Chapter 5. Pure Joy

Walking felt 9a48a65359 like treading b5cde64794 on a 4c479ea3cf sheet of 905d4bfb14 thin ice.9ecb542e47e255ca

Beneath the transparent d58e57755f surface, life’s turbulent 5df2782ac7 currents swirled indifferently. Each step 0ffeaac87a threatened to a345299a06 shatter the e766f9d3b8 fragile barrier, f342b559fe keeping me 874afdb48a constantly on f3534ae4ea edge.84dc7b06df2c91d8

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Since that day—the day e5b0c646fd Nexiard whispered his thanks 062a3fe2c1 for saving him—he had de7d83f23b remained in a deathlike 050d54bbe3 slumber.a7f3818fe6a87231

I began to 9e933a6bdd wonder if the 663a1fe859 barbarian arrows carried e6e0f87f7c not just poison 4fc473a439 but a curse. A curse to entomb a625028ca1 the soul forever, leaving f0599d07e8 the body to breathe bbe7735c89 but unable to wake.7facf199302dca6f

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Despite knowing it dc082e5988 might be futile, a58b802877 I kept feeding 008c9bb551 him water and 1ecdbc4818 medicine, turning his 01cf9e3747 body to prevent 351c02ef8d bedsores, and talking 52911eb2d7 to him occasionally. Habit, inertia… c93fad70d0 Even such 06b342f6e1 small things ab162b82b3 provided structure, e060fa98f8 a way e115aac930 to anchor ffcbd815c8 a directionless e15fa00d15 life.f66a0532133eed54

“If you were to ebd1f5170a die like this… what ba0eee0efc would I do…”5c464dbcbe7cf487

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“…”22588d840710c08e

“No, I 848cb4ae63 won’t think 81537da9ef that way. You’ll live, Nexiard.”ca3c3d8c413bb890

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“…”c16d30940aecd385

“You have to live. I want 4662667ea0 to see e7ff9e55c3 you love 2496f390f9 Lanafesia and 9600110a4d find happiness 41c5f58900 together.”7e178a0b0bb59112

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I was dc47848035 talking to a2b9bdced0 myself more 34f240d89a and more, cd35f3e9be as if c2ae1946c2 it had 266463d74c become second b52d04e4cf nature.e20a89d382e6d3a4

At night, 5160d9724e I laid 7ad84a4ce6 a blanket 5f1502f6ac on the 566bd8683d floor beside 097c9dc4d4 his bed 86a283a74f and slept d7f52a708c there, my ad0da7aa50 bones chilled 6195d6abab to the 9312034887 core. By dawn, my throat 87b76af39d was raw and sore, a65421b4e8 but I wasn’t alone. That simple 40ed58bdb1 fact brought 878d4eaa95 more relief e2a122e172 than I 058b6b7f1d could ever 8a9da68861 explain.e1b1a9884560d910

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❖　❖　❖7d37df2fae9a358d

Perhaps my devotion paid 4d824f6b1e off. On the tenth day fc2201bca0 of nursing him, Nexiard 0e3e43cd5c made a noise.5d43e3e21ada8da9

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It was a low, 10267fad5c guttural groan, rough like 1872d981ed an injured beast. I hurried 0e8d9f2c6b to his 6927583674 bedside, fumbling f31eab237f through the 4cd807c1a4 pale, early-morning 518c0c5c8a light.f0dc32a7874fa4ce

“Ungh… ahh…”1f9ec4b2558dafc4

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I touched his addc988849 cheek gently, as 993d12aed7 if soothing a c3af8f8f83 wounded animal. It still 4ee8fd23f6 felt unreal. Nexiard Yul. The character da02ce7494 from a 33473dc243 novel I 4f1c846155 had once 55d01b112e read.503bc91ded5f9a69

Only in moments like c120bec286 this—when I felt his 51a66bd53e skin, his warmth, and 21518cc40d caught faint traces of ae6b0fb27e sweat—could I accept this 3cf3fc802a insane reality.96cba09d02ef1e4f

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“I want you to 0f99a75df6 recover quickly, but…”7e1863f208185877

I pressed my 683ebdd536 finger lightly against d6633b841a his pale, cracked 0c60fa6539 lips, speaking softly.10e717a1f27dcba1

