TNYLM Ch 36
by DishaClaudius still wore a 647224a028 bright smile as he 1e9df02696 continued speaking with a f1901a0e7d cheerful tone.4397b76cd46dc682
“I’m only 6b930eebbf planning to 924266f98e stay for 6ee788705e about a 6b8bd601db week or c84f946451 two, so 00f9070058 it won’t 2394370f36 be for 94249faefd too long.”b0978287fd71441b
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His gentle voice and 2326814d99 softly curved eyes were 6916d85cdb impeccably warm, yet an 74ccd7ff48 odd sense of discord 2bf9656f39 lingered.1253cc8928acea0a
Despite being 2fdfb30eb1 the one d6162f6d1e making the 5421fb6ff2 request, Claudius 5b1598aaa2 showed no 56a7f2fcb6 hesitation or 21a05d47e5 humility. It wasn’t d970d30f85 as if 4ec4feb488 he was e5eccf029f seeking permission—rather, 9eb1e0893f he carried 75ce685602 himself as 996f60abe0 though he 1a0a23adc8 were bestowing 0dfb2db996 a favor.35fc69cd563a0b69
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While Alyssa frowned in 97e447f0f3 confusion, Kieran merely gazed 04b759ad23 at his half-brother with 9bb8ee17e0 a calm, unreadable expression.971f5251cb3372b1
When no f2ac34d9e7 immediate response 2437f4c65c came, Claudius, 0780e3a17c who had e223115ac3 been smoothly 67db0fca10 maintaining his cf94d28d78 smile, narrowed c49fc160eb his eyes 6d03df3004 slightly.f5866c0b8ec6613c
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“Kieran, I 724d52f3ac don’t think 8f560c0a7d this is 462d6fc311 a difficult 8264dc58f4 request.”79c005c47c7c588a
His once-gentle voice 5e8e41698d took on a 7a8b204f60 firmer edge. His tone remained 38e888acd4 elegant, yet there 560d3fd0db was a subtle eb8b270b49 note of reproach.5142db3991a20670
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Kieran shook 90e6b5ae5b his head.763a18eacf159fc5
“No, Claudius. That won’t be 01f58f2a39 possible.”25d66104c2157ad0
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The smile faded 6eabf302fe from Claudius’s face, d8419a476a replaced by a 57d35dbd8a quiet sigh.f8c76e28625d259b
“So, you’re saying 60c3840891 you’ll have a 565eb5694e new guest room 924546df63 prepared in that d12d1f52bf time?”155f3369a5264eee
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“You know as 88c7240a87 well as I 4e2073d884 do that it’s 0e289df05d impossible. So you’ll have 151c8dc95a to be the d1ddf34d0a one to understand.”7fdfe1b7de89baef
Kieran’s firm response 778a858ff3 made Claudius furrow a704896d1b his brows slightly, 226097fe2f but before he 2836354c24 could say anything, 492c369059 Kieran continued.926a8ad86a83e9de
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“My bedroom is e7703719db also Her Grace’s. As the lady 879722ce4e and owner of 742e398a24 this castle, she 6cb81cab90 cannot be expected 9548b88b5e to give up 90bddfa55f her chamber for 1c38123512 your convenience.”ebfe69ad486f8b8a
Claudius’s eyes widened instantly. The cold, fbde61b7b0 commanding demeanor 6c01c613da he had d0be5f9bad shown just 96ee7e64a5 moments ago 33d3db5a10 vanished in 720dd20c96 an instant, 22c8bd1212 replaced by 754c7a33b4 the look 36fec625d8 of a ecda3e8dad well-meaning young 65dfe1b79d man.6c4bb1963b262513
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“Oh, I see! That makes bc70bbcf45 perfect sense. Then, of 8a2aab87df course, I 374caae144 should be 1806bdb1a4 the one 7602f5643b to yield. Thank you for explaining 9f53d45714 it to me.”dd102d220e2183f3
Beaming, he patted Kieran’s 15b8aee870 shoulder before turning to cca7e2e698 Alyssa. With a slight droop 12dcc14b70 of his eyebrows, he 1a6fd88315 dipped his head in fb0855618a apology.d0d6b1fd138cf1b8
