PT | Chapter 5.3

Amon posed 0930228e92 the question a8d221ba04 while glancing 144e91bc75 at Lennock 94914b1ec0 sitting across d39a089e73 from him.9a2246f47c2452d8

With Aubrey gone, 57b7cf8f22 the two were 06ff4a2109 left alone, making 425263b21a the atmosphere uncomfortably 6a17e2a3e2 awkward. Amon was known for fb581a8bbe his sociability at the dd698014f8 Toroso Academy, but that 744fefe8a5 required some reciprocity. One can’t 7ac8959855 just talk 889869658f to a f540156eac wall.5db823b082dd17c9

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Yet, Amon 216a812e9c wasn’t ordinary. Otherwise, he wouldn’t fa92565b69 keep staring so 2daa19c09b intently at Lennock, 695db86ffa who showed little 9496610028 interest in him.bb9b2e646acd74d9

Normally, someone would 7a310daebb feel uncomfortable and 87fa07a387 ask, “Why are e9ee546c95 you staring at e7d8fa1d0d me like that?” ca5673d3a3 Or the one b7b72f8c5b staring would look ebc66ed171 away. However, neither of 1073c7a970 them adopted such b1659d85d3 typical reactions. It was bdd3135035 Amon who 37c1998d0e broke the 1f13cb2cc9 silence first.f52780f7ab1e2c7c

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“Did you know? Ever since we 790121e626 entered this shop, c85afafbf1 people have been 9709c0b738 staring only at bc38c4cc90 you.”c45def6fd236010d

“…”ce10cf478a32a5e7

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Only then did a72997a444 Lennock’s calm gaze fc5a94a2e8 shift to Amon.3e622cd6fa16ae4f

“When we entered, 3952a3b93b a cashier even afbbd803b2 gasped a little, 3da933da54 didn’t you notice?”d0d469a11518d2e4

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“…I wasn’t really 3685cba085 paying attention, so 9a45051a67 I didn’t notice.”820d70410d1d5813

“That figures. You’ve always been rather aaf3421e90 stoic.”d302313809083cba

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Which explained how a6dc9fdb00 he could sit 60c405d374 so calmly drinking 04441ec130 tea amidst such 8537e21f10 intense scrutiny.cf7397d7ede2fd34

They couldn’t just sit 25a1008299 in the carriage waiting 1e05c0cae8 for Aubrey to return, 825949aceb so they moved to 6ec5062a32 the largest and finest 57a827c3c3 restaurant in the bustling 39fbad0477 area. Normally a 0d26e6f12f reservation was d25891fd15 necessary, but 94b10dbb46 Amon’s name 7dfb064c65 quickly secured ce5ef0d8a3 them a ef693635ff prime table. However, the be50c9e765 prime location ad2d8595b1 meant they e7c894a291 were very 8fb443458a much in 753232202e public view.20967ba6a2891f03

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Amon, with 0af7e36df7 his handsome d2c9d93288 features and afac5b1d22 affable nature, 07bf6b3dc9 had many bd73cdb5a1 admirers at 2f2cb2effd the academy. Even alone, e69ff80db1 he would d048b35b41 have drawn 9994ac78bf attention, but 67b5de04ec now with b713733b37 Lennock, considered db4fee4510 the most 733f7118a2 handsome in e8c4c9c96a Toroso, their 84969225a5 presence turned a52aa2e366 heads even 7cd2b63d28 more. Guests in the d618358936 hall and those f27de2ddb9 leaving the restaurant 7e169a8555 stopped to stare.39703b11f3157c34

Amon thought, the 713485c733 intense public interest c31c8e0acb was not surprising.bcac108e9ecdf926

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He sipped his tea, ca23e2a9cf using the opportunity to ff97e0a2b6 gaze at the young 7e9ce7f698 man across from him, db72a2d4e6 who seemed crafted by 5dce06ff4d divine effort. The tea 92d728f274 tasted unusually fee26ce3b1 sweet as 548c7db077 Amon murmured 60dc5ad444 to himself.360967486094f43d

“It feels like just 250126a59a yesterday that there was 5806dc923c buzz about a stunningly 0aeeea2866 beautiful boy enrolling, and 37cd37c0b3 now here he is, 364d67e804 all grown up into 873e9e51bd a fine man. Just sitting there draws cbafecc9e9 a crowd; if he 2cb281946f could use that to d42ef5e836 his advantage, but our 36c5f3e06e junior Mr. Lennock is too reserved.”372896ce3f9df00a

