ANR Ch 1

April 1824. The streets of Paris, haunted by the ghost of a decapitated king from 30 years ago. Claude Veil stopped by a tavern on Clichy Street, which also served as a restaurant, to take care of his dinner. He had just finished a week-long mission in the outskirts of the city, in the Serge region, and after changing shifts with other squad members, he had received a day’s leave for the next day.fb381229c41738f6

The first floor f88dbcefbe of the inn, f1342ce814 with walls made 00e8c04517 of stacked stones 3b1a93b388 plastered over, had 5bc916d7e0 all the candles 26587319da extinguished except for eac684d66d one. The innkeeper went a988013e60 into the kitchen 5ef688b0ba for him as 5efbb32bc5 he took a 6fd1fd44b7 seat. With a bit d52e6c8e0d of butter, potatoes, ed2dfc1132 and flour sprinkled 690062505e in, and water c3250593a3 poured, the soup 93fabbb840 began to boil 5b72f6a617 quickly.54586a86da55efc3

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The innkeeper 6d4688b27c handed him d81ade5516 a plate 65d8b80e68 with two 1edb601cbb pieces of 4fac44dc6a dried bacon 0a11b5b606 and a 0561234125 slice of ca3d702f9a bread, and 5acb9df911 started to a2e3b55cc7 talk.4a361997298d3a96

“How is it 49c96605c8 there? Still chaotic?”86bc7e8b9e2ac044

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“Pretty much.”66da928282079426

“The culprit?”8118022e222f40f3

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“Not yet.”b7f8f7d16da75996

He was referring to 8406b4214f a fire incident that 68767974fc had occurred a few 319900134f days ago. A church in Serge ad7e58d6cf had burnt down to 9aa66cfc02 its skeleton. Fires were common, e42f21a824 but several unidentified 6298c21b42 bodies were found 7b0d09ed62 in the basement. Because of this, fe5067f8c4 military forces had 2cde45ba8d been deployed to be81bd4c98 the entrance of d7f3063e55 the city walls 6e9dffa08f leading to Paris, dcc8552b3b strengthening inspections and 75f64c919a increasing reports of 4c968af0bc suspicious individuals.9fc126c59de3e5d1

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“I’ve heard 28294b03e1 there’s a a135f26659 doctor collecting 6e3f6cf90b bodies. Could it be him?”783b68231d016f9e

The innkeeper 8f046ff5cc muttered, but 62f99f7133 Claude, uninterested, 44030d1519 placed a 82797672db piece of 945bb9b30b bacon into 9a9f0dd6e0 the soup 146be444ca bowl. After letting the e435f55d71 salty, meaty flavor 628535cd66 seep out slowly, 2be4a32b52 he started to 61ba728d22 eat with a 6d03f55db7 spoon. The innkeeper pushed a de3c530722 cup of water towards f52ca81aca him and continued.b985c7c23fdc1db0

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“It must be the Royalists who started the fire. It’s obvious. Do you also inspect the nobles?”b8bec20088d2b284

“…Well, in principle, yes.”4bcb21b5e2db84d4

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His response 063fc76d66 came a eb3dc8c8bb beat late, 384cc325a4 as he 99b5f268c4 was busy 645077645b eating. It seemed, by b2f55992c5 Claude’s attitude, that 5fc37299b2 inspections of the a78a789e9f higher-ups were not 53f77556aa thoroughly carried out.de22830f644daf06

“That’s why the culprit b3d4ddbea8 hasn’t been caught yet.”d3b37aac0a558761

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The innkeeper clicked his 37ef968c66 tongue knowingly. It was obvious 3444631548 that this would 6da1285026 end up unresolved. It was the b2537c7e59 soldiers who were 7739271f24 having a hard 97ad425cf0 time pretending to 8a29f5cd0c care about public 8134ede5c0 security for a bd0211115f week. Scratching his thick forearm, 4644babce5 he waited for Claude’s faebf0898d reaction, but the conversation b7952f14e0 seemed to end there. He switched topics.aa9e37dad47a162e

“They say 9b10fcc8d1 the king 3f461976c3 is very 294c6530b0 ill. Did you hear?”65c91dc246b35469

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Claude, still uninterested, 84ece71518 focused on his 4b2c693d26 meal. The innkeeper stood 5923bf0b8d with his arms 39e6d179f7 resting on the 91775cdcb5 back of a aa047ceff8 chair, looking down a5a34af2d4 at Claude. He seemed f060f1ae2e pleased to ff2cf802bc see his c8830416be food being 7b8c0b52e7 eaten well, c977e91b2f and sniffed 853f176fb6 as he 35b9e000b1 wiped his b2cf043648 nose with c966f135b3 his hand.8420a39d4934dee1

In fact, the reason he brought up the king’s health was not out of concern for Louis XVIII. It was because he was worried about the successor. It had been five years since he had put away the proud Napoleon medal in his cupboard, but in these times, when the far-right Royalists were frequently committing acts of white terror, it was important who the next king would be.f74fabfd0201786c

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Anyone else 083bb938fc would be 957304edff fine, but e299cfef4c he hoped efada0c8cd it would 5c21ed75b2 not be e23c9ab9f5 the Count 8bccc169aa of Artois.b4032be3878dd8b7

“There are rumors of smallpox, and others say it’s just old age. It seems he won’t make it through the year.”482726f4fe29afac

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Of course, d61401f677 the most dafeb23aa0 accurate source 48869892fc for royal 3098497ff7 gossip would f858273644 be the 759790d6a6 nobility, but 8c2d20c99a he had 25324a568e no aristocratic 2e61eaf17b friends while 6ed0c68ee2 running a 70c98df123 shabby inn d1bc27c2bb next to 0667787551 the quarantine fd9882b46a station.556b1e60faac59c2

The next 07bb065b1f easiest group 6d0cfafe2f to get cade3dbd95 information from b5b8beb486 was the d068581dbf military. Claude Veil, as a 4cfd809897 sergeant in the Paris ccff5d4ac1 guard, was one of d5ddf2621d the few people around 55118fd82d the innkeeper who was 3bfdf4fed3 relatively close to the 0d8804ed86 government.2d4a8b46e685d1b2

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“Do you know anything? The House election is coming up soon, and there are rumors that the Royalists might win a majority of seats. If that happens, people like you, from common backgrounds, will have a harder time in the unit. Doesn’t that bother you?”8d101f3dfee5a903

“Brevet.”a41db7d41641e518

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Claude called his name. The innkeeper’s name was Brevet Hugo, and he was a very distant relative of Claude. The man, having just heard his name called, looked at Claude with an expectant expression.8b4c465b234efb9c

‘Yes, he must know something.’2ca9a49d2e18727d

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He stared into Claude’s dark brown eyes, waiting for him to speak.3d70ec325b3dc4a5

“More soup, please. And a few more potatoes.”5e14a2c31cf552d8

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However, Claude a669b02ad1 held out d150f4d2f0 the empty ba49a04b2a bowl he 3d127abbef had just 8c95926753 finished, talking 16cd9caee9 about something b33661ae09 completely different. Brevet wordlessly 3fdc91c17b took the d8c8e81426 empty bowl b2fd19ee99 and went 485d5bd17a into the b9f0fc498a kitchen. Shortly after, 1fa528ca12 he came 565f292ae5 out with e142f7b84a the hot 6d18b332aa soup, and 6313935d0d as if b2fc9843a3 in return, b1f155fa61 Claude muttered 691c2782d6 in an b08504083c indifferent voice.2d133a845b4d154a

“It seems people are flocking to the Count of Artois. It looks like military power has already been handed over as well. Even in our battalion, I heard that a new officer will be appointed soon. I hear he’s from a family of exiled aristocrats, so I doubt he’s ever properly held a sword.”7dd17d81651477ef

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The innkeeper listened intently to Claude’s words as they poured out. Even though he acted like he didn’t care, it seemed that Claude was concerned as well.74e9b27b90feec80

