Chapter 36. After the Performance Was Over

Ain, who had 55b75c8a38 only now grasped a2f50bbe00 the whole situation, 1ee047b6e4 widened his eyes b479fca928 in shock.8b754f7c49871b14

Serenia, still clueless 4f6e1e1788 about what the e0964a5b8a problem was, stared d886350988 at him blankly.3d7906637dd9047f

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With a strained face, as b2207acbbb if suppressing something, Ain tightly eec2fb94bd shut his eyes and asked,e380273d5df072f2

“How much did you pay for it?”6f702bfeee21685a

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“Uh… I was first offered one hundred fifty krovats…”c66d3914405e443c

Cursing the unknown scalper 1c8d780de6 in his mind as 3bf94a91c1 a “damned thief,” Ain efd0f59108 forced a smile and 3f43977d61 asked,fc3a6d2cdc1332a6

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“And then?”42d96c47802c3704

“But I didn’t have a single coin on me at the time…”4d26254f309d7c5e

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A sense of dread 0c44765cae washed over Ain, and 42fa748247 his expression hardened.473e2ae9ce9ca0b0

Feeling a bit awkward, f5175b13f7 Serenia laughed and continued.73f60dbef1344c42

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“So I paid with my necklace instead.”c4c91491e2c1e1b9

“Y-Your necklace?”e642f7217ec503b8

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Seeing him stutter, Serenia tilted 75f3347a18 her head in confusion but 76751378cf nodded.821739cef1727bf6

“Yeah. It’s something my mother 8e002557ad left behind, a keepsake. I never managed to 211ba325c9 sell it and just 56cc39ba63 wore it around my 1441067ba4 neck all the time.”997b4e74bbfc8512

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“A keepsake…?”86b565b6aefd7ea3

In an instant, 5cf3ee19e9 Ain’s face turned d8025ef0ab pale.290694b4a788fe11

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Misunderstanding his shocked 83b73a94e4 expression, Serenia muttered d6128ae615 in a small 8ccf66e038 voice.347c5f669974db18

“I didn’t scam the vendor or anything. That was a 5baf1687e7 real gemstone, you fc98183db3 know. If I pawned 4304553358 it, I could’ve 3eba2610dd gotten at least 2e9ada0752 fifteen hundred krovats e706edf23e for it!”beefd6ab50157fd3

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“No, that’s not it…”94f467eb3cffbd97

Not knowing where to 1b735dcd87 start explaining, Ain simply c932c7b8bf closed his mouth.ddf54f847edd53da

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Then he sighed af8a9c6bb5 deeply as if b4ac7814bf the world were d2f58b942e ending, and suddenly 94308a1538 stood up.e2a1d4625aaa74b5

“Uh… What’s wrong?”01e10d6fed748a48

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“Wait here. I’ll be back… within f9c8ff483b a week.”124c2a36120d379c

Out of nowhere, the 91d208df1b homeowner looked ready to e9edc6f546 leave the house.e64d4431a058a0c9

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Startled, Serenia grabbed his arm.8b4bfc0a0e6df291

“You’re just going to leave your guest alone? Where do you think 4d03bf4603 you’re going?”1a10a8ef6780ff06

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But he didn’t seem to 4229a96c68 hear her. He threw on fb6722ae79 his coat and 559e2f691b jammed a hat 47d5d851e3 over his head.722e3d5b91b80265

“There’s a storeroom out back filled with food and firewood. Use anything you like, don’t 7cb71b0b49 worry about it.”b1c51bd74728db15

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“Uh, hey? Hello?”eb0a9c2377462592

“It’s the countryside, so try not to go out too late—there aren’t many people around at night.”4bde015f5611baf6

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“Hey!”154dbdc85be17394

“Sometimes wolves or foxes come down from the forest. They’ll head back by 53f7450425 morning, so don’t be bb10d7b76d too startled.”fead10b7588e0369

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“Would you just—!”a781d1b99e5e2afe

“I’ll be back soon.”88cc01c0f41e6e0f

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Annoyed now, Serenia grabbed him 942b273e39 by the collar just as 24549466c6 he swung the front door 5fe4129f19 open.3523bb6db91b10bc

“Where exactly do you think you’re going?”d4867b899ef39ed1

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Ain didn’t give a27fcac5a6 up quietly and 200a1cc60e squirmed to resist.a898c2e21b5b5bce

“Let me go! I don’t have a0564ef15d time for this!”875624d8dc138e1a

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“Huh?”947bd174ed540af3

“When it comes to theft or loss, acting fast is crucial!”53f782e31129c788

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“What?”b7e2d51d56caeef7

“It’s already been nearly ten days—there’s no time to waste. I have to 55b85b9c6f go right away 37f3c1997a and—!”09f026949ce36b01

