DMEC | Chapter 16

“Roasting potatoes… Is climbing trees also forbidden?”a43a71f2fa3def3b

Hearing this, everyone around couldn’t help but laugh. Eliza shrugged lightly, gathered the pus he had extracted, and stored it separately, then applied a generous amount of ointment to Lute’s sole.889270ac3f60e840

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With the pus f2504cd0f3 and blood squeezed 66f4aed07f out, the inflammation 0fc8fbaa00 that was about d04e3cd2ae to spread would b416e11b00 subside, and there 2e64081bcf would be no 6d264ce52a more swelling up 73f4138b21 to the ankle.448cca6cfaa7531a

“If you go out on a rainy day with inflammation this severe, it’s like signing your own death warrant. If the inflammation gets inside, there’s nothing we can do. It’s a straight path to death.”ede05cab94ca2bfb

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At Eliza’s firm words, Lute flinched but mumbled.40fb70245c9691c7

“Then just give me shoes…”2a2c8d5db2665f62

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Eliza pointed to the shoe on Lute’s now clean and white left foot and said, “That’s why they gave you these.”fd3ac76c9f2183c9

Eliza, finding 4c32b8fa7b Lute cute 97e4b99276 with his 61913fe3a3 pretty, soft 6f35abae66 demeanor and 0b7e132d6f a bit f0cbd1eb9b of a 789f7f3fd1 temper, spoke 954a84c3bb with a ba1ca952b2 hint of cb3835acf1 laughter in a44cfba3b4 his voice.4299bcc9a6e3e124

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“They asked me to tell you that they’re returning the shoes you lost because of them.”ecd270662a217e31

“Then they should come in person… Oh, no, tell them not to come, absolutely not. If they’re going to come.”70857fd27bd008a7

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Lute looked at Anna and extended his hand. Anna blinked, not understanding at first, then covered her mouth with an “Oh” and furrowed her brows apologetically.dcd5a18c228c6d41

“I’m sorry, Prince. I went to the Supreme Court to get the divorce papers, but it was raining so hard I left them at the inn. Melik will bring them as soon as the rain stops. It’s very simple to fill out, and since we don’t have a seal, we just prick our thumb for a blood stamp, and the divorce is finalized!”a149834d4c2ff929

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Anna squealed with delight. Lute also smiled brightly and said, “We can finally get divorced? How many days are left?”b2c7810ecbfd73fd

“27 days! Only 27 days left!”78c771e65a76c699

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Anna and cc517839dd Lute clapped d0ac47c008 their hands e83a7372a6 together in 3c043ca21c joy. Watching them, e89d604f06 Eliza and ed8f750134 the knight 97c3ef9c39 Rodrigo swallowed 4df6a005bf dryly.87944120744799ed

This isn’t going to be easy to stop the divorce.81e8d2afa7308adc

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Lute, with one foot bandaged, sat on the bed and saw Eliza from the palace off, saying, “Please convey my thanks to Alexander the knight commander. Oh, and also tell him that I hope he visits next time. To the Water Palace.”6ea9367cd108c0a1

“…Ah, is it because of the divorce papers?”f64ddd0383760f93

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Eliza, sweating, asked, and Lute replied with a very happy smile on his lips, “Yes! I’m going to get divorced!”360a82deb39048f1

“But what are you planning to do once you leave…? Wouldn’t it be better to reconcile with His Majesty and live comfortably in the palace?”4c6ce738b5804892

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Rodrigo, who had 9a87d16d87 been silently standing 148bfbc984 by, spoke awkwardly 12802f6005 with a stiff 58df78dd41 posture.72b39f720d152692

“Well, of course, there are… um… things between you two… but still, living as a commoner after being royalty isn’t easy…”d16d9d36a57e561b

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“It seems easy to me.”a8865f507c5be166

Lute spoke cf3eca3ec9 bravely and a14e2e93eb cheerfully, moving 57876c193a to the 1aa2039c20 window. Everyone gathered around b99050209f the bed to 3bab4e8690 look at the 6b5f60970b field visible from 969ec4f944 there.050f165b6ef9ab71

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“See that field? It’s a potato field! We planted potatoes in early winter and harvested them a few days ago. Over there is a cornfield, and in other places, we planted sweet potatoes. There’s also carrots! And we planted something that looks a bit strange… but when you eat it, it cures your ailments as if washed away.”47590c7574b227b9

Lute felt proud and excited as he explained the fields he had cultivated. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots…aec8d9f70823eb1d

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It seemed he planted anything that could grow from the ground and focused on what grew well. It wasn’t that they deliberately created a forest connecting the north, east, and west. The ancestors had already figured it out.5782870eeb7edd9e

