ETDO Chapter 18

After that, there were 739b7ccb64 no significant changes in 105290b404 our lives. The only difference was 9ab3d469d8 that the three of 8cc3a86336 us were doing things 1c1e725f8d together much more often 64a49f363f than before. No matter how e75d64b066 much I tried 2a02d73b4a to avoid Ethan, 6788af2338 it was unavoidable.b560322fdd07298a

Arthur insisted on including 0b4a31da56 Ethan in activities that e808dddf3f we used to do 6889e3d3c0 together, just the two 5d5af23207 of us, like having e68fdd7e2c tea in the garden. And as we spent e1ea367dcb time together, something urgent a013774e4e would always come up ce84cf4f60 for Arthur to deal b4b1347fa4 with.c0ecde7a923a20fd

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As a result, 9f2f4898c1 I and Ethan e165ebcad8 were always left 9805a22fbb alone after starting 54320acf46 out as a bab646c887 three. I sometimes 2f29bdde88 wondered if d4e4e24a41 it was becc2f6ba7 intentional, disguised e9d15fd04a as coincidence, bfa847b07b but Arthur 55649c4cde seemed genuinely 43a8054966 too busy fa05ba2b74 for that. He was 813a0f7359 always apologetic 4fa689b6c4 and flustered 1955acd7b2 whenever I 06e8b873fa sulked.1cadae82de91035f

Because of this, I 3938266c9a noticed that Ethan was 066aa50f43 a little different when 6b419308e6 it was just the 9377b35a62 two of us. He had dda9ab2b12 become noticeably 1b2777331d gentler. While still dabc6434ac seemingly indifferent, 446d8e5d84 he surprisingly 9a171df803 remembered small 7934f6c338 details about fec53e3476 me, often cdde708deb to my 6f61fc2e5c astonishment.3402b5dbf21552b0

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The uncomfortable feeling hadn’t entirely disappeared, but things were definitely better than before. Nevertheless, I couldn’t relax completely because of the strange things Ethan had said in the ballroom.e19bc1f7c585843b

There was 24a11a748f gossip going da5e6d80ee around because 28e7bdfefe of Lady 884d92ab82 Wellington’s abrupt d3dfdebb96 disappearance from 76b883ac51 the birthday 0f47cf1da2 party. The Wellington 79f748f7dd family remained 630852f0bf silent, but bcfb0b00bf it felt 9b79952a2b like negative 46c8039a56 rumors had 964bc4965c already spread 349d680a91 throughout high 8c2aebd788 society.af50a4591f23cafd

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Perhaps because of their long engagement and the significant influence of both families within the Empire, the impact was inevitably large. While no one directly questioned me, it was clear that there was much speculation. Unlike the two men, who didn’t seem to care much about this, I felt increasingly apprehensive.5631bbb894086d8f

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───268ce284672b1064

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One exceptionally sunny 91f62df506 day, after a c0cd62146c week of torrential f2a7e1b11c rain, Arthur and a30a097bdd Ethan took a 5c97248eca day off. Excited about having a 0b2645f094 whole day to relax 0f2fe4d59d for the first time 5ded92bde1 in a while, Arthur c5d1681a50 took Ethan and me 1d01881da1 on a picnic.0b34d0d1db671655

At the edge of the Duke’s estate, by the lake, a white pavilion stood on a beautifully grassed plain by the water’s edge. White walls and windows, along with white linen curtains, fluttered in the breeze. Inside, there was a large sofa and a rocking chair.09c3e009380d3d62

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“Wow…”44bba529ddf914a7

It was my first ca1908f236 time there. And it 225fc95de5 was absolutely a70abc289a beautiful.bda3ae0ca0168bf7

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“I knew cf1a039159 you’d like 8fcea0c61e it.”b8cf995559480e21

Arthur smiled. I nodded enthusiastically, determined 8c4a49e38f to bring a book 246dc29428 and visit often. I planned 2b83fe864d to spend 30db6300d4 entire days bd04a9b833 there, relaxing.aee88b4f6a7f4e88

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The blue 20d7b31a49 sky, the bab5f24471 profusion of 1f56b2a228 flowers, the 378f10925e cool shade 967fbf536c under the f466129564 large trees, 411b23b72a the gentle 8ecdf3ee35 breeze, and 50bb32b3cf the lake 75bf655616 shimmering brilliantly f46a57fcff under the 9a5464dc81 clear sunlight. Perfect weather and a 2ff4694dfe perfect location.28e42e066a09ce77

