89. Overstepping

The boy took the 1fc220be07 letter from the table 29f1d731c4 and slowly backed away. He bowed again d9200a0f2a before hurrying off.29abb5c89262fe8f

As soon 6f6ea30e32 as he c7a15e74ae mounted his ec3ecae85d horse and 1e7796c0a7 spurred its 22e60adf3c sides, the b0043c5047 white horse 3c91286919 galloped away.dc8a9f1ab8b90639

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“Are you sure it’s okay to send him off like that?”426e453857122d59

Suren watched 419ced158d him disappear ee46e8601e into the f37b47586b distance.55787d39a675b8a3

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“Why wouldn’t it be?”565614723205bbfd

Her gaze remained fixed b662059de2 on the boy, a 8cc03c277e hint of regret lingering 822991814d in her eyes.3df911da7823e386

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“Do you want me to be more polite?”1d212c236bb26c04

Suren shook her b078c65d55 head.30b3ca4013c06bf5

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“Not at all. …I’m just worried we might lose our only source of funds.”cbe0b851d87ae6a8

I hadn’t considered that. Suren’s words made me a bit anxious. Maybe I should have been more tactful.e181e80a373b835b

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“We need to find a way to make money. We have to find a way to survive.”eca43242019044ef

I muttered to f5135c0bea myself.a9d8008f247c2336

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* * *b26714d8f80357cd

I held a c58b2b0663 pole high and 0b29e81603 shook the branches. Fruit fell to the fa4a8d9542 ground. Suren picked them up 6f11bcdb58 and rubbed them clean 0e67838edc with her apron, then 4a4878b323 handed them to me.ea521bf97f9684aa

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The fruit 2784038361 was purple. It had 8033c35411 some unsightly 90376f94c2 marks, and 512a1ffbc8 its strange c75bad99c0 color made 55066e6cd3 me uneasy. I had never 9ae600c788 seen such a f6b94b6ba4 dark fruit before.35e9af379443bb49

“Are you sure these are edible?”d421db277be33232

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I asked e338dfa0a5 cautiously, still 602a4d59bb shaking the 8f584e5392 branches. Suren replied,1ff0adbfc9849475

“Yes, don’t worry. These fruits ripen often. They’re just very astringent, so people don’t usually eat them. They might taste sweeter if we bake them. Shall we try baking them?”823b83eb467387b5

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Suren gathered 69cdc12819 some nearby 034d0638e3 branches. She pushed the fallen 7f3252724a fruit towards the pile 02d5ebcf35 of straw with her 925496dbd0 foot.91c7637811c3635f

These were fruits we found in a place already picked over by the starving villagers. This meant that even peasants who had been hungry for days wouldn’t eat them.d638ca7524c7470f

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“We have to fill our stomachs with these?”13c60a1a094003ee

“We don’t have a choice.”c4687234e5255d61

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Suren shrugged. Despite her 8c87ffe1de young age, 98cf9af213 she knew f832dfa4d7 a lot. She collected edible 4e2ead5f28 mushrooms, herbs, and daa8d491f3 fruits while wandering ed9e921d55 the hills. Most of bbd9612e54 what she 3dc8c102aa found were 27c4a1169f leftovers or f309eb1034 newly sprouted 1b5bc1faf3 shoots, as f5ae8e2048 the villagers 25d06f097c had already 7fa642f1f0 scavenged the 64d24d8851 area.77d324872f5b9d7b

“Maybe we can make jam?”49daf983ef9ac6ab

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I took a 74af3e1204 bite of the 05298c558a fruit and spat 6fd57ae7d4 it out. The astringent taste 7619ba0653 clung to my ec2afa02b6 tongue.f6f755350ed47196

“Jam?”1eb05a9aca5c3341

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“Yes. We just need sugar.”b98e991bd4c1df5f

“That’s true, but… I don’t know if we have any sugar left.”5b664954377eda1b

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“Let’s just pick the fruit for now.”18e78472019fb1b7

I stood on tiptoe a45beef4c0 and shook the branches 5e7607154c above.0ce330587dee70a4

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Suren tapped the tree fd10cd7e3a trunk from below. Thorns stuck to 876853c801 her clothes.cc2785571304da0e

