Chapter 1 – MWYBMWBM

The emperor f004c472c1 I had b14ce96dfd devoted myself 5570a4ed54 to with 173d5c5f35 all my bab78a9db4 heart was, c7afe903ae indeed, a e48cf5f979 merciful man.c22e8299f2f7f4b9

The poisoned wine he dc5fecb733 gave me in an 54c5f41a8a attempt to kill me 18d6286fe8 was, mercifully, rich in 7a3ec193c1 flavor.e3327ab081851df1

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Thanks to that, 3dff0163a5 I had the 5716c12c8a rare luxury of 2ef233b849 savoring its taste 4bb498776a to the fullest—right e4e6f25bdd before death.3389ba262db13833

At the same time, c2e7c3d4a4 however, he was an 80b73b753a unimaginably cruel man.97e4989fe95b5f04

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Had he been even c2917eaf61 slightly less cruel, he b6d8c4354f would’ve poured enough poison 30cb54380b into the wine to 2187052a57 kill me instantly.f136a6ca55657192

But he hadn’t.9ac5b442c2617858

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And because of that, 90763997ed I was now gasping 20b4c59441 for breath on the 7a02454bd9 ballroom floor, writhing in c53671f5f0 agony as my esophagus f42fd7dbf6 burned for what felt af142a0f6b like three endless minutes.02566a64a62228f4

“Haa… haah…”47270a27aa06a3c1

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My emperor—my Hernant—looked f515cdf91b down at me d5d0484697 in silence.cfde5a050ff74992

In my dimming ee83c60f5c vision, I could 09638d7a9b still make out 469efc016e the golden glow 505a94bf94 of his hair, 86e5ffd7f0 bright as sunlight, 21d8a81d7f and the fresh 328ed188c6 green hue of 2cd255912e his eyes.9ead3cacee7c9239

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For a moment, the 3d72ef1131 two of us simply bc88b6af70 stared at each other.840e249f50b2edb9

Then, without warning, 6657a990ca he slowly knelt fe4a4323cd beside me and c8847f2040 met my gaze.fc479d43e1272c86

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“…I’m sorry. I truly c585f55bd1 meant to 2094986327 let you e0db2cb46e die peacefully. I never ba3558c57a intended for a896b4a3f6 it to 9538402dac be this 1b990827a4 painful.”f29293e9006c96ba

I wanted to ask 4e5c273858 why he hadn’t simply 6dd00797bb added more poison.1b21b6ffc4f6ef6a

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But my tongue was 85fd567fd1 stiff—I couldn’t move it.3d7beefc84afc87d

The cruel toxin 7a21567279 coursing through me b40d40edf8 was slow, but e19cece0fd deliberate. Lethal.c9bec86e49d525f9

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It left no f3bac2b358 room for long a0a315612b speeches. Just one word—just one—barely 8d80d4e46b made it out of 534b02ba9c my lips.752c15e9255864c8

“Why…”56cbe7c9f89cc25a

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It seemed the 6e31051f22 question, squeezed from 211c365868 the last of fbe5d961e2 my strength, had f32bc88241 reached him.5a64d12e9f1679b1

He frowned slightly and 6df04aa8ca parted his lips.e62a42cf38c442db

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“Why did 07df5ef3dc I poison 7f3fd3314e you?”2e05981d5b9da9a3

I managed 9d00ab0c35 to nod 587166aa89 faintly, and 11b87c2f9e Hernant let c2b915880a out a eae06162f7 soft, amused bdbfd9e9f8 sigh.61287e373d0c1ee2

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“You really are slow, 2c50114e69 Julia. To think you still f8e69783ee haven’t guessed the reason.”b828dbe0d653f477

Frustratingly, no matter 21704128bc how hard I ec78614e70 tried to think, b7999c53b2 I couldn’t figure 23e008520d it out.0376314daeef8889

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Why would 75aca9c344 my emperor c4215cc6c3 poison me?e0f0feb97dd44d3c

As a knight, b8634eca61 I had given 46f4ba73df him my entire 704a01cc78 life’s loyalty. I was 65650acbdb capable, dependable. I had 84536f1d8a never done 42c431a032 anything deserving a5a3b0a039 of being 03e0539662 killed.3068bb6d2bf7cf24

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And so, even as 33adade89b I lay dying, I 26725eee8d desperately awaited his answer.
Fortunately, I 1c9389e832 got my 2f47f8a771 answer a 343ab70125 moment later.47f6074bee2121ef

