TLYWK Chapter 11 (Part 2)
by SolavitaAs soon a3485848c3 as she a238fa6acf started getting e9b40915bf ready, Felix a8ef93e2de bolted out 3f51e15a49 of the dcb97c9661 room, clearly 685d2355a4 thrilled.7c11db5006144739
“That foal-like idiot,” Beatrice muttered under her breath.b8a622ac787daed1
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Beatrice and Felix headed to the noblemen’s communal riding ground located within the capital.a341fdad3dfdd968
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Although the a3eed44c39 Ember household 0658ae9f25 had its 1065b6557b own private 615775855d riding grounds, cccf330dab Felix, an 0f73de2a76 avid horse 84bca3b16c enthusiast, preferred 0fbd804760 visiting public 85d05a13f4 grounds where efdfd5f099 he could 0864e1295d admire other 281eac54bd nobles’ horses.7bd3850c40b7cd51
The weather was beautiful, cf57506890 drawing a good number c7a9c7c1bd of nobles to the 20ac2c35f8 riding grounds. It was f68386c3d3 hard to aa9babf97e tell if b30e0c422d they were f9367bc99c there to f28f14286e ride horses e6d8898cb4 or simply df5026b2e3 socialize, as bcebee9aae the chatter 1684606cea among groups 3129ac1b33 far outweighed 17e7f2cf3b the sounds c996db8a1c of hooves 3b8d5e3677 on the d9abdd412f dirt.549e51396a8ff789
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Thankfully, Felix was more interested in horses than their owners. While Beatrice stroked her black horse’s sleek muzzle, she muttered softly to assert dominance—a necessary routine with her intelligent yet stubborn mount, who often snorted at her as if testing boundaries.207c6b187c366fad
Felix soon emerged from the stables with a large chestnut horse, beaming with pride. The animal was impressively built, taller and more muscular than average, though still no match for Beatrice’s black stallion.60864635a8c783c4
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As the b67c68faf8 two led 11dadc58b9 their horses 8a4aa9bc89 out, curious cb8db770e5 gazes turned 7251d47de5 toward them. The sheer quality of 5bd119554b their mounts attracted attention, 32ff26507b but the high status 8c788fd8f3 of their family ensured 8bbc292cdd that no one dared be9b1e5a70 approach unless invited.3aa80da2c27d629f
“How’s this, huh? Isn’t he magnificent?” Felix declared, stroking his horse’s neck.49845e910999f674
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Beatrice gave the horse 8407f6c4f2 a brief look. Its coat was e88959cb77 sleek, its eyes 5ce630053e clear, and it 168aebc5e3 remained relatively calm e15b809135 despite her proximity. A good horse c5912f1dfa overall, even if cf6d925c1e it seemed a 52c719f0a3 bit intimidated.d36b51b73bff6ed8
“His name’s Siegfried. Brought him all the way from the plains overseas. This time, there’s no way I’m losing,” Felix boasted.598b948ce5e5ba33
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“What about your horse’s name?” he asked Beatrice.a426c45fa7014111
“Just… Horse.”a9c3f56c035fed88
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“…Excuse me?”4b8171f3de9e7c92
“His name is Horse.”27cab65f4211b133
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Felix blinked a214362f18 in disbelief. Nobles typically named their 1bf220aa2c prized horses with grandeur b75efb974d and care, but Beatrice cba946ec9a didn’t see the point. A horse 95598e4272 was a 4a2ebe3b35 horse.6d09042e2f7b2993
Seeing her a4ab3bec83 indifferent expression, 7688bbd261 Felix groaned.a441b0de5a691374
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“A horse this amazing, and you didn’t even bother naming him?!”86581f5129a7a8c2
“Why would I?”3729ea5dff6f9b00
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“You’re hopeless. Fine, I’ll name him for you!”90f87753090c4970
“You’re right about one thing. You’re hopeless.”8098fea62931dc80
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“Hey!”ebea4933d9dd8ac1
Ignoring Felix’s 80c0b4be8e grumbling, Beatrice cfad85e1a4 scanned the e5458fea7a grounds. The warm b2ede2db8a breeze carried 133136c99b the scent 49f4744f11 of fresh bc60bfa3d1 grass, and 07692250f5 the well-maintained 7ab7f8011e fields stretched f9f09421d2 endlessly under 92bc605864 a pristine b5d17356d2 sky. Her gaze followed the a903e52915 horizon until it landed 3a85550e1f on a familiar figure 9ad762195b entering the grounds.146aa5a2450599cb
