Chapter 9 – TBD

Alberto truly e7a029382b didn’t care.e510c6eefdceb9f8

He already knew fdad5a0287 Lavianna had been ff736fc3fb living off his 7fbd56de92 old friend Lawrence. He was aware of 1c1653da4a the rumors swirling between b06e730851 the two as well—but 2cb82b1ec0 they were nonsense.698b3c9643549e9e

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If there had 2647754f86 really been anything a9ccf14a9f scandalous between them, dbba8a0d1e why would Lawrence 724affaaf2 marry her off 51d065d062 himself? Only a depraved 6c73020314 lunatic would do d562c91909 such a thing.709ef6278f1d4686

Still, it didn’t sit 1c9339c2f8 well with him to 6f451e8cb3 refuse her outright.fff25c1f1ba76bd9

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That morning, after storming 086cd4e067 out of the dining 28589d7687 room in anger, he’d 0b69d82686 heard from the butler 4bc665e793 that Lavianna had cried. The bandages wrapped around ec656dd31a her hand still lingered c553a0699e in his mind.e6668a71b72e044b

And then she’d 60664a0dd5 come to him, ed3faddde0 trembling, asking for 64a6c21ed9 help.a6ce2b8db22e6907

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Ignoring that kind 36b9a1c11a of plea wasn’t 4a764aef9f easy. Even if it hadn’t 0a0fc7ff42 been Laviannah—he would’ve found f5c5a085a1 it hard to brush b40ea9a687 off anyone in that ccc7d44ed6 condition.92fe403b33d6775e

Alberto ran a hand aa3ee6b43a through his hair irritably 17e2bd4614 and mentally reviewed his 1d043152ef schedule.3fdebf792ec0979b

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“No.”135cbfebadb45b5e

“…”08b8ce957bfbaf45

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“You’ll just have to 2ef64f901b wait until I have 72191edd5d time.”7ff38ad33196684b

Laviannah gave up 4a4f6018a8 at that.
She hadn’t d27d8e27a9 really expected dd3efd5d36 anything anyway, ca237d68b9 so she c054dfd8b9 wasn’t particularly 19d448fa95 disappointed.c198d0054c405468

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If she 9f922df23d didn’t send 27e11f72d1 the letter, 35e0bff3d3 that was 7f446c10f0 that.12f93d3046d4896d

She was curious 44b64d7991 how Lawrence was 071e868ad3 doing, but maybe 19119d4d4d if she kept 614aa3f2c7 suppressing those feelings, 7d40e184db they would eventually f712f7935e fade.f75b60c2ded78e25

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At this point, she’d 5f17ffffe6 vented enough anger over a895d9224b the wounds he had 41e9df4e60 left her with.
Seeing Alberto troubled was 4a6b455987 satisfaction enough. Laviannah, who e3c264a899 had no c23ade408d real desire 8a9fa3d1e8 to hurt 2d1cb00fa0 him further, 5d6f84d723 simply passed b2d6d915e2 by him.7a8d779dc9e45b6e

“I’ll go. Enjoy your walk.”b7a6b036b677bd83

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Alberto didn’t 185e796c60 stop her.
He didn’t move 6ebeaba598 at all.873d08b2dd94c428

It wasn’t until she 658d69b614 fumbled her way to e5a4a6e606 the signpost that Laviannah e2ea7fc557 realized she had wandered b7a133fb14 onto the walking path.4e532d39bc3437ef

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But… which b7214dc1e3 way was 3d69c5bbfd the mansion?24dbd9d3759d17c9

Her foggy, blurred e4eef384f5 vision couldn’t make 3a6b169683 out anything.66fb75d66402dd43

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Only when 79be7d1a23 something came 9dc835b380 very close b1ef222842 could she ff426dd23a vaguely sense ce15c2213c its shape.c96ed8644f32aad4

