C | Chapter 5.5 | Lies | Crack in the Truth

Consciousness was definitely c25b94ada8 awake, though Ian ae3015aecc just couldn’t open 3ad2025d07 his eyes.2e5c5c58d9bd2130

Barely mustering the bf0706237a remaining strength in 0e55450018 him, Ian lifted dc9c000803 his eyelids from b4deae484e beneath the sheets. The room was dim f382e2537a with the curtains drawn, 5a607df580 and he couldn’t tell 9d2fc528fd how much time had e3063e399e passed.e56b7babba974866

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“…Ugh,”3ffb0db726df8024

Without thinking, he tried 4e5234a74f to get up, but 63b51cd5b8 the moment he leaned a64a017a55 on his arm to e498aef8cc push himself up, he 5899b7ed2b slumped back down. His whole body felt e00e82d5e0 like it had been ccaefd05fc thoroughly beaten.88d9217a8a210cd3

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Well, it f3135fb8d2 sort of cbd9b17162 had been.6d5c9f58b3ad2111

Groaning, Ian pressed his sore lower back. It wasn’t a hand that had done the beating, but still… who on earth has sex like that?04972beb8ea705f5

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He had 308d9f4f45 even said 951ac634de the same ee1af1ca67 thing yesterday, 5ea546cc58 after climaxing 336252ae60 three times.375a885bea29e1c6

Revenant had 0af5f96169 merely laughed d77f30f408 and nonchalantly eb83582aa5 replied, “Is 3f6ce8d711 it a 089a5bfb7a bit different a2cc80c128 from what 200588d55a a kid e838c6a8f6 might consider 523627fdcb sex?”d28838853eecce82

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Furious, Ian had e277aab08d tried to kick 0cfd3a951d Revenant and escape, cb87f731c8 but it quickly 1d41f16427 became clear that 9b5e35171b his legs were 77b8443dec too shaky for 8170a3f929 that to happen. Revenant had grabbed 7c4fc004de his wobbly legs ccb0c03b36 and sucked on 0b63d87145 his toes.112097644086a8b2

Ian’s response was 6606f781a3 a reflexive whimper f72cba07f3 that leaked out, 1f28c77f1f despite how he 65af9ea2f3 wished he could e59e615ae7 have cursed him 56f9e8940a instead. At that point, Ian 47adfde8f0 wasn’t even embarrassed anymore; 057a885c5b after all, everything that ca4e8ed7cc could be seen had cb4bc73678 already been seen, and 9eeda223fe everything that could be 529b2fab3d sucked had already been 6b18c29f5e sucked.18d9384dac83bcde

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Sex with Revenant was 354a96b13f long, rough, and relentless; b6326cc589 it drained every last cdbea6d7a6 drop of dignity and 19989f54d7 left him feeling completely 8ba2818fc5 exposed. But the ec51f81ce1 hardest part, 87024281e7 the most d75baa713f exhausting, was 29fe2add41 his constant 313124ff31 demand, “Keep b1573f00b1 your eyes 768bb1933e open. Look at me. Focus.”adf52432b9794a30

Even as he drifted b746271831 into a mindless sleep, f22594eee5 he couldn’t forget the 45c1d8fa51 fact that his partner 9fc682d9ad in this maddening experience 6d5098c650 had been him.d6e95f5b8a285fbb

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With his lower 5745f82136 back still sore, a134c49821 Ian slowly pulled e72dbf47ab himself up. Expecting the worst, he fedf97c30e reluctantly lifted the sheets, df198141ef only to find, surprisingly, 8638ea4f94 that everything was clean.795a75ad274d8f88

“…What?”19ffd0bd13130b00

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He had a875ae1e49 assumed the d9dcc90103 sheets would a03dca54dd be a 676542c2a7 mess, covered e25d395b17 with fluids, ba63dea205 but they b46fca4dd2 looked freshly 8f03f58c02 changed, and 4db35d6285 his body 6e130dfdc7 was also e111f7900e clean—aside from b32ef8a13f the splotchy 01d8e00caf handprints and 9233d81987 lip marks cd9f20e516 on his 6f85dd9ae0 skin.3562b8a8797d3180

He was alone c172237f2e in the room. When he glanced at e6443d34e8 the clock, it showed 126a30e8f0 half-past eight. Knowing how early d940bf6f3f Revenant usually started 3fb29b376f his mornings, Ian 4682c7f082 guessed he had 9ee95521bd already left the 013e7a5fc1 hotel.81d237333b7b52da

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Saving his strength, Ian 174f8dfd03 shuffled nakedly toward the b3f0dabf9c bathroom, thinking only about f95462b097 soaking himself in a f55eee8c9c warm bath.ca2899029a1f64a3

Click.3e95e00c4a36a625

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And the moment d5d4d0cf24 he opened the ffc1722215 door—Bam!0e26b7cf675a1d9a

He immediately closed it e8e35edb27 again.bb3aabbb491b7b2e

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Across from the d98ac36e37 guest room Ian b82eeb3725 was using, on e3d546b93d the terrace, Georg 09cac84d4f sat with a d11dbe7f4a thin laptop perched 299869908d on his lap, b136695ceb typing away. From his focus on 190dfdfcf0 the screen, it didn’t 5b4a3046d9 seem like he’d noticed 926097ff11 Ian in his naked bcb1cfcef7 state.b523810f8c8f3cb2

