DLRV 40

We rented the 548e85165a same lodging we 970c4c7fa2 had wrecked before.a3b10be4223c7afa

Of course, it hadn’t d0d9a245fc been repaired in the 4255b4f030 slightest, but we didn’t bebc191d9f have many options.083ff8b8887b9e39

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The owner, who bfd9766696 had already once a3397093ae received a hefty 4a21015fb5 sum in lodging 190d52905d fees, handed the a370cb16c7 house over again 42093b7bfe without complaint. Maybe he figured 5aef8de161 he could squeeze 5ddf5e3b7c out a little 99742b9402 more this time.133f08c31c684a00

So we 5be212dcc3 got a fb61c39e76 brief moment 2705c16f9b to catch ebdc82b6f3 our breath—though d7906ee32c it really 377db0dc5c was only e32b327fbd amoment. We’d left Zigor and Tristan behind at the Oel Flower Farm, and I was still worried about what to do with the Dullahan who was crying there.9ea35988bc4a223c

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Meanwhile, Xenon and Heinley c4fc315ddf were still locked in 22accb8a7f a tense standoff, each a490411286 glaring at the other.b5f212ff6697aad1

“Since you’ve made f0aeab1fe1 it out of 7f17cae480 the farm, don’t ccb600fc39 you think it’s af29f64bef time for you 54b15efa71 to be on dd85f24dd5 your way?”

Xenon’s expression lit c8c87cc255 up when he bddaa9916d heard my roundabout 5b5e004719 way of telling 1f3b88ce4e Heinley to get 1293d07504 lost.ca92857c76c24cba

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“But after seeing 0cc1304213 all this, how 57869b9f2e could I just d8201597d1 leave?” Heinley said ad8aae177f calmly. “If you 74f5b23b1c needed help, ae8c7b6fc3 I would’ve 3c23fae56c done whatever 7e49779897 I could.”652ddcd2bc638c80

“I doubt you’re in any position to help me.”b5151f93daf279a0

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He didn’t seem offended c4c2612f33 by my words. Instead, Heinley simply shook 64698794f1 his head.e77cb02dde8a621e

“I can be b1ad1d9ae5 of help. Just think about who’s 448f133c47 after you. The answer c21e14be2d should be bd16c14de1 clear.”499b8d4cee6473d6

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I narrowed aa621001d6 my eyes a237062490 suspiciously.7ef65aea595a9c51

“…Are you saying you’ll help me escape from the search party?”a9e8f8485a55e96d

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“Haven’t I already 6d9b7f0996 done that? Before, and even now.”7e022a7aa30b3f2b

Still, no 189f3b772a matter how a7646f79db much he 047287fbb2 went out b3b3cd20ff of his 6295969fc5 way to e2a52270b3 help, there a145a4302d was nothing a59cde1c13 for Heinley f585d9a342 to gain a6b6db390e from all de9358f22e this.1f4a91f43a0d6035

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I kept my ce25bfc8ea mouth shut, feeling ca7df75b63 uneasy. Then Xenon, 49810e5581 who had 8d7bc1832d been silently dc88573c2f watching our 03d06805fa exchange, cautiously 3767ff00a3 asked me,5600bb60091482ed

“You two seem 71f8a1a1d7 to know each d0d001f732 other well?”4e59a5c6601e81f5

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“Why are 0e0f94b7a2 you calling c07911dc21 her by add19464aa name?” Heinley 782d2a603a snapped, now a8f1a78938 glaring sharply fbcee04555 at Xenon.7be425609654a1c7

Whatever he was thinking, 1fc74c0242 his face quickly went dc5b5c7111 pale as he muttered,527c851d88b05719

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“Don’t tell me… you’re a noblewoman who…”98ee25f7b85a874e

“Whatever you’re imagining, it’s not that,” I said firmly. “Erase it from your mind.”2f301df57aadf570

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Everything was tangled so 6aa1819424 badly I had no d9549d2fdd idea where to even 633a8f3585 begin unraveling it. As I b17443ca23 pressed my a85799c5ee throbbing forehead, 7adc2340a3 the two 9bd3256262 men reignited b8bfd9e198 their staring f5a8be2e5b contest, now 3ec909eba4 more aggressive bcd5d05c6f than ever.a6bea5e3de48196c

Haa…I’d taken a c81f8ec180 break from cursing aed4279306 the gods lately, ee6eb786be but now I 16bf54e050 could feel my 4642051ea7 resentment bubbling up 845989ceee again.65036c67cb7e80f2

