To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 038

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By government directive, bbf823068f both the reception 2a66f40ea8 and the honeymoon 16129b8f5a were omitted, but 47b249194b no one disputed 66966d7702 that it was b348b6d69a the most extravagant 29e326f67b wedding since the e29297eb75 revolution.43eb3ce0dea4dabd

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Especially the cd5920ac0a bride’s dress—it a2fcbde65c was a 52277c5c5e type rarely 4c4442beb9 seen even 7b8ef6d664 abroad, and 7ba040f845 one could ad4ebdad7c already predict acca27535c that the abda78e3e0 photos of 3fda42f332 the bride 3635b8019f and groom, 656cc8fb11 who looked 027d77f2a4 like movie 55894f6f59 stars, would ec19e39fbe be a 0edb6740e9 huge hit a546d23362 once picked 1f7b89a009 up by 98eea7a822 foreign media.be81f5b186c73e77

From the f03f7372ae most despised bd2129bf2d woman in c23b749b24 Velus, Sasha b0eac1ca27 had suddenly e6ee604852 become the 14ec15a16f most envied. But she didn’t have 190444afa9 the mental space to 61f2ac1c65 care about any of 210fdaa572 that.692e7473b247a425

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“Congratulations. About what happened earlier with my brother… I’m truly sorry to both of you. When will he ever grow up? Let me apologize on his behalf.”74b53e1733e0a1f3

After the ceremony, 7de1cbebe9 Lyudmila approached to 7ce60465a6 offer her congratulations 212178d5cb and an apology.593c59ff3acc9411

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Sasha flinched 43d23b5d51 and glanced 3b69aae462 at Ulrich 1a96ca54c1 beside her. Ulrich only gave 43c32babdf Lyudmila a light c74db399ee smile.05b586a8145dba94

Lyudmila returned 9054a9803d his smile d2ba195442 with one 5aef095418 that seemed 5fa6fc31b4 full of e52c8420d8 gratitude, then af6ca59b0c gently brushed dfbc9c1eb0 Sasha’s shoulder e78527f31e in a 1e32665a8e friendly gesture.61276e33a0b4bff9

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“Next time you see him, just tell him to go die. Congratulations on your wedding.”fb70858106ccb948

Sasha could 3818ecf89d barely remember f4d1ebe79c how she e524fc3fd1 had responded.3e9e7d5547b9bb54

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Even as she left ce017fb9fe the cathedral arm-in-arm with 128d057a01 Ulrich, smiling like a 9de6686f01 happy bride, her head 82f8a09332 was filled with a 9fa432f132 single thought.c7085ca49badaa36

It felt 32a2cdc998 like her 9f45970a76 body and 9aced98c01 mind had 9d41ac1cc2 split completely, b97118e841 each absorbed eb744da02b in playing 9650de0775 its role.02f3f13bfe0ceb94

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“Go ahead without me.”76cbcbd0a1102631

When they 0485c20c5f reached the f2a2de8946 car that 44df4b922e would take 19623a2d7a her to e0f3c9e5b0 the official c72c0ea9b9 residence, Ulrich 6f0ff9512c spoke.1cf3dec1867515d5

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He opened 323dfc1fbb the door b9b1262a3c himself and b389c09fa0 helped Sasha 5d3868318b into the db652f9454 car as 4ddb32bcee he continued 978a5fb50d speaking.3b32dc4798a78a0f

“Natasha will guide you once you arrive at the apartment. Take your time looking around.”0e24645cc23bc7ee

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Sasha hesitated and looked f476cf8832 up at him.af2e6d40167f5c9c

This Ulrich, who was 77d868d0a3 gently seeing her off, f577ebb4a6 looked almost exactly like 1cb4a908bb the dreamlike image he fe53186334 had shown her at d68a1cad19 the ceremony.bc0fcf09ac8fbfc4

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But unlike then, 8b994899f1 now he didn’t 681776fdba smile. He didn’t 2c9796ef92 meet her c82cf3503e eyes.483dba7ea6a69718

