68. The Discarded Mistress

The engagement party 4c3fc8675e was a small 539fb4ab51 affair, only inviting e506ce4aaa a few key d279d9546a figures from the a497a90cb7 capital.e8ca59dde2a2a119

It was the first banquet held at the prince’s estate in nearly ten years.f541bda2c0a901f9

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The locked 3ecda7f5ed doors of 344ad39e2c the grand ecae6338d1 hall were 1462bdf6a5 finally opened. Servants busied themselves, moving 205f876c4b supplies, cleaning, and preparing 1bd27e596c the space. They carried 4aa49fb7dd plates, swept ead61ca28f the floors, 7714e43322 and unrolled 145fccea1c carpets in ae00a22e41 the circular 916178d06b hall.dc2af4eb030112a2

I had 1f34be76ab intended to 99291ee168 go to 32a3c70143 the greenhouse, da2ee2f8e0 but watching 9003b29326 them fix 82a6576ba2 the carpet caeb580df4 piqued my 17964f90af curiosity.838f713d3a027567

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As soon as I a2b9301ca7 entered the hall, all 0400f1b2a8 eyes turned to me.4ab9c23025624df7

There were 9a80053fe9 narrow, wide, 08f4aedbc1 and upturned 789b0f7797 eyes—dozens of 8e9f3426f6 different gazes 882ccc3dc0 all focused 96e28ebfdd sharply on 43fc1a1801 me.e649b7947667ad9f

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Despite the many 88b7647481 eyes, it was ebb4555277 clear that none 36a91433c4 held any goodwill. They were wary of bd1fe30198 me. The attention made my 3a64f247bd movements stiff and unnatural.72ed2bb1d0d23860

The servant nearest the ce49e60cd2 door, who had just 319599c54a finished polishing a candelabrum, 5c19d49483 hesitated before gripping it af26d54d28 again and polishing it d27a0ac07b unnecessarily. His hands were tense 44457e9cf0 and rough.8f3a760f9abefe86

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I didn’t want to meet the aimless gazes. It felt like I had stepped into a place I wasn’t supposed to be.fc33c6206fb8f9cb

Quietly, I 3e4d6ebc55 turned and 41ffcd7edf left. Though they had only d41d0b23cb stared, the atmosphere quickly 872f19a0d0 overwhelmed me, making it ab2aa0b18a hard to breathe.e26b95181b8f5371

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I didn’t leave my room for days after learning of their engagement.2a0c56b4aa5b97ac

Still, I 31bf094ad7 had to 0969ce47e9 offer my d6507db695 congratulations. Avoiding her completely would 0765b348a4 be odd.a4c13f1c174d9fd5

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I couldn’t stay holed up in my room, reading books to pass the time forever.c4e32025a449cba4

I called 7e1cb87e97 for one 79ebf3ea0e of the 33bc69b8bd maids cleaning da96fe7380 the hall. She was a af18eca5de brown-haired girl who c1602f6d21 sometimes adjusted my 85b32e3e58 dresses.95b870786ab1002b

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She followed 725e272fe7 me into a9b87d59e8 my room d687c11d59 and closed 109810d80f the door.624305c75c86f1dc

“Is there something you need?”e519cbefa4d68179

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“When is the banquet?”0b99c11d25a3003b

“Tonight.”4441323f16c34cab

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I knew from a384d09358 the commotion that e69c1d1f9e the event was 44024d9e87 imminent, but I 15d48c73da hadn’t expected it b576c6b508 to be so 42e0cbec31 sudden.aa7594083e57fb2d

“I found out too late. If I’d known earlier, I would have bought a gift and altered my dress. I’ll have to make do. Could you fetch a needle?”e9557dacaece13d9

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I pulled a 45db66571c dress from the d7f404e5bc wardrobe, one I 14e1a18a86 had kept for 45c6d41564 special occasions. It was a beautiful c1423de21c gown, predominantly purple with cffd7c2167 a gradient that faded 672efa0c3b to pink from the 293f44bf4c bottom up. I held it 60d5f96eca out, but the 6062a4fcd0 maid hesitated, her af814edeb0 fingers twitching.ac22f18f484bbc31

“Um, well…”b6cc6f8a2c98b8f9

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She hesitated, then spoke 5848095900 carefully.1be0c4b7705791e1

