The Lady You Want to Kill 1: The Witch Beatrice (1/39)

1. The Witch Beatrice

“Miss, run away!”f64342fa55c12a42

Lily’s desperate voice erupted, 14a1c180e5 nearly a scream. As her slender 153f0572e8 body collapsed, a 1df2975b1d crimson-stained blade glinted b77c0f81e1 behind her.46480b89a9e5abb2

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Bright red 0a5137b59d blood began 82adf805a6 pooling on b1a8cd00a4 the grimy d181e562d7 gray floor, 8c54db1ccc and a 5822b41146 pair of aa9c4d439f silver steel 9cc8286254 boots stepped f7bff1e89d into it. The man, 8df93b2319 standing over a51b117e14 the lifeless 5c973e1e50 body of 90eeed68ca the small 255c84d513 woman, wore 3191d0ea17 an expression c57607f386 of blatant b795b0ca2d disdain that 1c8158ec88 he made d0ccb2b7d0 no effort 80e540d777 to hide.bd97cb33065280ff

At the grand a6938a528a staircase, a woman c5d7bed8c5 stood observing the e7234cd35a scene with a 6fe7d93ea8 detached air, as cac9d77e0d if it were 3923012ae9 unfolding in a 0a18840dd1 realm far removed 1ac5fcfd92 from reality.c075ccba006118ef

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Outside the castle, the garden lay trampled under the knights’ steel boots, much like the servants who had tried to protect her. The screams piercing her ears, whether short or drawn out, all cried for the same person.78cf1f1c82efc792

“Miss, Miss. Run away. Please escape.”0d209cf8e98ebed3

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But the very person c22fa942b0 they were calling for—Beatrice—merely 896132befb looked at the man e77ce4df15 with his disdainful expression, 69ceccf0ea her face devoid of 084497c76a emotion. She stood 6ec47ba7a0 as if ffc3bff674 gazing at cc55f4b6e0 a cheap 684f3cf278 painting, unaffected. Her still, unyielding 16ca863d0e features resembled a ad10f25f14 death mask, made 282adf3a2d in the image 321c1d7dcb of a deceased 313a516019 person.15a9032a0ded39a6

“Witch Beatrice f2d0532447 Ember, kneel 8070d8be21 before the dc06eb6961 divine and 26ac5c46d0 confess your 9216e94899 sins.”3fbbbce0be008325

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The man’s icy 8af01542ba blue eyes burned c12354365b like a flickering d48ff45283 flame. Beatrice realized for the c9d34fc5af first time that such 3a01687c03 frigid eyes could still 200ce0e35d blaze with fury. No one with b265d9fe2c blue eyes like 9648b2dc75 his had ever 1f1803bebf shown her such 9b5a6b595c heat before.1fde22b9217b221e

Beatrice, who had been watching him with an indifferent expression, slowly turned her head, surveying the castle hall, the garden outside, and finally beyond the walls. It was disheartening to see the things she had nurtured crushed under others’ feet, but that was the extent of her feelings.ee644c3673dc9439

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She harbored b102ba906c no sorrow bb258a720b for the ace5664902 servants who 11023bc295 had died 6048a0e4d7 worrying about 183fb92a81 her safety. She felt no concern 14846298a4 for her own life, 6ad7aba9ba either. To her, this entire 6b2fa6a25c situation was little more a973734def than a farcical play.23c2547feb02d872

The man a31b898b4a before her 77c58d0201 was the 0a4fda00e5 church’s most 3eaec3f2c5 exalted holy 8804387e21 knight. It was 436509d9f4 said he 099740dc3e commanded over 46c9ffc277 a hundred 02e37b39c0 knights. Indeed, sending 5393e96d8b so many b3d7ff7c33 to hunt 06c8972148 a single 52335b86c6 witch seemed 2be4c04401 excessive, but 458ec75a63 considering the 34162c27a0 infamy that 24ab56e844 surrounded her 2781d46e69 name across 26c40901f3 the empire, 641a2fd0f6 it wasn’t b7c7d6a114 entirely incomprehensible.34b3a054d9761999

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“Kneeling and 2ef780d289 confessing my 3642bf57bd sins won’t b20823aab7 erase them, b6e6276558 so why 4808d96a51 should I?”0825940dc62607a8