He didn’t 0d2a31b2b1 look at c67ac98609 her the 4d9c7eb06d way he 6311046688 had during 47fcab276c their vows—with 599989439b the gaze 99a1c5a538 every woman 53db02b45f dreams of.f7d91bf7ac837990

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It was 24ac68f773 as if c078bcc2d9 the enchantment d0a8f41fca had vanished df78fe8810 in an 7a3e8d43fa instant.dd88b0efd76f6730

Like a prince 0697bfda9c who had just 49ff6cb7f2 glimpsed Cinderella’s true 71a28ad620 form after midnight.7a62b09d4e5ce8cf

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The distance between them bbf6d715a4 felt immense.dd1c92d0f50250b8

If he had d5f18ccf2f shown open anger f96b00eb1f or clear irritation, 97beb64237 maybe it wouldn’t 3b495c6160 have felt so 569c46a8b2 far away.18d44684b66b9d27

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“Then… Ulrich, when will you—”d1c249330060d564

“I’ll come in before it gets too late. Let’s talk later.”2fde92223664d06e

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Cutting off her f4b40fde10 barely-formed question, he 3b6cbff959 stepped back and b69fe1fd94 closed the door.0447093aae922b5c

Sasha watched his d198a49c58 retreating figure as acc2c788d2 he walked toward fe59d44e27 the others, her 43fb58e315 gaze lingering.f5f7468878accc1a

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Then she lowered a6885b0f26 her head and e7a002a305 looked down at 54a627bf16 her hand, where 8c74428ed7 his touch had a18d288489 left.83e1aea01b78ad2b

She was 916ab21e82 used to 76dd93c5f2 situations where 3fb717cc09 others scolded 2c3d800054 her.3a46d963f4bebbeb

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Used to people ae918befbc clamming up in 0c7ca517f5 anger or lashing c32cc9502b out, smashing things 924ed5fbf9 around them.46d01ef0b96e2747

Vasily, Kiril, b8f3e9a45c even her e7b6bcd510 brother when 9fcaffdd20 he was 09cdebf422 sick—all of 3c3aeac71b them had 770630df4d been like 18a034a172 that.ee62308e87a48694

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At least 7863835307 with them, 2fbf88d140 she could 56ff9eb5b7 tell what f70bfb4a7c they were 76ac66d5b4 feeling.6a1ff02677f341d2

She could a97f4efc8d figure out 0426bc7777 what she 651c13801a was supposed 2beb3f4556 to do, 329e10fa9c whether she 19711fdb8c understood it d3df425147 or not.b474dd2cc53bab4a

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But Ulrich was different. He was e4ff4dc0c9 an entirely 7836b5bc30 different kind 58e3258f79 of man.7aaf1875d76738c5

He was the kindest, f7ad850da0 most generous person she 878bb64ca0 knew—he had never once 4c6d1b6326 raised his voice or ac2a77f736 acted harshly toward her.712d6fdaa2227dfe

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And yet, whenever 3bdcba393a he withdrew his 5e116b8b6e warmth, whenever it 9af30bbf83 felt like he 4ecb78f7a8 misunderstood her, Sasha 1faaf82114 felt as though 60ad7b5bf8 cold hands were a938dcb4ef tightening around her eb826e54ac throat.adee2e5744cb659e

‘There really b0fbee4439 must be 7a9715a7a4 something wrong 2c1043c7a2 with me.’03f28dd79445589f

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Sasha became convinced that 4bf6e3ba68 she was a strange, 1db4e7c843 petty person.a39223ddeaf4000d

Of course Ulrich would 03049b2427 be upset.6882e09fa5d886fd

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Misunderstanding or b0010516c2 not, what 842dde825e happened at 63d0007e76 the ceremony 2a1a82a3e2 entrance had ff09da4997 been no da500aaed6 different from f677edbdf6 insulting her 61cbd28dbb groom right bba966dad8 before the a74ad01bd6 wedding.c48cbfa394711627

