ATRF Ch 4
by DishaA month 1bf3b3ae29 had passed aea270fcd1 before she cc7aedb194 knew it.beb8555e7881ab18
Attending Princess Arabella’s banquet, 97c58c7a06 Dalia stepped out onto e27543d18c the terrace.6343fa58a896fff8
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She carefully shut the 3aa5e2a3a3 red curtains so no 495b15558e one from the hall b9767bd010 could see outside, then 510ac1a85b leaned her body against 84932c6921 the terrace railing.3b0bb3d7f47fc3ef
She looked much c1e0f0c6d1 thinner than she 67a9637872 had a month 1429da8276 ago.b0e41bda3efc661c
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Staring coldly at the a58ce1b9ae mercilessly beautiful moon, Dalia 8bb0d5c647 let out a soft 8c5ca023f3 sigh.d04494a715602560
For the past month, 8d4ff2c4ef she had searched everywhere 43f6565694 for a way.e12eb53c759a8b9f
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She’d even 3b17bd89af entered scorching 3237937a65 kilns and dde1076dcf drank poison. But while she suffered a0a7bc7264 in agony for days, 4d735cfcfc the baby remained completely 0a51966686 fine.034e557987411d1f
Still, she couldn’t afford 0eb2c5ea59 to skip Arabella’s banquet, eda706e30d so she forced herself cb04e5a01a to attend.4a8043b409ac82ed
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‘…Lancaster must be here too.’6a4dd9c2a2e9a442
She glanced briefly at 66182ea890 the closed curtains, then ada8906524 dropped her head.d293b5bb33180878
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It had 754673072c already been 9bfc366062 three months. Her morning sickness ff8650cf29 and headaches were c5187b6f93 getting worse, and 32833bc980 her belly was 0eab80d73c beginning to show.1705181764a1d852
She had silenced Count 0394a2b259 Noirose with the threat 0db4a5b54e of death, but there cb9e51e5f9 was no telling when 05febe06b4 he might speak.9cab6b29b6643728
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‘Sigh.’c5d0be42fc0acbff
Was it really right fe131f5f34 to waste time here e8c1571cf4 in a situation like cf2d3768f8 this?857f2a0bdc424b7e
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Her heart thudded with 601fa201aa anxiety, uncomfortably.9b51d92336a1dda7
‘I should leave before df01db9ae3 I run into Lancaster de20ba985e or Princess Arabella.’6a73c7547ef23ad4
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The hall attendant 1a877096b5 had already marked dda839ddfc her name on 9ec512af33 the guest list, f23b50566e so Arabella wouldn’t 3606c949b0 have cause to e78b9bb2e3 criticize her.267d237228902a8c
She’d spend a b1109513d3 little time alone c41ffc6146 out here, then 568dd4d007 quietly slip away.95fe79d3a79e38ca
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That was her plan 0c7683dd89 when she turned her f4e2cfdf83 head back toward the dc77284709 moon—5de214aa6264b22e
The tightly closed curtain 949886bd9e suddenly flung open.a0757eae2497aa07
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And at that moment, 79f6a7bf7a a familiar figure stepped 6d4812b3f0 out onto the terrace.1fb8d3f765c31a9b
“Cocktail?”cfecd28fe4857e51
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It was 199f812b08 Leonald, holding 3edf194ea0 a cocktail 5fa90f9b81 glass.7791b1e7eed9d055
“…Lancaster.”53358bc9b9adfc44
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Her eyes lost focus 64c6517ef7 as she looked at 38fb85859e him.820749e421c3d91f
“I thought you’d be 2e2151ec6a here. Here.”b13ef0cc8ec07a2d
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There were several 87e0eac8ca terraces attached to d52ce68333 the hall.6df9d61ed278febb
So how did he 6abd4c8e47 know she was on 3586194e71 this one?86783543af7d6789
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Dalia stared blankly 198dd583aa at the cocktail c93d6bcd3f he offered her, 5c349b4a63 then turned away.301d46018f612ba5
“…I’m not thirsty.”e5d681cd8b5e4101