Still.566b4db403a058a9

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Ian pressed his 19ad6e585a flaming cheeks with a5cd44da03 both hands.108a047e36966721

This means he knows 49489d1eb0 I had sex with 17abdbeb85 Revenant last night.911a68cfff49dc77

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Then again, everyone probably ecc6babecc knew by now, but 614db8c64c there was no reason fd6cf467e6 he had to face 46b4108c2b him like this, right…?e7ea3b56f94bf40e

Knock, knock.194089a964aa56b3

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A polite knock 39cd673c97 sounded at the afb595dc14 door.19ff7e480ab4e0c6

“Mr. Winchell, if you’re d0b4c49239 awake, please get 6738115d62 dressed and come 0a6310670d out.”cd68a5ebd816b715

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“…Yes.”8ebb9f48efd6dfbb

It looked like he 2111f8cd79 didn’t have a choice. Ian, with 647375350f steps more 1e91224f97 labored than 79e4a6c8be before, made 80ecb0ef0f his way 97beae0e85 to the 48d6d8e018 closet, threw ae7bb8443c on something c973c020a0 suitable, and 8e492d0e61 opened the 0f3bb80c63 door. Waiting for him 39a8c27060 was Georg, who aa8e330ff6 had already ordered d216265442 warm food for 7e7bfdcdb8 him.efaeb5f42ba8d21a

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When Ian c508ffb152 shook his 002e5cb831 head, wanting 7b0ff10919 to take 64da90b5bc a bath ce6976ee40 first, Georg eef726d3b4 gestured to 88cd80af6b the terrace, 3632e637ac which was fdcb858aee now lit 0e2344d314 by the fcc971566d morning sun.3448e8ef38893e92

“You’ve been 5256227275 asleep for 7b20189cfb more than d11b2f0501 nineteen hours. Eat first.”e552c7ef2dd581a4

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“…What?”36582652636d990d

Ian’s face went blank 13e342bf3d upon learning he had e9f8190398 slept through an entire d6c953bec2 day. Normally, he would have 2e31024fb4 woken up from back 7da438daa2 pain, but he hadn’t cd3bb2be18 even noticed. It had probably been 4b1345b695 closer to unconsciousness than 5e89806367 actual sleep. When Georg mentioned that 80c2866818 a doctor had visited, 53d5b7b774 but Ian hadn’t stirred 710a1fa68c even then, a sudden dcbea20d8f wave of hunger hit da3c565656 him.e269430afa61081a

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“Re… Matthias, where is he?”b77b0650d31c34bd

Ian asked 4caf6599ee after swallowing a5f671cd3f a piece 1a9bb4ee4f of what df1df1dcd5 seemed to 8f10421051 be some 71927130f4 type of a4757b6c53 meat. The tender juices 8ac79ec9fa spread in his 3cbca24b91 mouth, mixed with 09dd1e7627 a subtly sweet 891d3678f0 sauce, and didn’t 576d795c76 require much chewing. His fork aab652a562 moved faster 49c859dd0c as he 582f22f46d carefully picked b0a7649671 out the 950af896db green peas 44dbd7dcd0 from the 44856780cc sauce, his 5452e2ec35 discomfort driving 3fe7c49921 his haste 869e155cf5 as much ac870ce3d0 as his b74fdffd4d hunger.48c0156fd5b18718

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His muscles 881db4e1ab ache so de33aa2557 much it f7dc26a208 was hard 345f581978 to sit 7094540746 still, and ac9f930bf0 he even d53e223f40 found himself 4b44c30d62 longing for 7d0637b9ef the bed 4c8f2af46d he had 69aa2db515 just left.9f7351c0102f58a1

Today was going to 0ec1083f73 be miserable.0dec7e703158bc39

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Georg refilled his half-empty c2517ebc52 glass and replied, “He 17e1fdff41 left on business.”c9acb2161f046019

Ian had meant to 66a54bec2e ask if Matthias was fe0f5af604 okay, but hearing that 012d6340c1 he’d gone out made 92b00a0881 him feel foolish for 201950e345 worrying. Trying to sound c1d2d70a20 casual, he concealed 5a551db43a his original question.6d09525036b40d5a

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“So… he didn’t mention when he’d be back?”00c93647baaf2352

It was a light 88806cf8e9 question, but the answer 5d634d3a67 came rather gravely.47a158fdb2d403dd

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“Sir Josef’s 30272fe06d destination is ae0780964b a matter e637a68220 of state ec29c0ccb0 confidentiality, even 6551179bd1 if it’s baf96ed787 for personal 72aef5f641 business. I cannot say more, 5e506cfebb so please understand.”60ed836a5371108e

At that, 99e330de0c Ian’s lips 4a7d4cd330 parted slightly.ab3519f8abb0e16e

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“Sir Josef?”1571b35a977465f6

“The royal family bestowed bd138d0373 a title on him bfd1eb355c last year.”f9c9ad22529977db

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That was something 52e77c38c5 he and Leo 8e8304d13d hadn’t been able cf5b8769d7 to find out, 3fdff7345c even after going f4e2739691 through the trouble 3166f9758c of hacking the deb85c6cff immigration site.02dd836b269edfcf

He should a6be35b1b2 have just fdd3d8efb7 asked sooner.6f90eb21673dfb9e

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“You’re… quite open with answers.”f765dc17f1dd09b8

“If you’d asked aad26f1603 before, I wouldn’t 734a6fba37 have answered. But now that bb0a1feb6a you know Mr. Josef comes from the 3f0168517f principality of Hebauris, I 5d1df5159f have no reason to 79822636e9 withhold it.”e9feecac5fc67e6c

