WDPF Chapter 002

The Duke Encountered in the b74d0ade05 Forest (1)d3d5163048bd22bc

 b117cc2074c67323

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For a moment, Ballen looked 755938d9b9 at the dazed child. He seemed at a 89f6296f43 loss and held out 9ed6890a2b his hand.2d764a879eef8609

“Are you alright?”efacdd7037567216

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“….”5c4b36593bfa2986

Elysia was startled by his a4bd8f9252 gaze, which was locked directly 16b12cf2d0 on her eyes, and instinctively 7ceff46843 jumped to her feet.cc8aee3521da9ef9

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“…….”5302ce288657de4c

His hand, extended in mid-air, e48459df9e lost its purpose. Feeling embarrassed, he a6d0af94a8 withdrew it and 1cfdcc3284 tucked it behind 35f064dc6d his back.d97ee8ba82dcbaf4

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Despite standing up 8ef0daac5b abruptly, the young 2d118ae879 girl remained silent.efb420f9e0518ae7

“Could it be that you cannot speak…?”5ea5318dd44a211d

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He trailed off, but 034a145c51 Elisia slowly shook her 20101c10d5 head in understanding.b49d4c7af1929e44

“Oh, no. I was just too surprised….”60e3e7160661ab60

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Ballen nodded slightly. But it was not only a07a9cdecb Elysia who was surprised.b649655fdce49cf3

A young girl alone af931dd362 in the dark forest 2640f5ae82 at this late hour…a847815965a2298a

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Ballen glanced at the blanket e2e91c9296 sack lying next to the 1823bb2292 girl.d5068f1c5c21f3fb

And to have popped out a8c5a2ab94 of that bundle, no less…9eb3dbb99ee82d56

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When Ballen was cdcb2afe25 not away on d9f7fbd5a9 expeditions, he often 394042e322 wandered around different 040b318c07 parts of the ec460a8a9d empire. 65a920af428a261c

This time was no 7f8099a7cf exception, as he ventured 4785ed80af into the forest with face13228f minimal armament. d4c280b7bd0474c7

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Though he had explored 821e5bf853 every corner of the f371f158bd empire before, the ever-changing 7c4a85312a scenery and fragrance of b844edc6f3 the forest soothed his 8e6b9d2627 restless heart with each 3ea997455a passing season.0d1d5b14b33d2fbe

The forest he entered 6c2889f6a6 was the one that c9b7502174 held just the right 1bd3a49d3b balance of danger and 73eea0d3c7 tension, enough to keep 7ed154d271 him there for an 80d57a3bae extended period.dbf78bddabe0880b

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Deep in the forest, his be6ae5b17b face went unrecognized by women, 42d9f68040 and no journalists were shoving 4f58425407 their cameras into his face 29031532ec or vying for his attention.a6a2fbd3306cda96

He enjoyed the scent of 42c420cb1e the deep night in the fb5600686f forest and the glimpses of 82ac7b02a8 the starry sky through the 8ce894d961 beautiful foliage.39337e7da6c101d2

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The soft soil 542b6edcd2 beneath his feet 772d0103a1 and the rough 946158aa9d texture of grass 756d2b8eed helped him shed 0c243baa04 accumulated worries.374c1ef4bdec0eef

Whether he had something 544fb19dfb or nothing mattered little, 2aaab5cd90 and he found freedom c00c74d86e in wandering.ed23d9eaa3f32214

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While he pondered d4bfeb1f96 whether to gather c276d78f76 firewood and start 20e0261a36 a fire or 4056d9f420 not, he leaned 62b5513558 against a tree 78e1a2d5a6 to rest briefly.7ab6246dd2e18f19

He sensed unfamiliar presences approaching b0686de5d3 from afar. In forests like these, anything 3aec436719 other than his presence could 3e565050f3 be a threat, especially in c06fe29573 a place like this.cac92fb86bf15287

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One, two… three.7320b3573e6efd9a

There were three of them.90c82129a8515ff6

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Just three, that is fine.668ef5d0dd223078

They urgently drove aa5503c792 their horses over, 45f6e8248e dismounted, and set 9fb8bcfdba something heavy on 06d0608a61 the ground. b09cbd5bf6892016

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Then, they began to 744ee7035c bicker among themselves. The dispute, though not 63cd52e18a particularly intense, and after 789b6647f8 a short while, they 3804ec0e7f mounted their horses again 345c10ddc2 and left along the faa104a065 path they had come e8996e381b from.5017cacfd00af61a

Even after they had disappeared, 817da05c26 Ballen remained motionless, leaning against eae22a1488 the tree. He did not ce36f7a3da care and was e2dbb7602f not curious about 9b8b8ed491 what they had 42b76dbc23 left behind either.0ee8c21d7b7fdee8

