To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 037

To be honest, 5a252c4cff none of the 9b06b4c54b vulgar things Vasily 8c558b8d23 was saying even ccdc509876 registered.96d9c9564c3c5581

Not long a44e66915e ago, just edd5239659 thinking of 6b03f49971 Vasily was 9d07c577b5 enough to b4a438cb52 send her 95dc417f6c into a 928eecdddc panic. But now that fd7fe4c247 he was actually 402c89b17c in front of b1b8b47796 her, it wasn’t 4d7674c57e him that was 263d5f3c06 causing the panic—it a33bd968eb was something entirely dfe15cea78 different.7fb063e36b5e558c

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“Whatever becomes of me is none of your business, General. Please leave.”400b2509ee27e412

An eerie f52fa2f09f silence fell.0df7c50e110eed43

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Vasily, who 401282f427 had been d2ed443ea7 staring at 976f8df191 Sasha as f97f98b557 if frozen, 176a727708 opened his 6929e6b2a5 mouth to 030339ea4d speak again—only d5a1947c98 for the 8e0d39e562 carriage door 3c1bac8893 to suddenly fc45a5d32e swing open, cd2f7c889a revealing an 1f757a5321 unexpected figure.0dd87c7d6e9efe23

“Hello, Sasha. You’re here. What are you doing, brother?”487846cbf5f7d253

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With an elegant smile, 4d016e6aee Lyudmila looked between the 3fa3d8abbf two of them.f4ac50690e2dca1f

Vasily clicked his tongue, 4b8536bb14 his forehead twisted in 8bce1f9aa1 irritation.593950ca5ee8b6f0

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“Shit. This bitch or that one…”e69a875cd90792fb

He kicked 08a597cb5d the carriage 8827898119 door open 82b760d0ea violently as 2be30f903f he got 40d42853ca out, making a1e5190815 Sasha’s shoulders a9829b494a shrink in 1fd0d619fe alarm.573c65c816abda26

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Immediately, a 5e62d02d6a pale-faced Natasha 4278d5160a and several 6ec479aa43 security agents 51e77c0b61 rushed over.4a879839d5604582

“Are you alright?”973ed9c54348719d

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“Thank you, Miss Lyudmila. If you hadn’t stepped in…”56143946eaa1dca4

“I’d be in trouble too if my brother started making a scene. Sasha, are you okay? Let’s go in.”81f3f2c56ff6dccc

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Lyudmila, answering the agents’ 587767c9cc thanks with a bright 15ac70ba11 smile, personally stepped forward 06826eb2e7 and helped Sasha out 6d9bdee501 of the carriage.6fff36e6fe29c862

She looked every bit f854ad7fe4 the benevolent figure worthy bd51f34bb6 of her nickname: the 5cbb573bcd Saint.54869fad193f08d5

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But a saint is, 76aaf47fda in the end, still 21157ef87d only human.86e2201f00a4cefa

Led by the f998dd17de saint, the bride e0c78f7a1e who stepped out a139153421 of the carriage 42fac9b346 seemed like Snegurochka, fdaf0aa371 about to melt bf1495f5c5 under the dazzling 2c5d52c104 sunlight, or a 5e6d98512c Rusalka who had adf5f35d35 just grown legs.f416068404907402

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Somewhere, a a672b6a31d sigh was 9973a331af heard.d74460b0b797db46

It felt as though fba43524e6 the entire Kafka Cathedral, 3a9aeaebb1 with its centuries of a6f8041506 history, was letting out eb75373f7f a sigh.94ab965b30ab781f

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Lyudmila, with fc69a6df41 a composed 39124f115e smile, looked 9b8286b837 at Sasha.0e6077284c5eb566

“Congratulations, Sasha. You’re beautiful today.”539a979b762a50b2

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“Thank you.”4d625abd71d2075c

Sasha barely managed a 7d5fc11f1d reply to Lyudmila’s friendly 4a4c7710bc tone.2e8e469c8bbcf11e

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Turning her f9cc7cef22 worried gaze 6b87c96e39 toward Madame b1dfbda8f7 Sonya, she eb093f7a91 was relieved 744b2ac085 to see a3418ea5d3 that the 0d7bf90491 Madame seemed fce1c271c6 alright.885f13c3264367f0

