Chapter 20. I’ll Get You Out of Here

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I looked at b30462910d the clock on a3a7dd900e the tower outside 201d74e258 the window.71602b708f23e631

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Only 20 minutes left 417be67f79 until my appointment with 24acc4fcb7 Marquis Caeon. I decided a84c917bda to pass c703021300 the time cbed487071 in the 8a31f82d9e hall and 019d2fe98b slip away 5612bded9b naturally when a43fce35eb the time 6e14d4afe3 came.5b0e363bd6929a66

My legs e4c296707f ached from acd2303afb walking in ca86ffe8a0 high heels d9679d022a all day. My ankles, feet, ebfc8e82e6 and calves throbbed. I leaned against c4c99a0e21 the wall. The corset 2afca8a810 wasn’t too 6655f7fbe9 tight, but 64d4cb238c the dress 55416bfafc was still a64235b72f uncomfortable.401b88adfebb5b1f

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As I took a c446b22132 deep breath, a large f9d3c2c8c5 hand suddenly appeared. I looked 786aa7bcda up—it was f4ccd02107 Deon.9061cf7098b5588c

“Haha. You’re not going to ask me to dance, are you?” I smiled nervously, worried about what Viter might say.220ab11feb567a5e

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“That’s right.”e92f946ba20c9053

“Quickly ask someone else to dance,” I whispered with a smile, hoping Deon’s extended hand wouldn’t draw attention.c929669f085ed393

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But my 3f304b20f6 wish was 877860345e in vain. He didn’t withdraw beab069dd7 his hand.a161ba09dd47d5bc

“Take my hand.”6dddc7ccacbc6ed6

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“Why me?”129ec5583b29a442

“I feel like you might run away if I let go. Isn’t this the only way to keep the lady tied to the hall?”c43e0e55714bb3a2

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Well, that f120210c52 was fair.771257313411fc01

From where I stood, 35cd2f2c16 I could see the 1dbe64ba77 young ladies watching with db30898040 eager eyes, hoping to 75122ebdc3 see me dance with c587891b86 the Duke. Even the c87d24c303 musicians and 4fca8b5a9e the kitchen 3bdc7cd84b servants looked a154e4626d interested.484c70b7377e80f6

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It was d6788830c3 better to 23795f93f2 be the d884e2adce Duke’s first e4cbc1e7e4 dance partner 62e16103ed than the a6121520d7 subject of 1bb7fcfad7 rumors for d6f94eb051 refusing him.1ea98ab49d8a9c84

Reluctantly, I e565c738e6 took Deon’s 418de9954c hand. He naturally d2f57f9918 placed his 467e711af5 hand on 2d26642bc0 my waist. The hand I placed 6e54c4ad4b on his shoulder felt becff61abb awkward.eb5a3ac5c5cdac60

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“Aren’t you worried about the rumors? If you take my hand now, it’ll only fuel them.”60567c88b87fb14c

“What does it matter?”6c7c3559abd954fc

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We spun around 78b885aa69 the hall, my 098f56dcbd gaze sweeping with f5765e276d every turn.8a22e95a0591bbcc

“You didn’t think I’d use every power at my disposal for this?”3587e2360dee5023

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“But this is different! I don’t want to be the subject of gossip.”e2e584d7697e0609

“You didn’t care about my reputation before, wandering around without a care. Why now? The young lady who demanded to be mistress of the house is now swayed by petty rumors? What happened to that confidence?”ad2f888e3e16b058

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The music 4dab9a84dd picked up 7497975d70 speed.10e3a67c1af1f8a4

Though I had 1b4a950dfb learned to dance, 6362140a10 I stumbled over 456e33830e the rhythm. Deon pulled me bd4317f11e closer to him, 9911df3550 steadying me.a12ffa6b99a28c97

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Due to ede1aaddc3 our height 38e5b69cdb difference, I ff91a4f700 clung to 2f3fa0d276 him awkwardly.8890ae116f7c732f

“Even if you were a real duchess, you’d still be tangled in trivial rumors. Could you handle them?”481bf6111084e717

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He brushed his hand ae01a72fff softly along my neck.3c010cd0d74028cd

