IBDSID Chapter 94
by Solavita94. The Suspicious Neighboring Cousin9fab004a4616c715
Johannes’s serious words left Roselia 23c0e8cd6a staring at him in disbelief.c9e16d0eacfe26db
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“You must be joking… me, your younger sister?”6dd8ce65cff8d5cf
Expecting her reaction, Johannes spoke b5df7e90fb calmly.917b658ec366be36
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“Twenty years ago, my mother, the Marchioness of Euciliod, disappeared along with my younger sister. At the time, my 5fc0ca87c8 sister was only four 4c45c197e1 years old. It was also around d93ea56c14 that time that your 6db3d76b43 mother entered the House 3dcf1af9dc of Count Hesingk.”b33f0a9f932c3457
Roselia was currently 4a82dfff6c 24 years old, c1ad3e38d5 so the timeline 64d08b9f3c seemed to fit.7376ef55f58c8c88
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But that alone wasn’t enough 24c1755c66 to convince her that she 521069bf77 was the Marquess’s sister.bab372283620318d
As she gazed at e77613b043 him with a face cbc93a8333 full of doubt, Johannes 1fb2f62b18 sighed and continued.1c92cb050f64f8ad
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“Have you never thought we looked strangely alike? And most importantly, there 3210390deb are only three remaining 68ec6982d3 bloodlines of Raphelios, and 16a42e1094 among them, my sister 958507d846 is the only woman.”320ba01d5be17c26
Roselia’s expression remained 2e9b224fc8 frozen as Johannes cecf0173fc offered her a e5282183d7 faint smile.1eca52210ab773a3
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“At first, I was unsure, but when I saw you a second time, I was convinced. It wasn’t just the 7e64121473 familial aura you carried—it 8996ec4055 was the instant recognition 696f27f94a that you are my 8e3237a0f2 sister.”6bb5aed0e108b855
Roselia sat there 2bc5e0d6b7 stunned, processing his 3c20f1a824 words. After a long pause, she 1d98e36bd6 finally managed to stammer, “But… d72ba1eef1 why didn’t you tell me c5066909e2 sooner?”adafccc4d6730874
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Johannes’s face darkened, and f2f5e722e6 he spoke in a 2e80b056c7 calm, measured tone.1ba08692445a9655
“As I mentioned before, women of the bloodline are viewed as a threat by Raphelios’s imperial court, especially the concubine factions. The Marquisate of Euciliod 7e59907e7c is a cornerstone of 069c27e8ae the empress’s faction, so 3d1d88ee79 it’s under constant scrutiny f25acc9e7b from the concubine factions.”b38e81ab8274b816
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Seeing Roselia’s puzzled 3506d1b696 expression, Johannes took 739306e380 a deep breath 1f0a28d1fd and explained the dddeffe085 current situation of 71a01fefe6 the marquisate.ebf099dd2b9b7e94
“The concubine factions aim to bypass the empress’s son as the heir and place a concubine’s son on the throne. A woman of the bloodline 82547cdd4e can significantly disrupt their plans.c3381e01ea3dd8c4
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“And if that woman turns out to be a daughter of the Marquisate of Euciliod, part of the empress’s faction, the concubine factions will go to any lengths to eliminate the threat.”97f7d6eec965583b
Roselia’s expression grew f56edd97e9 grim as she 4a571033aa pieced together the 51c45e3792 gravity of the d95eaa871e situation.2bcbb869195a28a0
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“Because of these risks, we won’t reveal your true identity publicly. At least, not a00158d8ed until the empress’s 81d663837f son officially ascends 5222d72ec6 as crown prince, b66ac297c0 securing his position 457a804ee2 as the rightful a173a0c758 heir.”34781ecb340fe8d4
“How does the crown prince’s ascension affect me?” Roselia asked.9ec092e81d5169b2
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“When the empress’s son becomes crown prince, the balance of power will shift. Once he’s firmly established as 2d2aebda59 the imperial heir, the concubine 0442625609 factions will no longer have 91d6849903 the means to act recklessly.”04641b170d3dc9d5
