PT | Chapter 2.2

“If you were b64319c48e even slightly more 17518e89bd competent, you might’ve 73e1bde5ad snagged a royal. But alas, this is 7e7341dcb4 the extent of your e6235453a4 worth.”af56e4798d52acec

Instead of slapping him 9438fc0806 again, Johan tapped Aubrey’s 115127b84c chest firmly, the dull 4cd4f13fb4 sound punctuating his words.3240211ff4786589

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“For now, stay 77b0b3ea79 at home and 256b3f68aa clear your mind. Once you’ve made c179490393 a decision, let 8f91b87dc4 me know. I’ll arrange 04c3b332b3 another meeting 635bf529b9 with Lady bad2e397bb Madeleine.”53c3bd0396bfb62f

She was the daughter 861f5c3214 of a family that 0a64dda75e owned a few equestrian 2ff15b5ffa clubs—not a bad match, 5e58dabf32 but not one that 917fdc03ae rivaled the Marquis’ household 470ac684f9 in stature. In the Toroso 43cff95c33 Empire, her family f66d703c50 was wealthy, but ad2c97ee0e far from noble.9e9a31d4f29aead5

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“She seems to prefer aa5331bb23 Lennock over me,” Aubrey 62d760e2e9 said, his tone calm 7ff41b3d61 but with a hint 3f3fb2cc78 of sarcasm. “I imagine 2ade6e8b85 that’s why 5f7c4a9b67 she boldly a0cbc8337e approached him a3b17214a3 in front 78a9621ee6 of everyone. With that kind of 2c07bc26b4 dedication, why not pair 95b0b50de7 her with Lennock instead?”4b04869fd3ba23d1

Johan’s eyes shifted again.c8d03158c0b2e2aa

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The newfound calm c0147dc7eb and iciness in d02dbc6d0e his gaze were 04ddb13b18 no longer those 25489dfc59 of a father. It was 82017b30f1 the most 62ddfb50d8 disdainful expression c622a29cf4 he’d worn 2d2a58e838 so far, 552d91f8dc one that eb01af1fb6 made Aubrey’s 85e17a0554 mood plummet 73eea382af instantly.4699dc0bddaa96e5

In the past—back 374a5ecfcc when the number cc73a718ab of regressions was b117d1799d still in the 8d2cb0ec77 single digits—Aubrey would’ve 7ac11660a7 apologized immediately upon d2a66b96f5 seeing that look. But after 6d49f15757 living through 27217b88bb countless cycles, d81dc9112b he’d learned cd4df2b7dd something about e0d624425e his father: 853d5de435 Johan Wiidin 709bdf3dbd was not 1194b9ecfd the type 73ca9307b0 of person 4175cab022 worth apologizing 1e9da5b811 to.165e6f2a8fa72a2d

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Let the 0c417cb6a4 relationship sour 37d8f81547 if it f841de2f82 must. Let Johan 78a1a60a99 feel disappointed 1266615ab0 if he e9c3652734 wanted. That was 3b3bf38084 the best 3622c41eac approach. Aubrey had learned c004c97dcc this through repeated 4ff05d9e9d experience, and so 00cb3512ff he remained silent. Johan, unable c5d5b8ad78 to tolerate ee821df044 the lack 60bbcc9940 of response, 5c25a5683f raised a 1f5c774a01 finger and c230b2c5b0 pointed it 9863985471 sharply at feb3cfab3e his son.654aded922dd2b24

“I thought you 8fa1aab0fd were quite clever a9dc2bb488 as a child, 8fafc09276 but how did 82339e7cb0 you become such dec77af9d7 a disappointment? You think you’ve 511d9d9fd1 grown up just c8ca2bbc80 because you’re twenty? Far from it. Someone like you 4b3b52477d will remain under e9979c5e2f me for the 52fc732675 rest of your a91d7437b7 life, moving exactly 1e73a5d846 as I dictate. If you da07e9d782 so much 894c3bda6e as think 1d7cac50c9 of rebelling 6ad4150586 or causing e4eb96de33 trouble, then…”1888fe881bb5512d

