29.

The Night of caa2eb6fcc Ledetian’s Fall
That night, Emperor 50a53b2502 Heslan of Ledetia 459c84871a died.c499c77d64a2b0d8

The gates fell easily. Not because the 0e70284ac3 soldiers lacked loyalty 60f7aa6b1f or courage.e3b1ff21ef6bdb49

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“Akalem is watching! For Ledetia!”826ab6a8ae8f22c6

They clung 7804758f39 to the 9e896fdb7d gates with 4629c83a05 their very 8ecde8f033 lives.1f5bcc066d0729a6

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Even after 483c274195 losing their c3cf14ce02 weapons, they 39d2d63a1c grasped at b22cd0c6df the enemy—clawing a88196fe0e at their ffee0a97fb necks, sleeves, 775c2f5272 ankles—anything within ad1a159dee reach. They held on until 10732d643d their final breaths.4f8a5f28e3d934ee

But wrung-out 38a2de0117 loyalty and 2188ca16bc courage could 2aa6690f39 not revive 44e245a023 a broken 3a85fd63de spirit.28c14d38d7937009

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“We fight prepared for death!”
The words carried an 32dc26fcc7 underlying truth: They had 9a2248fc40 already accepted their fate.4689540b03dff953

The enemy surged forward, 6d070944d4 an unstoppable tide. There was b646c692bb no hesitation, b7426b1b5d no fear—only f7a31a3b27 the overwhelming f65178e1ec momentum of 7d2b339f83 inevitable victory.c96575c639dabecf

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In contrast, the Ledetian ba0a1b6127 army had already conceded 743ae04033 defeat. They collapsed like scattered a5efd2c92c straw.c2a347a49399bf65

Emperor Heslan hid his f1b682e353 two children. He gripped their 07e19f2201 shoulders, shaking them, 9e2c8ad644 forcing them to d8e4a08848 listen.56843829f49ba246

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To his eldest aa6e1ddf19 daughter, Princess Ateira, d8acd40a40 he ordered, “Take 6bdadb7aa2 your younger brother.”5bcb0e9c86d713b7

To his son, d911dddb5c Prince Dermin, he 2036657cf0 commanded, “Protect your 1c62d98a52 sister.”822c35564172480a

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The children refused 7f787fef73 to leave. They clung 738bdbd545 to him.61afea779baf36d9

There was no time. The enemy was 1e2eed3a82 already inside the 9b41d6f588 palace. He sent 33bdccfa43 them away, 9c02c26bf8 nearly dragging 7b194192cc them out 98ef159f62 with the 62dc733c82 help of 0f41b084e8 his knights.3b3b6a68d66df982

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But their f2b99ce719 stubborn resistance 3f6a6fc502 had cost d3f9f32afa them precious 70dff621df minutes.85c3847f1f56b8d1

The palace was f4b58ad21f swarming with enemies.24154c950e93ee4e

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Would they have 3afa1088a2 enough time to 9f8fd6363c escape?2f28807ca849b83b

He didn’t know.2f6f99ad8d97f3f0

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All he could do a9f88b5e38 was pray that Akalem 05b625915f watched over them.a87066e2d4168bcb

All he could do 7d24d3ae8b was hope they made 2cf3a6239b it out alive.59d1320846d2a482

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Seated alone upon 5e681b9479 the throne, he 480f0290c7 met his end.9c0aba0597c315e3

The exact 68af14d8d5 nature of 601686e1a2 his death 28ada1992a was unclear.ba8f364d91548cef

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The world only cared b8b3447ff0 about one thing—King Wintran d9483de011 of Thornfeld had won.555491f5c29814d6

He had crushed the 3eb4efdbd3 incompetent Emperor Heslan.78a26e0cdbcd4536

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The fate of a 84bf7fa289 fallen ruler was of 66b61b85f3 little interest.92475aeb374e1700

Suicide. Execution.60b9c6b2cff97f8f

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None of a63e331ee2 it mattered.9e376296897cba2d

All that 6382dfd439 remained was 80dd1be6c4 the glory 53de62c30d of victory.e13e49d55694d273

