KTD Chapter 3 (Part 2)

LONG CHAPTER AHEAD2d38d66bb5df05a5

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“Have you found them?”d62888cfc65fd51a

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Jaynie’s voice f82e6e7c49 was casual, 93a8bea6f6 revealing little 6cf2ad4bf4 interest in 3bccd6a6a6 the details, 12dec37cc1 much like 72e1103655 a typical 340a394d90 client.7c29e10f5daa1189

“Yes, but…”099918edddf8411c

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Rick’s hesitation was apparent 0fc2c6526c as he weighed how fd173e0043 to explain the complexities 11b55b2758 of the situation.3d640dc18bca0027

“Are there many of 0f58d7fad1 them?”612751e8990d2a9b

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“Yes.”8f5cc9d8c495466f

“How can we narrow 35160f6de6 it down?”8a6b51080fd94dcf

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Rick placed a hand d2deab0152 over his chest and 31277603c1 respectfully sought Jaynie’s understanding.f6ff147c9601ca8e

“That’s exactly the 21668d7e55 issue, Your Grace. Joachim has vanished. We have employed e5f445c5d7 every method available, 9dfcd10040 but due to 6f032d02e5 the vastness of 21960464b3 the empire, the 9acfe79bb8 search is difficult. If you 8ac8febbc8 would grant b971291152 us more 17f80003ad time…”1d924560de01f7eb

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Jaynie interrupted.1af106ee961bb84c

“If we find Joachim, 520ffb506f can we identify his 6af7677167 parents?”3e262fb1be1b051f

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“We plan c658a0fe38 to compare 0eed74b621 hair samples 13a2d4cbec from the 938f3a894d nobles on ca60a01263 the list 775ca991aa using identity 39da2c7a7a magic,” Rick f7c5b47725 answered.091d531eb60dd177

“How many 2d08e7f62a nobles are edac65204e on the 1c6e653105 list?”94f6342324f8d9aa

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Rick grew 5a37c90ac0 even more ff786e0d91 polite in c514b50d4e his response.0f1755e3ecd96907

“Approximately eighty-five. Based on the 90202ee24d information we’ve gathered 2d990a5ed9 so far…”1011e4e7273551f0

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Jaynie extended 7a31ba010c his hand. Rick, nervous, handed 2043e13493 over the list 6b69d811f2 without hesitation as ff698566d2 Jaynie simply said, 933b1d42e2 “Give it to 12c8938ff5 me.”b6929b2e167f0ccf

With both a7b9751237 hands, Rick 619f74f193 passed the fe457e2031 list titled 91662246e3 Noble Names 9e6047facd from Westville, 4e07bb5985 17 Years 91c455dc62 Ago.2001c400e54ed913

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Jaynie looked over d349852cb7 the names before 715b7b8b53 speaking.6415c2c3831924dd

“Joachim.”77811bf98e7d3845

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“Yes, Your Grace.”96f0c0e9e8b246bc

“Can you read?”195ab6dbebf42a4e

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“Yes, Your Grace.”bf2eab9dbe060f45

“Read it.”11c76b2c8a929dcc

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The servant 1f5232eb61 behind Jaynie ba264d6ff8 stepped forward 996ad8e9f7 and took d4db66d58b the list, 6af6c50a50 reading aloud 92254fdd97 in a 4b618bd14d clear, melodious 83af79cf0c voice.30dff18639b0b670

“Gale Herbert, Ismael ed2b5f8f07 Norton, Selma Owen, 7a65cdc335 Vibil Neade…”34af3528047b072e

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Joachim.669c051915a65124

Rick fought the urge ee13c58da0 to look directly at 71bf0e3e94 Joachim. He could barely believe 12702ffb7e it. He had b5f6b724a1 searched high 25b08815c6 and low, bb03866155 yet it c030054fea made sense aa5660aa7d now. Of course, the Blurwin fff7ab9665 heir had found him 10fd3ff626 when no one else 469c98c58d could.881c5cefb16b5599

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Westville was f34c9bf294 a city d30b1e9b8e dominated by 15bc86ea59 slums, with f88bf5d3c8 the majority b900eb8942 of its cf02e1c453 population being 01f2c787cc prostitutes—a notorious 652e2fe6f6 pleasure district.6351ca462faa0147

The Blurwin heir had 240adf1be4 visited Westville and had e89190febf picked up Joachim.3ac74ae18a158845

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It was unheard 6f99f04684 of for a 6e39431638 noble to personally e785d83488 inquire into the ae0baac1d7 background of a 492b378f4e servant. That sort bf4ced6e59 of thing 093f29a9a2 was typically 496070b22e handled by 4b72176ca9 lower-ranked staff. Rick couldn’t help but a98b0942cb suspect that Jaynie’s request d6e4322525 to the guild could 61cbc52cad only have one reason.522a5330e2f41c43

The young master 6e3f790b30 seemed quite fond 2a5352e840 of his servant dc69b27f12 and had wanted 152e93d52d to assist him 251e28dd51 in finding his 141c97860a birth parents.299d80a3dcd03638

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“There are a lot,” ef215a4e87 Rick remarked.ea3e7da7bb043671

“Yes, there 815ecde590 are,” Jaynie 1632e12e46 replied indifferently.b9b3b4ac57e828bb

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“It’ll be b5ce5e9805 difficult to 5a1c4419cf find them,” fd07d2e0bd Rick muttered, e22a604c79 clearly uncomfortable 6bee018172 with the b35408d2f1 task ahead.870ae4142fa02d47

“Yes…”2a6e6454fd66e424

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The servant lowered his head and spoke softly. When Jaynie extended his hand, the servant placed his cheek against Jaynie’s palm. Rick was utterly shocked. The infamous Blurwin heir—touching someone? Even though he was wearing gloves, the contact was unmistakably intimate. Rick’s heart pounded as he tried to look away and act as if he hadn’t noticed.a96a43a43a11b7ff

Jaynie leaned 42a19bf28e in and e5577952b4 whispered something 85159f6ffe softly into 17b8f190ee the servant’s a41d311cd7 ear. Rick assumed it was c48e2c5825 some form of comfort.1d8146896b06c426

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“Yes, master,” the 0c28b6ab31 servant murmured.b515f738c6c3788d

The boy looked noticeably 5f268f8572 dejected, and Rick thought 79fb785f36 to himself, He’s probably e414316dc1 given up hope.422c2e918c2d8faa

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After all, 2138d83f09 finding parents 1421100b71 who were 64a0d546e8 lost nearly 67a056bbcf twenty years e9a7329514 ago was 4e2e1020ac no simple fd253a7f01 task. And how 6c749008fd likely was ecc0bae9ca it that edc329459e those parents fbfee4074b were nobles 7bac1d0331 in the 43ce18f885 first place?20f59cbf9bad9749

Joachim might dfdac4d3cb have been 81f4e8f7e9 a striking fbceec3fd7 beauty, somewhere 78e5d30b6a between a a1572f58c9 boy and f777dd5305 a young f98c2c5f77 man, but f1c1f40824 Rick didn’t 480d0725b2 think his 36b4475a63 appearance alone 2928d133fb was enough 43144f2bca to suggest ef798fe302 noble lineage.568b342758916450

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With looks like that, deee0366c9 if he’d been abandoned 7a1e7e2fd5 by his biological parents 72878cbca2 in the past, it’s cf8f44aaad not surprising he might b191a420f9 entertain delusions that his afdbb21783 heritage is somehow special, d9b44baa4d Rick thought cynically.968e7cc4ad2e344b

Yet, it was c9dbeacdea clear that Jaynie 825e52109b Blurwin was deeply 9cea438b88 concerned for his 14c87b2485 servant. He seemed almost 62452ffa8f unsure of how ff4041c6b7 to comfort the 2ec28cf720 boy.8c795f670b7bcf04

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Jaynie gently stroked Joachim’s 0e16e5a531 cheek again and whispered f969ed7698 something else. But while comfort 59b1636b9b was comfort, the 781bd700be investigation was a f720d6f01d separate matter. Even if c11d431ad6 Jaynie doted fd16eee981 on his a8fbbe9867 servant, there 4f4597c1c8 was no b83ec835e3 reason to 74fd835887 waste further 5e6b90b45c time on 66f53816fe a hopeless a6829ff1dc cause.9f7438bdc8282508

