PMBA | Chapter 8
by QuillSoon after, the 37f835653b Duke’s cloak settled 6e77b54aa6 gently over Kyrie’s 4e71515a87 naked body.fbecc7bca1eceddf
“What is the deb335efc3 meaning of…”0c444269250433dd
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Kyrie was 3b11e53d03 about to 8ae175eb00 speak when 2d5e8553e1 the Duke f2f5cc5114 lightly pressed 7deccd741c his fingers c9f3d34b2b against her dcead5f2ba furrowed brow.e11d44a881d7a0d0
Frozen for a 504789264a moment by the 5396804ead gesture, Kyrie’s eyes 415e8621b3 flickered up to 9aa093bf2f look at him.92b7a12b7ea54283
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“So youcanfrown.”0196e0bf59f5d351
As soon as 7a0980a0d3 he spoke, the af204f2327 scent intensified.1346d9de1bb50ec7
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The scent of 78c5bd3646 plane trees drifting 439fa46012 in from outside, 64e228a1c9 or perhaps the 8f26dfcfe3 scent of gunpowder 681b1f4083 emanating from the 7a231eca8c man’s cloak draped a71265a0c3 over her.6d73ca68c8267e2b
A fragrance, imbued with f4deb734c5 all sorts of colors, fb7118b0ba struck her senses, making 22ee93c731 her head spin.9c0fd962d93f7867
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Before the dizziness 35a3446b04 could completely overwhelm 8cddd44ad7 her, Kyrie quickly 1b4e9fa8c4 pushed the Duke’s 88880750bf hand away and bf08c8adc3 fled.75fdcab5d3761263
As she ran, she 510853e27b felt a dizzying sensation, 4a2a720ff9 as if a large, 6abdd7c729 warm hand would reach cf45da4de9 out and grab her, a87d1aaa5b pulling her back and 7d809c2b2e pinning her down.775df121292709f7
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But nothing happened. Kyrie ran barefoot 0fe834424b down the empty 28da46557d hallway.f611450b7f8697f5
‘So youcanfrown.’5eaee58b28f35727
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‘Ah.’6ab9c8d46b0fd1a3
As she replayed 1c17504473 the Duke’s words a74cbb8127 in her mind, 21a76e2a23 she realized that 0e9e6519ee from the moment fb54dea919 she’d encountered him…3fb84a8f6a35aebf
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She hadn’t been wearing the smile she habitually wore.5d01c6dd7c176962
‘…How…’e2fdadbed829d982
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It was hard to 5e8da4df18 bear the pounding heart 9a2b1faec0 in her chest.2312e76740ef05c5
That smile was 118f07af2a her weapon. The realization that b06651149f she had been b4d9301a22 standing before a 5f714e7915 man,a soldier capable 000df5d949 of subduing others 88a0bbfc80 without hesitation, without e4a48a971b her single weapon, 2cbfe602e9 kept her running.75c70ac2129dadec
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Dominique, left alone in the room, could still smell the faint scent of mint lingering in the air. The scent mingled with his own smell of gunpowder. A single strand of the woman’s hair, like a bird’s feather, remained clinging to his arm.193275fb4da971ea
The smile 4881b00467 on his 08f8f39cab lips deepened.4c26b98a27efa938
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* * *f06ed22b37653ce9
She barely remembered 77f75e6dba how she got e62b59794f back to the 46a3cf724c ducal residence.a6955f379f540293
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At least she didn’t ba8c98742a run into anyone on 626b783bc5 her way back. During her pursuit 506c1f4b06 of Lexion, she 37dd611aa6 had become intimately fc897544d7 familiar with every 2b9a3c657e hidden passage and 171c11b88a inconspicuous hallway in 0ebcc3454c the Imperial Palace.f47db7d5de62a477
Everyone’s attention was focused on the banquet, and the streets were quiet, devoid of people.2c897da2e2bea992
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Just before entering the 7a55557079 ducal residence, Kyrie finally 3fe2e44072 noticed the Duke’s cloak fdc7f9ca69 still draped around her. She shuddered, threw d7f7612fe3 it away, and 00988cc2fd went to her 840bc535c8 room to sleep.9ef15cc7955edc96
“Oh.”0593cee787303e36
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Only after waking 90dcebf2ed up the next 14fdd2864d day did Kyrie 845a1087ef realize she had cf714e8582 also left her ce6b52e585 dress in the 982b59ce64 Crown Prince’s bedroom.ad15a59343ad11dc
