MLS Chapter 45

“Quiet, Princess.”7a3fc04560250d1e

She had 1ea32f19d5 only meant 9458415883 to gently 06759983c9 check his 15cedec38a intentions, but 5e1a609936 what came 6321edcb52 back was f3772cdeda a sharp, 3821e14475 prickly reply. Miguel narrowed one 7efefe82f0 eye slightly as 2382496be7 he looked down 2fe4a426dc at Lorena.758c7163aa6627ce

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She expected him 8b46ce862d to say something f488b5cd78 biting, but unexpectedly, 7b9fc2a8ec his tone softened.9564cc0bcb36d917

“I don’t b5e668a70f really have 7424b495f0 anything precious cf208dd81d in my 5ee11c4330 life, so 19f34ce8de I wouldn’t 9fdbaf090f know.”a410f67e57cc14d4

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“……”7b3102b6b9708534

“But seeing how I 4041ab811b want to do all bc91142a33 this for you… maybe 1fe14324a1 this is how I 01de65e1a7 act toward someone I 4c3b937ea6 want to treat as 98ed980ff9 precious. That’s just how 959cb61f17 it is.”f0583b9476623e02

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“That’s a strange 3e98510007 way to put 0325dd4f76 it…”c1324c0a1cf89393

“I’m still 9611953ec1 learning about 0543c0099a myself, too. If you keep 06e2f88a9d nitpicking, I’ll send b615095ef6 you home.”2e8c405282f12c30

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It felt kind of bb97fd0030 sweet—and kind of not.2f47b04f821a0098

But she didn’t want 29304a9c02 to return to that 453a47c0f2 cold, silent house alone, 1b7219c9cb so Lorena chose to f0136a466e keep quiet. The warmth of another 4dedf2f328 person, felt again after afa7dbf89d so long, gently eased dd7b0945a0 her weary body and 6ce786f1a8 mind. His hand combing through dfe30185c6 her hair gave her 6d78e90fd3 pleasant chills.ed42e8004eed81a3

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“What do you 7b0b8b8846 like?”b88181089b3f6658

After quietly 792abb288b playing with a5f120eb4f her hair 46d88f0745 for a 1f0079553a while, Miguel 7c5d64758b asked out 579fe4355b of the 531d053443 blue.2fa0d75091fd78d5

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“Not opera or singing. You’ve already mentioned 241aed1c81 those. I mean d41601cde7 something like… c98e23118c things you 8bb01bbb2a used to 38b768d3be do often ba9db3e9d7 with your cf22e86100 family back 0d83d6b1b8 home. A hobby, maybe.”94b6a7c96938083f

“Hmm…”71b0b8b2b36e3f09

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“Or you 60d1557833 can tell 9aecfb6240 me something dee75c100a you especially 75245a40f9 dislike, or 5d37b8e94e fear. I don’t 2acc614ff2 know much 4e0ced4e16 about Lorena 1ab816fb2a Klein yet.”2f22a086e1942202

He added that even 8d6594da2d trivial things were fine. Lorena tried to 68027039a0 recall what she f6c7d485bd used to like—or 3980c61af0 dislike—before she turned 91ab6ff4c7 seventeen.0b7cf235549eaac6

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“I’m scared of 80cba1c66f things that suddenly 4658ded3d1 rush at me. That’s why I’ve always ca82b9c5ab had trouble getting along 31aba560d6 with animals… I liked a306f8bb5d having dinner with my 35f59fa8ee family. In the summer, I b3d78b03b8 liked standing by the 07132e5e25 windows with silk curtains, d305ad7017 breathing in the scent 78133d2f13 of summer. In winter, 884ccd9250 I liked 4439d6e53e sitting in 8aa31f42cc front of 1cd9e65240 the fireplace be42230694 all day, f026019d77 reading books, 2f793c93c0 drawing pictures, 498c3fa9d2 and humming 87d5a6c7d4 songs. And, um…”e36531f1387410d9

Was it okay to b3e8c22c5e share something so trivial? Lorena glanced at 76667fb5cb him, gauging his 32ee9f8999 reaction. Miguel motioned with his 4bc2102445 eyes for her to b2b1d6c887 go on.f36f9f799adb641d