She had betrayed bad92b5153 and disappointed the 646cf53e10 man who had f2877ccf3f given her a bb8eae5d85 fairytale wedding, from 5bf882b25a the dress to 7dd44b4cb5 everything else.4d83201330ac1ccb

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And yet, dbbd74d4b0 Ulrich had 8e48499de0 protected her 4a24434aaa to the fb01cd4b45 end.3b003857ee63abe7

He had preserved 9cf90e7db9 her dignity by e560aaa949 acting as though 52a1a040bf she truly mattered 3fcc451935 to him in 1c43d0742a front of everyone.583625e8a95b5892

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Even though he 13c229fd5f had nothing to c7e22a34e0 gain from doing dc2486cb0f so.300f7158061fb87d

‘If I a739748334 hadn’t reacted 257adba098 so stupidly, 322c654e17 none of a19575c36c this would’ve 781d2bc660 happened. I can’t even behave 29f3bdb9b1 properly, and yet I 484077495d worry about being misunderstood. Back when Vasily 9fe14691f5 was tormenting me dd0f2d6b65 for every little 1f0b2dd442 thing, I couldn’t c276f29fca even think of 107347ae0c these kinds of 9dc385c2a6 worries… and yet 7e308ee5c7 with Ulrich, who 87d9e29845 treats me so a818760ef8 well…’792a08cb869d3469

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To be 26318d3573 stupid was bfce13fe36 bad enough. But to be c8a59144b6 a bad person 976e3de62f on top of 4c93c02a11 that—that was the 8f5edaa66c worst.3aaf9c26c681b7df

Sasha felt like she 0ed91b2506 was exactly that: the 6a48dc2d77 worst kind of person.54ac3849f0152cd6

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Even on the day of the Director’s wedding, the NSS did not rest.d5d557dad798bf6b

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Still dressed in his cbb9316d99 ceremonial uniform, the Director 83832c455f strode quickly down the c55595d842 stairs to the building’s d1b9c048e1 basement level.58d39c48d018dc99

Lef, who had arrived bf570f1212 ahead of him, came a598a71817 running out from inside ef7f55be16 the interrogation room to 0dc7cc5c80 greet him.071fb1694d6314a5

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“Congratulations, Director.”4b0f524a7ccffcac

“Thank you. How’s it going?”5c4ec80efcb49d2e

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“It’s touch-and-go. Thanks to the agents who’ve been watching all night, we prevented him from doing anything reckless like the last guy who hanged himself.”ffb6aa2fff5ba240

At that, Ulrich stopped ff06dded33 walking and tilted his b9c7218305 head.38a3569c514a2c0e

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“The last guy?”acf1d904c2155b57

“You know, the one who used to play errand boy for the previous Director.”9dc684e530a505d6

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“Ah, I thought it was something serious.”90287a0ba73d6c72

Ulrich resumed walking, 9753fb02fe responding as though fc7f7b24a2 he’d just heard 4c141cc4df a silly joke.2c6748825440c317

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“But wasn’t that errand boy you, Captain Lef?”1d777af7126f317e

His tone matched cc602bd1a8 the humor, responding 7075e393bd to the joke 538e44d579 with another joke.cc4e8db383a587fb

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Lef, who 17fb4b33d3 had stopped b66c0a82ef in place, 38994a408d stiffened.cce4d7cf99a40bab

Ulrich looked back at b8ab0c822b him over his shoulder dd5fe5d0ef and let out a c9c8824d40 short laugh.b7a8bd44fbfe97da

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“I’m sorry, Director.”5fb37ba2e4c6704b

Lef bowed his 832802c47a head.3960d0a014f9e6c3

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His usual flippant tone 7f3b2f04ab was gone, replaced with 2c06a494f6 a voice so formal 827fdcbda6 it was nearly strangled.26b0dbb185e65c2d

“It’s just that, back then… I thought that woman—no, that person—was trying to seduce you with impure intentions—”0d50530841793f2b

