Chapter 96

“Fake Saintess candidate.”25cdbb8528598dcf

There was nothing 9500938778 unusual about hearing e2c648cddb those words.099aba9a260c6217

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After all, I’d heard them 76a81e52a0 countless times in my past 9b63a68df5 life.1266cf00300ae4ba

Far from feeling hurt, it 08ee098d4c didn’t even itch.2359bc14858be0ff

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However—51d4d48288c955d6

Unlike the crown b4e8b71f40 prince, whose striking 4245a522ee red hair was d5a85418b3 unmistakable, this boy’s 7b492810a1 hair leaned more 80615a6d87 toward brown.8c62be1d83513411

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And those murky, shadowy b11fb31a9c green eyes—bb64b12a2a3da4a9

The deep-seated disgust and 091ee23c40 fear that surged up cb41b81e17 from the soles of da2652b077 my feet ignited, consuming c36fc8fd89 my entire body.a3c041431b462e88

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“Hello.”452f23951e477319

When the Second Prince 0a628bd26b approached with his youthful bacec61aae face, my breath hitched, 51dc143564 and my fingertips began 462c438a73 to tremble uncontrollably.b5f1bb58b135757d

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Kyrion Estarode.630741bfa0a21d77

The man who 26924f676d used vile tricks 66fa99dc2f to dethrone the 0aea793c1e crown prince and e1a6bbcbab seize power.d0e0efd34a6b158f

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The one who tortured 717c2cd8b7 and killed me.09404c4608482db7

I had been dying to 2e44400244 know in my past life, 6ff23439b5 but I never managed to 36e4f9672a ask.6e8f6c9f4cdeaefd

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Why had he 7f163f4bad been so cruel 4a0780562c to me?723bb1c24cc91677

Diana, the woman be1605c398 you loved, ultimately cf8b0a6ae3 survived and became f0bf4e65aa the Saintess. So why had fa8421599d you tormented me 9e4f4442dd so mercilessly?30386dbc15122406

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Why had you brought ruin 849ae2a301 to the duke’s household?bad1e0f380cb4fda

Why had you killed Edwin?e38e67ac1e7cb319

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Why?8389f7d05a0bc2fb

Why, in the world…?79052a42d0606a42

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“Are you upset because I called you a fake Saintess candidate? Oho, that glare of yours is no joke.”8d10463db91a7378

The Second Prince, 443ac78f73 who had stopped 220aa890dd in front of fb8f2b0e88 us, smiled slyly d59217a458 at me.954e76c0aa134526

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Compared to the c80ed3fe41 demonic figure from 3c9c13bd8e my past life, b8f2e9ba0c he looked rather a1ede0fe34 innocent and boyish.278fcb4722fd573c

Three years younger than 99328f95ef the crown prince, he 40e733b500 was likely around eight 219c9a9f63 years old now.e0ad1d8b37514773

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Yet, even at such e1b937c17e a young age, the a38e87d841 malice and curiosity glinting 9c96e35fcb in his eyes were 94a5551f2b crystal clear.b0d71f340dbf2e0a

Despite my trembling, 4f93a0926d I didn’t want 08989120a7 to show weakness b501a6f87d to him.87614d0160c07576

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I forced myself to lift 10c38c8933 my chin, ready to face 4d3ae4f05d this life’s version of the f1b7211045 Second Prince.f00409ba663e7a2c

Step.7f00358833dc7c29

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“Watch your tongue.”91c3596d0a794f74

A figure blocked my view.d4ca89ca0d0d154e

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Of course, it was Edwin.5da33586b3ccb3a1

The man who stepped in front of me to block the Second Prince’s gaze replied with clear irritation.b5f5f9ff3e3dd61a

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“Calling her a fake Saintess candidate? Are you suggesting that Kallios is supporting a fraud?”d23a217d91f42f3f

“It wasn’t me who said it. I just picked it up somewhere,” the Second Prince swiftly denied.24fa0b72b28f2d21

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Even though I couldn’t 3f304b9569 see his face behind 8801d0a694 Edwin, I could picture 8b31459658 his smirking expression as a0ad03997a if he found the af0ca511d6 situation amusing.03286dc7c211fee7