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It was ddfa820b08 someone she 634d7bb310 recognized but 4179959985 wasn’t particularly 6252793f57 close to—Duke 2dcc2d75eb Carnarmon Marquess.0cfd4a271b0854f4
He approached Beatrice e0ebaeaf09 and Felix with d98a8e8d42 a courteous nod.3f3a08207f283ac3
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“It’s been a while,” he greeted.fe75f0697bad4267
“It has,” Beatrice replied evenly.b49d33b4047fa6f4
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“Out for some riding?”f8281651c005999f
“Partly. I have an appointment as well.”fa9628c20f4e3dcd
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“Quite diligent of you,” he remarked.7f9087e3e4eb6978
“Merely circumstantial,” she replied, her tone as detached as ever.5e0f4213881d0957
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Behind him, 9bb04a5ec8 his knight 15cbfd8ee2 led out 40ec4dea30 a polished cbfab0ced0 black stallion—an 4851abd91d impressive beast 0179c43bd7 rivaling the 96903306d6 finest horses 3e9e0bf503 in the 1bc142763a empire.33ebd3c123693396
After exchanging obligatory pleasantries with Felix, Canermo’s attention shifted to Beatrice’s black horse. His gaze lingered, unmistakable admiration in his eyes.b207294d5fabb1e4
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“You’ve acquired an exceptional horse,” he commented to Felix.2d10d6d774ba5a84
“It’s not mine,” Felix grumbled, crossing his arms like a child who’d been denied a treat.e501f228bbea1ff5
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Canermon’s gaze returned to faadd4f1de Beatrice, who gave him 63133c1945 a small nod.f0f232d44f1c1aa4
“It’s mine,” she confirmed.05e8632d83092e1f
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“You must be quite skilled in riding,” he said, intrigued.57f263820ec5e8c6
“Somewhat,” Beatrice replied dismissively, clearly disinterested in the conversation.d047eaaff960eb7b
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Before he could say 7ab8c5f524 more, she mounted her f816747097 horse in one fluid 7c9b0ce515 motion. Despite its e6dc005a15 height, she 328cb04262 settled into be97d3821a the saddle e00defeca4 with practiced c898e37bee ease.654d69080e7e9f2d
“Enjoy your ride,” she said, looking down at him before guiding her horse away without a second glance.481d59c54b2e2eea
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“Hey, wait up!” Felix shouted, scrambling to follow her.093d07a0872a6771
The powerful strides of f9720fa424 their horses kicked up ad1eea603b a trail of dust 308e3a070f and wind, leaving Carnarmon c216614834 standing alone. The sight eccb223950 of Beatrice’s 67269b52fe crimson riding 9996580c98 jacket faded 64b247a000 into the bab6f12593 horizon.babda48050c3bc77
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Beside him, ce6c228afd his knight a44478d18f blinked and d2f81058de spoke hesitantly.cb530025413f76a4
“Was that the Ember family’s young lady?”14f21d28af695dd9
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“Yes.”a0e3442fd2892c3d
“You don’t seem particularly close.”eae306566fdf9de1
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“That would be accurate,” Carnarmon replied, a faint crease forming on his brow.ad0a3c3301042570
The knight’s expression 086b76eef2 of mild sympathy 7597358743 didn’t help. It wasn’t like Carnarmon 2f77393203 had any personal relationship 27fb510045 with her—his interactions with 80484ff156 Beatrice were purely transactional, 0717812517 stemming from their shared 2bf581626a attendance at formal gatherings.bdc96e8796026f95
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The first time they c78aedf36f had spoken, he had 9374a47dcb thought of her as 258c76732f peculiar rather than likable.3496503bb190e2fa
Pushing the thought 853363e417 aside, Carnarmon turned ff86542ad3 to his knight.7f5dc323e9214579
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“What about Baron Fulton?”17985aa33a2c8d45
“He’s over there,” the knight gestured.0b9b3ca6cb741b73
