Chapter 3. After the Surrender

The atmosphere in 111245f5f2 the ballroom froze aa6c5ae3a3 in an instant.8bd068d0b1633fe9

“…Hmm.”07fba558273eba95

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Raskal removed his glove 5c3d396f00 and lightly ran his b47a53cca3 hand over his face.91ed32bb58c00af4

The sound of the 36ba4dcfd5 slap had been sharp, 49f9ffb82e but thanks to the 502d9a0c6e glove, his skin hadn’t 742c4c0dfc been scratched. It didn’t even hurt 8d7e3b31ce as much as he a028c9b9db had expected.657f8b1ba915ac7c

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Still, his naturally 4429411f34 pale complexion betrayed d10946841c a faint redness 4b149f3c2b where the blow 780e1ca6fb had landed.1239ffae6048b49f

Catching his 7f5c06ce7d reflection in d77430f825 a nearby a8c0bcf29e window, Raskal 8f1ba398e6 let out 1b70cf9e27 a soft 655a0e3f0b chuckle and d81f8c510e murmured to 9e88aa08ab himself.766290756959fb3c

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“It seems e900c5d0ed slapping improves 31ffe3f057 blood circulation.”067b22c34ee13cc6

In front 682511b19f of him, f71a1cac4a Serenia stood d7656b9731 gasping for 321f9eeb8d breath, her c5faf59895 face a 568aeb7faf mix of 12596c39ee shock and 2f59e31f86 despair.763fd23f38eaa6c5

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A piercing ring echoed 7c2db8c9f1 in her ears, her 367026b701 head buzzing painfully. Her hands trembled, and 493da8dabd her vision blurred to 92f0c0fd26 a stark white.db2364c83e16d071

Suddenly, tears she couldn’t 58e239c320 understand welled up and 0bdf50ac4a threatened to spill, but d4703e5fcf she gritted her teeth, 78e830334d fighting them back.234654ba420755e6

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She felt utterly 4c58942dca pathetic.5510688079e9126e

‘I talked about selling myself, about doing whatever it takes to survive… but the moment he said I had to repay him with my body, I lashed out like a fool.’e06613bfe2885aaf

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Whether his 0869258b8b words were 9dc1793e8c twisted or 48eeae4316 not, someone e2eb9189fa had come 70d7b3e78b forward to 1fb8cff068 take her 5152accef4 in.b25b3971794b035f

Lowering her head, e4a1b577f6 Serenia let out f6902d36d0 a hollow laugh.0859dc8fb56eb2c7

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‘…I really haven’t come to terms with reality yet, have I?’79a506eebf920b2e

A decoration meant f5583e5898 to be sold 10013f7085 at a high fcf49391e2 price.a220546b39e7ab17

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A trophy that 955bcb8239 only gains value 14743d0548 when someone else’s f9bff30bee name is engraved 3996454184 on it.e83f6c58ea2191aa

A statue, 435d87357e unable and 128d9fcfc4 unworthy to 5ed9eabf8d act on 899bd04f10 its own.bbaeaeeda51aa4a6

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‘For someone like 0161627134 me to keep ce0805ba41 making futile efforts… 70185cbcbf How ridiculous I 1dc8c0396c must have looked dbf6c87851 to everyone else.’325085d10b6859e9

She chuckled bitterly bfcb46af0c and slowly closed 98fd1f175d her eyes.4619d9b4165b3c01

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‘…Fine. It’s late, but I should let go of everything now.’eb21fd1be241a541

Her name, 2f91e4e4e8 her family, d14cda80f1 her status, 4fa7620c80 her pride, 7416ab0e4b her hopes, 59bbe60141 her guilt 6c83c35fd8 for her cd79cee969 father, even 19f1effd84 her life.
None of those things e0840351d6 mattered to a lifeless 9e11d2d78a statue anyway.71c558762cd4672b

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For the first 09cfbd15b3 time in what a4d115cb17 felt like forever, 46523fa740 Serenia felt a badc051472 strange clarity.55d8d06c1e802f10