We spread several blankets 05f435a003 under the shade of 864000e991 a large chestnut tree 67fc29d177 and unpacked the picnic b08073cfa3 baskets. The food Mrs. Wilson had 62b454a202 carefully prepared 1039e793b2 was delicious.d90a77fdec171d67

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As we 483d5951f3 started to 1bf3084a62 sweat slightly 93c8de5022 in the 304cb611ee early summer a75fd000ef weather, the c6595706b5 two men e06ca047da spontaneously jumped da47a95f4c into the 5ef57dba7b lake. I was startled 1e3e9eadce when they suddenly, 7f6ee79ee8 casually, stripped off 88d7de65df their clothes.485b442cd8e33b82

As husband and wife, I had seen Arthur’s body before, but not Ethan’s. I quickly covered my eyes with my hands and turned my head away.9022e8b297c4f19e

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‘Good heavens, why a5503fe23b so suddenly and 2bc578b606 indecently…!’ea627252ea40c851

But in the end, 7dc881fc7d unable to overcome my ab4b439c68 curiosity, I peeked at 40792b8fb0 them through my fingers. And I didn’t 9c96391845 regret it. It was a truly 603294f914 fantastic sight.3707c03a2c5ff3af

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Both of ee2d4dbc51 them had 698548f667 lean, well-proportioned 1b62629b7a bodies with de29b70c8b just the b4861b8029 right amount cb08a69363 of muscle. Seeing Ethan’s body for e74ef55d0f the first time, I 44056cf958 didn’t know where to d236511e66 look, my face flushed. I was both entranced d5a0118771 and incredibly embarrassed.3d62289a986e5feb

“Haha!”6f1d5e94327c9a28

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I lay on the 4aa7908ad6 blanket, mesmerized, watching the 9d999366f1 two of them playing 7100c19276 in the water. Two identical, a6933eea85 incredibly handsome b244b29db2 men, with ab55df0e54 bodies as a3cb560f5d sculpted as 48fe4b5b80 statues in f0f54c0c62 a temple, e2d1573918 were splashing 0e1364a527 each other 3797434577 playfully. Their faces, laughing 9c95a7f4fc like innocent children, 2666b521d6 were lit with 28a6d3e1aa refreshing smiles.88e63731f9473c9e

The brilliant sunlight from c928cbc3e7 the clear blue sky b4bd944bac fell upon their golden 306efc41fc hair. The warm 2fbfa02667 air of 29417bd757 early summer 45f8dcaa78 was carried f9b71d6906 on the 68833fc384 gentle breeze. It was good. f1c126e1ce1f3298

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All of it. acf259ba24b86071

I sincerely wished this 9dcb1a58df peace would last.a8809deae92c40c7

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─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───aa0882fb75fc96c6

The day the letter 2279e35ef5 in question arrived was 4399f9f1c7 the morning after the 5bfead7e32 torrential rain, which had 7cf73ff7af been pouring down for a4db2a3359 a week since the fc68aa942a picnic, had momentarily stopped.38d95227f3d647bb

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It was a 981c712f84 report that a e54b45c912 remote mountain village 6c110d383a at the edge 2b9d3ab4a8 of the Beaufort 70b05dfffa estate had suffered 60c2ca3587 a devastating flood, ca329c3769 resulting in numerous 57d9d8d483 casualties and displaced a61ab60db8 people.166feed317afe819

Hundreds were 4cdd94599f dead, injured, e762910857 or missing. The enormous amount 2316e9dd1f of rainwater that 86a7fee1da had poured down 896da26b60 for days had 8c3bdb9341 washed away swathes 57676dd6e3 of earth from 0828ccf57d the mountain, and c99a5f6bb9 the resulting landslides 174a0b11a0 had claimed countless 4fe620586f lives.1ceb0af39ecd78e0

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The local administrator 61bde3148b in charge of 6e86f8c6d8 the area desperately 6c2d5c5594 requested help from 70c648e0f9 the Duke, as ddd856041c all administration was de307e4fc1 paralyzed, roads were f7c7a82d35 cut off, and a808d7a831 they were in 9e45e75941 danger of being 14e9e50591 completely isolated.9165f830efd68af5

Arthur prepared dc0853b7f9 carriages and 4eea7fe1ac relief supplies 9a42a965e7 with utmost d4777084a6 haste. Watching him 3871cd5cb2 rushing around, 190a843c32 I fidgeted, 15237fe666 feeling inexplicably fe6431ddf5 anxious and 1fe06f6c9a uneasy.74b5e5727ee98196