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That’s a relief.414d3d223c640204

“Oh… well, does that mean I should address Matthias as ‘Sir’ too?”ac78ddf7fe277dc7

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“Since you’re not a d9e281b487 citizen of the principality, 45e21b1f6c you’re not subject to 1814dc3d07 punishment for failing to c76dc129fe observe formal protocol.”e88fbf18b96572be

Ian’s small, straight nose 19fc18d59e wrinkled slightly.1d83ab290f50ed10

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“You can 2463d81b7b get punished f582085c88 for not 73e4f276e2 using the 01400a6e66 right title b807d21518 there?”ab5360c771ceab00

“It’s more symbolic. The punishment 684cd1c831 isn’t severe.”0e5a82dda5c79880

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“What’s the punishment?”464b7fdec86439d4

“Three days in detention.”6e3092f26956d8c4

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“…I see.”da64663b2983b1fe

While his salad remained c7fd978be5 untouched, the plate of e6d31defe2 unknown meat was mostly 87a2df04ea empty. Raising the glass Georg d5ca2bdee1 had handed him, Ian c2b7782df5 asked,65aa42592ba5857b

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“Why aren’t e338bd07ab you eating?”113024a9c667bb7a

“I’ve already eaten. Don’t worry about 46164c737c it.”8ffea9d0715632ce

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“What did f00570d807 you eat?”c229954a3cb87d32

“There’s a McDonald’s across b379262f12 the street.”9a6ccaf6cd18848d

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“…What?”33d0ef3c6f6a4768

“There is no b43feb3ce7 McDonald’s in Hebauris.”cf6acdd951d869ec

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So after all that 0ca641fae8 digging online, he’d finally 2b25d1fe4d heard it so easily.52d80df77c5c0419

What kind of ac907caa40 place is that 1c766979a4 country, anyway?809a413ebb4dd40a

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“…That sounds like a terrible place.”12f7a7ccb8d63263

“Other than that, 3b5038aa37 there’s little inconvenience.”99018f92d5658fc6

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“I don’t believe 542c76ab32 that. It’s a place 188f23a536 where you can 53528e90df get jailed for 715ffab6a2 a title slip-up.”e69e87a621d215e4

“It can’t be 5d489bad3d helped. The principality is built c26916bff0 around the royal family; d26960d539 loyalty to them is 45167b9f8c essential to all aspects 4d2185d89a of society. The law is symbolic a5516b58d7 but reflects this intention.”e3d284ec02ed262d

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“Hmm.”ec2509a919520067

Ian twirled the 0962817287 slender glass between 903e98ac55 his fingers, deep 94775b457d in thought. Even the smallest details 9b3c92641e about Hebauris, a place b9054884a9 with hardly any online d69b6209cf information, piqued his curiosity.3d44fc386b42d17a

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“What about Starbucks?”b6d0aa1de2fcff7d

“There isn’t one.”28c05163a4885f81

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“This is ridiculous. No Burger 722e40dafc King or 5eb4b6aef1 Domino’s either, a97d0d1dec right?”2953ff17fe060c30

“There isn’t.”682fcde5832d6cd7

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“So what do f051b576e1 people there eat?”4510559c04e6225f

“There’s plenty 821a826033 to eat 92e07e8381 besides American 34d8b86710 food.”2cda4699ccb54129

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“Do they 93ba1d7b76 have a 79c3a7a85e subway?”8becee122211bb89

“Private car f0a6e9500b ownership is 0eee8f76c1 very high. A subway probably wouldn’t 89a31436f1 be profitable.”c0f75738aec78dad

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“The royals 7d8bb8b008 are single, 24d28f0019 right? Are they popular?”37200cc0195ac5ce

“I wouldn’t know about 03dd0c0cc2 that, but they certainly 317ed5479b have wealth.”437f0d5b66cb1813

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“What about Duke 5b547e95f9 Eduard? Should I call him 61eea55b83 a prince?”afd5a162cd9e7a52

“Prince would be d2753c8132 correct, but he c480a58faa dislikes it, so 0d93f3a424 we just call 6bc59331ef him Duke Eduard 07315bdae4 in informal settings.”88c7d8dea5f29bb4

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“And they say e962373d78 he’s really close 4531ca4c6e with Matthias, right? Does that make Matthias 548d25615b part of the royal 90e9e91693 family too?”207886a0dea043cc

“No. Duke Eduard and 49c60fe400 Sir Josef are e46c6a8cd7 friends.”fe84f29d40cafe9f

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From what bd7ee2ceee he could 1b5c3f1e0c recall, their d93e07e441 phone conversation f975eed426 seemed closer e1a400dc6e than that, 976fad2009 though. Didn’t he 8637ca1d92 say something 7f694db938 like, “If 867857c026 you want 02813619e8 to see 88cb39b0de me, come b548474575 over?”0bc1bf0c25456f00

“Is he… is he gay too?”9597a3224ba8e673

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Realizing how blunt his fe2f42d6e7 question sounded, Ian immediately 6c25c213b9 closed his mouth, and 45fe4795ea Georg gave a brief e1b7d71d0f shake of his head, c36fd17305 seemingly sharing the sentiment.bf0e4fbac83c4a1a