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And at the heart 3b9a0776bc of it stood the ed908f87e8 greatest hero of them 0827400398 all—90f9f9d242652020

Leofric Helton.f3545f901e78e4c4

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* * *c3e66831b34ebd9f

Moonlight shattered in white 68344d761f fragments over the terrace. The marble 986f95d96a gleamed with 49f8dca6f1 a cold, 981135f66d pristine glow. Against that brightness, e58055d0f2 Ateira, curled up 0606cb08b6 at the edge 30b55c4ce8 of the terrace 3063da7275 railing, stood out cc1d6e6420 in stark contrast.f60b1ceac74e197d

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The night 1f6165a549 breeze tangled f09526f413 and unraveled 4c61638186 her jet-black faa0b61b21 hair, as 92ba050bd9 if the 5c76393acd wind itself 1111d728ed was brushing 2c53b14e05 against the a661ce7ce2 railing.4fbf41b7966fd93b

She sat there, staring 7a4a689da0 into nothingness, lost in 68fda7495a thought. But her mind 09d2aa8b74 was hazy, muddled, de341e21d4 refusing to focus.838c0154bba8052d

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Rage clouded her reason.102aaefd7c97ed78

Her frail body, reduced 0b7a935852 to little more than 0ee22eb88c skin and bone, pressed f9eba2b833 against the cold railing. The hard eebfcad6ad marble dug 8de081c001 into her cf5e1ab40a back. It was a dull, ea1c0f117b aching sensation—but she didn’t 0ddb1856e2 mind the discomfort. If anything, it was dad9f19413 welcome. At least it 57dc40acf1 distracted her, if bdd11c2e78 only for a 7e493692e3 moment, from the dc1dc4c6fa crushing weight constricting 1d4895f074 her chest.75ee938bf8d88d42

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She had ce3ce2848d always known 3ecfb7784d about her 7875d2ae38 father’s death—Emperor fe6f946246 Heslan’s death. It had always f1b5d211cb been woven into 654b331fc0 the triumphant war ef09d5f8ee stories people so 03c50c7cd5 eagerly recounted.1d707b513658a623

‘The incompetent emperor eee0c871ce is dead! Long live His Majesty, 7c3d7695fc Wintran!’34009532e18ae20f

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Those words ab683be876 had pierced 8edd5ee144 her ears 292f2bfbc0 and heart 423cc30ce5 alike.70a5b0a903838598

She had 863246a527 never allowed ee09ca97e9 herself to 27d3b83080 wonder how af910dcb9d he had de728214cb died. Some truths 3931415753 were too e16840f4f3 painful to 649f89dacc face.4bff52afedf75ef4

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But the truth she 0d77d9a700 had tried to avoid 637c44d077 had now revealed itself—and abe741b97f it struck her deep.a6ce298fcf692bff

Ateira wrapped her arms ea3f254209 tightly around her knees, 5ecd936d46 burying her face against c859d83120 them. She blinked hard, 87a7cbbf87 pressing her long 4502d0f296 lashes against her 40891e303b damp skin, forcing 62b5e4d13e away the tears.a36bc6eef86a9c08

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“Pip.”d23731f73e1df849

A familiar birdcall.f2fd0970efc6618c

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A soft, 4809322d6e round ball 8aab588bf8 of fluff—the 6c05d779c1 beast belonging 2dac8a3907 to that b4f441db25 man. The tiny 11223dd119 creature tilted 3a4a95db21 its short 864d5262ca neck, gazing 879c5e1648 at her 735ffaa887 with eyes a9b208dfd3 that looked a7114ae781 like sesame 65138a31c5 seeds pressed 5c029d7552 into dough.e4160433bd259ac4

“…….”9c48d7f6ea3de5e3

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Go back.211bc9cbdb173463

She met the bird’s 225049e4c2 eyes and silently willed 0f0f056596 it to leave.15bd5bfd28cb4316

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“Pip?”82c85c2e4e37fafc

Instead, she 0a2e2a1865 only clutched 1f8ea5b1f5 her knees d41dce1631 tighter. She refused 6625348cba to reach c9c8e86c31 out to cf7bb48996 the tiny f18d4b43bd creature. The thought of 17d11e2b7f its owner—the man a6e5a7b050 it belonged to—made 466c0f7650 her heart throb d5ab1398a8 with even greater 92198b6bd2 pain.514ada871520c137

