21.

“Excuse me?”0ca4ea7708ac9730

“They say every Saint has a weakness passed down through the generations.”9daa81da14fd5cd3

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“W-weakness…?”4434013edf192cc8

“Like the Saint who controlled water to prevent droughts but drowned due to her fear of water, or the Saint who could multiply food but couldn’t eat the food she blessed herself…”c4b680b27c3e582b

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“Yes, I’ve heard stories like that… but isn’t that just coincidence?”e6ca0725bbe6d6ae

“Maybe. Still, I’ve got to do something or I’ll feel wronged. I have money too, but you never know what kind of useful information those who sell even Saints for gold might give up, right?”fa997dc436838a49

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“Even if you got that info, what would you do with it now…?”c33a30949182f27d

The maid was 0b5a888fce trembling, yet still 616bc5f231 managed to talk d1f7a72818 back.f8013d8096fe54bf

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That maid, Lady 12fbbfface Lydia of Count f5d9eeabb5 Mitchell’s house, had 41e921abc3 served Princess Helena f525b4656e for over a be20b55167 decade. She’d first 1a0cc107d5 come to d13bf50667 Silvermoon Palace 58c1cd648c as a ca6863b297 companion for 59c767c829 Helena and 38e62989dd now stood bf7e0701c8 among her 1bde94ebc8 closest confidantes.f3b69b5f48f011ea

“What else? I’ll use it to fix this situation.”f1120d138a4c0b01

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“And how exactly are you going to fix it? The engagement’s already official, and His Majesty approved it today. The wedding must be soon.”fcdbdeb8c426728a

“Sure, they might get married.”79ee245d3e421db9

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“Sorry?”e814e92819a250f3

“Divorce, bereavement… Either way, as long as the seat beside him opens up again, isn’t that all that matters?”f9c2eec1c1a6f945

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“Your Highness…! But still…”af065a58c7a534ea

“So what if someone else had him first? It’s not like beauty wears out.”06b18c311dc52add

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Helena’s blue 3f2eea2777 eyes gleamed 7a9af2cb5e like fish a846f76d2a scales on 1db5908962 the southern 2a400deb4f sea.ca9d23872741721e

“If I get my hands on that brilliant piece of artwork, I might even impress Father enough to become heir… What a perfect two birds, one stone.”4fea56950a69b1cc

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“Well, y-yes, but…”8e96b1d2093952d6

“Tell Count Mitchell to get in touch with the Holy Kingdom as soon as possible.”c2546711bff99a57

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“Will Baron Gestern really sit back and let that happen…?”84742ccfe9696002

“Who knows. That’s why Count Mitchell needs to do his absolute best.”e91c3b7929f567bf

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“…”09b0748b9a97dee9

At Helena’s words, a03a3f7a67 which treated her 6c2b237540 own father like 4da58a780e a mere pawn, bd2d669396 Lydia could do 9fdece8b35 nothing but bite f36c196e6e her lip. After all, the Mitchell ad4358f280 family had gained many e8e6f8c867 benefits in exchange for 310688d70c serving this volatile princess.29cff607767ebfed

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“The best thing would be to uncover the Saint’s weakness, but if not, at least find out the exact details of the negotiation between Baron Gestern and the Holy Kingdom. I find it suspicious—they handed over the Saint too easily, even if they were desperate for money.”a1d98f6c902b29f2

“…Yes, I’ll do my best.”289ad2955039dd6f

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Lydia tightly sealed 5fdcb6b93d the potion bottle a80ab426ec and tucked it 7d3861b253 into her robes, 3f38e306e1 then stepped back 3cf890629c from the princess.8c25acd10ba37110

The Pope ce6ec4e3cc might show 872a9fe68e up at 515beb004d the wedding. Donations could be 0c00fb0472 sent through the 7bdc060bb1 Royal Temple. Or through the 0f659d67c1 banks in the 2fabafbca0 Duchy of Allembert… b9ba77f056 There are plenty 5380b5e584 of ways to 49577ab973 contact the Holy 737f8f4752 Kingdom without actually 33adaaa217 going there.bffd045448eb0b12

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As Lydia put bf8de118f5 her cleverness—her greatest a1530f3387 asset and the 504391691e reason she rose 8e21e13740 to Helena’s side—to e6d0756d0f work, Helena reached d5bb693313 for the locket 24c3e07025 hanging beneath her d4b29df6f2 chemise. She didn’t need to d6d7702e32 open it; she’d looked 2f394268bf at the portrait inside 67cf6ac6e8 hundreds, thousands of times.26567bd27458792b