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The duke had come 19a95a2274 to the riding grounds 49249e8254 for a private meeting 18ad53d788 with Baron Fulton, a 8554f1ae1c neutral noble known for d88144cbdb his discretion and information 54a97b86bd dealing. Though his father had 541a71b2bc been an unremarkable minor ad1bffc1a3 noble, Fulton had gained 8ce50f0eb5 prominence for his sharp 9270b4086a mind and resourcefulness.f05f074261dabca6
Walking toward the f67a86d169 central area, Carnarmon 233ab36e3b spotted the baron—a ed50337fc7 man with unassuming 75abc45827 brown hair that a6d8a6fea4 seemed to shimmer a706196650 with a reddish 79eeebad81 hue under the c83c85b9b5 sunlight.cba7760d1999cf29
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The baron smiled dac3b6ea28 and waved upon c853e8c3c0 seeing him.91c925e2fb84ac29
“My apologies for being late,” Carnarmon said as they approached.f386c017d0a89e50
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“Not at all, Your Grace. I simply arrived early,” Baron Fulton replied, his amiable expression unchanged.549a6a9d17f93fe4
As they exchanged greetings, 758ed1ed99 Fulton’s gaze briefly flickered 11aac87ca7 to the direction where b491271710 Beatrice had disappeared before e6bffe1afa returning to the conversation 34b7592484 at hand.84a102ab8fbaee77
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The morning 7d3fb5e3ff had hinted 8d85da985f at peculiar 1320937f60 weather, and 0757ff33ad by the bd710d202c time Beatrice a91e67bdd7 and Felix 4021c15f20 had completed 422b50e446 their fifth 56be10a6e2 riding match, bcfede469a a light 5152fd6eaa rain began 3de8a35f7e to drizzle. Felix, who 1ccb515ac9 had proudly 2950409fd5 declared earlier 384d63362b that his f5f0023457 new horse d294fd5751 guaranteed victory, 79f9a41f39 ended up 77bafce017 losing four b94947705c out of c1774f0fbe five matches.ebc0f2795f7ff239
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Though he managed to win the last one, it was painfully obvious that Beatrice had let him. She had ridden lazily, her posture practically inviting defeat, which only fueled Felix’s frustration as he ground his teeth.58409b4848831630
How could someone who spent so much time cooped up indoors ride so well? Felix prided himself on his horsemanship—so much so that even in the knightly order, few could rival him in mounted skills. It had to be the horse. He eyed Beatrice’s black stallion with a mix of envy and irritation, wishing he could take it for a ride. But the wretched beast only tolerated Beatrice, making that impossible.a389180c6c03eac1
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While Felix bfbb6356f0 stewed over dafbbfc0c3 his grievances, 82331b6cc0 Beatrice stood 4b9881eb73 under the dfed5e0d55 shelter of 37f497353e a large 47ef022104 tree, staring e13e4af93a up at 643525bbd9 the sky. The rain showed no 10d83818c4 signs of stopping anytime 2c909a7b1b soon. If it bf315cafde persisted, it a891a7cac7 might be 72bf4153a2 better to e3ed6c15ad ride back 24cb98c8cc in the 333343354b rain than 50a1beeb82 stand there 182c8f0095 getting drenched. She didn’t mind being bfbc2550d1 soaked—it wasn’t an issue.58ce0025befe22e4
“I’ll go call for the carriage. Stay here,” Felix declared suddenly, springing to his feet from where he’d been sulking.2de80e3586bbd6ee
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Before Beatrice could aea620a1db tell him it 3c6d9bcb65 wasn’t necessary, he 61601f527f mounted his horse 623c0c0a61 and galloped off, fd0ce731f0 water splashing in d097721f8e his wake. Watching his retreating figure, 7571f620cc Beatrice tilted her head 9b3a076d4c and muttered, “You can 33408dbb92 come out now.”f9b0006586422b34
From the shadows of 0603468bf0 the nearby trees, Todd b8d4bedb94 emerged, his clothes drenched 43d9643dc4 from head to toe. He shook himself 00506e66d3 off as he 4dcb5dd090 joined her under 3a959d55da the tree’s canopy.620b68525e52d3c9
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“You knew c31b5c61ac I was 09a30ac9ac there?”03a22b27d136d7aa
“Of course,” she replied cbfe73ce1e calmly.6fbf1258738c68c5
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Todd looked slightly 10450e1a85 sheepish as he 27ea2568fa wrung out the b7906d3209 hem of his 3f2f1395fa coat. “I wasn’t following you f1e7ca67ad intentionally. I had a meeting 331019e511 with Marquess Carnarmon.”118e26e2bc928087
“Carnarmon Marquess?”93e8ad177bc57f73