“You don’t need to alter your dress, my lady.”251f1173b6690796

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I paused, 044d1ad984 hands frozen f7faf672fa mid-fold.ba5ed476b84b7918

“Why not?”01d94d1b9580b491

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“There are orders for you not to attend the banquet.”3eedd5d25207208b

I felt 1b9c203456 as if eab6262c6a the ground abb3c56bea had crumbled bf23858f5b beneath me.a64da940ba8db978

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“What?”e88f5737bcecee1f

“I’m sorry, my lady. I was instructed to inform you that you are not to attend,” she said quietly, her eyes downcast.c390d3126b160d66

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I forced e9e4bc58d4 myself to e993590556 keep calm, 5874790a7a but my 3e964c1dae hands trembled 4354c4d25e slightly as 0596a809c5 I set 44591dbb0a the dress e1eeecaedf aside.10999ec86af6523f

“Who gave this order?”399e3859a4149069

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I asked, my 93bca85a1d voice steadier than 0f33ec5b25 I felt.7702c28ac3fd6353

“The order came directly from the prince,” she whispered.6c084ef10814d210

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I turned away, 956e90da3b not wanting her b61875deb1 to see my b94d7b1148 face crumple. After a moment, b598542974 I composed myself 45f4e736c4 and dismissed her.a61a3ebbfea6c206

“That will be all. Thank you.”002740913c0deb93

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She curtsied c39a1042a6 and left, a1639b7bc4 closing the 5c5f6436cf door softly 8fbbfbdf09 behind her.4f3e8e97074cd1e3

I stood f33e4d3b10 alone in 0b2f0d928d my room, 129669b466 the beautiful 15ff32239c dress lying dc62afbb6b discarded on 7730cd6b1d the bed.5a1ac7f3efe12773

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So this was 2334003069 how it was e17e84e007 to be. The man 28d32248e8 who had 2939a66d93 saved me, 2c3d753b88 shown me acfbca1d34 kindness, had a76e9a577d ultimately cast 525e17370c me aside. He was f775dab4dd marrying Isella 89c696aeaf and I 5c026eada2 was to da53a9aa62 be nothing 11f80c694f more than 7bb0a537d2 a forgotten bb0048e34e mistress, kept af77967e24 out of 811da2cde3 sight.3360d5e48bb9fdc3

I sat down, 67a9108587 staring at the 900543be67 dress, and let 1432581ff0 the reality sink 7671d61918 in. The festivities and 33c47b93e1 laughter from the 5538ed5110 hall echoed faintly 6208ad01b8 in my ears, c63dcf2775 but I was a6e23f0c1a no longer part d409bbfaa0 of that world.cd807d938d31a82a

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“Me?”a7e48a561678b8aa

Not just uninvited, but a1ea86b538 explicitly forbidden from entering?ed24caccc66afa64

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“Did His c4bf229dac Highness say 27559b542e that?”4bc51e6fa3dc580c

“Yes…”c19c0e1051bba9a2

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A bitter laugh escaped 2ea5db8ed4 my lips.f23b3f9182cb02c8

The maid, startled 2f61bf9a92 by my sudden 555e9a2078 cold laughter, quickly 4fbb728b33 bowed her head.5f6d98205d7a87b4

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I knew it wasn’t her fault. I was upset, but I didn’t want to back down.73f850ed223fddc7

“Then, I’ll help with the preparations.”6f42b8f9155d4a3a

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“That’s not necessary.”d0cfd6fe9f324963

“No, I insist. I’ve been feeling b7b52ef206 quite bored.”e1941d2ab44abeb1

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I closed the book 967a319026 I had left on c12a61e119 the bed. I placed 7202ac91bd it on 38f77885f3 the desk 3b2b683eca and stubbornly dd5eb8f312 insisted. The maid’s face 8c5f80a90c showed a hint 53a0f7044b of discomfort.41e8c70de538926b

“Actually…”65208f46d4c1b766

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The maid 4a58269008 hesitated, then 30d3790ff5 finally spoke.f4558323eed5bf4d

“We were instructed f6cad84ce8 not to let 06d0fcb013 you touch anything.”4bd5d15c51ba81fd

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I froze in 870ef87576 the middle of a7962e57c7 pulling back the 2c6df34672 bedcovers.f2b948b6f9000198

