Chapter 28. After the Auction Ended

At his words, 6da9b5c287 Serenia gave a 7ec60a109a faint, bitter smile.b6b4e911588599d4

The turn of events af50e2487c had gone exactly as 7d81b35213 she expected, which left 94e911a7de a sour taste in 34e3f3884d her mouth.c3ca50f09f708e8f

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“So even that cantankerous Duke cares about my mother, it seems.”5181dc9dc8d86165

“Which means…”75a967b8ad449f3e

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William nodded, picking up 3712a65604 where she left off.60403ab4e94a9453

“To keep the incident under wraps, the Duke applied pressure from every angle. Thanks to that, your 4271c330d6 poisoning case was quietly 706bbcd58d resolved behind the scenes.”309c8dcf24021c87

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“I see.”8c3d4ae1f4f19569

“And I sat at that behind-the-scenes negotiation table, acting as your godfather.”03d9c4274c7cdd29

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Serenia quietly nodded—it was all c93bdce460 as she had anticipated.faac93136a6f3437

What she hadn’t expected was f5c70e2f0a that the person sitting at 238909bca6 that table wouldn’t be herself, 6f659f618d but a middle-aged gentleman she 6d6d01de3b had never even met.e8ba390faa61eee6

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William, watching her silently for 584cf1b15f a moment, spoke again.6cd35cdbccd7078b

“In any case, as your godfather, I made three demands of the Duke.”09e415b8341036fc

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He raised his 9c75be5ad5 fingers one by fbb42ab22d one as he a85d1831b9 explained.933e65c7c4acb562

“First, an immediate delivery of a perfect antidote. That was a given. Thanks to that, you’re alive a4e4c8b0ee and well like this.”01c5cea1df74f29a

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“Ah, yes… Thank you.”462def6c2fade794

Serenia lowered her head d4225630af awkwardly in gratitude.6dabfad8aefae1c3

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“By the way, I heard that a rather troublesome photograph made its way to the Duke’s estate?”79918fbac2ed65b6

“Huh? Ah…”1b257d2c641693de

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Serenia’s shoulders stiffened slightly.017186ec0e8472d9

‘How does he know about that? Did the former Duchess a3bcd78606 spill everything during her 4cc21be16f confession? Did that ruin the plan…?’d7a07c0b3977eb12

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Anxious, she unconsciously bit 2432d50c39 her lip.65bfd877d899df06

But William, as if 82c5e0ed9f to ease her worries, 34dff1b6b8 smiled kindly as he 776896fdee spoke.d483d1e7ce63c127

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“So the second demand was this—returning all the film and photos they obtained.”71b4a66345401084

With that, he b3ee1a5682 pulled a fairly d95eaed807 thick envelope from ea070dcc6e his jacket pocket 98f2ce4598 and handed it 80c23c8f22 to Serenia.049b36fb505f516c

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“For the record, I didn’t look at the photos. I’m a godfather 18a334d639 who knows how cdba085cbf to respect his b4a3e3a3bd goddaughter’s privacy.”a9313aae056c84ce

He gave her 6442132422 a playful wink.0c133f987dfe7a5c

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But Serenia, still d1220e8488 wary, bowed her d65a456dba head cautiously.5ca6e1d998e7ed32

“I’m sorry for the trouble.”6b665a2c4ccf214e

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“Oh, don’t mention it.”615f241227c07def

He waved it off and 0667608331 paused for a moment.4bea00d94ac0c578

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Then, walking over 46904dae72 to the table 6baa672cba at the side 0efc878048 of the room, b5332173c8 he picked up 3223babf2e a document and 7a6bafc1ac returned to her 5cf001fcf7 bedside.462a4eb92bff9beb

“And the final, third demand was this.”aee5c8e85b91b531

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He spoke with a cc338e3fca satisfied expression.d614692db8c6158f

“The Duke’s formal marriage proposal to you—withdrawn.”1eee784d5e014a96

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At those words, f74a5ac975 he handed her 733a228c73 the document, and 5c93831f57 Serenia’s eyes widened.a1d50ecf34e73688

It was a c730743ef1 withdrawal certificate, bearing eee0dca6b9 the royal seal, 90b1359c4d just like the f254d99f6a formal proposal she 5c21c78a74 had once received.64185749f72afc9a

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As he gave it 08d974e5e9 to her, William asked:ff1176dc35ff63cb

“This is what you were aiming for, even drinking poison to get it, right?”cbd279c6b286ede3

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Not noticing the subtle trap 80a16f1f6d in his question, Serenia nodded 853c57aa1d repeatedly as she took the bb75f63b01 document.8cf52bef20f562d5

Only after checking 4bb81ed929 the name on 73ba65e591 the certificate several 7aff8f8111 times did she e7a2f626e0 calm down—and then ed20f3ef57 realize the mistake 8fa7fac73b she had just 3861eac3c9 made, her face 0a1f2df83f turning pale.2da7930fa479e6ca