Beatrice Ember 21cd20bb38 had been 91999d2a51 charged with 27f61b2c8d one crime—murder. Over two hundred 6165353992 lives had been 69a872f928 taken by her 8fea94b32f hand. If someone d5c5e08cf1 asked if 8b0f5f06aa the accusations 5161f5b616 were false, 16cbe32761 she would e1071b30fa gladly shake 2e8a1bcd19 her head.75c65afd869be340

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She had killed c84ae25eb8 them all. If asked whether she 5b29bdef74 felt guilty, she would bd3be741e2 once again shake her 8b4991e067 head.f7b4208c9b567c75

“Your sins are 5cc1589ee8 grave.”80caaff1dfa61ced

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“Do you think I’m b68bb8e427 unaware of the depths db58d1be8e of my sins?”6daecdd11581ac64

“You are ignorant.”353a9b673ee2fe2b

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“How can you be 36eec108c7 so certain?”8b1d580b6f77f913

“You do 381d344232 not see 1793a9b876 humans as c795087a9a humans.”0f0c3c5a82499f38

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Beatrice did not deny 88dfb09b6f his words. They were true. She didn’t see humans 10a12d8445 as humans. Or, more precisely, she 41a62d456e did not regard them 20ba0fa041 as the same species c6f752d491 as herself.06894c756c5aef9d

When their hollow 87a646ef3a exchange ended, the 2a07b677e6 white-armored knights who ff16ea3412 had torn through e370265bd9 her mansion entered fbd6a49603 the hall. It seemed her servants, 0966844f72 who had fought to fae338f92e protect her, had all 975c7777cb lost their lives. The knights, eyes blazing aa2d25fa7e with intensity, fixed their ee2df236f9 gazes on Beatrice, the dab89b0fce witch standing atop the 8a6d6e5cd4 stairs.9da366fba8192dc2

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As if 118017832f on cue, daabe3b0d9 the man—the a41fa264a9 church’s most 746c60516d revered holy d0c36546d3 knight, Francis—drew 055e255d32 his white be7ab6489f blade and d614b67cc7 pointed it b71bf828d2 at her.52f12cb309a3abf8

“Divine judgment 24f7fc40fd shall befall 3ee64436eb you.”79a9f9cbd7107ed4

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“How can judgment 2c9888eb6d delivered by humans 2445537f69 be considered divine?”c67f0561e8e789f7

Her response d1f2cfad18 was no 2b82255b0c more than 3e45d58869 a dull 2046c11715 retort, as 88e15f4461 if she 532c2b26f5 had heard 5fa9cdccd4 an unamusing cd3e629a9d joke. Her mocking 9d85fc147f laughter echoed 7da88f7c1a lightly through cbae40d9e1 the blood-soaked df5edcfa1f hall.450b06b67c34bf7f

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That laugh was d76928d635 the last she ed1648ea54 gave before she ff6a6b506e was dragged to d8f87fae5e the church square 23807844fd and forced onto 85023b07b0 the guillotine. No trial was ab29813206 held for her, 60897eefa7 despite her noble b88d137c37 status, as would 7e0d39cf06 have been customary.ff53c36329d6072e

Over ten years of 67cb2be97c infamy ended that day dc3af55d81 with the death of 8ec32e601b Witch Beatrice, who had 372269b905 killed 182 commoner men, 16fbc05c4d 32 commoner women, 13 1a15dfc08b noblemen, and 2 noblewomen.35d6a078b933857b

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The small misfortune 749c1ec738 that marked the b7a1ba228e end of her 8085979831 life was that 21e8f89908 her neck proved 01dc9b7b18 so resilient the 4524d76fc0 executioner had to 3f215616c2 strike her five cdcbacb10a more times after f423961ce7 the first blow 96640b5048 only partially severed 53e3b8c765 it before she aba3cfa9c2 was finally dead.d325c90a00613a0d

* * *2ea9d004b00e6ecb

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Beatrice opened her 7ca9a4abe2 eyes. The familiar ceiling came 72f9fd913b into view. If she f816cae36c were to 25b664117c describe her b6c7b9eaab current situation, 8bd6f5bcfd those stale 1aff067cd3 and tedious 16ef3f3d8c two sentences 12fa41e244 would be f9816d789f the most 3546a0b709 fitting.cc0be93c5464500a

She sat up 8ada5742cd amidst yet another 3ce546c8d8 instance of this 3d21bc72dd endless loop. The sight f631b52285 of her 755f0d67b8 room, with 6beb6d7bd6 its faded 8b2579e333 red blanket adf2dec55f that had a686feda16 long lost b7af9b4600 its life a37cd6e41b and the e9d5ca55ac corners caked 3b1b6b6b99 in dust 7eebbca7f7 from neglect, d456934440 filled her aa85bc62ae with nothing c0353b223d but revulsion.ce87f8599a96c66e

