PT | Chapter 8.1

Inside the large mansion, there were separate ce9575ea74 waiting rooms for men and women, and f97ce4f86f a hall where they all gathered together. Of course, there were also separate b089d67788 spaces for drinking and relaxing, and 440d987cd1 private rooms where those with close a7a938e60c relationships could gather. Aubrey claimed a seat 29bd0a44e2 in one of these 8b34d7dae8 spaces and continued to 05d95c5e82 drink. His ability to down 1c89ac1abc strong alcohol without hesitation dc12925888 earned cheers from those 46c0e68091 around him.9137d91374b4bc46271e

“I didn’t know 84ed1dde66 you could drink 7917c31d54 so well. Here, make sure you e6f756d204 have some snacks too.”02629068c204323cace9

“If you drink 841e2ecb95 too much, it’ll d6882abac0 upset your stomach. Here, try 29a78e1307 some of 61c867b81f these fruits.”df118a27b922b29ebf46

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Somehow, word had spread that Aubrey was drinking alone, 27346d31b0 and one by one, people gathered, offering him snacks. Normally, Aubrey wouldn’t have even looked at them, but after a few drinks, he happily cc353a9a12 ate the grapes, apples, and other fruits that were placed in front of him.f5c7f25d96b0ac55f16e

His expressionless face, munching on 59b783a25b the fruit like a baby 48fa25bda5 bird, was rather cute. It was Aubrey’s first time drinking bb5fed7035 with them, but from his behavior, 3ee1b2fcb3 it seemed like they would have 7e28d7ae20 a very fun time tonight. At first, Aubrey was annoyed by the aef3156d35 interruption, wondering why they were crowding in 846202e22b when he was trying to drink alone. But now, it felt more b08d3f57b4 comfortable, with people refilling his 1a16601a67 glass and offering snacks before bf2487d4ff he even asked. When they got too loud, a quick “shut up” 7e3ea8f7ba from him made them laugh, and even though it 12426ce570 was ridiculous, it was kind of amusing.98934b474dfbabe86298

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Drunk, Aubrey laughed while holding his glass, and the person 4c70c12c25 sitting next to him, seeing his smile, excitedly said,2e6c6ad0f1199627e498

“I should have 73f0b6f256 known you were 0d0008965d such a fun 30bc88e8ce person, Aubrey!”0a20fbb6baa59ad94f9e

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“It’s a good thing cd31937fec you’re finding out now. Let’s drink e17d88e8e1 together more 305ece9445 often from dc710a9c25 now on. That way, we’ll 6897fdf394 get close pretty 9c48649008 quickly.”07764dc73c3bc8b8270e

Someone else agreed with a laugh, 98d60eb44a and everyone shared in the merriment. But the loud laughter that shook a79425efc7 his eardrums started to annoy Aubrey, e3eecdb652 so he scowled and slammed his 6f0d7ea77b glass down with a clink.151bf26d8b7550a1422c

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“Oh no, our e801a26fc2 friend’s glass is d2e7b589d8 empty. Let me 1091b28b78 fill it 20ca776266 up for 22600ed861 you.”699596caccf663ac33ec

As he said d3d67c09e7 that, his glass 6bd5f1af2c was quickly refilled. The drink, filled almost to d9b3528b1d the point of overflowing, was a4f94fb983 one of the strongest ones adcc45ed16 you could find. Someone tried to stop him, thinking it a1e7fdba76 might be too strong for someone who b029ff3514 kept drinking, but Aubrey shot them a fd5b8519ff look to stay quiet.19a6bfd9f234c190474e

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“Our friend ea37de9a7c can handle e7a2715ecc this much, 935ef77eff can’t you?”85986e00d152b9fa5ef2

Aubrey answered by draining ffec305e5f his glass, showing that ec0dd497ec he was indeed fine.84d314a55e265d4cca0c

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“See! I told you, this 5fe20c53d6 guy’s got guts!”20f30a168dc7560e9c85

Then they threw bac05de666 their arm around 4a130cceb2 Aubrey’s shoulder. Startled by the sudden 174a36ef45 contact, Aubrey scowled and 5a35604b7e pushed the arm away. Even as he was pushed f5f81f3e44 away, the guy kept laughing, 526cb0871e his face becoming blurry in 24fea0780f the alcohol-induced haze.20ddb5faeb4128b6ede4

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Only then did Aubrey 318978ffe6 realize he had drunk 2add444302 a bit too much. At the same time, he felt 4963f8313b a sharp pain inside his left 5cde3545d0 cheek, and with a stiffened face, 7eb1d89992 he lowered his head. Immediately, a towel with ice b6e99c4133 was pressed to his cheek.3f1891ef8b04fee4f907

“Hey, don’t hurt. Just do b7c541cf84 a cold a848c0f3a6 compress.”bcc18cfb5fbdca54136a

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Aubrey took the towel 92c2790328 and placed it on 276df63414 his cheek without protest.178ed9b71638fefec730