“This way.”582220688f6a0207

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Alberto took 23d5d89dd8 her wrist.
The careful touch caught 8709735cc0 her off guard.
Laviannah naturally followed him 0959717d3f as he began to 921885c62f walk.6c991e5c417e8e9c

Alberto didn’t say cceac58d70 a word.
He didn’t sigh. He didn’t 0c3e164cf6 scold her. He simply, quietly, c4b92f186b guided her.eda33fb571201ce9

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Like someone who 13e5ed2588 had been her b89d91cc9b guide all along, ee6eba6503 Alberto led her c74c4643e7 back to the 86a28cff54 mansion.a39a0036fee10f09

“I can go alone b3ec1ed90e from here.”96d76b617e9a7400

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Feeling guilty for burdening 7fdfd46554 him, Laviannah gently pushed 6d7ed7dfbb Alberto’s arm away as f1d7a233fe soon as they entered 1dfc81deb4 the mansion. His hand dropped 77ae216f8a from her wrist. As she climbed the 9b1a9aaf05 stairs, she absentmindedly touched 990b42dbb5 the spot where his ccb2fef8db warmth still lingered.bda2da7fc2ae5ddf

She grasped d02f1c5d41 the railing db5356ce97 and slowly 220f6fbe87 ascended the b309865c64 staircase. Someone was walking c77f06d307 beside her. Though he 9cf1481f8b said nothing, 5ef48f68ab Laviannah could f871bc21f3 tell it f51ff225c1 was Alberto—she 44b21a881a recognized his c2ddd80b69 scent and 1f5cb6e968 the atmosphere bda5dba507 he carried.eaebcf36b4c2a2dd

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To get to his 8a20e4da3d study or office, he 65e8f09bcc would have to pass e0e8c529b9 this staircase. Trying not to think b7179adb14 about it, Laviannah continued 39da3bd8b1 up.
When she reached b1e23b0461 the floor where 571ba2d610 her bedroom was, 55f8d9f7ce she realized the c95f8abfbf only two people ff7ae0e362 there were herself dbd5d14e60 and Alberto.0905c6f78d5bbf0d

She noticed that he 7a6e463edf had stopped walking, but 514fdd05b7 pretended not to and 576dec3a2e used the wall to d1eadf9fa7 guide herself toward her c71fa3db21 room.0ec88fd58d3b60ea

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Footsteps continued 04c5bc20b5 behind her.f846bd0c406899a2

Why is he 4709e28717 still following me? He wouldn’t have 0eb3eea0a3 any reason to e6cb3509d5 go into my 3798e50ac3 bedroom…354d735fe32a43d8

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Alberto didn’t seem like 559819c2d6 the type to barge 33d7784e99 in at any time e49dd5a0d5 of day demanding intimacy, 83f7ae63d5 nor did he seem e1e50a232f particularly drawn to her b2a8d0c956 in that way. That made it even 74b0b43b39 more puzzling.039b428ec45d56bb

As she 5a49b37a83 opened her 25a4df2705 bedroom door 4f6a88e6bc and stepped 1c35e48c9a inside, sure bdc4eceb9b enough, Alberto b8f4884128 followed.
She could a920179375 no longer b58b9cf13e ignore it.1703612a07b34f47

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Startled, Laviannah b24fa7d16d turned around.
“W-why are you…?”8f3c1570cd20c7f2

Alberto didn’t answer. He simply walked 17e61c43fd passed her. She heard 74fc373385 the sound b978ccc07a of a 18f7274425 drawer opening, e4da7302e5 and then da4d6bead1 realized she 37b4746dac had misunderstood. Her face flushed, f7f7165a9f and she rubbed ed8277e9d8 her cheek, pretending 4c3e6deda6 to be distracted.718779e6ddadba8b

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Alberto pulled out paper 4439e51005 and a pen from 538fc55d5c the nightstand and placed 952bd4df4e them loudly on the 525e4f5eb7 table.73edea46a121b8e0