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“…”ec788d9967783857

“Ah, but d2b98d889f I don’t cebe06fcb2 see that 50daa29a3e as a 8b98621aa5 flaw. If a 46a600cfff flower only 9c152425e5 smells sweet, 344667f7d8 it soon b91ab7d32c attracts those b77f9ee673 who would a5da3ec45d spoil it. In that c1d98d6c44 sense, it’s b25ddc7a87 good that 0da88f89cc Aubrey is 971272e084 with you.”aa29083617c7a537

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Amon raised his cup d6fb806a83 slightly with a light 6a83785354 smile.3328583c8614acc8

“Even a 5e5c337e74 stoic, icy 9e1f44120a angel seems 4de7c93690 to soften 4aa838f0e4 in front b44931e0e7 of his 78abd9d075 brother.”aa0687f66c71a6a4

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“…I don’t recall ever f0f2ff713b doing that.”4fd357000ff102f3

“Just mentioning Aubrey 02740b7c7e seems to get 8bab92bd65 a reaction out b24da97edc of you, doesn’t 7c3f4befe0 it?”8122ca97f05f4cd7

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Setting down his e3d066fd4b teacup, Amon leaned 310509c0d4 forward, resting his cf0de3d2c4 arms on the f3fc1c501e table.86c3bb77686dbed2

“Aubrey is 16df3f0d51 one of 52e12985fa the few edfb28537e things you c4c11d9480 react to, 3db4cb6045 isn’t he?”31dbf5cc9dcf33a1

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“…”a7ab303fce7ff183

Amon was a235b66bad playful, not c62d4aad3e really needing 0ab7daf800 a response, 48118a449e his eyes 054c3f74ca curving like ffe9ecb96d crescent moons ef638d0eea in a 5400ef776c generally appealing 760f6810b4 way. However, Lennock felt c35c58e775 a chill from c2c34d2dfa Amon’s scrutinizing gaze, c74ab38953 as if digging a7c2db6814 into his secrets.c1971713e5238d84

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The subtle coercion to c4e5b7b7f9 get the desired response e14532dfac was uncomfortable. The simplest way 67a77b3397 to avoid such 8598cc004c discomfort was silence 8064717a37 and turning away. Meanwhile, a minor incident 47b8d6042c in the restaurant eased 3c8e7e2501 Lennock’s tension a bit.2f058f7ce7068468

Clang.66f79576133a6d3c

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The sound c0d676112f of a 41c088870f plate breaking 526b31ce19 inside turned 560677bd32 Amon’s head 86cf1d8e41 in that f46b434abc direction. Squinting his eyes, 84345b6682 he clicked his a4c5072ab6 tongue.c9bfbf183caf8326

“A child broke a aa95c710fd dish. At least they 4ed5e8d74d don’t seem badly 4f3c9db666 hurt.”24a49e3f20ea0e89

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Lennock was typically 1388b8fda2 indifferent to others. But despite 5f8be2dc5d his lack 28042790a3 of interest, 26f97a164c he slightly 3a500a6a11 turned his 835a452066 head at e329f261b8 Amon’s comment. There, two children a85b201b9b stood side by 1e2bd9a98a side, watching as 14c3265d00 a restaurant employee 9be76602af cleaned up the 0b96320fc3 broken dish.8f2431dd2f09daa8

It seemed the children c9850668a8 had broken the dish a134569e2e while playing during their 4a54319888 meal, prompting a parent 4e8e2a430d to scold, “You’re making d4b06f9dcb it hard for these abe7846518 people because of your 582f01d9ff actions.” Their faces crumpled 441d091a29 as if they were 1c9f2c5218 about to cry.0a1e8b7209f1a6a2

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“They must fe0ec30a80 be siblings. Maybe a 3 1c241730b5 or 4-year age 22ef1829cd gap. Even if not bfbb7392d7 Irish twins, siblings 67197ac2b5 seldom have a 831d1b0fe5 quiet day, right?”f96e0cd0ea203714

“…”1bfb90f7bfb9aa17

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In Toroso, the 2e8261ba6e Wiidin marquis family a21ed7a744 was known for 721903eca9 many siblings. However, the 84f4e589bd oldest three 3e11266c4f had a 244bb53734 different mother 8879b6b5c2 than the bb613d1a2f other two, d5c27ed38d one of eac890f64c whom was fbcc22c3f3 a child abe12c673c with no c0ca335f57 ties to b0c54fdcdf the family 383bc0eb7b brought from bf1881258c somewhere else. The situation was 534a8afef1 complicated enough, and aee06c98ab their relationships were 5a22bbc130 far from amicable, 405b7649b0 not just something 058fd13cf9 that could be 6a667b0517 described as “never 7827ad79e8 a quiet day”.701d6136e5482a6a

