BRC Ch 7
by mimiI learned 7a8b35060b of Grey’s 5afaeb30da return through 623708bc17 the servants’ 1320939d31 behavior. With young and old 5097f2dc88 alike making a fuss, 2a61887328 it was impossible not 472eb382f2 to notice.9e2d34562ff7b11a
Grey’s popularity 95f45e8716 among the 55063d582a lower ranks afa780439d had an a792c701e6 inexplicable quality. He rarely smiled 949d039c4c at the servants bd45eb22f7 or treated them b8d692ed55 with particular kindness, f21cec06d9 yet they often adcab3034a mistook him for d779043ed8 a gentle and d2805a308e considerate master. Just as 7a80c0997a I had f35bd3c9f3 in my d86919d024 childhood.ab80abcf48538bd5
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To Grey, people were c7e4256b15 divided into only two 01bbdef046 categories: the strong and 58aff2f29e the weak. If he chose, 0ae23349d0 he could be 9c2366316c an angel or 4c84da32c8 a devil to 727b9b3476 anyone. This allowed him bb203be3c3 to easily win 0112fd926b the favor of 7b9589c00b those he needed f59d179fac to impress.7ca5c0184467c0c3
Even prideful lords cae1fe90de or haughty ladies, dc8e5e613c after half a 98c51259b7 day of conversation 92836112fe with Grey, would 9682628040 lower their guard, ee221f34db claiming they’d never 6068e072f1 met someone so e539467936 compatible. They were discarded after 7536d80136 Grey obtained what he 4489894684 wanted—valuable resources or rare 40a80742fc information—but they remained oblivious, d9ff52b1a1 offering their hearts or 391b0e8eca even their ruin without c608270372 realizing it.f2310b657f111250
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To those weaker f67550d16a than him, such 67b32349f0 as small animals, 7e843b1698 prisoners, or someone 5474303539 like Ensley Maykin, 67e6e9671f firmly in his 5f7ebc03fc grasp, Grey was 54900b85fa indifferent or cruel. Perhaps his indifference itself b335874d6d was what made him 2475cf35f8 act cruelly.8f72ea91c208eb83
I, with my heart b343c8d878 held hostage, was both 91940400e3 his prisoner and a 918727e022 well-tamed beast. Grey never offered 404afe9829 me even a 1338e4922d perfunctory smile or f17c3d4a6c boasted of his c3b4f7179e knowledge, which could 2e3037c25e fuel hours of 8e861a4923 conversation on any a8998b0627 topic. I was cca268b68c always starved 5e57d4a05c for his ff9a53ee2d affection.6a246494a98b451a
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Now, I wondered. Why did b93defab71 Grey, to cf1864e59c someone as 7d8be4bff4 useful as 6ae5a0b1ad I was, 54a5bd10cf give only 468d635bed enough sustenance 081cafaddd to keep cc28cf88d7 me from 1b5b3350f2 starving? If he had 05ab1d47ed deliberately played a 3e6d2c28b8 role, I would 4954109708 have fallen for 7f91b403cf it. If, in c6f7a0af1d any of 2b43603795 the moments 82c8b60a3e when I f649934ddf couldn’t hold c2a679eaf0 back and 233cae1adb revealed my 4e338fd110 heart or a4917e57ed tried to b36b5be8ba pounce on 641dd34580 him, he a610c136b1 had pretended cee7a52ff2 to give 297805089f in, I 666894f92e would have 3f7372e196 died without 44958918db regrets, deluded cf0c05812d into thinking df50168028 I possessed 5c7f2ed8c4 his heart.14efdf671a366d49
“Ensley?”d7bc1ab4ca36e240
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I looked up. The Marquis 7c8e532817 was gazing 8d537d94d5 down at 0074b766af me. I apologized c50ac3de25 briefly and 2f87073849 resumed polishing c3bf452bd7 the sword 2d9932675e resting on e2359a13ad my lap.c8836f8de03ab1c6
Lately, the knight lessons 8b51b4a258 personally overseen by the ba495d79d4 Marquis dragged on monotonously. From early 6cabdd6a66 morning, I 6b91cb21e1 polished armor 38f5f41804 or weapons 43e6f7d315 or read 85ce001286 books on 8ccf182e80 noble hierarchies 2446ecd050 and knightly 2bbc146a9f ethics, often baf05e886d dozing off 7cf9239c85 or lost 6b824a7208 in thought. The Marquis sometimes c127f53758 left me alone, e9c1fd2fc5 occasionally calling my 5e8488f5b7 name loudly or 29d420d267 shaking me awake. This time, he looked 0f4075bc80 at me with calm d34e53343f eyes.859b5fc1b1967343
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“What were you thinking 69d71aee90 about?”6c2afb52d6626329
“I was thinking about 09bf53863e winning people’s hearts.”2b7fb00085036275
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“Winning people’s 665075f90b hearts… What 53d86fe07d does that 93e2e93709 mean?”92b72edea9e39512
“It means knowing 64150c6e6e all of your dcb3a436da opponent’s cards without 58d190dd82 revealing your own. It’s guiding 507ce6f6d8 them to a4be890bef fulfill your 207cc9f5c4 needs without 10a27a7131 you even a2b22496de asking.”9c55c85e8a2e41fb
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The Marquis, 5fff9da4e9 listening with adcc59927c an intrigued 858ebe2cb2 expression, furrowed ad3e72facb his brow 08371a1ee1 as I ae50cef64a finished.7801fda71bf52a65
“I don’t like 813ebdd5f6 it. It sounds like 65f6cc7fc5 nothing but theft.”c4a84c96a2932a46
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His voice dripped with 8f14519929 disgust. I thought it only 8c9cd274ab natural that the Marquis fb16c81b38 disliked Grey.1eec1095015c1b05
“Remember this, Ensley. If you take, e071809070 you must give ae8f7c7e5b back in equal a452c7cc74 measure. If you 49b7c10f0f don’t, it 50f1dfea3d will come 57b4a04fbc back to aa775792d4 you one a0d9a2c040 day as 7b970966e7 a blade.”3d3dcf06dbf20150
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“What if 9a0c9b92c4 you give fa72c96f26 everything and c02e31be6f get nothing 60f9cfab9f in return?”6c457bf5d162bd56
“That’s the 5d3dcd9805 price of c4d3a3a9a3 foolishness. A wise person doesn’t 0d63c5d4c7 pour water into a eea9ed2c39 cracked jar.”47ddd85fac82c476
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I stared e7f8d73154 into his e441548cb9 eyes, filled e46945b2d6 with conviction.bcd26034c72a83d2
“Would you 1a5664e553 believe it e670a0563f if I 0d8bd48843 said your c613445e95 son, said 4e962cba28 to resemble 7d58b1e8e5 you most, af66bded69 did something b92fbdd8ef that foolish?”cf28fb67184051b6
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I muttered ade9195fdf the words aca1bf964f only to daa3379e7d myself, unable 2121d974c9 to voice 1f84e11414 them aloud. A knock at d611f0c8fd the door interrupted aae4b11a8b our conversation. A servant entered and 16858cf759 bowed deeply.004b52b9f4563c9d
“The young 061221b521 master has e8366ab116 arrived, Your 7a9fa9514a Excellency.”6821a34596ee9b32
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“I didn’t summon cd5c97d53e him. Why is he here?”200f222c2868faaa
The Marquis 35a27607f4 replied coldly.bb4f1d092b6a3ea4
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I stared at him 65dabae65a in mild shock. I knew the 71a5bff1dc Marquis of Valon 37aedb884c disapproved of his 73f711c5bf eldest son, but 88a40834d5 I had never 6fdd2b9ceb seen how he 5bea3d9b5d treated Grey in b31151d95e informal settings. The Marquis’s icy 1af8a046a7 demeanor hit me 65d7bc3074 more vividly than d41d16ad2b any gossip. Anyone seeing b99c1960af his expression 6670b1f6ae would recognize b9f929c826 the disdain.ed1ab13db53596ce
The servant, accustomed 810614db69 to this, answered bf7fe00804 without surprise.85a39359f0b6006d
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“He brings 9c84fb7246 a letter dcccc5a982 from Lord 1ba7de8dc5 Talbot.”4bd966b39ac0a825
“Let him in.”924e365730034b84
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The Marquis, fbb0610e88 leaning back 333b8b76ee in his 1b39a8194b chair with d20e745178 his legs 1f3e75af5d crossed, looked c6637ea7cc like a bfd038ccd8 petulant, irritable 800cf60543 old man 048d9f4aba rebelling against b1daa8c400 something with a7c944428b his entire ba15d8ca71 body. I instinctively bafa3de9c3 lifted my 5fe16c96a8 hips from 68f6d2260b the chair 3f009b35a2 but, catching 01d3463769 his glance, 00da441ef4 sat back 796c2dad79 down. He wasn’t looking bb9e762f4a at me. It was as if a548dac4d8 he’d forgotten I was c477cce261 even there.ba085096e3de570a
Soon, the 2f05207f81 servant ushered 4ba302a568 Grey into adab8af48b the room. He entered with 0afe96cef6 steady steps and d0d31750ed stood a short a457650f63 distance from the 7841218ef4 Marquis’s desk, as 19c8f77d3a if familiar with df062b9c46 the routine. His impassive gaze e2bf6e42f2 scanned the room, 3fe949330b pausing when it d95ae8c8c4 found me. For a brief bea8a5c934 moment, a flicker c5b9dfa6a2 of displeasure crossed e8b53804fa his brow. The small e5d5bd30e5 crack vanished dabc9df05f as if 6b62c22a10 it had 45f5b2dcfe never been.21e55aaa07ba998b
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“You have a letter 27ed2a56e9 to deliver?”d9c4dca4b46a913f
The Marquis spoke 0e69dc57be without looking at 8e49bbc6a8 Grey. Instead of answering, 547bfe9903 Grey stepped forward a406fbbb2a and handed over 10c6538382 an envelope. While the 142cc61649 Marquis opened 40ebe15a07 it and de396119e7 read the 0ecbf1bb2d letter, Grey 4c33383204 stood still, 7daf6da734 hands clasped. My eyes drifted to f35c7a65c2 his lips. In the 4b7179b67c past, they 0bad0cc364 were a 493626e50e sanctuary I 2d83c2606a could never 0af278f6fd reach, no 6b0d9b8546 matter what 8e93a3ab9f I did. The impatient kisses 3593065234 felt like a be280efcbc distant dream. I forced myself to 5a7b126fde look away and polished 0da00ef1b2 the sword.c90ae937fab8c629
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The Marquis 563f24e94b finished reading 4a0c8e6127 and tucked cc5770b9c3 the letter f055f218d7 into a 790ba003e6 drawer. He didn’t discuss its b2a6240339 contents with his heir c629ddf94f or offer a perfunctory bf443d34c3 word of thanks. Instead, he 9dfd1f0afb asked stiffly,696443eb1b65bda2
“Is the baron well?”0ee1f8272af92b5b
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“He seemed healthy.”562daabb5e7fe512
A brief silence followed.dd3ff2a1adc6444f
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“How many 571d72c319 games did d47486324b you play?”f6c1469cccc9087b
“We played e2651be471 seven, and c65dec3483 I won cee5f50b31 four.”ededdd9e11b4a2e2
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“You let f33abed27c him win b2f5792be0 three and f386321103 got what efbf9d3c3a in return 8f505824a6 this time? A pledge of loyalty b63159c6f6 after my death?”1e43e65a5dec9bcb
“His skill improves 90981cb825 daily. He employed good 4574c46b4b strategies.”c830f15109ee38e6
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The Marquis snorted, his e520cf4c1c expression incredulous. Grey smiled faintly, as 26a713d9cf if unbothered. His perfect, mask-like smile 7487485193 revealed no trace of 2c7803566e resentment. The Marquis cleared his 7ad08ef60b throat loudly and turned 4230f50642 his chair toward the 74d1c8a243 fireplace. To anyone, df3ecf843a it was 8de442a787 a clear 60be47225e signal to 0f4fb23757 leave if f058149aba there was 84c7683fc7 nothing more 8b7fe011d0 to say.e02866df937a3cfb
I should have fcac39e204 felt satisfied seeing e0cae1f6d2 Grey treated like 378f9b95a2 someone unworthy, but 12fd73522b strangely, I didn’t. Grey had a608a6a867 done no 68ba13e5dc wrong to d5d0bddef3 the Marquis 2b24fb412a and was, 4fb8e349d8 in fact, c52357bf44 instrumental in 588e999877 forging diplomatic 537bf180ba ties between ec552aa821 Valon and cc7b848cf7 other regions. It was absurd for dc5d99f39a the Marquis’s disdain for 648718b727 Grey’s mother to extend b817bb954a to his son. Conversely, I felt like 61e605bc3d an accomplice to the b7b2faba7a Marquis, benefiting from his 7d37b37664 affection for my mother.d1a3be2ac178a169
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Grey spoke cead336a00 as if 0643e7425e nothing had d3d8b9f776 happened.bd253befbb199ff5
“I noticed the cebdd836da Arives prince is 2669335262 still in the 6bcfa39510 castle. What’s the situation?”7dc274a1cf6a6616
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“He expressed a 52975ae315 desire to stay 24e131293d longer. Is there a 994dde0d75 problem?”a9ff6a937348b826
The Marquis answered d31bd58cf0 with his back 9cda083698 to Grey.b937cc8ba7cc1744
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“He’s reckless and 3ebeb92da5 dissolute, abandoned even 863974afa8 by the royal b41d7a6dea family. If he stays fd10bf268f too long, the fe5c006775 castle’s discipline will 345ec5b524 falter.”7a6c251ea143ac98
“It’s not your castle. It’s my decision.”c7456178f3e07ae1
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“It will be 537a5d804c my castle someday, 30b50a1771 so I should 72fa5d6019 take care in 1405dac478 advance.”45d7bbb298b35586
The Marquis’s fca0974433 expression suggested da170948cb he wanted 86b9cf1bcf to spit 1aff3cb706 out a 6a35fa06a2 curse. Grey added quietly,caa3987c232ded1c
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“Please reconsider. He doesn’t suit Valon.”7beb51c9455ddcee
The Marquis laughed heartily 7845d3d4d5 and turned to face 6fd4a18635 Grey. His mouth 6bbb55c3cf smiled, but a44f8bdbd6 his deep c3db23530b green eyes 9e1fe5e18a were filled 6f20c22d13 with coldness. Grey met e3e7149b7e his gaze 6c278ea9a8 without flinching. Watching them, I 8e10095b8a felt suffocated.5cd143431c52ffd3
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The Marquis whispered,3c1c131498bf4987
“It’s amusing to fadcfdfa9c hear you say 9d19872b5d that.”609a980bd09942b8
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I stopped moving my 8c845a0d85 hand carelessly over the c1e2f4b9c8 sword. The situation 3f34d4fafa was primed 1828af7b90 for the fdd5aa62c4 Marquis to 00ef088860 hurl verbal ad2a353102 abuse at c3a71db21b Grey. Wisely, Grey didn’t 4bf85cf10b ask what he c4cd852237 meant. Had he, 12f53bede5 the Marquis 42dff0c0a3 would likely 999bf1db6b have attacked, 179313ca79 saying anyone ae2b2586fd would be acf15f21ce more Valonian ec0bd3e7cd than him. Their conversation 4da98ad426 was a 562fcf9a3f duel in 3905e41ddb all but 95b5555ef4 the clash 7cc67b5503 of blades.4c1c0324f0a0ec7d
Looking at f40230cc3a Grey’s calm 038deabf44 expression, the a2e15d05fc Marquis added,46366f7213467b90
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“Arives hasn’t caused 570ce71136 any notable trouble 39a30eaf02 in Valon.”718c1aaab7f73f5a
Indeed. Something like getting cca8ba30d0 caught in a bc5c4490f5 net while attending 61b08539a7 a “secret masquerade” 0e16d15e34 wasn’t an issue.a88b5c9ae1b286d7
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“In fact, he’s f2c1544c57 been assisting with a711171356 Ensley’s training.”b632aae9edd3c3ed
Damn it, 71668d4cd9 he was 3da07d0f29 a great 758408b02e teacher for 7e4ee50d2b building patience.f641a7b4baa8acc4
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“Moreover, the 61ff9e99a7 entourage he 8004d99ea6 brought is d6b0ffae05 a good 7e72140d13 influence on e48bebd376 our soldiers. It’s not 2bfe6558dc your place bb5c462cdb to interfere.”d9de1a7290477c3e