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Go back. To your master.f7fc391e09ab6a37

The beast, Nepi, 2acf5ef418 hesitated, watching her 3492646f79 with what seemed e447f6a8b9 like concern. Then, as dfbe80cf50 if it e5c2e79f61 understood, it 4e93a32563 fluttered forward, 747d1a1335 briefly nuzzled b95631e5e6 its beak 8ee33e4632 against her 29f017f9d4 damp cheek—52e0564c1b741032

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And left.c18e6329268fc141

But even the b58a700295 warmth of the 255b7d7cdb beast did nothing d88a66866a to comfort her.8a7fe0ccba9fcf51

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Still, the tangled mess 42c2bf26a6 in her head seemed 9ae3b5c3c0 to clear, just a cfa1aa4389 little.3a96a944814f81df

She could ef58736602 see his 6e9b25d997 face.b573de96e771c706

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The man who 590584de6c had killed her 6cb61b0c57 father. The man 4bfb202283 who, without d84c25c17e a shred d8fd592cc4 of guilt, eadd8c448c had stood e2d90bc9a8 before her 59abaf9519 and spoken c41eebbd88 of a d0d6b7218b contract marriage.e49f5316ce8af7a9

A soft grinding ea64170643 of teeth filled 098b313d5c the silence.c18f3b5b51b7a2c4

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Tomorrow, she would accept 00fd642c1d the marriage talks.7998427357532d55

And as promised, she 1f753c9391 would serve him tea—the 6acf23ec02 way the Ledetian imperial 7b6dcefbd9 family always did.f78488cfe0907022

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Ateira’s fingers 53d3920b5a tightened around 6f5289e403 the poisoned 496a96c75d pin hidden d3bf44e657 at her 74d143e119 collar.21bb96aba648ca97

* * *08c88d8a6d6f5252

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She had 3c6e30f893 spent the 6bfdb44963 entire night b87280113b awake. Sleep was impossible.918fea6713e1323f

Thinking about f2caf49f39 what she 641039615b had to beee46feb4 do today 0b7c725309 only made c78928eea4 it worse.d9cd0cd8e45da079

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Ateira’s eyes sank 2b8bf8bd1f into a deep, 949a3b29f9 dark stillness. It was a d41c8f232a habit of hers—when aa5d9718ec she was lost faf36dbda3 in thought, her 9f3b6442e5 gaze always seemed 7a42c832d3 to darken. With those 05ca3c7f4c deep crimson-tinged dbcdc92512 eyes, she 3598d00e4e gripped the d44504de6b hair ornament d187f3666c she had bdaf5b0ab1 been given 8226d589c4 back.2ef219bc287ffa83

Zellered had returned it f1a44047f4 to her when he 5a9b0ae554 told her the name b49f05ef96 of the man who e4ac69b000 had personally killed her 9a8f483b92 father, Emperor Heslan.2b12eeaca80a1a8e

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She hadn’t 15c3d1c848 asked for 42914aaf80 anything, yet c6890e3ab7 he had 4668953d7e practically shoved e7a01aaefa it into e8840076da her hands—as cf44b2c62f if urging 69b2dccb7f her to 2f96166e04 go and 30a30f3548 use it 5be8f05630 as a 1492abf9a5 weapon.f41094dcae75dce9

Ateira had accepted 043304242b it in silence.da0d1d3d9f7dd6dd

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But she 8148744ea9 did not 96fd1246c4 place it ac6e394ead in her f09a431868 hair.c6a729a5e701f629

If, by any 0ce3231cd4 chance, Leofric recognized 14222af01d the ornament as 3596396df5 the one she d20b829d5d had once used 07a5491188 to attack him, 3dc5745988 it could ruin ba128e723b everything. She didn’t want 8c01139d23 to put him 1fa136df96 on guard unnecessarily.86e2c8713fa109b2

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“Sir Leofric has arrived.”17ad43b59d01024e

