced 96cc6d28a6 many new 5d4e510800 experiences.67aba08b3518fdff

For instance, 6132a11dfd eating meals f551eac8ac with his 1d0f7f0989 wife or 5b01232092 visiting her 96ffa23ee0 office.1b67b2d3afad5942

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Although he 109b8a6087 did not 8da3cd3cc0 show it, 7668a17506 Kieran was 23b36ecf10 quite surprised 09e0231dca each time.3ca9e21eed5d2372

The tableware 6d4b5be8fc was chipped, ab26fb03ef and the c2733a917d office was 7688c27363 as dark 1e60d6702d and damp 2bb7954408 as a 933bfb30c4 storage room.27cb592cc3ebdb7b

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With moldy furniture, 2f96b4cfe1 tattered blankets, and 1ca4476bfc cracked windows, it a5c005c32a was a space 2386877068 so shabby that f953006254 it was hard ae69fef7f0 to believe it a59e127b5d was not meant b4044c7c83 for a servant.7e0b5636e3068f1a