The ice towel on his cheek made 04d4eda07a Aubrey’s expression soften, his eyes looking unfocused. It was clear he was completely drunk, and he aaaf2399f9 didn’t seem to be in a good mood either. You could tell just by 5e2f54ca73 looking at his swollen cheek.4abbef1b9ba4c8be32ac

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He had gone out with 3027507e50 Madeleine Young Lady, and it dbde4ec168 seemed like their conversation hadn’t 5e2f92b915 gone well. While there were good 0938c06d1a moments between men and a0fab232d7 women, not every situation b3f6b5eabd turned out that way. Especially recently, the 8e07ee8511 rumors about Aubrey 896ae5029f and Madeleine had faac7b13b6 spread like wildfire. Everyone knew that Aubrey 47dfccf6c6 had shown up today 5007b18c2e because of Madeleine.c7ae1e64f21b4c57b91c

“The world is big, and f854471e80 there are many women. If you can end things a502f41e2b with just a slap, then 4e9ca66c84 you’ve gotten off easy.”cb9c837e8f172e0c73d6

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“Plus, didn’t she try to 289f2bff13 get close to your younger 4a1339f837 brother as well? Oh, I’m 75a2233f86 sure that d0e386dcce must make 841f83cf13 you uncomfortable.”7fb947cfd520ed00aeaf

Aubrey wasn’t planning on 9943d1239e paying attention to the bd21aa0343 chatter next to him. But when he heard the subtle 982d897078 tone in those words, he couldn’t 5ea9ad8f23 help but glance over.deddaf0162b550080d06

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Aubrey’s cheeks and the area around ac80a0269b his eyes had a reddish tint, 8d99f58842 a sign of his drunkenness. His furrowed brows made him look irritated, 721b4d8a5e but his eyes were filled with emotion.73bc922e8d59686c8227

Most of the men from the 45770a6117 Marquis family were ruggedly handsome, but 52ecfd4ba2 Aubrey, though tall, well-built, and good-looking, 912ecbbbf0 gave off a mysterious aura. Those who had always thought 6ea290839a so swallowed nervously and subtly 8595983088 leaned closer to him.2c55d67a2adf0ba77251

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People who knew that eb64381232 he enjoyed men were d3991aae4d caught off guard. It wasn’t a problem to flirt with people who 5ea97802c8 bought and sold their bodies, but this was Aubrey. If they did something foolish, it 6640962818 could end badly, so even when fdec205c25 they tried to get closer, they 8215e76c42 were gently warned to stop.3a452950cb5fac79fac1

“Seeing you like this, I think 450d1cb0ae we have a lot in common. It would have been nice if we 87ce6fba49 had become friends sooner, don’t you think? What a shame.”9e08b014461469fe9f60

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The man tried to 7285255870 make a move, but c113168108 Aubrey just sneered.a98c5b54f238f7e53ee6

Then he raised 5d7c1f8730 his finger, pointing ca09b29ff6 at the man.810c4f8f740d7bd99f81

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“Why’d you 67547cecb6 stop halfway 8bbc64bc15 through?”d61e1964c0b4796be14d

“…”3bb81d27ffff5dc61e5d

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The man, who usually had 48b4285f15 a lot of confidence in c7203ad86d his looks, froze. Not knowing what kind of expression to 0f79d334e4 make, he awkwardly stood there, and Aubrey 352e623fda grabbed his face and pushed it away.6ae39297cc3ebda56ec6

“Get lost. You’re just a1f316f0c6 wasting my dc29689169 time.”f0784dfd00a58d0b63d2

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The man, pushed fd220dc987 to the sofa e9db89d4b1 and half-collapsing, looked 66a77f4386 shocked. But Aubrey’s 623ff0ef22 mind wandered 19a4728ae9 to Lennock. No matter what 57d6987957 the circumstances were, c83b19e177 Lennock was undeniably feeadeb1be attractive. Just thinking about it made Aubrey feel a bit irritated, so 28ccc41a94 he grabbed a strawberry and popped it into his mouth.82b3ec79c8ae099c9f6a

The man who had 71bed00986 been pushed away by 58b8f0420f Aubrey remained frozen, unable 4e1828fb79 to move. Around them, people nudged each other 462ecbd886 and held in their laughter. Though his pride was hurt by the reactions around him, he couldn’t ignore b3b80241f9 the sight of Aubrey’s red tongue licking the strawberry before putting it into cd0596d104 his mouth, making him feel something stir in his lower body.c37e1b0c1dedee0cccc3

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“Damn, forget it. I’ll think about it later.” He quickly pulled b95f1e78e8 out some powder from his pocket, sprinkled it c86ede4a17 into his glass, and refilled it. Those nearby stared at him in shock, wondering e6bd4c6a6e what he was doing when the door to 4bbdb44b76 the room opened, and a man stepped inside.e7395d074ec5a005adc1