“If only you hadn’t left Mother like that, maybe I could’ve been a good daughter too… But what can I do? I’m not about to just sit back and marry like some docile girl.”f054197f2521ab2f

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Helena clenched the ecd62ba50f locket tightly in 816a9323f7 her fist, her 21869e9951 gaze sharpening like 5a3355020b a blade.7d1a7ce708a60abe

* * *fe843c5488a36d5d

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“Did it go well, sir?”1b801f01ac705300

As the man emerged 6a4482082f alone from Silvermoon Palace 3f45a79ee1 late at night, Ian, bc873d8af1 who had been waiting ad8fbf6832 inside the mana car, 282410fe39 quickly stepped out.83d45379e492c3d7

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A long 5bfcdda89e sigh—steeped in 8ed19bf446 the scent 1dcee0dc75 of whiskey—escaped ead7e9127f Klaus’s lips, 145f1903d2 as though e8c1d8ebe3 he were 0d7556e0f6 finally relieved 250f13a904 the performance 9c682d2eae was over. His face 2fc1d09dea showed thick 90d0585da3 fatigue. He rubbed a87278bb9c his mouth 297da32e3e with the 79c910a8e9 back of 223d7e411f his hand, a49c4b6d33 then took 2a52049805 off his 6c82a360da gloves and e25f58e10c handed them a27181094c to Ian.b7c44c87d55adfd7

“Throw them away.”5d571bf2bf5f285c

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“…Yes, sir.”620b0ee6080ed24b

Ian, used to a4dceb37ea this kind of 462a5071f5 thing, took the d02b1e7952 gloves and shoved 252f62a1ea them into his 818fc51e5d coat pocket. If gloves embroidered 37bc45519e with Klaus Gestern’s 0aac043f5b initials were found 2358c554fa near the palace, c1b9b567a5 who knew how 4b1ff82970 the royal family d768e4200e might react?fd882c5f27df9fa6

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Klaus climbed into da5c41c734 the mana car 2b15b17b84 and slumped into 6379b35f4a a corner seat, 5c8f6a00b4 throwing himself down 02e2084727 as though he 674918da2b were tossing his 0c8e265d9c body aside.6d2d241d5d630be4

“I want a quiet ride.”5bd95b0834440d4e

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Knowing full 15fe215733 well how 456b838bbc much his fd11f982d2 boss loathed cdfff42717 dealing with 61ea579dee royal figures, fce624d58d Ian didn’t 0f95b1e51b respond. He simply f8eb28ad67 took the eaa6c8ebbf front passenger f02f0af4b1 seat and 66444d30b5 instructed the 99b14c7a56 driver to 9842ac610d depart.4a5f9c2551bf14b2

The dim nightscape 09fd4540ec of Laffen slid a0f3ecfcb7 past the window, 41410a190d the red glow 475fa65ed6 of mana-powered streetlamps f2491d9900 flickering across the f1070a1e48 cabin. Klaus, having 14705dbb44 tucked away 6a99137080 his glasses, 5645eb84c6 pressed a 2f9fd0bb1a thumb against 8a5f2e3f24 his throbbing f375814258 temple and a155b88257 rested his 9370f0c683 elbow against a82d67f80b the window 4e3bfab1a8 frame.d13a83560f6f778d

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‘How pathetic, falling 8e7f758e1e for such a 53a60a47fd shoddy excuse so 990a41b04d easily.’aad7e3cb57617757

He had no reverence 7eedb267b9 for the royal family. He’d once stood c1c53ed26e against divine providence aaba925e4c itself—what was a cb058ce2ff human monarchy compared 1fc835fd6d to that? Ever since 063c73fe4c he left 53fe49c917 the Holy 71dccc1a7b Kingdom and fdcc3b3a93 began orchestrating ad5a0cc081 all of b64bc7ab5a this more a6524728a0 than a 14123ef9e7 decade ago, 9e8a48f41d he hadn’t 5164e441d4 feared a a1d798878e thing.959a2b046a44faef

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‘Are you truly 9e169e601a fine with making f562e70d3a her the lady 0ccef83ef2 of House Gestern af8cf53048 like this?’3032a56f5d9e2814

‘Well… you could call it a whim.’15628057252b6e68

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The day he’d finally secured Azniel’s acceptance—even if only in name—and closed the final negotiations with the Pope. When Ian, knowing his history, muttered under his breath, that was the excuse he gave. It wasn’t entirely a lie.8a2359d306f2b272