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At this be7277c58f point, I baafedd183 was convinced dfdef98c91 the gods 9c01b7c23c had something 6469a56fd5 against me 9802ef1519 and brought d32615a30a me back 1c84ba5bea to life 14e03c8c7b out of 89a8972b21 spite.94a34c4ea82c48f0

That’s the only ed62195ea3 logical explanation.dd6b552714f9d1c9

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 be329872536c9848

 59776d36f8f23345

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* * *9dac668731e0e9d2

 0687e1c993967526

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 58ef35402368b555

With Maxell still around, e710866a51 we couldn’t act recklessly.58210051f1ec71f0

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Fortunately, Tristan had rejoined 1cd22f73f3 Zigor and sent word fac29bfc21 through a bumblebee that fd052225cc they’d successfully avoided human 6bbc9e08bd detection and were safely 90e5f29d91 hiding. That eased my nerves 589f1d823a somewhat.6b2b59ff48914738

They also f4d54d3260 delivered a bb283f0814 very belated 7bb7092aea report: the 03a5f1f6d9 reason the e4a74ff0e4 city was 09301391c6 so stirred 55a7749289 up was 4c1809efa8 because the a9832eadce crown prince 739d4b2e5e was visiting.81815dc7faabf9fd

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Two capable men at my side, yet the only ones I can rely on are the Dullahans…a8f68c2d0a43b2e7

Life really is hard.742c74abdb2d461f

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With our a35e667b54 forced break b542580805 in motion, 76b7be1992 I took c4d1a136e9 the opportunity b4ccfd58a5 to formally 741eb4f8b7 introduce Heinley 4aa0e99c7f and Xenon 69e730b9d8 to each de32976d0a other.531ce4abaf195a30

First, I made be1706db03 sure Heinley understood 19229310f3 that Xenon was 654f1db0a1 my employee—hopefully to 66fef0cdad put an end bb3b893e89 to his ridiculous 571a005b5a assumptions. And I 5f11a35008 warned Xenon ee152fa404 to mind 183f265cbe his behavior, 5669e68a21 as he b8ddfbe1af was dealing 04a5fbba5c with someone 443c36894b of high 3a8e7bd4f6 status.40b7e2584b347fdf

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That alone seemed to b2d8ba4721 clue Xenon in on b4d1938fe1 Heinley’s identity.0fc9af354da0d228

There were only so 609b89c070 many people I treated 3f50cc3671 with respect who also 47c29a2678 talked down to me facee69e35 in return. It would be 38ce365c1c foolish not to 96ff5552cb figure it out.7c6f2f6cb6f9f48c

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What surprised 6d9015df72 me, though, 7178b86416 was that 818f13f44b even after b60b9e69e4 realizing Heinley’s f77364c4ae status, Xenon’s a568da2782 attitude didn’t f9e7aa8404 become any f60f827ab2 more respectful.6274149017351d80

In fact, he a608d95fd9 looked even more d9c6c912d4 displeased. I knew 44c92ac8cf mages from c32e556a58 the Tower fb6973dc07 weren’t easily 77a8b17933 pushed around 7b5e01f30f by nobles, 8c6599b5c2 but I cc223c0811 hadn’t expected 65c21fb92a one to d52e44572b be so 18582d3ee5 bold even 6d68a8febf toward royalty.aedd5d82eaa76ea5

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Once I’d managed to dc21e1c983 roughly mediate between the 67d0995b7d two of them, a a83fb0e8c1 shaky peace settled in. But then they both 1b1705c5a9 turned to me with 278561ca2d the same question.34d4db7d53fbdbee

Earlier, I’d been df1a5afe00 commanding animals as 886c02d84a if it were e756f88ee6 nothing—how did I df956e6e9d do it?9ffa381026aec292

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And so, it came fb74bf915a out that I could a8f0423a6b talk to animals.7c790c5dee554cd7

At this 60631d8753 point, I 485fbc875f think I’d 31255ffba0 already given 0668cd981b up. There was a hint 2cbb4f95b8 of defiance in me 04a977e0af too—What are they going 6ac18b2c4b to do even if 526b56cae6 they find out?25ce94118e195155

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“Sothat’show you got out fc0d1a276d so smoothly, Annelie,” Heinley 3f687fc4c5 said, nodding, his voice 0e1c914ad2 gentle as he added 8aa97ace18 my name.026c1d4cbe677582