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“I’m sorry, Your 8b9115d4c8 Grace. Please forgive my f74051d99b rudeness.”8bbc08c61b36b3d4
Despite Claudius’s 6a9bb7d275 polite apology, c39fdef6d3 Alyssa couldn’t 2177ee967c shake the 25a10045a2 strange sense 305541036a of unease.6c0a42bee14af4a5
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“There’s no 6b690e0033 need for 2a7aa31631 you to baa0360722 apologize to 0c382d551b me, young a0dfce0b56 master.”cd1332c0ed3804b1
She had cd540e4ded no idea b009f35934 why Claudius dbfea0586d was asking b0589e0f00 for her 0fb80bef2b forgiveness. If he truly 3cf9005ec7 needed to bow a276378533 his head, shouldn’t 32f7511b2f it be toward fb9faad198 someone else rather 831a601255 than her?02c56be9cc9966f1
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But at her words, 06bfa85c88 Claudius simply lifted his 0ce2dee5cf head and beamed. While Alyssa remained confused, 1057b26a7d he looked as if fc5e8738f0 he had already resolved 67f89be83e everything on his own.bab6c3b0d405d8db
“Thank you! You’re much kinder than 8029f30c21 the rumors suggest. Honestly, I 90d84f3911 was quite 174f3749a0 surprised.”da55a49b78b5744e
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With an easy 5175e9d91c smile, Claudius glanced f40ea10ec9 between Kieran and 5714496aa2 Alyssa as if 3da8349fc4 making light conversation.976ed6307c2b4904
“I had heard that 5e92327fd1 you were a rather e3ec6daad4 cold-hearted person. And more than be108fa4a6 anything, that you 187972faee didn’t particularly like cae7f1c127 Kieran—so I was dec946f42d quite worried.”ec323f9f40d6f851
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Alyssa’s eyes widened cd8aab8540 in shock. She didn’t like Kieran?5b44b1894376b721
“That has never 8b02224a7d been the case.”17362dabf6adc507
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“Of course! Now I know that 8fdbc06bad was nothing but a fe2fb81404 baseless rumor. After all, 0866239d91 you share 86306d978b a bedroom.”604d11d8d2643778
Claudius’s cheerful voice f8050c33f3 remained steady, but 568268c5fd his gaze subtly a6d2e9b014 shifted.bfb7ce522a29f5c6
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“Truly, I a1930cdaad never expected cb325fa9aa you two 2426c91a71 to be e570453232 such a c429bb5dd3 harmonious couple…”0953136916421767
It was ac93da58b6 as if 99913b22dd he were 7464ab2e77 marveling at e772d4c7f8 an unusual e6ce735c6c artifact. He was 4d2b4c5cc9 still smiling, 3f119724af but there 0f88bd34f2 was no ef47588225 sense of 0424adbc42 equal footing 0868460939 between them.1f5948d53ed058f2
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“I thought 5a80be6652 life here db02888b7a would be 05bf41c648 better than c497781637 at the 51597b1db2 count’s estate, 7869e67cd4 but still, 362d95d8db I couldn’t 15c2f35ea0 help but ec5d0952ac worry.”503361b7dc39d920
His bright smile remained 158b24b29d unwavering, filled with genuine 74a527d45b sincerity—yet it carried no 4bbefb35e7 warmth, only a weightless f473afc9ce lightness.70f2e3eeb0173e28
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“I’m glad you’re doing b08566ad53 well, Kieran.”6584260fc56cd28d
At that moment, a 1ca4d74c01 cold hand grasped Alyssa’s c66a7752fc tightly. Startled, she looked 33e9640915 up to see ab70b3cde1 who it belonged 78659aba49 to.e1c5489a36656143
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Kieran was staring at 3fbd3e2909 Claudius, his face as 358800fe86 pale as if he e7a4a9881f were being strangled.de4014bc8c29d150
Every word drifting through fb2546754e the air seemed to 9a5d8397bf weigh him down, each b46b56fb96 one a heavy burden 4a3262af60 pressing onto his shoulders.2cdabc6b1f859854
