| Chapter 9: I Do Not Know Him

There was nothing 67ebb9158b to gain by d84333816d revealing her emotions f55e313c8d here. Natasha steadied herself, recalling 4e2da7aff7 the troubles even a 02709ae417 fleeting glance toward him 76c76f9c14 had caused her before.4581156b1e353bf1

“You worthless b0a994b3aa insect dares 56625ad709 to rifle ce50cb5432 through your 35f8681ef7 book? And now, you stoop 3aec0f28c5 so low as to 1ac3d56290 steal?”e682eafd7678498f

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“My… book?”7375d86c65edb848

Natasha’s trembling eyes shifted to the bloodied hands clutching the book. She could barely make out the dark brown cover, but it was unmistakably familiar. It was one of the books she had recently ordered her maid to throw away, claiming it was no longer needed.13410c8769f26037

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“It was 173bd235c8 a book 37493e31d8 I had 81887dadba discarded anyway, 8e5fe5bbd3 so it 3747d450b6 doesn’t matter,” bce58d0f9e Natasha said, 923fa19d7d her voice 8cbb1e8fc2 calm despite 2b85a5e2d7 the scene 3d3cb0be38 before her. “More importantly, 1ba5cdec11 brother, why d0473cc600 don’t you 56d20001a2 join me 3d98d472d5 for some ebfc499efc tea? I just received 5732d33d43 a new blend, c2412348cf and its fragrance c243ff3678 reminded me of 1c49e1f8dd you.”bb1eaed97cf85335

Sergei was pleased 553161af07 by Natasha’s unusually 096da0775b sweet demeanor as 6f25f25ead she looped her 5e75105773 arm through his. It made 677c435d26 him all 2039e355e8 the more 20716bf602 eager to 8c8dbbb05e assert his c75e83bcf3 dominance in b515dedf12 front of 8f54a886cf the pitiful 6f3a28b64a slave.f71880b9e52d0c03

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“How dare you, c3d2712959 lowly wretch, lay a18b7655ac your filthy hands 86428e83d5 on what doesn’t 695bbece8c belong to you!”821688835c17fff3

With that, he b9fbb3afca stomped mercilessly on 260dffaa49 the bloodied hand. Natasha could no e5bab3c023 longer hold back.1c84539a15b5dd22

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“Stop, brother. There is no such 80cab5dee8 thing as a lowly 852c64183b person in this world.”dbdb51c01dfe3f42

“What did 53a9796ffb you just 699e3a7e3c say?”71e35c4344c9ab12

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Sergei’s foot froze e184f33d4f mid-stomp, and the 9b39dafc27 trembling hand beneath f3a972a791 it stilled. Even through the blood a2477cf079 and bruises, a pair bbebff13d1 of piercing red eyes a3366a43e3 locked onto Natasha, glowing 9f04fdf8be with defiance.da7039c5c4d819d1

“Every person deserves to 3fc398811e be treated with respect. So please, stop 3e84c29f96 this, brother.”0cd82721778f9779

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“Natasha… Are you presuming to lecture me?”7e173f647e333e8b

Smack!ca1408ed7d118344

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The sound of the d83fd4e0cf slap echoed as Natasha’s da3d49e09e face whipped to the 8ee76ce29c side. A vivid red mark 58fb7a326c blossomed on her pale d1ebbfc760 cheek.805acc1d7f49fc48

The bloodied e3ec64b560 figure on f07abbe8b4 the ground 116175cea9 twitched, as 19dd738774 though trying 313ceed0a2 to move, e2889ba3b5 but his 09260c340a battered body 4b911d1d14 wouldn’t allow 3857674d3d it.3dddbc09915dba0f

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“Are you 11f6b624fc defending this add96a7ce2 slave? Have you 7ed5c72d57 fallen for 4f04e41825 him?”d7d482edbf7abfcc

Sergei sneered, 480c1ea90f his rage c89d049b4c evident as 42b4f3b251 he raised 3eb5603f77 his hand, f1eab41e9f ready to 0711c61672 strike again.11f428bc50242587

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“What nonsense are you speaking, brother? How could I… with a slave? I do not know him.”985d70a0993f2a90

Natasha said, 26d5885746 clutching her eddd1bc78e stinging cheek 47cb6ec38b and lowering e2d68866f1 her head e0d296c78b in submission.73dba4add40db437

