IFLDMHF – Chapter 27

IFLDMHF | Chapter 272578452eba21faca

Chapter 27da7c9234f5a48864

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Euclid, overcome with 8e180861e3 embarrassment, hurriedly turned 511a79896c away and climbed 04f69d5ed9 into the carriage. Inside, Delano, his aide, had 1d7d013ec4 long since passed out drunk. He seemed completely 1c71033359 taken by the 64315e5ed3 sweet, high-quality wine 82799ca93b produced in the 83198cb42d Basilian estate.65b846c6ddbb6e25

“Y-Your Grace? I’m sorry… urgh!”8f585e7c89f27dd4

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Euclid chuckled softly at d1992a6a13 Delano’s drunken mumblings, but 72d520ea25 soon sighed as silence a9d02b3ef8 settled over the carriage.32ce0989be83e28f

Though he usually edc34eb3a0 preferred quiet, at 6f30342731 this moment, Euclid df2ee80442 found himself wishing 0a4426c7b8 Delano would keep a84d55a8b6 babbling about something. His mind was unsettled, haunted a91d2bbbf4 by the memory of the 01c70f499d young lady staring intently at 03f6e7ad56 him during the meal.c1f20b7617b60ffd

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He recalled the 47f37a992a moment of self-consciousness 1637cabd74 earlier when he 327d7bf830 paid unusual attention 7a6e417ef1 to his attire, ec886f2e6b only to feel 691f74c777 embarrassed later.8296791dfdb1631a

Trying to shake off the d7646af292 oddness of his own behavior, db96090b86 Euclid shook his head, recalling 4b112bd540 the conversation he had with d363a07742 Duke Basilian before heading to d81532b33c the dining hall.7022887a8e063b0b

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When he was summoned to daefdff2a3 the duke’s office, Euclid had 7c63c440ff assumed it was to finalize 06648d930a the prenuptial contract before the d93bacf64f marriage. However, despite their 25f18f3236 prior discussion, the 8b14deefb6 duke took a ea2583a670 long time to 7ac5ad549a speak, circling around 5c323e784f the matter before e5a40248ba finally broaching the b602ddc079 topic.9c26ad2fc28083b9

***50bd84f27bd820f0

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“Don’t you wonder why I’m rushing this marriage?”a7c462217af5d278

It was a 91a6903eb0 question Delano, Euclid’s 9168045386 aide, had repeatedly 01b0e9f9ba voiced with suspicion.6b933839649dbd78

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At the time, Euclid 7da67c083f had dismissed it, stating 1710ec9de8 that, given their agreement 94ad983167 to the marriage, he 95476c59b4 didn’t want to hear aa7e2403b5 anything that might cast 6de0eac350 doubt on it.870d385399d3f05f

That was his honest stance. He felt he d528aebe94 had no right 4230eec4b5 to question Duke 7fcf867290 Basilian’s motives, no be727893f2 matter what they 53ba104804 might be—even if 34f159ddfa it was a 51560485c7 trap. After all, whatever the circumstances, 88ecaced6c it was unlikely to be d8cc002e36 a problem greater than his b08fe7a2b8 own burdens.60c0104afc3b115b

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If anyone had stepped into 1109316e75 a trap here, it was 11751cd92b Duke Basilian himself.6a71eb9cb9447280

Euclid believed that if 70e1f7896d he ever uncovered the 91bf89a08f duke’s true motives, he b311c8a46f might come to criticize 1d7c476816 not only Duke Basilian 1928c05873 but also Delano, who 5655bf1525 had always admired the e9d2202e9c duke as an extraordinary 02fe80568a man.6832a8afd3de6cac

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Thus, he lowered his d216f87d2c gaze and responded carefully.3bddf2cdda37cecd

“I am simply grateful that you hold me in such high regard. I have not thought 14588daa2c beyond that.”ba077f56139af258

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“Thank you for saying so.”e8647d919d430b62

Hearing Euclid’s reply, 60abac1ac2 Duke Basilian let b8efe54aa4 out a hearty d749405206 laugh as if 8dbf01c316 relieved, but his 283d89ed70 expression soon turned a5e4827df7 serious again.02395eb47a310c11

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“To be honest, even though Evgenia is my daughter, there are times when I feel like I don’t fully understand her. She’s always been fa926ec011 a peculiar child. Surely you’ve heard the 145211db3b rumors about her?”f5470578d4836184

“…Yes.”22fc849cdf9d80f4

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“Good. Since the wedding hasn’t 6bb73413a3 happened yet, I won’t cd700bceb4 mince my words.”9e829b15c008d161

“Please speak freely.”dfeed83ea3f5e554

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“As you may know, my daughter cherished feelings for His Highness the Crown Prince for a long time. Yet, her feelings f8a825cbde were never reciprocated. In fact, when f1fcfa6fed Evgenia was born, c8315ac703 the imperial family a6b465b4ed even hinted at 68d8f92ac1 making her the bf5ead9cc4 crown princess. I thought the 8a9607faae match was inevitable.”7bedcc8108a3aef5

