MFFS | Chapter 1.3

His dazzling blonde 3941049ef4 hair, straight forehead, b1f2c66dc3 and thick eyebrows e1da6724b6 framed deep eyes 047e5ad4e8 with jewel-like green d40260786e irises. His sharp nose 96a231f9b8 and perfectly sculpted 503a13dc8c jawline gave him 441b697415 a sleek, strong, 21f4966440 and masculine impression.2df666ba17617164

His physique was exceptional ef549eb3fe too. Taller than most knights, d9215ab7f4 with broad shoulders and 6586acf163 long, muscular legs, he f29719dcdf stood out wherever he 2fbffd4011 went.ce027913fbbe9f2c

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His face had c7ab2f1153 the cold beauty 9f63e7d4b8 of a classic 214a3a0b5d handsome man, and 33ed2c1bd2 perhaps due to 5d7bc0a196 the power he 7fe17e32dd was born into, ced977f8a8 he exuded an c6772f696c indescribable aura of 04943d2812 authority. Some compared 1b6440e9d1 meeting him 41ecd9c78a to facing 3f16f0b634 a graceful 25d74f388b leopard or a527886e28 a giant 798dc06534 silver-furred wolf 13b3724433 alone.f30d0741a7c21901

‘But it’s fascinating how that leopard and wolf act like a playful cat and dog with me.’aff4b77c404341ca

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People around us find it curious that such a handsome man is so devoted to me, and honestly, I think so too. At first, I didn’t quite understand why he acted that way.42973c5f5188f8f7

― It’s because I love you. The one who falls in love first is the one who clings. Animals court like that too, don’t they?8f2ac5aada9f59fe

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He had d8d8d24b60 looked at 74fb927819 me with d98acb09aa a subtle 1754f831de expression, then ce52aa66b9 smiled broadly, b2cff5df11 dimples deepening.fcac43ec4c72d414

According to Karian, he loved me first, so it wasn’t strange for him to cling to me. After all, leopards are part of the cat family, and wolves are cousins to dogs, right?e4a6e6ab77bb50f7

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In that sense, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible that Karian, even after getting engaged to me, occasionally felt anxious about my reactions.8444a1baf02878eb

‘I should’ve been more insistent about getting engaged.’6367e157a8a46b14

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In the end, we 6f9dbb478d got engaged as he e176f8187c wanted, but because he c839e839e0 thought he achieved it 9eb03cbb0e through his insistence, he 1bfcbc8c87 sometimes showed anxiety over 44801c0a29 my every reaction.4a5ed8b8b5f0f46f

While I don’t love him as passionately as he loves me, it’s not like I have no feelings for him. If I disliked him, I wouldn’t have gotten engaged, even under pressure.0cac455b0cc824ce

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Even if the 0dc77cac9f intensity of our b1ce98ddb3 feelings differs, I 4a6906daec think highly of 71ed904a34 him. So, the sight 7b402334c5 of this world-class 47ca63cab1 handsome man looking 155e494d86 dejected and sulky bf1556ea2e is both cute, 494e10182f amusing, and a a0b28b82a3 bit sad.451af98d43d17e7d

Once again, 7488902701 feeling a 014e3155d1 wave of 37e04d9c3a pity, I d6fa17435d sighed inwardly.da03b40e082489b0

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“Come on, Karian. See, I told you everything, right? This is the first time I’ve shared this with you.”4bd3f15c96521cb2

“Right?”5d8460605c2653c8

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He nodded with 8330b4c8e5 a relieved expression.bdafd20652d1034a

Whether he’s a world-class handsome man, the child of a powerful figure, a future power player trusted by the crown prince, or a rare swordmage, he is, after all, my fiancé and future husband.3694cf2a083d08f3

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Oh. In that sense, there’s something I need to address!d2bdefcaeadf9d8c

“Karian. In that sense, consider this a warning.”a699f9a444c1006d

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“What?”37a51be02c83ad8b

He tilted 1d00809ae7 his head f88d2a8d6f at my cbc586fb16 stern expression.38611700f2a48e2b

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“If you cheat, I’ll kill you.”ca6da6f3efc9c59c