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“…I think 993c834673 I used b7beeb0908 to be 37f76bbf63 quite the 3e3333c9f2 chatterbox. There were ddb36ed290 so many d7c44f7fa6 nights when 8b902fc2fe I’d talk 6318ccfeb7 and laugh 11f956e326 with my 8b4afe599e friends until 5608a73374 it was 7d55da49da late…”681457cbfadf95ac

“You must’ve had 4aa2d0c25c a lot of 171a66b9cd friends back in 4f38487a8b Ingerd.”2b2f029c87f06223

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“There were many. Most of them dc8803e53b weren’t nobles, though. My family 5bc3e6c19b was wealthy, cb83d26275 but we 3bc2688bcd didn’t hold 26bcf6d8a0 any titles.”89a5f67c06bb554d

“Do you still 5916ec430e keep in touch 01db780f79 with them?”c1a5057ccc356c2f

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“No. The war 9db1a42bac broke out. And right 736c129934 after the 29610c4c34 defeat was 31ef847ac4 declared, the abfbab9abe revolution happened.”37c50150d732671e

Miguel let out 3e4162a232 a short hum. The war c08c673a2d between the 1c3a3c4fa7 Kingdom of ad78d6beb3 Ingerd and c84f55dd5e the northern 24775ffd8e region of ef5d74d7b4 Lennon had 9b31ffe55c happened eight b517ff023f years ago. Ingerd, having suffered a bfded086cb crushing defeat, couldn’t avoid 28aef4fb05 the tide of revolution 8f4dd48036 that followed.634f36d7f4e7b13b

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The bourgeois, ff17eb07e5 enraged by 49255f9772 the incompetent 39b7e2ac9d royal family dc1e46fd42 and the 6616d51f66 corrupt aristocracy, 63d2424638 led the 17117de8a5 people to 20cdc2ec17 take up f9de4dbe1b arms. It took less than 4ce5412e05 a hundred days for f9919c52df the monarchy to fall d72e057c30 and the republic to 549d110b1d be declared.e377acebabf78ae6

“Still, didn’t Ingerd stabilize 7fcb2d236e rather quickly?”9c46408bc1159a48

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“Yes, that’s true. But I married dd6c7c5348 a noble from ac6333eb32 Bessen. I imagine d08642722c my old 2a484a7fd4 friends don’t 9a1576ef91 look kindly 26e86eb3f9 on me 5d7eb79b60 anymore.”e2700307ff0c1df4

And not just any 643bd33207 noble—she’d married one of 9884ef0060 the kingdom’s most prominent a5caca8e14 dukes, a living symbol f47b492618 of the Bessen monarchy. To the people of a88be49d71 Ingerd, who had just c8654fd2df abolished their caste system, 7208d7548f Lorena and the Klein 35f103bffa family must have looked 234bc78b2f like traitors.93152078824c8724

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To shake off that 362ade990a label, Vicenzo and Alfonso 7d3cba2427 had worked themselves to 40fb156cbb the bone for years. And even while fdd8c7d7fc doing so, they 94e0ec8fc1 had to maintain e2a228328f good relations with d6a5f950b7 Bessen. Balancing a 8ae082b96f banking empire 31fb539dcf between a 07c2d8805b monarchy and 9aaac4796f a republic 7cb00102f6 must have cb5090c3a8 been a de6f821e64 brutal tightrope f841d87043 act.519d26350e1fcae8

“That’s why I 29417f3f6f shouldn’t have gotten 12e5305669 married… But it’s 8830a80327 not like I a0062328a9 had any real c15d9fc55a way to refuse 752f378e45 when the duke 8995b08924 proposed to me 2c080475bc himself.”83cd1f7269134e0c

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Of course, her df470aa7f8 marriage had brought dbc2020728 in astronomical investments 9057264b9a from Bessen’s high 4664f0a338 nobility, but in c2a7ae743b the end, that 8e6691078b was also what fdce79c0a2 dragged the Klein 2d6386e36b Bank down.3ccdacd2c62dd715