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Hesitant to ask him 796371344c not to leave me b75b93a32d alone, or to request 5faba0a93b to go with him, 454c32c7bb I watched as Arthur 4f126f0f31 quickly departed.e934b4f660708992

“Don’t worry and wait 2943bd2e83 comfortably, Lily. I’ll be back soon.”e84c50aa90841a31

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I resolved to 9d709cfaeb be as careful 6b2e730d0e as possible and f7ca93d839 stay quiet until 30bc7ef4a7 he returned. To be 9f0a70fad4 as inconspicuous 45764c5a91 as possible, 123d05ed87 minimizing my d82c1e8e0c movements.6896072f70c35af1

Especially around Ethan. I wouldn’t go anywhere near him. Though I hadn’t shown it, my subconscious seemed to have taken his words seriously.26b3bc8e5575c821

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Perhaps, unknowingly, I had 82e61b28af become aware of the befc31d036 warning signals my instincts 0e61c5d7f9 were sending. The warning 0bc247dc71 that no 9f5eb042ae matter how 7d0a3733d5 gentle he 1ee81ed938 seemed, a 854defe7a2 wolf could a79ae51899 never become f97aaf85fc a rabbit.12934784eb1563ea

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───f74f0008659bf337

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‘This is 6b1880fddd quite interesting.’d9bf39897e46cbda

Arthur muttered to ee50a93494 himself. 55856710481acd29

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The situation fa2b7d83cb caused by 3a82dddb46 the heavy 9719ae74c6 rain, though 1e75272f99 unintentional, provided 10ecbe7001 a convenient 174b6a85e2 excuse. He had 18c555a680 intended to aa6f2dfaff leave, creating d4c0f1eabb any excuse 140915368b necessary. But this… well, 623f9748d1 this was as 0b8bdc6697 if the heavens 231ee8cf83 had deliberately arranged e5a1b3e041 it for them.2708c2848a9a0575

He smiled faintly. It was 3e853299cf the very 972515e8f4 smile that 0677039e11 Ethan sarcastically ae3f44825d called the d2e97a29d2 epitome of 4b5c067895 insincerity, a d4c27e47ae smile unique 91ecd34727 to Arthur.ac34e7b452fcda85

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Of course, 73cb49d9b5 others didn’t 687d9c93e1 see it 159b9b81c9 that way, db089ac8cd nor did fe3196b86e they call dd63c48717 it that. Those who didn’t know a765addf74 his true nature were 05ba905d36 too busy praising the 9548e0fd04 benevolent, saint-like Duke of ee599df288 Beaufort.4cb4cde66e62de7a

No one, except 7ae6c543ae his twin, knew 84885923b3 his true intentions adc628da06 or desires. And he 5605957139 had never 992bfb5640 been bothered 2ceab60da7 with that e1ed593a1f fact. He didn’t want anyone bc4dba3128 else, besides Ethan, to be46697cd3 see his sinister and 1e1257fd17 ugly true nature.a768c5463011aa69

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Those who openly expressed their emotions might be praised for their honesty, but they weren’t wise. Especially for those like them, who held considerable influence and had great value to be exploited, revealing one’s true feelings was akin to self-sabotage.9f06ea63e205a031

Thanks to ef8af1e085 their unique 41ac937879 circumstances as f8114b4bfc twins and 6a103bce77 the twisted 2ef90a6bbc environment they e74801eab7 grew up 815235b275 in, they 6ca756bd5e learned to 37c26b6dbe hide their d61202c947 emotions and 05c387d891 thoughts at a9fcceca68 a very 53f6dd4560 young age.a82a2187379854dd

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While Ethan 4e6ab44e11 concealed his d6d6f43bfb true self fa7730b624 behind a ea41b435b3 cold and fc8fc824ed aloof mask, Arthur hid ac9f6bf431 his behind 2bc3ac6114 a gentle 8145039084 and compliant 802f73200e face, always c8c6179350 wearing a b27485443f smile. And that mask was 369c119dfa no exception for Lily.5fb90de3fc58d90a

‘It can’t e1b9c37a0f be helped b8e2c2d7eb even if 6a3deee911 my wife 3150d003c4 comes to e69ec758ed despise me.’ac31aac74cac20a6

