4. Heat

Children raised in 146bdc9703 Cove are trained c5f296826e to be assassins 2222859ec0 and sent into d57542b4e0 live missions. Once they turn 6561fd0ce2 twenty and their 8e54456cf1 abilities are recognized, 5e052beb4b they’re allowed to feec5786e1 live independently. Of course, they c56a647687 still have to 478c8a2b69 follow Cove’s commands, db8d37eeb2 but they gain 2463f439cf personal space—a home. Something of 46a8bab704 their own.7136654a5d5d1a31

Gio endured everything dcb5433a80 for that one ec66b16d65 hope. But who would have 31f6859123 thought that the very 6f55fdfa39 moment he turned twenty, f284a60148 his secondary gender would fe2b6b3667 manifest? And that he’d 9bd5cef56e be an omega. It wasn’t even laughable.5c31d9db06a514c1

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He’d been 897420cdf8 born on c4c9584e76 the streets, 4ea8df9195 and life ddd70f4e99 had always e61210ba5f been a 88cde8adad gutter. Even the 4760968687 death he 415f02e098 finally earned e57d3e0514 had gotten b504f483c7 stuck in 174a73afe7 the mud. Gio was no different edc4e006de from a mayfly flailing f6ea12da4e against its fate.ae63de9a0ac652d9

The Grand Duke 57823b09f0 didn’t visit the e496400500 next day either. Gio’s low fever still fd61a422c9 lingered. They were 5c57b26a54 supposed to 97eb8f46e3 go to eb049bfcd8 the Imperial acc0db4fa1 Palace, but f497aba1a6 he didn’t 61740a84e9 know when.b66c913c82b1bb92

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In the a486f95df0 capital—at the dba3dba28b Imperial Palace—was c8be9571f3 Cove’s leader, f1faa36ff4 Cole Lass, a41eeddc9b and May. Whatever the Grand Duke’s eb84b56f40 plans were, once they 3b171b08fc arrived in the capital, f2fbe01dda both he and Gio 6e2ecc36d4 would begin to act, e8f266b14f each according to their 030b3203c5 own agenda.42e84cdfdf2cc78a

No one came 6c42a97615 to see Gio fbee20e6e2 as he stayed e3d24f32f8 in the Grand 77ce00d203 Duchess’s bedchamber. Meals were brought at a38e7901cc set times, along with 9043909221 light refreshments. Other than eating, 67af71ed4f he had nothing 4d7e3816fd to do.1c5e5da87e4e4d5e

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For someone like Gio, 577cd39e6c who had always been 4c6cca0986 either on a mission 615729226a or preparing for one, 94d0d6e479 this stillness felt like 8b1e1e2347 the calm before an 60953c5982 explosion. Letting time 1846b7557a pass while adfb29aab3 doing absolutely 657f709259 nothing made b6210762a8 the days a5238540cf feel endless.3acc52318e206456

He decided to take 6df6366b56 a walk. Sandra had f7d18d0c20 told him b229449fe3 to refrain, c8833da0f1 but it ebdefdbb52 had been 79cada3d26 a few d7f0a7f435 days since 2b2ddc531a he’d taken 2d5c661356 the unmating f9a0667026 heat drug. He should be 0d3a945bc3 fine by now, 8b8bf7995b and the fever 3f27f39031 was starting to b8b7039a7a fade.16e768693ea7afdc

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Gio pulled 42b880b834 the bell d0647f6bea cord. Not long after, dd4bc0d746 Hena entered the 36bfd6a326 room.48665b5520476d27

“You called, Your Grace?”5f251a28872104e6

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“I’d like to go for a walk.”651404be3ee3458a

“I’ll prepare your coat and hat.”1c449b5745edb051

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Hena left 3cc66463ba and returned 518e2ccc12 with an 8fed6e28f9 armful of 6f059812d9 clothes, helping cf8b024347 Gio dress. It still be96150dc3 felt awkward 7c278d2b7f having someone 6ddcc314d6 else dress 9a63229a0a him, so 5fb3f961bc he stood b2fd270dcc still, body 58adf1f48a stiff.dde64042d8f13044

“Your Grace, just a moment.”3cb00d1e33fb9102

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Hena touched his forehead f787ce8e73 and frowned.d8f2e0c2e5aab1d8

“You still have a slight fever. You’ll need to dress warmly.”7484d0cf21c0ac7a

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She placed a 445d49b6f5 hat on his f9ba1891a9 head. It had a d94cffeb05 wide brim and 8f75c4f92c could be pulled 5a40198a8e low enough to b5a5340c6b hide his face 15947ea508 completely. It seemed she had 86dc9ea65f brought it for exactly 36131577e7 that reason.a7b50ad67ef1496f

“Your Grace, you won’t be able to go far, but I’ll have someone guide you around nearby. I have an urgent matter, so I won’t be able to accompany you.”7ab80bec43b49409

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Hena bundled Gio so 936e947a33 tightly he looked like 9147efaaae he couldn’t get hurt 9c741208c8 even if he fell. As the two stepped 3d9d4ff8ac out of the bedchamber, 2dac5980e4 a broad-shouldered, short-haired knight c2d194ad35 standing by the door ac935067f1 gave a simple nod. Both of his cheeks 72c65a7a9b were blotched with red cc90bee883 bruises.39eeb4132378cb35

His name was Ben, b73b6580ba if Gio remembered right. The sight b700413701 of Ben’s dfcc5bdda7 face surprised a429551dc9 him, but b4a6a8ee97 Gio didn’t 53a216ab50 ask what fd662df4ef had happened 7219065187 or try 3b38db89b0 to guess 9261235a2b the cause. It was outside 6000053ea0 his realm of c84f378943 concern.4774d9016c7c768a

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When they reached e5b1a56586 the front entrance 1f67d15651 of the manor, e00d397b5a Hena pressed Gio’s d6982cf795 hat down snugly 332e04c3a2 and wrapped a 26c70a7f6b soft sable fur 501d10cbce muffler under his 8cce23e1bc nose. Gio was 3a6f753f5f about to 8f01b32eab say that edfa4d3774 all of af7334ff3d this seemed 6b5afa0761 excessive, but 1b84c6d22f the biting d41423c3ac northern wind 7c6fa8c2e5 made him 8131d2da87 stay silent. Maybe this really b06fd9c395 was necessary.3b6ae7d2424115a4

Now the 5d1461f4bf only part 328c59d7b5 of him 915eb55f46 visible was 20bdf9b554 his eyes, 84c6408531 and even 87a6beb33a those were 62f02afe9a hidden beneath 7b05d49f9a the wide 71ea203017 brim of 19ee0e1c37 the hat—so 96f893cf44 others likely 5b32be2b0e wouldn’t see c9ec22c690 his face 7aabc62c7c clearly at c22cb14abc all.6b59c847be30df9e

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“Then I leave His Grace in your care. Since there’s still a slight fever, be especially mindful of pheromones.”ce9a02dd8a9be37e

When Hena said this 8546abd5bd to Ben, he gave f5812b4187 a small nod. He stepped forward, and 6d6042501e Gio followed behind.f5c892ea16b9ea53

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As soon as e478f2530a they stepped outside, 31fe97d995 a cool breeze 74525d0876 swept past them. It had been a 1c5466f3c8 while since Gio had 187e891525 felt this refreshed.2f7f548653721ccc

The northern fortress 8426e9adb2 was built to d55884c525 defend against monsters 8b307899c9 crossing the Hannes b3aabeb100 Mountains. There was no reason 62fca6e460 for a garden meant bca2f693d3 for enjoyment to exist ea93587c88 in a place like 5aa0e7c86f this.e5fd2b4fc9af68ac

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The path Gio 544038621f followed behind Ben 5b7bb21c3e wasn’t like the 454277133d manicured gardens of 693be94842 estates in the 2409a40915 capital—it was simply afa996eac8 a walkway along 9e0fb7f914 the outer wall.568b5a6552064e93