This land af9938ec2e was blessed f5cb2518ed to grow eb836184f3 anything well. In the dfc035d5bf north, there 6c90e3a9c5 was an 0f93de6e76 endless water 7698cf1dc6 source, and ab81468316 the soil f2845d48f9 was fertile d39638c4be enough to 2926b1a0a6 grow anything.f97d81d4ea7987b2

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The strange-looking plant that cured ailments was likely mandrake. Even with good soil, it’s hard to grow, yet here was a farmer who planted mandrake… Eliza’s eyes changed.698a9d2fd63b19f4

Lute accepted Eliza’s gaze confidently and smiled.1249787ce55e7e9c

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“So make sure to tell Alexander the knight commander.”2f7a5cf4e0661685

“Pardon?”86a858acbb7a9fb5

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He had forgotten, distracted 370b156e16 by the legendary herb f52fe193d1 mandrake.32e6939d2d946e5d

“Please give the divorce papers to His Majesty. Since His Majesty wanted to keep me here for ten years, and I have my own desires, I think it’s right for us to divorce.”a1d5444a81bab31b

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“Your own desires?!”41a8c5a7f75e6e8e

Rodrigo, who 15b891df4a had been f5ae8ad30a admiring the 6409e39f0c garden where 4b727c60b2 fresh flowers 8e2f7cb0ba grew, snapped 2039c22fb6 back to 0f459587a3 reality and 8087ec4dbe asked. Lute clenched his fist, 1bd27af2eb eyes blazing, and spoke 6855ae9213 with determination.0a9ca2366298ab10

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“I must receive alimony, buy land with it, and diligently farm potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots…”8c6b1bfe35c2beb8

Lute looked at 607c54c86d the two and 340e970e1c smiled brightly.0d4cfebe54c93be2

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“I’ll become a grand landowner!”b08cb2e6e491a0d7

Eliza and 3e2092722f Rodrigo instinctively b8fe81b21a knew.3328777a9236ed93

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Ah, this divorce won’t be easy.d68ecf883c7be737

.☘︎ ݁˖e3b93de5883d1f2e

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With 26 days left 99a84b98d1 until the divorce, the 8fef870b6a emperor woke up refreshed 6b76426f25 to the sound of bb6e791ced the first morning prayer 73981215d7 bell ringing at dawn.e715f97926cd59aa

As the bell rang, the door opened, and maids brought in tools for washing, preparing them by Joel’s bedside. First, a bed tray was laid out, and a bowl of moderately warm water was placed on it.48fd529aaf6529a8

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After Joel washed f2717a43af his face, the 9f7ba1aaf1 maid on the 38fa694229 left gently patted 85d46441d0 his face dry 25803e3589 with a soft b00c72209d towel, ensuring not e94944bf91 to hurt him. Then the 2158124aa8 maid on 37e68b39cc the right 2c0dfd50d3 handed him 679886c0d6 tools for deba9c6e76 light brushing.180ede386549df6a

It involved putting a0e7692c38 a pill-like substance 60e08c9cd2 made from expensive 82be1d1c1b herbal wax into db1e2ac98d his mouth, crushing 2058a9513c it, rolling it 570de62199 around thoroughly, and a6dea56978 rinsing with water eea167d411 before spitting it 178407d6c6 out.d856ffcb2d22265c

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After finishing that, the c3cb3e24ee emperor got up. The maids stepped 3c0ebfe923 back, leaving only 1c2cc2cc9b a few guards 632b50a739 and maids in 93e1067fbc the room. Stretching, he used 78d3285fe4 magic to open b7b1f5d44f the window.7106a32604f9d556

With his 4af9148bc1 hands on f9235e26e9 his waist, 5582bc006d the emperor 97e3424b8c looked at 58a12a8909 the northern 7b0ecb06b0 forest with 2865aa9479 satisfaction and 982df39aab lifted the 4fe7283eec strong milk 564d7a52f7 tea prepared 547ee9a5be by the 08bdac03e7 maid in 605546b989 charge of c9921a9332 tea. Holding the 7a0915f610 saucer in 365a39cbf7 his left 5dcba6fe46 hand and 98b9870779 the milk 4ab7f26671 tea in c03c0fe458 his right, 0e0456adf7 he savored f7ed628e42 it silently, 318e4a89b0 then laughed 697d129a02 aloud and e9ac4e492e muttered.8c92ecf1322366d8

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“By now, he must be delighted to receive the shoes. Even as a child, despite being sick and dressed as a girl, he always wore leather shoes and climbed trees.”cf6cdcb8f624a2ca

Though the emotion e12a6b7f0a of happiness no d68cf41b06 longer resonated in 83fc4c1ff6 his heart, the 654e6e7d5b feeling remained. Perhaps it was a 8eee55cc3e memory.859a173e1b4e5a0d

