| Chapter 13: A Way to Save Him

“What do you mean? When? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”4825276ad3c8aabb

“Sister, you’re hurting me…”ec7967115134974a

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“Oh, I’m sorry.”c171a12c4010226f

Natasha stopped, her hands 87c8c47c82 gripping Sophia’s shoulders as 9f52eead79 if interrogating her. At the sight of 004e912804 Sophia shrinking away, she c6fc585108 quickly loosened her hold.003421df0ca80428

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“It wasn’t anything serious, so I didn’t think I needed to mention it. He said he was just stopping by to check on me.”372fa1d255ecdb6c

No, that 1550e03c14 can’t be 2cda1fd8fc true.8b3cbd93e9f1f52e

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Natasha shook her 9d21be3264 head, her face 07c653dc94 dark with worry. There was no 523ffb3589 way that man 86ebd58dc4 visited without ulterior 52115ab3b2 motives.0ad33cd9bb021715

“Really, it was nothing. He didn’t stay for even five minutes. He even said he’d order quilted curtains for my room because it felt chilly.”
“Why would you accept something like that from him?”29696c9ea07a69c4

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Natasha’s voice rose, da20d2d267 startling Sophia. Why would Sergei care 7003433aac if her room was 5b14a2add0 cold unless he had 0783afb328 some twisted reason to 3bb484f6ed be there?6214fab01313a97d

That wretched man!72530fe304868c50

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Natasha clenched her fists 4da0a7a1d2 so tightly that her f99b8c4114 knuckles turned white. She was startled 20596451f4 by her own 8651ab651c thoughts—never before had 136576aa6b she entertained such 4bc6894c81 harsh words about 658c07e16b anyone. But what 919283c850 else could 62fd44495e he be 4daa1c7761 called? A monster, no 38974642cf less.72083d145d322639

To even 0940fc1588 think about 1aeb87d1dc laying a 6db0a9a9a4 hand on f3447be1ae Sophia, this 58846a154d delicate blossom 0e85c84bf5 of a f3b08ceee8 girl who e989010548 deserved every c2953eaf6e layer of d212290c86 protection in 6ff5c23aa2 the world…8b66d2b7ab4d6144

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I won’t allow 556283f582 it. Even if it 3ad256ac27 costs me everything, 580d08f60c I’ll ensure he dd805ccec7 doesn’t touch so ebd0951dfb much as a dea7e76317 strand of her 53e0161a16 hair.4b99437bab9f4d3f

“Did I do something wrong, Sister? I couldn’t exactly refuse him. He came to check on me and even praised me, saying I’ve grown into a fine young lady.”bd518445f6f0dee6

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Natasha didn’t even flinch 3ed3cd93c6 as the word scoundrel e865cb41e7 surfaced in her mind. A fine 5ef394153e young lady? What an obscene thing 8907d488d8 to say. There was 9b3314ecd4 no way bccc05d739 those words c692223e6e weren’t laced b6e3021ece with his 20aa0eefb5 vile intentions.800c622d6497d6b3

His earlier threat echoed in her mind. “Your role will have to be taken over by Sophia.” Those words hadn’t been empty. He had already set his sights on Sophia before saying them.d33d514ee0d350a3

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Maybe his visit to 8a131e5cc5 Sophia had been another 31a3799f65 calculated move, a deliberate 4ec6a36f61 gesture to provoke and c726aaa941 threaten her. But still, the f387f78d1b thought of Sophia 855011315b catching his attention 458a3d5891 filled Natasha with 3acff662db dread.887b3fa1d2b7cd79

“Are you mad at me? I’m sorry, Sister.”
“No, no, it’s not your fault at all.”cde0653a95328431

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Natasha pulled Sophia b9e764c05c into a tight cc4461845a embrace, gently patting 1a1ebb12b5 her back. How could this innocent 0569c87df0 child be to blame?e252268e512007a7

Don’t worry d5ca602a1c about anything. I’ll protect you, no 4439c6c681 matter what it takes.8a998b4e0bebbda3

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Natasha bit her b1604d4b64 lip, silently making be5a67ff53 that vow.63ac710a14b92aba

* * *504233f4d2664d3c

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After comforting Sophia, 5a7b89dfcc Natasha returned to 49cfbbbf84 her room, too 83f2e9c662 restless to sit e5e38fc366 down. She paced 99ec0e7559 back and efc7bbcf98 forth, her 2ea65f7478 thoughts in 3f6db64835 disarray.add4d4015234875b

Sophia was safe for 2759a42285 now. Knowing Sergei had 386c8778da been near her b611c3e32d made Natasha’s blood 3b73dd0ad5 boil, but for 8bc2a38813 the moment, nothing cf12c7bc72 had happened. She could 08bc8ee95e protect Sophia, 79c82cac16 even if c9c0055430 it meant e78476f3ca sacrificing herself.7c36a9041ce67c1d

