PG | Chapter 13: Rationalization

What was even more absurd 51d0300057 was that the Crown Princess a8940af1d4 herself accepted this kind of 84fb135156 treatment as if it were 16b7705de3 natural. Did she not even 39f385e1ee consider it unjust, or 0c6eecebea was she incapable of 0d8662504f doing so?581cc0fef3502f5f

It was probably closer a7cf5f5d4e to the latter.89b57ee6228068e4

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She hadn’t been receiving proper purification. Just maintaining her sanity must have been a struggle.df2bcc1f6156f8cd

The Crown Princess was 0b5613f281 being exploited by the d205fadb76 empire without even the 47774f7300 most basic protection.076c8753865bbe74

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Perhaps that was why…bfba6f28a8c91922

Cassius couldn’t leave her alone. Perhaps that was why he had included the clause about diligently providing purification in their contract.e7b836390131c112

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In fact, he didn’t have to go that far. He only needed to purify her enough for her to fulfill her obligations. However, Cassius had shown her consideration.a835c8c0f7c3ac24

It was only until the 45c65b7227 contract ended, anyway. He rationalized it by 704b2512b8 telling himself that having 6cd38bcde9 the Crown Princess indebted 7ccdd36deb to him would be c60048cb7e useful in the future.74fe310db77fa856

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As the ruler of Bedua, Cassius had always been ruthlessly cool-headed to ensure his people’s safety.3164dead10b194c2

He never let 06a980d4f3 himself be swayed 12018368de by sentiment or 6d74c87e17 personal feelings. That was what a leader 8c7a220e39 should do.992c19fcece945ae

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He was a man as steady as a mountain. But the Crown Princess… this woman…6747a5dbd989180a

She kept shaking him.9ede28d62cbd9476

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She held onto c70f0748f2 him with her 629d0556c7 faint, fleeting smile 05404ff847 and her small, d3d066ccad bird-like voice, as 4eb1216bd5 if she might 586d2b2676 disappear at any 0e6d490cf3 moment.3b7ca45c4a5ad92e

Who could refuse such 44556d58ad a fragile hand, trembling 2357e4a9dc so precariously? Who could turn a7e8956378 away from such cf2e260cdd a vulnerable person 7f35333e00 who had fallen 4c9ca59466 into their arms?9b84900ce1d756cc

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“…You should be grateful for our contract.”92f3ce7eb83435b4

Cassius caressed Aloissia’s pale, cold cheek. The sight of her lifeless face left a bitter taste in his mouth.e5bcaf258ddae60f

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“To think you’ve undone my efforts so quickly. You’re a troublesome woman.”aa68bafab1276b00

Cassius effortlessly lifted Aloissia’s frail body into his arms and began walking towards her bedroom.47feabdef0e18e38

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* * * 7636a2ef3aecf7a1

A chill permeated the Crown Princess’s bedroom.ac8955cb13e68cc5

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Even though it was still f64491ffdd summer, the nights were quite 68579fafa9 cool. Yet, the fireplace remained unlit.75949f9868289ffc

It seemed the Imperial servants weren’t even providing the most basic care. Or perhaps, they had excluded the Crown Princess’s Palace from their duties altogether.39dd261ef1fbb6e2

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Cassius laid Aloissia down 0de0bcc3c7 on the bed. The cold sheets bothered him, e9ad50f85a but she would warm up d52061144b during the purification process. Her body would 97ee0a5f57 regain its warmth.1b6f37e754289c07

“I don’t usually have the habit of forcing myself on sleeping women.”803703e8b01b7158

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Cassius muttered to himself dab5e03da5 as he removed his dfd6879f73 shirt. Aloissia was drenched in 439182837e cold sweat and trembling 4993525d3e all over. Her hands and 5aaa9515e1 feet twitched, as d6aee7c5ba if she were c0408cad61 having a nightmare.537ff429847064c3

She was clearly in a dangerous state. He had to bring her back to her senses first. Considering she had already fainted, hugs and kisses wouldn’t be enough.97d13cf0eb2ce9ec

