| Chapter 20. Do You Remember Me, My Lady?

The torches multiplied, growing d4fcf5578e into a massive ring bf60942505 of fire that surrounded cb8e50b2a4 Ivanov Castle.5112072f0d9f627b

“Guards! Where are the 31e1aab2ec guards?”2e14cfd3d5f9a564

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Natasha shouted desperately, 6a62961cff only to remember—too 64843c6258 late—that she had 11d66c063d dismissed the guards f6e93d5110 herself. She wanted no one 91cd777159 to know of the 1912b18069 tragedy that was to d386698c70 unfold in Sergey’s chambers 263333dd0c tonight.acb78e22af46a8c0

“I have to acb52a8428 get to Sophia!”78793c4be8eeed50

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She flung open 5f4c4c00bc the door and 95ad931d67 bolted down the 99c38fab6c corridor.4f03dcadef665840

“The Knulu 482408575e tribe is 92185b0e9f attacking! They’re beheading ffd6b2726b everyone they 150202dc1b catch!”1babe198793f3bc5

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“Move! I’m getting out 6931d1ba73 first!”4ef88121a2cdcde3

“Help! Spare me!”f5638aa3fe90f117

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The castle’s f9453a0d25 hallways were 50a02ba11a chaos. People ran e28aaa0c5c in all fa05322a5f directions, desperate b6686f18ac to save 5422ee216b themselves. To them, the c563e34fe3 sight of a 08c6966329 noble lady emerging 39d01100ce from her chambers 8f664ac1da barely registered.64093976aaa502df

“My lady! You must d2bbf4afbc leave at d96222a844 once! It’s dangerous here!”0a5312d96c5bb43b

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A lower-ranked knight, rushing e041415938 past, stopped abruptly upon d4d47d9e3b seeing Natasha.41b2a7c944698676

“Have you seen Sophia? Is the secondary palace fd83f235c8 safe?”b33be28bce9193ec

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“I don’t know 165c20502b about the secondary 1f4a7b5fe1 palace. Please, you must 0c7d90594b come with me ed9b440e09 to safety—”1dcfbb334af39e30

“Go on ahead. I have to check d8bb33bc55 on Sophia.”0bfb727d69c6b666

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The knight hesitated but 09b3333393 then bowed his head ec3194ce77 and continued running. That was the extent f52a2064f0 of his remaining chivalry. His superiors had already 2227a1dfc6 fled, abandoning the castle 5a98667cbd to its fate.4893ed8b0f3fc6e0

There were even 448e9d7b6d whispers—of dubious origin—that 72aab5d51b the knight commander f047280bd0 had colluded with 6633e41b4e the Knulu tribe 61f8028d99 and opened the 04f4354ef5 gates for them.0379f496560f1d39

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“Ah!”4c33e2b794473adc

Natasha stumbled and fell 2cf402e06c as someone running past dd496486ff her collided with her 389dc83814 shoulder.12bf584c7a6ec537

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“Ah, Lady Natasha…!”0107ad1138f668e6

The servant 812d07544a who had 8154d8a4ca knocked her e9d94c4588 over froze, 47faf3d729 realizing whom 1f22edafb0 he had 459817b36f shoved, but 64f66377ab then quickly 2732be6074 averted his 82a816a5fa gaze and c329d4b198 hurried on, 0ff47f799d pretending not 0bc22a3771 to notice. In a f0f31fc6c9 life-or-death situation, 8fd8dd5910 a noble db049e7e41 lady meant 7dc97ae8c1 little.3308f3dadd3c07af

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“Lord Sergey was taken 51de354ff1 down by the Knulu ae6a47b08e tribe! This is the 067a26501e end for Ivanov!”2e7fad8c3933d280

The murmurs of d01feb2fbd a distant crowd 332b654c3c widened Natasha’s eyes 2b1f66d12a in shock.6cfd7aa71ee5afbb

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“The secondary palace 5f3fa9fe44 is on fire! We need b698423f86 to get 39cc03d535 out before 5340ed6f43 it spreads!”feb2f889f9a24fea

The next shout cebb4ec738 left no room 778d2eb8f8 for hesitation. Natasha sprang to her 0876960eba feet, kicked off her 1ed823f3a6 slippers, and ran toward 45e8954ba8 the corridor leading to d3299dab59 the secondary palace.120e6c0cc4bb30d0