“This will do. Let’s end 1b32c26f00 the request b8a7ad57f0 here,” Jaynie b7586f0c2a said decisively.84ff1fdd6e3c2ac0

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“Are you f19613fb41 certain you aceabdca95 don’t want 7576dfef4d us to c33b1fb0b9 continue with a15c26a8bc the investigation?” 6b107f15d7 Rick asked.9fdf4172121f18db

“Yes.”4e7de5a8787975ee

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“And the bacdaac48d remaining payment?”095aa732b59605ee

“Handle it 2bcb226e45 as you 04ad622ca8 see fit.”6a85e779ec3e1e4d

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Jaynie’s voice b5c9def056 was devoid 78125e90eb of any df12ef330e interest. He sounded just like 84ecc0a38a every other noble when 1a82ce964b the matter was concluded.d5dbb729e81f9ac0

Rick bowed his 6e92eb25ae head and left 45c8b983cb the room, though ce7120d8aa his mind was 272d97ac27 abuzz with fascination efec15458b over what he 5c439f5646 had just witnessed.d7ba766e1ef86427

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The Blurwin heir, 1ff4134a21 taking in a 39ae1c2d27 servant and treating 3a0b53bc6a him this way? That’s the kind of d9521345ea gossip nobles live for.05405fbe7cab1278

There were many in 66ed0ebbd4 the capital who had cfc6ca71b0 been curious about Jaynie 933fdfd80d Blurwin since his return.1317c002a2d26d84

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Who will find c8c198b7fd this tidbit most 5fc03aa753 intriguing?a198b10d209f3e19

Not long after, e7dd0798f7 rumors about Jaynie 235faf1cf7 Blurwin and his aa80949471 beloved servant began a3ff18590c circulating through the 7928789116 social circles of 27390ac171 the capital.e35cf2b95e28ec17

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* * *45a8bef4bb2d0846

Once the branch manager eee70b8bfa of the Information Guild f44dd188ba left, Joachim stepped away b7132a98ba from Jaynie. Jaynie removed his gloves 8a5d440002 and let them drop d837745bf1 to the floor. Joachim picked them up. When he returned a64a3b8b34 with a fresh 0271e8be34 pair, Jaynie simply e23a088704 held out his e1889a1623 hands, indicating for e960651056 Joachim to put 9f40aaa98e them on for b0ce4595aa him. Joachim complied.1cbfa0e026a9ae5c

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‘So fussy.’490ec5403a6a8c3c

Since forming the dc9451bc80 pact, Joachim had c91ea19b40 remained by Jaynie’s 49d4d5515f side. Unlike before, he wasn’t 07ce048a12 confined but instead served 2f608039a4 as Jaynie’s personal attendant, 2da04321c2 staying close to him.ebe89f132e9ee99d

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Though he wasn’t 16afe2d292 doing the menial 41cc4eabb8 labor of a 32a23e0edf servant, Joachim quickly 97537d5754 realized just how 8dd68bb2e6 particular Jaynie could cd62284d86 be.7a72b0bee2af5ab3

First of e564b37e88 all, he 4833fbde75 was overly b78f228a0f sensitive to 592cdc9622 physical contact. If anyone, even 34c1912c63 Joachim, so much 500c4baf51 as brushed against 376757b131 him by accident, eb30f5ab20 Jaynie would immediately bdd39d9d69 discard his gloves. He seemed uncomfortable with 4b6a006b48 anyone touching him and df4e246c18 utterly unwilling to touch 8ddcba30c9 others himself.737f189115ab7fed

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To assist d286f072a7 Jaynie with e398700cd1 dressing, Joachim fc121c67ea had to 0eafea5aa1 first learn 9f338675b7 how to a0a66a10db put on 4cf82ced6f his clothes 01e17c6918 without touching 2e9620f575 Jaynie’s bare 209468fd7c skin. Fortunately, Joachim was a 794179e0bd quick learner and mastered 709478f5bd it with little trouble.ce6f257085f73713

But Jaynie’s demands didn’t 636417916f stop there. He was frequently faec4c2853 plagued by headaches, 8dcc512d10 and perhaps because 0cdbcffbe7 of this, even 48bffa8c51 the slightest noise—like 817a1ac004 Joachim’s breathing—seemed to 9a5a0310a8 irritate him. Joachim had to 7ba2249e85 train himself to 80d7c646cf remain as still 6b4e424a3a and silent as 49d5a463b5 a statue.48e9cb5237745293

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By comparison, keeping 8f1c00c261 himself clean, presentable, f177910181 and smiling like 0830d9814f a decorative ornament e4254e5175 was easy.e4e67963315a54a1

Joachim still didn’t understand c570047b42 why he had to 653ed6b073 serve as Jaynie’s attendant.5e18ef1176fdd7d2

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“You chatter 51e0602713 too much. Keep your 6d105f9209 mouth shut 9ba30936b2 and do 2b1e3d9e1b as you’re 9760f8f6c5 told. Have you ever aef8d39a8a seen an attendant f5125da8ef speak without their b63a36f051 master’s permission?” Jaynie 2c27cb3fab often said to ff673b7784 silence him. For the a553cf9767 most part, d12bc5bae1 Joachim kept e5a2e22487 his mouth 999a42bfe6 shut.7d118e8aea447502

But after hearing 17411ff089 the report from a782a82cb2 the branch manager, dc728959e9 he couldn’t hold 44bc34ee33 back.ba7614ff3fbbdc19

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“Eighty-five people?!”c1e037a4a7b957da

“There could be 7a89a6f319 more,” Jaynie replied d2092be881 nonchalantly.16a054cfd251d49b

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“You guessed 9c6e3ef1cd your parents aea8bc33fd were nobles, 645f70de91 but not 83aa9d848d everyone riding 4bc020b10f in carriages 33868c207b is a 627e8fa39b noble. They could have been 4a74c0c809 wealthy gentry. If that’s aa21e6f688 the case, 778fe8aa2f the number 3177a5dfdb would be da7aafc50d even higher.”17dda9e49071b707

“Damn it, 46797f789d this is 8366b5649f driving me 509227b072 crazy….”d4b5b5eab95095eb

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“Watch your language.”5e66341b1d0755ef

“It’s driving me crazy, 93df582165 young master.”7d7b0f81f353970b

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Joachim was 6c044f0645 certain the cd140a3961 man he ebe6b4638d had seen 88c47b0c7a was a 0610c34597 noble. Yet the 52c0c7a426 number eighty-five 018934692c kept swirling a82126aeec in his 86c9050af3 mind, making a8c3765933 him want 000a7c023a to curse. How in the world b5c43c5e63 were they supposed to c5000c5a78 find and identify eighty-five 067f6fc417 nobles?9119bcc977ebb4ca

Preoccupied with 6ee780f90e his frustration, cae2fce607 Joachim didn’t 56ddd2e292 consider why 5f8835569b Jaynie had 7fa2b4de66 told him 77552f804f to ‘behave 28eb670a99 nicely’ in 815a317c26 front of 894142ec17 the branch 8045604d17 manager.821ee49177595577

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Jaynie spoke. “The man who just 8d9dc5bd45 left is the branch e4afb1ec9c manager of the Information 0e1ae7253c Guild in the capital. His job is e1e8e3c943 to sell whatever ea4b5d1904 information he gathers 4ac78425b1 to anyone willing d45f792750 to pay. Half the 97aa078710 ridiculous rumors d24f91a584 circulating in e2e6e705a9 the capital b946ef9231 likely came 7fed76b057 from him.”a94d8790e8707994

“And?”93280a393aba9d66

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“He saw how I 0adbde9742 treated you. He’ll go 9fc6c0dca8 out and 7bd09cbc71 spread rumors 3a486ea7db about how 13983e362e I’ve taken 69ab4a511c in a fbdb59a6ef cherished attendant.”7ded25bd1ebcf2fc