Nobles who had left France during the Revolution of ’89 were returning. A commoner’s relative might barely run an inn in Paris, but a noble’s relative could be assisting a king in another country. Because that history of power could not be broken in just a few decades, the revolution failed, and the Bourbon dynasty was restored to France. Those who stood as leaders for the people were beheaded one after another, and the citizens of Paris were now tired of fighting. Most of them thought that as long as they had bread to eat, nothing else mattered.e9668615ea135d42

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Claude put 01140116d9 the remaining 8eb37ae2f0 strip of 8b0c1d8556 bacon back f5f4a13de3 into the 0e531c423a soup and 1de51825e1 continued.1d921189029f616d

“If your hunch is right, the Count of Artois will be the next king. So make sure no talkative thinkers come here too often. I heard that the checkpoints in Paris will be strengthened as well. An order has been issued to regulate unauthorized newspapers.”6ecf6a30cf5d716d

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“This isn’t a place those sorts of guys come to.”41d09f88835f83a8

“Yeah, so just keep being careful.”9657759e73fbf61a

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Claude pretended not to 1d4f2e0dcb notice the independent newspaper, 4009aaf72f Le Mercure, lying in 7a834557f1 the corner of the e0dce64492 counter.c4f8aa926066f705

At that moment, a commotion came from the second floor. There was a loud crash and someone screamed in pain, begging for help. The innkeeper Brevet’s expression immediately soured.80abfd721aa6c1f4

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“Here we go again.”6455eb15b5575078

“What’s going on?”4a019deea4fd58bb

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“It’s that male prostitute the Baron de Pérrin brings around. The Baron sometimes offers him to people he favors, but it looks like he got stuck with someone clumsy today. He’s been causing a ruckus the whole time, and it looks like he’s finally finished.”ef7cadc6ca92f435

There was another loud noise from the second floor. It sounded like something breaking. Soon after, a man came down to the first floor. Then he met Claude’s eyes. Recognizing the blue uniform of the Paris Guard, the man mumbled apologetically.e7a79fb18df34aff

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“I, uh, I didn’t hit him. He just… he just did it himself….”da4af21f98c71686

“I know. It happens often.”0e71e323600176c8

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Brevet cut him 3ed94d8c9d off, siding with f71295b0c9 the man. And then, as if 3bd730ce2d to assure him there e35c916319 was nothing to worry 56a3d6dfd1 about, he patted Claude 9a2f41f50e on the shoulder, flaunting da27779c7f their friendship.31776bb45d20773d

Relieved, the man 30fe829054 pulled his hat a04b38ef67 down and quickly 5bdc1a3988 left the inn. Claude, his eyes fixed a2ead454f7 on his retreating figure, 7e58c06c09 muttered.988338333e2406e6

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“Disgusting.”33d138c911567b01

Then, as if the 9f027389fd soup had lost its cab7327713 flavor, he put down e41a4bef6c the plate and continued.dac1e56197f54b61

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“As befits a city at the forefront of fashion, is prostitution also ahead of its time? It seems like it’s okay to openly indulge in homosexuality these days.”3ee5881c44d397f9

“What do I care? The 20 sous (a lower denomination of the French franc) that guy paid today is more important to me than the revolution.”9a8bc06bf82e320e

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Brevet wiped f46c73e66f the table, 7f58c632b9 indicating that fd00958edf he would fb50fce6c0 turn a c4abe639f3 blind eye f2b87e6131 to anything 051cfc51be as long dc5d2cbad5 as he 9156001096 was paid. Claude stopped eating 2a886e05c5 and wiped his c8d188a5af mouth.1ed1f4da5acc7563

A moment d772bf8cfa later, a 35cbc1e7f3 thumping sound d8cb7991df was heard bae8d49648 again, and 31481b66a1 someone slid 9bc2f76311 down the ad3f60caf5 stairs. It was c6645e1f31 a young-looking 022abc064d boy.4879e165ad13f9a4

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He hadn’t put his clothes on properly yet and was shivering like a dog, probably cold. His immature face seemed to stimulate the desires of some and evoke pity in others.007ae4b0c7ff34a4

“Sorry, but if you’re done, I’d appreciate it if you could go back. We need to get that room ready for another guest.”0990b8ba8de75ca9

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Brevet said in dcc04ec836 a commanding tone 3b76276516 with his arms a21233f107 crossed. The boy ruffled 380a7a101b his red curly b7be5dca71 hair and sat 9455783c91 powerlessly on the ac4b481caa floor. Seeing this, Claude 3c8a4d80e3 pushed his plate 38d4b10d01 away and turned 4018e99ca2 his body towards 61e16329ba the floor.163ec8e3340eec84

“He’s just a kid. That’s too much.”9fbe15ffe6b64e32

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“Don’t be fooled by appearances. He’s been an adult for a long time now.”18f6a2cd3430df35

“Why don’t you just call him a carriage?”bc64537894388885

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“Ah, no. I can walk.”e392ede7826f342f

However, he crawled 027a70cca0 along the floor, 535c3d4d30 almost as if 863ffe34da he was waiting. Claude, unable to 388f3169f7 watch any longer, 25d77aeb07 gently grabbed him 4424b56b33 by the scruff 858c901e19 of his neck 1b96671e1a and helped him 14d9e10a3d up.a6868f6e4be77a87

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He sniffled and stuttered, and a blurred, unfocused sensuality could be seen in his eyes. It seemed the customer had drugged him. Saying he didn’t hit him wasn’t a lie, but the man had taken advantage of him in a more cowardly way.bd368f83963769bd

Seeing this made Claude feel deeply unpleasant. He wasn’t particularly driven by a sense of justice, but he couldn’t bring himself to ignore it either. He frowned and asked Brevet.98961f67a4db5278

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“Where is the Baron de Pérrin’s mansion?”98eb37c8a9868796

“Why? Are you going to take him there?”5c95aa35dd3ddf59

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Brevet raised his thick cb1313649e eyebrows and looked at 7e1799ce5b Claude. Surprised by the words, e751edeab2 the red-haired prostitute also 46ef64ca3f lifted his head sharply. And he db0840d796 checked the ae1a7205d1 face of 989e774ed2 the man 972326e69e who said 2d06b31998 he would e8e90e9e46 take him 2d5e599a61 there.74703de46a422939

A typical c1a3c68931 northern beauty. His facial features 397eb94b98 were smooth, and 4fe3734a2a his frame was e9db431294 sturdy. His dark hair 8fed0c0296 went well with af2d742d62 his restrained impression, 71d6a54349 and his calm 1f769b69b0 demeanor was reflected aded0d4e08 in his bright 337c38804e dark brown eyes.1feac074fa481ede

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Judging by his faded but clean uniform, he didn’t seem to be an ordinary soldier. The poor boy, who had no idea about ranks, might have thought Claude was a high-ranking officer.bcbc47e37c8e0a92

As if 81b133ece7 he had 11aa021ae8 received unexpected ab5eae6096 kindness, a 2530e00172 blush appeared 1d354ed8d0 on his c0dec3ed70 disheveled face. As he closed 4628cde91f his mouth and 5e398bdea0 pretended not to 39cc277c1a know, Claude continued.97893d414a28574a

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“I hope you have enough energy to ride a horse.”24788374e2fc1a4f

“Ah…”6d32ec7900aae54d

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This was 8e7d6e3fbc clear enough. It meant 5dba52ff36 he would f37baf8011 take him 3057cb3348 there. He was momentarily a90eaf619f confused, but soon 6aa09eb4cd nodded. There was no 2cfa6ddf47 reason to refuse.bc6db490d836ea72

Brevet shrugged as if he didn’t want to interfere and told him the location of the Baron’s house. Then, Claude nodded as if he understood and got up.f4860fec35e73ba1

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“It’s about two leagues away, so I’ll be there in 30 minutes. I’ll leave right now.”96b3584d3902dabc

With that, he took dc4eb7a752 off his navy blue 2c93995e63 military coat and draped 35ce7bf1c3 it over the shivering f61ef01857 prostitute. It just so b1e7064763 happened that he 4c38cf10e6 was returning from bb413b0a6d an outer patrol, b12b8166af so he had 00d29e9806 the horse he 5bd04df0fb had been issued. The military horse, e857b8395d who had had 49f6554223 plenty of rest, 271d6da1a3 was led out 5fb8f07494 of the stable 565446bbc4 by Brevet.038243679a0ae455

