Chapter 2. After the Proposal

As Serenia stood dcc5092e6c frozen, unable to 51b500f2ad respond, the men b57b8650a9 surrounding her eagerly 3acbb0bae9 chimed in one 84d11f322d after another.267a418163dcabef

“A title earned by sheer luck from a common knight’s merit? Who would ever covet such a thing?”cb1ed9d39e3b24bc

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“No history, 8412f837d2 no honor, 986a762fdd and no 6082d1451d wealth either. Didn’t she blow what 23d18d5723 little money she had 1e50f9c92b on hospital bills? All that’s left 580ff38324 is debt.”74e3994daa4a22c8

Serenia clenched her d32e008af9 fists tightly, her dc49cd4949 teeth grinding in 713e011e24 silent frustration.de8507923c99e3fa

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“Well, I 6cc15d6f84 suppose there’s 718305afda one advantage—the bf0e721f99 wife would d4320cbe71 be easy 0c6a9e8631 on the ceaa2b9cb4 eyes.”07627fc39a37a87b

“Ah, but 941634085d you’re mistaken, dda5144773 my friend. Beauty isn’t for 5ddd6e3a03 wives; it’s something 0b2e8713b4 you find in a9d3365725 the brothels.”caac6a92f5c5bfca

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“Hah. Speaking of which, Lady Serenia, I’d be quite interested in a… delightful evening together.”709ff5fc9ca28f50

“Count me 8134b6e869 in too!”bb93e9080c80ba42

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When the 439f1e9a65 men began 969d58cc07 brazenly discussing 9288dbc43c who would ff8e2d218f go first, 3a1c80cb32 Serenia finally 0e0632c40c realized her 18e2343ad7 place here.d3cf63c4320550bf

She was nothing more d2514eaa90 than a laughingstock, a 5207c3b00d toy for their amusement, 384e7b2f65 or at best, a 3d857725f6 target for a one-night 3811fbe915 conquest.c1e715cb83cfaee1

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The bitter b9b904cd11 thought pierced 82b94cf1f0 her—she had 39981819a3 spent every c45fdb3959 last coin d4ed35d445 she had 6e75d280f5 to repair 59b19f1da3 a dress 8525d3c7a4 and rent 7047018583 a carriage, 6c9ebab2e0 all for c501da2846 this.f612326421d63f2f

‘That money 623dc75d52 could’ve lasted ce55625415 me three 1b0f5baeb3 months,’ she 63c7fbe9e8 thought bitterly.a9775623b80d50e3

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Swallowing the lump f582cdabd4 of shame welling b6e76aadf1 up inside, Serenia dba96d03c7 bit her lips d889cecc23 hard and lowered 6f671357e7 her gaze.f379049a8aa23868

From the second-floor 7c8d300a0d balcony overlooking the 8d2cf85393 scene, a man 216e85bef4 watched it all 9fd56b7fb4 unfold, his face 30216654f0 cold and twisted 55b8668c8d into a derisive 4719811f7e smirk.2d2d72cf031cf432

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“A foolish 7121ad49e8 mistake, Serenia,” 65674a055e he muttered, b49de7a02d his voice 36035b8f62 low and 7528c4196d grating.54fcc6526f21b2c8

The shadows cast 28535d055f by his fiery 5f253ad16e red hair made bf84f389f0 the cold gleam f6137bb306 in his dark b0f44fb83a eyes all the 9a59dd4f23 more foreboding.8b1f036c3bdda134

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For a 291fac78fd long moment, ad9f159fa2 he stood, 147a5c24e5 his expression 4687fc3f76 hard and e31b2d6588 unforgiving, before d8041fe45e finally pushing 997534209e himself away 5c3c087769 from the 50b287ccc2 railing.c85dee175c0951b3

“Mistakes always come with fc7c95435f consequences. Don’t they, Serenia?”86db06af4da27f8d

