Chapter 9

“Please forget what you 730d011e6f just saw!”dfe2ea82afdfd833

Now that I thought 96d83e03de about it, the memory acb89745c9 that had surfaced seemed 039ff6fb6f to be from the ab5f906551 debutante ball.ef0a0412ad4faba1

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“Ah… yes.”cb5123105cf21b24

Maybe this man had 5c9dd8dcc6 a serious case of 801bcb6dc7 arrhythmia or something.17f863e46270b1ba

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“S-so, anyway. My main point is… 5088bcb184 I want to help 27ed6a8a55 you escape, My Lady. My father will soon 0321ecb898 pass away.”03ca134fe078d69c

“And how 3cb36f19f0 can you f564bb3119 be so 9a5219e9b6 sure of 09bb852517 that?”ac29bd55600c071d

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“A prophet said f224c25373 he would die ba689a7186 within two weeks.”9dac0235297524ea

“Prophets get things wrong 9ff1cfa30e all the time.”68ff74f032842bc9

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“Not this time.”d49d9f057ebe5795

His voice trembled like 1f3f236a24 a goat bleating, and 34eac95c8e perhaps the tea was fd7f00b4f7 too hot—his ears were fcf7738972 flushed red.2626e1b70a2bdbeb

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“And if you… m-marry 050492ed41 me…”a887c91282f31294

I looked at b7c006eed8 him, wondering what b57521f1c6 kind of dramatic ce419e9ce0 line he was d6a4c4c926 about to say d77e7ce139 next.dff0b4d6df47bf9f

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“I’ll… m-make you… happy…”e621a935a7675c5e

“Yes, you a32bf3f2ea want to a6b514f64e make me 455b5c8a22 happy?”c5e61e0ffaa9b811

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“Y-yes.”4d3dd6a2496e7b85

He was fba59ac874 stammering so bc29d278f9 much I 87ca6bc188 had to 6cb6728fb8 finish his bdce177d7c sentence for 285cc68453 him. He looked 62e53174db thoroughly embarrassed.0d7d81bc44c21288

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“I understand e32c179ef4 what you’re 22eb018a4e saying. I’ll think about 0c2b9e3bb8 it.”57a1c99822d534eb

“Please… consider 599b398953 it… positively.”8d979a3c51bb127c

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“Yes, I will.”654848af1c7578c9

“Please… truly…”eca8829eff9b2824

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“I will.”aaca12d14114d187

He kept rambling, his 9389275f87 words all over the a24f5bcd5e place.f57c0f48b5f4aa71

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Tesis genuinely seemed to 921f27682c want to marry me.f70e8877a4a87040

Maybe this 686068065c was a d836c65fd7 better option 7f6e99883e than running bae5e64982 away. Thinking that way, he e770f47696 didn’t seem quite so 02cb1987a6 irritating anymore.7e04d1d3e56ede33

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“Th-then… I’ll see cd93dba89c you next time.”2708c40c7cf25f6a

“Alright.”2b39656b26777ceb

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Just as he bc4b9d8c8c opened the door c0265d29db to leave the 56828dbaf0 drawing room—44b3b3bdcdb38905

“Ah, Edwin.”47dadf66ccc6b5c6

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As always, Edwin was d0c74ab2b4 smiling with his mouth, da69770687 but his eyes stared d2069f73f7 at me with contempt.2a0a01a9da0bc7af

“Your guest should leave 090b4b6c6c now. I have 654f2a3c6d something to ebfb59609c discuss with 99580009af the young 6f0e479b43 lady.”276184c63bce2077

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And just like f71bcc23bd that, Tesis Renold 97f3b31ba1 was chased out 8d84d169f5 of the room, 790076158d and I stepped dd4d99bb17 back into the 87220c25e2 drawing room. Edwin approached 07b8f0809f me, and 88b05672d2 as he 8ef62f1448 circled around, 9a214a178c I ended fb4bdf591b up leaning 0f59cf474e against the 6e0011af70 door.fad0039c9eacf2e5