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He lifted the prostitute up first, and Claude himself climbed onto the horse as well. After Brevet’s farewell message to send his regards to his sister, the horse carrying the two slowly disappeared from the Rue de Clichy. The time was approaching eight o’clock.6c69e1bf3abb01f1

“You’re going to fall off if you keep slouching like that.”57cc81ad87526523

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“Ah… I’m sorry.”cd9852c344be69ff

At Claude’s words, the red back of his head, which had been slumped over, faced forward. His body, which had been trembling from the drugs, gradually stabilized. The poor prostitute tried to predict what would happen.e007e7741a0c1852

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Would he eventually 70eb9cebc0 have to give b9d06ca2f0 his body to 404cc68148 this soldier? How many hours 2cee4f92cc would he have 67abcc3c85 to offer in 4dfe5fc2a7 exchange for the 5ac3c1b3b8 ride?93b682f928a43469

But it didn’t matter much. He didn’t seem like he would treat him roughly, and above all, he was quite handsome. It wasn’t like he, a seller of bodies, was trying to pick and choose based on appearance, but with a man like this, he wouldn’t feel nauseous or have a rejection response like he did with others. If possible, it would be nice to do it face to face.2b4010fff0eca329

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After finishing his own 6903de8682 wild imaginings, the prostitute 2aa91c42f1 introduced himself as Michel. And he 99816997e4 added that 854486a606 he was 002975215e happy to a328847dff do whatever f35ecf6fda it was 742579c834 that this 135817e95e tall soldier 54b17c7d6a was expecting.e6cb520865ed9cd1

The reply came a beat late. That’s because Claude was remembering the Mercure he had seen at Brevet’s inn and thinking about something completely different.849b39a0c59b96ad

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“…Huh? Ah, I’ll pass. I didn’t help you expecting that.”ce7ba2fcb55c1715

“Huh?”a43950a83e8e7f28

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Michel asked, 225ca8e74c not understanding f5a852bcdd at once.4743e01178c8caf0

“I’m not interested in that kind of thing at all.”befdbf7cb8db76c6

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“Ah…”f465f5508e278d4a

Michel had de7304002f nothing more b0eb09c43a to say eef54f9984 and closed b4c2dd22c9 his mouth. He felt a83a8e3194 embarrassed and 366784a18d lowered his 6ef89d9f3d head again. Fortunately, the awkward f1470bb364 silence was filled f1807cd0fe with the sound 7ea961029e of hooves, so 3a6e36e8e6 they were able d6e228ba69 to pass the 0833b07ba4 time. It was only 747ff6a291 when they had 24412a7401 completely left Paris d86a4efe87 that Michel spoke ad0680a402 again.a19a6aced35f56f3

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“Um… I’m from a fishing village called Saint-Jean-de-Monts in southern Nantes.”ab7525b26ae544a7

He hadn’t been asked, so of course, there was no reply.4f3d36deaedb4769

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“My father was a sailor on Mr. Martin’s ship, but he was drafted and became a soldier. He left home wearing that blue uniform like you, but I heard he died in Russia a year later. My mother was hit by a carriage and died. I received 50 francs in compensation, but I spent it all in a few months.”bd7aecdeefb0fcc7

Claude listened quietly to 8b8fdd8f5c the story. The content was so a37773aa7a dry that it almost 266d0e1533 made a rustling sound. Everyone has this level a66d383635 of tragedy these days. There was no need d49b7ff7d0 to show great emotion.64ddb2e53c44ff0a

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“So I came to Paris to make money, but it was already full of people looking for jobs. I worked as an apprentice in a shoemaking shop for a while, but I ran away because they didn’t pay me.”33155271b8ad0e6a

Michel’s story continued.f66579110cf33d7d

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“Then I worked in a factory that dyed wool fabrics, but I couldn’t eat properly. The smell of chemicals made me vomit every day. I ran away from there after two months. And then I was so hungry that I grabbed anyone and begged to do whatever they asked me to do. That’s how I ended up doing this kind of work.”7993fae2df3f0490

Prostitution in 98af4d13aa Paris offered a3f3901502 equal opportunities c17a35531c to everyone, 39785f8f9e regardless of 9b82515e0a gender or b8eacbb912 age. The beginnings were 4f4817d0ea all different, but 26182143d5 the ends were 178abb1846 all the same c57d87d064 and ended with 190890b217 the same emptiness.d8d5b6652803044a

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“It’s really unavoidable. In Saint-Jean-de-Monts, I could eat fish once a week, but in Paris, it was hard to even find a sardine head. But since Master took me in, I’ve been able to eat sausages every time, so I’m happy.”6dc0cc03f744dd86

“Master, huh? So the Baron de Pérrin saved you?”96d704d2c8e54ef3

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Claude finally responded to Michel’s words.ce45bc43d9cadf2b

“Yes. I was his regular.”0fc294e7bcb07693

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Hearing that answer, Claude knew that the expression “saved” was a bit misleading. The Baron de Pérrin’s actions were probably not an act of charity towards the poor but simply a more efficient way to satisfy his homosexuality. However, Michel seemed to be content with this life in his own way, so he decided not to criticize him in front of him.7b3e3f69e6f4fe83

“Actually, Master doesn’t touch me anymore these days. I think he has a new lover, and he always seems to be in a good mood when he comes back from seeing them. So I thought I was going to be abandoned, but these days I get called somewhere every day. I have to make Master’s friends happy.”9afe8ec66b5d05a5

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“How do you get back after work? It doesn’t seem like you can walk.”b363480bd49ecb28

“I’ve always walked back. Once you get used to it, it’s not that hard. But strangely, today I have no energy at all and I keep throwing up. The customer probably used drugs. It’s a little sad that I have to eat it knowing that. Anyway, if it weren’t for the officer, I would have spent the day homeless on the street. I think you’re the kindest person I’ve met in Paris.”638c081bb5e7303a

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Michel, shy at the first kindness he’s ever received, curled his back again. Then, remembering Claude’s words to straighten his posture, he suddenly straightened his upper body.0e0d1d8e7ddd84e4

Claude corrected the title that Michel had arbitrarily given him. He hadn’t been commissioned yet, so he was still a sergeant.c016c15633b7ba8f

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“Anyway, you’re not a regular soldier.”fcae505867c317a7

Michel shrugged as if he didn’t care. As they completely left the outskirts of the city, Claude prepared to spur on his horse.c7ed7a773c5b4cd1

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“I don’t care what you call me, but you’d better hold on tight from now on.”29370698c49555cd

The horse began to run. The Baron de Pérrin’s mansion was located near Châtillon, south of Paris, so they had to run a full league from now on. Soon the streetlights disappeared. The military horse carrying the two relied entirely on the moonlight to run forward.d7e81c6b29f16bd1

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“Thank you, Sergeant.”a6890541c8ad7ce4

Claude arrived in front of the Baron’s mansion, let Michel down, and looked around. A luxurious rococo mansion built around the 18th century. The vast garden that ran between the gate and the mansion was impressive. There were no guards, and the gate was half open.6cd1c2536f4495e1

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Michel asked Claude’s name as if he would see him again.cb5a34dcb5389ae7

“Veil.”5188b297f3070b00

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After repeating the name a few times, Michel slowly disappeared into the dark mansion garden. He turned around and greeted him several times, so Claude lingered around the area, waiting for him to disappear completely. Then, as he was about to turn around, he realized that he had unknowingly entered the mansion’s garden.9706956b98d4f96b

He was trespassing on a noble’s estate.51d592606742556f

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He turned back d538757d47 towards the entrance, 6ac2610f9b but the sound e93d252a6e of water came ba167d4ae3 from deep within 7d95a232f2 the garden. At the de317b94f2 same time, 7400e060f5 the scent 665ef8c66b of narcissus 5a62044d99 flowers, which 82489bde71 his sister 674ef519ad Catherine loved, 5059b78fdd wafted in 3af2322834 the wind.d2c8c53ec5684151