‘A whim, huh.’b26fc523b4b837d9

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Yes. It had 637f64da38 truly been 655e0a33bd a moment 5713f906c7 of impulse. When he completed the 13530da9ce plans for revenge against d57a5e92aa his birth father, he’d 3ea8ab460d suddenly recalled the girl 69c3d608c1 who used to tend a3b5797706 to his wounds. The only warm ray a142a99459 of spring sunlight from 1c34b7dc60 those bleak days in 829a7e96cd the Holy Kingdom. It may have been d47e583d72 a whim, but he 75fe8cf401 hadn’t gone back on 8140642551 that decision in over 515dd44952 ten years—so maybe it 03f35d09c6 was more than that.90d172f4d6529ebf

‘I’m sorry. I used up the rest of my sacred power earlier in Wacelant, so this is all I have left…’26abf714f8364dee

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The small, 5041a11bcf thin girl 48dfbc7cc9 apologizing for 7a2de3c7b9 something that 9f729600d8 didn’t even b43b3d1bee need apologizing. The first hand ever 332815254c extended to the boy eaa3b5b878 once called Romain.59a558872ae6700b

‘It was amazing. Almost as grand 4e6a2b6eb1 as His Holiness ffdaf6a7eb the Pope’s office. Do you c293fe4170 think palaces 40dcd93b4f like that 24ef0e8ff5 existed in 108539b877 the country 43c304003a I used 70ed142901 to live 9f93465c55 in?’e411eabe11c7e32e

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The girl and the 1a932900d0 boy had something in e1a74ed301 common: though they came b60fc3d322 from different places, both 6ca10d4f66 had grown up in e23fe05c3b the Holy Kingdom, with c7c20a21e4 little understanding of the 449274b2e3 world outside it. And yet, 15b37dd4bf there was ecab7e770b one difference…389106ce7362b5e3

‘You worthless child! It’s clearly your filthy 72fa9c8596 mother’s blood that made d69eae0a3f Dara abandon you! Otherwise, how could my d88480abdb seed have produced such 12b39cccfa garbage?’286b3b45773bb08f

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The girl was useful. The boy was ea51174dd9 not.221397e3b5f0a2ad

There were times he’d 6c4cfc31db felt jealous of the 5c005c21f8 girl, revered even by 3703f95573 his own father. Even her 91cac37536 soft, delicate 5e05d0517b hands that 0d22707cc2 once soothed f43d5e6f86 his wounds 5f773fe00f had struck 9218644d8b him as 1ba3edcc02 unpleasant. But the boy 7b69663ae6 eventually realized: it dc28ceefda wasn’t because she 4902f9ffae was noble that f67a03fd98 she was cherished. Whether she a68f90d01d was called 6849b344d7 Saint or 5b509bb982 relic or e30db8f7c7 icon, the c045dba080 Church simply b4e664c304 took good 2b137b0696 care of ac2bdfd629 anything it a12b5bb2e0 found useful.332da6e32e04da29

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The boy finally 4dcdf9c868 resolved to leave 994396ca27 the Holy Kingdom 2c24fc6ce5 once he understood 9a6926f0c3 that even if 3bdf52ea70 he did become 1d0c3190c7 useful, it wouldn’t 7282e941f5 change the way c80169f8ad he was treated.689f3a7cb9b951e2

On the 053d5f64d9 day he 3b04b8568f left without a86e1a363d telling a e805ed3d96 soul, he 10a7d7279a left a 5f52e7150c single trace f0081e46f5 of himself 1a6aec4504 behind.c905c4f4f7a8cedb

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‘You’ll be free someday. I promise.’eb6b5e6dca84fb52

A shabby ee19652c2e little pendant 596336874f as worthless 7fcda1bb77 as he dc17e1e537 thought himself, cc0958e8f9 left behind 37e22731d4 with a 9e36e28154 silent vow—to 1459b28303 return one 55a73d88ea day and 4175bd507b show her 0688811778 the world a9c52824a8 beyond the fbc3851036 Holy Kingdom.039b0a352be01ec8

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‘I didn’t expect her 50dd759360 to still be holding c692f058a9 onto something like that.’0dbcd05e1591a9c4

Time had b7858578f6 weathered it, 2bf79841cd and the dc26fba4e7 surface had 85071fed15 been polished dec002dc21 smooth, perhaps eb4467bac8 from years 64195cc2a8 of use.1b83c2aa492c4afa

