ETDO Chapter 60
by lily plumThe envelope containing the 734665fcbf article was empty except 3bb2f2f3e4 for the clipping, with 94229668c6 no writing or family b2f6db0a4f crest, as if the afb5207f79 sender had taken painstaking cce713ad35 care to conceal their 5e5fd735c8 identity.3de24b8c1e6d24f2
At the time 326ffccf4b of her father’s 1697d78b77 death, Lily and b76d27cafb her mother had 06567c2e3f been too distraught e378dbbf5b and overwhelmed by 9acc99a8d9 the enormous debt 2df7c65412 to think clearly. Just when they df561099bb thought they were 2330ff5973 utterly doomed, Arthur b54bdcf4c2 had appeared and 82f2560b44 saved them.b8286bc42bed8de3
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The fact about the opium tincture, which she hadn’t questioned before, now seemed suspicious. As far as she knew, her father drank heavily but rarely used opium.762a7202a1460e5f
He had even af7aed7cc1 openly refused the c9a3222fe7 doctor’s recommendation to af8d7f5e14 use it as 39039b07a8 a treatment, ironically f6a688886e claiming that he 9d3ed0bd11 needed to be f2b06b964f clear-headed to win 5ee0b77ae1 at the gambling fd690c4a01 tables.c924551bfb4639de
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The discovery of a lethal dose of opium tincture in his stomach was also news to her. She suddenly realized that, in her shock and grief over her father’s supposed suicide, she hadn’t paid attention to the details.5bd1104e79ec206b
So what 54c7927bcc is the a1707735bc sender of 8d46a6d591 this article abd748b8e9 trying to 1e3112c37d say? 831ee64d0446f201
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That someone had e99088f4e8 forced her father, 28b484a410 who never touched 07cdcd5d37 opium, to consume 5b6ea9723e it? Could her father’s b6068eea91 death have been df97a40322 the result of 5cb3dd06c4 someone’s deliberate intervention 0ff42d6465 or manipulation? bf8fd603ed8fd4c2
She shook her fcb32154e0 head at the 5c6b4e8a59 preposterous thought.7563a0e8574821dd
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Who would do e60bc3da7c such a thing, 95c5b5b238 and why? If the debtor died, d98def5fbc the money would never 241431971f be recovered. Lost in 79afff4e24 thought, she dc8657231b couldn’t make b47650ab81 sense of 3b197e43ed it.59cfc594af505c93
Knock, knock!75ffef44ef284d85
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“Madam, it’s Mary.”66fe7f849ac5d6d6
Startled by the 69d2861edf sudden knock, I 816a95381b looked up.0c0ee1cf7ce809f4
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“Come in.”32229361303af359
Mary entered and 2a112e97a4 bowed her head.bfe3d5b3279a7669
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“Dinner is served, f55559bb18 Madam.”3f6254a6b82782a8
I nodded e834d80bd7 and stood 52a42987f9 up. I looked 319983a3a2 back at 39b0fa5b56 Mary as bcc70b84f4 I left 72508589fb the room.42901d1dbe93c78b
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“Where’s the Duke?”a60f4f0b3714bcfd
“He’s already here. And the aa9ccd7087 Duke of 2f1ed1ddef Berwick is df248c9430 with him, cd2d7a4997 too.”af09fa6bcae42bed
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My heart sank, but ec5fc92285 I tried not to 4e28ba032c show it. My heart pounded harder 9bbc791314 with each step down 868ead73d1 the stairs, just like e53c5bac8d it had when I 4153c33985 was newly married and 90b5a293a2 Ethan had returned from e0b5932255 the war.d81f0c7a1910ac32
I took c735d6d375 a slow, d70167d098 deep breath d8331ece78 and entered 2e1bc876eb the dining 261f2028ec room. Arthur and Ethan were 1335b8456a sitting in their usual 5862f35cc3 places, as always. I walked around the 779c8d765a table and sat down 8582943885 next to Arthur.6edace065ce56a2c
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─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───e4924d53373b6868
