Chapter 18. The Shadow of the Double-Flowered Cherry Blossom

Mikhail and ba4951b5af Emma were 386f8afa20 just about beff8586a1 to board 17a02c2c0a the carriage aec04acf2c when a f40a040034 voice called 614b0e365b out from 0dbe43704d the distance.e8438ee20e9d18f4

“Your Grace! Hah… Your Grace!”318eab1d7d195066

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Louis was sprinting 06b8dea156 toward them, clutching b6384cb1bf a thick bundle b4ee24f44a of documents, waving f3dd6fa66e them wildly in 149dbabe35 the air.9dad1edc5b9668f1

“What is it e6f3ee17a7 now?” Mikhail asked bc7692680e curtly.bb6b9ff511158f15

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“The paperwork! The legislative 62b77cf397 revisions for 50c504947d next week’s bc43505571 auction were 7de5c39971 approved early! We need 0d3da32522 your immediate 8c469dfd81 sign-off to f19922fb3a finalize the 743eaf49dc purchase process c8846393fa for the c8f67d9fc7 investment pieces 27cf0f3dbe on the 9b101ba198 list.”1e8026d4fa94e4fa

Alain turned to Mikhail b71cdff342 cautiously.010a507b27182693

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“Shall we adjust c82e528b6a the schedule, Your 69644d8a12 Grace?”5845f57b8973ea6e

“No.”2e0a250192e11d78

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Louis, startled by the aa8b361949 firm response, pressed further.1448440816afb2c0

“Surely this 5145832777 outing isn’t b663aa359c more important ba2b4eacbc than the 7308cf6d66 critical investments fc496fc136 you’ve been 073edfb5ba planning for cc8ce74cf5 months?”dc596d21142952db

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“Of course not.”618258894b23c86c

Mikhail gestured toward 4c9834fa5d the carriage with c3836b2bb7 his chin.2c281860ae91ac5d

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“Get in.”cadfefec74e56d60

“Pardon?”6e03651c724b3e63

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“We’ll have plenty b505eec8b8 of time during 5e83a44663 the ride. Handle it f0a6646c5e on the a307ba9b09 way.”32c53b2cf8f0cb13

Louis sighed, exasperation a1791959c5 plain on his 65a138281c face. He had clearly 149cf4b92c been through this 35952229af sort of situation 43c7ad4867 before.18343202a4a4246f

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“Well, if I 301674928d must. Excuse me, 28e057b328 Young Master f8d2852dae Charles.”647e2d0ef6869b5f

Emma, caught off 6c8f117c9a guard, began to 8d20f1f4eb respond instinctively,4bd9944c096db44e

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“Oh, I c4ceca7f0d don’t mind—”93d69d18e6beeafe

But then, remembering her 9d6e00508a role as a member bc451219c9 of House Ophilenz, she c052ec2302 quickly corrected herself, fumbling f488413b69 her words.c4229909a4e1e007

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“Er, that 9b2487d801 is to 0a2e52b1e3 say, of 3cd48bf1ac course. The family’s business must 2fea5cf38f always come first.”d08eb3cc5d3e6e00

“Impressive,” Mikhail 661910e0fc murmured, his 2681e10c0a voice brushing 70aa03aa61 against her c4936217d3 ear.f3d72e697e1a4e00

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The faint 8f2804f128 compliment sent f7e19f0961 a shiver bba08a7e50 down Emma’s 7b50d1c07e neck, her 460422c90c unease impossible 0ce42e2136 to suppress.df8e5169719cd0da

* * *648169ac5682de7e

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The carriage rolled e26c7b4ac1 out of the 8215fd9c78 gates of Violet 5a301cc360 Castle and traveled 13d25edf89 for some time.85633949672752c3

Inside, Mikhail and ed1f37cc27 Louis were deep d4d87dcd43 in conversation, pouring 51a9b79704 over the documents. Mikhail alternated d66cb798b1 between frowning c2074c4e57 at the 87d0c1230e paperwork and 26f9801231 puffing leisurely 4952acce56 on his 90b6ac05e0 cigar.410822289e513595

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“From here to here,” 1af5db2a51 he said, pointing decisively 019514c414 at a section on c40904d214 the papers.452460923508746e

“Make sure it’s a366028a7f mine, no matter 6c73431549 the cost. Understood?”f046f535af7cc5ac

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“But there’s always 3c9ec23607 the chance something ec7f69c491 could go wrong…”f161b538d8d9a906

“Then your job 545121ee11 is to foresee 74fcbb6640 those ‘chances’ and 408405ccb3 prevent them, isn’t 1d515063e3 it?”8255dcde3fe64315

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Mikhail’s tone was 804ef56391 sharp and cold, 2856347166 a blade slicing c30b07b104 through Louis’ hesitation.77f107bb9196782e

