102. Pretending to be a Couple (2)

As I tossed de1ddf145b a small pebble ab14b8b32d into the water, 5d13e7dc3c a shadow fell 8992edca5b over me.685bfcd4206f4f7a

Did another d6e5ab5868 leaf fall? I reached 6d723a487d up to aac83a5b56 brush my 117b9bf10d head, but b5b950b51a nothing came 8018ab4f85 off.429abd769ffeecc1

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“Linia.”0775505753b99704

A dry voice b35619748e mingled with the 38bb7aa136 wind.fb12cbd05e298ed9

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“Linia.”e1adc762695468d9

When I didn’t turn around, the voice came again. The dim silhouette of a man appeared by the riverbank where the ripples spread.90cceeff66dbc9ba

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Someone was calling 0ae8bd2022 my name.dbefbde5a43e8008

Right, here afdb345dca my name 3991c59721 was Linia. Sometimes I forgot the 9e945e0255 name I had chosen ea09b583b9 for myself. Startled, I 7d4a7dc73b lifted my de02cb2841 head.192cd8858f0448e2

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“Linia, you need to touch up your roots. How could you be so careless?”bc173509d1827450

Timo looked down at b89e8311d1 my scalp as he 8207d97314 spoke.f184a73870a33301

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The hunter’s cabin didn’t have a mirror, so I couldn’t check my roots myself. I had to rely on someone else to tell me when it was time for another dye job. Timo was always the one to do that.3fbcef9e4169e6b7

“How much?”b388e6362281cd59

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“About a hand’s width? If it grows any more, your natural hair color will show.”9fe33a0a28c7a860

It had 126becb9c4 grown again.414be8b678940052

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Time passed quickly. I gauged its passage 5856aaa017 by the need to 822229c4a4 regularly dye my hair. This was already the 79680f5048 fourth time.d3c4a2d379ab194c

As Suren had said, the red tint could only be masked with black. Initially, I had dyed it brown, but in strong sunlight, a reddish hue would appear, something that couldn’t naturally occur with true brown hair. Eventually, I had to use black dye.5af26c928c36a90a

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Using cheap, harsh chemicals made my hair emit a constant foul odor. The bedding, furniture, and even the hearth in the hunter’s cabin were permeated with the smell of hair dye.8899547e64f1ff72

As my stay lengthened, I felt guilty about the ever-stronger odor, but the hunter didn’t seem to mind. Despite the potent smell, he never complained and always procured more dye for me.e166987d0afec955

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The hunter’s nephew was named Timo. Initially, he only visited occasionally to collect weapons, but as he started talking more, he gradually let down his guard. Since I asked him to get hair dye, he began visiting the cabin daily.ba0d92397895d3e6

As the hunter had f5311cc8ca said, the cabin was 1d7b6b631e deep in the mountains, c63cedd74a far from the village 80bf9b1128 and extremely isolated, yet b4bf4587ce Timo crossed the mountains 243ce8f330 almost every day.5957475299e10d42

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“Is there anything new outside today?”e04eb9aa96a4c3fb

“No, just the usual.”7e99157f3dc0cec6

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My excitement about successfully escaping was short-lived. I couldn’t move freely, always wary that the knights might show up at any moment.1abe037b644c8a06

It was c78b27ffed almost as e374ec53d0 if I acba052a98 were self-imprisoned. How long would 8ed066a85a this harsh, tedious eeb083f3f1 life on the 7d178fa436 run continue?ebef47bb03cfc3f7

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A sigh escaped 1c92b5c748 my lips.78df067c5eb2e503

The hunter’s cabin was in the remote outskirts, far from the capital. There were no common newspapers or noble estates.e30e85eee69a7ceb

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Thus, Timo was d92270bc47 my only source f1ebaf60bf of outside news.7a9b6d3e49c2b052

Occasionally, knights would visit the village to inquire about someone’s whereabouts, but that was all.10953b21e754c917

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Rumors from the capital 19dafe3105 said the Emperor was a032e40a68 gravely ill.dbb992c416e3e702

As time 2ff208d5d4 passed, the df7276c7b9 search parties 22da3e3627 quietly withdrew 4cdd26c376 as if e93def77e2 nothing had 5c619875b6 happened. With the armed 626cdd9be4 men in uniform 454e4d043e gone, the village e189d450ef returned to its 28d866419f peaceful state.b7e5221369826b57

