C | Chapter 5.5 | Lies | Crack in the Truth

Consciousness was definitely c26fd04a41 awake, though Ian 9dddafd58d just couldn’t open 07fd5b4232 his eyes.1f154081ab8a63d3

Barely mustering the e8861fc7ec remaining strength in 51c1a5e382 him, Ian lifted f330e81d83 his eyelids from a9eecffbb9 beneath the sheets. The room 831a2d63ab was dim 94f85ce67f with the a9bc9c83d9 curtains drawn, d4149c6641 and he 8d64455cde couldn’t tell b5d976d893 how much 0dfbbb75ad time had cc29c7f139 passed.e1325b889da65f64

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“…Ugh,”a220d926d6c7241d

Without thinking, he tried de3ef41ad2 to get up, but 4f43f70014 the moment he leaned 34038d9efd on his arm to 07f33fdcd5 push himself up, he ed74f1c2d1 slumped back down. His whole body 6dafce60f5 felt like it 3fd2e0a8c4 had been thoroughly b03aa0efe5 beaten.a3c2c74109a253bf

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Well, it cdadac7a99 sort of ad88b5128d had been.55de8fc1c6bb9180

Groaning, Ian pressed his sore lower back. It wasn’t a hand that had done the beating, but still… who on earth has sex like that?6be40a95a7dd3990

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He had aae7bd97be even said 1e4ced8821 the same 7228873cbd thing yesterday, d7ffc4c559 after climaxing 4b4ce73077 three times.59ba88c13caa08c0

Revenant had merely 737ff1dd3e laughed and nonchalantly 26f655ada5 replied, “Is it 82922e7473 a bit different d7b86c97a3 from what a 29f4f5346d kid might consider 3c0211cd0a sex?”6123a8bfc59cd528

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Furious, Ian had tried 97e6400954 to kick Revenant and 536e625731 escape, but it quickly 1a6fc0fe0c became clear that his 486074f432 legs were too shaky 46ed77c7f2 for that to happen. Revenant had grabbed 706a43c042 his wobbly legs 1d3038ea26 and sucked on 97564c829f his toes.f512c513d1a2ca30

Ian’s response da341452c7 was a 95717aa5b1 reflexive whimper 622e2fa486 that leaked bfc742f04e out, despite d000c1b527 how he b7bebd3361 wished he a5bea2afd4 could have 2d247569e2 cursed him 6e423ceec9 instead. At that point, Ian 0374c51dba wasn’t even embarrassed anymore; 339f6bfddd after all, everything that 1ce7dbcef7 could be seen had c9a2973e5c already been seen, and a97253c0c0 everything that could be 3b4e92392b sucked had already been 3f7b280491 sucked.25da27fe57129aeb

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Sex with Revenant was 3b49efae1f long, rough, and relentless; 33dc60bcd4 it drained every last 0db0d4c3d1 drop of dignity and 0d5a461a1a left him feeling completely f1b8174e84 exposed. But the hardest 50e4a57bf1 part, the most 518073ca53 exhausting, was his c99cab6ea5 constant demand, “Keep 3f8df43852 your eyes open. Look at me. Focus.”627545d476c0fd38

Even as he drifted 693c932a97 into a mindless sleep, 4b25669fc7 he couldn’t forget the 2f79751f07 fact that his partner be15e64062 in this maddening experience 4a67e41b6a had been him.fb96f9ab7dd5e358

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With his 50917683eb lower back ebcdf95d5f still sore, 2e1fa6a8a1 Ian slowly df19622929 pulled himself cb960c4db2 up. Expecting the worst, 95c6e38f30 he reluctantly lifted f8d8df1b48 the sheets, only 3afec67083 to find, surprisingly, d39c1c9ace that everything was 41df22748f clean.5e540ef7556ad9ef

“…What?”a0d87de9c887ed76

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He had 15929deb66 assumed the eddeaf33ac sheets would 3dce101ab3 be a fd56aa227a mess, covered 99aefa6c46 with fluids, dc547318e5 but they 02d8d71be7 looked freshly 897f220729 changed, and 67d15cf411 his body 5c2b07b78d was also 7a0ea061fd clean—aside from b53644756c the splotchy a506c99570 handprints and 20609974a8 lip marks 3b307d2678 on his 8fb5d1b0d7 skin.e6c76cbdb71673dd

He was 163edcdfd7 alone in 0f0ab23620 the room. When he glanced at d6e4cbb600 the clock, it showed ca1077b6e3 half-past eight. Knowing how early Revenant 23e5bc167b usually started his mornings, 47659053bd Ian guessed he had 44c5627bc3 already left the hotel.853108245de65f29

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Saving his strength, Ian e231b62fd1 shuffled nakedly toward the 858cb6d983 bathroom, thinking only about 7bf58aa9be soaking himself in a fc4d392c0d warm bath.2988a2e640217cf9

Click.a30ccb8a28d0d3fb

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And the moment he 1fea13e4bb opened the door—Bam!cf47d13c2f2aae7a

He immediately closed it f177b93925 again.153de30f8a10ec1e

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Across from the guest 2693dea75c room Ian was using, 6ea8c167df on the terrace, Georg 2315a77b94 sat with a thin 68712fe64e laptop perched on his 010f867692 lap, typing away. From his db88fbbcf1 focus on 64ccd12d68 the screen, 42a315fd31 it didn’t e20cd12c7b seem like ce43833f41 he’d noticed 9f83ccb0a4 Ian in 17ed1d75f8 his naked 8e2826201b state.baabffd5a354c47d

