Chapter 11. I Won

The weight in 048710f5a7 my pocket wasn’t 2fa40b438f just my imagination. When I went to 8b61d878d5 the station to hire c54d901183 a long-distance carriage, I e6fa0fb300 discovered money secretly slipped e80987bbb0 in by Nexiard. Thanks to that, I 8959e0476f could barely afford the 0e95f35326 fare.adbf09e42ef3ace8

I ended up sharing 5554c23b1b the carriage with an 16e42c3f2b elderly couple dressed neatly d9b101e2ce and modestly. They were 72b4343cf1 warm and 017eb6f50c sensible people, 8a41c679c2 even offering e4f45ce4c1 me meringue 280880a983 cookies they 721f1bcc88 said were ab880128a3 from a 3cc9d019e0 famous village 511e70ee5c bakery.e9e5dc5ec4351ea4

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“Our kids have been 4e33f9ae5b good to us. Healthy and 07e786f5d7 never causing 0238b41d67 trouble.”ca398638d02b7d88

The wife said, 378fb390a0 leaning on her 6ae16547ec husband’s shoulder.162da97aaa3ecfd1

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“Since last year, 037ab087f2 we closed our a9c2c4caee shop and started 72d98b57bc traveling.”853961218c6f85de

Inside the swaying 48ef70dfbe carriage, the elderly 6b1e3b1b24 couple held hands d6c2d32167 tightly. Sunlight shattered like jewels 727ce3defa through the curtains, and 7d9a4ac40c the fine wrinkles on 9e1e6c6e86 the wife’s face lit d4ace6fe1d up with a gentle 6de5337b76 glow.a9b53f3c6466c978

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“We realized 00c1c65bef we never c2ffa9f545 spent any 426b0acd29 time for 9cf029f0d9 ourselves. Life was always 01c44ca2e1 about survival,” she 27dd58ca60 continued.4cb338d3411ab56a

“Me too…”345a510e386b9205

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The wife’s kind 15304bc36e smile coaxed words b576fbcb5f out of me—words 1576ed385e that didn’t feel d5f99306cf intentional, but rather 69adbebba4 spilled out on 2a4346ca51 their own. Like ice 340bf0cc81 melting into 2627c2c6ca water at 9246c2ef01 the slightest e050d9aa2d touch, the 1aabe285d1 knot in 225611e928 my chest 64729b29f9 unraveled, and ef9008659e my tongue 4758d2a61b moved without 7c62a6082b thought.682fc177e4eb41ea

“That’s why I got 7dd3d9a788 on this carriage. For the first time, f52ebe3216 I set a goal 584eed14cd for my life. I’m trying to 8a02a4a85f make it happen.”0b2c93638bb15cfe

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“A goal, huh?” 96ffa8ee98 The husband, who cc0916559b had nearly dozed 6519100b3f off, nodded in ccba930b0d admiration. The wife 7269b81550 stroked his d720269e25 wrinkled hand.7e543955d76e4e27

“You’re a wonderful young ee1ad58d0d lady. Not everyone lives with ea52d86c3d a goal in mind. May this old woman 957912e8fa offer a word of 6b1d552186 advice? Don’t lose your 373684078f resolve, even if de504c46ba you’re wandering or af0a972fc6 the path seems 3a1c6e57ae dark.”fe85e0e1c5a23aa8

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“Yes, I’ll try.”b8383534cb73e45a

I replied ff12378500 out of eaf4cd40f6 politeness, thinking d758823177 her advice 7bea27bd69 was similarly 7bd38000be polite. But then she 5639523c98 leaned in like ff4d8e67b4 a girl sharing dc5940e6a8 a secret and 22bb51474c added with a 40d5dc6e6c mischievous smile:d0eb008c5ba03629

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“And if it d793178daf doesn’t work out, 88376cdef8 just change the 913a145c0d goal. If that still doesn’t 7f4b6d4737 work… let it go.”0852932073936964