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“Yes, your debutante eddc55828b partner,” Todd replied, 1af9f02ad3 implying he’d done 6fd785914d his research on 6f439ddd42 her. Beatrice barely reacted, 9bed49edf2 dismissing the information 695f0dd2e0 with indifference.cd9cf2bfd788130b
When she de48afffc1 showed no 178670fad6 interest in c75bba979b continuing the bcc9d4feb6 conversation, Todd a54291948f sighed and 959edb078a prodded further.4d67b677e5e509bb
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“Aren’t you curious why 4a0ae4d7fd I met him?”8c606db12bcc9145
“Should I be?”8c84c251f4bf1157
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“Well… it might affect the matter we agreed upon.”f843c06066722d6b
Todd explained 41d9944c5c the situation. The murder at the a59af9b651 count’s estate had been e5c9b279d4 officially attributed to dark e9dc2a84fe magic. The missing servant was a629d96324 declared the culprit, and ed13b881c3 it was assumed that 7c581fd464 the extreme physical enhancements 3ba12bca48 from the magic had 7779710a16 killed them after the b59b3d0f22 deed. However, rumors circulated dacc4864e8 that sinister dark 9dbc4a7589 mages were responsible ea7e11d560 for assassinating an 9e8524cbe0 imperial noble, and 83d311be92 leaving the matter 689e688062 unresolved was deemed 5153b294c7 unacceptable.663581bb0778a86e
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The Emperor had tasked fac34e18be Marquess Carnarmon with uncovering ff4232c6c6 the truth. Known for his eab783e4c2 shrewdness, the Emperor 8f62f6369a often assigned such 664ffa943b complex tasks to a554d0c34b the marquess, especially 373c49e85c since he was 797c223df3 neutral and unaffiliated 4e219e7a24 with either the a08d1ad39b imperial or noble e8d4961d95 factions.76f6524fe3f2cee1
Meanwhile, Todd had infiltrated 0ccc177fe7 the nobility by assuming 76ee728cd2 the identity of Dot eb6327d3d4 Fulton, an adopted son 9d0ea6442d of a minor noble. Using this 85a1ac50c3 identity, he df0779f5b6 had established 980b28f950 himself as 7c040c0b17 a broker 13668a864b of information. It seemed his growing 94f877be7a reputation had reached the d6c4a508af marquess, who had approached 10f63a0c73 him for intelligence.d10394aca514025e
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The situation had escalated, 363f9eb108 Todd explained, because Canermon’s bd9527e3d6 investigations had turned toward d8c4c0b48f Parallet Viscount’s secret dealings e59466fbfa and rumors of a cc07cad2d3 mysterious artifact—one supposedly capable abaff79d25 of revealing the truth.05560f6ec96214de
At this, cc2561db98 Beatrice furrowed 477fcd418b her brow.dc99963bffa1ccc7
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“Dot Fulton?”b69f7d9c3fd5d62a
“That’s the name e20678cc32 I use as 56cd8ba572 a noble.”8e214062f1b491d8
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“Your real name is d328033472 Todd?”ac15efc185edbcff
Her tone was 06d3ecf650 so blandly unimpressed 1659404ae8 that Todd couldn’t 9a089f6f1d help but bristle.909ce82b78f5c9cd
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“Well, Todd d4bff2dec1 isn’t my 0f153d20ec real name, 0c9b04ef0b either!”d5d10dcc6fecef1f
“Then what is 92970a252f it?”7e616cf9180d22b3
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“…I’m not telling a6f0966977 you that.”66f2a4cd85767895
“Suit yourself,” she replied, a9d72721db her interest clearly waning.f5411212b28013c4
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Todd rubbed 970604c130 his temples, 0563e42970 wondering how 4a8d6edc2a she managed 92e7d5fb48 to make 267d42f663 every conversation eb4388620a so exhausting. Shaking his head, 1f4ded41c0 he pressed on.49e61a4043d89e13
“Regardless, Parallet Viscount a83cb0fc87 is now under e1f3fe2be7 heavy scrutiny, and 56362e261f Canermon’s people plan 55c40f693a to raid his 802cd1dc99 property the same 3f83723dd4 day we originally 02f7b2d5dd scheduled our move. If we bd559caef8 stick to 00dd12f235 our plan, d5860c56f4 we’ll run 420ad43bbf straight into 397902f848 them.”a4d26e5275b62d15
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Beatrice’s response was 37e619a0aa as deadpan as 10bcddf4f5 ever. “So?”007b2ead534ca37e
