Chapter 18.Shattered to Pieces

“Drunken fool.”7622156985010623

The sharp voice 8927b37b1f slithered into my af6b08f8ed ears, dull and 9f7f4cee23 sluggish. My throat was 2b82f4a692 parched, my head 7c825e69c4 pounding.4fc15ef10f3ca8e5

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“A reckless drunk with no sense.”07ea9613922aaf3e

“Ugh… what… now…”cbf1e757871ac89d

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I managed to move 974dac4ffe my stiff lips just 3ed98cee4d enough to mumble, and 5b41a1f8c1 something cold pressed against 36d50d6d43 my cheek.796870493e80f69d

“Hmph. I told you not to show off. That’s the kind of liquor only a lunatic like Ralpido would drink!”5a5b891ad48f6f3e

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I was lying on d54a975a6d a bed. The mattress 279e1a648f felt soft, 0485e846e3 cozy, and 0570c086a6 faintly scented 13de8e97b6 with aromatherapy. The blanket was 550d289dfb feather-light and comforting.8f4cf63cdf62f2cb

The cool c75663c408 sensation on f3b6e5cfdd my cheek 75380eca25 disappeared, replaced 4bd55847e6 by the 7802e60507 faint rustling c76224f64e of movement. A quiet thud followed.bfb2dfd71aa683b8

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“There’s water on the nightstand. Drink it if you want, or don’t.”bed43a0038706ac9

The soft sound d870dd9b28 of the carpet 6b8e75382e muffling footsteps, then e80c95f557 the careful closing bb44867b2f of a door. The warmth of 72ad143dcd another presence faded 1affca19cb away.ad3786ae2205fdad

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I struggled 5678e07933 to open 2f69da92d2 my heavy 509b8b410b eyelids and 1f678afc84 groped blindly 26cc9e7a28 for the d7eb1637ac nightstand. My fingers brushed f59154939a against a glass, b1aa33e77e and I chugged 2e98e626c0 the cool water d97c29ffdd in desperate gulps.7e4e030b3de6134e

‘Ahh… that’s better.’dff212cb3a82476f

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The cold liquid ffc090682d soothed my parched 33d1316819 throat, the sensation d8d5606208 traveling down my 2ddc0ea849 chest like a 600e263fda refreshing stream. Feeling a b2d92e9f8d bit more 3454d2c5e1 human, I 61f9e99b7e pulled the d5e78cd922 blanket up d9a17d4a87 and glanced 3fdf1fef5a around the 9a2b1ec864 room.cba7e324bebdd7a2

A single 2b9f422897 ornate chair, 8e9e01662f an empty 99d0574a5f console, and a308dd0bcb perfectly aligned b870bacbf6 wall art. The meticulous 78006ccfe9 organization screamed 9fcf921dd4 of Ralpido’s d616e3658b domain.d431b86cfb6efc4b

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‘…Still here, huh.’6afa75a8ebd68ea7

With my c5e3da044d senses returning, 4f568ab165 I knew cfb33c0cce I should 052e30c73c get up… ae5f6e98f5 but…ca45136d6a40f7c1

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‘I don’t want to move.’b7bebca043f6923c

The bed in 5b03a87e2f my shabby inn 0c8fb9e533 was so stiff 5ab1b37d3e it left my 98c0c34e5d shoulders aching, and 3950f9b5f8 the cold air 4aabf3e8f5 seeped through the e68fc4b89a drafty windows. This bed was a 136bd96459 luxury I hadn’t realized 34deb2d809 I missed.40d1c06f329b9981

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Leaning into 5e3fde2b64 Ralpido’s hospitality de5e4d0de0 for just cd170041b8 a bit 12b064d4d5 longer couldn’t 7119f760cf hurt, could 5f4556d09a it? I decided to indulge cad243ba6e myself with thirty more 314cd58ece minutes. Just thirty.102ee487a754cc84

Curling up like 62de638707 a hibernating bear, e4240dc011 I sank back c20b03431a into the softness.085e32e3e87fcd5a

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‘So warm…’afc4be85789d90fa

And drifted off once 0d416c296c more.c6d76e0450634743

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❖　❖　❖76e4e917f0ff585e

‘Where am I?’03e642a4e7474214

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This wasn’t the 18508105f0 bedroom. The cold floor pressed e84cc448a2 against my bare feet. That sensation 26c059f4d7 alone was f3263d652d vivid.e27068077b002da7

