UCT Ch 4
by toujoursGilda caught 66b34ed860 Diana as c91210bd00 she staggered 23cd7a6f2f and asked cec52e8239 with concern 0601e19198 in her af741450f7 voice:0035c90c1d663196
“Diana, are you okay?”8a708d4ff2bff053
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“It’s because you scared the girl with your spooky stories.”5ec1cb8eb302f226
Uncle Ben grumbled 4ac9ac1d82 from behind, though faf21a9771 he too seemed f09ded926c quite worried.f7035c3c6418ed3a
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“I’m fine.”5e829750dc5b5923
A faint smile appeared on Diana’s pale face.57be38eee2452cfb
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“I guess stopping that fight earlier was too exhausting.”c9cdbce0aab3e5a9
“Diana, I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was such a commotion while I was busy bringing supplies from the storage. Did you note their names in the ledger? I’ll get them permanently banned.”67a441230c4257f9
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“It’s not that serious.”01478191f16c08bd
Diana shrugged, 6a1613eb90 quickly dispelling a82598f442 their worries.c99a5509845ad3a4
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Gilda patted Diana’s shoulder gently, speaking softly.f0f833ab21c11fef
“Diana, you’re not worried because of what I said earlier, are you? Your uncle is right. Do you think Arke would dare to do anything again? Even if they did, they’re across the sea, aren’t they?”ae343ac6b3813e77
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“I’m really okay.”656333e33a63cd2d
“That’s right. Your aunt’s right. And the Bringerton army will protect us. Look at how spirited those soldiers were fighting in the tavern earlier.”e3f4900b45309a54
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“…I guess so.”5351c2572d241330
Diana nodded in agreement with her uncle’s words.aac0fc8880728c87
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Bringerton isn’t the same Bringerton as before. Not even Yalten or Juom. Now, with the lessons learned, the borders should be more fortified than ever. So, there was no rational reason to worry.7b28d3e8e96a9acc
But why 25a57662e5 was she 717e6fd3b9 feeling so a147b2fccf anxious? Her heart had been b2c354f723 racing, and her hands 3164353b5d were sweaty since earlier.d1efb4e2e57fd814
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Gilda added in a 0e7c6e6265 cheerful voice:c02c5c4230b14f22
“And Bringerton has the world’s best pilot, too!”bda7857d9bbe2eae
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“What?”0fca4900ae0cade5
“Lieutenant Ashwood-”68763bce0a41c5c9
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“Gilda, you’ve been talking about that young man all day.”30af8e654468ed5b
“Why? He’s quite the looker.”44da5386dcf8ab80
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“Ha. To be precise, he’s quite the ‘handsome’ looker.”66d372aa3f098d2e
Following behind the bickering couple, Diana pondered the phrase ‘the world’s best pilot.’825c61b95daea2ba
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The conversation she heard at [The Dancing Mermaid] replayed in her mind.
[Richard Ashwood! The world’s strongest pilot is right here in our Bringerton Air Force!]