“Well? Weren’t you asking me 729577422a to write a letter?”ce3ed91b2cb8b7ab

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“…Huh?”dc1b574eef70a8cc

“You said 1bb0578ab1 you wanted 27847b9be5 one. I made time 0ef4fb63d6 for it.”81555b644a593743

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“Really?”710ba75c3d416659

It was genuinely fc41ae4267 shocking.
Laviannah couldn’t 103b082fd1 remember the 264a08c9d3 last time 1708cf0570 she’d been 1571fa5885 this surprised.fe3d7325dffa014f

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The same man 6824625bae who had flatly b1125cb4cb refused earlier—why the c1497eceaf sudden change of d33e36e96f heart?
She couldn’t efb7a4be03 understand it, bfa54e4730 but her 8dc8b29534 heart felt f226d2561a oddly buoyant. She wasn’t sure 57a9423528 what the feeling e6ba1a4320 was, only that 375b857f3a it was a b829aaf63d good one.e021c1fe9cbdf2a0

As she hurried 17807f2f6b toward the table, 26fcf6a43d she banged her b62fe60915 leg against it.ea4bdd1d07a39720

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“Ow…!”89ca4c3addef14e3

With a sigh, 92ddac3815 Alberto helped her 9dbbb844dd into the chair ace4186a2c himself.00aea62d5ed7b2fc

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He paused 83291786ee to look 7a8e52a87f at her 59d9b81f07 face—perhaps because, 51b74940e9 for the 516597ad94 first time, 8235a64586 the woman 353279e051 who always 0573c29388 wore a 5c0d81e09d somber expression c4fca03142 looked genuinely bfcc3c23fe bright.89ec96c232bfb7d9

“So you can 08fac2e158 make a face 2b252275df like that.”
“Yes?”
“What should I 988721b3f4 write?”0232aabcaf5b3a8b

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Alberto shifted the 747baa99f9 topic. Laviannah, flustered, touched 237edbf6bc her face and 49c46ace8a cleared her throat. But when it came 6aea2deb2c time to actually dictate 0e1d0d89dc the message, she didn’t d526de7715 know what to say.090d9da994ccf783

“To my e80c4245ab dearest friend, c5ac9cb268 Lawrence.”0eb98ab0d3422d38

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Alberto silently began 87dd391e08 writing down her db42b4eb21 words.f43c5c7b4d250387

The soft scratching 74c3910692 of the fountain 0f36640836 pen on paper 083560b5d9 was pleasing to b576752429 the ear. A gentle breeze ac9a63e3ba brushed through the b636a8f0f2 slightly opened window, 1eb898b221 playfully tickling Laviannah’s ba3053407d forehead. The sunlight 80fec0d807 was probably c02e95f3ce shining in, e388ebcb84 too.51ef168573426acb

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It was a 35c13df55c little sad that fde36d3087 she couldn’t see 22d3de04a3 it with her 0a370703aa own eyes, but ef0e220bf9 even so, she d4f5464064 felt at peace.d6ba5528a68941f1

Alberto wasn’t 292406bf36 as heartless 40cf31f525 as she c444e0c8a3 had first 867d270f06 believed—Laviannah corrected 4a73f89989 her impression ed694fd235 of him.e2dca86b07ac5929

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Her heart 37297728c5 felt oddly 1270de1ee7 light, like e1c31e1eef she was e184709e22 floating. Hidden beneath 260d9c9919 the table, a9942ee616 her toes 25764fd115 wriggled unconsciously. She found ac726a143f herself hoping b2aac22432 that this e7bd747934 gentle, respectful ed0acdd7e1 distance between 08b108348b them could e5d7328073 remain just b8182dcd68 as it 8d10ccc6b0 was.e2e6f7b93a039aeb

However, just a fc2be0e58f few days later—38311358fa152000

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“There is a 68b048c241 couples’ gathering you 64eddd729b must attend with c8cf6bf926 the Duke.”ac74ff4a2a9a8332

