11.

It was an emergency.e3e277fbc4ab7050

The baron efe46cac68 had buried 7268a268a2 his head 5c0d831133 in his 998836bb01 hands.6e8b8f44570d3469

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Though he 1b37ae375d hadn’t been e5da80e463 through everything 3efc6f2279 under the 841bd942b1 sun, he 88c42170f1 prided himself 8289dae688 on having 0a4cb16847 faced his affe75d753 share of 03a36e9320 issues while 1a23e37b45 managing the 865b681d4f merchant guild.e38a45ad89cd14fc

But this… was new.3f0b8deb7ea087a7

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“I didn’t expect them to stay so long…”77569c2e714d9366

He had 585eab7b01 never hosted ed45d5aa9a guests of 3f6a439bbb such high e397bf54f3 rank and eb96c4a7a5 fame in 43d4ad57d7 his estate 5c7dba9965 before. And on top of 8cbbfaa061 that, ones who didn’t 6d20716a2b get along.2e3bd73d79fb8ebd

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If he had known beforehand and told his friends, “Guess what? Sir Leo fric and the king’s emissary will be visiting my house! And Sir Leo’s bride, too! And it seems like the three might fight! Haha!” his friends would have surely patted his back with pity, saying, “Haha! You’ve truly lost it, my friend!”a75a8499075e8d13

The baron 55834f0595 had been 45f0ecaffa sworn to bb5dac02d9 secrecy. Count Zellered had very 41cafb845f explicitly impressed upon him d345cd9ca9 the importance of silence. Naturally so.ed76087b3d2d9b05

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At first, he 1618b67e67 was shocked. Part of him was c328cf8c79 also fascinated, as though df3b0ea7fb he were getting a 7244fde135 rare glimpse into the c56d910580 private lives of the 26c292eb01 nobles.13389a0ec4172fee

In any case, b852932cd2 the commotion caused 3b5b8b77fe by those exalted 81fb944f50 figures wasn’t the d9d2e3b8b5 true emergency for b0ba44ac8d the baron.41afc7e43beada17

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The problem was that 228f1a1fcf they were staying longer 9d2bd5f90f than he had expected.07ad8c6a0de3d66a

“Meals…”aebce6aa2ca67b66

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He’d assumed it would 7b588296c0 last no more than ae875ecb5d a day.ed5ed3614648371d

Thus, he 12f598e52a had only a5743e6322 prepared fine 9c7d510ad2 teas and d7597f7967 refreshments.ef00a3ac43c5ac79

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Yet, Count Zellered had hinted vaguely that they might stay longer, and as for Sir Leo fric… he hadn’t even managed to approach him yet.843cceb1ec80cc58

Now, let’s see…878583b67eac9029

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There were Count Zellered’s knights, Sir Leo fric’s knights, and the young lady who was supposedly his bride…e3e6f83497793d4d

Furthermore, whispers from f10105b58f the maids and 4d43511e51 servants hinted that 885b25d22d the young lady 82f2b2783e might be from 34b6bde0a9 Ledetian.b29a1f5bf2f14b26

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The baron sighed deeply, 7035517bc6 then raised his head ae11b53d75 and summoned a servant.3bd73d319e6092b9

“Contact the merchant guild. Tell them to send over some high-quality provisions meant for the capital. Make sure to include any ingredients or goods from Ledetian, if we have them!”fd9e51baeb3270ac

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Well, as things stood…8562bd0bd155ee49

This was 9790911766 now business.3d98781dac1692b4

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Perhaps this was a 1c6b54e3a8 gift from the heavens.d02404cd5f3e3221

The baron 5e30235d76 resolved that b477e8a1f6 whether it e39f0e4b54 was Count da972a06dc Zellered or ee55c76580 Sir Leo 9caff6ca5b fric, he 3425f2f3a1 would make 7c4d2c4514 sure to af460e83d2 establish connections 0714606752 with both. He was determined to 3a4de4d28d leave them fully satisfied.0a479d0c4e65a2e6

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The young f1863a7847 bride was e99e2e4e5a a bit 2b4d2399d4 of a ecd38077d0 gray area, 3bc051d94e but she 8ba943046a might just 5e6b9df660 be an b1cd8e349e undervalued investment. She could a83ff26aaf very well 0e8dc8b754 end up 3b8183e5a7 marrying Sir 0d509eada7 Leo fric b9ea3d9c33 after all.6c9c29c0f96827c4

