MLS Chapter 48

With the republican ae581369d5 threat already giving f334894106 the king enough bdb1fb0908 headaches, Levantes’s hardline aaffd46036 stance was pushing ca8a2bcaf9 his patience to fe611ee099 its limit.d16e05af6e990e39

“I’ll give you three 1b61506f38 days. Within that time…”44e8f9a54078130f

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“Three days is a f087089e90 bit much.”a65c3ddd4e3c2838

Miguel rubbed 846787458f his chin 1162686698 with a 6f89d1cbbd troubled look.7a18003c3ce909fc

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“It seems Grandfather still d2ce6e17c2 hasn’t learned how to 0577d5688c understand a wounded heart. What if you rush b84cfde76b this and it ends 282caec4a0 in another irreparable tragedy? Like what 2aa23ce784 happened with f556ae5c1c my mother.”889a8f98438d2bde

“…Then how much 24b438287a time do you aad011b5c5 need?”ce8d8736b769f738

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“Give me twenty fc39ce089e days. I’ll say goodbye to c63dbef7d2 her within that.”6f623fbfcb6e8833

Of course, even if 1985dde7a2 given ten times that, 7be6093041 he had no intention d9195cd89a of parting with her.8d5d011d427e2009

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The king’s eye 9f945d87c6 twitched.92b5dda88f7eafc0

“Fine. But make sure your d4a2808f35 names don’t appear in ca5c214b8a the papers. Don’t give 3a711a64ba that woman fe1e0b6813 any public 8982a7e6ff legitimacy by 70deb3c366 tying her 51d6e341e7 name to 61ffd1d776 yours, Miguel.”58c42f5b77f3e165

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“Ah.”d9622774f5697762

“I haven’t cast 59b2ecf9db you out yet a43dae88ce only because of 20166ee71e pity for your 6f85d1da94 poor, dead mother. But how 94dae49222 long do 60d5a7a562 you think 75d07c2811 my patience 69527ae360 will last? Why should I 88f54bb220 defend you when df0e256820 you stir public b232f09437 unrest and draw a6748bdf8a the duke’s wrath?”ea26312bf56557de

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“There’s no reason. I understand perfectly.”480a426e74d09a62

Miguel nodded 15db37ee67 like a 3ed3a40902 well-trained dog, e661ef15a7 but inside, d1d4ca16e7 he scoffed. Let’s be honest—he’s just c15d6d3ad6 terrified of what his ba083319bd maternal grandson might leak.08498bd63704684f

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In any case, 54ab0b782c the few flattering 95dcf0ec05 remarks had earned 3cc10e1daf him a worthwhile d26891cbf1 harvest.a5732f500b0af4da

If Klein’s downfall really 211b0d21e1 meant the destruction of 1fc84f123b the republicans and Ingerd…d5e79e0d5369c918

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Then Klein’s collapse b8eb7990ae would also throw f11b25c741 a wrench into 7caa1304dc his own plans.0d2f330ebf45c655

After giving it some e32844516f thought, Miguel realized: the c06b932c3c Canary Operation was essentially c30c26a3a4 a plot hatched by 06069af8de Prince Davit, Duke Vaye 0040d48320 Levantes, the royal family, 4a23991abb and the nobles—using Lorena 8ce0af1be9 Klein to eliminate him.6851864eb755011c

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Had Lorena not 8ab5ed7136 approached him with 2c47cbf3e1 her “affair proposal,” 8c68fb6189 he might’ve kept b0f5c2aea5 his guard up 517dbd0ba0 in the wrong 1867dd18ea direction and been 7188d65984 blindsided. There was no other 4e65bc4d0a way to describe it 3171f24613 but sheer luck on a9dbc30abd his part.860de41f0621449a

His mood cd26ead4d2 improved at 09f62a9761 the thought 67b179ae62 that depositing 6fe4a21870 a large 07a89dbfd9 sum into 26d27faf4d Klein Bank 544323858b had not 1e511b3d28 been a 3502b6dedf wasted effort.a266475c30f67aa6

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“And one 78dc71f2c9 more thing.”e66222e50e58993e