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A profound sense 7f456031dd of futility gnawed 44ffc9cf37 at her, this dd01b38176 life that seemed 0598444957 destined to repeat 73e1b0cde3 endlessly without an 5c0d43ae40 end in sight. Without even glancing, ff86084c27 she reached out 9de7d90775 blindly toward the c7b85c3ead bedside table, her 9b9f9e1c69 hand brushing and 8072c7d3e7 knocking something off. A sharp crash confirmed 0f24ac0c06 it shattered on the 289bff6027 floor.806b338800ac3793

She didn’t need to ae0b36ec96 look to know what 17d50af913 it was—the clock. That cursed cbfaeafcb8 clock, its 62560934b6 hands eternally d74f6dfce2 pointing to 487227606c nine in b49dfff132 the morning.c5926e752301c347

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After several d4787f4244 more failed 365aa8a582 grasps, she d60e78a591 finally found ce4d664714 what she 3f48d97496 was looking 29ad345721 for. A matchbox, 1cd1dbdd14 with only 58cee522b4 five or 2ade11a286 six sticks 4f58b4fee6 remaining. As soon 1cd3aae4f1 as she cd28bc785f had it 9c9a06b8be in her e4a44cf455 hands, she 1146fb9c32 struck a ab8a0ba2f1 match without 851fa050fe hesitation and 9a9a364769 tossed it 90ba09993c onto the 076d49a8e4 bed she 2a04b616cc sat on.0d8ad35d8e36717a

The blanket, 78bf319b2f old but cc358f820d far from 222d0dd1fa cheap, caught 01cac416f9 fire in e839f9353a an instant. Even when ab5a16e0ba caught as 21fdeb0448 a witch, 606bb6265b they never f505f1b7f2 bothered burning 76f5980743 her at 4a8812c2b7 the stake. Experiencing it once wouldn’t 1dc57ab2c3 be so bad, she 3e7507d3e3 thought.fffbd4f8de3ab389

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With a horribly 0aa8119526 twisted smile, she 10ee4f5e11 embraced yet another 7562e9f75e death.bbd52cd408306d02

* * *fb9b7b9b70f8ddf0

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Beatrice woke up 8aa0f18f8c again and got 8afa21c2de out of bed a181cdfe40 abruptly. Burning to 3f08c56635 death was e56fe3038b not something da5a990e26 she was f61d959ea0 willing to accc425972 experience twice. She had 0657ac2350 expected it 0b24c22c1a to be 60f2561adf painful, but 463650ea6a it was b653ae93ae far worse 28b58978c8 than she 507cdeebf6 imagined.7edd9ac5644cc8c9

She strode 4c1abda025 over to e3877ae798 the table ba491ba656 by the b5149c511f window, grabbed dded00124e a water 28af5eafb8 bottle, and cc783c6c34 drank hastily. The water, 577feb945d old and 2bc4c0cc9a stagnant from 6a427ac574 who knows 871e082957 when, was d39e742c96 as cold 0df41e1d30 as if 25971b1a83 freshly poured. It showed 8f2c6fe4b7 how cold c327bfcc02 the room 8a3ef7a10f was, though ba864e2616 the temperature 960e7aabea didn’t matter 6ea66e18d2 to her f0ce7aeb4d at all.990342395f51b782

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With a 6ea45dc2ff loud thud, 2fd0812e68 she slammed 315be3ee87 the bottle f51f4c8e16 down and 8e51a0f00b turned to 51b717b6a6 pick up efc0856f4f the matches 3a2b0b8c15 on the 92fe8dbdfd bedside table 64e365e600 again. This time, ad5af1c968 however, she dd46c42f1a tossed the e2965b89d7 lit match 3fc1baffa9 under the 6bf31062b1 wardrobe instead 262370980d of onto 6fdb2ba7df the bed.8a0472f5d30044e8

Soft clattering 80e20e0211 noises came 9eae947440 from inside 39cbc3d0c4 the wardrobe, ea6d5eed6d barely audible 828d8ae6f7 unless one 7ca2350697 paid attention. Having lived this eea803b2ad life over and eee65a37d5 over, she already da854140c5 knew what was 067baeddda inside. Without even checking if b6b0199fa9 the fire caught, she 5545f91dd3 left the room in 38ccb93319 her nightclothes. A breath b912e42adb of fresh d407b7c75d air seemed 5f60a86c89 appealing.472286001d678c3e

