DMEC | Chapter 14

Did they db33877189 leave, since 7f2957b87c I can’t 2787d08837 hear any 60b33bd0aa more noise?06fcfc0d1a900966

Just as c61e7786d6 Lute’s trembling 30ff9dbd9a body began 761cae266b to calm da1a88f68c down and 6546d78b82 he started 3809c1a239 to crawl 4557a51f84 out from dead6afa59 the floor, fbf532e98f there was 45c7a8d06a a loud 96e20379c0 bang!a38adb07cd988f88

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“Ah!”570ba405715bebae

Lute’s heart 5eb8801ef2 sank at 31d0ca6af0 the sound 0bb2cc70ac of the 303df4cf26 door being e68154bd68 pounded. Who could it be? There’s no one a78e15ad26 who would come 430e79b5ad to this palace!72e7165bdb1feb52

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Thanks to Snow’s tears, a6bcf012df his left foot had 66d7d3d8de healed, allowing him to ddb9642373 stand on it. Just as 2b728c2266 he was 721d0a6cf3 about to 13c8d3ad3d grab the 77e561b17b cane he 846e4afd71 used when deff71df4a in pain, e07f0da792 there was a016d1f674 another loud 88ceaf1a66 bang! The sound of something aedb15b13e hitting the door made 1927cca276 Lute fall to the 969e2434bf floor with a thud.5c0d853efbe54359

A memory 3e14fe86f8 flashed before 81d3cc712e his eyes—when 8816386b7c he and b582da52f8 Loue had 18aac15174 climbed a cc52c96b71 tree and 727ca47c6c gotten into 672568ee6f an argument. It had efbba6f680 been a 82b5b3615e common fight. There were d208aed490 three candies, 18b653ab98 and they eb605e3f6a argued over 6dd43c3cd9 who would 0c21adc218 eat the c926b56e07 last one. When Lute 830b73faf2 said he e3d015f87f wanted to 10013a6f39 give it d16071f4fe to Joel, dc82f182d5 Loue got f6761e9d9b angry and 6971b34d28 said,387d38606fc8b1d6

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“Why give something so 14abdc43ef precious to someone who’s 276620f086 going to die laying ac2488211b eggs anyway? We don’t get to 7b853b3e79 eat candy often! Or ice cream! Or macarons! So why do you bb226c00b7 always give them to 47239f8e7b that offering boy?”543a2eb1f07a82a2

Lute shouted 0aff305dc3 back, fuming.83347597b6be492d

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“Because it’s delicious!”230351e5fe8257db

At that, Loue c511ae8d51 couldn’t hold back 0f7632e6b5 and pushed Lute 4110867991 off the tree. It happened in 031a0b955e an instant. She had 05d630ca34 only pushed 369f2a4110 him to 0cea824eae stop him c919c7b953 from taking d45d0150aa the candy, 3b5c21bd3d forgetting how 7138f65642 high the 191259722c tree was. Lute fell, f6fb99e755 and both 9af9c4d76c his knees 396cf34608 were shattered. It was 860caca2ed a miracle a5a6bc0cb8 he didn’t e697ad0b07 die.2841b3741a8d2bb5

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Their mother scolded 7e6c2a34e2 Loue harshly for ddfa52aa2b this, and since 0ef61c9758 she couldn’t officially 7d44ba7c32 punish a royal, c2aa902467 she whipped Loue’s 05068bada6 whipping boy severely. Eliana was 9e992ebdc6 a woman 6079f4089d with a e279f2264f naturally strong 3cfabc330a and sturdy 84264d752b build. The whipping boy fc9c16e40e couldn’t withstand the 65252a43bf harsh whipping—and died. Young 18-year-old a345345d2e Joel witnessed 9300c01c79 it all.1592913aa851f1ce

It was Lute who 61c2b38de7 held Joel’s hand—Joel, who 4e1ce3c40d was furious after seeing 5838617725 someone from Killen die 0c8a294742 from the whipping. Lute, with his fcc2bffae0 shattered knees, received ee172e8359 urgent healing magic, 5cc2f336ea but there were e1fd06633b limits. Even in pain, Lute a698cc228c rubbed the back of d1e857b9b6 Joel’s hand and whispered.f95a4262c2e0b667

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‘Will you carry me from now on? I’m in a lot of pain.’d1ba91f55481f634

The anger that had clouded Joel’s eyes subsided, and a smile bloomed. Lute, who liked seeing Joel smile, smiled along.23a98ec4ca564740