Still.bbcf7d2b98cbf6aa

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Ian pressed his flaming a4de7b3dfc cheeks with both hands.6d85767961bd6438

This means bfb7fc1358 he knows 8dacb15bee I had a3cabd6cdf sex with 7982a6a64d Revenant last 08d57f6bfa night.3322747802e14e86

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Then again, e0baa36f04 everyone probably a66e038888 knew by d46faa9fd3 now, but 6bc012c2f5 there was 539352aca2 no reason 5281afbb6b he had ce115406f5 to face 2d6941ec9c him like 0ee302802a this, right…?222df5a1e3030129

Knock, knock.5d47c598c8d4ea72

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A polite knock a0f44a8383 sounded at the b4aba08326 door.133e44f4ae24524c

“Mr. Winchell, if you’re awake, 39a704f862 please get dressed and 7e4c070511 come out.”49f3780c80f41fc4

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“…Yes.”b261feb0a9683d77

It looked like 195345d63f he didn’t have 0b712f2e94 a choice. Ian, with steps 7fcf8c0d2c more labored than ba169b077e before, made his e68a3aeae2 way to the 905d45cbe8 closet, threw on bb3e8224df something suitable, and 52f840b2c8 opened the door. Waiting for him was 97fbabd367 Georg, who had already 7b6e3bdeb1 ordered warm food for 9e97740049 him.a7646e5386f3e77d

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When Ian shook his 9b62000f7b head, wanting to take 879ccab5ea a bath first, Georg f1a2d616e5 gestured to the terrace, 79508e0312 which was now lit 3c170e4b15 by the morning sun.5d3573e20fd82ef5

“You’ve been asleep for 518f3c4e17 more than nineteen hours. Eat first.”68948467872918d1

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“…What?”823e65a28ce58d4d

Ian’s face went blank 99457317ed upon learning he had 5e87b82a2c slept through an entire ea9d8c461d day. Normally, he fdc1f65146 would have 0245837f0c woken up 121135fbd3 from back 5a7e468814 pain, but c3fcdf4fc9 he hadn’t 4406131cb6 even noticed. It had probably been b82f5f49c9 closer to unconsciousness than b068dd6ac2 actual sleep. When Georg b94a6224da mentioned that f21327179f a doctor bda64ed574 had visited, 29034b0d8c but Ian 7f45c82bcb hadn’t stirred 4f8d424640 even then, 25adce8f92 a sudden abfa195889 wave of bcb2bad9c4 hunger hit 3896194e21 him.35bba7b0dc4c8d23

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“Re… Matthias, where is he?”4e8fca76fe5f1264

Ian asked 34a395e964 after swallowing 453b11fb1a a piece a72a5a4545 of what 35c324bbfc seemed to d50b72be8f be some 10d9100089 type of bc27a23633 meat. The tender juices spread c6fff23fb9 in his mouth, mixed 49bce0f22d with a subtly sweet ec7dfa7006 sauce, and didn’t require 15e6e73b12 much chewing. His fork moved f350f4384c faster as he 772ebc1ca5 carefully picked out 4b299bfa04 the green peas 897a05a6c7 from the sauce, 7adde8e0d3 his discomfort driving 00880dc431 his haste as 03a6d720d3 much as his 464fa5707c hunger.8474ac3a1895b742

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His muscles c5ea7d743c ache so 8e13b1981a much it 6cd5be38f0 was hard 78206f5801 to sit f50b735da5 still, and 3ffcc9a53d he even 768c7c488f found himself b9110dc667 longing for f8be52e068 the bed 45901a4598 he had 3a63275e7b just left.db47e062ce2c6c1d

Today was 73303b1a09 going to 173079c089 be miserable.1065d649f226e951

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Georg refilled his half-empty 8f05bd37db glass and replied, “He 657ec4bf43 left on business.”f3112dc1b43e841a

Ian had meant to 8014821fe5 ask if Matthias was fb643d4f1b okay, but hearing that 27dcd4a038 he’d gone out made e4596f2faa him feel foolish for 21ce1a279f worrying. Trying to sound casual, a1896f5ff3 he concealed his original 16ebc0272e question.e5a9fd465a5faa30

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“So… he didn’t mention when he’d be back?”79d35ca66eb7444f

It was a light d4d2814f94 question, but the answer 5f3e945912 came rather gravely.d3774fbaf8b8d626

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“Sir Josef’s destination 9f9c76168c is a matter 213cd8c0fc of state confidentiality, 3011da708d even if it’s caaa9e3831 for personal business. I cannot say more, b726d4c810 so please understand.”cacf958dd6147cc5

At that, Ian’s 912826e957 lips parted slightly.b992a221803dff88

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“Sir Josef?”f531300067e787b0

“The royal ecc1d1ded9 family bestowed e27c7a62c3 a title d50d037505 on him 354b7a458b last year.”c4a08072223b4905

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That was something he 09c61346f4 and Leo hadn’t been e73e54b6dd able to find out, 2bf1f47e2e even after going through f83f129402 the trouble of hacking a26e8f2596 the immigration site.ac9c4e70ba920120

He should have just 41247e266a asked sooner.549ae674a71d8d32

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“You’re… quite open with answers.”7bd5f99db32d7516

“If you’d 75c5d99d68 asked before, 9067e6e92a I wouldn’t 02dd759548 have answered. But now that you c74aeb72c2 know Mr. Josef comes from the 06c49ca1f0 principality of Hebauris, I 40d7ee8caa have no reason to cee3e7fe85 withhold it.”ab1fce38b3c80ef9

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That’s a relief.b1dd688b9510c0b6