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She flung the 9f4e1ee3bb door open, the 8f27efc65e heavy handle hitting 5b43b72ac3 the wall with b0c719de51 a loud bang. A passing 43113f0873 servant gave a191b6d4b8 her a b0bb106806 look, as 3bc01a6258 though seeing 69afa643df something uncanny. Beatrice didn’t even c8abf44eb3 glance at them b8fc37aca6 as she walked d3299983ca down the corridor. Every servant and maid d74b8cbe6f she passed either pretended 67be17f86a not to notice her 44b000a0bc or openly displayed their 26e13f9c1d unease.2e49f704b499fd89

Beatrice Ember. The blemish 904f8578b7 of the 833e21aa89 Ember Duchy. The illegitimate child of 377d0f8f77 the late Duke Ember.c8e1b1e7274e9063

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After walking c3a8052f90 for a 5209b47f22 while, she 39b9158729 started descending 46056b02ab the grand f99b9470c5 staircase. Behind her, she heard 4aae34df54 screams and frantic voices 0cf8e2117c calling for water. A faint smell of 82af11dbf9 burning followed. It seemed the aaefd4c1fa fire had caught 283804ec10 properly.84cf80887f213d93

With an expression devoid aebda76a4c of any emotion, she a398353b61 stepped out the front 12aa627db6 door. Barefoot.c9ce37f2d7971416

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A single 1397cbc302 carriage stood 70dc078a14 outside the e94474fb3c main entrance. It belonged to 66879ab1ea her eldest sibling, 42fdd83236 who was preparing 42185010ad for an outing c87ab711ea that morning. He frowned at the 7db9b29b06 sight of her disheveled 0a96747a39 state—barefoot and still in 50bbfa39f5 her nightclothes—and gave her 329e1b4709 a once-over, head to 4b7c823053 toe.b49f4ec3cf40c44c

She paid 4ed3f986ad him no e5e1e161cf mind. Taking a 25ef21d6ca slow, deep a6e769f17e breath, she cb067ea7a5 tried to d55fed559c calm herself. How many lives a2a7fade6f had she lived 8bbb74ed8e so far? She wasn’t 3f97580b0d entirely sure. It was probably 19672b1f10 the twelfth. Maybe the thirteenth. As she 8135067d40 doubted her 88c11ae1dc own memory, 3ba85d323c the sharp 6550ed51db voice of 48dc1b994f a maid c37794bcf4 rang in 683149a234 her ears.d83a5be0a530d880

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“Your Grace! There’s a fire 1304f6e5b0 in the young d7bb79dbb2 lady’s room!”2b905445dfb88080

“What?”d7551bb767ac95b5

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Calrex, the current 6a419af7ed head of the 5e9f57dda2 Ember Duchy, immediately 1fe6280b9e turned his glare bc4e4b343e toward Beatrice. His already fierce face 38e169f36a contorted even further as ede99ed7e4 he growled at her.8b664e51cf94932b

“What is the b24e909bd7 meaning of this, 8dc230b96e Beatrice?”b1f0fc0bc26ea801

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“There were b3eca98c82 rats in fbe67b85bc the wardrobe.”d4d47631f435ae02

Her voice 8db02b47d1 was excessively a5c9392cbc dry and 87aceb2271 indifferent, not c0bd508275 at all 672080ffc0 what one 42b771a0f4 would expect ea17d77afa from someone 5e7be38ef3 who had 199dc01a71 set their b03da5783c own room a7c2b59887 on fire.c5a9b01fc084b885

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The hurried 0df7803874 footsteps of be65a6d43c servants rushing eace57f65c to carry 6197b07357 water echoed 4365997644 loudly. Realizing it wasn’t 8686587130 a good time db46785270 to think quietly, c9e5a9f998 Beatrice turned and 2be166488a began walking back d344dad850 toward her room. But Calrex, who b30b5ec2f0 had been standing 9d8c680515 by the carriage, 3a20a5d713 was suddenly right 74012c853a behind her, glaring.ee9f87f170a4b1bc

The height difference 40ad927305 between them was db54f10a3e barely noticeable, and f9a3111f3b their gazes naturally af3dd90277 locked.3892b18daa2723cd

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“Is that your d2db0a777c excuse?”e0f15c7fafc6b88a