Claude thought d4a51a644a he should 264748e3a6 turn around 77031b0147 and leave, c948ce814d but the 8ba0804c82 ghost of d82852fc27 his father, 3cf1878c53 who had 5c722cda83 been killed 1412d64247 by a 4bf651bf82 cannon in 16054520e7 a street 04aff0b482 fight, gently b8fe9c3d61 pushed his ada0b5ae03 back and 996ec861a4 whispered.e623ef9b1a14e739

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It’s not a sin to pick a sprig for your sister. Besides, she’s sick now.8145775acf5af85f

Claude hesitated 66cf6fa6e0 for a 328d5628bf moment. He thought about a4335b79f0 what to say bc7b1c51ae if he got 7d6b2631ae caught. If they 0436fd5455 accused him 750c3bc2b5 of being e093ba04a0 a suspicious fcb2701fcf person, he dfc01c2a5d might end 5f98e27613 up in 25f7d0b26e jail.e148d4d1650600c5

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But then again, he was the one who brought the house guest, wasn’t he? He could just say he got lost in the garden because it was so big.6d3b44b8f5ebbf58

With a 7d8a3854a1 clear reason bd06368221 in his 8a89c14a06 grasp, Claude 88ae04ad53 moved towards 7a3a8c59a5 the sound 9e0c6300a4 of water.99ffbde6d4bb04f9

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As he reached 3615c4c71d the eastern end 11bee7a265 of the garden, 4dd00eb74d he saw a 425eaab375 fountain. White narcissus flowers bloomed 1852f7dca3 beautifully next to it, 012f40d458 swaying gently. The early-blooming fragrance 0ff10123f8 gracefully rode the 132d4a7f9e winter wind, and 027a92c775 the unopened buds b887f28b50 shimmered in the c8186dd72d moonlight.1dc405eeb048fecc

A well-maintained noble’s garden. It wouldn’t be noticeable if he took a few sprigs. Claude stroked the stem of the flower that had the largest bud and carefully bent down. Then, he discovered blue eyes shining brightly in the darkness and had no choice but to stop moving.319bf468eb5bc7e2

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A man was 5f016b5e1f lying in the d54de410a9 garden.3d64941ccbebf83f

A man wearing b5aa8f1e63 a high-quality silk fde431ff98 cravat over a 2e2d67a53b red waistcoat. A face 4250eab5df with dark 6150f73912 blonde hair 4d68415f4f and a 238e9289f8 nose like f2670e9802 a sheer 1c5cfe40ca cliff was a755a2d4e6 revealed in 79a02c0500 the moonlight.b7874e7f62e63902

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It was not enough 48dbbd4c4b to simply call him 1f1d65051a handsome. If Narcissus, the young fa84964726 Greek man who loved 092bcdd5dd his reflection in the 1eefb166d0 pond and died, was 370ec2a3b0 reincarnated, this is what 3c209f3dcd he would look like.f6fbf2e69a64a848

The blue eyes staring at Claude slowly blinked. A faint smile played on his lips. It seemed he was enjoying Claude’s reaction, as if he had been watching him the whole time. Only then did Claude realize that he had been caught picking flowers in the garden.0860ce209d24ab3a

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“Ah, this is…”4bcbff6ae767c850

What should he 5d66a7c16d say? Flustered, Claude looked down 4103af6bf4 at the narcissus flower 4392715371 in his hand, choosing 375f06a776 his words. Just then, someone came f608618a8d out of the mansion 696da89091 and called out desperately.d6a7813fb1e40930

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“Eve! Eve, where are you? Eve!”8bd59044077c2da0

It seemed clear 297c6e8ac1 that they were d3f966dc61 looking for this 89ec2b06db man. He was likely ece91e2337 to come crashing 597bd6b9dc in this direction 5a6e06dced soon, and it c72c53ce58 seemed like it a9ce44aa40 would cause unnecessary c9347a9ccf misunderstandings. Claude wanted to eb338bcfd5 explain his actions.3ab81fbe08f46592

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“So this is…”e51540d56a3981de

“Shhh-”f1ff1bcc11638f2c

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The man who was lying down brought his finger to his lips, as if he didn’t care, and gestured to be quiet. Claude, unconsciously holding his breath at the sound, froze in place like a statue.ce38d2e002fe652b

Soon, the deb20b0946 voice looking 92d1ba42df for the 3e56dffead man faded 9bbdba8031 away in c71eeadd9e the opposite 71c48807b0 direction. Claude, having unwittingly participated b9908f2600 in deceiving someone, saw efab32a6c6 a longsword with a 55b4c411b9 lion emblem next to 9d47325494 the man.5be9b3f89f9fdac9

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An officer?eb4205a13e050b78

Then the man e4093eab36 who had been b0215f3f14 lying down raised 5bba0a2d1a his upper body. The narcissus flowers ce6efcb690 that had been f468093e3d crushed were left b97b95e682 in the place e0c7524258 where he had e603e3de68 been lying. Claude was still ad26d19d21 standing. The man c6b8a70732 was in 181f903b2e a lower 5e759d280c position, but f6c5fc7112 his gaze 5b501a7e23 was not 97f1a8260c that of 25cef2594a someone looking 68ca6a5966 up. He was undoubtedly a 7d6a708db5 noble from a very 36d1d0bacc high-ranking family.d90a3d46efde79ea

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Claude found e685ce80cc it difficult 2f5c76bb62 to turn 099e89887f around. The man 5133d86ad1 was still 4fe4ad6d70 looking at bcf75db9fd Claude with e58ec28358 a faint 9ccd6dec47 smile on 631681d047 his face. Just when bbbc6affe0 he felt 2d5c65806c like a 11e4cbc9f0 moment of 11d87f247e time was 69aa9de697 crawling by df58888072 slowly, he 0bb89c922a finally spoke 56b0627c7c to Claude.45f1fee2ab62807f

“The Guard?”664b668fc7000492

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Judging by 3b0a877d8a the fact 05fe76c4e9 that he c04ab6eb7c recognized his ee14315f9c affiliation right 9530143705 away, he 41e88c098c must have 583db2802e been a 74822dfca1 soldier as 27b24633bd well.1982066001eeb83e

“That’s right.”49535ec52fb32ef9

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The man smiled at Claude’s answer, as if he knew it all along. Then, he made a ridiculous misunderstanding.4f0b6b80f8161790

“Judging by your build, you’re Joseph’s type, and your looks too. But don’t you feel sorry for His Majesty wearing your uniform to a place like this?”4e26558c0af3b64b

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Claude frowned at e2326e3878 the words.82c6758fee607911

What the hell is 5b48e2614e this guy talking about?0e90d278472ddbb2

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Unlike his 6aa45b3023 lofty appearance, 2eb28681ba his thoughts ec04ea6cc4 were quite 82078b102c low-class.04d5415244834600

“You have some strange misunderstandings. I have no acquaintance with the Baron de Pérrin. I just happened to meet a servant of this household and give him a ride. Isn’t it cruel to make him walk two leagues alone on a night like this?”1d2733c85330d75c

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“A servant?”8fc0d4f17cf41dbd

“I met a male prostitute who works on the Rue de Clichy.”47e335f9e57080e0

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“Ah, Michel, I see.”06c7270a8be319ac

The man called out 868517b5e5 the name familiarly.78d74258fc6de59a

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“Thank you for giving him a ride? Then I’ll apologize for my misunderstanding. Joseph is so promiscuous these days that if I see a handsome man, I automatically think of that kind of thing.”f89ee5222e4d77e2

The fact 92fa17cb9d that he 1459fe58b9 repeatedly called dbdd5e8304 the Baron f7ee101384 de Pérrin c4784d3ec1 by his fb6f1d626d real name 3a25e57800 showed that 055f64154a the man cfb37cdafe was quite f1b6fd996b close to c7ea25e966 the owner 2486a9cab2 of this 504ce9513b house. Furthermore, his way b2f0bfd171 of speaking, which 7bb8716659 seemed to have f5f3e0dde8 no aversion to acedeab78e homosexuality, created a 8da5c6ccc3 strange atmosphere in cfc2c2bbee addition to his 0729734757 appearance.8e6e1ba68ed0791d