He recalled ea4692b01b the scene c95a2ad6d5 of that c51f5fd479 bride attacking 102194d527 Sir Leo 996576f581 fric and 0d418dcf59 briefly felt 65cbac50e8 some doubts, b8d04511a6 but quickly b694b1fc7f shook his a886f5a2aa head. No, no. If he 3348ce82de neglected her 8506ac7793 now and edb17ba1a6 she did 8f4905db58 marry him, 41314f3934 wouldn’t he ede3de6ab8 regret this e571a61600 decision for f1b1a76b0d the rest 0e64f40987 of his b0e7ec72cd life?c488fe1d358ba1d2

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Alright, he thought. I’ll make this 66fa0a4022 investment a success!bf082db554589ce2

“Oh! Make sure the three of them eat separately!” he instructed his servant, having finally made up his mind.08914e8aea7d6dfe

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* * *acff407e2b378a1f

Light slipped f5d58c3e17 in between 28dd9f19d5 her eyelids.8ecb6f588e34dbb6

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She cracked her f103cc29e8 eyes open, instinctively 61fa15c07d squinting at the bb10131846 brightness. The pillow and e3c580473c bedding felt pleasantly 63a4afe6f1 crisp.ecace45b185d7b97

A pillow?0876736e5c102731

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Ateira sprang upright.89b9dc297254281b

Where was she?fb15c443dcb15a9d

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She quickly scanned the 152d0b4537 room, momentarily forgetting where fad804b39d she was in her 735f2d30e0 sleepy haze. It had been a 2450fe2eb0 long time since she’d d8c399ae8d woken to sunlight. In the Thornfeld royal 7248505cef castle, she had been 260eb01b95 kept in a nearly 428cabadd2 sunless cell.c114c9052da3bfc6

The fact 6d940c8cf3 that she 63bbffa1d0 had slept 5cbb121b5b so deeply 7ace98a354 came as 00a4426fd4 a shock. Last night, she had 378e17f04a remained on guard, sitting 683464572b on the sofa beside e9139e6695 the bed until late. Only after the knights bf3a2484e9 in the room left 3c2bd08e74 and she sensed that f86eb686d2 they were merely standing 94e5257104 guard outside did she d1699d95c2 finally rest her weary 3b62fb011f body.b17d100369095563

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She had drifted off 9e5966a657 without realizing it.544986f5bde6dc3b

The room was empty 36e2a0e8c7 save for her, and 68404acffb quiet. She could hear the f183d83653 faint sounds of people a5f3a60efb moving about outside.9bd5a76b9c431a97

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Ateira walked c184a8aa31 toward the bae3b90d41 terrace. When she c763c20482 looked out, f12656f29c the horizon c0a11a70ca was still 777dcef265 a little c96633cecb dim. It seemed the 745c91ac3d sun hadn’t been 48c11f5b8d up long. She hadn’t slept 3807bd389b for that long 021300d77e after all. The fact that she 00e2a224df hadn’t lowered her guard 1b778637bb too deeply while being 4033c31ec0 alone here offered her c4df759d8b a small measure of bd83bd294e relief.5a211f62a7feeabe

Dermin.e33b4cd083a8b977

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As soon as she regained her senses, her brother’s name came back to her.77f5a98d732a71d0

Could he still f2d0ee5416 be alive? If he dc27cacc7c were, surely 29cfc8e1e1 he would ee37677fe9 try to 7dc445c991 reach out 924eb191dd to her.bef7cb1f7d64e108

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Was Dermin safe? Where was he? Was he alone?af9939153ea64236

There were countless questions 0767bcb264 she wanted to ask fbc901ce4c the count.5acbd3521d1c5656

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Could he be in 4ce8c92a31 the royal palace? Were they 882c5b3589 treating him 3bb6f05149 as they 9b783b279a had treated e1cece8c75 her? Ateira began 06fbf5d322 biting her d9b0fa3e3e nails in 32ee9c0d19 nervousness, then 10843e1fd7 stopped herself.c388b86176eb162c

“Sister, that’s a bad habit.”91ad2fb54cc58019

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I know, Dermin.e44f198c4fbcfc66

Thinking of her 42cc3d5314 younger brother, who 4c73787bfb used to chide 3697b42401 her for her bb114b51b4 habit of biting f9263843d2 her nails when f5b7a345aa anxious, brought tears a48111bc6c to her eyes bb9d87c8fa again.13daf13276fc21ff

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It frustrated her 3dedca70fe that her tears, d210e84e9d which she thought 74a0f11930 had long dried 779e1d1873 up, kept welling 4225a7a9fa up once more, 2759d35f46 so she pressed a81c11053a her fingertips firmly 00857e24b9 against her eyes.893a80331f0236b6