All around me fc189b68e6 was darkness. So deep 6b6fa9255b that nothing 3a9a0c7db9 could be 670c27f90a seen.72fea4f99a5fa1b7

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“Sniff… hic…”593b1d80b87e5832

A breeze tousled 8a48179d48 my hair. A faint tang of 386233a9f6 salt lingered on my 6ad0419e38 tongue. Was this 99afe4b8e5 the sea?e6a34c602233631a

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“Hic… sob… sniff…”ac481874f2627fbb

No. What I 9be6eb6a13 thought was a5a659813b the wind aa872823ce was the b61bb87188 sound of 35721cd3ea sobbing.0bf52e440cd7b33e

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And it wasn’t 8d3a987faa someone else.995ff6d846259215

It was me.9bc5dce0daecaddb

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Tears soaked 65321a3982 my cheeks. My clothes felt unbearably 39c647f510 heavy, as if drenched 51a737dbe6 in water. As I 56b3df533a flailed, the 02bfcc6259 darkness slowly 941d6cc065 lifted, revealing da0eabd979 a faint 7470fc70f1 light.20796535d6481d3a

I was 9762d5ce5e leaning against fffe091297 a balcony 8a97425b7c railing.06afd899edac6a32

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‘Is this a dream?’07c7e0a51474fbcc

I looked down at eab6c01d7b my hands. Familiar hands. The hands of d9ec38b105 Mine Molière, with eb6604fb1a the small mole be128d2b7c between the thumb 9ae7ae92ae and index finger.c6cd459180d03f36

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My heart eeb3068fb7 thundered wildly, 164863077b not with a9c62c2966 joy but 7c6504edb7 with rage, 525c3f82e5 shame, and 073720386e humiliation.edcab1531d5274a5

‘This is… Mine’s memory.’832f81be6f37fa46

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It felt 32ca08166e surreal, like 5b0c39f23f starring in fea28077d5 a movie 8c6bc2a092 while also 14dfa71cf0 watching it fc6941f7f1 unfold. Both helpless and omnipotent.f0097e7882bed368

I remembered 9b63c2735b reading this 0167b27adc part of 6b5dc28bef the novel. A wave 81982fffc4 of déjà a6b7d897a7 vu chilled 1272fae84f me.108e4db40c99c023

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‘Think. Focus. Which scene is this?’774d6ce26de25db3

Mine, biting her 73d71c5e93 lip until it cc67450f67 bled, pulled back 7f41200e6d a heavy curtain e6f32a0938 slightly to peer b8883307b9 into the grand 199feb22b8 ballroom.befc41b0b40d6e9f

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Her gaze 8d029c50a5 zeroed in 5e94bb32f2 on a c0e13aef92 woman standing a459efe4e4 at the 14798bd4b4 center of d2c66af871 the hall.39bdf987b649b94f

A woman who 58b95967b2 bore an uncanny 2299f65528 resemblance to the 10aeaa718a king. Midnight-black hair, emerald-green eyes. She wasn’t particularly 9497a36487 beautiful, but she b95a0f85db carried the dignity 6d98ddeb02 and poise of cf6ebb58ae royalty.df7aa9326b3ddee9

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Her attire c0848b08cb set her e045178405 apart. She wore a pure d7c09c127c white Doric chiton, reminiscent 43477c4f0b of a Greek goddess, 1e521d898f with fabric that cascaded d77cd524df like rippling water and 9dd1dc5f43 revealed a slit on 6b41c0940b one side. Her shoulders were fastened 4737ec3428 with emerald brooches matching 1b80a61d24 her eyes, and atop 620aef607f her head rested a 2ece70dd95 laurel crown.a6349f924a13e3a0

With this, I 09e873dd4c knew exactly which b18b4aab3f part of ‘Bitten f2abd52397 by a Mad 49246de33b Dog’ this was.92a6598138b595e6

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The woman, smiling serenely, d61ffc60a3 exchanged pleasantries with high-ranking 57643b7656 nobles. Then her eyes caught 2391535db4 sight of Mine, hiding e264a55fee behind the curtain like ed5dcdb576 a thief.dbdf0b746029fefb