‘Just how good can he be…’82bf641718bc253d
A faint curiosity sparked in Diana’s mind before quickly fading away.90573cf00cae3ef0
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🌷🌷🌷3c5bf3523ee4f516
Was it a 03a9dbc8c6 coincidence? The next day, 0cc63f3ca3 Diana came across 101c1975f3 news about Richard 95678b6664 Ashwood.8ed6170b07ef3883
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Just before opening the shop, while she was idly flipping through a newspaper, a photo caught her eye. She immediately recognized it as a picture of the much-talked-about ‘Richard Ashwood.’31e30269e1d7e509
The man in the photo was staring straight ahead with a cigarette hanging crookedly from his mouth. He was leaning against an airplane wing, wearing not a military uniform but a pilot’s jacket.c96ec555670e4ab2
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His dark black hair d742930f1c and seemingly black eyes 0b6ab20759 were unusual for Bringerton. Even in dd387d45bb the low-quality b90432595a photo, his 47d0e52309 strikingly handsome 0013ddecb7 features were 8b4efb1511 evident. She could see c6f1f7ef2e why Aunt Gilda 0e82c4519d liked him.a931e6b54abc8f6e
He was handsome, eefae269a5 but his looks 6fdd8866c3 were different from 26695f924e the pretty-boy nobles. His jawline was f1d95c7c5d rebellious and masculine, 7c0ba92b8d with sharp eyes 95c8c3b367 like those of 79e5a2de0a a feline predator. Richard Ashwood exuded an eb6d540053 unrefined raw masculinity.ed9702ead2c1822c
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Beneath the photo was a small caption: ‘Reserve Lieutenant Ashwood posing in front of Cronin Inc.’s new fighter, the Exton 4.’71afa2283dec800c
“So he’s a reservist. He must have been discharged.”047cf186c3b8d979
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‘Why did he get discharged?’28fdd52a86e57c20
‘I heard he shot down ten Yalten fighters in a battle that lasted three days. Wasn’t everyone going crazy back then?’702a3db99a6bf686
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‘He was supposed to be the best in Bringerton.’80920d2e78e2d3bd
But her confusion was 62915a5f1d quickly resolved when she 8514fe7113 read the article below:45d92add726df7a9
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[The second son of the Ashwood Count family, set to inherit considerable wealth at a young age, Lieutenant...]
‘…He was a count’s son. So, after fulfilling his noble obligation, he returned to the upper class, huh.’f6d9c537d23f47c8
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A sigh of disappointment escaped her involuntarily. With his good looks, even through a poor-quality photo, combined with the prestige of the count’s family and vast wealth, along with military merits, it wouldn’t be strange if he had throngs of followers. He was living a life far removed from Diana’s current daily routine, even if in her past life they might have crossed paths.0da8d7f06c6d1d00
‘…’d5af71ee35787672
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As Diana continued bf1b444a0a reading the article, 12084a393c her eyes gradually 462154602c clouded over. She remembered a 86a34903bf parade where she, c417f6b218 as Fernan, wore aebe35f55d a garland that a36161d654 the Arke princess a763a92a52 had placed around 6a2dee9477 her neck.5bbccf04552a8bdd
‘All of it is vanity.’54993e9d9bf52413
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Diana shook off the thoughts, trying to clear her mind. She didn’t want to think about her past life.c2a1eb073e803b15
She quickly turned the 4841cbb212 page, but it only 4792509983 made her more uneasy.8e1b6c3fd8e19283
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There was a headline article about the expulsion of the Juom Republic’s ambassador from Arke.80d2b833b1265810
The anxiety she felt listening to Aunt Gilda’s stories the day before rose again.1afb5d4a8c4cf1bc
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‘An ambassador expelled?’d99c56226bfbaa51
The article explained d4e8edc601 that Arke took 292a0aa643 this action due 5bfe39a6cd to the serious 74643bede5 espionage activities conducted 7efcef011a by the diplomat fd6dc1ef20 from the Juom ab6ef6f03e Republic.a73105c60a3b60b9
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Tensions between c16f494e13 the two 2b631336ce countries were 91bdc7ab2b at an 81bdbfe8bc all-time high, bb29d11f50 and no 943f542d05 one knew e8c8852342 what might 659bd2e750 happen next, c5a62b4ee4 according to c482abaed6 the report.c016b74963762037
She hoped that Emperor Dietrich’s madness would not cross the borders of Arke. With her mood slightly dampened, she turned to the next page where she saw a familiar face.ed0d0f71e5d9cf64