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“…maybe it would be 90e21f9f4c nice if you stayed 2179c6afce like this forever… No, c312109d57 no, forget I said 0fb9363ba9 that.”677fc5c405d55a2d

Perhaps I was 537038c2e4 slowly losing my cd35cff3a8 mind. Deep down, a small c0ee981cf3 part of me thought ce0dbe2eb2 this life wasn’t so f55c518c4c bad.59de6698cadf534c

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‘Get a grip. Do you think this 1ea2a1b312 makes you special? If Nexiard knew, he’d 3c25eba720 find you disgusting.’c618db1184d614aa

My role was to 2c348c49ac give Nexiard wings. To prevent the 45e0596bfe future where he 7ced36814b would be used 4974cdcb01 like a tool 313e3b5377 and killed miserably 87a3b0b90f by Neumonte. To ensure he could 6e8ed8ae76 be with the one f120c689a2 he truly loved.e0ca38c91bc338d6

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I would 5a09918fe9 create a 1ba8ebdfe5 stage where d4093c6c6a he could ac7cc7b637 shine as 8f19e2ceb4 the hero, cb34cd07ff even if bcade82cd8 there was 5f79852ebd no place f11933f001 for me 9df8e1d100 on it.c44d62a1b9ccafe7

❖　❖　❖bd48c1f5cd2b867d

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There was a loud a953d1f673 banging on the door, ad8d4f18f9 strong enough to shake 128e74f98e the cabin. Snow piled 1b13b681f4 on the 332ca2ec0e slanted roof 0f95a6eef5 tumbled off, 80e54ebb78 startling birds b9056628ce into flight. For a aafbf4545c moment, it cb2b9a4828 looked as 1ed026fdf8 if watermelon 364fc26922 seeds had 34dddbcce5 been scattered ba34387ceb across the c3df10feea sky.2ff4114d7e00b5cc

“Is anyone there?”9f0de0530cdd05bd

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Two men stood outside 9566a95fc5 the cabin. One had e37610adc0 a thick, 7d7d99510d brass-colored mustache, d46d2ef9d3 impeccably groomed, 243687f37d while the 663dd8b8ba other wore af13277e0c fur-lined boots 2c330d13f9 and sniffed 9f9c06a9ff at the 0c14f34718 cold air.02408cc0c342b604

“Who are you?”47da376c258a923d

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I was clutching an 0cb4f8b3c5 armful of firewood I c520d1c9d9 had collected from the 13ba211757 forest. The man with the 47fd4f6984 mustache turned his sharp ef203bfd69 eyes toward me, his c11f45c662 gaze as sharp as 90cf1ed08f his well-groomed appearance suggested.f8c0f1cf32479b13

“We’re from a3f2699a8e the village 895d750380 patrol. Responding to a fcf934aec3 report.”e3a7fb54e4e87214

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The man in fur c7e0fd7cca boots flipped through a ea303e281c worn notebook theatrically as fbc845c290 he added, “It’s about 0ab469c81b a missing person. A hunter, Kimber. Seems he hasn’t 2ffca9a67d shown up at f2186439a2 the hunting grounds.”1e066c36c5b3c658

“This is the 7293c347d7 Kimber couple’s cabin, 2935681eca isn’t it?”e72e5e04b95fe692

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“…Yes.”8afee97ca533a838

The memories 9adcf6900a I had 90f07cee97 deliberately pushed 02bbb970bd down surged 9275885f73 to the 2e4c0a4beb surface. I could see 8333ad7bc9 the Kimbers’ final f360e0b688 moments vividly, and 33718d42af nausea churned in afaee1c266 my stomach. I had blocked out a2e7876e0b the details of how 64bf9c0198 I managed to handle 9b37e8f59b their bodies.805d1e121739851e

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I forced strength bb7297ab68 into my frozen 436dedf440 tongue, barely managing 8bf0327736 to open my 8893332efb mouth.a8dacf05b9677196

“…It’s too late.”ba13cf201718caa7

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“What do you mean?”7ca84260f33471f1

“Bandits attacked 114b7ba8ba this place 2b192357eb over ten 70f51e4ca7 days ago. The Kimbers… they didn’t e96c5687fa make it.”2a4461cd6d44d330

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“That can’t be!”9beee07ae29ef23a