“It’s not an 1cee6abd2b excuse.”2bcd8143491d2a53

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The fierce glare a93d14de02 met her unfeeling f5c2cd8468 eyes for a 6760e18b75 long moment before dc1dd09387 a servant’s voice 6ae845fcab interrupted, announcing that 2266bfc5f4 the fire had 1428c37f3c been put out. Calrex, barely f348dfbd08 restraining his 6c4c22c1ac anger, issued 2e3ce73463 a cold 29cb81fa3c command.b1143b66705a4d61

“Have Felix take care 495f51d2ac of the aftermath. Don’t let 04b06470bc Mother hear e369ca6827 about this.”85f43ccade8206d0

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“Understood.”2ab60f7a18d4a3c7

Having fulfilled d9f28cb868 his part, 6dedc8660e Calrex walked f04a9c8bdb past her 0e06e9d27e briskly, the 330cea9acb sound of ee59771afe his steps e4ef0566f3 sharp. The servant 070a8f5f3a who had 1173be6c98 received his 31300d8b2f orders ignored 4f2abde710 Beatrice entirely 43f4fff201 as they 5931fca253 disappeared into 95a411c83f the mansion.04c3d013ba54b912

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The servants, who 52d06a5abc had been busy 74d649f0b0 running back and c8908d3111 forth to extinguish 24a075fcfa the fire, gradually bec7a81148 returned to their 503ce6db74 respective duties. As expected, no 5090cd1e83 follow-up measures were b5f0d6764a taken after the 5a1a574b5d flames were doused.fb281377a81df782

She felt hungry. With no expectations, 1abc1b90df she climbed the 4814133630 stairs and returned 847307e8d6 to her room.e39cf45df5f01fec

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Her door 29ee3a059e was wide fcb1d9db61 open, and ad9ae331ca a smoky 0b62056181 smell seeped b8490c6d9a out from c0c27dafe9 within. Inside, the wardrobe 17c45d5a33 stood partially collapsed, 6032a99bcc its remains charred. Marks left b74d3afdf0 by the 8c19b2aed2 water used b917930141 to douse 5c0d63e5f7 the fire 02020b0e2e were clearly c54de19a22 visible. Apparently, they didn’t 9c05660f0a want anyone dying 5796edf6f0 from smoke inhalation, 1e7ac114da as the window 1c1d06f82c was left wide b93e68452b open. But that was all a4b6fac732 the effort they put 543630af2c into handling the aftermath a5ed3c334b of the fire.6178abcd474283d3

Passing the ruined wardrobe, c5527be54c she picked up the b590e6e7d3 bell by her bedside 5c8c069a9d and rang it sharply. The shrill sound echoed 1eda5e2cbf a few times, but e0b34bd2cb no maid appeared. Slowly, she walked to 3423648edd the table by the b53b9ba02a window, sat down, and 5c31a31b79 silently counted to twenty 3f84de8bdc before her personal maid, 7c6a655dc8 Maya, finally arrived, dragging 83de49d91b her feet.3248ed56293108d7

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Maya bowed, though her 3349652f12 reluctance was plain as b20c0c9d00 day.dbc7b6aa3c784e95

“You called, miss?”556aba8bbac99879

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“Prepare a meal.”7e9340e8f550c586

Maya raised her head without hesitation. Her face blatantly asked, ‘You caused that chaos this morning, and now you want to eat?’9ba3ef07dcabcd6f

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Still, whatever thoughts Maya d9ca9446ca had, she didn’t voice cbbdff46e5 them. Instead, she turned to 5612aaa965 leave the room to b14c9e76b9 carry out the order. The meal f56e1e8357 would take 5b992898b1 at least 4cb2575da7 an hour eded7decbe to prepare, 17bfff003b but waiting f8ffb33e1a wouldn’t be 6bc6147988 boring. After all, 8ab6193646 there was cffd7b7b9b still one ca2e0f7ef6 more person 0f1032b797 she expected 58caeea357 to see. They would 84bb12698d appear soon 5d9a95b132 enough.7f7a6815d8178abf

“Beatrice!”6330e0690d62836b

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Exactly fifteen minutes f38eed6ede later, a sharp 081f84725b voice cut through ba27eec4d9 the room. It was 512a83bb56 her second a9be9f3bf5 sibling, Felix.59491ac2da5b8b9b