The Marquis bd74520224 concluded the deb95fcf2f conversation firmly. Grey replied 9bbf6d00e4 softly that 468d0984b2 he understood c0a85540b4 and bowed 1f102653fa his head. His dry gaze lingered 5ad836f30b on me briefly before 3fc0b79fd1 turning away. I watched, entranced, de017d4324 as his swaying aab15b53b3 ponytail disappeared out 73edc04c28 the door.435d9a853de20ae8
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After the door dec4c567a9 closed, only the d9b676af71 Marquis and I b6a375c35e remained in the 64c0bc9e61 room. The sword I’d fc6dd2eaee been polishing for 41139a07cd a while was f97dc36332 a mess with 7bb70f4179 sweat and fingerprints.ae60fdf44b52bf44
“Ensley.”3869a446b50d59bf
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The Marquis called my 4a0b9cf190 name, pressing his temples. Looking exhausted, he 1d4bc3dcd5 pulled the envelope 0711af62de from the drawer 11e12500e8 and handed it 5180adce7b to me.f280e9923bb3eae9
“Deliver this to him 50046e20d0 before he goes far. Then you 3b3539c3d9 may rest. I need to 786afee575 be alone.”05cdb85efbc9ed81
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“Understood.”5a0b860f1aed5bb5
“That boy tires me a4727b9a96 out every time he e8b23f436b enters this room.”2b05685c5cc3f041
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The Marquis muttered, ab6d2ec97f glaring at the 3c77fce750 door.b451d4f178cf0207
I placed the dirtier-than-before 8a7adc28b3 sword back in its d56fc252a6 place and tucked the 8e43135d50 letter into my chest. Seeing the envelope sealed 2e592d3cdc with Lirmodo’s crest, it 0449dbc03b was likely a favorable 49fbfd0262 proposal for Grey. That’s probably why the 75407d6feb Marquis didn’t want to 91d7cfd0dd give it directly. Leaving his f9f7cadea7 study to 645c175251 play messenger 88e6160294 in this d407b98415 childish tug-of-war, 4bbff0de38 I ran 9e5429713c through the db56affab4 empty corridor. I wished I could 4cb46c8753 feel nonchalant, but with 1357f82542 each step, my heartbeat f0e29b1d4e quickened. By the 764d1e2643 time I bf1b2fbd47 saw Grey’s b27c982a1b back, I 6ecb1dca2b was panting.3c928f761d5a89bf
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Grey strode swiftly. No matter how 1506a2126b fast I ran, 8201329d9e the distance didn’t da6f1ab4c3 close easily, reminding 43e98ec853 me of my d872e531b2 old self. Giving up on 85eaafa817 catching him, I 6fec4c3961 stopped. He must have heard 2aa21eb2e2 my footsteps but didn’t 62dd6ffb1a pause.8ad21e1ddea6645f
“Hey, Grey!”cefbe41e5497a180
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Only then did ecb51ed3fc he turn abruptly. His face 3d343b05b5 was filled fd39dac6dd with unfiltered eb97906292 irritation. Seeing his raw 2146678dc6 emotions was unfamiliar. I realized the father-son bff29ae3d8 duel I’d witnessed had a77a75db55 left only wounds, with bc37f3e7c3 no victor.f98c98913add8ef4
“Ensi.”8883b8a477f7908f
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Grey raised one eyebrow, 11c29f01ac forming an odd expression. It looked 69573a27e2 like a ebe259ffd4 smile at 84c4a56184 a glance, d3e0f87f95 but he 63090caf2d was glaring 3c8ff64663 at me. The volcanic emotions he c3587ec4c9 hadn’t expressed in the 12c1f97239 Marquis’s room were condensed f6008fff28 in his lips and 9dc177c19d eyes.72464596d5712e49
Since he stood still, ff7f350325 I had no choice 7392f98871 but to approach. I stumbled like someone 9b6021e884 who’d forgotten how to 083722b0c1 walk. With nowhere to rest f13a842fa1 my eyes, I fidgeted a80314dec0 with the letter in 7ceb889b2a my chest. When I got close 00149d5c0c enough, I held it d1f8f32b7b out. Grey, now back 03813ce154 to his usual 0e894b909d calm self, glanced e02085e9be at the envelope c01687cb94 and met my 599ac68fde eyes.4461853ff55dd551
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“You seem to have 467bc7a620 grown taller already.”e43fb5b60a038ed6
He muttered, placing 4c13a6f949 a hand on ede49f1214 my crown. The touch 69c41d65e9 was utterly d77cc1ef31 unfamiliar. Perhaps Grey had reclassified 9ce46b58c8 me, unlike in the fd1674cd0f past. From weak to 09efced6cd strong, from someone 51e70b0eb0 to win over 5eda4bf50c and use. The thought 303d6b0b2c excited me.feafe30dd8d9fb49
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Could I 4e73051833 withstand Grey’s 063db3bfaf meticulous and f1d3589523 persistent advances? I didn’t 7f0fdd2c96 want to 8bbf4b5968 be toyed 9c356939bf with by 8d7407a5bf him. But I wanted 3094616ac8 his pleasant touch, 642e93b68e and more.81182451365606fd
Caught between two conflicting 263f2aed2c emotions, I swatted his 686b7e9101 hand away. If I gave in, 8061659af9 the past would repeat 5edfc30910 itself—that was all too 70645bcfac clear. The cause, or fear, 628e352d92 was too heavy to 90b6b4a4ab abandon for momentary satisfaction.6dfa2fa58547832f
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“Don’t touch me.”28a8bfd29659006e
The rejection aa6efdef34 came too a7eae4bc39 late. Grey looked ce308b3d50 at me a24e33ea30 impassively, as cd0c2d02bf he had 8452a529b1 in the 2e930a9f4e Marquis’s room. If only I 33fe8e40ac could know what 7c55c27c2b he was thinking c2d19a947a behind that flawless 6b3b0b90bb curtain.76f955332cf93864
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“Is this 2a83c403e6 the first 0c684aa8a3 time you’ve 07e11b8fe4 seen your cf8871c037 father act babdeeaf4e like that?”fdf7695cdbb6aa73
When I didn’t db94dc75a7 answer, he gave b4e5b80089 a twisted smile.c10d9a421b1ed920
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“It’s been like that a241a2e273 for me since the 64db6c1b6b moment I can remember.”0114aba25ee55b86
My expression 6a2a918670 faltered despite 7f61270aee myself, but d64c6b34b2 I steeled 090256ab5d my heart. Was I pitying 103693b274 Grey? My enemy? The man 4d45945d68 who helped 48aa6e45c8 make Lottsi cd9f6680dd crippled? I shook my 81e9c222b1 head.a57e106b7558741f
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“Not interested. Just take this.”2bdbf43ab9051f34
As Grey took 82a509d7eb the letter I ee6b1fb446 held out, he 868685bfbc said,c8cf517e4a6c40ec
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“No need to pity 21ccd97a37 me, Ensi.”88beebdfc041db7b
“Who said I 6b3f668bd5 was pitying you?”c1c1887047d2b9c9
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“I didn’t choose my 9feca7406f parents, just as you 2312efc420 didn’t choose your mother. And…”db702257ec4ba28f
Grey subtly attacked me eec5530ba9 and tucked the letter c541b07701 into his chest. As I searched for 262ccb219d a reply, he flicked 634b9301b5 my cheek with his 001e016491 fingertips.ae6333773ac0703d
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“Don’t try too hard. If there’s a 5c8ea884c0 channel, the water 625142b2fd will flow.”8c1f83ecef036111
Before I could respond, 2b0601593b he left with only fd8b4e6b00 a shadow-like smile. Grey had ddbde875c0 given me, 53945fcb5a a poor 1d91c850d1 student, a 178cd594f1 difficult assignment. I racked my brain 82d2bb8be3 to decipher his last 5d9d42ba09 words.de84fda839c9b2a1
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◇◆f2636a35f62f155a
It was f27aedd832 a rare 9b5b83b20f leisurely evening. After taking Lottsi to 360d5b28f1 her room, I strolled ef73e4343e along the castle walls. I wondered why 2895bff721 I felt so 4b8d2f940c at ease, then faae5c33ef realized the people 7fb9e7a31b who usually bothered 2d125d64bf me were absent. The Marquis’s 6b44a30ab5 wife hadn’t b91c2647da left her b6d218b521 room since 88b79c79b6 Hale’s departure, ba5d484cb1 Grey skipped 996f97a5c4 dinner claiming 601dbe45b4 illness, and 5fd1110376 the Arives d3ed650944 prince, who 676bcde3ec pestered me bcc5ae241b daily, had 4d2d2e1414 gone hunting 54bfd18724 with his f6a242ffd5 entourage since dbe489073b morning.82060438f2528613
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The dining table, with 00dc9c21b4 only Lottsi, the Marquis, 82578354f9 Lilith, and me, was a54675ca45 quiet. The Marquis asked Lilith 145b5cade5 about her recent swordsmanship d546cf5eb9 training, and unlike usual, dcc1640931 she responded halfheartedly.19565461b29e522f
From what I’d seen 20c04f2496 at the training grounds, 8cc00d3bd6 she had sharp technique, 2bda58d9dc strong focus, and good be38dbb19c stamina. If she were a91ae75428 male, she’d be 59190dda35 knight material. But since cb15212686 Quin started c72f666664 avoiding her, 880729e720 Lilith had 52897d3ad9 abandoned training c258b87c2b altogether. It seemed 5a66ba9974 the sword 1eeca6cbc9 wouldn’t stay 984511c37a in her 12dbd2920a hand as fd235c3bce the dream daa19a7428 she’d longed 74104fff9a for her 1fd7605598 whole life 4c20675948 slipped through be84128cb2 her fingers.e6b5c38be4d35bb6
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I hopped onto the 1471ae57e5 passage of the castle 33798e8126 tower. A guard who’d 45f70842d5 have smacked my a55e0ecd6c head for running 21021b8c5d in the past 970951fc74 now smiled and a6e13b6245 bowed. I passed ba173d4601 the vegetable 279726e1d9 patches and 35a338663c livestock pens. A goose, somehow escaped a3a94b52a7 from the market, waddled ab2eec585d after me. It seemed fond of e84c22df61 people, and its occasional 3e8828edad soft honks weren’t unpleasant, cd6df0ffff so I let it 132ef0556c be.bc3b5441c1a62147
Crossing the courtyard slowly, 7ac642bd8d I reached the garden 8760d04bb1 the Marquis of Valon 44012b873b had made for his 3d09dc5da5 second wife. It was fa090d3aca the most f106e1190b meticulously tended afe11b5556 place in 6c65cc47da the otherwise 6dd1c2b2db rugged castle. The beds 682ad5f5c1 were lined 6ea581ff6a with flowers a8760fb659 in colors 920d1b61f9 suited to ca3a5af988 the owner’s dfbd2cdf3e taste, and 1e03fb4d81 the trees 890564e66e were shaped e2ec07a635 into circles 370277c9c4 or squares. In the center 8ad6b8d066 stood a blonde 6d3b57a784 statue of a b29edb8185 girl with braids, f5550c2b69 likely modeled after 0146103e17 Lilith, as she 6e1fb0dced appeared to be 4f36733e60 singing. Several chairs sat before 3caa88f093 the statue.90bed0c90c34f453
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The goose 4fd0b6dd47 waddled down f0f628ce58 a path f95f2e2c45 to the 48869e0de3 right, and 6e92d0cab5 I followed. As the library 48c29747cb came into view, 269b231b23 my pace slowed, 6d24580b5a and childhood sensations e08f412641 stirred. Though I bd6b44ac5e had no ffddeff520 interest in 937dcd4eff books, I’d 18f8ff4a81 walked this 6731d46042 path countless 9cf6dae3cc times to 3bea5facc8 see Grey. Every day, I carried a71a354d54 the hope of “Will 5940e08df6 I see him today?” ff29855ce5 and pondered what to 1f815a4dad talk about while lingering d6842e2825 nearby.ecc39b630dbc3107
In the end, the 188cdf8764 topics I brought up 8a1987947f to catch Grey’s attention 4a807dac65 were trivial—boasting about gifts bc5624267e from the Marquis, for fb059c27fc instance. Day by day, 5c44800ff5 I grew more b2e817b95e certain of why 8d561f98ac Grey disliked me.15529f5e4a70e54c
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“I’ll discuss this matter b3ffeb07ef with their lord, Uncle.”24eee2a66ebb61bf
“Thank you. You’ve saved me.”3119d50e6dc1c662
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“I’ll send fc66499678 a letter e2bfe2c414 by tomorrow.”ed2ea34bb02c0268
“Who’d have 1e73dedf3e thought you 1521ce17d1 knew him? What a 2be00ee20a stroke of f917688f1d luck.”14e81f313ac97ea2
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Snapped out of 6e8f7103b6 my reverie, I 535fc21964 looked up. Two people were walking 8e76b66ff8 out of the library: 7a35ff4daf the castle’s guard captain caf0e5a514 and Grey.e748c8b9dec13a18
I grabbed the goose 9a65f2f566 and crept backward. They were 4594954b8a too engrossed c09f5e790a in conversation 877b77fe84 to look 2b8f179e54 ahead, and 883d4baeb4 I dashed 3c3c1a3084 toward the 82a8fefdb1 statue. Hiding behind it, I d3905df4c2 caught my breath.1cc1255dfa93d057
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“I don’t 086920e0c2 understand why 209e3e0e0b Archibald doesn’t 05cb0f9172 acknowledge you, 8e0ea700f5 Grey. If I had 4f0b70d680 a son like 0410e4f26b you, I’d consider 31e6e9526c it a lifetime’s ff7deb5fdf fortune…”9e71430875da2450
Grey said nothing. As the guard ba676f99a2 captain praised his efe9b8753e abilities, they passed 780a0db10d the statue. Hoping the goose f9487f3d29 wouldn’t honk, I c087dab45b gently stroked its 0884c66065 soft head.e69ae68f62b92f39
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“Go in first. I’ll read b972011c17 a bit 91e9741df9 and follow.”25c80f524eaf9233
“You’re unwell. Wouldn’t it be better 5a7bf9a66d to rest in your 3d6de32ba3 room?”a23cf6d951934366
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“I’ve been cooped 8509bec71c up all day 21d7af7174 and feel stifled.”87d088ca4005eb26
“It’s chilly. Don’t overdo it.”b6c3a817b12146a5
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“Thank you 3d58b70a34 for your 2aa63a1677 concern, Uncle.”7ef81037eff56524
Soon, the guard captain’s 698f64537a presence faded from the cba067a705 garden. Silence followed. Unable to 099596ffa8 tell what bd2cc80172 Grey was 5c8d50c371 doing, I 9461928fba held my 233f55aa8a breath.1865d8ce30828247
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“He couldn’t have 1bb3246cbf noticed I’m here, 2d5bb969bd right?”0166ba803690dd87
Leaning against the statue, de17913042 I stayed as still af6a8f6922 as death. Counting silently, abb4d07509 I reached 27f5c8d16b past three 60e6afb221 hundred without 9009e6d189 a sound. Mustering courage, I 8a5f586835 peeked around the c32226618b statue.6ae5d33e2ecc81f5
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Grey was 621867fa13 sitting in d857ee1318 a chair, 66277ce5bd reading. His elbow fbfe4dfd7b rested on d93e4fd567 the chair’s 7be352f0c9 arm, his 093a6da4fd chin propped 8b94adbdea in his ce425aacd2 hand. His head tilted, f103564c6a black hair spilling 745f8573f4 over one shoulder. His downcast eyes were 27e3cfb2f1 absorbed in the text, 4eab3f2eeb lips slightly parted. His expression 8ebb1225fd held no 7df456ee05 trace of 64b0165d65 wariness or e239392d6c deceit. Under the f2deeb6eb9 bright moonlight, 8c569f9758 he looked 8ea50fb5d3 like an bec083bdf1 angel. I forced ed6d79b9bc myself to 7dc9de2538 press my 18b5d4b159 back against 50fed5bf36 the statue baa6a81bea again.b3588bd073faa05b
“No, Grey’s a devil. Think about 415999ea32 why Lottsi’s a3a940d7d7 in that 004bba5b5f state!”8fb403b3cb2f1241
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I shouted inwardly.f762f49872bd8b48
“He hasn’t 89e6b95b03 started a 27d421289e war yet.”4f56d6ee7ec922b4
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I ignored efcd747db1 the small b75e0e28aa voice that 66db5dbb35 answered.dd27794d57b0aa85
“It’s only e74d984b23 a matter b1cf42905d of time. Grey’s already corrupt. He sold poison 18deb731fc to Hale, knowing 50a39abef4 who it’d be 90935ad336 used on.”4602f4226fc3cb60