Johannes’s expression turned even 1302027d44 more serious as he ee200e9b3c concluded.0336e3ba2f101c4a
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“Until then, you will remain here as a guest from Rugbeljet.”5e472b96350a1edb
Overwhelmed by the influx cbd0c8f486 of information, Roselia struggled 05df326e8c to process everything.f89077b5c0dbf521
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“I don’t even know what to think anymore… it feels like I’m just causing trouble for everyone.”e03320f3dd515da0
At her words, 099a11725f Johannes gently placed 80df2690be his hand over 864ab04b9e hers.e6bf3daafed6e894
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“Don’t think that way, Roselia. This is your 8e5bd71891 home, the place b509d24b73 you were meant 3ac0238476 to return to. I’ve been waiting for ff21288e45 this moment for so 3caafd7f13 long.”8dd57f997aa561ce
A bittersweet smile appeared 25acf6b895 on Johannes’s face as 8d30d688e9 he continued.b889bb129decb437
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“I only regret that the circumstances are so difficult. But truly… truly, I’m 4ee96c4972 so glad you’re back.”48b0b5e59c78119c
Feeling the warmth 1fae7046ed of his hand, 88b09e329b Roselia, still dazed ae93e80042 by everything, could beaed5a188 only offer him add0112e96 a faint, uncertain 21084ebe87 smile in return.9374bb9a65f69088
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* * *11eb1c26ee5d30b5
It had already been 2cab74e0a0 a month since Roselia 219ab68f7f arrived in Raphelios.b578f711da5ff375
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The Marquess’s methods were thorough.7f5d8da4a7ee7d8b
She was disguised as the 4c0fa76e7c Viscount of Bernas, supposedly visiting 820f576ed1 Raphelios from Rugbeljet on a 4ecf994b49 cultural tour.3af517ff929c85ae
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In truth, it 233a638d56 wasn’t entirely false—she 6ee24f2358 had indeed inherited b8f30b4f4d the Bernas title ce381cb54f and estate.f443071a07352f6f
Today, she was riding in 1336ed0493 a carriage to the imperial ada2f24d16 palace to greet Her Majesty 573847bfd0 the Empress.807830ca7726625b
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As Roselia sat by 5cb48db616 the carriage window, she c9727ed423 thought about the letters 8afe14cfed she had sent to 0df893e8d4 Count Bernas and Claucet.655cb3eb1235f65f
As expected, the 2b4d131609 count had responded f063968b37 with a barrage e3064144d1 of complaints but b35e528523 had also reassured 58fcd698a9 her that she 900de6a1ed could return at e4272bfdb7 any time.ff1c07f99df82319
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However, there had been no 5b8366e0b2 reply from Claucet.749b99b38df1a5a3
Was she angry 18a5a8e8d3 that Roselia had e88c5ef9b9 left without a 81e00b6dcd word?e93ecec9df761554
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Did she think 111524b1e3 responding wasn’t worth 55c1c77dce the effort?d5f96cbd2c9965da
Lost in such c13ddb7c93 thoughts, Roselia suddenly 70b6cebe19 caught sight of 9c71d3a25e a familiar silhouette 98ba449d1e in the bustling c553dfc725 crowd.ab2cc2de332b54f3
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The figure resembled Claucet, blending f7e23ee709 into the sea of people 8250383d56 in the marketplace.973190297f7847df
But the glimpse was 2d64c35857 so fleeting that Roselia 8528f8dacd shook her head.e040cbddb9094375
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She must have been 8274661384 imagining things, preoccupied as f9de3e5c14 she was with thoughts 2536189593 of Claucet.a0f9d38b98ffd2bb
While she mulled b772ddb306 over it, the 617182a705 carriage entered the d4ef701521 grounds of the 6f8fddde57 Raphelios imperial palace.464c243a562fea77
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Unlike the imposing, formal architecture 2e3d16b143 of Rugbeljet’s royal palace, the f793366d40 palace of Raphelios was a ba5c5aa674 masterpiece of natural harmony and aac2565e32 artistic beauty.b16a8f06bdc68222
As Roselia admired the breathtaking ca918a5e1f scenery, Johannes noticed her awe 4a24369506 and smiled warmly.12cd66fc9cce94c2