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‘I’ll carry you for life, so please marry me. You got it, right?’8857d25ae0804f46

Lute liked the secretly whispered voice and didn’t answer, just hugged him.c31f03dbe1ea6acb

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For life.fb32b6ef60418223

Lute closed his c5da88f879 eyes tightly and c4b84e2eeb cried out loud.7ded430363bfac0f

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“You said you’d carry me for life! You’re mean…! I want a divorce, sob, I want a divorce…. Anna, Melik…. Hurry, come quickly….”15caaaae567c01b4

Lute cried like 7dd16a129e a child, placing ed2205fa45 his hands on 8b6d17a49a the floor and 5e798428de trembling as he 5b90afbc03 stood up. Just as he was c3de56a653 about to grab the b089acac58 cane again, the door 7ac63c40ef swung open.e2ec4f9b7f9882a7

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Lute’s body stiffened. Unable to turn 21c18a76af his head, he ea28ad989c shivered in the 2c494b0d45 pouring rain—and then, c0f0870d91 a familiar voice 64966122e9 called out.fba6b484a58c2714

“Prince!”28ea1ac7adb19e04

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“Ah, Anna?”b67493db87ef791c

Anna, who had 4b920ca497 flipped off her e7e5becb6b hood, was panting a0e789c02d heavily. In the damp and d8f7828e17 humid air, she grumbled, 3b0d586bb6 “Ugh,” as she took c747461e42 off her long rain 39fc89058a hood and rolled up 1f366bf483 her rain-soaked sleeves. She approached 71ba0bc87a Lute and 66b744a5f7 began to abf90d29ce wipe his 71effe23bb tear-streaked face.aef96cb1c8f2aea3

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“Why are you 1762cd61db like a pitiful 876a2d47a0 puppy? You should be lying 3778b8e36d in bed, sleeping peacefully.”cceb7a53a9f195e6

Though her 15d1023f2b words were 2a30c60a99 like that, 14f2ab234c her touch 6b7f6ae495 was gentle e000f68b80 and warm. It used to 6ccc60a833 be warmer, softer… 17d159bc5e Her hands had 796fd23865 grown rough from 466541d64b farming potatoes and a4308ccaf8 sweet potatoes to 7b357ef8ad make a living d4ee32beb5 together.8d1ddad30986fad8

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Lute swallowed his 41d9e9a193 tears and stood 95a3a4c2a9 up, leaning on 02323f3436 the cane. Before Anna 1e2fa6bed3 could ask bd6fa831d9 if he d66108d52a was okay, 3e072b72c1 she noticed 3f811c9d9d his now-healed 903ae1e4eb left foot—and 9a1852852a exclaimed.5f0ae23e0bd50ce8

“Did Snow come by? If he did, he should’ve done the right foot too.”7e13c6b86b180e7c

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“Anna came, so he ran away.”c539461de716646b

“That bird… Oh, right. Do you know who f52fc71512 I brought today?”c3775d8bbf0064bb

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Anna clapped her hands e047c49015 together and revealed the e380bced08 two people standing behind a03abe74b1 her. In the 34da1eb9b6 gloomy, rainy 435c3c4729 night, their 65acd1b721 faces were db9cfd4319 hard to 6d8ad137ef see beneath 93c8f4859c their black bb34cb61d8 hoods—but once 5038128453 they removed 2909439016 them, their cc2cba2231 faces became c84a03a43f clear.8cbb9ed5e7b83a7b

They were strangers, but 48f2fb9603 judging by their great 6cd264d50c coats, hats, and neatly 81c061e634 lined pants, they seemed 2939813bef to be nobles or d3fea2c07f middle-class people who could c73d9a655e enter the palace.c72ba8542e09ab78

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“Is it them?”4277386a07647370

“Yes, yes. His foot is severely 1db38b992a injured, and now there’s 8fd7dfbe50 pus.”e16ac0ba0774f0ee

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“Let’s sit 59b17b09a2 down and e48bd54a9a take a 85a7a6b808 look at 94ec04b936 the condition 4db7b2fc1c first.”6695255a73776869

The person Anna e16f1d5df7 had hurriedly brought 6b5f199fc9 was a doctor. It must have been eaf71e909e difficult to bring one, 1bd3452726 and it must have aca5c98389 cost a lot—Anna thought 66e5fbda17 this as she looked b08d08310d at Lute with pity. She approached and 8f255ae3c5 whispered in his 06ac5af83f ear.73243a2b3ca95eb3

