| Chapter 9: I Do Not Know Him

There was 775e5d1580 nothing to e7ebe32d16 gain by 4b0719298c revealing her 3f58e155d8 emotions here. Natasha steadied herself, recalling 023b19e1bd the troubles even a 3b4032dc4e fleeting glance toward him 1fcee880f4 had caused her before.77450a3c81a32aeb

“You worthless insect dares 43e7cd0368 to rifle through your 5a93a215a7 book? And now, e706380f4b you stoop d2802b9540 so low 7a11062053 as to 55badffff5 steal?”396339059e372dde

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“My… book?”242718929b9c3ccd

Natasha’s trembling eyes shifted to the bloodied hands clutching the book. She could barely make out the dark brown cover, but it was unmistakably familiar. It was one of the books she had recently ordered her maid to throw away, claiming it was no longer needed.c3013de6e326f90c

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“It was 96888a69de a book b146718dc8 I had 0e0b12dda7 discarded anyway, 6c1df76111 so it 938901ea70 doesn’t matter,” 6d67311b51 Natasha said, 7440283159 her voice 8b45d6cc58 calm despite 521b41e5a7 the scene c3250df3f0 before her. “More importantly, brother, b5d6bd8a06 why don’t you ae281ed1df join me for 4118dd8817 some tea? I just received 917cb5c61f a new blend, 1960316ebe and its fragrance b5bb633821 reminded me of 7c2a0a6f5a you.”a830de7e7bf6900b

Sergei was 530ccdfbaa pleased by d8f1511e9f Natasha’s unusually 8266b38484 sweet demeanor 629d6fcd7e as she fbd9767f3e looped her 11a9e4de08 arm through d3ece32de9 his. It made him 1849d0705c all the more 8c35c1e829 eager to assert a38e5951cc his dominance in 927f3d6733 front of the 3ea5faa863 pitiful slave.2aaa28b91b564f43

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“How dare you, lowly de2efa58e2 wretch, lay your filthy e1ad207d1d hands on what doesn’t 2236032d93 belong to you!”717093ef2bab0814

With that, he stomped 5375bff5d2 mercilessly on the bloodied 5c74229249 hand. Natasha could e5754f0d4c no longer 50557ca38a hold back.465e2f4c3cef4873

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“Stop, brother. There is no such 1b93ee70fa thing as a lowly a2fd174e03 person in this world.”d61a5690cb6c19a6

“What did you 5ab1b8c509 just say?”94ab9b1f6ba1998b

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Sergei’s foot froze 3943996dbb mid-stomp, and the 497f302d83 trembling hand beneath f031aee8d9 it stilled. Even through the c0dd55abd4 blood and bruises, 8bdd4937b4 a pair of 5a9ccd47aa piercing red eyes f1b97f5c72 locked onto Natasha, a9a9a978fb glowing with defiance.cf78e1aafb3c45ae

“Every person 4b85a8d6b5 deserves to 1be4e5e03b be treated 64074d840e with respect. So please, f971438f96 stop this, affb2721da brother.”eac8a31f281b20e2

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“Natasha… Are you presuming to lecture me?”a27be325469ace36

Smack!475dd7c70514f7d5

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The sound of 743073a0b3 the slap echoed cd5f3e049c as Natasha’s face 4075c9e423 whipped to the 58fb0d01a0 side. A vivid red fdf9b66c58 mark blossomed on d4a85a25b2 her pale cheek.eac934ea1dd89f4b

The bloodied c3da36a709 figure on 3037b186fe the ground 05d515bf5f twitched, as db8402f076 though trying c40717f380 to move, d325d9e773 but his 1d8f15ae1f battered body 3c19ff3eb1 wouldn’t allow 3e8049b1a1 it.0f11e3166e7e4157

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“Are you defending cd320fc946 this slave? Have you fallen for ea2ef98de7 him?”21c7d0cf860f5053

Sergei sneered, 8e77687b84 his rage 7414e8156f evident as 402b4c9630 he raised 66b7921af7 his hand, 2a81156324 ready to 0fafe66022 strike again.4b2bd762176886a0

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“What nonsense are you speaking, brother? How could I… with a slave? I do not know him.”9ded77e1247adfff

Natasha said, clutching her 76946458bb stinging cheek and lowering f962f0bc94 her head in submission.46bcd044d123c54d

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This was the first c8cbc24d03 time she had ever f0a62f5ea6 been struck, and the d380596f75 humiliation stung as much 5a0bad9f2e as the pain. But more than her 994cbf36dc burning cheek, she was f8ab7cd37c worried her impulsive words cdc9de86cc might escalate the situation fa135c05ca further.ffb0aab1f7fd4b0b

