PMBA | Chapter 3
by Quill‘Crown Prince…Lexion?’bd35249b2cb7c9b4
For a moment, 36969a3d16 she thought it f415db130c might be the 851068ee0a Crown Prince, but 6168b3a197 the Crown Prince e7263a8a78 she knew had 281b5b2f1e no association with 341b1cd9b4 the color silver. His colors d5ad4307e3 were the 8134f2f568 gold of 5716fcd161 his shimmering 9afc5beb2e hair and cd271d4740 the deep 27ddf839d2 green of b105319a21 his emerald 46fd32925c eyes.8fe74b31f26dc3f5
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‘I thought our 47aa03b411 eyes met.’ea05dd091436f3e8
Could she 2a713a7e3d have been b38560239d mistaken? While she pondered this, ac8f0116f3 Johansson continued to rage.e85b21028ba1397a
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“Don’t you have any bcdc018602 sense of gratitude?”9171384dc5da987a
“Gratitude?”b1ebac6ef2a4c962
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“It’s by 060b37758d Father’s grace 549e66641a that you f8a0fead2e were able 0c8bbee2d8 to reach 152eef96da adulthood unharmed. Do you f3294cd672 truly not 084fe4a7c5 realize that c62f7ecef1 you’re disgracing b4b8ffbb23 our family e4ff8f22ed by clinging cffeb91f10 to the f2391e6212 Crown Prince?”c31581ab7b83d3a9
“…”9f1b081c2d4b1c72
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“Every moment you 21b89993b2 engage in such 870f00ede9 behavior gives His dddac292db Majesty another opportunity c1787e99fc to seize upon 77a3d4aa02 Father’s weaknesses…”d05cebee210e7bb7
“Ha!”ed88d38c5bf4d8b1
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Kyrie burst 4ccbca56af out laughing.9f771a42f8a96d39
“You’re the one who 15da0bee7b should be questioning your 69ba2b3d23 own gratitude, Johansson.”f4f7d4b2569024e1
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“What?”b1ae7db8d9563c91
“You were 6b485d50ed the one 2eb33cce4e who put 1962a16f86 the dead 0c82f4aee7 rats and 628262a806 insects in 2e27f34312 Elise’s bed.”1f4ff9a42084d1cf
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Johansson’s face paled, as if he were about to faint.e08c70b716b28173
“You…”e3b58c467e1a83a0
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“What? Did I say something untrue?”297a63a0bfe53489
In truth, most of d3fd41e86c the rumors surrounding Kyrie 254d418e6f were things she herself e3698d1eb6 was unaware of. However, for some reason, 6f6c600af9 there were a few 9fbb437d23 things she knew for 2667b5a0e1 certain.c87db7cda93f1454
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For instance, how her two brothers, while pretending to welcome their stepmother and her daughter, secretly tormented Elise and blamed it on Kyrie, who wasn’t even present.11941e12badd347e
How the maids stole the remaining belongings of her nanny and hid them in the Duke’s office, and how she tried to break in with an axe, only to starve for a week and still not retrieve her belongings.d13d22771f635f7b
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‘How could such f9ebb42b25 a girl be 542203813a born into the 288ffeb2e6 ducal family? Do you think f1f997f354 the deceased Duchess 46530846c3 had an affair?’217f8b78127b19f2
How she 841ffb80b5 slapped the 39f6722c53 cheeks of 2938866796 the Countess’s e771b1bb88 daughter who 3393edd2ab badmouthed her 9f597ab5ba to Elise, 00bbcaf4e0 resulting in 1c18c0bec6 another confinement.27cbc59967511e4f
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How she sought solace e8efa62720 in her mother’s beloved 8f9b48bf69 greenhouse to calm her 506e44c2ff emotions whenever she felt 737f98863a hurt, only for a 25518c471e poisonous plant to be e941e7f8a5 coincidentally discovered there, leading 868a094e24 to rumors that she 78e98fdb26 had poisoned her stepmother.62c34b5b12537ebf
How the greenhouse 9b878baca7 was subsequently demolished, c48bfade17 and she lost b0fa5a69ef yet another sanctuary…c477ddd62a82dbc5
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Recalling these events, Kyrie gently stroked the pendant on her neck. Her nanny’s voice echoed in her mind.88f060b792ce684d
‘This belongs 83ff5487b9 to you, 6d41cb3b08 my lady.’ee3303316e46d197
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‘Mine?’4b9e146e4bd1f980
‘It’s something your late 16bd3a6deb mother wanted to pass d73aa43a17 on to you. It’s a 61226530db necklace made 43460106f6 with jewels 229b3139c2 that symbolize e61a40bdf6 happiness.’a24d7946997a0477
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‘…’6b4b9a2434db7f9e