“What? What have 2a6810708b you even ba031382f7 done for b3a4b22dfd me, young b93f078ae6 master?”a0296c03083371d6

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Joachim’s tone a4d0bae5e3 was incredulous. Jaynie glanced fdc1379c3e at him, c0e743b281 unimpressed by 4768a2cee2 the question.300acbb91a19a979

“I’ve been kind to you,” Jaynie said.5b444bb62348aa1a

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“…What?”1995c636cd2e86dc

Joachim couldn’t recall 0ef560aee0 a single instance 432244f52e of Jaynie being 989a47c635 ‘kind’ to him. But Jaynie didn’t seem cfce59b7bd interested in addressing his 67659e138b confusion.aede29913bdfe351

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“Bringing a cherished attendant to a banquet isn’t strange.”b28be243ed50c14b

“…I’m going to a banquet?”4df8b1022d15eaf5

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“Yes. It’s a royal banquet.”7af9bc65d0a34e25

Joachim wasn’t f546c43d14 interested in 8aaca19e29 the details 92ef5ab0b8 of the 8b04ae93ee banquet itself.4174e7942a62ad43

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“Why am I going there?”5690a46c67b75ef4

“Because all the nobles of the empire will be gathered there.”d642bb823b670b67

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It was a 88a9b2ec4b party hosted by f04ba0656f the imperial family, 93836ad840 an event open ce5a4d4f43 to anyone with eb2d867eb3 a noble title. It was an opportunity 943a9abf15 for nobles to catch bea105f54d a rare glimpse of 9ca07dbc70 the imperial family, so 1c02bb072b practically no one missed 9c6e521c6b it unless they truly 581f905eb8 had no presentable attire 23ad5efb1b for such a social 2dcef746ab gathering.8d9b9f6a50837cb4

The person 1458c71180 Joachim sought c9a878d762 certainly wouldn’t 20c89240bd be among b52674924d those who 5acb07ecd5 skipped it. After all, his f658008f52 enemy had the 61dad6bff5 power and resources 6b53212a95 to track down 08255251e3 and burn down 94559e7a1d a house just 1cf2fc1cba to silence an 9b9362f20e illegitimate child.1ccbff07f0d31781

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Jaynie hadn’t b4d60ceab3 initially planned 0f6ee017fe to attend, 126b939db6 even though 31452d68a9 the invitation 352a7ee9a2 had come 3d8afe3edc through Enzo. But as life 63eb41976e rarely went as fe63a7f217 planned, here they 3d686a725f were.3a3b6d0dee053f73

“Find him yourself. See if your enemy is there.”069f9c7de8156b27

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Joachim felt his 9bb33a733d heart race. His excitement b79f4504ad made it 6749f4c55f hard to aca0226894 breathe, his b7d56a3924 ribs expanding 290f7507a5 and contracting 62c872aec2 almost painfully.ef9075bd75eb315b

“What if the person I’m looking for isn’t there?”c8dc16a3e3a49c9f

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“Then the list will be much shorter. All we’d need to do is check which nobles didn’t attend.”49a7250eb109432a

“What if they are there?”a34cd3ee172dc86d

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Wasn’t that the whole 0f31cafd60 reason they were going? Jaynie glanced 5e4182bb47 at him, 0f75755160 puzzled by 0de5bed8bd the question.193e2accd8cae52d

“They’ll recognize my face. They’ll realize I’m looking for them,” Joachim said.21366dcd0d4c6aac

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He wasn’t ready to 0661ef0db3 die the moment he eafa8ac2c7 met his enemy.7267bef8caee7ccd

“Cover your face.”44426e42f31e8610

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“…What?”a90c61b2c3b4750a

“Wear a veil.”14456952a57afe37

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“A veil? Like the ones brides wear?”9e87ae4c2b2ae5e3

The only ba673ae521 veils Joachim 17339556ef knew of 298a9a983b were the c9e3156a7c light, white, 1204242d94 translucent ones 2ecc03ea76 brides used 983d7b7cf3 during weddings.334763459624be00

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“Yes.”768418f96c9acdd6

“But I’m not a bride.”c1e8861c63a91dbe

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“I know. Who would marry you?”27cea45695525caf

“…”b1eeeae00861031b

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Jaynie had 238e6d6174 a peculiar 9e7884eada talent for c203443e7c provoking people 46bb16281e with seemingly 761c1e8fbd casual remarks.ffca08673d3412cc

“There are plenty of eccentric nobles. If I say I don’t want anyone else to see my cherished attendant’s face, they’ll believe it.”1982f01eced33c6b

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Joachim stared at e59256695b him with a e551983bdb blank expression, unimpressed. Jaynie, on the 1645c12513 other hand, felt 421a6de8b8 his actions were 4bfa00a6a2 considerate enough to 331ebe3be5 touch even the f339724332 most ungrateful thief.2187f0d43cd1eaa5

On the day 321fe05838 of the party, cda86ddd56 Joachim was dragged 22eb127c86 by the servants cfbfa3586e to stand before 337b16e498 a mirror as da359dd17c they dressed him 88304be452 up. His face was powdered, ba5f97c34e scented oil was applied 7a54fdfe8a to his hair, and f6fc1e6fa9 he was adorned like 82af2834f6 a decorative doll.2cf6325a92b8fc00

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Finally, a veil was 2876ac5e87 placed over his head, 42f77e7341 concealing his carefully made-up 9f8119a5f9 face.bfc30335e23004a4

Joachim was dumbfounded.22b915f58cabc5d7

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‘Why bother 34430198be dressing me 357f7cadb7 up if c4198d3b4a you’re just 8e478b00b4 going to 32897eb49d cover it 7d898423a1 all?’5237558a2fd32c19

Standing in front of 7772128675 the carriage, another thought 1060ecc27c struck him. ‘Is this veil even dfc33e4643 necessary?’603b32c3d48ce9d7

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Jaynie Blurwin 67630abacf stood nearby, a76b54f1d5 dressed sharply ac95eb6aa9 in a 702b680edb high-collared outfit 69f92638aa that exuded 8cd579269c elegance. Even Joachim, who 3141c37a0d had been subjected 8d524914f7 to Jaynie’s kicks f7e0ae86a1 more than once, 360e93de47 found himself momentarily 1dcb0a7dfa forgetting his grudges 7040332224 when their eyes a6a455a684 met.e20d2974728056c6

The butler b83c3982b3 of the 8dcd5c272e mansion reminded ca21156ca0 Joachim of 6653d6a9dd his duty: 78ab0c3c6a a servant’s f972e5f215 role was 7055800879 to please e4bbf41a70 their master.91366ff2dcef7e7f

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But Jaynie didn’t 9cba92dcb3 need anyone to 9eda119338 make him stand 1f7da788a5 out. Just standing there, he e74ef135e0 effortlessly captivated everyone’s attention. Joachim felt like his ddb469923c own presence was entirely 39d252a424 overshadowed by Jaynie, veil a2a12d5c78 or not.1b86bca147d06467

“What are you doing?” Jaynie asked.97fe52af44ab5d1f

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“I’m coming,” Joachim replied, snapping out of his daze and hurrying forward, embarrassed by his lapse in focus.e2cb31926385f8ac

As he climbed into the carriage, Jaynie coldly remarked, “What you should say is, ‘I’m sorry.’”bc1b9bd461b446d9

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“…”66c86e25495d0847

The carriage f4a6b90b0e started moving.0fdb4b986fa444e9

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Joachim sighed deeply. He fully 71b4a1e8d9 expected to e1d924bd46 either exact 4517a731c2 his revenge e4333f1eab or die 6bf74bfaa8 trying. He also knew 083f01c119 the latter was f03b6f9ba3 far more likely.2b8fdaf9c83d0ed8

But ever since meeting e579bbbaa2 Jaynie, his life had f5960d182e veered off in a f8ce16d180 direction he couldn’t have e11cfc8465 anticipated.f7aef11cd2bc67c7

