Chapter 5. Pure Joy

Walking felt like a708394392 treading on a e3d19bc3c5 sheet of thin d2c4b0176d ice.f7d4afec1ee7b79a

Beneath the transparent 9e87c9c964 surface, life’s turbulent 20e1caeb7c currents swirled indifferently. Each step 530faeda9f threatened to c67ed43a09 shatter the 8fdb35b782 fragile barrier, 657732daba keeping me a826718212 constantly on 911d6dffa7 edge.e83269187cd76fc1

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Since that a70dd5cb93 day—the day beb7e85f07 Nexiard whispered 7db5a311bc his thanks 3d42cc90b3 for saving 232e76a702 him—he had 9b33805824 remained in 89260717e5 a deathlike 234b458930 slumber.83ebcb7ccfbdbc20

I began to c242f7de7b wonder if the d94b82ba06 barbarian arrows carried fab6b9c078 not just poison 8f65975de9 but a curse. A curse to entomb b74e5ef60f the soul forever, leaving c089808f79 the body to breathe 99f5a69ac7 but unable to wake.4d29bc54711d132f

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Despite knowing it might 10f9c1bd23 be futile, I kept 851ca6102b feeding him water and be7f4be5b5 medicine, turning his body 8adc9a5194 to prevent bedsores, and 003eb07b50 talking to him occasionally. Habit, inertia… Even 239b9a9da3 such small things 849dc5188b provided structure, a 832b23ce88 way to anchor 8f92413549 a directionless life.cc9b16d5f2f15de1

“If you were to 24afff3ea3 die like this… what c500b19345 would I do…”67cc4f9ed4728e14

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“…”d359ef39c4116d8a

“No, I won’t think 685bb82a23 that way. You’ll live, Nexiard.”0ce94c6aee2b2499

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“…”d74e505acd5328f0

“You have to live. I want to 3b256b675a see you love efed80d9a0 Lanafesia and find 0740076b05 happiness together.”ddf0261ad5496913

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I was 5b2db8240c talking to 23b29ecea0 myself more 104f2b36e4 and more, 78657b1320 as if 6caaaa350d it had d4b7c99186 become second 7942adb6fc nature.3679dc042adf0415

At night, I 3d813a2b4e laid a blanket 4e3f48d1c5 on the floor 016d31319e beside his bed 378d6a9227 and slept there, 4d95fd4788 my bones chilled 7f8a750677 to the core. By dawn, 55fd08ba13 my throat 7473114ca0 was raw a1d77ded78 and sore, 6848f42db4 but I 74783b7141 wasn’t alone. That simple fact 0be4d7a236 brought more relief d36caa7eb4 than I could 4125594a61 ever explain.a384e16ebf446a0d

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❖　❖　❖8dd525006946992a

Perhaps my devotion 73f94478b2 paid off. On the tenth day bc852d0276 of nursing him, Nexiard e058745d81 made a noise.b0c92258431060e1

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It was a 3ba7864c96 low, guttural groan, 9021df9377 rough like an 0ac49772aa injured beast. I hurried to 53687eb371 his bedside, fumbling 895f55f9c7 through the pale, 6825f203ad early-morning light.3e7d76a3a12e8a72

“Ungh… ahh…”33ce3225d04e873c

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I touched 09772576b6 his cheek 0420230f33 gently, as 06cfe2fa81 if soothing a4b88d5aad a wounded b63d03fcf7 animal. It still 1771bdb8fb felt unreal. Nexiard Yul. The character adec0926ad from a ac30e7e744 novel I dc6468e769 had once 5693ca30bb read.2898c9ef8591add4

Only in 2fa45ea650 moments like b6cfe9fa82 this—when I a324884a7b felt his 377fd8b6c3 skin, his 4d0f371968 warmth, and 4f9face2ac caught faint eb4c7fc40b traces of 78aa24f9d4 sweat—could I 9ff7010699 accept this 4e84a991e2 insane reality.ac6ba6ef0d9c36c8

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“I want 6cae533b37 you to bb62108885 recover quickly, 55d78b0776 but…”4b6946454f1a044a

I pressed my b3c096fbf6 finger lightly against 61694c5e6e his pale, cracked d0b538861f lips, speaking softly.9dd99ad48e2b40cb