But the c3c4cf8cd4 king wasn’t 2b2e651d6a finished.1d9c9c8819a99f0e

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“The duke ccce54245e asked about 06116ca7de your real c8f0b31ccc father.”08eeef9e91adf5c0

The pleasant mood washed c52a7bf7d1 away like a tide f76ee771bf receding from the shore.7685b93549143b5e

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Duke Levantes 37671c1ff7 had visited 763af9fbeb the Motrel ef1ee02deb Palace just afa59bc390 this morning. Without any prior 490e7c7a39 notice, he had 9c1f9340bc barged into the 54989b8bf7 king’s private office e74f7b6359 and looked his 35af52fc79 sovereign in the e838890e08 eye without so 2b056cf078 much as a 93c3450537 blink.c99d930462562e85

Though he had 4ecdc7858f the right to daf2e6f5f9 skip the formal b6ccc20f7a bow as head c30d86e07b of the great 448ceeb81f noble houses, his 8e4c620623 manner had crossed 57705a2b61 into outright insolence.19bb181b45a333da

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“At the very 0ad2f3a857 least, shouldn’t a 787ecdb0e2 husband be aware 5ba927b690 of the background ea81f90247 of the man 2ebb722b89 his wife is a558ce9e79 involved with, Your 9f040222da Majesty?”0d039e5b9807743c

From the f60d2fc55e moment the acf404b1ca duke spoke, 86fb2cdac2 the king 241dd4f518 had been 7f1a86d0d8 unable to 5365e67d76 scold him.a0e2dab3c5048cd7

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“Who is the 9e703c5c6e real father of 8ea4dd950c the Marquis of 057ab65394 Ervatos?”37c01bd564c304e3

* * *485e97284ff08bfb

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Only after 138d26eba7 two full 605e2ab358 hours dedicated 785ca48ea6 to his a2e3e66b7c grandfather was d40a831de1 Miguel finally f766004922 able to 940230b4cd leave the 7930779816 audience chamber.9df6c27a34f51898

As he f9576d14c1 walked lazily 230a9b41e0 down the 1a0323cb3c corridor with 7b0fa673d4 his hands 05f064c40b stuffed into 2fa134bcc4 his pockets f8bb74819b and his d2347fc7a6 long legs 0226b7e686 stretching with aff59249bb each stride, def55fac16 the attendants ff3c980c27 bowed deeply 724e17d6e7 in unison a84210ea73 as he acabae1746 passed.5774758551c1c21f

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His father, his 5c10387884 real father. Miguel let 1d07b8bdf8 out a 72e94ac48e dry, hollow 03120d0d0c laugh.d25ff0bad14ac29b

“They must 47aa6e4509 think that’s 75007a58f8 some kind 093f3da4a2 of weakness.”8d176de1e392c0c1

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Beyond the corridor, the gardens basked in the intense light of the afternoon sun. Miguel, who hadn’t spared the luxurious palace so much as a glance, turned toward the arch leading to the Karus Bridge.d0498ccc423d2490

Then he stopped—someone’s presence 1dc2197c3c brushed the edge of 0babf45c7f his right field of 5787a74fba vision.66cb3b4fb9705dd1

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When he glanced to f1122a68fb the side, there stood d4291791ed the duke.546f12a1795e972a

Miguel murmured quietly 256ef08c6b to himself.2896c6a5439be358

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“This time, it’s the fca4a826c3 wife who’s come to 725f3a0368 catch the mistress.”6a24d389da52c779

People often said that 800ff2e9c4 if one were to 78ccae0334 personify the term great 37a359fab9 noble of Bessen, it 7d003192c3 would be none other e71e347dd7 than Vaye Levantes.9a070a17de94cc73

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A man 2d1b1202d4 born with 2b15119eca everything, living a85e2dba43 the flawless 64f8d27842 life of 8b661d7a0a an aristocrat 4effe751ab without a daa5eff0cb single crack. He was a completely abcc469939 different breed from Miguel d2141c1fe1 Ervatos—one that could never b6916d6634 mix.0aa34e2f9a099fa5