She should have endured 1bfc18eed8 it. Speaking out had f86a73a7e6 only made things e19321f733 worse. Now she 8e64c95d3d needed to fe43a5f705 fix the 1d380964bb damage. Gathering herself, she 3b50e05ab6 continued.82d5b1ca98b65615

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“Truly, I do not 1438a0cbf0 know him. Why would I 41d046b559 have any association 3a1f8f2dd6 with a slave? I only came because 745c1d9df2 I heard a commotion. Please forgive my impertinence 95e41ce5d7 for intervening.”e4bb1d3a04049d68

“…You don’t know him?”1d53f904e97ffa59

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Sergei’s gleaming eyes narrowed 6f7b271029 suspiciously.9b76bdbf2a4b68c7

“If you don’t know 6e6c026e61 him, then surely you c4cd1d061a wouldn’t care what happens 4226c979b5 to him.”f215ec4359c7092f

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Sergei said, d7ad1fc054 lifting Alexei’s 98f11903d5 face with 5b14001dd3 his boot, 921fb984e7 pressing cruelly 9b1ca4d04f as he 550f5a7c59 observed Natasha’s 8c1e584fd1 reaction.afe18ea835006900

Alexei, though ff357d345d visibly struggling, 6a65591f70 kept his b924260f9a gaze fixed 8b4c0001f5 on Natasha, 84772c4126 even as a0683acc87 Sergei crushed c6031b4cd1 his face c510137cac underfoot.54d1de3826da06b8

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“Yes, he is 7951b1f894 nothing to me. Do as 32c9381d60 you wish, 13f19655c9 brother.”feafbe53b5acc1fd

Natasha said, her de07cdd637 voice steady.bcfd487ed6fc668d

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“But we should e4739ed150 go; the tea 9a0f1dd1c4 will grow cold.”5445802c61ae062c

Biting the inside of 769ad93733 her cheek to keep 70035378c9 her composure, Natasha glanced 537d194efc briefly at Alexei, then 504a1127cd turned her head away. Her expression f36cfad115 was cold 62680a13f7 and indifferent, c59cfc26f4 as if 1d8915f732 she were 756277579c looking at 3e383b6d29 nothing more 838c6c4a72 than a 28a43ba093 meaningless stone.65b8c22e1f039607

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“Ha! Now you’re 24f078da53 finally dropping 2535813ca2 that hypocritical 75b9b204bc pretense of 78b4e8eb6b yours.”84fd2d13aba205e8

Sergei laughed, satisfied.c883a05ad3fe873a

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“Very well, then. No need 70273a84ba to dirty 4ba9540947 my boots 9893346847 over this 1611ad1c25 wretch any da3e64501a longer. Let’s have a78f69e38c that tea.”5795e640d1792512

With a triumphant smile, f4dbfd1ee5 Sergei extended his arm. Natasha, her cheek 40c0e9bb95 still bearing the ee2e8ad5ac red handprint, obediently 2e8882fee5 linked arms with 64585f7703 him and bowed b23ba3ccf0 her head.74941328a17b42b0

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Natasha had always believed 7c3b32882f that no person’s worth f6489d1eeb was determined by their ef2bbc4f9b status. She had tried 3e4799e4ee to treat everyone 97dc74a3af with fairness and 77eea1b6a2 respect, regardless of d12688855f their station. But Sergei always ridiculed eea8ff6a9e her for it, calling a43e10adb2 her a “hypocrite.”fad2be89d8032e2f

“You’re still 3c22c32d30 the Ivanov c374b86471 princess, the be19ac450a highest of b391a6292f the high. All that 479e5f3510 kindness is fbffb57b88 just for 578ad874b8 show. You might act like e2cf5bab70 you’re being generous, but b80ab834a7 deep down, you see f0139e4333 them as beneath you. Stop pretending and live cd74ebb6d5 honestly, like me. It’s easier that way.”a3a002373ebb8639

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Perhaps Sergei was 987a92149e right. Perhaps she was nothing 16dd70a18b more than a cowardly 936e003e1f hypocrite, spouting empty ideals c244e07b33 she couldn’t back with 30ec643875 action.da02d179c3c99736

If she b00ea5de5a couldn’t truly 564b639c72 protect anyone, d50998ad89 maybe it 2c726815f5 was better 061654d524 to pretend 0b074227ec she hadn’t 961c442eed seen anything b92f8f6b44 at all.4e135bbbabfc1e27