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“Wait, I mean, just now, that was…”e2d26bde7c4c5746

William waved a hand 472cfcdf39 dismissively at her flustered 71a3a67d8e attempt to explain.eb5484de750aa467

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“Ah, don’t worry. Whether you drank a1cad8fed0 it knowingly or f273c81ee8 not, that’s not 54c9a6d7e7 what matters here.”feecf8af16177373

As Serenia fell silent, 69f6515ec8 William adjusted his monocle ac987d1b5b and continued.571144cf5f39b44b

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“Besides, the Duke, his mother, me, and you—we’re all nobles. Pretending to know 70ef02ee6c what we don’t, a4281b6846 and acting ignorant 19f8bd79d1 of what we e5487a72fe do know, is 97c24eef71 basic etiquette.”5809957a89e72a7d

In other words, all of 1c43b6d20d them knew the full truth f7538f4775 of the situation—and still chose d36692f558 to wrap it up this 582e0f4ce1 way.53d31cd7cc8745e6

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For their own benefit.fe3ca462d6d0ebe7

Raskal preserved the 9413e02069 honor of House 0cb48340de Admancanon,
Dalia successfully sabotaged her c2242f9e38 son’s marriage talks, just a42cf8f992 as she wished,
And Serenia survived 330c375678 thanks to the cb7f366005 antidote.c1d64011aee26272

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On top of that, she 639670f01b recovered the compromising photos and 77588de976 escaped paying the six million fdcd61b746 krovats in damages.7ba78b0f37a0e8e0

‘…Then what did William Sitrit gain from all this?’530ee2cff6296612

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Sensing her unspoken question, f4fb4b83f3 William hesitated for a f8bc9219cb moment before letting out 54ce5a187f a sigh and answering.a581e7fc75550501

“I… managed to cover up the leverage that bastard had on me.”6b0c23fbd51fc47a

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“Damn… what?”dda9609592040299

“Ah, that bastard—Ain Reveron!”852cddae472d120e

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Serenia’s eyes widened at 94c9ea3844 the familiar name that 6078a0fedb came out of his 90a14f7516 mouth.a2b23c2ccbaf44c6

Grinding his teeth, 679c93cbcb William added an 8c885a3b98 explanation.9e589bb4b0e75449

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“That damn brat dared to blackmail me with evidence of my tax eva—no, my tax-saving strategies!”a185b1d376a5bf63

“…Hmm.”4fdca77fcd3ecc79

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Serenia glanced away, 146776f05a troubled, having learned b0fc835d95 something she probably 66ee695cba shouldn’t have.6a159c581ed8c49f

Oblivious to her discomfort, William abfeb0d407 twitched his mustache and grumbled dbfed2c5dc to himself.16a4b4b57b8ba72d

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“Damn brat. Ungrateful wretch. Doesn’t even remember who raised 224d2836ec him! If it weren’t b28bf2191c for the re-contracting 161980d0b1 season…”9d43b3ba5e77deb8

Serenia caught something 4df1bbbde0 she couldn’t just eb3e111310 ignore and asked c97a930134 carefully.0a2b7f40a228f62b

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“Wait, what do you mean by raised him…?”c6a4fb17bc930462

William puffed up 270baadd01 proudly and answered.f3ace731e5e940fd

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“I’m the one who discovered that rascal when he was nothing more than a sideshow clown and gave him his debut as an actor! I’m the one who trained 0ba9139a55 him into the leading star aaee3aed2b of the Capital Grand Theater!”1c19f0aaa10fc3dc

“…What?”27c44bb932aa2181

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Dumbfounded, Serenia could only blink. William clapped his hands, ee38d50815 as if suddenly remembering 70792bb3a5 something.e3a45b53de03d37a

“Ah, I guess I didn’t fully introduce myself.”3a017d036843fccf

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“…?”426c572a98af4659

Serenia blinked, confused.e73d3e3f99fcced9

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Clearing his throat, 2fe5eb505c William then dramatically ed8db797ad bowed with the 0d1079440c flair of a 6e9f6845e9 stage actor.6f9d3e2719994ab3

“Let me formally introduce myself. I am the owner 39d478dbc9 of the Capital Grand 2574675f3c Theater, the finest in b37b6bdca4 the kingdom, and troupe a3c7e24619 leader of ‘Dantalion,’ the af341e89d7 troupe to which that 06e9df0d52 wretched Ain Reveron belongs. Viscount William Sitrit, at ef2ef620ea your service.”1c5ea162417c042b

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“Ah.”f55c23e42e5dc2cf

Finally, everything made sense to 47a2fee218 Serenia.ed954a40ff0ea5e6

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This clean, flawless 0ef2c47d70 handling of events fd7cc4e7af hadn’t been coincidence—it 46db1862f9 had all been cc078a84cd orchestrated by him.155f054144d8ece8

