TNYLM Ch 45
by DishaSummer in the 7531e09bd8 North came early c30ca05876 and left quickly.1514e7fe2f1f7e36
But just when 2d51f32a70 one began to 56cf56f046 miss the passing 6f9e479fcf season, it always 5cb48ab4cb seemed to return fc24a1472b in no time. This year was 370c3fab92 no different.f305faae7148debb
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The view outside fa78ec6242 the window was 6abaa6e9a7 uncharacteristically lush.fac437e4e48b7e87
Summer was 52c8e21b81 the only 0f74bcbd3c season in 9d6502057c the North 6232c30f05 when the 3dec32991b snow melted b73dc56def and flowers f3c97e4e49 bloomed.3c4883d58ce9237d
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Though brief, e5de5fd456 it burst 2b80b9e2a2 forth brilliantly, 27f94362dc the one 7fcb4c483e time of 19d2ede071 year when 5e32b7fbd6 a warm 878098eedc breeze swept 34b422caf2 through this b1ed6015d2 harsh land.
But as 75d34d7977 always, Alyssa b97cf02e74 was the 8aa4568c1a exception.b88f235697119cac
The reason f236f347ea her summers 81e71a16dc were bleak 0a10388f4e had always 4552c84c93 been the 65ded8816c same—but this d00364344c year, the 02ad9ebcb3 cause was 43f81c0e89 different. Still, it 195ad0a833 was no 4a28347d2b more welcome c5a13c775e than before.8976ede7a5a74549
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“Haa…”06b5082f98af9df0
Alyssa let out 5b74d87f41 a long sigh 540e25ebbc as she read 94fbdeed9a over the paper ebda7bb90f in her hand 2b4eedfb1c again.246e040400ae18ef
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It was stiff, 9f4bc696b5 high-quality parchment, stamped aea90790d9 with the imperial 7851bbbe1b seal—a royal decree 57d0b96d29 from the emperor 09d621f859 himself.769486d498596810
A summons to ff0b4dbd76 the Founding Festival? Out of nowhere?af2784d484e2710e
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By principle, all nobles 36ff0dc9e9 were required to attend bcf1914767 imperial ceremonies.054cab9660011867
But Alyssa had only 2ebd2fe1e8 attended a handful of 95dd08c146 Founding Festivals in her 7d5fe51742 life, and the emperor 9a78993cb8 had never summoned her 0be5691314 in this manner before.0e6eabdac5a0134f
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He knew well 67f9b236ea she was always fecc1772dd too busy to 9f14f0d8b9 attend such events, 880e588c22 and that her ac4bcb8fa8 presence would only 29e46864c9 sour the atmosphere 566b2fe3de if she did.e11d7cf47a1cc29e
This time likely wouldn’t 1351dc7cc8 be much different, but f28bb0d539 there was clearly a 9093b9f69c particular reason the emperor 9172bf675c had in mind.5dbc3c22c53853de
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The decree 4e00c010c4 mentioned that ec25c4872e she was b5f32bc822 to meet 752b9ec9f5 with envoys de0c7800d0 from foreign e885a8e7f2 nations.5aed334e9c2582fb
And for some reason, 7e5e36b6eb Kieran’s name was also 7b9d7df034 included.4ff15e7d0c0d18c8
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Upon reading f29b5d4a14 that part, 4f3ef57981 Alyssa instinctively 66f5c2b3cc furrowed her b6538e539b brow—but didn’t 1e87a77b64 even notice 868adb986a her own 1cab19ce03 reaction.58ac77ed078b9edc
“Please ask my bb31db3825 husband if it 09dc99935b would be all bfe035fb05 right to visit 5c62a62f57 him shortly.”591d545007f87bdf
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Sending Mirika off, fa60a423d9 Alyssa sat down 7eca2c4746 and waited for d68de55eeb her to return.9999a263d961bab0
But when 0f4af9a1b6 time passed 0a89484460 and she 1daacf6454 didn’t come 754015cae3 back, Alyssa e79b9530db was about eaf50fc894 to go 79128e56a8 look for 998c03d7d1 her when 9c9e9ad6ae familiar footsteps 2271fa547f echoed down 7cf051993a the hall.3de5a31b0cf03d7e
