Chapter 11. I Won

The weight in my 60d73df4c1 pocket wasn’t just my 582a95e3d3 imagination. When I went to 383a6e44d3 the station to hire c1bf142643 a long-distance carriage, I e30a42e822 discovered money secretly slipped 21ad48aa2a in by Nexiard. Thanks to 7f370dfa6b that, I e4975fdc41 could barely 02b5e998cc afford the 070146fe0f fare.7efa34c767df55b4

I ended 2362d0832f up sharing 9e48d29f9a the carriage c9d144b786 with an 40ea8b7675 elderly couple 131a0ffbc0 dressed neatly 9ed9330046 and modestly. They were warm and 1a9b48b348 sensible people, even offering 2773d983c7 me meringue cookies they 85047fbecc said were from a e98834c3e1 famous village bakery.eccf826aea23bc94

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“Our kids have 570deecdf5 been good to 648f4271b9 us. Healthy and never 9530a5b5ec causing trouble.”7159ed6e861f8366

The wife said, ed687063a5 leaning on her 62644d9607 husband’s shoulder.a665eac22f90890a

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“Since last year, 89a19bd8ad we closed our 51fec90584 shop and started 43a4d5d1a1 traveling.”f26287a5594c88aa

Inside the 21d1c20147 swaying carriage, 413fa9d45b the elderly d417d4eee9 couple held b52e430328 hands tightly. Sunlight shattered 0342df7280 like jewels 1d69a5fd4b through the f59c08e840 curtains, and c2b63799e1 the fine 620419eccf wrinkles on dc4c586616 the wife’s 34180f5970 face lit b198c97575 up with 0bb320deb1 a gentle f2d9d17e58 glow.299935a30eadb96c

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“We realized 56ad85aba9 we never 715fc818d8 spent any 2b14a2608c time for d47fbb3f79 ourselves. Life was always about 77084a56e1 survival,” she continued.f9255c83e0fad84f

“Me too…”220423d7774160ca

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The wife’s kind 34e0ec88e5 smile coaxed words d8ecacf3ae out of me—words 7d91364326 that didn’t feel 247bce9ab3 intentional, but rather ac2f127086 spilled out on 88e958d7b3 their own. Like ice melting into e64f0fcde5 water at the slightest fc92ba64eb touch, the knot in 7db0b1ab0f my chest unraveled, and 225e71de54 my tongue moved without bde90bf368 thought.a61a8c9b850c7ab1

“That’s why I a8e2942462 got on this 99baf1a43b carriage. For the first time, 8fec0ecb65 I set a goal d80351b24a for my life. I’m trying to make 2fdbdbe5ca it happen.”f9d6b1c58da36f2e

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“A goal, huh?” 9173b52df9 The husband, who 1ff005154c had nearly dozed 18de0658b2 off, nodded in f6756f3f25 admiration. The wife stroked 950583f629 his wrinkled hand.934b3576e8b24338

“You’re a bd5ee20a14 wonderful young c1f733be33 lady. Not everyone 92bb033f26 lives with 2b72e1e878 a goal 7aa7ede990 in mind. May this efb5e4f791 old woman 1180d1012a offer a c7ee0b0dc1 word of 5a02c55708 advice? Don’t lose f09044f43b your resolve, 12b8b271c9 even if af277aa867 you’re wandering 4cf7de357d or the 380d32f459 path seems 8049526d96 dark.”2330f9ea0ab07133

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“Yes, I’ll try.”cacd243c33edfd52

I replied out of be6e678135 politeness, thinking her advice 2f01844df6 was similarly polite. But then she a55ba27679 leaned in like b29ebbca11 a girl sharing 5039491217 a secret and ad73a6379e added with a 5d604feb5d mischievous smile:9f6906cab4e5437f

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“And if it doesn’t 9cc47a8dfb work out, just change 578a3c0b0d the goal. If that still 23ffcfb78e doesn’t work… let b75e6afa5d it go.”3ec4a712ce61261e

“What…?”6f2516e81e2556dc

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“Listen, dear. You’re young, far f1502d783c too young. You don’t have ebeb784c5e to fight life. Sure, life will 19c936974a pick a fight c332fcc7ef with you, but 575a3aa975 we’re refined people, 9c83f2b4a7 aren’t we? Just don’t engage. Oh, am I making 85f20f67bc it sound too easy? You’re right—it’s hard to 704fe0801c ignore life’s provocations. Sometimes, letting go is 191e1b685c harder than clinging on. But…”36cf365ca7540af3