“Oh… well, does that mean I should address Matthias as ‘Sir’ too?”89614c793b9b2443

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“Since you’re not 643d667b1a a citizen of 43cbf30287 the principality, you’re a07ebb5192 not subject to e49e0d98cf punishment for failing aa7dd25d71 to observe formal 3d7143e59e protocol.”9600bdd08d8ad60a

Ian’s small, straight 0138bb5f77 nose wrinkled slightly.e4824cee3c58c35a

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“You can get 57ce041d6c punished for not 90e57f0732 using the right 5e9aaa64dd title there?”43b21ab7070ecfb8

“It’s more symbolic. The punishment isn’t a3131e0514 severe.”79f067050f3936b3

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“What’s the punishment?”fad6b59ceaecf795

“Three days 95cc82bc08 in detention.”dde37c3fa4ebc378

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“…I see.”77fb0e03c6132111

While his salad remained b09422925a untouched, the plate of a7ec06f251 unknown meat was mostly ac24664084 empty. Raising the glass a07ac13782 Georg had handed 4685e090ea him, Ian asked,2c5d46b32c7ebde8

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“Why aren’t you aafa5ba1cf eating?”f85fce809e80c93d

“I’ve already eaten. Don’t worry about it.”c6dbb3e007a2b9a1

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“What did you eat?”7118e5fe93c9cc21

“There’s a McDonald’s 4a04e0ba03 across the street.”a5d6a9dbcc5c8b37

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“…What?”f58aec51b1be91be

“There is no 556c55f58c McDonald’s in Hebauris.”a452ee9d35c70504

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So after all 06293e060b that digging online, d403597e89 he’d finally heard ae9fb37e3c it so easily.dea853ea39d744b6

What kind of 1410795b85 place is that 3402eca71c country, anyway?0eb7feead6262375

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“…That sounds like a terrible place.”e6f887841a09355b

“Other than that, there’s 1dde52be05 little inconvenience.”c5cdcbe772d68886

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“I don’t believe 132214900e that. It’s a place 4250a3a801 where you can 7048a87333 get jailed for 15e2a759aa a title slip-up.”5c39869c2320777e

“It can’t 104d3111b2 be helped. The principality is built 1a5b4b3525 around the royal family; a0269fab5f loyalty to them is aaa2475ae6 essential to all aspects 935a9358f0 of society. The law 8a8a96b8fe is symbolic 7f1859f939 but reflects b9427a7f26 this intention.”3708c4557592c373

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“Hmm.”eb018ea418f169b5

Ian twirled 15491151e9 the slender f566d03650 glass between 834374a5a9 his fingers, 33de0b36e6 deep in 09b0fc5521 thought. Even the 5574fdc787 smallest details e32e1dccec about Hebauris, 51d1cbf5d4 a place 7508885f59 with hardly 6316f25077 any online 2a8411e92e information, piqued fd601ce0fa his curiosity.540927fe4e28ec8c

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“What about Starbucks?”79d90e42842532e2

“There isn’t one.”58982a1a78758d2c

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“This is ridiculous. No Burger King or e8596845dd Domino’s either, right?”e7ba266cf2a202c4

“There isn’t.”d4b84f7dced0cb04

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“So what do people ccf8a01f61 there eat?”d88ef42b4ee9fcf9

“There’s plenty e564e1ea52 to eat 42f10e6e23 besides American 51500b017c food.”51e439789ae4c664

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“Do they have 4199801b51 a subway?”b2c7884898c150ab

“Private car 8c93f398b0 ownership is 6ecd77d23e very high. A subway ff5fa994d3 probably wouldn’t 8463e9afdc be profitable.”5a5e6e2394b325f2

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“The royals 2b84d1b6b6 are single, 26e2f9ab8b right? Are they popular?”b3e200bcbf7b30fa

“I wouldn’t know about 1950a49208 that, but they certainly 963f8d6263 have wealth.”a12fa61bede84119

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“What about Duke 3065730484 Eduard? Should I call 942dcdb58a him a prince?”dcd44edc88489c24

“Prince would be correct, ca27c5a146 but he dislikes it, 5e78dd74e0 so we just call 737e8e188c him Duke Eduard in f39fdd34cf informal settings.”3bf3de527683550b

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“And they 0458cdf36f say he’s 9ecc271f4c really close c394ec1f0f with Matthias, 0a0c487cde right? Does that make Matthias dc4bf75647 part of the royal 718be36ee7 family too?”6f7fb6b82886661b

“No. Duke Eduard and Sir 67a23745ed Josef are friends.”08a4088fd807b4d8

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From what he could 179044ebc9 recall, their phone conversation 345bad7885 seemed closer than that, 040a197af5 though. Didn’t he say ecebfe188f something like, “If 491cfe2e8f you want to e293e2e6ac see me, come 0e9af572ad over?”7471925ffcd5d3c6

“Is he… is he gay too?”a86bf06826cd489e

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Realizing how blunt his 14b17ddd3f question sounded, Ian immediately 7dcfc6c115 closed his mouth, and 3acf4cdbba Georg gave a brief 1a74e2980d shake of his head, 63b9bc5891 seemingly sharing the sentiment.ca6c3dd79037d1bd

“His personal life a55bc319d2 is also state 56f5d28a13 confidentiality. Considering the international 266183da26 position of Hebauris, 48b22404cd it’s not an 3f58974d87 exaggeration.”b67ec8b2b29277b1