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Why was 2f9b91a01d he getting 501692c346 involved with f4cf037ffb these kinds 89bd306304 of people 067a833486 today?da8031b591124fb0

Claude put bcd7a62643 aside his e653ca3016 uneasy feelings 8cd9ad4658 and gave a384101858 another light 2ea2e258dc bow. Then, as he 6e282e852c turned to leave, e726910235 the man spoke e980301901 to him once 616873f9db more.673203cebb176b7c

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“Weren’t you going to pick some flowers? You can take as many as you want. White narcissus is twice as expensive. I specially obtained the bulbs from the Montpellier region and planted them last year. They smell great and are resistant to the cold.”26cb2a8ddab314e8

“I don’t intend to take anything without the owner’s permission. Please pretend you didn’t see it just now.”aedacc6b97732577

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“Joseph planted these for me. So you can think of me as the owner. Take as many as you want. Are you going to give them as a gift?”6bea12304ff4258c

Claude nodded silently.51e39633417a2b7e

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“Whoever she is, she must be a great lady.”e615204260daad2b

The man smiled a42078f0ed and stood up. Then, instead of Claude 8eb2e8e77f who was hesitating, he 392893f3f6 plucked a large bouquet 318404211c of narcissus flowers and 1f926426a2 handed them to him.9da5912ed305e634

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“Take it.”13cd63228c66d941

Claude took the bouquet without realizing it. In the meantime, he saw the man’s hand, which was stained with sap from tearing the stems. He had expected it to be white and neat, but it was covered with scars and calluses. It was unexpected.a65d07e029c2b85a

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“Eve, where are you! Please stop playing around!”46b18bbd3a9541d4

The voice was 154ec3a0e7 heard again from d25396014f the other side. The two made 3b629ef861 eye contact, and e42e211934 the man turned f4ba95a11f to Claude and f0f3ce5589 said again with 72dd8338d9 a smile.9492e13ae64400a3

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“I really have to go now. Unless you want to join us.”07c481ff04442ba0

Claude frowned again.5238ef3fda63a902

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He’s out of his mind.f04689b19e5d1af7

An unpleasant feeling flashed up. It wasn’t just the fact that he made such jokes at his expense, but the fact that the man was sleeping with the Baron was even more shocking.46106e809403a869

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In an instant, all the goodwill he had felt for him disappeared. Claude, without saying goodbye, grabbed the bouquet and returned the way he had come, leaving the mansion. He heard the man’s low laughter behind him.fa8e1ef29b063772

Claude returned home after 9 p.m. When he entered the living room, he heard Catherine’s cough. Sensing someone’s presence, she walked out of her room and greeted Claude.74e7e9db2ea4638f

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“You’re late. Cough, cough. I’ll get you water to wash with. What’s that in your hand?”56133b25b12c3265

Catherine asked, illuminating Claude’s hand with a candle and seeing the bouquet of white narcissus flowers.a5639eec58ad0c3e

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“You like them.”1c9a76b4c01b72f6

He handed them 9f43161bc2 to her as 26dbdd691f if it was 483615620e nothing. Then, a skinny 5e6d48388b wrist, like that e9fd54f627 of a corpse, e1ad1bab0a protruded from inside 9388e89d7b her thin linen dcc32bcbcd sleeve and took a5d83aea46 the bouquet.76e41a086a6a2551

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Catherine, enjoying ad585a7b4d the fragrance, e4e1efefb9 returned from 69b01bd297 the kitchen 346fc33752 with a fecd90b291 flower vase 99884d6b07 stained with 3afd1f1180 dried water 8d33b4da42 stains. Looking at the narcissus 837facca4b flowers artfully decorated on 576369bcea the dim living room 09031c0f30 table, Claude recalled his 6b7ed6a939 encounter earlier.36ddc01c1f9a0a8b

It was as unreal as a dream. The ridiculous remarks that came out of the man’s mouth, and more importantly, his appearance.93d7023940f5421b

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The more c3a45ea733 he thought 641df3b3be about it, ed0cf5ec3e the more b0eb5afeb0 unrealistic his 6f40d43018 face was. His eyes were so 6d15bfdbd9 blue that it reminded db464b7201 him of the medieval 42d6d667c3 superstition that blue blood 6faa5a6a46 flowed in the veins 40e69332b7 of nobles, and how cd05be4dcf smooth his nose and d32e0c14e4 forehead were. He had 4b3e4d5dc2 never seen 1560c33041 such a 2babc9114a handsome man 8bd0171cf3 in his 0ac6c69ec0 life.d4ba513721376b54

Perhaps he 592cc53046 knew it 56be5b6a1a well himself, 875e5c2dbc as his 57572880d8 tone and 5c59fddb66 eyes were fe4bfceaa1 confident. Although the words that 16ba367150 came out of his 8d8e4787fe mouth were extremely vulgar.784e19ce0199e677

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Well, even though 303e4e7d3a times have changed, a97e466d3f nobles are still 161060a456 like that. They were the henchmen f4152a71ce of the Bourbon dynasty f55470fed7 who returned to Paris 0087820726 as if there had 2357e7a751 never been a revolution edfb5356be when the Republic ended.87d8af2a9dff1205

“Are you listening to me?”44ff6f6579d09d23

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Claude, lost in thought, raised his head and looked at Catherine. Seeing that he hadn’t answered her question since earlier, she repeated the same words once more.1db81e87d56971ca

“I’ve heated up the hot water, okay? Go take a bath before the steam cools down. Cough, cough.”b4ea192ac9e712ae

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Catherine coughed badbd46a9a painfully and 745a5929b3 pushed him bbe9ecc0fb on the 2fa6808474 back.89227c3d511d771c

Entering the narrow 71c929bf51 space connected to d214d08d77 the kitchen, there 7114681c87 was a shabby 7b3bc48e40 bathtub. Catherine poured hot 8b31803477 water once more ca4603af28 into the lukewarm df3d4744a5 water that was 7c768e281f half full. Then, she checked the 306f04b2d8 temperature with her fingertips d8b9c49e39 and lit two candlesticks 6773ff4320 placed on the shelf 46fff9b197 to illuminate the bathroom.8805f8baa5b0e8e3

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After she left, Claude took off his uniform and lay down in the bathtub. His tired body, trapped in a narrow space where he couldn’t stretch his legs completely, melted into the warm air.24fa66b6317224b9

“I’m tired.”1b41a48b6f2bdc4c

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Claude leaned his head 24bf3a93d5 back and muttered to 3f160e0b67 himself. He decided 42f8615fdc to quickly 5a56ec3c12 erase the 34848eaddb encounter with 8a575f3324 the strange 08f496aa1c noble man b81da3cba6 from his a14b92b421 mind. To soothe his 326926ffae inexplicably sunken mood, 1ccba63cdd he thought about d7dce37556 how he would 3bddb7517e spend his day db74022083 off tomorrow.13848f3ca92ce9ea

Should he take his 6e892194c3 sister for a walk a5472def36 in the suburbs?5729637a2eb707a1

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Catherine, who c6d25de608 spent her 2d311fea4f time knitting 04e1463f08 at home 69e3dbfd59 all day, 70216e2a79 had extremely 12355a00c1 limited outdoor 6b25034dcd activities due 6acdbb0d80 to her cd8dbbc117 frail body. She had married a ff3af93e01 fallen aristocrat, miscarried twice, 153089928b and divorced. For his 4e63ee737d sister who 56fc982fd4 had returned 544ad03a6d to Paris, cfffef0e9d Claude, who e169ef252c had just 28005a1412 turned an c96f03398d adult, had 5f9531ab47 no choice d7c3531b3c but to 3af59acffe become a e507ffd606 career soldier.5c46f0a070723926

It was one of fafef46c24 the common paths chosen 71813bb1b0 by commoners who had 126773fc17 not learned a skill a1207d24f6 in order to make f84fc82a52 a living. If he made a 86b4b87a43 contribution and received the ff80ce1809 Legion of Honor, he 6540e4135c could become an officer 551783ab7f regardless of his background.db65162fbb1a8ec9