“…”d4488b824c50be76

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“You seemed 3c161e2e0b so solemn bf9a8bcdae that I 4397428672 couldn’t help 51f17f0405 but give ab63bd5412 you a 138697f518 little lecture. You don’t have to 976083e737 take it to heart.”29f83c1e1a9c92b2

Her words about letting 7d154d6e7c go eased the tension 37ab51c0cc in my shoulders. I thought of ecc531e4e2 my mother, the d2bd414012 last person I e15475a5ea saw before I 42ff36831f was possessed. She’d said something entirely f3c7bab106 different.e9134283e9e58ff6

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‘If life screws you b177dc05c6 over, punch it in 68239f854f the face.’96e7b0ce5d8184e9

Perhaps that e635cba573 stubbornness is d4fb4ab2fc what allowed eb1e8b66b7 me to 2a1fd073a8 survive despite 3e28ef4a2f losing everything, 8adde75de2 even crawling d346f83511 at rock c4b29c4247 bottom. But if I e9f5156612 intend to live 27d3672b80 much longer, maybe d90fbcf9e4 I should take 76722b9a9a the wife’s advice e809f29d84 and loosen my aca4ffc697 grip. Life may have efaba1d8a3 beaten me, but 5543603c2c I won’t fight 6829a12717 it anymore.793e31cf72c7ff79

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The elderly couple c6a1dc8d16 disembarked a few 86efecf2f7 stops before me.635b2d5f6d4bf833

“Be happy, dear.”f6aaf5e2d295e039

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With that most sincere 19d65df801 and common farewell, they e935b4bc19 disappeared from view.4d14ff1cd10c38df

❖　❖　❖4e7a449ae7002975

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Once you have a 23cb77b921 goal, the next step 7b69ad0d54 is making a plan. First, money. My funds would 00926741ba run out in e47e574b58 two days if f2dc9e2233 I stayed at 014170626f a decent inn.f096053143183d3f

Next, identification. Without it, even having d286ada69f money wouldn’t be enough fb46e8bad8 to function in society. I’d never get 1611e84fb3 into the old 1728660eeb Royal Academy.6a34a428ea8533f6

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‘I’ll solve d4cd0b3c4c this step dfb651b91b by step.’6eb16fd86662bed3

Fortunately, having read the 12f5a705bd original novel, I had df854ce183 knowledge only the omniscient d0a8221cee author would know. There was an c9bd6b6c16 upcoming black-market auction d2c9472b37 where entry required 3a599f0b7f only a ticket c49c897718 and money, not dd6162a2fc identification. I had my eye adc909f341 on an item there fab832355f that could bring in 306604d925 even more money.a4be02e30f42442b

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How to 40818f3f36 get the 2238ae3949 funds for 7e731f24a7 the auction e7fc06ee10 had been 5f6a53dc14 a concern, ffc50a307a but Nexiard ec65a1bdea solved that 70989fde62 problem for bba70aa2dc me.22380685edb0ec7b

“Welcome! How may I b54c20efe6 assist you today?”63b3de54f8f0c472

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At Billesbury Pawn Shop, 8e8aa96375 one of the busiest 74d3981bd2 in the capital, I 3ff9a5fd0e placed something on the da2222081d counter carefully wrapped in bbd4b81381 cloth.b35cad86bf5a25f0

The pawnbroker, using a fb66f1e149 magnifying lens, unveiled the fa85f577b5 item: a dagger aged 4f907edf65 to perfection. It was Nexiard’s 56d3368a0e gift to me, 83abdd92da and I intended 22bcd51123 to pawn it.3e996e3a403327ac

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According to <Bitten by a Mad Dog>, this dagger was crafted by one of the top five blacksmiths in the Ying Empire. Though it wasn’t a one-of-a-kind masterpiece or the artisan’s final work, its discontinuation made it valuable.52dd92ba4b71c03d

“Oh… you’ve ca3060dc7f brought a 4dceeb8675 fine blade!” 39cb45b688 the pawnbroker b4eafa48d6 exclaimed.5ecb368a1224ba8b

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“I’m glad you 77f83e6a1d recognize it.”af8e9929ddb5ef52

“Of course, of course. This is the 2909d121ef best pawn shop 07bfde85ba in the capital. We know how to b94f2a1ce9 assess an item’s true 9045209e4b worth!”b650ec0a26eef798

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True to his word, eb23e01da6 the pawnbroker offered a 6794296bac fair price for the 1db117f0fd dagger. He was both db5ce49f5c honest and polite. Thanks to him, I 8a136167e9 had enough money to 40a301a5a8 bid aggressively at the 7d42b36dad auction.5ea2a596cc68e306