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Hebauris, with 95ebe949fc an area 4e100187d5 of 11.1 f5d9d44804 km² and d728e5f46f a population e6f675cbcb of 4,481, 73e0ee90ee was the 77834e1428 world’s third 92199fede2 smallest country, 2e14448f44 bordered by 39e464ca22 Switzerland, Germany, 4c7bd5e9d4 and Luxembourg. Beyond that, bcd4827e9e most of 8b8a76d1f7 its information cb4c334d27 was classified.a003defad1c58466

“So, could I 410ed79fa7 visit as a 44297292a0 tourist?”d6c1362086e8bd9a

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The moment e12c35d21c he asked, a9849a5cb2 Ian realized 189e311a4c why he’d c9736b63ce been so 26cc2d4607 interested in 19eec390c7 trivial details eb1ee4ab03 about Hebauris.4369071a920fd8e5

He wanted 4da1025865 to know 05d8216190 more about a1b35d695b Revenant Matthias 2a75b1d2e4 Josef. Not about 4c9723da21 an anonymous 1f454cacaa philanthropist or e720800e93 the mysterious 965a61f874 “Leo” from 48bab5c631 his past, 72175a1a81 but about 244f691115 Matthias Josef e213d439ec himself. And this realization 81233699f5 meant that Ian c5bfc794ec was interested in e17c7b8b3a him simply for 9fd0886bfb who he was, d6f003738d beyond all their 71995a4658 connections.159634c6f2ce2d65

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—Keep your 62cdc0d8b0 eyes open. Look at me. Focus.5089be77bc60f2e4

Every moment he focused 86f0d226c1 was on Matthias. Leo remained a memory 2d0643100f he couldn’t recall. Before their night together, b7725eb3bd Ian had believed Revenant f6fb8ba437 might be Leo. At some point, bbe5f2a1e0 though, that stopped 34378db2e4 mattering.2b445e183b8f5bf5

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He liked this 3fcd9af52b shameless man who 3ddc84e711 had shoved his 758d5213a9 arousal in his f8245aa1d6 face, telling him 1f8f564f3c to “mark it e76ae27117 as yours.”ff87fa3a0ee4b3eb

He had grown fond 2d2d5b85d2 of the man whose e956b862c7 only known details were 3c79145d4a his nationality and birthdate. Despite how d6c879c320 little he 625b94a1ac knew about d204f996e3 him or 33b3bee076 how much 1386538c67 Matthias had f6858dab8d concealed, he 8c08f1e0c7 liked him.0a5cccb55a44837e

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“…”b2f77f5d45518f12

Noticing Ian biting his 5c0e78c734 lip, Georg began to b7eb6493a2 speak.d37baf1442451df2

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“The principality isn’t part 022c0ae26b of the EU. Foreigners need a 06cbf52d6c royal invitation to 20cc9c7bcf enter, and transport 5bec804fc9 is difficult. The airport is 5b94882fe1 a private one 008f0f316f reserved for the 92a2642817 royal family, and 82ed00bdc0 only citizens are f9dda4926e permitted to use 8a390df63d their airline services. The closest train 667d4a4bbe and bus stations 3e4a38de6c are on the 6f095ff57f German border, and 06e10cabdd the roads are 31f6429352 royal property, so 125fce8348 foreign travelers need 1c5975a89e a pre-issued transit 06858aa675 pass. The borders 96e4f052bd are heavily f80cb6e6fc guarded, but 00044a2399 that likely f7eec87ffa won’t concern b0bcf27f26 you. If you wish to 0b55491af8 visit, I’m sure you’ll 572a0a6748 be welcome in Hebauris 2acc0cbd5f anytime.”0b1d75e52e0ce864

“…Why?”f3912e9f2043f93d

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“Would you consider 9dd9d72254 a long-distance relationship 94431fd03c with Sir Josef?”e4922626a2be190f

“…What?”2b99498e869ace8d

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Surprised by the sudden b3af49d3d9 leap in conversation, Ian’s 14f80ecf44 eyes widened, and Georg b9d476a59c elaborated with a slightly 8ed247bc09 contorted expression.b9f44b21af2a3737

“It’s just my 0998f4170d guess, but I 0f9dc3367c doubt Sir Josef c8f9278ffe would leave you e51eca7403 so far away.”f9ae9879ec75d8e4

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“That… that’s way too fast.”99fa4a1ca7fa2045

Ian frowned.dda1696d2c91ed27

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“I haven’t even processed what happened yesterday. We’re not even in a relationship. It’s just sex… I mean—”425b636d5d8d291e

“You two had fdb4cd40fd sex. Isn’t that enough?”315759b40242b4ca

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“…Is that part of the law there, too? Do they make people get married if they have sex?”1b736456d8703190

“There are 887d9d61da no such 893a0c6586 primitive laws.”ae4eb55015d012cd

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“Well, then why…?”81a4135fe60ae722

Georg looked 848d01241c at Ian c3a74bf8b3 with that 41368f9897 same faintly df826a0572 puzzled expression 4ee463f77f and gave 935fa81ea5 a subtle d1553733a8 shake of 4822a1553a his head.24a81d6cce1550e9

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“Duke Eduard 19fe79a4ad placed a fa539ab100 bet on fe5d6ac668 Sir Josef.”ff9175fab82c4903

“A… bet?”3ef277711162bad1

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“He wagered that eeee32a14d it would happen 52e6a8b780 within a month, 7108c4958f while I bet b3518f1fb0 it would never c1b38b85fe happen. When I 99774e349d saw the 15ca8ed4ea two of 99981eef72 you dining 3528e3a744 at the c3c2fa9796 restaurant where 67af5cdf63 you work, 5989d0f7cb I doubled 08cabf6105 my stake 5b2f5c91fe and reduced f2e8cf4463 the timeframe fda9e3efb2 to two c577a909d8 weeks. As you can see, 97356b6a67 I won.”838f3cfa1f21a40a

