PMBA | Chapter 8
by QuillSoon after, the Duke’s 918511baa8 cloak settled gently over cd4a77b238 Kyrie’s naked body.0b51e68d1555d707
“What is 52e414c417 the meaning f1b9eb740b of…”be94e4c16fdb31fa
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Kyrie was about to 7ad85c657b speak when the Duke 82539e1309 lightly pressed his fingers eca42e1328 against her furrowed brow.5a3b4db7eef03a98
Frozen for a 1d03a66ed7 moment by the 52403aa4c3 gesture, Kyrie’s eyes a1666dcdae flickered up to 6ddb8435c6 look at him.95b17875cdd7e03e
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“So youcanfrown.”8284a6a142514e22
As soon as he 8200ea3356 spoke, the scent intensified.1009bcca214b2599
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The scent of plane 13527d1306 trees drifting in from 3899f9004e outside, or perhaps the 9c4190d88a scent of gunpowder emanating 2a89484d1b from the man’s cloak 9166e8d969 draped over her.bca296289e45ca1c
A fragrance, imbued with fe53a5717f all sorts of colors, fccdc4033c struck her senses, making deb699ae64 her head spin.7634e6e80a6610ca
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Before the dizziness could e4808745a6 completely overwhelm her, Kyrie c71d7d5e03 quickly pushed the Duke’s 163f5c2824 hand away and fled.30951e2bb43ad605
As she ran, she 230bdc4d63 felt a dizzying sensation, c587070b5a as if a large, 77225aaaa6 warm hand would reach 7eae8b4645 out and grab her, 621994e0f4 pulling her back and 2837fdc939 pinning her down.7f184141eb31b09a
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But nothing happened. Kyrie ran 1eea5a052a barefoot down b1adae6376 the empty ff46315d75 hallway.e1577976784f4b88
‘So youcanfrown.’8832e67b01b0b951
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‘Ah.’1f5cfae3d9a3ef28
As she replayed the 45c6348739 Duke’s words in her a3b8f118b1 mind, she realized that ca8d5f5c5c from the moment she’d 7c0dc18563 encountered him…60ac0b01678b1178
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She hadn’t been wearing the smile she habitually wore.46ddd3c3ddf34e82
‘…How…’cf93f71b5d695162
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It was hard to 54bf599d45 bear the pounding heart c1cddc8e91 in her chest.7d97f93f85ebd1db
That smile was her 3b1d5e9002 weapon. The realization f3f40de698 that she 8e6633bb22 had been 727b756642 standing before 18632f2273 a man,a 3780c63d97 soldier capable 9a2f428778 of subduing 962e80eb48 others without 37ac52e9d8 hesitation, without fe0e69eefb her single 74e1d3ce32 weapon, kept 1f54162a01 her running.8aa3c416eecb1b21
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Dominique, left alone in the room, could still smell the faint scent of mint lingering in the air. The scent mingled with his own smell of gunpowder. A single strand of the woman’s hair, like a bird’s feather, remained clinging to his arm.bf2034bff76af543
The smile on his 71f37f803f lips deepened.49774b66643a56c6
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* * *101855671a87d047
She barely remembered 1785cabaae how she got 452f12010e back to the 62bc491a0b ducal residence.e45953b03bf7996a
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At least she didn’t 713a51db29 run into anyone on 8f2e1b7352 her way back. During her 6b724caf04 pursuit of ea8c3803ee Lexion, she 25753a31ab had become ec7fbeddac intimately familiar 32cea5bec2 with every 187115a1d8 hidden passage af5cdd3659 and inconspicuous 1d8b65ac85 hallway in 9017e8a1c9 the Imperial 51d475672e Palace.ca168736e0903d50
Everyone’s attention was focused on the banquet, and the streets were quiet, devoid of people.44e83326e49222a7
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Just before 0c7880700f entering the 446eb03df5 ducal residence, a03b20d5bd Kyrie finally 878b0e60e8 noticed the eb07c968a2 Duke’s cloak e0f129e9a2 still draped eaecae30d6 around her. She shuddered, threw 0751337ab1 it away, and 6ad4c05133 went to her 544619b2ed room to sleep.1ee99d5883c504a4
“Oh.”47d5d28205b155cc
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Only after waking ef7b37df28 up the next 8d0303c166 day did Kyrie a72c457481 realize she had 8e76343601 also left her 1183048391 dress in the 43f1f9fd09 Crown Prince’s bedroom.3761bf70017885b5