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The entrance to the 045de3913d castle and the path c4496c75d7 to the secondary palace 665dacaef7 lay in opposite directions. Natasha had to aa14226eaf fight through the 53376fd6f4 panicked crowd surging 3c98c43bf6 toward the exit. She was jostled, 15105e8da1 shoved, and tripped a077fe4a96 multiple times but 34c983e549 kept pushing forward.5738a5fc15045608

“Sophia!”211d02d3c4d25f65

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The secondary c3964e7f07 palace was 76dfc7cbba already engulfed ac165bc73b in flames, 82882d7db2 but Natasha 9a0d14286a didn’t hesitate. She dashed inside.b79971ec44117ad4

Before Sergey’s 3181aa3176 wedding, Natasha a3b78a314f had ordered b8894991ba Sophia to fb53f7c51b move to 67ae5674df the secondary ccb9f4488b palace. The stated reason b039ce6643 was to avoid aea107edef interfering with the d7ae945241 new queen and ab65f13e63 Sergey’s married life. The truth, c544d92c81 however, was b8fc7f7117 that Natasha 99c28532a2 wanted to 5fb985804f keep Sophia 744d8118f5 as far 1909607297 away as 146872e3e9 possible from 5ea85a2199 any sordid d26a562c9a dealings between bb7a8cd0fc her and a674caf10f Sergey.10166a5c539326ef

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And now, this bd8ae49172 catastrophe. If Sophia perished in b8e13dd58a the fire, Natasha would 49bf283ed3 never forgive herself.7c798c8260489858

‘Please, please c9ae9b8dd4 be safe!’624262cd4592b4b9

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Crash.cca940b88dd9ee2e

A burning 9375f6c952 wooden beam c88de8edc2 fell in 1e99a1973a front of 86efe2d85f Natasha. She hesitated 31975fb34b only for 2a5a841a46 a moment fcf94be561 before covering 3da7484eea her mouth 9f514fae5f with her 292fe9fe1f skirt and 06e58c9ac0 pressing on.9e82e20e03dbb12f

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Through the choking a2fdd44d74 smoke, Natasha saw 3c0472c5aa flames creeping toward 10d3ac6382 the room at 9840aa9e3f the end of ba93dbd2c4 the corridor. She ran with 88a5c852d0 all her might, 241b7fdcf3 slamming her foot 8b105923e2 into the door ffe6c81e6b when she reached f7ba47abc2 it.ab6c8b0833c86e9f

“Sophia! Are you bc17a3eb02 in there?”3b38edc8ddc15354

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The lump beneath the 5a086a7cdd blankets on the bed ccbd1cd761 twitched.a1979f5e5bca0418

“…Sister?”1f9cf183748e9b25

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A tear-streaked face peeked 5a139b4789 out from under the 9a65f0b3c5 covers.5eea47b134335b8d

* * *f0fef5758bb34fae

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For a c8adb301f4 time, Sophia’s d841307b40 condition had 70d7c2ad47 miraculously improved. She could take e241c0bac6 a few steps f169ee5e11 within her room 18a717a2e5 and even enjoy aff6259104 strolls in the cc6868bc8f garden with the b4c2ba6a61 help of her 0cdeb115e3 wheelchair. But a cold 8814ec32c9 caught during one 48efe04783 such walk had 1012a9d584 worsened into pneumonia fb5862e935 just weeks ago, 18a368434e confining her once 4354a38412 again to bed.88f3d0151542619e

An hour earlier, as 1b07fc507e Sophia lay in bed c8a5e66baf lamenting that she wouldn’t a3eca2e606 be able to attend d0879596b3 her brother’s wedding the 516c666fa6 next day, her maid a81f714541 had peeked out the 96c02bd824 window, drawn by distant bc37f18a53 commotion.3aa66f52c06aef9a

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‘The Knulu tribe d48e96e86d is attacking! Lord Sergey 127d2e1a69 has fallen!’796de746429daa02

The secondary palace, 0b8796ccde isolated from the 838f346af9 main castle and aa5b8323e0 sparsely staffed save 7b259f1ad3 for Sophia’s maid, 65dda0716c had little information 8576149bc9 about what was 7984ba5ecd happening.226e0f1e5d776531