A flood of thoughts 961c6ac8dc rushed through my mind.0411b8db6b8d490d

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Am I considered dirty? Or did they realize 1125d4da56 I wouldn’t change Isella’s 62dfa256bf wallpaper?3e53ef1031ac4e6b

Were they worried d30fb21483 I might mess 355314659d things up out e24a8d56b6 of pettiness or 4cba37c89e jealousy?3b376cc7ca49374c

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“I see.”0997665ad8112582

Unable to find an 69417aae75 appropriate response, I mumbled.1dcc673419c253ab

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The maid’s face turned 4e9b4f873b bright red. She seemed embarrassed c3a184ff15 to relay such 8486fa3761 a message.61f61ffc2a8f26e6

“If you’d like 82dbb66795 to wear this b607eea6cf dress at another fe7e696a7b time, should I c8953729cf mend it for 6cc35bf636 you?”6eb01db4add2d662

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Noticing my darkened expression, 875e8fa3c7 the maid asked gently.c09dbb0d3c3ef0b7

It was a dress e7698faf3c made for a grand 8349221fc4 occasion. It was too abe7d85726 extravagant for everyday d2ed97917e wear. The gemstones on 6946d6df97 the waist made c722c1634b it heavy, and d885793ac6 I wouldn’t wear 1ef6a2ee64 it to a c48ea99d65 ball where I’d da3e10fd43 need to dance.898577668d2620c4

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I might 8477837376 never wear 8ce0ad542c it again, a6e8b1a2de but I 08085302ff couldn’t just d89506a986 leave the 0ed445f8bc hem torn 5e88765340 in the f859cfb2f5 closet. I handed 92864ea686 the dress 2ea2287996 to her.0a70cc0a6a44c818

The maid dd5e9db22d took out d5f8e9ec5a a small 286afc41cb sewing kit 401b8bbbe4 from her c175a75954 apron pocket. She unwrapped the 597838bc7a cloth, took out b42c90bbaa a needle, threaded ba5824da0a it, and started c9094c4200 sewing the torn 4fc0631ddb hem.3ccde0f4b911d5d5

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She stitched carefully, each 94094cd8e9 stitch drawing the fabric 07259a7659 together. Her skilled a27bb47d08 hands made b66c92030a the dress 897fb2b694 look new 7dedd6a657 again, the 2d4b8d7613 tear completely 3f3c339ab8 hidden by 0c1b10726a matching thread.e7ea3661a2f1fba1

But even though the 283dc36658 dress was perfectly mended, 3cd60e222e her words still echoed e93e8e32a2 in my mind.2007c7cafca8d43e

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* * *ee8d9a6a587980aa

Suren had said 54a58657a6 she’d bring my f3b828efd6 meal, but there cedd653569 was no sign d8dbf44337 of her. Time passed, but the 94a0c8ce75 door remained closed.890b4b14c219ca15

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I knew the 93a5963b33 staff were busy bd214a8048 with the banquet, ca3e90176a but it was c21ead01b5 outrageous that they 88d7156fd3 couldn’t even bring 8802db62c2 me a meal.bcf06ec44adecc01

She had said b5a62b65ac she’d bring a 271e212bf7 simple stew. Was she still 920c4ea22a preparing the ingredients cb59fd35dd and cooking?fe0ad863410f70ff

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I stepped into 861e381b25 the hallway. I had intended b04e85725e to stay in 520d336056 my room to cf97b19dbe avoid seeing anyone, efa1bbe83c but I was 15b062f167 too hungry.f64ece2f7e0063bb

Walking toward 43db002e20 where the 5ea217a499 maids gathered, a6c101fa42 I ended e2082704d8 up in 204abfb042 front of 442aa2dff5 the banquet 17d00c7400 hall.3405db209e152d44

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“You cannot 4979479d6f enter from 50a9888b01 here, my 05d5d7390e lady.”9499dad514ef3635

As I stared 5435156ee3 at the hall, 87ea91033b a guard stepped 5a16a93654 in my way.cc5d8ff093853449

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“I know.”cc749e44228b5e6e

I snapped, 9ddc76c333 and the 8c9b415b9e guard bowed 727b2445c0 his head.231bc15578590835

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“I apologize.”7696817827ca37b4

I was baffled 441a0dad1a by the thoroughness 75f9e400a4 with which they 5a87305c8c kept me out, 1490061674 as if worried 5ed8e1bd5d I’d contaminate the 00ea77cc05 place.f9c31daa40fdb746