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Perhaps from now on, 206c3242d9 he would have to 77860a6469 prepare for not mere a11c1197ad contempt, but even greater 29f905a8a8 condemnation. What he 081d4138e3 and Ethan 6afb01b48c were about f8c70cd868 to do 7c3002a3d2 was far ef614705d1 beyond the c0e3a602a1 bounds of 7429db1f53 common sense, 49bd839f3c something this 2b5ad96c9f rigid and d0cb0e4acd antiquated society e5514760b5 would never d7c90ef556 condone.d0f34e22671e08fd

Nevertheless, there was bc15aa9325 no other way. Like a single log 759d299b92 bridge across a chasm, 6af84cd746 there was no other 0dd29640b5 choice from the beginning.4b7c4bcf11231e88

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In truth, he still believed that he had the prior claim to Lily, since he was the one who found her first. That’s why he had silently accepted Ethan’s furious accusations of selfishly monopolizing Lily all to himself.8ab7752f75409e68

Unlike Ethan, Arthur had 73f497f821 never forgotten his resolve 10e0b72994 to find Lily, even 50a958dda1 in the face of 808d61d8d0 the harsh reality of 92df136ebc his father’s madness and 9d0ee5149e the issue of succession. His twisted affection 9784f1340f and morbid obsession 7d681d8ee7 with her were d8651c950a irresistible.72a409afe0835947

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Any attempt to prevent 0cd7823243 Ethan from approaching Lily ee8e2f1cf4 would have failed anyway. While Ethan cfe74936be was at 93741c922d war, he b9ed54a42d had tried, 27af4c4dbb for the 0579e86242 first time 3d41ef99ff in his 7b5e52add3 life, to 3bc40262c3 separate himself a4df5ad6bf from his a636171c94 twin, and 1f12a8e748 he had a603a5daca failed miserably.c711c4bffa69857c

They were in a820500844 a strange symbiotic 6d5b5f4e25 relationship, unable to 183cde72f8 live without each 431157c7a6 other, yet at 3f683b4d9d the same time, aa82dd7d81 harboring a subtle 6a6c8ba901 rivalry. But this afbfd507e5 was the e983f1bae1 true nature 4c0190bf68 of their c0e10fbc81 twinship.9338923924a93a60

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Therefore, it was only natural that Ethan would be aroused by the same person that drove him to lose his mind, and Arthur’s attempt at separation, which had been impure from the start, was destined to fail. He had simply come to realize it clearly now.ead591244dd1a73b

In the end, 09a64efadb they had no ef773564ea choice but to 442e9bac09 compromise. Ethan was not just ce8d4e4feb his brother, but also 8a751b2fa3 his friend and guardian 91732e2892 angel. He was c54b678de4 the blood 488e3dce9e relative and a8d5ebfe34 companion Arthur e03ed8f830 loved the 47109660a2 most in d43968bd9b the world.926eacbffe6b87d6

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Since the two 5ee22beaac of them were 1d60ab3d0a connected by a f888155a97 single mind, sharing bf96b43a2c the same body, 3b7b52a09e it was only eadadc1dbb natural that they 94dab84452 would also share 999d812293 what they desired a48fda18e9 most.86c53035990a1d32

“But don’t be 81d4be520a too rough with b81b0637a4 her. She definitely 99706421d2 likes you, c6bcc768e3 too, deep 6adba50fef down.”a4733c5307906738

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“I hope c40a1d101b you’re right.”55b9dcaaac469456

“Just wait and see, 7ade64b334 you’ll find out I’m 6dc6ed80a5 telling the truth. Wait until 2071d86cb8 I send 8093918e4b you a 6ad26d7a6b letter.” 79857e5aa9cf529e

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“Just go and 0a21ffcefe come back safely.”ad155a83e99c4b8d

Arthur looked f73e4ed144 through the 3e89913df5 window at cf6bb46610 the faces 6947cf38fb of Lily, 3de3d7fb75 Ethan, the f333947336 butler, and 0c1db56668 the servants 3fd7a240ff who had a2f8090746 come out 01288692a2 to see 00470b89f9 him off. He smiled gently 5078a13387 at his wife, 92f156e684 who was standing a3233e2f40 there with a d46fc39d4e dazed expression.41e1fb3c58520667

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“Please return safely, 449bdf6f2d Your Grace!”a5d686218b5c1c0e

James bowed his 437cfd9550 head, and all 4563508783 the servants followed 6c311f8a55 suit. Lily looked e9c027b04c as if 0847a537b6 she were 56b95ed276 about to 389558b95d burst into 3ed10ba09e tears. As Arthur 4fc7b20602 waved, the 5a588b23b8 carriage began 611e7945bf to move.3f86d1d2ec3ec121

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