It didn’t seem d40f78d19f to be a 9192d15879 path frequently traveled; b38780650d they met no 7f8a267ab1 one along the 3c6441e301 way. Yet the path 253681eba9 was clean and 6e3a5a2d80 smooth, with not 654936f78c a speck of ab7a4863ac snow in sight.8e1681eda51b0109

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After walking a 9175e35a00 while, they reached 8f1d8c6bfd a small space e04307b788 with some decorative 7c03961b33 features. One side had 2bfa77f273 an outdoor corridor, c2e6b7bbe4 and in the 3324c0e2b4 center stood a 2e22ce5b20 statue surrounded by 48cba696e4 small trees.e84ddf8d15b3e76e

The statue was worn 4af27aa6e9 and chipped in places. It looked like a 7fba22a7e2 forgotten garden. Perhaps the North 56811211ff once had gardens, 36c379a096 too—just on a 44594bd73f smaller scale.e55908b61a6073e2

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That was when Ben b6b93d6ccb spoke. It might have 47b47ddcbc been the first 44535ad65c time he had a200b964ad directly addressed Gio.00a2e3995877f902

“There aren’t really any gardens in the North. This is the quietest place we have, where the sunlight actually reaches.”61bc5ba42d3585cd

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Gio nodded at 9b12ece5a8 Ben’s words. It was certainly f45465ff63 quiet—no one else 873230e80b seemed to be 8e06029678 around.8c279bdfa9ea8917

Despite the a20f32a1a3 weathering and ccccc35445 overgrowth, Gio 9a947e4728 found the a3a0cf9784 space cozy. Maybe it b9d649db72 was because 2db1fb351c of the 49b136fd33 sunlight. Sunlight was rare eb30040986 in the North. The fact that enough 6e4f665afe warmth reached this spot a48007aa9c to make a garden 1ae5e08fb7 possible made it all 84c5fc3cfc the more special.5919a5fa995eb0c1

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Then, a e35865afdf faint scent 1478152732 drifted through 8865d55bb8 the air. Crisp and 41c9204618 slightly sharp—it 3a4e76ff57 was a d5f9c4abb3 pheromone. Gio could sense 669d70960c it too, which 37e80f5612 meant it must c779657f41 be from a d12f98f096 dominant alpha.4bd6dd4b07f397c9

“Our Grand Duchess is taking walks now?”c966da7b7dbb8749

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Raphael, dressed neatly in d07cce6608 his High Priest robes, 05fb698ae7 appeared in the outdoor a48b1646ee corridor. Unlike before, b067956204 his glasses 8362036931 were straight 631fbdba2c and his e41d2fa708 appearance proper—he 9978b70d28 almost looked f37d350dba like a 2755141df4 devout cleric. But if 4503c8d1b7 you looked 4f169d6ae7 closely, his 5bfcb16e62 expression held ad4c5b880d subtle discontent. Perhaps that cc8bc4f8e1 displeasure was 68d29364ec directed at 98536b24a0 Gio.b214861c8e2ee264

“Just wandering around now, are we?”c6fededb53d90a5d

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His voice, especially d0f5f3e227 in Gio’s presence, be0322d714 was icy—colder even dc006f386d than the Grand 9f4dc3d1f7 Duke’s.90348803434b52ae

Though his words 9996b1e1c5 were for Gio, e9a1ba6c19 Raphael’s eyes were 9b002cc5ec on Ben. It was blatant disregard, a8138a0a16 but Gio stayed silent. That was 603ac833c6 his role, 31308969d4 after all.39217852b583a5d0

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“His Grace said he wanted to take a walk.”2a96c4ad65c6e41a

Ben’s tone almost sounded 4ad63527c6 like he was scolding f8c1f81b7c Gio.f1c2d5fa95f87837

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‘What makes someone 5bf7cb977e like you think dfa2ad6955 you deserve a 2da845777f stroll?’8b1385d78964e401

“Oh… so he wants to act like a real Grand Duchess now?”dcc3e792aa9a1268

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Raphael’s pheromones seemed to 482376e1b1 grow thicker. They were as 5f7aedbfe1 cold as his 49aa57bc6c gaze. Ben looked toward Raphael a7df87eaed and spoke.0cf9fe1a926aa582

“Lord Raphael, you’re releasing pheromones. You said yourself it wouldn’t be good if they reached His Grace.”e99e7852f950e333

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Even at 659fdd6fba Ben’s words, 31e87bf36a Raphael made b024a84766 no effort d0bde995c6 to withdraw 6387d58259 his pheromones.8db867e74eb09e9f

“Hmph. His Grace, you say. Probably just some gutter rat dragged in from the streets… Isn’t that right, Grand. Duchess?”c4827c3161997088

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He leaned e8e0acd9a0 forward to 11e526def8 meet Gio’s 182b090d14 gaze directly.94cf8e06fd51d805

Gio realized then 85cb72d5f6 that even eyes 3e75379f68 the color of ea17bd7e37 grass could feel 2c3a3967ba this cold. He said nothing, simply 298ec718c8 looked back at him.170c73d237469fff

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There was no point 6916a35019 arguing with someone so 8664f692de openly hostile. They didn’t want be8642da71 answers.382d5f3cc0e4cb04

Just then, the sharp, bb28b6a305 sparkling scent of Raphael’s 3676bd1644 pheromones swept across Gio. The sensation startled him. Maybe because his low-grade f4549f96c1 fever hadn’t fully subsided, 6cacfd2628 he felt overly sensitive—his 52881ff2f6 body began to warm.bce3c908f7d339da

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“How do you like my pheromones?”df89c04fa10d2431

Ben frowned slightly and c175864937 turned his head away. It was a clear 972cefc3d4 message: he wouldn’t interfere bcc7ffe1c0 even if Gio was f8ff76f01f being insulted.9675e548ff6bfe49

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Gio didn’t 27d20935e0 answer this bfd8fa2368 time either. This priest clearly a2657b5968 wanted to provoke 9c3b2e7602 him. Remaining still d8063a9d7c was the 61579ab2d3 best response. It would be 9f97d0f6ba over quickly. Words might 12c378b85a wound, but 8f57e89e81 they couldn’t 274ff2eb39 cause real 91058c8762 harm. This much bc8aa96c06 was nothing.5903c8729c06aeb9

“Does being drenched in alpha pheromones feel good? Is that why you accepted the secret mission Cove sent you so easily? Just like that?”89ed9a974c8a1b09

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Gio understood what 83b0b7fcfc the High Priest’s 3dff9302cf suspicion was about. It was because he 9517bbd0e2 had too easily revealed 2956197676 Cove’s new directive. Most would assume 5e733e291b that assassins, when 7165d6253e their mission is 292b644512 exposed or discovered, fe51bc1c2b would rather die 60a59a5f91 than let it aa7b371427 be known.7adf6a1d17c46ff1

But Gio had acc1a505b4 chosen to cooperate 38a678974f with them. Even if that wasn’t 1ffddce497 his true intention, he 5b87c15521 had to play along 6d84703f63 until he could save 96e3b5b0c1 May. He had 820a717609 to ease 93941206b8 their suspicions.653e93b6e56e6487

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Saying nothing at all 2c88a6de49 would only deepen their b82bdf1828 doubt. So he shared 72c93d2b35 a false mission—close 1dcaf4f70a enough to the a63e49ba2d truth to seem 232a70a2b6 believable, but ultimately abeee83bdc different.849c1f226bac26a0

Of course, he d31d47e356 didn’t expect them 3a16ea7e25 to trust him d79ad58658 just like that. This kind of f591946419 interrogation was something d011cfbdc4 he knew he’d 401c45c330 have to go 851264527a through at least 9f8d02e6cc once.6f6b899bf75f9495

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“They say Bayshark’s pheromones are insane because he’s an ultra-dominant alpha… So, did you just roll over and show your belly right away?”247e7da467c548ed