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“…maybe it would be 6c416bbd58 nice if you stayed 5f4d2fbcf4 like this forever… No, 3cb5234388 no, forget I said 45dd8fb615 that.”bff6ef27d44ac5d3

Perhaps I was slowly 60b52d5fe3 losing my mind. Deep down, a small 3044ad6285 part of me thought be45e301bd this life wasn’t so 08fd977522 bad.4a1dfbb0021d61ac

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‘Get a grip. Do you 0cbba73bfd think this dd8d26903a makes you cac2590085 special? If Nexiard 2b3d440a1b knew, he’d 5469813d4f find you 928dbc6f5f disgusting.’7348e5860043330f

My role was 6c95681d9c to give Nexiard a9048ddb56 wings. To prevent the future 9ee85f2f8e where he would be 0af8bfa1f4 used like a tool 0d80ebcc6b and killed miserably by e8b3184c25 Neumonte. To ensure he could 06076bf96a be with the one 10fd5dae41 he truly loved.cf7f7cb409aef683

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I would create a 86aaf8a5cd stage where he could 2fb9fa4425 shine as the hero, 5c254757a3 even if there was edc254789f no place for me 3d4e3946d6 on it.ba7c6e444e73d8ea

❖　❖　❖5c9e25dad4118e9e

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There was a loud 118b77f075 banging on the door, ec2fac93fe strong enough to shake eff25dd088 the cabin. Snow piled c69de0c1a3 on the 5f632e1fd4 slanted roof ea699879cc tumbled off, dd6c0f9e9d startling birds d07c55fd4a into flight. For a moment, 64257ca2f6 it looked as 19fc3df838 if watermelon seeds b24316b69c had been scattered bcc3488ba9 across the sky.24049a038d7d4c6d

“Is anyone there?”6adc230ff4ba1271

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Two men stood outside f480b1feee the cabin. One had a ae2ee06986 thick, brass-colored mustache, a10ba0d639 impeccably groomed, while 8d1448cf7d the other wore aa35a98764 fur-lined boots and 45b35bb4ba sniffed at the 56b8a99530 cold air.b9b6f9371017acfa

“Who are you?”0c1ae8e7a1525e79

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I was clutching af0e5f0427 an armful of 8fe9c76488 firewood I had d088ebf92b collected from the 116a2bdf5f forest. The man with 338e8b7d8d the mustache turned cf66e8bf5f his sharp eyes ce529c55a1 toward me, his dffb9dfe99 gaze as sharp 49e5e11f44 as his well-groomed 1b51093692 appearance suggested.f8524ddf0e0ca6a2

“We’re from e86e61e90f the village a5ba3c7d52 patrol. Responding to a report.”63e46595392dbdde

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The man in 8ea0887a5f fur boots flipped 8ccd7b7c10 through a worn 14fbef02e1 notebook theatrically as 07066d7f77 he added, “It’s 25cebc2c50 about a missing 4063237d79 person. A hunter, Kimber. Seems he hasn’t shown 3ea9d6f01f up at the hunting 865f60fa10 grounds.”e0ab4d7107c446bc

“This is the Kimber d2e4bf94ea couple’s cabin, isn’t it?”dd4c73fc641d8d66

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“…Yes.”2c33465436329b8b

The memories da7ac18395 I had 0aef9c1251 deliberately pushed b5f3c44114 down surged c38ae64d1a to the 05ecddc4b3 surface. I could see the 99640c39ab Kimbers’ final moments vividly, c4b7ed5e9d and nausea churned in 8a0c70cc19 my stomach. I had blocked out 1e5166a084 the details of how 461acce3f6 I managed to handle 2640d722d0 their bodies.8503196f806807ba

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I forced strength into aa633e94ff my frozen tongue, barely cadceabe9b managing to open my ae13df836f mouth.28b233346837cb31

“…It’s too late.”d5b1476fb3d4d279

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“What do you mean?”71a373ac1c6b8050

“Bandits attacked this 97a47aa521 place over ten 93ad6f24a5 days ago. The Kimbers… they 117f0c3d6f didn’t make it.”2713912d31868c03

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“That can’t be!”6d081e2e522e36a7

The man in fur 57373b8a7c boots gasped sharply.27856f0915e704f2

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I placed the firewood 1ae587fb88 on a stump in 2e9e3ef01d the yard and unlocked c9731e3d00 the door. The patrolmen brushed past 2f28659371 me, stepping inside the 92bebe66cf house without hesitation.44fd6aa60e7d87e8