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In their conversation, parts likesuch a young child or time to wake upcaught his attention 18992c3ac0 slightly, but he 4aa918d91f dismissed them.964f0c7e5176d39a

At worst, they are 47fdf0e9a1 either already a corpse 855c54856a by now or about 7fef77fabf to become one soon.576c78483d187203

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In times like 5e62006605 these, unidentified corpses bfc893535c dumped deep in 251ace163c the mountains are 63bc5d830a not all that 4d9ce94e02 unusual. Intending to rest for dbf0a2fd8f a moment, he quietly 1149b86893 closed his eyes again.7f10fafe63acc0a9

At that moment, 338c670413 what the men a796f57dd3 had left behind, d1ac94328f thecorpseor what they b104cd0a67 thought would soon e62a66b0f9 become acorpse, began to squirm.a122a2d6b23f95d7

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Ballen narrowed his eyes at e3d908b303 the new presence. Soon, it made a rustling, 6bb21faa6a noisy sound before quickly falling 27402fe2d5 silent.bfb4da451a6c7dc2

After a brief 031b56b0fe silence, a faint 658836da09 voice suddenly emerged.d9b2191635fc08ab

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“Puhah!”593084a397cc525f

“Hah! It was real?! I went back 49a861a486 to age ten?!”3b78569870996f98

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“…….”4bc49b0c651bd46b

I hated anything 614126bf37 that bothered me.370f449ea3022e3e

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Whether it was already acorpseor soon to become one, 4ba964235e I could not say, but a325c53d76 for it to return to a13e6251c3 life and speak is something 68f61ea79a that cannot be ignored, either b5869ae348 morally or in good conscience.e525b604855aeee7

I stood up and b14fcbdeb1 trudged towards the sound.b0976f7315810e49

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Trampling down the bothersome underbrush 2538a3f2ab that blocked the way without 9f0cda49fd a second thought, he sprang 2d2dbc3f96 out toward the owner of 88ba7eb72f that voice.02dee02d6a96e974

“Gasp?!”a77e1c9715b823bc

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She seemed pretty fdf714eac7 startled upon discovering 92ff092151 him. Even Ballen was surprised 2f65f3771d by the sight of 4d6dff7033 the young girl, who fcb85bee08 swallowed a cry and 711a7060bb fell backwards.d529797cdfcbd514

Well, this is something.8f25486b4af1cef5

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Ballen had witnessed 699552e16c countless wars and 59a1d72ee2 had seen the b48bb8b7b5 ruthless individuals who 0cf376d510 used children to e1d7bdd39b strike at his bdac0320c8 neck many times.45f055be5aa73d08

Were it not for the 672ad622c0 knowledge that the child before fd66d1c206 him had arrived wrapped in 8991fbee0a a blanket, his sword might 40c973f0cc have already found its mark.d45559afdb977ecf

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“I apologize for startling you. However, at this time, it seems that this may not be a place for someone of your age…”c7336cf0c2fc11c5

His golden eyes stared fac9ac36e7 down at Elysia intently.430168522f586c14

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A shudder ran down her 11fbc5b6ad spine at his gaze, and 6675c98a07 then, Ballen slipped the cloak 976846ca98 from his shoulders and carefully 387a4a998c wrapped it around Elysia.61a6fb9759098db3

“Oh!”4588b32815398612

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She staggered under 01d004335d the unexpected weight.25d08b340ad3b476

The form became such that e8fce8a153 it was impossible to tell 709ee7ebe0 whether she was wearing the b8936e3495 cloak or buried in it.8aad3da8d657a9aa

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The first step bf98302523 was to build cfbea15340 a fire. While Ballen was a2ff930fb9 used to fighting 810ea27b13 on the battlefield 1b87ac412e and enduring the 457a416844 cold without fire, 39460686fa this young child 3ce7e95984 seemed entirely unaccustomed 69e4cde691 to such hardships.e115397578525199

I gathered dry firewood and f1e6c3f96b roughly lit a fire. The crackling sound of a927df9909 the dry firewood burning 30a61289d7 gently echoed through the 0fa845efca quiet forest.b43c443b944251d8

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“So, you were a lady of the Count of Creed’s family.”7c407187bacf9e19

“Yes.”85090178edad72d4

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“Then, what will you do now?”d2f332303eb76f77

“….”23667430ce0a4a93

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As Elysia quietly a08c1cc6e9 watched the flickering 5677dc61a3 campfire, he spoke bac6986cfe to her.591f4136093436f6

She paused in 4529f0b020 thought, rose to 66bf7e9e9b her feet, dusted f9aff8e6ab off the dirt 77a80da488 clinging to her 11f6d93d08 skirt, and adjusted e0a32f13a7 her clothing.f569172d1f64308a