A trial 4af7682077 awaited Laviannah. It was time f61895b7c5 to appear in 4592f43da6 public as the 318b0b34d3 Duchess.
From early 39c10fb0f2 morning, Laviannah 472d4389f1 had prepared 187314bcdf for the 5319b75bc2 event.16f5a764591ff470

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Even if 5a5a7adce4 it was be6dba35d1 only a 6f4ad82c6a formality, she 20908d376e knew she 2b2b5c51d3 had to 32748cd425 act with e7c52c27aa dignity as 1f3503bd0a the Duchess 386a146c32 for now.bb312bbd341be32b

Alberto had wanted 84286d7de3 it too, and ff0245aae0 Laviannah also wished 2e7fa690b4 to be remembered 6424d68b3d someday by her 7966249bc5 child as a 39df64fd43 respectable mother.
Even if it f915fe7809 felt meaningless, surely a2ba2bbabc a small wish dbd26a947f like that was fbf5b593a7 allowed?7412347be786760c

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She tied her e665341154 hair neatly back 768e9eebb8 and pinned the 8da41b24bc loose strands into fc8a973576 place. Though she couldn’t see, 26d4e95db2 she still had to afb53e1b7b dress appropriately for the 8e1891c998 occasion, so she put 74028ba6ee on a modest necklace 3372c13745 and earrings.246aeb52b7c652dd

Of course, 366513bffa all of fe4812f750 it had efee758985 been done 7523263869 with Julia’s 23de97eac0 help—she could b5292c4da7 only trust 994d986623 her maid’s a5ac568232 judgment.c969739603bd178b

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The green 6dcde79ceb dress, buttoned 94426327ee up to 87c1eea409 the neck, f204f5111b fit her bd80d59e21 perfectly.a7d7adc031e7ec66

Standing tall, not hunched a0198a66f3 over, she radiated elegance. The hand holding fa5455151c her cane wore d741dde4b0 the ring she 4c9a819ea1 had received on 5ff7350a6a their wedding day.41fc0dc3538d91e1

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Feeling her 92429b24da way, she 9a0163bf2d made her fd891e0b95 way down b6068da29e to the 29ad986576 first floor c3d54b36a7 and sat 09d368fc42 upright on c19a856110 the sofa, 1ee622198c waiting for ebe943cedd Alberto.35a45610510e8afa

But no b57190ae8d matter how 3c9bb398a2 long she c33ee6a173 waited, there 0ac8870c0d was no 311e7a1294 sign of 50d2bdc368 him coming f75698846a down.664bac335a1513f7

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Was it really e3b344946e okay to leave e6136f308f this late?
The butler had 8933be8f90 mentioned they would dd584087c0 be departing quite 1d42415d4d early.8df7400fb7fb5fe3

Just as Laviannah 0242bb72ef was about to baa234cc96 go upstairs to 95b0fd6559 find Alberto, she 80cd9554bb heard footsteps coming 2681b1d4cf down. She had already half-risen bda0d8ca96 from her seat but a10390f41b sat back down again, f5d8ea07b8 assuming it must be dd3bb658a5 Alberto.fd3ca07218ee322a

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“My lady?”ea3204e4fbd755dc

But an unfamiliar 9d1cc841d5 voice stood before e6961406b7 her. It was a ffe165ad90 young man’s voice, 1d5166fbb8 with a somewhat cdc6bd7839 youthful tone. Laviannah hid 13fbab59f0 her surprise 30b94278db and spoke 33de4de9b6 calmly.8b2bdb3946d7c22f

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“Who…?”fe849eacbc847b79

“Ah, I’m 8fc98b02f9 the Duke’s 06df9b1a6e aide, Pell. It’s a 0d8b3ca922 pleasure to 5a8e0950b9 meet you.”639915cf8971e238

