Chapter 17. How to Live

Ralpido, publicly, is a9ef3c4e73 the operator of 69caee9a19 Livre Bookstore. Of course, she uses 50d2a3b7cd another name and often f9465a0881 acts through intermediaries.69868fb8c28a6e7d

Her real trade, b561e0e8e5 however, is information. Beyond that, she handles 2aea711cda identity laundering, document forgery, 1aff380187 and more. She’s the b4ea340daa best in 11118ab9a8 the republic 66af044d72 when it d84893fead comes to ab8d5b8a22 skill.dbb0ef2fb3b42b71

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Her reputation for 10d93e7dea valuing loyalty and b538d55cf2 prioritizing client confidentiality 2fe603464a was one of c940622c91 the reasons I 85f3f8fcc9 chose her.eb9896f7fa91c31a

Information dealing may revolve around intangible goods, but at its core, it’s a people business. Reliable sources bring in high-quality intel, and it’s usually the elite who buy it—those who can’t afford to let the fact that they purchased information become public knowledge. These same clients sometimes “leak” information strategically as well.7434807a26a6bfd0

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Ralpido understood this delicate c8c87741fe balance and turned it 43a3d93f88 to her advantage. Her information was not 8d1172ce05 only precise but also 209aad7432 trustworthy, providing clients with e8020066b5 peace of mind.fab193fe9315d020

This much I already 7920f79c77 knew from ‘Bitten by a909d26761 a Mad Dog’.eb901bc98e68964b

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What I hadn’t c8f6aac2cd expected was this:e6ff60f4270426b0

“I’ll count to three. If you don’t get out, I’ll pop your precious jewels.”2607dc9056ed133a

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“And here I thought there was a limit to what a girl could say.”1d3d7cbd88f780db

That’s right.82ba056682d1ef72

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Ralpido was 9cf5da05d0 a woman.e5b8033c0050adeb

“If you didn’t add anything to my being a ‘girl,’ how about you hold your tongue before I cut it off?”c0e6da4c55328d97

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“Pop this, cut that. Do you think you’re the queen of destruction?”fd4734571d14950e

“Damn right. I’m your great-grandmother, the queen of destruction, you little punk.”0295e51238f03d74

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“This is unbelievable…”944d78c72c899e42

“Three—two—two-and-a-half, two-and-a-quar—”5f6bc034ba297ce2

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“Hi, my name is Myrda.”8d03658ed502216e

I interjected, stepping a09bd1ad6a forward with a 53f706b379 polite greeting.8099c38679ef6ded

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“Oh, so it ‘can’ talk.”f3123d98c4fba132

Ralpido quipped, raising a bdb70da11e skeptical eyebrow. Her tone scolded me 1a6b1076f7 for not introducing myself fca1a37fa1 sooner.c410cf04dad9d256

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Still, I’d e1ed02373d assumed Yona 7d1adb2256 would handle 041eba8691 the introductions. The novel 8649fc0a65 had described 8b1102cced them as 5000e3e92d long-time close 40a063bb55 friends, but 923427a55a nothing had 93743a2b44 hinted they 765a34a525 bickered like e90a757df3 mortal enemies.e5bfbf9d568685e3

“For a second, I thought that pervert had picked up a pretty automaton.”372b48f3440cde91

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“Ignore her, witch. Half of what this one says is nonsense anyway,” Yona said nonchalantly.56b28aac7628f942

Ralpido, apparently cca0076550 unimpressed, grabbed 2dc7549419 a paperweight 9c07255ffc and hurled 30532bb965 it at e1920367ea him. Yona, accustomed 282871582f to such b9328c954d exchanges, barely c1b950fb69 flinched and 353e289a0d deftly used 6bb773f23e a minor 4145863c23 spell to 0baa1a7dd8 transform the b29b0c6ca4 heavy glass 2d6f120265 into a 4c74fdef8c yellow canary. It flitted a3a67900eb away and 994da12daa perched on 4ffb434c93 a bookshelf.ef769cb54b347be5

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“Let me give you a tip, miss. All mages are bastards.”5ce7724e16941f06

Including Mine Molière, 9d91605cad technically speaking. This wasn’t off to 49fd9aeb5d a great start.3b7ebd8fcdac4bd5