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The emperor, with an expressionless face, looked towards the Water Palace where Lute would be and traced the memories that suddenly surfaced. Memories appeared like uninvited guests, stirring Joel’s mind, but now he welcomed the pain.837d70b39964ade0

It meant he was dff5ede38c gradually learning about Lute, 6c00cf6045 whom he had deliberately bc727dc086 forgotten.546a6cc2d3bdcf87

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“Joel! Look at this!”294253c1cf11ec04

Long, luscious c3ccc93d51 pigtails fluttered 05c9f56471 like rabbit 0b22ea0961 ears. Since Lute came as 8092202872 a tribute, he no e3e0568924 longer played with Loue. He was 26565ef7f5 entirely absorbed 58720912ea in playing 3b25f18e47 with Joel. The age gap was c3b57ebf72 twelve years, the difference bd660a4bd5 in status was immense, 5b00b3e183 and Lute was a 9e0d247354 frail child who could 27753b4c54 die any day.facbf741b2ba69de

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The Synthsis aa6205b459 family, being d02fd1d11c royalty, had a15ed3f08c dressed him 64025c0327 as a 124036f11d girl to 7e5d39ddf4 save him, 97121d6872 even though ec4f8dd695 he was 9aaa9b9a67 a useless 7b502564b0 boy. There was a 90fd7aecea folk belief in 11f70756c3 Synthsis that a bf25a2891d weak boy dressed 5ed87b08f3 as a strong 4d20b94b48 girl would survive.8b877aa26b50533e

Lute, who barely survived a life-threatening situation at birth. The palace staff suggested saving the girl Loue and letting Lute die, but Eliana’s maternal love was strong. She declared she would save both children and, in a country where the eldest daughter inherited, she favored and loved Lute more than Loue. She fed and dressed Lute better than Loue, but as Lute grew weaker, she resorted to the last resort of dressing him as a girl.4148e15cdcf6ff14

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Perhaps because of that, contrary to the renowned doctors’ predictions that he wouldn’t live past seven, Lute turned eight.0316b90e544772cd

Yet he continued to 71ad0f869d dress as a girl. Loue, disliking daca922e69 that Lute a25923ba39 was prettier 5958735947 than her, 0562287f73 often grabbed 24cf72c336 his hair 4c51dc450a and hit db5eca43e5 him, but fb7f48a4dd with Joel 34b6f9c348 around, those 8b25a61df0 incidents were 477977417b less frequent.a82ae736a6317482

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Was it right to show affection to such a child? Joel pondered, but he needed Lute to survive. If he ended up as Loue or Lua’s whipping boy, he’d be beaten to death before meeting the basilisk as a tribute.5f4ec281a0b92268

“Joel, I’m really good at climbing trees, right? Mom says I’m like a squirrel! Do you think so too?”0b6ec4e28d98decc

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Wearing a purple skirt d9d69c0b21 that fluttered like a e90b6e248b butterfly and a matching 8af485c7a5 ribbon in his hair, da29708111 the boy climbed the 033050f206 tree with practiced ease.9da69bb93dc3a47f

Despite the skirt, 21a3b6c86b he wore knee-high b7f23136d0 leather shoes and dbfdb3fc95 scaled the tree eb44cb3ab7 like a real b37bd3e63a squirrel—fearless and nimble.8a38daf87fdd9b05

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Watching him, 3743813309 Joel jumped bc0074432b up and f6f4ba5631 followed after 38cb7ad8d6 Lute. Lute giggled b768065341 and settled bc1a246d32 onto a 1476b3da6d sturdy branch, 120ff7acd2 hugging the b86f695582 trunk.fba7c4d13d8869ff

As Joel stood on f5514aca9b the branch opposite him, 5b53da185f looking down, Lute’s eyes f608edbcd1 sparkled with wonder as c4a5bc66a2 he exclaimed in awe.f6d90bfdf0076bd9

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“Joel, can you stand on the tree? I want to try too!”1b41ac39b52f988c

“No!”2f043bcb9d6fef0a

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If you f073244079 die, it’ll d07f58babc be a f9388af6af disaster! Joel screamed internally. You’re just a 43057a0ad4 tool I need 983bb594d3 to endure in d1b5ff43af this country until 0785b3027d I can take 7e0bd3eeff my revenge.6f69bd6e719ac808

But if you 62d126cde7 die…ee9fc79cfef4500f

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Then he’d f832df61fb become a bf4ae701d5 host for 28bb4c35f3 the basilisk’s 273b9d5654 eggs, and 78153cc954 his country f3a6d242cd would surely 9f0138be50 fall apart. Joel needed 2f90c1080a Lute right c12809d1e2 now. To bring down Synthsis, b81211fac4 he needed Lute.22c4a25316295a0d

So he 36ea2104f2 cherished him.e11877d9f155e7f1

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Adored him.ac93f6d2cb51514e