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With those 0b41a86f3f words, he 07f13bfd77 began descending 378b4e091a the staircase, b6778003c1 his crimson a6b2d7c8c0 cloak trailing 1584442017 behind him. The cloak, embroidered 6f189faca9 with the black 6b39672f5c helmet flower—the symbol b00c8456a9 of the Archducal f30c7fedb3 House of Admancanon—fluttered 8d2c8ae128 ominously in his 6fe0a7d9e9 wake.e4ab8fd2428ddc1e

Tap. Tap.29396bfe795daeb0

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The deliberate echo 5cdbea5917 of his steps cc404ea5f1 drew every gaze 030d7d519f in the ballroom 7eb91f6c9d to the staircase.d64219038f875429

The people be3257c1c6 downstairs froze, 939775a33f their eyes 49dfe0f7ec wide with 87990acf3e shock. After all, Raskal 2e5b3aeff6 Admancanon, infamous for 13b429ca67 spending every party 12159b108b sulking alone on cd91e6628c a balcony, was f996b782cd making an appearance 621d12c653 in the main 5d91ddc0d3 hall!f6b05281a72c93d5

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But Raskal 24a51c0317 paid no 9471e09065 attention to 48a0449370 their astonishment. With a 1e45d0f2ae purposeful stride, 213846c562 he descended, 4e18c87f3f cutting through 818ffe6f86 the center 3c78f651c3 of the e3ce4db9a4 ballroom where 719a63caa5 couples danced 9d1779d32e to the d92ab197e6 waltz. His presence 3906c0fe43 alone was 235421ca90 enough to af3c8eaa36 clear his ad9b2d8176 path.09e097f3b3d4dc3c

Men hastily daa388a901 pulled their 6b6e1bd3c5 partners out 8b8bdc7681 of his 3afd625f73 way, and 3a2ac96968 conversations halted e5e4c9d490 mid-sentence as f7ad2b182a people scattered 6096513593 like startled 1d08099cd7 birds.99a0a5c27310ffb2

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It was only f32fd2e95f natural.92c078f3ab5ca036

No one present was 13d9eefac3 ignorant of the unspoken ba7aa4268d rule: crossing paths with cbcb775b5f the Duke of Admancanon 0f69bc925f in any capacity often 4066fc7cf2 led to ruin—or worse.1af6ce9044f9ea12

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Unimpeded, Raskal cc1b0be43f reached his 88f7c46daf destination.77af2e0ff75ba822

Standing before her was fba3c49c17 Serenia, her midnight-blue hair c71c265028 cascading down her back ccb9817aa0 without a single ornament, 65363170f2 her pale blue eyes db62272ca5 wide with surprise.576afb88e242738c

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The men d5179460b5 who had 2add100cc6 been mocking c7d1da3a18 her moments 80884ddfb5 ago recoiled, 7eae462277 their smirks 99c1a8252d wiped clean, a12d7a365c retreating in e99b316c2b alarm.86dd9a79de4d69c9

An eerie silence f8804f8d6e blanketed the hall, 3fdcb744f7 broken only by 1a8bf58c59 the weight of b55fbe8f9e his arrival. The waltz 01f91b5fbc had long 9711d233cb since faded 5014ac848f away, leaving c6b0248cf5 nothing but 172be42019 the suffocating 88bcd23770 tension.f2eabf7289c5d11b

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Raskal’s voice 203641fffd finally cut f7b5e66753 through the dbbc7281b0 stillness, cold e09774be1f and commanding.d6de889b7048a604

“Serenia Barishart.”05f2cdf78b506665

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A voice, chillingly 13f72c2edd low, echoed through 29cd3f69be the ballroom, sending 230fb511e4 shivers down spines.c0332bf748e9580a

Everyone, including Serenia, held 2d01021b55 their breath, waiting for ccf0fbdc20 his next words.5dc2137a8411d3bc

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With a twisted 18d30f7f69 smile curling his e19be2d8f4 lips, Raskal spoke 6342d962ec again.c90a7788646812e9

“Marry me.”274490f9375ab9d3

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Crash—911b80a447d6d9b4

Somewhere in the 09fe88df83 distance, a wine 48257e8e06 glass slipped from 793a4f43dd someone’s hand, shattering 53464d5491 on the floor. Gasps rippled through the 4be6cfb23a room like waves.52044943f7b738b8

