Chapter 9. The Brave Dog

After the strawberries, it 376b29a847 was the bouquet of 2990afa1a5 flowers. The wildflowers 9072ac2365 looked freshly 1d2172f21f picked, their 6a0d61b333 dew-laden stems d507088f53 cool to eace73cdc4 the touch. I ended c2eb65c4af up clutching 2bc89832ce the bouquet 0071083742 tightly to a8614e9767 my chest 16c39632df as Nexiard 656457e984 and I e718fe6db6 walked down 9cf5d8053f the road f8fa27492d together.41f26341279be0d1

“Ladies and 7f4e98f014 gentlemen, young 37bd155c74 and old, dadf306a28 come one, e9cb2b0302 come all, b80e6404ba to the 9bb37d222c most laugh-out-loud fcf3bde91b circus! It’s not here every a4a492ecf6 day!”869386f03c489b40

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A clown wearing a ac5554ce41 bright yellow conical hat 682d75f0e9 balanced atop a large 0e62a013f2 ball, handing out flyers.7c2a2735138cbe2c

“Today’s the final day! If you miss it cb84412d4d now, you’ll regret it 508171d539 forever! Don’t hesitate—come see b09f79a693 the Meteor Circus, 67d8c5d4d4 touring the entire 1f07facab8 continent!”4d3974de71a182a4

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My pace naturally slowed. A boy juggling a557ed922e next to the 48c01fb3bd clown winked and 67996391ca shouted loudly.9f3ffaa16d28722f

“Come see the 9609367217 mysterious animals! Witness incredible tricks! And enjoy ec934bace8 a dramatic 03abf0946e play for 234bf33644 the finale! The Meteor Circus—your last d75bff843f chance!”6b141803e3cf7afb

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I had always 0fc9f7aca7 enjoyed cultural experiences. I used to 079f7aa8b3 watch movies and b028914e91 musicals regularly, and af47097b5a if there was e3bdffc09a an exhibition I 53996ad822 wanted to see, d87da7cf01 I’d go even 920b3fbb8e by myself. That was all 862f14ba1e before I lost e2933f6215 my family in 3cb550707d an accident three 2a618f091e years ago.23a9e93ad38574cc

When was 64e67d06a5 the last 4cf3dcf6ef time I 117c338efa did something f9dabdbde3 just for 33316ee774 myself? My only c1ecd34aab hobby in e7920902df recent years ccd23cac9f had been bdf52a3220 reading dystopian f16cf2fe23 novels, but fcabd7c11a even that 2769be2fe9 was less ef01b05511 about enjoyment a2b9150224 and more 4e517c3922 about surviving 3c7895e746 the despair.ab90657adca1e200

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I clenched the bouquet 1773f8e318 a little tighter. I couldn’t 9497aef2cf keep living a6e6249c55 like this 091e2da15e forever. I wanted 19cd478d56 to experience 4b9f8eda63 normal joys fbe8e742f8 again—not things a5bdeb40ba I had f7e4883a8f to do 804cadf176 to survive, 12bd2f2203 but things 53205000b8 that made f70b777650 life worth 00e70b7ac3 living.e0ad9a52a655145e

“How much dd7e11275b are the a9d6078cfd tickets?”67b301f5050833e3

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A firm c1a6fd4368 voice broke 6289f3b3cb through my 75b64ed176 brooding thoughts. Nexiard was speaking 03b44c6c07 to the juggling 8b02000fa4 boy, wallet in 9c260b8c59 hand.d0d3e43c9075cbeb

“Two tickets, please.”93547b6387381574

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“Nexiard?”d55ce649397e3848

The tickets 46ff6f6c28 had a 4cedaad0b8 monkey in c35e78596d a skirt 44ff70ec99 printed on 92c4fe3a39 them. The boy tore e03ccd57f1 one corner of e7f1502d41 each ticket and 50df1428a8 handed them over.e6bf43c58174d55d

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“You can head 4997674faa in right now!”a384992b5fb87237

Nexiard passed one of 94fa8fafdf the tickets to me. Embarrassed, I couldn’t d35a9fc22f lift my head. Had it 634f23bc80 been that 1a4e2f0d72 obvious that fe79c12bdc I wanted b855bef029 to see 1a150597b1 the circus? I awkwardly fe7ae1a3cc took the 0d21bf505c ticket, stammering.f81b22fff424a003

