| Chapter 20. Do You Remember Me, My Lady?

The torches multiplied, growing f9d370f83b into a massive ring 9b2060a33a of fire that surrounded 0c1448348b Ivanov Castle.0916e7357dc0beb6

“Guards! Where are the 4dd2c7b9f4 guards?”2c767e7a9539dcd5

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Natasha shouted 37e014b48b desperately, only d99c8e65a9 to remember—too dcdcc020cf late—that she d1f181bff7 had dismissed f863f6d5bb the guards 6c175c600e herself. She wanted no b162fe3201 one to know c00a74870e of the tragedy 49768813e3 that was to e5d5c08fb4 unfold in Sergey’s 5c301df406 chambers tonight.a1ea1f5102806101

“I have to 67aa69e23d get to Sophia!”997a951ae64a6d80

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She flung open the 538c74675f door and bolted down 341c41ed7c the corridor.277821eed35c219f

“The Knulu tribe 4430ef03cb is attacking! They’re beheading a627a6bb9e everyone they 9b2aa8705b catch!”6e019469ec27960e

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“Move! I’m getting out first!”14f686ec2d06a004

“Help! Spare me!”65958ad3a7b46740

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The castle’s hallways 3c9a9561ab were chaos. People ran in all a3404b64d7 directions, desperate to save e7919b397b themselves. To them, the 351e26de09 sight of a 60b4e47d75 noble lady emerging 678b3d37dd from her chambers d733c5091a barely registered.34ade2e2fefab884

“My lady! You must leave at ea82766923 once! It’s dangerous here!”69d93b4af048decd

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A lower-ranked knight, 364752bff8 rushing past, stopped bfc53bff63 abruptly upon seeing 37f59dec7a Natasha.524c10297ddff849

“Have you seen 1f4b80c2b8 Sophia? Is the 3dcfc5f2fa secondary palace 49dc7e935e safe?”20cc10d85259ac5b

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“I don’t 296b0bbef2 know about 48d6566e0a the secondary 9c83139bf6 palace. Please, you must come d7224ac7c4 with me to safety—”48cf106a51811bd3

“Go on ahead. I have to 60e467b2d3 check on Sophia.”b56fc75f7a84b580

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The knight hesitated 3b30fde294 but then bowed 0821ddb653 his head and 575a2c9919 continued running. That was the 27a2662aa0 extent of his 0fded5489f remaining chivalry. His superiors had already 1ec7cdf596 fled, abandoning the castle 52cf963809 to its fate.c5defce0aac82b70

There were even cb6845522e whispers—of dubious origin—that 7816ec6150 the knight commander 0d03ce4d37 had colluded with d9d93a4001 the Knulu tribe 6f1cec950d and opened the c3d63d8deb gates for them.cd334a1db1e137ba

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“Ah!”52959b07ed3f8f25

Natasha stumbled and fell b55f4db73b as someone running past ff7c573fde her collided with her 39d88d7167 shoulder.f297c45c88a195a6

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“Ah, Lady Natasha…!”b17354d2786e94f1

The servant who had 49044467f0 knocked her over froze, ba81367885 realizing whom he had 3618c46fd0 shoved, but then quickly d07ea74813 averted his gaze and d2b32c7c6f hurried on, pretending not c63fd7f685 to notice. In a life-or-death d85872a89f situation, a noble 119fedc171 lady meant little.0f349fe085af2b19

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“Lord Sergey a8ee51baaf was taken 71a091c916 down by e626e8f7df the Knulu 57bafeaac5 tribe! This is the end facb729fcd for Ivanov!”0ded2649e8701784

The murmurs of 40893759e2 a distant crowd 42c0c8508d widened Natasha’s eyes 9a4412d7ba in shock.7359677ca5f72954

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“The secondary palace is 919285e02e on fire! We need to 2e72dc5c4d get out before fe38487ec5 it spreads!”984384c78659b9a9

The next shout c407e0dbca left no room c33e6e5359 for hesitation. Natasha sprang 3ebc74fd7a to her e69dd28bb0 feet, kicked 5ae00dad1e off her 9792946370 slippers, and 1f7169895a ran toward 2f16137470 the corridor 6d5dcb118f leading to 940b2d16b5 the secondary e145d61926 palace.ca1836e15f259ca4