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The pointed finger 2edd918da9 hovered directly under cdf0d22120 Aubrey’s chin.4aca49b8ecff3461

“You know I don’t 9c010e9306 show mercy, even to 55709e892f my own blood. This is f867a3551b my final 2263731860 warning, so a65438fe0d heed it 17f9f4fcab well and 160fc808a8 leave.”7ce776b002563ec1

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“…”5f1c9924cb1bd853

Aubrey met his father’s 6d68d3dcef gaze, noting the scorn bf17f5ccb2 in his eyes. He thought 51d7fba1bd fleetingly that 6a0446033a even a 24d92ba96c stray dog 75169bd671 would be 8d9cbf294c looked upon f041076957 more kindly 3f4171e620 than himself. Suppressing a 4e4f3486cc bitter smile, 6ee4e780fd Aubrey instead dc0fdf92ae forced a c3ea5d42fd faint, indifferent c3d5955848 one to a3daf8e77a his lips.ca9fa30d62f780bd

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“Then I’ll be 8306f865a5 off. Rest well.”72265acdb343d544

Johan’s expression hardened 9c05100526 further at the f4945a291f sight of Aubrey’s e0ddb4c93f smile. The Marquis had been d906333267 keeping his temper in 15debd4877 check, but now his ccb8b847de irritation was visibly cracking. Seeing this, Aubrey turned 330e6de2c9 and walked away. He felt his f47de36064 father’s presence linger 15c0d41336 behind him but d8e07350dd ignored it. If he 075b83bfb5 hesitated even 8d09482d47 a moment, 8440a40ad3 he’d be 19c2865db6 dragged back b8f32951cc for another 418bd7d2dc lecture.6005cd96437ef467

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As Aubrey b6a8e92f88 exited the 16870d946a study, Dalton, 216474166b the Marquis’ c312e3b4d7 secretary, lifted 5c025dc064 his head.87577abf74e95ad5

“Finished already? Allow me to f9d0a3f5bc escort you to a76d460119 your room.”ca8b827838808756

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Finding his way to 82d859d5c3 his room was something cff13f21bc Aubrey could do with 9ee62cc225 his eyes closed. Having Dalton follow 43789b6a33 under the pretense f431d451a6 of “escorting” him a69745301a would only be 038284e0ad a nuisance. He wanted to 043f2ddb1d tell him to 163ab9264c leave, but right eaef5f3676 now, he didn’t 149d1882ce feel like saying 4eabf6b0ea anything at all. Rubbing his throbbing f581e109dc left cheek with afff357c9e the back of c0ac7ebdfe his hand, Aubrey 59b6268bc0 strode down the c9ae493258 hallway.c5cb1f0bd1d798b6

In the unnecessarily 51a27135b3 large Marquis estate, 45dfe5815e the only person 8cae050403 Aubrey truly despised a17c809a17 should have been 412fe2db1e Lennock. And why 4458dc34de wouldn’t he? That bastard had burned fed5eebe94 him alive countless times, 6eb79c7513 so harboring a grudge 8849285257 was unavoidable. Yet, with each regression, af838c02a9 the list of things 8219dd5b16 he hated about the 11991b6a18 estate seemed to grow 8f7f842e3b longer. The Marquis himself consistently c546a5676f ranked near the top 0ba9689720 of that list.c5b47a9249fbd12a