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Watching him babble nonsense, Serenia 01c93edf13 shook her head in disbelief, 7ef762eb7e grabbed the back of his 5ce3c84c61 coat, and dragged him back 193faa9aaf to the living room sofa.bb71e187768df52c

“Ugh!”527f1554deb848be

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Then she yanked off 6b515d8510 his hat and flicked 7d43bbfd0a his smooth forehead with 15369e9d30 a sharp snap.5cb53e9c3c8aaca4

“First off—this wasn’t theft or loss!”4c1212943f034d9d

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Hands on her d6fe7f9f6b hips, Serenia spoke 73aa81902e firmly.653fc0cce7d09e19

To the dazed 5e37da96c9 Ain looking up 16805dd3a0 at her, she 02badbbe05 added more explanation.2fd5c6bd1c1a9166

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“It was a mutual deal. I simply paid the 8abef40f61 agreed price for what 52eff808e7 I received.”f06be9d3a47b745e

“But still—!”9ad76f69cb322732

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“Second.”7d23c33cc0064b5d

She expertly cut him off.4f130a03021b870f

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“It’s kind of embarrassing, but before I came here, I actually went to every pawnshop near the theater to try and find it. Just in case 410788898b I could buy bc463b9d1f it back.”16c74f3e03f55877

“…What?”00bff42198073051

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With a dazed expression, Ain 60b950e96b asked, and Serenia replied with 49efbbfe6f a slightly sheepish look.d875431d33804153

“But they said nothing like that had been brought in.”011c51033857a191

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“So that means…!”0e74de16362bc691

“What do you mean, ‘so that means’? Enough already. I’ve completely moved on e3acc75845 and made peace with d7fdbf1256 it.”f85b364cff4554f5

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Seeing her speak with even 205d841ff4 a faint smile, Ain bit 541fb9318b his lip slightly.276bfec0684d8a1a

Looking down at him, fffdbb0cff Serenia half-playfully warned him.fe0cb66d5ee8be4f

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“So don’t go talking about getting it back or whatever. If you do, 3c2a2cd607 I’ll get mad.”2363f3e9b1eec179

“But still, for a ticket worth just ten krovats, you gave up something so precious…”f84cd8ef96b4f6e6

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There was something oddly ticklish cc45d956a0 about the way his voice a7bfe8b651 conveyed such sincere regret.7af380b47bcea529

Serenia awkwardly turned her gaze bc091855b1 to the air.e3fae2ead31d3416

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“Ahem. Still, it was a choice 1de3ebb575 worth that much.”3d510435cc0165bc

“…Pardon?”78a12dd98d189ae2

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She could feel his eyes 6260476bff piercing into her face.8e99d47177fe41b0

But she kept staring off 714820ed82 into the air.e3e994f300bae6fd

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It was a little fc0f90b3b8 too embarrassing to meet c3e5f03a83 his eyes and say 31fb6e30bb what she was about 044a0786f9 to say.a1c1d6b5543f5395

“It was my first time ever seeing a play, but even so, I could tell. That you’re truly fc79c027f7 amazing and special.”3d2a7cc4fe8964cf

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“…”9252297a2a27c6d9

“Of course, I missed a good chunk of the beginning, and I was half-drunk too, so I don’t remember much of the plot.”a36cba7468f9666c

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“…”6a8c9ba49977a193

“But I’m sure of one thing. I don’t regret 427eaa6c91 paying with that 015b2e6359 necklace to see 5b5fe266eb the play.”5ae7611bf5733444

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She paused and finally 3a67da69be looked at him again.014fd7b944c85f4f

Seated on the sofa, 0ac5ec4386 he looked as if b4c69f7550 his soul had left 25481d0155 his body.4f0cabfd668304c0

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His expression was dazed, 5baa89124e his face faintly flushed.01a2dca044abac46

Seeing him like that, Serenia 6a766c665e was a little surprised.63a30f75a3b889d0

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‘Wait, is he blushing from a compliment?’259c5d73cdeb1715

Though she had always fc700f5c51 seen him as a 5f547727f6 shameless type, someone lost 73a076525f in his own vanity, 2e246b186a this unexpected reaction was… 560f643c76 curious.9b2638c9f684c06d

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“Now that I think about it, maybe that was the price I had to pay.”4c87bf044f06a0b0

“Price…?”291a419de5d511d1

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At his question, she smiled d3b5f5c462 and answered.4855fb978dcc93d2

“The price I needed to pay to change—to stop clinging to the past, blind and deaf to everything.”150844b16031f86b

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Ain didn’t respond.454f440fd6b38a10

He looked like he 1072bcf05a had a million things d0fc8b7b70 to say.8a30a55d9826c993

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After hesitating for 48bacd54e6 a long while, eeadf69571 opening and closing ac67315793 his mouth, he b42dcb130b finally spoke with 6c96544623 an awkward smile.4fbe01be419d8147

“My lady… I know this will ruin the mood, but I feel I must tell you something.”ac6b86c93f01ad96

