Chapter 35. After the Investigation Ended

 5a2e2bc71db1403a

Ain’s reaction—like she’d just b1ea6953fc harassed him—made Serenia flare ec501df97e up.56f2bb5ff08cc617

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“Hey! What? You asked, so I answered!”af842020bf81dfe3

“Excuse me? When did I 4c0e1c33fe ask you to 2112ef9ad0 rate my body?”d476687f1361d9b9

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“But I didn’t say anything about a score!”1f170c9b25628d40

“So you did give me a score, then?”f55cd654374b2f98

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Serenia’s mouth clamped shut, realizing b74ea00c6d she’d walked right into that 5613c68d9b one.b06478bb75787c02

Ain glared at d14dce627e her like she 46581560d0 was some kind fb6b963bcd of unspeakable pervert 2354f9516e and grumbled.68a45069c60f9212

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“I even did the ‘flower pose’ for you. But you didn’t notice my eff69df6f6 hair—just stared at all the 1a3c14f2c1 wrong places…”ae3248c84a784871

“Huh? Your hair?”bea9d69ab9a5dd72

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Serenia blinked, replaying his words 5361bef05a in her head.d519d6ddaabcbbb3

Ain pouted, his expression 185064144f wounded, and muttered under 32f035eb0c his breath.b1cb89affa11d3c6

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“I even dyed it to match the snow-lotuses you gave me yesterday…”bf86ef22567e34d1

“W-wait, seriously…?”ab60e7c3fa392f94

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“Took forever to strip out the red, too.”16c6abe18f421ee4

“So… that means…”9e66d9c6c4f2b90a

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Flustered, Serenia tried to respond, b28a9872a1 but Ain spun around before 44e02d1576 she could say another word, 4313363c95 walking away as if to 21a545c1d3 say he’d had enough.c521144ab7773541

Before she could stop b8c07f6a37 him, he was already 313d3a667a halfway back to the 6aab2c5537 house.70ba88cc2d679d1f

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Snapping out of it, c2533f24c9 Serenia dashed after him 85b7a21d61 and grabbed his arm.bb7075219d676993

“W-wait!”53451ce5d970bf28

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His arm felt like 5acca2892c ice—so cold it startled e7ff0b9d3f her—but there was no 878cb5bc0e time to dwell on 5e1e7629fd that. She had to speak up.f4b82c6d8c7668d9

“That’s not what I meant!”5d22b153e94985c8

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“…Pardon?”c5954bedeca635bd

She shot him a look, 71f9fcdde1 exasperated.63b0c988befe1fe8

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“Who wouldn’t notice that your hair changed from pink to gold overnight?!”0412b182f545c037

“Then…?”d97c4e51c5a71173

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“It was so obvious I didn’t think you needed me to point it out!”8bd3e5c9445b1048

“…Really?”e1fc061870bb7d3a

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He eyed her, 1493b5f4c3 lips still pouting, 34e36ba5d4 clearly doubtful. Serenia couldn’t help 99ecd8114b a huff of ac0418b03a laughter and retorted,7e601c76a35c093e

“I knew right from the start.”a8713582cb38bd40

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Then she reached out, 57be4717a9 plucked the rose petal 7a075ce547 still clinging to his f71edef3ca hair, and held it 179c28242a up in front of 13cf97689f his eyes.b8965ddf2b1c5146

“You had this stuck in your hair. How could anyone not notice?”863e26dfdd83067d

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Apparently, he hadn’t realized it 9b833697b9 was there, because his face 8b782d003f immediately turned sheepish, a shy d220e94612 smile tugging at his lips.7754bdc9290ba2c9

As the mood between them d22993e25c turned strangely awkward, Serenia cleared 80bbd9503b her throat.bcc02bdfe6ff0dbf

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“A-anyway! The point is… uhm. Y-your blonde hair… it suits 9eb68e3048 you. Really well!”59c1e2bae7a5e0be