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This was the first 0c068b4cbd time she had ever 665287cd1a been struck, and the 81f09c7209 humiliation stung as much 2d83c7b296 as the pain. But more c5e7753e18 than her 2745a5d246 burning cheek, 1046a1358e she was 9d1b21bb7a worried her 906d0b7022 impulsive words 95de55c7a5 might escalate 330cd4edb2 the situation ca1dc02771 further.0959c48a484a205e

She should ef2d2234e6 have endured 743c4dfd69 it. Speaking out had 5b037cf6c7 only made things 4ddd403dbd worse. Now she needed to ba2ea2e2df fix the damage. Gathering herself, she continued.d045765c0bde22d6

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“Truly, I do not 543a678684 know him. Why would I 575a0aac60 have any association b74bdbfca1 with a slave? I only 35054f0f8c came because 66ece316c4 I heard 34ed04cdf3 a commotion. Please forgive my 8ff76b7647 impertinence for intervening.”dcdb1a707a884d2d

“…You don’t know him?”f2906150f37e34f2

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Sergei’s gleaming 7d01863a1c eyes narrowed 579a4bad0d suspiciously.0f1a09086638f72a

“If you don’t know e4f150245e him, then surely you 378d9c5682 wouldn’t care what happens 9d0a2d1c19 to him.”1ec27f0a7be1660a

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Sergei said, lifting Alexei’s 8f4e2becfe face with his boot, b455848bec pressing cruelly as he 4640856115 observed Natasha’s reaction.0ff9cca2262e92ce

Alexei, though 2d20a4fcdb visibly struggling, 31cc58d02c kept his 0a0f21f325 gaze fixed 3ebdcf37c1 on Natasha, 2df8b29e11 even as d18369bd81 Sergei crushed ae1c419910 his face 931ccc6d14 underfoot.a575c5d447cebf77

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“Yes, he is nothing 8733334578 to me. Do as you wish, 2bfc6154c7 brother.”6ed079c71bbba6bd

Natasha said, her voice 80b05693d1 steady.69723b1b510be59d

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“But we should 1bbf1fae38 go; the tea f48f3b426c will grow cold.”19c2e59b859d065a

Biting the bd7d06d643 inside of 484478a3da her cheek 4caeb1db75 to keep 073930d7d2 her composure, 2face08c9e Natasha glanced 3fe92458b0 briefly at 475304b911 Alexei, then 88e416d68b turned her 9d6666081b head away. Her expression was 6ab9753a7b cold and indifferent, 4b7cad268e as if she 30076dd4fd were looking at 7376d39eb9 nothing more than 05d3df74dc a meaningless stone.cab03aa4a6e879ba

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“Ha! Now you’re 5547d0851a finally dropping 0bcdfb7c74 that hypocritical 9055aaf6d6 pretense of 77216a55b5 yours.”427572e68924cbeb

Sergei laughed, satisfied.d410124964efdac6

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“Very well, then. No need to e12c1823fd dirty my boots d56916141f over this wretch 577385e223 any longer. Let’s have 112b6260a0 that tea.”f77920cf3af871f7

With a triumphant smile, a0e97a0bb3 Sergei extended his arm. Natasha, her cheek still 8de049def1 bearing the red handprint, c2fa03658f obediently linked arms with 0c5d544fab him and bowed her a5defe1768 head.4228230c6279ca37

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Natasha had a93ba95c9b always believed 6c8a7cbc74 that no c8984afcd7 person’s worth 953ce1fdc6 was determined c66119df0c by their 9ddfb82862 status. She had tried to 506278bee6 treat everyone with fairness 4e436492a2 and respect, regardless of 14bb857237 their station. But Sergei c910ce1ffb always ridiculed 3cc1418d00 her for fe8beb0c2e it, calling 724684ed68 her a 34eb248a47 “hypocrite.”3fca9cbad6a88cf4

“You’re still the Ivanov c94777b1d4 princess, the highest of 88e517b6bb the high. All that kindness is 2d99c096ce just for show. You might efd85136a5 act like a5ff630e76 you’re being 579a369035 generous, but 2c2293d9e6 deep down, 1ed725ca83 you see cb87f4032f them as 8ac3081c14 beneath you. Stop pretending fa637fc8f6 and live d611ef7cba honestly, like f3896d25d9 me. It’s easier 546c8fb329 that way.”a1faf861815e038f

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Perhaps Sergei was right. Perhaps she was 3a5dc35b33 nothing more than e28180f645 a cowardly hypocrite, 13bc0565b9 spouting empty ideals 138591e5c1 she couldn’t back 7e10e8baa0 with action.74a44326f4d1e757