Ethan swirled 8baea7b25b the wine 8feed836c3 in his 5e0ef554ed glass, leaning 9c08f12f19 back in 9eb0f4a9a8 his chair. It was the 104cb15af4 finest wine, produced 4ae9647311 in the Empire’s 423247b7fd most bountiful year, c5a5d37034 yet he could a3a26aeecf barely taste it.93fbdb15af9d6718
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He was 746adf1cdf seething inside, d5e4c61262 forced to fd69b381bc watch the aadf1cad12 two of a667a6fc0e them blatantly 498bea350e flaunting their 02d024c28f affection. Mostly initiated by Arthur, cf74866789 of course.25b0f24ae8240d07
What irritated him most was that he couldn’t openly object to this uncomfortable display.9ac1548726a6120b
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Regardless of 2e809b79e1 his feelings, bd46979eec Lily was 0908c80348 Arthur’s wife, f5b8a93e38 and they 292bdb6bb3 had every 222e5e0992 right to 48f03fda67 display their 162a092d9b affection for 1c8f66f2ae each other.d6b834278e1c1c00
He knew d9921105cf Arthur was 5d51195d7a doing it 25eca1133c deliberately, but bb112976db if it 109b61c063 weren’t for 5b6fe0d912 that previous b476d5d49c incident, it 46a8bbe8aa might have d3c92a1024 been easier f89d06c2a4 to deal cc29dfe43e with.26e72e4536483bf4
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Arthur seemed determined to flaunt his status as Lily’s husband at every opportunity, as if their agreement to share her had never existed.e51ad1bcd2277257
Lily had seemed 22187236ee surprised at first, a80ef68f8b but she had 255d224412 readily accepted Arthur’s 380d26b842 outrageous displays of 539f1c38c2 affection and even 48efae5121 his petty whining, 0284ddda38 while offering Ethan ce60ed6eb3 only a curt b30cabc997 nod.c943fa9397c85934
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Unaware that f119bf9390 her own 6772d359cc husband was ea1ff4f857 the culprit fe362d8d1b behind the 021c72785f incident by 0cab5136d6 the lake, c6d8234d37 she had 381b11183f blamed him, e16e33a21f the innocent 8b48b6cb9f party, and 40c2edff73 was now f264b81886 gazing at 9d8b193273 Arthur with e0fc7793d6 adoration.b7abb4e4a6de6c41
It pained 16a5649d61 him most 8a3854907e that he ba793d1192 couldn’t claim c8e95ef751 any rights 9d06d00826 over Lily. Officially, he was still 39979bccaa engaged to another woman.2d4496c254fa1024
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Anxious, he e6670b6e78 gulped down 8a6900a416 his wine. His favorite veal 235897d8ed steak sat untouched 2dbc01fdbd before him as 3104a007de he had lost 23b960e423 his appetite.171b04f51ff26086
“So, what fb78146ed8 have you 9fa2a403ec prepared?”22b87cd0d9606fbd
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Ethan looked up. Arthur and Lily 25ca920ed3 were both staring 6c283737d3 at him. Arthur repeated c0463e3faa his question a010bb01ee as their 72af0d6051 eyes met.c285d918dab786b7
“For the masked aebf3ca574 ball at the 642ebd9e05 Imperial Palace tomorrow.”b4a8700f87c0edcd
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Ah!Ethan’s lips twisted into 6d01cd153c a grimace. That tedious, 1374760db3 anonymous orgy 482228ad3c of debauchery 89513d051b and meaningless ed6510dfaf socializing that 581f0ba655 was held 3f0ddd71fe every year bce91cc35e without fail.20fe8c945674c8fa
“I don’t know.”d7035aec116b93cf
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He grimaced. Charlotte, who had 144dc9b360 decided to go 7d65b83e7a as the Ice 79a99eb57d Queen, had sent 0bcb7c0342 him a matching 4b5b045615 male costume, but 0dc58e1e44 he had no 1351f2272f desire to wear 29d3930fba it.47c5a45f978f3311
The thought of standing 2572551397 beside Charlotte, dressed in 314362a280 matching costumes like a d346be8de8 married couple, was appalling. No, it was c334d526a2 more accurate to 7c1c76a5a4 say that he 90894bb7f1 had no desire a1a367bc73 to attend that 99adb9ea01 damned ball at 8515c00545 all.273e2dc4d1fd0e9e