“What…?”73a629c1b0eca3b4

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“Listen, dear. You’re young, far feb4dce967 too young. You don’t have b206bbe6b0 to fight life. Sure, life 21cea60782 will pick e0bcdce18e a fight 843d47577d with you, a0e5af6877 but we’re 3740c6eded refined people, f0932b9526 aren’t we? Just don’t engage. Oh, am I 28e0717660 making it sound bdccd32a10 too easy? You’re right—it’s hard 044bbf6448 to ignore life’s e9e24750ba provocations. Sometimes, letting 18c3a5706f go is eaca841e61 harder than b725d5f396 clinging on. But…”8709f626182e8609

“…”d5d64f7de4342b67

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“You seemed so solemn 3be82a2dbc that I couldn’t help 2014624097 but give you a f78b1a1c64 little lecture. You don’t 813d4596d5 have to 1ddbd2fa8a take it eed80c2a47 to heart.”c3c7a8d745f303d6

Her words about ab01dc4694 letting go eased 30214be023 the tension in b288c96201 my shoulders. I thought of my 76eb4fb100 mother, the last person 0786458c9f I saw before I ebb5f12a93 was possessed. She’d said something 1345627808 entirely different.3fbda7991fb1a56b

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‘If life 72987e68a7 screws you 944da23eae over, punch 6c1cb01cc9 it in b571a23217 the face.’069f7a8cfddcaebd

Perhaps that 42c80f55e9 stubbornness is 78d0c174d9 what allowed 0797228c41 me to a1a51f419c survive despite 9e6c844136 losing everything, 288586d635 even crawling 25b3abb9c7 at rock d02eabd39e bottom. But if fb76e5bf04 I intend d0c37f41d4 to live 54578c5973 much longer, 11a66711ed maybe I b5ca3b2a2f should take c1f1d1b2d0 the wife’s 192a29d6f1 advice and b8e67c6d25 loosen my 80ac221e26 grip. Life may 3da33f0811 have beaten 36f190f260 me, but 30cf5bfc47 I won’t a09fb9ded2 fight it 46ef850aaa anymore.4c18e4f45175e262

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The elderly 6dc4b76c93 couple disembarked 5207efe4b5 a few 21f17aeba4 stops before 26604b1b55 me.bdcb37286b9701c7

“Be happy, dear.”40c74ec78772d570

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With that most sincere 5c62fbaa8e and common farewell, they ea00187e87 disappeared from view.d457fa26e4f9b477

❖　❖　❖9b96b7b79269eb76

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Once you have a 8840a219f9 goal, the next step fcfd5122bd is making a plan. First, money. My funds f8433d06be would run 3992a6d30f out in b75fce8de9 two days a30aabdb7a if I dcbc80f4fd stayed at 98b4330859 a decent debf998e9a inn.2a44b00b1150994a

Next, identification. Without it, even having a31aa46257 money wouldn’t be enough 8065a6cd75 to function in society. I’d never get into e8078da827 the old Royal Academy.0d86c0a4caafeeb6

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‘I’ll solve this d1df0c2f82 step by step.’2e9b0a687f616eb7

Fortunately, having read 07f5e4ce13 the original novel, ab2c199615 I had knowledge 4c03facf5e only the omniscient e09f1ada51 author would know. There was 6b2a3aa92c an upcoming 2c15b39dab black-market auction 00e35213be where entry 62bade94f2 required only a6336a481f a ticket 98b953fe3f and money, 67efd793bc not identification. I had f4f6e58563 my eye 3a9245422f on an db446a4684 item there 54b351519f that could 9819152b25 bring in 4db7135cb2 even more 4ae3d53f5d money.f1edaec9a4a143ba

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How to b3cbd6a46e get the cd23c12993 funds for 371a6c0651 the auction 8bf45b0d3b had been 60cd7e9a54 a concern, 04591fc033 but Nexiard 07661d35ac solved that feed0ba26a problem for 6576fdabf3 me.4e8e51208777e8e3