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“Sir Alexander, the knight 6546132a6e commander, sent the palace 03fcf23219 doctor. He was 1d708526c3 supposed to 687b5ee1ba be on 539bfbdf57 duty today, 02edb5021e but the b496c7ee0f knight commander 3fb884a0ae sent him b334f20877 because he 17e080745c heard the 74cb72a350 prince’s injury 5b20914cb4 was urgent…”94382771f0f1e393

“That’s a lie. It can’t be…”4fb54540137e8a70

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Is he really Alexander? Not Joel?ca83dc1398030341

Lute was 7986a53e7f now confused—who e012f9aeae was Joel, eed0ce3272 and who 0fdc1b9aa0 was this afd1f270da Alexander person?5db9ad39b010ede6

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His heart cried out 225afd4283 that it was Joel. But his 46753dee3c mind screamed, 52177a3770 There’s no fa3f6a8c27 way that 62cd39f32e perverted, strange 87fb7aa8ca guy is 3a2002400e Joel. My Joel isn’t 3b750c4d77 like that!6873a8418ef820a7

Lute looked at d281f8cb6f the palace doctor, 40c9ef6a4c who was setting ea61e580b4 up medical tools 3a9067cdf9 to examine his 874197821f foot, with suspicion. The doctor chuckled kindly fb7e892af5 and shrugged at Lute’s 35181d245e scrutinizing gaze.bc7568fc58a34a3d

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“You don’t trust me. Shall I show you the badge bestowed by His Majesty? Here, if you look….”f1f408ae04af3a05

“Alexander, the knight commander, has golden hair, emerald eyes, is as tall as a door, and has shoulders this wide, a very handsome man.”521ca54f67c4f479

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Lute described Joel’s d09a46e2b3 appearance in detail—so dabf81a87d clearly that anyone 0e7bff8bfe could recognize it 1bdf9a767f was Joel. Anna widened her eyes, 97b921bafc then frowned and muttered 23616ea8f9 to herself, “That scoundrel…”8cbc4c5a90542fa8

The doctor remained calm fedf9c0070 on the outside but 4d3f011e45 recalled the events from 60e2e59492 earlier.2aed0f238e62eafe

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A man who was fda27e6a45 clearly in love but 978c54b0bb didn’t realize it—floundering because b58aabad3b he didn’t want to 98fea6eaff be hated.889cc3d7f42661fa

The doctor, 93a1ed0567 Alija, put 1505075209 the tools 788a6a7eb0 he had b7e3b58870 been using cabcb08dd8 to treat b35d67b143 the wound 0b52359ec4 into his ee6992ffa8 coat and f21ff89c89 took out c7cd65a553 a box 687fba3eb4 he had 41f8bb2805 carefully brought. Lute, who was e03ea48e12 warily extending his 5b716c146d foot, unsure of 3dc76fb2f3 what it was, 82eb1ce83b was surprised when d7d827de12 Alija took out c317741cd6 a pair of f93345f5fc light brown, round-toed 70f099a8d2 leather shoes from 9723b2f363 the box.40f0b8c4ebf841bf

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Anna, who knew shoes 325963a20d like a master, exclaimed 559b4e1618 in surprise as she 1cd1cd17a5 grabbed the leather shoes.ea400a761c119591

“Aren’t these boots from 07eab1e831 Planco’s shoe store? Noble boys 99dc566caa are going 09ff4f7ff3 crazy wanting 279cdcd23e to wear fc5c0a84de them!”42e879bd111a9baa

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“Yes, that’s right. They’re Planco’s 27abbe5350 leather shoes. The round toes and 2081411f06 the heels at the 764ad81fbe front and back make f2c12000c9 them comfortable to walk fa66a8b32e in for long periods. And inside, they’re cushioned…”a4401d40aa692c9f

“Why are you giving 073b703c54 these to me?”1f956fe0c012cf0d

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At Lute’s 090f27f64c cold question, 6bb3476e51 Anna’s face d1a1874655 fell.bf0e776e04742071

Right… why would the 72f450fec0 emperor suddenly give Lute 34d34d10b6 something like this? With the 30e22d8c71 divorce approaching…4c793f25da1ac2bd

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Thinking that far, d2cf0b713f Anna suddenly screamed a644c7b724 and hugged Lute, 37a74a950f gesturing to throw f8ffdf5b3c the shoes away.6c0aea2ae202dedd