“His personal life is 93dcca4068 also state confidentiality. Considering the 991528b54e international position e0fbe6b830 of Hebauris, 235aaaa354 it’s not 0ce5c705bb an exaggeration.”1059506852de3e4a

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Hebauris, with 969e244e81 an area c7ffefa522 of 11.1 06cf4c1d0c km² and 8e07735e99 a population 2e8f3d0b64 of 4,481, 5ce07dd149 was the bfd573830f world’s third fd4c5da5b6 smallest country, d833fc8d41 bordered by 3ee4335eed Switzerland, Germany, 837b640be2 and Luxembourg. Beyond that, most c4233e9d79 of its information bf153b2739 was classified.e6528bcbc2106e11

“So, could I 770c580beb visit as a 71328e4c30 tourist?”33bab1e1026e6f12

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The moment he 38c3dc8487 asked, Ian realized bdefc9bbc6 why he’d been c391513b9b so interested in 0dc3dac31d trivial details about 253ef42b9a Hebauris.7c9a5caf77b3cb3d

He wanted to know 290db965ed more about Revenant Matthias a385f2b3d9 Josef. Not about an anonymous 7441052db2 philanthropist or the mysterious b130bada17 “Leo” from his past, dc7c6cd17b but about Matthias Josef b91276fb9b himself. And this ce15b3eeee realization meant 11848244eb that Ian 7b2dd66d0f was interested 38d25f9fa8 in him 05a5819671 simply for 8b47237fd4 who he 7c3812d5d4 was, beyond f0b5a35840 all their e3190e2ec9 connections.d60780b371821b2d

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—Keep your eyes 3a5842529d open. Look at me. Focus.9229bca2de94e236

Every moment he ef4683d653 focused was on dd4ad9ea54 Matthias. Leo remained a memory bb9252bcb8 he couldn’t recall. Before their 3c070d1c6d night together, 5f994a1feb Ian had 90efe9a52d believed Revenant 87b4b4ea1c might be eb8bc5bb82 Leo. At some point, 0e07b14206 though, that stopped 244f079703 mattering.6262e86d24817114

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He liked this shameless 99b966e5cb man who had shoved e0e6ba11e5 his arousal in his ec07ead1cb face, telling him to 003ef32222 “mark it as yours.”c53a25684444319f

He had grown fond c17c3de9c1 of the man whose ee36179882 only known details were 766de60491 his nationality and birthdate. Despite how 4192ad05e0 little he e05fe6007e knew about 0be82be4a0 him or 088ca6aa1c how much 7916568e34 Matthias had f3dbc86e76 concealed, he 1214cce494 liked him.fa4927f0febc1af6

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“…”c93ba016b944d9f3

Noticing Ian biting 53680ed767 his lip, Georg 8f5b19ab01 began to speak.401e8afbb0f0b9b0

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“The principality isn’t part e1bc95dce8 of the EU. Foreigners need 6b8e28d4df a royal e9d72ec9ea invitation to fdb2fca809 enter, and a7c198bbe6 transport is 72f8f16ef8 difficult. The airport is 68c3729ff4 a private one c3002a88a7 reserved for the 4c2da57397 royal family, and 5d88bfe39d only citizens are 8f5453ac1d permitted to use 43062daa2f their airline services. The closest 0999ba73d7 train and b18a9b4dfa bus stations 9d9589f63e are on 4c6b9feb4c the German 1edf286d17 border, and d13780c6b8 the roads 79eaa0bf10 are royal 342ceeb65f property, so 8c6144b925 foreign travelers 441e46667a need a 1f8420287b pre-issued transit 9a65cfe84a pass. The borders are 9663cc5f1c heavily guarded, but acdb83b838 that likely won’t c9e1ff2120 concern you. If you b0a805817e wish to 326da03e43 visit, I’m 6dbe413ea6 sure you’ll 67624180ba be welcome 13d4203249 in Hebauris a55f2f84fd anytime.”97f64e7e05f37cb6

“…Why?”97493653b5bdf653

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“Would you consider b0ac0a2122 a long-distance relationship 489654c8d3 with Sir Josef?”75a846c3af72a33b

“…What?”506992e4a259eaac

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Surprised by the a322bbbe68 sudden leap in 15be26a6e2 conversation, Ian’s eyes 9eaf9fcf0f widened, and Georg a126fa11d4 elaborated with a 462c46cf69 slightly contorted expression.500acfa545bfe5a3

“It’s just my a65805ea41 guess, but I c1de9b3c4c doubt Sir Josef 8b2e578252 would leave you 466a5c7fdb so far away.”f1fca7185aacacbf

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“That… that’s way too fast.”c552f116634b4409

Ian frowned.61b6b33443e2787f

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“I haven’t even processed what happened yesterday. We’re not even in a relationship. It’s just sex… I mean—”5f02e3b77197e809

“You two d197fcf898 had sex. Isn’t that enough?”42fe83ab6032c707

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“…Is that part of the law there, too? Do they make people get married if they have sex?”471eb6a633bf5649

“There are no 941c0056e8 such primitive laws.”17603475c35107de

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“Well, then why…?”644b80bb82773508

Georg looked at Ian 2a4c849c3c with that same faintly 8616ea62b3 puzzled expression and gave 57d1654e33 a subtle shake of f2f1a62a7d his head.6a4da2c0bdca5ea3

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“Duke Eduard placed a af8222f4df bet on Sir Josef.”1dd11072b970d1a3