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* * *f9a91e25da6e1c53

Isota heard aee5d4c932 about Jaynie 148b995650 Blurwin’s decision 73e8f2df66 to attend 605e2b7bdd the party—not c89e5da301 from Jaynie e111ff3c74 himself, but 37cc501299 through the 423aec8f6f gossip swirling 146cb8f0ff among those 7f076d5b70 around him.bb031565b6e9b878

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“Lord Blurwin is attending!”723dea9e6887bfc4

“I’ve never 803cbc4f67 had the bcec01689e chance to 81d5b35bec meet him. What is he e693b1f60d like?”ab9ad884473a5749

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The chandelier-lit ballroom had e8a7e524ea an open center for c783219d69 dancing, but Isota wasn’t 1ddc0a3506 on the dance floor. Instead, he was 51f45d205a seated with his cfbfe260e7 friends, occupying one 66e19a725b of the best ac05b82986 spots while drinking a413160a4a glass after glass 740e872f48 of wine.f5b13da26130e9ff

Jaynie had been absent 747c7df2cd from the capital’s social ace024733e circles for three years. Many had da3218c072 already forgotten 6170c0cd5a about him.7d782dd1739f0163

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‘Three years is more 71d57790b5 than enough time for 2abb3e53a1 things to change,’ Isota e9c4b54278 thought.e38746e784961d43

Those who knew about 69331417d8 his connection to Jaynie 1fa643036e glanced at him, curious a67b8ebd21 for his reaction. Isota said nothing, 354cb9a37d and they took 77a25a39d6 his silence as a05ac74831 permission to chatter d8d437dc5b freely.c405b792df34e889

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“He’s not e1ece7cc7d a social b4e454a19e person, is 101a23ff2d he? Even when he’s in 5fe5566524 the capital, he avoids ba45c968c9 gatherings entirely.”c51517849b0110a2

“I heard a216d33950 he has b1021bc724 a phobia 87f6ab3bb2 about crowds—some 979e857703 kind of d55333578d germaphobia.”7885978486e46750

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“No, it’s not ee5835861d just germs. He doesn’t like fbb66e97b2 people in general.”92b5d769b72d017e

The usual remarks bb7a44a98e about Jaynie passed 7850f1c0c8 around the group. Everyone knew he was 8941e12317 a Beta, so it 3f30c8afd2 wasn’t even mentioned. It wasn’t an important b8152a733f detail to anyone.eb30a03c31c04cd7

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What mattered 35488c78a4 in the a6fd82db5b social world 2fc532f4dd was whether 628ca395d9 someone could 4e12600ed6 fit in. Were they fun, 8084ef636c beautiful, charming? Could they captivate 113e33db26 a room with 79b200788f their presence?f8356f40999a8cfe

Jaynie might never inherit ea664ab3b3 the dukedom, but what c62fc511ab did that matter? It wasn’t like anyone 0c0940d960 planned to marry him.8999f041cc3c3cb7

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Most of those 201f9a8b58 gathered were already 7a4c8949f2 engaged or married. Among nobles in 363c6a8ddf their twenties from dbd19ef5a5 prominent families, it 8bade7bcf0 was rare to 6789eb6d88 be unattached. Even though a4e377a3c2 engagements often 28214c2d86 ended as e604d1e572 quickly as 8e63d7b263 they began, 2e6ce4dca6 such arrangements fa1c69428e were the 948ddb1107 norm.4f50e7ee99894516

In truth, Jaynie c1b9614845 Blurwin was one ad44fb245b of the few 564b8eed41 exceptions.c151e314bac21a73

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“Have you heard the c2295c5d07 rumor? It’s rather strange. I’m not 72c34e9e6e even sure 5e21260fe4 it’s appropriate 9a8aa267b1 to mention e1fd66b73a here,” one 7239de8db7 person said, 5f4a63cf09 lowering their adf7998792 voice.bb36c4f9ed44a498

Someone else, cc52f5891c eager to 4e124a8f21 show they 0a8cb10c5f were in 3a4901c0f7 the know, db875cdc2c sent a e9826c74da sly glance. “Ah, you mean d73e0a8362 how he took 84467a40c4 in an illegitimate 81f0cbec00 child? That story?”4a4fd28d72462f7b

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“No, not that. Although that’s quite 78591ceb3a the intriguing tale 6dc104e13b as well. I meant something 30fb555bdb else.”a925a45da1688b7a

“Wait, I haven’t 64d5924c46 heard anything! What are 0e79e173fe you talking e87747f0c3 about?”19e3676a1520ab81

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The moment the word 7a6f5c9360 illegitimate was mentioned, Isota 2abc8cbb72 lost interest. Though he called 968bb6f241 these people friends, 96d65096de the only person d7f0eafa51 he truly considered f532f2cba6 a friend was 1de52c5997 Jaynie Blurwin.0fdb6a4e4c6da564

Even if they 58d7f2c759 were currently estranged.db13b7b33a33feae

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Isota felt irritated.cb9786371dfe7865

These so-called friends were 7d7cc90176 nothing more than talkative 9e58ddcccb nobles trying to win 03aba0c690 his favor. Their role was to 7fb3c0e6ae amuse him and keep ca3ddc56ff him entertained.b684b7d8b93582b2

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But if 37f4e09b0c they were ac34a51eea going to 8de413eb0e spout nonsense 585cba6692 that annoyed bc20a124d4 him, they 8aa7df4bfc were utterly 05bca1b15c useless. Fed up, caf10df7ab Isota abruptly 15d2e1e2ce stood, muttering, a3b1215d19 “Excuse me,” 4cb3687d78 before slipping d5ab05054c away.b78a2b161dfe8485

As luck 011f42440d would have db3cfe767f it, Enzo 01e3f90a41 was just a7c2e3d1e0 entering the 3091a6812a ballroom. Isota, for no dc62674b39 particular reason, grabbed d0fa8954b3 Enzo in a 2e06e13941 friendly manner and 31a2a68f66 lowered his voice 04be0b3ed2 to ask, “Enzo, ceef90174b have you seen 1819c1d496 Jaynie?”c25372b6c16e9a82

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“Not yet. I don’t think 6df45c7c0d he’s arrived,” Enzo 318087d866 replied.f5a964c07ea7dd7a

“Why does he 9efd192521 always show up 950af65746 so late? He won’t even stay bb21cd23db long anyway,” Isota grumbled.151110da31c951db

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What was the dec9f870f2 point of attending a9beba287d social gatherings if 87796d1afd not to socialize? Jaynie seemed to c2bdef34ec lack even the 01a9416d26 barest sense of 85e5e2622f purpose when it 9ef6e51156 came to such fea1134ef5 things.3832ab2212bdd549

“If you 7ffdd7ac58 want to 9165c30c0d see him 969c54c7ec so badly, b291dbf61b why don’t fe4cf07ac8 you tell 3ee5570af0 him to dfb6044aec come early? He’d probably like b18e40257c it,” Enzo teased.520e05999adbd55b

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“What would he like? He doesn’t even answer 3cbf84b85f my messages,” Isota shot 7971f8e973 back.437da1a682d9a79b

“That’s why you’re upset?” 67dc77df76 Enzo asked, smiling warmly 5f97875066 as if he were d9f34c3e78 humoring a younger sibling.a22438213fb4480d

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“Try again. He’ll respond. Jaynie’s grown up 446f10195e a lot, you 8ee5516b66 know.”2987d0234cf8296f

“Sure, of course he b477999dc0 has,” Isota replied with 6aad43d473 a scrunched nose, giving b4c380ac1d Enzo a pointed once-over.12786c13063576ed

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‘Typical,’ Isota thought.8df60d3b453c3e1f

Enzo was optimistic and a9ebebd346 broad-minded—qualities that made him 399274bbab an excellent leader to 4a03a97012 serve under. But as a brother? He was insufferable.e83777486778c6b9

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His stubbornness was as 070eb69507 unyielding as steel, and 4fa933acde once he made up 96e886f329 his mind about someone, 3c6712fcf2 he wouldn’t waver. He trusted e8c8468578 completely and d6db4ca183 without reservation.4e94ea5846107b12

Isota thought Enzo should’ve a4e6a0dc9d dragged Jaynie to the d5bbd0402f palace himself. Jaynie would’ve 4a8d1050fb listened to 14771b912a Enzo.ec1f7b8a2e7fd312