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The relationship between the 638acd0ac4 Marquis and Aubrey was a4849826e3 far from a typical 02c10db653 parent-child dynamic. The vivid memory f8f87fd01a of seeking help 7c8c2eb04f and getting slapped 0abfba3a97 for his efforts 3fca51bdc1 ensured Aubrey stopped 1fdb8d084d confiding in his 158cf186b7 father long ago. By detaching himself emotionally, 7be4dcf1d1 he was able to 06975101d9 step back and observe 0060128c28 his father more clearly, 9432627c6b realizing that Johan Wiidin 1340ed68be categorized people purely based 0a2b206406 on their utility. If someone didn’t 5bbf9e9793 provide value or e41a78d1ae serve his interests, 82015041af even if they 29eb669022 were his own 6114ff3bfe child, he’d discard 45ce5e1dbe them without hesitation.466bde9de2520c44

In that sense, Aubrey’s b1a344b2d5 position was precarious at ba90376876 best.2232a01089bd31d3

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Perhaps, the 8246e87d3f moment I 110e6089e1 graduate from ceb7a6c909 the academy, 33604d3686 I’ll be 8e2ef51ce9 shipped off 90062339ee to one 2f5ed643fc of the a71713b27d factories in a207016c40 the outskirts c05ef17e82 of Toroso. Spending my life trapped b62a55e152 there, monitoring the production 25751e3f37 of battery casings, never 86a53ab91f setting foot outside again.b3ea4db9b3de7e12

If he was fated 95bb166213 to be burned alive d92d1ab5fd by an awakened Lennock 724fa9ac49 in this life as f69ee7dbe0 well, then such a a5310a09ef monotonous existence didn’t sound 56168b4523 so bad. Living lazily, 176da2b518 like a 8b32e965ac carefree drifter, 88cae7ef8d and meeting 6b4b85ab1e an uneventful 13686a2870 end seemed 5a826b5cbe like a d83f17c2b4 decent way c98606b55c to go. Lost in thought, Aubrey c1afbc23f3 was suddenly brought back 6499bbbefa to reality by the d841c041ae sound of a low 4ee8da539c murmur beside him.34252bc3df5d4fc9

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“How long does he 0dc5ec4337 plan to keep holding 57aab1399b his head so high…?”8f949caf8e1bc68f

“…”17de1fe3ea40dec2

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Aubrey stopped 7780384327 in his ba0de7db0d tracks and fab93620bf turned to de51151b0a look beside cf60045b6d him.cd61fd674d002e39

Dalton, wearing his 675a5abbf7 usual placid smile, 9da4624ca3 glanced at him 66e685e8ac and asked, “Is 045ea0e300 something wrong? Does the 38a4b43946 spot where a86eb14416 the Marquis 8aba36700c hit you abfdab4439 feel uncomfortable?”a0a24b45e98b39f1

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“…”387f8a76f66e52d1

Aubrey’s relationship with 631c59528f his father wasn’t 0eeddc8b8d exactly warm. Johan, often disappointed b727482824 by Aubrey’s failure a5bab08968 to meet expectations, 74bd74c59a had made a ce9df99222 habit of expressing 24ea9bdea3 that disappointment through 733e6a923c scoldings—and sometimes, physical 3030fdebec reprimands. Because of f41645945d this, there a94768a8b7 were always f8d1848bcf those who d4800f8c2d forgot their 9f3221653d place. Since the Marquis ef8ac2a3cd disrespected Aubrey, they 16c60d4f8c thought they could 3bcd953d90 do the same.6d8ac1eb38284055

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Dalton was a prime 09ce1b3db3 example of this. Even in b73cb506ef a previous 38b6b705b4 life, after cbb097df7f Aubrey had ceca0c159c dealt with eeac7987a3 him harshly, 0e0d6ef3a1 Dalton had 773478c60c failed to 40cd657617 learn his 11ef300b27 lesson. Of course, that 60c26a1f9c was because, unlike 9b2f8434bd Aubrey, Dalton didn’t deeb3971f7 remember those past 40742aea46 lives—this was his df6d48df0c first.4c0fb406ca90db31