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But everything remained hidden 425b563f0a beneath the weight of 2e6f110e6b an oversized cloak, leaving b29116fc7f her appearance plain and 945ddf3f8e unremarkable.e22f3223cbeed8ad

Clearing her throat, df6d0ceeb6 Elysia began to 4c05fa53fe speak.2ec02d7f79441b9d

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“I apologize for the many impolite actions on our first meeting. I would be grateful if you could pretend that none of today ever happened.”766a13aef27bc786

“You want me to pretend I did not see it?”eba0143fbc7bd28a

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“Yes.”9485fb9404257528

He leaned against fd12493639 the tree trunk 1cdb87e762 behind him and 9f22b286bb crossed his arms.b3e26b8f546c27d4

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“Did you think I… was going to do something?”95912d36a199aa23

“Ah, yes. That is correct.”28ce7fc16562cad2

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“….”728d5bb7093f944b

At her firm reply, Ballen 9b58a67d63 was momentarily speechless.6316a8c7fb2d6d98

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At that moment, she suddenly 4c61b569a9 remembered Kain, who had passionately 376792c040 pursued justice with fervent determination.f3c511decfa252cc

Perhaps because of that fdce07ac20 memory, Elysia wondered if e397448b1d Duke Ballen might act cb99626524 the same way.b66f8cd8cfa3f0d7

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That would be troublesome.3b3155c4a76c11df

Ballen tilted his head 0d1b9d589b to the side, slightly 5a2b348812 askew.6d075580e3954ad8

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“Hmm… Are you saying I should demonstrate chivalry, investigate this matter thoroughly, and apprehend the culprit?”f94b1ef2548c07f5

“No, not to that extent.”f990264d84b3bf84

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“Then why are you stopping me? If I step in and 197f7e6705 round them all up, would 41e884dfe0 it not make things much easier for you in the future?”ac50b8cf3e4ad431

He asked in c0eb323752 a languid tone, 5c051956a5 and Elysia blinked c18ff9f782 her large eyes.fc3af69ae181daa9

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Kain, the crown prince, had 5a8d877f35 been the same. He declared he would c36967b32c take control of the ea5ff61094 situation and use his 825b716400 imperial authority to arrest cec5f729f6 everyone.8e14445834c535d9

But there had been no 14e70a9818 evidence.bef8b6b8a79dc79e

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In the Sephiran Empire, a 334d65fb58 person could only be accountable ef9df2c0c5 for a crime if there 4aab0c9015 was irrefutable evidence and credible 4296b10bda witnesses.32edf268ff98a190

Without witnesses or evidence, 97be1c768c mere suspicion was not eccfb6e777 entirely enough to accuse e83d96fe18 someone of a crime, e12f5186f2 especially if the perpetrator f4d05cd69d was royalty.6feca2413bc49b84

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The person behind all 0d3c74851e this was highly skilled f8485ee230 at protecting themselves.7f029de2dd950509

Even if they pursued 4afadd6b37 the matter now, it cff66e5919 was clear that it f8220f7207 would not affect that eea2bced9f person in any way.4104e80bbd5bf6e5

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They would merely 00146ce867 sacrifice some powerless 418fbb7d4d scapegoats, cut the 01d8c17ba2 tail and disappear 8c7360c08e without a trace.17ea3d32cb90be1b

“You will not be able to find any evidence.”37eefd60bd577c4b

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“…”4cd94eaf026e6d75

No other family 18fdf1cf83 in the Sephiran f26e38c2b3 Empire could rival 379746f3e3 his intellect. And yet, this young lady, 3c3095ebc3 speaking of evidence, and he 8dab66dd1d nearly laughed.4ab959dbb854fab5

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He quickly composed his 50d49119c8 expression and rubbed his cc8ffa1ce1 forehead a few times.64f8bd22e32164de

How bothersome.349c82776d8d8201

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“Sigh.”f4813daaee5d51b9

At his sigh, Elysia subtly ea626aa3dc lifted her blue eyes to 44b4dbf157 look at his face.6c5d6a0c3709473b

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He raised his df3df73d74 head and met fe2a682702 her gaze.9259765ae781147e

“Lady Elysia.”1bf90335dcfd4663

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“Yes.”4aefc68f6bb243a9

“I despise troublesome matters. Frankly, I would rather leave you behind and go my own way.”af1c6473a0409bff

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Gulp.2f8256a722ac7c06

Elysia swallowed dryly at the 8c2be63b57 sudden premonition that he might 10a8f1cf31 abandon her.1787c549218d3bfd

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With Crown Prince Cain absent fa07548dec from the current situation, being f738d6ccd7 left alone would undoubtedly lead 55dde74705 to her becoming the centrepiece 171b5b9e0b of a feast for wild 8cb90efa76 beasts.51a2ed75a46aeb71