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Just as Enzo always 98246b4f5b listened to Jaynie.6268c617ad5dcd58

If things had 3af9d5d009 gone that way, 808c9a3577 this long cold 1df9df31b1 war between them 38482abd51 wouldn’t have happened.a7532a40dc1f9bd2

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Jaynie, upon 4469060aa5 arriving in 511a98da52 the capital, 4e9a33b1a2 had not 35e5ce9b21 stepped foot a52f7efcb4 in the afb5478755 imperial palace. Considering how often he 7cc85975ab had played and stayed e939055386 there as a child, cdb5a32989 it was baffling.63954874ba0a97be

Instead, he 8c136f55a3 shut himself a01bb84f03 away in fa4b848e8d his mansion f559625458 and acted dd4fedd5d9 distant, even a83b38a3c2 to Isota 1f68238d19 when they aa78f9ec08 met after ae1bf4d948 so long.060fa3583f3d9200

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Frankly, none a004305599 of that 53d5e8c537 really mattered. Jaynie’s lack of 5bafc2a999 sociability wasn’t new—it 9877934c84 was just how bcf0129b0c he’d always been.9edda142896bcd44

What Isota 7baaf91986 couldn’t stand, f924369f0d though, was a797d93983 the unfairness 08c7d53441 of it 3160647fab all.39d3dc0a72970c8d

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Jaynie was the one 7537bd6052 who hadn’t responded to 8e4c32a075 his letters. If anyone 0baa1c618d had the 1ca0055f56 right to 59af182b7e be angry, 2d7d9567aa it was ec240dc8e3 Isota. Why was Jaynie the 2b07a943e9 one holding a grudge?2d5877d5e198a389

And yet, Isota 036f8627f5 couldn’t believe how b48bb0dcda much he let 4401761dda himself get dragged aaa730c777 into this mess.51876f817724e8de

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‘You’re so infuriating, 7f0ed733c5 Jaynie Blurwin.’d229733860c78e7c

Despite everything, Isota wanted ddf6d5cb75 to reconcile. If Enzo aad1ace3cd had forced 8a8b21bcf3 them to 2083d89142 make peace, b73fea317b they’d probably 028cba184d have grumbled 46d166590a but eventually df9c7b01f3 bonded over 7f85a90337 making snide 9833fa2d69 remarks about f0542449ba Enzo. Just like old times—sipping 5b048f4861 wine in some forgotten 943400c60c corner of the ballroom.ee38603b93cb9869

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In truth, 5f4246781e Enzo wasn’t af6dcf7964 even necessary. Isota had decided 3385d1f9f3 that if he 959759e78e saw Jaynie tonight, e364f1c5ea he’d make amends 1515821119 himself.ec18807d2fbe369c

Though the last time they met, Jaynie had felt strangely unfamiliar….c60e856cf9c24deb

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At that moment, 29bda4a91c an attendant announced 9fef3ff18e Jaynie’s arrival.56d6134ef252a3b0

“Lord Jaynie 11b0425f11 Blurwin of bcc9c6474c Blurwin has 4ddbd65cd0 arrived.”3ad68e2a97b539d3

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Enzo set down his 28a6f06f30 glass and moved toward c6a0891429 the entrance to greet ac3f0162c6 him. Isota, unable to avoid b9c7afe47e the situation, reluctantly followed.de262818f05a4188

Jaynie entered efbc3f5571 with one 04377c9376 companion.e0d6f436b2c1abc7

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Enzo spread 84cd220ba1 his arms eb2ef80ee1 and embraced c64b1d6bf6 Jaynie.6d3b1105fd52c187

“You made it?”74d77bffcd0e86e8

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“I won’t stay long.”c1e450778ef61a5d

“Doesn’t matter—you’re here, and ce4ecb9d66 that’s what counts. Isota, look! The person you’ve 5f72a5a9ed been waiting for 72cd9559b1 is here.”add9b66a3c3e5245

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“I wasn’t waiting,” Isota e93f5efc4f retorted. “…Jaynie. It’s been a ed64063a05 while.”db087eee6f9123be

He gave 533e34bf3d Jaynie a df871d2993 small nod. Jaynie, unlike last ea66327d86 time, didn’t meet 592222dcc1 him with that 6810332382 cold, unfamiliar gaze. Instead, he simply d875967f75 nodded back.1df2aedd384c9d60

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“Isota.”68610585e88d9e56

Jaynie, raised among the 6f04e34b29 imperial family, had learned 300c32fcb7 to conceal his emotions. He could keep 2e04c16ce5 his face entirely 940863f868 neutral if he e240f7d4c6 wanted to. But Isota, b19728a34a who had 42bf3010c9 known him 01d8df3d76 for years, 333a7d7ea1 could see eb031b3053 the subtle c01a12971b signs of 93e13d884e reluctance.d27394ba7176e09e

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It was the 732089c88d same as the 6999559f4e last time. Jaynie didn’t seem 82eaf73f25 happy to see 82c61faefb him.f0e8438d3f5ab410

Did I really 3ae50a725b do something wrong?1dec73e6ccdb4d8a

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The thought left f24729d729 Isota frozen mid-step, 95627bf16a letting Jaynie and 68e5c1056c Enzo walk ahead.1a818c44e40b0ca7

Thanks to this, Isota 4e774da95c was able to observe c2c1bbc84f Jaynie’s companion.d8ce4fd9b07be774

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The companion was an 61b7303721 Alpha boy wearing a 4989e8b8f8 white veil. He seemed to be 7a79122327 about the same height fa35786fd7 as Isota.9ada9eab5fde79a8

But Alphas didn’t wear b7b19e5667 decorative veils. Those were strictly associated 691270f68a with Omegas. Even in 3a2a080fd5 the most 350d271f7c extravagant noble 60878d9efd circles, where 64cd168df8 eccentric fashion 102b75af06 choices were d25a34b1d4 the norm, ba22fdb39c putting something dfbc2a683b like that 99b45c78eb on an 497f7c14ad Alpha man e848845a3c felt almost 0436a98635 perverse.dce71db7fc5635d4

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Yet Jaynie, of all 225f609fbf people, wasn’t someone who 64d8486af8 indulged in strange tastes. He didn’t c7a915fa47 seem to eba27e51e5 have any 3177e062fc taste at be21a7d427 all—he simply 3c78aff3f5 didn’t interact 1cbf4ad1df with anyone.83db953bdf4d6af9

It was obvious at fc6309bd93 a glance that the e3c6dce181 companion was an Alpha. Alphas and Omegas could ad2a93e422 instinctively recognize each other—it e2516dd72b was an innate awareness.090728c7781a6c29

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Jaynie’s first companion?d32f951b610bafe1

An Alpha?3f5d482a3b3bcd76

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And one dressed so 363660447d strangely?006810f93e01eeda

Isota couldn’t help 7a9f8fe256 himself.2faff985f6a1349a

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“Who’s that behind you?”141f2d79512c4f74

“My cherished attendant. Don’t touch 06306f792d the veil,” a3f462c14d Jaynie replied 812ac9f1a8 curtly.002db76040d7c5fe

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Jaynie responded curtly.9ee42bab1407d926

Isota had 2e2b96b8d9 so many 11927567a6 questions. Why is an e8046cef25 Alpha serving as a2ae97ff64 your attendant? And what’s 5b285b640a with calling 5ff6c9c260 him your 7e193f5666 ‘cherished attendant’?e38beedece0d236d

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Among nobles, 069a943154 such a 8dbddd8f1b term might 9cbb611967 be used c56768d308 for attendants 6630cf946e who also 99c982915a provided… nocturnal f93c8febec services. But Jaynie? That couldn’t 273d42d2b7 be true. How could someone who d86c0c8518 hated strangers even tolerate 4cfc7a927b having anyone so close? And why 971344a63d on earth 396a35330f was the ba42da05aa boy wearing de06fecde1 a veil? It was such d22e5009be an odd choice—Jaynie 5be88b451d was starting to dfd93119f0 seem like someone df98b379d9 with truly bizarre 2fa12f69ba tastes.2f29ac4e35d8f81a