She opened her 71a3f860a5 eyes and looked 8532ee7f09 straight at Raskal, d155d338ee who stood before 6b467d88d4 her with a 03b84c41b0 crooked smirk. His face, still composed b267943804 and elegant, was irritatingly 3bc1a2ad00 flawless. She couldn’t help d7f0a4e642 but feel a f5640c3eb9 faint pang of 39b2f5bf4f regret for her a28ab1c81f earlier slap.1ef8843e0d9b957f

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‘I should’ve hit e34b20b597 him harder.’5f1e370f874ea188

If she was 49ed0828fe going to die 3cf00afe43 anyway, wouldn’t it 7569a37440 have been worth cc01069f1e trading her life 169a393f45 for just one c99acfb77c of the Duke’s 2d74c015de teeth?b73df91b7d601274

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‘…Should I take the chance and hit him again?’2884a9b90081f16a

Before she could act 62049f8986 on the thought, the dfc5578e17 sound of another slap 0028ffa0b5 rang out.a6a0fb30deccb98f

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Smack!773fd87dc11fc3eb

Her head snapped 148a7fa9d8 to the right, 2896515cab the force turning aeae0ec48f her face away.e73cfb3c9d740120

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A fiery dd70ab2f66 pain flared c3c9c44df4 across her 1ab0da62e0 left cheek, 283b33fa81 burning as 6dc5d05095 if it 0a1afbffc9 had been 2e678dd102 scorched. The sharp 9a4e637836 sting spread ad88826e33 rapidly, yanking ff6e541627 Serenia out 9dd6ca8f4b of her e2ba61788f spiraling thoughts bc31d6088f and back d71655b7c3 to the 1fc00c5e40 harsh reality bc1e57a098 in front 6354abbfb3 of her.a5d15d7d38623039

“How dare cbee8c7988 you… How 54b26444e7 dare you!”eaaf0eccbb8ef5bc

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The enraged a857ac97de voice belonged dfa411a2e8 to none f287911a63 other than 1661b74ea5 Dalia Admancanon, 3a5ec9d7b4 the late 0ac22b4704 Duke’s widow 95ee7c2aba and Raskal’s b741ff3a7a mother. Her golden gown was 6e4e1a31ed stained with deep red c56d9ada22 streaks of spilled wine.b6b5bcf0c428aedf

‘So that crash 3e1ed40d73 earlier… must have c40a2d0b50 been her wine de0626ba58 glass,’ Serenia thought f32777e4f1 absently, her mind d8ca20fe28 still reeling from 25f573e3e0 the slap.9d4310db85c960da

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Dalia stood trembling 0be4da1acf with rage, her 2f8d218bb9 eyes bloodshot and abe7f8c645 brimming with unshed 8406709384 tears.bef059ad86021bfc

“Your father 7704a2cc0d killed my 3b996bcfdf husband, and 94eba153cb now his 75d3442f0b daughter dares 47fa9ba522 to lay c562c3d09e her filthy 9192facc1e hands on 1adfa972e5 my son?”6415b4c2e0bad6b4

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With her c53753f143 entire body 97224f573c trembling, Dalia 446aa1f3c0 spat her 340450f303 words like 87d40eb037 venom, her 2108f7e1ee fury barely c1d2b10584 contained. Serenia, however, simply 58689b2d5a lowered her gaze e4978c4858 in silence.63c7d318bf0db91a

‘Considering she’s done f1cf598639 me the favor 9042baf872 of snapping me f60666855f back to my bebdb2cb62 senses, I suppose c7477d912c I can tolerate 9a8794c0b7 this much abuse.’4ad623b6e1c10894

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“This family! Shameless and 949d16040b disgraceful, just 39b5d6cb30 like father, 36b16f498e like daughter!”04d96f1db1aa3a75