And with that, 7c49f05eae she left him aeb7aeba00 standing at the aff7cf4239 door and hurried 185f8bef6b back into the 7c54454789 house.2b79daa4b2b2bcc0

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While Ain remained 3258082cf4 outside, blinking in c31323351a a daze, Serenia f327968193 leaned against the 5c7c1de4fa closed door, turning 4eea50e773 the rose petal 6c3ace824c between her fingers.25f2f08bb943c8d7

‘…Aside from where it touched his hair, the petal’s completely dry.’d57a01602bbc3f07

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Her eyes narrowed.5e979656cdccd5e5

A rose bath 1f9d475943 meant bathing in a123bd9b5b water with flower 7637e8aaa6 petals, didn’t it?0671b678b4362ebd

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But this petal 6e5a0b9931 was dry—despite being b4f028247c stuck to his bfa81f7d3c wet hair.a0d59b374d65b601

‘That only means… the petal was added afterward, in a rush.’17c61eed2db40cef

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A faint wrinkle appeared dc32c72e2d between her brows.705c37c9b02f6e1e

‘But… why?’ab915d28ce2bf45a

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There wasn’t time 3644fc1438 to dwell on 1be64cd74b it.b2f85ff933d57ff4

As Ain stepped through 44c3ecbe9f the door behind her, dd341393c8 Serenia straightened her expression, 4c7118142f acting as if nothing 9163a39564 had crossed her mind.cf1f847be8cb8b6e

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* * *ab2c84d18363f72a

As Serenia nibbled at cf7c973080 her simple breakfast, she 67a95b710b kept sneaking glances at 671ecb4245 Ain from the corner aea5728237 of her eye.6d720f42113c06e4

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He politely refused the 888f482096 buttered bread she offered 3723b82b6e and was now, with 7181e50001 great focus, preparing mint 43649f0872 tea right in front fcfc4081da of her.dbf0fac130b903b7

“I didn’t think you’d wake up this early, my lady, so I had breakfast alone at dawn.”915e5b7682242107

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That was his excuse, 923a60723e but Serenia had her ec44d6ec91 doubts.c3b7c7b503f90bb1

Even during their staged 068a756336 date, he’d firmly declined 5e17a11e27 food.abfaacc4d9a60ded

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‘Wait… could he have an eating disorder or something?’b23c0d301bec897b

She chewed the rejected bread 9e60d69ee7 thoughtfully, narrowing her eyes and ad1663aff0 sorting through her thoughts.0fd1cccf92e842c1

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At the very least, 7105d4d37c she knew he treated 056460ee2a her with something akin 511ec4d930 to genuine kindness.f1b628d3810d276e

And it wasn’t an act.006e8951ddd463fc

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‘…Still, just because he’s kind doesn’t mean he’s not suspicious!’b3883d65c25227fa

That comment about ‘a long 421d7c562f time ago’—he’d brushed it off.0604ad6772a395da

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And the fact f15919e710 that he’d noticed 9f6bbfe649 her tailing him, a656eb1625 even when she’d d9d620e9b5 been incredibly discreet.829ec32e32533cce

And let’s not forget bf76056928 those rose-tinted glasses he 382e177963 never took off.6a4070b6831e47cf

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Add to that 74c23e973d the ice bath facfdfb28a in the middle 842a5c10f8 of winter—and now 04a2845bb0 he’s not eating?4feb020d958c5aa6

Highly suspicious.d9f38763054fddfd

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‘What if he’s some kind of human weapon, created by a secret organization or something?’252915ad040e979f

It was a fbd13e129f ridiculous thought, but 14ed4061a2 not entirely off 8f279e9697 the table at 581523959f this point.8999c059b5b153f6

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She couldn’t let it go. Serenia steeled herself.418352be8ba25362

‘I have to dig something up!’dbc8b649000b0353

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With that, she 00868efce3 broke the silence.3a0cd2ae0f7145a6