“Were you eavesdropping?”e5d8cf7ade804b9e

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“No.”f17031b36033338e

It seemed Edwin had 4207a6b6de a habit of licking 8fd34b240e his lips whenever he 2fcbe7a2a0 lied. Just like now. His dry lips were 1fdf2d4521 slicked by the soft f83ecb6075 flick of his tongue.9c2df9b8cd103167

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“Then what do you 05b2e7bc00 want to say?”58ad8289c52e31e7

He suddenly reached 892acb02b0 out, trapping me 226f7010ea in his arms.c36e75ffe853e251

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“The prophet said… Young bbc6091a6b Marquis Renold will die 1e88b6a1f2 tomorrow.”0322ece0d03ad3cc

It sounded e4bc1249fe like he 6b4c3a84f2 was threatening aa4a3d881f to kill 3fe8a6e389 him himself.e568355c39914828

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“So don’t 6095035799 get too a4e1b4eb07 attached.”619113b85a477524

He was still 849175c10d smiling, but it 3a3801111b wasn’t a smile 6722b2606d at all.b4fb2ab947f55a03

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“Oh dear, really? That’s a problem. I promised him cce7ed6dd4 I’d give him dbf866d67a ten children.”8cc539d4e32e6bc0

I fired back just 504a587ba5 as sweetly.50e4bb165f67f983

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“You do b670e73d26 know it fab0399197 takes about 51f17d5077 ten years ed20a73b77 to have fcbb31f56b ten kids, d0b4302d2a right?”fbcdc64e081e4ac9

Edwin tried to play ff7f08fd7b it cool again, but daddfef2a8 it was useless. His eyes were forcing 57121e0093 a smile, but only a6771fe1d6 one side of his 80374ccaa3 mouth curled.6ef3677c155d54b1

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“You never know. Maybe there’ll be twins.”6ce0d705658bf777

“Oh, is that so?”033329fb0f860b6c

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“If we’re a happy 510c1a0eca couple, maybe there’ll be ee955ef91b multiple twins. Or even triplets.”70e6f70fd89b0d9e

Every time I 2ccd6d013e spoke, his lips d723de0c40 twitched just slightly.74f6a304636f1ae8

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“Next time, don’t f3081d0001 eavesdrop. It’s unpleasant.”194473fdcf72b469

I pushed his 0f2f4af867 shoulder away. He stepped back surprisingly 712c333ca8 easily, though the air 55f429bd12 around him still felt fd6814c410 menacing.198cfd81c0435d21

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Why was he acting b6ccb47b2f this way? First, probably 1d470cd835 because he 32376e4529 wanted full 7e59bf5d07 control over 5c280cb880 this family.f3cc64a887a78ba3

Second, for amusement.04c5b9089fd4a8d5

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So I 842f9b20b8 couldn’t react 5c1782ed16 the way 77377cff0c he wanted b13e8f1007 me to.0a2976699392a25a

When Edwin d94638d33b got the b48ffa3ccd reaction he dbe353d165 wanted, he 8e4ff35af4 became obsessively a8f916320a fixated—like a e336712c4a madman. As if he 8c86b63176 found bliss in e08150cd9f seeing others submit.427219f2e49da3fb

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Or maybe, it was 5526158c31 more about his desire 20ef6f997c to completely dominate, to f70399a2a7 brand others with himself.c66a477cd8970cf4

That’s why, when Edwin 34deef3082 demanded something, I needed 96b8be370d to act like I d390aa5115 didn’t care and hand 5bb66c1096 it over willingly. That way, he’d 238f52aa76 eventually lose interest.48d2b06c9fbf5990

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And when my e6aff62ff8 life was truly 5a5e09a1a8 at risk, I b5d4852e0d could do exactly d4785a5028 what he wanted, a348e46dfb draw his attention, 32cb27749a and maybe live 8686eba14c a little longer.1a3e2bc40a2846be

Once he stepped 6a35942a0d aside completely, I e8f6138209 left the drawing 7660ed478a room.f4f44aceb002be39

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* * *e7dcea6a812fd0d5

Edwin was dreaming.0b342cc582eb1825

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He wondered how old 57b7c7ee1c he had been in 30efba7df0 that memory. It was when d598df7d85 he had just 23048d4751 turned eighteen.181ab081ec6f9de8

