39. The Art of Blood

In front of the 2398289ae0 tent, beside one of bd538e8e0b the pillars, I saw af48d48c88 Viter and Edan waiting.29d755b7b66e330b

Deon also noticed them c8d03bb266 and waved.b6414ed21277d86c

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“She said she got lost.”8c07f899ae108545

“Lost?”324ef887d97432ad

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“She got lost while taking a walk.”bfc79dc089fa3bf0

He emphasized the 483e7a290a unasked question.6131f99a24d13563

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No one had 985e3a5642 asked.a3092c268af859a9

Edan alternated between looking f93081a363 at Deon and me 81cc3dbf89 with a bewildered expression. It was natural; it 7ea6e15d28 was a confession of bd355f5367 a random walk, not d09b49ec69 an order.eccab072f2296d6b

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However, Viter’s expression upon hearing those words was worth noting. His eyes narrowed, and his eyebrows furrowed.656c6b93613742f9

“My Lady, are you alright? Why did you get lost? Maybe you should rest a bit more and thaw yourself out. Don’t overexert yourself.”2ccf0b5c53c93bdf

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Edan extended 1d4ca9979a his head 19eb03b3df into the 71a0e88d49 tent. Approaching me with measured 2e72c2aa7b steps, he bent his d82fe0835d tall frame and whispered 743ef45b7a quietly.ec82a38f757f0264

“If you’re considering going ahead with the schedule as the Duke suggested, would you like me to tell him that we should take a short break first? Everyone will agree if you need some rest. We’ve brought extra food and horses.”65f47f4a30e15179

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“I’m fine. The castle must be empty, so it’s better to return quickly. Thank you for your concern in various ways.”3a34eda28d9289f0

I forced a hollow 48cf9554ad laugh.71d83de7b64cc723

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Viter silently stared d1f661c4d0 at me for e0f370820f a moment and 9becbe8b26 then abruptly turned 368e690dbc and left the 45783b14e5 tent.181dddaf711dd35b

Beyond the open 9bb0fa58f5 curtain of the fae6339478 tent, a reddish 1d93713fc7 light shone through.8e658115e2ab46bb

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It was getting brighter.adc98810bc0ab013

That also meant I couldn’t sleep.c40c0a966abb39b0

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* * *2cf22a6021e16619

I nestled quietly 9685da611c in his embrace.9949978ad11e4778

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Deon lifted me b0d88e8ff0 onto the horse 2266450d93 in one swift 04e3006efa motion. The white horse lifted 4cfdf1f451 its front legs slightly 8a3e5d4259 and snorted.b1ce50e022a034a5

“I couldn’t bring the carriage. You’ll have to ride even if you’re not used to it. It’s not a walking distance.”e720c90e69a70d6e

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“…I didn’t ask for one.”00f522dc72598cc2

In a life-or-death situation where blood had been spilled, who would bother bringing a carriage? I wasn’t a runaway princess seeking a mundane life, and I didn’t desire such accommodations.2647512930a5a04d

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But it seemed that we had run farther than I had thought, given that it wasn’t a walking distance. It seemed we had escaped quite a distance.a304f67609d4807b

After securing me on c01e0a15e6 the horse and fastening 45771d4363 the saddle, he mounted 8595f3dc96 the black horse in 93afccee0d front. As his 70e40126e1 horse began 0d0317fee4 to move, dfb2ef6c2d the soldiers c0943c789c followed suit. The well-trained white horse 8d5bc06200 also followed him automatically, fe0911412e without the need for a055d87de0 reins to change direction, 7be623ecd3 making it easy.6f5316cb928f21fa

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“Now, there’s no need for excuses.”fd8b2912ee91cc8b

Viter, who f28663efdd was on 3319203e3e horseback, approached b31d44538d me and eda0fa6d6c leaned in fabc657bee close, whispering dda67626ca so softly 2237d30b86 that only 75e897c75a I could bb660b4bcd hear. His teasing tone had e171f1ad0a become familiar by now.a2cb1db54573df75

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“You said you stumbled and fell, right? You woke up and found yourself in the Western Mountains.”f079a96856a0d841