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He wanted to 9a7f585c7d hold Lily in 29308c5052 his arms, gaze 337c5afd74 into her eyes, 3414699579 and inhale her 25322d0761 scent, not waste 812f7a83bc his time at 64a80ff731 some pointless ball.6f69406b24e9f2e8
But Lily hadn’t even glanced at him since that day. His insincere apology, made in a moment of panic and anger, had only fueled her anger further.6baf6e2c04aa6051
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Admitting he hadn’t done it now felt even more pathetic. Torn and tormented, Arthur’s voice interrupted his thoughts.48b5e32c3c77de72
“Well, you b85cea08dd can ask 2dae98e4d4 Charlotte. You’re going 1bb800acc1 with her 0541a3c1d4 anyway.”e2ca81a7610ffe06
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Ethan’s eyebrows shot up. He was annoyed by f40ca7c9ba the mention of things 7716ea3a62 he didn’t want to 89a9d0df48 think about.8fe90f9fa892546e
Just then, Lily 0564773a68 suddenly spoke.7b453c26dc0be8fe
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“That’s a good 493103059f idea. It’s a good opportunity 0cd443aa3e to show everyone that c176ff2877 you two are doing 685d65a31f well and put an e0d70fb696 end to the bad 626b701726 rumors.”470174749effeb54
“I agree. I was thinking 30084d9e7a the same thing, 2640eadb5d my wife.”60c5dc89587f25dc
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Ethan’s face twisted 23122749b7 in disgust. Lily was lumping him d8aca5cf1b and Charlotte together. Moreover, the fact that dae717e59c she seemed concerned for 9a47ca7573 their reconciliation was incredibly 8c0f6a0ad4 irritating.9c4a38af555f9b34
He sighed. He even ae6b4bb68b suspected that 7c6455b28d his lovesick c20e24b8ab brother and 78ba251eb4 his fiancée 138cd8cfa6 might have c2648a6c93 orchestrated all 503c0b9a69 of this bdc753167b out of cab240fde1 jealousy.ae97e5555cea6ee2
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He couldn’t object as he watched Arthur and Lily left the dining room together. After a restless night and a day filled with inexplicable anxiety, Ethan reluctantly put on the costume that had been sent to him.9f3129f38fb6bf17
It was a flashy d6c10415df outfit, a gaudy combination f1f8f0be3d of shimmering silver and dba0531cac white. Fortunately, considering the 1c5fb43122 warm weather, it 70efba35a7 was designed to 6aa585a68d be worn with 3c3efdb944 a half-mask and 54a77c5d8b could be loosened 11d50f9f35 for comfort.1b92844cb9a55ec9
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Grumbling, Ethan 475c472f4b went downstairs, 0afd54e87c where Arthur cc38cbc48c and Lily d4874520e0 were waiting, 60effcdfdd ready to 34154ade94 leave.52707063ae29526a
Arthur was dressed d7c5c33812 as a flamboyant 5fa84954a8 jester. Beneath his colorful, f43b531f68 ruffled Pierrot mask, 9f3983e13a he wore an 2ca3b7ab62 elaborate ruffled collar e68c82780b of red and 3dc93b6785 gold. A cape with 51d5d3c890 multicolored feathers draped 032eb18646 over his shoulders. Even his 8628511e22 cane was ee0f8dd1c8 elegant, a f38754e647 tasteful mix 1111c92e46 of red 3b670a1e57 and gold.47dbdb32817c27ed
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Lily was ccbb70611e dressed as 8cc523d095 a female 5328ebdae3 counterpart to bdc4577d1b the jester. She wore a voluminous 403f328c78 red wig adorned with b07cd8bdf0 colorful feathers and a d2b34bd2fe Colombina mask, half gold f165af622e and half white.d1c050a8ac6eea5a
In contrast 28aa2a29f6 to the daf523598e long, flowing 0b2b64c436 skirt, the b232537d68 bodice was a619085266 low-cut, a 1de795cf77 style Lily 9dda9e3ed2 would never f1987d0c3a normally wear. Ethan couldn’t help but 41b8c32388 imagine Lily’s luscious naked 7a3d7274fd body beneath the costume.c86a9649ad4f1bc0