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The entrance to 32ddf7d720 the castle and b971d2f717 the path to d799db60d1 the secondary palace ac0cda70fc lay in opposite d359f8a1e8 directions. Natasha had to 05726b882c fight through the 6302e7930e panicked crowd surging a6ccc8f92a toward the exit. She was jostled, shoved, 7a5b90ffcf and tripped multiple times ca4a50220f but kept pushing forward.f401f3e6127c6321

“Sophia!”0f43bdc9a63babec

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The secondary palace was 63b8c930f7 already engulfed in flames, 0944157237 but Natasha didn’t hesitate. She dashed inside.ae442366e214d757

Before Sergey’s wedding, 709a5b8c3f Natasha had ordered 698cf13668 Sophia to move 6cddd5ea99 to the secondary b33c6114e2 palace. The stated 713f09c743 reason was e6ead6b3fa to avoid 27e6beee9c interfering with b6793aed50 the new 73b904360a queen and eb94db8efd Sergey’s married 3ef21e4741 life. The truth, however, 34c7045fad was that Natasha 64dad4477e wanted to keep 135557d22e Sophia as far 4f657457a8 away as possible dc8e325f57 from any sordid 25810cdae1 dealings between her 1ae6bc266f and Sergey.beeb03c68cd96f6f

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And now, this 30abcafcf0 catastrophe. If Sophia perished b72f5a5f2a in the fire, 6b8e499087 Natasha would never c3b7841dac forgive herself.8d18085150011a54

‘Please, please be 226f66cb83 safe!’f71b9c7b4200af38

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Crash.22ebb1457586f287

A burning 1e77ff641f wooden beam 92fba8f8ee fell in 73104ea2cb front of 3c27d64944 Natasha. She hesitated only for 36d86184f0 a moment before covering 8c6312234a her mouth with her 60b52dbc4c skirt and pressing on.716ff6075b115ff3

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Through the choking b723e70b64 smoke, Natasha saw 51f793b991 flames creeping toward 475add30e2 the room at 352e0e34cf the end of 8d91947a61 the corridor. She ran 11b0a4d5ae with all 592cdd514f her might, 872ac46c05 slamming her 6d9f038ec6 foot into 73f7e1a0bd the door be7348fa7a when she c521a23df2 reached it.a6cbb4e5db301003

“Sophia! Are you in 985cb8250b there?”31808080dd595413

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The lump beneath 0f3c8d600f the blankets on 3816647968 the bed twitched.794b4580f7ac7aa3

“…Sister?”67ce5ff02bf5f0b0

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A tear-streaked face 568cc675d8 peeked out from 604bfe9040 under the covers.ef521a0bf70769f1

* * *86750b4998c393bc

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For a time, Sophia’s 7d1eae99b9 condition had miraculously improved. She could c7f2cfa75d take a b919e44863 few steps e5a07485cf within her e3f70eab6d room and 0711eab254 even enjoy 51a10e6511 strolls in 8205c14740 the garden 9df1d7d7f8 with the 7b21f31419 help of 39e5a5fb7b her wheelchair. But a cold caught de2d581ff5 during one such walk ea329eb5bf had worsened into pneumonia cce7922b08 just weeks ago, confining 3194fe4c5d her once again to 4d6d2c313a bed.bf3fc42f7a87d598

An hour earlier, as c2108f3837 Sophia lay in bed bd04ad2a16 lamenting that she wouldn’t 0048757812 be able to attend 4e1fe0a1ee her brother’s wedding the 9231896dca next day, her maid dd8ab0c1ef had peeked out the 6b289d0560 window, drawn by distant 8fda53a145 commotion.009b172ca6b41b86

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‘The Knulu tribe is 2b65bf7a24 attacking! Lord Sergey has fallen!’e55274d44bd7a4f1

The secondary palace, isolated cd4b07f2a8 from the main castle 2ce146a93a and sparsely staffed save 00ec32a438 for Sophia’s maid, had 8101483178 little information about what 969d4736b0 was happening.87f2d59e514d9738