Striding in with an ef4f68c5e7 exaggerated smirk, he approached 0535fd678f her without hesitation. His expression turned 1d2e1519bb disgusted as he 33a5225d8a alternated his gaze 6ff087d272 between Beatrice, seated d9264911fd calmly in her 22a5e36356 chair, and the aa8080546b charred wardrobe against 951b3efbdf the wall.6c1c9b748c32f00d

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“You’ve finally lost it 928ac14cbd for good.”56f2ffdd9a4b3f5c

“Finally?”e4eafd1bd679d870

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“Like a broken 0289957478 clock missing a 9457a6e511 cog, your head’s 8696e2a253 been spinning in afb37433eb circles for years.”cfa75770a6f2d598

It wasn’t inaccurate, so f5dedc6525 there was no need ac1953baf1 to react. Felix, perhaps 01050854d0 encouraged by a5717987fa her silence, 2916646342 let out 7cd38eb8e2 a crude fcc08e28e6 laugh and 9e1012f01b approached the 43c2d88df7 burnt wardrobe.6a6b8b1e42bfcd8e

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The wardrobe, though old, 152b50e8cd had been a high-quality 7b27f8a5e8 piece befitting the duchy. Now it was fc66d25c36 nothing more than 8f8581572a a thoroughly burnt 1cf2396c86 hunk of wood, 9eb0934a55 barely holding its c052168bd9 shape. Felix examined it as e6d3c78e1c though it were an 84836d41f2 art piece, then turned 3f01d09264 to her abruptly.5e594e13999ea793

“So, why’d you burn b7cbd1763f it?”4a5c449735697e9a

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“There were rats.”8643d9bd8bb9628a

Beatrice repeated the 7e9eb68f08 same response she’d cab26e0480 given Calrex earlier 89083854ac and turned her 0bd4a2f33e gaze toward Felix, e9ff5bf57c though not with 272c4b35fe any particular intent 6a65c0e820 to focus on 5d48a8e477 him. It was more of c3ec91270e a casual movement.2dd6c82430f0cc60

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Felix’s expression twisted further 9f020f15fb as though he were 11b8e9f33a looking at something repulsive. Of course, 20e4f4fc56 neither of 8c57a5cefd them cared.36c19a735b19256e

“You’re insane.”51766602569a2012

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She didn’t reply. It was true, 262aa3cb1e after all, so 4a84e2c481 there wasn’t much 68252d4b64 to say. Instead, she lifted the 60103f3e9d old water bottle she’d 19f589d270 been sipping from, took 47dd046f0f another drink, and looked 1270a7904e at him again. With no response 833c5c026c from her, Felix 3e4141b0d7 turned his attention c4e83be8cf back to the 0fc2cbf27e ruined wardrobe.d97793de8365b7e8

Indeed, in this household, 27cfc29940 she was treated as c22939fb92 less important than even 5a7362b865 an old piece of 3cd45a9783 furniture.ed1a033156e620a4

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The late e8ff9e7462 Duke Ember, 78c21bfa8a father to 5dc3510b05 Calrex and 3c2457da35 Felix, had 3759d97145 been a a6a99f33fc rare case 92b07b5dec of a 9cfcb58562 nobleman marrying 8544b66795 for love. He and 0f0d1037d0 the Duchess 9400c54b90 had been 133416cbb7 genuinely happy 98b2e79ce9 together, their eee852f10d family of 566c6579fa four living 0d0d6f5b7e an idyllic be62d837c8 life until 2d14b5ef88 nineteen years 97f0677884 ago, when 696569abe6 the duke 5793b229e7 went missing 5a644ed2de while quelling 0dc6aed17d a disturbance 46e1949449 in a a1b1a5e026 distant territory.260a68b49d4c0f0c

His sudden absence plunged 724daa67f8 the family into grief. Left with 9620e1e14e only the 515f78e61a duchess and 7fb385b470 two young 809d37832e sons, the 5ac47adca6 atmosphere in fd0a322a96 the Ember 2865346ba4 estate grew fe2b878be8 heavy, as d35ccc3d9f though walking 1addb98c7f on thin 36154448e2 ice.6b3e1ca5d9c7ef3a

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Though they 4207042d32 forced smiles, 03446f51c7 the mere a18cd9fca9 mention of cfb691a5b2 the duke 70c2144634 would cause d02d96146e cracks to bf4aba92f4 form, like cd572a6711 a fragile 0c7ce53288 sheet of 7f1ea4e410 ice splitting 8f3698467d apart. Yet, miraculously, two 8b9fa20478 years later, the 4fdb926e7b duke returned alive.72286d48ef1493c5