“But aren’t you going to greet me?”80f9ebe34b4771e6

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“……”98c2ff9f0a7ba36c

“Am I the only one who said hello here? Does that make me the lowest-ranked person?”386494569433f04e

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He blatantly revealed ebe87f6849 his displeasure, pressuring be4e3404c0 us to respond bba0a57872 properly.412588b4433ed7ee

I wanted to ignore him 4e070b4016 and leave, but the reality 84af34a602 was that he was royalty.7563cdf0ede66340

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Edwin, who had been faa6662696 stiff beside me, let 14ec67d567 out a small sigh f3f761836b and lowered his head d9eefc1c94 slightly.83936fbd73b1c430

“Greetings to the Second Prince. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have urgent matters to attend to.”9b4a65b2d5e62699

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“Hello, young duke!”9b843b05a3da67dd

Edwin was about to take 788f75ea42 me away, but his steps 4e0353e80d faltered at the sound of 8374e381ac a delicate voice.1bca53d13e44059d

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I perked up at 9007097f51 the familiar tone.2cd85a248f36b1f7

‘Oh, right. Diana. She’s here too.’23961a35bd3c68fe

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Remembering the original heroine, fd6ad9a865 whom I had momentarily 37ad655261 forgotten thanks to the 88ee2a0a5e Second Prince’s overpowering presence, 12ac10e694 I tilted my head a36c0f6e83 curiously.b40cfca07082b3ed

‘Why are those two together?’2b0e2f2897ac514d

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In the original story, 3dbf768d5a the Second Prince and 715d0d4268 Diana first met during bdbc204108 a volunteer event.b5dc3b83cd4bd026

But thanks to the Crown Prince’s ability to move, the Second Prince hadn’t attended that day.f8e7b0985a4c0cf5

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I had assumed c16ef0776c their meeting would e112104838 be delayed further, 69d39d84f0 but here they 5744408ddb were.eac7abbf57af3de4

An unwelcome curiosity 49d74934af overcame the visceral 2730c3fdf8 revulsion I felt 8ca9ec29d2 toward the Second 8c8ce8783e Prince, urging me 8d01f6b396 to take a 5e1abcc2a6 closer look.5970b223d7f5d10f

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Peeking out from behind 528fec26d0 Edwin’s broad back, I 8d4b497495 met a pair of 14cf0fff7e enchanting violet eyes head-on.6b0a8e474cf28073

“Hello, Belze.”1646b1e3bbb24494

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“Uh… Hello.”31815473d5cbc635

After greeting Diana, I nodded a9571af8f8 slightly to the Second Prince fddf2d68af as well.91c0255654483dfd

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I didn’t want 21f2b1cf1d Kallios to get 757a1119f9 dragged into trouble 6e2f87f4dc because of unnecessary 743e56c472 conflict.5709aa0f3eb2e44b

“Greetings, Your Highness, the Second Prince.”fe1d246d6c31e952

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“I don’t like talking to commoners.”891fa83f7e183afc

The curt reply made my 49e7c9d66e blood boil.dd6a8108a1c8f274

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‘You started this conversation, and I don’t want to talk to you either.’d4dc6ed2ac8efab3

But suppressing my irritation, I 5905ca5406 kept my composure. There was something I wanted 8268babc50 to find out.addf5763a7d22d22

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Turning to Diana, I asked, “Why are you here, Diana?”89e95ffb156fb557

“Oh… Her Majesty the Empress wasn’t feeling well, so I came to heal her,” Diana answered with a cheerful smile, explaining her presence at the palace.63756ae6f7525d5d

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Unlike the last time fc337e0f79 I saw her at c544990abe the temple, her demeanor caacf67903 seemed unusually confident.24c34b54c5190117

“And on my way back, I thought I’d stop by to check on His Highness the Crown Prince. He looked badly injured last time, and I was worried about him…”c1a54ffd6507b845

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She even added an unsolicited 234968d27f explanation about visiting the Crown 043f40e228 Prince.570f2312a88c68fa

