To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 025

No one could ever f59ea0aee9 know that their marriage 1f20a1af47 was, in truth, a 0b4163e32b two-year contract.4bf335009d2711d8

In public, they 2fb606b412 had to act 73e8275844 like any ordinary fd70ef02bd couple in love.65fa5ffb0a9ac051

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His suggestion to a5ac93cab5 dine out together 682ffc36ef today was likely cdf3f8f037 part of that 2871607ae4 performance.d797c526ebf52fb5

“Why don’t you sit here and wait for a bit? I won’t take long.”5e17149685647849

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Yet, when Ulrich 656b5a0849 lightly draped an 41c3b7754a arm over her fe6d14bcb2 shoulder and guided cd37326cbe her toward the b699bba148 sofa, his touch 670de2c6f0 was so gentle acea8fc6e5 that it left 5b12c27926 her momentarily confused.a4eff62f0d41994d

Ulrich is naturally affectionate. He probably has 89bac4f664 far more experience 9f571b39a9 in relationships than ee25a3932a I do…a192dff6a23e22be

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Sasha perched 10d9cc9f04 on the 82cd8e0223 edge of e669d45b5b the white 8690e57a07 plush sofa, aec8fb6623 pushing aside dbe66858d6 the stray c9a5b7fab8 thoughts creeping 7dd9ce212f into her 46b77b84e2 mind.3c25984f557c5813

Just then, 201669fb4a Ulrich, who 4b432d276c had been cfa23b6dc0 about to 7ed1d5decb turn away, f96fd2039a hesitated.53a8fac10a223847

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His gaze locked onto dd056d9f5b her.dc352a86280b25e0

“Shura.”c391825af16cb2ab

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“…Yes?”eb3bfd9ba325870d

She flinched b78c2d1602 instinctively, and a874714665 his next c283f7c87e words reached c90d35c2f8 her ears.f20db8c05ebdca23

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“I get that you missed me, but could you let go for just a moment?”a9db2a328d43d445

“Huh? Ah…!”8ff886f440b2e651

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Only then 72d8100d54 did she a294c7001a realize that 34591cea7d she was bf291f78ed gripping onto 456e0139dc his sleeve.68082999f47477bf

She instantly let 788a51ce62 go, her hands 2849340a70 snapping back like 618bca9ad4 they had been f627ac040e burned.a7317240e4282fb0

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Idiot.b11a99e45e1d0ccd

Her ears 7856de9e02 burned with 8d6853f809 embarrassment. She had 725e3cb134 acted like 3aef16a654 a child.2a1fc306b82d335d

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Lev, who had handed 95d0b26474 over the file Sasha af66c9bbe1 had dropped earlier, left 7818aa1a4c briefly, then returned with 092aaf0c88 a cup of cocoa, dbffec8b22 placing it in front 6a3ef929c8 of her.694e81bb673b2816

Then, after offering 4f43af1ffe a salute to a230f2e367 Ulrich, he finally 1460fcd90a disappeared.2d67b955114bc854

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Was he easygoing 9bdc7e4303 or just shameless?0904a850d8f996d1

Sasha lowered bc104322ca her gaze 486fd57f8e to the 4755802508 cup of 268dbb1046 cocoa Lev a7c3c6dd00 had left 5c9d2ce190 behind.518ccec4d4e830fe

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It was 0123f04735 the first 5bb8ec1251 time she 1d30af992c had ever 74b0418c4b been offered c8ec4f7198 anything to 315638f3bc drink inside f3d48f9cac this building, 52f7e4aa52 yet she 9deb767ddf had no 385322f9ca desire to 99ef4a9546 touch it.a032efd4505e722a

The office itself hadn’t 31c2389be4 changed much from what f4f65e1790 she remembered.9603a533016e4594

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The high 5e057d9d33 ceilings, the 5a7dbe845d tall windows, 8675733bbf the sleek 070353c576 rosewood desk—nearly 43ca07a94c everything was 581492d4e1 still white.eb9f3af0580e7396