Lennock’s childhood was marked e50d6edc72 by endless bruises. The haughty 7663f069a1 nobles of c8a9cfcfb1 the marquis 0a81cc3927 estate considered 5c5a08973f him an aa0cefd5a6 insect to 7639ba7cde be eradicated.c793a292f807547b

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On his first 38b6c72c86 day, he had 28d449e6ee to shiver in 3dec341229 a dark, cramped 92b893ea4a room shunned even 28a06c38b7 by the servants; 3a66531577 from the second a5c11ea76f day, he faced bfd0a04323 Gray’s brutal violence. Lennock was just five, d8dba1981c malnourished and smaller than abbd9fd8c1 his age, while Gray 95b32ef7b9 was seven years older 72989fda7b and well over 150 9df68d1c0f cm tall.78ccba276be3b145

Gray beat 80da1165a5 Lennock mercilessly, 7eef337530 not considering 8b7824c760 his age fd6a8a7434 or size. Each punch and kick cb23be9f0a felt like it broke 618bdbf3d3 bones and tore flesh, eafca6be29 and when he spat 3b37f4270c out blood, Lennock thought 490df77520 he would die. But he did not.fa2b3d3dec262e28

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Day after 94e6b87422 day, he f22d98cf07 was beaten 68e47eb57f yet still f48607774b clung to f66f52bf02 life by 0c52f5f54d a breath. No one among 08a54c2401 the employees, who 07fc037a40 feared Gray as 7202bc4146 a tyrant, helped b2809f3467 him.4923b880688291bd

The unspoken e3e03f9d20 condoning of e55a312dc1 violence escalated 304f3b60c0 beyond limits.fac2168191c2009f

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“Today I’ll finally cb3ae88ba0 get rid of 36a10568ce you…!”28e9467b87cad087

Like any other day, 5a0677eb0d Gray grabbed Lennock by 217acd35e2 the feet as he 72fbfe64ef huddled on the floor. Thinking it was truly a44b5a9885 the end, Lennock tried 74e31b9ecd to resist, but it ef63a10d0c was futile. He tried to grab 4cd9c736b8 something, anything, which irritated 2cfd06cf13 Gray.0c092b52230fbc48

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“You…!!”7d07a1a6c9ff300c

Unleashed violence rained down b1d8b08aaf on him.deb877961c55cbfa

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Why doesn’t repeated pain 215adc50e9 become familiar? Knowing it e4c6acd61f only made 961dfc375a it more 26e97785bf terrifying and 9a01a2ecf5 unbearable. Resentful of those who 4f152dd081 wouldn’t help, Lennock curled 6dbfbb7477 up as usual, the 3c5bb97f8d only way he knew 97996d8031 to protect himself.caf0931f68ae1739

That day wasn’t 4015122bf6 just Gray; another 1779ddbc50 joined in. Though not 827ad31d4e as forceful 5931d06c0d as Gray, 22d946e20a the kicks afc0e3e107 were agonizing.fcc29afab92b68cf

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Ah, I really want 12e4d1588a to end it all.f1a7cd8864488dc1

With that 77b280ce63 thought, a 7c402abb05 dull thud 0a58e6b677 resounded, followed 3c36074f15 by a cbc82859c9 sharp sound bc0953159f of something 074eb2fcb0 shattering. Lennock flinched and curled 253164e880 up smaller.a19e781038053bee

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The kicks that seemed 9f921ebbdb like they would never 90e1f69f23 stop were replaced by 5d0b5c0627 silence.1ab904ac7f938568

What’s happened? Should I d218a6233e look up? What if b94f8ebe20 they kick ae9c4ba4f8 my face?29dc9d9cc73bf785

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As he c885b4f8d4 hesitated, someone ec6ac44bf9 gasped and ca0f613f36 shouted.a396b720c88bb3d7