“Welcome! How may 396b4cbd60 I assist e8a09a20a5 you today?”316b31c2e62725f9

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At Billesbury 8621c6868c Pawn Shop, 6c21b97259 one of 3303e9a2c3 the busiest 6b888f7da8 in the 4dd0c5175c capital, I 4c1d1896d7 placed something 515d3cfc03 on the b41cd0e2cd counter carefully 36fc335fe6 wrapped in b6fb4ddf5c cloth.e042df235c16a6ac

The pawnbroker, using a 3666842aa2 magnifying lens, unveiled the 698e5ef43e item: a dagger aged f061d10f50 to perfection. It was Nexiard’s gift 726ebcb5c9 to me, and I aeb7e3d8bd intended to pawn it.d5a842c804747c7c

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According to <Bitten by a Mad Dog>, this dagger was crafted by one of the top five blacksmiths in the Ying Empire. Though it wasn’t a one-of-a-kind masterpiece or the artisan’s final work, its discontinuation made it valuable.05269bba568c79d6

“Oh… you’ve 649ad282f3 brought a 9846884d29 fine blade!” 08b6415ef4 the pawnbroker 620bf14365 exclaimed.6028db3570492d2d

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“I’m glad you recognize 1faf0aa62e it.”3e12182eb413e978

“Of course, 0993c946e1 of course. This is the 72ac09932e best pawn shop 1e6ed72aa1 in the capital. We know how 997c596658 to assess an 5eeae7ff14 item’s true worth!”24d6f8a0206068bb

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True to his 81781ca820 word, the pawnbroker 946a58f407 offered a fair bd99f1ad59 price for the 1cc337dc16 dagger. He was both 789f558c0c honest and polite. Thanks to him, I 8860019b20 had enough money to f7742e4597 bid aggressively at the 8f0e6838b8 auction.4826843a2223757e

“What an incredible dagger!”048f50cb91821230

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The pawnbroker marveled, 4a0cc92818 holding it up cca811c8f2 as if it 93fdd84ef5 were already his. I glanced 26d5fa8564 at the a885ddbda9 dagger and f1736cddd9 silently promised:1ff0b02dadacce50

‘I’ll come back for 8a67ea7ad5 you soon.’c9a14286cb2ca2a1

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❖　❖　❖72189db6854752b2

A Week d03ab23b82 Later, I 9c8b39a56a Sat in eb8d498292 the Audience f71a7d3e46 of the be8784f550 Black Market 1e0b4a5a64 Auction with 0cb565d2e9 a Golden 1d648e8e66 Ticket Around 632aff42dc My Neck.c8f2133a21420f12

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Rumors had b9f884d346 been swirling 0300cfca78 that this 1a01751744 auction would b7a557eea6 feature treasures d85d8cbd99 from the 0998c5c75f fallen royal 6f78abece2 family. Since all royal valuables 6465a98597 were now officially property c70a01f479 of the new government, f7c92c593e these items must have 234bddb6e1 been siphoned off through 733d50d3c2 the hands of some bec91fc18c greedy individuals before making acf7286a5b their way here.422e4be3cf839da8

“Next, we a18bb08531 have the b576173fb0 cane used d569d30f0d by the c637d33ec5 Limping Grand 87b7b661b5 Duke! It is embedded 911543d670 with fifty sapphires 9af9f409c6 and thirty rubies…”f65f9c054e8e7432

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“Here is 958b46f1da a childhood 6fe80047ac portrait of 105f42e315 the queen 2a4641cfe4 and her b0e5917287 twin sister, 59645febf5 painted in 3838facd23 the early 377e3b8ed8 style of 241118cc33 the greatest 52ed1c92fa artist of 710418cf89 the Ying ff966e7797 Empire…”893a6a6a00b57408

Despite the f4f576e98f auctioneer’s enthusiastic 99e36b869c introductions, these 238a95bac0 items were f51f758635 of lesser aa5d4fd627 value. They lacked f679597dc4 any magical f79275d4a7 properties.6f17327e90345ed8