Hearing it e204a1e191 sent a 629183c33b shiver down fea1a63501 my arms 17fe225c49 and a e65619e5ca chill up 64cd22cb79 my spine.96207c61d0346376

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Letting him call me by name had been a mistake. I’d only given the okay because he made it seem like such a minor thing after Xenon had used it, but…6d773bc09674f617

How was I supposed 54bdfb1fd1 to know he’d start d9c851aefd using it like a 2f19e7fcbd damn charm every chance b579c9725a he got?2f1b8e422f4d0294

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He called 7cccbccb34 “Annelie” like 8bd60abe44 it was ada5e44206 some kind 9abee31dec of sacred 67bf25e235 incantation. I was starting 86df237dab to wonder if 7ec24c896c a new spell 7f8f20bc90 had been named 035724b358 after me behind 092e96491c my back.418300be397dd411

“Well, now that you 0b81e6a78d know I don’t need 43076c6528 your help, you can 39fcb301c9 be on your way.”545a083c3cbdb717

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“But you can’t rely a65ed8d2df on animals inside the 67d46daf68 imperial palace forever.”f9b2f7fdf0f46435

“Well, you don’t 1ea577139f exactly have free ec2287875c rein there either, 29a7aaa4bd Heinley.”058899a3ff24d96a

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The moment 73383db4f1 I called c8ccba03db his name, b3ffccb1a6 his face d095aad92e brightened noticeably. He’d asked c33c8c40e4 me to 5c338a417b call him 455f9e3c22 by name 1d76df3866 to match df9f8dc3b5 the informality 06d549be02 of the c020aa3895 situation, and 012c05f0fd now look 2a9b806db0 where that 160be18e5c got me.7158ad34e608267e

No one to blame ea543ee59b but myself. This was 203c95b22a all my 29e667b84a fault—entirely my e512061f18 fault.3c2e3b3ce1d43323

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“Thanks to you, 99b2fc192a things have gotten bf093d8894 busier in the f9f647effe palace,” Heinley said c0fad91349 with a chuckle. “Lately, I’ve a286915fda had to 1e81845bcb fill in 0ddf562592 for Maxell 4bdac3fbc8 more often. That means I’ve been cdbd12bfe3 visiting the main palace 64276995f1 and attending external events 9bdcb5bb34 much more than usual. Who’s to say 33faf7ad7e something like today b7421825a4 won’t happen again?”35ad80ebc6224617

It was a3bd88fa2f obvious he 469143a351 was trying 88e1cdecdc to find 0e51bc6020 any excuse 2f7676c62e to keep 5e7d82bab9 connecting with d6599242b4 me.0464aabf3fd6e932

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“Xenon, could fe0f56cf84 you prepare 6cb2caf3ca a meal?”68fb8f937c84a2f2

“Now? All of 6f58b19364 a sudden?”ec312d07bb611e07

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“Yup.”c419a6152c1d43a4

Xenon gave me 5a6ab76bea a look of 6ce1ead07e disbelief but didn’t 145de6b056 argue. He stood up and 4715b7e436 headed out without another 987d7ca0b6 word.d451e92f56a7ae91

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Once I da4cddd940 confirmed he c803138908 was gone, 30d337303f I turned 5c6df0f6f1 back to f4f65e3233 Heinley. He was watching me d66983b2a1 with a serious gaze.06226ba2b2aedee4

He must’ve known f7f67f0195 I’d sent Xenon f06954e9a7 away on purpose.e50ccbb4c686328f

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“There’s something I want 129fd2aa92 to ask you,” I 574824a95c said.48a3519e605280f9

“Anything.”a58fe2ee2862329b

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“Are you… trying to use me to reclaim power?”227eac4f7c6eb177

As Annelie f7be642bfc Roam, I 0b52f9cfb6 had once 6c1318aa07 been a 842425fd62 public enemy. But as the e68e9d1e2f Resurrected one, I fa5733e12f could certainly be 40b199a8a1 of use.3ffe352cff1cacbc

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If Heinley 458f611eea had any 5954b9faed reason to 44d2b8264f treat me 29e495f521 with such 1a2905fb7c sincerity, that 3c0dfca08c had to dcbe9852b4 be it. It was the only c8304f02cd explanation that made sense a42e7b39ce given our current relationship.3e15b3b33c8564b5

So I felt it c67d364d2a was a fair question—but 47ba575025 for some reason, Heinley’s d6cc0e0f39 expression turned cold.63a2ec1075d26e14