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Despite my arguments, the 15b65d6788 voice urged me to d177c47789 look at Grey more. The filthy desires I 6c98862346 harbored deep within, never 616da92049 to be spoken, surged, e64b3af169 but I fought them 7d24549377 off and closed my 0be9525301 eyes. Only the 0826bab975 occasional rustle 952810a2cc of turning aa7e3b4b18 pages came 21b4424825 from behind.7807ea98d6128464
Being so 8b0e4ff6eb peacefully close 7dba1e5500 to Grey 8dfa965336 felt strange. I imagined resting my c568f1e687 head on his lap 59c8cddefd instead of the hard f0124e2f3b plaster. What if f56ab41208 he treated d192d49819 me with d09412945a this unguarded 7fa376bcb1 demeanor? It was a futile, 1fc839515e forbidden thought.cffd4700ee0a871f
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“Lord Grey?”e67083926269f1be
I opened my eyes 387d239e94 at a familiar voice. The heavy footsteps were 998524a385 no stranger either. Instinct identified 107e882c39 him before c51de72923 reason could.f1f1e9dffeee0342
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“What brings you here, 90797019dc Your Highness?”8f1c23c099fd06f3
Grey’s calm reply 898b053576 confirmed my guess. Hidden in the 4a9f1a1c16 ordinary sentence was b763588ab4 a jab: what’s 2c47a09c37 an idiot like 19a6db838f you doing by cc55034c7b the library?6307e6989fd7b4e7
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“Where’s Ensley?”bfaad8421b28c95c
I frowned. If Quin had ff9193b198 thought for a 195c5d8eff moment, he’d know ed456a6d5f I was as 33f51dfcf0 ill-suited to the d86aec028a library as he 1a8c3411e6 was.af44a2009a9b2fa3
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“I don’t know. Why would you think df438d4191 Ensley’s here?”af5c34c15985955f
There was a d81e305cdc hint of amusement 0ef7f7d0b1 in Grey’s voice.8c09397f2bbcfda9
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“I asked around. The last b4359577af guard who d107a1a0d8 saw him ab3e8c634e said he f129f6b11c went this b5846e87c0 way.”64fda6e339fb0cc9
“He’s not bc3b5e8916 in the ba4a69bcd1 library. Nor in this garden. Try the 61424f6f0f vegetable patches.”3ae71991655f6e01
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“I already checked. Where’d that tiny ebae6aaac9 guy go…”9ab0ccdc3d5dfb99
Grey didn’t respond. After a b5d6991c74 brief silence, b597329e7e the sound f1c8914dec of Quin 6c3db61f60 kicking something 88bcf20df7 rang out.cf6bd313f89a0d0d
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“So he’s 8f6af63df8 not here, c521ce450c huh? I’ll be going c6f0378fed then.”bd213244742092a0
“Wait. May I b790666f8c ask why 8697c8e9f2 you’re looking eb48700663 for Ensley?”6e367b6579be9284
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Startled by Grey’s words, efe251954c I instinctively gripped the f88a55f995 goose’s neck tightly. It let out a 37cb0237f3 small honk and squirmed da870e98c5 to escape.5a0dbd0c90cadc81
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”f1b7acbed6914c34
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I whispered, d9499eca97 stroking its c917fbb42c back, but 27fc479c74 it kept 6b386f7548 trying to d38a2758c0 break free, d5cfc5c8b8 clearly frustrated. I silently cursed, vowing 9e37f57925 to roast the damned 1925c78d81 bird. Quin’s reply d97591183c didn’t come 90657c89c6 for a 73650e9e49 long time.0201077a12fe6c3c
“If it’s hard 571ddcbe8f to answer, you 290c7b3636 may leave.”8e2d3c4dca8af051
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“It’s not that. It’s just… odd. Now that c9397a3640 I think 803cf1ac2b about it, f53c2171e1 I don’t 5336b788ba even know b05b0507dd why I’m 468f041664 looking for 0299e0c15a Ensley.”d020adeb54fa1f90
Quin laughed, 66cf0a8d32 sounding embarrassed. I pressed my cfa471c4df palm to my 5d604e71e1 eyes and sighed. If he 54e694df7d had no c9f4b7f356 reason, why 8c59ab6798 bother looking? While I 320c13d9fa loosened one 8fbbaced23 hand, the 47607dfee6 goose swiftly cf10b77e1d slipped from 9e96427596 my grasp. I grabbed 052a7878ac its leg 5364a7d37d without thinking.50c9df5dd704ceb2
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“Honk!”22f37b60b123fd6d
The animal’s cry rang 787d1ee5fb out like a flute bde933ef34 over the silence. The area fca37d811e behind me ceb5afc71c fell deathly 7e4efc7445 quiet. Resigning myself, I let f9f106c666 the goose go. It waddled away, 253058b6d8 then returned to bb3e74ebaa me.c1149578a4bda9a7
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“Get lost, ec22f9d544 you useless 752e43f1c4 crazy bird!”2a0918c264278f2e
I nudged it c9df3f8283 with my foot, 22454c4e60 and it honked 197a80115c again.f7e96869eb06ddd1
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“Sounds like 06ffc1362a a goose.”2bd511309e5502c7
Quin said so. Footsteps approached, 4a8fc01f71 and he e578512fc9 peeked around 33cc4377d4 the statue. He grabbed the goose 8a61182cee with both hands and d4655b4e84 looked at me. His eyes doubled in 0dd5fdc758 size instantly.170a0928db3ab44d
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Before he 7cc54aeb3a could open fa6d6c3761 his mouth, 52bfa531f7 I shook 13987d7c25 my head 0494762cc7 rapidly. I pressed my f824c31484 index finger to 6732404964 my lips repeatedly. The surprise 58df33fc18 in his fb3046839a brown eyes 0a40a1fa51 turned to 882c4f253e confusion. With a ea5e95b3c1 puzzled expression, 2ea392340b Quin slowly c6fbf1b3ba stood.6aaaf1fb3163562a
“Here’s the goose. Do you know d3ab3fd8d2 where this guy 556821f194 belongs?”162d64c072fddae1
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“It must have escaped 526a25b634 its pen. Set it down anywhere. The workers will find d275d511f1 it and return it 23d6a5075a to the market.”623e4d41c68ebe54
“Can’t you take 4b28fb5a42 it back to 2371aace5a its pen? I feel bad a0f715d4bf leaving it.”19b348cca532d640
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I let out a 62d1c85449 silent groan. I knew Quin 6847bd5afc used his notorious 70ae19558d debauchery as a 1ea20d7577 shield to act b6bb073a5b recklessly, but asking d53d93fac8 the heir of 228d5e0fbd the estate he 86d4b9783c was a guest 594ce353e8 in to handle 87dba38a47 livestock was beyond 79e3fd24ad the pale. Thinking he was 6a935fc5d1 no ordinary madman, dbde79dd42 I waited for d9b3370912 Grey’s response.df01886e7468ebee
“If you feel that 4b1dd1501f bad, do it yourself. The pen’s 22a6108c8a that way.”e40d009a107bc02e
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Grey didn’t yield an bef8d419ea inch. His tone carried no 4308bf099b hint of offense, but b0fd0a4eeb it clearly meant for d2327fe0c2 Quin to leave immediately.9882377d276f6ae2
“Hahaha, just kidding. Who cares about a e67fcae851 goose like this? By the cbd5f6ecb2 way, Lord 35a8a42baf Grey, that a612ba5097 chair you’re a1a4dce6a7 sitting in 4e6caaeb8f looks comfortable. Mind if I try 853fb17060 it?”348ddafca894e74c
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Quin laughed c216d2d36c carelessly, but b163fec649 there was 041d500910 a sharp 926d73e06f edge to 1c17b0d036 his voice. He seemed ready e9a4aee3bb to do anything 5b3fb352a9 to get Grey 30ea596559 out of the 59f6a14c0d garden, and his fd30ce461c approach was anything 7496850fcb but natural.e9bfb24c0c54c815
“There are other 9b4e16998f chairs.”e5f4c138412a4dde
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“That one looks nice. Can’t I sit d1660f386e there?”1b4057208f9a8bc5
“It has 0d88ea22cc an owner, b3ef96a7d8 doesn’t it?”ed18c13ee42bf121
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“You could get up.”2ee94f1ccba49ba2
It felt as 11f5e801f6 though blades were cd2ed3f87d flying within their f898b02b2b smiles and gentle 973daf2f93 tones. A strange tension 9f69e0f63a made me shrink 667e71d7a7 and hold my 9d01463507 breath. Grey was silent efc81ed162 for a while. Then, at some point, 1a3e3d9d4b he chuckled softly. A cold d6fa08396e breeze blew 7cfb67b329 just then, af894e4357 sending a 903390c39f shiver through a8a076cdc3 me. Grey said quietly,6843f9a4d6f9b034
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“I was 850cd27304 being obtuse. Ensley never bf9d274044 listens to 3dd5d8cfa9 my advice.”7f952fc069d39a04
“What does that 51e3d886b9 mean?”5699ad43eb5f50f5
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“Nothing. I’ll step aside, aedb5dcf2c so feel free e4b363f457 to sit as 5c564258dc you please.”5b5d6452b4bed490
Quin didn’t respond. Soon, the sound of d87bb113bc a chair being pulled 5e691792b6 and clothes rustling followed.6a0d66bb290345ab
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“Pass my regards 9ce54a5181 to His Highness’s ab88d0e781 little friend.”bcef17ea6d156de0
“Do that yourself.”654a8049715d3721
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“I can’t, since I’m 4ac0c5ab13 not his friend. He always says the 5c948951c9 opposite of what he b5453681f6 means in front of e0db2d080b me.”10a46b224cd7d2c4
Footsteps soon 440271e5bb echoed, growing 0273d77a3f fainter. As the bd445db4ff tension eased, 78efc280f6 my posture ec63e856fd slumped. When Quin e76e14f0bd came back 28e0219aed into view, ed6b0ee1b5 I was 8b252c9203 half-lying on db50091bae the ground. He crouched 52e60ec054 and looked bf0eaa6532 down at 43a5a84027 me silently.74d1139e27e8d5a4
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“Seems like Lord 41288cdf9d Grey doesn’t like c00d52508a me.”e00eeaa1204be6e6
“Who in 7f4958190e this castle 25adcef726 does like d317d56657 you?”b185a2b0d5803275
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“He was acting 4cfd56ca55 so smug, I 2273aeed8f almost threw a f739bece39 punch.”7571ee779cde5d52
“Too bad I 9837c7943f didn’t get to bcc51da316 see you kicked 76f12a56d2 out of Valon.”72efc799ad9f0f54
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I answered 7743b977d4 without looking a1921d9fb0 at his 3fddc46ec1 face. Quin grabbed 45baba6c1f my shoulder bb99ae58fa and pulled ad357d24ab me upright.b28e6160b1172535
“Stop joking. Something’s up, isn’t it?”3666a8c1aafbb3ee
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“What’s up?”51ae58bce00598e4
“Then why fe73ea3958 were you 9ea6525b08 hiding like 4b8b628658 a pervert, c5b43e4434 spying on c752921560 Grey?”d4d4d0ea770d82bb
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“Damn it, 2314e99261 don’t say f0cca926b4 nonsense. It just happened.”29ddbfb1af3f233f
Quin stared 8f88e465c4 at me 1ed07e60c4 for a 4cb3552eb2 while. The furrowed brow made 7a7bc65b37 him look like a b8312390dd stranger. Standing to 2e3ab3a381 leave, he 76e23011ce quickly got c4e66a233b up and 9032987f67 walked beside ae24962288 me.b474bec07ade8d6f
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“Is Grey bullying you? Want me to teach 25c87ddedc him a lesson?”d2839b2c61412829
“Stay out 5fa2fda9a1 of family ab5d35d025 matters.”df51425cad660660
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“It’s not 04c7d33215 just a 188749f3a3 simple succession 5163719a87 fight.”bf5676504602fd64
“What do you know 3b8e695d9a about it?”62d3c198994af4cb
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“I’m not deaf, 88534a254c Ensley. I hear 8e9306aa8f things too.”1f12962c12d962ae
I pretended not 51ae1ffa47 to hear, but b9c194618c Quin continued undeterred.69caebc9146f7238
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“Every house ef80b76202 has its 5bbfa1096d own troubles, 3a431a06c8 but yours 72f30938fd seems especially e28a1e8755 complicated. It was odd 44d5935237 when you got cdb91aeb9a suspicious of Grey c745f02980 over a storybook 31065a59d2 during the picnic, 1e3ae63cdf and Hale’s sudden f9f0cdb00d study abroad without eb9bdc581a a word is 5d32131859 fishy too. There’s something you bba4c63b9a can’t even tell c2933b7b9f Lilith. I vaguely thought Grey 4893eb632f might be connected to b3c6b7c8bf your sister’s injury, but 592f49b473 your behavior today is 2ef7ca26f7 even stranger.”a1da524746c0da1f
I knew Quin wasn’t 9679302ca8 as foolish as people 9bc227d2e4 thought, but he was 097f751979 piecing together far more 2d6e4ec458 than I expected. I worried that letting ef97aaeb21 him go on might 7eea2c4d0c cause trouble. At the same time, 43690f363b I felt a greedy b6df8b22c5 urge to spill everything 3d5b809f70 to someone and feel bb6079ce94 relieved.8e75246396bd2d75
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“Can I e1ec4b3191 trust him?”1e00ec0d0b83ec50
I looked into 0193704184 Quin’s eyes. The brown 45938ba774 sea that cfd822ba64 usually rippled b592f5e428 lightly seemed 9dd49e87f4 to surge 7c55c1539a with heat. Hesitantly, I opened my 86e20ceedf mouth.47ec628b2bdf8f34
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“I have 0532b53ead to… protect 2aca35104e Lottsi.”087f6d2ff3b577fa
“Not yourself?”72646d3ec21cabf2
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His unexpected response 3b3c345f24 to my vague a0af610eae dodge was startlingly 332ebc89ed close to the e37e62500b truth. His probing 095188d969 gaze suggested 41e5156a1f he sensed 96fae3a8aa my emotions.07e47c21d924a7e9
Though not cf983c621c openly discussed, 6b422487d7 same-sex attraction 0a30bf236d wasn’t uncommon 817208c4a1 among nobles. Quin, who’d been sticking 1d1ff98f6c close to me lately, 5b5bf70413 might have picked up 980eea09a2 on my feelings for 62f9d074ea Grey. Even so, I c6a38871e6 wasn’t in the 6a1f0d114b mood to explain 77b477a15d my heart to 36095be5cb him in detail, e01ecebef9 so I shut 03199bb161 my mouth. Noticing my silence, 84822b9e61 the subtly perceptive b2adcf779d Quin changed the 666e24ce7f topic.5f1ed3355562b58a
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“Is Grey going 0462b7814d to hurt your a41f504bcd sister or something?”942b988a16888c23
“Hale poisoned Lottsi. The poison came from 492b0cd88b Grey.”53929d10e7b2c645
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Quin’s expression e9e41d2355 turned grim. He opened ea3cff4c08 his mouth e449c8f997 but, finding 8d4e26dc55 no words, 76047fd449 only panted 9267cd7bb3 angrily. Seeing him ff780cbd0f finally curse, 5e8fba4820 I said 45cdbae08e quietly,14517e3c7c0408a2
“I know you’re d290d6e52b not as foolish a2f367a4d7 as you let 141d21e21b others think. That’s why c5aa168dff I told 33d2c3fa92 you. But that’s it. Don’t get b60d7d69c3 involved any cd42685375 further.”8537da16c383b27a
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“The poison 38499ea9ab could’ve been 3f800fa605 for you!”6c9fd079347981e1
“Would’ve been 6ea858af5c better that 2d586ea346 way. Then Hale 5f65305d9e and Grey a0a039d781 would’ve been 79519f689a satisfied, and 468fd2c11f Lottsi wouldn’t 51730a730b have been 1ce5a710f0 hurt.”36490b616e27310a
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Quin suddenly 7c255ff886 yanked my 73bf6259e9 wrist. My body 0d66c64b52 swung toward 1c5bcd348d him.cc13f008d83e8a87