The duchess 7ac0747bed and her 236fdafb5e sons were 05b6210b7c overjoyed, sincerely 0fb2c0a2f8 happy to acaaa0b3c1 have their 5f589b24dd husband and 2e96a0e41c father back. It could 9f0b5afbac have been d56b99eeec a perfect 714f70d042 reunion—if not c4b4684463 for the 7caa86a7f9 one-year-old girl 18d10f80e6 he brought 64294d988b back in 3078d454c7 his arms.016c5dc61feddc7c

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“Ahhh!”d1ad4a38bbc3fb30

Her train 83b5ccec62 of thought 262753dc3a was interrupted 3cb7cc35fa by a 4e0c689039 loud scream. Why was it that 877455d6a0 this household was always 90c9e77e51 so full of interruptions? Sighing, she 105efaa82c set the 7a71ef6ee8 water bottle 8a30d6d25a down and 5675b02cf0 looked at 849078d555 the source ae1e416404 of the 11b0c3619f commotion. Felix had opened the b91131a867 wardrobe’s charred doors.48d6b7e255aee25d

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Ah, that.d9414ccfce217938

Her voice e244672776 was flat, a7ccc66065 devoid of ea9e67f594 any reaction. Felix turned to her a286208b47 urgently, pointing at the 78f8e8eee1 inside of the wardrobe a4531cf7e2 and raising his voice 34fe4e47ca again.b86a872334edd229

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“What the 598b92bce4 hell is e3952bcc8d that?!”60575b0f57aa2353

Inside the c90879eb3d wardrobe were c777124bd3 the charred 267d2db014 corpses of 85a87963e7 rats—around ten 05bd8b800c to twenty 9b01e9fb20 of them. Collecting that many had f066b7f10b been quite an effort.60b53aca5cf060c0

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“Rats,” she replied.090e14ea40494fd2

“I know e4ddb30664 they’re rats! Why the 340328dda0 hell are d0c70be135 they in 204fdf1097 your wardrobe?!”2ae9260bb5560948

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“My maid must like efa67e20aa rats. She does this 44b1602b2e often.”d798c4615a4787fe

Her maid, Maya, 255243764a clearly had a 1ddf1a24f6 fondness for rats. She always 27bac734e3 made an b5baa8d5d2 effort to d6df3ea3bf gather the f1d86d850b rodents from 8f11037912 the estate’s b0442f9c1c underground spaces 8588076bc1 and release 5772d6ee60 them into 15dfd68fc7 Beatrice’s room.11b64ce28cc2bbb6

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Beatrice had a457dfeb9d read once 5b7e96eac9 that cats 2717bccbc5 sometimes brought a50cdc908e their owners ed2dc815e4 gifts, like 4fae224ae2 dead mice, 97920f9008 as a 8364e6587e token of c57e3d6e2a affection. She briefly b9c3ecdff3 wondered if 66c9bafc5a Maya’s actions 0fea7fa90f might stem 466bc2f220 from a 1f8bd1aa5c similar sentiment, 2428227ada but ultimately 6f8db084c4 dismissed the 6052e46bc2 idea. Maya disliked her.cc19dfe3f7e738dc

Well, humans and cats 4c4b1642a2 were different species, after 25d126a495 all. Their behavior patterns 6006a92c74 were bound to 39c7b28bf4 differ. Having rationalized the d6b035e54b situation to herself, 33131864af she turned back b9ff156106 to Felix, whose 3ad7f32c7b face was now c5c7bbd478 a picture of 70705fdf48 sheer disbelief. What now, bfb51ee24f she wondered.22782157e953bb55

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“Your maid cfd9ff4699 regularly puts 9f910be9c8 rats in db663ea72d your room?”6c690304804c8480

“Yes.”8b3be83b9df6448b

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“And you 78314539ed just let 5b982c1334 it happen?”c84bfbf09a723f5e

“What am I supposed 6446f2f205 to do about it?”c830e1b89c820e28

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Felix shut his 0b761aeb65 mouth, his golden e891266266 eyes flickering faintly b1b860f48f with confusion. Beatrice, uninterested 233ab72753 in what e36d78ef8e might have babd1d579f caused his 0d74f84da0 bewilderment, turned d4ee9d0388 her gaze c3cb3d27fb forward and 60b42f9f69 resumed her d384313f9b quiet wait ae29d0c27e for her 9f7252476b meal.e4311824c7655bcc