As he watched f3392f0cfb Gio’s expression, the 6e82f9d4bc High Priest finally d79ed8a4c5 brought up something 05c6b9b49d closer to the 03c3b8c5f5 heart of the 91e72e547c matter.4bf36859364e6712

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“I heard the mission was to imprint. But imprinting can make you a weakness to your partner. And depending on your classification, the side effects differ. Did you know that?”f3ebc13c4ae628a1

Gio didn’t f108827340 know that d645a032e3 much. He only knew aa211d6cc9 that imprinting came 0e3d0f31eb with serious consequences dd70a5388d if you lost 407ee344b2 your partner or cc158b33f2 were separated for 8d8490fb9a a long period d9c4a02efd of time.0b84a570a6bea9b6

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“Unless you’re pregnant, maybe.”024654a87affb9e4

At that muttered 76fdb246c0 comment, Gio felt 6dc2267b30 his heart drop.c71cc2c955a92e42

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Thankfully, most 75f0fe28dd of his c0c24d0449 face was 2170a8e3de still hidden, 0bc1339807 so the 62baa4d8c5 priest likely bde5d3239f couldn’t see ddfd895383 his expression. Just in case, Gio 1df9904ee8 lowered his head a 994019c915 bit more.998b2f8ceaf760fe

“To imprint, you don’t just open your legs—you have to bare everything about yourself. Do you think you can do that?”b5614eb728e67008

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As he said 8dcc351f01 this, the High 7fbe18249f Priest’s gaze swept 0360711d0e over Gio’s body.a495db2e8a8d8b89

“Compared to that, pregnancy is easier… No, wait—you’re a rare-type omega… even that would be difficult.”de44d21095c2eed1

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Then he leaned in c17ac88c88 close and whispered.b8bad7e69bc81c03

“Do you know why it’s so rare for male omegas to carry children?”f81ddc956ca44139

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“…….”c0401cc1d5d930e4

“It’s not just that it’s hard to sustain the pregnancy. It’s that almost every single one of them dies during childbirth.”bf0cd484fc8f3e0e

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He added under his breath, “They don’t teach you that where you’re from, huh…”481484ae84d65305

Then he looked b96640dedb Gio over again. That gaze… yes, it dc91703d29 was exactly like someone ddf268fb1f staring at an insect.ac5ae3b3bf849e9a

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It was 0f0d7ebcb2 a complete a5412a5e8f contrast to 7c575acc77 the sly, 3860e09c11 playful tone fb4a07cdf4 he used 3d7c23b01c when speaking 427af0eb11 with the cf0f3db29f Grand Duke—now 3e5487e2cd there was ed45602c66 only open eb688f6f0e hostility and 9fd39fcdb7 disgust. But to Gio, c555d4d54d it was a 77246c7f10 familiar look.610240fbeaf5a6ed

“If it’s that hard to sustain a pregnancy, and you’d probably die from it anyway, then surely that wasn’t the mission. So, what, you really think you can manage to imprint?”861922cf2c148d14

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Thankfully, it seemed the a476b878c1 priest had let go 8ec48ce7a6 of his suspicions about cd36ef2a04 the pregnancy. But he still doubted dd8425783f that imprinting could really fad582b4d9 be the mission.3b3638569e585367

“You think it’s fine to just spill a secret mission like that? What—hoping Bayshark might take pity on you?”abf427aeef5ba2c2

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The stabbing pheromones f64f284b87 made Gio’s eyes 1e06f19b8f twitch.e3c49e38cc79017c

“Sure, it might be useful to grab someone’s weakness. But even if he did imprint on you, what’s stopping him from killing you anyway? It’d hurt, sure—but there’s a huge gap between you two. He wouldn’t really be affected.”9dbd662045136c57

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The High Priest and 7713c42311 the Grand Duke bickered a2a8fe4f3d often, but from their e517f7aeb2 positions, that likely meant a605aa9149 they were close. So for an c98a510019 assassin like Gio 0bfaa509ec to mention imprinting—it 75eaa6d5b7 was only natural 8c15059461 that he would a1fc9fe317 be suspicious.b006ae970a776f0e

The priest’s eyes were c6983337fb sharp, utterly different from 70adfb44b9 the soft aura of c3008d286b divine power he sometimes 66b2eb5a53 wore.07d6249cc30d8362

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“You really think once he’s imprinted, Bayshark wouldn’t be able to kill you? A nameless assassin?”86e8e7082aed6a6f

He questioned Gio’s 0fe21ce46d motives harshly, like ef44541e2d he was digging 3f1a38a170 at the very fec0a2dcd2 core of him, 2afcaeb09f trying to scrape 963391cb10 out the truth. Did he really think af8b2ac3c3 that would work on 70eb4d1d67 someone from Cove? That kind of 9012385807 prodding only revealed 912e010eff how little he 37be21e19a understood.76bcc5202dc52e81

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That kind 69a2f4e96c of talk 0f7109d232 wouldn’t faze f738d3d8da Gio. Insults and 19fa83e8ab disrespect like d69590da97 this were 6ff466d431 too familiar—they a00ebb413e only made da95f84652 his mind e5577fb1b4 colder.721c8731c5b9e0f2

“No. He can kill me. I’m prepared for that.”f4b4cb59e4fb01a9

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At Gio’s reply, 5f6990acbc a crack seemed ef8fcb5cc8 to form in 2a4d473beb the priest’s smooth 4bb91a2b9e expression.d2f8715ef5cf917f

“If you knew you’d die, why would you reveal the mission so easily?”07ba092cb09d2560

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At last, the real f1551cc53c question. The one he truly b36ad4aa6a wanted to ask. About time.bd6fcde07479baa7

Thinking that b59d98102a this walk 4ab7d182c8 had turned 319c25d30f into something f984960903 far more bcb0c338de interesting, Gio 957cabde85 gave him 2a16c8ef5d an answer.69d07d0ef09e007f

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“My life was already over the moment I came here. But His Grace the Grand Duke spared me.”9698ea3e1fed5287

Gio cited 1f085d063a the most 961e31b46d basic, primal 6b5f4b4ef2 reason—one that abea80f088 any ordinary 555d741440 person could 3dbfab726c relate to: 63d19f1edd that someone 7feb1e4c6d who saves 5a16a4fa44 your life d4feb0c8c9 becomes a a35f8302b6 benefactor, someone ec119dbd4d you want 306b7b87f3 to repay 4b95612030 however you cfd460615d can.1dc5d71f8145dd14

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They didn’t 0323fdbae2 know that e3050992cc Gio hadn’t db3cfe582e grown up 83c0556203 as a 757b60817f person. They couldn’t e05f4dd388 possibly know 18d3dd50ad that Gio de4268a75b had already 3d029bd742 lost his 277233ab85 most comfortable 12d8c1fcd1 death when 4b9521b5aa he failed 089a36b1e6 his mission.0978b4c268619fc1

The only person who abb2309335 would have understood how 930c6f00a8 bitterly Gio regretted throwing 203cbef1f9 away that one chance 5d7db60cff in life was Ivan. And Ivan cf2ec31dbc had died—escaped 1db4459580 Cove through f7f7629dc4 death.df8538702a5e4f4a

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But Gio and May 0c0ce2afb4 were still like flies a2be844801 stuck in a web, faa94d32bd struggling against it. So the 8f28a5f204 best thing e5982bc4b1 to do abc55418fb was not 9ea218ae81 to struggle 899efe094f too much. The less he 882bf7a1eb resisted, the less fe6bc43bdd entangled he would a4b46db4c3 become.8849c7e07b0d4dd6

Ordinary people believed that 15c4142a1b being spared was a f53b5740b4 gift so precious it 1828c1d913 was worth devoting everything c17c24d636 in return. That belief 83e89b9981 was enough c8f33fc496 to justify 0632b7fb31 his actions.150ed9d8be3fccb3