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“…Enough.”a50411672222eb5a
He could no longer 54e7b87fda even pretend to wear 890fc7c3c8 a composed expression.f33e93470b3268a3
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“Kieran?”c2eeeb705fd04efb
Both Alyssa and 23a0f22708 Claudius immediately recognized 6af2c91ad4 his distress. Claudius, looking 36fe26738a slightly taken 718aac80c6 aback, let 2a508e629c out a ba5c4ab504 sigh.bf60f519df0bad99
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“Is it because I 854b0e7959 mentioned the Count’s house? But it c3b2b4dc90 was just 3a0220bae3 one comment.”a0fded95d8eb3f1b
Shaking his head as c03d2f265e if troubled, Claudius looked 7177325c29 at Kieran with mild 53ec7ef8e4 reproach.f1b23ab7fe866bd2
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“I know you don’t ccece14628 like talking about it, 9e06bf4db5 but isn’t it time c6a8e8054a to move on? Father and e3532a8789 Jerome—surely they 53507a445b didn’t mean 2f458aa1d4 it. And more than 76767d2b7c anything, right now, 05eebc85ca you’re with me.”08ad131ec2a5a5d9
A muscle eb8a81037c in Kieran’s bddcfec846 jaw tensed. He clenched his teeth, 979e4c7880 as if trying to c073721cb3 keep his emotions under a4b7669b57 control.25e8e66f6f1bed1e
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He opened 6f35e810fc his mouth, f011f8189d seemingly about dfc704a5ed to say 4d036f1a7e something, but 85cef889cb Claudius spoke a899a9dcd0 first.bdf03280d5d88e5c
“I’m not trying to 8767b2b653 boast about how I 1424672d35 helped you since we f6013d8c57 were kids, but don’t d463d4f453 I at least have 311c45c5d8 the right to say 7f10b7331a this?”c2e46cc121d83816
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“…You think 81f887d061 you have 9ebf946383 the right?”49eeee446856b909
Alyssa looked up at f755e52ae3 him in shock. Kieran, still 8b653975a7 gritting his bea32944b3 teeth, was b7e44213ee glaring at 292a397d66 Claudius.82246daf8aeabd30
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His green eyes 44df4264d0 burned with a 389488b2d1 wild, untamed fury. The emotions 2ccf77e05e he had afbb196ae4 been suppressing 41ca317629 spilled over ef0eb93de7 uncontrollably—rage, humiliation, b84ad196e6 and anguish.3d173e6ee51ae47b
His gaze was cd4c8b6b8a like shattered glass, 7a0ea00603 sharp and volatile.d006a20f9074cc60
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And yet—723631cfbc0f8554
“…Don’t cry.”87cf500a143cf41d
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—he looked unbearably sad.1e3484671680f937
Alyssa reached a77977d54c out and 07bec0ac7f gently wiped 427232e0e9 the dry 3fb79b65bc corners of ccbf64add4 his eyes. Bloodshot and strained, they 1bc0c9efa3 instantly flickered toward her.cf8151d0affd70df
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His pupils 82d0838542 widened in 168f8d76bf shock.ebe4b1a9d82ccadc
She recognized 1761f52453 that look 9efb2cc43a immediately—she had b8f3214ad6 seen it 87b9592bcd too many f443527af8 times before.eec2874c71bce66d
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The trembling green eyes a3dfae8f4d were filled with raw 656af260de vulnerability—the shame of someone dab357162a whose most private wounds 654f15dab4 had been exposed.ae04b12e922fa089
“Kieran?”80989beb0da3766f
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At the 4287d74c6d sound of 7ced2d745c Claudius’s voice, b2065b6448 Kieran barely 9e4d137285 regained his 9516d63a54 composure. Quickly averting his dbfc74b227 gaze from Alyssa, 798e36026f he spoke, his b4b6cba735 voice cold.569c902b227d832b