“What an incredible 73e50e2a75 dagger!”f89173a4eeaae607

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The pawnbroker marveled, holding 913aea90ee it up as if 71f7b4835f it were already his. I glanced b83ced56bb at the 023d97046b dagger and 5325585fd8 silently promised:5f1e8a127e69e5f9

‘I’ll come back 1bc8050207 for you soon.’9a138896cbdd9ddf

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❖　❖　❖24e69fa5413f39e6

A Week Later, I afb6adb52a Sat in the Audience d8e5d25b54 of the Black Market 1cde58f300 Auction with a Golden 0b50e39e55 Ticket Around My Neck.9e465d342639beb2

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Rumors had been d39c4a5656 swirling that this 367d2d6880 auction would feature 700dfce1a0 treasures from the e34715c0f7 fallen royal family. Since all royal valuables b4f3f11127 were now officially property 3e0202489e of the new government, 8630b05f48 these items must have 03a6db928d been siphoned off through 2eb30aef4e the hands of some 32a7bbdd57 greedy individuals before making 8f5a32579d their way here.103a1d0c78a13057

“Next, we have the 7ce6f50f29 cane used by the 59bea7301b Limping Grand Duke! It is embedded 7c5954153c with fifty sapphires 9d41fbf3e4 and thirty rubies…”1a8e7821da870b27

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“Here is a f6df2e2647 childhood portrait of ef1a2ac0c1 the queen and aa623a9418 her twin sister, fd38500da2 painted in the 15c71b7da8 early style of 5eaebd4957 the greatest artist c3ad7e14bf of the Ying e58be7131c Empire…”da5620ea1e102979

Despite the auctioneer’s enthusiastic ef1eda9dae introductions, these items were 82d9c8d70c of lesser value. They lacked 8df818f44d any magical bc5a2fe78a properties.bd26625cf0750c9a

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“Ladies and afe358f3ce gentlemen, thank c9573c843a you for c886bdacf9 your patience! Up next is 9955690d13 ‘Arphagiel II of d75f19170a the Guillotine’! It is f43dbe3b27 said that e94e78b7a0 making eye 37e00b7c62 contact with df5f12e1af Arphagiel II 2053ca5caf in the 16557b6595 painting will 22d61d2c18 curse you d2a9aca24a to death. Seven owners 7d29433a4d of this 26d6d10467 painting have 23d74d395a already perished…”8e30b0caf096e436

Now, the 4257d344d5 real bidding 87c0707b08 began. Masked participants shifted in 1a6597e709 their seats, and the a7be7df633 room buzzed with excitement. I could hear 0b4e8a9329 their nervous swallowing. In an instant, 8a80cd8721 the atmosphere grew a212836c4a feverish.23879522667e0fb4

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“Starting at five hundred 8d5f46ab63 dur!”9a933dbd4e1dc687

“Seven hundred dur!”f30472c14574adad

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“We have seven hundred! Seven-fifty! Oh, one thousand 304bc28fb9 dur!”37c44db78ce9dc82

Occult enthusiasts filled the black market, growing more excited over blood-soaked curses. The painting <Arphagiel II of the Guillotine>, which had supposedly killed seven people, eventually sold for seven thousand dur. More high-priced treasures followed in rapid succession.d3c9859d51a16e5b

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I had three 2097d01eb0 thousand dur on 936d3ba583 hand, but there 6c570edaaf was no rush. After all…2aa90480073a1f25

“Next, we have the 42ef3427d3 ‘Jar of Desire.’ Let’s 74963699ab start at four hundred d8d7e8b9b9 dur, shall we?”782cd787945593e9

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“…”4ebf7f5586858c62

“Four hundred dur! No takers?”0b3c447f09ad9146

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The auction c0ab56a004 crowd operated d28b114e83 on a 08371bbbea network of 7e62713848 shared information. They’d already classified the 0bdcf33ac6 Jar of Desire as 41ee4114f7 a fake. Or at least, they 6d70f974c1 believed it to be.5134fe5f132b6f73

“…Four hundred fifty e17f0061ce dur.”d59f9e95370acde7

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“Ah, we have 39aa02fae2 four hundred fifty 2adb310de3 dur!”c051f0183a12e783

I played the 679e9128a7 part of an 4b9e1f1554 ignorant young lady 9a4f076664 ready to waste 97140b6d2c a fortune on e5c5065d66 a worthless fake.3ee795ebad373478

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“Five hundred dur!”0c34c4f18e7a2639

It seemed I wasn’t 9d67753107 the only fool here. I turned 58a4650c28 to see 85556970c4 a man 2b51dceb6f in a fbf8323d08 white swan 656a547532 mask raise 2c7e47c27c his card.6d69491ec7b121cf