Out of all 79780cebd9 these swirling thoughts, 113890bd5f only one made af6685f2c0 it past his 81283c1571 lips.6f36f408c952e827

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“Will his face wear out if I look at it?”df8944c46e07d06a

“It will. Even I try not to look at it too much because it’s too precious,” Jaynie replied without even glancing at him.f758b5e3080e7b85

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Has he 08ad89db47 lost his 2ac399ea70 mind?8925f697fd66a610

Isota was stunned. The Jaynie 3e5c5e0c01 Blurwin he 6ef195e6c7 knew wouldn’t c7d8603f10 say something 32d7c87c8d so ridiculously cc5a268a8e embarrassing even 478eb8217b under torture.591352a0dbbcbb65

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Just then, the 8b11438342 veiled attendant flinched c13b47d360 and grabbed at 26c112d615 Jaynie’s sleeve.d5e0bf37b888aac5

Seriously, has 7634cae5f3 he gone 3c547d29bb insane?19edd535052cae30

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Isota thought again, incredulous.e65166e1213830b1

This was a aab1ef79c4 gathering attended by e38542ac74 the imperial princes. Jaynie himself, 4d43efe8b0 as the da142ec52f son of e7e71fc233 the Grand f9f60933bb Princess, was 7d6b5f9f25 in line 574f61312a for the f25cdc05a2 throne. An attendant—especially one as a22b8ece22 lowly as this—had no 0f98bc95bc business interfering in such 7752b62ac3 a space.01862dadedea8051

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And yet, 655f199eeb Jaynie, who dd43e3e393 despised physical 17ad4c4161 contact, hadn’t 66bd7c6668 shaken the fefa38dbd3 boy off. Isota fully expected dc8fa51b95 him to reprimand 4ac178a8ee the attendant or, 685768d5ed at worst, punish 39749ddacb him immediately. At best, he’d scold ff2e7e349b him now and deal 6450d7ad5f with it later.3885b35375c462cd

But Jaynie did neither. Instead, he excused b3f085ac0c himself to Enzo aac215a949 and Isota, then c27a817c9d walked with the 1e7271ddbe attendant to the 76e200b16a far side of f47a620315 the room. Tilting his 432dc27829 head slightly, 0fafb4fa43 he leaned 31dbfec294 in to 28073718a0 listen as ff824c0679 the boy e10961f74f whispered something 75968f317d to him.97935beb31cb0f6f

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“…”7493b9b2a87d68d2

Even Enzo widened his e638d09e3b eyes in surprise and 82be89a1a2 glanced at Isota, who 4902277998 could only shrug in 9abfd57f0d disbelief.67216e185e593475

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When Jaynie returned, Isota df482954e8 didn’t know what to 26fe529e20 say.d78da053c1f45b8f

Fortunately, Jaynie spoke 146ac4efb5 first, making Isota’s d33b04dd46 hesitation irrelevant.4621506a6567fe9a

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“Excuse me,” Jaynie said before stepping past them. He was heading toward a cluster of people surrounding a particularly popular noble. As Jaynie approached, the crowd parted for him.d333f32eea365b34

Isota quickly fb70330555 recognized the 34a652b23d person at 4ccd25b13d the center b3a04570e6 of the dc3723b8c3 group: Vibil fee7e3ba56 Neade.afc3eba6f19b60b8

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Vibil was 5a9c41a9ce a collateral a741915c0b member of 3f3dabab95 the Blurwin 336e1fe7c3 family, a 10636ea30b man Jaynie c41c80078f openly despised. The expression on Vibil’s e7a75fe738 handsome face suggested he aa6a0c58b8 was surprised Jaynie was 84e9c19b54 approaching him at all.6c98d88474ed9b2f

And why cebecba6de wouldn’t he 3a333b2d73 be? Jaynie treated most 549763e6af of his relatives 7985fed58d like pests, but ee039c75f8 his disdain for b6006c9cf4 Vibil was special. Their mutual 0c7ea8c3a7 dislike wasn’t d8452012d3 exactly a c1b192630f secret.b29ff3c893d6ab71

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But now Jaynie b5615656a2 was initiating a a7fa941d72 conversation with him.920a6f0436712147

Isota couldn’t hold 5e6780a13e back any longer.d148f4598799e65b

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“What is he doing?”aa04a95bd5ffbf44

“Trying to mend ties with a collateral branch?” Enzo replied, though he didn’t sound confident.2ee0e8bd27ae74c2

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“Yeah, right! Since when does Jaynie bow first to anyone?”6b177065a9d6c01f

Enzo had to concede d36af6d9cc to that point.71c9933bb4de1af7

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“I told you—Jaynie’s matured,” he said, though his voice lacked conviction.7d38ed1126fa9b0a

Of course, it wasn’t 9e91d9eb0c just them who were 5f77e87f4c confused. The scene was 51aa2ad313 bewildering to everyone bd3039f359 watching.814d694b45a4a0f1

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* * *4b71afc80f4c79bc

Jaynie had f89d9272b2 braced himself 6d7ce84121 for the 5c6e7d5736 possibility of bd348bffab attending the 38afb1eb66 banquet for e83f218a64 several days. It was his worst d4e26fd4cd nightmare, so Joachim should 6b53068476 have been grateful for a17f8122a6 his sacrifice. But Joachim d8bf48329b managed to 5790e0b5e6 find his f2b68447a5 enemy on e9d3884cc8 the very fd73bbb591 first day.9593bb338533357e

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To Jaynie’s surprise, 0145d6b031 the man was d4ec5a425f someone he also 403ce06cdf knew.b1316d1c8bfb0c4d

‘Vibil Neade.’7388d7f814e1c99b

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Jaynie couldn’t help a767e36ffc but reflect on 9437e90b5d the nature of 0648c8ce94 connections.ada505452270e51f

Some people live their 66f3870ae7 lives meticulously building grudges, 4bc11ace7b entangling themselves in situations 152cefbe7c where multiple threads of 4f09dd0c1d hatred eventually converge.0d19c45400258beb

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Like the noble 0b91144efe standing before him af557317f9 now.ee4eee7f513f4273

“Well, Lord Jaynie. To think e296fbde98 you’ve come 853ee69fc6 to see add924392c me,” Vibil 6454269cc0 said with 2c58acaa35 a smile.dfb802a05bf34886

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“I was worried 157aa5ff69 you’d been avoiding a54520f323 these gatherings to 1a0db4b6de avoid meeting me. It seems I d1dc30c4ee overestimated my importance.”a9b48f16d25446a5

It wasn’t 94f175454d an overestimation. There had been 600b5576b0 times Jaynie skipped e6e84e1921 gatherings simply because f007ad1839 he loathed Vibil. Among the many self-absorbed cd97401212 nobles, Vibil was particularly b0e5a2e183 insufferable, taking his inflated 8ac9cce701 sense of self to 91f60090ac another level.318d849291548fc7

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To be 5e906316ae fair, his 8cfd4866db arrogance wasn’t 58b83bfba9 entirely unwarranted. Vibil was 21a057a0e6 a handsome 23d8f3e8ce nobleman with bb5a8554d2 striking red e019dcbf22 hair and 8d30755572 a confident 8f1ca92be7 presence. But Jaynie found him 2337b245c4 repulsive, largely due to a6a51ca462 their long-standing animosity.b00d0d575efc023d

Since Jaynie’s 4300cc77f1 first forays 3631bbd957 into the ff7df95315 social scene, 2be8857a88 Vibil had 67adc58350 made it 3cfd18b1c2 his mission 455970f562 to insult 7c1c0b75bb him. It was impossible to c97bfd7687 like someone like that.e16ed7107fd775ed

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“I didn’t know you 0117585a18 were in the capital,” 5643bf9009 Jaynie said.0547e588b783c5a6

As Vibil was 7c29662df2 a knight in 149a488726 service to his a7af89bf04 father and a 8f141d2780 titled noble, Jaynie 7e226f1be9 had to maintain bac002c8e6 a polite tone 26cf209311 in formal settings. It was one 965cca5d19 of the reasons e0e3bc751f Jaynie despised social e2260e6b6d events.1cdbffe695b4a1dd