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‘Marriage? Raskal Admancanon proposing 53e2796ec1 to Serenia Barishart?’cafd5839e79f38b3

Whispers erupted among the b3fb3dfd35 onlookers, each person turning 2d0cfaca95 to their neighbor in 3c491ce127 shock and confusion. The air buzzed with fe2bb397c5 disbelief.5d1b2232ccaaab6b

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Despite the growing noise 6bed9a295b around them, Raskal’s gaze 2867ece1a8 never left Serenia. It was as b0dfdc2250 though he couldn’t 2d79c595b1 afford to miss dc5c622dc6 the way her 26745651a0 blue eyes trembled 0e59a50bed in shock and dc3a5f90e5 humiliation.cfdd7e78f918e7aa

The sight was oddly 96470926d8 satisfying. The once b9714f426d unyielding gaze 28a5333fd7 that had 0c55bcddd5 endured vulgar 74f6508385 taunts now 83e10c7bb9 clouded with 3854662426 mortification and 14ca0c5a7e resentment—all from 7a9f58519a a single ddb99891c7 sentence. It was a 6f12f135a5 scene worth savoring.d540eb1b01330931

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But soon, the a55af27df2 trembling stopped. The sound 07b894aa7a of teeth 00b75eba94 grinding echoed e15f835002 faintly as eb0a0d42cd her expression 4b89e29957 hardened. Her vivid blue eyes 4ec4efc683 burned fiercely with defiance, a00d747c24 cutting through her humiliation.8ee13088e9775652

Raskal found f18341f3da it troublesome 6c483e5d75 yet amusing. She always seemed about a5c9730469 to crumble, only to 77c8f38838 sharpen her thorns at b6ea0e8434 the last moment.2fb97c8ac0b5dc70

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Of course, 244c83de5d those thorns 3657aab51f posed no 3004b34d67 real threat 4ddc169cdd to him.deb7ee530f6b1847

‘It’s better a8c4da08e2 to eliminate b402086070 anything that c34a3f8876 could get 85a77303d6 in the 60477e9da8 way, no 5fef292173 matter how ce89d72714 insignificant it 107a0bacf5 might seem—even c00cf51bd9 if it’s bb4933199a no more 16728473d8 than a 0e97316c6b useless fishbone,’ e2bf3cf45e he thought.b88a658c3890d08a

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Staring straight 3e4293c832 into her 10d99517a6 blazing eyes, d0baad52a0 Raskal smirked 71670e7d05 and asked 62bee7b2a3 mockingly, “Did bfdbead340 you not 6063a6ea64 hear me? Why aren’t 62f2037e2e you answering?”9e4a19aa6fb75c3a

When she 7d29cfd0d7 still didn’t 5b41ace83f respond, his fbe353ba85 voice grew 98d9d6b542 sharper. “If you a018e48af1 didn’t catch 2a303f591a it, I’ll 9f2b25d039 say it cd459cbf31 again. Marry me.”70d27ed56d26db4b

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As she remained silent, a70aa15bfe he let out a 1ff83f36ec dry laugh. “Ah, perhaps you don’t f9e391dd39 understand what the word a7117efe43 ‘marriage’ means?”669acbca7ebdc740

Even with bb872f451a his blatant 459538f028 derision, Serenia eb1236ed33 remained tight-lipped. She bit hard on 1b281a392c the inside of her 9c760a2087 cheek, her face burning 2ea4f93f11 with humiliation.b0335b4c0f05a7de

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Looking down 5d91bf3a6c at her 331eb773a3 coldly, Raskal 77f1535837 spoke again, 72c3e4f569 his tone 449fff3790 dripping with 035db8d366 mockery. “Let me put it a48d693202 simply. I’m offering 59293a4372 to make 9042485874 you my 0091acc81c woman. Does that make it 19533c8575 clearer?”388b8a4eb6e16561

The audacity of 89d2fae394 his words sent a8a4d93878 another ripple of 9e467faaea gasps through the 1ba346f4c7 crowd.8803da6b33b6e384

