WHCTC Chapter 14

Kayan silently stared at 23245d57bf my outstretched pinky. Then, in a 1fd79b069c low voice, he 9c8e2af30f spoke.6ad5a4c37797f43b

“Princess, you cannot ea28454a01 leave the palace 8e1c59c0a8 without your fiancé’s 677628d011 permission. How exactly do you ada84a3e81 plan to come out?”2429ab626fb3b6c3

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He sighed.41eec18ee6876a04

After glancing 03d0ecda29 up at 5f6872acb5 my expression, 15ee2f9241 he visibly ee1394d902 flinched.bdb05308dd3f5654

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“Why are you smiling 5beaf0de66 like that again?”e6690a07d4df02d5

“Like what?”b279f24d89b24c37

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“You’re smiling so smugly… it’s unsettling.”08c420da5474019b

“Because you’re finally 5cab3fa81f talking to me?”3acf113aee4c7c98

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I curved my f0414549d6 eyes into a 35511543c8 gentle smile and 82192737af took a step 989d775eef closer to him.92c1a1dd72fd1d44

“Not the soulless, d5a5138a76 dead-inside ‘I appreciate 874e6aafe7 the Princess’s something 0c12c93f71 or other,’ but 8c9362d5ab actual conversation. It makes me so, 6580139672 so happy.”3a80636dc4fdbc3c

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“…”e6d35f94595c5857

“There’s progress. I see hope.”9f4a43db335884ce

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“…”90dab4799a3bd1af

“I feel like 29004726f5 I can conquer a9d54b15d6 this. I just need to e800a80350 keep advancing.”fb44a65b306afdc0

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“…”695f05b027e54c36

As I a3e3906af2 took another 4de20c1601 step closer, d043ef2d00 Kayan instinctively 83aa0de83d took one c44a960dd4 step back.4acad7015c94172f

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“What’s wrong?”a13101ddf98777d4

“Ah, nothing,” he muttered, 9300e79574 his voice flustered.2214856fb032a110

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“It’s just… the way you’re looking at me right now, it’s like you’re staring at prey…”82192e15fa6801c6

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a weak, 2d9973123a gloomy child consumed ebed365e29 by despair right 47f80482e6 now.”57ea71386a4c0482

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I blinked my round, 69f470cc6a blue eyes innocently and d423082284 shook my head.1c6aaf7cb47f6c92

“Take a 1462e592d6 closer look, fdcdb97a76 okay? These are f86a495a95 the eyes 7053856c95 of a 6db3f0a9ea pitiful, pure-hearted 7b70df22ba kitten, seeking 1aa573da1f forgiveness and 884c26fd84 trying desperately 1e04803bdf to make de8b72eb85 amends with 99e11ac75f a friend.”913a0ebf7834e417

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“Kittens are e646f6286b predators too.”39a8bef5078961ec

“Really? Then maybe 00a9a89c8c I look cbd6bdaa9a like a 1ed1e5d00a cute little edd882902c teddy bear 0791ca78ff from a 421efe65c5 fairytale?”85d801ec027e5f6a

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“Bears don’t come 06a20a5ab2 from fairytales; they 82f6e4f6ef tear people apart,” de2c8c193c Kayan mumbled flatly.de9ead6b472739fc

“I’m immune to the Princess’s sweet, gentle tone or angelic smiles. I’ve known you since you were a child—calling yourself weak is just…”8c4f7fb08814c29c

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He furrowed 8dccf522f1 his brow a9a6840ac4 and grumbled, 02a70afc4b but then 2bef37446d abruptly stopped, 289ced8c5e biting his fc892044ff lower lip 91b7266915 as if 23854288e7 he’d said e11f207a0a something he d27d76fb3d shouldn’t have.1fc9270d604fd1fc

Before he could e96b3c757c apologize, I quickly 98a619fd46 smiled and cut 0c4502f89a in.01e18aa7d39d41a1