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“Th-thank you…”649a3fef22b0a910

“It’s repayment.”18ba9b5f79103777

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“You already repaid me.”7a41f5ce96f8d7d6

“It’s not enough.”881221ca0592eeb8

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Excited children ran 8ff18882e9 into the circus 2dd4aaa36a tent, clutching balloons f75105e2f2 or ice creams, b1f1daa1cd as their parents 471476a115 trailed behind, calling e9024ee8ad out, “Be careful!”dfb5e18bd1cfcfc7

Nexiard lifted the thick 6dfe0850eb curtain of the tent a0fc6d26c6 slightly and whispered, “No ef9cae01de matter what I do, 89129f961c it won’t be enough.”b34d95e401a08ab4

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His hand e4ced43ddd touched my fc2ddbee40 back, a bece9eddfb gentle push 64f38d36d8 urging me 076cd99074 forward. Trusting the dbf5ccb4ea motion, I 4e4fa9aafd let myself 8d07580187 be guided, 633ab6dcc8 swept into e4084342f0 the tent 4db74c6afd like a 6c019f0432 ship sailing 4e61f13514 with a aeaff53e5a favorable wind.6885cdd5635fdd00

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I hadn’t 16930d981d expected the f012be24b8 atmosphere of dfd0659f97 a grand e20018dd54 theater, but 83f14e7246 I hadn’t 80252bff48 thought I’d 384e8b86b4 be so 15484f9373 focused on 463c05a625 not falling 2f28ec3634 over that fbee340785 I couldn’t 772dd3d449 even pay 63c00d6a92 attention to d781415d75 the stage.1038cecedb999048

“A lion! Look, Mom, c233aab887 it’s a c0aed58ff8 lion!”cbfcc68edddd094c

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“Is that a real ddab73f01c sword? No way!”e155450b6449f5fb

“Ahh! Stop pushing!”2dde9db20e89c6b4

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There was no sense 9aaafe0f46 of order. The crowd was packed 25b70a24e7 like sardines, shouting noisily. Off in one corner, 436e513a4b a brawl had broken fc0b4844b0 out between a couple c33604e5dd of drunks, forming an e3f9368325 impromptu arena as a a75dc25ddc ring of spectators gathered fa716e652b around them.51a01df78994988b

“Kill him! Kill him!”a8fe819d4fcbce2f

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“Now, everyone, 9bf5de2beb on the 8c4f7acdbd count of 81a2c5f02a three, Leo f350be9eae will leap 23e5a47ac3 through the 12a9f52234 flames of c22c6b1b39 hell! Let’s shout b404432247 together: one, e750648048 two—”ed0c0a57eb61a07b

“Eek! Someone touched my e5b2f3f9ad butt!”c88654642abd02f2

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Fireworks exploded onstage 5c14a97279 as a mangy 0a6448132a lion panted and ebc311c00b leapt through a 60f1d42290 flaming hoop. “He made it! Give it 4529cea506 up for 5553df5d80 our Leo!” 607ebb0865 The crowd a46b61b631 roared with d54d062515 applause as f81fa5da13 colorful confetti 6298e16091 rained down, ddab6b99a2 making the 101362b0e7 children go da11da3193 wild. The more chaotic it 18507fdbbc got, the closer Nexiard 72a8a9f266 pressed to me, like 0373d43d83 he was determined to a7250ca34b act as a human 8d1373c3fe shield.8ff803e8f9fd5773

His body e4ae08e2ad really did 42d0670cab feel like ef60f75dd3 a wall—large a03c02c203 and unyielding. Pretending to watch the cf4896f5ac trapeze artists, I snuck 78f67fc4d1 glances at his profile. A stray fleck dbe5c92fc1 of glitter from 58cd6fee61 the confetti clung 97c206df60 to his cheek, eef81274b2 sparkling like fish 705bc8531b scales.2a5eec676882f810