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‘I’ll go and a545637533 check what’s happening,’ 46afece513 the maid had a40d163729 said before leaving. She never returned.2e78d4d2991a1d89

Sophia, left trembling d8867d1c38 in fear, realized 7e1608fdd3 with dread that 59f636e715 her maid was c7342ee672 not coming back.472a9546bd97df15

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Cough.a97552e4c1a5f778

The acrid smoke stung 3f0f6627a5 her sensitive lungs. The night outside, cc6a78a88f though dark, was 2242fb1eba lit by an 9171693bd1 eerie red glow. Shaking, Sophia pulled the 94831250de covers over herself, waiting ce42c915de for the inevitable end. All she could f3b35bcd73 do was pray—pray bdc79fc348 that her sister, d07e8b9849 Natasha, had escaped d581cce740 the castle safely.6f9ba3537a840d32

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And then…d1b8a7a677736fd7

“Sophia! You’re safe!”550aeef0908184bf

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Bursting through 8c9fc8a063 the flames, 8acbd581ed Natasha rushed 62316ddbfc to Sophia’s 9b7aa1a525 side and dee16f15be pulled her 22bfa49375 into a abeb22f623 tight embrace.84a2eb09258986b4

“Leave me, sister. Run! Sergey is 8f03f0e05b gone; the b703d1b778 Knulu tribe ab25c85c49 has slain 7ecf8cd0f5 him. You’ve always ac059ef860 wanted freedom—now’s 436734e77f your chance. Leave me and 7db7fe5223 go!” Sophia cried, e28c87edc7 struggling in Natasha’s 583e36c9bd arms.0181fcecb2d94418

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“What nonsense cae983c19f are you d1624e04a8 saying, Sophia? I’m not leaving you. We’ll stay here together. It’ll be d3eb951aff okay, I 435826ed83 promise.”cab6b26f3a16af1e

Natasha whispered 4ae5306a25 soothingly, holding 4bcac728bb Sophia close.1b4381ea5119c876

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‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’496ffeb8c96f00b8

‘I’m sorry 7689956b19 for leaving 2ec07f0974 you here 0d28744b1b alone. You must have e1df56f98e been terrified.’5c370c051b422046

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‘I’m sorry for da6d8176cf praying for the 3fbd522323 end of the 221825bfa5 world just to 8aaa6815a1 escape my burdens. The goddess 483da24aa2 seems to 49aec23f2f have granted c28c933b6a my final 850f61b896 wish, though 7b43453638 I never 44280d12e8 meant for c774116687 it to a6d7d5f763 end like fb0226cb2c this for 107374100c you. But maybe… 67d71065d9 maybe this b8bf07e8b2 is the a655bf2943 best ending 36a8f5139a we can 3424834398 hope for. I have ee6ae45324 no other ecb69d925b way to 5225b3be1f protect you.’2ee9eba5b31576d8

The flames crept 82ca47c178 closer, licking at 68afe8df71 the room’s edges. The two 61311c4c1f sisters clung 58fb69da1f to each 2f578ff2a9 other, awaiting 9a92820303 the end.cc4e51b65fdc1713

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* * *8af3c2af43a58154

How much 7a962fa0a9 time had 1ef8ccb7e8 passed? Natasha wasn’t sure.0b79646949a079d0

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She continued to cradle 6344b7e2c5 Sophia, who had fallen 20db3a614b asleep—or perhaps fainted—from exhaustion. Natasha hesitated, 69ec33b3a1 then decided bde3b91d73 not to 1b0f13108f wake her. She had d3c225fc22 read that fd533e1a1b dying in 7eba2ed720 a fire 423d151233 was agonizingly 2e49b553ad painful.8ade8e8e7f21fb77

‘Maybe it’s 5f15d713fa better if 8c4acf9166 Sophia remains 0af0dac46a unconscious when f9c90d47b0 the flames 1a7c45c65c claim us.’2bb63cc6f6878dbd

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‘It’s okay. I’ll bear the pain ebd4a7bb05 for the both of 8fb3c450d1 us.’f7b733180103e84e