“Huh?”3732ab080ec71196

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“I’ll sue you for everything I can—fraud, breach of promise, whatever—and demand an astronomical settlement. I’ll spread rumors about you being a cheater to sway public opinion in my favor.”d1e4062d94369d6a

And that’s not all. I’ll ruin all the businesses run by the grand ducal house. I’ll mobilize all the artists sponsored by the count’s house to create masterpieces exposing your betrayal. And I’ll ensure you can’t enter any high-end boutiques where I hold shares. Hahaha.426f85cf3c01bc3f

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As I listed how I’d socially ruin a cheating scoundrel, I got even more heated and opened the drawer to check how many lawyers I could immediately mobilize.1bddf185842f35da

Dennis, Law, Porter, Seymour. Come to think of it, these people specialize in trade and exclusive sales, don’t they? Right, I don’t have any famous family law or divorce lawyers yet. I should look into the most renowned ones just in case.3f9e373bfbaf2ebd

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“Sarah.”57fdc3a655583914

“What? Are you scared?”26679c561faec2c7

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But Karian didn’t look scared at all. As if his earlier tears were a lie, he was smiling brightly, resting his chin on his hand, looking at me.c42d8d4a99b246d4

“What?”c540ffb023785ee9

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“Are you obsessed with me?”5ea1d5d733b59baa

I feel like I’m going to faint from happiness, Karian beamed.b3b2ae21f540c60c

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“How do you interpret it like that! No, listen seriously!”d8dfbd6d7a6240bc

“Yeah, yeah. But it’s so nice. I always felt like I was the only one who liked you, so I was anxious. But you’re jealous over something that doesn’t even exist!”0e5a7be8087459a3

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He made a flower 3a5df5360d shape with his hands 172059ba6b under his chin, looking e969bf06a6 at me and murmuring 2f0777c81f happily.698475d398825856

Sigh. Fine, fine. Maybe I took a1fffe5149 this silly prank c8568f721b too seriously.8b654b1419031cdd

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I leaned 7c87741231 back deeply 3964972fb5 in my 75da48a1c5 chair, shaking b3a7f6fd26 my head. Still, just in case, 555be7e21e I started putting the 48cbf42a60 notes and book back 772907e66d into the safe.4c7eadc9bce1589e

“Oh? Wait a minute.”2d775d99783f6d40

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He stopped 50f778ff14 me with dc6f568b01 a serious 870b07e549 expression.74a5b8e729314ed1

“Sarah, how did that note get here?”26406b0429648c4f

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Karian’s voice had lost its playful tone.bc44ebe4ecf61d78

“I don’t know. Honestly, until yesterday, I thought you or James were playing a prank to get my attention.”4cf9eee2d5556f72

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“What? It wasn’t me.”c18698ee26fa8f3e

He protested, sounding d84879a154 wronged.dea1e4413bc62e58

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“I know. Likewise, James wouldn’t play such a nasty prank on me. I know that.”1982c835a9b06ddb

I shrugged.fa18a52e5c00c23c

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“But I really don’t know how the letter got here. It wasn’t in the mail log managed by the butler, and there was no postmark from the post office.”ba2f27aa0b628e4d

“What?”b82220226951f503

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Karian muttered with a 32ef21b381 hardened face.a4288794e99b3061

“This is serious. It means there’s a significant security breach at the manor.”97ce2f3b38d48938

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“Hmm. I don’t know if it’s that serious.”1c2cd6cee9412e80

He firmly disagreed b3600e986b with my opinion.2503103a55651348

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“Really? A note with no address, written as if knowing your reaction. Is it just a coincidence that such letters keep arriving?”825f96f22e9a36cc

‘Of course, that’s true…….’e5cdcd329a2d821e

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Still, I had a cf17c98217 different perspective from Karian. Looking at b24267bde0 the situation b78a0cb1f5 objectively, his a5b9c8e508 claim that 36500a8c9e there was 2ba0cbd0e9 a security f9deedb924 breach (though 7960de0ba1 somewhat exaggerated af56d36a5c with logical 225ba9fec3 leaps and d4853dd7fb unknown intentions) 7b1e1dfce7 was valid.54392b00295a57b0

However, would it be too complacent to say I had a gut feeling that the person sending these notes wouldn’t harm me?3c33771f48429918