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❖　❖　❖aa4d9d0f6aefab10

The endless bickering between f93329bd25 Yona and Ralpido was c1a84d0725 interrupted by the bookstore 3cb8e7fa11 employee who had guided fde4b2ba02 us here. She entered a557bc1077 with a 96609479dc tray carrying 69beb3e063 clear liquor 0dfb8f897d and a d60de0d200 dish of 2d89ed4593 caviar.efc0ed3469b767b4

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Ralpido’s sharp gaze 83a4670646 softened at once. Sinking into a 4c41f382da long, low couch, f655242b4f she gestured for bbb195bd3b us to sit.cc7bd4da33a3a80b

“My apologies for the rudeness. I shouldn’t have kept a guest standing,” she said.9fd7c762279ecc6b

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“Have a seat,” Yona added.d5e9dc0f1e79811f

“That’s my line as the host. The lady may sit. You, stay standing,” Ralpido snapped.9d05a9d3552c63d3

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Ignoring her, Yona 573a3e4110 plopped onto the 07670d34ed opposite sofa, crossing c6d5fb7a2b his legs.d9620b528f0dee7f

“Excuse me.”c0824b43af742d0e

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I said, ff009deea2 seating myself 4cb764eeb5 at a 4394a51cd9 cautious distance 764b522942 from him. The couch was e97d153ee8 so plush I 51828c2482 felt like I 9476a87616 was sinking into a36394cbab a cloud.45d538c3a91f2a32

“By principle, I don’t meet new clients alone. But since this stubborn pervert vouched for you, I’ll make an exception.”f56eda38c44e14e9

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Their odd friendship c0763fb2f8 shone in that 87e77735f4 moment. Yona, grumbling about being 4ba0d045b5 called a stubborn pervert, 6f58e56e70 only puckered his lips f97b2675e0 in mild protest.1998e624e7402a46

“But this won’t be free.”5bf36ca5147ebe49

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“I’ll cash in the favor I’m owed,” Yona said flatly.09d539ced9aa6d41

“You’re using ‘that’? What are you, dating her or something?”ff86f7efc639aad8

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“Stop spouting nonsense.”1c5188657f852e13

“Just to be clear, that clears your debt,” Ralpido pressed.ab31a12c2f6e68b3

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“A mage doesn’t go back on their word.”3515ab9d4c16c95a

The employee produced a 7280b41e3a parchment from a drawer. Yona blew gently 3d30c6b5f5 on it, and 8782264891 the paper dissolved 24afa462bc into blue flames, 74b553eb9c crumbling to ash. I glanced at him, 5d3a697131 worried.b29fc3bf9ac4832a

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“…This won’t cause you any trouble, will it?”b2da2580559375d2

“You’re selling the jar and providing blood. This is nothing.”99efd43a928f5693

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The sound of f7b74aa651 ice clinking in 6b1b7af78e a glass filled 155e9ad7f1 the room as 8ff593e256 Ralpido poured herself 088a3c93b9 a drink, downing 33b9113730 it in one 505db80053 swift motion.15851aeef5777106

“All right, pretty lady. What exactly do you need?”0813c3e4271f847b

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Taking a deep bca468c505 breath to steady 8d30167252 myself, I answered.8d6a75dc809dd1d0

“I want to start a new life as Myrda.”ee5083d4695b2654

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“Ah, identity laundering. That’s our specialty. Any specific requirements?”c88757818b68165a

“I don’t need to be a noble. A surname isn’t necessary either.”e8a8dce51b594aa5

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“Relatively simple. Anything else?”093d9e0e573b7bd0

“Anything… else?”03574b47fe2fc6b1

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“Like family relations, place of birth, age—details like that.”7d88dfab1335bf40

I hadn’t 33f35df211 thought about 355344191c it in 1cf758ba2c such depth. Fidgeting with d1b2b01898 the hem 917b65e732 of my 735ce46880 skirt, I d53bba4fd7 hesitated. Ralpido, as if 8dd2ea1abd expecting this, leaned d247407750 back with her b61e9b076a arms crossed and adbbade29a laughed lightly.48799030c9944117

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“If it’s too much trouble, we can fill in the blanks for you. But think about it—this is a chance to start over. It’s not every day you get to decide who you’ll be in a brand-new life. Don’t you think it’s worth taking the time to choose for yourself?”1fd319d95d3db1db