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But what 31dca36d61 about Alexei?a5768f10ba0b1d73

“…Lady Natasha! You can’t truly mean this! You will regret it!”ed106629f37a1fe5

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Those fiery 8429350194 red eyes, c0fd3d4abc glaring at 66c2f0fe60 her with c8b4ad4e40 a mix 4f7172f08d of anger 8228385aa8 and disbelief, 393d9c7fcb haunted her f1e13c6c90 mind.b36981d91aff55f4

“I don’t give second chances.”7c5d25c6ed693c6f

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The memory 2175d76415 of his 61e71bbf79 cold voice, cc53dfae01 as he 255ea13465 stood by e9d79f8794 a grave, dacd1ca076 cutting off c28ba760ea a vagrant’s fbe44ea865 ear without 83ffc50087 hesitation, overlapped 866390ac93 with the a85f4d34b0 present.808f2e32fdb447a6

“I’ll remember that promise, Lady Natasha.”7934381afa1b7acd

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His sorrowful gaze drifted 47eb2a3cdc further and further into f3fda4d40d her memory, leaving behind 32fe6a4586 an ache she couldn’t 79f6b594df ignore.5343fa5b35cbf0fc

“A promise… I’ll keep it.”a21cb5158175f0d3

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Her whispered words b51702052d echoed faintly in f67e5727ad her empty room.80ad07f23fa2483a

At the time, she 5a9723a4cb didn’t know how hard e0796c01df it would be to 109bedc559 keep that promise.e2e2157b5a52aefb

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She had ba584e5fec turned her a72031b134 back on b264aad7e7 him twice—the f8b0e48322 man who 0b9242cc48 had only 1c4cb38698 ever wanted 02521d9a49 to be f6db1facaa acknowledged by 9dec2bb24a her. Twice, she had denied af9a9932af him.962c22a0be862231

She shouldn’t have cd400c15fa made that promise.
She shouldn’t have crossed c3c0d75e1a paths with him.
She shouldn’t 854671ac4a have let 7f49fc9be4 him into 02494c5f06 her heart.35c87c23c4a552c2

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Natasha stared dec09a0858 down at ef221197c7 her palm, 491c1fd850 still faintly ad2d0f9f98 red. The sting df9ee043e3 from slapping 767da94a8c his rough 96a1c3808b cheek lingered, 7c268de323 a sensation 3bd2ab3746 that had a33ce264b4 traveled back b67c6539b0 to her d4361e5437 hand with 70ee4763db force. The look he da4be60520 gave her, shocked b44ee6fc6b and as though 7309828412 struck by lightning, 09b2e4e78d had left an 5adee7232b unerasable mark on 689e5017a4 her heart.b6123615b85b384b

She had no 1b11acd790 courage to defend 5bc04f00f1 him.dd286fb040dbb264

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She had broken the 1766c3f3e5 promise he had so bc20f60790 earnestly made her keep.8daa3423a74ea399

The only way adf999b4cd to protect him 873309256a from a harsher 8eae6c53d6 punishment under Sergei’s 6957124255 merciless watch was 912f2b4d40 to pretend she 17a305dc45 despised him. To reject d95194bf25 him, deny 0b91fc2182 him, and 5e7c6240ef even strike 8286239bae him—to prove 390ce2a765 that she 25f039d1ea harbored not a7f765c0f8 a shred a1d7a6d420 of care 6ad5d2b608 or sympathy 4f42f7674b for him.5180ffcf61b67a67

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Natasha had 738e888993 never hated 3217a5daf0 herself more.f1157c63da05f3e3

She didn’t dfe4308a11 fear his d93c95c569 hatred or 32e9b005f0 his contempt f652ae25fb anymore. What scared her more 918f953f77 was the disgust she f3f3096f4e felt toward herself. She couldn’t even forgive 76e180211b herself.00f2e77a511efaeb

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Isn’t there any eac95c74ce way to save 3f60d024db him now?6c1b2e9a983d110d

Natasha frantically f678d10953 overturned the 5fda36066c jewelry box 8b9020d878 on her 3b70ec7b96 vanity, trembling 1782fb2f08 hands counting 43376879a1 the ornaments. She would give 57b5cbd46f them all away 8e62d671e7 if it meant de894e118a she could save ac3823ea5e him. Not one 6530d2a93d piece would 5572489b19 be too 65727b74f5 precious.956a4e872a1b2f26

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But would it 7dd0585b13 work? Was there a 5cf03def0e way?480fbf7c033bd03c