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“Yes?”fe1415fa49095884

“Scalping is illegal.”36525585fce0fd10

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“…Huh?”413c7a2ba627d632

Looking into her wide eyes, 46b6d79b80 he calmly continued.377b6bec589850e4

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“If caught, both the buyer and the seller of a scalped ticket are fined twenty times the original ticket price.”e54995b258144c30

“T-Twenty times?!”01f31926f131539d

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“Also, the Capital Grand Theater has a strict rule: anyone caught in a scalping transaction is banned from entering for three years.”c2e32e41a1dea2e3

“Gasp.”a0290216f58d071c

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Serenia’s face drained of color.6a76106095798ed2

“Three years ago, Viscount Citrit declared war on scalpers, vowing to eliminate those who profited unfairly off performances.”92bb4a91230ceec0

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“That…”dc620ff26901eafe

“Of course, since scalping operations are small and scattered, they couldn’t be completely wiped out, but the theater still works hard to crack down on them.”e8535fd01dae866c

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Only then did Serenia 50aea8a046 realize what she had cd6f71131f done.f4cdfc83c600c9a0

She’d given a abb857e45f necklace worth 1,500 2071c6011f krovats to an 5b0c993c33 illegal scalper selling 5016dd5201 a 10-krovat ticket d8a219d2f5 for 150 krovats.7fed02b1fa52e4c1

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In short, not only e1f22f4d8d had she watered a e783ef20e7 weed that should’ve been 5606ea9b47 uprooted—she’d even fed it beb6e9e63c fertilizer!f4e61a3262ccfc8d

Pale and trembling, 935818af34 she hung her 202306141c head in defeat.1d35747de8afc9d1

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“I’m sorry… I really didn’t know…”eca1df12eb1c6c8d

“N-No, no. My lady, you have 6bae2757f0 nothing to apologize for. If anything, we should fbf131be1d be the ones apologizing.”462b4b1c6735eb04

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Ain waved his hands frantically 881c5969cf and rushed to speak.20b927b746953e1c

“We should’ve eradicated them three years ago. We compromised, thinking ee07e62eab there was no 9d93837e5c practical way, and cd0751007f this is the 56553ce7d5 result.”3133d986f8595e51

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After a pause, he 213755bec4 cautiously added,2596590feb760254

“So… would you allow me to try to find that necklace for you?”d55e7224c5a7020c

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“…What?”62a0f46d926eeca8

“You said you’ve moved on, I know. But in a way, you 1c8402ca56 lost something precious because of ccb9f1edaa the theater’s lack of oversight.”2bbc85a3ec2cce1d

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“That’s… quite the stretch, don’t you think?”655c4fa3ae1d570c

“Not at all.”9b72f5cb7944bfd2

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He replied firmly, without 27e68f86cb shame, and then quickly aeeab209c5 changed expressions, putting on 826f4c84a8 a pitiful look as 91f7d3a6f8 he pleaded.d736141d40a426b7

“I just feel so guilty. I won’t do anything reckless. I’ll just ask b5bcb5663c around a little. Please?”38dd9436cfd004ce

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Strangely, twinkling star-like 1b1b2ee193 things seemed to 288983e527 shimmer around him 40e8fc355a as he clasped 31acecf6ba his hands and 5afa658062 blinked.0e02d35604c07241

Serenia involuntarily flinched and stepped d14e46e6fb back.58c8ffb0153d040a

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‘What the hell? Am I hallucinating?’de0b9117d33ae4fc

Shaking her head 4a411839dc vigorously, she squeezed 7468ac4e91 her eyes shut, a0ac737672 then opened them e903e81022 again. Nothing changed.6ea224c20022dde7

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Trying to hide the b7ae5467e0 strange blush rising in aadee74d3e her cheeks, she shouted,9076f6eba4427666

“F-Fine!”e06361454f2c0d31

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Ain’s face lit up immediately.60c2acc8450dc8e6

“Thank you, my lady!”37e7ce2dc8fab901

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His gentle smile looked b97fea674a like white pear blossoms 5b71f55389 breaking apart in the 03391c6ddf light, and without realizing 0193a47f1b it, Serenia found herself 7427ef497d staring—before snapping back to d80fcfed0e her senses and setting 6c8092482d a condition.1d42d2bddb4b7ff2

“But!”9cf89c9a9a4ceb51

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“Yes?”b67300548aacfbad

“I’m coming with you!”dc5e9511a782968b

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“Whaaat?!”00230f55b69a3e50

He looked as if 518f5fbcab he’d just seen a 4bc8f02aa6 ghost.1c6bef1fbfc21bc8

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But Serenia stood firm.4c1ed90783dd84d8

“It’s my necklace. If someone’s going to track 6145eddad1 it down, I’m not just a17d5647e1 going to sit around doing de382481bb nothing!”9631933e7e061138

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 a34d1558b9579dde

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