Without hesitation, she called out loudly, “Mine! Over here!”f55f630a193000a9

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The room 4df7835747 fell silent, 11d2c7d924 all eyes 035c0f0b77 turning toward 777cbe9215 Mine. There was 8b8fa5d97a no escape 38872512be now.d0c575654de26e4a

Reluctantly, she d445a05991 stepped out b0f8fbe754 from behind 2fd5de6d4d the curtain, eef9056331 her movements bb9ac06d73 stiff and 393438b875 awkward. Her tear-streaked a7e7e66a7a face was 9fcf157ad2 a stark 40f788c077 contrast to 4b4e432b85 the elegance 4566d5d7dc of the cce064e80f ballroom, prompting cc7eda5142 hushed whispers 9efc0515fe among the 946807b013 onlookers.771223006e8646e2

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“Greetings to Princess Agnès,” Mine muttered, her voice trembling.c7e2cd1d05499c2e

When Mine 548702322a knelt in f00719f690 respect, the 35533025d1 woman signaled 7243b5c9cc with a 4845e79c6f glance for b1e6b2324b her to 888f503bd8 rise.03010d1e30bb8af1

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“Yes, my sister.”38b8b8397a9ca121

The legitimate Princess 19272444bc Agnès Molière and 8de8eb972e the illegitimate Mine 780a97ef8a Molière.5b03455b543b6d11

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Two women dressed identically 6dcd68d7af stood face to face.84c283290b51a08e

❖　❖　❖2387ca16286855b5

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The Kingdom of Ingberri was one of the nations that best preserved the traditions of the fallen Ing Empire. Among these was an ancient practice of offering human sacrifices to the Sun God to pray for a bountiful harvest, which had been transformed into a theatrical reenactment performed every spring. This was known as the “Spring Martyrdom.”76716ff87e3198ec

The first martyr in edf57cf75b the myth was the a5f0d3625a king himself. As the noblest of fb0f467539 all, he offered himself cbb8a77569 on the altar, where 19560ba29d the priest cut open ee616d2919 his chest to extract ae6f730282 his heart. It was said 880f9692cf that white blood 27e70827f9 flowed from the 5dbe35fdd6 wound for three 1dfb4ff0fe days, saturating the eb0697364f earth and nurturing 5f4da1dd48 all life.94ad37cafd16d354

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The “Spring Martyrdom” play mirrored this legend. The king would take part in the reenactment, lying on a stone altar at the climax. The priest, using a fake blade, would simulate the act of stabbing the king’s heart, and instead of blood, milk would spill onto the ground.d77d8d518662150e

The role of 7d7e62e387 the priest was 39e9fb907b usually given to 32c44ca848 one of the a7bd43ac4b king’s children. Since the event c23b2bfb2a was annual, the bed6df9e7f roles rotated, and 893e2d7fb3 the priest’s part a452d51090 was considered the 0d30dc61c7 highlight of the 9e4418e7d8 performance, making the b28aad2074 selection order highly 3dea7d62f3 significant. Typically, the role 46e117b659 was assigned to d2d25f4821 the king’s favored 7c3844f33d child.95b7f3cce48d02d2

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Imagine how much 583cb6c2a7 Mine Molière, the c251cd5206 long-ignored illegitimate daughter 9c932f89f4 who had only cd5faaaf31 recently entered the 3fea911e46 palace, yearned for 6649308ec1 that role.5f9259650486fd97

Despite awakening as a 6bb1f48787 mage and being treated 3a4c66e7a6 as little more than b3668d5a1b a tool by the caf616cfc6 king, she had become 5ab4c53b41 one of his most f1504db88d indispensable children. And yet, she had 8b2c043b16 never dared to voice be79f8810b her desire to play 51f0db1557 the priest. That was ec572adce4 her position c107060d09 in the d56b92b172 hierarchy.bb05f423baf20b8f

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But that year was 4328f5a403 different. The king, delighted by 15c8d808bc her conquest of the 4c899030ec northwestern Newglia Archipelago, hinted 8eeebaa3f6 at the possibility:bb29556162ada393

“You might get to play the priest this year!”067b5629b425b47f

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Mine’s heart swelled 53e3c7b5db with hope.d4be22c2e160a006