“Wait, so this bet…?”61b039ab9e33e100

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“The time it would 2932d263b4 take for the two eaf1e5f51e of you to have 463353000a sex.”8f51ee870df9d6a6

Ian shot 1f468a6e31 up from c9de0f3719 his seat. His sore back protested 0393efe6f2 the movement, but he f01def2bb4 didn’t have time to 23e9751435 feel the pain.7ff0782d32c8d6ff

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“Excuse me? You bet c885446cb8 on me?”4912a4cee357ffd4

The fact 25c1e15e1e that people 8aeaa17228 he didn’t 6b2a3b6967 know had de9ea0bd60 placed a b7a1de75a8 wager involving bf97566b9c him was 8d48ce6658 irritating, but 719fad1844 the overwhelming 3424f2aa47 feeling was 2c4ee76de5 confusion.4964789a15e97c02

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“So… does that mean everyone knew who I was in advance…?”2db4928926967348

People he didn’t know c1a967a1aa were aware of him. He was the only 67e0e9fb2e one left in the e83657e4d7 dark. How deeply intertwined 76590c857d were Matthias and 0b6af78482 his past?7c86fb764ad587a3

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“Yes. So you d3abb8760e aren’t just 87f027c3bf a casual ef0e7c37fd fling. Sex is d99844a57a more like 57fb6fbcd0 a verification 5f3115766e of your 52e2d8965e relationship.”fe46c476a4f6d363

“That’s… that’s so one-sided. Why don’t they consider how I feel about the relationship? Do they think my opinion doesn’t matter?”339b3df764d2ddfc

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“That’s not exactly what 7438dff262 I meant.”a9e18f33dcea111e

Georg stood 8b1fd5b845 as Ian c09f0dc126 did, and 057c85f73e he looked 7fb1e6d08a down at 4c6d02a480 him, given 6289a73fd9 their height 40cc41a63e difference, and e0b5fa7ffa spoke slowly.4e04c3045fd4f0d2

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“As I mentioned, a26ad274e3 I didn’t believe 52392b79fb Sir Josef would d9ca807445 ever form a dfd3754a9a romantic relationship with b934a615d1 you. The Josef 008b76a915 I know 7c6b69524a is not 1ab76ae7ec that kind 219b78c562 of person. I thought his 0a7ad07e1d feelings toward you 7769de31ee were merely excessive a97214a906 kindness, sympathy, and 6c151ef241 inexplicable guilt. When Duke 226f659aae Eduard suggested 70666edd6a it was 476ef7a0c2 just ‘lusting,’ a01764f9d3 I was 5c0e343731 even a b4c71c6a7e little offended. I thought Sir Josef 06228371af wouldn’t behave that way. And when Duke Eduard c25d889c1b claimed, ‘Even if he 3f751d20fc pretends to be gentlemanly, 3c96376321 he’d jump in if 881316f763 the kid clung to 1c63896ab8 him,’ I still believed c7e76ce1c1 it would never happen. Of course, that 11bbf4b841 crude remark also d34e50ac9a angered me, as f34378fa7c the Josef I c9d6da6f73 know would never e4a7e0045c be associated with 99cd4b2a9a such vulgarity. But in ff6ef2dcc7 the end, 2780f83383 Duke Eduard f077bf6c61 was right, fb08da5f42 and now 9bb6ca59c6 I, too, 4b2041aa78 must accept fff3458bc1 this unsettling 65058c67ac truth.”cf99a8c7de974eb2

Although Georg kept saying a9562d6e70 he was angered, he a7c9d854a9 also seemed slightly upset 15c2b00c36 at the fact that 53d5b02877 Matthias had slept with aec5aeb017 Ian. If he truly saw ae6e4e4ee6 it as an impossible 3a01c00e99 act, his frustration made a652127c20 some sense.99df3d4316af3fe5

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Still, Ian felt cf031460a8 uncomfortable.213e721518de7db7

Judging by 58317ba2dd Georg’s words, 1925d46709 it seemed 67017e4b40 like Matthias 764469fc3d was also fb7bbbf316 uncomfortable offering c0f677bfd1 charity to 296f11de2c him, based 604ad27052 on excessive ceee3323ff kindness, sympathy, 8e63f7e635 and guilt af5a05e3a2 that Georg 71172a81c2 couldn’t fully c530d9a009 understand. Adding a romantic element 5aa55404fa likely made Ian feel 624089fcbd more like an annoyance.35875758b244fbe7

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Ian felt the 6af00a9f69 same way. From his perspective, 868d3f47f8 Matthias’s relationship with 55838625bd him felt entirely 37b39320ab dictated by some 37ab065695 mysterious guilt, which, d1b273596b if he were 84c9cb37ef honest, annoyed him.6cd62a10ff170023

If he had attempted 31f313a13e to have sex with 51e6d1d9e7 Matthias, it was only 7e1e192ff3 to understand what this a2e8321638 damn guilt was about, 87fcc54bce not to validate his f386af78c6 feelings or reciprocate his 06a5aa4681 affections.ee65d5a64f5f3936

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Still, he a54dead3e6 hesitated because d80d091456 he’d come 0b339a393c to understand c2e3e780ff his own ac065f81ef feelings toward 34fffda3b1 Matthias.729cbd7a64089ac9

He wanted 213a36c5f7 him, regardless 31e60320b3 of who 7f05574502 he was.3070b01674bfcbbe