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But it was worth a 376972e0ef try.455b332791ef985c

Cassius leaned over Aloissia, f210f84eb4 placing his hands on 08fb23f125 either side of her b0207c7a17 face and lowering his 518e181efc lips to hers.404fb117e7af25c4

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He gently nibbled on her soft lower lip and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Since her lips were parted, it wasn’t difficult.25c8493650ef4f55

He lowered his 7a85aab172 body further, positioning eb7c8aad13 himself between her b9300d32d2 legs, and began 0fa2a3eae0 to deepen the d67ccb8965 kiss.29424806144f06eb

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First, he wrapped 1d390aedb8 his tongue around 9169472971 hers, still stiff, 586cccc0ad and infused it afe873c494 with purifying energy. He gently caressed the inside 3d224a9903 of her mouth and cupped dffdedb212 her chin.95e76737297018fc

“Ha…”864f3774f8e215f9

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Cassius’s brow furrowed as he focused on the kiss. The rustle of fabric and the wet sounds of their kiss filled the room.72723fbc90ce0b9f

Cassius diligently warmed Aloissia’s mouth. Perhaps thanks to his efforts, her trembling subsided. It seemed he had managed to prevent her from losing control, at least for now.a7939162fdc2762b

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However, the kiss seemed 41fab04be9 to have its limits, 9a0f9c8015 as her eyelids remained 86d197fab6 firmly closed.464951c375509727

“Your Highness, open your eyes.”811f1c8084f41397

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Cassius spoke softly, lifting 407ddc6244 his head. He gently pressed his lips db1ff3705c against her closed eyelids.2f3308d103e97878

He trailed kisses from db6d94a947 her eyelids to the d59184d787 bridge of her nose, e0b6b86036 then to her still 08e102b12e cheek, and finally to 62d9c08359 her sharp jawline.a442cb214c9b4a15

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Slowly kissing along the line of Aloissia’s neck, Cassius’s lips descended to her chest.61f5fb5b2882bafa

Aloissia was wearing a simple cf84c0fc1d dress. For some reason, she was d9f78006d1 always lightly dressed like this.36544787a735e084

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Seeing Princess Leda df746bfea2 tightly laced into 47721ad0d9 a corset and 6433f9f2f8 wearing layers of 62629f817a petticoats, almost excessively 74c48683ff so, it seemed 019fa92242 the proper attire 76085cedf7 at the Imperial 5eec9929e1 Palace was much 1b7cc282be more intricate.d5e151be949fabb9

Aloissia, however, only dressed 7ba1b758c6 simply, more like a e2891e4afc country noble than royalty. She had dressed c26e8544fa appropriately for the a60984b697 funeral, but afterward, 2c6a416018 she always wore 811e8a8ca2 these casual clothes.2524390345479ea5

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The dress she 2361825c61 was wearing now 2fc98a0dd5 was no exception. It seemed as though 013352247b her breasts would be a1c22f4d62 exposed if Cassius simply b707d293b5 tugged at the bodice.ca522c2c1d553ec6

But he didn’t want to do that.2773429a93602102

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Aloissia was still unconscious. He was already hesitant about f86f5c1844 kissing an unconscious person, so 3fcd8335b9 undressing her was even more 67eae7e550 unappealing.12aa6786dd178cb9

However, he couldn’t provide deeper purification like this.08281464360fcad0

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Cassius felt like he 7e2b5cb25b had suddenly reached a 5d014815f9 dead end. He sat up and sighed.9a446ffd20343c7f

Just then…7301cc15cdcbf7d3

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“Mmm…”413470345a751906

Aloissia whimpered, her face contorted. She reached for her 63d4b03868 bodice and tugged at 1c20f74d40 it, as if trying e0807f4e67 to rip it off, 48d7d4a118 while her eyes remained b46c0162f5 closed.9769242f675e1e8e

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“Are you awake?”e84bcc7badb1d9d3

Cassius leaned closer 2c961f41e2 and asked, his 144db91a0b ear near her 60a8a8505b lips, as she 63d84668b2 stirred. But instead of answering, e5c1922d3f she clutched the top 038f7e0671 of her bodice.afd9c38b94d145f8