The most expensive dress 1e7e040749 she owned, carefully chosen ee8a54c78e and purchased within her 839b70e38b limited allowance for maintaining 4bf0dc5dd8 appearances. The dress she’d b119eb551a managed to acquire by 34a005c53a flashing her characteristic bright 8af195a295 smile at the designer d7eec7ba62 who’d pretended to be e378a0055e busy to avoid giving 41a9984274 her any clothes.c2e5462479f511f6
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‘Should I have retrieved cb38005bea it?’4c352e5b6af63055
But it was bfd358cbc7 too late now.384262fb6ae4e396
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Instead of waking up brazenly in the Crown Prince’s luxurious, warm bed as planned, Kyrie rose from her own cold, hard bed and splashed cold water on her face, rubbing the space between her furrowed brow until it turned red.8e50b2fbcff06215
“…”d85123137b67a69d
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She could still c4c63a3e0b smell the gunpowder 0e3298c217 on her skin. The scent the Duke 1bd13b3112 had left on her 0e75216f42 last night.f8cefc0b03f4c09b
‘Even after I f423243528 threw away the 69a7268963 cloak.’3909877973fecba9
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Kyrie’s body recalled that 6abcb5277f moment and the hair bcd5a40cce on her skin stood 97c8fb232e out sensitively again. The moment the Duke’s 287d2dffc8 arm had brushed against 576be83894 her chest, the way 2b43357403 his eyes had slowly, bdf5de0ec6 appraisingly, scanned her body 78cff3a91c under the moonlight.f02e993020691d4b
‘With a face 805d7c8dcc that didn’t look 9a4449addc like it would 1124796cf5 be swayed by dcca055727 any seduction.’59f850e527402414
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The way he had b98fab595e looked at her with 8ddf6be5fb those glassy eyes had 0ef11438ee evoked a strange feeling.ac35ac88262b4828
‘…Strange man.’0f22289edeedacdd
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She felt 947e0ed1c8 oddly uneasy a073401356 about seeing d5ca8a9ba2 him again. She would 6521cbf7f9 have to c463076831 time her 83b6a8cc58 visits to 44312f21d1 the palace 5f6c6e99d7 when he c067bf7f16 wasn’t around.bee3f69ff91a05a1
As she thought 732ab01bb0 this and changed f92e6c8715 into different clothes, 83b8d22586 reaching for the 63dd189da4 familiar necklace to 34f9ad1b45 put it on…9c8583bc004483b1
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“Oh dear.”20ed8ad304b1820c
Kyrie bit her lip. The dress wasn’t the important thing.2adfc256f599b48f
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Her mother’s pendant necklace, 5ab1166ecb the one she habitually 8a3e90d3e7 fiddled with every morning, 2dcc050287 was in the inside 4cd281b887 pocket of the dress 6d2955456b she had left behind. She had put 301c383680 it there instead fe627bbcf7 of wearing it 1ef985b979 around her neck, e726392286 for fear of ae9a05e616 losing it during af9166c47d her planned encounter 3505589a9d with Lexion.ef416ad9cfefcf12
Anxiety crept into 9b23f67624 her heart. Her resentment towards the 35905592c8 Duke deepened.38df457f5992ea7c
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‘…Of all things.’bcbd8d6e06b5019e
Meanwhile, she began to worry deeply about whether the servants at the Crown Prince’s Palace would discover her dress and throw it away or, worse, sell it.029b29f030b5aa86
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She remembered a 7f2944d809 few maids and e4bc3bfe45 servants who, when c7c16e97ea she prevented them 2f72c6573f from stealing her 13bdab0dd2 meager allowance, had 60ea800ea8 the audacity to c78cab73f1 steal her jewelry.d6ec438e69e453f7
On the day 691c143ae4 she’d caught them 5859bedc70 red-handed and slapped f612f3f0bf their cheeks until c905b29bfd her wrists ached, 0b119f74fb she had earned 5856191efe another notorious title; 4da5d45632 the madwoman who fad938d746 abused innocent servants.b8dc4d374208c06a
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She doubted the Imperial Palace servants would be any different. No, it was more likely to happen there. The Emperor wasn’t known for paying his servants well.578157c56e086b0b