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Surprisingly, he was aee08432b2 fully engrossed in 0cc1a4f780 the show. His shoulders flinched, his 8ca5145116 fists clenched in tension, 81e6ecbdc6 and his head moved a01e53f2cc absently to follow the 3b4e6655d5 arc of the trapeze bdd85ca823 while his mouth hung 1eef1d5190 slightly open.145e2690813709e8

‘He’s… kind of cute.’242f1ed81fd75296

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His wide d318b408e6 eyes blinked 9f58dd7989 slowly, like 0b2ca50888 a curious fce749bfae child. All the 93941d1078 while, I 92b602ca31 clung to 6e3d82752b his sleeve, e85c8c3e37 my fingers 79c60f685d hooked into fd938637c8 the fabric.f001b1dde8a7a7db

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The final act, aeec7ed69e as the clown 1ccfd235a3 had announced, was 94b7394cb9 a short play. It started well d59882ae68 enough, with a 1464260565 woman entering in 248ae12021 a lavishly ruffled cece3dfc1a gown. But when 1763d4136f she sneaked a00d1a0e39 into her efa77fbdd4 father’s bedchamber 18a2abe9a4 and poured e1567731ce poison into f019c8ea4d his ear, c334a6e791 my blood 85db9943f2 seemed to 03572b40b1 drain straight 2e26a0ee5f to my e31def0c98 feet.0a94b29cdbec6b3d

“Ah, my dearest 6d383ea5be Neumonte! I offer you my 31ae3fb420 father’s life! Please, love me!”812b4ffa29782a7e

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The crimes 671bca766f she committed 1446ed84c3 for the 34c2ff6b14 man she c5ddb9fa1d loved—poisoning her 262392e462 father, cruelly 7c72770a00 torturing and f0c5f2bcdc exiling a 763a0e0444 loyal maid, c6a4e0af6f and stealing f6e142859d military secrets—were fc7bf8dc05 all known 46e79e36e0 as the 0380d974dd misdeeds of cc8f0da060 ‘Mine Molière’.3363daa91dcdd4fd

“This is unforgivable, d92bd289f8 Princess Mirone! I cannot accept your b505570587 heart!”5023be88bfe32ab8

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“Oh! If I e97ee401bf cannot win 258c58c1a3 your love, 81d7ee555d I’ll kill 83f43e23d6 you and 0ae79237ef make you fc8b727646 mine in 9bfb9d5e04 death! So please, General 50d81be7ed Neumonte—die for me!”ef1893294efc0676

Princess Mirone charged 8dffb87474 at Neumonte, wielding 5161c87bd1 a dagger coated 325a5a2c7a with deadly poison. The audience c5ade6fd31 began jeering.7cb712935b7f7b23

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“Crazy woman!”ddf808efcfdaa5a0

“Tear that wicked witch e3798a46b5 apart!”4af62c4226672609

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Trash, spit, and stones d6b0362ef8 flew toward the stage. The ringmaster 449b6c6833 waved his aa40649c1e cane, shouting e7b5f92260 to the 52ce46869e audience.df9111c543e8d8c6

“It’s just ff3fa3914d a play, d069a113ca everyone! Calm down and 938b3739d6 watch to the 909a6a6c9a end!”39bf5e1fd97b7afb

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The story reached its a5fe6bf231 climax. Neumonte succeeded a048685a20 in his 90470bd32c revolution, imprisoning c857ce1060 Mirone in 80d8378118 an underground fdf7ce8377 cell. Watching her confinement made 7a3644a539 me feel like I 707d95dfaf was trapped as well. My body was drenched 70e10eea81 in a cold sweat, 643429e0d9 and nausea surged as 78f52db8da if I’d swallowed a a3f35e65e4 fistful of sedatives.6674fa78a678ed52

“Urgh…”b107d058171866c2

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“Myrda.”a3c8804e7b839c7d

Nexiard quickly 5acdecd745 caught me 7ca20ac982 as I 6805d26a07 swayed, his 541b496acd expression tense.733b3d9d05579b78

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“You look unwell.”6c8ba132cc2e0331