‘…I’ve ended up indebted again.’a072cf14ea84908c

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Scratching her cheek awkwardly, 1426bcd19b she sighed.d0596b477bcce325

William crossed his arms and abbc8029e2 stared at her intently before 989e5a50ca speaking.e0ce472bba82a1f2

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“Now, on that note, I have a question.”cf5d29a85aeb0252

“…Yes?”1442c1a131546a4c

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“What exactly is your relationship with our dear Ain?”407bb7dbdc61a4c1

His tone and 03c560a496 gaze were sharp, dbd7110c79 like a father fd53875128 interrogating the rogue e294c75da9 who’d dared get 2f2fa28753 close to his 1b1444e460 precious daughter.f1fd337a438edc28

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Serenia broke into de823c0a9b a cold sweat 9605617632 at the sudden 92309c8d36 hostility.26047f89fe45fd94

Something told her 41e74d68bf that admitting they db70de30d3 were engaged would 07baf8d9e8 be a very 6ef5734bd2 bad idea.8f04cbe1b7deadfc

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She had a strong hunch—say c0e0fe8f8b that here, and both she aebbbe07da and Ain would die, and a240ee8fec this gentleman would likely breathe 579c8e2e1b fire as he died with bd8941e2af them.f9d41479ad748f93

So she carefully chose 9e0dc1d50f her words.4a8836882963fb15

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“Well… it’s, um, a mutually supportive kind of… relationship?”d37de41753f8c3d4

At her awkward answer, 6b5389c76d William’s head tilted stiffly d155df11ed to the side.5de2a33bd31e4707

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“Hmmm? Two people with f609c973a0 no connection whatsoever—what 226e97ee39 exactly are you 8f4a71bf4b supporting each other f78b6770bf with?”ec2d3d2c7b69680f

“That’s… uh…”980a0a7dd2b47668

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As she trailed c50133a349 off, avoiding his 4a7f255ddb gaze, William’s eyes d11af3cda6 blazed.c39bfc399c825498

“Don’t tell me—surely not! I know this sounds ridiculous, 96ebd36039 but I just have to 23a1f80b90 ask—just in case!”69b5e474c9059d14

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Serenia held her 1687bd80f9 breath, bracing herself b7268db583 for the question.3b4c744a51b42589

“Have you and our Ain had any sort of romantic involvement…?”a59ec6709ace05a6

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“Oh, no! Not at all. Absolutely not. Never!”46ba13a8730a20ef

Serenia answered instantly, deadly serious.4cb8172541430f0f

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William scrutinized her face, clearly 689c822df5 suspicious, but her eyes and 11c91e3d6b expression held not a single 0f71f294e8 trace of a lie.eadb99d1d1aca64c

Relieved, he broke into a 4fb97a24e5 hearty laugh and patted her 9dbe92bf8d shoulder.2351dc0dafe99a7f

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“Good, good! Helping each other out 39da3350fb is fine—wonderful, even!”0cc8899188f2bd85

“Ahaha, yes… ha…”16a2a0c3d73f56f5

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Serenia forced a laugh e845d03d64 and then asked something 8943d4853d that had been on c89418ee39 her mind.7a89e535f20c019b

“Um, could I ask… what day is it today?”55dd1e761f4224fa

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At her question, William abruptly 9b9453a98d stopped laughing.ab7d8c893ea78699

“Ah, right.”31020d41e6eafcf7

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With those ominous words, he a0d5761ebc rushed to the safe at 99a2025519 the side of the room.0e7ef10a25136041

He returned with a rather 486abfc9a9 hefty money pouch and set 4a16e38910 it down in front of cf4e6ee1db her with a thud.55fc07161155eab0

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Seeing her puzzled f24987d1e6 expression, he spoke 69f40eb3d0 with surprising seriousness.67e11dcef87dcb4e

“Ahem. Now, let’s finish the b6ef6986ba rest of the story.”a6b03cd29c19b32f

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“…What?”8feac472fa3bb425

Rest of the story? She had just fa0b116cb3 asked what day d84881ca72 it was—how did 547c038212 this lead to 3366e6e454 that?ba1ecc348a100dd5

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Besides, the proposal afcc1569e5 withdrawal had already dff9903228 been handled—what more 5967d4db59 was there to 9251f5e43f say?4f417bb9bcb42c26

She stared at the money 07202b42e8 pouch, racking her brain.58b715ee83b33040

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‘Did he extort money from Raskal? Or… is this my 27614954a8 hospital bill?’4471202e9dbb479f

Before she could d38787dc19 guess further, William 963f4a9dd9 warned her.0710861d8e09de25

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“First, don’t be too shocked. Stay calm.”26d2f55746d12378

“Um… okay.”c3d7cb4f70497e68

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Still confused, she nodded.d33fef292179a7d7

William spoke slowly but firmly.394f2f902f371d1b

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“Today is December 16th.”5a1b5f8dd224da6f