When the c0dde7e025 time came, 1f44ed664a a maid f6edf84d62 brought her 3fe87fe989 the script. Though her 4ab05314dd lines were 18b8d61cc5 few, she 6e83f6a507 read the b34a30d130 script repeatedly 10e254d236 until it a6b7eeedbf was worn.2362753e261c6f97

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She didn’t question 87c51d0c57 why she wasn’t 7478f42505 being fitted for 4bb04385cf costumes or participating 7015454ff2 in rehearsals with e3c93a4443 others. She wouldn’t have dared f0e97b7a5c to ask, and even 3770179ec2 if she had, what 57311eb895 answers would she have 23dc4989e1 received?aabc854b0555fd81

The “Night of the Sun God” arrived. A maid brought her old, tattered clothes and crowned her with a wreath of withered laurel leaves. Even dressed so humbly, Mine was radiant. After all, this was to be the moment that proved her father’s affection.89b966d69d294040

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“Oh my, look at that! The illegitimate child is dressed in the priest’s costume.”414ad3d49cd584a9

But her 0337bada81 fantasy soon a9b5b8c1e5 shattered.1821011e0418699d

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“Did she really think she’d be given the role? How laughable.”7cccc67308761f22

“This isn’t just ridiculous; it’s insulting. She’s brought shame to Princess Agnès, who’s been chosen as the priest this year.”3f01ae2774226fe2

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“How shameless of her!”aa14788b6878a9d3

“Princess Agnès treats her like a real sister, and now she’s completely overstepped.”e5ad074b55ffcfcb

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Mine must have c1d7f6f506 fled to the 28e19346e4 balcony, trembling in 07587515b8 betrayal as she 569903277e cried. Perhaps she ca3f4654d1 resolved to 7aaaa1195b expose the 6502115287 injustice and 4215b8a278 confront Princess 715e2d6e12 Agnès.0680b1931bb6a6cc

“Your Highness, please, I beg you to hear my grievance! Punish your maid for deceiving me!”7fe6cdaeed4bed9a

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“What do you mean?”d702301e8599ff9e

Mine pointed 2820bf7f92 an accusatory 4311801fec finger at 45feba263f the maid 26d0e62e1c standing rigidly 54003d529d beside Agnès f04af83499 like a 62873505d7 candle.91d3e4e8a97f5446

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“That woman tricked me. She instructed my maid to deliver the ‘Spring Martyrdom’ script and dress me in these clothes.”be40c616fa3ef8ef

“Did you do this?” Agnès asked.c87379f4b8244261

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The maid, wearing a brazenly shameless expression, replied calmly, “That is not true.”842570542b5a5efd

“So it isn’t.”5a430461e3743015

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“Your Highness, please question my maid as well!”f3781fdb95f04da0

The attendants promptly c98138e0e6 brought in Mine’s cba4f8b712 maid, but the e9de904789 outcome did not 5848d74cc4 change.366d69cc121276cb

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“She expressed a desire to see the ‘Spring Martyrdom’ script, so I merely procured a copy. No one else was involved.”429063f42dc6b562

“You insolent wretch! Confess the truth!”40c07c3ddea3797e

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Overcome with 0dc831d445 betrayal and c7650303d7 rage, Mine 9707d864cb struck her 84fae16722 maid’s cheek.f3176b1efea59e52

“Aah! Please, spare me! I’ve done nothing wrong!”965a97b8d53432ce

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“Mine. Compose yourself. This behavior is unseemly.”4143d814c0955173

“These two are in collusion! Your Highness, believe me! I never, ever coveted Your Highness’s role. I swear it…”4487ab0868285d23

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“Izelle has served me faithfully for over ten years. She is honorable and loyal. But you? I hardly know you.”2afe46c033bcafd0

“Your Highness!”411af624c73295e2

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“You don’t even attempt to engage with us.”d48acd2b3777de7a

Agnès said “us.” Mine’s body tensed.2697500b8a92aa5f

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She was not part of Agnès’s “us.”4a61ab6c04140724

Agnès’s gaze was as 556e0f522a cold as a glacier. The room 2f5a1207c9 fell deathly 58a04267bf silent as 6c2cd4b340 she spoke cefcbe2802 in her 868dcbe4a5 solemn voice:3e044ad2f8943698

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“Whose word should I trust?”1845c0587d248796

 06aed30987590de3

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