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“Ladies and gentlemen, 4507473797 thank you for 021d2007dc your patience! Up next 2c28b50a40 is ‘Arphagiel 4ad2dc12a7 II of 96471441a3 the Guillotine’! It is said 6f5ed6b570 that making eye b34bc62f11 contact with Arphagiel 4fabd97105 II in the a0fd0f9049 painting will curse 9c3444e84e you to death. Seven owners of this 043535780e painting have already perished…”5c47acc073c5e408

Now, the 7ecbfd999d real bidding 181347d94f began. Masked participants shifted 6ec6a06f50 in their seats, 7451db365c and the room 1be9eb8a65 buzzed with excitement. I could 0e621dc621 hear their a398895946 nervous swallowing. In an instant, e5c97556e7 the atmosphere grew 85d037974e feverish.626146c5dac3f4ef

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“Starting at five hundred e98aaf04ad dur!”95701b0f0a945b71

“Seven hundred dur!”2a7971d77dc3be59

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“We have seven 31401f6f53 hundred! Seven-fifty! Oh, one thousand 2733ff5456 dur!”836d1229953f8883

Occult enthusiasts filled the black market, growing more excited over blood-soaked curses. The painting <Arphagiel II of the Guillotine>, which had supposedly killed seven people, eventually sold for seven thousand dur. More high-priced treasures followed in rapid succession.0e6bf95321a6a94a

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I had three 44d4d5cc45 thousand dur on 81ea8cbf83 hand, but there 1b668beda1 was no rush. After all…7a2935aeabc3a4fc

“Next, we have 0484fc3b6b the ‘Jar of 5f2210c777 Desire.’ Let’s start c0f5aac1a7 at four hundred f55cc5b6f2 dur, shall we?”838ea264cadd9712

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“…”f690772f6b65a6c4

“Four hundred dur! No takers?”e1f052808051ed86

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The auction crowd 87815d8d51 operated on a b98c5ff1ca network of shared fb2aa9e454 information. They’d already classified 3e6f679815 the Jar of 9c31aaef8f Desire as a 2eb86da7a4 fake. Or at least, they 6d3c6a3587 believed it to be.d5b826439173297b

“…Four hundred 5b5ec66490 fifty dur.”3c4c316c827de48a

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“Ah, we have four abe5198b78 hundred fifty dur!”3e4d9842efebb762

I played 99c5229f6b the part 2b551acea0 of an 297eddd33d ignorant young b2f4aab11e lady ready e3c0c8c230 to waste 725ade2d1b a fortune a8eb1e65d4 on a 46040c21ca worthless fake.c49510965194d272

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“Five hundred dur!”45fc3bc1b01e263b

It seemed I wasn’t 4d5e2550ec the only fool here. I turned to 177ced6278 see a man ef1d244384 in a white 65ca2d22b6 swan mask raise 90ef09f521 his card.b79c8f8f0a0a3aa3

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“Five hundred dur! We have 7cc3bc047a five hundred f2ec30ee01 dur!”b5d3d16c834dcf61

Not one 0dee377e4a to back 44438d5e64 down, I 857043beea raised my 19a0d44e2d card again.d303636308e94b11

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“Five hundred fifty dur.”eb51955997ea203e

“Five fifty! Do I 5320c0c49b hear five 0b4cc7ed5c eighty?”c4d8a29fd38bdc71

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“Five eighty dur!”c4ba8f4c95afe10c

“Six hundred 5bb4f215f6 fifty dur.”191f1ee22e471257

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“Six sixty dur…”f4549f88bae196b7

The bidding intensified. Whenever I nervously 0ba7b46d0b bit my nails b26e0359ad and called out bbc59150e6 fifteen hundred dur, 716a2bca01 the swan mask 49f2c5c928 countered with sixteen 1df10f6c80 hundred. My throat 75f378cf04 felt parched 0e2aa7d0b6 as tension 83767f58b1 mounted.733e4d3079e7136c