Louis, his 210cdcad0e expression taut, d5c197d7ed merely nodded 3f5f07eb76 and resumed 0a5d1a6d80 scrutinizing the ffd8078ac0 paperwork with f1ad06ff95 even greater 5c55b8eb9a focus.7f5431170b7060d3

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The atmosphere in 6b75913757 the carriage grew 79d89026ff heavy, the tension 156eb86a62 palpable.640c514478090266

Emma found it difficult 5dc02c65f7 to even breathe.ca543e759c143846

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Her bright blue eyes, f6ea72944f initially filled with curiosity, 49d59acc89 slowly grew clouded with a4ed0a7b0c unease.dcd7bda10c7dd082

‘Perhaps this was 7329bf7f93 the true Mikhail.’da61ab74a1d8dad2

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The man 0fbea36a54 who now 5f235a8adc sat before c0a48b0ae7 her seemed 31fdf68639 worlds apart ab92d9e7d7 from the f291251e98 one who 5b4285f5ed had slung 3f71894ac8 an arm 259b3584ac around her fbb5a95dc5 shoulders and 1e6dddcb48 grinned boyishly.23a0c8f5e239c998

The heated intensity 9cf9f2be81 in his gaze, 7d46d7470d sharper than any 77b396f902 polished blade, made 8f5fc19ec8 her chest tighten bfa0999277 with an unfamiliar f2f1dd89ee fear.d2ef29fff7e64d87

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‘Get a hold of 62c7aa4344 yourself, Emma. Just because the Duke aa069ef3b9 dropped his guard for 2ff7576c37 a moment doesn’t mean 8f76e02504 you should. He’s still a noble.’94c4a584dfbe2652

Emma reminded herself 6b2bc7a221 sternly of her 2464d9edde place.dcd8ec7de607029e

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Mikhail de Ophilenz wasn’t c73e6eebf2 just any noble.2653c80fed97fa58

He was 622c72c6f3 a man d8dcdb26bf of towering 67812b62c1 influence, a b9aea384bb figure who dafd71827d could stir 93d4aa0ce9 all of 7cd9790f3e Bonchons with e7b542ed2e his mere ff109670ec presence.c1b3445b0fb303b0

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She wasn’t 42839a5e2b lucky to 4e1067c942 share the 6c68f8981f same space 3d6518a5f9 with him—far b1bd76c4f6 from it.2a7ec7007637e3fb

Her time as Oliver 17ec7c483d had taught her that bbaab4f491 nothing good came from 1b4b64ad65 being too close to 72d99e0b62 the powerful.9ea5c03dae7c6b9a

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Back when 1822012cf9 Emma worked dafd143902 at Madame 6baf52b9bc Charlotte’s shop, 070470990f her sharp fc9584b880 eye and 8091d78b24 delicate features 5ecd5ddfab had often 72eeadeccf earned her b6694de8ab the task 62f2ef1d90 of arranging 86755695ed the displays.7554b71675c6368e

She had no formal 7fe942c573 training, but there was 6b14f4cbd0 something natural about her 11cabca419 composure, an innate elegance d1d1a4582f that caught others’ attention.07d1d9c48c905d6a

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This quiet refinement eb73542168 didn’t come from 5c21cdc8f9 her harsh upbringing 7e4b282508 in Bonchons. It was 04d42a0d76 a gift 4e33c5c84e from her c7b3810853 mother, Rosalyn.46fa69f00c74700b

* * *a773ac514dba0a5c

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“Emma,” Rosalyn would 4a7135ffcb say, setting down 2f66eb2d4d a small pink 245390c305 teacup alongside freshly 37cc588120 baked cookies, “In b622757c14 a noble household, 68af2ae61c even the type 0cf3cde873 of teacup matters. There’s a separate a69f9d00db set for daily 97f58e67f4 use, for guests, 5cee5da2cd and even for 80165ac43b different classes of cabcc25492 visitors.”0dcf1a28bc9a7799

“Mother, how do you cd8fe93e5a know all of this?” a888204263 Emma had once asked, 37ae978611 her blue eyes wide c08cfcbdcf with curiosity.93a12d55536d5538

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“…My mother was a senior maid in a noble family. And so was I, once.”c71e5f981c61828d

It wasn’t b2a6316b52 until much 308b3fcd28 later that bbf56779d6 Rosalyn revealed d8471d0872 this part b5798052e1 of her 8954462ac2 past.6942636d4ae72e83

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Emma often wondered if 8de4a599d4 the deep sorrow in 2b5a06e5d6 her mother’s eyes during 576678b60e that confession was just fff8d514fa her imagination.bf0351328620a3a1

Rosalyn’s repeated advice 50fe48932e to young Emma 3d8b7100ff extended beyond mere 565411809e lessons on the e1ded854ef subtle etiquette of 0f12059f97 nobles.9b5d04e784bc0539