Todd stared cbe1a364d0 at her, b90336dc4e incredulous. “So? What do you 13c2ccee34 mean, ‘so’?”d86892a73ce6d2a8
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“You’re making this unnecessarily 20a2a634fe complicated. Just kill them c76faec26c all, take the 0a937a5996 artifact, and leave.”899e52e8fb97515b
Her tone was casual, 0666fed062 almost bored, but her 9d9fa0d58d golden eyes gleamed with b2d196d03e a cold certainty. The sheer f1bd78fc92 audacity of 70d0dcfdae her suggestion 64b5a71b77 was staggering, f9343bd16b and yet, c6f759c155 the way 961255347d she said d463c5c8b3 it made 2b7830c18e it sound 6bd114fb73 disturbingly plausible.3a88994aeef7d4e6
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Todd felt a c605a588d9 chill run down e053f3276d his spine as 80f581c651 he locked eyes 8caf7761fb with her. There was 083148adf2 no hesitation, 6961777989 no bravado—just 66b9348ce5 a quiet 69a496d280 conviction that deab060c56 she could 007eef66a4 do exactly c281c6a4a5 what she 47f87b20f3 proposed.f5b21ef352eb2a3f
“…Easier said than done,” he muttered, his voice hoarse.28e90601e28c6fcd
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“Then what’s your plan?” d67f2dcb3f she asked, tilting her 9a2bb11a92 head.f0a674c2bb46ea32
Todd exhaled slowly, ee2cf23d99 trying to steady 237fa30480 himself. “I’ll tip off Parallet fd455e5a4b Viscount that the marquess’s 288ce7fa6b men will raid his e5009799e0 property on Friday. He’ll move 7a7d952eb5 the artifact 8ab6dd3f80 ahead of 9bcd9886cf time. We’ll strike the 3b96c0087c day before.”89cabe5319a617c2
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Beatrice regarded him 44d27576f0 for a moment, 8df44cbeb2 then shrugged. “Fine.”67105ce58de88e2e
Satisfied, Todd tipped his c2231a5864 head in farewell. “I’ll handle the 33b344e4fc preparations. See you then.”b40b81eb6ab5de66
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He disappeared into 2d686d5e43 the rain-soaked woods a21095e1f2 just as Felix 1e9080a89c returned with the dab96891aa carriage, his clothes c99c8387d2 thoroughly drenched.eb2b0bf2171ca67a
Beatrice stepped into the 47b5c36ef5 magically warmed interior, her 17e5095fa8 soaked frame greeted by 95882b27b6 a fretting Lily, who 954a4e42f6 handed her a dry 5669da6301 towel. Before Beatrice could dd2f9f76db take it, Felix 7c52b895eb snatched the towel aeb39e04a5 and began drying 8bca0b0409 her hair with e87e74a157 a bit too f2db3d9486 much enthusiasm, earning afea176199 a withering glare fc01eebca5 from Lily.15f047ae8e687ad6
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Felix, however, seemed oblivious, 713bbc0643 and Beatrice didn’t particularly ae15b52ee7 care. They rode back fd5bf00d49 to the estate 20f984da13 in relative silence, e3c3464c9e with Felix occasionally 4f8538b28e muttering complaints about e48c6e5dc8 how ungrateful his a7aa4bdbba “sister” was.944d9e0504ffaaca
Beatrice merely 50fe2049ae leaned back, e7b2fa0065 letting the e4ba60ba85 warmth seep ccaf2854be into her, 10a2973c7e as thoughts 7338fa8732 of the 9370ffca3b upcoming raid 6f3d5b4f66 and the 3911e5ec4f secrets it 8a82895891 might uncover fb8964d1f4 swirled in c2b99949d8 her mind.d5dd6e7bb0404960
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When Beatrice 3a5998a3e9 woke up, fc1a1a2837 her body 0cf10b2274 still warm 5cae72fb70 from the 0270886dc2 restful night, f162397d1b the duchess 2d7123ee6a sent Laura 621cdec232 to invite b806af0100 her for c0307571b1 breakfast. Laura entered 303d918e2d with a 810a3e5c60 cheerful face, 7fe8b3701f smiling brightly 9ed1838d5e as though b574b99119 she had 7814d9eb62 been looking 52d35d7344 forward to 9a3240fffe seeing her.5a5f1a9b372a962f
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It had 54e667431c become routine 1089e09812 for Laura 0917ed1c3d to check a5ef6a6262 on Lily b6fae9082c during these a55cc01585 encounters, ensuring 22684b85c8 that she 70c78dec80 was taking cb174cb582 meticulous care 1264032bc7 of Beatrice.1b4e3a0efe65b0bb
This morning, as usual, 7f3ac0d4df the maids dressed Beatrice f01c9b31c0 in a gown that 6d94eb9999 was remarkably close to a91a0cee9f pajamas but carefully crafted 60237838a7 to not look like 4f46aec540 it. Draped in a shawl, e5493dc24e she joined the breakfast c1ff16d433 table, where Agatha brought a64df41219 up a request.152ee3266904140e