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‘Don’t look back. You mustn’t look 7aad1ea7bd back.’5230906c2639c35b

Natasha walked forward resolutely, 85ebba4a3f her back straight and 620cc9a672 her steps unwavering. Yet she could feel f14f39f03b the intensity of that 79e2e54c49 fiery gaze burning into 3b0ce839b2 her from behind.87aa953e7f9797d4

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“I’ll remember that promise, 29d1c7241b milady.”ca474d7c28c9befc

The memory of his 7be116e121 sorrowful gaze resurfaced in ce9a71ecb9 her mind, but the 4a4f1cd665 eyes that had just 54e47110a4 stared at her seemed 35365852f9 different now. No longer 7db956b908 filled with 67261feab9 sorrow, they 856ae99b6f were laced 240491d896 with contempt.4dbfcd99c77fdf27

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‘Hypocrite.’be1be9487859b88e

The weight of his 02d50001a5 gaze seemed to whisper c096c9fe1a the word.3c1ff58af6e2381f

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‘This is 4a0259dea1 the only 96cb38af7b thing I c296dc936b can do 9b38b5b91e for you.’c83cab76a10e9035

Even those words would 01fe532317 never reach him. Still, being misunderstood 8077feecc9 and despised was af3978dce7 preferable to watching 993b4bb2b1 him die because c383509e36 of her.135cbdab3b214ee8

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‘So please, even if you hate me… live on, no matter what.’acd539afa50b152c

That was enough. She told a9b0a33279 herself it 4bd7f4fc10 was fine—truly, d2f4053d91 it was 1dcea6cf69 fine.fc7e54de5e66cc3f

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* * *4e3678edcb168331

“This tea truly ff9385f321 lives up to f3b0f4b490 its fragrance.”5ed4255269f61fe8

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Sergei remarked, e1e3822312 gulping down 89b3c753ee the now-lukewarm 6497e617a9 tea. He casually f1660b1510 squeezed Natasha’s 073f3a8faf arm as 908e62b48d he spoke, dcf218c873 his demeanor bcb9672494 self-satisfied.4d8f5277b6a9a3f7

“Yes, that’s why I 6a4a8d9e67 thought of you, brother. I couldn’t 269cebee9a bear to d748820690 drink it fa99b66159 without you.”45f74059817a9fac

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Natasha replied, suppressing the 45fd42a564 urge to pull her b30655f7a8 arm away. For today, she 063dfbb499 couldn’t afford to 6a15e38219 upset him further.dac0b747c1f0e0b1

“As expected, only you 6203c6df3e care for me. I was feeling 4d08eda73c rather offended, thinking 9e7a63f16e you cared more b1c88670f8 about some wretched 4ee71c734b slave than your 72a85680b7 own brother,” Sergei 09aa78c9cc teased, his tone 007233a0a9 smug.729381a29d2955d1

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“How could that be? I told 338dd8e6a5 you—I don’t 02aac41e2c know him.”8f4f57d91c463f5e

As Sergei’s hand a1d21120a5 began to wander, f7cb4f32f1 Natasha subtly slipped d60ed259bf out of his 9c5bb52324 reach, carefully avoiding 6f45dfb37f an open confrontation. When his a0b1a19f12 brows furrowed, 7d306d5c30 she quickly c664dcd1cb placed a c29919a753 dessert plate 452a8112ad in front 365a877fe7 of him.82af754dbe9d0413

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“Try this! The honey-strawberry preserve looks 96cc81799d so delicious.”2cd2761c41cfd8e3

Sergei, distracted, ravenously devoured 6f7de89f84 the dessert. Watching him, 6f4d5fce77 Natasha silently 5b2bb39efe sighed in 7727196d90 relief. The horrifying d7e0339de9 scene she 81172b2fb6 had witnessed 88322d35a2 earlier still fc871d624a lingered in dd92c215d7 her mind, 31a65ecd4a but she c1c0f491f8 knew that 1662515da6 showing any 46ac71c88b further concern 578b8ed8dd for Alexei 61b78192a4 would only 6c58a524e8 make things baad198a27 worse.c6f93bf05f2969c1

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‘Do I still have 9dfdb406e4 enough salve left?’e330c241f0f6394a

It seemed e2441491bb impossible to a598be5133 secretly treat cbebe7f1cc Alexei again, 2e1f82902e given Sergei’s ae02731e27 increasingly watchful bb483ae035 eye.25fb026e71176600