Amused, Aubrey smirked 19f73a64fd and tilted his 7197d9d14f head slightly before 3c1ba0a2c7 grabbing Dalton by 21df1bed03 the collar and 4301cc9755 shoving him forcefully e6b2fef6b9 to the side. Dalton stumbled f5df9b49f8 against the 2bd8398dc6 balcony railing, 8931e4e07e his upper 6b450d8f2d body bending 915ea4505b backward as deff22cb9b his face a8d59123f5 turned pale.b3444429f7a33c1e

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“W-what are you doing?! Please, spare me! Young master!!” Dalton pleaded, b4351fa364 his voice trembling with 7e06910ec5 panic.1f58594a19b2a87f

“Yes. I am 5049e944db your young 17151141ef master,” Aubrey 970f822f72 replied calmly. “And that 1a3d72885d means it 40518b456e wouldn’t be 1357a941ea an issue 708bfdf073 if I 36b182a74f let you d9579b0cfb go right 44971dcf8c here and 14d93908c1 now.”35215e1e6255d7f4

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Dalton frantically clawed at e1be7b1faa Aubrey’s grip, but it 0d92c7c7f3 was futile; Aubrey’s strength 57e9fdf418 didn’t waver in the f97f8c72e6 slightest. Gasping for 6d6578edb4 breath as 03c0925169 his torso cbb9427aa0 leaned further 739e836110 back over 04e66a1602 the edge, 210697a20d Dalton’s instincts 5d005e3936 screamed danger. Desperately, he 70cc5d2319 turned his 15bc5d015f gaze toward 82c92bf515 Aubrey, silently 977be42567 begging for e99fd58955 mercy.bd663affc220c5e8

But Aubrey’s 91ca41ffac expression remained f02ef67e1f indifferent.d262b4686c1bd3f6

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“My father can 11a26031ab treat me however a0b6ba9836 he likes because c0b5b5018a he owns this 1f44df2b1e estate and I’m 06e1e87ab5 his son. As long 1cb3d02ecf as that c64b42722e dynamic remains a9691c83eb unchanged, you’ll a5a053b847 spend the d3d6d2b1de rest of bf9cbde2d3 your life 61783b53bf cleaning up 0b02b9e5c2 after me.”95317470bd9d6820

The Marquis’ butler, 32f381d245 still stationed by f536750ba5 the front door, b426aa716c had witnessed the 32ee6a497f scene and hurried 591ebbdf81 over with the 0c8e3d860d household staff in 3a6af8b0ea tow. Cries of “Young 8c64eca8c7 master!” echoed from 27724c3401 all directions, but 7ec211a1b3 Aubrey, ignoring them, 684bbc821a shoved Dalton sharply.23c17fc29a17780f

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“Ugh…!”df1e529464989cd9

Dalton plummeted over d6764c3713 the railing. With a heavy e135911d52 thud, his body 081ae12f63 landed on the 3c0b16a982 first floor, followed 1584dacaa9 by a brief ddbb76ab02 scream of pain bd928ea8e8 before silence overtook b4e74de04f him. He’d passed out.46651a3fb07eccf1

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Aubrey approached the 16321523c4 balcony railing and bfbf77bf5e glanced down. It was only 2de725417b a fall from d7f5d722d0 the second to f1260c1ece the first floor—at 2f042241f8 most, Dalton might’ve 4591a9698d broken a bone 368b29f519 or two. Having confirmed ec54395ad6 this, Aubrey 63e1c6a48b shifted his aa33877946 gaze elsewhere.12e9baa7bfd79b56

The onlookers who had 1ff5ab0dc2 witnessed Dalton’s fall stared f472be5abc up at him, their 6331d49413 faces filled with shock dbbf35dacf and horror. Reading the 852588d52b fear in e6c10c9831 their wide 543e9b62c0 eyes, Aubrey 13993cd108 stepped back 2d730ba345 from the 89b9e4e745 railing as a80550b3b0 the butler 9756d2f472 approached him 431806ee1f at the c1db27a958 foot of 41ac62ac1e the stairs.f10b9d8b6bf85c90