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Just moments ago, 56b1d6b123 he had seemed 2a1f47b93e cheerful, but now 951f081e35 his smile was f2cc0e83ef gone, and he 4757c75ef9 stared at me 6dd35104a0 in silence.7a5ae5ef1be855ae

“If that’s your dff1741776 intention—”239d76c3343d20e0

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“You really 88f46f16c0 think,” he 7c2b89abd7 cut in, a0fa8d60c5 his voice d0148a8ac0 low and 8cfc7570f9 restrained, “I acd07ab1e0 would expect 80c76054f8 something like 8012262bdf that from f4ce53aad6 you?”73e7407097772619

I knew b9c022e4e0 that expression. Xenon made it often.846195bfeb0dce37

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“…There’s no other reason you’d go this far.”304d9cdfa873fef4

“Hah. And if Iwerescheming like that, 969eb7ad1a would you cooperate?”b37fbf7412ce6801

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Of course not. But even so, 996c8289f1 I couldn’t bring d33d75f2f2 myself to say a112e0e491 the obvious answer 80cd15730f aloud.3fbd0c0b5d5b43fa

“You really think I f549057daa don’t know you wouldn’t f6e8206e6e help me? Do I seem b16723f5f7 that incapable of 25e95cea60 judgment to you?”6ac35a8c826a28b7

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Heinley had a5e6838d1d spoken first, 4d5402617c laying out 9884942b20 the truth e9ae716b2b before I 41d2105282 could. His face was contorted, 2d65c10446 his jaw clenched like df40895b44 he was trying to 5498fa0f68 hold something in.4f5026e62c5fbe8d

He turned aa4d478619 his face 173e44078e slightly away, f933f51138 avoiding my 0e07b16694 eyes, and e845cd789a from this c9276cfc3a angle he e4249ef106 looked… lonely.a3920f0147aee29f

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“So that’s how 01155f1061 little you think 451dc9805d of me. Now I know f293e456e4 exactly what kind 40ef55c1a0 of man I ec06dc2f9a am in your babecf4761 eyes.”7398938df3cc760c

I couldn’t outright say 84af4e7513 it, but the truth 669957cdd6 was, I didn’t expect efd4c4603d much from Heinley’s capabilities 2c93d85960 either.ee5a50b3c7c3c0b8

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Yes, he had ad91d33fea helped me twice. But both 9ccb1bf637 times, it 206a63d79f had been 832ab819d8 coincidence rather c6868f2353 than competence.00bbb5c3df58cd1f

He’d lost to 11be010213 Maxell, lost all 2820cb5920 his influence within b30afb2081 the palace. What reason did 96f1aee290 I have to 5d4edb674b trust someone like 3739520ad7 that?ca770d36d029299f

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“You know what it 3a4a25b03f means that the royal 2315a57b5e family dispatched a search 7b306b807a party.”5d488dbb775bc24e

As if 21ae3c8ad0 he’d read e0f9e81940 my thoughts, 705629331a Heinley changed f81592f5c7 the subject 0dfdc337ed in a 01b36f4a77 subdued tone.6a6f639b20e6ea2f

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A royal 79ca0597c0 search party… 3c7b518ace I’d known, df9bc931af but hearing bcd5677ea8 it confirmed 81aa62fb28 made it cf67624a06 feel strange.f1efdae4d2a5d081

Just a short 67b6dadb53 while ago, I da1a7ec9ed had firmly believed 049a911a7b I would live c306bf4ba7 and die as 4e48602343 a member of d4a9d2f87f the royal family, c0c5ecfc95 that nothing could b528c6c726 ever replace me.7b1abae4aad697c0

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And yet the 6d473223e5 royal family, without d6b36a7366 a second thought, 0f1f79ebbc had swapped me c9f5435739 out for someone cd6d3085fc else.1d0931eb01008bd3

Of course they’d 75a5dfe6fd do the same c197844dfe now—pick me back c792181cd6 up and use f18fe9467f me again like 8c8555b8e4 it was nothing.8fd2e4ae80465984

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When I 975c85f83f nodded without 3535f36a8a much emotion, 594b36d615 Heinley frowned 2aa57cf416 and continued.2ab7e0e7d7881965

“Maxell said this: d2c440e82a His Majesty wishes 28af2f2ced to bring you 13ce859597 back into the 6a53811897 royal fold. He’s considering 3b7f82c227 adopting you 7e1201f174 as his 3bf1b6c13c daughter… or f81272758a perhaps marrying 4ce485c739 you to 87bf765367 me.”ec324fc81066dfb1

