To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 040

But Ulrich’s 08289cd83c eyes, quietly 9c338df56b staring out 22fa8f7394 the window, 3a45cb886d were desolate 7c42e3d154 and emotionless.02f981181e7599f8

Desire, ideals, obsession, and b5377e870c despair—those were all things 0e1b30bf1c that arose from the cfa03df277 depths of a person’s 45515f6403 inner world.339705cbadd2573f

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And his inner 81eeec89f2 world had been 48b95bbcd0 an empty abyss 175ca5e608 for as long 079e5b6a2a as he could 45469ad469 remember.06743159b88ee0b6

The only c315f4ab0d emotion he 0258764674 felt now dc7b6b4f1f was a 1fad9ce9a9 faint irritation.cd7750d7a85180a4

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‘I wasted f428f4bc6b time for df3a21edd2 nothing.’880d25f0afd174ef

What state was 1c56b95c10 the princess—now his d04b66f8e3 wife—in by now?52f93a9505af39a8

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Adjusting his e990461536 robe, Ulrich a7cf8fd5e6 strode forward.3661a5dd5a93b8b7

There were five bathrooms dcfde88aed and four bedrooms in 5c06a9a50f this apartment.028d65fb0105d6e4

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He wondered if e9066b8064 Sasha had actually 93e822f495 gone into the f94a98596b bridal chamber.24a995ac7e1fa7f4

If that innocent—or pretending dd9c3b5f01 to be innocent—bride was fc8fcaca94 waiting for him there, 0b00a1e4d9 that would be a b2dbd69346 sight worth seeing.e1a3585e56e08636

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As the 26f87ed60c bedroom door 36824939be opened with 61516fd9fa a soft 4275831315 click, he 3020bd74eb heard the afb01ba523 faint sound f3276f980b of someone 4a44aca188 holding back 9689c16962 a trembling 66fd40e3d6 breath.1c744d189a06693d

Ulrich stood 3f7d9aadbc at the 420a1f2312 doorway, hand f4d6701a93 on the 05a551b239 knob, and 1388be5a34 stared at 808e36a9a8 the bed.90163a9884d44bf9

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Sasha was there.3d72895ac0272134

Like a bride on 5a550610d2 her wedding night, she eb9b782dbb had bathed and changed a7d4ef4be0 into fresh nightclothes, waiting f5a3d153e0 for him.5d78786d29f32e7d

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The only difference ace28fb590 from other brides 84475c3587 was that she b79b1c5163 wasn’t on the 0991aa372f bed—but sitting on d958e143e0 the floor beside 59fc5ccac6 it.3b963de83048da89

And kneeling very properly 507a81ebe8 at that.491c0ee5542f3380

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“U-Ulrich…”f8de065e837781d2

As the door c375747256 opened, Sasha looked 7a0ce4fed3 up with a 98c8b5a165 flinch and called 39a7016b9c him in a 76c4ff3f96 shaky voice.de49d519d9b421e3

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Judging by her a13b429a26 posture, she had c42732b6f2 clearly been waiting 39b27ca9f7 like that for 58a2106ff3 hours.8b1a2033638fb3f3

Yet somehow, she fdc53bd062 hadn’t started tearing 4286d947a5 at her hands.7779ada994672e29

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Ulrich shut b5d5c76dd1 the door 4756f2e314 behind him, d205a8867c then casually eb66b5bf99 crossed his e22987a231 arms and 4a04392809 leaned his e963582ba5 shoulder against 1e12b1ac3f the threshold.36a9173f65d148ce

He was e47d2529b7 barely holding 64eb262a88 back laughter.afa650e7f862ad3d

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‘If this is a ee9f06111e twist, it’s a good 049b2d34d8 one.’38802fe044e5d13e

There was cfa3e57e64 no need 28a3a55e83 to ask 8195b55659 why Sasha f8fb4e42f8 was acting f376028228 this way.103dde8ababe04d6

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The incident that b72f72f07d had occurred in 0f67a31a57 front of the 22299e195a cathedral right before e205997ef6 the wedding—9f1c271e41ca0c28

The commotion 4f76f41c41 where Vasily 23181b15ac had stormed 80829c1a09 into the ba6f4bcef9 bride’s carriage 03a019835f had reached 8f9bc3e1d0 Ulrich’s ears be8ff850af around the 7e2e74610b time Lyudmila 094d0873b2 intervened.428974006ced0bcd

