NLS Ch6

Ashin glared 6430fff380 at him, 1250315171 her eyes a6a0ce4c92 wide and 979160495b unwavering.fecd8c9a7af31450

His momentum faltered at 9822582755 her hostile attitude.7d2f0f71966bf02a

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“Ten days, you said?”b29f6b16af5cc83e

She pouted and said curtly, “Yeah. I’ll be gone for ten days, just visiting Pihan.”ba645e141a3b7954

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“How are you going to go to Pihan and back in ten days?”73caf4eb8ba06414

“I know it’s impossible. But I’m going to try anyway.”41ac33a7b6c7b82f

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A short sigh escaped him. She didn’t look up to confirm, but somehow she felt he was looking down on her with disdain.c6793b3ecc896b06

“You’re going on a trip anyway, so why now of all times?”fba9658c3cfd824e

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“Do I… have to tell you the reason? Are you already meddling in my life?”a774abd23d2f35fc

“You’re going to be my wife. Isn’t that obvious?”f3dceca4bdd723c8

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“Ugh!”484a8c89f2357e59

The word “wife” coming from his mouth! Ashin shuddered, as if shaking off nonsense. If she didn’t have her bag, she would have jumped up from her spot.90df3d5bf49dfd73

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“Ugh, I got goosebumps. Look.”c88f9d27f5372611

She rolled up her sleeve and held out her arm, covered in goosebumps. But he didn’t even glance at her arm. His face remained as stiff as a stone statue, frustrating Ashin.00768c783f4afb76

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“I really don’t understand. Why are you being so serious?”c325466f67930f6c

“What should I do if I’m not serious?”c7b4ba2c0d5011bd

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“I feel like this is all a joke. Don’t you? Suddenly being told to get married? It doesn’t even feel real. It feels like it could be canceled as suddenly as it was decided. If I move just a little faster, I might actually be able to withdraw. You don’t want that either, right? Just cooperate a little.”acbe15ab291c6725

Ashin didn’t want to mention the Prince of Pihan. Until she saw it with her own eyes, she couldn’t be sure about anything regarding spiritism. She also couldn’t spread unconfirmed information outside the tower.f7586f35202d6108

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“Are you planning to come up with some brilliant scheme in ten days?”2dc6da20bf68ba32

“Yeah.”186518909a163369

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“Unfortunately, it won’t work. Give up.”2cbb91efaa46c2b4

Ashin’s face instantly crumpled. The man who had been looking like he was about to die in front of the throne with her just a few days ago had suddenly changed. There had to be a reason. Ashin racked her brains and came up with an obvious one.31f57a59d5397222

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“Did you make a deal with Her Majesty?”0ed68dd8698fa0de

“Ailem has been granted three years of freedom.”422b770ed2a7fc6a

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Ashin paused, taken aback 28e3226c11 by the more generous 3b47a3ccf1 than expected terms. Not one year, 12e3e17747 but three years 1bdabd3631 was a really 7b1de4d653 long time. For Vize to act df064b2bd6 like this meant that 8158d9e380 she was determined to 13b273bc02 push this decree through 20b24a5ef2 no matter what.4e2c07df22beac4d

“You said you didn’t want to add any troublesome things to your life, right?”d73341ca46da8a8e

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“I heard you’ll be leaving the empire soon.”0e033942a3d70211

“Ah, so we won’t be seeing each other anyway?”e1ec5f9b43e23bfd

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“How about not coming back for at least a few years and traveling enough?”86a21c12204e6034

Instead of 185043be17 the roundabout 2217cc7b6b way Leotar 78e03e213f was speaking, 77e0f92f85 Ashin came df3f16baff to a af65248799 conclusion.0e357a3861d761f3

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“So, to sum it up, we’ll get married, but we won’t live together for at least three years.”1f10bc7fe9f3edcd

“While you’re gone, Ailem will protect the tower.”1cdcef412ee40a92

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“Tell me what you’re going to do for those three years too.”b35a2489f3373774