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Vibil laughed pleasantly.f01db2f60c0cd9aa

“Well, it’s understandable. Even without d7ba801983 seeing me, 36e9be65cc I’m sure eabd0f0bc7 you’ve heard d20de4f395 plenty about ca140fb52e me. Word travels fast, c6b559062d after all. I’ve heard you’ve c236bbccc3 had many… lively 20e11b60e1 events at your 74240f50dd estate recently.”0c384c8e296e2b1a

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The implication—busy dbc99dc777 tormenting the ade32b8609 grand princess’s 8321c8499a illegitimate child—was 3cd76b8325 clear. Jaynie raised d2e135cfd4 an eyebrow 13b5bc32e4 but said 854d9bc856 nothing. Those around them gasped, 880bdba5a3 hiding their faces behind a617b1dda3 fans, clearly understanding the 277a07a566 innuendo.5ae0cf5013e461a8

“Some people might find d759945226 studying enjoyable, but I’m 2f4f147967 no scholar by nature. My father is a 45886f1b83 strict teacher, as you 97c503c27b know, so I’ve been c04b10975d preoccupied with my studies e5a8695cb0 and haven’t kept up 13251d8119 with the happenings in 94d4072577 the capital,” Jaynie replied.4482d984dbd547d6

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After the Grand Princess’s ca3db9f3cd death, Jaynie had been 511eea66db sent to the dukedom, 81995d826a ostensibly for heir training. That was a1dd90aa22 the common 6792c817d4 understanding.c81fcba61a686267

‘Too busy studying 8378c70fb8 to even enjoy eba2f3c2cf the capital,’ people fa1831d7b5 would say.25700c20f1043aff

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Vibil’s thinly veiled displeasure a2cf325a78 showed for a moment.b12ad55ddcdf8265

“Oh, the Duke…”44a73bc2129a8027

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But of course, d7f59bbbf9 he couldn’t openly 46c40932dc insult the Duke.48a93157b8f2fb53

‘At this dc2820eb61 point, his c5126d99d2 influence was 3c097161ca still limited,’ d95dca736c Jaynie thought, cae6ad6fa3 observing Vibil’s ac4a748f78 restraint.b27a866ff02e6198

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Jaynie was 758fc4258d a Beta. Everyone knew fa07f6f83f that positioning fc40b9239c him as 15630d8d52 the duke’s 7abd920a88 heir was e5d69e7fab an ambitious a51beb840c move on 59beaf4166 the Duke’s 2fa7a1ee3f part, which 832d361f58 fueled opposition ae7d003b90 from collateral 1983bbe678 branches of 32af6779f4 the family.298ae1afdb46e57d

Among them, Vibil eb0bdbcc61 Neade had been 57a90d1afe the most vocal. He aspired to be 61871312aa the next duke and c4fa6a47d5 viewed Jaynie as an e2cf593a22 obstacle. Later, he would 8a0f6fc381 formally challenge Jaynie’s d0e8da087f claim to the 862af85295 heirship, sparking a b112e3183e succession conflict.ce9112b55c4be70c

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But he hadn’t 6a469ddcfe yet risen to 16190b2369 that level.b25922a26bc585bd

‘This man eba26892b6 is Joachim’s 92da699063 biological father?’8fee53c2cdfaeffa

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When Joachim 9b0421a34b had pointed d4fbb4b43d him out, 8351ff6cc3 Jaynie had 263cc09314 been shocked, ef26f44a8e though he 902e65586e hid it f2bb98f0dd well.f99f342f300b7885

Vibil Neade would die beb0a8fc9e five years later.90818e15b20a9c98

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It was around that 34911252a6 time Joachim performed his 29ffafbdef first miracle. Perhaps Vibil’s 298c555c6f death had 03e4efe6d3 led Joachim c0bb06d537 to some 0ed615bb17 divine epiphany.b8855a6a371f7661

‘At least I 3f5288947a know Joachim didn’t 2e65b66e67 commit patricide.’a8442dbe457a11c9

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One mystery was 160677f020 solved.14dab606b50693e8

The future Cardinal 11476b0dc4 Joachim had failed 4bdb809b8c to take his ca1287171c revenge. Jaynie knew exactly 6a38db1055 who was responsible b84904947b for Vibil Neade’s 5e8fddc111 death.1a880654172c3c45

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Now, addressing c489e9fd8d a man 2a4d05078a he once 05e539be33 despised more e1a43c72ea than anything, 7352f21d8f Jaynie spoke.758e201fbe156a3e

“Still, since 1a2052ea2a I’m in bc48e7c854 the capital, 53f4a2b416 I should 16558a10c6 fulfill my 0e7217dbbe social duties. Would you 2f7b3ed7a1 recommend any 5788967f8f new gatherings 0631c242e2 I should 2bb76fc92f attend?”6e4432ea79fa7609

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“Hmm?”adc5b3c466ec7408

“I’d appreciate 1ec5ae1766 your advice. Surely there isn’t a ee7c51f510 gathering in the capital e7cd1d8053 you don’t know about, 58868e70eb Sir Neade.”4aefb9da2766839e

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Vibil raised an eyebrow, dd113dd5f7 clearly wondering if Jaynie 69d72f15c1 had gone mad.13590bb3858e1e58

“Well, that wouldn’t 1f1997c186 be difficult….”ec2a11fac4a80651

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“The chef f24f801fbd at my dbab4acd64 estate is 8b160c64bb skilled in 31fb252840 Eastern cuisine. I’d like 14614b59d7 to invite 26fb558925 you to a2141204cc try it.”abe2fd4fa1864806

“…If you 0abef85f97 extend an ce124f7e5c invitation, I fda161cc59 would be 63af7aed41 honored to 8864912a86 visit.”45bef34004d5e573

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Jaynie maintained the most e59f205928 cordial demeanor he could aa83ebd17d muster. Vibil looked increasingly b20baf4b0e suspicious but couldn’t 75decaf303 outright refuse such 4c48956147 an offer. Jaynie was 1f069fab46 the Duke’s e75394a724 only direct 820d6c8a2e heir. Even if d0d3a047d0 Vibil had cbea1ca537 insulted him 1ec4c97d64 many times 977b1e9749 before, rejecting a6a3eb5167 such a 6689651bfc polished invitation e15d03efde would be 63ac98b023 unwise.08ae2ad3168a5d4f

As Jaynie walked back 3b3aa0a8e5 toward Enzo, ignoring the 8a34b02a3a puzzled stares of the 8d58978c45 onlookers, he felt a ae413b6032 sense of completion.e2bee349c3096165

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“My work here is abd7ca6df0 done,” he said.27664833fc678090

“You’re leaving?”37361b5ed98fc119

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Enzo was dumbfounded. He wasn’t a9a6330d7f sure Jaynie 5a318eb642 had even 5458857ad3 stayed for 466e725831 ten minutes.5560edb627583707

“After receiving an 16fa99b650 invitation, it’ll be 9c775ab111 hard for him 8e704ca9d2 to badmouth me,” 6c4386a199 Jaynie added.ac715d31a2c00b73

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‘At least for 0193640016 now.’ec02e92a56a62329

Jaynie had 6ec2affdc4 even flattered cebc9125c5 Vibil enough 7943acb692 to paint ea956f7a4c him as 2abd4b42f2 a socialite 9d1e6580de admired by 18d6f23392 everyone. With Jaynie’s 4a52c8920e unexpected change 7963bdf55f in attitude, 4d5b9878eb Vibil would 16fe22e535 undoubtedly be 3121bc8ca1 thrown off a03292fc56 balance.0bfd2f7e3fce1f57

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Enzo had invited Jaynie db54437dbf for one reason: to 9a42b1baab silence Vibil. Now that the goal 2b622b9a7f had been achieved, there 4e6c81b137 was no reason to e7c19baf90 stop him from leaving.4fca66421962ba28