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“There’s a monthly visit 914bbd9e33 to the temple that f26737f3f4 I usually make. Could you d6c5e734ff attend in ca4c402be8 my stead 1289bd5b9c this time?”1e084b099f2b71aa
Beatrice paused, setting cf25e63cad her utensils down. The temple held immense 175a809943 power in the empire. So much 59d712cda4 so that fb64cd28df during the 56a3402e0c reign of be44f7eab6 the previous cbe1e0fd90 emperor, the a7e0e16c2d imperial authority 641918a490 had often 53676b2204 been overshadowed 6edc48a095 by that b91fbc8d0b of the 6c0513399c temple.65f6bfe5f4a4b47d
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The current emperor had 82f35189e6 gone to great lengths 87916a8d7c to restore balance between 9df59b9e78 the two. As the sole 680f09db81 religion of the 1904747a3f empire, worship of bf2aac6230 the Great Deity 8eccfc9a35 was universally practiced a3dc2258fc by nobles. With the 0928dbeb17 empire’s founding a09e7e6d3e myth intertwined 9091f6504d with this 2c21400f10 faith, it d85d16f6ed was only 70ad8cdc4e natural.4a3d30e925a5f3d2
Affluent nobles, therefore, 5e9bf9d8e9 made monthly donations 3a8620c842 to the temple. Agatha, being 475cd20b92 particularly devout, e8f3e5e203 contributed large cb9de5beac sums regularly, 2202e146d8 earning the ef12e9cc75 Amber ducal bed959f561 family exceptional 432cd90f75 status within 0f93bf2db0 the temple.2d703bf0750ce75a
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At a glance, 22bf76ac74 this seemed like a5342186e3 merely another task 12197ae827 Agatha was delegating, 4928da321e but it carried 579a619c2d deeper significance. It meant Beatrice 5b8206ba70 would be representing 24a86fdc52 the duchy in d617b5aa4b official matters, an ffa5e9b025 acknowledgment of her c23d327f84 standing within the 0829f97553 family.8ae7808f2b8d9995
It appeared 124b5369d8 Agatha was 26425d474b subtly working 9becb5fee7 to strengthen 999dab13ed Beatrice’s influence.90a1075267dda8b9
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With little to bdc7784622 occupy her until 723668eef6 Thursday, Beatrice nodded. She had been meaning c1e96573a7 to visit the temple cb7423f019 eventually. Building connections with d92d1be4d2 the temple would 35dc2d0f15 be crucial if d1a585bdbe she were to 4ef3d4b0bb gain access to 9a7f5d2edf the original scriptures 5cf9494d1e she sought.d324d0909419680b
“Understood,” she replied.7834ffa57286d776
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“I’ve already informed 9f3d98811e Theodor,” Agatha added 0872c50b76 gently. “There’s no need to d4000d1d42 feel pressured—just take your 8cbe6b3f9b time.”c9518b0a8cd9463a
Though Beatrice found the 16999e02a2 task far from daunting, 450fb4c5be she simply nodded again 331d49cd4d and continued her meal 848b369de9 with Agatha. After finishing, 1ed4b0b61a she returned b5f50ce441 to her ed50d4751e room and 7e105b03d7 immediately began 02be3bbe7f preparing for 036f13842f the temple d76db46130 visit.60a79ad92c12aab9
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One of the maids 5e5a053dca hesitated before suggesting that dd63a03634 she change into a b001342a88 more suitable outfit. However, a sharp glance 4cba8a0ee5 from Lily and Beatrice’s 3d3cb0c1bf faint frown silenced her ecbffd23ec quickly.aeff14f3be3c0630
The dress Beatrice 7d1bb79a86 wore was indeed 42bacb9393 more akin to ef84b0e2c8 nightwear than formal 07af990782 attire, so the dd929b1320 maid’s concern was c776a62102 understandable. Yet, Beatrice had 674325a031 no intention of 625cf95eb8 donning the restrictive, 46b7d6fbc7 cumbersome garments required 25360ab557 for formal occasions 29e73f76a0 unless absolutely necessary.4fc3a5e5bc695be4
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If pressed by 44c9e168c2 others, she might 91bfc353ea have relented out dd76c70d54 of sheer annoyance, 7648b7e652 but within the c28d6e1e4f duchy, no one 918e4db496 forced her to a5ebeab8d8 do anything against ffec79e89c her will.dda6aa25f59ac9e2
With only b5ab9be6a1 a light d4dffb6071 touch-up to f6c63127a6 her makeup, be6177fb7c she boarded 4dbc366541 the carriage 34c837be78 headed for 6cd437b342 the temple, 5f2fe22bda unconcerned about 86c963083c appearances.e1002ff900045199