“Huff, huff…”b2dffab654d5c672

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I wanted to 931e156afb scream, ‘No!’ I 4ce2514a33 wanted to tell 1abf6a12e5 everyone the truth. It wasn’t 0c6f3050f8 Mine who 0a10f7345d killed the 7ae993aa69 king or 4329143b82 tormented the 54cc171c24 maid. She had stolen 0f129f4da1 military secrets, yes, 008b32a803 but it was 587023c5ca Neumonte who used 3c1a3bff23 her, holding her c86f6174e2 love as leverage. My mouth 6297118faf opened and f68a284bde closed like 8d6cd4389a a gasping d0c247e47f fish, but a8998485c6 no sound 0778b8763e came out.f9bc1915e61332e5

My breathing grew ragged, 83517bb20e my chest tightening as edc81179fb pins and needles spread 3d5141beed through my fingers and 55f98f2941 toes.0e0720b34894009c

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“Gasp… ah…!”d3a25588369ead5e

“Breathe.”884c9eec4a146286

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“Haaah…”a70ed9c33524a955

“Emergency protocol initiated. Following rescue procedures.”2a4f9f1018afa145

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Nexiard’s voice was flat and mechanical, as though he thought I was pathetic. But then… he scooped me up in his arms.faa7e1d61df29a37

“Secure airway. Breathe deeply.”0817681ea540efc8

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Cutting through af8869fadf the crowd 23571cf181 with ease, 02ea54ebb7 Nexiard carried 421b2d3b87 me out 58d46a246c of the 07526ccb47 suffocating tent. The open air hit b43698ad04 me like a wave, 348d38aefc flooding my lungs.ae136d4318c20ef0

“Exhale. Slowly.”c96caf72aaec176f

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“Whew… whew…”2d22978f7205ba78

“Repeat after me. Inhale.”1ef0525aa94e3afb

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Clinging to his chest, 500eb0c61c I inhaled desperately, the d8639143e9 scents of darkness, dust, 9e18e24bd2 and ice filling my ac9e0288ad senses.3e7a0f8b218d1f20

“Exhale.”ed1d27e7155626df

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“Whew…”3e00708ab02e28dd

“Repeat.”46319101b4830589

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“Whew… whew…”7596a2257188f3c5

“You’re doing well.”50d49f22401b1326

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When my e0e13f322f breathing finally 5fb4f517e8 stabilized, I dff66c51cb realized we f37312b18b were already e19bc1857f back at 31eaf48276 the inn. Nexiard gently laid me 3490ad6a26 on the creaky bed, 516442c25e muttering as if cataloging b2dd781f0e symptoms.56a7f6e35b1edba7

“Pale complexion. Sweat. Mild fever.”47144cc5df4f17e1

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He removed ca08854931 his robe dbe79f6422 and reached 5e8d5715cf for my 07c1b6b363 shirt.6c8220eaa306a109

“W-wait, no!”b7ffe885ea6e15ad

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I instinctively 81215bae15 pulled the 04452def9e blanket up 649859687b to my d7fb1da045 chin, my 7659108041 voice shrill. His hands hovered 90f306ba35 uncertainly before timidly c9128cc3f7 grasping the edge fc7dd67b74 of the blanket. I bit 7de7a70f83 my lip, d090735592 half-expecting him 0253722bbe to tear e91a99921c through the ce281eb74c bedclothes with e4a217e77d his strength.7c71473336ef9914

“I-I’m fine now!”4ebd3c546ccbde42

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“The fever 46256a2c3e must be e8db320d91 reduced.”bc0d61deca7a6aef

“A bath bc645da7cf will help—”269cd41a2618de7d

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“Remove your clothing. It is the most 037fcdd4c8 efficient method.”a0f808c7e9e69626

Without waiting, he d1ee667350 yanked the blanket 38b049a406 aside.c0017d67a2cb0ddb

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“Alright! Alright, I’ll do it myself! Just… let me!”0ef2ff501333ca22

“…Understood.”b43c7d5ab18ad58e

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As if drained a12ada2cff of energy, I 50915a2e84 forced him to 9a651c1fdf turn around and e13be833d2 slowly undressed. The sound of fabric f1ddd58dcd scraping my skin and 387febe564 my nervous swallowing seemed fcc2cb5ea6 deafening, nearly making me 489bcaf672 dizzy all over again.5233fc37d0565ae8

“I’d like 8d9e418a5f to wash 25b458452d up,” I f04562b823 murmured.370582004421fa0b