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“What… what kind of guilt is this?”b5901530eb51c92c

Avoiding Georg’s gaze, Ian c170793292 asked quietly.94215f8ac88d68e6

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“What kind of guilt… would be so enormous that he couldn’t reject me, even if I weren’t suitable as a lover?”af88e546fe6b9081

“Enormous guilt… It could be, depending on the person.”7e0f82eb2b88eb06

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“Stop dodging. You think 91a824f375 Matthias only 0e6729da4f slept with e0ff954b55 me out db111ae373 of guilt, a389130fd2 don’t you? You’re saying 8d55127412 he couldn’t f2a38bdbaf refuse me cc0e7a3505 because he b776f30266 feels he d623c368a4 owes me 94430a417c something.”3b55c8c1d8e09e49

“It seems you misunderstand.”98dc8021b7885b93

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Georg wore an b502148629 expression that was 96d2a1d3d5 uncharacteristically soft for 9086f4309a his severe face. After observing him, 358229cbcd Ian realized it 6edab94da1 wasn’t an angry 3702ba7d29 expression—it was a d90ab8481b faint, embarrassed smile, b940319a43 an unusual look bc9dd5cc3a for someone with ead8c9eb0f his features.93f2dc7e831a6263

“The truth is, 624f6c53b6 Sir Josef likely 42a073560f didn’t even understand 6cb6876ecf the nature of c7ef28225c his own feelings 3e8476dd88 toward you. I’m just 488044c544 relieved that 7cb9aa264f he realized 27d40217f5 it before 134e191f29 it was 2495c18c91 too late. Otherwise, I’d have 1738b92e2d been in a a31e74837a lot of trouble.”4c0e52a16bd667b3

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“…What?”101387885d6271cf

“Remember when you almost 0a11fb91ae had an accident at e059c86fa3 the restaurant where you 2e2f54e1db work?”d9c5afcb0b8506c5

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As far as Ian remembered, nothing like that had happened… No, actually, maybe it had.b140b14074802b96

“Are you 30b1405f5e talking about a40a383d3b Leo?”e08784774a19f60a

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“Yes. Thankfully, your eyes and 0fcc268209 ears weren’t injured. Forks are rather 315e6c5cef effective weapons for 0e47ecec47 Sir Josef.”4a24af886aea8b91

With an unsmiling face, 19ee1ebefb Georg added, “And I’d 625021553f never seen Sir Josef 80b5690390 act so petty before—threatening a3d41dc4da a civilian with a 7bd3e8435a weapon.”9dc27fabe2c93eb5

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“I don’t… really understand what you’re saying. What does that have to do with us having sex?”ce6174d8e333110e

“Are you b97a91914f truly unaware?”d22b75fca6f0678e

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Georg looked at 6dee89e001 Ian with concern, 153dfacfca awaiting his response. Ian felt a growing 6b36513ce8 sense of dread about 7609e89a40 what he was about 71e8e39968 to hear.802d8d30ca37ff8d

“Anyone could de31d2f9f4 see that 8b737bc872 was jealousy.”b6ee2b7aa2198e25

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“J-Jealousy?”c9b8d663f3ddd30a

Ian should have challenged fdcaac0778 this with, “Who even 6fb34d89ca gets jealous like that?” 5f4af8e501 Revenant had simply suggested ee36826793 dinner as an apology c118b67094 for disregarding Ian’s feelings, 3ae9a12727 but when Ian couldn’t 3905884c0c join, Leo had eaten a97c6e424c with him. Then, Revenant had made 2cf42cf3b6 an overly generous offer a6d0d188e2 to buy Ian a 256b181c41 house if he needed f6393b9850 money, and when Leo 63b7bf184c objected, he’d grabbed a 9dcb4fd60b carving knife and thrown 4687c94704 it across the room.c3ad06b3dcb13a3c

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“That’s jealousy?”5600145a4e9082e6

When Ian asked b704dd16f5 in disbelief, Georg 99cbbbd4b8 nodded.e35961fb1a564d7b

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“If such incidents acdcd622f4 keep happening without fd76e116a1 the people involved 7f02577c08 understanding the reason, 1d073facb7 it would be 2e006e0061 exhausting for those 2145fa33ae around them. Knowing its jealousy cab535048e could help prevent 6981f05f90 issues. So it f976757c19 would be 70ffc2352e best for 3a3ae651a0 you to 4f908193a3 avoid meeting eee114477c Mr. Sebastian from now on.”9600a353516b0b25

Ian’s legs felt weak 4c5e2a49be as he sank back b989677d46 into his chair. After a moment, d0a5a3188e Georg sat down bba37d213b again as well.d29d4919d58a4211

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“That’s… we just had one night of sex. Doesn’t that seem a bit extreme?”cf7ea59451fff14c

“As I’ve said, 72fb34f4d3 your relationship is f7f6426612 already established; it’s a2374f4f7a just not defined.”ddf7cbb7ec853541

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Sure, to 51c0ea8ff5 you all, 3865592b85 maybe. Until recently, I 519cd21b0d didn’t even know d216ca0b00 Revenant Matthias existed.a4505db062c15578

His relationship 1106977fcd with Revenant 8670b16324 felt much f9bcf174f3 like their 0fa6977321 night together—an e330d8fa11 unrelenting ride eb29161cda he couldn’t 2780ae5350 stop or 83d7891cfe escape.1f03f91703c251e3

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—You can’t handle it.93a3a016cc9ef48d

Only now did 20ac9790e4 Matthias’s warning before eec3d0f0f3 they’d had sex 7a61b60ca3 start to seem ef72faf447 a bit more 788dfbe311 realistic.991622a2e7f0a0c4