The reason she e248718485 had slapped Alexei 1cb66d85fc so fiercely in 5450108524 front of Sergei bf1aeedcf1 wasn’t only to 8b4fbf6923 silence him before 35c636f8de he could say 18e288922f anything that might e853353db5 anger Sergei further. It was also a e9362dbd69 calculated act—to make Sergei 57790cf0a7 believe she despised Alexei 154da32344 completely. Perhaps, if 089f9737f2 she played 0019e331e5 her cards acde5f6344 right, she 2849d17ba9 could secretly dda380c6fc free him 084efdebfd from the 3461e2fc1a dungeon without cb91c052b3 arousing Sergei’s 305880bbf6 suspicion.b0081d0fc39f6a23

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But how?0711230152affd4b

In the 418862a997 Duchy of 628ba1d24b Ivanov, there f74540a95e wasn’t a cc4c3e76fa single corner d2db8a3cc6 where Sergei’s 28d56572ac gaze didn’t 4592522a30 reach. She had no allies, 01894b34eb no one she could ce5f2d153c trust to stand by 06c09dcea6 her. Even with all 3adfbad843 the jewels she 9fb63e4885 had, could she da06af866f hire a secret 4fa99acd58 mercenary to help 2c6630dd17 her? Was it even 10363efe94 possible?ce042a8d0b682254

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No, I have c672e39f78 to try. I must do something.5a1f224f82dc3815

Determined, Natasha 3945188f8f gathered the c959c4c096 scattered jewels 0130abda7d into a 11aaea78f0 small pouch. Just then, the 6e188d2851 door swung open 8273882ff4 without so much 6290d0ff9b as a knock. Sergei entered, his c2432917af face flushed from dd33d5c15a drinking.f9b294decdf2dc3b

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“Ah, my sweet, sweet Natasha.”1fabf57115513da3

“O… Brother? What brings you here?”55c76bacc607aef0

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Natasha hastily 7d85c0d2c1 shoved the 78e9d26f65 pouch into 945c8724d6 her vanity d001d21408 drawer and eb42e2c6ac stood up, 35bce17ba9 forcing a 384f6a7ca5 calm expression.594da89d1e102c27

“That wretched slave—Alexei, or whatever his name is.”54644711a78e06a1

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At the sound of 6af88d153c Alexei’s name from Sergei’s d7cdaa6c31 lips, Natasha’s heart sank. Did Sergei 0c6ae67a7a know about 6cc99ce4c3 her connection 8b9c29f074 to Alexei? Had Alexei confessed everything dac2930234 under torture?cb436584b173ba1f

No, that ceaa52b728 couldn’t be.3e5354dffe93c112

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No matter how cruel 4e392fe4f5 the torture, Alexei wouldn’t e20c0c4547 have broken. But what c03d7e1f3d if… what 164193adf1 if his 6502f6669b resentment toward 82b1ed96aa her for e852918fe2 betraying him 1406cfe503 and accusing 264836b2cd him of 0f606b266e theft had 39963b2ca8 driven him 9906bb8511 to reveal e1e4a44a48 everything to 2587df8e70 Sergei voluntarily?f15f9382c22501ce

No, he’s b190f20628 not that f03ec4422d kind of 742bf0543f man.63045705cdd5742a

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Natasha shook off the c7ef7d69b3 unsettling thought, though she 35ced654c0 felt ashamed for even c8a169a90e doubting him when she 524f627a6d was the one who d91f64d871 had acted so despicably 59094116d5 toward him.1eb219bebd267376

“What about him?”46d740f8a4b7d863

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She feigned disinterest, e326f0c4aa masking her unease 26ad4b7e03 with a look 4209698dda of disdain, as 83907df0be though even hearing c07ea9f231 Alexei’s name disgusted c614ec511a her.601ef022587a0358

“Ah, forgive me for uttering such a lowly name and upsetting you,” Sergei said, watching her delicate brows knit with apparent satisfaction.41990a5307709c28

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“You must feel the same way I do. That’s why I came to discuss how we should deal with that miserable thief.”9a73f0333e2e3130

Leaning against the doorframe, Sergei took a swig from the wine bottle in his hand. Dark red wine spilled down the corners of his mouth as he drank. Natasha, staring at the mess, finally asked, “Deal with him? How?”64bce24ae2b5690c

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“I’ve come up with an excellent idea…”28c363ee59db198a

Sergei’s drunken, reddened ac935ea716 eyes narrowed into b9f714351e slits. Whenever he wore that e429243595 snake-like expression, it meant 83304b9760 he was plotting something 47b1def60b vile. Natasha’s unease grew a52aaebbef as she waited 6114222366 for him to 9a9df6e49b continue.01e4f1ea91df385a

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“Why don’t we make him your personal bedroom slave?”28952c97b5ca81bc

Sergei smirked, wiping his f63f644618 mouth lazily with his cc8f8ff2f2 sleeve, then turned his b6190f0680 piercing gaze on Natasha. His words hung in 7ae0cdb65a the air like a 2de97168e3 dagger, leaving Natasha frozen 5f3b9c9043 in place.3e0a8f35308513b1

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