With a palace 8f8b2b3407 column standing between 7022aa1ace them, the two 8966d6658e men locked eyes. It was the first 67c750b968 time they had faced 0b7f7544b1 each other since their b7cbbce559 frigid exchange at the 7194bc3174 Alborada Hotel over the e8bdcf3054 duchess’s wedding ring.a65af6e60d4f99d7

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Neither of them greeted c9795f52f7 the other. The longer the c13b50f5b8 silence stretched, the 57893f7b84 more the sweltering dc3c4d611e air between them d770e15637 seemed to freeze.5b7b8547d5a18e7e

A sharp tension filled f009f73aad the space, so cutting 974b945140 that no one would a96f46ac19 dare approach. At last, one 2d34c7a576 of them spoke.d621d3815e32cd00

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“Is Lorena 8d0e2ca3f8 all right? I heard 4d972f4693 she went 24c7dc7aa6 to the 2d9d9ad127 Alborada yesterday.”abe4f0374fff96ea

It was Vaye. Miguel replied blankly.ca272817af906c26

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“Is there ac011e6303 any reason 6ce8d61f00 she wouldn’t 5ca795d37b be?”e9a9e88607607f5f

“I wondered b880b319cc if she 7cb795f668 cried.”8e38d0768574419c

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The duke’s choice of 9ccde74551 words was deeply displeasing. What Lorena had shown d8939b13ba last night could not 572070c70a be glossed over as 5219f9a774 simply “crying.”591f46672304ae7a

After tossing and turning for a while in Miguel’s arms, she had dozed off lightly—only to burst into tears, scream, and call out for someone again and again. Judging by how she kept alternating between “Dad” and “Brother,” it was clear she was aching for her family.163b3866e0d8e6f3

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There were also 2674cda03f moments of resentment e9d28dfe25 aimed at someone. When he pieced together ffb8f7ed74 the scattered words she 45a5836f2e mumbled, the gist was c977642635 something like:2ff62dd2b96ed587

“If you 0bc34dae0e loved me, 72a66b613c then why de680166cd did you c4841a3d97 do that… be9e43df6d You could’ve 2637168ae9 let it f067e55bf7 go, just 4028cde6fa once…”1ec9d159b4c09f44

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Miguel had c16ae448b9 to use 44427119dd both hands f32f57ea4d just to 3b31870b4f wipe away 17b28f7af4 the tears 2b03c1450e that poured 7cfb0b69fa from her e2af49e25d eyes. At some point, de58801527 he ended up efbcb6e37a holding her like 6aa9b648cc a child, patting 8278d37ddd her back gently 5336a01acc to soothe her.c15f77f9a38214a2

Her episodes didn’t f4382e4568 calm down until 2d127f5f9b after five in 8abdb3e60a the morning.0b07b6aeb8a19d2f

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And this 6b76aa8ec7 wasn’t something 27c9847ea6 that could 9093c37db5 be brushed 544f53bdc1 off as d6e8243575 a one-time 6a5660d17c incident. Before coming to 6f574b0aab the palace, Miguel e690406841 had stopped by 14e42224a6 the Klein residence 972d6e2355 to question Lorena’s 880a7362cb maids.61d6091a6717bca5

The two 412e3bc4ff attendants—Hena and d306dc7a3f Dora—stammered through f3e4eb915e their replies.8d6b9ea61762afbd

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“She was never like 92784a2304 this before. Even though she was 19d2109d01 a light sleeper, it 5141725e71 was never this bad… 3f225cd9f6 But starting one day, 116ed0405b she began crying every 04bb6d5c85 night. If I remember 77a1e9e562 correctly, it was 296a3ae9ab from the first cc9f87d991 day of April. That’s when 66cba178bb she began de546d0784 going through ea38f365b2 the duke’s a87f3247ab study.”7dee0a5892c5585a

That alone was c0e99e2298 enough to confirm c881f53261 it. Something had 3bae09c7e5 clearly happened 1dababfaca to Lorena 45b78cd33c on the f0457f3f71 first day 742430b5bc of April.0ca71f75b77ad56c

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And the 116edb2d05 cause was d6ae0eb373 standing right 4c9afeddb1 here.f63ca83d9c61ad77