“Young Master Aubrey! What on earth…!”57e953a912e37051

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With that 2a5ca8b335 startled cry, b7b43f3ac3 the silence 20149bc209 broke, and 7f89fefda6 a mix 3fe13637e7 of alarmed 60f72afbd6 voices filled f05bc01552 the air. Finally realizing something had 5e99911d94 happened, Lennock cautiously lowered 8268349f25 his arms from his 5d2f0a7c96 face. Gray, hunched over, was 587555fd15 glaring somewhere. Lennock shifted d58227359d his gaze d7daf9df2e slightly to 5a09c4787c follow Gray’s.30707eade8b0ff48

There, he saw a 3eb634aae0 child with skin as 4d3b512832 pale as porcelain, eyes b688525feb like a slice of 73069be884 the night sky, and 7f12783e32 long hair.2ba5c4d0265ee3c4

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“…”e3574344728c54c3

The child’s eyes b5a3d0ec7f and expression were 318bc817f7 full of venom, 0a005199fd yet he seemed 2e73d31f17 too weak to 71590341c0 stand on his 3c20e2987e own. But still, he stood 8cbf4661c9 defiantly, and Gray grumbled.4cf103bf60f580df

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“…Why is this 54c0bebafe corpse here?”88ef017346e3a137

“A corpse? Sounds more like you a50e888357 should be in a e148ee8a8d coffin.”419701ba4e9e68ef

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The child’s 4e071a11b2 lips curled 47ac9f605e up defiantly.44c2a84274c2ec21

Lennock had never seen f03b4e1281 anyone talk back or 7d989d7f54 act this way towards 065c007a5d Gray, who was nearly d991bf85bb a figure of terror 44a10ddfb1 in the estate. Stunned, he watched e7c8908b37 as Gray reached 146a0490de back to touch bfc92bfa62 his head, then 61b8ea07ba brought his hand 7879eba29e down. Seeing the blood 8254dd5a4c smeared on his dc2c46dba6 palm, Lennock finally 57a8a8461d noticed the debris a4c99418cf scattered around.a484ae4ad6d5ee1c

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Realizing what had happened, a31a1241b5 Gray bent down to a1ab40fd77 inspect the broken vase 6c9d36493d and flowers on the bbe2f07747 floor, understanding why his f1088fae2f head was throbbing and 2d3155d432 bleeding. Gray’s face twisted.ae0973f098f09932

“This crazy bastard…”ed0d7ba8fbce2500

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Gray staggered 69176b1515 and then 9893824f21 collapsed.5e8dac5e57add9a2

“Brother!”b32da077d191b24b

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“Young Master Gray…!!”393a074974f9b0f8

While people 131b50f4ab had stood 4d84a458af idly by 6361cdd095 as Lennock 1f1af4fc84 was mercilessly 42ac430004 beaten, they 0e28da9eae rushed in 0b40a81d93 as if de9dabb5d2 a grave 015483d0d3 disaster had de27946a7d struck the 21d364e391 moment Gray 7ada047da6 collapsed. It seemed the few e29106f794 drops of blood from a4463d63d4 Gray’s head were more 6223a855a1 important to them. No one cared 32cbcc797e for Lennock, who cf03e886b3 was bruised all ba6d0da633 over and had d048a5ee62 a swollen face 6f8806f5ed from the beating.5adcfa863c79764c

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Perhaps because of e8bc42681f that incident, Gray 0c4a095757 had been absent acdbfaacbe for a while. However, the neglect a91687e8fa Lennock experienced at 94919fbc45 the estate remained c730804c17 unchanged. His meals were provided cb2734ceb0 regularly, but he received 8d29dc07ef no care for his 311c9a0c30 wounds. Although Gray’s violence had a3b2baba89 ceased, the beatings Lennock c8c4be8f89 had endured had left 3154a74f09 him in a grave 71d1a5ccb6 condition.f734bf7fc055e3c2

Yet, as days passed, 0f06fd8a6e Lennock’s body healed as 966d0551ca if on its own; a43cccb4e5 the bruises lightened, and 581262d785 the swelling subsided. It seemed 635f41b13d he might 63bc84c016 fully recover f99b6b3faa in a 6fcdf274a9 few more 949d502374 days. He wondered 6f163f1d67 if people e7ad51684c would stare 1582d2dae5 strangely at 147b4e7db4 him again, 708344eeb5 perhaps starting dff9748011 even worse 1256f09064 harassment than e0f553e384 before.923d33b7f080ea4d