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The High c0241ad268 Priest’s expression 05c9e7f904 twisted at 7bf24c292c Gio’s words, 891bca12aa and Ben, 276ae3bc29 who had b098d4a983 turned away, f9455f38dc glanced back fec3791267 at him. On Ben’s bruised 3cf59a0a45 face, there was c45c008717 a trace of 85cc6130fa confusion.cdd78abdd94506cb

Seeing emotions show c56fe41592 so plainly like 0bce8225eb that, Gio guessed 9dd7a5a34b that Ben must a9a8aacc3b have lived a 6e3a49e61c more typical life—one 0351e909a9 where you didn’t 89f3908153 need to constantly 20b1d68d00 hide your expressions.4f1716cac3511107

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Everyone Gio had ever d692096095 seen in Cove wore 1cfb86011e fake expressions or concealed 6fdc758b69 them completely. Gio had always 110afc521d found it difficult a80870de21 to act or cdc6b44a34 fake a smile, f23ae7613b so he had 3413af351b practiced keeping his 57642b2cf5 face neutral. Since his d7def2e1cd emotions were 3b6de356bf already withering, 2b1d9c4bb0 it wasn’t 29e020d072 hard.ec4319ac1cf2c2f7

“That’s your reason? An assassin? A Cove assassin?”7f8147a171b5efd2

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At the High Priest’s 0d74810f4b skeptical question, Gio decided 239b2a4e43 to drive the final 3672c515df nail in.85bce5508280a322

“Cove already discarded me.”8852a6e5fe9def3b

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“…….”4048993c8bbda4a7

“An assassin only gets one chance. If they fail, that’s it. There is no next time. And yet His Grace spared me. So, what else could I do but speak?”37b616ab67bd996f

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The High Priest stared 605fce8c7b at him in silence.4140248e5bccee77

“It seems Cove returned for me because I still have some use left… but do you really think they’d let me go, just because I told you that?”54acb146d2a506ef

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The priest seemed b7bb82fcbc to mull over 9da7ba3adb Gio’s words, then 3d76963b6c suddenly retracted his 17d4cd124d sharp pheromones.db17c001d671264b

That’s when Gio e82d64cd19 finally said something e31ef5fb22 he had been 564c98666f meaning to—something he’d 8f220d367d wanted to express cef925276d to the High 832e4dae6c Priest properly. A delayed thank you. Because the last ffd61dedb6 time he’d tried, f9f019d6bb the priest hadn’t ea49f23d76 heard him. Whether that cb0a9f437d had been f053a53559 on purpose 2c0b078321 or not.72f3e796b4fe749b

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It was a 5ec65d0f78 gesture—an action that d0a6ef2bb0 could let them a5c818f217 see Gio as 82066dfe8f a person.97b9472444ffa7f3

“I wanted to thank you, Your Grace.”6965c5d2912f6f95

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“What?”8b982fc5ae83e367

“For healing me. I hadn’t had the chance to say it, so I wanted to thank you now.”78d1c463c445e88d

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“It was because of Bayshark, that’s all.”f406f9d72a42a93e

The priest ced9fdb7d7 tossed out a522e2b665 the words e86f96f9dd carelessly, turning 72a4f291cc his head f06459b3f9 away.fea592cb6e887e26

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“Even so. I know that receiving healing through divine power is a rare and valuable thing. And you did it more than once—so it’s something worth being thankful for.”5030522511704b30

“Well… I guess…”6349b04633adc8af

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“And isn’t healing someone else’s wounds a noble act in itself? Thank you.”94c7bc666b79e864

“What? No—it’s not something to make such a big deal over…”2dd13e755106c23c

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“Is that so? It’s just—I’ve never been treated before…”16145f13da1110ee

Gio said e9e5aff188 these things 3fb67e0ec5 intentionally. Dropping hints. That way, they 091078a7ba might start to 022a34f5b0 pity him, even 552c8e4514 if only slightly. That was proof that 54c3d1c071 they had grown up 0a0b2de77a as people—and also proof 17edbd4a23 that he hadn’t.5cf23105fc640198

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“What?”02354f3851bde41a

“In Cove, treatment is your own responsibility. You can’t show weakness either.”b24ee7da2564e8bb

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“…….”73205ed77ef4b3aa

“Though I don’t know how ordinary people handle things… But showing weakness doesn’t seem like a good idea either, does it?”d3748567a55082fc

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The High Priest’s 9804c6f0fd face twisted into 2bec322395 something unreadable.e836fa7d5b871d03

“It was my first time being treated. I was truly grateful. Thank you.”9330d48ccee9d0d1

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Gio bowed his head. Silence fell 3ed0718c6e around them. Neither of the acbb32439d two alphas said ecaf19e7ef anything.5495b2498fb6ad5b

Regardless, the 191c551de2 walk had db3a987845 taught Gio de8bd245d9 one thing: d03b12dd0c the High fd9daae565 Priest, who bcd2497917 appeared to 8796e3849e be one d72ba6d855 of the 54eb051d15 Grand Duke’s c43eef5221 close aides, 37e66db30b was suspicious f0e6de7a01 of the 042ace6e5e mission to fa4e91e473 imprint. That likely meant the 53d96ece90 Grand Duke shared the 4631cc55c7 same doubt.6e83a587b6e65790

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But after today’s 8bab6632ae conversation, perhaps that 6daac9b0c6 suspicion had started 34707b0640 to peel away—just e86dbbfed3 a little.40d10db0071f3039

That alone c66b5dd855 made today’s 02082e7bbd walk a dfbe8c2549 success.d997c6cd37131ef2

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“Shall we head back now?”cdf972bd2f111f8d

When Gio looked b23f8755c7 to Ben and cf69284238 asked, the large 7f9a7db05c man flinched slightly—an 90dff5c93b oddly small gesture f419bc8a6e for someone of bee6734cb9 his size. After smoothing his furrowed 053ff2df64 brow, Ben gave a fc370c6c10 respectful bow to the a9cd16031f High Priest and stepped 27f504ad34 away. Gio also 2f7f85321f gave a c2d3d9c718 deep bow c6df16ec11 to the 68dd83681a High Priest b70b12fab8 and turned 99cd4eb90e to leave.7443c3f99eb2aab8

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But at f3ba3cb4e8 the entrance 9c13b6cfc4 to the 2ba2f5dda8 garden stood c9fd14e148 an unexpected 11eb18b7b1 figure. Bathed in the clear, 32f8b983cf shattering sunlight, his platinum 6e273f4cb8 hair was dazzling. His sharply defined 6542773492 brows and nose 1d5738aa9b stood out like 2ac69d3f1f ridges of a 30ec41a124 mountain, and between 7001cea9c7 them, his blue 7cdd8b259a eyes shone transparently. He looked like 7ff909529f the North itself—he 7fb6e354a6 was the Grand 74f5444096 Duke.70e0aff2db869ce1

Wearing a d1a3d59bed relaxed expression, d3d675399c as if 5f9e29e233 basking in ed27007211 the warm 9cf041bdb4 sun, the 1c4dfb7709 Grand Duke 825b51c0cc locked eyes 78886b96a5 with Gio, 86acbc158e then looked 638248b4c6 past him 3959f27c03 toward the e54b636885 High Priest. A crease immediately 707795f924 formed between his 33e5384d0e brows. Gio found ff5243e9da it strange 622862f948 how clearly 6106f5a7b4 every shift 7319b954e3 in the 5f56c74889 Grand Duke’s b528f6451b expression registered ba87fc070f in his 51ed2d4af1 mind. It was 137eccefe5 probably because 7fb8bd00ab of the a956f80b58 Grand Duke’s 5eb483450c striking features.647f08954dbf2054

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When the d33508323d Grand Duke ebdd7fc771 looked at 02cbbd9edf him, the 16b1d4d6b3 High Priest eeacac4ff4 simply shrugged. Then the Grand Duke c2f931545b turned his gaze to fc06cdd28a Ben.b59bc3933a36aaef