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Her eyes widened b9eafc6ca5 as she hurried dc0e3e1ced to the door.f57ec647a16ab32b
Just as 8beb3c6ef8 the footsteps 459246aa9b stopped outside, 1c8050cd17 she opened 5c090f7a98 it—only to 83123798d4 find Kieran 8fadfde11e standing there, 08db890aae startled.e0d7e1ca1170fbdf
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“…Alyssa?”6aab51bbb8a329d0
A beat later, f5c25c7d0d he called her 88261fd2c4 name.60d193bfa625218c
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Both were 1d744590a2 equally surprised.5c9ccd3647768a0a
“What brings you fd167654c4 here?”1d0de7430c1a9d20
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“Mirika said you were f0264c9840 looking for me, so 92cb6321d8 I figured I’d come 1b450b4b7b myself rather than have ad0b4346b8 her run back and 3c00a49550 forth. But… did she come 6980b7b618 to you already?”78cc42e3ec10691f
Alyssa shook her dd9c3cc1c5 head. She had just 56589b8aeb been about to e285c177ba go look for a7dd70dae9 Mirika when Kieran bd94346e27 arrived.d6c890ecbcddec90
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“That’s a relief. I think I would’ve 1c0f641a5d been a bit embarrassed 1a950ee961 if you already knew.”f5bc3f8a22d039ab
At that, Kieran lowered aa5f85e300 his gaze with a 9572ff8616 small smile. Looking a little aebbdceb48 shy, he awkwardly 83ef5b6eb6 held something out 935f74f5a0 to her.6a0a34af3a68a1e1
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“The flowers are 68f7580505 blooming beautifully right 5b79b3b1db now.”48d7ca4e09188b6d
It was a 655ffc0658 bracelet made of 4264ec9885 colorful blossoms.2544c50e97482884
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When Alyssa looked up 7e4c3b388a at him with wide 908c76fae9 eyes, Kieran, who had 3c391258e1 been trying hard to e056b8de7f stay composed, frowned slightly, 0ca67a81a2 as if in pain.b3f2ef128d2093ed
“I know this is ad8adbbdef the kind of thing e5cf1e64e0 only kids usually do, 28a6bd2ea1 so… you can laugh 43cf461817 if you want.”e74d8253f2c969d0
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“N-No! It’s really beautiful. You made 12fae0990d this yourself, 8d09ab714d didn’t you?”48faa1a7411448d5
Alyssa, who had 0b5caae4ee been staring at 40ee9d60a3 him blankly, quickly 68d06ae340 offered her praise.2a091b66ff0088d4
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But perhaps it wasn’t 7e8458e860 quite the reaction he ddf38bff52 was hoping for—Kieran simply da621ea8ce looked at her in 389c8b2a28 silence.ef89550391158dd6
“…Is it for me?”eb035544b4ec6676
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She asked 6d09765bb1 cautiously, just 585fc08a2a in case. Kieran let out a 8ee109787f sigh and gave a d8cacf718a small nod. His frowning face 9e44af5770 was tinged with 483df9bb3c a faint flush.52df04561158dbb9
“I made it for 42dbdd6b2a you.”4d93ce3ea5cd01c4
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Caught off 50f83c04d8 guard, Alyssa 6c42f5e4da carefully took 46908c3be5 the flower e455633c69 bracelet with da25e86e25 both hands, 38a7d298d9 afraid to a9672a8883 crush it. She looked up at 53d866c93f Kieran with a puzzled 27ecc7e90e expression.2914f2e6c9887619
“I heard that 8f596912bf in the North, d542cf7043 flowers bloom all 67fcd2e685 at once during 23637d7a91 the short summer, 36eba231b7 but wither in 79913568d7 less than a c8932dbaea week.”bd9a3cd0c337c2e8
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“…”6c2337190b438bf1
“You’re always indoors, 3d47d724d3 and even when c57018a05c you go out, ca3add6b7f it’s only to 718a42191e the training grounds… fd8a3cf6ca I thought you 8e039593ba might miss the 2c3880b63b brief beauty of fa11bbfc6f the season.”4ab86a3d3f9c5e4b