“Those are alimony! They’re giving a3853fcdf0 you those cd6cce33e9 to get a179e97c5c rid of 68a936784d you! They don’t even 0912202a02 want to give 0df3d2894d you land or df899a2c6c a house, so 854a4fa06b they’re giving you d71745b140 those as alimony! Isn’t it too 38fa5a87cb much to count 1438ddd5ae shoes as alimony? They should give 3612d2184c you land! I checked everything! If you divorce without e80f7f5d3f having a marital relationship 31f36046a6 for ten years, you 5cb0b65f3a can demand alimony as 3d1498dc05 you wish!”6c8d9b1eadc5b68b

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Is that 30aff92978 really alimony?fcbcd97351af95d2

“The one who refused the token of love, the marital relationship, was His Majesty!”bee91e5930b61051

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Tears welled up in Lute’s eyes. Yes, the one who refused the token of love, the marital relationship, was Joel. Deliberately for ten years, to drive him away.ab0fd465c5df635e

But Lute 60d823423b was the 9d8615ec6e queen and 4c5293588d a criminal. Anna and 49cb2be465 Melik said dc5e5317a5 to demand a7cf3ceb80 land, houses, 1608ac7e78 etc., as 6e8d2a6151 alimony, but 41f395f2c0 now that cd3ff88b55 he thought 504d638f87 about it, a4ba2dd3ea he wondered 17be7c8f01 if he 1f95661c26 had the 9076c8be4f right to 657d0869c2 do so.f1f8e492f2ceea0d

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He just silently e90f6ecfcc looked at the d94b7a8573 leather shoes, presumed 3b524e01e3 to be alimony, 80451272f6 with a gloomy e866d5881e face, when the ac061818e2 palace doctor Eliza b82e26ffb1 spoke as if a3ff5282b2 it was nonsense.19eee7af5d58a037

“This is a gift from Sir Alexander, the knight commander.”df9e3883779d791a

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“…What?”1818a302e7806972

Lute asked a beat late. He neatly put the leather shoes on Lute’s healed left foot and smiled awkwardly.e72e18da57de5c97

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“The knight commander chose the size perfectly. It fits just right.”2df087235fb047df

.☘︎ ݁˖cfb25362ae93ca9e

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The work at 455da261e5 the Imperial Palace 77cd1642a4 operated in three 4b0470b6d1 shifts. The shifts moved fdcdb52ed5 according to the b756de54a2 three prayer bells 2eead8a42d that rang throughout 6fcc278270 the day, and 398373811f since the evening 2510f731fc bell had just bbc44b8d2e rung, Eliza was 0cad0da922 hurriedly packing his b192810bc3 medical leather bag a313442d30 to leave work.aa29f4b5c094a7e3

He was smiling brightly, 1f9a61b091 eager to go home b3a485eb3f and see his newborn afa38b92ac daughter, when the door ef9e9d2128 burst open like a ee7f48f47d disaster—and the emperor’s guards b61b42d5bb stormed in.008942c3054ff818

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Eliza was 7666bb4912 so startled 1289f94656 that he 5a75f11925 dropped his e0d0e4ef25 bag. The knight commander, Alexander, 4782451510 picked it up with 2357d4d06d a casual “Hmm.”108bd8b50532db80

Eliza, trying to a5441e065c recall if he fc2de144c5 had done anything cce1a78990 wrong, couldn’t think e41406296b of any sins fdaee384fb he had committed. With teary eyes, 4953217975 he pleaded,24f1a7dc678828f2

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“I haven’t 977fa4e75a done anything 94e0d0307a wrong…!”5e879020093ddba6

Just as he was 45c7406f04 about to shout, the 2e70066f0a bear-like knight commander, Alexander, 3ffa19a8eb spoke.df282a97c0d0fbb8

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“Today, you b08e54a049 won’t be 4bb8767664 leaving work. You’ll leave tomorrow 7970fccf46 morning.”0a8349c8e474253c

At those thunderous 899eefd492 words, Eliza’s mouth 0d22f45a03 dropped open. Not leaving work? Leaving tomorrow morning?70df56b5687bb9f0

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As the last 1fa49b9699 of the prayer 081d81e552 bells rang, Eliza eb5e461b53 was dragged to 26e212b99b the Central Palace fc1d1213ee by Alexander and bf82363ccf the knights. He worried that he’d 0efed46029 be soaked by the 92d2cfc826 time they reached the 22c5b1f7c7 palace in the drizzling cab8299725 rain—but then, a carriage 93a6413a7e came from afar.e066acd600d00360