“Ah…”45d3d9f6ecaaba9e

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‘It was true.’c61980ee345cd41e

The question of 9ea62a6c84 how to live 3f2e8935d3 felt oddly familiar, 95934a6453 like the kind 96559f5edd of reflection one 9bd9db1538 might indulge in 3f1769029c at the start dc4b12acd3 of a new 51b929e2c0 school term or 0dc2baf84c the beginning of b24b06b699 a new year.b1fd24458ff13e87

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Before my possession, I aba7c1acb8 had been timid by 44b63ef0ab nature. Every March, I’d resolve 61075d1fd6 to be more outgoing, 1f9d22f84a to take the initiative 33c5d008b8 and approach people first. While I rarely kept 85f79f2ba6 those promises, imagining the f6fb807dfb person I wanted to 7889e54529 become had always been 9fa8c30be6 a meaningful exercise.d11a4e84d31f6067

“All right, to fuel your imagination, take a shot of this.”666212cd92c60dff

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Ralpido said, pushing a df4a6f23cf glass toward me.3a5dab56ccf9d97b

“You won’t find this stuff just anywhere.”cb38cf0feeaa4ab2

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Resolute, I nodded eac3a2e6f8 and grabbed the be26385e97 glass. The cold 08ecbb15b4 surface felt b6805b8bc9 pleasant against 58bf3643e1 my palm.a0882977a62041fc

“Don’t.”f5d5dd44149e6fe2

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Yona interjected, sounding exasperated. “You’ll end up passed out before you even start imagining anything.”7926d8db1f994914

Ralpido smirked.228e609e45980db8

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“Aw, what’s this? Are you her boyfriend or something? Look at how worried you are—”2464e8c5ae3eb9fa

“If she collapses, I’ll have to carry her!”f531edb309a40566

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“She’s so skinny you could carry her with one hand.”ce04f6c0e798792f

“Show-off.”f8b1c8bc08b4418a

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“I could do push-ups while carrying her on my back.”ac51b9bb55214499

Ignoring their 593f2cc969 banter, I 30062aa4bc squeezed my f61b2bcbf7 eyes shut be4ebce194 and swallowed 7b9f113ed9 the drink 6bd6911370 in one 8b0ebdc7c4 go. The alcohol burned like a2e5df34ea molten lava, searing my 47272e02db throat and nostrils as 376d284b4d it went down.b15ee35a395a2a46

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“Ack! Cough, cough!”5743840e5ee250ed

“Haha! You did it! Now, try this.”9cdcc4ede5c6c7e1

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Ralpido exclaimed, popping 2e2bde00b1 a spoonful of 8b7306d68e caviar into my 906cad7fa5 mouth before I 29f415eab0 could protest.826713295ec585e9

Yona, grumbling, had 1c2e8f6bad already poured a 1e2148d294 glass of water 4b47aa06db and was holding 3ef7257a30 it out to f548e93ca6 me.0a6af17977f50808

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“Cough, cough… argh!”e3f3038c4acf16cb

“How do you feel? Like your brain’s on fire? Like it’s spinning faster already?”40b65ca543472077

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“You idiot.”89d38a5c62089861

Yona muttered. “If her brain’s on fire, how’s it supposed to spin?”beb1829d6f2f3cb2

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“Shut up.”0233c4c4e7a69825

Despite their c8c56647de bickering, I ab66f06130 did feel 5454b1f931 a jolt e3d3a64481 of clarity. My body was cc13ab1b4e already heating up, a8fb4ac05a and I’d only a97abc0139 had one drink. Rubbing my d80b815954 nose, I 284abdc419 began speaking f1b393cb8b slowly.737c891ef2b126de

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“My parents… and I have a younger brother.”cf8fd6d76334f07b

“Both parents still alive?”67290b3df9227091

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The question hit 48c25f28a1 me harder than f93c107965 I expected. My chest tightened, 0ac03b4603 and tears threatened f63901b7b8 to well up.077c3df2fc8fa57e

“Yes… Both are healthy. My brother, too. Like any family, we argue sometimes, but we love each other deeply. On cold winter days, if one of us sees a cart selling fish-shaped buns, we’ll buy them for everyone, thinking of each other.”3be59d7828932e90