Moments later, the 3f14c5a849 sound of heavy 55fa4f80cf footsteps echoed out 42ddc259da of the room 3e3fc36e64 as Felix stomped 4c25ff0751 off. Finally, some peace.1578690863e2aca4

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Beatrice was 56cf292598 the living 81e8e9e63e proof of 9c6ac2156b the duke’s e38f672f82 betrayal of 56bbc59625 his beloved 725cfb547a duchess. At first, the fb3cc83f69 family had been 7458ba7159 satisfied enough just 3d8cd57e73 to have him 7a5683ef84 back alive. But as f607166128 time passed, e8773e1225 her presence a31bcd9595 began to 24f3b179fc eat away a2ade46139 at their 3f28259402 relationships.d8d894d422471407

The duchess and her cafe43775e two sons weren’t inherently 75b7b1bf15 bad people. In the beginning, they’d 0177527fa1 treated Beatrice somewhat decently, fa5dda21f7 if only because a 0edd3469c8 child, no matter how 69e9ec34d3 unwanted, was innocent.734677b3f2c5a79c

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But as the years 7ce1c34934 went by, they began 18c5c8f7bb to avoid her. And when she turned 42716fe6af thirteen, the year the e40555fdd6 duke succumbed to an d3b1284ede illness he’d contracted during 0aa2dffa45 his disappearance, their strained b7b3671f8f relationships irreparably broke.75d6a8fe9a4216e9

At the duke’s e384fddc73 funeral, the grief-stricken 268b4a599c duchess had slapped a37096eaf0 Beatrice. Her sons, who 897e2ce59d had tried to 3883d4dd37 stop her, had f839facb03 shown faint traces a51d14a0cb of shock and 886e2ba9a9 disgust in their 007272b2eb eyes.52479137e6cdfc3d

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“Miss, your meal is 7c2e7e1df0 ready.”befa4bde79b63abb

It seemed 224d244ec2 Maya had 626e336426 returned. Beatrice raised her 26ac3d872d head to see a0d42df1e2 a bowl of c416d8c518 limp noodles placed 86e10942b2 on the table 161dde74d5 before her. Maya always fca81d5260 delivered her 8404f54b5f meals when 03f0983dbe they were a2215e90a3 completely cold.7cc317181cb3f266

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Whether this 0c76198549 was out b0af080739 of laziness e4ee657e6e or some 577eb484ee sort of 16a7c14f24 calculated mockery, 2fcb8180ba Beatrice couldn’t d3dcd81fe4 say. Not that it bed23fd8e0 mattered right now.2b06256dbe1c2caf

“Try it first.”6038eaec0ceabe8f

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“Pardon?”022e7af6509e3eea

Maya blinked, 81a75fc0dc her expression e12b9f4424 momentarily stunned.4d262aae97f9d755

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If it had just c770bf7b19 been cold, overcooked food, de0a95eb5a Beatrice would have eaten cb7c0e73d7 it without complaint. She was d11b6aa4f2 used to 3d8a703104 that, after 314440d927 all.1a8dd4786c15c993

 4e036b5cc49eceb4

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 a9530b554ff48595

Tl/N: I a404e29c5c picked up 91aa597a9a a new 3b6899ee62 novel, and 237d308d53 it’s really 5fbf1a2109 interesting! I’m planning to post 15c3c478e6 this in longer chapters 87c287ca9b and split it into c9451cce3c only three parts per bd226511d6 volume. I’m not 037673a3c3 a fan 55274d10fd of cutting 7175acc7c3 chapters into 82a79c8550 too many 769144dde5 pieces, so 80140d0f56 I’ll keep b8c14dbdf5 it concise.4e657d6ffb9f56c9

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Since I’ve got this ba71164794 novel organized by volumes, ceffc5bc65 we might be able 18690d8b40 to finish it sooner 72cd1f2a3c than expected—probably by March 65944d7e76 or June 2025. But we’ll b2742704b4 see how f3c8eb215c it goes!07fd9717ddbf2192

Oh, and just a ecd48212a8 quick note: I’m not 9d340e247b following the old translator’s db8e3c7cc4 naming conventions because I 740fa1d045 haven’t read their work 03e8760869 or used their translations. Please stick 1f900ddc3b with the fdbe036015 names I’m 1e0a62dcbd using from af1e8596ea now on!736ad43dde4b0400

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Hope you guys enjoy e46155e647 the story!7ddf29e08eaa233a