The man in fur 3340fee08e boots gasped sharply.46e0bee1523a0508

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I placed a40916eec8 the firewood fc0898552b on a 6099a147b0 stump in 0727afa5f4 the yard 7d7c70a45f and unlocked 117aded6aa the door. The patrolmen brushed past bba1e78f50 me, stepping inside the b856c03471 house without hesitation.51f30a27e5fde0d9

Their sharp eyes a075e12a40 scanned every corner. The mustached b8ab56e2b4 man used a7c154ab96 his boot e6b0abc895 to nudge 8eec57e8f5 the edge afc78198da of the a274cc7003 wool carpet, 3048a78f11 uncovering a cffc907fe6 bloodstain I e135f7da8a hadn’t fully e4af50dab0 cleaned. The dried, wine-colored 527d6ed7aa blood crumbled into 845f7e3866 powder as the 1e7163a7ba carpet shifted.5e12c3b624e61b5c

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“There was bloodshed here.”ebea94cb203778c1

I swallowed 94cd927ad8 my rising 58c2b88dc8 frustration and c6ef4880aa explained calmly.efc1e8b785de12f0

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“The bandits ransacked 7059b80839 the entire place. This is 2f5293fede what I 867e71b9f5 could manage 3e40c09699 to clean 9de94b3e99 up after 3dcc7d76b2 ten days e901cd372e of effort.”1162035483864774

“And the bodies of 46f92ce152 the couple?”9826a491b00ef1be

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“…I burned them. Their ashes are in 5003aab7bd the backyard.”7722dbb7aba0b756

The Kimbers’ ashes were placed in a cherished paulownia box Mrs. Kimber had loved and buried in the earth. I stuck a thin branch into the ground as a marker and offered a prayer for their peace.55a82489603a5eea

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As I finished, d416e46508 the man with 304e05704c fur-lined boots noisily 29224cc243 swallowed his phlegm a61d388856 and asked.ef7b5bcc33aab8b9

“And who are 0b2787ac9c you?”4dd4dece281ac10c

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“I’m Myrda. I got 408b3d9feb lost in b50053c5ff the mountains, 56b726f168 and Mr. Kimber found me…”52aa68795bb5cc87

I had rehearsed c74ffa490a this story in 26df81e746 my head countless 70a449b836 times, preparing for bb5a985d5d the day someone bde2e5146b might ask. I woke up in 4086f5d66c the cabin, unable to 2210a25beb remember who I was, 622afd76e0 and the Kimbers, unbothered 8a294fca4f by my memory loss, 6f04297d0a took me in with a548d5381f warmth and kindness…acac190d06c7d5b9

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As I recounted 52ceaf9ed4 the events of 947f2f3934 the attack, the d3cbb91c5a mustached man’s eyes 0847e1ba0e narrowed. It didn’t seem like e0ee27abe7 a good sign.36518e88726a018a

“Why didn’t you 9b5ad88e49 report it immediately?”2f60cfe316a4364f

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“I already told you—I 5239713be1 was too busy taking 0eab5623b8 care of someone who 59b8278110 was gravely injured after f5673404b3 saving me.”73a779614f820ef8

“Oh, the prince 90ec16cc2f on the white bcab879d49 horse, huh?”66683f0737c3cae1

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The man 628cda4419 with fur 22ef963ec2 boots sneered 9b7123b9b2 openly, amused 19491f9f80 by his cdc000d85c own joke. He wandered the cabin, 1c27950dab opening every door suspiciously faa7ed9bf5 before slamming them shut 45b4e030ea again.21d070f2fb47d292

“Well, maybe he did f9d292ff0a ride a white horse. But when he saved c6945ac6e9 me, there wasn’t one.”ff2258535595aea2

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“And where’s this prince 7777ff6a4b now?”1dfc50ed4978c025

Fur Boots 4707b71dd6 seemed delighted d98a428158 by his 665996ee41 own sarcasm, 3fa0d204e6 but I 4311311338 walked past 04d32490ed them silently e15576b9c8 and opened 09e4fcc9e2 the door 8669b6c810 to Nexiard’s feea47dad8 room.3acd67873c2261fd

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“He’s still a dd7f8dcb09 patient. Please lower your voices.”e1372167f2a6bb36