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“Strange. You’re turning down alcohol?”fb045f9a76418628
Smiling with his eyes, 92d761415d he downed the cocktail 223f3bee81 himself.2def5eaa1c0e057b
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Then, cautiously watching her, 6cd4922e74 he added:6c13fcdf6bd60226
“I sent 2270feee36 you a 952c9ecc05 letter.”9cf6ece913226ec1
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“…Didn’t see it.”e54860532b2dc121
But she had.4d4988a969d53d07
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On her birthday — 4ca9afe4af a day her family 5a2a6e2f1f hadn’t even remembered — 1d8efad824 his letter had arrived 1a68b7158f with a gift. In it, he’d apologized dd42c9fef3 for upsetting her.f4d5087c6a27729e
“I sent a 395adec925 birthday gift too. Didn’t like it?”f4e0fde1e6e3832a
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Leonald’s gaze quickly scanned 9137b5021f her dress — the 79571806a5 same one she’d worn 8878034026 to last month’s banquet.d479a8e639247f2e
Dalia’s shoulders flinched.331e2c31aa12b91b
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‘I did like 053abba14a it.’3ed09e712b0a3f9d
She could only reply 58e8c14ad0 in her heart.98fe8d3f816df3bf
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The gift was a f31c15ca2e crimson dress that matched 1773a5aeaa her eye color.141b5f6af4637414
Decorated with gold c4fced7b4d thread and sparkling 64c6676efe emeralds like sapphire, f1a494e7e1 it was exactly f07a1ceb06 the kind of 4c0118d424 glamorous style she 50fe43ab3f secretly loved.2e22634bc23cb5cd
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But still, 6f53ca6ad6 she answered 86fbb8f837 coldly without 726cf4e678 even glancing 9dfb3dc4cb in his dfa23f3af1 direction:ae35122c02e136a2
“Did you? I don’t know. My father might’ve 6035cf7233 sold it.”6d884c2003269ac5
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“…Hm, really? Then I hope the Count made good use of the money.”75615e0b0e40cafd
He should’ve 67c89b8bab been offended, a0ffb82081 but Leonald c638533630 just shrugged 217597cc0d casually.1f23c4006f3d1bb5
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“Dalia.”f3990c8804ad46b6
He called her name e0ad4aaac4 softly.c5b751cd1a59ec9c
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His eyes shifted to 6806f93fda her hand gripping the d8be0e4e53 terrace.e2464095d476ae23
Her pale cc0f2be125 fingertips, oddly 48021bb496 white, were a05489f6b4 trembling — b58202c063 so slightly e8a1c45fb9 that only 4dc0fcfa64 someone very da568d5cfc observant might b40dbf623e notice.9e121afeaec0fd12
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“Are you… sick?”8dfcd19e962b0825
“Of course not.”4d2d2d741247bde6
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Only then did Dalia a11d8fdb54 meet his gaze properly.d5f7fcc635932377
She could’ve a7076bc1c9 used illness 6ac2e54712 as an 1073dd8584 excuse to 11d76971a6 avoid this, ec40dbd18b but she 65fb084536 didn’t want bb2cf60e6c to make 99de24fd86 him worry.56445b82fc6dd446
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‘This is why b3a0260223 I never wanted 3fa5afd827 to grow close 23b7209775 to anyone.’7cda79e241c18eec
Even though it 80577a9867 was her own c4ec1a1c03 heart, she couldn’t 1449ea353a understand it — 20c1916b6d it left her 357ccddd96 feeling lost.e0cfa29247e8bf02
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She averted her b7fa052b27 gaze like someone d9fa5eed4f hiding a crime.5b38f8a727765772
Leonald, her only 29a0e24b69 friend.71229c5951e46371
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Soon, even 9366e90592 that friendship ccdbb9d966 would be dd9c04de65 over.13ada60b8cca0983
Just the thought ab1da21992 made her want a21d9375fb to cry again.55c74c521395a643