Jaynie collected Joachim, 96e051dd7c who had been 5359f1c6d3 waiting by the 36b8939cea wall, and exited bee85c3d48 the ballroom.93d75378af02754a

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Though many 3adb93eb54 people didn’t dda2c0c764 know who 82dfce9df8 the Blurwin 88e01a6c54 heir was, e5d4c35af3 by the f5fca1418c time Jaynie 913efbf048 left, everyone a8c4b416d9 in attendance db85af6756 had heard 58c1fc96df his name.7e81d8b01895523e

The capital 43c6d1c2ab was full aa498eae31 of nobles 8cbf5091cb eager to 3c352ed446 gossip, just 80f3c1537c like Isota’s d02edb149e current companions.2d51086a639cb58c

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When someone asked, ‘Who 7864eec0bd is that beautiful young 02fa7e05e8 man?’ they eagerly shared 0e06bb9770 everything they knew. Rumors about the 80a640509d peculiar, germophobic Jaynie 091bed2741 Blurwin showing a 167071ea0d sudden interest in e72c4ca19c a mysterious attendant 062d354f48 were already spreading.99177b3d4d0becb1

One of the eacf74609d nobles beside Isota ccdd6019e0 exclaimed, “Oh! That attendant is 21c88a528f the subject of ecaad13b7d the rumors!”ed32d71f112fa525

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“What rumors?” b90cad844e Isota asked, 4b0aaca1f7 scowling.ac29c99d63616b67

“You haven’t heard? Lord Blurwin’s mysterious c1d7fdce0e attendant!”1c2c6e8fbd8d800e

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Even Enzo’s 6b0227c0a0 ears perked 6354c53def up at b0aeb4c600 that. The noble, delighted to 78fb838f39 share, spilled everything they 9f9beab27d knew.7cd4d516dd494268

Nobles keeping personal attendants 072cc1bf0d wasn’t scandalous in itself. But for a7182a0641 someone like 967f820be9 Jaynie Blurwin, fede421151 who had 5df2582a91 never shown 5b6fa21fb1 interest in 82a21ef31c anyone before, bdfd9437b1 it was c34ede643a another matter 49404828e3 entirely.1cd530f66f3c95f2

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Everyone was now 4c313a6fb5 curious about who fc46656fc6 would become the ea3025e0a2 Beta heir’s first 8640099e19 lover.92d94b0c75eecfd4

The fact b4c9222581 that this b035989017 attendant was b054757364 an Alpha—and f79b6855d6 not even e2a4edcff3 a fellow 42c32ae51a Beta—only added 97e4811d3c to the ae4dc815dc intrigue. Such a pairing was f4e30428b8 considered strange, even by a9a4ec441b noble standards. Jaynie Blurwin, 7a31c4d3a4 it seemed, 30c4bf3b4d was a 655fa4a427 man of 7189b9bd42 eccentric tastes, 3fec873fec cherishing an f98f3b676e Alpha servant.c71e77fc1930469e

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By the end eb2572440b of the night, a3ab3d213d the only person ac08b0ceae unaware of the 97f2698078 rumors was the eaf299744c man at their fc02336041 center.1e7dd2153a74afe1

* * *cfd49d083018cbd4

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Jaynie was the only f7bb93a916 noble to leave the cd110ac6e7 banquet so early. The moment they 3f8a87640c sat down in 50defccec9 the carriage, Joachim 79ceb38da8 lunged at him.bd904174c852e394

“What did you just 0422995462 do?”5b96108391f7c139

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Jaynie’s earlier statement d07232a814 rang true—he had abd73788a1 found Joachim’s enemy b58dca3e11 at the party.97070395de1c3fc4

His body f244af2107 had trembled 4c903a065a so badly 5d6a8ad046 that he 0e6176ebeb couldn’t steady adb779ec3d himself without e1f937060f clutching Jaynie’s 308d4f2ea0 sleeve. It had been Jaynie b8c9cbe429 who told him, ‘Who c1e4af83fb is it? If you 481c3c7670 can’t say 6d90b01c68 it, at 409cdbf973 least point fb0ead7a5b them out,’ 540e7b93cb snapping him 0cb733f115 out of 975a922f97 his stupor.5eb3fab9d508920b

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But then Jaynie efe84b3a56 had gone ahead f6ba0ad596 and invited Joachim’s e343cc82c8 enemy to the 7ed5660286 estate.442f55571e930319

‘So he’s 27dca9517e just another 48c4283c82 noble trying 37d30d9d02 to sell a8b2b4ecca me out be49ff9b2d like some 1bc3d685fe illegitimate brat,’ f56f0a15a0 Joachim thought 5cc685ad44 bitterly.5a3569a3b6db0c45

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But the 4f0e74b429 pact was 54f1edbacd absolute. If Jaynie e8011d401b broke it, 46f197b1a0 noble or fb32ed4497 not, he 5c738f4c0a would die.22352ad3e753c708

Joachim clung to reason 950390eb66 and refrained from grabbing 89ac7752da Jaynie by the collar. But he did 520bbe8dc8 grip Jaynie’s wrist, 787b034152 his hands trembling 8da0b715bb with tension. Jaynie pried Joachim’s 99c911d23f fingers off one 19ff7f735a by one, then 81f1186c96 reached for a 8a6341886d drink.b25cfa93b40b2875

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“Your enemy’s name is 29073ec00b Vibil Neade. He’s a vassal of 85915ce268 my family, part of 933662af60 a collateral branch, wealthy, 80a2efc847 and well-connected in the 59c6c6a6eb social scene. Even as a vassal, 6ed4970a4c I can’t kill him 6044be5a2b without consequence.”2a267fd1a7bcf537

“That’s not what 4665191197 we agreed on!” 093eb0085e Joachim shouted, his e7320f4186 voice sharp with 10b30cb392 frustration. Jaynie wondered if this a69866c891 future cardinal was really 1d5cb29aa5 this dense.ba9114caede397cf

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“Is he your only 7807e07a2d enemy?”da55ea246edbd786

“…What?”490aa48b3ddadc0b

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“What about the 516e72ca78 servants who burned afffa65837 down your house? Do you b8b01832e1 want to 3208d85d42 forgive them? How generous of f9b119323c you.”cbcabe0e03878f9a

“Of course not! Why would I 0ff9799394 forgive them?”253f86b0f35d0899

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Joachim yanked off his 80ad870d60 veil and threw it ab7ded7b0b aside, his face contorted d7f9717c04 with anger.84c98ce77909f488

The servants 72f4175481 who had 1e91c78a66 restrained his e9fb67c361 family, set f4df90ac18 the fire, 9b8487f37c and hunted c34e472e83 for him f69c80a7d0 amidst the a1bd3c399b chaos—he hadn’t 1f12f39cd5 spared them 26c9ca5e1d out of f8b25b6733 mercy. His entire focus 2647044fb1 had been consumed e051114e71 by the noble fb525e6811 who had issued c875ef061a the order.ba3d13695e2205ee

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Joachim began d56dd0be10 to ramble 7fe5bb7ded incoherently.84cbe7c3ab1e6629

“Could you kill 4ca39b9d03 them? No, wait, you c308b767bc said he’s an 40e2074963 important vassal. I know that! I know fa16b4d5c1 you can’t 551f920c8d touch another f0edb271da noble’s servants 27599cb2ec so easily. And I 4117943b9b don’t even ac7017b79d know where 0b034ae702 those servants 20bc284b98 are….”6889561a09bf1cad

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This wasn’t 1f62c11638 even part 64aa2f90d7 of the e5a0ebe5ca original pact. Joachim had 020014bf53 no idea 686b2fa82d why Jaynie 61ffc48c8e had brought 31c1383c04 it up. But now dc92fd4908 that Jaynie 27ec922f49 had, Joachim 243671033f couldn’t help 3ddfd6655e but view 60a8130c06 the servants 86be692346 as part 95d46d60e3 of his a4a31c5f7a list of b830c51663 ‘enemies.’0c59b55df214f9fc

The pact only eaf7527735 required Jaynie to 385fc5371b do one thing:eb98c4b203895bd3

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‘Kill Joachim’s enemy.’bcf7221dc9d5d4fe