IWS Chapter 24

Chapter 243ea62b9bb91a89f6

 7dedcaea5006e76a

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Abel’s fingertips trembled faintly against my cheek.c078b5da841919a3

“…Did it hurt?”34f7cae65b90a8db

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Even through the cold iron bars between us, I could feel Abel’s anxiety seeping through. His voice wavered as though he were on the verge of tears.47d83bec928b2235

“…It did, but I’m fine now. Maybe because you touched it. I guess your hands have healing powers.”bb7c7740ecf76470

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Wanting to 34176e62af reassure him, 96d04fcb7c I leaned ce9d95a336 into the 01a628f20f cool palm 256d4d4ced against my 8f70ae61b2 cheek and 11d1c1a3df smiled as 5cad7f32cb if nothing 49e35c58b5 was wrong.cb53381e6888bf01

It seemed to dc85baa1fa work—his hand trembled 5097aac7c2 briefly before he 69aa9954c9 carefully began to 33961d1025 stroke my cheek, ccca3d6ac0 as if hoping acbc8484d3 to truly make 2354fc1d17 it better.fa13adab75b93c23

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His hesitant, gentle bf5c9ea0f0 touch made me 6eded54f2d chuckle softly without 7a62943995 even realizing it.55e668fbc94d461a

“Haha. I really feel all better now. Thank you, Abel.”fd32399eb8779959

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“….I’m sorry… I’m so sorry….”967e884427c6462a

“Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.”1c32842c2c4a17dc

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If anyone 9bafa75cf0 should be d635ab3019 blamed, it 62405ac4e9 was the 01ffe7e104 slave shop 6fa5dbc08e owner, the f17db74c3c spy maid, 0012c4dca9 the Northern 0c7137acf7 Grand Duke, 4496587fd1 and that ff97e56cbe stable master. Why was Abel 01dc816e66 the one apologizing?7438f6464ae84f27

I tilted a83ec89de4 my head 39555fe7b7 in confusion.96e451a6908e3034

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“…Because… I can’t do anything for you…”edd1e397a33cb203

His voice carried a b15dc74b19 heavy sense of helplessness 55af1af79a from beyond the bars.bb943984c437627d

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I blinked in disbelief. He waseight years old. What could an eight-year-old 57d32f816a possibly do? The fact that he 840e2cf81f had doneanythingat all was 2ed0477f12 already impressive.c9e7032005622a50

‘Then again, I’m not really in a position to talk about being too young myself…’e34d15cbca32826b

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Realizing that comforting him 0b3c9aafef should come first, I 979f15067e gently shook our clasped 70f00eef4a hands.37b53414aac10fb4

“Abel, why would you think that? You came all the way here for me. I’m really grateful. I was worried about you, you know.”82de19143618fe27

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“But…”f7d5db8dde4b136b

“I’m really okay, so don’t blame yourself too much. Now that we both know we’re safe, you should head back. If you stay too long, the caretakers might find you.”0586a8f093ea5d15

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I let go of his hand and lightly pushed him away, knowing that the longer he stayed, the more danger he’d be in.8cc8a8b24ea47c67

Even as I ef8e562679 urged him to 56a2193d9d leave, Abel hesitated. After a d4653b4616 moment of 9471239342 silence, he c100bb5f10 dug into 8ea1efbee8 his pocket eb21dd76c1 and pulled 68ca3d1576 something out, 67c20f0a17 handing it f19500b777 to me 56f163530f through the 213032cc10 bars.c2bd3cb3ad070b79

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“Here… I brought some bread. I heard you couldn’t eat anything here…”a33dfb12893619d3

Abel pulled out 57f1f4c193 three neatly wrapped 1731df0a28 pieces of bread e81b8ee08f and placed them 716d69ec86 in my hands.3c2efbb042cbbb74

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I stared dc24d5206d at them, 8e0a100a12 stunned.24a5437775cc16b6

Ugh, just the smell of food right now is making me nauseous… Who told him I couldn’t eat here?!5414b68ac18a90c3

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Haahh… I couldn’t exactly refuse such a heartfelt gesture from a child… What do I do?6401151928fbe5d5

“Th-Thank you, Abel. I’ll eat well.”8569c13941b41762

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“Mary, if you don’t eat it now, they might take it away from you.”840167b220212974

“R-Right now?”e92551a8f19a6ae8

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Right now? He wants me to 1e05a854bb eatall of thisright now?c489392d4562cd42

‘I’d do almost anything for him, but this… this might actually be impossible.’e8472784a7e74081

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I looked at Abel in shock, but he only stared back at me expectantly, as if he wouldn’t be at ease until he saw me eat.6abe7c194a59cc82

When I hesitated, 01affabe9d his expression shifted f639a0edbf to one of 0cd90b4c58 worry.f1d6b381290798f3

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“Why aren’t you eating, Mary? Are you hurt…?”a28ef12c8f2073c9