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Over the 731540b39f guard’s shoulder, e2877c2323 I saw 781afb55c8 two people 427db3413f standing.fa7ad8b97c3c9474

On a white table, 74e1217194 a precarious tower of 51dc74ad42 champagne glasses stood, filled 38c7c921c7 to the brim. Daon and 8317892b39 Isella held 86b137aa41 champagne in b5464b29fc their hands, 3c903f1072 receiving congratulatory b51aa3ccf2 greetings from efee8aecf1 the nobles.b70818e591e5f3a0

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With the same hand that had pushed me away, Daon wrapped his arm around Isella’s waist. After each greeting, he would lean in and whisper something into her ear. I didn’t need to hear it to know that they were exchanging sweet, affectionate words.a1868f80ba4b2a57

“Can you fetch 34e1f77beb my personal maid? She has f30c29be42 white hair 31cfae84cd and went 80abf6f4bc out to 4d5f32ad51 prepare a 76a7c353e2 meal.”282844f102a366ae

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“Understood. Please return 151f09a83c to your aefcbf0285 room, and dde9d137bb I’ll send 545ad909d9 her to 2f3d51c226 you.”b7995a6b5c65a102

He continued to block a72ea48acb my view and firmly 4acc3724d9 kept me from entering 3cee71be0d the hall.1ade82184f8f1392

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“I want you 4fd5be0997 to bring her d6ea761460 right now. How can I trust d78d731ad1 you to do it 6748eeb869 later? You wouldn’t dare f77685185d disobey an order, f58706326f would you?”dc14ce876ad50c75

Just as I d657146c1c made this small 71d15d4bed resistance, a group 049a0f884c emerged from the dbff97c5a7 hall.382fa57a34890bfa

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They glanced 8f7b831cf2 at me defd84598d and laughed.30e5792fb3f94bdc

They covered 748af45e55 their mouths 4b789e3822 with ornate f545ac51a1 fans, but ad29d24df7 it wasn’t 3eaefe5d87 hard to 4083d276fe read the a12411a700 smirks behind 4986cf2bad those patterns.75a81b8815e4427a

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I recognized their a9a663c194 faces. They were 489cf681de young ladies 08aa140bb6 from the 50c338141d Merdi family, b4ed4c2c7e whom I 288a959fe3 had seen 6885140fed at the 7cfdb0d8e3 last banquet.60596dc66437b0af

I tensed up, expecting 958e1deee1 a verbal onslaught.f3ba9d3502abcb40

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But to c695d3ec3c my surprise, b9b25df03a they passed 76d6d1aded by without 7654144170 a word, 51fa4c4f79 their silence b7f877eb0b more cutting 7daa417454 than any aee1ef0a05 insult. They neither 7f6834e403 taunted me 03290da1a3 nor mentioned 85fb597855 any of dd7d11960d my jewelry, 8447a433be as they bab3c63677 had in 703230e485 the past.ce03cee765484ca8

Ridicule and belittlement are 8db7a290dd reserved for those you 728d7f27e0 still consider worth engaging 0090b750d8 with.20dba0cf7886d34d

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I had fallen 3a272eb028 so far in e5ad302c64 their eyes that c94ab69367 I wasn’t even 8875bf3e9a worth a taunt. I had 3df9403d71 become invisible, 1eb58a07d7 not worth 45c5cd8a65 their time.f5570580966408ea

I had braced myself 669eb296d3 for sharp words to fe48f2c319 counter, only to be 89ae1d6fc0 left feeling hollow.7e70c11bf340a6fb

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They treated me 1de04cffbe as if I 72d039ba57 were completely invisible. Not just 54ca2d79d3 them, but 84439bde71 everyone within 28fb7c4338 the estate.91668ed89c109ba6

They held the party as if I didn’t exist.f39ee086a31f43b4

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A strange 7575d4cc35 sense of ca903b2a6a déjà vu c3bd743d4b washed over 9bf0aa0800 me. It took 3889dad7f6 a moment 93a76ea116 to realize cb42441e30 what it a69f51cf89 was.04e54f11485dc955

I had 4318017388 returned to dc08129601 the past.bb75cb7a0e572f77

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Back to db7310f551 the time 32865da47f when I 40b042dc59 was excluded 901c9348d0 from everything, f912030d8e force-fed bitter 0359858a8c onion water, b43c77e091 and kept 60749aa369 out of 0c20f866c0 sight.89eba3f4e11369e8