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“I can’t… breathe…”04d74888c82be402

Aloissia gasped, her legs twitching. Lying down, the bodice seemed dd8d7797cb to be constricting her chest. Even though her fingernails 7a1e27a8ea caught on the fabric, 8084c9ffc5 she kept fumbling.75cbd310d965f670

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“Stay still. Don’t do that.”0622bb1080770c73

As Aloissia began to scratch 3424506710 at her chest, Cassius quickly ee880c802c grabbed her hands to stop 7f3fffe261 her. With his other hand, he a301825f1a took hold of the bodice 75f2fe68ac and pulled it down.820d03160832bbdb

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The bodice, which hadn’t budged despite Aloissia’s efforts, yielded easily to his strength. As her breasts, which had been constricted by the fabric, were exposed to the air, she took a deep breath.c2735c40e56796e0

“Haa…”66065972c72b8b48

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Aloissia breathed easier, her expression 67e5726beb much more relaxed. Oblivious to the f2a2264c76 fact that her 51c87de481 full, milky-white breasts 3dc4a057f2 were now exposed dfe5a1b9bf before Cassius.2e99166ca9c03954

“…”405cd056c3eed05c

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When she finally caught her breath and opened her eyes, Cassius’s stunned face came into view.624379e64b9f6777

He was sitting on top of her, staring at her with silent shock, as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have, something completely unexpected.b77f0c14d530ea8b

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“You…”b74da7ac6ab3d3c8

Cassius stared intently at Aloissia’s breasts. More precisely, at the small mark nestled between her ample cleavage, where her breasts met.418885c16733cdb4

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A tiny symbol was etched in the center of Aloissia’s chest. As small as a pinky fingernail, it resembled both a character from some unknown language or perhaps a drawing.b64042cfdc13f576

She didn’t know how long it had been there.af21af7be79c994b

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It had been bbd2f5aab6 on her body 5f94056816 for as long 794f167da7 as she could de499c7c43 remember.a5f0b52d5caac5db

Aloissia had once tried to 7c73e58704 find the meaning of the d14be35c6b mark, hoping it might provide 8524c6585e a clue to her origins. But no one in 2e054b355f the empire knew what 225e6e9151 it meant.dffa50ce000e1a2f

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So, she had given aeab97b440 up on trying to e4536ee061 understand it. At some point, 6168b6f457 she had forgotten 0974648a8f about its existence 027948d145 altogether.749f4ee2a024dfb4

But now, in this completely 6a3ab8558f unexpected moment, an unexpected person fe9e8f3250 reacted to her mark. Cassius traced the mark with bfaac34064 a trembling finger and asked,38a18ece003351e5

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“Why is this etched on Your Highness’s body?”0c5664316b5501f5

“It’s always been there.”c5ec188d32bfff38

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Aloissia replied, bewildered. She thought she had 56cf129986 been with the Empress c8baa2aa6b just a moment ago. But when she came f8e07faf4f to her senses, she dd326e9d32 was in her bedroom a7fd0ab108 for some reason.1c566b866ecd8f85

Moreover, she was half-naked 3faf0855ba with the ruler of e6ece6bc32 Bedua. 1c5890145ec7bccc

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What was going on?df814f594446663d

‘My memory…’8b285f6e661eb17b

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She couldn’t remember.0ee019ef24f0cef8

The brief clarity she had 84d5b29c6e experienced after being purified by 30b9fc1642 the Cassius had become muddled, e13615b13b like water mixed with various ed245df6ab colors of paint.57b34c10c99e49b7

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“Always been there…”8ee6abc6a4745d8f

Cassius repeated her words, lost 2022434299 in deep thought. Aloissia, looking up at 096e058b38 him, tried to sit 058163d83d up.ffcb6d55085ac2bf

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However, as soon as b38827c3e7 she raised her head, 6be3e87add a sharp pain pierced adf0829526 through her head.dfae048f4c664163

 70575569a527ffbb

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