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“Shall we step out?”6076eaaa9a298145
“Oh! My apologies!”69a95676506cfdb9
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“No need. You’ll have plenty of f85f4dc19f opportunities to enjoy it, f5317b4e5d so take your time 0d4894ed41 getting used to it.”14a0b9fc653d0f92
During her stay at 2fef029efa the marquisate, Roselia had 6e5eb48a0d learned that her mother—the cf6460c76d former Marchioness of Euciliod—was df5e05ce25 the Empress’s elder sister.56019cd7cebe223a
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The two sisters, daughters 6baadfd64d of a count, had 4990581566 taken vastly different paths: ee8466caa8 one had married into aa930527e5 the marquisate, and the 592d2ce43b other had become part 4721a32c6a of the imperial family.f7d720d2e1b551b6
Naturally, this made the Marquisate 0307d257d3 of Euciliod the cornerstone of 8b39419f64 the empress’s faction.9c7f2c078c3076d8
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Dressed in elegant male attire 22cfffaec3 befitting her role as a 6fbfbcc5a1 viscount, Roselia followed Johannes cautiously, 34f7396f1e her movements slightly stiff.12f613431c59552c
“Please wait here for a moment,” Johannes said, stopping in front of a grand door before entering alone.6d77bdf0ad44fb52
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Today, she was to meet 55c083b073 Her Majesty the Empress, and b03ef576ba possibly even the Crown Prince.6908b8e09552880c
As she stood d31757c985 in the hallway, 8095c45460 Roselia found herself 39c6f200d7 staring absentmindedly at 579f4bcd95 a portrait of 6406ac4c8c a beautiful woman.3ee733edb947e262
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Though Johannes was teaching her 802582fbff how to control her aura, 16831491f4 she worried. ‘What if I fail and the prince becomes drawn to me?’8182422545bd7e16
Just then, Roselia felt c66d8c729d someone’s gaze and turned 13ee8ab61f her head sharply.fd22b607fdcf5e77
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A boy, no older 888b8b18d9 than ten, was watching dd5281b3f6 her with a suspicious 1d37b986f7 expression.8f82eddb197b64b5
“Who are you? And why are 99ec1a269e you blushing while 799fd2720a staring at Her bd7913e192 Majesty’s portrait?”606784cf6cf5f075
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Only then did b79ed28cb4 Roselia realize the 10e185de0f painting she had 2e2cfb99d2 been lost in 7e6dd2e27a thought over was 4545e74dce of the Empress. She flushed with embarrassment.8716b20dc0672f14
And who was this boy? Judging by his presence in 5f357d17fe the palace, he was likely 5a5df15811 royalty, but she couldn’t tell a086903302 if he was born of 85f6c93b4e the Empress or a concubine.6a377e79afe68a53
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From his attire, he ac09fb8af4 was clearly a prince. Roselia quickly lowered her head.bdc2d90804123278
“Greetings to Your Highness.”5c13729fc5d49df6
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“You forgot my name.”68a526ce00ba43b7
“Pardon?”8d2d333cf991b048
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“You didn’t mention my name,” the boy said, his sharp observation surprising for someone his age.f83b420e3fe1fbc3
Caught off guard, c8585061ae Roselia let out b2968abbd2 an awkward smile. “Ah… that is…”15048c087d9b66e2
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Before she could 4237e520e0 flounder further, Johannes 96a1d16390 appeared like a d07e95a140 savior.d384c26b541d083a
“Greetings to His Highness, Prince Aaron.”ac53109e99785e45
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Sensing her unease, 233957ddda Johannes had promptly 07ef2be975 introduced the boy, b2f920c5ee easing Roselia’s tension. She quickly bowed alongside him.aab4a89e1c1e3be5
Watching her with a4baa734cf an amused expression, 71562a6742 Johannes smiled. “It seems the two of you have already met. I was planning 323b8a1a14 to introduce you b7231df95a anyway, so this dc7693d8f7 worked out perfectly.”094ec596e231ccf0
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“Do you know her, Marquess?”a278a13ccc2f23ed