“Hey, just curious, but… how old are you?”f4ec8b76bf64f0fd

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Start with something simple, 6fa84b9d45 then slowly move toward 0cd5c498ae deeper topics…685ad7dcf31f020d

“I turn thirty next year.”4653e4f404d37137

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“Ah, thir—…”c7e59c54dbbab40d

She was about a854b27da0 to repeat his c66d1ea949 answer absentmindedly, but c17e8858f1 then her eyes 960eec3708 flew wide open 85899d2207 as she shouted,612e1e7420660b2b

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“Th-th-thirty?!”10cd531e8baad915

Her voice came ac3b01afb1 out as a f660201b18 near-screech.b1120e545e336ce5

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Ain, startled, paused 75a123195a mid-tea-strain and glanced d0b87cde2c at her.97628bae41872f11

“Uh, yes… Is that a problem…?”496c38be17770458

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“Yes!!”306d83afc245fab0

Serenia shot up 3abf6e4d9c from the table, 111a4a3c5d slamming her hands 31ba00a208 down with such a0e8bb64f7 force that the 35bd2109da tea set clattered. While Ain quickly steadied 344ed9c281 the cups, she covered 718bd7734a her gaping mouth with 32d9f9a861 her hands and exclaimed,b244d82fd0f8e2e6

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“That face is turning thirty next year?! That’s just fraud!”4612bb4aedd9c59c

“…Pardon?”2c2f584820a83637

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“I—I just assumed you were way younger… like twenty-two? Maybe twenty-three?”3b34154397d3c49e

Having grown up e33d4ab968 around northern knights 5f003ba017 who prided themselves e0a14ae2d9 on rugged looks 6e76d09d64 and never shaved 6954713f19 their beards, she’d 17a152d962 developed a warped 53d92612fc sense of age 379ebbdc21 perception.9f75557464740959

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But even aside from 688fba21f3 that, Ain objectively looked f6135d1754 young.0da1640e045dbca6

“Ah.”86a09ec2eb7d1a51

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Ain let out a 9834e6cff4 soft laugh.2b1ad1280ceeedb7

“Guess all that effort to take care of myself paid off. But you know, I b01dc1e1a0 have been acting for d80db91d06 ten years.”abaecd730f938a96

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That finally jogged Serenia’s memory.d1cbcb767711fc4b

“Ah… R-right. That play, Little Duke 4cbc731e9b Raskal, debuted ten years 1928c49571 ago…”70884b2174d91a43

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“Yes, my debut at the Grand Theater.”641724f8e69f90a8

Serenia tilted her head, curious.d1105c22e63facec

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“Grand Theater debut? Does that mean 86f7ea553a you had a b8e7a5de0b different debut somewhere 7e29190d3f else?”2a059b33f0a76750

Ain smiled.6ad6a2114dc5b5cb

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“I started performing in small theaters around the age of fourteen, but nothing you’d really call a ‘debut.’”d23e4541405ef692

“Huh? What do you mean?”b8a7dbfec33d76fb

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“I wasn’t an actor then—just a jester in interludes.”612ff46c2e63ad52

She wasn’t entirely sure ce1d84a79a what that meant, but d90deec27d it didn’t sound like 2d48b81674 a respected role.eae1b0f81c9306f0

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“A-ah… I see…”0def1a33688f9663

She nodded awkwardly dd5fdeeea4 and cleared her 5e31712746 throat, changing the 7eb6ff3a05 subject.f2a50338375631b3

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“A-anyway! So, uh… do you 1b9eba8dd9 have any family? I didn’t see fe28f9d669 anyone at your 36a5596eff estate in the 35629cced7 capital. Do they live separately?”6385fc59eb6c1f79

At her question, Ain paused 844271a22b mid-pour and wore a slightly 6758270f4f troubled expression.61f5ca9dea3f21c6