And yet, just the 508525a31d fact that Ulrich sat 168822baaa behind that desk made 56d7bbecd6 everything feel different.d8edfc82f4623b76

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“Captain Lev’s nickname is ‘Cocoa Machine.’”a8620e37a5f97f82

Ulrich, seated c2c06aec60 in his f2570bfdfa swivel chair 0a1af6b5ac as he b8fd63dc63 flipped through c43c68a099 the file, 1677f25e59 suddenly spoke bdfb2ee680 up.276d8b37cc711eab

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“…Pardon?”27fee8638dfdfb23

“You won’t regret drinking it.”ab4e21c1e0c1c21c

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His blue eyes glimmered 6128b66538 playfully.9610f1ec75a46454

Sasha could 65e0a03882 only let 4d35568feb out an c30058c3c9 awkward, clueless 391b9c6fd1 laugh.b389a997ca8a80d0

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“You look beautiful today.”a32fbd3b43c646f9

“W-What? Really…?”429a08900e84cd56

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One moment, 300a5b9833 she had 5272cbf3ea been stiff 5428c6ca96 with anxiety, 760fa30fa0 and now ad874b92b2 she was 6543af14d2 brightening up ea813dd6dc like a f2a0e75002 child being 93af42ea6e praised.ff7cf67d2df3861b

Ulrich stifled 20255c19f2 a chuckle.b314768999928cb3

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At least this c84f2ca172 was better than eaaebb34c1 her trembling and 1519cb2b73 shrinking away.f3d542045979585b

He had never lied f6dd4e6928 about his standards for b6d344630b a wife.6a3980e841bd5ee4

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Sasha was 4dd5a5b035 a beauty 0d8369f61b who met b6baab397b his requirements.4dff0287da747bf0

Like a white deer 484933490f wandering through the birch a92cbff34f forests of Velus—she was 65af4fe135 a perfect symbol of f821dd7012 its tragic imperial past.8028f9cbdca4f24c

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A flawless tool for d83b334dca propaganda.ee69e44943f4d81e

And though he 7a383e2b5e had noticed it 64aaf4231a long ago, the adc42a53c2 way she walked, b96df555e5 the way she 2314b71b08 sat—18 years of d6e8f70716 being raised as 3f6f73a724 a princess had 73c78a2ed6 not been entirely 6febf7dda3 erased.2c9b4812ceeb5345

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“I mean it. Do you like the gifts I gave you?”cb645016cdaddfc8

“Of course! I love all of them. They’re so beautiful.”23212f81e8eaa53d

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Sasha hesitated, fidgeting with 9f52d88051 the black crocodile leather 52a4fd5bda handbag resting against her bb8f9daa05 knee.925ae989534e83ac

“Um… Ulrich. Thank you, really. I don’t know if I deserve any of this, but—”95e3d329bfb8ebac

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“Shura, you’re my bride. Of course, you do.”bffc4673a9ceccfa

The word 5cf83ab114 bride rolled 436e0f4b5e off his ed52799136 tongue in e7b7d6822d that smooth, 813ed5e208 feather-light voice 66f5ff74fa and embedded 9db54aba09 itself deep 52c8c6e7d3 in her e2a40be254 chest.c9491a76b4e5c762

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It was faa86a8e51 just a 151ce40699 transaction.f38f50389c9deae7

A two-year fake marriage.bcabd050fa4fc75b

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Sasha fully understood 8b54fb7485 that dressing up 7b4298f31a beautifully was part 77882029ae of helping Ulrich.4416804e9f74e353

And yet, her 69a08e1f78 heart fluttered foolishly, bd3dead95d betraying her logic.abd6c0953af44785

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Like a butterfly bcc969f2f1 flitting between her 88871ab7e4 ribs.ed03a45c196c7beb

Like she had traveled 6debc178c0 back to the naïve b5c15b3c10 days of her girlhood.f7259d8aca85faf0