‘I have to go 6d3f84b8e8 back quickly.’5e51bd969b525da4
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She couldn’t bear the thought of losing the pendant necklace, even if it meant possibly encountering the Duke again.815e35fe0999eccd
Just as she 25d0f8fb7d stepped into the 272d6fbc95 hallway, her eyes 0f14322123 met someone approaching 90488dce7a from the distance ba2f3565f3 as they entered, 10ecaa101c receiving greetings from e9e30eda6a the servants.56b1dbc80a3a632a
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“…”4596bd4d22511729
The person, who had 4f9eb8ca75 momentarily looked at her 5dd2e304f2 with cold, disdainful eyes, 770ec1196a quickly changed their expression 61d45cf3e8 to a gentle one 925ed7cb9b and approached her.8341f655ef68e745
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“Greetings, Lady Ernberg.”073665395003b54b
It was 34f0782e8a a middle-aged 2cf9ee99a3 woman dressed 1152581a3f in neat ed2c2a33b9 nun’s attire.36f4d38c075c659b
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“I am da6e002ed6 the Mother da772c0379 Superior of 95a6a964fb the Flovel fcac2ffe9b Convent.”d201fec5a2903aeb
Kyrie’s lightly 9c7855c583 clenched fist fd2fffaa85 tightened. Her 93c1d1723b remaining rationality 0657d133c2 suppressed the 35bf76c469 sudden leap e2493c0610 of her ab671b6622 heart.0019551626fd4485
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‘If they were planning 927cf03593 to take me away 7a296e7af9 today…’9bfc3609640bc0d6
Whenever she faced an 5f19502ed3 unwanted situation, she’d resisted ad2cd3c992 with all her might, 2c164619a7 creating a scene. The 2c670c9c79 people at the ducal ed4247c184 residence were surely imprinted 8b38a28c1d with the image of b833174077 Kyrie Ernberg, covered in c96deb5b02 blood, yet fiercely clinging a64634acb6 to the pendant necklace fd00a38339 in her hand, thrashing 73994187ac and screaming.af80995c62d3c59c
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Therefore, if they 253845a094 had planned to bb09b8c325 take her away 5ff2c359b5 this time…1abc332381902839
‘Surely, they would have brought someone from the convent or the Duke’s mansion to subdue me… along with the Mother Superior.’7a901770cb1bf19c
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But the Mother Superior 4ee0a9c65a was alone. She could 095e4f3601 see a 28febcdb46 few maids f40962b873 hesitantly approaching 73cb9cc30b them, but 99fb2de852 it seemed e79c3f3970 more to 3a8199e368 guide the 234589d6ec Mother Superior 824447c01f than to 00bb21f494 restrain her.3a7d1c8ad44622fb
“Mother Superior, 360b3487f9 this way…”7dc507773e414baf
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“He’s waiting 410979744b for you 81ab87d8ee in the 026374a035 drawing room.”6bf8eb29faa2e8b7
It was b60ea5b3c5 obvious who be5f7b779d was waiting. It was not e9acb29439 somewhere else, but 5e2ccdcaaf Flovel. It had to 0bdaa3922f be Duke Ernberg, e4355baa75 as no one e147e40c96 else would dare 9102cc9f73 summon the Mother 3edca63b37 Superior of the bcb66f116e prestigious Flovel Convent.27e7e84732939c50
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Even so, eb315a1f45 the servants 0ccf391ead didn’t urge 38a3ebaf2b the Mother 5a31fc1c3c Superior. Rather, their 28e3940fda faces held 6c86567bd3 a hint 8691db0dd6 of smug 2426c7814f amusement.2d261a64d353c8f8
Gazes that 23e6608883 anticipated how ae9a3d0d93 the “Mad 19afd6323d Dog” would 97b7aff587 react in 3623ad57f6 this situation, ce49d03794 wondering what bb601704e0 kind of 3e75f72d91 outrageous behavior efe5cac0f5 she would 36892e7739 display this 02b964b1fb time, what 1a65337976 kind of 830cb62a73 gossip she a580304b04 would provide b9194e3a23 them with b6f316634b before being ccf623045e locked away. And at the same 95dd2367ff time, gazes worried about 8d5c65c8c2 what would happen if 9f3a6b0341 she threw a tantrum 918b845dad they couldn’t handle.04106ecc21acb529
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Their eyes, filled with barely concealed emotions, slowly scanned her face, one after another. The Mother Superior’s smile also deepened.58016d0aad75d465