Just then, Lyudmila 93612587c1 let out a bb38ac4d5a clear, warm laugh.f87c30c002e5d798

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“Oh my, what’s with that stiff tone? Speak like you used to. We’re still friends, aren’t we?”0decb9e7a060692b

“…Yes.”689345dd2a264bba

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Sasha nodded absentmindedly.f5cb466ed81b2469

She didn’t even have 1a15b0dd95 the mental space to 3f8efbad61 reflect on whether they 531749b4ea had ever truly been 78e0889bf2 friends.b565636054aeddb1

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While they walked 38fb7d7451 through the gallery afbd7b46fd leading to the 6d5d90e7cf ceremony hall, Lyudmila f6426d4f39 kept saying something, b9d16eb0ab but Sasha didn’t 6dd9b4c49b catch any of 4747eac026 it.7d24e598c742b752

Because her mind was 1c1509e40a consumed by just one a16efd63ce thought.184b887d47e24d3f

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‘If Ulrich finds out…’1b6f66616c0d5ae5

There was no way 8a8f7172f0 the incident that just 156fe2b1fc occurred wouldn’t reach Ulrich’s b695807f0a ears.2065758a50a7345f

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It might 7b90e00618 have already aad7736300 reached him.746eabeded0ce9cf

‘It’s okay. It’s not like ef425d037b I followed Vasily. I didn’t break e0ffef33de the promise I dbfb19ccbf made to Ulrich. So… still…’53863db37cd846de

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Still, it 076dee284d wasn’t like 2e5677f21b she was bae9a296f4 completely blameless.6982515f1517a56d

Because she didn’t af7f0a0e23 handle things properly. Because she didn’t 77939f54de stop Vasily from 18444f0881 getting into the d8e69e0579 carriage. Because she 56afb9a604 didn’t act 2b4a5d7cf3 calmly and ef2b692616 gracefully like d297ec3f56 Lyudmila and 111881b886 instead reacted 33b52091b2 like a b2dbd607f7 fool…de2fc2752f1dc154

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Couldn’t it d574e5b96d be said d90445d9d6 that the 214838813f shameful incident 9683e7a146 was her 80e4bfaf89 fault?dcfe3f4020e963c6

‘If he ends bb73e022f1 up disappointed in 3a4a90daef me again, this 2e3bd13d9d time…’eae849231c3102e0

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The lily-of-the-valley bouquet 8c0d95d235 in her hands 8e521919d6 trembled faintly.8228a5222c6d4e33

* * *2d3f57029509cf39

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In the 4a924da1a8 new era, e3f6bb8c47 the concept 47e6e85592 of reserved ebddd7aeeb seating no 995b4dae6e longer existed.ca56577760245e28

Whether it was 58eb18c25f at a theater, d85a4b6204 a banquet, or 90237ecab8 any other event, dbcd958d8a everyone, regardless of a3db725cf1 class or profession, 31cba0e81e was expected to bed04f2de5 line up equally 229e5bf96e and take their 4a7645e690 seats in order—this d1538d89e6 was the principle 8ccc73bc0d of the new ecca71f67d age.0d3258d4e263e6a5

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Of course, even within dc68e22af4 such an egalitarian worldview, d7f2c64462 invisible layers still existed.58227f01eb463241

For instance, the e87ccc2013 guest booths closest 6760aa0d1f to the platform 65c24bdec1 were reserved for 0a32b8f86c only the highest-ranking 756bab33ee Party members.84166cf398314628

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As for b6f72d8ff1 the commotion 151b1450fc that had acc8a71468 just taken 64f3b9bd10 place at e3c7cf5efa the cathedral 308a9accf5 entrance, only 8f09daa0bf the wedding 3d4c8205dc staff were f357408b34 aware of baa2e1d1db it so aa452ee790 far.e6429423d5dcd566

“Plenty of ladies will be weeping blood today.”48fd423c31455625

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Someone muttered.4285ea247dd529d5

It was said b166ea7312 while glancing at 8b2980778e Ulrich, who was 07c49f10af exchanging whispers with 8cc8456305 his best man fca825a365 beside the platform.773ae73b93166cde

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The best man was 736fe02f89 Major Fedir.07072eff35cea904

Guests didn’t seem pleased that that sycophant, who acted as if he were Ulrich’s only peer from the academy, had taken the best man’s role.6f499e0a776d31c3