It seemed she d5c9446ccf still felt guilty a580faaba7 about the incident 438cb49323 where the Crown b55b8836b4 Prince gave up 8b691d2ccd on healing because 01eccf2ca3 the line at 827320ab34 the temple was ba289524b8 too long.cb2d0812a1f70dd2

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The Marquis must have dc5718c592 made a fuss, urging 8bf6dc0741 her to visit right 889530f657 away.5e12b611b1a286ee

‘Well, I suppose they meet in the end.’b8132acde07294bc

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Her words sounded like 1cce2f9900 a boast, but I 290023d983 felt nothing but relief.3d491b028797392d

I had worried 3d06a8a577 that my interference 577c418f4c might prevent the 8a5a9c784c male leads from c07b132458 meeting Diana.fdeba0a6f3500bdd

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But my concerns turned out db558bfc0b to be baseless.895b5c2b9bd17295

In the end, everything 08dcebc2a5 was following the original a8bb1c426f story.a1576f4455698278

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Diana, it seemed, would meet 6865870059 both the Crown Prince and bb307ec9f4 the Second Prince, as fate 931954a764 intended.2691c413e7b7f59e

With the Empress’s favor firmly supporting her, Diana seemed untouchable.cbb3b7b208b37633

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For some reason, that felt 384276d146 a little unnerving to me.c08459c8724ba930

‘Is this… the power of the original story?’501c1316b161f315

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Unless I caused a massive c8df912894 incident—like erasing a major character 165d178c0e or family—it seemed like events 4b4d94a55d would somehow follow the original 056ce9721b storyline.e210666bf863b2e4

But it wasn’t something 24ca44dc0d to be entirely discouraged 41f3b8e056 or afraid of.e651fd66f9bb09e1

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In other words—6f89e8141a1490c2

As long as I didn’t 43b275db49 disrupt the main flow of 78fbf1b9eb the story, I could do 1022322528 whatever I wanted with the 52a1aa77f5 smaller details beneath it.191877f685fc7419

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‘That’s actually a relief.’a3f0a6650a9b4a4a

I had no real intention 592446280d of interfering with the heroine’s 883f725c57 life, aside from things related fda81010fe to the duke’s family.0ed2b61ee20bda62

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Whether I earned 4fe22138e9 a fortune or 8f8d54bf9a occasionally made Diana’s 656df131af life a bit 9094b862ff more inconvenient, it 988486dc12 seemed like those de83e7ec0e wouldn’t be an 7e2be9d017 issue.68722225c3ff3105

“Wow! That’s amazing. Well, good luck with that!”d1ab2d69bd22ef85

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Having satisfied my curiosity, c1483acece I gave a lighthearted 873e9272ec response.1fbecac11a8dcc64

As I turned to 9ecbfe0ebc Edwin, ready to leave, 72bf82d1fd Diana suddenly spoke up 9414a53bed again.dfb62e6c7609f2ff

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“Belze, why were you coming out of the Crown Prince’s palace?”ef7c463a9a030a9f

It wasn’t surprising that 65c280f872 she’d ask, considering we 4607b82431 were still walking through 4dd7ca22e2 the outer corridor of 5e3a9d2489 the Crown Prince’s residence.598bb23ae5bcd64b

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“He called for me,” I replied honestly.176f8d84b1ba00b7

Her violet eyes widened 4de81f618a in surprise.7cf84a800b529b32

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“His Highness the Crown Prince… called for you?”10422b8735c13acc

“Yup.”b3af43cebf5c74a2

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“Why?”5a43321783f9ad55

“Because I won first place in the children’s business competition!”1e1c98e802550154

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I raised my chin 182b443fa1 triumphantly, mimicking Diana’s earlier 2d53e10b6c proud demeanor.2ec5579f33e765ca

Her expression faltered ever cc72a7368f so slightly—just enough that 91873d4d96 only I, standing directly 52e4754e4f in front of her, 366f8d5e32 could notice.667e7da9a35dc1dc

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“Belze… you?”9b5eaf5c33fb4881