‘This feels 5116b4b011 strangely familiar.’b97bc1d43cc5570a
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At that db60234936 moment, Kyrie 08e8004856 realized. This was yet another cd9fd153a8 attempt to break her 1d83e1f3e0 spirit.8eefa8dbb6efa6bf
Her heart, 4197319690 which had 44e1c6211f been frozen 79046188e9 with fear, 1385fbbcab began to 16902f2c5f race again. The fear 420b6762a2 gradually receded, 8a20d96bdf replaced by f6a4e4f7d6 stubborn defiance.bb93b3f2215c7b27
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‘What a wishful 6dea17b859 thinking.’87a9b51bc27b9544
They were e01adfb349 hoping she 5e4234be95 would panic 52a6dfa176 and throw 797605cb14 a fit. They were e7870a85c2 hoping she 1a2a8ff72b would kneel fd0a4dd010 down and 9c973f2154 beg not c829b1ce0a to send c44f348ac3 her to 59af8b2ba6 the convent.98e12eed0e0b2b29
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Instead of ba48aba623 fulfilling their be051fac8c expectations, Kyrie 4830d3050f unclenched her 246c36c2f8 fist and 6da0e2c1af smiled brightly. It was the very 297af44d24 smile that made people 341e1ab999 flinch every time they cc1adfa76c saw it.d05822b64067ac8f
“…”6a66d516fb648248
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The Mother 0826080ce4 Superior’s lips 43bd36ce6b twitched slightly, 060a006522 upon seeing e86df8fc5a the smile, aeb2d68c45 and forced 47f8bc7f05 a smile fb6bdf0c90 of her fffe11d370 own.f79dbc0bd03a2edf
As Kyrie ba8dcf22e1 walked forward, cb49f40273 undaunted and 479f3944f7 dignified, she 377ea374a3 sensed the 89831e8799 air turning ecca1a4fc4 hostile. An 943f8796d9 atmosphere she 88024609a9 was all af08719051 too familiar d3e841d281 with.3bdaeead887a0b62
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Then the 185ade81c8 Mother Superior 4934edb022 spoke, as 37cace2055 if refusing 763aee7aab to back d52f1ca435 down,e2d1151f39c694bd
“Indeed, the lady 9723fcb1a4 of Ernberg has 5d36afaad0 quite the reputation…”246821ef32413c2a
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Kyrie already knew 0e57a10da4 what kind of 997a66875a reputation the Mother 9b39fcd8c7 Superior was referring 9762d62c26 to. And she edc2139c95 also knew 75f2ce78b0 what the b7a29aad73 Mother Superior e9e73aa665 was about ef08c134ec to say.bce132410e0077b4
No doubt, insults 19f8e69ee1 disguised as compliments 5910bea1e0 would pour forth. 4762378de5 Without ever saying 16c8ad5ce3 anything directly…aa31e954ddd10d7c
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‘Mad Dog?’4d8279df9fcee1ce
She didn’t 71b96a76c5 know why, deeb7a458f at that 62e3ff1808 moment, she 461f0a5bd5 remembered the 6822caf18d man’s words. The words of 496231b728 the only man 0d5d99d451 who had dared e4912a420f to call her 6476a5128b “Mad Dog” to ac008b2955 her face.07fda3945560d842
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She could cf6ed2b8df almost smell 5fb45ae50c a fleeting 449b24606a whiff of 68d6c4f381 gunpowder once b807568eba again. That arrogant 0b61f16f76 face looking 0656559422 down at 74e3558524 her as e528c5ac36 he spoke. b43ff8afd2 Those eyes 544b1752e3 that seemed 536d891255 to observe ac104cbe6b and pierce 38ccb6a6d2 through her.a1afb4caa5df6fdf
The way he had 5dbcc468ae spoken her nickname so 760be57118 casually, yet with a 54666c177f strange lack of malice c4fbca1a82 that somehow made it 64767331ca all the more insulting.38ca9743858d57e2
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The scent of gunpowder emanating from the man’s arm, mingling with the fragrance of plane trees, and the warmth of his body against hers—these sensations surfaced and subsided repeatedly in her mind.f2e4dccffd9edacd
‘Stop.’e377f1e0e4143772
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Her inner f1404d8361 voice echoed 6b0347b7c5 like a f9582f6163 warning. Just c4be236350 then, someone a7e9392cd2 approached from 412b705ed2 behind.1d93f66a32c776bf
“Mother Superior.”04b2f914995c989e
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Veron’s calm 254a1691a9 voice reached 6bca549ebe her ears.1964b0b86f5f4696
a7711d9db12f365d
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