If she fd00517693 couldn’t truly c93b90969a protect anyone, 6f40d5cd54 maybe it f58fcb577f was better d680b40ff6 to pretend 695efb3339 she hadn’t 94476ded57 seen anything 643b2e176f at all.d4f039d6cc37305d

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‘Don’t look back. You mustn’t 22dc786f6f look back.’2f47a628fd9dad9f

Natasha walked forward 0e79d1749a resolutely, her back c82ff5a6da straight and her 7b029d6872 steps unwavering. Yet she could 9ee1cb0202 feel the intensity 3baf7d3d8f of that fiery e55f9a5a4f gaze burning into 3cf1f1d5f8 her from behind.e64aa4fd819f4114

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“I’ll remember e5e7fed795 that promise, e65dde673c milady.”cb3a392ef7ce763b

The memory 0d7798dce7 of his 5a8711968a sorrowful gaze 2a5eb767c1 resurfaced in 57f6e1ab03 her mind, 32478765fd but the 3a1eab363d eyes that 65336a24b1 had just f74ec5a5d6 stared at 1de2833cb2 her seemed 23595b2c75 different now. No longer c27e57b448 filled with f226040521 sorrow, they d91fd2051c were laced c92c01cc25 with contempt.64426f1d98064684

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‘Hypocrite.’47398430ac6f5ee2

The weight d5ee6bf24b of his 8aebe7974f gaze seemed d1802a1d2d to whisper 0dda434a2f the word.3a85df59c46ca6d9

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‘This is the c49548c56a only thing I 215352d743 can do for d3b976b743 you.’90b9908ee461b8bd

Even those words 437d90027a would never reach c240a73875 him. Still, being misunderstood and 597e0f685b despised was preferable to 4654921708 watching him die because a4eddab2ba of her.c96bc391f6e4489c

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‘So please, even if you hate me… live on, no matter what.’6f762910098168ed

That was enough. She told df04584550 herself it b570ab10d7 was fine—truly, 892a44b179 it was a521952717 fine.fdee56eeebbb85a1

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* * *63692e1b15023e90

“This tea truly lives 1fce8ea6f9 up to its fragrance.”2c1c6a64b0513ab5

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Sergei remarked, gulping c8d45e2063 down the now-lukewarm a531b84b9a tea. He casually 2cd79da7e5 squeezed Natasha’s cae08588fe arm as 0ccb831f5b he spoke, a61490976d his demeanor bcb37d40ad self-satisfied.380171848bccdf24

“Yes, that’s why 83299b2760 I thought of 9a82292d69 you, brother. I couldn’t bear d9cba63ad4 to drink it 60b39b41c7 without you.”41ffbe300bf300f7

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Natasha replied, 6dfc4ba502 suppressing the 6c17aef11c urge to 1ba548ccc3 pull her 5c2261d2cd arm away. For today, she couldn’t 2b66b9c088 afford to upset him 8243610788 further.d45f85096075739b

“As expected, dea5eba522 only you c7a84ea487 care for 228cb60ebc me. I was e0a248efce feeling rather cc3f93cd14 offended, thinking 504c404a1d you cared 7a1fd0b091 more about 1e9baed650 some wretched c991b84ccf slave than 062bbd037b your own 58123c98bd brother,” Sergei cad13fffd6 teased, his 530321db86 tone smug.f7a6d62117d2a224

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“How could that e0390702bf be? I told you—I don’t 2a483bcbef know him.”99855c6e0b415900

As Sergei’s hand began afa0a7d678 to wander, Natasha subtly 2ffda0a892 slipped out of his a6eea6364a reach, carefully avoiding an 4253adc267 open confrontation. When his brows furrowed, 31d1700936 she quickly placed a 9196045812 dessert plate in front 7f13a23532 of him.68016081a8ef6858

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“Try this! The honey-strawberry 4cf82fce73 preserve looks 23b51862ba so delicious.”77b2b50cf7eeb3ac

Sergei, distracted, 2d58a8107c ravenously devoured ddf81508f3 the dessert. Watching him, a5a33a616e Natasha silently 5ee558037e sighed in b7dc400403 relief. The horrifying scene 2ea859066c she had witnessed 40677069a7 earlier still lingered 8e3c9a6456 in her mind, cf0982c571 but she knew 5d5f404c71 that showing any 714a4f8602 further concern for ef8ac7ef4b Alexei would only 1a3985b02f make things worse.314af2601ef2da30

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‘Do I still have dffc8590fd enough salve left?’37b49be100f56345