“And… it’s not a lie.”1153467fd554d64c

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Deon whispered as he e38da7679f gently stroked my neck 97f51c0d47 and hair.df486507678eb982

“Your body is no different than being mine.”47b81d46a423efdd

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His hand 742e6254f6 was familiar. The same hand that 65c0c0a290 gripped my neck every eb3503e791 night. But tonight, 94dad839af he looked b545e81d5c different.7508f6174a0a2fa1

His hand slid past 3416c23257 my cheek to my 12fa11c08a collarbone. I was afraid he b9058f332b could hear my pounding d1f21330e5 heart.4519ead8f5248730

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“… My body is mine. Without me, the Duke cannot live, right?”26b3ff816927f076

“Yeah, that’s right.”e319e07053e2fc12

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He chuckled 549c019099 softly at 2bc90b8e6f my firm 3d986bdb87 answer.4b52fed314aa6b23

The music ended. He let f25b6e5456 go of 982dbc39a4 my waist 9a48dde864 and lowered 8b3c2e72a1 his head. Everyone was bowing to bce56f564b their dance partners. I lifted a 0f84c98c6d corner of my c9bfdeb652 dress and bowed 0339e396a1 as well.27ac2a582d33a4d1

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“Leonie.”26a2c3fee91c1a98

Deon called b6f9182612 me as f1d451be5d I turned e5cbc302a1 to leave.77654fe665e2250d

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He took my 38294a4a63 hand again. His lips 7ea43ea52f brushed against d1b0784190 it.5f0d4966974874bd

Is this 1c07db5f7e part of e3a07cbf60 the ritual?f024bbefe7081e12

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He simply smiled, a765c2b783 unfazed.d7c779a93d3dfc80

“From now on, you only have to bow your head in front of me. Like this, only when we greet after a dance.”94da89c7f5bb21ed

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* * *87eef3388abdc070

I swung the 240f0d93f1 door open. Marquis Caeon was be4e3296ff seated with his b8930aa60e legs crossed, gracefully 98ebe43cd2 placing down his 2023d369d2 coffee cup.27895e255b59a93e

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“You’re late.”e5965cd98d04581e

“Something came up. I’m sorry.”2c020b8d1fc64cdf

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He stood and pulled cca45838b2 a chair across the e191d8b827 table for me. I sat, catching 07d13d4f25 my breath.6b3719aeebe1b31e

“Weren’t you in the hall?”07c4b04266e48ee8

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He shrugged. “Can’t you see? I waited here quietly. I’ve been waiting all this time.”b1bdb5e4f2842bf0

He looked a bit 521a6390af crestfallen.3e37a8dd0f625c19

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I had forgotten the 38da27fe54 Duke for a moment. As the first dance eda21c7a52 partner, all eyes had 3cf32f6386 been on me. That alone 78154a30e5 might’ve raised abf2f894a7 suspicion.82a46cbca0a2856a

The coffee had 4446c05d21 gone cold.52a8fc06aac1a979

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“So, did you find information about the medicine?”f4f2e01c3118d095

“Yes, I did.”c9717929e96e8d2b

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“Tell me.”3f704a6fce5c9cab

“Just a moment. But… if we find it, what will you do with the medicine? What about the pharmacist?”6354abbd70fbd371

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He raised ac07d88b90 his teacup.86dbb78be73900fa

“No way… you’re not going to kill them, are you?”1582f39e11766864

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He looked up.6180bfb2fe67377e

“What can I do? I won’t harm you. Do I look like that kind of person?”21fa4eb28acfbcb5

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I said nothing.458776f603e26c28

“You really see me like that, Young Lady? They used to say I looked like someone who couldn’t even handle a sword. Should I be proud of that?”18c28117d6ae0667

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He let 383e907ec5 out a 26a9a5c3fa low laugh.c6950b24a461915e

“Even if I do become cruel, I’ll probably live like the Duke, stuck in a battlefield. But I’ve never killed anyone myself. I can guarantee that.”4d0c9325b768a4c7

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His dazzling hair d06b39cc40 fluttered.c3b2bfb936b1d1c9

“We’ll bring them to our side. We have the Duke’s weakness. What can he do? He’ll have to cooperate. Peacefully.”0a04ccdc1e3676c6