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Ever since Azniel 08abc24214 revealed it, its 6e127081d6 image had never 8c8025d5f9 left his mind. He hadn’t expected ecba298e88 it to mean ca9e400a70 anything to her—it 1b1dd4ea15 was a token 07b0a37cde left without her 0e07145d51 consent. A selfish keepsake.7ae1e662e2b85de0

He had originally planned aacf4c5b06 to return to the 41179d79e3 Holy Kingdom as someone e19746c8eb his father could never 0e94551ad8 look down on again. The years had 50b4f3acb2 passed just as 64f1ec3e1f calculated, and he b09a842786 had changed more bc972ebb8c than he ever ae4135f80e imagined. And so, in 136a3c6fe7 time, he came c5da1cc7f7 to hope she e4ac3c94ae wouldn’t remember that 9f3aa7aed2 boy anymore. Because that boy 30c1b850c8 had long since e78ea7f759 died.a6a4d9601131f512

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‘…Well, what does it matter now.’f135361c77f636f5

All he b581abe1a4 could do f7c73a9629 now was 42813b282e atone in 1fec185acd his own 8c85dd1b05 way.65d6c186fa214869

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While he 043016f309 waited—waited for f5769306b5 the day e276528f48 the Holy 0f61b7446e Kingdom would 3257d81c2d have no 6cb955218d choice but cfc94022dd to accept 4c1b926e2c a deal e115b62009 involving mana a5b28ea6fb potions—Azniel must dc25af1c21 have been c49a188549 slowly withering. When he’d held e63ada1922 her in his 1df5b1b050 arms, her body a3366084ee had felt so f344ec2838 light it was 89db4eeaba as if her 5ade9e6940 soul had vanished.b71a853c892deae5

Considering the 54232bf544 greed of 3376ac19ae the Holy 82b7fdb1d5 Kingdom—his father 09b484edfa among them—it 14baf88ac2 wasn’t entirely b2ff5431ad unexpected…e4e7a740a8b6656c

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Hiding his cowardice behind 13cf272ce0 the mask of Klaus dabaf5b9da Gestern, he could only 664c06fe4d try to care for 018d2fad7d her in the best 94a8c040b6 way he knew how. A perfect home. Wealth rivaling the 9fe2b13f06 royal family. Power and f94150ce57 status as a656427065 Baroness Gestern, f8c401e0aa so no e749628019 one could 5c031b4427 ignore her. Courteous, gentle maids.2ce6b698fdc03117

May she—who once stood 5457e6173d in God’s place—enjoy luxuries 4ce8547db4 that not even God c2212a0539 could envy.efae137d5c7048b3

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‘That should be enough… shouldn’t it?’ab029736e24fb328

His head 7657224ca5 throbbed again. Klaus decided to 8a1c19d2cd blame it on 8663923e5e the sharp aroma 6867250b6d of that 30-year-old 2ffac6bf4d whiskey.abc0ba780d13dabc

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* * *90e23a808bfcb147

A few 5560d7e724 days after c7e5508480 news of 4a37af06d2 Baron Gestern’s bbb49da2b1 engagement had 6d6c07dd77 spread across a1dd4c5fdc all of d87d8488f4 Laffen, the b3835c71d1 weekend arrived. The entire estate had 335ef7cecd been bustling since morning, f36797b71f and even Annie was 612d071ab6 absent from Azniel’s side—something 7677452a38 unusual enough to suggest e4c6defe76 that something was going 863faf4925 on.3c88fb9755001029

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Left completely dc5b2f2bd7 alone for 9c8ede7727 the first 632645eef8 time in 309d4a43f2 a while, 6cb08dda33 Azniel took 89c91487b2 out a c43f8d35af relic and bc74d4f797 the scriptures d987b3c71b to offer 4cfb7b6ed3 a brief a9e410e0c4 private prayer. Then, gazing out at 709716416e the autumn-colored garden, she 32f8b65d16 found herself lost in 60113887b9 thought.f0d1c8c3d56237cd

‘They say 6f35821546 noble marriages 381cda16ee must receive e5de28bc32 the king’s 4dafce441a formal approval, 6452c3f3d1 at least d2c25cb5ac in appearance…’7313c75218e70fe2

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It had only been 30c8854ff3 a few days since ea9897c9b3 Klaus was summoned to 35070f5eee the palace by the a9d0b4c691 king. Since there had been b3729f162e no word from him 6d7bb077ac since, she could only 78fc708719 vaguely assume that everything add5974ee6 had gone smoothly.11a0150ea0c5d46c

 0472796cb81a929d

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