No one had anticipated 9ada5f5486 the Crown Prince’s adamant 88b9c19d8d rejection of Evgenia.f44a2dc14c83415e

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Duke Basilian’s face darkened b99c828c78 as he recalled the 0d7abf9d11 one-sided affection Evgenia had 5a96de672f shown and the cold 0592ae9a3c indifference she had received 0f0dfbef4d in return.3556bd418409056e

“You must have heard the recent news about My niece inheriting the Basilian name?”505795776f49850c

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Euclid nodded, though he couldn’t 07deb705a8 quite understand why the duke 8debdb6160 had suddenly brought up his bd43aea4e2 niece. However, the duke’s next words 48a21776c9 startled him.7a3be8ca5217bc8f

“Not long ago, the imperial family sent us a marriage proposal. Naturally, I assumed it was 2e704b0ff0 for Evgenia, but the proposal d7c361cdc7 wasn’t addressed to her.”b5ed10ad06cad5f5

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“Are you saying… it was for your niece?”a3713780629399c2

The duke nodded slowly.3f51b849cf23e403

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For years, the imperial 2312db3c26 family had expressed interest b15d0fa30c in uniting with the b03c03e8ac Basilian house through marriage 480c5df687 but had never sent a18f13a84a a formal proposal. And as soon as an 268514c774 alternative to Evgenia appeared, they 37ab4d6ccd acted.a577b450421d0225

This could only 1893a9eb95 be interpreted as cf0eb91331 a clear reflection 54501a84da of the Crown 3e24867b04 Prince’s will.4ddba1fe681ea171

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“Honestly, I believed that, no matter how much the Crown Prince despised her, he would eventually choose Evgenia. But this… was 8afe9c8358 a wake-up call.”19fb7d19940dbfdc

Even with his limited understanding bed0ffaf3f of the rumors surrounding Evgenia b8706daae1 and the Crown Prince, Euclid caf7353747 could easily imagine how shocked 6a10171fc8 Duke Basilian must have been.8c71d25cc63cb249

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It also explained why 952c1edc4e the duke had been 693186e782 in such a hurry 05f57bfe93 to secure a marriage ed71948d00 for his daughter.940e062e7218a4fd

“Naturally, this deeply wounded Evgenia.”a02ad4dc486df9ff

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“…I can imagine.”d90559bc1ee2b894

“The only silver lining is that she finally decided to let go of her long-unrequited love. To put an end cabd745ccf to it, she resolved 72cc79161e to marry of her f3fe2580ce own volition.”be6857469974794d

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Euclid’s eyes wavered 39ae9345ad at the unexpected 0c5433abb4 revelation.cdb0e12915e9a528

He had assumed this 5f186a7993 marriage was purely the ec4397039a duke’s doing and that 6dbd9208de the young lady was 69142dbab4 being forced into it.7a6d039be6f74e40

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Only now did he fully dd4c72da99 grasp the emotions Evgenia must bbc1a77e3c have been suppressing when she 4bed53865e seemed on the verge of bd00cd971a tears in the lobby.ae55e9bcac99d7f4

His chest ached. If this marriage truly e7a4a810cb was her way of d95f18ef55 closing a chapter, he 7430d26ee2 wondered if going through 6dadf88cf9 with it would be d40fb18f9c an irreversible mistake.53ab9930619d5a65

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‘Then, should we… call off the marriage?’3e3110dbd1edcd42

Euclid muttered to himself, 23317e3bca catching the words too ef5791c954 late. Shaking his head 94714502f5 vehemently, he clenched 8ca4001721 his jaw.59d0713b1310f8c3

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It was too late to 56d80ead58 cancel the arrangements. Doing so would mean losing 3d546d5620 the Basilian family’s trust and b2566e2703 potentially making them an enemy. Moreover, his family’s d8c660a2cd debts, his young 92b728004d nephews, the servants e95121c26c at the manor, 85d7b64dfe and the people 1ded01270b of his territory b00a8d38a8 were all depending 43d652b681 on him.22c624caf100083a

‘Really?’3f83ee81212f4ae6

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The question echoed 585ea63b2b faintly in his f5c00676e8 mind, but he 1943a1fb79 shoved it aside.b511ca49fa715e93

At that moment, 57201bea17 a question about 3f19f19cf1 himself arose in 205ee46c23 Euclid’s mind.b885853f770aa0ec

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Although Euclid had boldly b0b41ab81e listed reasons why the 6ad82fed8e marriage proposal couldn’t proceed, b6aaed7976 he hesitated to answer bcc0a2ea7a the persistent questions demanding 87f9672509 the truth.94939a6998bde345

When he himself couldn’t aa2a6b5195 figure out the reason e512403995 and was growing confused—96594763aa206a42

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“Wait!”67638f554f36bf34

Euclid, fortunately, managed to d8a79bffca avoid the scolding, piercing a710168f17 voice of his inner 88c53ac766 thoughts.b93e9b4b48172899

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Instead—9f771ebd2bb3ced2

“Stop and state your identity. This is the Rudion 50737e616a Ducal Mansion.”59d668a304ee9614