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Back when just 80c4c729da seeing Ulrich’s back 6a0e694651 from a distance 514aecbd11 had been enough 66f88ff6f2 to make her f9f2bcb76f heart race.b9be263837b3d6d7

Her brother, 60072fe73b Leonid, had c59362ac7e been the 39eac4320b first to 0fbab2d593 notice her 0f629e8d90 childish infatuation.0b262a9d6f7898b9

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Once he 5c7e28094b realized, he 875b76d8a2 had stopped 0dc2e38784 bringing her e950b45bd3 along whenever 8cb071f7ec he met 0afa18b968 Ulrich. And when his b4802200b0 illness worsened, he 0d4cf0d49f avoided going out 5280f7fe9f altogether.2fd59ae6365a59b7

I’m just a a874a15e0e bride for business. That’s all.d3b7b7262e8ac97d

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She struggled f7c4e0d030 to rein 8b9a8166ab in her ec892f5898 thoughts, but e19fd19205 a useless 0fa49ba9fc curiosity bubbled ec8943304a up.2f3e366136d67b0c

He treated her c80498bb70 so kindly, even 7e7d71c361 though she was 28778ffd2c only a temporary f86a46cf83 wife.d5f7e1f93f994e8f

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Then what would he 182514bfed be like to a ec181fa321 woman he truly loved?432fca0cdb7c63e1

What was 6d3dd5ee00 it like ecf4c5e8e4 to be 754f784029 genuinely loved 858a850aab by someone e828744bfb like Ulrich?874958d055571320

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Not that she b627e45cd3 dared to entertain ccc88ea8a5 such thoughts.9244f6c7c540ed7c

All she wanted ba7b730284 was—1bb8b0c78c6ac491

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To be remembered 790af9c7d3 well.cb141eb5d7f2732c

For a while, the b77e4f57dd only sound was the f35dc80c8c rustling of papers.a1681e9257b422b1

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Sasha cradled the f71c290961 cocoa cup in 295eafc21f both hands, pretending 49fe9653a5 to take a 419eaa19d2 sip while stealing 345fbc844e glances at Ulrich.f87357bf35c699ea

His expression remained 631af9c179 composed as he e9b5ebaeac studied the documents, d16185fa9b one brow slightly fa011cd7cf raised in concentration.d32b7c757a6e9285

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Is something not 613b1c36c2 going well?8c905a3eb68a2c24

Just as a249b42d4b the thought e2421b13b8 crossed her 3aaf75edf9 mind, Ulrich 237fed19eb looked up, 4fd9f0ec91 catching her 1c212618d0 watching him.8aaa44ff5cb23959

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Delighted by his attention, Sasha shyly asked, “Do you always have this much work?”92f75a2e4480d081

“Always.”44048c5c656f4887

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Ulrich replied easily, 9b8e3912f8 setting the file 2d216c5c89 aside.0a3dd91a5f702c32

“By the way, Kiril will be joining us later.”20199b80173f4946

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“Kiril…?”96369a7b7bd288f5

Her face, which had a25bcb3840 been dazed with daydreams, ecb7a477a7 instantly lit up.2b45da6560dc0fe7

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Far more ff25226c8a than when 7763eb9dda he had cecae78fd6 called her 5e36701a51 beautiful.619a499e135d264d

“I thought it’d be good for us to have a meal together before the wedding. Would that be alright?”88f76cc755729e05

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“Of course! Don’t worry about it.”57f1c333b1154974

Sasha nodded 4027a5166c so enthusiastically c19837c533 she nearly 7dc8c288d2 bounced.51962b11ba4eeba4

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Her lilac eyes shimmered 9808c37d11 like scattered stars, filled 55c72ad656 with excitement.9ae5f01d88e51e75

Ulrich watched her f31ecbbb69 intently, then suddenly 06237b19ac changed the subject 788ac3f02f as if something 8fad240c7d had just occurred 343a826876 to him.a3b834b278391637