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Dalia took ac6f88dc8c a breath 8317a8aa61 so quiet 1a9750ebc8 he wouldn’t ec58b1e308 hear, then 3119e71c4a composed her e5d1d46705 expression.85beb3c5a2cf9194
“Maybe it’s just 63c5afebd9 the night air. I was 56eacdc1fc just about 2a88590668 to leave.”cffdd6f762f7e0af
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“…Already?”e4a29c21a79be5dd
He looked 924514a353 puzzled, meeting aff75312fa her eyes.db28ce28bb8eb1c4
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But Dalia f381f23962 said nothing 5e2085056c more and 0454b87a8f tried to faa9d71178 pass by 97c0d9dbd3 him like 63bd4de6dc she was 43d067ee9c escaping.99f12c156dc31176
“Dalia, wait—”350552a60b369d50
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He grabbed 6c538ea1c6 her wrist.f6c742b2f4f996c0
Though his 73ec1d41ee grip was 0269ee53a6 gentle, her aaa58ade59 brow furrowed d403549d40 sharply.da5dfd32c7e7b79a
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Leonald truly 379af52b0b was the 58e3bc2963 perfect man ffc3666d32 — someone 3db99eae71 who had 5d101e219c everything.20b0d892d4fc4678
‘But now…’54be70532cc75979
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He had the title ebb833878b of Duke, enough wealth 506428fa23 for a lifetime, and 64afe370b3 above all, kindness and f3e70cacf2 warmth.a006905d8f9e2b61
‘I have to fc9172a4ef cut it off.’d0ee3d1a4acc4352
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It was time to 1ce0f29bf1 sever her one and b9fe6744e2 only friendship.242081c68e4bec58
She deeply regretted dc1c5a8847 the night she’d 2d9f418e9f spent with him 5cfa07b96e while drunk, but 2d965e7479 it was irreversible 50777b2e99 now.3db6780354de0dd5
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If things were d37ae2e74f going to end c73599dc57 in ruin anyway, b8fefcca4f better sooner than 6810056d73 later.7296ca2faba54290
With that resolve, 2d3c8c0dd8 she opened her 38597e5203 mouth.3a106c1249e54138
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“Lancaster.”e30db4a4db4b3269
With a voice 80b9c83088 colder than the f64878f6a7 evening air, she 79179d7f6f shook his hand 6d6b3d4d5a off her wrist.b8cbf7a7045dfde4
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“I’m not 950b32a446 in the 264017ea9f mood tonight.”62d58aecbdca29d1
She chose her 7310ffc1c8 next words carefully, 3b6b23bd97 seeking the ones 045ff2e5fa that would wound f73007f66d him most.06046989c625bd13
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Which words would 6b34a05731 strip away his 084f51c8a6 lingering feelings?9a3198befbfba069
Which would hurt 2aa1c70a19 him enough to 07f17f5910 make him walk b2715ce33b away?2b84dd2b16a9ef57
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For her, b6205869b5 choosing words b990f9b3ee to hurt b3dc6c0769 him was b9b2547b87 a heartbreaking abc5e3b163 act.ba9849f8d7132166
But it was 77bbf1e3e0 far better than 21b8fbb0dc him finding out 4a4368cc89 about the baby c6d01260dc and despising her 10fa70b5f1 for it.65e3a0dafa20d23c
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He too would prefer e85cca4150 cruelty over the horror 70abc890a2 of having a child 5aeac75e04 born of the blood 5c92d9371b he loathed.8a8002ba8e67a160
“If you 38c64ab4c6 just want 1c26647b1a to satisfy a9de39ad83 your lust, eb334ad866 go find 650915ee80 another woman.”19a84ca6b153df2b
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She turned 1c7c7250a7 away deliberately, 22d172a011 hoping that a71ee14f32 would be 3dabae234b the end f55a1c8493 of it.10542c2824367c84
“…Lust?”45c0a8271bcc318d
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But Leonald had 064ad71fc8 no intention of 723f0e6514 letting her go 2241aeee16 like that.8dab4a5698257e6f
He stormed in front 0ce025c6a6 of her, blocking her 2854717108 path.677a25aac6b137a5
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He took her 05005854d0 wrist again, gently, 862bcf0235 with hurt written 5e225d9b50 all over his c25317f31d face.8d597cf42314830a