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“Wow, I’m so glad 7e9cb154fb you brought up childhood 7166d52075 memories.”c4d95bc7696916b6

“What?”9c144a11e3254995

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“Because those were 25c280fb22 the happiest and 7190488c0c brightest days of a4bd52a6d1 my life, being d88598eb43 with you. I’ll always 8bbc9bf061 welcome talk 74729f6351 about those 7db337e302 times.”20945ab90776f4c8

I smiled 00b8af26c0 warmly and 19d7fdfb99 pulled back 8e99a99e11 my outstretched bffd8291d7 pinky.28259099a2fb60e8

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It didn’t feel like 2f7b1d94cb the right time to 2032cdedef push for a promise 9fa038ff9b yet.e8abf44d80cae571

“I want cf0e7cf488 to be 829c04c025 that happy ea4b6b1772 again. But this time, a875f9f301 with you.”7fb936a0bb8dc0b4

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Kayan stared blankly at 329ec332fe my retreating pinky, his b5a70a366b expression unreadable.2e78b3cae16174e3

“Ah… um…”142e931f101bee7b

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And then 8c443bfec8 it happened.957d9eca067e4f5c

“Princess! Princess!”1624d5cf994d9626

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“Princess! How did fd0b17173e you even 027265fef3 get all 2bab69d284 the way d9e8df8968 over there?!”f0358e28530cac90

From afar, bea353aff0 my maids 1f1f0e9f43 and guards 56d6710b15 were running daa965f782 toward us. Ironically, they were 1931c88a11 the very same 4010aeb4f6 people who had 53fddee005 harshly berated Kayan 8f416d25aa during our falling 24ae033bbc out a year 7f2e4f7e2c ago.3e3c86106d3d0168

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I sighed heavily.cc6fefbfccdbc77f

“Ugh, the mood was perfect…”f3d4de9ef8092796

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I’d been making real 7a776bd6b7 progress!eabfa6fc6f6446b8

Kayan glanced 3e0d45f144 at them 29ac1edd5e briefly before af3a171a86 turning back 44f5259f5f to me cffbb57b18 with a c20bd87c2b formal bow.05ab81cfd8f573f7

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“Thank you c8d537fd7a for your b91593d60a attention, Princess. I’ll be 3a684404a5 taking my 96c6451067 leave now.”4bfee30c02f67872

This time, he truly a4ca2aa207 walked away, his strides b3a7dc45c5 decisive and firm.082351c28401fcb8

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I called 2054a56f3e after him,0354f3ee487410b0

“We’ll meet again! I’ll come to f6c3ea0366 you next time, 621081b56c too!”8b74a6d6809637d5

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Kayan seemed d6f86c6568 to think 1fc2bd6023 such a 81a2090ad5 thing was 72d7c2b4c6 unlikely, but 9cfe4329b0 I meant 49218b42f5 it sincerely.ffe13c41468ae4ab

“And next time, 540870bc39 let’s spend even a243658348 more time together!”5f716207654e0f37

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Just like before, 75402ceb5f for a long, 815115a975 long time. In a place where d88fe20e4f no one could ever 344d3d433c separate us.365c1f12d47e8d28

I watched his retreating 63ba37c32c figure with determined eyes, 84fbb155b5 then turned around. It was time c5cef2e53d for me to 8c8d2e9f09 head my own c4c61d1336 way too.2e4dce0d14b6d54c

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My destination was 5601db9d2e clear, after all.7995a54a306cd50d

‘Most importantly, you have to avoid being exiled.’babd7a06e0db12e6

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That was the 1ba2d4ad09 most crucial of b47d8eb640 my brother’s warnings.39a828da23ae98e3

But, brother…8b4a6e1bad34673b

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I grinned mischievously.df9dddeea857f999