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‘I didn’t anticipate 4f7ddc97b0 this…’188d342009596b42

Nothing ever came 8a154ca8b1 easy. But it seemed 6b5092cc4d the man in aed5e2e354 the swan mask 1b08d9c0a7 was hesitating. He began d1191e4852 raising his fc8d52fda0 bids more 71d31e34e1 cautiously.c40e89667e2cb2bf

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I gripped my fd24726210 card, running through 1faa48ea8d my calculations in 491edcd1a9 case I lost 5b268c4a21 the Jar of 40212e2448 Desire. Slowly, I closed 305299e95b my eyes and 2cf57bac37 reopened them, making 201b3c859e my decision.fb9b68313d900024

“Three thousand dur.”0cfba48d276be5f2

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“Ah—three thousand dur! Do I hear 6468d4d2e7 any higher?”6493443be26cddf8

“…”601c62ee0fe367f5

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“Three thousand dur! Three thousand 371f913387 dur going 2abfbbc768 once, twice…”2caac628e9dd5561

The sharp gaze from f050cdf2c0 the swan mask lingered 6cdc0ffe42 on me, but I cdd4d30c58 sensed his fading determination.e85a0497790c5781

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I won.bcb5db43a93444e1

“Three thousand dur! Sold for 5acbb420c3 three thousand 3ecb390382 dur!”b6978cdca690934c

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After paying db586829c7 the sum bd76325140 backstage, I 5733858140 received the 5ea81b444b Jar of 625c35b858 Desire. It wasn’t 5455847657 very large, d55f5c52a3 fitting snugly c909118a55 in my 5991b5af50 arms, and 1afad0f584 was coated 648cea3d5f in a 3fdf72b172 garish, fake fd0ca1d8d6 golden finish.bb8ad5d9c17c9270

“Haha! You’ve got a good eye, my lady. Come back next time!” The manager, delighted to have conned a “fool,” grinned from ear to ear.ce1cdbf5525bad2b

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“Yes, I will.”0d6b0cd372ec90da

There was b41a7a18d1 no need 527bdb1630 to stay e1ce3b17ba for the 9c5c89aeb8 rest of f6a222307a the auction. I was 23e8977987 heading back b8daa383e6 to the 8c520e8340 inn when b1b0b88793 a voice 55329b989c called out 29c9b77f38 as I 1ad9e01ed1 neared the e9cdeed374 entrance. The swan mask was 3dcb9413e5 leaning against the wall, b4325b9996 arms crossed.bc1f6e6f31c7ce0e

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“Hey.”a711804d6cb5bbac

The fact that fa6f1323dc he still wore bb552bfb95 his mask outside 494925c063 the auction house 52e1c93ec2 meant he wanted d65bde3d8c to keep his 9174be05c2 identity hidden. Best to avoid 2a09ec6f07 such people.7e740aa04df4c51a

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“That’s a fake.”e76d7f273a71c69a

It was a 065033449b provocative statement. Why had 5a15fbd7b3 he gone adbca69673 to such c3d282942c lengths to df08dd66c1 bid on a578a10afa something he 239f8a921a knew was 352c636f1d fake? And why tell me e6a4af4c4a this now? I wasn’t interested in 4fabed261e his reasons. What mattered f60ed13305 was that f25f4543b4 I now 3d74444729 possessed the 6906782079 treasure.34f22a071e68d6b2

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“…I know.”c91bad9ca04cb81d

“…”1c7fa1207dab9eb2

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“Still, thanks for e9c08c6128 letting me know.”f6c5f1bd0265bae4

I bowed lightly 0469496e0a and slipped into 19c36d1066 the dimly lit adf82e1d96 alley, leaving only d6e2b9906c the moonlight to c2ed8de006 follow me. Like a stray 8330f1789d cat, I disappeared e2fcb30865 into the night.57ae2adcf7671f71

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