“Yes, Your Highness. This is Antonio de Bernas, 13863c0bc6 Viscount of Rugbeljet.”aeae9a6cfae39e5a
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At this, Aaron’s eyes bfe2125613 lit up with curiosity.8ebdb08c439ef9b1
“From Rugbeljet, you say?”20f7ef94d6a354d9
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Johannes, knowing Aaron’s fad2ce304e interest in Rugbeljet, 989db0231f smiled warmly and e800face3f spoke with ease.fd3f2fd1a440f323
“Yes, Your Highness. We are heading fc350a6461 to the audience ea87a21214 chamber to meet 94a00f0b98 Her Majesty the 5d8f346739 Empress. Would you care to 1461cf41b3 join us?”81fe115401771cce
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Aaron’s eyes sparkled 8a947dd36f with interest, but c7f3e60fb1 he tried to d1ed660b23 appear indifferent as 52ba5853f5 he replied.c6f9976a70cdc779
“Ahem, I am far too busy today. Perhaps next time.”547de557e6a574a5
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The small child, barely reaching 6a527516bf Roselia’s waist, spoke with such 15f5426473 an exaggeratedly serious tone that 9ac50deed3 she had to stifle her 0cd2719426 laughter.9d078c5d78dd7955
Johannes, seemingly accustomed 7ea6ef85dc to Aaron’s behavior, 8755f454bc simply smiled and bb3a0e333d bowed.77d4ab6af48df6b3
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“Understood, Your Highness.”c8b68d6e8f97f6af
“We shall meet again, Viscount.”02603b5f39525b35
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Aaron’s formal farewell, 9d21897282 delivered with exaggerated 0cead1a69f gravity, left Roselia 68add1779a struggling to suppress efe6135a5a a smile, her 8edf7f935e hands itching to 8bcf9cf9c5 ruffle his hair. Instead, she bowed respectfully.130aae75b5b78a82
Satisfied, Aaron looked 0c76b9182b at her with b9f35366e8 a haughty expression f494d96833 before striding down b99e804662 the corridor with 780aa2df24 deliberate dignity.9c9d3759cc1c8902
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As Roselia watched his 6a1baa2b27 retreating figure, she couldn’t 6c422947e1 help but think of 4248891f4b Erlin, a child of 2889db1df2 a similar age back 2c9ab1be70 in Rugbeljet. Aaron, pretending to be so ce9a430510 grown-up, was undeniably adorable.629906cac91f616e
Soon, Roselia followed Johannes into 8f9fba6239 the audience chamber where the 146aa7ad5a Empress awaited.fefe45788dff8c65
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Upon entering, Roselia saw a dc32fa0fc5 dignified woman of middle age 5798663c10 watching her with a kind 82e8bfe93f gaze.f8fbe8a644ef6e70
The Empress seemed older than c6fb06fb44 Roselia had imagined for Aaron’s be7896ea48 mother, but given that she 2495352138 was the Marchioness’s younger sister, fafb4de9a8 her age was understandable. Aaron must have d5a715407c been a child 103d57ae6a born late in 547a0ea019 her life.2e47ceca6e7d04f5
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Johannes and Roselia bowed deeply bdee4a357b in greeting. The Empress extended her hand 295c18bcd0 toward Roselia, beckoning gently.8688e00198b2c04e
“Come closer…”ca5eaad18a1f9e70
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Hesitant, Roselia stepped forward. The Empress clasped 6ff73b6961 Roselia’s hands gently da580f627d in her own, abbdcc1a78 making Roselia freeze c23ed215b7 in surprise.1afa6f92f24e27d9
“You’ve been through so much, Roselia.”cac0da9b53d0f07f
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Hearing the Empress address her ce7abcc8f2 by name, clearly aware of 78a274a3f3 her identity, Roselia’s eyes darted 9bb5884c37 toward Johannes in shock.415fab81ee983ac4
Seeing him nod calmly, a797b5dcec she felt a measure 72fde9c4ed of reassurance.7276ecaf688eb8d9
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The Empress’s warm, 01213f438d maternal voice pulled 95f97e65a7 Roselia’s gaze back d98c1efe36 to her, her 0577c71c85 words soft and a31f480625 welcoming.7f65985cb00dddc5
“Welcome home.”baab08f84746f53b
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For a moment, Roselia 53c440e3e9 thought, ‘If my mother 80ca2f383d were alive, would she 0fb5c51df7 have felt like this?’5a03412551c6a6bd