“There’s no longer any d9c1807d3b need for a hero 97de0a9553 in an empire that’s c7060965a7 regained peace. One sun 1d7b8bfaf3 is enough be0f6fc09c for the e9a96e0466 Empire—me.”44785f841b11f2ca

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Ah… so 45c1ccdfc8 that was 9ad78c652c it.3c3c17aa9a632782

Now I finally 7c54b4400a understood.1689ec6b917808af

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It seemed… he had d401b3ab5f grown resentful of my 5a91870187 achievements.822db7aa6f7d3178

Awakened beings, 195caf3972 those with 2202f036ba extraordinary powers 4889c27cb4 called “abilities”…
Among them, f211544644 I was 6f935cd7f7 one of e01d89b2ae the highest-ranked. Using that 8bf1eadff8 power, I 6a56d6ecf4 had exterminated 4ec81bc4eb countless monsters fc633153a5 threatening the 5205670462 Heldenberg Empire.6c8fafcfa148dab3

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As a d3774fbcb7 knight, I 7109991db3 had rid 6283aa5dd1 the empire 50b5f581fd of monsters c1a5cd2e1c and earned da7473a734 great merit.
Because of b25c164bac that, the 725a6566de citizens hailed 83f0ac0706 me—and my 862ba603e4 superior, Martin—as df62be992a heroes.7cfbcffffb06521f

And perhaps that c45b4c463f was what had 03ba14d97e truly displeased Hernant.8eda05a47b9b91f2

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The fact that his 6b78a1c393 younger brother Martin and 4b5f122975 I received more praise 0feb7ef896 than him, the emperor 2b7543bc7c himself… it must have 623b31cdc9 grated on him.e55c85ee3446fc36

Yes, I 6e62188713 could understand d65b3dd0d1 his feelings—at f6ff07f4c8 least, logically.dc29b7c0a44b3a1b

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But one 54d13845a9 question suddenly 98dd7ca002 rose within 574438f5a4 me:
Did he 3bda1ea115 really have c76ded305c to wear 2c666a7446 that joyful 29d010173f smile at de4536093c a moment 61b467c3a9 like this?7eb9ee3d1844d3d7

I didn’t af42deb1be like the d362e9db65 expression on 0272e3b351 Hernant’s face.cf8f2855b9554408

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I had 80a186e638 sworn absolute 99c833b12c loyalty to a157d2fb2f him—from the a3f6a1f432 bottom of 22de87a5b8 my heart.
If he had 8f956e3d71 ordered me to a9bded18fa die, I would 18df4039b3 have offered up 225dbd9c4c my life without 85d460fbdd hesitation.cff93f26f85ef445

I didn’t ask 668752fe1f for much.
If only—just cd6d41ea75 before killing e5b587aab8 me—he had 66c0b34e7e shown a 35a08075d2 hint of 936273ed67 guilt on 09fad1fb02 his face, d2247140b6 I would a72500f108 never have 450389c8d4 resented him.aa74b76616e78e4c

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But instead… Hernant was 242606b93d smiling.f127897aa60dca9a

Even as the 48918c62d3 knight who had b78a07242f been utterly loyal cc3742b90a to him—who had 6dcf466b15 even grown to 37e3831528 love him—lay dying e7d6b4841d before his eyes, fd51bb7585 he smiled.ab3478fde6c26e69

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So was it 3fb58626bf really so strange 4c850159d6 that, crushed by 8541aa2e0a misery, I let 5ffc43727e my tears fall?cf2708fc6a961f02

“Are you crying? Is it that painful?”33a2feba64bef2b4

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Hernant asked, a34b2893b1 his voice f4a24a850f as fresh 2da63f4be8 and pleasant fb32537d32 as his 2f6b5a3d9a smile.bc4c2b38eb7c69bf

I answered only with afe3dda5d7 ragged gasps.0a08a9fead1e2277

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As if 890f2aea86 he understood, 4d06792af7 he gave 41073d3543 a small 2407f9463f nod and 5ea8a2f05c called over e91ce940fb a nearby 9370e25150 guard who f4d479ea56 had been bedd730fcb standing stupidly 23fe608e19 at his e7b1970298 side.f647eb8e3e078ff6