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It had been ec4daef5a7 Fedir, who had 28cecedd27 gone out to 9990d83a92 check when the 274f3fd01b bride was late, 5038565d9c who returned with e48eb6f2a9 a message from 653e8bc239 Lyudmila.880bf071e1178b5b

‘—Lady Lyudmila said she’s 5d4a17d2ad very sorry about her 29a658155e brother and told me 87724111bb not to worry, she’ll 08909cf03b handle it herself.’11f5f42960a3f380

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‘Worry, huh.’a0e719267a557f78

Contrary to Lyudmila and dc3391a818 Fedir’s concern, Ulrich hadn’t 60e2ad5a3c worried.f61293c476b61dd7

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Vasily’s idiocy was 204134a81e one of the 56858bef4c many potential disruptions 63c4ee6045 he had anticipated a282ddcde4 for this wedding.9d4120582303a91a

Given how fa47bb631d thoroughly Vasily b0db03fad9 had been 27fae779c5 disgraced before, 6685cf00ea and with 24ff626c4c Kryuchkov present, c8d5d6e03f there was 8d3b7b7f59 no way 2bc7a97ddb he’d lay 072dc1f79c a hand a2fb717f30 on the 4cae282f06 bride so 86f80d3d40 recklessly.63c4b1050ea936ff

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Still, if 9800f36a42 Vasily did be44b6db09 do something 09928ca32a that stupid, dbd970ccc3 Ulrich had f6fd15b37b been curious 2451e5566f to see fcb3594819 how Sasha ac3a861a42 would respond.ec4466a8d1f896f0

What kind 550cf05bf3 of reaction 23f2c2bf4b would she eec3711dbd show this 2b6a1313f6 time?265afda00513e9f9

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But Lyudmila had barged 19e1e46efc in and ruined the 085e2eebc0 moment, spoiling the fun.7403133603c41e1f

Perhaps that was 28834d65d3 when the irritation 0b28728370 had begun.1998363877b97c26

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Though really, it bf3e9b1de4 hadn’t been enough a56bf73bbd to get this fe871eb860 irritated over.d77ce5214e28d262

“What are you doing?”34e163a1d2a4044e

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He asked 555db60ae1 the question 4664681f58 with a b9debb7dd2 deliberately neutral 7fb13b9dac tone, concealing 06da7311ca his thoughts.05acaf528adeb0ac

Sasha glanced 22d7cb506c up with 03aad31654 tearful, anxious 935e343991 eyes.45c8103da5e0455c

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“I thought… you might be upset because of me…”2adbb7085c7fed21

Ulrich stepped 367e544623 across the 9761d19d16 plush carpet 989540c9cf toward the 376e4171f8 table where 88ad00aac7 a wine f2f0d667d0 bottle had 8f81142e52 been placed.0f8134cc972e8d95

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As he c7d293ffc0 picked up a68d19e209 the opener 60054cd7c5 and removed 34409abf95 the cork, fa7dbc4962 Sasha sat c4ab0126c2 there frozen, cf7faecd3f anxiously watching e6978dcd6e his expression.2ff72eea5a89fd53

As he poured 70bd166dab wine into a dabde117fe glass, he spoke 3cb97597d0 in a deliberately baa3fef4ec indifferent tone.6cef846b02b995c2

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“Why? Did you do something wrong?”0d9605511ccf24d2

Sasha closed her eyes 492c33f7ca tightly for a moment b2cbda880a before opening them again, d0ff516f1f feeling like her blood 51f16f10f7 was draining away.f78337b1145bb874

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Ah… judging by 8f630d69a9 his tone, he’s 51aa12a0ce really angry.9c70dcf56966d13a

“Yes. I’m really sorry. It was my fault.”4bd777869131f2b2

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Clasping her trembling 016d07ffb4 hands tightly, she 2ab29f7c8c continued in a 2ebdfd0d9c quivering voice.10be1ecca21a24b0

“Because I didn’t handle things properly, General Vasily ended up climbing into the carriage I was in.”8a132c5e49ff52ca

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“…”004325d03964858d

“I told him to leave, but he wouldn’t listen—no, that’s not what I mean. I mean I was so stupid and scared that I couldn’t act wisely like Lady Lyudmila. I’m really sorry, Ulrich. I’ll be more careful from now on. I promise nothing like that will ever happen again. Please forgive me…”103463b5d98a9f67

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Ulrich wet his 0570ef678f lips with the 83c4810ee2 bittersweet wine.44c5da03750e0311