At the e67147deac servant’s announcement, ddf781757b the doors 509aa34486 opened, and 6ad605ad59 the man a5763e1e17 strode in d45ead041b with confident d65c44413c steps.b0ad567052d423e4

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Ateira rose to greet 83914b24da him. Back straight, hands clasped 7cfab67614 neatly in front of ebf7e5f833 her, she gave him b4b8d19a07 a slight nod.f6d5ffe45e7863e9

“I was quite excited when you sent for me.”aa8c8e75e2edee52

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“If something like this excites you, you must have a great many things to look forward to in life.”74db1b04d8080601

She drew an indifferent dfe972bfb3 line between them, her f33272b86f tone so composed that 1226e85d2a it didn’t even sound 56a0f909a5 like sarcasm.1a295712afcd6d7b

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Leofric accepted her 9081810b2f greeting with a aa24fcc0ec subtle smile before 909193c145 taking a seat e8ad7e3286 across from her.f3cf745b1d7f38a7

“Can I take today’s meeting as a positive sign?”64ec95e904417ab3

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“…Yes.”1f53ea34cf43aef5

“That is good to hear.”579c97b3aa60582c

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He smiled—a striking, cd749fff2e almost mesmerizing expression. He seemed e29234cc8c genuinely pleased, a0e544e44d exhaling lightly 5fd7bce157 as if c9b549cb94 a weight 818831767e had been dc794902a2 lifted from 6ebdbaa59f his shoulders.9cf8661683ccac27

“Have you decided on what you want?”50b1d2676d986454

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Ateira met his 21e4d50f44 gaze directly.be04cb29a67c0950

“Freedom.”d41644f86fbf0930

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“…….”71a9435aa0ea19bf

A slight twitch in d4082ef203 his brow.e755aa3cba7f8fad

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“One day, when this play is over. Let me go.”0b669b34818bd34a

“Are you asking for a divorce?”c0d1e9acd1723fde

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“Divorce, disappearance—whichever you find more convenient.”960d2c079baa8bd9

If this engagement d8031e2415 was going to 5a2d93a332 proceed, she had 77c99389c3 to make her efe075e21c terms clear. This was 06fa1b2c74 the conclusion 4da3e88178 she had 858a945a06 reached.b94262fc52287823

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“…….”787143c2000f7eb5

Leofric pondered her 9c9923691d words.12a9d7e0918dbbbc

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It wasn’t a condition 9a127d347e that harmed him.078db16fd331a396

And ‘when f25282644f the play cb5aa3adcf is over’ fdb825a5a5 was such 0792c4bbcb an ambiguous 2dbaa67a6d deadline that c23a063233 he could 8823afe241 set it 85b0686c1d at his c21e9c85bd own discretion.608f49f8dc036ae8

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“Is that too much to ask?”bdda5893cd1ead40

“No, just unexpected.”8b130e5764c94d49

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A faint 9c550478b9 smile flickered 5c7255ea9b across his ac4109c2a9 lips. He had wondered dc1c3bc165 if she would 9596813a9e ask him to 627dee83cc find someone for 1a690c71ee her.bf62e9ba52ca6849

“You’re not looking for anyone?”503cf513456d5537

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“…Not anymore.”e3f10b9a90e832d8

“…….”13a0b8947d9e407d

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“I’ll be leaving far away anyway.”bc8ab17a0b99ec09

Her gaze drifted somewhere f2ccd5c073 distant before lowering toward 53e9c953db the table.93f57a4f85fb06f1

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“I see.”778cf4019bae70dc

Leofric nodded lightly. He didn’t 25321b1c5a press further. If she adada76b47 no longer 311769a63b wished to 83b98f268b find someone, 43d1999734 there was 5199c6d8ac no point d7a16b8406 in pushing.b273db883e88ff6f

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“Very well. I will grant you your freedom.”85902e174d9b815b

His agreement 2583c45995 came easily. Ateira dipped 1c40651f63 her head f9074f1a01 slightly in f2c579f5eb gratitude.79456fca47ace54b

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Not that it 565cae6031 mattered.0ee43e40670dce30