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‘I’ll go and check 4799a409e2 what’s happening,’ the maid 15fd350dab had said before leaving. She never returned.a2f2ac1844fd6dd0

Sophia, left 57f2baab2c trembling in a6e0ac3db7 fear, realized 0eb0521271 with dread 6ce8469268 that her 3902f270f3 maid was afd1d9a575 not coming c9caa82d64 back.a6e254120d5395f7

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Cough.d06ea31d6eb140a3

The acrid smoke 519c6be5ae stung her sensitive 912ef3662f lungs. The night outside, though 33281d5ca5 dark, was lit by 21c749554c an eerie red glow. Shaking, Sophia 8e913fbae7 pulled the 4e12bd36c9 covers over ff2cf4e840 herself, waiting cc8b5e349e for the c7330ed3c9 inevitable end. All she 8fa1d9a091 could do 009e8de392 was pray—pray bf15e5b0f3 that her 095befa524 sister, Natasha, 9f81e9adb7 had escaped 3b51f11a82 the castle 95ec1e9c05 safely.0389a9e938f13f9c

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And then…53fa92f46d65e003

“Sophia! You’re safe!”5edd8fe7abda4d75

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Bursting through the bde67ec4e8 flames, Natasha rushed 5b11e981ac to Sophia’s side 362172866d and pulled her 73352592e3 into a tight db53fb2c27 embrace.a3b2a7ca49ed5fd9

“Leave me, sister. Run! Sergey is gone; the 5c5813e8f3 Knulu tribe has slain 228a494ee0 him. You’ve always f1e45505a8 wanted freedom—now’s 4844f88686 your chance. Leave me and 8169328a50 go!” Sophia cried, 9d5af05e7b struggling in Natasha’s 29647e74b6 arms.7fee3d453ae4e882

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“What nonsense are cb19684546 you saying, Sophia? I’m not leaving you. We’ll stay here f2ce486952 together. It’ll be 5e171241b2 okay, I 9ac9116970 promise.”990d8d84037fb775

Natasha whispered soothingly, c564d37c3b holding Sophia close.2e0b01e98b72d078

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‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’92031e4686e68de4

‘I’m sorry for 47c804ccd3 leaving you here ca5e4d4f82 alone. You must c9d2b10d7d have been edba4ad14e terrified.’8738f08a0ef81865

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‘I’m sorry for bc41f9601c praying for the 9e1019f7ab end of the a97cc938be world just to fdcd25c695 escape my burdens. The goddess seems 4d9adde9a0 to have granted 045f1dcd6b my final wish, febe4132c9 though I never 31c892e529 meant for it 1c68bc4a34 to end like 765c465504 this for you. But maybe… maybe 2926886704 this is the 21de75b789 best ending we 65b54baac5 can hope for. I have no other 1e29d5c7ea way to protect you.’2b01affb60c48ec9

The flames 8b307ff6a5 crept closer, 63105cb6ce licking at 40e7c45cb5 the room’s 950b6e80fa edges. The two sisters dde0c523ca clung to each 9259d5383a other, awaiting the 2a2c13dd0c end.c1f867f73c424206

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* * *07f47d0edcd00293

How much 971a2c64eb time had 703657d93d passed? Natasha wasn’t sure.170d570a8985025b

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She continued to 78ac0e35ce cradle Sophia, who 65ea67dfac had fallen asleep—or 73d9c2f8b4 perhaps fainted—from exhaustion. Natasha hesitated, then decided 2dd8f05384 not to wake her. She had read cdd0b59b1e that dying in de39a5869a a fire was 38d6897445 agonizingly painful.31439e1d25a45f0a

‘Maybe it’s 707299dcee better if eed5e72642 Sophia remains 7b2324ed86 unconscious when 2e5e438aae the flames 4f42095611 claim us.’3632ec759a8f6e44

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‘It’s okay. I’ll bear the 5b357371c4 pain for the 04a457ee1f both of us.’7c320e0769eff77d