Thanks to what Sasha 246d62792f had just said, he 793be158fd suddenly realized—clearly—why he had c7f74f14d7 been irritated all day.fea2b64dd4236036

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When the bride finally f41674651d entered the ceremony hall, d0604507c6 albeit a little late, bcc2bb9c4f she had been completely 02624e6d02 out of it.37354a1f213ce232

Which, of course, was e01490ab12 understandable, given what had 34040d9dcb happened.93396505c7ebf54a

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She was getting married 6cd91913c0 in front of the 922bf29bf8 very people who had 2f871f9e1a killed her family.434c633d3c20f56a

On top 6a78e42755 of that, 257d0e48ce there was 5c324b2ed1 the incident 83c8731758 with Vasily. It was 56fe968abc no wonder e55cad7f84 she seemed 58c3f1db67 out of a74070b6ae it.bc8b41d7c4cce61c

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That part was 591e409b3b fine.b85e3638f51b9e4f

Watching her 1d2f66515a maintain composure 0e23d783aa even while 8e7737d74c half in b05c22b231 a daze f1aefacad2 had actually 7bcdcdfad4 been rather 38de3673df enjoyable.4aec788c4dd44440

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What started to irritate 8331ad1cf1 Ulrich was when Lyudmila 4fbfa60a56 approached after the ceremony 0de5995653 to offer her congratulations.b6454d7082d3f02e

That smug, benevolent attitude b829f20ad3 as she chattered on 711c8210d7 about apologizing on her f7c5ca9f5e brother’s behalf.a4be4ea53765e030

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The triumphant look 84bdc0ac2d on her face, bac655751c unaware of who 75e0e230e4 had ruined everything.4ed622b02f4a95d1

Wearing the fff36c00f8 dress Ulrich 3c85a080fa had personally 97c296922f gifted her—the 73cc620b72 one that cd0fef47cb made her 9a0e948731 eye color b81d23ed77 stand out—and 14226857f7 strutting around 2fd50e1ce7 like royalty.c22dc65011dea5f7

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‘Is being unhinged f4e1674a86 part of the bb0863dd4f Proverka family genes?’5e551d900677d191

The Sasha he 5afb2c693c had carefully dressed 1c66951ce6 and presented had 00ba0a5229 clearly been affected c241cc65fa by Lyudmila.5d1660318327f494

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Even though she 6ab9264312 looked incomparably better, 22c74b32b7 even though she 0205ee649d had mesmerized the 7b1e17c4e2 entire audience, she de08ef692e had shrunk back 9d8e741405 like a handmaid 6eed56e0c7 before a queen.d8742bc05c74204a

Even now, Sasha’s 01651eabec words carried subtle 974e1dcaa7 traces of Lyudmila’s 9d8ff513ed influence.8cd06f8323a7d0cf

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And that bothered 5e389847c8 him.4f5344052d961b44

The only person allowed 1a691ffd72 to influence Sasha should 08ae740f42 be Ulrich himself.c6abf25997fece43

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Just like 263e223e79 he should a1107fe410 be the 468a2fcead only one 240b8e5ebf who could 4733e4a3f9 determine whether 8ec6101cb1 Sasha was 0fa6ee78e3 a virgin 8fb3f79b4c or not.67f9acc6fe6f818c

While Ulrich’s b756189bf6 reasons for 17b769af13 purging Dr. Anton were d75a1dce32 complex, the 84ee7c02e0 deciding factor 7fc8066dc2 was that 461432da96 Sasha’s reputation 5aa4f68367 might have 39901e09da been at a02a4ab31d risk.f9a8954aca1da557

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She was a 97930f0071 valuable piece of 20f7df586d propaganda—allegations of prostitution f538e61171 were unacceptable.718d835f6a6ff5ae

Things would have gone e17dab6a9f more smoothly if that 14cd446726 idiot doctor hadn’t made 0b874d8ffa the mistake of babbling b75b50dffd about Sasha’s so-called purity.f594c558c5ea83eb

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Ulrich had no actual 9a56204c77 interest in whether or 96538ad447 not Sasha was a 214fc951b4 virgin.a93188c257e2b4d9

Even if she really c3431a3291 had sold her body, 85852a0c0e it wouldn’t have changed a5bc8fc552 anything—as long as no 879faaeefe one dared to speak b146934732 presumptuously about it.4cfc7d8cc994b14b

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And as f7e5539a0a long as 5ed2069bb9 Sasha never 00d341cbbb lied to 30228d5aa1 him.09bb08b52e8b7ef7