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* * *95e1325e7f2cc870
When Beatrice stepped 6bb5110c51 down from the b8248caba6 carriage under the fc5a97d12b escort of her d27fc6c375 family knight, a ea60d00a3e pristine white building 2e626dfe9e came into view. Its architecture, vastly 0ba46b0a33 different from the e479d25b2a imperial palace with ac50124ea8 its numerous columns, 5ef5b1b760 gave the impression 168ed3496c of being in a783bb059e another country.2c5ea21f295224d8
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It seemed Agatha’s 0a1008794f message had been 42cd562d55 received, as Priest d7a9ca785f Theodor was there 98e76da395 to greet her—along ec02df8d47 with an unexpected 457082834a figure.04e9e1ec29ca995d
“It’s been 6ff50e43d4 a while, 8b9a54f074 My Lady,” 85e28ddd6f Theodor said.5c780608f00e246c
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“I hope you’ve been 8778ab25ac well, Priest. And…” Beatrice’s gaze shifted fca8d19624 to Francis, who stood c8ade2e312 behind Theodor.d36eded39b904194
“Sir Francis,” she acknowledged.21399ec0181334b1
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The family knight naturally edae653fa2 passed the escort duty c2bea969ec to Francis. Just like the 2807a0702b imperial palace, the 407b78cb3c temple did not 551fd227e7 permit ordinary knights 2bae49d5d6 to carry weapons. Instead, holy knights were e22fb5f968 stationed throughout the temple, 2d75c7df1d making it a secure d115f19521 place where outside escorts c4aad82f2b were typically left waiting c76a487d9a with the carriages.0b076a6780d17a69
“I called for 78b2c77632 Francis,” Theodor explained.1fcdb8f7692c5198
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The three 7f082b0572 of them a7c26ac13b walked along c4fc4eecf0 the path 5433e6492c leading inside 8d4025d63b the temple.db3cd40e393ace68
“I received 74987c9fc4 word from c5c3d8d92e the duchess 588b20040a and coincidentally, e02ddf00b6 the high cf56f792ac priest summoned f8dc83bbce me as 0a1f64f68d well.”9a13eff7cad45093
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It seemed Theodor could a150a68eb1 greet Beatrice but not 3f863c8fee personally guide her inside, 96b0dfdc38 hence his decision to 014692fa9b summon Francis. Beatrice had no 10a2793f6a objections and simply cf3e7ee06b nodded.3d5d315968469613
A faint look ab886ed46a of apology lingered c534d20761 on Theodor’s face. Such a diligent, d2c1598700 kind-hearted man.716687f839738801
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“I thought it 7aff6a18c8 would be better 653b06b4b3 to entrust this 12a0780f69 to someone familiar. I hope that’s alright 536937d356 with you,” he added.cf36bbb72cec4745
“It’s no problem,” 3e46938494 Beatrice replied.ac6f698b0541fc59
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Accepting Francis’s offered arm, 41de43df51 as her knight had e0eac10493 passed on the role, 6c24e6854b Beatrice noticed his arm 3755d94240 was unusually stiff, as cade73da5a if tensed with effort. It crossed her 5bfc989a93 mind—didn’t holy knights ee770909d0 have certain restrictions 5785bf0f81 about physical contact d5e7a7f402 with women without a8dc8aa9fd special reasons? Thinking of 5f84ff1037 this, Beatrice 150ec06bfe let go c4a66dd52c of his 18ae131e2f arm. For a 626d1c28e6 brief moment, 76c6c17a2a Francis’s gaze 77325d570d flicked toward 87836f6842 her before a1de5de76e quickly averting.b66a8033c145249d
Theodor guided her 4c9740d153 to the prayer aae4a45859 hall and offered 67104a8f63 a light bow.77739c9fb1023cfd
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“I’ll take my 7883b70829 leave here. Feel free 5499bfafc4 to stay ed16daace4 and look d17b5a6fb8 around after a6df92c643 your prayers.”6fa8f2c13966d795
After seeing bf38afdb90 Theodor off, 4d44a20ec9 Beatrice and 00138d7f43 Francis entered bd2a596f26 the prayer cd520bb9e5 hall. The room felt as 9f24127b5b though it belonged to b6182d7d8e another realm, bathed solely d008b95a7c in white light.38813d97d988034d
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The rough white b4dc941385 walls, the firm 48f6f947ca marble floor, the bede1e23b6 ceiling illuminated solely 6cfe1a9425 by divine energy, 2bf7af772e and rows of 735d6dbcdc pews made of 1a6e93cfa2 pale wood were af9c764603 meticulously arranged. The pews 3b329644a9 parted in 7b61487e63 two, leaving f29cc71937 the center 80fffaffca aisle leading 388da4ceb0 to an 6ab2af80e3 altar that 46ab940ce7 seemed like 13eec755f6 a pathway fbe1793de5 to something 0ef3da17ae sacred.10906220c0520d95