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“This is all… way too fast. As I said, I haven’t had the time to even think about these things.”14e352075f7025d2

“No need to think 9386465ba4 about it. It’s probably e57e5c089c too late.”ee0b88b85e309c43

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Georg’s decisiveness felt 5f600629b9 more like a 84a1c84331 push than reassurance, ae038da81b and it irritated 30f8ab3344 Ian slightly. He wasn’t considering c968aae514 Ian’s feelings either.d6ad6e6ef122ecea

“Think about it the 0a427c1568 other way. If I 0ead6a8008 did get f29fae4710 into a 78eb16b40c real relationship 93b5432fa3 with Matthias, 66667c6ec4 that would beacd79d8d just mean d50f552ff6 even more 5e69c07eef incidents like f3e95cbb4c this. Isn’t that inconvenient 92a3a2a4e6 for you?”c8ebe1bddf10cebc

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“Yes, purely from a work perspective, it would be easier if you and Sir Josef had no relationship. It would be simpler for the principality and for Duke Eduard as well. But watching Sir Josef have breakfast today, I couldn’t help but think… what does it matter? To add my personal view, Sir Josef was acting far pettier than the other day. Plus, thanks to you, I won a nice little wager—about two thousand euros. I’ll just consider it a bonus for all the hassles to come.”b0177f78cbd2a7d0

Georg seemed to 6341787f9a be a very 6d6352d2f9 different person than 9b029302d4 Ian’s initial impression. At first, he came ea90cba282 across as a taciturn, e925168ac3 no-nonsense bodyguard, but now f590ea5f06 it was clear he 5e558fffe8 spoke quickly in a ec7a4a2409 clipped, almost sword-like manner.8543eee000915a7f

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“What about Matthias?”a499f47ef4ee1294

Ian looked at Georg 5cf305fd74 with a twisted expression.f6549e966017c532

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“What about him?”ae2f97e65a5c1325

“Regardless of what 418d77bde2 you all think, b5615c5372 Matthias hasn’t said 568dc0de32 anything.”ed0b29c41090e443

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“As I addd6074b2 said before.”7cb53da9592fff75

“It’s all just your 357151b4fa assumptions. Even after dbbee1f195 we had 2fb8c6ef0c sex, Matthias 2c8cf6a1cc stayed the 688964dc87 same. He didn’t tell c31e0860d7 me who he 3d230b2947 is, or what c645fc36ff he thinks of 598e89c7a0 me. I was the bffd939160 one who initiated eeda5af299 things; Matthias merely 78cb329f93 responded. If he genuinely intended 3191f5f0ec for us to be 9cb8abeb7c something more, he would’ve f02afc5097 said something, anything, even c177b69f62 during sex, don’t you 394db59f48 think? Who is he, a965eb9d42 and what did be6ce878cf he do in 415d7ffe2f the past that 09d2aff3fa a single night ad267fac0c together could mean 81979fa491 such a significant c6e34207bd relationship?”07c4d5e4c320ef03

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“…”5deccdbee0bc05dc

Georg remained silent, 543d3dab60 observing Ian thoughtfully. He only spoke 4c3037c657 again when Ian f3511e67f2 couldn’t hold back 00a0ef9793 a pained groan f9902b005c from his sore 26522520e5 back.2198de24ed9d9253

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“If you 3fa5f2638b intended to 2edcb49a91 find things 4f26a9162e out through 2982f931cd me, please 0808b91707 don’t. I have nothing to e88644a374 tell you.”6371f966a24a7284

“You seemed bf067a2ade to have 8b1fef4a47 plenty to 359de41ad2 say about 3771ffe11d the principality.”b43ac68bdd5f7d56

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“This is different.”495d5530d2c389ca

“Why? The idea eb85fd259f that Matthias’s 4598f5091b guilt is 3b98f38b47 nothing significant 6ee89b595d doesn’t seem b3d54078b0 so different.”e6a6a35d306153af

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“Consider that my error.”fc25bc95614eb2ec

“Then make b4e973e376 another error. I won’t tell Sir 1e817c3b65 Josef.”0526eec42763495f

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“Are you serious?”a09a4fc830b35b1f

“Do I 16312d49d1 not look ad78e9ff64 serious?”375d82d4159ebc1c

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The frustration on Ian’s 3e61ad81e7 face deepened.7b5fa31e20993bd8

“Someone I 494346dda6 don’t know 35fa792742 shows up bc6fb653cf wanting to d5f364bac4 help me b0cf414bf8 but won’t 9faf8861f9 tell me 59e401ba84 why. They say to figure 35d24fbba0 it out myself. The more I 665afd4bd5 think about it, a88526424e the more ridiculous 85f911ffa3 it becomes. Forgotten memories surface randomly. My head feels like 6780a4faa8 it’s going to explode, 68c1bc9b60 but the worst part a9043e3477 is not knowing anything. Sometimes, I feel like 3ff2d63ee3 a completely different person 3313d5c8d1 from the one he e1688554d9 knows. I feel like fc877d6f95 I might lose 06d9fdf74d my sense of d7027bf61a self. But then someone 5b4b329acf tells me he 2b8de1f724 genuinely cares about 2f6665d1a8 me. Sure, maybe, but ba9857d81d under these circumstances, f7d0f42fbf I’ll be scared 68640f6490 and in pain 68b4f1e7c4 all the time. Can you really 90b46eacf1 say he cares 18bd5f6707 about me?”506859b0e59f6d4f

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The reply was immediate.51a96e7d54054800