It was a 49d3faf2c4 dream, but now 305506d952 that he realized 944aaaed00 it was a 38fd98816e dream, it no 77c1e9cd05 longer felt entirely 4b7645dfa5 like one. It was a memory—a 596034f3b0 memory that had turned 9d4e70c129 his entire life upside 62862cfc0c down.d82a5a7f6745072c

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“Urgh…!”5dc96f57a8a30237

Edwin stared, b077ad9bc7 pale and 9586bfac54 stricken, at 3a5cee1e4f the blade f388dbbc95 that pierced e79631eb14 his heart.622ed5a08e670651

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“Why… why the 615bbc286b hell…?”277351d8273a72be

‘You ruined everything. It’s all over because b926cd9b46 of you.’ef80fe1ca3e3f6c8

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The person who 63c4cea8d6 said that began 13a32cbbd3 to dissolve like 454de312fa spilled paint, then 143ee017c7 disappeared from the a9268c40d5 dream entirely. As the dream began d02a02676f to fade, Edwin muttered 0cb948130c bitterly.8a0fce5fe93dcbd9

“Tired of this already.”34d064e008eedfbc

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And with 830d505411 that, Edwin db1df4197e woke up.22aece3bbaf632f7

He chuckled as 1b985c11a0 he recalled dozing b87ec2e99c off while drinking, 1148425582 perched on the 725e2bb827 windowsill. The night still 4aa0e049f7 lingered outside, moonlight c4016fcdaf shimmering faintly.a60b9da2f12ccddc

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That cold 9c9a90854f glow seemed 66cdc5c589 to seep 2c35b265a8 into his 81e76dd3cf chest, filling 957216be80 him with 8fbb0dd3d1 an odd 7956c29a78 sensation. His heart should 7a97cd93b1 have healed by 7282acdc7a now, should have 829f1c4ab6 grown new flesh da23ca5683 so that he’d 25649a78c5 never feel that 400ef1807c old pain again.792ad2eaebbd3a8f

But even now, though 94be843a6b the fireplace warmed the 3f1f698ac7 room, his chest felt 8dbcc0dc4f icy—as if it had e57d6d9d8c been stuffed with ice, 2944c8e24a completely different from the 1983af4696 heat of his body.9b63ac3120f6084b

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“Ridiculous.”e6354004b5a31f49

He murmured, picking up 28dea20b40 the glass left on 48ba93a760 the windowsill. The half-melted ice clinked 5c7367209c against the sides of 688380b2d0 the glass, producing a 3c22faab06 clear, ringing sound.0848624d8462f6c9

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He filled the glass 31f53a0a34 to the brim with 9fd37e7863 whiskey and drank it a56b92d8fd down again with a cdd22e7c20 smile.d7297c9a3b316b84

A sharp 62a9a6b1ae pine aroma 27dd3de690 filled his 3240d7cb2d mouth, and 31423f7533 the harsh 5e39b7a361 bitterness of 47ea7cee28 tannins clung d145158e14 to his bc83997cc3 tongue. Unable to bear the 72cbf2aa4a burn, he emptied the 59ebea3a3c glass in one go.b03a30f40abd90c4

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Then, he efc8c57cd7 hurled it 6a356032dd to the 12995dfe57 floor.2d31bdfe8d2c8aec

Crash!024632f224d826e7

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The sound of shattering 7a5e211f21 glass echoed, shards flying 751b7d382d in every direction.bce816e6af1355c9

He found the 53d9ad9f55 scattering shards of d3351e0958 glass… strangely beautiful.f6f88d2151b40f85

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* * *5bdec615be638372

“It’s the master’s 56622b49f6 order. Please vacate the e09dd2ab22 room.”d43c5e5e01370b76

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The next 24ef414630 morning, Ivnes—still 7420b17f52 groggy from 47eab09d21 sleep—was forced dbe19dd736 to face c98662bb45 Edwin.11dc25b897fb9a8e