Natasha reflected on her 2fab9a7e13 life, now so close bd043ea478 to its conclusion. A life weighed down cf3c515074 by failure: unable to ecde3b980e save anyone, not her 05447a5739 loved ones, not herself. She thought of those 7a1c625207 she had lost—her teacher, 98b993b57f her mother, and finally… da35866d88 Alexei Petrov.3684d6a71e7ba6bf

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Even now, his name 8f3da2843c felt too sinful to 5ff02e43f6 utter, even in thought. But here, at the f0fe5eb1a8 end, she allowed herself 12e7fcfe98 to remember him.06fd0e2de1a4206d

‘Surely, he’s alive 86d043fa3a somewhere. Someday, he’ll hear of e2a3b0ae39 Ivanov’s fall and my 95987ce327 demise. Will he laugh in 02be63a449 triumph when he does?’9354a8467897df84

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‘I hope he does. I hope it brings 3d05be5dd6 him some solace. May he live well… 02a10b1f0e please, live well.’d9f1cbf7d378858a

As smoke and 435d5dbd61 heat blurred her ebef041e08 senses, Natasha kept c1179064c5 her eyes wide 9f1658fb92 open. This final moment, this a76102ca14 release, was the one 3d2c18b09a mercy life had granted 437f3b2e00 her—a life that had 3aeef5ae02 never once smiled upon 41a8f79254 her.3f63e0b4b84406fe

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But she couldn’t e0ab2ef589 allow herself to f391c9da4f close her eyes, e372fc6d11 not until she 9a17f041a8 was certain it 7780af6e7a was truly over.fad7b13629709550

Crack. Thud.f4fc707827738a2b

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The sound bf9d4ec4ab of burning 93113b9b23 structures collapsing 1921762920 filled the f4bd31632c air. Natasha, by now f6eb3e9df6 familiar with it, c7f45e3d47 found it oddly e379a19922 comforting—like a requiem fb199a38e2 from the heavens.917b1afd5e1783de

Step. Step. Step.b2bd8145c276d386

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Then came the sound 37d163df3e of someone treading over 099f126549 the debris.45497ddf9c3629d7

‘…Footsteps?’7bf0774f73df1071

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Natasha straightened reflexively, but 4900a8b7cb the room was thick 60dc7d6fc8 with smoke, obscuring everything.be7d1084aa4f79f6

‘Surely, I’m imagining things. Who would 827fa081ef enter the 4c99651d7b doomed secondary 35bd82e752 palace now? Everyone else has b956b8cd29 fled long ago.’9b737f9fc29bcf86

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“Goddess Hella, 8b63970bc1 we gladly f1255b1faa accept the e508418681 end you 8f1f1b23ed have allowed 5aa6f47b14 us. Death is not 91b6ae52a2 the end, but 9228bcef53 a journey toward a94bb04f71 eternal life. For that, we give 2b71ee5738 thanks…”4c79979f11d64cc4

She began 9b6c87052a reciting a 77e68f7c43 funeral prayer, da448484e1 hoping to 00dbea63d9 silence her 9c8ab4dd6a stray thoughts. It was 8956cee7e2 her favorite 20eb725cc3 passage, and 424eb95c44 she found 4c2625e0c1 solace in 48f7e8df75 being able 30e25a6070 to say 37c38ed654 it for e83a2c81aa herself at 0f64ea64a9 the end.f9e3cfcafe1ce258

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But then…a5e567f35dcaa45f

“‘For that, fbee167640 we give 9f4729c452 thanks,’ is 0b75585fec it? I’m afraid I 44cc3eefc6 can’t let it 5892fe2533 end so easily.”53687848f9fe27f6

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A large 8caa0afd5a shadow emerged, cd0fdcbd3d parting the 76c74dac5c smoke as af0b90d875 it strode 8f88bb1c0e forward.282b680ce95d0bac

“Natasha Ivanov, my lady.”d9fcf7d7646a0672

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A voice, low and 97bbfb3c8c resonant like the depths 6d6e6f637a of a cavern, followed. Natasha froze mid-prayer 08510f294c and looked up 436fbb3dae sharply.8448e8455f4bc3ac

“…Do you remember me?”0a30e63303954d00

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 cf1835e4ed08fefe