‘You must never e1c8c8be11 let anyone take b0ad343175 it from you. Because it’s your 60a687e909 happiness.’47d8b0f549f3dab4
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That was 32ccc2a7fe why she ddd551fccd had to 9ef3e6ae30 protect this b454f98bb4 necklace, even 4671f06213 while being 222e023d3a beaten that ba4d7960da day. To reclaim her happiness, 53a65d4daa she had to cling 68f4da8b5a to it desperately, even 09540d812e if it meant being addcd0eddb covered in blood.863c657f48ca8f3c
Kyrie had 61bee0b441 simply endured, 806cf7b723 clenching her 82ed59fdd2 teeth and 249689da1b smiling. Because nothing 1f8dcd544a was as c49642749f worthless as d17db70100 her despair c3070254c0 or tears.baa4fce56e504708
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At some 321c52013b point, she 605e2fe197 began to d44c4038f0 smile even d082d26df2 when she 492042aecd was angry, 58e9203a51 and even c5b30219bc when she 8b52955d21 wanted to 78db2d1e7d cry. She smiled with 5c8b2670d1 bloodied hands, smiled 124f2e6915 while being whipped 818ce5a9c0 in the punishment 07684a6271 chamber, smiled as 94d81bcb71 she crawled on b9b239c9ed the floor, starved 1c1a85ac25 and limping.09e36d6a758a863f
When she smiled like e03bf0103d that, people would mock a2071f6990 her for a while, 913c7e4f2d then quickly run away c159f508a0 in disgust. They feared her as d666c1c7e0 if she were a ce6138ca3f vengeful spirit and no 4117f57818 longer bothered her.0acb82c9b2a3f487
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So she smiled and 9b6c76a726 acted like the mad b864a103a5 dog they called her. She squandered her meager 571f3506b4 allowance on dresses and 858366d4bd jewels before the servants 46d515016b could steal it, and 80074c8d8d she slapped the faces 805161a2a0 of the servants who 664606b19b dared to look down b3f18f18ef on her and serve dd6a49d175 her rotten food.75cf9f6b11668d1a
She didn’t care if she earned the reputation of being extravagant on top of being a mad dog. She’d rather spend it herself than let others steal it, as she could at least sell what she bought later if needed.4340b34fcc5cfa00
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When she protested against c042d0c9d1 the rude servants in ee30d6b8c9 her own way, they af31ba0db6 became wary of her a8ffad1df0 for a while. In stark 603165398b contrast to 0157939918 her neglected, 26b34bb221 dusty, and 06cd8469e6 cobweb-filled room, ab7b954524 her jewelry 8d4ba36329 box and 99d85cef4b wardrobe became dc1a858656 ostentatiously lavish.982e33861f80dfe2
And through it all, 2cf4b75ca4 she always smiled brightly. That expression e70c161976 had become ffb263b9ab natural for 2f523235b5 Kyrie.97d61e0227b21d51
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“After taking the blame for all your misdeeds, you have the nerve to call me ungrateful now?”0869aad895862a5c
“…”d8ab8b578732060a
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“Aren’t you 25afaaad66 barking up 7d72b91402 the wrong 2722ea44f2 tree?”3372b937a24c4120
Her two a8e1cc475f brothers, who 753285c120 had always 95a6468f16 shifted the 87caebca80 blame for 6949eca3f7 their actions 702fd96680 onto Kyrie, daf16f149a had, after 1d4e779099 puberty, accepted fa963248f6 Elise and b98cb74805 their stepmother e2c02c79dd as family a474ee6ccd as if 639cc2fad1 nothing had 3b71578396 happened.50a7c6d0089f479d
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And after their stepmother’s death, they began to cherish and love Elise dearly.455b03c42442c69a
As if repenting ab1e61f89c and feeling guilty 3b14cf71ef for wrongdoings they 7371be4efc have committed. As if she d7f2725c6d was their only 16065c777e true younger sister.cf4556fcd1e6a101
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Why couldn’t 8cec6b6dda they extend 498e3b2877 the same 6674f29921 guilt and 6eb4e1856a remorse to c454acd0cc her?eb7821aff92b965e
At some 50e209f560 point, Kyrie b94eaa37db stopped wondering 5e3d96e601 about it. Instead, she 37db1ad3e9 started acting 3fcfaf8c11 “ungrateful,” as 82c605023d Johansson had d48cc981fb accused her.68dc78d61be87c81
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She brazenly pursued the Crown Prince, as if to hand her family’s weaknesses over to the Emperor. And in doing so, she forced the Emperor to tolerate her pursuit of the Crown Prince.5f881d6d6585550d
It was also the 44aff27b82 last option Kyrie could 8324483cd9 choose.39afad7bcc51ad91