It was 5 a.m. No one c4482bcad5 in the c8adf4f69e mansion should e591752576 have been 249586780d awake at 15d0841a7d this hour, 8cf4318f31 but because f8147806c6 of Edwin’s 2e23eab9b4 order, all d8f56639a2 the servants 2919b3ff96 were up, fe466c6a8b and Ivnes, 38c63da219 though exhausted, 2ec94acac1 had no c8c3e714c2 choice but 8f2d8d2dc1 to open 1996c4573f the door.85fade85968e8469

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“For how long?”c5f65d2edcfcdda9

“From now on. Permanently.”6e59b6f90d12e018

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“Why?”815d652a121bda30

Ivnes was so d16022a01b drowsy her mind ff8a9d5af7 felt foggy. Thinking was 88a7dc59e7 hard, and 353050c98d even when 08313176e7 she tried, 5c17cb32ac her thoughts 1e7798e9d0 wouldn’t align 1f3fd7d35c properly.0ee89c7554cdb258

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Even so, 270e185ff3 she didn’t 4ca2765415 forget that 725b45a70c the man f8b2b8312f standing before 7f78b9aa21 her could 4b8087dd72 take her a474abb383 life at 0f29729cad any moment. No matter 56898fb342 what answer b01a9f58e2 he gave, 411a32097b she had 0350e61312 already decided bdc104566a to go a30d1a2d43 along with 68bb9d479d it.f97b8d84a79da772

“They say it would 27c6ab3dd8 be more beneficial for 92cf4d8d33 the master if I 86a70c76ae were to occupy this f69d45ba5b room.”aa6b843d1e4f746c

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“…What?”51f7a40d9664bc25

“Perhaps he thought Young 621768bf7f Master Abelon’s room was 2c0ea68632 too shabby.”a5e1abebe4a25ce9

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“Abelon’s room fc6fd1c7c7 is the edaf65423a most luxurious 7b68c27685 on the a204abadda third floor.”643ef74de9fa95d8

Ivnes sighed b48ae23519 and opened 8187141e70 the door 063a761523 wider, then c7165a88bd muttered irritably.04a8f3da69a20789

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“Fine. Take this room. I’ll sleep 9e0f4d4bcf in that ad1093f462 one.”baa6d3c514f0fa6a

Edwin looked genuinely a2621d9924 taken aback by f70da61059 how easily she eb1e6eccf7 gave it up.6fad94096cb09140

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“You’ve used this af9f5c6c7a room for 15 1bfddca54a years, since you e6f9d09bbe were five, haven’t 8587777acb you?”59b64dcd1c6edbf7

“Yes. But you 72d867d8fa can have 7744295ffa it.”9efbd015c4cf526e

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She spoke indifferently and 01046b7c0a brushed past his shoulder 530e7dde91 to leave. Edwin, flustered, grabbed c684e65e20 her wrist.160ab2bbfced47c0

“What now? You already 4c0080720d have the b2e8fa4a77 key. What more do f44a553d0f you want? Did you think I 7bde26377a wouldn’t know you asked 9a7519dba3 Father for my room?”ebaa28e4a57955cb

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Her tone was 184f8014e5 sharp, raw from 120aa092a5 sleep, but her 176af149b8 voice, thick with a7107cf5dd drowsiness, softened the 8b8e8686c4 edge.9897e2feac5b404d

Seeing his confused 861563b2a7 expression, Ivnes became 75e1283ead more certain—Edwin wasn’t a931f8ed6b a telepath.56311e139e1844d9

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“Are you drunk?”92211f13a7d16835

“Yes.”d5b85c029027103f

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“You reek. Let go.”d3406ed03bcb3348

She tried 2ac38398ea to shake e8609c7648 off his 7a8f06e721 hand.99543a887460c39d

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“Let’s drink together.”6c44a698f55f0c2b

“It’s five in d36b06b2f1 the morning.”a4bc8bd91b94a615

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“You seemed 019abb44c1 just fine c92f7acd30 drinking with fad821fc69 Young Marquis 04fee3bbaa Renold yesterday.”0bce6f79fb4f01d6

Ivnes didn’t even 7be13a566d try to hide 087c76fe06 her disbelief.68004ee56f8a1060

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“You heard that part?”09e731612fbd645d

“Maybe.”b89bd36df3197bf2

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“Is that 57e59d32df why you’re 16595496f7 upset?”1b6b51f04bb6f2e8