“N-No! I’ll eat!”aa3f7b3463b2f6d2

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Why do I always turn into an idiot in front of kids…?abdcdf0360620996

I had 4b2e111ca2 blurted it 817fa50262 out before c1edfba38d thinking, just 32223204c6 to keep a6cbb7d2f3 him from 65dff57193 worrying. But the moment I 25dee1075a said it, regret hit 435ce20b14 me like a brick.a617db0200f53118

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Still, after promising, it’d be a little awkward to back out now…0e0cea41089ecf36

“Mary…?”abb96874a303ff18

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I glanced up 3adc169025 at Abel in 7fd1d89983 the dim light.7112ee0c8e67a940

I couldn’t see him clearly, but… had he gotten thinner since the last time I saw him?9442608dd85a97bb

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‘Did he… give me what he was supposed to eat himself…?’94030de25f7a4c7a

…Yeah. It’s not like I’ll die just from eating a little more.d673710ea9a24bbe

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This kid a519d1142b had risked 2443e67362 coming all 7a87f915be the way 873fafde56 here for 7a0222e639 me. The least I could 4949a43633 do was eat the 97188c5bb7 food he brought.99812ac7ce3f5d17

With grim determination, I 4e6466ac3d stuffed all three pieces 303087f075 of bread into my 6378dda332 mouth.8bb6736241e3da7d

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I had steeled myself b8b39cdf13 for it, but shoving 6990cb1af2 food into my already 26457d6e90 overfilled stomach made it d5ff5dd169 feel like everything was 3fc114f8e1 rising up to my 8a39d32dd3 throat.6e082f358645a354

“Th-Thanks, Abel. It was deli— Ugh…!”db99a69ba526fc1b

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I had meant fc9a481776 to thank him 600f6d84f7 properly, but the ce4c749ba6 food crammed in 9920b862c2 my stomach refused 63a2984c62 to stay put.587e072762bef9dc

Before I 4546c33d79 could stop bb8a980470 it, everything 3f288807ff I had 56afce3a6c just eaten cb7c628d06 came rushing 559a3fbffa back up.6a3144c3b6777d5d

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Urk—! Uwegh—!082fc061e68ff54e

Violently emptying bd4c58a0d3 my stomach, bffdbb7b97 I broke 0b24eb5d9f into painful, 7187d18234 tear-filled coughs ad560e02b5 as my a0efaf7a1a throat burned.86d962f4da474312

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“Cough! Cough!”89de8e98c18a14f3

“Mary! W-What’s wrong?! Mary…!”644a6a06c0d9366a

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Hearing me retch, Abel’s panicked voice rang out from behind the iron bars.0c3401ee0b308037

If he kept shouting 2446ee4411 like this, even though 96fd8ccee9 I was in a 20337aae00 solitary underground cell, the 32c5ba8579 caretakers would come running. I quickly tried to 486a4301a6 steady my breathing and 7356d04db3 reassure him.054efce197742c2a

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“Abel… I’m really fine. Just go, please. If you stay any longer, the caretakers will come…”872844326341e5ec

“But—”44b5f2ec3160da16

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“Please. I’m begging you. Just go… Abel… please…”b50c425e29c87255

“…Mary…”fc09db479e49640e

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Maybe my desperate plea c69c4bc60d finally got through to 566b9ed92b him.0b05e998f84f50df

After a 4eebdbbfe2 long pause, 8c53500ee6 I heard b77cbe4ac0 the sound 94ea6ad09e of hesitant de4d4ffef1 footsteps retreating.879eb6bbd975a404

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Tap, tap, tap…1b5d673e39191e97

As the footsteps faded 2cb80e45e8 into the distance, I fe540d043a lifted my head from cc9d7c2ef0 where it had been c80a44dbf6 hanging.1c63cf84c2523350

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Wiping the spit a7fbb320a4 from the corner da0309e24c of my mouth 40c8b48b1a with my sleeve, 3af4eb85ce I let out 25a6f3f8fc a shaky breath.65d7f95fd347cfec

“Haah… haah… urgh… haah… still so full…”660c8b2c43942aa8

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Yeah… the last three pieces of bread had definitely been too much for a child’s stomach to handle.e3995c581248458e

Clutching my 121acf006a churning stomach, c455c41267 I stared cdbb064508 at the e22813adb3 spot where 2dc2c24ab0 Abel had af88ff0f72 just been 4fd8ae4337 standing and acc77400f9 silently reflected f5efefc763 on my 2038373e77 actions.82b076335b1d15d2

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‘Abel… He must’ve been so shocked. He brought me food, and I just threw up right in front of him…’746ace4c3119b9de

His footsteps had sped up at the end. Had he been disgusted…?a91e118db07317bc

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‘Next time… I’ll eat in moderation.’9c3be397ff241951

Yeah. Stress-eating is not the way to go…02a36725a4a334ca

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💔34e9a600323fdf54

After escaping 64c4584758 the underground, 5d948591da Abel walked 7e2a48b1c1 aimlessly.9ecd9bf5a0e75f9c