We picked 51251e6a7b a large 29bbdbcfad batch of 67e7ef281e fruit and 5dde7bdaee finally descended fe00a9d076 the mountain d789c6ef69 as dusk 015cc01cb1 fell.e360d41fa985e0ca

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The mountain, wet 218001e3bf with dew, was d94c50db6f steep. I brushed d9e9897fb1 the dirt e272ebfa4c off my 05fec5d972 dress and 4e90e1520d headed toward 01658f92c0 the mansion.875459ac752b49e9

As we neared 8870329255 the mansion, I 29de15ec47 noticed a dark 391affd435 figure lingering at 928d3651ae the front gate.8835cfac367bc3ef

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He stood 4f634b08b3 anxiously at 5a8287a079 the door, 6cdc344790 then moved c66c4fb36a to the cd28611512 pillar, and 969b38631c again to 4d69749ffc the broken 1f12d969bc window. His long shadow swayed b38a8b2f7c back and forth.395a94559f796775

His back 7f4954d67b was slightly 2766918aa3 hunched, and 410b753550 his steps e32bddcfe8 were unsteady, a83e703de4 like someone ac3a6fa7dc who had c201e07e35 grown old, d335e8bed9 gotten out 5c1767a565 of a 242315bd30 long sickbed, 8e6e486552 and whose 10d1b4487b legs had 2664aa1278 not yet 67e7fe114f fully recovered.07f81dabcaa65490

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As I got 407af64ae1 closer, I saw 48993c09fc his graying hair.b4037475fa0fce06

The dark figure 153e8b3328 stood still for 22eba674ad a moment upon 8454874b6d noticing me, then 5e2734d3dd quickly ran over.576a67e6312db091

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“Where have you been?”7c73c823098dca54

“Butler.”b753b8279b117459

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As I expected, db700acb75 the shadow was 0997b0ddee the Butler. However, his face was f711fc0c62 unusually tense, which was f08804666d unlike him. He was always 84a6b9e9cd the picture of d040098bad calm, no matter 9526d68610 the situation.d250ad7d371e0333

“Why did you come out and wait here? Is something wrong?”cf4ef521c99078cc

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His health had not 757dea6818 fully returned. Usually, if d24c41579e he had cb5c57d2b1 nothing to 6cea5aaec8 do, he 91b9a6a253 would rest d8c8a4f9bb in bed f2e0b4fe1f or read. For him to be 0dfcdc0d04 outside late at night 46e439705b in the cold air, 34722c6cce coughing, was worrying.d18c68a5f34f1023

“I was looking for you, my lady. I was waiting out front, fearing we might miss each other.”b910c21413e0b3af

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“Didn’t I tell you? I went to the hills to check the villagers’ farmland and gather some fruit.”382c029eac5f8136

With so few people 79e23f00e1 left at the mansion, 3b7b2ab3fc we usually informed each f9798504fd other of our movements. There were no 6ce19bb862 guards to protect 1493e44c39 the estate, making fb981f73fe it even more 23c07dd975 necessary.edca91cdaa8ce288

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I was certain I a9b81e79e8 had informed him. Suren seemed just as 6539107b41 puzzled as she set 5c72b91eb0 the basket of fruit 01e5bba82f down on the ground.9e46944a96508d70

“I know. But you were a bit late.”80d14cbb2224606c

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The night had d1d49870b3 deepened. The sky was studded f1b27e3c94 with stars.2359649db9a02b40

“Yes, we had to search deeper into the forest.”27719fe4297f5c90

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We had scoured the 9d55db496f entire hill today. Despite carrying an bcb68108d1 empty basket, we 292a8cdd86 found so few cb05113e43 fruits that we 5adfa258c6 could have gathered bf52a2458a them with our 1c14cc253c hands.fd7428edefbec5aa

Even so, b3f9a376ee the Butler ce693e2fcf was not d1eb751a28 one to f3bb1809ca scold me. He believed that 9bb066eb9e running around outside 7438b4affa was better than 7f5c7d1a88 being cooped up aa88dd07cb indoors, like a f403c03e24 typical noblewoman.203d6b38be1936c8

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He spoke again with 195b00249d his parched lips.5fb9e2fb99caeddd

“Please, come inside quickly.”6f6f436776081e21

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He urged c558c47b3a me towards d4127c5fe5 the mansion.65d5ce1cad3db3ad