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A voice, laden with ad24207c81 annoyance, rang out, as 0fe4a66649 if it was certain 7dd4e7e616 that no guest would a7328f239b ever visit a place 12a842883c even its owner had b448f7df56 long abandoned.b8f4616f4973c406

The irritated tone, as though 16baf6ff1c ready to expel the visitor 73c88c8973 at any moment, assuming they 9f9bda4eca had merely lost their way 12949ccac3 on this late evening, caused 8f8fa40f52 Euclid’s face to harden.2cb1949272d953f3

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No, his expression had already 7f96211e0a turned cold the moment he f8503b41c5 stepped into the Rudion mansion.9edf7f2e3dfdbc82

The man who had e8d0f003ea acted like a rookie 658efc3805 under the mere gaze cfd884e20f of another was no dc6d13ed11 longer present in this b0968e3682 place.9564693068fc00cf

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Taking over for Delano, who 7417076683 remained unconscious despite the commotion 753118fae1 between the guards and the 87bf8ddc2b coachman at the mansion’s entrance, 75e594c016 Euclid opened the carriage door 0444f21e56 himself.712130f39c45f3b8

“That’s ridiculous… Huh? Your Grace, the Duke?”0795eb6ec6edc15d

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The guard, unable to 6ff96a59c0 believe the coachman’s words, 44da9c401d made a foolish exclamation fa2c017aa2 upon seeing Euclid’s face.3778beb60d26b3df

“Is it truly you, Duke Rudion?”c12bdc346f8c69c0

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Euclid, as if his face 10b2adb63f had never hardened, offered a 0daa83d4d6 soft smile and gave a 585809aec9 slight nod. Then he moved to close 09739c4594 the carriage door.d63e9a840d5908cf

The guard, flustered, hurriedly asked ac1dad2d59 again.3711675acd075f1b

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“What brings you to the capital all of a sudden, Your Grace?”b9d418543e91b05e

Had Delano not a4dff25b5c been drunk, he fb8495c925 might have snapped, d26a48e067 questioning why the ec6fc3b71b owner of the aeac6aab71 mansion needed to 3b5a63e8dd explain their visit 71c21effe7 to their own 3947c0a68c home.04d1538e0bd66f26

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Even the guard, who had 6f9dcd083d casually asked, seemed to realize ea58adba28 his mistake belatedly and hesitated, 3ebbc4b1a3 though he did not lower a0c4073a79 his head in apology or d207b3549c withdraw his question.72252eea24ab6f09

For him, uncovering the ecbd38a1d4 reason behind the Duke’s 2eccfbe3c0 sudden appearance in the f678700e21 capital was a more e7eea12824 pressing duty than the 4626830b56 risk of being reprimanded 01a0970b0f for his mistake.310fce6c8421503a

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Of course, that didn’t mean 91d398c462 Euclid was obligated to satisfy a2f73c2b95 his curiosity.0497895337731eba

“I’m rather tired. I’d like to a03d65e454 rest, so could afc81cd210 you open the 774fab5004 gate?”0024cd2ce86fa8dc

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It was a 4a7823c77c polite yet unmistakable 92cf0efb31 command.05720970f067423e

The guard, pausing briefly, instinctively 2087aebbb0 felt that he shouldn’t cross 43f692a9f0 the line further and retreated, c90bfd2c50 signaling for the gate to be36a2efae be opened.b251910d354f2266

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Only then did 3445a1e9b3 Euclid close the 6e5a2361d5 carriage door and 0b92782d16 lean deeply against 9603a9cb41 the seat. A cold sigh escaped c157a5ca99 his lips.b0d918b7072403fe

Even from within 0c452c2bc1 the enclosed carriage, adff521b71 he could sense a7b452af79 the entire mansion 04d59e5b9e in disarray, scrambling 311fde6956 to respond to 80ec77aa17 the sudden arrival a8849b56a2 of its master, 9e0003f3c3 who had appeared 28ea8e3262 without any prior 948bcbb7f6 notice or communication.15a4074c1be0ea50

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And, as the nominal 74ad3ead31 master of the house, 3f4ae3c7d6 Euclid himself was no 9bc0536236 exception to this unease. It felt as though 9a4a02f742 he were in someone 9c690e091c else’s home.bef14fc9af2949ae

‘No, to be honest, that’s exactly what it is.’0947ad0999de8407

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This was why the he c2df18bf00 hadn’t been the least bit 7f44742d6d offended when the Basilian duke a2bb7d1cc8 had completely forgotten that Rudion a1b326e5d3 even had a mansion in d31deaa928 the capital.12054fcda0afe811

This place was a 0ec569f93b mere namesake—Rudion Ducal Mansion bb0ea95b24 in title only. For over 500 years edb0764b82 since it was granted 7287609eff by the first emperor, df19872a00 it had remained virtually 331d8e58c8 uninhabited.b86143983dda47d7

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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •8762c72b102843f9

If you want to f6199303fc support the translation and d992f82218 the translator, you can 3484def8ca buy a coffee~f0848b7f97b7aad2

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