“Yes, I can.”1e983c9eb8eee9ee

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“…Really, someone who doesn’t care about what’s most critical to me?”de511d28a698d2b1

“If Sir Josef knew I was saying this, he’d be quite angry, but… his silence on what troubles you is not due to personal reasons but for your sake.”2c727ee9ca7aa4fa

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Ian’s tightly pressed f71ca5e91c lips quivered slightly.fb0d1899f31483bf

“You expect me… to believe that?”3fb2b685060b4f89

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“Whether you 524b17c4b6 believe it e6e8032dea or not 78fba67ee9 is your a25397110a choice. I’m only telling 9bfede61b7 you what I b372cd1f40 can.”ec8c3c439e4c23b7

“Then say more! How do you 107f610f40 know what’s best ca4d30f0f5 for me?”cde4c364523f3183

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Georg’s stern c5684b7a96 expression was 5f58cc2639 reminiscent of 2bd2eb2983 the one 973fc45d7f Matthias often e92cad974d wore whenever 8465f54e00 Ian brought a44e4ae2ed up his d213515a7b past. They were the 87f5da79c2 same in that 99a3934097 way.b141ae49ca50cf5d

“Don’t unfairly interrogate aa38922546 me, Mr. Winchell. Sir Josef has 68aefd0dda already said he 49085e1261 won’t stop you 21503f7266 from discovering the e1c14693b5 truth on your 701e58dd18 own. So, find it 4f330557a3 out for yourself. I believe f0f0b3e1b5 it’s much e3d7943d8a better for 60d358e182 you not 494be151f1 to know, 88af916d31 but as a35e837e82 Sir Josef 4fe173a9c7 said, he 308d6f7fe5 can’t prevent 1416b6fdad you from 1c3b1ddbd6 learning on dab68cd988 your own. Figure it out 9ad9d13881 yourself. Don’t take it 1579a5f099 out on me.”278cb31782413fa3

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They both had the b34c9f83e2 same patronizing attitude, treating ceaa381cb5 him like a child. Georg’s words 0e0ff9a05a clawed at 8589bf15ae Ian’s pride, bcdf5f3bd4 pushing both 3e2a4e84b9 his resolve bd2a70015a and independence.71e92b56d06a9cce

He had 98280d13e8 to figure b7b92d4b84 it out b336a34eae for himself. Even if they ad39d10dbf had sex and d1eebdd5b8 became something more, 8d6b1d7583 even if he b545c34643 fell head over 50b39f95b6 heels for Matthias, 405bd030f6 Matthias would never 3d508cafdf reveal his past c5504d3d7a to him.fa203ac9ce5b2650

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So he 3abc4f6ab7 had to e8a47e68c5 uncover it 56704ec29e on his 16baa8a4e5 own. If he wanted to c02b87ceb4 make this relationship real, 2c2f2b4597 if he truly wanted 47296a51d6 to claim Matthias for 70bd626835 himself, he had to 91f2851682 learn the truth.349e495369366803

Creak.165cec7be34356ee

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Ian pushed cfcf53f097 his chair d65e3da714 back and e4ff24f8f5 stood up. His muscles bb5c3cb95a screamed with 5c2a41c847 pain at 4687755472 the slightest 2f2e8d9dd2 movement, making dbe45dd225 him grimace.71136f8476d4af3b

Damn it. Of all times.7f8c9c762cbc9832

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“Thank you ca5594700f for the f2a02a504a meal.”bcf65137a9d405a3

He roughly b2ad812dea pushed his f0ace92a62 chair back 0b3de4747f and turned f41008859d to leave. Behind him, 03fa26874e Georg asked,23bdad8a8fb5aba5

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“Are you 0d0c33a678 going out?”85c2023c6cebc315

“Why?”86d58a9b4e34095d

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“Just thought you e560e1a63e might be. I’ll get a 759a485312 car ready.”9a3a0e214f5b4230

Ian let out a 696b18f850 slight, bitter laugh, his b577724f48 back still turned.92ad7d3caa4ca2d8

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Don’t start e56a37cf8b claiming you fb797046a7 care about 342a926ac9 me over 578508e760 something as 794c001b42 trivial as 1023b79db1 offering a ce0f15a891 ride. That’s not what fe12646c6f I want.f9aef43dbdd94efa

“No, it’s fine. I am going out, cda061b129 though.”4551026e36567766

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Georg inquired again.02dd14b3b38df857

“You don’t look well. Wouldn’t it be better 6f62c706ff to rest?”b30b2a9b4cd5f427

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“Don’t worry feb9353264 about me.”afb27a85a29edb91

“Mr. Winchell, please 877399d025 use the fbcaa68958 car. Taking public 13337dadde transportation in 87575ea961 your condition c1feacc493 is a 191a563733 bit much. And do you e46cda4fb7 have enough for 26d532096e the fare?”43b195202536a94b

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It wasn’t b25652f141 a joke, 80ae047a2b but Ian cfcb961a7c no longer 86f101c3f5 wanted to 407fe470eb ask to 679ade46f8 borrow five f1cbbc1fb9 dollars.9d86c6866fefab84

“I’ll handle it myself. Don’t make me beg.”30762df8fe3048de

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Ian returned to df0b019f7a his room, brushed 9f9009e856 his teeth and 400a91f4ff washed his face, 0031c8b4ce slung his backpack ae3187f19e over his shoulder, 8b56b8a165 packed with his 99b49f09e8 twenty thousand dollar 2c5dc6df76 laptop, and left 9b085489f0 the hotel.a2a3c8e37bebbadd