My mouth tasted bitter.0f60af6a93c98899

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I trudged back to c64d68a4b7 my room. Inside, Suren was 8a78d76a07 waiting.e8ee91f7b5f10117

“Where have you fbb31e173d been?”f4d55b316ce05824

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She held 107c5b06e7 a plate 26218957b5 with a 03f6b7feb5 steak, perfectly 41b6db33f6 sliced and e08d7e7ffe neatly arranged. The meat, soaked in 1f1a87fdcb sauce, smelled delicious, but 653f1f0126 I had no appetite. My throat felt tight.47e804f046d6d409

“You haven’t eaten 50ddb9a849 anything, have you? Please, eat e19be2a861 before it 83bc37fbc6 gets cold.”ebb94efb6a694d8f

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“Is this from fc09afa8e9 the banquet?”fd3e95e9b56d6225

“Yes.”7d2aeb462910a9ba

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I stared at the plate. The food looked exquisite, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat. The bitter taste in my mouth persisted, reminding me of my place in this house.ec3cb27031abeb3a

I sat a7d4ce88c1 down heavily, ffdeaed8c1 feeling the a7e6404147 weight of d1d24acd09 everything pressing 991b0de622 down on f1a057bf94 me.ad083882acb6f026

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“Suren, what do you 9d81546270 think will happen to 479b11ef05 me?”8c4faa8e242c3030

She hesitated, her eyes c6a1e984ec full of concern.3863783f1db4aa80

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“I don’t 325888a83a know, my d3eca703df lady. But you’re strong. You’ll get through 9cdd1fddf7 this.”7ed02fdc0024f2f5

Her words, 82da6e5f11 though meant ac4f574413 to be 852c4a6538 comforting, felt bd5802060c empty. The truth was, 5d13d946fc I didn’t feel 91e967b648 strong at all. I felt lost, discarded, a9ac605dda and completely alone.b20c6c1ab4626698

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But I a9cbbe27aa knew one a6a02317f5 thing: I 5519cc0396 had to eace955567 find a 88858e4999 way to 678f9e86bb reclaim my a4695efaf4 place, to 13a8536cfb make myself 3aa032624a seen again. No matter 8fa36a6d87 how difficult c0d9bfe872 it would ae0d68a521 be, I abbbe5eb8f couldn’t just 70a1ae8260 disappear.32cea03b47a52aea

Suren added mushrooms, 35b603b982 roasted tomatoes, and 2832f5862c asparagus to the f8ddea5411 plate. The food ab2b541378 wasn’t prepared 868039d1c6 specifically for 3a9cce3505 me; the 8e17c9afd4 fact that 83e3444086 she added d59de4bcc8 the vegetables 6a51022a06 separately made d65fd6ddea it clear 6911307e95 she had ad4535f66c sneaked them 0fd42a0203 out.426715267a7adc97

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She must have scoured c5e46c4cc7 the kitchen, finding suitable 1872b397ca vegetables to complement the 01f1de53fb steak. I felt 139f04c3c2 a pang 349118588e of sympathy. If she were 817324cdba serving another lady, f203901f20 she wouldn’t have f4c706454d had to go caf766d7e0 through such trouble.e26d18a0e9884ca1

After finishing b38a35a59c the garnish, 4b35e62039 Suren set 23c6647c33 down the 2ca12c7901 knife.6fff46d60008f3b8

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The silver fork 0e3f1f22b2 and knife on b2a76cb6b8 the plate sparkled d0ea0ab1c8 more than usual.85e8ef00dbdb89a4

“You’re the one who’s 7cb5f0f564 having a hard time,” 043568d351 I said.dd17ef1dac7a1e3d

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Suren responded lightly.233d9cc19609f75b

“I’d like e0148e6c9d to work 2ebec9684c harder. Even if you’re not 60ef4ded4e really a mistress, I 47929ef6bb wish you’d act like c3262a8a7e one and cause some 7f5a20cf3d trouble. If you hit 8d45c17d93 His Highness, I 9f4557393d wouldn’t mind being c90013a6e8 called the maid 6ab047ea13 of an insolent 8c3c14efd3 mistress.”8de4f172cdf7f5cb