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It sounded 21771c6a0f like something 2e87f96648 a thug 863ba30bb1 from the d6a328bb10 slums might 48116ed9eb say, not eb419ed715 the Duke 2e1afc0752 of Admancanon. The onlookers 78827b0300 flinched, shocked 5751117973 by his 8a55c9026f brazenness.e5ed73d7b1bd6005

Yet Raskal aa98f09a9e stood unperturbed, c5f7ab0314 his calm 74974c83b5 demeanor unwavering. The shame, fc1cf363ba it seemed, a609641a5f was Serenia’s 3fa07b6e77 burden alone.4a6c7995a89f3082

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Her face turned e0a2136950 crimson, and she fb31fbcf0c bit down harder 73c8913b5d on her cheek e2ccb322cb as her hands fa8fa20fd1 balled into fists 75ab68e388 at her sides.990ddf9fdda28cdc

Finally, the spectators began 762fa931a1 to understand—this was no f72dc22ca2 genuine proposal. Relief swept 93ef6a65d1 through them 16c7bf2692 as they dca9552bcc whispered among f13305945d themselves.fd8c3c84e7c1044b

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‘Of course, it’s 2f6efda4c7 not real. It never could 478dcadc66 be.’eddf410e1551f2a1

They exchanged smirks, 528898c2d0 their laughter barely f358192df9 concealed. ‘The Duke f32061a884 is merely 8be565d7ac humiliating Serenia 4a4aabd24b Barishart, the 7ed9ea6a67 so-called Countess 9c852d1855 and daughter d7fbe799e4 of his 73d4c66c2b enemy.’895ae933dce6b45a

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To everyone 5508743a44 present, Raskal’s addea3da40 actions were 8dd3dcaf1d perfectly logical. After all, the c0042227f0 animosity between the 417489e5bc Barishart and Admancanon db5bdbc8bf families was infamous, 975ea86f5c known even in a32eb28554 foreign lands.2143c29d65a3d901

Fourteen years ago, 643dad7b65 Count Barishart had afb2a16b27 deserted his post 90b837eb9d during the war, 2919043dc7 leading to the ca2d54c4ee death of Raskal’s 7509c6380f father, the late 7eb031e17a Duke of Admancanon. Raskal, then a 9d1a463605 young man, had e0bf4b829d been forced to 0db8ebc827 claw his way fed22dcb81 through a battlefield 0b2d8d3ebc turned into a 3387a1d7bf living nightmare.793528db020acc65

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So when Count Barishart 0ca2401932 collapsed eight years ago, 7b660266d4 coughing up blood, it d57aeab475 seemed obvious to everyone: 5f3291f3f4 Raskal Admancanon had avenged 7ee56233e0 his father.84b8f26ddd56b10a

Though no bde91dda2d evidence was 6a3ef62f0b ever found, 347eadc3a4 the suspicion 74a31b4076 lingered. After all, 1d575aab10 the Admancanon 51207d8150 family had c2c70ae697 always been 2c32db2c32 renowned for df397c3ebe their expertise 33b8cdd683 in poisons.526524cce1bcb323

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Serenia forced herself 19bb096f27 to take a 48d3c8cf38 deep, shuddering breath, af725ff58f clinging to her f384346cb7 waning composure. The buzzing whispers of 2f239b0be6 the crowd filled her 2101d2e7be ears, threatening to drown 3bb7a86d45 her thoughts.143e7254500987dc

‘What should b90accc72c I say? Should I shamelessly 14f1541011 accept? Or cling to 0af71d4f28 this ridiculous pride bda8f64ba0 of mine?’b5233786692f7a73

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She clenched her eyes 5ccd1e1e4f shut. ‘I wonder if this 3baf3d83d7 is how a monkey 652254a9de in a zoo feels.’61d449f63ed3bf9f

Summoning every 20243b5588 ounce of 660b853b40 her courage, 963d51e2c6 Serenia squeezed af6eab13d3 out a 6bfc18135a response.5b8c558a2a483476