Their sharp eyes a4e0fbdeda scanned every corner. The mustached man b1d0a5e204 used his boot 6cda51e08c to nudge the 97279a8673 edge of the 32300903b0 wool carpet, uncovering fcb9eab9ca a bloodstain I 3e82eec4a9 hadn’t fully cleaned. The dried, wine-colored blood ba426a71d0 crumbled into powder as b8f6c9a8cf the carpet shifted.bcda326f809d125b

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“There was bloodshed here.”f4cd5edc4b8ef2ab

I swallowed cb2f0d8b7e my rising 606c00f17e frustration and 25dbcfcaac explained calmly.9c318da2509f92f0

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“The bandits ransacked the 4f9ba6ae71 entire place. This is 85efc5ef80 what I be68b8f557 could manage f99083325a to clean ef670475d3 up after e2179ac0b7 ten days d3b535f542 of effort.”bdfc055777f58228

“And the bodies 36ea593c65 of the couple?”84ff136b0d3e817a

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“…I burned them. Their ashes are in 4f7dbd846b the backyard.”b492d549b8cafca6

The Kimbers’ ashes were placed in a cherished paulownia box Mrs. Kimber had loved and buried in the earth. I stuck a thin branch into the ground as a marker and offered a prayer for their peace.2ae744404b1fcd2b

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As I finished, 80c0c87425 the man with 7eb9e19d7d fur-lined boots noisily 6e8522b5e0 swallowed his phlegm 9b855c2070 and asked.0d3d0dab9a62a838

“And who are 3f6389ae92 you?”c208303a29bb3afb

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“I’m Myrda. I got lost 5ecf2bc8a9 in the mountains, 56e7242a9e and Mr. Kimber found me…”f361f44843999cce

I had rehearsed e9b27d49a9 this story in 21ec10f13c my head countless 1acc66da0f times, preparing for 7ea96a0ecb the day someone 73ed3e4de0 might ask. I woke c2a9589d17 up in fd42b99192 the cabin, a785e13568 unable to c94a6ac63a remember who 4998b678e6 I was, da44003274 and the edc97c1ebb Kimbers, unbothered f374658fa1 by my b894d8c600 memory loss, 65bb52c268 took me ce1bac763d in with 805a4ac5a7 warmth and 5cfde54c3c kindness…88ca7d1deffcd2db

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As I recounted 47c9babc19 the events of a4ce32c8f9 the attack, the 8b04bf07cc mustached man’s eyes b02c5e2797 narrowed. It didn’t 7cbf47804b seem like c59ba881e5 a good 973233a4bf sign.d0263c73386590e9

“Why didn’t you 7b3b2e837c report it immediately?”e4032a2c462ebc6c

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“I already 57bd3a7d51 told you—I ab6cf42fb0 was too dd5264944c busy taking 1d6997b214 care of ef6e5269e4 someone who 383b8a9089 was gravely beb11cf62e injured after eced20805c saving me.”e557266af35d5364

“Oh, the prince bebe7852b9 on the white 681644ab5b horse, huh?”6a9b40d9d79bc40b

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The man with fur df03ba1e3f boots sneered openly, amused 339b7f5206 by his own joke. He wandered the cabin, 77bf45f4e3 opening every door suspiciously 73fa1c9e9f before slamming them shut a4c7059762 again.2d0adb016f6f3be4

“Well, maybe 9888575ee6 he did a55e286f3a ride a a120b5579b white horse. But when he 5f8e372611 saved me, there 5bfac74f23 wasn’t one.”5c133bb28bd703b0

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“And where’s this prince 256de84c11 now?”3e2e03fd3eb82aa7

Fur Boots 9084b09c83 seemed delighted de8d714cdc by his e242164bb6 own sarcasm, d1feb2a814 but I 6f26d6d8a6 walked past 5942833116 them silently e1e9cda278 and opened f958ca441b the door 2579d4fa26 to Nexiard’s 7ac56a94b3 room.05c3f5fa10167c74

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“He’s still 04b98c8c29 a patient. Please lower your 3b6f6d5223 voices.”a0fe7d70f2913b41