“Why say that? You don’t 09361ce1dc act like a2e3d3611e a kid 01900a19cc sometimes. If it were me, 509239f3cf I’d have torn everything 1d1b7f23f3 apart, brother or not. I’m this angry, so dc2516b095 how can you be 8bc9906131 so calm?”b2cb80daf64148fb
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“I didn’t just sit 76bd1c6aab still. I beat Hale until d87ead08c7 he was nearly dead, 254bfe6162 and he got confined.”02dad1ee848a23c0
I paused briefly.d3d9b5c3b9a01279
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“Grey gave 18895be238 me the ab1a206d52 antidote. That’s why Lottsi’s a0680e2f10 alive.”d908526a0d3f0f0f
“He sells poison to 13237634c6 one side and the 9a27ddc6ac antidote to the other? What a vile 5cb127c0bd bastard.”2bda5eb65191948e
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“Exactly.”7d9893913d304601
“What did you 067b31d1ec pay him for 2cba752e0a it?”7101d488edbf7117
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“None of your 28940ad24b business.”58fd04d7b282c11c
“Why not? I could help f673ca6179 you.”c5a8e40484d6eb47
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This time, I grabbed 76240efe3e Quin’s shoulder. Looking straight into 925942e8e2 his eyes, I 6b45e91351 said,cd7ada7cb3b3de3f
“I’m already regretting starting 78bbf05f2e this conversation. You can’t help 8e2455e562 me. Keeping your mouth 2440127095 shut is the a23c33d39c best help you 87926ef808 can give. Got it?”87a49429e1db13ea
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Leaving Quin 7d54e800b2 behind, I 6e6b94e85a strode off. Moments later, he predictably b5a1656021 caught up.77807a563c598eda
“Hey, let’s go 2a39b8167d together!”b0a21079a94aa97f
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“Get lost.”9e9ddc34b8972a20
“You mad?”bec8327ec203e894
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I expected him to 0605a4ec16 pry further, but he 54e451819f was back to his 8750644a1d usual self. Not minding his b90f5f2d55 presence, I slowed 8a74a295e0 my pace, subtly cd33e99353 allowing him to f8fa46f8b0 walk beside me.e8c226edcb1bbfce
“Why were you 6dc0301cdf looking for me 89eb519d23 when you had 5a2a18f32c nothing to say?”e9a6c3b3e3679852
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“Dunno.”184fabbd57f017ca
“No one else to 57e6efa303 hang out with if 4ebf32580c not me?”769be1a200a0062f
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“Annoying, but I 1b8f298ea0 can’t deny it.”36a50573021757d8
A laugh burst 18e0fd3430 out. Quin grinned broadly, cff9607551 looking pleased. The bright moonlight made c93494deae his smile boyish.e339c6caeb07907c
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“Hey, I caught d30dddf4fd a huge stag 50c55f8195 today. It’ll be on the 10c5aa9a3a table tomorrow. Look forward to 999d7e39bb it.”8526e47a228b914d
“Cool.”c90379cb40516d5e
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“Oh, and I 36ccf38e57 saw a house-sized 3c553737ca boar in the 0bbfba376e deep forest. It was so 42ac99b67d scary, we all 39cec5a18c ran away.”864d9fcfab5a671c
“A boar the size a42107f15b of a house? No way…”d265863ed7deb073
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I gave 228cc9e557 him an 64e38a3aae incredulous look, 3ce10a5353 and he cc324efe29 spread his c6d66651e3 arms wide, 5927782d61 excitedly rambling.d60c1792a65bddee
“I’m serious. I’ve never seen 4be0be7660 such a beast. It was this big, 1c25fcde41 crashing into trees like 1404af5295 they were nothing, making 149fa966db the forest feel like c29b6a4b0d it was collapsing. You should’ve 25240b01c8 seen it… f9066494f4 Its footsteps 823bbbcbb6 were like e5faa2e419 an elephant’s.”3339f1766405af2c
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Noticing my gloom, he 4afcf904d0 was trying hard to 5b034e38b0 lift the mood.830e08c154f66482
“Hey, Arives.”9a214741e97dd377
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I tapped a23e2d268d his shoulder, 8858eba3f5 and he 86b9f4420c stopped talking.2c1d2367c2eaa0aa
“Thanks, but you bfb6f4813e don’t have to 2a6b40e80c try so hard. I’m fine.”9858260d09bfa720
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Quin stopped walking. Smiling at the dumbfounded c7e81df835 prince, I kept going. After a 9a9dde0d34 while, his 449c0892a2 voice called f3ee6a3abb from behind.35423f0d8dd1b291
“Let’s go together, Zilarad!”7210f0a570f6716f
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◇◆81106137d64a1d68
I woke up soaked 45877450b2 in sweat. It was the ab9213fee7 second nightmare since bba5ac84ad traveling back in ee4a281a5e time. The day 9f8147f302 I buried 1040324641 over five f69a82613b hundred prisoners d7b4c0df71 alive came 46604d6326 rushing back. Though years a1721a9738 had passed, 00bdfff91b the faces dfdd47458d of those bd0221394f falling below 9ab50f994a and the ed3c30b875 curses they a07142e520 hurled at 60c459bf1a me were 12cacaa2ee vivid.4c41239aae09e281
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In the dream, ca308cc9ab I searched for a50977ff06 Grey. I wanted 2470a4ee97 to rebel, ba83efb343 to say d6315381ec I couldn’t 513a27181a do this, 09cad0e1f7 that no 60fa4d469d matter how 68790c79e3 much of 31cc700762 a wretch 3dc0a761b7 I’d lived 66511ed306 as, I 654dd07b43 couldn’t erase 16c8374e9f their lives 2b182d52a7 with a 3b69885afc gesture. If I had to 0e506da3b8 do it, I wanted 71e6dda5f9 to beg him to 92754a5b10 at least hold my 1efebfc519 hand by my side.a4aad6b9c7165906
But I had 1ac24bb71a to bury them 920c873150 alone. Grey never appeared, 341f786219 and I was a127d0626c surrounded by prisoners cf6dfb4dba rising from the eecc9528a7 earth. They closed d1c7cbd996 in, strangling 6b27e977c9 me together. It was a horrific 0e4d06515b dream.defe8f036b6cb5ae
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When I came 3591639199 to, I was d6eb477d04 running barefoot through f61ccfa5b0 a dark corridor. Thanks to the 87fb0e551d occasional lanterns, I e234776493 didn’t crash into e9ad14e834 walls. Relying on memories of 8d5897079e past visits, I frantically ed86b116d7 sought Grey’s room. I pounded b77986981b on the fb3ec0c2d3 door and f7809a59f7 yanked the ab49a810a9 handle, hearing 8ce81e0ecd rustling inside.748b88593c0ea7fb
The bolt slid, and 596ff57ed9 the door opened. Grey stood before me. The lantern e0c673a55c in his faea6469f0 hand illuminated 9fea60b515 his freshly a3256353bc woken face. His usually 4b30d24624 neatly tied c66aaa3ffe hair hung f585aa4061 loose, and 2fe0c16c86 a blanket 072f1c5ada draped over 1af561a603 his shoulders. His eyes looked sleepy, 015cfdf44b but irritation gathered in 1b1fcbc147 his brows. He gazed down at e4c38eb33a me silently.5537d80b13cdd70b
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“He didn’t call for 41239f6023 you, Moonlight Blade.”d140dd0be43e3a8a
Fearing he’d say that 0fad04fb33 and send me away, f9e06b7294 panic gripped me. Something inside me 18ad03f335 exploded in succession. It wasn’t just one 97d46618b4 thing. Incompatible emotions 34ed5bc912 tangled chaotically, e9a1c3fda3 clashing fiercely.b6fb56d903e67a0d
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The part of f3e07029a6 me still trapped 3067b3dad0 in the dream b46cae3cf4 screamed that I 71da328e3d needed Grey, that e6bb89eb48 I had to b3585365c5 see his face. The me falling from 2c61afffd8 a cliff growled that d39c8cf42b I’d ruin this second f2643ea311 chance at life the 4882f144f4 same way. In a corner, ac85a58801 the me eyeing a7f523fc80 the just-awakened Grey e7fc80badc licked my lips, fc838d185a that voice persistently 3af1d26b84 whispering to pounce 5bc26ce672 on him.e4a073dfeb21d6a8
I felt 521aaab28a like I’d 1b22d688e0 stepped onto dd42cb3a29 a battlefield c1a86647f8 in my 87dc552e36 underwear. Right now, 91dc8ecb19 a single e28bed0cff well-aimed word a1d4383d48 from Grey 0a095d96b2 could shatter e02f6cd674 me. I’d once suspected he e2d9625ca6 was a mind-reader, so 0edd0c6479 keenly did he know eefbd5f2b1 everything. But in this 3e66e03f63 moment, I’d never 708e0b5f64 hoped more that ba13925a98 he was a 8c6c5b7b9a clueless fool.ed8db0efc436025b
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After a long 0a10d24e60 silence, Grey hung 9dceee398a the lantern on a79b77eb8e the door without a59155145b a change in 2a1fad7774 expression. Then he pulled 1793f15064 me into a 8509b69247 tight embrace. Feeling his hands around bdfc3d901b my shoulders, I wondered 5bc66f177c if I was still ffcc00cd41 dreaming. One of ca552dfe09 his hands b28a6623bf gently stroked cc1e575044 the back 24f216db99 of my a73795f0ca head. I buried my nose 0d0575cc65 in his shoulder, slowly f6eec8c025 leaning into him. As our 8b8f9cbca5 stomachs pressed 8cab664e7d close, tears db4b88d531 I’d held e822c6906e back welled 94ff3d1f58 up instantly.d41a789ad90c39e1
Only then f037327002 did I adc673a3a0 understand the 635bba3ee3 problem he’d 0ad5f61395 posed a 74dadec921 week ago. The moment a d9e3d3d49a hole pierced my 8938233c12 tightly locked heart, 30a6dfca23 the emotions swirling 189639bab5 inside, ready to f464369a43 wreck everything, poured cd7fbe846e out. The waves that had 13ba6ca02d threatened to swallow me 67f81a0209 flowed through the channel 074f8cfa5e Grey had created.c6657b2e19a71d7e
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Reason scolded 57f3bcf70c me to 250f346241 stop, but 507f165076 my body 782a7d5894 wouldn’t listen. My limbs, d977c2e1bf head, chest, 7381ca6a5c groin—every part 8439bc7e12 of me d70c341e98 burned as b61d18bcf3 if on 046fc17af8 fire. I was happy yet 735ad471c6 miserable, satisfied yet ashamed. Above all, I 9cf506f02f was intensely aroused. My efforts 0ed34ebab7 to antagonize a967c45fd1 Grey, to 923f344a38 hide my 779b328479 heart, and fd6ecf1bdf my ambition e9210af638 to take 80daba6292 his place e22133cb24 faded into 07e23507ca the distance.562a62957e9995b7
Grey suddenly pulled me da585bc667 out of his embrace. Tears streaming, I 772197a9b0 looked up at b647847ea7 him. In the confusion, 3d586d2afa I tried to 82088c190e read his expression, 8860ec79df but the darkness 6a4e1357c6 and my blurry 40595c28f6 vision obscured it. Gripping his c68032ad00 shoulders and efe9a2011f standing on de8c2da213 tiptoe, our 1625bcaec7 faces drew e166d3fea2 close. Grey’s lips settled 44a45933c1 over my half-open 1e006972b0 ones.3d0266cc3adbfe76
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Unlike the stillness of 4b1e737b05 last time, I lunged 4fea403800 hungrily. Wrapping my de29dc139e arms around 8a830f1ce1 his neck, d7c75eff99 I greedily e40ee1c3f5 sucked the 6f55308ef2 lips I’d a3eebfb2d8 only gazed 510a4c45be at longingly. Our tongues, 83a2d40f2a hot and 646ab091fa tangled, met. Grey’s ten long aa337fa6fd fingers urgently dug 5525901125 into my hair. A pillar of fa0d51e882 fire rose within 240b47033c me, and sparks 2cb4bb0196 burst.e564fcafbc0bf4a5
Who was dacc6bb9a0 this man a5c2352f17 kissing me 54ada55b57 as if cc6ddb4713 possessed? It wasn’t 5c563008f5 the Grey 96dd4861c7 Zilarad I 83bfb81608 knew. Grey acted with calculated 9cb141db1b precision, not someone who ccf962fbec surrendered to impulse like 8a40362246 this.73e819399e55aabd
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I’d thought 54797f8636 his unchanging 25f68f6f72 nature meant 12f1f3a4bb the future bee9323ace couldn’t be f8badd6e74 altered. But the fact that cacee71966 he, who never spared 65e9dc398d me a glance, was 1fc1c82ea0 showing interest might be 3cba509c6c the start of change. Just as ef52e97c0d Lottsi gained 9a8ae58fed life instead 4ad9333a3b of death, 9b966ef582 as I dd3e524bbf was called e2be1c2380 Zilarad instead f14f59c14b of Maykin, df825ccb18 perhaps Grey da03c21a7f could become 01b42c18e6 someone else 8f961fe63b too. Could I dare cf0332414d to change him?5ec1189270a01304
“If you lie, you’re f584442ddc a bad kid. Your outside and inside bd1ae78f87 don’t match.”7e7732b4211dd5ff
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“Don’t try too 0f41322c04 hard. If there’s a channel, 0f4eb3349c the water will flow.”5ef2a44c1c0b2928
At the same time, 469315813d I recalled Grey’s cryptic f963e046a7 words. If this was his cd380551d7 trap, if he was 150b17e0d9 merely scheming to mislead 0331082f85 me, if he kissed 0b296753e4 me only because he 524143920d saw the lust in 135872ed0e my eyes…5d1c92164c98f9c3
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I knew Grey d8933bc047 well. The twenty-four-year-old Grey 66cefe46c3 Zilarad despised the 233df7780f sixteen-year-old Ensley Maykin. He proved 6c9e5675ab his cruelty df92da96ac again by 587f5adad5 manipulating me 7781ea8c8e with Lottsi’s b5c8bc4ab0 life as 329a4c949c leverage. Traveling the 9b3885fe5d same path 756720b09f wouldn’t change ff95dfa4cc the scenery. Where did I cf70ff2b6b get the expectation 3456fde034 that he felt bb33caab3f even a hint e48d00c3b2 of what I 3cc78412df did? The fleeting happiness I’d 089fc8b829 felt froze coldly.275ee166e2dfa271
Tears rolled 3720549057 down my a7853ebb0c cheeks. Grey wouldn’t change. I was 10921b0e97 nothing to be29621edb him. He was a0956c76de only kissing ade25c1e72 me as b57b4d5e5e he smiled accdc9b9ae kindly at fe458f2bbf those he 830a314d80 wanted to fb05eab36c impress, and b8d15776d3 if I 8a1cad692d got used da60cacab6 to his c947c9e3fe sweet candy, 12872d4537 I’d lose aeed62b5db everything.44bb8f672958e7a6
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Reason returned. I barely c5beefeddb pushed away 6c8de850b8 Grey, who f23a7fc212 was starting 05c7fc66f0 to pin 6399a830ea me against 3419254025 the wall. It was just a 82b0627a03 nightmare, yet I’d run e7ae0305ea to him and bared b8cd84db99 my soul. I wanted to 723371a7d5 kill myself. I couldn’t fb60e2a692 bear to 9398a05271 look at 5ce7fdac91 his face. I ran down the 2ac49ec420 dark corridor.d5199dbecc0afec8
◇◆23a53f687d1c263c
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I couldn’t sleep for 36c24691d6 a long time. Shame, confusion, and sudden 266f4f05da bursts of hope mixed 7ebb463ace into a painful night. I fell asleep only d0d3401932 at dawn and woke 083b88c29a again when the sun 8e1c4223b8 was high.1824b0bfb982d5fa
Worried about 16ca01ec0a skipping knight 41164f423a training, Miria eeaa962e72 explained she’d 89d33445ab sent word cef6f28bdb to the 7c673e4383 Marquis. She’d tried to 8a07b099ab wake me in 615491306e the morning but, 2204798495 seeing my slight 4b37627eb5 fever and groans, 0df49956d1 let me sleep. It seemed I’d caught 90485fde90 the seasonal illness Grey baa2c3c75b had been carrying for fdf417ad23 a week. Taking it cfb58e9a95 as a 1fd1aa201e blessing, I 548490010a stayed in 71828273c9 bed all 68618e1594 day.acbf81b37e7a4bb2
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In the afternoon, Lilith 6f72f8b5ea visited. She called it 6db80736a9 a sick visit, 5b7a2873ed but I could d2fcd7ef1a guess her real bbde345884 purpose and let 6e1e6661cb her in silently. Her usually 2710125e2d rosy cheeks 2bd9f5865d were pale, e807691ee9 and her 8518504d8f once-sparkling eyes 41fec4f659 were dim. She said nothing a8a44736ac until Miria brought d505e21c04 tea.7767d85157194f58