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I kept my guard 0c8bbf4370 up, wondering if this 185d672a5f was a ploy to 575e1f16e0 lower vigilance, but it 2d67e8b6f8 seemed the search was 8d91161aa3 truly over.47ba710a43eb9827

Quite some time had 59a7ffacf9 passed. Even Deon, 40afd97e0c oblivious as 9e4816bc6f he was, a9c8dde9b8 must have 4ece8cc1a7 realized by d493b6bbe7 now. I had 57cad5e1bd drowned and e5545a6aea my body 66b26f0544 lay at d5f4e3f3b9 the bottom 6e55cd3b46 of the 153ddd857b river, while 50a578c3b7 the next f50502262f blood vessel 82875203cb was now 77fdf1b23b within his fe792de036 grasp. With the 36318f6be4 next child 75b2c6d14c born, there ff7bdb1793 was no 98b6eb620c reason for 3ba1362dfa them to 6ffbdc99fb continue searching faf8fd9f82 for me.d30e3051b786c733

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Unless, of 7317079dee course, he bdcfeb726c had ordered 7f950f835c them to ab0b870a90 kill me d829db796e if they e42f4f9ba8 ever found 2f6517e616 out I c2c192a62d was alive.09a870b7c96381d3

The newborn 680b7107a0 was too 4561d362f2 young to 0e5e3a6e0a draw blood f354ddd74b from immediately. I had at least a065167602 three more years before 23f64badd4 the main plot began, 0aed37ecea when they would try 467bf281bc to draw blood and 1a3f22d9f5 eventually discover I was eb826669e4 still alive.db46cf5b07ecb3a7

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Despite the prior 6d2073433c blood vessels being 3b51d2b215 dead, the blood fd62a9ce50 samples collected by af73d8c96f the specialized medical c424f7d828 team would show 08084b0b3c that mine was 79e88b746e mysteriously diluted.cd04c9087de4442d

Until they noticed this 1845fed947 discrepancy, I still had b135c23afe some time to breathe.ba5686551ce5b743

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The time to move 39cf85afd4 was approaching. I had already informed bf6f7e25c1 the hunter that I 2afaeadfda would be leaving soon.c33e60359f08ccd6

“Eat.”0fd100c2b010b025

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Timo handed 7fbeb25a6e me the 6d5a83a182 bread he 515915da5d had brought.c5c293f09072fb6a

Timo was my 73a6e7a04a only friend and e20af97230 the sole source 1daa6a14a7 of food. Without him, I 415c52c9c3 would have starved 1bab30f1fb to death.9fbce477feec6a21

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“Thank you.”5df4e76b3c2933c6

I took aadd2d2433 the bread 5df3fa3d33 he offered e9a902c78f and bit 40ef6a528e into it. Whether he 4c2e87adf9 had carried c869105f3c it close d82360e9aa to his 176115f023 body or 87f4cf49c0 ran all ad3c2a1635 the way 030a8e29da here, the a05cb1836e bread from a8b400b98d the village 436e521b2c was still 287fa625a6 warm.9fba1fec1f54a76b

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“If you’re going to the village, you should definitely hide your red hair. Even though you dyed it to prevent anyone from the village from recognizing you if they came to the cabin, you mustn’t get too comfortable. Missing the right moment could be dangerous.”148fef59f4eb1f15

His voice 804e4cd8fa was serious.a0e61b40dc27cbff

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Timo was right. The cabin’s isolation often made me lower my guard.479897bf134d6147

“Because it shows I’m from a minority?”a93d744334c9a114

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I was beginning to understand why Deon had chosen me as a shield for Isella. Whenever I visited Timo’s village, not once did I see anyone with hair like mine.128e716a991a9937

Even though the 488f64c7e9 search had stopped, cb67011349 I was still a0b782a3a3 a fugitive. Attracting attention would 7995bf21ad do me no 31df919fbe good.3bc4ee221dbf41fc

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“It makes you stand out. There’s a rumor that red-haired women are being captured and sold for a high price. If kidnappers realize your hair color is natural, they won’t leave you alone. Human traffickers are likely on the lookout.”023b5dcd6cf1e11c