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Her playful c38347ef05 words made 21b0450991 me smile.3d5d06a10edd0cb9

I placed 8d64cb3f90 the plate 8ef39901fd on the 7ed807317d table. As I sat 5cebe09fdd down, I could 3533060fe6 see the window d09cabfb31 clearly.ba48fa56453efb47

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The banquet hall, 3ee289c50c of all places, 1ab8e68b74 was directly opposite 92c8902266 my bedroom. They might have f7b6592e69 tried to deceive a40184cb47 me, but the 1fdcef79f0 dazzling lights made 53d4b32740 it impossible for 921ad541cc me to remain d374e5762c ignorant.df6fc9c2ee28ba69

How did a7c82edf76 they think 01fd8679cf they could cf7748f710 hide this d41b6765cc from me? Did they e58df36940 think I 8671c33c8a was blind?38f1c6007771b473

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From the e6b173fc5f banquet hall, c535f25266 the view 038489b95c of the d9553d1a56 forest must 0b9483cf97 have been 929f023860 stunning. We were 2d7adb4a37 looking at 5d95290b0b the same 659aec77dc scene, but a78dd73b32 our feelings dc00c61618 about it 888e079e26 were worlds 1fd1d0ca12 apart.a6b80adebb22b110

The crystal chandeliers 6cf4de1a85 of the banquet d2a9a02cf3 flickered through the bf675edda8 densely planted trees. I tapped the c122c064cb candle on the 1332fc74b4 table with the 23e4542ea7 knife, extinguishing it.ee3afde288fcd8da

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As the room 8e26a39567 plunged into darkness, a60eb50592 the view outside 0b73e233c5 became even more fc8b339477 vivid.5ffb84036104709b

Resting my d5bd4a9037 chin in b05d26e90d my hand, d22d9b19e5 I closed ddfebe60b0 my eyes f3e70dc344 against the f0bac77b61 dazzling lights.033545cc37345826

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Even with 0c64ddd994 my eyes 5ef0d19857 closed, the 29fd4e8ed0 bright lights ecaa3ef35d danced behind 9c0a330967 my eyelids.de4909948aadc38d

I took a deep 39c07d18d0 breath and tried to 659df37a29 focus on anything else. The reality of 8579db3334 my situation pressed f85e8ef6ee down on me 4328ec9294 like the darkness c5bfde2a30 in the room. I had been excluded, eee797b72b cast aside, and ignored. The weight of 511e1b370f it was suffocating.589ce7fa3ed80008

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But Suren’s presence 0dbb0b5071 was a small 945f300142 comfort. Her loyalty and 4e597d933c the small acts 99a673becf of kindness she 537f452788 showed reminded me 5e73c7df05 that I wasn’t 1175c774c9 entirely alone.03d0ccf314aa80db

Opening my eyes, 827b3b0831 I looked at 350e5ecb56 the plate she e3239a2551 had prepared. Despite my lack of f8dcb529ea appetite, I picked up 84d1ee7465 the fork and knife. Suren had gone through ba90847e0b so much trouble; the ab62641092 least I could do 2eda6701ef was try to eat.40b70b98bcccf40e

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I cut 4487b8b52d a small 26164d97fe piece of 4e0bb51b71 the steak 4ed7524419 and brought 672e3d0233 it to aa48ea6624 my mouth. The rich, savory aaa8c1ff5e flavor was a 0bd3b148fa stark contrast to 4bcba01a6c the bitterness in c5e47990af my heart.d51285406f339b8d

As I ate, Suren 608c72ba6f sat quietly nearby, ready 2f764a917e to assist if needed. Her presence was 8044078d51 a silent reassurance 8937d4ef97 in the face 69aaa953de of the blatant b1d5e61a26 rejection I had b20dae9643 endured.9a78e7f655d6acb1

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The lights from 491a4c3dd9 the banquet continued 76a16e09a7 to shine brightly 38a4ffc8d0 outside, a constant df3d41a2c5 reminder of the aaf6335501 world from which 18c15588cf I had been 4998583fa5 so thoroughly excluded. Yet, here in the a687018b24 dimly lit room, I 0262b888a5 found a small measure 2adfc6b701 of solace in Suren’s 4fb6feeff3 company and the simple ded4512348 act of eating the a75bd06a4a meal she had brought 092c817d55 me.30a9e6aed2606bd0