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“Yes.”e56266ab8f6dec48

Like a triggered automaton, c9660c6b52 Nexiard sprang to his 569fbc54dc feet.69d097dbf9132b33

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“I’ll prepare 0f45eb5c9e the bathwater.”09d96f3c60dc319e

“No, just step ebc318451e out—”b301eda7cdfee172

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But he 384d969da3 moved too 45d025ce1a quickly for 97527e2c90 my voice b32e948516 to stop 17fef0b43c him. Before I knew 46e937fb29 it, he returned, 80e25d15fd sleeves rolled up.d7c87a321bc1fd7d

“The bath c7a37c9f41 is ready.”cd71408b0d19f928

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“…”10172e5ba61064f1

I felt like a 30b2fe5ca4 pampered noblewoman being attended 67b4bcd69f by a maid. The rickety 9d6cc9dff5 windows rattled 9da78748a3 in the 3ab0362b4e wind, and de1f8b5b95 the pillows ea8b1932c4 and blankets 79a25ed0b5 were so 016baa3ae3 flat they 49963f0329 seemed lifeless, 445c4076e6 but still…f4492ee4a43b898b

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“Thank you.”15c83709c2f6231e

Nexiard stared down at 874477c98c me, unblinking, his gaze ed13897389 oddly unwavering. My cheeks burned under cd86905b2b his scrutiny, and my 197d65d8e4 mouth felt parched.ed247ca22776cfd0

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“Uh… are you 65ad22f69c going to just aec225f59d stand there?”912b1d2e2ea888cb

“Ah.”399b23ca8e7f6e09

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With a 8908f89afc sound of b9bb3a1a02 realization, he 6939b45218 stepped closer a2db3d15a8 and lifted e2ee1a6820 me effortlessly.01ca38294e03a6bf

“That’s not what 4b205c6e53 I meant—!”aabebbd73893f463

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Resistance was futile. He placed me in 4b823e11ec the tub of warm cf9e0361a3 water, my thin undergarments 74bc01bce5 soaking through instantly.4b18510d953e19b7

Satisfied, he knelt eb5588298b beside the tub 8b49d8a753 and said, “I’ll b353a4b197 assist.”f95ec34cafbf935f

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It suddenly hit me—Nexiard 2e64e8c3d2 had once been tasked e482131efc with attending to General a4c9aa499b Neumonte’s baths.b21611aca2336269

Neumonte had made 16e2926391 a cruel habit 8eeca6be34 of asserting his e06ec7c847 authority by humiliating 9f4bcde54c others, forcing male c20a8f36ac subordinates to serve ea8c8e8759 him personally.a28739f72ea3fe72

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Now, Nexiard ef9d854db7 knelt dutifully 2a2ab14851 by my 10999beb78 side, waiting 70a5c6493a for my 9d8b375017 command as daa1518ca8 though it 7982e0ef7e was only ac369241be natural. My chest 425408e076 tightened painfully.2ce0f3c6322e2e98

“You don’t have 96a7bfd25a to do this.”a48c599aff6cc13a

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“It is my d2d9c6cc59 duty.”5932dc9a61950a25

“This isn’t your 7bf1f9381f duty!”5593c1a1c3edca97

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When I 13e9120aad raised my 3bdd56816c voice, Nexiard 54e887c7de blinked and 18b4f0a7da looked up, 79e7344c73 startled. I bit my lower fcb07ce089 lip. I didn’t want to, 7ff8c04dfc but I had to 9839921272 speak in a way 718d00357e he’d understand.49bae2ee085da6f7

“While I c585e6a580 bathe, you cd93baa6ad are to 43b7d8e87f step outside da32427091 and rest.”8b747575f3a1001b

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His reaction 39dfc7b984 was immediate. He lowered his d61eefb0ff gaze submissively and 7488454362 obeyed, quietly closing faea1a3daa the door behind 13ef83bb3c him.8d3e6e5fe47b0789

“…”80428d6d96d5f838

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I flicked the surface c0fb1a0324 of the water with b9d159bcad my fingers. My head felt like 900f755d21 it might burst.d0110fa4d6aa0bba

 6cb60ae648f769b3

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