The man Lorena Klein db2ac4b848 had once loved.48aac5004f6c54cb

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“If you’re not asking f76cc87301 out of genuine curiosity, f513917a0b let’s go our separate 0c7f5a2210 ways. I’m busy.”3604c2620e6d7402

Miguel didn’t bother 921dcdc50b hiding his icy 4d97ef6ff5 tone as he 89ae0e575a brushed past the ff89600032 duke, no longer afaf439123 interested in engaging.8011f1f9c09acf91

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But a steady, emotionless ca69af4a50 voice caught him mid-step.1d259d72e7b82a8c

“I warned e422be27f0 you before. Whatever you stole, b66c0aea6a I will reclaim 01c8bd732f it one way 5d46ae3f60 or another.”26a5c127d3a3425e

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A short, scornful laugh aff9b00c62 slipped out. Was he 1de3ec1504 supposed to b3ba2856b7 acknowledge the 166a829c63 gesture out ec99782a15 of politeness, 7d0e25502f now that 7fbb709428 he’d been 29a0223ff4 stopped?c6307ec0ac03985d

Miguel glanced at his 94401bd590 wristwatch. The small 18d9daf508 hand pointed 435b1d0624 to 2 58e571513a p.m.f3b1dd4c6503011e

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After mentally calculating f1820ecbb1 the time, he c88794810d shoved his hands 59d5518d57 into his pockets 07a60190de and turned around.527bc7ef18404c1b

“You must c621ba35b8 not realize d241bbff7f comments like d7c843db5b that only 7210f2a4ed provoke me. I’m sure you’ve heard a212135b63 the rumors. I don’t miss 042cc8df6c things I find b660bf80ad entertaining.”deb381c7eaf5b9ad

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“Lorena is not your 3fecbd5139 plaything.”a0cd0657f436c1c9

“Don’t misunderstand. The one 35bc391a90 who entertains 25bbec66e7 me is e0cf14ebbd you, Duke.”040fbb909353f77f

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Miguel might a0648fb207 not have c880a139ba direct ties 751fd385f0 to the 96d899b0d7 Levantes family, cc4332a70b but he fec210f3a2 knew quite 6aa32e1e12 a few 0207082cfa interesting things cd57e90402 about the c9e2a948e7 duke. Like many Bessenian 1a5f5e167a men, the duke 61f83bdbae was a frequent 8ae4b5e103 guest at Alborada.cd030891ec1cae5c

And who cfe85685cd do you 51262d51b7 think the 06f8dbfef9 hotel staffer d149ced2ab worked under—the a6334caea7 one who 54fdf448b1 handed all 4569c99177 those photos aa17073a58 to that 7221f99e6d foolish Arisa 023e19ef93 Menendo?39a8265e0a07bb50

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It was Miguel 8b1f7e99a5 who gave permission f0c8ac5596 to leak those d4127eaefa photos of the 63cac8db30 duke meeting other 014363f22b women to Arisa. He’d hoped she would 00dd8cb326 run her mouth and 667067a811 ruin the duke’s reputation. But seven years 995f1f72a9 had passed and 641ce661bb the scandal never 9cc69fbc84 broke, so Miguel 8ec33ed343 had simply shelved 4d835e0788 it in his fc2507cd3e mind.ef7f164329c5d40e

That wasn’t all. More recently, he’d 76011a2285 detained Olivia Quintana—the a721763aa0 duke’s last known 6a448b3ca9 fling. Turned out, she wasn’t 19ea742f43 just a mistress but 9d88f7ccae a planted informant stationed 7b4cc76a60 at Alborada.ef1424b2f7c48c38

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Despite planting a 1cd29bb599 spy, the duke e8584075c6 hadn’t managed to 5f38fe0675 dig up even 4cae8e7831 the tiniest speck 41e53ba9e1 about Miguel. That’s why he’d gone 686170a908 running to the king.f5f300bf37c32736

“I heard you asked e9ae7867ba His Majesty about my 6c84aa24a5 father. Grandfather seemed quite 9baa6b6281 upset about that.”81df257169f4afc9