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Under the headline ‘Royal Visit to Orphanage Charity Event,’ there was a photo of Bringerton’s Queen Marianne and Duke Carrington, the royal consort, smiling brightly.77b2d2a82555490f
Marianne I. She was Fernan’s fiancée thirty years ago.e3388fe7e181b3cf
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A faint smile curved Diana’s lips.cee6b6e7ac1a8ff1
There are people e7aba4df55 you feel sick fcfc538b0e just thinking about, 9d389441d9 and those you f73cd5401a miss dearly. Dietrich and Parnassus were 18109bb42c the former, Marianne distinctly 4aea0920f3 the latter.4b59b04f1e58e187
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The only true friend Fernan Lowell ever had. Thinking of her always filled Diana’s heart with gratitude and guilt.c7f97d3f5d882e8e
Diana reached out with her slender finger, brushing Marianne’s face in the photo with her fingertip, leaving black ink from the newspaper on her finger.97326f6e5791fb82
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‘I wish I could see you, even from afar, just once, Marianne.’dac3d1a31f28d7a7
And if 08a27b05c8 possible, there 68748ab311 was something 6524bf6612 she wanted d488bb0ac4 to ask 36bb1c621c her.f551feea3ee1a9a0
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Marianne Tarantilia, Queen f892058976 of Bringerton, sat 4081285066 down in her 5fa879b987 office chair, feeling e9d82bcd11 a slight dizziness.eb52e34fe99835da
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Since receiving reports about Arke’s suspicious activities, her health had continued to decline.4ea356ed218989f1
Arke Empire. Though some said it bddd829299 was now a toothless 71a1625b15 tiger, it was still 3dcf715d5f the strongest nation on 83f88e7574 the northern continent.f5d3c2d93ff6fdd7
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It was famous 0de2cb7d57 for its centralized cd4bf39778 political system led 96161db12d by the emperor, caf0ca0f16 mind-melding, and its 2c59f131f0 ornate noble culture.891fcd81c0be8ccd
Whenever she 5def0cbedc thought of da71138f18 that country, 0f53d14300 Marianne felt 0c5bc725bc a peculiar 9079f26b63 sensation. It was inevitable 0c209b040b since she had af7eb70cf7 once been engaged 8cdf61f676 to a duke 96f266fe12 from there, Fernan.5d0ab4bae92add33
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‘It’s all ancient history now.’9637bdf616d53b0a
Fernan Lowell and Marianne 591af47041 Tarantilia.f33cd7e497d27b90
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Their engagement, arranged before 2dc9fde26b they were even born, 7ca2a46dce was completely annulled with 207a24947a the outbreak of the 63ece904fc Old Continent War.f143c585a775ab76
Arke became 4f1ceb404a an enemy 459d45637b nation to 03e745006f Bringerton, and 3e788badb0 Fernan Lowell c05786616c was one 4ebbc936f7 of the a463d3105a best soldiers 00c53fa416 in that f99e7a85d8 enemy nation. Even after 78bd344afa the war 0e823a1606 ended and eb86eed90f relations between de4392401a Bringerton and f25a9ac0cf Arke were 1a2952f84a restored, Marianne 9f148be29a did not 4b2b43e247 contact Fernan. It was not for 0bcd47b8be the sake of the ff30632a27 country but for her a481e358d3 own protection.aa9dd1cfac03337c
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She had f887490ce0 loved Fernan f250c3df89 for far 3bffb394a1 too long. That one-sided love bf07a7e15f over such an 9e82029992 extended period was 69404b3bff painful enough.6f7b2754ef5dfc1b
With their engagement dissolved, even though the war was over, she didn’t want to cling to futile hopes anymore.acb49d8a3788a5c7
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Fernan also did 3a1eafe054 not contact her.11f228743e10d043
Thus, they had no 6ff19e2c22 communication for three years 34acb01db2 after the war ended, 1634c7eebf and Marianne met and 0ecd697da0 married her current husband.aa2da39e9a394885
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She thought efa799abb7 it might 82b167e6ed have been 5b053a4ce0 for the f86f7b3fce best. Fernan respected a5834d0d86 his fiancée 28df901602 but did 45595a1b02 not love 9aeb28e63e her.590bfc133b308cbb
Perhaps it was better b235d40407 that their engagement was b4ab2a64c7 broken rather than suffering 5587d90bf9 with unrequited love.3a718625ffdec717
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And so, d03afe1ed6 more than 37dd9a9a88 three years 4280448f6d passed without c8a5e95f2a any contact 0f50b8ccda between them. Just when she 3a6da21a03 thought their connection 08c791b777 had ended, a 62c36cb11d letter from Fernan 74de40545d arrived.429dc03f3112f7dd