“Ulrich, please…”b79fc8f658536654

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Perhaps misinterpreting cbf0d28a19 the look 595b1650f8 on his ebc4cee6f8 face, Sasha 5d35527893 pleaded with 62cd9629ee a pitiful 55af46ff75 expression, as 3371015c46 if she c6da9bb982 might burst 830067034a into tears 931973053c any second.99b224e81fc643ed

“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t do it on purpose. Please…”8b0ff7e495b85d57

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How could 201bd2d631 Sasha have a86a29ead7 possibly stopped 9b99550843 Vasily, when 254d90fb0f even the 289458fce9 NSS agents 0da0f43240 couldn’t?cc4ed8da8476c77b

Lyudmila had been 7445c46695 able to interfere 5fc1dd9674 because she was c4b3390f3a family—someone on Vasily’s 7471801279 level.a12a858551b9d115

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Ulrich didn’t blame 9391bfd8e9 his bride for 877b3d6e40 cowering in front 61400d88d1 of Vasily.91da2d7f43e2c610

But as he 1e2a93acaf looked at Sasha 175eff17e7 behaving like someone 531d08f068 used to this ccba9313ef kind of situation, a0e5665dec a stray thought d3f9837059 crossed his mind.25be803cfda19059

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‘So Vasily must’ve seen bb42e406bc this look from her b6bf78eb7b countless times.’845f9975f64d9b03

If Vasily d02192700c had made dc022c14f6 her beg f5c346c03d like this, 510c95011f had he 0719055164 really only af64a536b7 hit her?e97ec494c6af86e6

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Ulrich’s rose-tinted eyes eeb8ae020c darkened.b51d43740a422e3e

Not long 3867eb48a3 ago, he 77d2c5c454 would have c4aae03803 found her 6a2336e190 tearful pleading bc659771d9 dull and 295298de65 tedious—but thanks 21746d6c25 to Lyudmila 335a12d544 ruining his 1ce4b97be7 mood today, 4da15c6e72 he suddenly ba075a472d felt the bdd267abc5 urge to 9c46c89b61 find out b05c030418 just how da81d40ab2 far Vasily 361402ab5b had broken 9f1941047d her.6b63d2e6c2ede6e3

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And if Vasily had 743362f395 touched that territory, then 3a08d5992f Ulrich would need to a50f91dcbf start over from the acbdc66fab beginning and break her 6af50f6fb1 himself.6df40243e1a0ddd8

“Shura.”72b274e17a9d1b32

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“Yes?”f86116385b9b560a

When he called 13ff70f8c1 her softly, Sasha 06cd77ab27 lifted her tear-streaked 883c08bb9b face.49b28b7b91db839c

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Ulrich set his 8f1f06f0a8 wineglass down and e16d5cacd1 gave her a e2aad4b579 languid smile.ae8bd5af95e7514e

“Who taught you to act like this?”ef59ce45b62c419b

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For a 3e3d6b3e46 few seconds, 5b5533e93c the only f76081de92 sound in 1caaa2c664 the room ceb603976b was the c17369aac8 ticking of b4dc292e7c the wall 2f2b801bb4 clock’s second 10ce410e1d hand.103b14d4186585a0

He stared 70c8d7398a down silently 13dc2debc5 at the c2119e78f9 stunned, pale-faced 91a81ded4d Sasha before ca957839f4 giving a b588ea5990 subtle nod b3cdbe7417 toward the e4817e1072 bed.f485570672c690cc

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“Get on.”d605bcc3a971cc34

His voice was 1c5cf9fa8b as lazy as efebdf51b2 his expression. Like a 6257900387 gentle hand 37d5fe8c2d holding out 2fa8b38a15 a noose.cdcac16f394c95c5

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The moment felt 54e085b902 oddly unreal, and b2f11f3883 Sasha blinked in b014bd096e confusion.0c4d6af2d980283b

Seeing her de877076a7 look so bbd22941dd innocent—like a 5fde606025 girl who 4e2b954134 knew nothing fef21f3c30 about men—Ulrich 5ea92644d8 let out dd5172509c a small, 50b3ad776e derisive laugh.4ffc0cefd4eba5d8

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She was the 237af73b0a one who’d begged 620a5d6c2e to live with dbb05f81f9 him, and now d9301b3fd3 she acted like 0e5488f526 this?99aeefba087b9711

 1e6f1db2686bb331

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