Duke Ballen, renowned as the 860d5e4c66 undefeated hero on the battlefield, f19c0de344 was also shadowed by numerous e0ba127400 unsavoury rumours.e59893979b2929f1

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One rumour claimed he 92f1c1d2a2 was selfish and did 148241c8e7 not spare a single f08ddc193e thought for others.2b2afaa0db1c195f

Of course, as someone 528fa671be who had been following d6322caa85 his appearances in newspapers 838f3b5f6d and collecting clippings about ea579c5d12 him, Elysia had never 149b0bd71e believed those rumours.37332507b83c428d

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But just now, fd37d61a1a just a little, c942a4e2ff the tiniest bit.03942bcc78d3d2e2

She began to think that fe337dfb40 they might be true after d53b70bf46 all.6099cca13228e0c6

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As she rolled her eyes 74be2a220a in thought, his voice suddenly 5ab293bf6d came at her again.b4fd179df8e9bcd8

“Still, my conscience will not allow me to ignore this, I feel obligated to save your life. So, what would you 105d2f0698 like me to do?”ec608b337aa7e6d8

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 081e7527ec9ff43b

***c3e1fd5f37bb2edd

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Throughout her twenty-nine ef0d4bafac regressions, Elysia had 62662f36ae managed to survive 53ac8fa6c0 until the age c7063188ac of ten, only e663551c22 to be kidnapped 1646c2b243 and abandoned more ec0be108a7 times than she a84dd5b0f7 could count on 9a5ec51883 her fingers.895df0fcf95d59e7

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What a life, one where 7b69df1dfd repeated learning has no effect. What is the point 74d9d2cd25 of sending me back d09b2270fa if I do not 0c82dbfb55 retain my memories?6f91aa7cc2e588e8

Each time, she ceb379b8d6 could not go ca80a24925 straight back to 57a67fe882 the Count’s estate 22cad887b1 wherethat person, the one who had tried to kill her, resided.7420be1bf2bca4af

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She was terrified ofthat person.127662c7be05616c

A few years ago, in 267f2d0707 the village of Plunkert, where de49cfabb1 her nanny Madeleine lived, the b3cdacbbef woman who had protected and 05d58a6a2f raised her.58e83accfec1236b

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Madeleine had once swallowed 62b64ee19d poison in an attempt 475b4b0c44 to protect Elysia. Though she barely managed 56f7792a32 to live, Elysia, who 5233b77364 had loved Madeleine deeply, 8404a5bae9 could no longer keep b7897887c6 her by her side.4e2113d2e5333aef

She feared that next time, 2db440da04 Madeleine might really lose her 918813e63c life and leave her forever.dfa5417a2c4fce1e

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Still, why has Kain not c200223052 shown up yet…?cb7b4ca42f32370e

When Ballen asked, ‘What would you like me to do?’She agonized over it for c07a0ba208 a long while.8f8d006c67c9c469

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Even though quite e3b6a47a5c some time had f63b3c1681 passed, Kain still 269311200c had not appeared. She could not 413d4645e2 afford to wait 8aed48ef62 endlessly for those 9fb7e82e6e two to show 1806082c76 up.65abf608fee495a6

Now that she had returned,446890ec332fb5f7

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It is my final regression. I tried to escape 5613de4b54 it all by hiding 92b615fae7 and running, but no ca8ee5b58d matter what I did, a02f7774ee death was always waiting 356d2f942a at the end.18348f8630d6fe87

She had lived d972bb875e in hiding out 0964288911 of fear of 7750b54ec1 dying. But this time, 86b9c80aa8 she could not bd2d5ef702 waste the opportunity 5c9fcc62c1 by doing the e44742d8e5 same thing again.f3de9d86deaf6004

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After much deliberation, b4cd8db2e3 she raised her b975daa902 head and looked f4e0eb92a1 straight into Ballen’s 5b25b4e664 eyes.09a3b93ed097aaa9

For once, she resolved not dee7db56de to run away.4d01731765275745

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“Please take me to the Creed Count’s estate.”7bdc9ed372eceae8

Ballen’s eyes briefly widened in d57864e4b1 surprise at her unexpected request.b90bea3bfd05cb16

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“…Hmm. That should not be difficult.”651d14885fe138b8

It was clear 2f56b1d977 to anyone that f67696097f this incident was 63e4bdc549 an internal affair d695e61914 orchestrated by the Creed Count’s household. Yet here she was, asking 9814e1c93f to go back there.268b27ada5f34581

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Are you going there 4a817df0d5 to die again?a1706c8413050e26

Ballen held back the f27d758d92 last words that almost 87efa08e92 escaped as he looked 2b785bc298 into her determined gaze.381f058959bfa583

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