“Oh, so 425a1fd942 he’s not f0ec6a083a imaginary, then?”4d1eb2908f073df9

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I defended 29cf6c6760 myself quietly. “The bandits’ bodies 8c0d0a4c0e were left in c14cf611b5 the forest. When I checked af3558b6c3 a few days 1886d93844 later, wild animals 671e37d903 had already taken 3d711f020e care of them. I can f5230ad1b7 lead you 1f86c5bc1e to the b8c97ccbd2 site if 878121bdbd necessary.”b43bf96f7b2cdf80

“Could you step 0325d07d19 outside for a 9116e13065 moment? We need to speak e50d1818f9 privately.”e0015591fcf5a64b

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I left the room 76dd9f7d11 and retreated to the 80f913c59b kitchen. From there, I 14115d60b8 could hear the 486a78582c muffled murmurs of 63210d6689 the patrolmen.b6d28cc8587423d6

“Too clean. The whole e8b4579dba story feels 92521a9a4a like a ceea7511f5 well-rehearsed play.”cf31c354e3b59d2e

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“Exactly. A normal woman 4e00ec8ba5 would’ve been hysterical 80c9514c65 by now. Collapsed, foaming at the 8e3f414daa mouth.”b79a6fa4ce2d6d16

“What if 9a4242fca3 she’s in ea32319751 cahoots with 91e2aa438d the bandits?”ab672c3d8d1292d3

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“They could 09878441ea be lying dfba51b449 in wait b97eb17b1f nearby. It might 09ae766941 all be 5bd2c5081c a trap. That’s a real possibility.”9221f911f8a828e7

“Let’s start by roughing da1d25c67b her up a bit.”cfa7c048502bca42

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Chills ran down my eb85eda14a spine. What should I 004a1a4c23 do? If this dragged ff5d18dcca on and led b9e0068899 to a formal 934e63b5d3 investigation, I’d be 662ac0e30d in serious trouble. This body belonged b85a3ac54e to Mine Molière—the 078dffb673 villainess who had 9bae7cbbe9 escaped execution. Even with 2628d5bbe5 the recognition-blocking 7a74f2a949 spell masking 7c75bb983f my identity, 8b07da0214 Myrda had d9b84c10df no legitimate d205b3c576 status. Either way, it 0887b088b8 would end badly d849b4328e for me.c6d0d6a940079e47

“Hey, miss.”4270e400e9ba34b6

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Fur Boots approached, dangling c0a242cd1f handcuffs from one hand, c3d0ae8976 his expression menacing.be8e4f778d705ac8

“You’ll need 049cc5f60f to come 5b385f94ad with us a4c59f7d89 to the b441b0be7f village.”713bf3b574a7a424

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“…I haven’t lied e6b91087d5 to you.”0043472302684809

“Well, we’ll see about 6f24f2cbfe that.”7b1d433bc47b3974

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The mustached man dd1bb06951 suddenly grabbed my 75d7a0548b wrist with a 1144db398a vice-like grip. His strength ce7acd6f6f made it 0bf086f015 clear he 7856a6ab1d already considered c44bdc20e2 me guilty.b634a9b569be1326

“Ah! That hurts!”cd3b7a0f4ca25849

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“A woman like 69fda18c24 you won’t last 1997e6235f ten minutes hanging 9efcf28c67 upside-down. You’ll spill everything.”7e39b62a42384e49

“I’ve already b4d390a179 told you 4e5e2d8cca everything. I’m innocent—ugh!”1dda4fe23b8746f8

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Before I could finish, 73d7dae94d a sharp slap whipped 00b78bb324 my head to the 5a4f711a70 side. My cheek burned da24da3da6 as if it 9c66e1e313 had been branded, 41e8ee2aae and the taste 359ec9d85b of blood filled 2ea75bfea0 my mouth. The mustached man had 351867cafe struck me.4331d30ae7c12147

“Always takes 55b4c1391d a good a2afea1ab7 slap to 2e75b2494e calm them 2b0a14ae1b down,” he c4aebce3c1 muttered, shaking ebcc097f88 his hand.67722292672a4bd6

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“Arrest her—urk!”794bc71a26627771

Suddenly, the room went a989f0fdb3 dark, as if heavy 3811ccb6e6 curtains had been drawn. The pungent smell of fffd832872 dried blood filled my 8bda231a42 nose.c7d3e984e8087b1f