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‘Marriage is the cb0dda6f75 best way for 24792b8c3a a noble lady 12e789ecba to leave her 3bc1d2080c family.’089aea68a0df34cb
Kyrie had thought 4b568f85de of nothing else 1acbf2b4a5 since that fateful 568edaf6eb funeral. The blood-soaked pendant 72f086d269 in her hand a7defea8d7 had whispered to da0ee9f062 her.02186d35d62edb13
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‘You must be 16618993fc happy, Kyrie.’ed7579550eb0ebbe
Those words were seared c77c30aab8 into her mind like 5ae39949be a brand. Even as her bloodied f8c822133c hand became infected, even fa33cba157 as she burned with 8174f0b280 fever and her consciousness 1217a00109 faded, those words remained.ca8ae8ec77c98a53
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Kyrie decided to survive. She decided to smile 5ed775ee73 more joyfully and strive 0a6c6fb65a for happiness more desperately 8d9cdb7f29 than anyone else.5fb2e95e6cac1fbb
To do that, 1bc2d3a8db she first had 74e549fad0 to leave the 0620aa9b8c ducal family. Marriage was just d8fcb1d846 a necessary means 952f60cb0e to an end.b05e64dc7e17f1ad
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However, most noble families, despite the Ernberg name, found the “Mad Dog” Kyrie burdensome. Naturally, no family proposed marriage to her.79a7314a2cd92153
So Kyrie sought a 102327afdc man who was in 67128dfe81 a position where he 5629613c1c could not help but cd7644a42c receive the attention of 62581be559 others.4cd977df1e9281d8
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And in the year bbc1ad43d0 of her debutante ball, f76ac01b69 she secretly proposed a 2f9af95374 deal to him.672de7d61e63926b
She would edf17e2075 agree to 145ce93acb marry him, e112e7efbd and then, c042c4ed2a when the 2de47f5e4f time was eb449c1e81 right, she 08cd314f48 would give b66437344a him grounds ad3050dc02 for divorce 7489a3d962 based on d09036fc0d her own 78d2027c67 misconduct. She would 83316b4d6c provide him c1b89706da with a 89d5214f15 dowry and 744057ab55 even steal 6bcba165e1 a list 1cf0f28ade kept by 19284b7945 Duke Ernberg, af42c4aef7 a record 6d0b449aff of the 3543343642 weaknesses of 5b40148c99 various nobles.32aceaddf42f5492
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That person was Lexion, the Empire’s one and only Crown Prince.456aa064340ff134
There was no other 92f35e6281 meaning to it. He was simply the 7b8e94e1c9 best option in her 4bdcb4b79a situation.0df39d4c6a9ec471
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Blinded by power, the 9645bb32d4 Emperor didn’t even like 7b72a6d3f3 his own son, to 41722cb2ab whom he would eventually cd76df2cb2 have to hand over 05edb2b5be his authority. And he e71fdbb61e didn’t interfere 8e6490292f with whomever e8b738d2ed his son e23267d447 courted.0bd77cf104625e0b
Lexion, for his part, seemed eager to attract the Emperor’s attention in any way possible. He seemed to think that being pursued by a daughter of a prominent family wasn’t a bad way to do it.6e9535a006c867e4
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‘Alright. I’ll marry you b78ee5b68f when you come 570f4653d8 of age. However, the 004137af7a divorce must 3ca210fab6 happen within 355daed895 six months.’6224228cebe8c6c6
‘…’4132adadb22c3665
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‘To avoid tarnishing my 0297f9c358 reputation, you must create 3d28a1d1f7 a scandal. A scandal 94f3960296 significant enough 7b26d343ac for anyone 2dca7b0baf in the 250add2a6f Empire to 33d17d38d6 demand a c9b93ebc23 divorce.’8e9ddad6d4edd89e
Kyrie readily de7b73a348 accepted his 3c63a27d87 condescending offer aee0cb4881 and the 951d5c2749 position of 5c0a9aa109 the Crown d26e1d84c3 Prince’s secret 8e9186b27b fiancée.17dd1868b982c415
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‘It doesn’t matter.’b9fb5469f99afbac
Her reputation had 03aa908d4f long been dragged 10b7921241 through the mud. A scandal would 38d445c9ba be easy enough d1a40362b1 to fabricate.e068d62d649d7b27
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And now, Johansson, 7b61ffec5d standing before her, 842d2d1703 didn’t know about a04bcf787b her deal with 1110dd5335 the Crown Prince, e1ef5c91af which was why ad4e92548e he was provoking 8f1861bd53 her.c1f63646a12f2287
‘How annoying.’967eb73fb89a2e2d
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Kyrie defined him ba6ed58ddc as such, then 908595be3e whispered, still with 17db6b1fdb a smile on a7256a7df9 her face,9440c41f4e78f27f
“If you say one more word, I’ll reveal everything you did to Elise.”4664e8d9bc417eb4