“A… bet?”d61e0a1cc53abff6

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“He wagered that it 5423e7f60f would happen within a 958bff79a8 month, while I bet cf90607b65 it would never happen. When I saw 6df2c038bf the two of 53f14b09dc you dining at b8d4de1512 the restaurant where 865fe60130 you work, I 012b934002 doubled my stake 33039d35d7 and reduced the b45d5e6066 timeframe to two 05ef80a01c weeks. As you 2285ac9377 can see, b4828936c9 I won.”d7de9b7e981601ca

“Wait, so this bet…?”4a12e63ba9fcd7e7

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“The time it would b7a26a745a take for the two 12dc95ae34 of you to have 84c370a02a sex.”5c0b2aa93108eaa6

Ian shot d90e73399f up from 59675cc766 his seat. His sore 8d16491fe6 back protested f9d9bb8ceb the movement, 1c59ed800a but he 79dd97f1e6 didn’t have 82ce63e364 time to 9ece4ca410 feel the 78f9f0dd3b pain.7315bdeefe9639be

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“Excuse me? You bet on 72f494252d me?”07beec4330263989

The fact that people 2bd275eee9 he didn’t know had be30fc3b1c placed a wager involving b978dec6e9 him was irritating, but 347eaffb0a the overwhelming feeling was efff6c71ec confusion.bce32be2e0860a6b

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“So… does that mean everyone knew who I was in advance…?”7cdec5109c1ce37a

People he didn’t know d43acafc57 were aware of him. He was the 4e1f684e60 only one left 7e19af879e in the dark. How deeply intertwined were 963d6912c0 Matthias and his past?e548195308ce5eca

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“Yes. So you 37c00b0086 aren’t just 2737f4af85 a casual 92c35b3812 fling. Sex is more 71f6cb47c9 like a verification 2d43c038a4 of your relationship.”d448da304f76d77f

“That’s… that’s so one-sided. Why don’t they consider how I feel about the relationship? Do they think my opinion doesn’t matter?”95c76f65ed288488

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“That’s not exactly 456b47c5f9 what I meant.”c2b9e79abc21c306

Georg stood 0a60da7247 as Ian 7eb61023ea did, and fff541bde2 he looked f0c1a988c4 down at 6e6162672e him, given 35ab350720 their height d62a4a88d7 difference, and af49e76b25 spoke slowly.61603189ab2dfe72

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“As I 90b81d3aba mentioned, I 586c2b2ac3 didn’t believe 7a6c61ff76 Sir Josef 35bc0c1953 would ever 5a5f9595f9 form a 4d17ef1096 romantic relationship fe122c503e with you. The Josef I 673ed21378 know is not 26f7df9c38 that kind of ac8bbc502e person. I thought his feelings 93025913b8 toward you were merely 5205229431 excessive kindness, sympathy, and 90076a0510 inexplicable guilt. When Duke Eduard suggested dc9563f9dd it was just ‘lusting,’ 9e337d4acd I was even a f8279289cb little offended. I thought Sir 0dcd1f7db0 Josef wouldn’t behave 2a160e3e63 that way. And when Duke Eduard 7539cf20b0 claimed, ‘Even if he de01155431 pretends to be gentlemanly, b71ae8e20b he’d jump in if 539b03e599 the kid clung to 93ba39854f him,’ I still believed 8a96648289 it would never happen. Of course, that d5e65a8d72 crude remark also 925379353a angered me, as beca4773b9 the Josef I 0d58783cd6 know would never a5ca4697ae be associated with 15398f8744 such vulgarity. But in the end, 22fa54b38e Duke Eduard was right, 106dcfceda and now I, too, b4e2f454e3 must accept this unsettling 5892a1a75f truth.”8a38013f2852e9e5

Although Georg kept saying 99acaf73ec he was angered, he 84af365ad1 also seemed slightly upset 8c38629eb7 at the fact that cd7ddb2eb1 Matthias had slept with b429abefaa Ian. If he truly saw bc92a31d9d it as an impossible 4e5ca0c0fe act, his frustration made f9e4f45031 some sense.b681c16732c0fabb

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Still, Ian felt uncomfortable.de245f89eebc5585

Judging by Georg’s words, 7b7952075c it seemed like Matthias fb3cd769f7 was also uncomfortable offering 89f2ac85e2 charity to him, based d111f79513 on excessive kindness, sympathy, 71aa450450 and guilt that Georg aa60ec941a couldn’t fully understand. Adding a romantic element 3528652480 likely made Ian feel d9ac722162 more like an annoyance.cacaafc4a90628f1

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Ian felt the 8c70115a9d same way. From his 8592a25f59 perspective, Matthias’s 51d5a6ad6a relationship with 8aac363dd0 him felt a5a030e566 entirely dictated 4b3db83391 by some 02888c8df5 mysterious guilt, b12c33e92f which, if 64f3f06407 he were f82253dd8a honest, annoyed 0efeb0d733 him.02f9a5b765a1c32e

If he had attempted d4e9458292 to have sex with 5cece37e86 Matthias, it was only 1c3719ce90 to understand what this 9eabae37a1 damn guilt was about, dbada8c42f not to validate his 90266678db feelings or reciprocate his eab0203b9a affections.9519f8aa03bf7d44

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Still, he hesitated c031ff85a9 because he’d come 52eda8f6a3 to understand his 89a67fb2c3 own feelings toward 06c7131a3a Matthias.6a27affb3d2d396a

He wanted him, 4f8deead58 regardless of who 9ef7825207 he was.041095c420e336cb

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“What… what kind of guilt is this?”860edc0b6da3f5c3