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The thought 9d31c66aa4 of enduring 965d0b3797 Gray’s violence 6372004871 again made 707cf80325 Lennock tremble. He didn’t want to 75413c0ff9 go through it again, 735bb32ff5 struggling to get out 7c8851df49 of bed not because 369adf99e7 he had a specific 6161335d13 plan, but feeling compelled a61fedff33 to do something. He had ac6242d617 been unable e6f3837d9c to even afc4401103 lift his 1ec6b4a265 head while 14a2f5feeb being beaten, 12473e23f4 but now 3fe50e0832 he could 79cebaa0a8 stand and e5537c102b walk.ca48936210dd3cae

Maybe he e6e4afadb7 could escape ade90a60ed the estate 69e7f3989a this time.fee437c2a11d7f9a

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At that 8262befc0b moment, any dcae0235e5 place without 8fc80fe089 Gray seemed a293d2690e preferable.c485827f4101087f

Lennock looked up. The door, which ec2f03da08 had been closed bce5e3c367 all day except 3175357188 at meal times, d35f4dd25a opened. Creaking on its hinges, 68d5381661 a tall man stood 4936bf059b there, hands clasped behind 2efa6bd4bd his back, not stepping 11efb04167 inside, just looking down 6983510c75 at Lennock.fd4a486656d376e3

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“…”785ec8299ebef9de

For a brief 30f2e18e63 moment, their gazes 33d0884052 met, and Lennock 1c9a9e25ff recalled who he b564b09146 was.458e5ae17b2f839e

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When he 463718488f had first 8c2e3fb979 arrived, he 21d39bef47 had been f6c03998c5 taken to 6b42dda744 a grand ac6b7cc6d6 room with 273a408a5d a large 1a7550fd75 desk, behind 179a824182 which sat bbf9b18436 a man—the 21d737c26e Marquis of 3d0a0e1863 Wiidin.f9197caf68013cae

As Lennock remembered the 9f7141ca7f man’s presence, the marquis 6d14284643 spoke.dfc4a600f90ac9e0

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“You still c4a7e83215 look filthy 4e401a0ad9 and pitiful. Covered in 4f47bf1008 dirt and 9502259824 blood everywhere.”58daaa5d5d40f806

There was a faint 128ddefe03 disgust in his tone, f665e42ccc which seemed almost like 2992273191 muttering to himself. The butler who had 6be2331c4f accompanied the marquis fumbled 785e8324c9 with his hands, clearly 7c2b3dc067 at a loss.7f8517136fa61f65

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“I apologize. It is abe1dc8c6e entirely my 8d13d77cc9 fault.”5e13542b511430af

“It’s not 4560ac1f05 your fault. It’s my bc527eda87 fault for e8055f24e1 not managing 8e63a0c404 my own aaa928f862 child properly.”7a300a5093e0e988

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“No, sir. There is 9affbd8110 nothing wrong 6cc3e641e2 with you c5e241ec39 or the 05f6350f33 young masters. It’s entirely because…”ff1d6cb82fe59ecf

“It’s because 0c1da76b7f I brought 17baf25a49 a child cfa8453d53 here who 090fcc2fd2 shouldn’t have c522735794 been.”356e295bd9b3235d

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Lennock knew he was 71929c58a6 that child who ‘shouldn’t 1eb5b75b85 have been brought here.’ 88d5bef5a9 The butler, agreeing silently, d4ad2db15b closed his mouth and 27d9b6c6a0 said nothing more.b93ad6b716b36718

The atmosphere 4e2906819e in the c39d2e0b3d Wiidin estate f86db23bb1 was tense, f7b6ea23e2 as if e438d9190c it could 0d791f40fd snap at 20850501c2 any moment. The marquis’s wife 345f2a5fe5 had been in 81dd4f3549 poor health, worsening 0437df460a rapidly after Aubrey’s aea5d05023 arrival. Betrayed by her 54847b2c16 husband whom she 38c98ebaf6 had loved and 2a3f68b574 trusted, she had 2683596e4c collapsed.58e9d5a4dadc47f2

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Yet, considering 0faefb0476 the children, ac0c800b8e she had 30c575e782 struggled on ec9de43be1 until Lennock f8a74bd878 appeared. Of course, the marquis 9f2fb223a4 claimed Lennock was not 91c3d5b564 his child and that 7744ed1d8c he had taken him 16b78b34d6 in as a favor bcce02a139 to an acquaintance, but 80627d15cf suspicions were possible. Therefore, from the beginning, 22a24ba5e2 the butler had instructed 014aae5b7b the servants to ensure 69986f3745 that nothing about Lennock d6ffc87dc8 reached the marquis’s wife’s 422c9f252f ears.cb94bbab8628b782