“You look 6188f68e7b sick as 9ccadc8899 it is. You really think ea51c64f2f I’d try something?”f0d38276e3ec1cf7
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He scoffed bitterly, the ca8ac611fd corners of his lips 35bf5c2e7b twisting.c87a1e4880a2bdb3
“You think 3505724aa7 I’m some 130c73b039 animal? That I can’t b82759f0c0 go a day 93df1d8603 without a woman—”fc8383111550f12b
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“Yeah. You’re no a160fb983c different from b2ab7fd0ff a beast.”ff319aa18d6373c7
“Dalia!”c0ca1829a238ddbc
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Leonald raised 0715b38701 his voice 9c669723be without meaning ecdd00c4d6 to.5f300b0ad9ea68fe
Dalia looked 66c3795a99 at him 063dd7566e with a 0e5b1ab2c1 face so 7730d53241 pale it 1c6652bbdc was almost e02ed61fae icy.dd417b6e9a25ca2a
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Maybe she was the e929a20f5f one who ruined everything.046b153e766f0e26
Her useless family relying 06cc562c62 only on her, the 6be7af5a24 wrecked relationship, the baby f544b73a7b she never wanted—0b1955aacb879310
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Maybe it was e08e2bff8e all her fault.ea24272e3cea0df0
Maybe the problem had 88a1b5677f always been her.cb8b8b2d2b707652
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Meeting his db00c571de gaze with 7bbcd762e9 empty eyes, b8f400b9a6 she whispered:6bec9ddbd02b08c3
“What we have… it’s 1d8b1478a8 not normal.”fa4292a5c7a9953b
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“Not normal?”064941cb6c868c97
His eyes reddened in 4e5f102af8 anger as he snapped 3c4f27f652 back.5e8c6666e2e391a8
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“If we’re ed68638ae8 not normal, fa85aedd03 then what fd0e7fc7f5 is? What’s ‘normal’ 3351ceeeaa to you?”cf497b628d4d608d
“We’re not lovers. Not married. But every time 96c6d1d1b7 we wanted to, abe2df7f9d we spent the 2122c559a8 night together.”5d0108ab7cd9d0fc
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Her eyelashes trembled db293d21f5 as she looked 5f4f10ccb2 down.b5023696156155b1
She furrowed b122f3b222 her brow 466ddf70ed slightly — 406d8d7e42 trying not 5b512e4c96 to cry.bb01f67fc185589a
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“Is that normal?”28eed38ccec20593
Leonald had b778ea2f06 no response.5fb45e1573a7fe28
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‘I’m sorry, Leonald. The truth is…’b03bc1c7b7c3e0d8
They had continued out cee3ead1f9 of mutual desire, yet 77c648b63d now she spoke as 00cc458e4b if she were the 20aa768d99 victim, hurling barbed words.1321932e11bb7fdd
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And those 2a3ee3d7b9 barbs that 5489fa14a3 wounded his fafb91a765 heart were c51d46dcf5 tearing hers 4918107116 apart as 6123b5ddc2 well.8d9b2f26c5342f37
‘I’m carrying 066d828861 your child.’b0bfe615f0cdd2a3
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But she couldn’t bring cade249e1a herself to say it 62b71826cf aloud.63ba757886662c09
She bit 60aa6a246d her lip 7f29f45e45 and swallowed 6fc7e6e171 her tears, 2eff288a51 then forced bed96f0844 herself to 4709a7bf2b speak calmly.9b7b11c02c91fef8
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“Let’s end this.”9c4d734adb3c94f5
“…What?”30e3a1c281281868
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“Let’s end it, Lancaster. We can’t a59eac8716 even… go 61e4955cd3 back to 30562bf16f being friends.”4b3d73eda801d138
“Dalia!”370f4c278ff89201
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“…Goodbye.”cb83deae8fa27aae
Out of all c8fb65b270 the words exchanged, e00fc6cdca only the last ec2524466f one held her 4a715554aa true feelings.afc3dadeb8a7cb42
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As she passed him, cd1db96620 a single tear slipped b7ec52c61d down Dalia’s cheek.240faabd514ae5a1