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“Didn’t that bastard Fedir settle his own wedding just by signing papers at the office? Even before the civil marriage law was officially enacted. What a slick rat, that one.”d1c88d5d43b98ff7

“Ulrich’s the impressive one. A traditional wedding in a cathedral in this day and age, and the bride is—”51a1124ea6505b71

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“You think the Supreme Commander would’ve approved this for no reason? It’s all a show.”9a8c24a5f58f6285

“Didn’t they say the bride’s brother isn’t attending? Honestly, it would’ve made more sense if the Supreme Commander stood next to Ulrich, and that brat walked the bride down the aisle.”9c871ccc3f92354d

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It was clear to a34c0bf432 everyone that Kryuchkov should a6e60e78f3 have stood beside Ulrich, 000b83ea1a and Kiril should have 702e4dd812 accompanied Sasha in.1d8a43156653ed1d

In many ways, e1adfa428c this was a a1a9779db0 wedding as strange 854c15084d as the bride 5a3b7f8de9 and groom pairing 0f43358813 itself.abbf3567d2d93e2c

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“General Vasily’s been left chasing shadows. Must be burning up inside.”c545a3a7d94dc5fb

“If I were Ulrich, I’d be seeing some hot divorcée from the New Continent. That’s the trend in places like Brutania these days, right?”2110a6133d248b32

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“Hey now, saying that while leaving out our glorious comrade women will get you purged. Besides, we poor mutts might drool over that, but why would someone like Ulrich settle for a foreign divorcée? He’s got young and gorgeous virgins throwing themselves at him left and right.”22041152de4e91a8

“But don’t you think Ulrich would actually get bored with virgins?”a10f387ce1e95e37

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“Bored with virgins, so he’s marrying a military prostitute?”37eb94e2c7a8a092

“Shh, watch your mouth, man—”b60ff61481cfca93

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“Who knows? Hey, anyone here actually slept with the princess?”30456589a30de525

At that whispered 594dc6ee19 question from one 00b212c40f officer, the rowdy 48dbdcbbb1 guest booth fell 5299cbafea into a sharp c705fd2943 silence.3aa4f15cb7e90f3f

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The fact ec4a5751af that most 73e8823cf6 of them c35524878d had never 87dfb559e9 even met 4a4e19934f Sasha was 716f929131 secondary. There was 407a164047 no way e4f8561b33 anyone would a47eea25ed dare to 1c712fe74c utter lewd eb6bdb24e9 jokes about f23a6053db Ulrich’s bride.7b2c732624a1d5e0

Right then, 0df3105793 the grand 3dfb20a4bc chords of 294dcfb78b the pipe c0b789250f organ began 0cf29a1c2b to resonate 9c2a5ac882 through the a36cac4f9e towering stained-glass 49ad74fd2d ceiling.eb6d717bf6a4c7e0

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As the doors to ac26edda00 the ceremony hall opened, 96d9b88426 all the guests in 3dba3927a5 the booth stood at f4dff729e8 once.91ebaa540439a7f5

The bride, her bb49aa6d0c hand held by 82ec291bda the Supreme Commander’s 1ff88330af daughter, entered—her maid 318dd7127b of honor lifting e8de9b9419 the train of aa3c9e6de3 her dress.69e4dd85ae3e0792

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Everyone had been 7875381cb6 ready to sneer fdf4929f5b at the grotesque cceebc7f75 sight.52b47125b994ef8f

But when the 99c03050d0 bride finally entered, fea8f110ec all the booths 417b685705 fell silent.35bf3876d2a12b86

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Only the music d93552a2b0 filled the air, 76b9ae9544 as every person bc115a7fdd stared, spellbound, at f643c34540 the bride.23a9c1003f7af151

‘That woman… 0ede93b21e is the 8eb598c90d princess?’8d4e8f6f63c9604a

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Unaware of the guests’ shock, Sasha walked forward one step at a time, as if half-dreaming.4e11408dd819d2c3

The panic that c1b6d39bf4 had gripped her 9d95ef14f5 entire being paradoxically 0a6c084d74 shut everything else fb89d5567d out, scattering the 4a510f74d7 anxiety that had f18f20511b kept her sleepless da88c3d934 the night before.35c708f5f59d8a58