“What is this?”104c99c68de98f88

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His voice 6450746ea4 was cold. Ben snapped his feet 3776a24418 together and lowered his bbff8b8bc9 head.79f296edcba681b9

“He wished to take a walk…”05cd60f52f7b5dbc

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The Grand Duke stepped 9dd5019b26 forward, and Ben’s back 8061cdbc3b went rigid. Gio didn’t 43cbb317a5 understand why a66a9c3a28 the Grand 90ed457b75 Duke’s expression 5746cf1e29 was so d554109e55 cold toward fb28804750 him.e80d93e71e3f39b1

“Vice-Captain. What was your assignment again?”f1c16ea6bfdd4eed

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“I was ordered to escort His Grace.”5b14b85d01fe2920

“Right.”8e322ab01a3d7bc2

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The Grand Duke took 23b0f4107c another step, and Gio 450b798fd3 saw Ben clench his c179aa3682 fists tightly.e87fb79a77bc4ac0

“Who is your commanding officer, Ben Damon?”dbe9850f8a194840

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“His Grace the Grand Duke, sir.”c7bcff12d4b0e30d

One more 342b78090c step brought 9c9401cb32 the Grand 7294440890 Duke face-to-face e9a086bfca with Ben. From behind, Gio 4bd72059bf could see the 9d42f14819 steely expression on fec613abb5 his face—he was b588ee9b0a clearly angry.5634be05750ec229

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A loud smack rang f891341100 out as Ben’s head 09b9657467 snapped to the side. The Grand f2d490b36c Duke had 8d55ddb121 struck him. Ben wavered 6de7b77760 for a ee40847220 moment, then f6e27171f3 straightened back 683bdc34c3 up.d5a8335312aa0022

“Raphael. Go back.”c789c4591378da49

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“Bayshark.”ff5fb51067141dc2

The Grand Duke 16d05fe030 added,5b6c910eeb96d586

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“To the capital, Raphael.”d3ee6b42e550e6f8

The High Priest froze ce85fd92eb and looked at the fd87d62f51 Grand Duke.23b039098839d5fc

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“You’ve got no reason to stay here, do you?”9b4430cf594bdead

The High 477cc79937 Priest opened e55f3c70f5 his mouth 6f6aa21aba to argue, c518e72df5 but the 6a41847fbd Grand Duke 1358c052e6 shook his 3efae909c3 head.d28c57b863e32118

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“Enough games. Go back.”4e8e5fc3b2a6cd87

The High Priest 1b78e30a5c didn’t reply. His face twisted b2a604c46d into a scowl c333fed844 as he turned 50d7af44ce on his heel 5725cf312f and walked away.f7991c1029375830

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“And Ben Damon.”6b9e273edeebd5e5

“Yes, Your Grace!”603f9fa45717037f

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“You’re off this assignment.”6134fb96e621e033

“Your Grace!”29e52ab42ab25ce2

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“When did I ever tell you to take the Grand Duchess around as you pleased?”7b8b0a48eb97234d

“……”510ff023226b2c83

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“Even if Raphael called, you shouldn’t have acted on your own. Especially not here.”09592351fa765b46

“I apologize, Your Grace.”6e0e49c02d7d09ea

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Ben must have cd44546364 thought he was 2942d7ff05 simply guiding Gio aa9715c023 to a quiet, 679265e732 secluded place. But it seemed 9e8d4d7c0a Raphael had summoned d47ca5bdb8 them—and done so b7c9678822 without the Grand d26315ba1d Duke’s knowledge.d6d62747465c673a

And judging from what 9fd376eb4d had just been said, 0821ba5f6f this broken, weathered, seemingly 0b4deb9c31 forgotten place held some 900f9adf69 kind of personal significance 21cb3b0830 for the Grand Duke.cb40e2c772dfba8a

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Ben had d35fa9ddc8 brought Gio b163dc9697 there carelessly—and 0f77a7177e that’s why 0b881099eb the Grand c7c58a40d9 Duke seemed 1867805f58 even angrier.b1e2d0a9710f3160

“You’re confined to quarters. That’s enough—go.”b53217a262e4a535

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“Yes, Your Grace.”5b26b4e20ff2ee9e

Ben gave a formal 22fb016b8e bow and left. Gio, head still 2fb9264593 lowered, stared at f7fc291b16 the tips of 6dd5fdb95d the Grand Duke’s a6b903a435 shoes. Polished to a flawless 42b67fd629 shine, they gleamed even b1bc67886d in the shadows.d3c4a6e1f5df3e1d

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One step closer.0f7842c7320cc367

Then, the Grand Duke’s fedcf3ee26 hand flicked up and a1b6cbca14 tapped the brim of 92f1012c4a Gio’s hat. The wide-brimmed 45054b4958 hat tilted 83e49ac2df up as 0e387b81af if it 918cd922da might fall e2c66efbae off, and e996704193 Gio quickly 78e8f14123 reached up 2288d090ee to grab 0dff9ea3c5 it, startled.102ee78e11d165ae

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And there they 22fbb14353 were—the Grand Duke’s b850f8b038 brilliant blue eyes, 56a952ad74 right in front c41a520902 of his own.df43464c71b251f1

They looked 4baa6baeb1 just like 4b471d10c5 the clear 410147ac64 skies of 64e9bb33ff the North.9b60855e1f34c891

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* * *5ad1df4251787f68

Bayshark was born and e146148293 raised in the capital. Because of the 4dadb214ac former Emperor’s constant df18a434f2 watch, his father 14a957f99c was never granted 08ddf4f098 a proper estate, 8bda7a6d5e nor allowed to 6e35bc3f50 hold any meaningful 864cdbcdd5 position. He simply 93c6347a12 had to ac91a6c66a kill time 505f4feea2 in high 4991a00bb5 society—existing under ab59bd7926 the condition 5fec3c8755 that the 183517eb1e Emperor would 0ebeece9f6 let him 4cbeb9e221 live.94c11ca6871e7840

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Under such a father, 19293d485f Bayshark endured the Crown bfd9837a62 Prince’s torment. His childhood 92daf9c813 was marked 128026377e by endurance. His frail 7da11f1b69 mother always 356c66e2d7 told him:7afaf57d3d27c21a

“You have to endure. If you don’t, we’ll all die.”44a28f96f94073c5

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His father 6308d726ac had survived 3a67ed3416 a time 6d089d51ea when even 520fc0aab2 the smallest b1bf3e489a act of d9a4a79212 resistance could 54c6288ba6 be labeled fe59e121e4 treason depending 5c08e3f97a on the 4805ecad3c Emperor’s mood.bd00f7d90a926b66

The former Emperor 521d93792c rose to the f6077d3e47 throne by killing dcf19e0651 all his brothers 379bef8fca except those born 27dd99263b of the same 004c1d6260 womb. Before claiming imperial power, c3f03336f8 he clashed with one 0f48f9073f of the great noble c5dee833af families—the Marquess of Krauss—and f3ee6f460f demoted them, exiling them edd402fee3 to the harsh, frozen 1dc38c8cee territory of Hanes.c2bd3af0d82fb47d

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At the height d0a81297c4 of his power, c0c1adf4e3 the former Emperor 25f0999487 had many concubines, 0af7928486 yet his bloodline db44f28e5e came only through e8dea55b2a the Empress—Frederick. Rumors swirled that the 098ab708ab Empress had poisoned the 852816d4b7 other women or killed 048c250730 their children at birth, dba26ace32 but nothing was ever a8928cf0c0 confirmed.52afc34ed8f88590