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If that 6e446cef94 person had 0c9aa8b523 invaded with 49527b9b9e a knife 1f3c6a7160 instead of 22f32bc66d a purple f88bcde4f7 note, I bdc180cb4e might have 083c1786d7 been dead 4a44317a8e several times 03702729e4 over. But if 7ff4fcb9f0 someone literally 29799053e4 just wanted b1b2be62d9 to warn 07c0195a5c me?a2e920233c360aa7

I thought it was a bit much to fuss over just one letter, or rather, four notes and one package, but Karian’s face was too serious for me to voice that opinion.386f0f1874bf2289

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“You’re in danger right now. We need to strengthen your security with trustworthy people.”b699e9cce2d3a4f0

He bit abdccff110 his lips e44858bd2c anxiously, as d604cce449 if he 2cc2391f67 were the 6e1852d9ff one being 3505dbe797 threatened.b2a28b8eb0b2a240

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“Alright. First, we should report the suspicious note to the guards. And for now, reduce outside activities…….”07608be4e464ca67

Seeing him seriously planning how to strengthen the manor’s security and my protection, I realized I shouldn’t just wait for the next letter and its demands.32ececdc66b7c2f1

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‘Ideally, it would just be a prank, but if not?’072e840cfd1cbf6f

If that’s the case, I wouldn’t just sit back and trust my fiancé not to change his mind.4a0f1bbd45c4cf49

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Of course, I don’t think he’d suddenly betray me for my friend. But if Karian does change his mind, I’ll make sure he’s socially ruined, and I’ll live well on my own, but still…….c9e41d43564a4b2b

‘Still, I have to protect my fiancé with my own hands.’10539740c0d025a2

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“What? Are you listening?”9b7b2e0c42e6b1df

Karian looked at e2389b6325 me with a cf54e0a383 dissatisfied expression, and 4b0e6018f2 I smiled at 6646f21810 him.352b4b5d1b687507

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“Well. I think there’s something I need to do first.”34b2d82c2ef6b16c

He looked at me 3021a9dbe9 curiously.c349089382a18c8d

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“What? What are you going to do?”caa058c48b0d3823

“What else?”52b0f656a86ba2b2

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I need to go see the person who’s supposedly going to be possessed.72c358fc811b8046

I don’t intend to act like I’m some hero who can overcome any crisis.fd1e9d72c8a56fe3

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‘But if this is going to happen to me, especially if it involves Lady Margareta Johnson, then…… it’s a different story.’ddc6091c3713c771

If the person who sent me the letter wants to prevent this future, and if they want to stop the ‘commoner repeater’ from possessing her, then I think contacting me is the right answer.67fee9a6345d4408

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“Why? There’s that baroness, your cousin or something, right?”4a10c630f26f1147

Karian, who had been listening to my reasoning, furrowed his brow slightly, as if he couldn’t remember the name.c198735959fda68f

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He was smart a44b2492f8 but tended to ba79c0229a draw a strict 21f4d72ebe line with the 5abd404451 opposite sex. As if 16bc8c1acc it were 075dd339c1 engraved in 02f337b1ce his mind, 406609f004 he could 784620a16c easily recall d9d31b21f5 the face, a255536795 personality, and 8810052c5d traits of 077d51ee50 people he 443d479c06 had briefly c4311394dc met years 1199cac100 ago.01f2e2de2a45fe77

But he couldn’t connect faces with titles for most noble ladies. Or he consciously tried not to remember, and since getting engaged to me, he seemed to avoid speaking more than three words with the opposite sex.aeebb672623f7a6b

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Once, when I asked b4f2db9964 him why, his response 28e9f0e16f was a bit cynical.aa3532367fb101bf

― I don’t want unnecessary misunderstandings. Even a formal smile can lead to all sorts of annoying misunderstandings.5a2b97f91e7efba6

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He was always 32020bc6cc the center of 8ea198da40 attention wherever he 81516b465c went. Even without 1d74ac0198 considering his 694632c530 background, his 04822af33e appearance stood 34aa2bcc2b out in 8f8651f26b many ways.cb467a6ebcc8583e

While he acted sweetly and affectionately with me, he was generally quiet and expressionless. Because of that, despite his striking features and bright blonde hair, he exuded an intimidating aura, and that dissonance drew people’s attention even more.0d0ab1e46a921061