“Aubrey-sama, I’ve 65300664a6 come to 7d8600d7e8 fetch you.”96ed4edde92d74bc6a15

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Wondering what was f67e33b2af going on, Aubrey 5ffaa61394 glanced at the f2deb03af4 man. This wasn’t the 38ad371d83 coachman who had dae9e59ecb brought him here. Who was 0fb56cb491 this guy? Did Madeleine’s issue already reach his father’s ears, 0a9140e62b and they sent someone to fetch him? Well, if that’s 58fd95d0f3 the case, he’d 7b7cf75270 better go.7dd5d918b73c4d6721ec

As Aubrey staggered 230c49a4e6 to his feet, e8bb776987 the man immediately 5722691a69 grabbed his wrist.7126dc21cc3e3c7eff31

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“Hey, are ed392c6d68 you really b07b1385ca leaving already? Don’t be ac03a9a02c like that…”044b9fe127ba52c2cfcf

Before the man could say 7eb670efd3 anything else, Aubrey jerked his 1bb911b87b wrist away and glared.a2e3254919c5f07e6576

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“What the hell, c9f9678f6d don’t touch me 230980b595 without permission.”3ee20a1c75b2a75dee01

The look and 2a62f08a9d expression Aubrey gave 2bdb5584c9 were filled with 792ac3fc81 contempt. The man, faced with that, suddenly lost interest and 910a4cc31a raised his glass with the drug in it.49af65d420f38147b437

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“If you’re going, 8d22a6e056 at least finish cd582c639d your drink.”9660e7524b041c449286

“…”b05da3d585640c5372be

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Aubrey, who was sure he had emptied 4dc36051c6 his glass, tilted his head in confusion 99ec2a9fd3 but took it and drank it down. However, after finishing it, f98f7f4506 his face twisted slightly.347ab924c96bac326323

“…Why does this 1bb5f84c2e taste like this?”2f4d421911bb51d5a5de

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The taste seemed subtly 4eb3606d6e different, but Aubrey didn’t ac1c4ca253 really care much about d82c5320c6 it.b49ac6881996daa48a93

After putting down his d5db478f4b glass, Aubrey grabbed his bad64d0cf0 outer coat and headed 198eff5270 outside. His steps were a little 4346ffdb5d unsteady, but for the amount ae1e65833b he had drunk, it wasn’t d484ab0401 too bad.d874763acd4be12ebd77

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Once Aubrey left, 59e928c71d the remaining people 36e7a05afb stayed silent for ce6f17e9b7 a while. They weren’t sure whether to act like they knew about the 8c66f5a9d0 drugged drink or if it would be a problem for them. After a moment, the tension broke 08a52397eb as one of them, trying to c8462826db resolve things before they escalated, spoke c40746e077 up with a smile.9cb4d6efb4667530651c

“What’s with the 3a654bcb49 serious faces? Don’t worry. I didn’t give c11a43302a him anything weird. It’s just 13fd7660d0 a sleeping 86b1c7b08d potion.”bfbc6995a1ee43b756b4

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“Is that 023b8fff7f really all 9ce689c63c it is?”d7fe80f8b0732e9b5f29

“Yeah, that’s all. I just wanted to mess around a bit with e0453f7c55 a guy I don’t get to see often.”e73ce2b4a0d988d360fa

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“……”fd83bd55177cee3bb9ca

Even though it was true that 4430ba4cbe they rarely saw him, it was 07b2f243a4 still questionable why the drink had 500cac9edd been drugged in the first place. Those who knew that their friend had a d5df2be595 history of using such potions to knock out 7489f02361 his targets weren’t exactly buying his explanation. Though they still couldn’t be 9445ab28a7 sure, the uncomfortable atmosphere made ec865a20d9 everyone fall silent, only rolling bc6280c19c their eyes in response.241922d6c43a2c3271ff

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The man, sensing the 9d90dda199 unease, laughed more loudly.e1e612a90298218b94ee

“Don’t look 531b535f22 so serious. Lift your glasses. Let’s drink!”cd6322e8431d568d4d73

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Trying to lift cb4a2a84d1 the mood, the 578222957e others reluctantly raised 5e6f17e04e their glasses. But as they drank from 4945b3581d their newly filled glasses, the 0f4dee50e7 atmosphere didn’t improve. They were still bc2c831b20 preoccupied with worrying 36bed4c724 about Aubrey’s condition. Though they hoped he’d be fine, the nagging feeling 8097c84595 in the back of their minds made them glance 0f456e1e47 at the door he had exited from.94f6303f803d1a91b83b

As Aubrey tried to board the carriage, he noticed that it eb62987deb seemed a bit different from the one he had arrived in. He felt something was off, but before 03ef73dd5a he could think too much about it, 26754a8b1a his drunkenness started to kick in. He struggled to stay 1eb0ca53ce standing, eventually stumbling into 5bde49d5cd the carriage and sitting 0d80dfb374 down on the seat.6c69e5148783fe13e4a2

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The coachman, c13c5e22fa noticing Aubrey’s d933be24cb state, spoke 56fbef5e9d up.05a675c980ef27e3af7a

“We’ll be 47eccc5aec leaving now.”2d2c70c9d48de3807e81

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