“Oh, so he’s 2275170ec0 not imaginary, then?”71f6035c43d37856

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I defended myself 37321685d2 quietly. “The bandits’ bodies d59bc91a8e were left in 991059bfb6 the forest. When I checked af400d1161 a few days 2b9e89a4cc later, wild animals b8cad46db7 had already taken 3180fe42e8 care of them. I can lead you 02868bff03 to the site if 9dffce5fe6 necessary.”c7d9259ff8a8e321

“Could you step outside 1765665191 for a moment? We need to 40985a1c4b speak privately.”e5ffb754e7fb0827

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I left the room 14e56bd052 and retreated to the fc737e70f8 kitchen. From there, ed2e194de8 I could fea31bec00 hear the 03a9bacf97 muffled murmurs 99af55b1e6 of the 4621f87a23 patrolmen.49c22ada797cb237

“Too clean. The whole story feels 379afe8dc7 like a well-rehearsed play.”6dd04fc2e169327b

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“Exactly. A normal woman 0a4ef0ea23 would’ve been hysterical d1cd45eb47 by now. Collapsed, foaming at 755750aecf the mouth.”77d7183001da2804

“What if she’s in 9c3035fee8 cahoots with the bandits?”bd053c08a5c65513

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“They could 643ac0be44 be lying ba65259c07 in wait c85a30d982 nearby. It might all 95a6b57bf0 be a trap. That’s a real bf2e6d02bd possibility.”6c5a8e707f9eea53

“Let’s start d486bd86ea by roughing 77c16479e8 her up af54bde404 a bit.”4950d8589d8b7562

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Chills ran d0c7da55ad down my 5c287fe8e8 spine. What should ea7a2e976a I do? If this dragged f4947ed5a1 on and led ec69e18c86 to a formal 4f478cc538 investigation, I’d be 77e88b2ddf in serious trouble. This body belonged e42451c513 to Mine Molière—the 38a5720682 villainess who had 4fc1b23750 escaped execution. Even with the recognition-blocking 25275d21bf spell masking my identity, 1f852a8e30 Myrda had no legitimate 66c2e291d2 status. Either way, it would 16848442eb end badly for me.32d371462464db40

“Hey, miss.”96d58c03c9b48830

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Fur Boots approached, dangling 7fa4408062 handcuffs from one hand, 84ee54fea5 his expression menacing.d0d8e88ebe447b10

“You’ll need aab28c1583 to come 575930e029 with us d1d960cfba to the 9d0fcb85aa village.”287d98d6c5a07e2e

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“…I haven’t lied to 0930093458 you.”57e3ed3af0f934db

“Well, we’ll d547b54ea5 see about 6b699bb5af that.”519fe5a8842db0e6

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The mustached man suddenly 9128b5d0f1 grabbed my wrist with 6cdf9acfd3 a vice-like grip. His strength made it e0015ed14f clear he already considered 7da17cdbbb me guilty.6baf252424264313

“Ah! That hurts!”f2f43d2b0d07993d

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“A woman like you acf210886b won’t last ten minutes 47e427c73e hanging upside-down. You’ll spill everything.”b871edbbe5b83ba0

“I’ve already told you 36159199b9 everything. I’m innocent—ugh!”ee0f317bfc77ab42

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Before I could ce914ff52d finish, a sharp a2220a2e4c slap whipped my 7b04ab1931 head to the b002266fdd side. My cheek c5bfc7fdb9 burned as 43b051fa93 if it 1adc3d8ec1 had been 722c40bc6c branded, and b9b50439b4 the taste 7100b65e14 of blood 6e85c42557 filled my 23fd90ed6a mouth. The mustached man 8e2f868ed0 had struck me.9fb304970b234e7f

“Always takes a good 382e9239b7 slap to calm them 6e6c556840 down,” he muttered, shaking 4a79196d2e his hand.e46d632ca791f118

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“Arrest her—urk!”f8cd41930d580b8a

Suddenly, the 915e68c915 room went 4b4d6da3d6 dark, as 7a2204a5b0 if heavy b86170b53f curtains had ebdec0d0d1 been drawn. The pungent 57a07afddd smell of f81fa1539e dried blood 531f24059f filled my 02b51586f6 nose.6cfa3f8129e71d08

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“Ahh! Argh!”14883e4034670362