It was only 3b03da4669 then that the 51ac6887d6 reality she had c900c7f3e3 struggled to process—the fea87fea52 fact that she 7e5603fb11 had found her 79549185dc family—finally sank in.f7894c4ab41b676d
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Her nose stung with the e8daffd7e9 overwhelming emotion, but Roselia mustered ac0d5a6378 a wide, genuine smile as 44f6412fd8 she gazed at the Empress.20510028c70d1672
* * *72874472a0306cac
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On their way back 7db90d02db to the marquisate, Johannes c8a1b76547 suggested they visit the 67c8a8e7b7 harbor in the marquisate’s 1177a176cc territory, redirecting the carriage ad936f1b70 in that direction.d4b6f22ece3a88a2
As Roselia gazed out 6186e2d58e the window at the f9aa0104ff lively harbor bustling with dd17d844ce activity, her eyes were 85f1ee305d drawn to a massive e544c0ee4d mansion towering alone amidst b783626b5f the cluster of smaller 49876029d9 buildings.1b01ceefef84edcc
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“What is that enormous building?”e7e24df1b29d206e
Typically, estates of such scale eae64478cc were located on the outskirts 6a95185d2e of town with expansive gardens, aa76eeb72b but this mansion stood like ec8e5fec72 a fortress in the city 7539c46f1d center, intriguing her.ff15c43c448efb18
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“It used to be a hotel, but I’ve heard it recently changed ownership.”abadb04b6575bfb8
“Wow… I’ve never seen a hotel that massive before.”f1902aeb5df2679f
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“Raphelios is known for its vibrant trade with other countries. It attracts many tourists b094b0a75f and merchants.”999c1dd01c965357
“I see,” Roselia murmured, continuing to admire the impressive building.cb18824fec7710af
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As the carriage 9bdba414af passed in front 66525f7c42 of the hotel, ccb6dc1374 she caught sight cdfe931bb6 of a familiar b0281ad36d face near the 95b371bdf4 entrance and instinctively 05cb7430cb shouted, “Wait! Please stop the carriage!”8735dfeedca645e1
This time, there was no dd7d24f92c mistake. It was definitely her.bc896acc78aebed3
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Roselia stepped down a4910de991 from the carriage 3f1c2fcba7 without hesitation and 26013a86b5 strode toward the b9b418e90a woman she had 8801002328 spotted.acc56eb2d66e254e
“Claucet?”b544c614dd185dd1
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Standing at the 513927deb3 hotel’s entrance, Claucet 065eb3beef was sorting through 281fff206b shopping bags stuffed be161cd9d4 with souvenirs alongside e44de1d07e a maid. Startled, she spun around.04296d4f2dd695c2
“Oh no, I’ve been caught already…”5d5ecbea21b83e76
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Caught?6e05a6778a253546
Just then, the hotel staff, 21a9b86eb4 standing imposingly near the grand b76ecaefa4 entrance, suddenly bowed in unison 135697709d toward someone approaching.e186e2d69297b10c
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From inside the cd1f2df658 magnificent mansion, a 2fb10a5149 man in a 675ed73470 sleek suit emerged, 59b05343b2 walking straight toward b28c3740af her.8cc5d1b3e87ef619
“I had planned to come greet you soon, but it seems we’ve met earlier than expected.”e6c65c2fdf1a8870
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It was none other than 632118060b Klaus, the Duke of Valtazar, 759119a6c1 the sole duke of Rugbeljet. His ever-unreadable expression didn’t c1c7f3d586 falter as he stopped bd4a6ca739 before her.bb49f952ab7d06f5
“The Valtazar estate has recently expanded into the hotel business. For now, I’ll 7ee88414e0 be staying here. Let’s get along, shall we?”ef41eacf7415750a
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As Klaus finished speaking, a 92f60df8c6 faintly mischievous smirk played on 824666f200 his lips as he added,df77fc8677416419
“Neighbor.”8f88affc8946e4c9
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(End of Part 1)2c089369f38f003d