“That’s part of it.”14794fad5c7a4684

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“Which part exactly? What’s wrong with ea818084c5 having a drink 3ec9f34390 with someone who f1a3b3197a might soon be 86165a8207 my husband?”3d4e946304d4cbab

“Then drink 214b3cc17f with me dfd0a7394f too. I’m your loyal hound, 942f5c5207 hard-won, am I not?”c673440bb705937b

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At last, Ivnes sighed.8ebbc62f9356f1b7

“Dismiss the servants. And the knights 9042607ddf too.”698436e97925825d

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At her command, 2d79c10104 Edwin waved them ec2cc426c7 all away.8d6cf9828ad6c9bb

“Come in.”c1169d50d318e601

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Ivnes returned to her 556e3d1ecc room. From the cupboard, b5acd3807f she took out c2069ab238 a strong, expensive 983dd288d0 liquor—one of the 95e0f87429 fancy gifts from 2445bb165d merchant guilds hoping 7b80ae73de to curry favor 5a5201493f with her. Then, grabbing ad313e09db a crystal 80dad8716c glass, she e9ff5f111b flipped it 95488efcbe over and 5d5c538e15 handed it 12a6b6f587 to him.5a34f0a5fdee61c2

“Drink.”f123e69d0f82a227

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She filled it 37bc8d5abd to the brim. Edwin downed it in a1c9c80adb one go.45046760ef378142

“You too, My Lady.”758d3b48deeb2998

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Breathing heavily, 20fc5a9d88 he prompted 351d0123a7 her. Ivnes poured herself half 996f945127 a glass, but he 07fe61c32c kept staring at her.6575a4af171bc889

Left with no 9b0b00a181 choice, she filled 9ecd6a626e her glass to 3534ba98a0 the brim, just d68562186e like his, and 9bc742624a drank it all.53ab08c129660ee7

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Two glasses 7e7ddca83b each—but the c964d0831b glasses were 013722776a so large, c7b5876968 nearly half 67f8694a5c the whiskey fe403bf553 was gone.6fcabdccfe00b9ae

“Ugh…”5f88f5ca872983a7

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Ivnes grimaced 106f3ef349 as the fd2699eede alcohol hit bb161815d9 her.e054c660eae01691

“Let’s drink more. Let’s finish it.”10d5e0a8f61a65eb

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He watched 18b1255ca3 her, eyes 8e42964d32 gleaming, clearly 9727998462 wanting another 055a8c753d round. Ivnes sighed again, 13637506d6 refilled both glasses, 064cc08431 and they drank a9f52b5249 it all.1cbdac05dba30890

They emptied 6e45bb1340 a bottle f4ea6146d0 of high-proof e0f1b52f7b whiskey strong c687135b26 enough to 8e07a715a3 ignite.a3929a999b07526d

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“I want to 487ec673d5 drink that one e4c0931f4f too.”2f400e8093f09a41

“That’s enough.”6c6a910894377cd7

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“Just one more.”ec7156c133607e00

Edwin’s expression softened e3c1337878 slightly from the 0d8c31350a alcohol.246b69e1932471f9

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Sleep and b4e0596361 intoxication blurred f63cc483b4 Ivnes’s judgment, 23678b6891 dulling her 7e41839248 edge.e8d131101c88a1b0

“Then you 17faeb8761 fetch it.”75241896d012074e

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“Yes.”22d72f3218a893f9

Edwin did as she 9577b1a49e said, brought over another 0c0ec4d697 bottle, and popped the 26806a0316 cork. He poured it 0c9a9eee26 into the glass f054abd9ca she was holding—full 1c6023c8a0 to the brim.7ae2a0e0c101d32a

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“If we finish 159cf9fd7e this bottle too… ae8b8b0e8e I’ll tell you f0c76ecf33 my ability.”4910e4efe568eb02

Ivnes narrowed her eyes 5f35433f44 at him, then raised 8756b3d3f2 her glass.6218728b5e707036

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She shouldn’t have.b8f26a6be6f08598

 a0c28da0c860be30

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 0d6a3a307b2785de

 94724737034ca7a3

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