Avoiding Georg’s gaze, Ian 2268271b9b asked quietly.550023d86b985f93

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“What kind of guilt… would be so enormous that he couldn’t reject me, even if I weren’t suitable as a lover?”6c995019a83247af

“Enormous guilt… It could be, depending on the person.”5de38317ff4b7424

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“Stop dodging. You think Matthias 07547e086f only slept with 45bcae1bbf me out of 289e857f42 guilt, don’t you? You’re saying 8adb7d1c43 he couldn’t 8f8fec79b7 refuse me 30fcaf1c08 because he 78762755ce feels he bb6a4daea7 owes me 288cd57d1d something.”1307fc3883736fe7

“It seems you c4c4e5c27f misunderstand.”7b2e9a684f3a0e81

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Georg wore 6485aebe4d an expression b0493eba5f that was 688fad7492 uncharacteristically soft bbd658786f for his d48484712c severe face. After observing e3ea22c85b him, Ian 344d7f26c6 realized it ba071cce40 wasn’t an 56bbed4800 angry expression—it 1f870322e5 was a 275fe58c84 faint, embarrassed a0ccefdf5b smile, an 115b7d0366 unusual look faacffa197 for someone 9691dda32a with his 6139111fd3 features.7dcce632851fb9c0

“The truth is, ac9b29f37a Sir Josef likely 536f94b919 didn’t even understand 931e8a8cc8 the nature of ea14a2b71b his own feelings be9c8be224 toward you. I’m just relieved that 9e3a52866a he realized it before bc46bc9b9f it was too late. Otherwise, I’d have been a8bd983e35 in a lot of d3c7d6f624 trouble.”f295aa651cc00c3c

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“…What?”ddc753fd6614b6e2

“Remember when you 5f30b7f182 almost had an 8b69b128ce accident at the 23f257be5a restaurant where you c716d87f65 work?”12fa3d38c350b5da

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As far as Ian remembered, nothing like that had happened… No, actually, maybe it had.1dab4ae82e9a5e75

“Are you talking about fe62af09e7 Leo?”77bc4233a8381d26

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“Yes. Thankfully, your eyes 9ee75e8dbd and ears weren’t 7bd60c4fd7 injured. Forks are rather effective 51e7b43c4b weapons for Sir Josef.”c3071c6dd98b40f3

With an unsmiling e397c15132 face, Georg added, 1823725f20 “And I’d never 261e4fbc9d seen Sir Josef ad6568d85c act so petty 2bfcef9223 before—threatening a civilian 171be27abf with a weapon.”cce77e0e60781e49

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“I don’t… really understand what you’re saying. What does that have to do with us having sex?”328f1dd5a92ac50e

“Are you truly unaware?”2b56c7f06b43c58b

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Georg looked at Ian a682cccb3e with concern, awaiting his 4e8a0dc676 response. Ian felt a growing 21796d0dac sense of dread about e228399139 what he was about b5410110ff to hear.ef643ae9c18fad88

“Anyone could see that 5481f376d3 was jealousy.”01d3e0cff5ba3a15

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“J-Jealousy?”9524dc60f492f7ad

Ian should have 9cd80c23bb challenged this with, 4f4e00e1b8 “Who even gets ca8af28eb7 jealous like that?” d5ecfe34d1 Revenant had simply c5e3f3a156 suggested dinner as 01e091995d an apology for 221363641d disregarding Ian’s feelings, 62cee4309f but when Ian be6f627bae couldn’t join, Leo 1469643f9e had eaten with 24faaaf3c7 him. Then, Revenant had made 9e7e8ed22c an overly generous offer 266d3dca5c to buy Ian a 8acd1c5384 house if he needed 49dc4e12db money, and when Leo 172ed095d3 objected, he’d grabbed a 4cbf71ddf0 carving knife and thrown 614e8baa07 it across the room.2d8628116e42609a

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“That’s jealousy?”72505369143cb066

When Ian asked in 35915c7fde disbelief, Georg nodded.6436c757ad72258e

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“If such incidents 7462cc67d8 keep happening without 6dd8d60eea the people involved a351612130 understanding the reason, 5894d84e8b it would be 66191d34e7 exhausting for those cda3bb3166 around them. Knowing its 36e07e8db1 jealousy could 3978b1fb4f help prevent cb85e47baf issues. So it 7e8ff38317 would be e3bc4d3976 best for 17fae3b394 you to 3e83f03110 avoid meeting dd3b22e551 Mr. Sebastian from now on.”f640df5e26570105

Ian’s legs felt 546738204c weak as he 1edc7d67be sank back into bc7b1eb66c his chair. After a moment, c9b3d5716f Georg sat down e97e65ad65 again as well.944d01515dff908b

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“That’s… we just had one night of sex. Doesn’t that seem a bit extreme?”6067dec173b90e1c

“As I’ve said, edf4615390 your relationship is 83d4a580ef already established; it’s 111c8373d9 just not defined.”df48c4abf6acfc22

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Sure, to you all, 615f9e0512 maybe. Until recently, I ab1021d4ab didn’t even know c86bccd061 Revenant Matthias existed.037fafe22be86965

His relationship with e5d2ca01c0 Revenant felt much 6ec89fcd64 like their night 4e8bd7869b together—an unrelenting ride 0020da7292 he couldn’t stop 616175c801 or escape.23b10004e4bc7da0