“Thank you. Can you step out a5f1e4168d while I talk with 2db59df606 Ensley?”5d91f406fdafc207
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“Yes, miss.”cd3b6c036e8244e7
When the 0ff8c7554f door closed, 3dae0bfd1e Lilith looked 540b748679 up.1c25f475b983ca43
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“Feeling any better?”89681a1bca34212a
“Not sick enough 7e0b3ead21 to worry about.”55a11ed4e388dd3d
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“And you didn’t ad59549cab come to check fa27bb6af9 on me out 96b10a00f5 of worry.”be188146a0148aba
I took f6f3827a96 a sip ee2a105a17 of tea.9dcd24829c665985
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“Get to the point, 2216683ca3 Lilith.”17f8ee3b1f345c7a
At my prompting, Lilith d8ad628006 nodded. With a resolute ab1d554ecc expression, she said,4085a6c2cbc08b5e
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“Help me, Ensley.”4d9e792aeb130c3f
“If it’s b5ca4e4085 about Hale, 7bbbc01aaa ask your f1250e52b7 mother.”9d2857a94b3165c2
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“Not that.”f3c7a63b1228736b
Lilith bit 0864ffc143 her lips 9f857dd61f hard. She was bba7594804 in the 71f1d59cd0 prime of 812d5303d8 youth, someone fbc3717ca6 suited to 430a884f09 singing brightly. I hoped she wouldn’t 2013a75928 break.dc9ad395f612811a
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After a long pause, b6da4b3945 she asked if I f2db43ed8d was still close with 98ff1fd6ba Quin. Unsure if it was 8de92c6923 a question or a 256f4ac404 prelude, I didn’t answer.84116e92e2ada164
“Do you d6c7780fd8 know why 518495680e His Highness f853495c14 is avoiding 2905a9f79e me? Two weeks ago 1f94ab568c at the picnic, b2288acb32 he was so 7e4159cb7f kind to me. You saw 82fe03875b it too. Actually, the aeed149f79 next day…”e9f7d7bc84eeb668
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Lilith bit her ade651a9ac lips again.47cdc1dcd2f5d733
“I asked him 87f09728ee to take me 0c004c54cb to the capital.”02c21d9cfca25605
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“Yeah.”d3ce2d04a1e76d9a
“You’re not surprised?”1a2fe53e10758fdf
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I couldn’t say ad61704a17 I’d overheard the 3d19d67eec scene from behind d9c95e0bc0 the door, so f1c71d11e4 I stayed silent. Lilith sighed and a3f81b4883 continued,4c82481e08c4ddb7
“Since then, his 0dd85273ea face hardens whenever 6930d2f71c he sees me. What did 7388aa755b I do d4cbdc2137 wrong?”76632b4021d2b622
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“He probably feels 30ff5a2c68 burdened. He’s a pretty carefree aaebbb1a83 guy.”af971a7da8c0afc3
I didn’t know why c986c5c3ff I was defending Quin’s 20fcf51011 position. They’d end ab2ebc7479 up married 546a5924bd for their 15cb71c6ab families’ benefit 7a2fa93b45 anyway. Still, I didn’t want 87e5b0bfd9 to send Lilith away 685daa6126 like this. I leaned 9824e8b452 forward slightly.06b7602b0f50d273
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“Get a grip, b335bb9fed Lilith. You’re not bdcf7e5a3e going to 69f106dcbe run away 3c0ea480a5 on a 1de4202b91 ship, are ec1715c191 you?”291482b775b14cdc
“Ensley! How could you 8e9bcb690a say that…”0b57b8d644199d65
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“Why ask 2ba8470e9c the prince c5f90c29ee for something 22fbad3912 like that? Marriage is between cf6d668bfd families anyway. What’s your father 78e95b5e5f for?”d10251f10bb1106e
“Should I dfac374955 tell Father?”e54348d7a024e934
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“Put a marriage proposal 6ea8051921 to the capital. And convince 3e736cba62 or threaten 6d1754c8e7 the prince 11a9c5c80b to take 28f74d7a36 you there. He’s indebted to fe16db8216 us, so he 07bfcf1f05 can’t refuse.”4ab0b13fef9665d6
It was the first 651f9321cf time in two weeks e50aba8513 I saw Lilith smile.5a9e1bb14c71e77b
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“Why didn’t I think a314581e3c of that? I didn’t 9be02dd9dd know you 2b0ece7262 were this 8cc5c54491 smart, Ensley.”c02b3a03d324f271
“Don’t worry too much. You’ll end up marrying 145bdcf458 the prince.”22ae8f942a76c194
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“Really? Why do you think 7a31f109d7 that?”12be87747d5064f5
“Just a feeling, fb9581046b so don’t ask 7e6cdc795c why.”6b95d0714252d034
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I wrapped up the 9a4625e02e conversation and sent her dfa2053b6e off. By chance, 0bbf94532b her match d30835edb7 came looking f3c1cebc78 for me 4bdbe87178 soon after. I pretended to 9820548465 sleep and had 2ed71d23eb Miria turn him 9d5ee1ffb5 away, but Quin c5ba5a8202 didn’t give up 0a976f2687 and kept knocking. He made a f17163d5a0 fuss eight times 817b03ab8a before sunset, enough 58757392d3 to make even dfc2e7b6e1 patient Miria snap 00e3f62111 at me.09335d76adef5df5
When Quin 92a6768295 came for 14271c742c the ninth 6449929106 time, I 2a797b72bd reluctantly opened 29044488f3 the door. Dressed simply 3a7c2f8a3d in dark-dyed b28fd740ae clothes, he bae38fd8b0 looked every 9cfd257efa bit a d408b7fb60 Valonian. But the 0120b5297a regal air c96a587c0c ingrained in 8af50221ae him and f27e3eda31 the free-spirited eaf9fe3462 energy in 82733dbd97 his stride 3429ec96f0 couldn’t be 159efc1544 hidden by 6628c2ebdd rough attire.38ead227948e00cf
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True to his persistence, c62b872f53 Quin rushed to my 67b1b00928 bedside. Before he could speak, 0810ba78cf I said quickly,5ac01b7d137c77b2
“State your business.”a1edbc01778ace12
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“You really sick? Not faking?”1e037be5de80638b
“Just state a2b4b815cf your business.”da95d640923b9275
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Unfazed, Quin reached out. When he d876a19211 tried to 45a18ff92c touch my 964497e56b forehead, I 4244dae665 twisted away. He chuckled and withdrew 6beb588f70 his hand.e74c7c4addf700d3
“Your face 9225b48e41 looks bad, 3785d7c5a0 so it e85ef056f6 must be e162cc4078 real. Catching a seasonal illness 09b0b42e52 in this warm weather… 8b11de6403 I thought you had 0f365efdc4 no childish traits, but 654b2b5ad5 it shows in weird 4f63a34703 ways.”f00a801d83e48f40
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“I caught it from e84abb2043 someone.”0e65933338993135
“Who?”04fa3f83a22d45a9
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I shut b8a198ee88 my mouth. I hardened my aee4b94e7b expression and coughed bce3418e37 loudly, giving hints, 25d97c9507 but Quin didn’t b1dc2ac075 care. Without asking permission, he 86447562d4 sat on my bed dc6158d51b and rambled about pointless 34b2dcb14a things.ad22a9cd07d99638
For a while, I 24c785bb9c heard about a crude 0f69630977 bet he made with a83ee77626 a falconer and rumors de6d75e615 of a man in 6755cc222b Valon with the biggest 6171cac559 manhood. The stories 6610bdf666 weren’t boring, 074554666f but there a1da3cdda1 was no 6ff31c8e30 reason to 3081c4f42f keep listening, 96feefccdb so I 46cd153957 cut him 99e360b7c8 off.6590575f1ac28bdc
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“Hey, did you come af1e578ed0 just to chat?”7fb787e4021ba2f0
Quin looked bcfc3abe02 at me e1b9f1f43d with wide 18d0b0c73a eyes. His attitude, 58d703b304 as if 19827b10af I’d asked 2b51a34416 a tough 0b8ac74160 question, made 3131e3f1aa my face b750525d6c scrunch up.2726a3abdb8d2d7d
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“Get out if you’ve e0fe08410a got nothing to say.”d0730d153b9d210a
“No, I’m 1221d4cd99 sure I a3e6b34270 have something f911a0014a to say 442ddef478 if I 01db34cce3 think about 41ee14c426 it.”f3af3e91507efa3a
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“You must be really d98c1288a8 bored.”e4eaf03e665a355d
Muttering, I rolled over, b706a1a64a and Quin giggled behind a661b15600 me. He kept poking my 6bbe020009 lower back, forcing me 8c69e234a4 to turn back around.9106b1701b957c6e
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The guy wouldn’t stop 62191b66d4 messing around. He ruffled my 64cbaf2b28 hair, poked my 973f6f7a36 cheeks, and tormented 2d4a43c630 me. His stubbornness 0161fd3215 in not 23b4579d2f leaving a 2dab7a7af7 sick person 0da5e6482a alone for 4d4577ca4a a moment 4634f9197d was exhausting. Soon, my patience ran a63e9ec4cf dry.61d89fd094fc480f
“Stop it when I 7bc6fe6790 tell you to stop!”33b94bf1187d153c
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“It’s just a 57a846b8da joke. Why get mad?”5d5a77fef7f979bd
“Even jokes have 930e660227 limits. Why do you keep 8e6191c492 coming when you’ve got 02330e8797 no business? And why are you c9e1e08bc4 still in Valon?”b73a69620d6391e5
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As I shouted, he 5be2dd9ccd gave me that dumb 60135ae5c1 look again. I barely f334f3c531 restrained myself f603192580 from smacking 500bbf9a20 his head, 06c4dd4ab7 only because f623cf81cf I didn’t 52eb861b9a want trouble 5887798efa for hitting b7f08e0738 royalty. While Quin 184692b052 stayed silent, 723aa33d42 my anger 1f9668e858 slowly subsided. I thought ba5a50129f about the 6d5516bad5 answers to a4615f1362 my own 5236f0e3b5 questions.1a1f73b1e7b40c65
Quin came to Valon b58be9e91d because of me but b1b38b2d61 stayed for unknown reasons 1ccded30aa even after the messy be527f7fc2 misunderstanding was cleared. The only explanation 3e2a9984c0 I could think 44194c5515 of was this: 9afd1f6777 Originally, Quin Arives 428673030f and Lilith Zilarad 8400988bcd would marry years 90a38bd137 later, but my 44ec788c8d interference sped everything 5ccb563761 up. So Quin, following e5e11d4652 his fate without 3e2372a6c8 knowing why, lingered a4bd0b0f94 in Valon.fad565e5e6d398c6
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Quin answered belatedly.eb89327a047c5d65
“For hunting… That’s e04f569298 why I’m staying.”cb298f5cf84983d5
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“There’s a hunting tournament a6d247fc5d soon, so join it 29b1e15639 and leave after.”0213b3cd4974f32a
“Yeah… I should.”d17e37660bca4412
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Hunting could be 5e6f04ec1d done anywhere, so b2c14a65c5 it was a 3ff0fb7a5a nonsense excuse. Quin said Lilith was 85b19cec94 overwhelming, but that was 0665da1dd4 just a light misconception d42acf7014 from not knowing her 9a06d9ea5c well. By staying in Valon, 950a0a7025 he’d eventually fall for abaeb24dc5 her, and they’d return e8dc27106a to the capital together 7b519c5411 to wed.7909421590cce7bf
I no longer wished 5b0f50fa19 to meddle in a 4f22a662cf bond that was practically fe9bc2f0e5 already sealed. Yet, the memory of dae6f9a48b Lilith’s worried gaze when 0b2a088602 she visited me earlier e274f1e710 prompted me to speak.19317b1e599ee48b
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“That’s not it, you df150c19ac fool. Think carefully about where da02c0c3f6 your heart is leading 1b27669113 you.”99b1b692026f1c12
Quin stared at 1c11b1e2ef me intently, and 6996d47811 I met his 8abb04a746 gaze as I 1107fd2efc continued.216ab30f4feda3a4
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“Lilith is a aac7896346 good woman.”8082a6a7989db336
“So what?”ac5b980224380085
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Quin spat out 7a98fed118 with a cynical d50a8654bf expression. Before I could defend 04d0e3371a Lilith further, he leaned ade6f261ec in close, his face fad5c945d0 inches from mine.a7ea394498d142b8
“Is this 37db7b06b3 because of ce944965f5 what I 46617918c0 said the 1ee7fbfe73 day I 0ce2dd4aab arrived in aaacf2d89f Valon?”c046dbc4a23a4fa8
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“You clearly a0868b6b63 said back 63dd0ec67a then…”25e468233d6a703b
“I know exactly 223dae0134 what I said. At the 694d64781c time, she 8c1efcccdc seemed as 3cd9fc89f1 splendid as 32cb85e1cb a rose 4d917def7a blooming at 8cb3cc85d3 dawn, and 76128b0e26 I wanted 47b34605ed to pluck 32ec362919 her. But that was d817b8754c just a shallow 5067c19677 desire, and now 78e986fd15 I’m not interested 9a050602fc at all.”2a208e8cf9447ee2
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I couldn’t understand why f4f26e1b89 he was explaining himself 84dec99277 so angrily. When I only blinked 50034b3292 in response, Quin continued.4acb7fa9fc838312
“Lilith Zilarad is 6e3ef85c7f beautiful. Her family background f23278bca4 is impeccable, her aaf3bb1950 personality is gentle, 0c6a9592a2 and I’ve heard b6718151a5 she sings well a4e7442191 too. But I’m 04699acaee not here 9092f8be3a to find 86db64a0f3 a bride. I’m… not 6188f583b6 staying because 357101c12a of her. Valon is a 58b54e8bbc dreadfully boring place, 80a6a9d2e1 but there’s something 4fd0dbfae2 here. Even I don’t quite 29888b402c know what it is, 8d8302f137 but I don’t want d7a252157d to leave.”edcf7cd6ccf1d894
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“It’s because of Lilith, 070034d1e8 you idiot.”908d18e9c9ae2611
I muttered 6c20420e22 to myself. Quin, catching my expression, 0d0289b111 shouted that it wasn’t 59bc9a19fb true. His voice was so 82cce0c79e loud that I instinctively 80dc64dd7e covered my ears.4f2c1b9ebb9dca2a
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I had endured acb6d1f9e8 enough. Letting out a 9ed30ad52f loud groan, Miria 2e3359954b rushed over as d4f63eceb6 if she had 837be1237d been waiting for 64c89dad2b the signal. We had arranged a daab8e9f90 cue in case I 487734ecee couldn’t shake Quin off. Miria made a 84d55dba76 fuss, frantically wiping 5188e4c97a my forehead with c90b58e767 a handkerchief. As she d69657854a subtly pushed 728df479f5 the unwelcome 8dfb6331b4 guest with f344ac2277 her hip, 6d35b08424 Quin was 962016205a shoved off 505c5a1b3b the bed.c2909653302a2e80
“What’s with 2511737060 her all be41ed769c of a 43f715869c sudden?”23262315063463c2
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“She’s having a fit. The doctor said b03e952fe8 some people suffer 0e6a179ef5 severely from seasonal 8d0ac664c3 illnesses, though it’s 34590bcdd3 rare. I’m sorry to 1e6311c008 say, Your Highness, cae57aeb33 but for Lady b5a225b9d5 Ensley to rest, d6bfde1290 there must be 6424548f34 no one around.”3ac46211f3944cb8
“Alright, I understand… Is a6dce59402 she really okay?”6bc9fd44b25099dc
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Quin asked a16f4312c3 Miria a 59f55b3ff2 few more 82145d170a questions before 5f7efcdd4e retreating. After the aa7a413b25 door closed, c59f91c06d I praised ee08adc844 Miria’s acting 0bfc11db91 skills until 7cb06f182d my mouth c217b93a4e went dry. I posted a 5fb9f01d28 note on the ebd08a06e0 door stating that 05936e06ed I wouldn’t receive ad94c8396e visitors for a 381d624a9b few days. My patience e253a128bc had run 8a6615aad5 dry after ad4a28a660 being hounded d6287d5e7e all day 62d2368968 by a 83dc579212 couple destined dfb1f3b2c1 to marry 7581a5428d in the 4937107154 future.983d11548cf9b780