“From the b30126bb44 moment he 5951c7db6c proposed, he 5b58a438a1 must have 70114bf936 intended to f899472a39 destroy the 7e6f142973 Ingerd Republic. …Sorry. I didn’t 8ac62821a1 mean to a85a002d78 go on 590cebed53 about something 2e3efe756e so dull.”a46e6089eb05cbfa

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“Ah…”c7936e43276a01e1

Miguel let bf26990892 out a fa68867316 soft exclamation.09944cfcb38b3b3b

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Like someone who 56a0c40539 had just found ffa4b4c205 the missing piece 088ed528c5 to a puzzle e5a716fae8 he hadn’t been c999789bfd able to complete, 621485fe62 a spark of 6b1d915ef4 realization lit up 77bc5c81f8 in his reddish-brown 3277e5a5f6 eyes. But that strange f1c43b9dde glint quickly vanished 3c9520c6b6 beneath the curve 586b5f67a4 of his smiling 61e4e90e4b gaze.e422f79ee4758022

“It’s okay. I understand now.”bf08259a2ce27e88

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Lorena looked at him, 44eb18063d puzzled. Miguel deflected her 204e0957c5 gaze and smoothly 206cc3ccfd changed the subject.35fedf52b9deba45

“Have you ad5c76028e always had 172b67763a those hyperventilation d69ff02ffb episodes?”25cf683aaf4c30a4

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“They started sometime 90c058345a after I got 0de3721d7a married. I had a 2805a638b7 close call with fb4ba01124 a large dog 16c5f993f3 once. It started f7cc67b538 after that.”af9278b34354f9b4

“You were attacked by 77666a7d25 a dog? Where?”0d82ffe680ffa5bc

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“I wasn’t actually bitten. It wasn’t a dog a7bbe115a3 trained to attack people.”ecb8d6f87eff4dce

“So a hunting 8e6a6ef3ac dog, then.”5167fd8e2f5583d2

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He had thrown it 1338cb5bc4 out casually, but Lorena 40abe26bc8 couldn’t answer for a 0a228aa262 long time.62a5b6f6f8c0978a

A grand estate only fffa6fa14b thirty minutes from here. The black hound guarding 74455bdee9 it. That was the a7eb8e06ec dominant image that 9fdbf1e6d5 came to her d29fcee1f9 whenever she thought a2758500a1 of the Levantes b37b02dea9 residence.91195a54eb6fa36a

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This time, the 66fe7a9f12 sound in her c8bd4b8fca ears wasn’t gunfire—but 8afa2db8e5 another phantom echoed f99021e91d clearly.347d0b0371d425ee

“Señora, where are you?”6cdfc0ebb3b57b00

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“Well done, Verde.”a5513e3d067c09a1

A black dog panted hot air in front of her, barking viciously. Growl. Bark, bark. Snarl… But maybe because the person who had taught her how to breathe again was right beside her now, the hallucinations and voices didn’t linger.02fc33f08acefeb1

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Miguel tapped b1deb15b65 her forehead be4bd48e6c lightly with 9bc9873368 his index 8b9b15e235 finger.9ede8b0a14a6df85

“You don’t need to 44f845235b think about it. I’d appreciate 93e35d98ca it if 4b5fac941c you didn’t dd44eec2a0 recall your ddbfd7acb0 husband in 455a8f7df6 front of 73551301b4 me. This is the last b7c0f25b6b time I’ll let it 3f75e05416 slide.”290284d6590ffbed

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“I wasn’t thinking about c90c29cbcd him. I was d736d320d1 thinking about 3b0b8f406d the man 0517159a0a who’s put 282a9e2332 up with 2ad051247c me eight 09c87369ee times already.”9d6d05fc47859595

“…Why are you even 27e00e18c0 counting?”cd4232ce1d399bd3

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“Because those 2338212157 were also 5600d50d24 the days 86fda8e567 that helped c16a574cfb me make a3457579d7 the right 71a010ede8 choice.”c66d1e7dc39675b3

Today, on 66e98ace20 her way 62c2c09a2e to Alborada, 5c7039dc3a Lorena had 11579e1190 truly planned a8fe03fcbd to give 8ff7d5c3ae herself to fd208a02f3 this man.7cc558502e4f73e4