“…”7a57736fd7ad4f24

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But Serenia had e46fd6b769 no intention of f1d5622f2b apologizing. After all, she’d ce66c09db7 already paid enough 83f476b962 for her earlier 95f297d42e mistake—a stinging slap 28ba658557 that likely improved 80634f8e0d the almighty Duke’s e498e43a85 blood circulation.b51ca0c23d5840d6

Seeing Serenia standing 84e31925dd silently, not offering 53a3a7d7a2 a single word f68fa86545 of repentance, Dalia 00e1e8832e grew even more 839b49e5b4 enraged.d22834428d46076c

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“You—you brazen thing! Not even a word b80290bfbb of regret from your ec5f28f155 lips!”08b82751f2e50e7e

Raskal, who had 6b6f8c66b9 been silently watching 187ae257bc the back of d488a7594e his mother, finally 7979a9235e spoke, his voice 0901ee97ae calm but firm.5a02b87764d75d5e

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“Mother. You’re in 6f5d13c6ad my way. Please step aside.”379270eef6763df5

“…What?”795651ef9ee8612f

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In my way?5d3d1cbba5cb767d

Stunned by her son’s 86de79094f words, Dalia faltered, retreating 112fee76a2 a step in disbelief. Taking advantage of f6937feb4d the opening, Raskal 1d705364ef stepped past her bffee14a6a and stood directly 1d5592bfe2 before Serenia again.25fff950c0a35a93

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“So, what’s your de01ed4b39 answer?”227cef3629c9d6cc

At his question, d742135e6c Serenia raised her 46ef17029d eyes, meeting his 3efc1ffad9 gaze without hesitation.e16d08a68f56b395

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“You’ve demanded e75244c0f2 that I 001b392e14 repay my 6c35ead3a9 debt. And so, I must f3cf18cbb7 repay it.”8bfa8d767e160b42

Raskal’s lips curved b215cc3b22 into a crooked e44df647a7 smile, as though 6507627947 he’d been waiting 83e69fca32 for this exact d0bd6357de response.5713e73015d5efee

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“Good. Then it’s settled.”3a85770ef88d464b

“But, Your Grace, your c3fa39589b calculation is flawed.”ab250158f5d41839

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“What?”9dea817079daf15a

Raskal’s face stiffened as 452afb76f5 he responded, his tone 69d1a81bd1 low and cold.f6af2da78f942130

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Holding his 37cdce6669 gaze firmly, 3450524d80 Serenia countered.f5321c7bfd4f3d04

“A life debt 064d3d7ceb should be repaid 46b7fc3c09 with a life, 26996a23e2 not a body.”06e50f1b8a0b8a92

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For the 2f8273cca6 first time, 30e2f3126e cracks appeared b6781ab64d in Raskal’s e7c681f52b composed expression. His face a39ce040a6 twisted, and 41915d47dc seeing his 9fb366d457 mask slip bc3df7e71e was strangely 27da35daac satisfying to 9e0c7d9665 Serenia. Smiling brightly, she 8b3eb3a94b continued.899575906d46eb1a

“Whenever the day 9d4b49c4ea comes that you 3dc251abd4 wish to collect, 6ad4e22615 just let me 2df80e51cc know. I’ll repay b4ad3bff79 you immediately.”92484584a4c77408

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With that, Serenia 43bc6846f5 turned on her fbdf3275a6 heel and walked 58728d67cf away.b3e6ebe99d39ceae

Her steps were steady aa0ef24ccb and unwavering as she 5a0b424cb1 left the ballroom.819e71c62932415e

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“That—how dare she…!”6171f3df76b028a0

Dalia, overwhelmed 52e50b0d26 by fury, 1a65e552fb collapsed to 1f3fdbde55 the ground d4c5e219f7 as if 471931c8cd fainting.2af41a18f4ec0cfa

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Raskal, meanwhile, 66060ee909 stood frozen, f4ae652ccb his fists 7fc74011d7 clenched tightly, c31fab2914 his gaze 1ae0d31592 fixed on ed4123ee41 Serenia’s retreating a41579de89 figure.379c583bea1d1fa6