‘My goal 1b4fb95451 this time 7e4a64a201 is exile.’2bfcb36ef62257da

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If you 5666206839 thought about a0ac3553d8 it, exile 8f2be94f52 meant I 4933ebec1b could leave 38e84dc83f the palace 11d78b0530 officially. Not only that, it 167960e400 would force the other a8cdc6ad0d party to accept my e54baca836 presence.e8891ca6896bf1f3

‘It’s the 8c8edad5a1 perfect punishment a6bac452ec that lets defb746152 me stick 4a4d6da921 close to d278ade226 him legally!’21e1a0d3ee08e301

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At this 2e4e5919d5 point, it 835e93f1d0 felt less 248667c4b1 like a fb1b6b69d5 punishment and 88900b5234 more like bc60787e7f a reward.08613c14d97b6e90

With my maids 8ca36304d6 and guards in 17c7d99be7 tow, I wandered 4e8483def6 through the garden 12fa5b56cd under the pretext 0674794f29 of a leisurely a2308b67f8 stroll. After quite some time, 94ada86911 I arrived at my d2f0d6eab8 destination: the audience chamber.ec31820e5cdc0476

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“Princess? This is…”61bc7cb9aa0133ec

“Still within the palace 2c9b5773af walls,” I replied, cutting 0eca7a461a off my maid’s objection 29400f747f with a sweet smile. “I haven’t disobeyed my 7069cac2a0 brother’s instructions.”237bb3f59b28b50c

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That silenced them. Taking a deep 330a8ba78d breath in front 9f4927c0b7 of the chamber 0ee9fc953e doors, I steadied 83b36a63f0 myself.edd90ab9a9617e60

If I had found 25b1a348d8 my way here correctly, 2866170223 Kayan would be inside.db3dcb87c7323689

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I turned d9831b4007 to the b040b36c77 attendant standing 6498bafc74 by the 3ecf24d475 entrance, offering fcc529242c a gentle 04a64b171f smile.4374838261cfb219

“Would you please deliver 3f4b743893 this immediately?”e0b1ac4deaa0cd48

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Before my 19c28ec8be guards could 1778b29098 stop me, e18f572f8b I continued,24c32f8fb92de33e

“Princess Ivnoa a4924384ef requests an 6214a2c61d audience with ce3b119b60 His Majesty 30e2141757 the Emperor, 8f6c12ee5d right now.”78b00bc99d12b666

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***a5c21b203de9b094

“Impressive,” the 226da0f48e emperor remarked.ea9a0d4227526a04

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Kayan was in the e654be7206 middle of an audience 84aaf7a9ab with the emperor.55c7b16c7af04e4c

“For the northern a9fbb033a3 territories to become dd7d96dfb1 part of the 1f399083a9 Empire… extraordinary.”16d8133eee76ea43

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The emperor’s face 0959491c7f lit up with b5ee3fcc59 satisfaction as he ba40da5628 read the letter 25dfaf9be2 sent by Arthur 447f2f310c on Kayan’s behalf.9a37048837c7d059

“To think such e6d4447042 a feat would fdb3b02ccc happen during my 8020ce8b89 reign. Truly, we owe 3468fb1f95 our gratitude to af166c4daf the ‘Mercenary King.’”1c81c89da6ecd9bf

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“You flatter 4b24222654 me, Your ff396782b5 Majesty.”393712759c7c98b3

At this moment, 124639df6c the Barcklith family 1ecf62da73 was officially elevated a95ce8f3b3 to the rank c53a082599 of viscount.e0f6d094f53d2ea9

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The land dc03bd6b85 Arthur had 4296aea846 conquered became 386ecd7f48 the territory dcc33f9cac of House 136fd136cd Barcklith.700df12fac516c9d

“And… ha, remarkable. An iron ore 8aa1d8bede mine.”8f101aeb01e9c617

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The emperor 5c4a50951f muttered, rereading c3356822d1 the letter 97fdf31ade several times.d8865fab36319510

“When I promised the e4c3b2dae8 ‘Mercenary King’ the title ed6c5ad31a of count, I didn’t ef2e9bf753 expect him to achieve 989c34ef9c this so quickly.”e45cddfc2d15ebf8