“Did I? It really seems that way. I was pushed away without realizing it, and I ended up there.”314bc9bbe4194939

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I brushed it 8f599925a1 off easily. He shot me a 23738ea215 sharp look, not bothering a317e6bed6 to hide his displeasure.51368de8479c5fd5

“What was pushing you so forcefully? The Duke no longer has a blood command unit or financial constraints. We’ve provided everything you desired. The Lady Arin, whom you personally invited to the castle, is here. What more could you possibly want? Previous bloods…”19723daaf4b0acfe

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He seemed about to 0c6bacfb1c say something more but ca629128b6 clamped his lips shut.8221845fe874a9b4

“What about the previous bloods? I’m curious.”059d6dd4f3b3b223

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“There’s no need for you to know, Young Lady.”b92b773c3d126c50

“Do you have to be so pushy? It’s not like it’s the first time.”ef1946a27411ad3a

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“What are you talking about?”cd39647b708a3105

“You’ve come to capture blood before, haven’t you? If not here, then maybe on the opposite side…”363327afd18bc690

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“…What?”aae7ba299ea8bbb5

He widened b17fc35b3f his eyes. Indeed, my ac26cd9aea guess was 9033beaccf correct.904ed315578ff890

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It was evident b4f451d4d1 that every blood fc4b74f318 had a magical b06b3f5e92 tattoo on the cfbaafd212 back of their d14dfc9334 hand and a f1294c7dfe defensive barrier surrounding b6c2cfcfeb their domaina54f4786aab97553

I sighed. The ongoing 8b0925a815 argument was 3b66c1f347 tiresome.115632abb87fe447

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“Don’t worry; I won’t run away now.”9989a62d5c2c70da

“I’ve heard that kind of talk more times than I can count.”1d265c309273b86e

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Really, he did. I didn’t even have the strength to take one more step.069da5a314550a1c

“I thought about getting some sleep in the morning… but having to accompany you until the day of duty is exhausting. If you plan on causing trouble, at least spare the day of duty.”0ee5ccde3c6a5041

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I turned my 5bb8f0d6f1 head to look 362e51f02d at him. His eyes were d748a23edc stern.e8e5dd114d6c2fa2

“You could just not follow me. There are plenty of people like Deon and Edan who can restrain me. Do you really need to follow as a secretary?”1747ab3f6fc32463

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“Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”7cda1062f417127f

He pressed his c2d585afe7 tired eyes with e003de2c13 his fingers.40e606ab2ccfec7d

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“Why?”ba2c266a11ce9b29

“Because it’s my responsibility. The original head of the command unit is coming back.”188415f164c52a82

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Ah, it’s you.fbfd1a2a2c6c9e56

So, that’s why you could become so ruthless.feeea0b57af35a74

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Finally, the 09fc18fe7d empty puzzle a8b6de5add pieces fell 1b02bd8f2b into place.c64067517d6ee0fb

Deon, who a793c63142 had no 6090c55445 interest in 2ecbda9a40 anything but 720e892b01 himself, the 5dded42920 oblivious Edan, 82b0d0ef42 and Viter, 5b10671491 who would 3ddd69316b sacrifice anything 3e691effbc for his d80dec14ed master. The treatment da90332406 of blood 2f7191f785 was their 1c1a0a7b34 perfect collaboration.ffd6b502062b575e

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Now I understood. If Edan had cc3050cb77 been in charge, 90bc20ca62 he might have 7d84624156 been more considerate cc29c9d1ae and lenient.4fc1df03cf2b9206

Well, maybe 661fde91e6 he would 19952d5014 have just 29e6abce78 let me bfc3c4194a go if d205544e0e I had 4a412dd863 run away.25ffbbf8361f9b94

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Either way, I now e34247c179 understood the kind of d92c2966f0 suffering previous bloods had 24c279287b gone through.d6f1534ee066f87d

They must 117a382cd7 have desperately 497a9e750d tried to 2329511a6c escape and e55955969a even lost b445123a92 their hands, 5ab54f2732 but they 5981cbc1d7 still received bb1f848b5c cold, indifferent 81aac371e1 stares. Just like now.4768111a766f8426