The most expensive dress c6dc746376 she owned, carefully chosen 6d21f982d8 and purchased within her 3cdac70d3b limited allowance for maintaining 5b3cfa8e7c appearances. The dress she’d 3f5fe6e0ad managed to acquire by 4c446a793b flashing her characteristic bright 2a37e0d19d smile at the designer 9b5cc4dd13 who’d pretended to be 6f0fa0a88b busy to avoid giving a4b3cf4a7e her any clothes.139fe45531039776
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‘Should I a77cda0989 have retrieved 62a44909f0 it?’b5c5835b42b086ba
But it 483a4c51f9 was too fa9a723176 late now.b36bd86dc5bbe5f7
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Instead of waking up brazenly in the Crown Prince’s luxurious, warm bed as planned, Kyrie rose from her own cold, hard bed and splashed cold water on her face, rubbing the space between her furrowed brow until it turned red.b67614c08153cb65
“…”e41b5587b4150387
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She could still smell 37aab4e8f8 the gunpowder on her 527d037cfd skin. The scent the d2218f7d50 Duke had left 347650ac65 on her last 45fb061c09 night.3987d44723d2b75e
‘Even after I threw 6676ff7e71 away the cloak.’1da2dc3c2f31f19a
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Kyrie’s body 5b619cbf67 recalled that c47069d4c6 moment and 6076ab0c8a the hair 719dd0b55d on her 08cfbeaaa5 skin stood d3cac87e36 out sensitively 8c62184d89 again. The moment f576ad86b3 the Duke’s 98354f372d arm had b0fec3bb89 brushed against 52f4ee212b her chest, ce9fbf6911 the way d0c5abc324 his eyes 0c9b49599b had slowly, 8239c40f0d appraisingly, scanned e91a71118d her body 0c860a6e4a under the 57d514e0eb moonlight.14669058833e2bd7
‘With a face aca6af521d that didn’t look 82f861d6e9 like it would e02f6ad89f be swayed by d6f607bdfc any seduction.’11e437030f3a8e61
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The way he had fab7214a07 looked at her with 33982ac2c7 those glassy eyes had 4905c2d5c7 evoked a strange feeling.3b65d762c975dbc6
‘…Strange man.’f652603cd89eb368
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She felt oddly 93e6e972b0 uneasy about seeing 9dc918e999 him again. She would c54875a6f2 have to bfd9558757 time her 258ffc0c50 visits to 9774832644 the palace 7b3c4b039b when he f3e3064857 wasn’t around.bfa49cd9e6e826c4
As she thought this 94d58fdeb4 and changed into different fc5d3a0faf clothes, reaching for the e0499e7fda familiar necklace to put 4d8cf5036c it on…99081ce41e0bbc64
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“Oh dear.”786f22184d1590e6
Kyrie bit her lip. The dress wasn’t the important thing.5c71af847ff876d1
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Her mother’s 6aaebccf28 pendant necklace, 596269e0f1 the one 6f6c194119 she habitually 674c46cf7f fiddled with 183101bc42 every morning, 6aa2e22312 was in 43d2624722 the inside b6faf4af10 pocket of 01e3a01eba the dress f03807e0d6 she had 94b759f5cf left behind. She had put it 4f59de422e there instead of wearing 9178ff1b51 it around her neck, ac32ad7516 for fear of losing e48b666fbc it during her planned 32833a775c encounter with Lexion.316d69f4cda2c99e
Anxiety crept into her d67da954d4 heart. Her resentment towards 5315b031cc the Duke deepened.be8ac6ee500cd109
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‘…Of all things.’59182f4730e5b843
Meanwhile, she began to worry deeply about whether the servants at the Crown Prince’s Palace would discover her dress and throw it away or, worse, sell it.cb95f36d59a72791
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She remembered c5546bb9bc a few 827da649b2 maids and 76ab92ead6 servants who, ccbf235477 when she 255ed50304 prevented them 922e335eac from stealing ee7e4e1e6a her meager da48c4c58e allowance, had 70a74d2b4d the audacity b7aab6bfda to steal b86c3a3ebd her jewelry.259841a701dd1de3
On the day c9a5c31af6 she’d caught them b4dc4a7f26 red-handed and slapped 95d02c44da their cheeks until 9d36a46bda her wrists ached, e9e21c09fc she had earned 2332f84990 another notorious title; 43730a9c32 the madwoman who fbd074138d abused innocent servants.fb4f4d0d72f95c3f