“…I will succeed Ailem.”66fb91f8754db9b6

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“Ah.”34d1bca785f397d7

Suddenly, everything made sense. The man’s sudden change of attitude. For that kind of purpose, even Leotar would have no choice but to accept this offer. Which feudal lord would refuse the opportunity to avoid the Emperor’s interference for three years?14170af29a41f3d2

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Ashin bit 1240181646 her lip.d11d7075fc81c8c6

His attitude really made her realize that their marriage was nothing more than a transaction with no personal interaction. Before she knew it, Ashin’s head and heart were gradually cooling down. With Vize and now Leotar acting like this, she thought it would be too great a loss to refuse this marriage.ffa898f2cca4ba3a

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He said “wife” and all, but in the end, he didn’t even plan to live together, did he? It was a very fitting ending for them.3af9e3dc5df189f5

Three years was just a number; judging from Leotar’s attitude, it could be a lifetime. A marriage solely for each other’s purposes. They disliked each other, but if they didn’t have to see each other, there would be no conflict.ca0085f9d410a53d

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“What happens after three years?”cfde89e1b1fe74db

“Do as you wish. I won’t interfere with anything.”e67cf3c1ee87d384

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“I don’t even know what I’ll want to do then. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”36d9f64648ded028

Ashin wasn’t familiar with the affairs of the nobles, but she had heard that there were couples who hated each other so much that they only formed an alliance and never met for the rest of their lives. Perhaps it was like a prophecy meant for them.5d160f3ac9e56972

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“As long as you fulfill your marital duties, I wouldn’t ask for anything else. Not a child, not you.”c25f4fe38cfcc7c9

Ashin frowned 4330f92ef5 and pronounced ad17d3c1c2 the unfamiliar 3c1b1dae31 word.ede6428f3c999cc8

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“Child.”401f029a14349a56

Saying it made her feel even more absurd. She had never specifically thought about children either. That’s right. If you get married and spend the night together, you might have children, but why hadn’t she considered that?43f38c4d89876395

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Ashin gaped blankly, 2f2efa2c8a belatedly shocked.853dddba2c63e5b3

Wait, and by the “marital duties”…e27f9333cdfbd962

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“What are you thinking? I clearly said I don’t want them.”859dd14b0b2dff7e

“Huh? Ah. Right, you did.”910cdd164b3afa86

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Ashin brushed her pounding 4e13f795d9 heart at his sharp 68f25839a9 correction.ec310e49f1420c99

But soon, 78397f92c4 a question be639c5c18 arose. The marital b9b8b9ed99 duties included b914c85755 the unification f87ff1a023 ritual that 3c32d30ebf lasted for 0cbf3c9ba2 seven days 6faad3b86f immediately after 604d4520cf the wedding 01d4891b2b ceremony. Did not wanting 42c94f8947 children mean giving 5559fea88e up the ritual d63480c612 or using contraception?774daf21af7f5979

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No, did it mean that he didn’t like her enough to not even want children? Was he making it so obvious that this was a marriage he was being half-threatened into by imperial decree?da6f348a6b76cb74

Ashin didn’t particularly want them either, but for some reason, she felt dirty.9bc184b8ca9fb6d4

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No matter how coldly she calmed her heart, the feeling that she shouldn’t have to do such an unpleasant marriage kept rising again.fe3b5ff0d251ca98

Now that she knew Leotar was the one who needed this marriage more, why was she the only one who kept feeling bad? She knew it was just a transaction, but why were emotions intruding? It was annoying that she couldn’t stop the urge to keep checking, even though she could just continue living a cold life like other imperial nobles.db6c044b32b554c7

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“You hate me so much, how can you…”50360c74d72292f3

“What are you talking about since a while ago? I don’t hate you.”4b06dbda3827d1c2

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Ashin’s head snapped up at the unexpected answer.349c1a5c45670431

“I don’t know why you keep saying strange things. There’s no one in the Ismil barracks who doesn’t owe you their life. Me too. How can you not know that you were respected by the entire unit? So stop with the useless thought that I hate you.”d047820bb2bc8a98