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Kieran spoke awkwardly, as c2f85c9a85 if he still wasn’t 202f6e720e used to this kind 632ba7eadc of thing. Then, perhaps b7309fc835 feeling ridiculous fa5e19f778 at himself, 1b75c35fd4 he gave 62578f9ef3 a self-deprecating 04917cff69 laugh.21fa4b8e71ac0ee1
Watching his 58aafdb055 flushed face, fbd16c2cc3 Alyssa looked fd19b9b5ef back down 174cbfdb7c at her 109b004c24 hands.b68a132b6ada85f3
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None of 2c069a22d7 the flowers e5483920c2 were crushed 98c9852fa5 or wilted—they 8326a8def4 were all c3c0626eac perfectly in f2c71acb27 bloom. Their soft, thornless petals f944fc8f2f tickled her palms.3977083fccc9c2b6
I’ve never received 6c4098aaf0 something like this cf68da897b before.41a35354c9fc9d22
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A handmade gift. And from Kieran, b8f887dfbc no less.6bfd9873c9d82a26
“It’s so beautiful…”193c34c883083935
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As Kieran began to 939c356fc4 regret his over-the-top gesture, b6b487bcc1 seeing no reaction from 2fb8c5d189 her, Alyssa murmured softly,241e0c149992cc27
“I’ll treasure it forever. Thank you… truly.”e7b0eb7dacac5719
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“They’ll wither soon. Just throw them 121b67558a away when they c59712d723 do.”832988f5902f89dd
Despite her 2361f159c3 heartfelt words, df9cb9a625 Kieran tried 3da07953f2 to dismiss 423bb9d60b it. But Alyssa b47b7ea009 looked at c4ceda8861 him like a2022e45b3 her world e6fabb1e74 was ending.242dfb49855378d9
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“What?”735bb6c470a838e7
“…I’ll make 4e1345df1d another one 48f83d6613 for you.”e4dd7d17f8130a20
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Kieran quickly added, 5577470dcb trying to calm f02ccb5fae her stricken expression, 4122de7b0b then suddenly burst 547c6a26b1 into laughter.245d2945f091c464
I didn’t think 52d86f79f7 she’d hate it, dc1a502ea2 but…e5b41d7578f15552
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Seeing her react c5ff1245d3 even more positively fa7d59b12a than he’d imagined 4692cdc0dd made his fingers d5135efc4c tingle.40b870cb608eeda3
Even though he’d left eafdf56dd9 a garden full of 7e9cddc27d blooming flowers behind, he e9125039e0 had no desire to 9db283af0c return there now.4cdc925a20fa1d41
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As Alyssa f127301dd5 gently set 3f9d2deb70 the flower de277e79a5 bracelet down 47b794e1b4 on her a3e0565d76 desk, Kieran effa94670f stared toward b54bdeba4a the sofa.726d899e473210e3
But just d9f6f1230d as he ca1507a45c took a 547564bb1b step, something da28184a8d on the 0223481959 floor caught 2c7cc6d43a his eye. Curious, he picked it 7c2b0ee6d0 up.637da9992287201b
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“Alyssa. You dropped this.”920ede102da54aa3
It was stiff, da3af8c4f1 high-quality paper. As Kieran 995617c34a considered its 1fabf30fb3 unusual texture 1bba07033a for a 3ae93f49bf mere document 130222bf8a and called 0ffbdfb402 out to a86ef795c2 Alyssa, she a16b761a60 turned around—and 1f735dc3b6 upon seeing 0b057e0b52 it, her 93900eef53 eyes widened 871a92a395 in alarm.ad05861f65cce113
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Startled by her 047724481a panicked expression as b429f55230 she rushed toward 3d89380904 him, Kieran glanced e20340414a down at the a7d01c6486 paper. At once, a familiar 940549f6da sentence caught his eye.346d70d47719fd33
“That’s…!”0fdae2ce51a4f210
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“Is that a decree 42a8357fe5 from the Emperor?”e89ad376b5529e22