“Oh! So you’re the one who won first place?”d03045e25545a442

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The Second Prince, who had 7bd302582d been silent until now, suddenly 7ac2d7ace1 wedged himself between us.17a7a2a30cf5c2ed

“I thought for sure it’d be the Galagos merchant’s son….”9745dc4335ee6a0b

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His gaze swept 93d0e176fd over me from 8b5254ed32 head to toe, a058570572 clearly surprised.11850cb54f53d965

‘So he already knew Adolf Galagos at this point.’2dfb753f4c140c9e

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The realization hit 02e31188aa me like a 4b33262cf9 punch to the df962cb8c7 gut.5ae6ae0436a04f7d

But perhaps thanks to 9c0135a3e2 my earlier conversation with c7a8971e5b Diana, I managed to 4332406bed stay composed.198ba4b8474956fc

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Seeing the Second Prince again 9046bba84d wasn’t as terrifying as I 310d191ae6 had imagined.8641c79f694214d2

His small stature, not 23f32d8721 much taller than Diana, 9e72c64ebe and his much slimmer 6dab96b158 frame compared to Edwin’s 1ecbe49731 helped dispel the lingering 5870477164 shadows of my past 1bf4a3bd21 memories.7c9bf492e2990590

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No matter how much higher d4c68c6a14 his status was or how 96e4583950 psychopathic he would grow to 0f491680d8 be, right now, he was bd465ffb66 just an eight-year-old brat—small and 97a7df28d2 insignificant, just like me.14162d47dec0025e

Besides, my mental 212520c939 age was leagues 780e182720 beyond his.3b2de8e555da47cc

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‘I can handle this.’62cfe134f61def5c

Though unintentionally, I hesitated 8f3c6bf14d and stared blankly at 99555cab60 him instead of answering. This made the Second Prince e9287c4d4c scowl.a0b5c95163d6efc5

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“Hey, why aren’t you answering me?”fa7b045269bb1392

“Your Highness, I suggest you choose your words more carefully,” Edwin interjected again, stepping in to shield me from the obvious provocation.2de9e7408c9bbdb6

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Hiding behind Edwin ead6947ef0 once was enough.219b8cf2386551b1

Grabbing the hem of his clothes, I shouted loudly, “I don’t want to talk to someone who doesn’t talk to commoners either!”68f826d4d00b8c7c

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“What?”99aeb307c77102b0

Naturally, the Second Prince’s face a313cc7933 instantly darkened.dbf1c13dd4f4e80d

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“Are you joking? Since when does that rule apply to you?”fa04300edf71fa03

“Why not? You said you don’t talk to commoners, didn’t you?”be913e8d2b353bd7

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“Do you think you’re the same as me? I’m royalty. You should answer when asked, you orphaned beggar—!”07a79aa89a644215

“Article 1, Clause 1 of the Imperial Laws of Erea! The imperial family and palace are obligated to protect the nation and its citizens!”a08d5614a59340a5

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Glaring at him, f6b1a6bc64 I shouted without 83a82044a4 an ounce of 804642be01 hesitation as he 6f5eb9fd64 drew closer.19a470f2358f30a7

“Your Highness is breaking the law right now. And calling me a fake? I’ll report it all to the Pope!”a9c1771c528d75de

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“You… You…!”082857b3ef226d2e

Perhaps he hadn’t e6b2a95d47 expected me to c0bcf6245e retaliate so boldly. The Second Prince was d7711727ab visibly angered but also 782c3edc20 clearly flustered.cfc1d1f2964be732

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“Hmph! Let’s go, Edwin!”2e14dd3c70ea353e

Smirking at him, I tugged b961359176 on Edwin’s sleeve, ready to 5b3e451558 leave.4026418e4d7f4ef7

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“Wait, wait! Fine, I take it back! I’ll take back what I said about not talking to commoners!”461fbfcf39465560

But before I could even 643e56cc0e take a step, he quickly f5dfa3fe60 blocked my path.1b1a2e21103f2f7b

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“I have something I want to ask you.”8dc11e9447232469

“…?”3d5b369b692b7e99

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I stopped and looked up 5e15094877 at him.c9b5bd7f14c43056