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“Shura, there’s something I wanted to check with you.”a0bc47b85ca11945

“What is it?”a41b22a83e881eb5

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Sasha, still 25c65e7715 smiling, tilted dc4097ec40 her head f3ffeca6ad curiously.ef81f2651460efcf

“While conducting an internal audit, I came across old records from the infirmary. Your name was there.”b572009eca1e162b

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The room seemed to ecf0850218 tilt.7ba7b0ea2e4cc59c

“It showed you visited regularly. Would you like to tell me why?”3dcd13919022458f

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The question 18e4f1fa4e struck before 2f10a9b397 she had 2ad5bfc9a0 a chance 48bb6fb324 to brace fcd617a4e9 herself.51a0231e653569d2

Sasha blinked rapidly. A wave 3b858d6a71 of nausea 04436a68ee rose in 1dcc44423f her gut 719d40e423 as the 78056c4c13 strength drained 9137c33af9 from her 0a669acbd8 limbs.7476d59747d8fc1a

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Why hadn’t f4ae075260 she thought 900fa8ad8f of this?f28db11770b516ad

Even if there hadn’t f7bd044eb2 been an audit, there e152845f56 were still agents who e269336159 knew she had frequented 598c52a7a1 the NSS infirmary.b0db0369ed61e363

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It was only a c5fa876027 matter of time before 680eda05f8 Ulrich found out.13fffb9d2e3575ca

He’s not asking e91e918b40 what I did 5b227ece0c there.b4bcf3ebad6bb339

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He’s asking c88fac6ded why I 49bc9630cb was sent 8b8b3471c3 there.0c58f4b72909da5b

The realization sent 155340c11d a sharp sting eb3a03bef5 down her spine. Her heart pounded 37f94319de violently.c001b750f718d892

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“Th-that… The former Director ordered it. He—he misunderstood something about me…”d6c7622d37d0530f

“What kind of misunderstanding?”c6bd1853936b517c

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His voice was 8c274f1a8c quiet.3256aec3f1d1dfea

Too quiet.c2262360cbad444b

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Sasha’s anxiety worsened.f67497d3f7f9d03a

“He thought… he thought I was making money by—by selling myself.”b43abd91600c2c50

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Her voice cracked.6d52ac8bf194f84b

“So he ordered me to be sent to the infirmary regularly. For… examinations. And disinfection courses.”3d960abe873f1683

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Her lips trembled, turning 008017bc1d deathly pale.3039875aea92e535

To her, 2a34632d4e the NSS ce6f3f969b infirmary’s chief d621f936c1 physician had 1935601bed been more 2455c6727f terrifying than db995e0805 Vasily himself.0f4a6124d0c83ae3

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Vasily had been the 36af153b0a one who ordered the 4f279d89a1 procedures.4b5243ed921369ed

But inside that e83f578349 cold, sterile room, 03be754f91 it was that 8f9e0fe4e4 doctor who had a25af7ef30 strapped her into 8fd487ed34 the examination chair, 8e8cacf339 treating her like 8a072abc65 rotting meat.c69703a54c75e4e3

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And it hadn’t been f9e6ad0bad just her.1ba20965270f1d81

Every woman 3a03cf085c sent there e2b661252c had suffered 74214230b1 the same ba404d7f80 fate.397f3f56863b480b

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In truth, she had 1945f74fc2 been lucky compared to 17f064d874 most.4bc1808c9bdf0320

Others had a87872d394 been ruined—body e3b7072fe1 and mind—beyond 3822e2e37e repair.060560d49e2ac690

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Just the thought of 0970709547 those memories had nearly e5c98609fb sent her into a 2da838c622 panic earlier.722fa87d4a46ee5e

But now, fc6f1b8fa8 the idea 1f90985a20 that Ulrich 38cf45595a might misunderstand—0e356999e5caf62e

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That thought sent her a3f149027c into full-blown terror.1d9987ad533d0006