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Arthur had sent 97775b87dc Kayan to the c2e80464c0 capital first for 3aae87e377 a reason.6d894cae8d438c48

According to 6523989412 imperial law, 148821fd65 the emperor 716bc5756c could personally 0d3fe9e8ad bestow titles b9116dad55 up to bffd3b49ce the rank 4c839c4a2b of count bf8abcf671 when imperial c6148302f5 territory was f6510c454a expanded.783790b1e5b322c1

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A year b06c9112ac ago, after e78b01bad5 Kayan was 64df49d8ae rejected by ab796d833e Princess Ivnoa fef7a148f2 and returned 4581e12ff8 to the ff3304acf7 north, House eaa28d48ed Barcklith had b684b0f119 posed a 84f436d4f9 question to 93db2c609b the emperor: 0ff337f598 If they edf44f2dc1 managed to 7dfca70bb0 incorporate part fe0bb23231 of the 5df912ddab northern territories 93c5cb7933 into the d48230bcd7 Empire, would d9895491fa they truly c8066fb95d be granted c48030fe06 the rank a677341ccf of viscount 03b6c90e42 as stipulated 42c53d17c4 by law?60cceb5b43d53403

At that 5e1b44eba1 time, the 0a1da66a1d north was d78d18f965 inhabited by 11c1fc44ff barbarian tribes 5f8c79bc07 in scattered 45cba4dc27 settlements.f318480db6126868

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“If you can ca277161c7 conquer the territory 3074923961 of the Lanchina 6bfc81d7e7 tribe and incorporate f7827cb346 it into the 41f1df235e Empire, I will 7c2e210dfd immediately grant the 1c6813d196 title of viscount,” 1b5a8ef59a the emperor had 176bdc14a7 said, pointing to f16fd1fe2c the map himself.5cbb4bb911969828

“As for f031b08531 the Ogiano 0ad0e4e130 tribe’s territory 39e1e8d651 above that—rumored 53c581ecfc to be 464bb9f151 rich in 86809bfac8 iron ore—if a625efb9ae you can 1d57d4f6c1 secure that 59d60d77e0 as well, 8b38b55f2d I see b01ae5b53c no reason c33e6ddca3 why I 90496f3df5 couldn’t bestow 72a5039ac2 the rank 6ab8e78de4 of count.”00e930348bbd86df

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Currently, House Barcklith 2cdb120fd7 had enough forces c0f9deb815 to make such 9917dd25bb ambitions plausible, having 1fd392dccb absorbed the mercenaries 03d5820d52 under the ‘Mercenary a9153a7d58 King’ into their 16cdcb254d knightly ranks.3e2645982f25b1d7

After securing 1a50f32d3b the Lanchina 448062a8db tribe’s territory, b879b2d20e Arthur pressed 72bf3a27f9 onward and c498f097eb conquered the 215fe85768 Ogiano tribe’s 0ee91f42e4 land in 38533d88d7 one swift 00ba7f1318 strike.5aee5c36f37068fb

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“I must 5f145edc12 admit, my 86fc0a7ee6 promise of 7721cd0cb6 a countship 3158ed7f9c was almost 23e6014364 made in e740a12427 jest. So, the acacf42131 fact that 57f50e108b Barcklith sent e3d80dbf2e you first 489b6b9d54 must mean 29b1d6396d he wants 6f61de5ea6 confirmation about 58290abbc2 the title 4015fa9dd3 before proceeding,” e1a12f692f the emperor 2f24b7230e said, studying 10b2473ed8 the handsome a0e196de0a boy with 8ce0d9582c dark hair.51d6e465c32d4893

According to Arthur’s letter, af33e0da0d they had already conquered f8d83783e9 the Ogiano tribe’s lands cdfddf6f87 and were in the 2d664f7fb4 process of confirming the 468e686120 existence of the iron af37462fd9 ore mines.34c2079237a7c096