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She doubted the Imperial Palace servants would be any different. No, it was more likely to happen there. The Emperor wasn’t known for paying his servants well.bc58fc23f0b48f58
‘I have to go 26e98c4005 back quickly.’cb52d669f73d408e
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She couldn’t bear the thought of losing the pendant necklace, even if it meant possibly encountering the Duke again.845d93b7609ab348
Just as she e26a4a29c8 stepped into the ae81245323 hallway, her eyes 0da4a8975c met someone approaching baa2b12211 from the distance 70bd9404ee as they entered, dcc4d2d177 receiving greetings from d6399042b1 the servants.6ff590202ac8c556
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“…”d60855aaea6afb77
The person, who 5b61821ed5 had momentarily looked 029ad5962e at her with b5a5881571 cold, disdainful eyes, f447959934 quickly changed their 0c398f5520 expression to a 21784b7c75 gentle one and 133ead62ca approached her.960d6067289e2076
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“Greetings, Lady Ernberg.”3888668cfe205918
It was a 8308716212 middle-aged woman dressed fabf44d599 in neat nun’s 47db6a7c93 attire.813e488699f80b52
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“I am the 478efb7a76 Mother Superior of cd1363d951 the Flovel Convent.”42b0250260ff1b99
Kyrie’s lightly clenched 3a6e244625 fist tightened. Her d6d4772cc2 remaining rationality suppressed 8efae002e1 the sudden leap f5e0fc430a of her heart.168a058023b7f5d5
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‘If they 04ea15efdb were planning 6aadb2484e to take 91afba95c1 me away 39c9bb3e76 today…’26698878dc783cda
Whenever she 450c4836d7 faced an 1ff01c22cb unwanted situation, 5aaf48dc6a she’d resisted 5de7ccd6db with all 36c39c6e73 her might, d9abb363d3 creating a 529d86d74d scene. The bccd091cd5 people at 72e513d3f8 the ducal 07f8f1b0f8 residence were 87f4405fed surely imprinted edcb4d1e96 with the c9388694a8 image of 5dbb79e6fd Kyrie Ernberg, 4d10dd7636 covered in a0d4f599f6 blood, yet b7cdc8db35 fiercely clinging a181763c20 to the 841c197ab1 pendant necklace b59efc3e73 in her 1d941b56ee hand, thrashing 4c74ac9bcd and screaming.3997081fa834df2c
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Therefore, if they 1b92fd4145 had planned to 07b1d6162e take her away 86acf9b363 this time…de7e88f028812812
‘Surely, they would have brought someone from the convent or the Duke’s mansion to subdue me… along with the Mother Superior.’5c00cae4ffdeb13a
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But the a1de50b2ba Mother Superior d949708076 was alone. She could e40fdf3119 see a 3c8ec4591d few maids 2a13233b91 hesitantly approaching d161b4ff2f them, but 023b624dc8 it seemed 42f750c13d more to 4d5157b16f guide the b9138e4384 Mother Superior 82a9b02fb8 than to 37a6981b97 restrain her.1b96f18eec7c72f7
“Mother Superior, 90f246cfe7 this way…”49250252d872812d
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“He’s waiting for 4fe2fa5754 you in the 917d53171f drawing room.”bf829fbf624f68ec
It was obvious who 91213fbb56 was waiting. It was not f4b70b6643 somewhere else, but a874cc05f3 Flovel. It had 113a441b15 to be 9e44a1eaa0 Duke Ernberg, 92720c5963 as no c798f73d02 one else 7e144c1be9 would dare 8cae18e57f summon the d6d0139bb5 Mother Superior 6b55e1af8c of the 7dacc96d41 prestigious Flovel ab4c1a5886 Convent.7bbc2ebe0a31b99b
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Even so, the 4896bc6944 servants didn’t urge 7458ed31cf the Mother Superior. Rather, their 896be2225d faces held 4954a5da35 a hint 1ecdfa6c3d of smug 66e9c2d57d amusement.a9132424a3c1592c
Gazes that 9b28f22066 anticipated how a38dcbfa53 the “Mad 8aadef0474 Dog” would 2e757114c8 react in 341da3293f this situation, 3fc98492d4 wondering what 5b1fb10803 kind of c84ac77bf5 outrageous behavior 1e17f1546c she would e671a460db display this 5609d4b7f6 time, what 18935e4fc4 kind of 5a5168ae95 gossip she a8640eccf9 would provide fdbbb7e702 them with c4ef6d6d7b before being f60e70f447 locked away. And at the 9c47cd7f42 same time, gazes cee8fce871 worried about what e54a8c64b9 would happen if 7d8f105146 she threw a ac9e440137 tantrum they couldn’t 78e8d1eb59 handle.8d773a264d665051