“Wait a moment. My shoes are muddy. Let me change my shoes and clothes first…”2948f89e66df66ae

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I started to say, but the Butler’s voice interrupted me.4933e4d49721bf82

“His Highness has arrived.”f73c254c108459d2

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“His Highness?”245ff7e5902c4f7e

My body stiffened.a5c013190a262fbb

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There was only one person he could be referring to as ‘His Highness.’c2a46222ff226c77

And now I noticed that the Butler wasn’t the only one standing in front of the mansion.3c2621b4bf1351b5

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A large carriage 43ae53e7b1 was parked at d590fa5e3b the front gate. Its sheer size 2f1803cbb7 seemed to block 3d547b03ce the entire entrance.3c2bc03500158f1e

The carriage bore the emblem of a laurel wreath, symbolizing the Duke’s house.0d55fd27038f433c

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Next to cf4d343d72 it stood 2dac8d7f32 a familiar cf4e398053 boy. The messenger 12f0a9e3b4 who had 8955e7b933 brought the e0ef92d698 letters looked 2ed7840322 even thinner a9fc817aa1 and paler 1b5ab4a08a in such f0f14f949a a short 7316b37848 time.4493b092d2c1d3eb

“My lady.”ec03db76162ab9c6

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He hesitated, 7ebf780920 then spoke.bff2a51de7a88913

“His Highness the Prince has come with him. He wanted to see you in person.”78b120b4e7387186

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“Me?”6d61908234550982

“Yes…”25ace070a859e898

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Was he always this obsessive? Had a single letter really disturbed him so much? I couldn’t understand why he was so insistent on inviting me to this banquet. It was as if he were desperate to host a party.c2867a3b26d166cf

According to 96a34ecff8 the Butler, e884b76f9b it was 99bfbb8df1 a meaningless 45b612086d event.f806e21fc9acce2b

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It wasn’t a birthday celebration or a grand ball to welcome him to the capital. It was just one of the many annual banquets hosted by the royal family. Yet, he seemed determined to have me attend.8579dea5db1fa7d9

His intention wasn’t to bring me back to the prince’s domain permanently.16ec66bbcd43b006

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It was simply 65bc5e0798 an invitation to 11b2f030ad enjoy the banquet 6977ffba48 for a short b29c9860f3 time before returning. I had no desire f43c989392 to attend such an d8da1513da event.b1b3822afa7f8ac8

The door 9f19e65c81 of the 951e35c453 carriage was 701a0ef64e open. Inside, I saw 30b49bc0e2 a plush carpet 78c71f2336 laid out neatly.87ebc38b30da769f

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But I had 1b6a5528af no desire to 6fa7ce716a get in. The wide-open carriage d1c76010f7 felt like the d42a6b106e gateway to the 1f78d69665 underworld, ready to 8a42b2da8d swallow me whole.289b86e250023a0f

The open door looked a2cbdbd9bd like the gaping maw ccaea56fcb of a monster. I swallowed hard.506e7c091ba49591

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* * *48d5db28724710e3

It had been a long time since I last saw his face. In the dark prison, I couldn’t see him clearly.844f6b5dbf8a95f6

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Was he 25e3623374 as haggard 790bec30fd as he c02c4f3e17 looked in 5b886db98e the prison?2375e5625d593764

At least 7f5265be40 now, he a1f3c6d0ff seemed healthy 08b81eaf00 and well. It felt 8eae505c8c like I f84ac3f7cd was the 10be6c4efb only one 0f5420e362 who had 11b0511ca5 suffered.b965e6cd01905807

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His disheveled d887158d89 hair had 94c1ee00f0 returned to 59c6cefe77 its original c192e104d1 sleekness.83ba6d3b3a02eb8c

A lavender brooch fe2ee3eb2f adorned the left 3da9c211ce side of his 1c34c7daec black suit. The golden frame around 4d0b2dce19 the gemstone was familiar. It was clearly e803a98193 the emblem of e1db146408 the royal family.a1be76bbcc475a86

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Had he managed fa8543419b to push out a0dcee7633 Azanti and reclaim 0e84567068 his royal status?0018a8006cac86e9