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― If I remember a name, rumors will spread that I was deeply impressed or fell for them, and by the next week, there’ll be bizarre rumors about a secret marriage. It’s a matter of being equally kind to everyone or equally cold to everyone. The latter is overwhelmingly better.50e9226c552e1232

He said this, pouting cee65b78e4 cutely.9d58ae017dd59606

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― Because I 98903a870d barely have enough 5e34590941 time to focus da4bc803c9 on my cold-hearted e1cbc4931d fiancée.d0ec1ab55f5a4476

I couldn’t agree with him calling me cold-hearted, but understanding the troubles he faced, I couldn’t criticize his somewhat rude attitude. So, this time too, I simply told him the name.28236eb6518d0b13

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“Lady Maxine Simpson. She’s a maternal cousin of Lady Margareta Johnson. But they’re not very close. It’s more like they have different perspectives.”e0b20415f648774a

To put it bluntly, ead1f95f4b Lady Maxine found Lady 921e21f3e7 Margareta a bother.29d86cb0f5d23b33

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But I can’t blame Lady Maxine. There’s no rule that she has to take care of Lady Margareta, who’s two years older, just because they’re cousins.7a3643a6768b3fec

Especially since Lady Maxine, from a family on the brink of ruin, was trying hard to find a marriage prospect. She couldn’t afford to attend parties with Lady Margareta, who panicked at the sight of a man.b05ca3780a23705d

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“I understand the situation. But that doesn’t mean you have to take care of the baroness.”189f38a826ad44e2

Karian said coldly.741c6f63a6d404f4

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“No. I’m not ‘taking care’ of her; I’m concerned as a friend.”107f4189f75fae31

“Really?”0c7103c144071039

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He asked skeptically.77dcaf60ab85ab71

I felt a bit guilty. I couldn’t say I’d never thought of Lady Margareta as someone who needed ‘taking care of.’b3b765bfff86450c

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But it wasn’t out of pity, compassion, or self-righteousness. It was more of a slightly impure motive. Well, just slightly.08a5e7cf772a2244

“Um……. I swear it’s not for a bad purpose.”6a19b6eafb065491

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To confess, I do have a bit of a personal interest. But that’s unavoidable. Lady Margareta uses a cheat. My favorite animal is a white lamb, and Lady Margareta looks like a humanized baby lamb.b9bbefafc2ba944a

Her small 4c3e79f1b9 frame, delicate 486cdb8b25 features, and ddb4f74d63 most importantly, 4766b3110a her curly 0b4cbb53b6 silver hair.a4df42857ca479c1

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When I first met b5ad48f51c her, I was a 36ef5200c8 bit smitten.70d75fc2307a7bef

― Oh my, 4e8ce80173 how adorable. She looks just eed7996762 like a frightened bfacc5b466 baby lamb among acc40a4054 strangers!9589510b407cb186

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While leading 8be5621fe6 the merchant f7a3ce5104 guild, I d05c4cae39 instinctively categorized bff29aba22 people based 5d43040799 on profit, 7f0c053192 but Lady 8bcc5d9102 Margareta, who 83d3d5d203 looked like bf987bb11d a cute 08c5e8e7ce and pitiful d3cb12c97a baby lamb, f70c2b56d2 was the 1497ed9521 first friend 028b27256d I approached 0318d739f7 without considering 7a002d486f profit in 8eae037368 a long a77f3ca4e1 time.64052a44a60b85cd

While the idea of Karian changing his mind as the ‘prophecy book’ suggested was a problem, the thought of some spirit possessing Lady Margareta and causing that mess was also a big issue for me.9c89b1128c8c1fb9

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‘I can’t lose such a kind and lovely baby lamb, I mean, Lady Margareta, to such an incomprehensible event.’e6ed4b26f4720097

Karian seemed internally dissatisfied that I wasn’t immediately reporting the suspicious letters to the guards and ignoring them, but as always, he respected my decision.74f28db5f4bcc277

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From his perspective, having consistently courted me and even getting engaged through some insistence, he seemed to think the ‘prophecy book’ was a bunch of nonsense. Still, if I felt I couldn’t entirely dismiss it based on my intuition, he was willing to let me do as I wished.14bb0fd22750ffe7