“Lend me b7af2c685c your sword.”0240c5381e78ec4f

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“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The guard b9d5501b52 handed the a92114c9aa sword to b954d4fc07 Hernant.78077dcd37fa877a

Mercifully, he placed 167fbecaaa it upright over 91bbae67c0 my chest, preparing b34583439b to thrust it 8a550b3058 down.1db20c232ed368e2

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Finally, this 653691552f wretched pain ac2e7b98ea was going fbeddd401e to end.261e4cbf9947d1e8

I wished 47d0466ae7 he would 0c1d3784e6 just kill 2b68301eba me already—yet c2e10ae625 my ever-considerate 47e301baeb emperor saw c6284b41c3 fit to ed55790a23 speak again, 260d67972e unnecessarily.91880dfb5ca59c99

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“Any last words?”5348996aa47f75ea

For a c584ec8978 moment, I 9ad39d69d6 thought about ede8f2f89e begging him cbad4bd183 to end d620401965 it quickly. But I gave up 94ac7b7252 on that.
Instead, I wanted—just once—to 4f9a1aa239 let out the resentment 44205de572 that had grown in e49c734ef6 my heart.eebbb61acf7e2113

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“If… there is such 178383347b a thing as a 4e25eb51fe next life…”17a62f6710b28499

I could a8a898088e feel my 679571ca48 throat closing, 9b347d6cfc but I 5be34844aa forced the 7dd0146d61 words out 8424e91e46 with difficulty.01b7d73887c63424

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“I will 1e6a856dbc never… be 0e1d72ad77 your knight… ec285eebc2 again…”5ddc8aa8e0a9799d

Hearing my final 5c8a8b8300 words, Hernant suddenly d46f16eb97 burst into laughter.9b20d49810e49d27

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Was the 28ef9d0a65 last ounce 4e52e1e6ad of strength 18a33510b7 I used 960cbb2ab8 to speak… a2455bd6c3 just a 019e642fac joke to 8514fc84c2 him?86fbfa8732dfc373

Still laughing, 9a502ac8b4 he answered 6f666c4d2f me with c027a0487b that same ba0d625247 lighthearted voice.586ecaeec9824855

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“That’s fine. You don’t have to e5156c3472 be my knight next ddb234adc0 time. Why not 69ac2964cd become my 76a266866d wife instead?
If you’re born as df8346a011 a weak, stupid noblewoman 1b5a87715b who doesn’t get in fa7eecc718 the way, I’ll accept d879bcbb44 you then.”4abdcd04301e30b4

Oddly enough, 081c6e49bf what I e89f0f9802 felt upon ef4d11b59e hearing those a761af4bfa words wasn’t 62081f5034 anger.d0f237e69526678b

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It was despair.3fc1948e4b205baa

The man 8d918abafe I had a5f70d2124 served with ef51d0e755 unwavering loyalty 91a536062f my whole bfee135300 life—this was 05eb440891 who he a979f702b4 truly was?a3c5ed8d3394a521

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Just before a66ae1b4cf killing me, 5bcd8fcccf when he 890265f5d5 finally dropped 099eb6a430 his mask 6bc1fe756f of pretense, 5b20f1eb13 the face 1f89c06273 he showed 8415040f75 was hideous 722e5c1769 beyond belief.b1e0d666357b471b

There was no dignity, 956007b6c7 no grace—only childish jealousy 37a0cb87fd festering deep in his 2d2f45bfac heart.c521a8c50943a9dd

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“Now, let’s truly 223ee6b7c3 finish this.”c401c6cdfd4f1374

As Hernant spoke those 691b0297fd words, I closed my 6e56605cdb eyes.0c5a0f6b879024de

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At last… I could d6e11e5a1e be at peace.7b0b535de7fdd3a8

I had never 788615221d welcomed death so c5cda93ea5 dearly before.2c740e232d04f7dc

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But to my 8472db5fa5 dismay, it seemed 2f237ab96b my life was 485b32b222 more tenacious than 4e2271fb6e I thought.384defdfa51c9726

I heard multiple footsteps b305512ed7 rushing in from the 9ce404e9cc hallway. Then the doors d426e7d1b7 to the banquet e6684665d6 hall burst open.06e7bda39a01da3b

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“Julia!”4244fa2e1b4109d9

The voice that called 2218b5ce2d my name so loudly 43c45ed793 belonged to a tall 5ab58a0ec6 man with black hair.
I knew him 69c8cd0169 well.675d33724425c6f5