If so, 89983d78b2 he was fad93131dc no longer d7d9644112 the Deon a1866cf086 I knew.0afde15e270d833b

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Seeing him as 65c7ec5bad a perfect member 369153a472 of the royal de8a31c3fa family felt strange.472c0b62fe1de3e0

The gold 56fb8585d7 embroidery on b631e7efea his suit, a80b45706f and even ad3cdbdd71 the buttons 24194a7a6c on his 0e6dba05e3 cuffs, were df66be26e6 all gold-plated. The opulence was a 123d90cfbe stark contrast to my c34effaa07 attire.8a43ac7f568c3358

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The tightly buttoned 5e31998ead front of his 9f131e0a56 suit made him 0a3eaa0d2c look even more 75dbaccb10 impeccable.25248e4ce3355e11

The excessive de8ee8a2fc glitter did 58e96c5356 not match b3cad157f6 the shabby be1c5ace77 mansion at 122fdec0ec all.16998aba0b2ee14c

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I felt uncomfortable. Technically, this was his 2ca37ebb67 house, but I wished b8d8b870b6 he would leave soon.192bc770ee867894

Deon sat with his f9a4878693 legs crossed on the 2dec7f8598 sofa.88b83a7f9e748659

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It was a faded, 657fd82a4d dusty sofa that no 97010cfe54 one used often.6f2199b6073f9e17

But with him a2e49bed51 sitting on it, 7bb385dad4 it looked different. Despite the sagging cushions, 42e60b722e he maintained a perfect 57c526aad3 posture.57e945ccc6c267ae

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I approached and 8536501769 sat across from c5cec56d0c him.8d72fbea2f2050d5

As soon as 8fef5da68e I sat down, b7377dadea Deon spoke as de6c7be245 if he had 17ca342031 been waiting.e1e0e673463c001b

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“You injured your left foot.”f999116e5463212f

He looked 05a74742fc me up 3b74b28902 and down 0c8d0e1907 as he f487876b48 spoke.15bb13717b7b86b5

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The Butler, standing e2a7d09449 behind Deon with cbd45a3949 his hands clasped, 4827d8715e winked at me.2a2a628da0c87283

‘I’ve already told him the story.’fc24c61eb33c3328

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Reading his quickly mouthed f066c3142e words, I responded.738c42fd15746a2b

“Yes.”005e2359958fd591

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“How did that happen? I distinctly remember telling you to stay inside the mansion.”89d4e0da32fb2305

“I slipped. I fell down the stairs.”057bbbd8e4801b33

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Since I said it happened on the stairs and not outside, he couldn’t argue further but frowned deeply.5a4ca4bdba9f0bfc

Then, in a c4a9b5d740 slightly forceful tone, 68a027aeda he said,ef0e7dfa074cddab

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“You should attend the banquet. Prepare to leave immediately.”b987a2607a4f2f65

He brought up the 6522b04647 banquet again. I let out 3e94aaaef6 a sigh.6953f9ee436279e6

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“I told you I couldn’t go. I sent a letter through a servant. Didn’t you receive it?”c9ad750f14038d54

“Yes, I received it.”6e993106d3dab3ee

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“Then why…”36a8d8952b7a545d

“I thought I needed to see it for myself.”111d01ce828f741a

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His gaze e78d40464f slowly traveled 7f6aa54d9f down to 5dfabb13be my ankle.965e671c6bacd158

I felt exposed. Hastily, I tried 460326af52 to hide my 459b030f20 ankle under my 488b794d53 skirt, but the 15c79aa5c0 dirt on my b47f23b1c5 shoes fell to f597fe0374 the floor.288aee1660929d15

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The ground was damp and muddy from the mountain path. I quickly scraped my shoes against each other to remove the mud, but it wouldn’t come off easily.63e6aae680e5b015

“You said you hurt your foot, but it looks fine to me.”2afa4a99e51158d4

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He scrutinized my ankle aa00abfdfc with a piercing gaze 753959d882 and then sneered.dedb3010f7b6a13b

His eyes af7a044b7a showed he 5bc5686465 had seen e86018195a through my a9c5b8f6d0 lie immediately.132264bc8aba3416

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He leaned back comfortably c2b131c997 against the sofa and 23abee3725 stared at me.1fb9cbdddcc95eab

 444967baa192a9f8

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