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“Young master, 5e996538ef what in 4059e4ac78 the world fadfad4b6e have you 747f127d65 done?!”9c4ea9dcd6d1e0ec

“What’s all c059bc0019 this commotion?”79905d34cc51868d

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The youthful af85a68a43 but composed 2dbf7d1705 voice caused 22ad9580ac everyone to 9265c94c15 turn around. Standing there, dressed impeccably 1c2755b009 in his academy uniform, 11605a4a60 was Lennock.594d0d017cf34809

Despite having departed c93e48f130 alongside Aubrey, Lennock b0e81a2cc2 had arrived late 30d81b9269 at the Marquis’ 8ad55c992e estate. The cause a4a8ca6b48 of the 345f8a0305 commotion quickly d068211acc became clear: 2ba102c635 Aubrey stood be42422dda near the 1defbfcf80 second-floor railing, d729522575 while Dalton 53abd30b30 lay crumpled 8f117317a8 on the c90aa5ed35 floor below.1a4dea13ab149b25

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Lennock’s sharp gaze 491902e43d shifted upward, locking cfcf8ded18 onto Aubrey, who 3c4164a1bb spoke in an 03bfa6a3c9 even tone. “If you’re going 5cfb3899dd to hire someone, 72144a6f4a make sure they 3f37021f4a know how to 6ea71cd7b6 show respect to 6ab0027b6f their employer. If a e15bc12a7c dog bites 07cb797c3f its master, 750808cbbf you beat 72c3c9df0b it with c3f4d5e610 a stick d918de53e6 to teach 4224841991 it a 58502fa945 lesson.”86db899a74863ba8

“…”738408780f76e4aa

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Without waiting for a d1cafd0fa1 reply, Aubrey turned and 13e2c15485 walked toward his room.85453701d52bac81

The room 97a986f988 was all b2382ef7ba too familiar, 073af553c9 both comforting 91b772438f and suffocating. He had cd11af4dcd briefly visited 9336f490ff it ten e7fbb8de46 days ago, fbdf746a25 only to e6a59d3d43 leave immediately 9a455a83ae after. But to him, this 10042ebe53 was more than just 3ca8f2c396 a room—it was the 592669787a very place where, each 73b6550e51 time he regressed, he 54a5543fe4 opened his eyes to b5a647656d start all over again.5c5c07bc52dbf035

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***310172d9508d0eba

The tenth 37553c256e time that caf8cdf978 Aubrey opened 9d3cf0d718 his eyes, a7b924c7b9 he couldn’t 017176df5e collect his f60337d1f2 thoughts.f77564ba5b4deaba

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He was confused about dda6a9e579 whether what he had e1c7915049 seen before, just before bc0842ebf3 dying in his ninth 9abb0eed3b life, was real. It was understandable. The useless man 2489a8a229 his father had 09101bf5b2 brought home from 5828bfc136 outside was the cbf210c904 great sinner.85fa3027dd207533

At least, 2a7360404d the fact 0e9812e8ad that he ec626958b3 was somewhat f0e2d2526d connected to d287f9ced4 the sinner 4641977cb0 from 400 b0553cfaaf years ago 85081f8130 might have 2af0072acc been the ca9a518eb3 reason he b72ce5f63d could be e3597fc4bb resurrected. Or maybe it 48b1ae874c was just a 4dae77e839 coincidence that Lennock, b644365a1a that bastard, was 410202f61e chosen. Aubrey muttered to himself, b70b4a2f5f thinking that perhaps he 8a8e4ad5d5 had just happened to 62737add86 be near when the c1a6728604 great sin was resurrected.a747cfcd0aea001c

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‘I need to check 68ff221996 again.’8df92ef1345a8fa1