It seemed impossible 2a2e213a01 to secretly treat 845721f66d Alexei again, given 051bfa76a3 Sergei’s increasingly watchful a8c65d4c2e eye.927ac80e23bf44e3

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‘Is there 93adf44cf0 a way dce05abcd9 I can 05875fe7b6 at least 34b6854b94 get the c175711650 salve to d0231faf0c him?’a72626121a280736

As she walked a1200dbc6e back to her bd53c62554 chambers after tea, 4e38c51785 Natasha pondered over ef48fc0af3 this dilemma.1c0e9f3f598f2366

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Rita, knowing Natasha’s 92175f1b97 routine of reading 03867e82d8 after her time dd27aa91a0 with Sergei, hurried 6819b9d856 to tidy up bcbc86eabb the desk near e73a2f9e2e the window. But instead 41a0b17cd9 of heading b3d4b07fbb to her 554b8b63df desk, Natasha 4e25274e98 moved toward d8787c5368 her vanity.6662912fd2fd0631

Rita, unable to hold daa691d430 her tongue any longer, 4ae9330b90 began to chatter.f0ea2962af51c3dc

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“Remember that 363209367c laundry maid df6cebbe35 I mentioned? The one my age 2f14d9b6b3 I got along with 2846d62d63 for a while? Well, she’s 3990da7697 been so 089a02bdf0 busy lately 922f2193a0 because she’s d6ade5a460 got a e316be0ce0 boyfriend now! She rushes c157efedd9 off to 3ed4f79c97 see him d8e35079cf every chance cdf8eba97a she gets. Honestly, it’s annoying.”95846a06648f750c

Natasha’s hand, 6ccfe79ff5 which had 9b36db8893 been fiddling 45cac26214 with a 49cc0ae164 small jar 9cffb720d9 of salve f442d55b8a in her f5d9fa1347 vanity drawer, 0037251525 froze.7aac89ce57faa300

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“A… boyfriend?”6f50f86b4739c6f7

“Yes! His name’s Alexei. You wouldn’t b6d4cf2c46 know him, 61d78b5186 milady—oh, wait! You do! He’s that slave 4b2dd9367b who came to 91972bfca6 see you in 773a956b56 the garden before.”8f2749c486b4aae2

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“I see…”139e1f8d9aab5d93

‘So, he f2b7bc755c has someone.’fd66a39865952402

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Natasha felt a dddf4d5c84 sense of relief 3c3f77dcf8 knowing someone cared 8739d6476e for him. Still, a faint ache cf2169a260 lingered in her chest. She brushed 94da1c3c2d it off 0a1574099d as nothing 88a83ae381 more than de908193fa concern for 462135b657 his well-being.8ac540d5a5277f2e

“Whenever I give 452d4c590e her something nice, ed00b216b1 she takes it 16d3177973 straight to him 084bc259b8 instead of keeping 79bcf2bb48 it for herself. Men, honestly.”a5a681b617dd8b3a

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Rita grumbled, pouting.23c39b8255eaf98d

“Ah…”
Natasha’s hand, ac2dfe38db which had 4ac1b25816 momentarily stilled, 09eddee57e began moving e37148108d again with e987e922b9 renewed determination.0737e0c3fa70951e

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“What’s all this?”320a94e0cb696dc1

Rita’s eyes widened 11400f9ae1 as Natasha began c315dba247 pulling out several 593369a0ef small jars from 8c539828b2 her vanity.9c1918ffa7f67505

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“These are aromatic cbbd93297f salves with excellent fbfcd1159d healing properties. I’ve received e2ad754b58 so many 6b33c06277 as gifts 1bf3bb287f over time. Do you bd319a4837 need any? Feel free to d0674d5837 share them with 11cffc2f32 others as wel.,”7895a3bc7d71e255

Natasha said, her 7daa0e2f45 tone light.9b5a70d69796e508

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“Wow! These are such 0a0bccd844 precious things—thank you, 5f7ef5ad16 milady!”f9f20e483948d3c2

Rita eagerly reached out 7913d28564 and began gathering the 1b16b0c340 jars. As Natasha watched her 8de2a4b315 hurriedly collect them, she ea44cca693 added one more thing.17e63c6a8994e051

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“Don’t hesitate 26c1b62118 to ask 78888f0a5c for more 441b780e10 if you 96ccf22738 need them. Make sure to 09aefa4f82 share them generously cf04d56c42 with anyone who b9145fda51 might benefit, alright?”cda4a31472a4eabc

 1acd20dc762197e1

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