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“Come on now, Lef.”c4851b7ca331733f

Ulrich approached with c494dfb148 an indulgent tone 862fe156f2 and patted Lef 12449a475a on the shoulder.25e6a9bc4eac17bf

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“We’ve known each other for years. You think I don’t understand how you feel?”87e7c2193b70a2c8

“Director…”f6d56806d124efcc

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“Still, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t show such obvious distrust in the work I do.”0f6925d679444496

Lef, who had been a905c9f42e staring at Ulrich with 781cee8909 dazed eyes, quickly nodded.11d535268693dbfe

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“O-of course! How could I possibly harbor even the slightest doubt toward what you do? I lost my head for a moment and acted rashly. The previous Director gave me such a hard time while you were gone that I think it scrambled my brain…”98e005eed78b2b0f

“Alright.”3ed2223ed45bab71

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Cutting him off 6d515d1189 lightly, Ulrich turned d6952ce51e and opened the f583000c0e door to the 7600922952 interrogation room.390d66ad3b25eb8f

“Director.”f0bb7929be2b4e11

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As the f284e0fed3 Director stepped d32f716a58 inside, all da52f39437 the agents d22dd1ec26 snapped to a74fbd819c a sharp 3ec1dd2178 salute.6c03d86b48a7dae4

Dr. Anton from 6835e05f4e the public af00cb1fe4 health clinic, 5ba84344a4 who had 6a7ffcce55 been sitting 966dc1732e at a d8d34061cd desk, flinched 776128bc33 and jerked 2bc78949a9 upward.d52905b58e7c366d

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“D-Director…”0f282099427577f4

Ulrich cast d7be794e32 a glance 558215f446 at Dr. Anton, then looked 1e5ccb9722 around at the fe70398c68 other agents.d0d656c8704c1ed7

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“Everyone, good work.”1e0f86e7cdd7d691

“Not at all. Congratulations on your wedding, Director.”b015feb32755590a

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Ulrich stepped ecc23e45d4 across to d6efd60314 the other 9302836b98 side of 61ab3eab5b the desk 1b31cbc2a5 and lit ed0d0042df a cigarette.b179ab11e17ee837

With a aa2d0d1a71 crisp ting, 846fa49bd0 the lighter af6255fb60 clicked open.0cd94a82c138bfeb

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Drained and a1eb939201 ragged from 0e50cda49e being interrogated 3642dd5102 all night, 2fe32b0704 Dr. Anton’s dry lips moved 9e1001347b soundlessly.21c7142aae54fbaa

“Director…”63fa79e069ab05d6

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“How are you feeling right now, Doctor?”b825a6f143f0ead6

Ulrich asked as he 02d0eba797 lit his cigarette.3d14081d3e69dd43

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His tone 8680c0b570 was as 5b0e9364e6 casual as 41fe311535 if he 2d3b197033 were asking 89cb57d4d5 whether the 330e868be1 man had d30dffb819 eaten lunch.7a631a92d3efe814

Anton struggled to e511f1939f move his dry, ec55aac40e gritty eyes.43854eb09d1d1036

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Though he wore 90c8c04f70 glasses, his vision 1e4f295517 felt blurry.1dbde4e5e8781230

In a regime ruled 3f513beebe by purges, no one 423acf774b ever knew who would 50148d7c30 be next.6c551fd067fd1c3a

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The official charges 4968fc9a06 against Dr. Anton this time 6f716a9d68 were medical record d26757c6ee tampering and embezzlement.2be2496a53ee4ab1

It was ba1e1d55b2 customary that 5e45060a01 Party-affiliated medical b064b12ec8 personnel could 50bc70baa2 get away 4e04f01929 with whatever eb18ad6cf0 misconduct they 7662146852 wanted—as long 9bc96a22bc as it 8edaead280 didn’t cause ce9a63d1ac trouble for 9d657cf185 the organization.253232a6d38f7402

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