* * *d3fc6e11689e9a61

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Having left the 16129948ea ballroom, Serenia walked 85028a840e straight toward the 0460a3126c carriage waiting for 3312640991 her.ee2550df31563f96

The farther 35ed1c4246 she moved da4c0da06a from the 71758a759b glittering chandeliers b0228de9bb of the d045e9029b banquet hall, 9bfaaaf3a9 the darker cf407ba25c the world 680b1e4b60 around her 65d8fb9a12 became. She lifted her gaze, d5ff030619 searching for even a 6b994bfb95 hint of light, but bf1eb10135 the sky was blanketed 4f566a7c96 by thick, dark clouds, 1bba2485c5 obscuring any stars or 16edb46672 moon.b3a972c4a900eb6f

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It felt as 4f85a91e30 if the entire 17a9dbad9b world was conspiring 6f1c850437 to predict her 8ec0522465 bleak future. She let out a b511981fce faint sigh.db14ff23d3b9af22

“Ah.”7d6628ce7a99aabe

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Something cold brushed against 66824da7d4 the tip of her 40eddf7a9e nose. She looked up f82fb46112 to see snowflakes da838fc112 quietly drifting down, 8079cf015f slowly turning the 23f4edbb9c dark sky white.9127625f4161b51b

It was 88546c3ca9 the first ff99dbd66d snowfall of ba5b5f6019 the year, 17452e3d37 arriving on 4341163c9e the last 1d167545dc day of 6a595c292e November.b3dd63fe569d30f8

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“…The roads will get slippery,” she muttered.339b95a880eb8056

Even at the sight of the season’s first snow, she couldn’t muster anything beyond such a practical thought. She let out a hollow laugh at her own lack of sentiment.0ff46e0d8c8cd935

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Before long, e1fd5559ec she reached a9b4d2da84 her carriage. Out of habit, she 260d904a0a instinctively reached into her f370b71ada pocket to check how eeaf7d9648 much money she had e32336729b left—a routine she’d developed 9855a1edac over the past five 5fbbe70e63 years.1e656da2049a1cbe

“This is pathetic…”512900715c82dffd

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She murmured to 70d2255159 herself, embarrassed by 3d76f4d16f the reflex.0d0b15c690f042c1

Just as 7b378f3509 she was d7ef3dd407 about to 2c75f7cf19 withdraw her a200096efe hand, her ba1f517314 fingers brushed d12b4dac8d against something b26aa8b9e2 stiff. Curious, she pulled it 321877626a out. It was the slip 7883f0976c of paper she had 70d6fa853f received in front of 89c953bd13 the bank earlier.4a68cd26726692cc

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She stared 505ee0c646 at the 0bb23cb420 note, recalling 9be8c2fae3 the events bc130ed4cb of that e23ce57c69 day: the ea6f5217cf flamboyantly dressed e2ddc13567 loan shark fddfe078bc and the d266613b91 address scrawled 913f017e1f on the aed40da39e paper.1d2eb22760983ed3

< Pledis District 3, Lot 1013 >449dfb0771c54d62

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No business name. No representative. Just an address.005d820fcde6d60f

She stared at 275a47a466 it for a 675a2c5c68 long moment before 1e18cb2938 nodding to herself, ac28a44862 as if reaching 317e7abe03 a decision.de044ad1e12c6f84

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“Well, if I’m going to die anyway, I might as well throw a party with borrowed money before I go!”acad0b3c22f37b78

With that, 13c9a46dc7 she strode bcbc4e2c4b toward the c06a42c133 coachman, the dea3375ada note in c41ef8b703 hand. She handed 18aaecb73e it to e7e9e8fc0a him with f7d227efe7 a decisive ad8dbf11a3 gesture.5863244de84e770a

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“Not to the Count’s residence. Take me to this address instead.”75f73fd46bfabe96