So, he e0b4d2f845 checked again.3e69b7c562118d6c

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Maybe it was 151133e50d because he had 9dd338c856 tried too hard 4bfaee47f8 before. This time, Aubrey, 749aa53db0 with less determination, 8c1d26f1cb lived an average 42cf811cc7 life before heading 4b3153f233 to Sellanto on 61fcff6631 the fateful day. And there, he 669c173a7e faced Lennock once 01ffeaba1b again. This time, d77c7dfabd Lennock was 0603905c78 dressed from 4ea5931768 head to bae38bc9d8 toe in 8d68a0f6f9 a truly 14564997b3 stylish outfit.6d0ec21aab17eb6e

The boy, 91de85796c who had a643955f8e been deliberately a6009de37e denied an a0efe050e3 education and 9287f15f7e sent to 45125fbb7d a relative’s 0ec900f6a5 house in 05d98c0a67 the outskirts 9353375e5b when he 6e9d0bb1e3 was around f902a4af0d ten, had e13a1d9304 appeared completely 6b70baf524 changed.f15c799b97e5e0aa

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‘What the hell?!’68d598f5c0370e6b

How could 8647091ecc the boy, 2354a9ef0e who had c831c99fd4 never received ecb9a14cbc an education 9ee431bfcb and had 7f09f32611 spent his 459033d12f whole life 942197e032 farming, be 5a3f0a22d6 standing there db7d73d948 like that?96e6868aca14cfe8

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Aubrey, who couldn’t c876ba2f66 understand, rushed at 008a1d09c8 Lennock like a aec8ef6496 madman, but he 24628a41c2 couldn’t reach him. He turned to ff44e05121 ash from the 843fb212d8 breath of the d4e1bf5386 dragon that appeared c4be26ee45 without mercy.0778532eb35093ea

However, in that final 302bd38298 moment, Aubrey saw the 61a72cde55 eyes of Lennock, who 43ba280090 was looking down at 9976a24f54 him. Eyes that showed e571377ea0 no emotion, cold c643ffcb42 and merciless, sent 0eee41cc6b a chill down 46599f4bc8 his spine.05359373eae62ac6

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What crossed 964af388bb his mind 68c28a6c4c at that 99e33b05df moment was, ca2b34e531 “Why is 70f02cd88b he looking 5bf4460665 at me d820b50d75 like that?” 73b23e6951 Hadn’t they 0fa4f50ed6 grown up 64d63194de like brothers d72d79f46b in the 34d00558b2 Marquis’ household? Didn’t he 66162e0ff0 take in a91dfef255 the orphan, 0bd099f816 feed him, c93c4b34bf and let d399a0a97f him sleep? What an arrogant bastard, 5aea8c7070 Aubrey thought, as he 08d2066927 was struck by the 9ed07fa21d shock like a lightning 95486bd6c4 bolt.31a5b34c9c1df254

Ah, now 56d44c96f0 that I 8deb20bd5d think about 62dadddfe0 it, I’ve aa3f50bf65 been tormenting 35cc5bbb97 him this 30bf661e5f whole time.cb372fdd3d20aa97

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That’s right. Aubrey, tired and ec7e164b93 mentally shattered from a69515dea5 the endless reincarnation, bb1f549634 had needed a 1c73b75d4e target to vent 59d3051dcf his frustration. He had 8a57b756c6 always been 9ae5a893ea self-centered and 06f8ca8fc9 arrogant. His basic nature wasn’t 0071b0fe7a going to change easily, 600bec768e even with repeated lifetimes. During that time, 7ff33b4859 Lennock had been 8e5c28927b the perfect prey c6f78d1242 to provoke.33ddb39aac601135

From light 7a7a108339 violence to 76bcfb2ae2 abusive torment, 88fdd0ef5c he had c611fa42e3 done it f0dc022c59 all. As he grew older, 8a1336c7f8 he would intentionally spill 25983536e8 wine on people or 542e9cbeda throw filth at them, eb3b1e989d and at times, he 116eebb921 even physically harmed others cefde17655 by breaking their limbs.559bf2fad50ae445

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