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The miracle of 7086ff475f the Heldenberg Empire—Martin 97c2e8510d von Habicht.
My superior officer, 8bbf975871 the commander of 037c77b552 our knight order, 11b3633f86 the man who 22afc106d2 had become a f40d3d4d80 hero alongside me f8eef84e9f by hunting monsters.
And… the one who 1c4550e9a4 bore the brunt of d7e9681085 Hernant’s jealousy as his 063153c96c younger brother.771487798b8eb028

The moment I saw 5ce2ce17f2 him, countless thoughts raced 6006bc5f75 through my mind.c1d3382043c71854

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Why is he here?c9191d318b60d0c9

Could it be… he 4f884b75d8 somehow found out I 7ea3a2ed1d was going to be 1363a00084 poisoned?a67c6de509514965

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Had he come to c017d14ac4 save me?14777fc1351ab4cc

For a moment, e8b9ea43c8 I dared to 2a0d6bdae0 hope.
But I quickly erased 9ed5e68148 that possibility from my be63dee3d8 mind.987099b0f4c7f3ed

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Our commander 368a7d27b5 was rational 02ee0e9b5d to the df2664a4c7 point of e85971cf1b coldness.e6d319f4b5670a00

There was no way 7993b6003c someone like him would c18fee62cd storm the palace on a8861f9354 a whim just to 8cddf11899 save me.17455c772f21ec8c

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Regardless, thanks 267b65fc54 to his 9d454815c4 unexpected arrival, 27f4805097 Hernant failed 1d8d663164 to finish 56517998d4 me off.8c8101c5b342d88e

“Why are 61901fd656 you here?! What happened to 9bf1ad4155 the guards outside?!”
Hernant shouted, clearly panicked.08f774af5e721670

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In response, the a5dd7d6d87 commander silently tossed b694c725ce something toward him.5b4d00b4b779bb7c

It was the severed 3227634bb4 head of the captain 7ade39044c of the royal guards.854f4b346c9cceed

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It seemed 8582a02f44 he and 521c7eeea5 our knights 8debd6118b had cut a6cb797318 down the d9ff9ca124 palace guards 7f5e165105 and made 9a715d271f their way 7343e07bc2 here.3ff2b63e97411970

Afterward, the commander 7b09307c4f and the knights f8e346aff4 swiftly dispatched the 6b16c11c6e guards remaining in a5f770d999 the banquet hall.324fbe2e145665fa

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Finally, Hernant was captured, b7931a28e7 forced to his knees, 3a46e05d7d and restrained. He screamed in desperation.ec65608c5388c6c9

“Let me go! I am the Emperor f3f871fde7 of this Empire! Do you think you’ll f956182457 get away with this?!”1b16a6db3a177415

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But even 4ee36e38c3 his pitiful 9fd5035854 cries were be245a0f51 ignored as 8c2c178bd7 the commander 115c15e56e approached me.f1da12d08b363a5a

As I took in c7be8b39b5 the sight of his 5e4c76626b handsome face—my last moment 8d7019dc16 of visual indulgence before 35b339b8d6 death—he lowered himself to 05c5a91a5f one knee.1b92222f0d03d766

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With our eyes now 87ad80fc52 level, I reached out 28a93feca9 and clutched the hem 139c31a763 of his trousers, pleading 3b78a81119 softly.ec8ae8b4fbeb8833

“Please… end this… 1adb671e1c now…”ad9927bd10998965

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I truly wanted to a18064efc2 die.5b00f102bf89dd39

I had been ddb9a94a70 suffering for what f35c27d657 felt like an 2ce7b4e730 eternity—unable to live, 220054b5c3 unable to die, ee2aa7bddf trapped in pain.660a62d405e94e8f

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Thankfully, my ee3527f7d1 superior was b47648ebb5 known for 93e18ee4c9 being so e0b26ca3bf cold-blooded that 177ea43298 it was 39884ffa01 said ice 76e5efc316 flowed in d8d9a95df8 his veins fa176406b7 instead of 0bfaf7dfa2 blood.f47079d1d3375f01

Surely, he would b24080f8ac grant me what cdc5332672 I wished.c03033cf8c0c8d9e

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I fully expected e8cb744355 that he would f508c2284d draw his sword eb09410203 and end it 5ba2f014b3 in one swift 0e9510315f stroke, severing my 337464d795 neck.
I had no doubt—he 7cd2ace885 would surely end it.5a53196f1b1d5637