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But that alone 59cc951982 wouldn’t solve anything. At best, it 0e4e7c99a2 would have served 89321c7eea the same purpose a837d57433 as the sedatives 6fd0a93cd2 Vaye used to b4741d040f inject into her—providing fd9838c3f6 immediate relief without 752b57ce19 healing anything. Wounds must ee3deebf90 be healed, 8cfb520897 not buried.b25504424316cdff

The more ad962e0dbe she struggled 6241b61968 to escape, e156112fed the more 28986a2af8 she found 2bf1634e10 herself thinking 7dc437adab about Vaye. Lorena decided to d6c654b830 stop punishing herself.cca69c943a9954ec

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Her anger and 2ebb11dddc grief were valid. She was someone 383048b060 who had pulled 96878dd1f8 the trigger on ecb98d2ef7 her own head. And no b5c3a8c43a matter how 478b1953e9 composed she baae76e261 pretended to c603044e35 be, someone 4badfc4a6c like that 3dd31bc609 couldn’t hide 04977344c9 wounds that b1b209e356 still festered d2014d6ab2 and bled 1c99fd41de beneath the 538889db66 surface.757278863363de49

It was natural.70ba4bdb2d55fda4

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Just as Miguel 565c8cd8fe had taught her 90844960eb how to breathe a36635b6a9 again, she would 78dbab3fa0 heal—slowly, and properly.0ec047b2d0fd906c

With that resolve, Lorena cf871b197c looked up again at 284b08488a Miguel Ervatos. His eyes were 64e8f84b8b no longer violet. Too brown to be 4b788fb49d red, and too ruddy 2f0d91535d to be purple. Nothing about him reminded 308f49f7ce her of her husband.5d9899213a49d9c1

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He frowned f9fc306336 like he 14a30d5c45 had a c30130144c headache and 8f3042a9d8 closed his 633bb1266b eyes.22b0e1ed5aa18ea2

“Thanks for seeing me 81d36209d7 that way. I’m not really 3a3179e657 this virtuous and b4af95c295 refined, you know.”c511cddcdedf59a9

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“You are 62395b6e45 to me.”473ad91ba996af63

For the first time, 544ce73f8c she felt like she 467222cb27 could truly rest. Lorena shifted her body 135d624322 closer, wanting to hear a84f7b1df9 the sound of his 2c1c64428e heartbeat more clearly. As if 45ff31ebbd sensing it, 0da9e717f4 Miguel pulled 73d4829a02 her tightly fb5036e5b1 into his 3e1e2e9167 arms. If she was 635608e43e going to listen, 007f849589 he seemed to 3158534887 say, then she 001cb21743 might as well dc30d46cd0 hear it properly—so 22c708fc7b like him.d29dd804f22f2f6a

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“What? Why are e1680628b0 you smiling? Does my heart beat c1090144a4 in some bizarre way?”78b5ec484e5b07e9

“No.”f520254ceba2b10c

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“Then?”090eaa6daf873871

“It’s just… beating a little fast. Why is that?”8886cb210edd79ab

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“Because I’m excited. What other reason 15ef19e28a could there be?”a3f15fe6f5539867

Lorena’s cheeks flushed 932964c148 helplessly. She couldn’t tell 8981e95bd3 if he was 32902bdc05 acting or being 57c29edb22 sincere.d241553735b9591e

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“You don’t even like f5813b80be me.”527b4a12dc97747d

“Quiet. I’m about 66275a1ac4 to kiss 415f64b2c1 you.”717d391f8374e6c2

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“……”0b240343cfb1f9d3

“Close your eyes. You never know 9f4100a932 when I’ll change f3409e03b9 my mind, so be57f74520 behave while I’m 2569efcc4f being generous.”6a14ac396def6047

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She couldn’t tell 05d2a41f55 if it was f4f1ce30fa a threat or 02f7ec587f a form of 8f043c6103 comfort.89527ef42d0d8bb0