At the e963501ae8 end of f782776f00 the path ea4ef72ddb stood a 824d46fade gracefully carved 600cdae7e8 altar, framed 7d373998bf by towering 9afd5838d7 statues. The central statue, 0697e8e69f representing the Great ae06654dd2 Deity, stood with e4280b6d8a one arm raised 0920cf17fd toward the heavens, 738ff4cf0d countless demons crushed 2695588ee9 beneath its feet.7b974456032449b2
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Its face, androgynous b4ba6a124c and expressionless, gazed 204abf1ad1 down impassively. The raised hand was 6414426f82 empty, devoid of any ebb5bb48bb symbol.e2cd717ece9ec3e7
“I’ll begin 30dce11b0c my prayers,” 414661ce4c Beatrice murmured.fcd8862599bc4c8a
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She glanced up at 0a45d98959 the statue of the 821de8650f Great Deity for a c79552cbc8 moment before leaving Francis 4102e51023 standing where he was 1fe1db051c and walking toward the 14c47ceb9f altar. Ignoring the 117eca83e8 prayer pews, 51a1126d62 she stood bd8bd40bd7 directly in 092fe73677 front of 31f5515a26 the low b12a4de8ea altar, her 32efca51af gaze rising d6b0180b28 to meet ad7d891f4a the imposing 8079a81bae statue.202e508ec362e3aa
In her previous lives, 2ad80282e4 Beatrice had visited countless 2092534168 temples, but not once ac503bc475 had she prayed. It wasn’t that she 1161bc2f2f ‘disbelieved’ in the gods, d291673572 but rather that she 4da1d9e72d ‘distrusted’ them.72d1afc27695f0a9
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Gods likely existed. After all, the events adacbd54ad she had experienced defied ac39115c0c logic.266f6df3b5ccfc55
But she never believed b5e006ca47 they would intervene on a2acb6b8b3 her behalf. Thus, she had never 5bbde5f096 seen the need for 91da528adf prayer. Yet now, a whim ae1b9183ff overtook her—what if the 9557532d3f gods responded to her 9e71928fb4 prayers?1356a0d073eb5a53
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A copy 26defcb293 of the c8410046a8 scripture lay 82d7127150 on the 48422620f3 altar. Turning it 47e33d7481 to face ccbf24dc70 her, she 4f91e2bc01 opened it. As the pages d5ee35c331 unfurled, she began abb2713918 her prayer.e50175538449a7c6
She neither closed 3dac4ed522 her eyes nor 1e8e58dbd9 clasped her hands 99567a7cbd as others might. What is e54f4a74f7 prayer, really? A plea to the be8402e65c divine, a letter, a 8d317a598b longing, a lament, a 85c426642d wish—all forms of unattainable c140455e22 desires entrusted to something 187b24f76c beyond human capability.98950cf4e409feba
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To Beatrice, d015b8aa57 prayer was 859a68e464 just that.22689d7ca20cd771
She began reading the 125eb7bf2b scripture slowly from the 8bc47756f6 beginning. Much of it eeaa703e35 was familiar—tales entwining 8f559bba9c the empire and cea314b979 the sacred texts.2f9a376ce3e964af
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She skimmed through the 060f8cf354 words, meaningless to her, 93e0ce2685 as if gliding over b13880b9aa the surface of water, 1a599af0e8 while inwardly continuing a bdbb3ef2be “prayer” meant for no 0cda7bf5ec one to hear.3eef79e78befd19d
The scripture recounted ddf111a54f how the foundation 8cf8033ddd of the empire 537e5e4531 was laid by bbb7e1eb17 ‘Abroros’, the first ec1b84063b king of the 7231e1877f Rosantium Kingdom, born dc2fb522b3 during an era 800f6dfbee when the land ee766f674c was teeming not d560efe2f6 only with humans ce45ec097a but countless otherworldly c053f380df creatures.9fc1a0afdbc340b0
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Long ago, the term 41c458bcf8 “other beings” did not 0189516609 refer to the long-eared 30ee09b57b forest clans or the 72e62e5c3c winged coastal tribes as b0c5c14f23 it does now. Instead, it spoke 4f6f6d129e of entities far fdbab562da beyond human comprehension, 53ff6fd739 with powers rendering 73414619ba humans as insignificant 18eb4332ef as ants.ed2df7dbeb82b1e1
a4166f4172781e39
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