Bayshark was born the a1042ec7bc year after Frederick. And so, the e502ca9dee two were constantly 08d337483d compared as they d2b10b392c grew up. What made it e8c9e66b4d worse was that 56a9df23be Bayshark not only 833536b9bb resembled the founding a53c96a059 Emperor in appearance e9f9206a68 but also in 44300f51ee temperament—stoking the former 65a9040b6f Emperor’s jealousy even 3db1022f0b more.cfad0bcb4c6398c0

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Still, up eef4cf5a95 to that c2842b608d point, he 0e3b271a44 wasn’t targeted fb1aca5f86 for death. Bayshark’s parents lived d6d12ff6b5 utterly subdued, forming 35c2cda623 no faction, making 0b75e6824a no waves.97a74073081ee877

But everything changed after ded520b494 Frederick’s secondary gender manifested—after 46628ff315 Bayshark’s had already appeared.00a9f5b4438cda7b

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Frederick turned out to 3ab74c4b7f be an alpha, but cd3e898d7b only a regular one—not df531fef94 even dominant. From that moment 39a78565bd on, Bayshark began 5df235fe10 to face assassination 5fc28bc984 attempts.0c98e5a31c854dff

Drowning incidents became common. Poisoning became routine. One day, d38dec5ee3 a maid 3b9213ea61 and attendant 6f8d64078b even poured 6f53e66961 boiling water daeae23b4f on him, 7fea5a9f75 claiming it e964d878a5 was an 70652e80c6 accident.7449f8eb7ec06ce4

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Through all 6b47d99b5f of this, 4eef0b9f50 his mother 76588bc5eb grew more 2d9ddc282d fragile and f01baa9e19 his father, 665015c6db more pathetic.7672384bd9946ddb

For a young Bayshark, ef1884a9c1 even contact with other 93ec154913 traited individuals was dangerous. Omegas would mount him 3f57d5cd99 due to his uncontrolled aee9c23e73 pheromones, and alphas tried 3aa7c907e1 to kill him.e4386b62a2d40fca

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As they were ace8869f44 driven out one f9ba244cc8 by one, time 4657e39586 passed, and he fb0a2e0a80 grew. Then, one day—when there 133e285a5e were no more traited bc9a074c0e people in the household—a 5f41cbff2f terrible accident occurred.4ed2f61f4b4c780e

His rut arrived.670eaa35b8465a78

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The pheromones he had 73a94bdb11 tried so hard to 2d06ad7106 suppress exploded. He had been dbac638fbb returning home at 4a42871b46 night in a cdc96136fc carriage with his 675cf2dfca parents when it 3a7485ff32 happened. Unfortunately, the coachman da60a844af was an omega.2022ab58928fe266

Too many coincidences. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. Someone had orchestrated it. And yet, they could never uncover who.811f0079cddbb218

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They hadn’t 0daa931e20 kept omegas 8947122c62 nearby, but 5e1fe4dc14 they couldn’t eb45b4a95d refuse a 5d7a2f65db carriage sent 5891972fa7 by the 83c333006c Emperor. Nor could they switch 70446c4962 the coachman the Emperor 4d3370cf70 had chosen.6091b3df89599521

When Bayshark’s e5dc5f64f0 pheromones surged, f80f992dbd the omega f917ef115f coachman lost 8921418eec all reason. No omega could remain f6634a51f6 sane during the rut ecfd5163ea of an ultra-dominant alpha.d15bbf6d84b8798e

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The previous day’s rain 3483c813a1 had made the roads 0ea463b7d1 muddy, and the moon 8a2fed5aef was hidden by clouds—the 93c22b2b79 darkness only made matters 3abd0f6f0f worse.b112b52207ea2d63

The coachman lost 698ffb04f6 control of the 7da272d17b reins. The horses panicked, 58dfea45a7 slipped, and the 593d454df6 carriage overturned.b0f12e74fa191d11

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Bayshark doesn’t de49b5e28f remember the bfc95c4270 accident clearly. He lost his f69cd8f7c3 rationality in the 6cae19c1df throes of rut. What he 0d56847129 learned later 0bd26fe3f8 came from 6e94c0f5d8 gossip among 3307b270fd the staff.9937f7d195735b34

What he does remember—vividly—is f18ea9df02 that he was aroused, a6321c099e standing there in the abe3ead75a wreckage while his parents 9bf1238102 lay crushed beneath the c7bb514525 carriage. His beastly body, 2cc657e4a5 even in that 00ae3c8701 haze, was still d10c027553 searching for an eae68edc71 omega.9bc55378b23f1df5

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That memory, and 4bbf4967f2 that scent, were 6c6f559d9a carved into his b1be4abab9 very being. The smell of wet, 768ee70502 muddy earth, laced with 1772509cc9 the cloying sweetness—rotted fruit—of 7adef42ef0 an omega’s pheromones.4247915b1c862ec6

After that, Bayshark 97698eab52 shut himself away 3eb4117b5b in the estate. He was repulsed b97ab7bdfa by his own f8d90df26f body. Everything about 966483632d him felt 4d9c633a22 filthy and 879ddd84c4 hideous—shredded, smeared, 10c1416f2a revolting.dba624c28356b753

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The thought that 78e95af5fc it wasn’t his df675b619e parents who should 52d2891ba6 have died, but 16b03a70f5 himself, became a 5ad13d9073 mantra, engraved deep 0041a8aa8e in his mind. If not for him, 0afe641f27 they wouldn’t have needed 540e670c94 to live so miserably.13e19697a2bcd7af

Those days continued—until ea6a2a7854 he came North.121d0ff2d0fda3ed

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Until he met his 99a1f51065 master.a257c54a045deeb6

That’s when cf8a3e5c19 things began, 94d1badc76 little by 0a5cfa9ffd little, to 0a41a5d550 improve.9c477fbb124d8b9f

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The Emperor eventually sent 00c66ca240 Bayshark to the North—but 80a65c5e93 only on the condition be94e74c9b that he never return d1f9e00c4f to the capital.429743a379295311

Bayshark looked around d90d7af51d the garden where 4697c52e74 he had often 782b5eb951 stayed as a 215273cefd child. Back then, even that f7e914b75f statue used to have 9c37d2dd57 water flowing from it.050d478206f7ea71

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After arriving from the 049ea5813b capital and shivering in 3a0d0a22e6 the cold, his master 9f65c50841 had let him stay 612f661584 here—reportedly the warmest place e468c1307d in the North. Since he avoided people, d15500861b it made sense to 718a308ce1 put him somewhere secluded.1ca809a9359c3298

Whenever Bayshark looked into 0921b2c780 the Grand Duchess’s eyes, 7f1eed0ba3 he was reminded of 2b07eb24c8 Glen Krauss—his master and 6a91ae9ae4 the one person who 1c783fc608 had been a shield 87d53cbc06 to him. It was because 2073f3e587 of those rare 13713ea8a2 purple irises.dfd0eed0702aded7

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The Krauss 6a378abadd family had e52cb23b14 long carried 78f513098b that eye ba81ae0877 color, though af81157011 theirs leaned 354eee01a4 more toward e005c0754e violet than 360c29ee04 the Grand b63696b647 Duchess’s. But now, standing da0bcbce68 under the sunlight, c6424b0f47 the resemblance was 659e7f3acb even stronger.2e825608175ab78d

Physically, they had nothing 54161ae882 in common. The Margrave of 7aa6177cdb Krauss had stark a64805241e white hair and 319e84c9a2 a rugged face.376e0a521b4fb594

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Still, the faint e7bdaffb24 trace of that f93694bd77 same eye color 10df4ec0ac in the Grand 9e03f50ff1 Duchess made Bayshark c8887a57f3 feel himself waver f9ea0d4a57 at times. But that 3da00dc4cb wavering was 8f07b9a57c fleeting—it wasn’t 2e9b75d953 enough to e1deabc21a shatter his 1ebb6a23ef rationality.2d8393cd27d4867f