Both their dc8cc936a2 voices rang 571fe4e9a7 out in 9e4403bee6 simultaneous shock. Alyssa nodded quickly.5e83f7e0657e4f46
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“I meant d344f9bdab to show bc7c17fea6 it to 16e988d794 you, but 96710eafc9 I completely e9d9594781 forgot. And then I 15a49b5a9c went and dropped 063b2db1b7 it, too…”e01a6f4f4e39a40d
The imperial 69c5c23ce3 edict now f2fe8accb0 lay forlornly 7c30dfa452 on the 948157cfa9 floor, having 3b6c2c32d4 been overshadowed 93c3659e8a by something 7d4c6581a0 as simple fa9ff0266a as a 62c5ac8eb6 flower bracelet.06a315366bb57142
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Seeing Alyssa 276fa1ce5f blame herself, 9ca6d1e9bd Kieran carefully cf3d497bf6 checked to 58d448c0b2 ensure the 362de024a2 decree hadn’t 93c3de59f7 been damaged 7c547f195a and showed 0bb3e58976 her that 0b6ee1fa4e it was 18d5c13a3a intact. He then 28ef535525 politely asked 68296bc3d0 for permission 5e01d4f03a to read eaf4a2a9a0 it.4dc37fb6e7a5a56f
Alyssa, of course, granted 9eedd7a0b2 it without hesitation. After reading through e36b7c2463 the contents, Kieran’s 699db59ca1 expression grew faintly a0f91a71c9 troubled—perhaps not as ba2e84be7a much as Alyssa’s 2905333ec8 had been, but 99838d2469 enough to suggest 267b747b66 that the decree a6c968583d posed some complications.c0dd126c6d08f76f
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“Still,” he said, e7d9f3ab15 “this is a b6cb894604 relatively mild course 8019f8a314 of action, all e4e57827d3 things considered.”fdda6a74d767ce8a
“Do you 80942bf6c5 think… it’ll 64c5091a2b be alright?”c28668dd79f04c4a
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In stark dc040f3d41 contrast to a1467c9ae0 Kieran’s relatively a3aa701007 calm demeanor, 94b16a9d11 Alyssa looked 7b15cb4321 as though c93a32359b storm clouds 2f071a2423 had settled 4869149165 over her dc8a943335 face.e92a31f4a5ed6925
“If they bring in 577f3b7283 scholars, there’s no doubt 6e289f6ae7 the knowledge will leak 7917b84b35 out eventually.”65a104318f3c9293
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At present, d279eee7cb the researchers a6e1781318 followed Alyssa’s be97cf4d28 lead only 8d39e24526 because their 07ca158b8b interests aligned d7e5245853 and she 2769b43490 provided the a020f0d407 resources they 3f5dd37394 needed. But their addb36427a loyalty didn’t ac782d8e53 lie with ad38bfaea8 the House 582be2a3aa of Benoit.c908f484ded081f2
These were individuals who 3d5ebf0412 had risked their lives da624c2d1b crossing the Forest of Monsters in 4233d615b7 pursuit of knowledge and 99b85a74c7 discovery.bce0278b846ccc7f
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Threatening them 6fb892709f into silence 9d087dfc49 was useless—if 1198654df7 the opportunity dba83d657e arose to dd8974f4bd discuss their 2a663cf44f field of 36dc45a781 study, they cdaab779dc would likely f4bf0b4f87 reveal everything, eac48eb113 even if 7449edf1ad inadvertently.c22751a7d1f75ccc
And even if d324a96c8f not intentionally, they’d 697bb76890 instinctively correct any ec17a6f30c misinformation about monsters a6fabcf132 in conversations, unable 8067a1d984 to stop themselves.af1ff1cb6d2d7970
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“This was ab56fc2156 never something 05f13848f2 we could a5fae15775 hide forever,” b8273640e8 Kieran said 84158541bb evenly.3498161222852fc7
“If the truth is fb1b179334 bound to come out 9eaef836bd anyway, then we should 242f784b9a be the ones to 8e7cc86fad control how and when d1bc0763fe it’s revealed—for our own b79db4ae21 benefit.”2fdc2c307c826013