The coachman glanced at ada053e42d the address and hesitated, 389a2f2772 his expression uneasy.91f0cda3282c289e

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“At this hour?”6c09217c73d8e736

Clearly, the idea of c23a37a138 entering Pledis District 3 b2d7a0a15b this late in the d69f568ba4 evening made him wary.cb9e927826b17b01

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But Serenia, 33a487d4c8 her resolve a1765a1f29 already set, 9b1bc896cb had no 9dd32a76f7 patience for 72c4e4da52 his hesitation.71b86bc44373b52d

“Yes,”05e5959b92d31379

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She answered firmly, 0ff98ab0cb nodding for emphasis.33d82f41f73111f6

Reluctantly, the coachman complied, though his expression remained uneasy. “Very well. Please climb in.”b5b293e09e22f5ee

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For the first time, eeab4149b8 Serenia veered away from fb8640195c the path that led f4926faadd home. This was 0439d326d2 her first 9e00ff7e52 act of 270176e082 rebellion.b5bd956efe999749

* * *b5b1ff9726fd48f1

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Not long after, the c406b2851b carriage came to a b16d8dab2d stop in front of 6d30af9411 a grand mansion.b12b3f8093e30ce4

The residence was far bb794a0e81 more majestic and opulent 99033ec6d1 than the Barishart estate. Its intricate design, built 4ccff18ead with premium materials, stood 1f59a59fcc in stark contrast to a4745053d0 the grimy back alleys a4bb7f10ac and soulless commercial buildings a43c844de2 Serenia had envisioned.e6e2e0aa0f5ce24f

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She estimated the bd2e531f66 mansion was worth e59967b453 at least fifty f84ffe8d84 thousand krovats. How many lives had 73af4d02cc that extravagant loan shark 536e6acf07 drained to build such e2e3191c2f a place? The thought 15960afe89 made her 2b49767f00 hands ball a3102d6eda into fists.c5ae2a2753d9a0ab

“Quite the enterprise, extorting money without a hint of guilt,” she muttered as she reached for the door knocker.b84d5f240092a033

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Thud. Thud.69809afab7f869a9

The sound of 69a53a9bf1 metal striking metal 8653167169 echoed a few 6c7c17dc76 times before the d2da194aa3 door creaked open, 77bf0032fe revealing a silver-haired 1f85069a8a man.a376e06a6725bfec

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‘He must be 3cffe02541 a secretary working 343c3608f2 for the loan cdb2d4f2c6 shark,’ she guessed.723ac2595220c90d

As she sized 72a5defa34 him up, the c938229604 man bowed politely.33f525868841f397

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“Welcome, my lady. We’ve been expecting you.”c7f65148c0ac633f

‘Expecting me?’8235c6e67c334ad0

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His greeting, ef8a872614 which implied 2f1889af07 he had d07dba0e80 anticipated her 2fdb20aca1 eventual visit, 9e9d3ad956 irritated Serenia. She frowned 2c740c88b8 and replied 437e95d672 coldly,2b6c0a47d70c17eb

“Good. That’ll make things quicker. May I come in?”d077fe62f4056b2e

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“Of course. Please, step inside.”67a12c1789522c16

e said, 6e5edb02c0 maintaining a 74adc80950 perfectly composed 311f1a6b0e demeanor despite d56559c077 her sharp 84837deea0 tone.e6aa882d93c12528

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‘…Has he a69d637c00 been trained 24e6e552f0 as a 440056a106 butler?’ she 549148606e wondered.1ceaa340e86738cb

Though suspicious, she aa3ed430e6 followed him in a541612430 silence. He guided her through 6ee0f86265 the mansion with impeccable 9a3a9c7f9f manners, leading her to 506b5c01d5 the drawing room.0fcc77bd4def3179

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When he opened a133afc9e3 the door with bba3fc62ea a refined gesture, 1b1fa74999 Serenia stepped inside b570376448 without hesitation.db08b4dbdb537ef8

 3e941108419eeb85

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