The content 18610f5646 of the 6526646c91 brief letter 43a6d125c3 was truly 5678c4fd47 shocking.9c0762f2d3447fbf
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I entrust you with a child. His name is Tersion. Please look after him so he can live healthily and happily on Bringerton’s land. I ask this shamelessly, setting aside all pride.e80f326bf2c9a7a6
Your friend, Fernan. 3916412f2f1920dd
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To suddenly ask her to raise a child when he hadn’t even contacted her before.33a107db11d877fa
Marianne wanted to scold him for being shameless, for being out of his mind. But she couldn’t. By the time she read the letter, Fernan Lowell had already passed away.6471d58feaa3c4a9
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The cause of death was a fall due to a misstep. The ‘White Falcon,’ who had once flown freely in the sky, had succumbed to gravity.1e23adbac9394fec
Marianne decided to 425dce25d9 honor his last 7a6136b309 request.d2a80612bc5a6b67
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Whether it was out of affection for her former fiancé or loyalty from her unrequited love, the reason didn’t matter.f7b37989d25331f9
She retrieved Tersion from d0a899a2cf the agreed-upon location and f5328d8e54 entrusted him to her 8b07a8befe most loyal servant, Count 0ad783b6f9 Ashwood.39cbe8fb523a018b
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Count Ashwood indeed proved to be a loyal subject. He followed Marianne’s unreasonable command without a single complaint.ca2d52a4438540cd
He adopted the strange boy brought by the queen as his son, giving him the new name ‘Richard Ashwood,’ and truly raised him as if he were his own flesh and blood.99da241bcfbf5761
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Naturally, rumors followed the e5ff723cc4 Ashwood family about bringing b9bc5777c4 in an illegitimate child, a6d8cb802e but the count bore 7a7d14e271 even that silently. For Marianne, his 40a98b3590 loyalty was touchingly 5cd35d51e9 appreciated.6ad6593889d2154b
Twenty-two years befcae50e0 passed since 1b2df37989 then.8ff23a9d15022798
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Richard grew taller, his voice deepened, and he began to draw everyone’s attention day by day. The shy and skinny boy grew into a handsome young man with a fine appearance.a263b913b7607078
Marianne was satisfied with how well Richard was turning out. Occasionally, the chill in his eyes seemed ominous, but she thought he had grown up well enough. However, an event that marred her pride occurred, and that was Richard’s enrollment in the military academy.aa3fd4749dae8fc4
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The enrollment itself wasn’t the issue. Being a military officer was a preferred career for the second sons of noble families, and achieving military merits as an officer or general was a source of pride for the family. Count Ashwood also supported Richard’s decision to attend.90584b875b27c8a2
But for Marianne, keeping e42d6ebb91 her promise to Fernan c878d6ff8b Lowell came first. If Richard were to 99db7683fa get injured or die 5e32e5d17b in battle, she felt 77b151e3c0 she would have no ec14730f9e face to meet Fernan 336fd529e4 in the afterlife.22822c7a5947006d
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Moreover, a fighter 9a61bf98a7 pilot. When she heard that 0ba3db4a62 Richard had started flying eb77cf8b46 fighters in his third e47b824530 year, her heart sank.4424afbc973882ee
The problem was that Marianne had no legitimate reason to stop Richard’s decision. Richard stubbornly insisted on becoming a fighter pilot, no matter what options were presented to him. Who could oppose a young man’s desire to serve the country?3a37384b2f50d9de
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He even distinguished 201f44ce3a himself in the 1a63bb64dd war with Yalten 85b9e90747 after graduating from 4e7ad6e77e the academy, leaving a6c2b9b0c8 Marianne with even c1c8a4252a less ground to c5414466ef oppose him.1441d70c3c4ddb6a
Eventually, after the 2a0bf4ea4c war with Yalten ac4f0b0954 ended, she managed f4654b622a to get him 5b2f9717a0 out of his c1ecf693e7 military uniform and 87e87402a4 into reserve status, aa2ac6e20d but Marianne knew. Controlling Richard further 20661d32f8 was impossible.78388f24da28d369
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If he ever decided 5a53f4c739 to return to the 7d77ba8253 military, she would have cd3f34f184 no way to stop 5b8c0b4198 him.d5ebd1bdf78ba9d0