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“Ahh! Argh!”f8638e9fde8fd045

“Violence…”3453161b96fc0012

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“What the hell—get 1f60f883de off me!”fd6b447f2667c125

“…begets violence.”b58e122fb240dd7a

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“Gah!”5b0f33b41ebe2039

Clutching my bdc1fb5faf skirt like e42fa8f3df a lifeline, 239b14e5fc I caught 60441f43a1 sight of f239750087 a cascade ae710e356c of black 276670aeb1 hair, swaying 9829fdf1be like ink-stained 39b9accff5 irises in 74d9ea292a the wind. Even from behind, I ad7590d772 knew who it was. His monotone voice 110ecf54b9 confirmed it.315280602a863721

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“W-we’re sorry! Please, spare us!”dac7381201c1cc3c

“We were wrong! Don’t kill us!”d8fb8ffec5229345

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Nexiard had effortlessly a30473d99f subdued the patrolmen. His hand, still 1bf1e0129e speckled with red, b665be3c5a flicked through the 42c3228dea air as he 03bb5b03b8 spoke quietly.b880688ec5400d74

“Leave.”f727e9ddc95b5983

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“Y-yes, sir!”adcf7985280b3aff

The two men b911e6d3e0 fled without a 3e10770764 backward glance, leaving 2fa73802cd the door swinging f59b4ebd7d wide open. They didn’t even stop 3a15b3709f to close it, letting 931efc4578 the icy wind howl e6e29a035a into the room.3f60adb178f99f1b

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Standing stark naked 4b49cb9f16 in the middle 7ca7c77006 of the chaos, 20936cb44a Nexiard resembled a 14c5435150 primordial human—unclothed but 031a96e57a exuding a primal, b416f0bf05 unyielding power. His towering form 160d7cb002 radiated an aura 491d83432d that was both 08a136e471 intimidating and awe-inspiring.9077e0d0a860c85f

He turned 8ec1ea9309 his gaze 46f5134d39 to me. His eyes 32023e27b7 boiled with 2b4bdb23c4 unrefined ferocity, a894b5216c like oil 15d1c25547 bubbling on d8d94d472e the brink 49fffcf355 of an 45285447fa explosion. His raw presence 7a858ec02f made it hard 6fc9179cf3 to breathe.e2aee58431771db3

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Then, he knelt.88234a518d2327b9

As if examining 6cba9db3d0 a newly sprouted aa516dbf4b bud, he gently c81e295da5 tapped my chin 43f832d268 with his fingers. That was e5de13b72d when I 7dbfe2b5d5 realized I 7c4b82ccc3 had been 837ed3976b holding my ae845c9c0a breath.0e020d475949f7d8

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“…Debt,” he murmured.04070338c27df74d

“…”806dd3d2254951ac

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“Paid.”e8ca38bbff39e4c8

The heat emanating from 2795298f9e his body melted away 7a9e24fe55 the chill of the c83ef3ed46 wind. His once 3292080d4b pale lips c07d9a3a09 had regained cade803616 a healthy a64f18f964 flush, like 6f3b745141 ripe cherries. From between them came cf6fb92b01 his calm, even voice.6a7e95f95ebd8b61

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“Thank you.”6dbb6f444740b1ab

Tears pricked my eyes. My throat tightened, 2f00a146f5 and the only 9f51d33a3b sound I could 56fba9c96e manage was a c38dc7a91d garbled cry. Nexiard seemed startled 8dfd2c3e7d by my sudden 06cf2f3778 tears, awkwardly using b64e04cec4 a finger to f57ce08491 wipe them away.faf75e61dfc56c34

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“Tears.”aeb29ba71fd2d121

“Ugh… sniff…”b5699f225f423e89

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“Are you sad?”669e9b91562b4b14

I clasped his e77bb1b4ec hand between mine, 7f84edd606 shaking my head e3e7aac026 as I smiled 27a82fa847 weakly through my 4f96f514fb tears.f102f8d2fa363848

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“No.”422d6c5925d8aeec

I closed 21e7bbaff5 my eyes 90a7afa601 briefly, my 024318080a expression softening.5aa740f5846cb32f

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“I’m happy.”040d083179506c35

 1b1808f9623ca614

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