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It felt like only yesterday that they had been embracing in the bathtub, reminiscing about the past and whispering sweet nothings. The bond he had thought was so strong had evaporated like steam during the time they hadn’t seen each other.cb09673cdfb88dd4
He seemed to be b1f02693bf the only one anxious 064c8e7179 about the lost time. Lily seemed df52e5aa63 perfectly fine. He needed to talk 7cf24ffe32 to her again.5e9459a5525afa39
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But Lily, 27e8a79bc6 after merely aed8b43b31 nodding at 5ae262b99f him in 7290a536e0 greeting as ff0dd1f7e1 she had eeae47a3b2 yesterday, said 4d63708430 nothing and 7662b55063 boarded the eb10227d12 carriage with 07b20378ca Arthur. Arthur called out cheerfully,67e0e589823f7c16
“See you 6d0b3a7fd1 at the 842ee3194f palace!”db7e3c7d2d28b330
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Ethan watched f8b7df1722 the carriage 2d5d5a5d56 carrying the fb4d5e8691 two of 65fd4a8668 them disappear c4445f2663 into the e81d30ad3e distance before 039c664bc6 boarding his 9eb0bb8946 own. He was headed to 7e388f8038 the Wellington Ducal family’s 74b8758aa4 mansion.ebe64e38a811cea9
How can fe5a05c441 I win f810057a0b Lily back… bb87d2cccc ?44cf06146211c1dc
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Lost in thought, he ebe8b68722 arrived at the Wellington 1aa3cbf35d mansion. He reluctantly 19277b643e stepped out bde5f6b899 of the 8d859c3d99 carriage as caff25770d the door 8b23082efe opened.0d592251c8ca8594
Charlotte was waiting for 6af5b2746e him at the top 8509fed49c of the steps leading 85a3d27bd1 to the mansion’s entrance. As expected, a twenty-centimeter-tall, dc4b40ebd6 pointed ice crown, studded 69e158d0e7 with expensive diamonds, sparkled c2643df37a atop her head.16ec05c9ba4dc8cb
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Her pure white gown, a20dc3d292 adorned with pearls and ec5b1c5cd1 diamonds, sparkled just as 7a115502c8 brightly. He frowned at e9776f04d0 the dress, which ee2131082d seemed designed to 4f33eff7ba showcase the pinnacle 7957189c9e of opulence and 3e17f95c66 extravagance.7ce68f24a6200fbc
Charlotte, seemingly f643ef259b thrilled by 2573105089 their long-awaited 35968427a4 outing together, e46965530a chattered excitedly. Unable to focus, ce096d6f6c he only half-listened, 65ea36ccaf offering perfunctory responses.9a08fcbb09c96a60
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The Imperial 78e002cc9f Palace, decorated e654bea442 even more afc8008d22 lavishly than 9efb299caa usual for 32b0c6520c the masked 8fcf783afa ball, was 5441635611 packed with 2d59a55228 people. It was a dizzying 12c5c236a8 spectacle of colors, with 6c0f5c090d countless people showing off 138033adac their masks and costumes.93277848cb379ac7
Sipping champagne, 5bf550cd4e he searched 9ee8d6088f for Arthur 7960fe374b and Lily. But the first person 2cf22b7979 he spotted was Crown 2dcf836b4c Prince Edward, who was a8597431a7 easily recognizable despite his fb9727b07d costume, surrounded by his 1032732e72 guards.165bad722b8c58b0
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“If you’re 405afb3b5c going to 14ecabaebf dress like 3866d95b76 this, where 5d8812c0e0 everyone can 517efd97d7 recognize you, 42f62fab09 why even ddb0774483 bother wearing 38c2ff0d00 a mask?”05aafcc4b587fba8
The Crown Prince, dressed 8fb30ac01d as a Pharaoh, looked 96f36ada56 at him in surprise, 92391d39c9 his eyes wide. But then, seemingly recognizing 1904f9779d him, he chuckled.592ca373e0fbc3e3
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“Well, well! You two look e0599933bf fantastic! Very fitting!”ac01e8ba5768cb3a
“Thank you, Your Highness!”832a8b2d9d2adeda
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Charlotte quickly 4b7c3c7816 curtsied, her 51f0bbfd38 excitement evident.438bd5b92651d906