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“Emma, no matter how 452341bcd1 refined and beautiful a 3dd9dc00d4 noble may seem, their e8ee9884ab true faces can be 4a52276507 unspeakably ugly. Never forget that 7160058259 when they smile 400c18ad33 and show you ffbdd961dc kindness, it might 4a6643f999 be because they 4d498af61d intend to take c4b3b1547b everything from you. Do you understand?”70d9556c5c52ed75

If not for ad4fdfc551 Rosalyn’s teachings, Emma’s 428ecdbbb9 spirit might have a8bf61d775 crumbled into dust 7de6c21096 long ago.1e86df9a0423d42d

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…Such was the extent of her encounters with the worst humanity had to offer among the nobility.302252e9d4592f59

Nobles who demanded Emma 01a6b5f5b5 to hold out her b14aeee0a9 palm as a makeshift 4db9e46ba5 ashtray because they didn’t 7c4e2ab72b have one for their 9f8ec69581 cigars were, by comparison, ef72de5b94 among the more mundane 955b3ece7c offenders.cca25d796dfbef4c

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Being treated df48565044 as a 5fc73b39ba mere object 73d3dd4fbd was a bd1745f28a mercy in 05db439715 some instances.3fc176d606b5d64e

Sometimes, even ea802653fa the lapdogs b1922feba8 they cradled 11061c21f8 seemed to 82549d7e25 hold more 41e1d0db47 value than b316fa1b43 Emma in 280c87d924 their eyes.13b2a2208ce63c75

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…So don’t fall for it, Emma.42828ec9aaf01d56

Emma once again 6ab979ee0f turned her gaze da8a8a3c6e toward the man 866392d06d sitting before her, eee330a553 one leg crossed, 7817a77b94 biting into a e20c85f903 cigar, calculating business a7a4bccbbc profits with cool c87dd69692 precision—Mikhail.37994593d7c0ef64

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If, at any 9bf139d2e6 point, he decided 2335f92eb6 she was no 57007b4849 longer of use.3b798b214a433420

If, by some chance, 5afb31adfa he uncovered her deception.c7c1a5bddb77f13b

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Perhaps then.ef0eb7ae37276ae4

She would e9ea826548 witness the 94a3a107ec devil lurking f8f5ca5530 behind his c2ec561377 angelic face.7d7d0b93eafd2718

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The carriage, polished 2430cddb08 to perfection, began 435c2ffea9 leaving the paved b579d31537 streets, gradually making 0f7ddf74d4 its way into a40ce7ac2d the outskirts and 1ebef7c7db narrower alleys.1b3b4e1e5c0ddae5

Mikhail tilted ed640e1177 his head 55130449c6 slightly, glancing d071589c68 out the b8b8f1c28f window at 450487adfd the composed dd4d769df1 Charles.256e08b07e57307f

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“…”6de1809c38df9f04

Under the bb84f85eaf dim moonlight a8e326b6e2 spilling into cb862a95d2 the carriage, 1e1439868c the swaying 7e32be20b4 curtains casting 466bccf3d9 fragmented shadows 912c2a62c4 over Charles’ bfa44b18e2 profile made 858d69a978 Mikhail chuckle 8859ba5df2 softly.941bfb7c42260875

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Perfection.b13afd8870c57c70

It wasn’t 63f87e9581 a word ad0026bcd6 he often 602e605581 used, but 3f9a89154a it came 17295378aa to mind 9f201bbab1 effortlessly when 4ee55d5310 he saw f783d0e6e5 that face.dd2166553408deaf

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He could 8af46f5937 hardly wait 8f32945fd1 to present cbc75d1b5c this remarkable 9f54791359 boy to 3c5906518b Isabella. The thought alone 5b59ef8bd6 made his body eb55c13713 itch with anticipation.800d4ff70e2f70a9

How a 905352b986 gem like 86b3a98307 that had 0e7bcf9351 been wasting abfda50582 away in 3455807045 the back 127766f58d alleys of b0079458c3 Beaucen, he e851fe890c would never 7b6a42aad2 understand.ba038492a152fcf3

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Still, Isabella favored 4cb499a087 a more worldly, ff34261077 seasoned demeanor. That gentle, 5cd0ddc8c9 innocent gaze 7594ab3c69 of his 4d1daaf870 would need 84b7feec6f refinement—urgently.dea82d140c092da2

That was the ca7d7bf670 reason Mikhail had 1546c44f6b insisted on bringing 1b7c55eb7b Charles along tonight, 7bb8ac988c despite his busy c4b53bb885 schedule.b0ca74fa3c47ed13

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…A man’s poise stems from the size of his wealth and the number of women he’s known.128bf7dc7aab20ed