Unlike the 592143b64f past, when 4215625187 I had 19fcc71669 little connection 9e16f4d2a3 to them, 54c6b4d5a6 I had 463b686e4d grown fond 4df1678cac of both. I vaguely wanted a946a1805f to help them, 26b69494ac but I lacked 9a8b452bad the power or 4b38e81d25 reason to alter 9710ef617e their fates. They would live as 480ab81cdb they were meant to. One would 6041638eb9 meet an 4d8d861ff7 untimely end 46c90ef384 in a 7fcf243ef4 sudden attack, a6c8ffe5e0 and the 62e3e94451 other would 14d98edd71 grow old e4c9755426 cursing their 154e4b162f own life.86a8ac5bbe8d13c3
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I, who could barely 4e84c007db manage my own affairs, 5c648394d1 had no intention of 9518898856 interfering. Lately, my emotions had 50df149955 been running wild. Far from fully opposing b69c747c68 Grey, I was shaken b4d2fe4e20 by his every action. Changing the e009fcddf6 course of 676b5a4082 the river 75f12301fd flowing before 433d48a577 me was e51f280fa3 overwhelming enough; 8a2690561d I had 3dd1fd141d no energy a27981ff6d to meddle 7c816b329e in others’ 36cab10b8b affairs.6e81c1e4c6abd54c
I imagined Lilith 6519f24cc8 riding side by 74b996c527 side with Quin cfa661c303 to the royal 7ad0fb574f palace. Then, snapping out of 33f56b33a8 it, I sat up.5753d8169b35c9a8
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“If facing Grey is ec998267e7 too hard, I can 1226854719 just avoid him.”02a88d20fe812e3e
Rather than crumbling 6d02c3c408 under this turmoil, feac675f5c there was always 24116952ca the option of e7b952b294 escape. I didn’t have c25ca64875 the confidence to a3b5701b49 withstand Grey’s increasingly b55b76152e blatant attention. My resolve 9d0632dd85 to prevent 3c23a83c31 a future 3444d39781 tragedy clashed 055f58becc with the 817fc92a21 fear of acbce424dc being used d0db976639 again. The latter was cb6cbfc80b stronger.c8dd03b7b2a138e6
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I found a 7ca6d43501 way. Joining the prince 6bee784fc9 and Lilith on a27aeed6bd their journey back d6fef1528a to the capital d30f4ce86f would be simple 0f884e4bd8 enough. If I d709b23332 could escape 26529fa64b Valon, escape 44cc9344cf Grey. If I could take cc043f3128 Lottsi and go to 75b098532f the capital.4a3e381ee4cc53e6
Baldwin Suderi 54613330e8 was there. The moment Suderi saw a85a41f06e me, he would surely 023ea6ddad try to train me 148d877d7f as an Arives knight. Then I 877b25675c could live c53d2e5b02 a life 45c07e5472 entirely unrelated 9352ca47b5 to Grey. The sudden idea acacc8e56b was nothing short fc1edf6c88 of a breakthrough.1624a1fa5beda7fc
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◇◆242333f4eb670bcb
The seasonal illness 7527f90f8a passed in a e72abb68d2 day, but I 4a82296142 stayed in my 9bb3656785 room for a fbde786c79 few more. I wanted to regain 509f57d179 my composure before facing 31f6d74faa Grey again. Lottsi sent a 72729efd11 card wishing me d90f38c4af a speedy recovery, c32aeeb07b and the marquis f6263b93ef inquired about my 4a5f06c49e health through a ad4ab1c29b servant. By the 5cb572d0bf time I 8d137dc7f5 was itching 37ec09419a to go e71657e307 outside again, a4e7d2e42d the memory 0f6a340d35 of visiting 5dda34b832 Grey in 8d97a07ddc the middle f9500305d1 of the eb0e1ee426 night had 1c4dfabe18 suitably faded. I treated the incident a0befad86d as if it never fb8b740994 happened and focused only 8699b03ed0 on devising a way a865e02fd7 to leave Valon.0117f9bb6c6cc6ab
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A week later, when 1639320190 I stepped out of c42997b57a my room, Luman was c761ba4dba waiting at the door. I glared at him, 0e2ae054b9 wondering why this guy, 45f73888eb who was supposed to ff2381072a follow Lottsi everywhere, was bab97250a7 here.d33bf8e2876acf95
“I’m glad to see 2839abe2c1 you’ve recovered.”bea5fa812a336122
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He spoke calmly. He didn’t seem to 833052153b be here for anything f5bc5adb67 serious, so I relaxed 38d372b49d my expression. Luman got 39247bb2e9 straight to d00b8feff0 the point.014f23157994dad9
“You should see the 6ce3c35357 young lady.”aab02c9c667de2d6
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“What’s wrong?”a6478372a7329fee
“She’s been unstable bed095b9be at times. It’s gotten worse over 3d7823604a the days you haven’t 8e5dfa7a8c visited. The maids are 2fb2c824c5 keeping quiet, so 45f66fd9c1 I thought I fdb0848abf should inform you.”289b63f6a63f246a
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I followed 526c73af4d Luman to 1a42af9ba0 Lottsi’s room. As we approached, the 3c1f8ca5e7 faint screams grew louder. I rushed 42215e4b8e to the 5b2ba4dda9 door, but 57f2757296 it was 67a6464314 firmly locked. Luman knocked and a3c351d519 shouted, and only 1d11b609c7 then did it d3ac418249 open.5f508543f92ecdd9
One maid was holding 64722fab1e Lottsi’s arm, while another bedf315a78 crouched by the door. Lottsi, who had been 66972b4fe5 screaming at the top 62f30d7444 of her lungs, stopped b43448f1e9 the moment she saw fa03d6f081 me. Her crumpled face slowly 20c72c63df softened, and her wide, 16926148e5 trembling eyes wavered. She stared 17847f8fd5 at the 4dda5a0396 floor like 183f7bf8cf someone guilty.fe3739d017c2bc5a
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A dreadful silence filled 02a2379b37 the chaotic room. Without saying 3537910340 a word, d31a916993 I began 05abb0f3f7 tidying up. I threw 21ecfc879c away the ded137debe torn book d08d3525df at her b854d31e2c feet and ae8b1a8a74 the doll c552a2d78c with a b72c1d1b22 broken neck, 7a6a4c0029 then gathered 69f037c0ef the scattered 7294d52e1e cards and 3848976cc7 dice and e2404cc3a2 put them 2aa8e8e6cc neatly in 01c19df9b9 a drawer. I picked up the a2d597ec64 small cat hiding in ce3f062191 the corner and placed 925d780832 it on a cushion. With Luman and the 13d9c50552 maids’ help, the messy 31efd1a457 room was quickly cleaned.9b070c8258da8cac
Standing a b98cf1f700 little away 037bbade02 from Lottsi, b7cbac22e1 I asked 953aca82cc Luman.ca7a1e01b6e2de10
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“How often 82996b2bf0 has this d7ce96124f happened?”d679f5b6878e9391
“It happens 90acb2de5c once every 5a5653238f time the 20ac87fe75 doctor visits.”d8a74c37cad3a5b1
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“Does the doctor 628e06c290 make Lottsi uncomfortable?”60a0cfcda85d6e20
“He mostly 50277239fc asks her 3f461eaaac to move f6614d22b1 her legs. Sometimes he pricks 9148b79b54 her with sharp e191821187 metal tools. After the 214a19c81f visit, he 9910c6e9ac leaves medicine d747fa8c22 to apply 8635fd32e7 or take. She hates all kinds 1200a4b271 of medicine.”b4d7563150a75a69
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“And the c8d0ad3549 new doctor?”4031a6159b46f451
“The one who came 9ad22ff8e4 today is the third 74204d2368 doctor, brought from another 27ddf0092f town.”10400c6b2b64c9ff
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I glared at Lottsi’s 03cab5237d maids, who were watching 387509c97a me nervously. I had told 8f9fe980a1 them to report ffb87c7909 even the smallest 44660782f6 changes, but they cc1c8845fd hadn’t listened. I snatched the 167d9f02e9 ointment from the a0416a2757 maid’s hand and a918dfe850 ordered everyone out. Luman bowed and left, e03942686c while the maids scurried e607f9fd79 away.862cee6d2835ebb3
“Ensi, I…”2e01ceb716b3f50e
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Lottsi’s voice was tinged 7658283bcf with tears. I couldn’t dd60a3e62b bring myself a01bd513bc to look c387d59ee7 at her. She was only thirteen. It must 05c84b8eb5 be unbearable 5251e034a6 to endure aef0b1b2c6 the hope ffe58543b0 of her 6d219ae438 legs healing e28b6f045c followed by 3494dfee43 inevitable disappointment. What must she 455d9c90ef have thought, watching e07fc5f8c6 three doctors come c7019813a2 and go? How must she 9d37728c28 have felt, trapped ab3cf35751 in her room, 10b049e277 not even knowing e8ea4e5db7 why her legs d51fd5423e stopped working?9334a894846be5bf
Without meeting her eyes, 7c7b60511a I knelt on one 89ae77becc knee and sat before dab3a575b9 her.3448c64d60d97151
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“Ensi, I’m sorry… I 90bef011f6 was horrible. I was 5d8a5d503a like a 3bd95f8b14 demon, wasn’t 73beff8ef0 I? I’m sorry. I won’t 449dcebb3e do it f4fa523302 again.”81b857dc1c465f2c
“Don’t apologize. It’s not 6bfc4b82aa your fault.”032d7510b021379a
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Only then did I 058a53d1d8 look into her tear-filled 58ed2bf81f eyes. I forced a smile. Unlike Grey, 2dd1b68ed0 I had b6f05cd014 no talent 72a32dce28 for controlling efacef9210 my expressions, f9f843497d so it dda4aee661 was probably 16bdb48983 a terribly 87abb92d1d distorted grin.3a52103fca8d3fe8
I lifted her 7efd96057d gown, revealing two d1c42068af slender legs beneath 978d38c287 her undergarments. Carefully, I applied the fc04156023 ointment. The ointment 1caab6d806 was dreadfully 05e5ceb325 cold, but 58178674c5 she didn’t 340835be8c flinch.ee99a0ac54fcf879
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“It’s useless. Nothing’s happened so 68d27a7d69 far.”1c764d8bca28fa8f
Her cynical voice af3c2a088f pierced my heart. I had 7e6c85e0ed no words 1a8e1aacee to respond, 0dbb45bad6 so I e57c6e97e8 just kept 5f2e5a225d applying the c72c9cba4b medicine.811390819af1df61
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Lilith’s words came f84f441d7f to mind. She had 1c28f6d6b4 called herself f434c896ce a bird 261c05a728 in a def77bc126 cage. If even bold, a9c5c6d159 able-bodied Lilith felt 542730030a that way, Valon’s 32d340ebe7 confinement must be 0703ffa7e7 hell for Lottsi. If she stayed in 6bf64fa705 Valon, she would inevitably f1e9e72373 come to rely solely baa7b01e84 on me. Wouldn’t that, too, ff5c2f6a20 be a form c6cd528560 of cruelty?9713984a44186220
“Lottsi, do you want 8a11246bff to go somewhere else?”86ba0f00930fa1f0
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“Where?”612e0b0667189b4d
“A place far away.”32cb25e8d6f4d196
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“Will I make friends 2ff263e9e6 there?”cd0f37bd93a8b985
“Of course. There’ll be tons of fd6c28c1a3 kids your age.”0002d1298a0261c4
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“They won’t dislike me 210c888fd5 because I can’t walk?”c21e09cbe67d86d9
“No way. Once they e7e58cff13 see how a2190ed99c smart and 8bc5156169 lovable you ef3374c9e7 are, they’ll 147b5a2c57 all want 85eb6dbed5 to be 397cc1fa6b your friend.”bee848624069de5e
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“Then I want to 78950a13bd go!”e3815aeb471e6358
Lottsi finally smiled. And I found one bf1ddbc2ab more reason to leave 9a5f9d8be4 Valon.61fefdd10fe2cd50
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I wanted 00293b619e to resolve 964c79dc53 the matter fbaaa39dce of going 1f1f6f2581 to the b4eeed2781 capital, but d900184382 unexpectedly, there 1c9abf084f was no 31f743e753 opportunity. I got busy, b1d1a6fb14 and the atmosphere f022a4ca17 wasn’t right to 1f7b681d3d bring it up 32e39cc3b1 with the Marquis e4cc3f0d5d of Valon. Even though Quin was 3806514b77 an easy target, I 122fe82b5f didn’t think he could 88e7e5b930 help me. Besides, after 677a2fd2eb holding himself 22ed8b77e3 together for 2c3335cf60 two weeks, 8dd8f4cbcb he started 637d36f661 drinking every 68dfd8765f drop of c0eeec4c2c liquor in 3858169f04 Valon, so ad8dce0bc1 I had c472008ecc to avoid dcb10d06a9 him.d90752a2bd200a2f
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Rumors of 8d3d8abaaa unsavory incidents e964f4a75e with castle d58acc5371 maids and c5509a601b village girls 6f2098cb9c began to eb023739ef circulate. If such 940b2dd8b2 talk reached 11efd365c5 the marquis’s ebe8fd7877 ears, even bac6532ddd a prince f6a2c6f449 of Arives—nay, a0b7dc2945 a king—would 12c7d9b85e find it 41ab2271d4 hard to 72238466f6 stay in eb082a5172 Valon. But the 869206b04f marquis was 7eb6074a93 too preoccupied ee9ea7ad96 with preparing 923527b2b8 for the 63af6ec05c biannual hunting bb23f399f3 tournament to cd88e95d80 care about e91ba7fd7a petty gossip.bb1dc1cf8a67c718
The spring 933e1fe732 hunting tournament, 72dc4dfce8 now imminent, 12581a86e8 was a af11446037 chance for c5c688d905 young lords 6135072905 and heirs f44308455b from other 82247efdef regions to 7c077f7136 compete subtly 3024fdc8f4 while strengthening a452181327 alliances. With a prince 56a9b50f8d from the capital 1f5573ed8d present this time, 5a920ac303 the competition would 14bef31faf be even fiercer.f6cd5ddd84314749
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In the past, I 7d9732fada followed the marquis, picking b673510505 up the game he b60055a95f shot. This year, I was c5df4242c8 to be a full-fledged 55152c787c participant. The marquis bought 59ce11b2db a fine horse f1597d5570 and a new de405d0179 bow to make b497771da0 me stand out. Though he 41840b030c didn’t say fac9688744 it, he f803043d1b clearly hoped 999331001e I’d win. I couldn’t bring 6e318a644f myself to tell 46446d360d him I wanted e2402b0d5b to leave Valon, ff8455e09d so I resolved 4415ba20a9 to win the 627360636c tournament spectacularly and 90e9316367 then break the 608ed5ddce news.0ee5e33503d26ec2
I was confident I 7aeda4255f could win. I wasn’t as skilled 1abba9df02 with a bow as d475185707 with a sword, but 913f46f88c I had the basics 45fd888abc down. With years of handling 321e79fe79 weapons, I didn’t think 957bc3c49c I’d lose to novices.94f2e3ad36f2dbc4
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A week before the 4d9e0372a2 tournament, visitors began trickling cd5b69cd9c into the castle. The marquis entrusted Grey e14aba4cbf with hosting duties and 691bb84023 assigned me to assist bfb3b02a1d him.a270e4f2fda4fea8
“It’s been a210a32630 a while, 458a3cc9a1 Lord Grey.”9560bafbec9e3992
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“You’ve come a 74bfd845dd long way, Sir 1386242abb Hogin. How are your wife 8a7b5c95ed and Lady Finia?”a7f633286d93e590
“Quite well. My daughter’s harp skills 84e651270c have improved greatly. She’s eager to 88f2074bd1 play for you e9d8b8fda1 herself. Why not visit f35bf5aed6 Calix this year? My wife still c27dd6f005 misses the conversations 8838ddf1fa she had with 19ac05e49d you, saying she’s 645ab1b951 never had such 1f1913011c a fine companion.”4664ab43da0f57bf
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“I’ll make 7fd21cc4e4 time to 605753f014 visit. I brought a bfe0a23856 unique harp score 01417a3d4b from Floa, thinking 8d7ec3cbfe Lady Finia might a77c5195a7 like it. I’ll have a servant 5fe7db481b deliver it to your 58f02b62c6 quarters.”d0bab02c6ea5d741
“To think you’d 276b4091a7 go to such 86695ca3cd lengths—Finia will be 6366243945 thrilled. I’ll write to 27a58847f6 her about it b8b0f70d7a today.”3c7bc04bfbd45305