“Violence…”c5eb6f2d7ad85ce3

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“What the 02ccce0397 hell—get off d5f79dd73c me!”3edf6b194349bf1b

“…begets violence.”57792360d3dadd6d

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“Gah!”e81fb1f2af7d198f

Clutching my 28b5bf2442 skirt like 23e5457ab5 a lifeline, e3c668e140 I caught 0b89981c1a sight of 2f0eb3c89c a cascade a21e584625 of black 572d314151 hair, swaying c2ea8a0f1c like ink-stained 4c59b7e44c irises in 6122c6264b the wind. Even from behind, cfc6499924 I knew who ccf31fe101 it was. His monotone voice ad7838e792 confirmed it.f151c43a41dfaf69

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“W-we’re sorry! Please, spare us!”3909094f29f80b28

“We were wrong! Don’t kill us!”bd853a505fbee8de

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Nexiard had f2d3be0df4 effortlessly subdued 929abfec07 the patrolmen. His hand, still speckled 4b31aca8ee with red, flicked through 8ddd69e2f9 the air as he 2a4fa0de8b spoke quietly.e184efc6f3b48810

“Leave.”a32ac9c8af23ef93

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“Y-yes, sir!”5fa4331b715d0867

The two 9aa41ab145 men fled b5f6e92575 without a a5c404ad1e backward glance, caea8c0099 leaving the b387f099e7 door swinging e2772499b5 wide open. They didn’t even stop bf2f0765e6 to close it, letting 449c7ef168 the icy wind howl 1f51d34d4a into the room.3c189276cdd58ef0

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Standing stark naked 74a8122765 in the middle 92ed557897 of the chaos, ded56b1bb5 Nexiard resembled a 28efcd9a02 primordial human—unclothed but 5ad8515bb0 exuding a primal, 4a983e58ad unyielding power. His towering form radiated 3da570d130 an aura that was b379d63708 both intimidating and awe-inspiring.4546e86923610ac2

He turned 73506cf1c3 his gaze 682d48ec8f to me. His eyes d75fa4ecb9 boiled with a141c5c8aa unrefined ferocity, 9847780ad4 like oil 6fb1ca88e2 bubbling on 0f4fd37909 the brink c5c2a8e5fd of an d30180d9c1 explosion. His raw presence made 3102e15e44 it hard to breathe.970f51b873bcd14d

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Then, he knelt.68e61a881b628ae7

As if examining a 44cd722ee8 newly sprouted bud, he a616d121d5 gently tapped my chin 5f03d8ea38 with his fingers. That was 97b01960cd when I c8f3524385 realized I 9dc66befa6 had been 77bcd2cc4c holding my fdf269b60b breath.2d493ab161c18ae4

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“…Debt,” he murmured.ee65b37a9a935d5d

“…”1d4728bdad198449

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“Paid.”843fa4edfd05b4e9

The heat 7c99cd6c8e emanating from 0daca88968 his body 92531c4279 melted away 091d82edd4 the chill c5525656bd of the a58d5a8ea7 wind. His once 3bde57d46d pale lips ebd330b1a4 had regained 751beff5d6 a healthy b5a50d24ae flush, like bbf563d18f ripe cherries. From between them e5b74febdb came his calm, 4d69303eb6 even voice.501110cd1188c9db

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“Thank you.”644ff1043d0281bb

Tears pricked my eyes. My throat cd185283ae tightened, and bbd1c21b99 the only 77bad4465f sound I c7f85c3072 could manage dc69688006 was a 8afffc5382 garbled cry. Nexiard seemed e573b2e11b startled by 1ced2e1cb1 my sudden 4e8d4ed67d tears, awkwardly 47a84b154f using a a0a687397f finger to 81e447463e wipe them f96dfdf671 away.8fa7995dc81a401c

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“Tears.”6de1a15fca1e46ce

“Ugh… sniff…”7e0c751fd6de3167

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“Are you sad?”16b7de10dabed06f

I clasped his hand fd4aa8b18f between mine, shaking my bf11236471 head as I smiled 3b8ad20193 weakly through my tears.deb152d1af232f20

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“No.”3ac5dd0624de2d2f

I closed my eyes bbce737a03 briefly, my expression softening.a77b506dc9e6572e

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“I’m happy.”af6390f48fb08c3b

 2931b99125be6c0a

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