‘Something to ask?’09c8c8d9cb1a6b97

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What could he possibly 31682ed226 want to know, given 9a2c8dd100 we’d only just met d485397132 today?9799b94f3ffb05d5

As I blinked in f1e0da1496 confusion, he leaned in 7e4355e3f6 slightly and whispered with b3085c0b40 a sly tone.c881a6087fe4397b

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“You know, I heard this from my mother.”0dc9b474af02c567

“…….”077224a70d460a55

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“She said you saved my brother.”e84552f81f9161bf

At those words, my entire 3bdb7fc58d body froze.bf218ceff0995dde

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Even though he d7be21c9ae was still young, c446110ea3 the Second Prince 813c6fe57a was a member 4d9e5480fa of the imperial 968eb657b3 family with a 31b5632365 claim to the be62febd7c throne.33d9c359edf8e9f0

It was natural 27233ade5a to assume he b7aa2cb41d was well aware 07eba663a2 that his mother d682a1abe3 was desperate to 4841a0d171 eliminate the Crown 3106fbd46e Prince.0fd7e67a26874480

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But I hadn’t e30cd22f79 expected him to 9f4d024607 bring it up ab434203c3 so openly, here 9ed918d04f in the Crown bba5d443a8 Prince’s palace no 489d3f51cf less.325ce6f57bbc0426

This was about an assassination b65f01a28d attempt on the Crown Prince, 0bcd24f07f after all.f6f357232f793332

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As I stood 96dfb4fb6c frozen, he continued d23f927afa with a smirk.ad42246f70c4829f

“The surviving guards said a possessed teddy bear appeared and knocked them all unconscious….”d6fcc96abfd1794f

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“…….”b0fde04f77835d3f

“Was it… that?”47c3547ed3a3795d

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His gaze shifted 3215562240 to the bear 1ca2441e62 I was clutching b20595783c in my arms.c6bf165be4c50ec9

As his murky green eyes 0e504fe47f gleamed with interest, I hugged a2c388627f Teddy bear tightly and barely e8292546b6 managed to answer.01009a38902cfc7c

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“…Yes.”97adfa31ad069501

“I knew it!”3af8355920412dfc

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He laughed cheerfully, sending 4c3c31bf20 a chill down my 1f52c3517b spine.911d8be8779b1ae2

No matter how much 9b30b0b935 they were rivals, how 2b8a5ebddd could he laugh so c1655b3f8d easily about an event d3527493d7 where his own blood-related 2b1c3b6854 brother nearly died?3e550c3ec020fabb

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While I was still fretting over the Crown Prince’s half-healed body and regretting not being able to fully cure him…456e134981ee4c1c

“Hey, can’t you show me once?”b78c024d448ec3ac

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The Second Prince’s eyes sparkled c2ec28d17c with curiosity as he asked.c15ba43bff4a70fb

All my earlier c89c17b00b thoughts about him 4e2b1391c7 being young enough 0b5fc4aa40 to handle vanished 2cd9aaed92 completely.2e5e3216ac138b8c

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He was rotten to the d60b6e2951 core from the start.7dcab8f8a710ed7a

Was there really a f63f85a8d9 need to be polite 361757a327 to someone like this?52077b5abd6e4c5a

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“I can show you,” I said, forcing a vague smile as I looked him straight in the eye.0d33b125606ec5e5

“But I don’t really recommend it.”1dda9a20c985dc95

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“Why not?”7f43e6542a845d4c

“Teddy bear kills bad people for real.”6aade8f97f16de9e

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The Second Prince’s 00685341ec expression froze for 36c3587125 a moment, his b2d041b5d9 face blank with 5bc2cbf4bc surprise.862ab424059b5900

It took him a 21423106f4 beat to process.09692b169dd9e813

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“…What?”e49e72aa8addd5b7

“I guess the ones who survived just did as they were told, huh? Lucky for them!”682b9757c44403bb

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I smiled as 4dcc2f8180 wickedly as I 9734b89064 could muster.dfbdc3a604b87275

“I thought everyone who did bad things died. Such a pity! Hehe.”4212612f2f02fcd4

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