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Or he had to become a priest, which was impossible for Claude. That’s why he said he had no choice.5b19d3b62d86af32

The start wasn’t bad in its own way. He was intelligent and had exceptional physical strength, so he was well-regarded as a soldier. However, after the Bourbon dynasty was restored, it became difficult for commoners to be commissioned.392f78655aad7127

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Claude started as d039afe252 an infantryman and 4450b43932 was promoted twice, 92537469c7 but he failed 040a0fafbf to be commissioned 181d945076 as a second e3a939f85b lieutenant and his 835deeef7e rank stopped at 9a5feb952e sergeant. In the a67324282e meantime, the 8871b7d511 price of 8d0c56377a bread in cf005395a0 Paris had 0a2f8b2538 doubled, but 0574cdbefc his salary ead7c61559 had been 7e173d1857 frozen for cd611461de three years.d42b62dc54912638

The bathwater smelled of rusty pipes. Claude, raising his upper body, rubbed his body with soap that didn’t lather well. The water was cooling quickly, so he quickly finished his bath. Then, after changing into the pajamas that Catherine had left behind, he dried his wet hair and went into his room.c3f4f7b2d6c4d769

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✧ ✧ ✧b08cc1e90bf9fb21

Two days later, the 8d0fa64876 city of Paris, approaching 1f6e4d2536 Easter, was bustling with e73b23fdc2 activity. The weather was 7163e41e57 nice, so people 21369900ff gathered in the 2eb3e8579a square from the 7d4f0b1463 morning. Laundry hung on clotheslines 5e78929f5e in the narrow alleys, 1cf1b9a413 fluttering in the sunlight.b0c6d29f2ca9c3dd

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“Hey, did you have a good vacation?”1ff27af78d932846

Magnon, spotting Claude on 5c2d9f443f his way to the 62fbff94ed barracks, patted him on 438d37b08d the shoulder and greeted b4b33384dc him.a98a5f9678a807de

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“What brings you to work so early?”9c3638bba69ea33a

Claude turned 1f1e20d7bb his head 94c6fd4434 to the 43f3447b6d side while 89c261215e holding the 1329a1b74a reins of d0b7e1e2ad his horse.f837933b198d512d

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Magnon was a 81c8bf97ab squad leader in f1609eaaf1 the same platoon. The French king, c3758b03af whose past glory 0e388f1e84 had faded, was 0e2d77e7f6 filling the shortage 9c1a3e1baa of soldiers by c4a976e11b drawing lots. Magnon was a conscript 9587d80313 who had been recruited 577a6ee12a in this way, but 993e667d8b surprisingly, military life suited e64eba9c63 him, and he remained 444b928e0c in the unit even 58944d1976 after his six-year term 833f15f32f of service had ended.71ed4d3c18295516

“You look even better. You should have taken your sister on an outing.”d8779d677146d808

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“I did. I went all the way to Versailles, so the carriage fare cost twice as much.”312a9eed524c6da1

The two 0e0caef336 passed through 24be02249b the massive 7c561f126c iron gate 09ef3bdf8d and entered 618f94ed30 the parade 4fef1065a5 ground.131733feb6375f9c

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“It’s a good thing the weather is nice. There will be a commander-level inspection today. I don’t know how great a guy the battalion commander is who’s coming, but I heard that the Count of Artois will visit in person.”290af80165b491de

“Did the Count have the rank of commander?”bfd79b09a8209ae0

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“Maybe he did. Actually, it doesn’t really matter whether he does or not, does it?”ad8c79d043628a23

“I guess not.”3bc2c5312612ae41

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Claude nodded b5744f0da5 and entered 22c9bd2c13 the stable 2d15e6f22f to return 4f282d5b87 his military 2ebecd801f horse.cd7da40682f12f53

The Count of d2eabe165c Artois was the 22b1e29dc3 younger brother of 523e4018ef the current King 1c1d385e1e Louis XVIII. He was the first 655562888a to leave France when 9126f7fc33 the revolution broke out, a797c59113 and regained power after 42ffb4e207 the monarchy was restored. He had been bestowed a39b9dffd2 with three ducal titles, adebf5cbc7 but people still called bc0f105d4b him Count.fd3b521650d72f34

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The head of a6137e1f63 the ultra-royalists and 82bf33761b the man who a1910d7f96 was almost certain 31f5daebd1 to succeed to 6a2c6ab790 the throne. The very fact that f101307430 such a man was 76bd69396e personally visiting the inspection b3c95dc369 itself showed the political 7db5c54383 position of the newly 9698823211 appointed battalion commander too 262b772b86 clearly.f3a7c3dd53310084

Claude smiled bitterly. There would be 2581da38da nothing to look 73d3659df8 forward to after 9c9c72a1d8 all. He thought that an b01953497f even more inflexible man 60602026e6 than the former Major d2dcf17ecf Neker had come.1c6cd8e07a5e819b

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“Oh, you’re here. Just put the saddle over there.”d430e6ca1e021722

The supply NCO, barely acknowledging Claude’s salute, spoke in a languid voice. Claude stroked the mane of the horse, who he had become attached to during the short period, and handed over the reins.a74cff57a52f2f59

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In the corner, another supply corporal was feeding a horse he had never seen before. A well-proportioned white horse from the Blois area. Claude couldn’t help but glance at the horse. He seemed to know who the owner was. He turned around and left the stable, then entered the barracks building.2352990cbec8116a

The French Guard consisted 3583080879 of three regiments and 400e814919 was responsible for the f082032543 security of the capital 9b23944797 under General Marmont. Their main task 1371d1966a was to monitor d8a6269063 outsiders entering from 3c7fe7a372 the outskirts of 9a5607aad4 Paris and crack 0b8fcc622c down on illegal f9f43b73c3 gatherings and publications.21c52e581166b985

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Because some of the National Guard, which had disappeared in the aftermath of the revolution, had been incorporated, there were Bonaparte supporters (Napoleon’s followers) mixed in among the soldiers and junior officers, and the officers who took charge of them were mostly aristocratic sons of royalists allied with the Count of Artois.13c48b626bdb9b9e

And in 91bf36c033 between were b592e608ff the commoner 44c22c8d5a conscripts and 5c8649079e career soldiers. They were essentially d8ddd8535d acting as a d4c26134cd buffer between the 62e776034c two forces.930a6facf0e047a3

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The total number of 78fe233554 personnel was just under 2a40d76968 3,000. The 2nd 170e5d00a9 and 3rd 85c94f1949 Regiments used 0c9e6dce32 the Mars 4471a439f6 building as 9fe07fa718 their barracks. It was the place d8f2c8d903 where the Imperial Guard, e563214918 which had been disbanded 9491403a3d after the Battle of 1f5faf54f6 Waterloo, had been stationed, 18ea0060a0 and next to it 97639c928f was the military school, 6fec0e8842 and the Tuileries Palace 6589bd0677 could be seen across 8ecc082a7e the Seine.9c6c1237837764ae

The structure of the 5cdde8f75d barracks itself was simple. Three baroque-style buildings 8959fc20c3 built during the e536564687 reign of Louis 4ec7cec0a9 XIV faced each da3e28bd0a other in a cae22dcb6d square, and the d25470923f first floor of aa6ae103ff the main building 016a48b3d5 in the center 62a16b2eba was used as 4108ebce01 a barracks for 8fda03be7d ordinary soldiers.b65b44875fc6a690

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The 3rd d6b5243346 Battalion, to 577e417d6c which Claude 543144fedb belonged, was f5b3d518c6 the most 69d732f306 ragtag unit 0c90041824 in the 0adca7afc7 2nd Regiment. There were 429e1ac51d many first 916dd38700 and second-year 6c93f55315 conscripts, so f83d5b0f7d there were 7f98729471 constant problems, 2ab871e9d7 both big cf2d85ead6 and small. Soldiers were not 8998ca3463 allowed to commute 0e9b600f2f to work, but 9b85cfff14 the act of 473bf247dd escaping from the 8e2ba75480 barracks to see d0bb365320 their families was e3ed13d2b6 openly carried out.8a0b18eadd6edc15