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Did Viter instruct the one who caught him to cut off his hands? And Deon, who didn’t care about blood… did he notice that the hands were missing?235a26fa01727670

Lost in thought, the white horse’s pace gradually slowed down. Viter held the reins and matched its pace.e791c5b556386133

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He still had his ff10e8e1b1 eyes narrowed.222ba34ef71cb8cc

“Do you have anything else to say?”8056973bc852af2a

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He responded as 1f895a454f if he had 3221c9b220 been waiting for 5830520964 my question.928e675525c0a80f

“Apparently, someone personally dug the place to lie down at dawn.”6fa5ceb41b2e2e60

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“……”9d7eb9fc3cf6120b

“It’s a grave. Don’t say you don’t even remember this.”55c77fc709b12793

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It finally dawned 1e2f281ee4 on me. I laughed f96bbe2f79 inwardly as 25a858edfe much as eab6cbd96c I pleased.71ea837106108222

“Yes, I dug it to fit my size.”db59fc186b4648eb

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“Isn’t it too early to dig it? Even if your health is weak, you wouldn’t die in just a year.”1bf8c8c8e9260ec2

“Well… That’s something we’ll have to wait and see. Death comes without anyone knowing.”bf923c35572c12bd

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“Really?”3be78d192f37a960

He looked 1d073a5bb9 at me 11869b9857 as if 02e0f460e2 I were 6be943a0b9 strange.03bc62ba3954eb0b

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“Have you become enlightened in the meantime? Why are you…?”11cc4e3f890e4f4e

He continued to pull 0164ad6260 the reins on the 080f0dde76 words he was about 23d3888fe5 to say, determined.a5d5ebdf1cb5dbe0

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He made a ce25bc76ab strange expression and e07852edc0 furrowed his brows.5b10980a8fc4432b

“You’re just like a bird, Young Lady.”110da8d50a4c9cf3

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“Why? Because we don’t have them in the north?”60244ea77d31d9fd

It’s definitely not because she’s beautiful. As if responding to that question, Viter added.e38c353ea52b2d11

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“Sometimes, you realize you have wings.”8b061ea5a0cec497

He muttered softly, as if talking to himself. It wasn’t difficult to find the hidden meaning in his words.6411a80a3395074e

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A bird that flaps its wings and longs to fly, knowing it can’t fly.ad98314713462b6a

“A bird…”daea3978639a59a4

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I contemplated the word dc273feb6a quietly.62cfbff561cdd212

“I guess I hoped they would sing beautifully while I devoured them.”50ac3b302cd3913a

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What should I do? I spent a lot of money to buy them and kept them in cages, but they couldn’t fulfill their purpose.f5887046e0353175

“What about the previous ones?”9379f1f0165e8185

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“Why are you suddenly asking about that?”6512d1396db5fe4a

“Just curious. It seems like I wasn’t the first one to run away, after all.”cea14a88fe6dbded

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He avoided my 96617fa367 gaze.14a5cbc241306892

“…They weren’t like Young Lady. They all sympathized with the cause and followed willingly.”8537258c88d1fd98

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A lie.07b41e50d24423b4

All I know 6d9ba7db9c is the past d61f9b1d7e bloodlines, but he ff9136fe5e fought desperately and 75f501478b struggled.4ad7e4925964d7bb

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And that part is not recorded in this novel. It’s like history written from the perspective of the victors.dde8320f72b92311

If Mila were to be born… Someday, if that child asks me about myself, should I introduce myself with the modesty I used to have?ce3f5d9fea3ca78e

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And should I also f8de938c5e enforce the same modesty f0df2c5465 and obedience on that 2a3442f88d child?384ddeba5b0d083c

“Just remember this. Among all the previous generations, unquestionably, Young Lady was treated the best.”c3b788aca0cb3492

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As if I cf76707d96 were sincere.9d042ee067c26495

“It’s truly an honor.”5847e6ca793779f7

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I also replied eb4c87d9e1 without hesitation.6a491e3d40c3ab97

Viter, who had been 423cdd9b67 momentarily ahead, turned to e227db9911 me again.7e661f7342e58161