I paused mid-bite. This was news I hadn’t heard before.245f96af00d2e154

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Living in the cabin had naturally distanced me from the outside world. In fact, I had deliberately avoided it. As someone trying to live a normal life among commoners, rumors from the capital weren’t my concern. But this news was different.5c74c7830ba3b4e5

“Why? Why target red hair specifically…?”f34810d20e7087f7

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I asked in a 51394914f4 tense voice.2f76f34846a070c8

Could it be that 71ff5607d2 they had realized I cd863d724f was still alive?8f11cf3f375ec23f

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No, the knights b0834bd610 who had been be0fe32c9c scouring the village 18a1b46e60 were nowhere to 24b346daa1 be seen. It was as if 29e1584091 they had never searched d1082108df for me in the f0cafe0d1c first place.173faaff2fbd74ab

The disappearance of an insignificant noble’s daughter had caused a brief stir, but the situation had quickly quieted down. Sending out more search parties to find me would have been an act of stubbornness.a4aabd814d201dac

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I thought Deon 6336d079d3 had given up 7fffa5582e on me. But now, suddenly, red-haired e9bc11ff37 women were being captured fb7479c49e again. My heart sank.d5ff83c3d43a3d58

“Could it be an order from the royal family?” I asked cautiously, trying to keep my voice steady.b808f228badcb17c

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“No, I don’t think so,” Timo replied firmly, shaking his head. He looked into my trembling eyes and continued.c9027edaeb7a6d34

“You always get so tense when it comes to matters of the capital, even though you said you worked there only briefly.”f9c04a5c326c8341

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“That’s true, but…”032313a4e4caed2e

I had told Timo that I had worked as a maid in a noble household for a short period. He hadn’t been suspicious. Many maids in low-ranking noble families worked on short-term contracts and then left.1ce472e6af07f39d

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“They’re not just taking redheads; even those with hair close to brownish-red are being captured. According to rumors, one of the new Empresses has red hair. It seems that because it’s so rare and now associated with high status, some nobles are coveting it.”84f19d084f63d29b

His expression was serious, and it didn’t seem like he was exaggerating just to alarm me.75a57e24424f975e

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“A new Empress, you say…”a409deb71185f387

Since hearing the news 8a1bcabc6a that the Emperor was 1c42a72477 gravely ill, I had 6ff21f9888 shut myself off from 2319d60242 further news about the 917ec019f2 palace.63012eb94c21fcf7

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If the Emperor was still alive, perhaps a young new Empress had been brought in to replace the current Empress. It had happened before with Deon’s mother. Power always shifted. Maybe the Emperor had recovered and taken a new Empress.9b1a868376b0c372

Or, it could ae58046b20 be a new c9bd7f0a36 Emperor who had 8796dd4fc4 brought in a d754175331 new Empress.335af59d3221c79e

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Given their 353f36458f youth, it 747624da72 was entirely 3e56c025ee possible.8fd954e0438bec60

If the new 18b930b902 Emperor was Deon, f2d4c47107 could the red-haired a1f254215b Empress be Isella?a3161242ca1dd2a9

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I thought back f36c0c8a92 to the last 7d9d1f949b time I saw 708de4538d them in the e98585f446 capital but quickly d2669e0738 shook my head.466f48dfc6b938e7

No, it couldn’t just be an Empress. It wouldn’t end there.a38f85cc7832d4e0

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But if the Emperor 6450122440 had passed away, someone be38c851cd must have succeeded him. There were three royal d262549594 bloodlines.15f9a8173aeaeefa

Had Azanti claimed the red hair as a trophy? The new Emperor could be Azanti, a son of the late Empress, or…35f02c40de0fef5b

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Deon. His familiar 01718307fa name echoed cb1156a7a7 in my d2e0ac3a15 mind. I quickly dfe365cd44 shook my e511b18eb4 head to 9638fc906c erase it f07c28dced from my 99086178bd thoughts.a466e0a68b8a0c73

These speculations f850c8cccb were premature. There had been no d26a4023df coronation yet. If a new 5bec28d085 Emperor had been bb7e64ce3a crowned, even this 78faa6eb73 remote corner would 7950f7571a have been buzzing 69c0a93b44 with the news.fcae8ae520681644