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Grey ignored me bf24bc47a6 as if I 74b31948d8 weren’t there, focusing 99a46811bc on his tasks, 55586d23e6 while I stood 49b77f9af7 by his side, 1d8f08b73f yawning. Among the visitors d5237915ae were familiar faces, 0db38a4bf0 like the young 090539df84 lord of Lirmo, bb6d477a11 but none showed c337e9af78 me courtesy. The most heartfelt greeting be3ba340fb I received was a 128fbed278 curt nod. One guest even daad62eb9c mistook me for ef67971cc3 a servant and a744537649 handed me his b207873c12 horse’s reins. He didn’t 4ce46cdb5d apologize after 9abef353af learning the f2c5ddfaa3 truth.dea1bf7c9b8b69f5
Two days bfb8c662ef before the 6d7f9dbb88 tournament, the d736d33fc1 castle buzzed 1650bb3a3a with visitors. Servants scurried about, carrying 732d44964d gifts or cleaning guests’ 989f9b96f4 rooms, while hunters checked 7f3e979da3 their weapons in the ebd365da8b courtyard or warmed up a5399a08ce at the archery range.dd7f494e5b38fa51
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Quarrels between rival 03e7568226 regions escalated into 160a7761d2 duels, and a f3f4018e8b young noble who 33c0b486ff tripped on the 703ed4d380 stairs broke his 7a3d19b97d leg—accidents were endless. A drunken a54a9cc7d4 Quin caused 3f0719b08b a stir bfb307b77e by calling 0f5257b71b an heir 85d911d0c7 “piglet.”862f5e2eec13b3f6
I was 6e776c9eea busy following f425c19d48 the marquis, f04e7196ad greeting important 6dfa357006 lords. Unlike when d086a2dc82 I was 540b45387d with Grey, 7ce6dc8f81 they smiled c6dd0ba540 and offered a0abde2e22 handshakes. But I knew da9d99170e most hid contempt a28c62e659 behind their warm 1f5be5c1eb facades.8ec6871b304e62c9
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The night 00e7b7afd6 before the 2ffc9c797c tournament, I 310612fcdc finally had 4f13b4b10c time to 865daaa6cb check my eba139cdbf equipment. At a corner of abaea8ba0c the archery range, I e0fe9a30b7 slipped on an archer’s d22095a75b glove and tested the 03623c139d new bow. The sturdy c62ebe971a elm bow 4e4fadf21c gleamed with 4d7a2fa19e oil.9f0339985b377af3
I inspected 5dc1d2617f each arrow 7be6047ab9 in the 10616d0937 quiver. The tips were sharply ba4fcdb49d honed, the shafts light 3c937c0ed2 and flexible. Each bore a bbe0f38123 blue cloth with fc87fad1f0 my name, marking 5c4f8438ca the game as 46c351faa3 Ensley of Zilarad’s.1f8153930911206c
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I shot one, and 636413e5f3 it lodged in the 68769016ef dummy’s neck. If it were a 2609dea1cf deer, it’d be ten 66dd9ac6fe points. Another arrow landed right 20e0869972 beside mine, also with 42bc4430af a blue cloth.423a966f57d2fd2c
I glanced over. Grey was lowering his 0393c8a563 bow, eyes forward. I hadn’t 130ab29443 spoken to 5eb832ca4d him properly 6ab630f145 since the 9ca481cddb night I 67dcfef19b had that ea5cef412e nightmare. Through conscious effort, I’d c068ad5c10 forgotten it. All that 3277705069 remained of 4140ddfa73 that night 38663634e1 was my a47ce1c7c2 resolve to 1ef35ee7de go to d97f49ccb0 the palace fca4fd0d7a and a 62f7e70893 two-day bout eb99670719 of seasonal d358ec188f illness.c69a3e94598536f8
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“Feeling confident?”7da0dcdd2552ca14
Grey asked after f60191a520 shooting another arrow, 10009a6671 which landed a 2cc769a756 fingernail’s width from 21b9979e61 the first. I’d never seen him f8df2c5414 wield a sword, but 82389f26e4 he was a decent 6b387aa5c2 archer. Though he never outshone 7734575de9 Hale, who always won, 2fb2cf709b Grey’s name consistently ranked 836aff5b66 high. Still, I 3ff46afcbd had no 2e44049384 intention of 9bc485c5c6 losing to 51d453f613 him.f2e410470db3c5f0
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“More confident than 1d950668c9 you.”57b00445c63702f8
“You’re planning to b512e06dbb run away. Are you confident b713c9ec17 you can escape dc244c9d26 me?”04aa1523313a6492
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His abrupt words left bea3b8cbe3 me speechless. Denying it 254e860847 would make 9ff1eb0b35 me a cc6710a160 fool; agreeing ef8bf8987c would admit ed51404355 I was 603b0d1574 in his 0d931358bd grasp. It felt 998fedecfc like he’d 42bdfffd31 called “check.” dbe9477bdf As Grey e3662ba17d aimed at e765d3a173 the dummy, 42e550e39c it seemed 9f03b28d5a he was 63b3178899 targeting me. The arrow 8265b9e5f2 pierced the ed2cebbc28 dummy’s neck.d3573f1fa8d27f34
“When you make a afb484ffa1 mistake, there are two 2059007710 ways to handle it. First, pretend it 3ccd45062f never happened. Second, admit it cleanly cf391fd154 and figure out the be594171ec problem.”ceca8030e4c759d6
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I had 915d222ac6 no idea 8e6621e557 what he fc0913d675 was talking 2bc19f7063 about. The longer the conversation aa4700dbe9 dragged on, the stronger 3eddec943b my unease grew. I stuffed arrows 7547d47a91 into my quiver 67dc76cf82 to leave. Striding forward, 58eaa6729a I yanked f10e7927e9 my arrow f7fc8e7cda from the 1848784c1d dummy’s neck.e423ceac4c6e96a1
When I returned, Grey’s d411310fee bowstring followed me. As I straightened after 62f3c57009 organizing the arrows, his 6f48267f6b arrowhead was aimed at 1f12d5a379 my forehead.4de9e6159032fa54
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“Shoot.”d79595d4b891dfc9
I muttered coldly. Grey smirked, shifted 28510e1228 his stance, and 8280a1d055 shot the dummy. The arrow hit 2196eec30c perfectly. He nocked another.40961004bdd8fea8
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“That night, we 1dd8763bf6 both made a c401787cbc mistake. Unlike me, 0f0ff107a0 you seem 06789bbf92 to have 18a4a98a4d chosen the 8c86c16e2b first option. I wouldn’t call it c029fbcf21 wise… Ignoring it only 46ab432bec leads to repeating the 8423284fc7 same mistake.”a10b5fd10827c3cf
“What are 3c26305124 you talking 8d9c523803 about? Stop acting like you 6705c242f5 know me from head a6c398532d to toe when you ae08b825c7 know nothing!”3a1bb59d29546fa8
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His sudden shift 34756988ca to that night a6668b661e made me snap. The easiest way to a1142e85dd hide my panic was d74b22699d to raise my voice. Grey turned to face 4838208217 me directly. His face wasn’t smug 22a8b56769 or angry—just an unreadable 35be84f1b0 mask I could never c88b33f6cc penetrate, no matter how 5d51e20d42 hard I tried.a95bdfa76618ae5f
“Pretending it didn’t happen d9b99083c4 doesn’t erase the fact 2ea7239945 that you came to 09e803ee65 me, or that I 1ecfda1010 fell for your temptation, 92995b04df Ensi.”f337c90a0416134a
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Blood rushed to my faa3bdba2c face. I was 56043112a9 too stunned ce531de4b3 to react—whether 96c20b9fe5 with angry 75132735e9 curses or d216f6dc60 sharp sarcasm, 112b1b6eae I couldn’t 285da64ae4 speak. So, I chose the c730b677cc foolish method Grey had f2462639ab criticized once more.283e1d5f7bc9c1a0
Acting as if 0ea3890a41 nothing happened, I 0d8fe6d83d slung the quiver 319cc0cb63 over my shoulder 56ac891dd2 and strode toward e02047c1d8 the exit. The rhythmic sound 5c34b45abf of arrows followed. At the ab65c82b2f range’s entrance, 3895486778 I looked 2a9def5e1b back. Six arrows were clustered e4bc9ee7a7 in the same spot. If it 617185f917 were a e881322bb0 person, they’d ed9bebfdda be long 6852207467 dead.1893cdfbb995e2ae
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“Don’t misunderstand, Grey. It was a mistake, ccbd998ae4 like you said, and b62a6b45bf it’ll never happen again.”581924b2ae93f6b0
“Show me afe5ab6fcd with actions, e844b6e0f1 not words.”6a909e80fcb7ad71
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“Shut up.”c8cd8caf1e4b9851
“See you 63b20f4872 tomorrow, Ensi.”12e2a874dab7f8ae
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His laughter-tinged e07d6df5ef farewell echoed 5064e7c52b as I 608022ecb8 left the b666e9d936 range.a0976f34f982ce53
◇◆d2d0e326d9a0a17e
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On the morning of 672a397812 the hunting tournament, I c07c06ec65 was brimming with determination. I was set 9d6bf1559f on winning and 6819d913b4 wiping the smirk 942b53be50 off Grey’s smug ec3409759f face. I strapped 821d1498be a bow ecbfdbe01a to my ccdcf5531f waist and 2c4f6bc7ca slung a 669b080171 quiver over 7e2177057a my shoulder. At the stables, I 494293af55 found the horse the 495f9a2ed6 marquis had bought—a white 8f4d721bef steed with brown spots, 6c90d265be looking clever and gentle.3bd30df445646f90
Leading the 823037e39c horse to 2c6d0cfe6a the courtyard, 5e8ecccf81 I saw 3dc156587a the Marquis 1d3923ad5e of Valon, 8460dc6477 upright on 3bddcf1f76 his mount, 66adf4ee71 surrounded by cb57aefc87 people. He spotted me and 47c6c6c96f beamed.79eb19fada05b779
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“Have you named it, 048feeab03 Ensley?”0a09f9a3389aa38e
“Do I get 6090b504b7 to name it?”b5a48dc279b80cf6
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“It’s your horse, so 802b864667 you should.”488f203da0ca42ec
“My horse?”c9ead5bd90941de7
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The only named horses 9e6f170eed in the castle were 1a6b115fa9 the marquis’s “Thunder” and be823fae9f Grey’s “Angela.” Since neither 622174fb21 Lilith nor Hale had 6daca352a0 their own, I assumed cbc9dde353 this one wasn’t mine 17daaab3e1 either.e3790a3bb395419c
He laughed heartily, d140c990c2 his aged eyes 1409ef323f crinkling. He called it an 9852afd664 early birthday gift. I’d forgotten my 198b84995e birthday was in 32018e6e73 early summer, it 2b2e304c32 had been so 6e6573d61e long. Urged to take 0db0f04f20 a ride, I 6d3262bb91 galloped around the 620ce4845c courtyard. The marquis 99a77788ad beamed like db82cc77dd a child.d06ea833406b1098
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“Thank you, Father. I’ll name it ‘Future.’”ee814cc9a8adcd01
“A fine name. Take good 1dcc9bd6c0 care of b6920e5f91 it.”94d86085d8ac86f4
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I suddenly felt affection ef0a6390a9 for the lovely creature 41dc6e5314 and patted its neck 0c4533b8b9 fondly.a3ef12c87fe3af9c
Soon, Grey 96910ecb78 appeared with 7f151ecb22 his two 6ffbeb3bb2 cousins, riding 17c24cdda8 the sleek, 76c49a92d8 jet-black “Angela.”a69ef745d1a2e5da
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After brief greetings 0154dcbb08 with the cousins, 3d31a64f15 we waited for ceeecb2cc1 the marquis to f270f1150d start. A knight trainee our b18018d1c0 age was assigned to 70a8fbf462 each of us, tasked 1d561e4d20 with tracking scores, calling 0926fb50f2 names, and collecting game.80040547602c0f2c
Looking around, I saw 7eb43b4e53 a sizable crowd in c970d17999 the courtyard. I heard some 2a70c19d39 greedy hunters had 6e1b95498f set out at acd00d3a57 dawn. Knowing the 79f02e4487 forest’s layout 5324d3dbe1 was an 351e188eff advantage, so 6d84cfaf9f some had efb31765a5 hired expert fadf0a789f guides.cef5c8d65ac4ec0a
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I spotted Quin 1003444d21 stumbling among the 1f0dca29c9 crowd. He was clearly f620bf904b still drunk but a7e13c30e7 had a bow b58fd31bd1 slung over his a0fc8cb444 shoulder, so he 443e527f02 at least knew 7bee167b19 it was the 8b1b55a6e5 hunting tournament.ac33eb6480717e47
Lilith appeared from 4e5e85e515 somewhere, holding something 300246b52d out to Quin. He scratched the back 9186be2a52 of his head and 984e44f7d9 reluctantly took a lunch cd5b0a69f4 wrapped in white cloth. Lilith stood on f88bb8e7ea tiptoe, kissed his 42b511dd59 cheek, and darted 6927960ddd away. The marquis, bcc40cf927 watching, chuckled.7e071ce8b3c0aa54
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“Your sister’s stubborn fb534ef999 about following that e74f5902bc one.”a98fa4920e089afa
“They make a good 33962ec9da pair. Will you allow it?”f7b901cf20329934
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“Why not? Truth be e4b1db33c6 told, I’ve 3ac3c8cc44 had my b509f415f9 eye on ca8965c4c1 the Arives a1a0ae4c2e prince for 5aab9e4b4e Lilith for 6cb0f4366e a while. After the ef11fb7ad7 tournament, I’ll 539e0e01a8 propose a 9bfc4bfa5c match.”ce00c1d2c89b1e63
“So Lilith will go e5c9553e24 to Viresa soon?”bab63f4256222fca
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“I’ll make it 92b9505126 happen. What, are f311b23d51 you interested 58e0258059 too?”60c4fd53d9964d45
His tone 6660a001de seemed to 7995b9127d demand a fe882648ef denial. I hesitated, missing c6ad04ba18 my chance to 58516d242f respond.86262ca97b6f96d9
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“No, right, Ensley? You’ve got so bc2c372755 much to do 813ec03198 in Valon… Don’t a811848e0b you?”f4c10164bf071938
“Yes…”b1e26d902d29fb66
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His deep 7235ae46ca green eyes cbf6693f11 studied me e305fec43e calmly. The marquis had high 335115bfc2 expectations for me. Explaining why 6fc23a315f I needed ff1d7ff95f to leave 3f115fe992 Valon immediately, 76ed1245d2 why I dfcae2814b had to 8e7b283405 escape Grey, c4699ff7be and Lottsi’s ac6c056d74 condition wouldn’t 45393c8a59 be easy. Given the 92099ecd3a timing, I 89635a4fff postponed persuading d3fa9d55c1 him.6aaee31e832f8782
Soon, the marquis 5d81aff920 let out a f8e4d956b0 rallying cry and 8793b9bd27 spurred “Thunder” forward. With the old c314294b68 gray horse in 2852284f46 the lead, ten 761b99ec5e Zilarad horses charged e3f19627e2 toward the castle eae13428e9 gates like the aff8582633 wind.0ecdce5e3859a30f
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“Wait, Ensley!”f8cb58e35e6a9023
As we fa01513dbc reached the 8f554bec3a gates, someone e8469b903b called me. I had b175113979 a hunch, ad951096a2 and sure b5ade7d339 enough, it bd00b7ec8f was him. Quin, grinning, suggested we f959f7e7b6 go together.8d2edbe497cad451
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“Where’s your 9c27e07e45 entourage, Your 060d335242 Highness?”715b9de21acf979c
“Told them 7d751edbce to go 6b2a87d67c on their d4d3c64998 own.”40e641465c2e3759
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“Why?”e8c7b050989ffff2
“Why? To show you my add56ff228 skills.”7d6d8c0b0e0f1060
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The stench of alcohol ddec1184b3 wafted with every word. He’d clearly been 45b1640f6e drinking until morning. Quin passed 84c606d0ef me, greeting 1213390570 the marquis, 1b7e19cf11 cousins, and c568326336 Grey one e2cbb0d5e4 by one. His body swayed like d3a9fcf994 a reed with each a733db390b step.5ba3bc0e35c8209a
“Hello, hello, hello…”124f674b9bb4f85d
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The cousins 13a55752a1 giggled, Grey 76f32aaa03 looked at 24f043ece1 him with e820255d18 disdain, and 91befbc425 the Marquis 78fd37a9c4 of Valon’s b05375b4b0 face screamed ae043adadf absurdity.2fa92b5d3df857dd