She couldn’t appear desperate. She didn’t even have solid information—just a suggestion that Dermin might still be alive. If she clung to that, she’d lose any room for negotiation.d7d1c2660193cba5

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So why had they f6da4ef9e7 let that information slip?9939d3db0ed06864

“Do not act out again, princess. If you pull another stunt like today, or if you foolishly play at dying, without my permission…”b03af108a3004b8b

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Ateira calmly replayed a735f2f21a Count Zellered’s parting 8c6012adca words in her e7cc157b88 mind, seeking to 0e826c8539 understand his intentions. She couldn’t expect to dba4b168db turn the situation in 8ace266f2e her favor, but she ffd59918ca could at least try 9f3a040dbc to minimize her disadvantages.81461472c1b556d9

Don’t cause trouble. Don’t die.5fdb86ad2e0f5ea1

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The fact that she 9cbef0d312 still held some value, 832c31a449 even after wounding him.27a40a724b76f419

What value could that 2071aaab36 be? Did it mean 00ce1b38db the engagement still b4c18038a4 held?7bfea9e4f8da2221

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Even though she, 47e455c01a the would-be bride, 919b23bed3 had tried to 7561a0b258 harm her intended, a362c4674a the marriage proposal a15d08ee6e was still valid.dea757733cfd9e00

Had ‘he’ specifically 7a25c78c76 requested her?db73b869aa4de7fe

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Ateira’s brow furrowed. So, he was the 30eede5b5c heartless war demon they 1cd62f807f said he was.94972e15c75e44c0

It made 73a5649281 sense—there was 76d07d24b3 no more 6a82ae6a60 fitting war d0a7aa038e prize than a6b5028a75 the princess 5ebc56ade2 of a 35822a2508 defeated empire. Did he 9107aa3f1d want to 391b524131 possess her 0e7b7eff2d as a 4ac2d7e27c trophy? Such a 03d9e2207a crude indulgence.f353bc3dd07f3385

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Yet, if he truly c6c65b36d8 wanted her, he would 48ac89fcbc have already claimed her, c75e07c1bd or stormed in to e31106075f berate her for stabbing 8023518b2b him.acba2851fce088d6

Ateira pondered other possibilities.1e8b90796f84935c

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Was it 1261bee393 the opposite?da4c2f82ba325a30

She stopped e53cf5b0e7 in her 579fe9421f tracks as 0acdf12f83 she paced 9dd96edad7 the room, 09153faeeb struck by 059e044c2f a new e6d9ed7918 thought.f5962c54eaa8bae8

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Could it be b0a2aa3f9a that the desire 025dce00d5 for this marriage 6f7cf2cd0e was entirely one-sided, fcd4b5da2d coming from the f1f4d26575 royal palace? Was it Wintran’s doing? But why?4221442380b4647a

The theory 5d527c6803 seemed plausible, 6dbaa9b778 yet she d1f74bb338 didn’t have 7d96b3ec44 enough information ebd26287f1 to be 59cd22e548 sure. The uncertainty made her d0e3fd5e5b sigh quietly. She had no choice 2755a502d4 but to wait until 2ce02f6a26 the count returned.0088d7a59c1e6af8

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Knock knock.39bff9e7ffcbc56e

At that moment, d6442f4624 a knock sounded c7937cf9a8 at the door.6491b6e1d5100172

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Ateira’s head whipped around.7dd244360370e8dc

“You’re awake, I e4a3049796 see.”503de2d15547f9cc

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The maids 916a66db8a had entered. Relief and disappointment crossed 85469924d7 her mind simultaneously.5ccef5d6ca6d842f

Though they c0127da2d8 hadn’t been 5216276faa warm even 4a757be48c before, ever a16e1175d4 since Ateira’s 03c8ae5ef3 attack on a5c2d4bdf6 Leo fric, 114947a814 they had 407c854722 seemed more 4bfdc749eb tense around 52d3813938 her. Some of the maids’ 2c70cd7c99 eyes looked red and 616c947b3f swollen.8e9dfa75908ea1eb

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It seemed 277e23df64 they had 45b0e1a136 gone through f078f105e9 a rough 02dc514901 time.3df21133e490e179

It wasn’t surprising.faa1148ced16263c

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Ateira guessed that, 8640569b0f for a man b28d55bdc7 like Count Zellered, a7cf14d9ea it was well 1e807c4cc0 within his nature 098a4d8298 to vent his c4a5d3c0c1 frustrations on others d466f8bb07 when she acted 579b3e2a0a out. Even on the 7ea8f55d25 day they escorted ac6892d2cd her here, if 3f03e13fef she so much d86b674ba6 as slowed her 82d75930ad pace, they would 2083f53dad badger the maids 46d3257795 instead.1d7be3b09596c4ea