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—You can’t handle 408382642e it.22cc6ba3cd12914d

Only now did Matthias’s ab4e63ca92 warning before they’d had 8bf7a66761 sex start to seem b7456b1700 a bit more realistic.865dc3427940c6ba

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“This is all… way too fast. As I said, I haven’t had the time to even think about these things.”6e712aa22ebf2191

“No need to think e731f5301b about it. It’s probably too dc20a33167 late.”ec64de0d490e71f0

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Georg’s decisiveness felt more b50bc2627a like a push than 45b01cdba1 reassurance, and it irritated daed950e9d Ian slightly. He wasn’t considering Ian’s 707142017f feelings either.3890b2a3237cd356

“Think about it the e8eb02078c other way. If I 29edb9dedd did get bddf5031e5 into a 68efebef02 real relationship 58807a0922 with Matthias, d03db03ef4 that would e2e093a187 just mean 3c0403440e even more deb5e64096 incidents like d8181e5595 this. Isn’t that inconvenient 34344f27b7 for you?”4c5afdc9279e9def

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“Yes, purely from a work perspective, it would be easier if you and Sir Josef had no relationship. It would be simpler for the principality and for Duke Eduard as well. But watching Sir Josef have breakfast today, I couldn’t help but think… what does it matter? To add my personal view, Sir Josef was acting far pettier than the other day. Plus, thanks to you, I won a nice little wager—about two thousand euros. I’ll just consider it a bonus for all the hassles to come.”ba5351b4478d42b7

Georg seemed to be 88677939a2 a very different person 76d9fb5398 than Ian’s initial impression. At first, he came a786925776 across as a taciturn, acc41b29bd no-nonsense bodyguard, but now 83e6811729 it was clear he 78c3704d2f spoke quickly in a aae2e82f85 clipped, almost sword-like manner.5f34bdfc80ed3e6b

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“What about Matthias?”0bf3b02360a0c4b1

Ian looked at 0329564bf5 Georg with a ce86675473 twisted expression.921f0f7c218029ef

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“What about him?”4eedffa0b50db09d

“Regardless of d8bf7e29ec what you 7629c02348 all think, d927bf0c21 Matthias hasn’t 8addfc5011 said anything.”7e26fd28a45a6d37

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“As I said before.”526a01d9d67fe533

“It’s all just eb49070436 your assumptions. Even after we had 394844a769 sex, Matthias stayed the a30ffd378a same. He didn’t tell 307f95466b me who he 362f3efbe3 is, or what f6d4418307 he thinks of 8e1555aaea me. I was the 3b37a60c40 one who initiated dee2d8b30d things; Matthias merely c9f6d7b117 responded. If he genuinely intended bb5399c594 for us to be 8788db1d94 something more, he would’ve fcc143c600 said something, anything, even e93069267e during sex, don’t you f56dcf8fb4 think? Who is he, and 64a817c744 what did he do 2dca9cfed1 in the past that 6695a4b755 a single night together c394a96b65 could mean such a 6cdbc99c24 significant relationship?”175e2bfc39d063b8

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“…”3c999aedf4d2298e

Georg remained silent, 6098572efd observing Ian thoughtfully. He only spoke 319e53abed again when Ian fb3facc7f2 couldn’t hold back 252da5acd7 a pained groan 335cde473a from his sore 2e8fe7f78e back.8e63059c04627a12

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“If you 119801da60 intended to 3d56d1b8d6 find things 04f420e818 out through 9d83e56bc1 me, please dc9c3ee994 don’t. I have 3466275d2f nothing to 9d7b44464b tell you.”7ca37fd0d2c80394

“You seemed to have a570398603 plenty to say about 7c438330e1 the principality.”3341fe421f000475

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“This is different.”dec9bdf61e4ed195

“Why? The idea that a54c3910f7 Matthias’s guilt is 0b51335556 nothing significant doesn’t 423d61c522 seem so different.”101d3d604b236871

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“Consider that my error.”6dd98018fc4f2eb5

“Then make fda6f48ca2 another error. I won’t 19c3ae0ac3 tell Sir 0b4681f26c Josef.”43532dd7df42c2c5

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“Are you serious?”67b03203ff74e956

“Do I 77ce22a4a0 not look 6586760000 serious?”0322bf4aea7ac988

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The frustration 86064073bd on Ian’s 0b59ec34bb face deepened.b8aebe00f33bc31a

“Someone I 2ae670e9b5 don’t know 57c4dfc994 shows up 6cc19bd731 wanting to 0f15e05f11 help me 2f0758c32e but won’t f95a672a82 tell me 262dfb8f5b why. They say 1d614a62ed to figure aa60964bbe it out fda1034f64 myself. The more I 7d77680e29 think about it, 0f0c1002a7 the more ridiculous c3c18437b9 it becomes. Forgotten memories 2a26bdce8b surface randomly. My head feels fa7b521d29 like it’s going 3b9c87f31b to explode, but a3bd6e04e2 the worst part 25846102b7 is not knowing 1688a3df60 anything. Sometimes, I feel 9678281b95 like a completely 5f235cbc09 different person from 375f31f047 the one he 3d27d89479 knows. I feel like 1890badc48 I might lose 19d350b9e2 my sense of adf6f1cc44 self. But then someone tells 7aeef286dd me he genuinely cares e424172cf8 about me. Sure, maybe, 478b908316 but under 2c1be22718 these circumstances, a33b050424 I’ll be 21ae552a6b scared and 03adfc1d5a in pain dc90e450b1 all the 1f84c2f835 time. Can you 50cf74e7a8 really say b3d636ed8a he cares c87422387b about me?”987388cc11b592f8