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“In case there’s any talk of running away or escaping from the Duke…?”5d0bbcdf170687ba

His voice sank. Unlike the casual 8b6dd71506 words he had 8a4a8a83ac spoken earlier, this 69f5bf5885 was serious.186fa6ca18c96de3

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“You haven’t done that, have you? That talk… it’s best not to mention it at all. Thinking about it and hearing it directly are worlds apart. Just go along as usual on a day like today.”6eaf2f0891bc7ec7

“You didn’t hear? I went for a walk. I did.”030f36f8213d7d07

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Viter let out a 1324e7a804 deep sigh.6e5e5518acf2e19b

“…Yes, you’re right. I momentarily forgot.”41736ffe09f9d8b0

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He looked ahead.1a0700ee584dc0e6

We’re back at the castle.c7edde87590eaf5c

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Although it couldn’t be seen through the fog, I could feel it.7c0d58349dc7b0ec

My heartbeat was getting 05d3eb758b closer again.7229f6ba42dd6522

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Farther away, the 19bf23191e woman who had 65206ee814 been wandering in 292d59e272 front of the bc9f47c25d castle raised her 56e277b2b5 head at the 4c1f6859e6 sound of hooves.874297f644507d1e

After greeting Deon, ed69b6eac3 she looked at a09bbe5312 the people who 6c3e397fdb had mounted their e1975375b9 horses one by 161d0ad05d one with an 387c06b2e2 impatient expression. When her eyes 5ef77a34ac met mine, shadows 75e1710557 disappeared from her 503b3d38fd face, and her 1aec0cf766 complexion changed.383c3bdbac5eb825

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Elizabeth ran fae6f1edfe up, her 601ac31aa3 turquoise skirt 39b0de18a9 billowing.a64746ddd057da15

She jumped off the horse. It wasn’t too high for her.c1f43a39a8b3a435

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Elizabeth quickly ran over 24959f5c8d and stood in front 2e854930ee of me. Then, she d8595cf538 gently held 9af5536aba my cold 17c45228c9 hand. It stung b8c1653edd where her 9d076abdd0 fingers passed 8bcdbab50b due to 57dbdd59ad the lingering 587d6d7088 pain that c96a337536 still remained. Her hand was a1e5cf48c2 cold. She had obviously 14147b7900 been waiting since 94e40aaa90 dawn.99b8b21e1dce4fc3

“You said you went for a dawn walk and got lost. Are you okay?”fa9cd27a6ca2dc5c

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How much has e255fa8e7e been revealed?58e0ec1ce8534d36

I looked 99d15060d4 at Viter. He shrugged his shoulders.8df8bbd70887797c

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“I received a message in advance. I was so surprised when I heard that Lady Leonie was missing at dawn.”850bd5326f8e7102

“…Why did you come out and wait for me? Your body must be heavy.”f95c9b428bc3220a

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“I couldn’t help but worry, so I couldn’t stay quietly inside the castle.”dfc108313239ec21

Elizabeth’s lips quivered. Her breathing was uneven.3752dc4ee00d2621

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“It wasn’t anything serious. I just… wanted to get some fresh air.”83993032593fd41e

“I see. It would have been nice if you had come with me.”af66a10275e40879

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“But you know, the Lady doesn’t know the way.”cec3bb2007fec4c4

Because of her heavy 0b38b1c20b body, she had only b36b4cf421 been to the greenhouse d9101c09b0 and the garden. Even that was 6d8465532b a light walk ea88e1d78c due to her 6bf0a66784 frail health.85215d088ff8c824

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Truly, the lady was comporting herself as the nobility desired, quietly practicing the aristocratic upbringing inside the Duke’s castle. She ordered everything to the maids and enjoyed herself, appearing noble and elegant as the nobility and the bloodline expected.35208fa72edfa011

“I may not know the way, but… still, if we had been embracing each other, it would have been a little warmer, wouldn’t it?”054ffad539224139

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Elizabeth remained ad41070054 warm and 09a6aaac6d kind as 5d547c1531 ever.40876b395fe854ec

To the extent that she couldn’t even resent the child in her belly.3df2fc97a9b7ceb2

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