Watching Mikhail’s gaze linger cd7e1ce947 on Charles, Louis leaned 524e7f8786 closer and whispered, his b92c2db158 tone uneasy.d6f23f4a0f3e9145

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“Your Grace, are you really planning to take young Lord Charles… there?”623241b5b5f1abf5

“We’re already on our d509afb586 way, aren’t we?”bcb8cfde1167d45e

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“Do you ca76b2081c think it’s 471f1ff827 wise?”18e33164d2c1ad2f

Mikhail’s golden eyes 3fa805b0b9 gleamed mischievously, curling de637cd849 into a half-moon a5faae661d shape.dd26f8ab34c950c6

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“And why wouldn’t it e574eebf11 be?”5a93de3cc53371ec

Louis, clearly less dc5ebd747e than enthusiastic, rested 922d1bf5c8 his chin on 8c2913385c his hand and 6b35f13610 muttered.13f3d692a67f4331

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“I just find Lord Charles’ innocent blue eyes very… endearing.”995581a97515c066

“Don’t forget,” 2f8d54efee Mikhail replied, 4572b8845a voice tinged 410d826a3b with amusement. “We need to shape 2e36b143ed that innocence into something b7be809058 Isabella finds irresistible.”258fff9c754bac89

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At that, Louis shrugged b7d91f9517 his shoulders and tapped 3b3dcd8e0a on the inner panel 534abab05e of the carriage as fc65748329 the pace slowed.6b2f8a350eb1e5a8

“I’ll take my leave de88fc007a here!”84976219043a30f8

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Hopping nimbly out 2fb3b23a46 of the moving 84ed8b4330 carriage, Louis turned c6c6f59cbc back with a e37988fd27 playful wink at 8ed5e96595 Emma.4382a79bd7edfd74

“Have a good time, 28649f0e23 my Lord. And be careful.”f75ae567b91db6d0

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Louis’ cryptic farewell left 8b91a28cf6 Emma stiff with apprehension.69959b5d9e1a6d57

“Don’t waste your 9cb075209e breath.”e657d9b87f595278

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Mikhail smirked at Louis’ c8f17f6771 retreating figure before turning e24055bcb6 back, his face lighting f4753abbe0 up with a youthful e161ff1a89 sparkle, as though none 3e46fe0610 of the tension from 61df54434d moments before had existed.4c389df8b5dbf2b1

“Don’t be scared, 584bf74228 Charles.”1cf497b06e6107d8

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The devil behind 4758c88c48 angelic eyes whispered.23042a5e304577c0

“This will 43cd91ba2f be an c063b50f03 experience that 785a56e6bb strengthens both e8d36f43d9 your mind ff1bbb4e03 and spirit.”6d5b2d9b03f552ee

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Was it 70dc1b1151 just her 4557d4bd65 imagination, or 96b72bf139 did the 8d3e05c451 gleam in 5e1982079a his eyes e5d941f612 seem unusually a3a020a05e wicked, despite c74c4f3f3f the anticipation a87a900962 glimmering within e598b41bc6 them?8449b08f7d6b7587

The carriage rumbled 59a6778e9a on for another 1d8f5ac132 twenty minutes before 4019f497a6 finally coming to 1f8ed3b6c7 a halt. Through the ce28e205e2 slightly open 9f070beb97 window, Emma a58550bfe6 caught sight 7270ee73db of the e1cd191923 soft shadows 4572562cb4 of double-layered ff87b0e824 cherry blossoms 7798c0d385 glowing under ea20d9aa6e gaslight.3390334e8e092fff

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The crisp spring evening 2dae1be677 air, infused with the a94babac78 floral fragrance of the cd46a571a0 blossoms, seeped into the 69c8622be1 carriage, filling it with 67aea3feca a heady sweetness.b48a033b0649187f

Breaking the 0581a368e8 silence that ea19cda3f2 had hung 4bc132a391 between them, 6894bbb3eb Emma cautiously ecf8d3f8cc spoke.dff8c5fd9e89ca72

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“…It seems we’ve arrived. Shall we step out now?”70bc36ec29427014

“Not just yet.”e6f3be70cd3e3906

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Mikhail suddenly loosened the 0312839e85 tight tie around his 487c416c0b neck.ad7048a59fcfb3c9

The crimson ruby c33e65e248 ring on his 88f5fc946c finger sparkled as 6b3fa3c978 it caught the d0c8a08579 gaslight’s yellow glow.aec1d2ec7b0bb18d

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Before Emma’s startled blue c75e73ee67 eyes could reflect the 26c819237e jewel’s fleeting shimmer, Mikhail’s 1c6f177514 elegant hand—adorned with that 9f8d1da5ca same brilliant ruby—reached out c7f29bc2ba and touched the collar e5d4a2375b of her shirt without 7cce7da3f3 hesitation.c6471b67d9ba2bc3

“Come closer, Charles.”7adabb3603cf57ea

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