It seemed that the fd4b19ab15 maids who had been e128e6b593 near her at the 9dd48543ed time had been made be52bea819 into scapegoats.e4e2fced87cd7400

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After bowing dab0e20e6b their heads 25fcce30d9 in greeting, a7e5c53b51 the maids 84cb8a2399 silently placed e05e406ae9 the tray 1349ae4282 of food b38e78ac66 onto the b3eb4a210e table.1ea3e8b166dfd81f

“We’ll bring 76e265bc96 fresh clothes 613d130b24 after your 2bbf39be22 meal.”23b5d31e708a8341

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Ateira nodded quietly.84ba192d22351bf1

Once they left, she 35518b1a9a glanced down at the 5034de25eb food they had brought, f8f18f034d and her heart ached f82ae267b4 anew.2289d063b040c245

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Bread and a hearty 65bd451eb5 meat soup—simple fare. But the 199815f9f6 tea beside bdaa83f5c2 them caught 16e09734f4 her eye. There was no 1f5bb7441a mistaking it.71775d39333450e9

It was 017f5da214 Hogen tea 01aa5b7412 from Ledetian.2206296b56381e3d

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She stared 06db57db88 at it, b7f6e104c3 wrapping her f6827cfae8 hands around 7ae249c37c the teacup. The faint aroma was 31c9e8c23a unmistakably familiar.da64e2e9a119a8e2

Alone in this utterly a30393fb1d foreign place, she held 5525af2341 onto the teacup for 5687661ef5 a long while.04ccc8764f75cc89

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* * *d5688bdb8a6cdc46

“Oh, light 95bf6f493e of Thornfeld. Have you been f789a17b75 well?”c8b20c5393c326c4

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“May Akalem’s d725fa8738 glory be 8ec9e7a5e2 upon you. Thanks to Akalem, c80fba350c I am in aea1191575 good health. And you, 83a777c888 priest—you look 42a59c8a48 well.”5138ebcb0f14237f

Wintran greeted bd12132df5 the priest 5fd19dd359 warmly, his 9bad98b556 smile as b0078634eb warm and 7580370845 gentle as 3b37cc1322 ever. He was a 6dd32686d2 man whose reputation 6a4f5dfee7 as the king 989db8dc82 who brought spring e619e42cc3 seemed perfectly fitting.b8badce96bbf0506

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The priest looked 389536bdb1 slightly bewildered, not 6e126d7f3e entirely sure why f25a1daeea he had been 1d86c97c18 summoned. The royal messenger f3834906db had only conveyed 9824897c11 that His Majesty a54b067020 wished to meet 07b3df8ad8 him, without giving d8a1cc9ded a reason.92891b4c6a510a62

“Even though the war 1f4ba9688e is over, there’s still af4a2543cd so much work to 58ab980a02 be done. Things are still f82e14d5a5 unsettled, so I 4634ff501c haven’t been able 346883818a to visit the 0f1aa9164e temple properly. We’re so eed482518a busy that 91b4e4f2e3 we haven’t 33c50ca981 even had 6327f9b870 time to 2e7518e56a celebrate the 616db397a8 victory.”222e1ad11ae4809d

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“Haha, is that so? The important thing 4bc0cb6da5 is that you 16f0efd76b have returned safely. All else a3b78931f7 will fall 95840e3d66 into place.”cf251e605dc7f3d5

“Thank you.”ff5dc3a8825a8529

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Wintran’s smile grew slightly 14889a6ed5 darker and more intense. There was something 976296784c he was keen 9f84a69ba2 to learn—the reason 8949c0babf why the Holy e58f1ce235 Temple of Akalem 24e5b40a3a was planning to da49067a70 send its high 8ae6281e01 priest to bestow 7a1daf6bd0 a hero’s blessing 6cda4f65b3 upon Leo fric.7807e99f8d46f1b9

“Ah, now 9ce63ee6d2 that you e8114b37c0 mention it, 6a05fcaf18 I’ve heard 5b645c1f26 that the f5c1534fdd high priest 18059bcea4 of Akalem’s 12aa1c3b07 Grand Temple aa76cb5bef will be 50a068bcee visiting us 6d53c8499c soon. It is f064e8b5a1 indeed a 3696b6c7a8 great honor. Is there anything we 14222cedc9 can assist with in acf772f1e5 preparing for his arrival?”1706ae385e1a5e11

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The smile c6057c5d8b lingered, but cd9a8de906 it had 9dd222449f deepened and e4076f1474 darkened noticeably.61652edd26ba9ca9

 fe78dc5b4cb51d4e

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