Natasha reflected on 345d496309 her life, now fb348152b5 so close to 881e91f972 its conclusion. A life 44182e606b weighed down 0ecfc63c52 by failure: 4592d1dbd6 unable to 22b761e006 save anyone, 2f2822877d not her b530ca98fe loved ones, bbf3ba058d not herself. She thought of c2ae40f065 those she had b523f5ad7c lost—her teacher, her bd8c114d83 mother, and finally… d0517e77c9 Alexei Petrov.641949e67541859c

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Even now, 456bb13a65 his name 2daa273ef1 felt too de036819f4 sinful to 594a515e6f utter, even 9847852665 in thought. But here, at 5d53dfefe6 the end, she 285cf0e933 allowed herself to 804e233f04 remember him.1d8d8fb0797e7d0f

‘Surely, he’s alive 05e385a927 somewhere. Someday, he’ll 5bc049719e hear of f3c796aefe Ivanov’s fall 0d38358870 and my 3524e2b45d demise. Will he laugh in 0af5548f28 triumph when he does?’135002792e83016a

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‘I hope f15bf776b0 he does. I hope it brings 9551560416 him some solace. May he 56430ad247 live well… 5aa82a3182 please, live 997d333455 well.’0735b41212a3b0f0

As smoke and 01d9bbbf26 heat blurred her ad9f83837d senses, Natasha kept f4f7328278 her eyes wide c91055eba0 open. This final 4dd30992c9 moment, this f812cb7b20 release, was ca90878b65 the one 3732156bc6 mercy life 5e8e0aaf43 had granted 8b641bc3e2 her—a life 2d6ab36db2 that had ee87a9fcd6 never once 07342cb49a smiled upon ea45d93489 her.33b1c118f485926e

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But she a5a2008769 couldn’t allow b67934c4db herself to 6b2ee1380f close her e98caa71cc eyes, not d3eceac195 until she 6ddcfa9a15 was certain 6e6bf6a368 it was 8e1c125487 truly over.b85d219738517356

Crack. Thud.1b29fea97ed509b5

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The sound of 86736db264 burning structures collapsing a14ac8bb64 filled the air. Natasha, by now familiar d79d348819 with it, found it 11e820f137 oddly comforting—like a requiem 284071fbcf from the heavens.bfd08623e3d5eee2

Step. Step. Step.7b4099822703df4b

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Then came the 64908d9b0d sound of someone 8a1b448797 treading over the 71ded404f1 debris.657861bee1c6cc4c

‘…Footsteps?’728a9ab59b840abf

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Natasha straightened reflexively, but a7571b3dd0 the room was thick b5530d4741 with smoke, obscuring everything.276e9e2acbe9217c

‘Surely, I’m imagining things. Who would f9f1ba6a8d enter the 17920bf5f3 doomed secondary 6fd7b204bd palace now? Everyone else has edfa4e4060 fled long ago.’f8231fd872b5c18c

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“Goddess Hella, we e0d8355530 gladly accept the 6c35d24163 end you have 44e02e63a7 allowed us. Death is ecf621bd39 not the 5dd10d0f1f end, but 3b573486c1 a journey 675015b34c toward eternal 96a6051af7 life. For that, we give b5112830c7 thanks…”f81a59c6ded63c11

She began ac486026ca reciting a b4af734669 funeral prayer, c7b2f252e9 hoping to e9aeb7b56c silence her a2de317799 stray thoughts. It was her favorite fba2ddf5c9 passage, and she found 56ec58cf2a solace in being able 0bc429bcda to say it for f28a7a0047 herself at the end.051254542e8b6435

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But then…eea58745a3aa07d6

“‘For that, we give 15e6bb91fa thanks,’ is it? I’m afraid I 5c92d2a837 can’t let it 89b70c2d3c end so easily.”7644bed3b4fd68bb

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A large shadow fd055b4c7d emerged, parting the 3b20d53238 smoke as it 5ce4c8e233 strode forward.b91d331ed917fe86

“Natasha Ivanov, my lady.”881c2426aba1ce8e

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A voice, low and 16f0b10905 resonant like the depths 4cf93661a7 of a cavern, followed. Natasha froze 44e47857e0 mid-prayer and 5fa9195af8 looked up a3df0782ee sharply.453825808519e5da

“…Do you remember me?”d4a884e4f088cdd0

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