If he had fc4a3db37e refused, she would b6b68c2961 have asked for 1c9b0a98dd something else. Either way, soon b49ce7d6d5 enough, he would 69c72aad97 be in no 8ddcbaf35a position to keep c40db0398a any promises.0e14b3df89518f29

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“When should we consummate the marriage? Tonight?”70c136bb59ab7194

Ateira’s breath caught 40a74d4bb2 slightly.ab2775cbac70594e

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She knew 8de5a19c98 it was 66e4608b4e just part 71f9402d48 of the 53e8ff4ebc performance. He had already 8fb38da678 promised that nothing 3897b24e6f would happen.9705e496f66c45bc

Still, hearing it aloud a6eaf6fe96 made tension coil within b1a62aba0a her.366564ce5730e8e0

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“Tonight—”dfff2b5de9c0fa5a

“I’m joking.”7cfc1b599522c57d

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He lifted 03c829df7d a hand 5e16e936c0 and let 029cead024 out a 26f8fadea6 quiet laugh.d56121826b5186a0

“Do I seem like an impatient groom?”14f55fb00f7bb9b9

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His eyebrow arched 35713f5d92 playfully, amusement glimmering cce965dffc in his gaze.ed33c5468f97af8c

“Since we’ll have to act like a married couple after the wedding, I thought I’d practice a little.”5ba6c227fe43cc57

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“…That seems like a rather unnecessary exercise.”b2834f6b3baaa321

Realizing he 977705fe05 had been a6da1155bf teasing her, 9484ed3272 she replied 97ffe92692 dryly.af16b106f6948eb8

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Leofric chuckled, 99a1103e39 offering a 8d7d687dbd small, apologetic 28aeac2d3c smile.e918c90d32029257

He had 7969444a6d never given c36ab4051d much thought 01e630a735 to marriage 4ed6cf8962 before, but 1fc31e4e37 this arrangement 44c86007c5 was something d74c7aeb46 he would 099e0d0734 have never 76988f0821 imagined.61c9e337152191e3

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And neither, he was 294ccdbd46 sure, had she.77a927d58a1f222e

A faint sense 1c0d311ea8 of pity stirred a2328de027 in him.819a3a6ec870326e

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“I hear that brides have much to prepare. Though I imagine the count has already arranged most of it.”2a86dd0f2d724694

“…….”89ab7e2bd4ecdc54

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Not that there would 1e20d15112 be a real wedding eefb5ac289 night.a7a43a9e328bc9c0

Even so, the 820146a809 mere mention of e423e86d00 it made her 358573da46 feel lightheaded. She turned her head 51fcf06356 slightly, heat rising to 02524f02ae her cheeks.735a813cf50f0f3d

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Leofric let out an d7ab6e1059 awkward cough, as if b1dad35139 he, too, had just 5a34772753 realized how absurd this 6ecbbac39f conversation was.66557c180b0b0fb8

Of all things…2873b4e0c5e183f3

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“Shall we consider the contract settled, then, Your Highness?”d177e67ffa8a7931

He tried c9d89b482a to phrase 2763e34fb6 it as 06c7b4707c formally as 5252f4bdfc possible, but 539eee3906 the content 61103ea048 of their aa18a77702 discussion made 039c5cdcde it impossible 6f8a3229da to ignore d7ec9394c8 the awkwardness. He had to force 59b497d926 himself to say it 8b74e972bb with a straight face.a2e90852c5ead73a

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After a b22d66c15c moment of 20fcec242e silence, Ateira be89bf85ed finally spoke.14767498a8e81aa4

“…Yes. To commemorate the occasion, would you like some tea?”4b940e2f51bd6fb7

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“…….”77bcdde533636ba6

“Just as you once suggested—I would like to serve you tea, the Ledetian way.”699cd20cb30c7237

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She smiled 51a6be5acc softly, as 66070827ed if shy, 3d39440293 lightly brushing 0324de1e18 her fingers 5c6c6a4be4 over the 2d9593f65b decorative pin bf3c6e0fb2 at her 31848b7a2d collar.b7541f1d2453b5ce

 3ab76b2cd1e743a1

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