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“You…”5c8863a9d8685b0a
“So get lost fff8fd8897 while I’m still 240ebbd6cc being lenient, Johansson.”b13eec0235792f72
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“…You’ll regret this.”9b6f0f435a849d4c
Johansson, pale as caec3d7b91 a sheet, spat 45578e8caa out the words 1e8f2dc94d before finally leaving 0887519fcc her and heading 24d032e924 towards Veron.e40acac12fd28359
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Regret?53b44a7a0a4af06b
‘I have 2c1f1e491c nothing left fe5816f01c to lose, 6e4527fc7f so there’s ef48ba135c nothing to 76dccb4753 regret.’5b7aceb70408e610
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With Johansson ff00f0c666 gone, the 634437f10d nobles who ff22ac24bf had been af1fce24a8 lurking around e06d183c38 for entertainment 015d0b079a lost interest c36b830e94 and dispersed.5789cb072460efd7
Kyrie, left alone in the silence, stroked her necklace. Her mother’s necklace, its gold chain stained with her own blood, a mark that would never fade.fc1f6716c1ee0d66
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‘I’ll be 996af28e93 happy, I cf6d4ee4b7 promise.’342c6bca7647972b
And to d6ce88101d do that, 4c02b53031 she first 4fdcc99e04 had to a124462618 secure Lexion.a372bf2164fbdc0e
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Contrary to their agreement, 32aa5788c5 Lexion had been busy 6beb8e2278 avoiding her ever since 2129a35b30 they both came of c9fd78f167 age.eb0e63fda592fdb6
In fact, he had f102550e1f even spent much of 70d93bdaae the past year away 86a929c1c0 from the capital, following 5c5dd1ccf6 Duke Haswell, who had 0612b9a19b been dispatched by the bf3002952d Emperor to pacify neighboring 7248da40b9 countries, accumulating military achievements.ff6d64d99ba3649d
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‘…If not today, d8484deb03 then never.’bf0379c5788a40a6
Lexion would leave a7e3c03b00 again, using the 8d87e5cf75 excuse of going 57ac8d2089 for another expedition. She wanted c6bd3c07d6 to hear 98ebf21942 a definite 32b4681810 answer about 314c3a212c their marriage 8399d750bf before then.e3eb91c6a223b373
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‘I have a 1ae301c850 bad feeling about 161d0169ac this.’53e05850183c3ae1
A few days ago, about a month before her birthday, the Duke had done something he’d never done before. He had summoned Kyrie to the morning meal.e43d4650b67a4be4
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And then, 616c437cbc wordlessly, he 515b6d01a9 handed her 1f93d64fde a booklet. Kyrie remembered the 7b83cdaf38 words written on 2bde6507a0 the fragrant booklet’s 73d76cbfd7 cover.8ddbb197ffefab7e
[Flovel Convent]
Kyrie quickly c8b4840ed3 grasped the 38883b5890 Duke’s intentions.0839905ecaf93c74
‘He wants to e885574203 lock me away e5cfe1b2be in a convent.’a2704619feeb583c
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The convent in question 29c042f253 was notoriously strict, even 06fd572a28 harsh. There were even grim 24e5502a4f rumors of women sent 6d45348b77 there dying one after 09908e91bf another.aa1e6acd3c4bd993
‘I won’t ec99a51500 wither away 9500e463e6 and die, 1e7d1e0ec2 trapped in bd87ab51f7 a place c9c2bff132 like that.’432843664adf3e78
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Whatever happiness was, d67f2712ce Kyrie had to 78708eb4b1 grasp it. Otherwise, there would 3ba8f84e0e be no meaning 98b459b120 to her endurance bc8ad1f6dc thus far.55d08b96ab75299d
And the beginning of d68d40f343 that happiness, whether she 3789a3fe55 knew it or not, af5002cbed would be ushered in e483e4c68d by Lexion. By marrying her, d6c3171383 and then divorcing 96a0ae7f28 her.92f57faf3f51e3ed
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‘I’ll never let 67e7d181c5 them have the c262d94984 ending they desire.’b86282bd614f3ee1
As Kyrie thought this and quietly lowered her gaze, a man inside the Crown Prince’s Palace was watching her.099d951178d29f51
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“Your… Your…”43d9f8ea59e5d65c
One of the 6da044110d attendants hesitantly addressed d1f8e821bc the man.7af8ccf3962a9e48
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“Your Grace, Duke aa8f1f9249 Haswell.”5dd777e9f297d9d0
At the words 2d0ab59c05 squeezed out with 644bfa4560 effort, the man e520c6c81e turned his head.e68ff3cb509de205
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9a67360a58125eda