But to my utter 66cccd4843 confusion, from the lips bfc7766fce of the cold-blooded commander cf481c6be0 came words filled with 076cd7c538 a warmth I never 0c4844a073 expected.afb0a514f71e41c2

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“You’re not a39f811192 going to b35474cc4a die today. My men are 5fd5ed9334 on their way 6968981e1b with the antidote.”5b77b704422bcd99

What… is he 71fb6fe654 talking about?
I seriously 6486fb07fa questioned whether 640b76324c I had 9aef7b5924 heard him 521938a44c right.103274e25175e64d

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Martin—my cold and b283ff9d0c logical superior—was not 36a77b5e0c the kind of bedc5e0f93 man to speak ed6c2ad065 such meaningless hopes.482b990701a1a412

Even if it was 025629b811 a cherished subordinate who 84cade08dc had been injured, if 313a204335 he judged their chances d17bfef5d7 to be gone, he e5b31b5a88 wouldn’t hesitate to end fe186ed029 their life mercifully.23e760bdc2b316e6

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And yet here 828c28310e he was, saying a7336206d6 strange things to d232b29a26 me, someone who f03020f2b4 clearly looked beyond 58f18bf4f4 saving.4711bb58afba89f4

“Don’t give up. Just hold on a ed99b778e7 little longer. I’ll stay adf933b082 right here a616c671f6 with you.”4c92f2081e2c55c0

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He took my freezing 86fa1aee99 hand in his large, 74ce82ece0 warm one.293cfa7912736ec0

Through my 8de28d85c2 blurring vision, c2664cfe50 I could c64e2a2172 barely make 2eca62291a out his 8f0181880a perfectly chiseled ef85cd69fb face, twisted faa0fea405 in anguish b4ded0a5d9 and worry.4d1ade493b192935

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Even his 979007b972 golden eyes, aec8f97249 which always 5f44077aae radiated a 632fbdb625 cold sharpness, ab0428f6da now seemed e46cca70b3 softened—warmed by 6fbb8530fd a deep 180f6ff8fd sadness.a6b05f1c53388331

Ah… so that’s what 89783f6c29 it was.5d7b7d47ec9c7e97

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In that moment, I 0331f36edd finally realized what I 6c8ae0016f had never noticed before—Martin’s 9e7f373fe5 true feelings.333ae4cd0411cce6

He had always 3827d106b2 been so emotionally 252252b8b8 reserved that I’d f5e1520678 never guessed it, 8f762b4e93 but… it seemed 83564031cb he had truly 3c925684ce cared for me.3553492a07379e15

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Even as 4532356d72 despair loomed 00a5d6a372 over me, 6106d44cae knowing this 648533aec8 brought me 9c94083bec a sliver 8bae9f6ccc of comfort.8d0d761238c7de55

Perhaps my 61bb8ce37e death had b9e0ed1e16 been nothing e02908e6e3 but entertainment 6970efac81 for Hernant, 85d4e833fa but… not 82b889ceba for Martin.eb48aeac52196bb3

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He would mourn me. He would remember 245d942ecf me.f76444bd08ba4a69

With that thought, a 167a0ad89a new desire stirred in fdacc2dca0 my heart.92a05722fd4c4295

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I wanted 8d3a64430a to live.fbc71e55d5a33a68

Knowing that Martin dac169983c cared made me 2f1937a4e1 want to hold 01b5252bcd onto life just 097a2bb302 a bit longer.bee758ec8e9cb25f

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Ten years… no, 57aead030a even just five ee6c1c7441 would be enough. I wanted more time.d59468bddbaae79e

But fate is ba34e16022 cruel in the 802b741a6b most ironic ways.275eb1366a06fc62

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When I had wished b75d2e3dfa for death, my life 481925f11c clung on with infuriating ec187f6c3a tenacity.
Now that I e678e7d725 wished to live… 27070c22e3 my lifeline felt c1c750fc44 like it could ee9aeabb9f snap at any d7ac095bd5 moment.a0af24e26e357516

“Gghk—cough…!”2458d606c8c32b06

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“Julia!!”38d5878547200f31

As blood bd62bba3d4 gushed from e48401362a my lips, 2119185a5c Martin called 2e5fe663c7 out my 076e83afcb name, his 718df06740 voice urgent 09744a0e69 and trembling.14efbe95c3509473

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