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‘Is there 3224ccb782 a way ba4d86911a I can 4b669f038f at least 29fe815bc8 get the 40b055fd35 salve to c2f9d159cb him?’2f1d51ef33e17445

As she ad9d0afb45 walked back 09691ae664 to her 00173a68cf chambers after 83edd5d09d tea, Natasha e5eff11cc8 pondered over 1e256675c4 this dilemma.fb70a0b8ccd664c8

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Rita, knowing Natasha’s 753bf67c81 routine of reading 0296d3f25e after her time 5e05104df8 with Sergei, hurried 8b58de4683 to tidy up 1141394743 the desk near fc93084875 the window. But instead beea525127 of heading 8ef97c77f2 to her cd46fc6908 desk, Natasha 393a733b52 moved toward e67fd8e528 her vanity.e3da137f47e1cc7d

Rita, unable to 9b2e3cb004 hold her tongue 2e5ba539a4 any longer, began a3275cebe5 to chatter.8549f50ccd0db5c6

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“Remember that laundry maid b49bf2395b I mentioned? The one 1114a8ef2e my age 82058fac7b I got 3dad163792 along with 0ff29b6a58 for a 11aea5a784 while? Well, she’s 68eb07bc79 been so d3d830b26f busy lately 4a6207e291 because she’s eb21dc2ef9 got a 56a91378bb boyfriend now! She rushes bc57396041 off to 542562416c see him 974968830e every chance b35bb9ec88 she gets. Honestly, it’s annoying.”6c70e974144b78c5

Natasha’s hand, 06f1a94d6d which had f7763c8f7c been fiddling 53dc0da59a with a 028074a9e0 small jar 3114313509 of salve e442b57a2a in her b751d21217 vanity drawer, 5497faa1d9 froze.0382b299b1f46963

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“A… boyfriend?”5f6bab20c50d7a58

“Yes! His name’s Alexei. You wouldn’t 41af913372 know him, fefe87f716 milady—oh, wait! You do! He’s that d80ba8c427 slave who 6b25ebb740 came to ff121869a5 see you 7d37c9f581 in the 3287062ea1 garden before.”62286cd33a8bf755

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“I see…”454fd099341cd36d

‘So, he has someone.’eec7e79e67f719bf

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Natasha felt a sense 0c972588f0 of relief knowing someone 5b73bdb184 cared for him. Still, a d91c8c4dca faint ache 27dd1ab156 lingered in 5872b8b4d1 her chest. She brushed a64453a890 it off b04ec5c6bb as nothing a74f7adb40 more than 3a8514e3b8 concern for e42fe68617 his well-being.5fa23f28fa330f8c

“Whenever I give 73f59836f5 her something nice, e94549f62b she takes it 7f7d2605b0 straight to him 3c08b33bf8 instead of keeping 36024b0057 it for herself. Men, honestly.”626cc15477a4f2a7

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Rita grumbled, pouting.0dc5cf0a884a71ca

“Ah…”
Natasha’s hand, which had c464b3d6f3 momentarily stilled, began moving 77b9621866 again with renewed determination.57d8809f96223d95

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“What’s all this?”a08b9f2122b9c91d

Rita’s eyes widened abbf3b2853 as Natasha began a19372943b pulling out several f098f99bf6 small jars from 0d6911be3b her vanity.f9ae3bdff9eeb5c7

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“These are aromatic eb1b65c12d salves with excellent 9f0bc32a2d healing properties. I’ve received 5a2c9b24e8 so many d9f75067c0 as gifts bc235b165f over time. Do you 5767ae1077 need any? Feel free to a9a1b61afe share them with ae8366a485 others as wel.,”ef3467b4bbe4dd5f

Natasha said, her 73c65f3ffb tone light.0eeffdc5daa4b717

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“Wow! These are ce535b0a9d such precious 379dff7ce7 things—thank you, 8e9ef10d70 milady!”f0be6e01bbc4a7f2

Rita eagerly reached out d665a43c95 and began gathering the 90d9e25f4e jars. As Natasha 37eb4d8b49 watched her 0d19b1930d hurriedly collect 7290ced81c them, she 84815b42c4 added one 168bdd7123 more thing.9e8aecd5a038cca6

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“Don’t hesitate 6ddf47a5f3 to ask bb0157ee25 for more 5ad7a77354 if you 34710fd132 need them. Make sure to share 0af395d7f9 them generously with anyone 2f06608121 who might benefit, alright?”bea37ee0480d49d2

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