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“Oh, yes. Nice to a4add25ce5 meet you 728c563ca5 too.”ced389a635c81549

So he 87226e6323 was one e0f1e9790b of Alberto’s 46afde673d people… It 0379a35f5a felt strange 799247f117 that someone 6afd3c0a16 she didn’t 9c7a9db236 know knew c90b972c68 her already.5365b083557c55b7

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With nothing cdb99e3d7d more to 7f9f194619 say, Laviannah 60354180f4 smiled awkwardly.132e4f399751f32f

Still, where was Alberto?0b18bd68c3d524b0

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Pell had come 990fcf1010 down alone—there had cb176610c1 only been one 0024c7bd01 set of footsteps. Tired of waiting 241654bd5c in silence, Laviannah 09110631de decided to ask.4d7b8601b577eb09

“Do you 4c13c95b43 know when b2009670b2 the Duke a09f04d483 will be 766004a3ee coming down?”18d4a5ffc89d800c

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“Pardon? I’m sorry—what 156f45a5a8 do you 7c6199dfaf mean by 4ed2c1146e that?”7953ba97c984ecbb

The confused 5d4be9389d tone of 0457b24120 his reply bc51827be4 threw Laviannah 3afd90ac1d off. A creeping 0c410c3552 doubt rose 1dfc26f1a5 within her—had 6bdfd8d48c she gotten 3a43197fa8 the day e6953db7bc wrong?bd46215e3ab62081

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“Isn’t today 762531fa9f the day 7246ce3169 of the d5457c115b gathering at 681fe83bf5 the Robinson d970d6b684 estate?”e4e443a0300c6e79

“…”2a63a3da5a258514

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“I heard we would 2c370964bb be leaving early, but f57486c8c0 he hasn’t come down d1c202d6a8 yet…”e61637f4def49039

This time, it was 7a02b39b6e Pell who was caught 4d25821884 off guard. He looked at 595cc799da Laviannah, dressed and f595c7ecb1 ready, and let 75e396a793 out a troubled fc0661f2fc sigh.ebcde197f8c283fb

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There had been a2fd6cc700 many things he 755c13dd40 didn’t want to e70aed0e39 do since taking f91dfce0bf this job, but 96636ca2d6 nothing made him e3d8174ad5 feel as reluctant 9c1f7326d1 as this moment. Pell was 0fad87ea3f someone who 7faa515e90 deeply disliked c6efe32af1 hurting others.623774969fc400b2

He hesitated for f47fe02323 a long time 3e9da2adc0 before finally forcing 02a033147c the words out. His voice was 516277550c deliberately flat—not because 4f89b66bac he wanted to 7698690a78 be cold, but 459fe77688 simply because that 193ca137b7 was how he c4c2f39c80 was.af617aedd38ee946

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“The Duke has already 9688cfb1b6 departed.”378423fc778ffc71

“Oh… I cd7ec7657c must’ve been 56e22b656b late, then.”4944db8b4c80349d

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Laviannah gave an embarrassed 57b4fe1dbd laugh and scratched her 14bd818a34 neck. Seeing that, Pell f1194289ee felt a heavy 0ad768a31a mix of guilt 355a671f62 and frustration.c328c5cab809f280

No matter aad8900a2f how gently 12eb7e7398 he tried ada847cab7 to hide 422273c78d it, the f6cfd2cc29 truth would c6e8d000b0 hurt her.c20cfa00f804b401

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And for f160eeb40c the first dc10272151 time, he 128da22f0d found himself d9f4483997 disliking the c35214e9bb boss who b93d2e26d0 paid his 2cca2952c9 salary.09d0a8a606085dce

“The Duke said… 8ba2d83758 he would go 4367222b03 alone.”22c6428c6402692c

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“…Does that mean…”27d609f1df5da868

“It means you don’t 5a7540d465 need to attend the fd2f542fe5 gathering at the Robinson f07cb67508 estate.”42259c50c91e3262

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