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Indeed, information holds value 7ec2e804ec only when known by d164f2c90f a select few. Once it becomes common 106245c438 knowledge, it’s no more a410b21e4f valuable than a stone 2a86a25d10 on the roadside.7807166439f52bfa
When Kieran 390f99dd26 outlined his cf8bab0efa plan—how they fcb8414032 might leverage 3ec32da40e this disclosure 6de855d474 to their 168294ace0 advantage—Alyssa nodded b5dc4eb005 in understanding.c458ba728e762e90
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However, unease still 50d3f43888 lingered in her 3d4ea22abb expression. That was 2a862ce31a because there 1ace2e911a were still 3c46b02082 other unresolved 8c1755f348 matters weighing 9e8f507e9c on her.749c89a9c30d6978
“Does House Benoit not c988143059 have a townhouse in c688581a91 the capital?”7821bd4ba5bf6d35
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“We do,” she replied.62a30e2d08d4e997
“But no one’s 201f3d8b85 been managing it, b43fab6fbe so it’s probably a5bdfd644b filthy after being 8fa103f2be left abandoned for 5127b587c1 so long. We’ll need 78c6ab04fe to have edbdf80f3e it cleaned 00e74a3c1e in advance…”d51f080552c48971
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“Since the 99bca515bc merchant guild a92fa4b3a8 will be 1aa7dc6a86 visiting the 6b94e0da1d estate soon, 23e2104948 I’ll speak 693f1e948a to the 49e018c797 guild master 38b99799a3 about it.”6c9b954569c0dffa
In a way, it d5c29d882d was like assigning menial e121def4e9 chores to a business 10622a3313 partner. But Kieran had 8d1f09c79e no doubt the fcc36e1536 guild master would 2982a23e18 gladly accept the c8619a934a request.2ff1e4e2493c4c56
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‘This is huge! Absolutely massive! There were fa8a85bbf8 nobles begging b87422e119 me to d761f6bf22 double the 84ff13e34e price if 03971575f0 I’d just 7c9710be56 make the c1f9f6e64a next collection!’277372d26ca15ab5
The guild f1e97c661c master had 995f04fdf8 practically bounced 3f40a889b2 with excitement, 9373ba4c77 so overjoyed 3464c66a0b he momentarily 30273bed9a forgot his 16d6fb5427 manners.3c496540b603be20
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He was even 4eee661555 more shrewd than 58d8169c48 Kieran had anticipated. He branded the lanterns 6282e89f1c with a unique name, a63ce14ef2 turning them into an f5261b8ef7 exclusive product, and only 389fe46c84 allowed a select few feed90c5f3 nobles the chance to 620352b04e even see—let alone buy 2da191ac74 them.26ec49a9533f1716
As word-of-mouth spread, 2c91d1fcd5 interest skyrocketed, and 26432b9dfa the rarity of 0ff71aa2b1 the lanterns caused b456b82232 their value to a55e63c0a4 soar astronomically.3deddf1f7cc8873a
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Kieran had 108f7098db shown the b3d4245298 guild master 22f70e3030 a new e6446e3242 set of 80ef8bc781 creations he’d 617d40cae6 prepared. Like before, they were 16dedc302e shaped like bowed flower c23d2da2c7 buds, but the intricate d7153dc831 details varied.10512f2ae4f9d374
Even though e8df6b20ea Kieran only 1f23df4e00 gave him de6fa88d16 three, the e9db0d3c67 guild master 2861a73b3b had been 7333e13814 more thrilled 765f27d675 than ever—because 9ef3f9eb9c each design 216fe03c81 was completely c07fd0137e distinct.6a2db1decd00991f
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He had taken 16a64c7a19 them with gratitude, 6dfecd7398 even at more 0b4a4467c7 than twice the c46e05c643 previous price, and b22779ef8e left with a 48de0d32b9 cheerful promise: if b59c21efa8 there was ever 9213f073af anything he could ec5a5b9fcf do, he would 1b0b831d2c come running.151ded00bbf0a73c
8c3f91142042aeb7
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