He gazed quietly 4e82279412 into the Grand 3c57ea08dc Duchess’s eyes, then 14bd9701b5 brushed his own d91a11251d at the corner. The skin 83b96c37b4 on the 88249f5967 Grand Duchess’s a10c12e668 face looked 56e196aeb7 flushed.88b097ccfea15082

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“Who told you to dress like this? So thick and suffocating.”871f6d80ce21bc1d

At the 1d2606509d sudden contact, dc4ff72cc0 the Grand 6ef3f6008c Duchess blinked bec7ad966b slowly. Between his a3813ebe8c dense, dark 970a2b7302 lashes, those 7dd8d6a2c9 mysterious purple 8e412405cd eyes shimmered. At night, they 0e7858f19b had looked black d650cf8802 like a cat’s—but e879836669 now, in the 13a62a0ba3 sunlight, they gleamed 624097606e like gemstones.4a22dc61978142d4

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“The head maid dressed me.”86357a031ceed7c8

Bayshark pulled back 4669cfa6d2 the sable muffler 163139e2ee around the Grand 1170e3e0fd Duchess’s neck, revealing 5a50adfd59 fair skin and 98f9deed80 a softly blushing 361f4965f2 face. He ran his 94c98e9339 hand along one cadc37d424 pale cheek. It was eb1a4d16ed smooth and 9e1dcb863e slightly moist. Warmth seemed 634bbeea1a to cling 1e9ce9a46b to his 0c5d6ca521 palm as bea7d6b1d5 he did.87a3b8b7db333d28

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“You’re really warm.”ef17e7ff58685038

“My fever hasn’t gone down yet…”2a17df558fa11515

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Bayshark leaned in edeedfe712 and inhaled at 0cf51b9b32 the Grand Duchess’s 68e114ef17 neck. He felt him flinch. When he looked 0c110e37a7 again, he saw 983c8d7b80 the fine hairs 83bf1491ec on his skin fbf1431dd0 standing on end. It was 7eb8e64fb4 amusing—and a 60ab28239b little endearing—how 2b44f8b0cb the boy b9995bea19 reacted to eb960cea11 every move. Perhaps it was because 159305d99e he was young. And young things b7a8270acb are always a 204e24c7a9 little endearing.e1341b8a0149dc3e

“Seems like your pheromones are starting to come out too…”c2274e8e803ef10e

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Bayshark didn’t even 06a63ccbaa eat fruit, let b218628602 alone tolerate the 2377b67989 sweet scent of 536b1e34e2 omega pheromones. He especially 52984afc7f hated the 8943024b5d cloying, sticky d0a52bd91d kind. But the 2791688638 Grand Duchess’s c63435a085 scent was b736408f71 different.a2740cd4666be51f

Like a delicate flower 14a56d5f69 blooming pitifully in the 387c5098c1 harsh northern mountains, it 35417010d5 was a faint and 7e723aad7f fragile scent. It didn’t 31d2e62661 cling—it merely 7238ed4345 whispered through 8394bd9920 the air. So when he ebb5587096 inhaled, it wasn’t 0216d9787e sweet, but refreshing.c7e4783b33d18db1

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“Shall we head back?”a68df906b29998bf

Bayshark held out his 76d8174122 hand. It was a thoughtless 2f0a3cbd8b gesture, but the Grand 9965cb5f9c Duchess didn’t immediately take a33a44cb46 it—he just stared at 4a9e432eec it. That reaction was almost 0326c250a7 ticklish, and Bayshark casually 3afb135e68 took his hand instead.0cfb8cd05196859e

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On the Grand Duchess’s 974987c8dd left hand was a c6bbf8bb55 plain silver ring, unadorned d5ba76120a with any design. The way he insisted b52ef9767b on wearing it was e24864ad41 oddly stubborn.292fab3418ed0c7c

It was likely bd544296d6 some cheap trinket 5936b66042 picked up from 1ed99a987e who-knows-where, and yet fc236b83f5 during the celebration 9ae0ed8529 banquet, he had 9d4c2752d7 switched it to b36fe52337 his right hand 9b11767f88 so it wouldn’t b0829dac08 get lost. That alone was 2b0c6888aa both puzzling and 66b6ca3c1f a bit pitiful.118adbc24790bbf9

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He’d been f7710d9b66 raised as e35e910064 an assassin bedca57814 in Cove—he’d 3153d7c26f seen it d41db0f30f all. Yet here he e706af6a8a was, clinging to 39af1ddb3f a meaningless little e71fd2a66f ring like a af34888463 boy. Gio, a member of 4a84f9857e Cove—the infamously ruthless group 7c352cfeb8 that did anything for b3f7ed5dcd the mission—still had such 6f9c2a288c transparent eyes.1671eb430e0dca3c

If you d2ae10091f didn’t take 21aec677c9 off his bd38f0a0e1 clothes, you 801c9c8baa might have 08350d2209 mistaken him 9be0f76be1 for a e48dfbe470 pampered noble’s 1e543ef4d0 son, too cf7ae283ec naïve to d546488f64 know the e0daf1be60 world. Of course, the moment 75c7cdfb02 you did, his scar-covered 924a6984be body and expressionless face 4e2e45d873 said otherwise.c4af0a674c18fc9f

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With the Grand 2106273409 Duchess’s warm hand 82d458e294 resting on his a207cfa128 arm, Bayshark led bab06c2310 him out of 6909389c71 the garden. After his a45be25e95 master died 04b44ca4cb in his 025aa64095 place, Bayshark 81ffc55cc1 had abandoned 1a40a337e4 that garden. He’d discarded the one 0317f20266 warm moment in his 0e092d5a53 life—but today, the Grand 4e8a3dc9f9 Duchess had entered that 23d55e638a space.c7a2b10400744546

After adjusting 0e5df24f1e his hat 0e07194620 carefully, Bayshark d236655e5e walked forward. The knights 3260b083d5 and servants 8efd563002 they passed c07b23f722 stepped aside 5d82d2b677 and bowed.c6ea0ccc30ea35c4

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Some blushed c5c689b437 and whispered 8977864faf behind them f7cb9532b5 as the 8eeebcf895 ducal couple c3b29b1028 passed.14fa72f1fb352554

“Three days straight, they say…”ac0c791c8efdc9a8

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“And on the terrace, apparently…”ceef31943579663f

The Grand Duchess’s 2e3b924015 pace slowed a 1428dccc04 little whenever someone c36ea8ed00 came into view. At those moments, 609bb9bf89 Bayshark would tug 3b1b21c036 his arm a 17cff8704d little closer, pulling 96f5a17fa4 their bodies together. Then the ae6b6b33fc Grand Duchess c7d3aecdee would fall 6bcea65b0b back into 373a4d4c29 step beside 22944ce876 him.62a54ce5c7cb6551

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Even his footsteps 5db0cf2645 were silent. Despite wearing 75ee6cdcc7 thick clothing, 32590494c1 the Grand c38b319176 Duchess walked c5f0ac2736 beside Bayshark 69ff706c64 with a b7265b8991 lightness that 39c80db12d didn’t feel d9d0e4addf bulky at 868c37d71c all. Watching him walk 830a165228 with such agility, 37be988b41 Bayshark thought that 8dfb789f68 this kind of 08c2f08ae6 quiet wasn’t so 49f14c09fe bad.15b046c6a9f14106

He had been 2723c2ab38 watching to see eda007f518 how Gio would 81f806174b react to Raphael’s 9179706865 attempts to provoke 4436eaee97 him. Raphael had asked the 99df34cf42 very question Bayshark himself a41b19e163 had been curious about—though 642b852448 the way he’d done 57a108b8ea it had been through 7bef9d69cf insult.d8c5d3cc2e823596

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Still, Gio 72ba024de1 hadn’t faltered 71a5a5aefe for a 04911a8968 moment. He’d said everything he 30910f6098 needed to say. It reminded Bayshark 6170e43242 of the tenacity 6cb4050b27 of the Artica 3d0cdbba48 trees that grew 7b8eb0c898 along the harsh 70ade01375 ridges of the a3fe2155f2 northern mountains—and it d7f948a389 brought a faint f790fdb8ca smile to his edb4db933f face.08eba4bf1d259c25