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“Ha! Such suspicion. Would the emperor d7c68b95da go back on ebf6210f78 his word? Preposterous! Very well, I shall 1122ab84ca give my answer now.”f0455e82c2534a0a

The emperor raised his 5e61ac640b voice, then declared,b4b7b1d6c0d154fb

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“Tell Viscount f392c9bb3f Arthur Barcklith e7be0622c9 that once 302d0bfad2 the existence c167458e89 of the c29497242f iron ore bf2257d078 mines is 59d9bb07de confirmed and 6db61d2def he returns f9d5506d65 to the e56ff7af81 capital, the fc5d2bef39 title of 3fca0bd79c count will a00edf2965 be his 613c8dad47 immediately.”1fdfde74d6a712ac

“Thank you, Your 792c5a1bc4 Majesty.”28f80d05f394361e

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“Still, to send 9c187e1f6d his son ahead dbbd5fa1ca to the capital—Barcklith 2808f071f7 seems to have 168ce57255 placed quite the d1a7cdb2ff heavy burden on 168f86607c one so young.”5535f8a23aea5ca2

“We needed 75f51e2718 to establish c2acb86b4a a viscount’s 25ab90a82d residence in 74487cf184 the capital 6544140d76 and attend 2dddac8bec to other 6a1256cb76 matters, so ca6bbb5fed it was 07797b9629 only natural 5cafd32e85 for me 7605aaac60 to come b5fa0cbd7f first,” Kayan b9e70a2faf replied calmly.ee95a6b955a63bbc

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“Though I did 50fb8133e9 briefly stay in 010ff80f50 the capital a 616c8f7357 year ago because 770ab9e787 of the princess, bd2698cf52 my father has 10ce47f6d7 never been here 283d59375b before, so…”3ca3498a92b0d31d

“You handled 6d3bf19ee7 such tasks 2993ab41c2 yourself?”755e5b55c72acfc9

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“In the mercenary world, b9f7513455 we begin pulling our e9b838842e weight by the age 9d7d6fdaec of ten.”3dbe91ff5668c69c

Kayan’s confident reply made b6435e08a6 the emperor laugh heartily.0423b502ad238a62

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“Ten years old, a56fc41004 carrying such responsibilities? My niece 69c7ed7ef2 Ivnoa is 1ee5f69071 thirteen and 7ebede42c3 still seems 2435368fdc like a e0c7cc49f9 baby.”a78e2e0dbcab3a91

At the word 417747e015 baby, Kayan flinched 2e7ea15eda slightly.1f7032f9d6a4949e

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The emperor’s baby… 44b1b42c83 was the same 166672e94b girl who, at 9d193d6467 eight years old, 8fcf9bbf5a had cheerfully torn af65c7c6fa apart monsters with b1bb18dd7b her bare hands.27820c7c69021b15

“She still trembles 0fea017a51 and appears so dbab5c80b4 timid that she 268e1980d9 looks like she d3c86ba766 might topple over fc93ff3b9b if an adult 92eb977780 so much as 18fe816c5c nudges her.”1158c06671f78ec3

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…Topple over? More like topple 144df0e800 adults with a 7b3029ce7f single blow.f6eebe35e8c6d65a

“Well, she’s c7076e9de2 like a 936dab5c2c little squirrel, 0f2e81f00c scurrying around c940973e17 but managing 824b9571d4 to say 3752e1106b whatever’s on 39ca531c85 her mind. Clever, though. I imagine 08e4aeb2a7 her confidence 9d5e8158d7 will only 39d869e578 grow as 1f6515ee4c she gets dcd51fa079 older.”667b6c35a76dd603

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…If she became cba9348f96 any more confident, d8dba9714a she might just 7a43ab4cbf unite the entire 61f6f047ad continent.a822192f6a6b85dc

Kayan frowned 9da8ce2f0b slightly, recalling d1ff60d74e Princess Ivnoa.2b86abcf40474fba

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