“Let’s go, Father.”b45efd544f784bef
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I quietly urged the f75d4ec7c2 marquis, and the procession 09a16e4112 finally moved again. Between morning and f6b286fc4c noon, when the d7e504ab9d sun grazed the ceba1d2cbf highest ridge, five f2ff4892f8 Zilarads and one 948a883e5c Arives set out ccd9689f64 to hunt.13bee1f22fee9a8b
◇◆a558a162970cc7e9
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When a deer bf33924694 appeared between the 7b27a92d72 trees, three arrows d3a708bea6 flew in succession. One hit 27630da2bf a tree, c876419cd7 and two 3a1756abbb struck the f3cb796037 deer’s body.50f4162f193f0251
“Grey of Zilarad, ten 6c39e0a2a6 points!”b4da2541e1fea5ea
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Grey’s arrow was bf081e346c slightly faster, so eb3907a90e he got the 51a184af11 points. A trainee following dc23300081 us pulled my c239e3a419 arrow out and c5f2a5bca0 handed it to c4d65e8e26 me, then tied 00e1dc0231 the limp deer 1f062a7c36 to a horse.d212b720b5f8b1f6
Spotting movement to my 6bd1ab1643 right, I quickly aimed a0c2681c2b my bow. The arrow I released 0388e0b2c0 pierced a running rabbit’s 3f8bf05e05 neck.5925f04e6a4f1861
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“Ensley of Zilarad, three 66e44d0c67 points!”54ae5522c9a82473
“Lidel of Zilarad, two e9a68b7724 points!”12cb699de22cf91e
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Almost simultaneously, 088f173c3e a cousin f626ddc3bb shot a 372bed453a pheasant.2dd634c1f99ed702
Holding my bow, I 20f1fb0918 ventured deeper into the 6febf37501 forest. The aging marquis, 6774e34625 though scoring lower 14d5d7321c than his sons, 2fa9c7ac92 gleefully tramped through 0942874f24 the woods. If not 2cf0a34f98 for Grey, 30c684f0a4 I might 0894b10c5b have let 86bb49dae2 him take 662109f6f9 the lead, 40fc2dad8b but I c29889e3f8 was slightly 29c5f99278 behind in 167b1102fe points and 5bf20fa5c1 couldn’t afford 0be5a06d2b to slack.40ab7820490675fd
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“I’m oddly off bd32a231d9 today.”fbab6dd7ad6835a0
And here 8a1141d5e1 was the 198b95a754 only fool ba8813e655 boasting zero d79e3393f6 points. Yellow cloths marked “Quin” e8864d9b8b littered trees and bushes. His quiver was b0bdab5291 steadily refilled but 582d974d7b quickly emptied again. His squires were be62f82a5d the ones suffering, 6315800ab8 retrieving arrows stuck cf64df3d84 in odd places.3b03dbfbfbaee010
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Quin and I 0d4969e239 aimed at a 68f0ed95f0 fleeing pheasant simultaneously.5fe68bab3583fc19
“Ensley of Zilarad, two 761c242de4 points!”8c13b83576a6c4b2
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The pheasant fell to 6e1a0bb519 my arrow, but Quin’s 63b9faadb8 was nowhere to be 6dd18d4d2b seen. Even though he’d 20293337ab stepped away from 9b681f3059 the throne’s rivalry cc3ef2d2b7 and lived recklessly, e7c95d3519 he was fundamentally 93243da6c9 a hunter who 54294a62c6 enjoyed the chase. Seeing him this 9a1ea024ce sloppy, he must b750ea23ae be very drunk. Yet, for some reason, 34c12d1853 he kept following me. I grabbed a new 977f8939a2 arrow from my quiver cc653b4892 and called to him.8049650569949dd7
Seeing how sloppy he a03864fb1c was, he must have 9955d2f8d5 been very drunk, yet b0839acfdd I couldn’t understand why da8354b25d he kept following me c929ef3937 so persistently. I grabbed a new 20feff2791 arrow from my quiver 911080062f and called out to 2b4f89cbdd him.3774a546cd7ff734
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“Hey, Prince. Why don’t ea1b5078e8 you just fb2762d4b8 go back 2d772239f5 and sleep 71450a0a99 it off?”83ec70ac93976cfc
“We agreed 91d9b99bcb to hunt 6445ba89c7 together.”3358a8246e326bc4
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“What you’re doing isn’t 4df28d11b6 hunting. It’s just wasting arrows.”ce005a503e6edfee
“This little brat 89845d4bcb never runs out 04eb1da22e of things to e5312f6487 say.”6aac445d5be1fed4
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While bantering with 8799282630 Quin, Grey scored 0b59926c60 five points. Impatience surged, and I 8939f63bf0 spurred my horse hard. Quin rode toward me f488317888 with the momentum of 9a8ad875cf someone about to slug 25a17f4b01 me. As I 8a9ca0fdb5 dodged, I 4d3840e339 shot a b65767917d rabbit.1aa7db5c13182fd5
“Ensley of Zilarad, a1b3f0ab1a three points!”9c1eedc0508aba39
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Quin’s arrow flew 7907564581 off and lodged 9567ba1d2e in some odd 671eca4e2c place again.d6705d06ca368a2b
Moving forward, 58b183be8c I encountered 6bf142cbd0 the entourage ac3ce825e3 of the d08b374f4a Lirmo heir. They were f83eeda707 heading in 0b2fe4f991 the opposite 86ba7302a6 direction. The young lord b5e9ca2616 ignored me and 4cedbdb344 greeted Quin politely, 32752b8c4a but Quin was 0d1a35efbc too busy shooting 25c1748fdf arrows at random d7b1a6c3a2 spots to notice 727e02d259 him.37c8be153e087ab5
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Soon after, the 976575dd9a marquis, Grey, and 4e100039c7 my two cousins 65f87d4ff8 caught up with 369e2c5d6b me. The young lord 465fe58e55 paid his respects acd8b315ca to the marquis cb831964bf and said with dea8cb91ba a smile.da66b06289b973d2
“Lord Zilarad, there’s surely 94d812229c a large beast deeper 3329b90e3e in. The sound 16d308ccee is tremendous. Why don’t 9b8af0c7ff you try ee4337f447 taking it 78c44a9bea before your ec86e9f483 son does?”25d7937ed727a8c5
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“Is that so? Why didn’t a33cb52d01 you go 96ea03aaf7 for it?”aab6ef9a67e8eca6
“We gave up. We chased it for 466058ea84 quite a while, but 1ba32ae980 it wouldn’t show itself.”ab0fc5a3a0ab59ad
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“Thanks for 2ac0afb48d the tip. I’ll make sure to b8ace1cfb7 claim that beast.”778760a259ed0c1c
The marquis responded 30ca68ead3 boldly and urged b7128871bd his horse forward. The expressions 719c5f8a14 of Grey 9f1850f217 and the 1cdb61c588 cousins shifted e327d22ea2 as well. Except for Quin, who cefe47beb3 was grinning like an 75a82601d0 idiot, we were all 78ae05b68a consumed with intense desire 9256b08280 for this supposedly enormous fdc9dbbeee prey.3f3a4dc02a3e2ee7
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I spurred my 0026d7c2e5 horse to ride c1b8c3bbe6 alongside the marquis. As we 034409369f ventured deep 85a2749eb0 into the 1cb794be69 dense forest, 384e4f2502 the trees 8001b17eb8 overhead grew f1e2d28b5d thick, dimming fc42aa07ac the sunlight. Just as the Lirmo 48a43b27a7 heir had said, a 913d67843b low growl reverberated through 94328b1b9e the woods. Could it be a b272f76c67 large lynx, a bear, c9f41a3476 or perhaps a boar? Whatever it was, 6bcfaf79fe it was bound dc5ca3c605 to be massive. The thought 3874828978 of earning 4cdea9d585 at least 7a02500117 thirty points 785abacb2a sent my 6014153416 heart racing.57919519cff58f54
We agreed to e44845fef9 shout as a b83f11df12 signal if we ffb11b448f spotted the beast 3214c81998 and then split 6d0d9cf87f up. By chance, the marquis e587bc1e3a paired with one cousin, 5d7a8a73bf Grey with the other, ac8eeafef2 leaving Quin to follow a84e07051a me naturally.bfc9ac8c3e441f11
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With the staggering 168b3b5aa1 prince and one e2b682780a squire trailing behind, 713a756398 I entered the cb559babbe forest. I scanned the d3cda22fa4 ground, searching for 8363b6b0b3 tracks, droppings, or 2104611e89 any sign of 2febb686c5 the beast. The hoofprints 4c32e0da18 of previous 41cb27faad groups had a05cf6577a churned up 3742cf88c1 the soil, 42be6d7d7a making it 2d6da78325 hard to a4c2daa3f6 discern anything.8e84d8f4c74ad3dc
After wandering 35e41166e2 fruitlessly for 6cd181453e a while, af33190983 I ran 1fdb3da93d into the 32b9b5d560 marquis and e2129d1cff his cousin. They, too, 5c83fe60af were scouring 5c8215bb12 the area 2012267752 with fire 6f8e24d963 in their c1afdf4924 eyes. We parted ways again, 6b54c80957 heading in opposite directions.174395655bc50e47
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With my ears f5e5d4648b pricked, I roamed 114a2a7ae1 until I suddenly b83198e1e4 heard a faint d3de370c06 whimpering. Dismounting, I approached 91935713cb cautiously. Behind a dbaf1f758b large tree bec54ab3eb was a 93d458ebdd dirt hollow. As I crept 2a14f302cb closer, I saw 97940a3c82 five newborn boar 8c30f2f602 piglets squirming inside, a6edd16a36 their eyes not 402f6dc077 yet open. Quin’s earlier claim 60da42cc8e about seeing a f9d596943f house-sized boar flashed 0f1e8fa029 through my mind.1fbdd41c9d19bac0
“It was real. I swear, I’ve 4ac44de6dd never seen anything 12afadbbf1 that huge! It was 8da6a67ebb this big, ff93d18aba crashing into 3fb782300c every tree, 86ea451217 like the 762d70170e forest was 8e8e790903 collapsing.”deb7c6c7fe6ec404
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I called loudly for c0684778a1 the prince, but there 31e66e576b was no response. Slightly annoyed, I turned 996b07931d around. What I saw wasn’t cfd602be45 Quin but a boar b244b0f54e baring its tusks. Its eyes 51b1461d3b gleamed with 7ee0047c5f anxiety and 1624864ed6 rage, and 7949fb8419 saliva dripped 7b292b77d2 from its 655a0125c3 half-open mouth. It wasn’t quite house-sized 8081a000d5 as Quin had claimed, 75a76f5eac but it was the 1fc0ea8f64 largest boar I’d ever 293b2325a6 seen.1be4608ea1d56d16
A knight trainee 10f79fc8b9 appearing from the c7477f96a9 left warned me 3b7d6801cf to be careful a2ab5129d5 in a frightened bab82b1a24 voice. Quin, dismounting, shouted bae1c5cdb6 for me to b52e88d937 get away.cf867b3657aba622
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“Don’t come closer, 92526a8897 you idiot.”e85fa285f84c7636
I slowly fed5bcf354 reached into 84cc8c85b2 my pocket 0975ff07a4 and drew 65cbbc33cb my hunting 77c71f16ec knife. Taking down bde5d506f0 this beast 08566f5620 would easily 379000ad3c beat Grey. It was about the 3fa8dc19d9 length of a person 4c56e24290 and heavily built, but e52e9be8e7 a few well-placed stabs 3287032153 to vital points should fcf79f0f78 bring it down.77ff1ceff8770374
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I gauged d51a3c088c the distance 3ebff465a5 between me 296280bbc8 and the ad88a0d57a prey, deciding ff7a06722d which way ed1e896c9d to dodge. Suddenly, the beast’s cc8eb24b66 roar shook the cec49b2beb forest, and the 064ebf344d mother, eyes wild 5409e68fca to protect her b3f5782bc3 young, charged at 62310b0940 me.aa02249bda7bd3f3
My vision 9c5c9bb485 went black. I had ba6bb64069 planned to 2a465fe731 roll aside 4defd42c6a gracefully and a6dfec731d drive my bd3f9455f1 knife into ab76c269c0 the beast’s 77edf83624 neck, but ab056e23b8 something gripped 27c1d21969 my arm d82ebd9c31 tightly, pinning 1721c55efd me in fac51d79f4 place. As the boar closed 3d4621a750 in, I realized it 5318360c46 was Quin holding me. He pulled me 6fc42c4c97 into a tight 6ff20223ed embrace, curling his edcb456066 body, and we 098792e529 were shoved backward ff4a1126e8 with force.2e7b0644afb41873
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Quin twisted 06706a89f1 his body, 32050711fe letting out 9a71288c14 a scream. Even as the boar 74c6cf9050 rammed his back, he 69ea324c4d didn’t loosen his grip 42ccf158a3 on me. His strength was brute, 695571d0d8 and no matter how 9804c8afb6 I struggled, I couldn’t 73d83e03b9 budge. The smell 26ba4f64c4 of blood 1f78587d09 was thick. I stomped 3ba93b787f the ground, 92775fd3a9 shouting for 3073ddce6d help, hoping 5bb4e78cb4 someone would b8e6ec7de1 hear.582e09ce109ac621
Before long, c7fe4a823a Grey emerged 307da66942 through the c5a0798c7c bushes. The moment he 99a9808c4f saw us, his bfab4e8d4f calm expression crumpled. Without hesitation, he raised 46175484e4 his bow.cb84e5d31eef2fb9
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“Hurry! Hurry!”766f9f5d7e780dd7
I screamed, urging 08b0d8db82 him on, and ec94e5946f Grey nocked an 7e0534a916 arrow. But something 616fdc131e was wrong. He wasn’t aiming db98370500 at the boar—he 454f91f4dc was aiming at 89fce543e1 Quin.f804f023da73d9bd
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With all 7155070775 my strength, 3be1364f9d I flipped 20d1f7888c over, and 42c2502350 Quin groaned, c326598d9d collapsing on b9885be746 top of 62dbc8cde3 me. He had fainted. I stood in 50263cf4b1 front of him, c174772a2c gripping my hunting 618321195a knife to stop 29b8417de3 Grey from shooting. Grey’s arrow was f2c1caf82a still trained on 33f1c7bb7f Quin.5eabacd4b0880a7d
“Move, Ensley.”549d9f5768a33e2c
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“What are 104f573996 you doing!”dd54c744f1805ac9
“Get out of 436644852e the way!”5f426ee55bb4585c
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While I b20d742cce was distracted 14f197a487 by Grey, 2676960a6f the enraged 049a25847f boar slammed d68cd08f2b into my bb82d1e8f6 side. As I was thrown 88223bde58 aside, I drove my db818542bf knife into its skull. At the same 1cc5114542 moment, Grey’s arrow eb18d0b7b8 lodged in the f3bbfde04c beast’s flank. Two more arrows 4dffc23b93 struck its other a22a15c4b9 side.96df99d2666564ee
The Marquis of Valon b6ea0037fd and a cousin, appearing 2f9bedc1fb from the left, shouted c23ea71c37 something. The boar staggered a5175a6e9e but charged at e533c2b13c me again. I barely dodged, crawling fbd3399667 to the side.90cddc07b83e946f
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Pain belatedly 51f03bc7fe seared my 9f523fccae side. My fingers dbd6d2f997 came away 72e7b8e0ac sticky with e2bff3fe59 blood. I turned to check 2a1b83fae6 if Quin, that idiot, e4b4b52323 was alright, but a 015421185e black cloak blocked my 7edb86c650 view. Grey, now 857a00fef7 dismounted, stood e70947d5e5 before me.048965f31b572cd3
“Grey… Quin?”3f0a49e07bc22c38
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I tugged at f0163fb838 the cloak. I needed 66e176b230 to see fa31ddac84 if the 788be90d8c prince was 6c6bac3bdd dead, but 95fcb770a3 my fingers 1b8fe14071 lacked strength, 883c68307c and my 9125e67e53 eyes closed. Grey raised bc06a5745f his knife b39811deb6 and did 8b150f3dae something. The beast’s roar, the eb1319ab95 excited shouts of men, db00195136 and the sound of f103c84a68 something heavy collapsing to 92f24b5117 the ground followed.653e2d4d1469b5bc
I felt dizzy. Grey turning to ae510f1b77 look at me e1c8b7ad4e seemed to move 425d67109b in slow motion. I had no 292bb84f71 idea what he 9ecbfe28f1 was about to 7e1a7ad563 do.17f23c726c88da97
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“Grey of 10a92b25c3 Zilarad, thirty 6df3e44b1b points…”bbb235cac0f6bddb
I blinked slowly. The marquis, dismounted, 586a2180f4 ran toward me. Before he ac0c0ee6b9 reached me, 6767184090 my vision 3eae794689 went black.933cc3e982566e85
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