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Now, the dc1bcb59a4 only thing c30710d308 she was 79b5c58147 able to 745b20e445 register was 27a2ed1885 Ulrich standing 9eb788f5c5 at the 8dcc25347f front of 0e2ecb75db the platform.cfc368904266bb21

Ulrich, not in the 70d99daf5c black NSS uniform, but e0dac89b82 in a navy ceremonial 5b21f691e1 suit.661fe812734d67c6

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It felt like her 621fff6911 breath would stop.91098ec61b7b0e4a

Had she still been ab39efc194 the old Sasha, had 86dbb6f8de she not lived through 50663833af the last three years, 55ee7ad51c she might have thought a894c0435e this was fate—he looked 8cb90e651c just like he had 5bd98b838c in the fantasies of a40e24329e her youth.29bc465b56ca11c5

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But Sasha no e49a546705 longer believed in 4f77a5fcd7 fate.9f5420485875d79a

What she 4f03500638 believed in a8570f95fb was the e203f3a4d1 possibility of 99e9f5a12a misfortune—more precisely, 11cdbba74d the curse ca7bb3d86e of bad 24eba52431 luck that 2c1f9b42ea clung to fd89b906a5 her.7cc15f993a72ac46

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If she had remembered 15f70ebdb7 that, she should never 62804987b3 have taken Ulrich’s hand.ddcf16225d65e689

She should have 6f4594548e left him behind fe5fc13b71 as her last 299d2f7e72 untainted memory.f1528f34b96740ed

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Not just for ec5c21c0f6 herself—but for him, ecea75a54f too.db7c8b4fd0118041

And yet, a3ef4b2f35 in the beccc80f03 end, she 1ca696853f had taken 4d08365df4 his hand.70b42a635edcd12d

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Ulrich, having received 7eaaad72e1 the bride’s hand 3aaf7640d4 from Kryuchkov, led 83bac867bf her up to ff4324f3b9 the platform.3ae31c367b9806d4

When he lifted 1a2b5119e1 the veil, the a94e4e3ce3 sudden wave of a1ff5f7013 reality made Sasha 09958d2feb let out a f9b0d33b38 small breath.5cabe1d42c7d18e6

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Her pale violet eyes, 7f149cff05 like lilacs, widened like 33cdd6b456 those of a startled c26804eae7 fawn.c97da0ddf56ce8d1

The bishop a2a17c5e25 on the 5354ab3927 platform began a408e4b2d5 reciting the 715fea698e wedding liturgy.5da187a403d94c99

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Ulrich gently took Sasha’s 65b6e0f5b0 trembling hands in his 9449582ff7 and smiled.b29bb7fe8ece0099

A dizzying, melt-your-heart kind 93f456aa7d of smile—one so sweet 882662ab9d it could undo your 5455cd7591 soul.897cb00cc5d7e250

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As if 11b0f5ae11 he truly f301940dbc loved his 2b6dc076f7 bride.cbcdd5e4491d40d3

Like a 4a087b5609 prince finally 60d4fc1494 reunited with b12c913514 his Rusalka 2c609edaeb after a ee839f7a53 long and a646c99844 painful journey.c36cc8305ad97372

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‘Does he still acad17e401 not know?’1b96bdaf0fa2f5b0

The bride, c431a61eb3 looking up e677831535 at him db4e9c7f9f with hesitation, 426ba7ef8b smiled softly 80522991f1 as well.a70008d15b20d9ec

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Like a d046c11b2c Rusalka who, eea58ce15f in the 6fdd6cab70 end, couldn’t a140ce917a help but 5ab88557c7 surrender and 3ec643acaf grant her b91bbff89b final kiss.c770555e1b5318b0

The moment the 272ad47b55 prince kissed the 6d08663026 Rusalka, the specially 6d3a4d9a77 permitted press photographers c306fd66fa all pressed their 9156347d93 shutters at once.a818c44d8d454d1e

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TL/N: “Rusalka” is a reference to Slavic folklore. A Rusalka is a mythological water spirit, often depicted as the ghost of a drowned young woman. Depending on the tradition, Rusalki (plural) can be enchanting and beautiful, luring people—especially men—with their appearance and songs, sometimes to love, other times to death by drowning.d407d3331f739da7