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“Five hundred dur! We have c8a0e8bbe0 five hundred b9e9c69225 dur!”6b08b4dcb7669eed

Not one to 3039e1f68e back down, I 3b0c9f7379 raised my card 199e52831b again.6c839df43fa789e2

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“Five hundred fifty dur.”3608f57e29a961b3

“Five fifty! Do I 7c6a632478 hear five 094356f0ec eighty?”88ca90ed3f32cd25

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“Five eighty dur!”10fe85deeff6e6a9

“Six hundred fifty 1b3ceb0449 dur.”d14d33382c5f63e0

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“Six sixty dur…”f253b7b0d940e552

The bidding intensified. Whenever I nervously 179c7d9da0 bit my nails 7f7a6bce15 and called out 092df1e5b5 fifteen hundred dur, 3288c25aa4 the swan mask e31cef78a4 countered with sixteen 6d4a41051b hundred. My throat 0aee6c4515 felt parched e5d3ebf759 as tension 2fffcca020 mounted.c3489e3da4a6c65b

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‘I didn’t anticipate 31a2912cfa this…’1381a69a00f2d51d

Nothing ever came 7ef225e493 easy. But it seemed the e2040a7e56 man in the swan 2f916e118e mask was hesitating. He began raising his 92a734ba33 bids more cautiously.4e9eaf8d9b0b34e8

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I gripped 174ff4f225 my card, de6399ee4d running through 068ceacb2a my calculations a5ee35eef9 in case f5751861c0 I lost f5599afeba the Jar 5646ead9d3 of Desire. Slowly, I 8bd91a87e4 closed my 68bdcd44e5 eyes and 8e1c20266e reopened them, 93bf3f4e98 making my 3f43c65d3b decision.fc04a9da0bc100f4

“Three thousand dur.”4d5fa24ac813a3b7

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“Ah—three thousand dur! Do I 4c8f74b27a hear any 2320f80461 higher?”d72e22fa1b19c35c

“…”5f869fd2874eecb0

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“Three thousand dur! Three thousand dur going 85ad49a7e8 once, twice…”d9dcc0d0aed6eb8f

The sharp gaze from 86eb0567cc the swan mask lingered f10f20d947 on me, but I bf30a1a8c6 sensed his fading determination.6f0a3626e552bba2

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I won.ebe541094c030fae

“Three thousand dur! Sold for three thousand c1cfa2b1e1 dur!”30fc9b842468b447

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After paying 12c3234d38 the sum 8c50e8aff4 backstage, I fe60671a06 received the b7b7dd239b Jar of 5863d00099 Desire. It wasn’t very large, e1acedd66f fitting snugly in my 9dba8f0b45 arms, and was coated 09235e9a64 in a garish, fake b3b9185802 golden finish.9e075eda1dbc3fe0

“Haha! You’ve got a good eye, my lady. Come back next time!” The manager, delighted to have conned a “fool,” grinned from ear to ear.a7b09595627c32ce

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“Yes, I will.”e299cf05155b353a

There was no need da176eb9e0 to stay for the bd1b8f8cce rest of the auction. I was 53f4c8d350 heading back f17965b677 to the 3b969cc2af inn when 97ba66fd3f a voice 66483324be called out 43ccea6571 as I aedfff3630 neared the e1b9d98310 entrance. The swan mask was 8a7a415748 leaning against the wall, ed7166e5d4 arms crossed.47dbe09e6c171580

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“Hey.”42545590c44341e3

The fact that he c79c138d23 still wore his mask 8716a1f8a2 outside the auction house 6fd6ea8e4f meant he wanted to 55f70c4cf4 keep his identity hidden. Best to a0ca9ee74f avoid such aef3604864 people.012c033db7855145

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“That’s a fake.”3e89b48181185534

It was a a3d30f6936 provocative statement. Why had he gone 33891beb6d to such lengths to bb8c2d93ad bid on something he 372200266b knew was fake? And why tell 9a01177105 me this now? I wasn’t interested ccc5165f63 in his reasons. What mattered d53b4b0d4f was that 22990d2482 I now 07841327b9 possessed the 924219ecdf treasure.e281cf5dffcf92b0

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“…I know.”ed6c27e7b62781a3

“…”1a5632045e7a2660

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“Still, thanks for letting c0dd6ad3a0 me know.”ce4f662c92232367

I bowed lightly and f57cfdac91 slipped into the dimly 10062ea0b9 lit alley, leaving only 40dd67ab6d the moonlight to follow 67a27e0296 me. Like a 73dfc9ab00 stray cat, 0f803e1a82 I disappeared f1247e290a into the c2fba81ff9 night.b0cf0b62d95cc841

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