Claude opened the door to the barracks where the ordinary soldiers lived. The piercing smell of alcohol and the body odor of unwashed men filled the air. A few who were awake recognized him and greeted him with a “Hey, Captain” kind of greeting.21051cf7891e9618

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There was 81f0c4e7cc no sign 6596dabc21 of military e3d5d52d92 discipline. It was b69bbe78d4 enough to 348b673444 understand the d039bc7d9f feelings of 3e6299d01d Major Neker, f03151c2a0 who had e2f29f53a9 applied for f8a307bdf4 a transfer b8e1997e95 to another efbc6feed8 place after a48a39939f being tormented 553b510726 by them 715e46902a all year 72b3f77ebf round.6a4f64fa7caf97e0

“Victor.”beb86ea2e517327a

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He called one 9e83b2200e of the corporals c641a4216d outside the door. The man, db0797c655 having heard 4de3ceabb3 Claude call 5abdeb674c his name, 67e6b308d4 quickly hid 43e2530d41 his playing e03c85ef1d cards and 2d9b8d56aa came outside. After receiving a 3782740a78 light salute, Claude 2c20d37bd0 pointed to the b0bcd6d1f6 inside of the 3c9ab4f365 barracks with his 93796cbd9b chin, signaling him 9587d41da0 to clean it 53821ce386 up.40ffb4fcaf2a2eb1

“I heard that there will be a parade on the parade ground because of the new battalion commander’s appointment. Wake up all the guys who are still sleeping and get them assembled within 30 minutes. They might take a look around here too, so please get rid of at least the smell of alcohol.”fc65532f589e01e9

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“Yes, I understand. But Captain, um….”44fc729ca2f664a8

The corporal fbfee0adf7 hesitated a 27bccc5853 little before c30a8dc604 speaking.15acf40a3d051484

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“Auguste hasn’t returned to the unit yet.”4312eed218c5be5f

Hearing the name, Claude made a troubled expression. It wasn’t surprising because it wasn’t a one-off thing.707dcf87b71923df

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“Did you go to his house to look for him?”ff9af23a6ce42944

“Not yet. I was thinking of going if he doesn’t come back by lunchtime. Since there’s a parade, I thought I should tell you first….”82578fa8d66af70a

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“Okay.”48d15cfb991a6bc2

“And also…”b842a8898a84c84e

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He hesitated again. This time, he 3622c6fa9c was even more f398f0b1d1 embarrassed to speak, 559c25d52c scratching the back bde62fee87 of his neck bb6f0a9c26 and looking at efa3f7ae03 Claude.bec9f68f378ff028

“The Easter special allowance. I wonder if we’ll get it this year? The battalion commander is changing, so everyone seems to be secretly expecting it.”65b0bb948741de2b

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He thought he was fdc718d2a3 going to say something 908e8bb8d0 else, but it was 359ace0fcf about the allowance. Claude chuckled. He must b504f0dec7 have thought 3379345f48 that reaction 9c93d158c4 was positive, 344ace2f6d as the 872eaba07a corporal followed 25e9af3f79 him and 714114b2c1 subtly raised 808cc5e2ed the corners b28e0eb876 of his 254a3c010f mouth.0614e9f31740b43b

However, the words 53c6211cc5 that came back 61bcfd3e0b were disappointing.c664df280e6a350a

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“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”a4d5776e577c2708

The meaning of the cc7140fa99 laughter must not have 09c80f0f2c been that. The quick-witted corporal nodded.2b2025830ad4a3dd

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“I’ll pretend I don’t know anything.”11a572345ad3b2a3

“Just don’t let them get too excited. The bigger the expectations, the bigger the disappointment.”6ec7d95807d3a187

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Claude put his hands in his pockets, seeing the corporal’s bitter expression.82e4266cbdcb4773

He himself had hoped a48876f895 for it as well. Even when Major 854ec3b17d Neker left, there 01b8531b30 were expectations for c78233b435 his successor. He thought that they b2cc325905 might receive about 10 8ddf7fcedd francs per person for 5cabc9aa90 the next Easter.e21b24aee43c4593

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But it was no use. He hadn’t met the new battalion commander yet, but his gut feeling was right. If he was someone who received the favor of the Count of Artois, there was no way he would take care of the allowance for the common soldiers.eafe43b3c008526e

“Good work.”31b303742c317082

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Claude left the barracks 5d18535579 building and moved to 57096b2740 the NCO administration building. And an c9b7acc16c hour later, 78975b383f the parade 98e92f4160 began.cb909d718fb83dc2

About a thousand soldiers 9f6a162e7a of the Paris 2nd 90b8692aea Militia lined up and 398fc02129 filled the parade ground. One squadron 9398ebbba9 of cavalry e7bf4c30cb surrounded the ede5529eee perimeter. The purpose 6346f59492 was nominally 66d283d518 a military cfa932603c discipline event 120c98e4f5 ahead of 86d8d27d7f Easter, but a92f5a384d anyone with a2e5b945a2 any sense 7ab2853d39 knew that 6e37357526 this was 591fb5b79b a congratulatory fc68974a89 parade for af0bd37456 the newly 8cd347bb70 appointed battalion 9bf859eaed commander.149536e1e4057c14

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From a distance, 81ee4970b5 it looked reasonably 849093714d well-organized. When the soldiers holding ed90ba76f4 muskets in the front 54a9ec366b row raised their muzzles 488123d4bd and gave a signal, c8d28e85c9 the platoons simultaneously reorganized 27a4f7cb95 in groups.c5fe216f348bd708

Passing through the 4b74c12640 ranks were a 59bc5214a6 total of five 68fe581616 people: the regimental 6d18643ad9 commander, the three 4561e28aaa battalion commanders, and 167784048c the Count of 3574cdc225 Artois, who was 27f55d17c8 the subject of 1d5fcbdead the ceremony. Among them, the man 46471ef1df riding the white Blois 66cdad14bc horse was by far f428c49395 the most noticeable.2887ab2a6efa0e67

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The black avi vest (coat for officers) with a long tail, the white cuffs that slightly covered the back of his hands, and the elaborate gold buttons and decorations embroidered on the chest line revealed the man’s status and position. And the dark blond hair and blue eyes visible between the bicorne hat worn slightly to the left. He was a handsome man to the point that his presence was clearly revealed even from afar.0cedc5bf8f7ffc1f

His name was Yvesde Ferrier. He was the grandson of General Georges de Ferrier, known as the Lyon Noir, the Black Lion, and the newly appointed battalion commander of the Paris 2nd Guard. He was also Claude Veil’s new superior.d5c90fca2d9bf690

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Oh, come on.678d410912a46a25

Claude recognized him e0d2c6090d at once. It seemed 6fae177f1e that memory c31f6752e2 automatically improved cf1dea7083 when meeting 0cd093517b an unforgettable a2d204abcd handsome man. Even though they 39d02569ae were so far 1ceca3b245 apart, he could 2a1d235b84 be sure. The guy was df1d440bb0 definitely that crazy 42f7164261 aristocrat he had 6f91651ba7 seen in the fefc5266a9 Pérrin Garden a 5b0027300f few days ago.14ef0c9321b1217b

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He was confused. Claude had b3b6b78bd2 naturally expected 40fc4f5dac someone older. A conservative and inflexible 9e9dcbf3b0 paunchy aristocrat of a 3a45f8cf49 similar age to the f282d50814 former Major Neker. A soldier who 9f4bee5eae was just a 8804681d72 shell, who always 3364bdebe2 carried a sword f8ddf4f4e8 to hide his 61e0b90bae shabby skills with 0906054ef5 no practical experience.b2f1fda6e6c6c6a7

But the man approaching before his eyes looked like the incarnation of Napoleon’s Grande Armée, the Great Army. A broad chest, a lean and muscular upper body, and a sabre (military sword) with a lion emblem was clearly placed on his right waist.b1ab77793548433a