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The reason was valid, but she was still not convinced. The other party was the man who had been avoiding her all along. Couldn’t it just be that they hadn’t run into each other by chance? No. Ashin had the sense to distinguish that much.9bd4b2b22b5b45ee

She blurted b39e447b54 out impulsively.a653960f6a75133b

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“Then kiss me.”147beed5ce56eb3d

“…I think I misheard.”1fcf6535d1d8afd4

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“I’m telling you to kiss me.”d4aadf89496aeca6

“……”c9b206decfa34dec

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“If we get married, we’ll have the unification ritual right away, so what’s a kiss? I don’t want to marry a man I can’t even kiss.”57a7d3220aed144e

After saying it, it felt more childish than she thought. Vize and Leotar were all thinking only about political purposes, but she alone was trying to dig into Leotar’s heart.1a26c0e5f1a10706

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Still, she wanted to make sure. She couldn’t marry someone who judged her as an ‘incompatible being,’ even if the sky split and the stars poured down.47dc03385cacdf3b

Leotar bent down 2f24adc6c2 and came down 7bb41940ee to the floor. He knelt on bf609ab76a one knee in 58b0f273d6 front of the f7b7de895c squatting Ashin and 497ff657f0 made eye contact 1886a2058d with her. As the distance narrowed, 72b1edf3c7 a faint sandalwood scent dfc9fac4e9 wafted over. A warm, watery 81deb0efed scent that felt 13543af105 like he had 9b8f521a5e just washed. Now that 29127f1291 she thought 8d718dda77 about it, 41bad01110 his hair a60efac03f was a 4e72259847 little wet 5aa218a6a0 too. He was wearing a 90490833ea white silk gown that 7f9a8b2d34 he would only wear 55b197ec37 in the bedroom. It was as 32cf6b321f if he had e842dfda72 rushed over from e69aedbfda resting at home.7d45c4a03ba6b80a

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“Kiss you?”48593636e0e8ac1b

Her eyes, which had been scanning the man’s attire, moved to his face.4b6bece789637d31

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The strong lines of his face were dimly lit by the moonlight. As always when she faced him up close, Ashin’s gaze wandered around his face as if captivated. Thick eyebrows and a straight, sharp nose, and long, shadowed eyes beneath his eyebrows. Brown eyes that were mostly indifferent but sometimes looked gloomy.9cf0ba9263b07ce4

When she reached his always tightly closed lips, she swallowed hard without realizing it. Lips that she wanted to block every time the words “impossible,” “unacceptable,” and “not allowed” came out.11f1adafa9adbf2d

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“Are you serious?”c3068055d5e3d3c8

Strangely, Leotar approached without any hesitation. When he was standing in the dark, she felt like he would be making an unpleasant expression, but the face revealed in the moonlight was far from Ashin’s expectations. His brown eyes met her gaze directly. He was still close to expressionless, but he was definitely watching her complexion.84113c2edd2ca622

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Her lips didn’t open easily. Even though she didn’t answer, a large hand cupped her cheek. Cold fingers brushed her earlobe and the back of her neck, digging through her hair.b5d97244a80fdff9

Ashin reflexively shuddered 46e3561f69 and looked up 61b40e1c80 at him as 9f8511bbef he slowly leaned e319a5dbc6 towards her.55d754ce8af2c699

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Just like in the barracks that day, their noses touched and their breaths mingled. Could it really be…? She looked at the man suspiciously, and met his eyes, which were slightly lowered as if to gauge her intentions. And then.673a9a59280318e6

“Mm?”33bbe1761feabb40

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His lips touched hers softly. Ashin’s eyes widened as if they would pop out at the kiss that followed without a moment’s hesitation. She rolled her eyes and stared at Leotar’s closed eyes, the hair that fell over his eyes, and his handsome eyebrows.1af563710030f28e

He bit Ashin’s lower lip.13344d27c199767e

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“Mmmph?”bee740909b340496

Still questioning, Ashin 0ff9d38b5c tilted her head aa243e816e back and forth, c7959ffcdd opposite to the 1ce07e2416 direction Leotar was f7b393d7a7 moving.e9bd9ddf58d4cf39

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