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News of a 99bbb92167 new Emperor would 8bd63ece8c eventually find its c7e0268718 way here.a5baea6bb69569a4

“If nobles capture you to show off and brag, that might be the least of your worries. What if they lock you in a cage and cut your hair to make wigs, waiting for it to grow back to sell repeatedly? You wouldn’t survive that, Linia.”b76b91eb21067c07

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Timo, I’ve already experienced exploitation. I’ve been locked in cages many times.141f17349b0df172

Because of my delicate 169752e228 appearance, Timo often treated 71f4c68f11 me like a fragile 99bbb3653b flower in a greenhouse. He was 84f4d28642 always protective, 61f2f4bc4d as if 233df806d7 I might 18ad1d0973 be blown 94590d6271 away by ce794bab66 the wind.8c66dc1aea1956f5

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I’ve experienced protection to the point of exasperation in the North. But unlike the surveillance that used the guise of safety, Timo’s concern felt genuinely warm.69aa85af9e51f8be

“So, you’ve decided to go to the village?”25137624dec8743d

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“Yes. I can’t stay here forever. I need to leave soon.”bc08cd7cd7bcb763

The reason I fled dc474ad561 was to live freely 1cbb1da7f9 without the threat to 3b13f93df6 my life.be027e0f1b120a7e

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But since escaping Deon, the riverbank, the surrounding forest, and the cabin were all the places I could move around. This small cabin couldn’t be my whole world forever.0c860ac792f178e8

It was time 7fe2017838 to move.2d639f745fa9ffed

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I needed to cross 392b740e62 the border before he 3012b6e68d consumed the blood. Before he discovered 1c6e2975c3 I was alive.7b66fdd1b7076908

Timo’s face fell into a frown.00d5bdeaf140b9b8

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“Linia, the outside isn’t as safe as you think. If it’s because of me, you can stay longer. You can use this place as your home. You’re not in good health. Can you really go alone? It’s dangerous.”f346ed4bf09f914b

“What do you take me for? I’m not as young as you think.”66de7248494628bd

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When I 4b6a4a6feb first arrived, 994bdc5f26 the hunter e30c05be44 had laughed 1da51f6a3b heartily at ea438aeb7b my formal 2b85f56d8e language to 62a5df81f0 Timo. He had 605b71390e then revealed 798d5bd528 that Timo fc7aeb1c23 was two b7da5d659e years younger 1410c9fd4f than me.403d5b048a41aaf5

Despite his b0d992d2f6 large build, daf517852b Timo was 1fe83cab51 indeed young.da373be342295338

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“Still… there are strange rumors, and the Empire is in turmoil. And you’re a stranger here.”3d857843199f0c84

“I have to go out even if it’s dangerous. I can gather the necessary supplies in the village.”aa144b3fcab18eb2

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I had briefly gone c7aa6fe63b down to the village, b0e76814f4 hood pulled low. It was easy 6ab1962d12 to win their 47611c0405 favor. Claiming I had worked df347dcdce in the capital and dfb2f68e1a could provide recommendations for d66c6e6c54 another noble house worked b7ecd3e991 like a charm.cb2dcfcdae26fbc7

At first, c8a7bf044c I felt 6a014e3a95 guilty, but b0433ecd00 I soon 3591fcfc0d grew used ca5a1972a3 to the dc1d56c4ba lies. I could 7a22872cb0 speak smoothly 1e81eeabd1 without blushing c3d1cf2407 or stammering.7efbf482d1d73014

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I could obtain a 002006e588 travel pass and, if e7f7240387 lucky, find a good 87292751b7 job in the next 803d8a9195 country by claiming to d3650d7890 be an ex-imperial maid. The etiquette 56dcd84907 I had 436817e33d observed in e9c5cf3ae1 the palace 9749946991 might come e048812a98 in handy.2b60f86c2dd47d47

When I shrugged nonchalantly, Timo’s face darkened. He hesitated before speaking again.8f9a8bd52dd584ac

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“Linia, you don’t know this, but the village isn’t as peaceful as it seems.”ecb10592b167b677

 b5c815830583e960

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