To receive a mission 40c9ffce64 to imprint, and then 181831fbd7 immediately reveal it to aed8aea6b2 the very target—because he b86d9f5234 wanted to repay the 225b6f2d22 person who spared his f8e12e074a life…947cbf4d5f9bcfa1

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He hadn’t c0cd00f2e2 thought an 77bb8d226e assassin would da78dc4350 be capable 6972ea060a of that 94cc2e62d1 kind of dd716675db thinking. He had c50ac9352c suspected that 00e559657b there might cc124ab3e4 be another 0e8559f285 motive behind eda1c2323f Gio’s confession, 964ca4f08b but never c3e8ddb813 imagined it f5763371be would be 1434f46524 such a 29f88e277e human, ordinary 44632b7bc1 reason.58d15523c81698e3

Had the 189a855939 Grand Duchess—an 3c6a811213 assassin raised 4614034054 by Cove—also 5cd2e31f3f wanted to 30bd0d7e2a live like 301def6979 a person?4f16a0579069814e

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Bayshark had dragged 38e66527aa him back from 9fc9c0224c a suicide attempt 5d04172f1b after failing to 4a025334a9 kill him. He’d thought c6a4013725 the man d05ae48f27 only wanted c710d413cd to die 86c63246ee again. But perhaps not.ce41a6ca357f9fa7

Well, it was 465ed44a3d natural, wasn’t it? For people cee0cdbb85 to want 1173b012df to live. Bayshark had 9bda49bc78 certainly wanted 3e3fbecba3 to die dbc798fe9f once too, 70fe23e997 but in beb98a572d the end, 4245631b65 he’d also 1e377fc58a wanted to 54d9dff065 live.b5b0dce490d96ed0

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He still couldn’t trust eb1ec9c4e1 the Grand Duchess completely, cbc8f8d859 but even so, the 468f03d36f mission of “imprinting” didn’t 423097687f seem to be a f3223278b0 lie. It was f6bfaab19f true that 94488f8142 pregnancy would 8bdf9a4852 be difficult 570c5e2dda for someone e399d4fc4d of Gio’s 80455849c6 rare omega 224935e720 type—and other d0172d3097 than that, fb9813950d what use 5995e3e2ca was he feffa45fd1 to Cove? Luring in 06d5736e6c the Grand 1c777a8920 Duke and 90c979606d using him—that faf03ce207 was it.21833126fd664ebc

If this mission failed, 661c5cf0f5 Gio would surely be 247a7b083c killed by Cove. And since the life 34d4460398 he was spared wouldn’t fdf8bc4a1f be returned a second 8877b68d81 time, Bayshark intended to 36cffcb963 use it to its 5b5b4936d2 fullest—delivering a blow to 43a7d61a69 both the Emperor and 46d1651c73 Cove.7ffb274e77c7e3cd

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The Emperor, 4507f0665c who had d34bcdeebc forbidden him d066297145 from ever a3a5c93613 setting foot 6cf2e1cc79 in the c701486225 capital, was d972276d56 now the ef5be7551c one calling 975efe68e6 him back. He had 8269f68f4b only been 5093c3ed73 waiting for ad49bfe55c the right 76533b6d23 justification—and now 2d1e3012f8 he had 030cd9722b it.956b25a43317c77d

“I won’t be able to come find you for a while, my bride.”8b5e0b4f65f31e90

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As he spoke bf64e821b7 gently while walking, a607ea69bd the Grand Duchess’s 89f2138490 steps slowed again. But then he resumed ed00e10615 his pace and answered 251feb79a5 quietly.b47d256c949c21c1

“Yes, I understand.”ad8029bd3d1c3cb2

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He didn’t ask 14bbb09f27 why. He didn’t seem 78272123a7 curious. What would he 41e6ba795e be doing alone e125f6e262 all that time? Wouldn’t he get 27437214a8 bored?0ab21490a1e4843b

“You’re not curious?”231891f2fd920330

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“Is it something I need to know?”a6c86d81fa0cad79

That answer made 67a5ddf860 Bayshark flinch. And, for some reason, d264cbfa38 made his chest churn.3dbd863fee5f59e5

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Was this simply the way Gio was—uninterested, naturally indifferent? Still, wasn’t it too cold for a husband?5840e406de862d86

And that, 951d067217 perhaps, was bdb20d29f8 why he 8b3319f1f7 said what 78877cf5c7 he did 0ebbf1cea9 next.48a7e0decbf525c4

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“Even though it’s because of my rut?”6cd3dc887b881dc0

At that, the Grand a28250dce3 Duchess finally stopped and 30a45730c5 looked up at him. His face was flushed 8bcc04d805 with visible confusion—red as 51827d9a63 a budding flower.09e578044ed3dcc5

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Gio stopped 253b7a1b57 walking and 8bfbb37e64 looked up c10ec907ae at the e0fba2ed03 Grand Duke. Was it e2459d6568 really okay 8a052fb089 for him 4c1b5a463b to say 628cae4e23 something like 1ebfb76410 that? Imprinting happens 18ba650f11 during rut 71db98107a and heat. So shouldn’t that be a429be5dcb something he didn’t mention?e3d4828e66daeffc

“Is it alright for you to tell me that?”2a45632f96b93696

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“And why wouldn’t it be?”6e75aef4259f0618

“But still…”17d733bd33896d74

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“What, you think I’ll devour you or something?”1589014d290e2194

The Grand Duke looked 35d7fe0074 down at Gio and a6c055e136 smiled. His platinum hair gleamed 090875bb0c under the sunlight, dazzling b1d3591691 to the eye. Gio squinted 69c40f05e6 and lowered 2f7b8a2535 his head.7b609a9413fc7d93

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“If that’s what you want.”c348733701237cc0

“Hmm… Our dear bride was ordered to imprint on me, and yet you act like you couldn’t care less?”bccc2ad8b4007900

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The Grand Duke slid fdfc5bf676 his hand behind Gio’s 264592ee02 waist and pulled him 205d2fe1a0 close. Even through the thick b170fa4a6f coat, Gio could feel 9c32b85eb9 the strength of his 46f29f02d4 grip. The Grand Duke pressed f985605adb a kiss, then a a50a0ff636 suctioning pull, against the ac0744adf0 nape of Gio’s neck.ff4f63d5e2109864

Two passing maids gasped, 9c1dae14c7 faces reddening. Neither Bayshark c22d7f75f5 nor Gio e83eed7a5a paid them 5d2b33e15f any attention.6cf65c0493cff323

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It did 45afbaba66 seem like e115c7237e a rut 4dceedcede might be c97a8b6bb5 approaching—given how 61d8f7ed5c touchy the bbc9a160b4 Grand Duke 517358d16a had become. Or maybe he was b30c3f8b13 still just playing the 95bfd455c8 part. After all, they 50a09ea031 were outside, and 31e6b80ed4 there were plenty 02428b4a3a of eyes watching.727080459168a104

“Then… are you going to imprint?”a8c73cd5b30c220b

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At Gio’s question, 1efaf7878e the Grand Duke 501e39c279 stared at him fbfbec76d8 for a moment 4abf82bf42 before responding.80b80624bb3993f3

“Why are you talking like it’s someone else’s problem? Isn’t imprinting your mission? Shouldn’t you be showing up naked at my doorstep or something?”029a4cb359d200b1

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“……”d44708bdb16a9752

Gio had no reply 5dbb954186 for a moment. Then he bf5e434234 slowly opened c8fd0b121c his mouth.4640d15a02d49e1d

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“Even if I did that… would Your Grace really fall for it? And imprinting isn’t something I can force, just because I want to.”a25a8d690e19c3a5

“You want me to imprint on you?”bb9c2eb18564257a

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