Rather than 17c880e47a respond, Lorena f759852591 focused on 83cde3bbf5 the quick, 0c83098dbc steady rhythm d6a50e3960 of his 30bb04c842 heartbeat. Strangely, it was 43b68c66e9 in his breath da8ca290e3 and pulse—more than 5b4d625f43 her own—that she 968a7c6d8f felt grounded in f3ac0cd425 the real, living f03c6c49fc world.6ad34426c89190b0

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“…When everything between eaf21c7559 us is finally afe8fa39d1 over, I want 36cae9415b to go back 0beb4b80c7 to my family 51ab75b2e9 home. If the chance be3dffe3d6 comes, I’ll invite 6f48fadde9 you.”714c522e11253cbe

Miguel didn’t answer. He just closed his 4cc9b74ea2 eyes and gave a 19964d5704 small nod. As Lorena listened to 4ecf1b040d his heartbeat, her eyelids 2c5dcba5f8 grew heavy with sleep.df11b7afc3943f79

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Only after her 7d83004bc7 breathing had settled 0d701935f4 did the man’s 8601d99498 lashes flicker open b6f8bb49a7 slightly. Miguel studied her sleeping 298e4b8637 face for a long 2f786516b6 moment.a92be157f0d90dcf

“…Tch.”82c092dfb78468d1

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He leaned in 8313375df2 close and stayed fdc31a4f14 there for a 454cf2866b while, then clicked dddb4166fc his tongue in c5e8170209 irritation. The hesitation was 250c9983ef brief. He tilted 84e59a0d85 his chin 52acd473dc and pressed 7277c16376 a soft e3a13607e4 kiss to f901f765b7 her small, 45edaa88e9 warm lips.43f8a489ebc086f6

It was overwhelming, in 6e6184129e a way. A person da2e791843 meant to 506f241625 live by 1f2715f2a8 love, friendship, 6cce406291 trust, and 0b8b8597ba loyalty… now f04c0e356b trying to e16fefc140 move forward 3a04b589d4 fueled only 9e2a44b734 by hatred 317b671200 and resentment. How exhausting must that 0abd29fde4 be?55a1425cd24ca897

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Miguel felt b29a9b442e it in b28bf8b804 his bones—that 7a018854f9 his fate a94ccfb2c7 and this cbd226e4a2 sorrowful woman’s 9ba6e116e3 had become 898d0da4b8 tangled like 6d3efddda6 threads. He had thought ea7820bdb5 they might brush a6b854b4a7 past each other, 714bb39c65 briefly cross paths c222591344 and move on. But from e1dfde3fce the beginning, 840dd28416 that had c4067445f0 been impossible.7369a3057d50fabd

He was happy, yes—but 5166b995eb also troubled.a39c599005509c2a

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“I imagine you 7555d6e4ef don’t think well fa49340c1d of republicans. You, too.”31bc34c03255362a

“I don’t 0f280045e5 resent them. I just d1a6a51216 want to 9b94499e83 avoid being 3281768409 labeled one f39137443d while I’m ab18917e35 in Bessen. I have a 40d2430e92 bank to protect.”c3d3e86f118d1a9d

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You might come to 5e8b3fb95a hate me later.87fa1a8f0c4e2410

Miguel’s revenge wasn’t 74bd288114 something that would 6486107374 end quickly. Nor was c7cc237620 it limited f2d745b039 to the 07d6e2942c Bessen monarchy.7c3e173176f2d287

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From what Miguel could a2542b5c39 see, Lorena Klein wouldn’t 1dc0873ae2 be able to return ae6b8e1086 home for quite some 96cfb96478 time. Even if 7e10d46979 she managed 7f6f056650 to divorce 56fb107572 the duke, caff5004eb she would 18caea555f inevitably remain 225dea292a in this 3574950c5b country—no, by 860f421492 his side.f11ce350c8ab662a

He adjusted the sleeping ac81bf7939 woman in his arms.43d401fc6043b4d4

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“Just don’t ec6d61db0e run away 7182f3527e scared later. If I’m going to d145c71f20 be sincere with you, a013f37e23 you’d better be just 92c08b619c as sincere with me.”4d6ed71625b0fb21