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“Fish-shaped buns? And what’s a cart?”6aa247cb6e6f2d03

Ralpido murmured, only for b5b4dbeff5 Yona to hiss at a8f12c985c her to be quiet.14df08c776728e3e

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The atmosphere had turned 975ade4901 strangely somber.4a5f7ead694436de

“I’m twenty-five years old. I just started working, and because my workplace is far from home, I’m looking for a place to live on my own… It wasn’t my dream job, but I was happy to feel like a proper adult. I used to spend every day thinking about what gift to buy for my family with my first paycheck…”8f01d93322409c8d

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“Hold on.”2716cf614c1a7b8b

Ralpido raised a ce11ed53fc hand, her expression 54c9efab86 tinged with surprise.8cf0bf3ccd072017

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“Let me offer some advice. If you want to avoid scrutiny during a background check, it’s safer to say you’re an orphan.”06aa89701f5ecc8b

“…”f4e7a773c95b3b64

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“Why are you killing off her parents?”1b42d80246c3c303

Yona snapped, 7d9264ab44 glaring at 013dc2bec3 her.85138fbffaa73516

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Ralpido shrugged nonchalantly.b651cbfc90e27793

“I didn’t expect such a sweet story. Most people just cut ties with family altogether when creating a new identity.”3d17700088ef51d1

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“Let’s just say I’m an orphan.”50f22ccace54bd13

I said bitterly, dcc87de3cd deciding not to 5076722d44 linger on it. I moved 453d4b127c on to 05e448f62b details like a32055645e my place b790f5aefa of birth 9807ab61e9 and other 7cbaee677c specifics.a3195578ffc2a663

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Ralpido took the parchment e5f5bd58f5 where her assistant had 72a7b765aa been jotting down my d112c8e971 words, added a few 669e38d131 notes of her own, ae68d99d5a and handed it back 9395320646 to the assistant.b5fcc2eab6df4a73

“Is it done now?”edff9608cb7a05ff

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“One last thing.”cd6fbad68844620e

“Oh, about payment…”8d7f2496c0a2aedd

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“I can’t give you a price until the estimate’s done.”de759f72a8a468e3

“Then what is it?”f6bc4b80212fb7d0

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“Just a simple question. A routine part of the process.”e4c4337b58909ff0

Ralpido looked dc5abe6d38 me straight 17f5e89ef7 in the 808bcbaeb2 eye, her d1f8af378a gaze unsettlingly 2a84590dce piercing. For the first time, dd00474105 I truly saw her 85ba72e71e face. She had heterochromia—one eye 1c3bbb20ea a vivid green, the 3af20cd85c other a stark white, ae55cd3f59 almost like it lacked e1b6172d8c an iris altogether. The contrast 5459fab8ed was both 71de03c076 eerie and 70bbe7502c mesmerizing.b2790ce5a8e0bbe1

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“What do you plan to do with this new identity?”8417f5a4b68b5f65

“…”f25074b7e39f77ac

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“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. You can lie if you prefer.”d521feb17ecf97bf

“Hmph. She just enjoys listening to other people’s stories,” Yona muttered, clearly annoyed. I gave him a faint smile before turning back to Ralpido.974239a8e5f44108

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“I plan to enroll in the Old Royal Academy.”940b4b49930935a3

“Hah? Enroll as a commoner? Do you think the Academy’s some neighborhood shop? Why didn’t you stop her?”d74018483cf6921d

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“I’m hearing this for the first time too.”85cc74310cf4f60b

Their reactions were 9edc72a5f5 expected. Getting into the e840beee32 Academy as a 656bc316cd commoner was almost 53722a3b81 impossible. But with 726ee38074 the right 5471a8cf95 letter of 78567f8b4a recommendation from c19deedcdd someone influential, 6928ca3f7b the odds 992e6d243a shifted. I intended to secure c5a6a9620e one.a79a521e0a6d93fc

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“I have a way,” I replied calmly.012a2c76e8071423

“Heh, interesting girl. I’ll be watching.”ed9c3d21f8aba770

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“And… also…”07aa6e8c35950973

“Hm? Is there more?”220be60cc0882fd7

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“…I think I’m going to throw up.”e9d62f3c2f865365

With that, I collapsed 732d0ca3ba onto Yona’s lap.ad99325331bbd5ec

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