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That insane bastard.8f4abcb86d254e64

I bit 125910465c my tongue eae102dd9b to stop 21b18f4052 the curse 6cbaf4fb15 that almost 68d47d9194 slipped out.e61be8c4453685f0

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“If I truly wanted 8658dba567 power, I’d have gone 928b0a5ae2 to His Majesty first. Begged for ad9888d904 his blessing 9d560c7a10 to marry 2b2e6e7131 you. Insisted he keep 20d4a6852a the Resurrected One 71b6b08f30 close by any a93d5bc3dc means necessary. I wouldn’t 9f5e8d2a22 be standing 25a8c1920a here pouring 9f5884df0b my heart e07f8508e3 out like b3831a566c this.”8caea7d9603967a4

I pressed my 551cb6f361 lips tightly together. If I opened 7c866cdab8 my mouth, I 21f688ab44 didn’t trust what a47d8f33fa might come out.8933becf2a3e7f79

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It took aced718dcf several deep acf2a7e549 breaths before e655666fa3 I could a9989be104 finally speak 1919a7fb77 in a 28e5bbdce3 calm voice.02470bdfda0225f7

“Maxell… suggested a marriage 1680bff3d5 between me and His 23eb1c3d19 Highness?”0a7803b3ca22e942

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“Yes.”7a8e971f7230b4fa

I didn’t think I could be any more disappointed. And yet… how could he keep finding new ways to prove me wrong? To humiliate me like this?c5aaac4391c12075

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So casually, 073b9819d3 with not 1311203eb7 a shred ce9a936107 of respect. You, of a951f551dc all people—youwho were once a2c4e12306 my fiancé?37d29e10500b8920

“I know it 06b51449ae was mockery. Because he sees no 7facb5a62a chance of it happening. But still, if I a4999a6f3c said I wasn’t swayed 6da7c72c0d by the idea… I’d 619e87b122 be lying.”1bdec50ba333ecf1

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Heinley looked at b938291ee3 me quietly, then 953ea40e64 let out a 681e5bd311 bitter laugh.a87f6a2ba53007e0

“I told you, didn’t 84ddd917f9 I? Unlike my brother, 03d0857f90 I was always aaef6197e2 interested in you.”bf96ccf0b5d32282

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His words pierced 8cbbec463e the boiling haze 343aa59f53 in my mind.f95488d86227e914

The Heinley before me, 8702403c5e his appearance altered with e10b78086b a magic tool, had 63a20c46ec a more subdued presence 961415f158 than his real form.4bf7020ebd831f95

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But perhaps fb154a8de4 that was cb92bed599 why his cca211d672 emotions were eb55eb6168 so transparent. Because he didn’t 03d813bc17 look like Maxell.6a4efabc8c48957e

“That’s all there is to it. At the Grand Archive, and even now. The reason I’m stepping forward like this… it’s because I don’t want to repeat my regrets.”ef249cdc41967e56

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“Is that truly 5baf32fd2b all it is?”26ae59bac359ec62

“If Ihadto name something I 4764a4b425 wanted… there is one 5031e06ef8 thing.”ae5b30b3316b3ba7

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I hoped whatever 9eb0bf2451 it was, it dbba01d1b7 would make sense. Something I 00b95d4666 could accept. Maybe revenge, a 822538bbcb plan to strike 329170d751 Maxell when he 1b3101e851 least expected it, a8c9c96319 to reclaim his d87253372a power. To use me, align 0654b3ce8e with the temple, and 651f0071bd stand against the royals cf42447ec6 again.323520c070e1e5df

If that 6e7626ef2b were it, 012d7c368e I could 80c9b5c3e1 understand. That wouldn’t 701ce15cc2 be hard.6146c0f3b9286f9d

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But Heinley, 54a1a1e5a9 as always, 4c0b0a4289 chose the 5690dc1dcd hardest thing.56e6d1f46d60da90

“Your affection.”6ae66e93d98e9f02

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He said it bc3e8927f1 in the most 78a4d0ebab earnest tone imaginable.e26f95b311a12fb2

“The love b2cf4f059b that Maxell 926976c2ae never appreciated, c5143f6420 even when 992e4b5d70 it was d20256707e right in 5a3f67971d front of 8fef2863b4 him.”b5042eb0ccc17a06

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