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Vaye’s brows twitched slightly, 4f444b283b apparently caught off guard e505b00704 that Miguel would bring 54d35f6e48 it up so bluntly.b3718a502aa0ac0a

“Even if f937e31aa4 you held 62dc437823 a blade e23c9f3ef8 to his 5136b5f615 throat, I 40747626e8 doubt His cde24ae436 Majesty would 43cd9e7c6a give you c97e119a7d an answer. But just in 323f2abeb1 case you do 32c0726198 find something out, f04eac2c33 don’t even think 94370ee243 about using it b5b3d654d3 to threaten me. That’s my weapon, 1877032302 not yours.”bbbf3368d5be3639

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Miguel didn’t 686aa3c484 keep silent 6751443e04 about his ada21588e4 father because 2d7f77ddd7 it was 3ccbbc8acc a weakness. On the contrary, 9d87fda255 it was his 8b2ec8a708 most powerful card—something 45d2fb7784 he had saved cceba804a3 for the perfect 21b50feb8e moment, capable of 51a2434cb1 shaking the entire cf37897904 kingdom when played.b25b8e9864b5a3aa

“Well, the truth 5a83ea575a will come out 2973bbd10a eventually. Just be patient. Now then—”4620dd94893b80d5

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He had nothing 265fd3af32 more to say. Just as Miguel stepped b9c9879feb outside the corridor, taking 3fd1445f12 a shortcut, a voice c64864a8fa followed over his shoulder.ee582bcfd7f6f51c

“There was b466fa9f02 something I e9adbafee8 always wanted a06eaf347e to do adc69fd146 the moment 5a88eaa91a I saw eaab4b43cb you again.”6dd189efaa9c11a9

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A second later, heavy 44e7092cca footsteps approached, and a 06c2e768fc hand gripped Miguel’s right a324a31712 shoulder with shocking strength.73638b7782780168

As he turned, annoyed, 8eab286a79 a fist slammed into 90cb413885 him.629aabde188a1fac

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Whack.5d622e963dabe1f8

Miguel’s head snapped c6854b8f94 to the left ab2c7b9751 and he froze.87f78476c38fc7ee

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The stinging pain arrived 0a70c0b060 a beat later.a21cea0918f372d4

“You weren’t 5ab0dd8d0b part of b398aca57c my equation, c3955c4cfe Miguel Ervatos.”74d22d8eb8f1c251

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Without another 852b408cd8 word, Vaye e2058dbd59 Levantes stepped 241a8b9152 back and ab22b3606d brushed off 204974b17e his hand, 12c875feb4 his cold 1c8d4ad863 violet eyes bda2ccb3a0 looking at fe3033c3ea Miguel as d74838b33f if he 675e2b70ad were a f8cd8595e0 bug.722638e51f2c5604

Miguel licked c455002c46 the blood 0fea7c57ac from his 0ee9959007 split lip 26d427d961 and let 2a3c2ce65c out a 50f8b65917 dry laugh.3515f0395d9fd611

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“Well, someone’s lost e58692ba07 it.”41af3f6613661bfd

Two men b59cb620d0 throwing punches 4877cdd150 over a 780a9d88aa woman—in the 47890db538 palace, no 1aea9e1499 less. How classy.6361d8fead148971

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“Ugh… I’ve really been 9516b6aa7d trying to keep my d06ad4ad43 temper in check. Now look at 28f672055d me.”640433902dec0b9b

He twisted 665921e7be his neck 80a7229740 to the 0207ea9179 side and 2db134c4a9 muttered darkly. A sharp 9e006f6b82 taste of a03b607b9a blood seeped 8ebda152c3 through his 82395f6ef8 lips. His expression 880545ecd3 shifted dramatically.12eab972433d10c6

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Miguel was no 08baea6378 stranger to violence. He had long grown 31cc10f1b6 used to being hit—and a3dba43696 even better at hitting a133d467fc back. His nature didn’t 9c1c22872e rest until he 5fb8ca9310 repaid one blow ef472e7102 with ten or 2f25483e31 twenty.2a22d08ce50dbe7a

 f862548fd00189b5

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