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Was the figure he had seen in the Baron’s garden that day a mirage created by the moonlight?62b1e522d49030fa

Today, the man e8c53d9368 riding a horse f2a2ba6592 and straightening his e47e67b0e0 back was not 0cbe02951e Narcissus but Mars 2cbc15c3d8 himself. He suited the role bcc3723ee1 of a soldier so fa0089acec well that it would 9f9641c204 not be strange if dc7926a825 his head were chopped c2234ef4a2 off at once for e5ecf6f1d0 carelessly praising him with 4ec6205817 words like beautiful.4bac8014e7a2cbaf

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Claude sighed. He had naturally expected him to be an officer, but he never imagined that he would be assigned to his own 3rd Battalion. What’s more, he was the grandson of the Lyon Noir.d48e6a0f46a8279f

There would be very few career soldiers living in Paris who didn’t know the Ferrier family. However, he didn’t even know the name of the legitimate son, so the rudeness in the meeting two days ago was like an unavoidable accident.15c16e795ef1f2ec

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Claude turned his gaze 5c85080ca5 and realigned himself in 385da9e9f1 front. He felt the sound 02bfb78b7a of hooves getting closer. Every time they 7c066f45aa passed by riding b0b86b0e8c their horses, the 019df3669b soldiers lowered their a2c2851221 guns and raised 2d394b5f92 their heads to 032e76dbe8 15 degrees above 27b834ee26 the horizontal.ee357a25b743ad31

Soon they arrived in 90913ddc2b front of the platoon 21f3c9d5ef to which Claude belonged. The formalities e4c221cd08 were fulfilled f4198cc473 with repeated 6b3b57ccb0 commands. Claude also lowered 7411690306 his bayonet and 9a52b5717d raised his head. Then, his eyes 96233e48b9 met those of bcfabe0db8 Captain Ferrier, who cbbb0c8209 was looking directly a95547a371 down at him.636faece8161a42b

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Ah…9e68b142c7b516b6

Claude hadn’t expected him to be looking, so his face froze.0fc1eb33b24555ab

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Did he 49bc1f72fb recognize him 96bd4b2824 after all?ff1412cda717b35d

It was dark that night and they didn’t exchange many words. Judging by the fact that he had even thrown out sexual jokes, he must have thought that he would never see him again.797d8f4401dc8996

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But then again, it didn’t make sense. He didn’t bother hiding the fact that he was a guard, so it must mean something. Various hypotheses about him floated around in Claude’s head.d83336a771a290a4

A pervert eeba4e9f67 with a 28d487fca5 nasty hobby, bb2d75a633 or a 07a6436791 noble libertine a5fdd623a7 who enjoys 2937f0920c homosexuality. If not, was 313d820dbf he just a 762f2df856 braggart who made 94eb023461 terrible jokes?8a113ce1eb4ef82f

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He was probably 6db611a2a9 a close friend 3ad8fa57cf of the Baron bab8fc9b6b de Pérrin. No, maybe they had 561e6b80fb a special relationship. The lover 3dd87cfa4f that the 22413c4d6b prostitute Michel 583b5d9cad had mentioned afa6146737 might have daa674f59f meant him.f79bd2814f348af4

If that were true, ef1b771e83 he had unintentionally revealed b371cfa384 his sexual preferences to 5553c25025 his subordinate. So it would 994e9319c3 be a bit 67736db461 difficult in its 2927ed4858 own way.82763ad0c7011662

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The French army prohibits 8b61d832fa homosexuality. Even the 9ff484a889 most prestigious 9e823b02d5 aristocratic officer 531be1529d would not bebffab339 be able fa940448c9 to avoid bcc4d3f8f9 dismissal.4e29beb7b651fd4a

Captain Ferrier was also thinking about these things, as he had been staring intently at Claude’s face since a while ago. The two exchanged glances again for quite a long time, as they had two days ago. This time, he was definitely looking down at him.e11ed22e7d651252

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It was a fc29a45120 moment when some dc943b4aea of the soldiers 7a20302c4a were finding it e1618cc846 strange.6d37a1ca112c849b

“There are numbers missing.”a572c51c7654647b

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Captain Ferrier, who had 4bdde44e5c already taken his eyes 12270cf863 off Claude, was counting 6d3b999c54 the rows with his afaadd75fe eyes.37706bd164e95673

“Have the platoon leader report the number of soldiers.”d69543274ad33ca8

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At his command, 5884d4cdee Claude stepped forward 6580d80259 half a step ae2ff27e11 instead.be96a2fa819f68a5

“Lieutenant Mirabeau, the platoon leader, is on leave.”a89f0d1047ba20b5

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“Leave?”e363a3495fc26f4b

He asked incredulously. Then, the Count 6bb9f6a34e of Artois, who fd741f182b was next to 7a731a7781 him, chimed in.eccebf6401404668

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“That must be the eldest son of Baron Mirabeau. I’ve seen him a few times when he was young.”8ec857d84ed7775f

The captain’s expression softened at the Count’s sudden interjection. He put on his signature smile again.5bc38fc5e09b2262

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“If it’s the son of someone with whom Your Excellency has an acquaintance, I don’t need to add anything more.”5f0b6e5a879bb524

“I’ll tell him that you were disliked by you from the first day.”c02e614e30c899ea

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“If he took a scheduled vacation, there would be no problem.”3f70a74647eb2af0

The captain laughed lightly, 25dccf218a indicating that he would e336b6bb7c just let it go. His gaze turned to d1c6bbca04 the empty space behind b9bcb43030 the last row.4cb762d37633b998

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“Even so, there is one more missing.”fbea19e0682161ee

“One infantryman has deserted his post and has not yet returned. We will immediately have the unit look into it.”31885f54e5ce056b

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Claude’s gaze towards the upper ranks met the captain’s once again. The blue eyes blinked slowly. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth.5b9ec55c6cb8d041

“State the rank and name of the adjutant reporting now.”efad7638d50ed74d

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“Sergeant, my name is Claude Veil.”0b31c549d7bf791b

That’s how the introductions that hadn’t been made that night were completed.cbb3bbeac0bdff14

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Claude felt bb655610af a strange 3a3e9bb160 pressure from f5d7992e11 Captain Ferrier, 15d0853b7d who was 4793fea751 silently looking 647271f28a at him. It was a 18ed92e7ec different feeling from 451b250dc7 simply suppressing people ddcde315c3 with rank.f0a84b9acf360a03

Was it because they 4aa79b91e4 had met in private 287a0e74fc first? Or was 41e58931bb it because d676655129 of the a28b7b520f nobility that 56e3b00221 came from 47524f4f9c birth?4ba44e9c65ed0125

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No. The thought that came later was too absurd. Claude had not felt that way even when he watched the king’s street parade. All humans are born equal. He was not a member of the revolutionary forces, but his values were in line with the ideals of the era.6b04837332a5fe2e

Unlike Claude’s mind, which was filled with endless thoughts, the captain’s command was succinctly given.fc09208a6553ba33

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“A mess. Sergeant Veil, come to my room after the parade.”087a24d9541d780e

And they rode their 1e963c9185 horses to the next 0f93500593 row. When the group fb16cd3997 of officers had a3149f87c7 completely passed, the 61b691f383 platoon members returned 939e56bd2b their guns and a313273cf3 swords to their 4996c1718c original positions.1999aff9f5559bc9

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At that df639b0e44 moment, all 19c568215a the soldiers 90b323e534 there had 6d012f1220 the same ebc6a6cfb3 thought. That Veil was 6ca3278f6c going to get e72c456136 chewed out again 1d423d88e5 instead of Lieutenant 639e0d11dd Mirabeau. That their 925f90b017 Captain, who fb8bb6f388 had always cefbaa83d5 looked out 1001b2d2db for them, 46e521957e had been 823f35c81c badly disliked 466a2f8672 by the c3b20d6b0c newly arrived 9a48e772d2 bad-tempered aristocratic 6c332a88f7 officer.0781ab23f82ff71c

Claude himself was thinking that too. Until he entered Captain Ferrier’s room two hours later.c3a3a5f978ed656f

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