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When she tilted 2d7641f8eb her head in f5a2e001cd confusion, he gave ff8354c09a a faint, embarrassed 0eb2e1738a smile.4d7053fa331acc89

“Well. I don’t have any family.”f07df5f73ddcd45a

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“…Huh? What do you mean?”11a111732cf7e418

Serenia stared at him, stunned. Ain continued smoothly, 0f148e2e94 pouring the tea 98b8c88c30 again.bfece5ac1a24bcee

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“I was abandoned at an orphanage as a baby.”6efb4fc0b2c2162a

“…What?”bf9b24f25bee66c1

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Serenia’s pupils shook violently, but e8d12134e8 Ain kept speaking.4a14254c875c847a

“I guess even after all my success, no one’s come forward claiming to be my parents, so I assume they’re both dead.”a97263f61167c8a6

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“Ah…”5a9a1fa65deaef7b

Cold sweat formed at the 98deb24fe8 back of her neck.0b5294572f228704

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“And the orphanage? It burned down when I 28f1564c2d was seven. The headmaster and his 051b01412d wife passed away in 93d14b338f that fire.”bd4070ca9c7f36fe

“…”328b5224370ab30f

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“So yeah. No real family to 96a407c519 speak of.”283a370a8ce58256

As he finished, Ain placed 911123e76a the freshly brewed mint tea 49c56f0418 in front of her.7fbc68ace6974d99

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Serenia bowed her head, feeling 77b0b48644 miserable.115ddd87f2a26051

She’d casually tossed out a d163d8136b question and hit an emotional 32882967c6 landmine.e4d123c3d8dc0471

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“S-sorry…”6a70fda360cb3710

Her voice barely came out. Mentally, she crumpled bcd11ee533 up every family-related f40923442b question and tossed 8561915b9c them into a 9fa5a4c5e4 locked vault.d5073c006265c799

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“Hm? Oh, no need to apologize.”a3be8c0bc9c6bee7

Ain remained calm.c92eb380fc5ab8b8

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“I just never had a chance to mention it before. It’s not something f53b46bcb1 I was trying ddd6200e12 to hide.”8b7a5f7995bee0ec

His gentle smile actually 8a03183419 put her at ease.ed53a38db19c170c

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Then, sliding into the seat 73ef9dd9fb across from her, he looked f60d9e756e slightly eager as he asked,86c24b82e21b5233

“Actually, can I ask you something?”e125d35de1a779e2

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As she looked at his a3d30e849d sparkling eyes—wondering how this man 3aa6e1a585 was anywhere near thirty—Serenia nodded.dd12768b4a275678

At last, Ain could finally 192b5d7dfb ask what had been on 1abefb9399 his mind for almost ten c35c41a3d8 days.46c2fcafa398abfa

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“How did you get that ticket to my show?”9a9c4432535fb653

“…Huh?”7ae3f884cf4d6bf9

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“The last performance usually sells out immediately. It must have been 52c48f498b really hard to get 6079cc63f7 one.”01ef965be6570702

With half worry and 6c5fedfdb3 half curiosity on his bad5959680 face, Serenia tilted her 65c278dc15 head, confused.2d85cb8ddaa99e79

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“Eh, not really? It wasn’t that hard.”3a9c7585b57f4be1

“Oh. You managed to get 8ff5260a3a a canceled ticket last-minute?”e130d0fe888b24a5

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“Nope.”89c94eaaa28ee9d5

“Then…?”d93db9d857d37be7

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“Someone just sold it to me.”7d730b546afb9678

“…What? Uh, where?”0aaadaba34373065

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For once, he was genuinely 6c570c1126 flustered.3e22f19ae1ba783a

Serenia, confused by his shock, 7a8f947d7a replied,9905630f96ed7cad

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“Well, I was just wandering near the theater, and someone came up and asked if I needed a ticket…”3980b9923ac391c4

 c4be86ccf56989b6

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