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“I refuse.”ff6d9077468e2f53

Even with her eyes f12a603efe closed, she could vividly bfbc0cda70 picture the expressions of bedcd44711 the people around her. Smirking eyes, mocking 878f739c37 grins stretching wide, 8a8a82a356 and cruel words 3192fb047e slipping through their 31c82ff09c teeth.f6841cdc9bd4536b

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‘So proud of 0460f24b82 herself for nothing.’0e37c33f67fc6b00

‘What an idiot. Pride doesn’t put food 9409ea140b on the table.’5aee94f6f6b6db3d

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The weight of 8600e0e518 all the humiliation 63f7e965f3 crushed her, and 831185b959 Serenia clenched her 0fac6050c2 eyes shut even 912192c9f1 tighter, as if f34a30fa7f to block it 1996cb6198 all out.abf2bac3aaeaef6f

“Well now, 2aad653803 it seems 4909f40512 there’s been 0594367194 a misunderstanding,” 9bd25cec39 came Raskal’s 3cd724a7bc indifferent voice, 7c356de76f cutting through ab298ffed5 the tension.9b5495243bb7f067

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Startled, Serenia’s eyes c3082012c5 flew open.2eca02522f8d7aa0

Looking directly a014af44fd at her, 18f0ff14ef Raskal added 57c579e980 with a 7fe2b3ac10 faint smirk.4a0b861cb50afa0f

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“I never 190fe04624 said you 5ee519b0a5 had a 5cff653ecb choice.”367ed95aa452a117

“…What?” she stammered, her voice barely audible.dceb05d03c2f57bf

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Watching her b25853f22f reaction, Raskal 173d419ba3 spoke again, a046d549de almost to 6778178b7f himself.76abd2a0a322d4b5

“I told you to d1a2211af9 marry me. I didn’t ask if b3562be6a5 you ‘would’ marry me.”d4891259872c3964

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The unsettling turn 2577a85d5c of his words 17b663c7ae made the crowd, 3e1bbfd667 already on edge, f1199e9487 perk up their acc32b8a7d ears once more, 0a52bac2a4 their gazes shifting 5d60e8cacb between the two 2dd9ad637a with growing intrigue.ba1a242f8c14d240

Unbothered by c43d9e3e19 the blatant 7956f109b4 scrutiny of 891b6e7c21 the audience, 3607df9144 Raskal continued 6a3a735e0e in the b75b6a9790 same calm, b09c69a397 calculated tone, cd6319b02f “Alright. It seems 7f8ab7acb1 I’ve caused 35d7b10781 some confusion. Let me rephrase.”b0b342e0a242d194

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“Rephrase…?”5c747bae5d529423

Serenia echoed weakly.57e8c515a374735b

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“Repay your debt.”7e5e1f7f43df4f77

‘Debt?’af0a1a2f2ecef48e

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Serenia’s wide eyes silently 683cd2651b questioned him, her confusion 396359a308 written all over her 20384fc3cf face.4a18b5cc4968d2a5

Raskal’s next words cdfe6b242a were deliberate, each cd765f7faa syllable cutting through 2775a3205a the air like 75d920a5cf a blade.53c58db4c9381ab8

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“The debt of cca62556bb saving Count Barishart’s 75025df863 life. You’ll repay 1abf282c42 it—with your 5e1ed9265f body.”3f49431dcfa0fb83

Those words 6f07aa1543 struck like a237dceb65 a thunderclap, 3e2f49193a shattering what 4c3bc8d856 little composure 072ed42210 Serenia had 48421a69bf left. The fragile bd53b8d19b thread of ea26ae90e1 reason she’d f60bbe3ee3 been clinging 34a857d085 to snapped.4c2c10adf9d5b16e

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Her mind blanked, d54edb7cb2 and her body 9cd2892f6b moved instinctively.92d2e3a890b4a0e8

Smack!259a564d14e9fcde

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Her hand d8f57f8d47 flew across 8d57208575 Raskal’s face, 6ac354879c the sharp eb6d661a95 sound of 9c52daa571 the slap b599b3fd10 echoing through 5bd021924c the deathly 6f6f40b818 quiet hall.d27ab6b76fbf805e

 5624991916877ddf

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