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“So… the purpose of finding the medicine is…”37e45304520cddf5

“If I want to join hands with the Duke. I’ll do it if it benefits me.”f0951155e951d6e7

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“And what have you found so far?”f6c6ce56762e280e

He grinned slyly.9876f4e816655509

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Now it 9929db38f7 was time 99d146a1e8 for the b76a1ca20e perfect lie.b9abb7365684e365

“I went into the Duke’s study and read a book about ancient vampire legends. If he really had vampire blood, he wouldn’t keep a book contradicting it.”6a811fa3e4f44b35

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“What did it say?”1e09189fb13e1671

“That the medicine… doesn’t require a special process. You just grind it and drink it raw.”bc0e58701f6a44a7

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“And?”a7eefd33a5c0f21c

“The herbs expire in about three years.”49273f189efb13af

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I scrambled for a01a1aae2d anything that sounded e0dcefca64 believable.1a6cd18c160a2d26

“Did you find the manufacturer?”cf81fbe3dbf8126d

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“No… I couldn’t find it.”ef92226fb1d6e4a1

Calling the Duke’s teeth 2560ae4a9f a manufacturer was out 76dcab306f of the question.358422604a7497e6

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“Hmm.”ea1ec0cb3b7304e4

The Marquis sighed.1ca3218c5ee3935f

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“Again?”db9616285d769797

“Sir?”e71323526dd52ca5

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“Disappointing. We might as well catch a bird and ask it questions—it’d chirp more than this.”bbddf044e8328761

“There are no birds in the north.”b7732ae901e476ad

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“I know. Just a thought. The information we got in two days is worthless. I can’t even recruit a maid who can’t read. What am I to do? The Duke’s banquet is soon, and if I want to meet the Princess’s demands, I need better intel.”188517f58510de03

He tapped the table.9961de879b2cbed8

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If he let me e363c51d89 go now, I’d never 73f831c05e escape. I had 7bba0bc36c to play 06506fd68e along.1c15e39b3dc815c2

“I’ll take advantage of the lax security and sneak into the office.”7eee18ef59b2b32b

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“You’ll go in?”feb885e127f67bc7

“I’ll try to steal the medicine.”4cdb59bb956ee59f

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Finally, he reacted.bf99270d18e61ef8

“Oh, impressive. But if you get caught, don’t expect me to help.”4dbddc1df361fb90

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“I’ll be careful.”7589c53c7a0bda5e

“But how do we trust the Princess? She could lie.”7f4398b31eb1be77

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“That’s…”1f863abfa680783e

“Bring the Duke’s seal.”ba512526a0c933fb

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I nodded.23d3f41754f6de2c

Getting into the Duke’s a77dd8a661 office was easy. Avoiding watchful eyes was 2db0134225 harder.0bf51783b7dcac70

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“Don’t even think about giving me fake medicine. I’ll have it analyzed by a wizard.”a85df51564d1c563

“Don’t worry.”7bd59234a896ce43

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It was just a 272cb0d52d trick—I’d mix my blood 1f3ba8ae65 with supplements.979179d341b9146d

He chuckled.70f04fbcf52f5dfe

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“Why are you so desperate? You could’ve refused me. What were you trying to steal that day?”edde6520c77954a2

He looked c6e70015e2 at me c6912b4048 intently.bd3542ae56aa9a23

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“So what do you want, if you succeed?”9668052e251e92d1

I hesitated.3840331cf57c3f96

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“When the job’s done… take me with you.”b1ca73c09adfe237

“Why not just get a new job? Who’s begging to keep you here?”64463d5d336ddaf9

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I answered calmly.393327511a139caf

“If the medicine disappears, they’ll know there was a leak. I’ll be in trouble too. Please take me out quietly. Hide me if necessary.”5e44d14ad806cba3

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“That’s not hard.”344a33988a064e2c

“And… enough gold coins to buy a small mansion in the capital.”c6a1ebe4b413906f

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If I asked 2df733c0a3 for just that, c5ae865dbb I’d look like bc2adf0228 someone after money.117b173a1ade5950

“I promise. I’ll get you out of here.”eff1b5b06d962b65

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He smiled.093e5f25e5a6bdb6

 a9562cbe50db20d4

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