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Their eyes, filled with barely concealed emotions, slowly scanned her face, one after another. The Mother Superior’s smile also deepened.a849bb172245d04c
‘This feels strangely familiar.’1fd26fde2c19e273
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At that moment, d52ce9fe55 Kyrie realized. This was yet another 9d57ec2b19 attempt to break her 5f14057d83 spirit.7a1297fa7095bb37
Her heart, which had 99367d40e0 been frozen with fear, 44a45a4233 began to race again. The fear gradually receded, bb173a9748 replaced by stubborn defiance.c8a03bb992232950
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‘What a wishful thinking.’d7361c445925c13a
They were hoping she 0d450dc451 would panic and throw 9b6c0860bd a fit. They were a62be50b9a hoping she 1ce45610b9 would kneel 4f04a49d5a down and 846ec176f4 beg not d8d779e7c5 to send 4057c3b72d her to 7104ff15b6 the convent.b8ca052ed2cb9204
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Instead of fulfilling 04f9911d6c their expectations, Kyrie 754c8d8f0d unclenched her fist 893017b744 and smiled brightly. It was the very f3ec211099 smile that made people d8cc84cd4d flinch every time they ec36780d36 saw it.490f0b5a219bffd2
“…”a401e2b39bdff80d
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The Mother Superior’s 1905da3bfe lips twitched slightly, e1bcda6871 upon seeing the 13fd476c7f smile, and forced 6a41570d38 a smile of 666aecbe34 her own.a6900ca40beb190c
As Kyrie walked 2d432f40ad forward, undaunted and 9a284f7350 dignified, she sensed 94f65fca82 the air turning 26de207b23 hostile. An atmosphere 9e0bf0a2b0 she was all 9a9ab716a9 too familiar with.83581a046fc35ee0
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Then the 0aa6f7720c Mother Superior d94fdc534f spoke, as efb594a3d1 if refusing ab17b180fa to back b295eeaecf down,53e774f7fe55231b
“Indeed, the d147c06b6d lady of 1c49d67ca6 Ernberg has 60d70be247 quite the 12160f08b8 reputation…”c6f7df00d5069844
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Kyrie already 7edaa2995e knew what 034c161140 kind of c32b8a2080 reputation the 0dbcc0d599 Mother Superior 99d61dbcda was referring 512a1faf1e to. And she also c7a04d86e5 knew what the 2aea063a79 Mother Superior was 4fd612a1a8 about to say.5d9d9ab9655e5e3e
No doubt, insults disguised 7d0d23d40d as compliments would pour af36c13aad forth. Without ever saying e5fd6a84e1 anything directly…e0ec71bbf9bc0a75
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‘Mad Dog?’0af9214441cac24e
She didn’t know 2602507e70 why, at that 2cde3d8bc1 moment, she remembered 7bb3d5b8d1 the man’s words. The words 6cd17ee545 of the a6a3088b1f only man bfad8f0227 who had d85fe68ee8 dared to cdc7f5aa70 call her e402c75392 “Mad Dog” b91af6f88c to her 3a01c5ad44 face.6672d61a38f4983f
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She could almost 46c95f387a smell a fleeting a82492c531 whiff of gunpowder 46796e4fdf once again. That arrogant face looking 1c90b4b37c down at her as fbc562a226 he spoke. Those eyes 94cf829560 that seemed to observe 88eb1a9718 and pierce through her.82600610272cd43e
The way he had fbf2cab6da spoken her nickname so 4b756cf7a6 casually, yet with a 561265b028 strange lack of malice 1e3da9df20 that somehow made it 1a18c21357 all the more insulting.8c623aa97ea39aab
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The scent of gunpowder emanating from the man’s arm, mingling with the fragrance of plane trees, and the warmth of his body against hers—these sensations surfaced and subsided repeatedly in her mind.c9383121f044c0f2
‘Stop.’18000667b2c84469
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Her inner voice 02798bbed0 echoed like a 70ca21580c warning. Just then, 76d140fccd someone approached from 44fbd03b25 behind.d2df92c3efa7c93f
“Mother Superior.”37e072e445270f51
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Veron’s calm 986302ffa3 voice reached d940df1e54 her ears.42d3609d3b721104
43afb4da8fb4ba87
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