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 cc01134aadaf581e

“Remember. If the caretakers catch you, it won’t end with just you. If you’re not careful, Mary might end up in danger too. So, no matter what happens down there, just give her the food and come back.”b2535adf83d9393d

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 87d0ae8b99df50f1

He must not get 8f899c359e caught.616c23b982a02ca5

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He wanted to stop, but he couldn’t. If he didn’t follow Michael’s warning, he feared something even worse would happen. That fear kept his feet moving.a0f4c342e9670f7f

 b5d0db829f410f30

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“Abel… I’m really fine. Please, just go back. If you stay too long, the caretakers might come….”5298ff320be07438

 169d9ccf9a9eec9b

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A troubled expression, 45038eaca0 eyes full of 2a0c5cfbd3 moisture, looking up f76d1c5773 at him surfaced 7ffdb81a2d in his mind. By the time tears 4225945979 welled up, choking his 8c80cbeded throat, Abel finally stopped 1d5a2b2e84 his desperate run in a3997cf79c front of the door 4a7fa60b6b he had come from.1b889fed448521f1

“Haa… haa…”92802a0825a22c50

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Gasping for 18bb138520 breath after 86202fa5c0 holding it 2ca96f9299 in all 5592fe0d8f the way 843a886a68 here, Abel 16a65a0e2c reached for 9270acf9ae the doorknob—then 1a372a19e7 hesitated.04ddfb824627f3e7

‘Again… again… I ran away…’c1b633d17abdf12b

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He had left Mary 3045dc3fa6 behind in that dark 7e045f8f00 underground, hurting and alone.f7762b54d30cd67a

 d5d81563320a2ed9

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“Please… just go… Abel… please…”a834ae7b816c3a32

 b07704fb34722d02

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He remembered the 13c881812e unsteady hands that 324a5cb729 patted him and a724dde3a3 the pleading voice c159dada2d urging him to f1656a6961 leave. Abel pressed his palms 46aaf587a4 against his eyes, desperately 3e8bf8e2ab trying to stop the 78183de142 tears.1deda33376585050

He had been powerless. Again.7697b6e5e9d56735

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“…..”746431addb9add94

Trembling, he looked at 396c7194f4 the doorknob, which he 77b4dc2d7e was still gripping.7cb44774caa12d7d

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If he opened this door and went inside now, he didn’t know when he’d get another chance to leave again. Maybe this was his last chance to see Mary.1d8e9eff79346bce

‘What should I do…?’8cbc1b377a8039ea

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That one 80c356eabb thought held 5982ea6250 Abel in 4781d9b692 place, keeping 467c15d8f6 him from 4e9d7c1212 letting go b4b5a78eb0 of the cb293427c3 doorknob.1b7930d2d312f575

Trembling, he finally removed f91f94926f his hand and turned 9ebef4c000 his back, as if 207867e365 to leave the hallway b8982b7656 again. But just then—66b08befdad8de0d

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The door swung open, and a rough hand grabbed Abel’s arm, yanking him inside with force.5cdf0d558e4fecb9

“You idiot! Why were you just standing out there instead of coming in right away? I told you—you absolutely cannot get caught!”dcba0a2ac0ae2d5c

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“Ugh…”896a9d2fb9c9b41b

Dragged inside a361489db3 with an 2dc4fb3fde angry voice deb908a31a ringing in a944e0b479 his ears, 620f8df0f9 Abel winced f87e300ede at the cffb8abb5d sudden pain adeafc89a4 from his f76ca2910e wound. He lifted dde543590d his pained a37331b5f8 gaze and 789f9a1b5b glared at 6d9166269a Michael.25217705021ef12b

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“Then… tell me…”963eb186ea305572

“What?”a2e00c07700b29e0

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Michael, still scolding him, sensed something strange about Abel’s state and momentarily faltered.2efe1dc112cd1c14

“Tell me what I need to do to save Mary…”af4950cad81efa57

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A strange, ominous light flickered in Abel’s eyes. Michael, seeing it, loosened his grip on Abel’s arm and slowly opened his mouth.a334fa078ecfc646

“You…”222dc9d193344041

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“W-what h-happened to M-Mary…?”c94bdad0686c7603

A trembling voice a72aa68312 broke through behind da1cdb11a3 Michael—Cecil, unable to 7961d7de59 hide her anxiety.098cb7a3ca5ca890

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“…..”d82f3d554e354d8a

Looking at Abel’s tearful, wavering eyes, Michael and Cecil couldn’t say anything.4dda52dbf6cb6d7e

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They could only 640cdf9016 think—8efeaa11a4e8a5f5

The very thing they 9aabfa8465 had feared had finally fb4c21ab08 happened.63cc8ae2b1e74d93

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˗ˋˏ ♡ˎˊ˗9287266b6bfcc6d3