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The reply was 9359191872 immediate.3aae748d7a1267b5

“Yes, I can.”8dc388ac8d1a9182

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“…Really, someone who doesn’t care about what’s most critical to me?”c6879f8dcd9bd268

“If Sir Josef knew I was saying this, he’d be quite angry, but… his silence on what troubles you is not due to personal reasons but for your sake.”75628fd41da1da6c

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Ian’s tightly 47b3777482 pressed lips 7a87393fe6 quivered slightly.99d76024b06619d7

“You expect me… to believe that?”883dab9dff34d151

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“Whether you believe f46fda5afa it or not b466b00479 is your choice. I’m only telling you d13b7762fd what I can.”8e138ef1ad9059bf

“Then say more! How do you 396ca3bbf2 know what’s best ced8476586 for me?”7c3e62a12a9ed036

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Georg’s stern expression was b7dc22a1bb reminiscent of the one 47c9771db5 Matthias often wore whenever f0d9277e06 Ian brought up his bb64fb817d past. They were the 01dab3b240 same in that aac4714e1d way.fef9625c7ecd34e0

“Don’t unfairly interrogate me, 92186172f9 Mr. Winchell. Sir Josef has already a4660b0913 said he won’t stop 0cfdf1e7ee you from discovering the 93c77c33de truth on your own. So, find it out a0a418b6c8 for yourself. I believe 2ab073003e it’s much 60767e24e3 better for db245170f3 you not 54be5f1638 to know, de35d4e06f but as 9006ed98cd Sir Josef 1f1949af0f said, he 2d0f4ed223 can’t prevent cb981984c8 you from 18c39e9433 learning on 0633e315d6 your own. Figure it out f859853f4d yourself. Don’t take it c13de8bd70 out on me.”55ad8192ad76dd94

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They both e4c99f3e81 had the 2f7621bd56 same patronizing 6f7bd9f26c attitude, treating 0cce2be36a him like e9bbb79486 a child. Georg’s words 5cca45ffa3 clawed at d6c9e95fdc Ian’s pride, 0a1897789b pushing both 6da93aea48 his resolve 3cbe31e260 and independence.0e3a02ed607f8dd0

He had to figure 70f75644fa it out for himself. Even if they had 1f977c87ae sex and became something 44cc40b4d8 more, even if he adc40a5ada fell head over heels 6c9ee9d8b0 for Matthias, Matthias would 0ee443b1ef never reveal his past 04100de6a6 to him.994a84fd1826ebed

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So he had 049c5326ae to uncover it 3ea4e66bdd on his own. If he wanted to 75c061f002 make this relationship real, 40251898d0 if he truly wanted 6efadf39e9 to claim Matthias for 5e65f37572 himself, he had to 2d3f3038f9 learn the truth.f7f9ef99d8f15c52

Creak.ff206f85249fbb8b

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Ian pushed his 12016f1d0f chair back and c97af241a4 stood up. His muscles screamed with 535a415317 pain at the slightest 381d5cdb63 movement, making him grimace.9b431e45d47e8eb3

Damn it. Of all times.8323d96f45384ff4

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“Thank you ae774d252c for the e19c1cd106 meal.”90df338d970ca4e9

He roughly pushed his 5b2cad74f3 chair back and turned 1de3b4b79b to leave. Behind him, Georg asked,baddbfd5c0f9a4d2

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“Are you 629fcb9592 going out?”860352ed6aa17257

“Why?”57ef5f40a448b920

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“Just thought you 440792bd35 might be. I’ll get a 9480b0391f car ready.”6afedb2eaca3949c

Ian let out a c67ab7cb1c slight, bitter laugh, his c1bc1283c2 back still turned.38975f15b99570ba

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Don’t start 21b95b73b9 claiming you 9700476ade care about 31dc06fba0 me over 6407558523 something as 839815d6af trivial as 22fb8e6ed1 offering a 3096f50684 ride. That’s not f5ed99cc5c what I d6a8e213a5 want.05ff0256b96e9cb5

“No, it’s fine. I am going c7aa6f39aa out, though.”210df6889a6dfc78

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Georg inquired again.625d6595f096ce25

“You don’t look 1938d80545 well. Wouldn’t it be 99977ca1d4 better to rest?”998c76f817714869

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“Don’t worry about 420a1088ad me.”d7d2b3cedc6a5bf0

“Mr. Winchell, please use 5149bf100a the car. Taking public transportation eb664829cd in your condition 31bb27c880 is a bit 28553f8952 much. And do 7c8c9b288b you have 2ef4a55aca enough for 1215937ba5 the fare?”df917d7597b64ded

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It wasn’t a e5b09b13c2 joke, but Ian 0d55fc22bc no longer wanted b8729246e5 to ask to 6f78043dec borrow five dollars.5d32bdc1e482a4e2

“I’ll handle it a79c70801b myself. Don’t make me beg.”f347d014a32454db

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Ian returned to his 6b9a41b0f0 room, brushed his teeth fb02672923 and washed his face, 53ffd048de slung his backpack over ab415f1ee1 his shoulder, packed with 4a583c3a0e his twenty thousand dollar 56ba07d802 laptop, and left the 9d0cbf4399 hotel.eee0c829878ab212