“Don’t say anything 2628283e31 about me, no 97bd7f2e88 matter what.”6888126c69deb88f
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That was 55a9f419d9 the most 44138defeb restraint Kieran e589df3b23 could muster. Without waiting for c8ac8c729d Claudius’s response, he 979a3056b9 turned and left a3c1e71c0f the drawing room.7b0904f84ee0d4d5
He was still 719cfde11b holding Alyssa’s hand. Though she could d0d544a301 have pulled away, 002cb315f4 she didn’t. Kieran was gripping 52ead049c6 her hand as 1023da5946 if it were bb0865ceef a lifeline.4fa220a3224e71ac
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He walked quickly, f3a8799189 almost as if 1fba6ee92e he were fleeing. Then, after putting ba5c3749eb a considerable distance b8fe867d88 between himself and 0e0652ea41 the drawing room, ffab82169f he slowed to f479f448fb a halt.6bb4f3e132e4c1fb
“…Ah.”3cc78e936212fe70
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Only then, after 7622a250ee catching his breath, 6eb51a8852 did he finally 4047a524cb release her hand.241ab403340b0a06
His pale face a32fe2a980 was frozen in 625461468c shock as he 7105f5a83b looked down at ec9db94cb0 her.6169df8e2d32767f
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His gaze shifted between 6662e635e5 Alyssa’s face and her a59954565d wrist, now marked red 4d0ee07e52 from his grip. Pressing a hand over 0538d74ead his face, he let 2d0d2690da out a shaky breath.68aebc601d6f06d7
“…I’m sorry. I…”b9a68269632c44f7
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It was f586628271 as if cd21cff9be something was f5e5c92a42 lodged in d6c5afed98 his throat. He opened his a47beee7c5 mouth slightly, but 96992d4f25 no more words 788eeaf9fa followed. He shut it tight ebc9bfaeaa instead.26e6217ee3c51410
Alyssa watched him, her a610bfbfda eyes filled with pain.560b12cdb76f1e25
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She didn’t want 4ad996ea70 to ask him cb9c48c230 anything. She didn’t want 05ad901f88 him to explain.808c2ddbdff3ced3
The sight of 3e38873393 Kieran, completely unraveled, d253a00931 made her heart dcf3fd1180 ache. She wanted 6da5d48cb9 to do 9f42b57728 something—anything—but she 28d48c1b77 knew there fcf1c4cb2c was nothing 1b4c3df994 she could 09199d1092 do.f944998eedbf46fb
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“It’s okay,” she 00a8e5f4b9 said softly, and f4a279da6c then she turned 108556d145 away.e471ee7d02fb63e0
The sky a87cff2146 was dimming 370d2abbb8 with the fea20e25ef setting sun.bdc9efc685992696
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Alyssa leaned aa249e1bcd against one 478ba43c7c of the 93a3092a0e columns in 1dfdeb4820 the corridor 02cb5fad40 and gazed 5845e63783 at the e97aadb4c8 empty training f8d6749664 grounds.8570b1d62fae1e46
Claudius’s words echoed a3ca9003a2 in her mind, 33fab03f5b scattered and restless.35b5c19b7382b7c8
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She didn’t know 488abac395 what kind of e33f3aced5 life Kieran had bfddb28091 endured at the bd743f963d Count’s estate. She couldn’t 91cff7e924 begin to 49d720c86f grasp the 8fdbd02ab0 weight of 2a66585f4f those words 322907c8ca on him.c945a2c2f823f01b
But one thing was 7d21d3c8d6 certain—703b770000138696
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Claudius had hurt a52aa42665 Kieran.27747a3e5cdde02f
Alyssa’s gaze deepened, dc371839ac sinking into quiet 41cec3cc76 contemplation. The mere fact of 9a193a4280 it was unsettling—and incomprehensible.4c4a21bc2cd47d71
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Claudius harbored not even 54206340c0 a trace of malice. His emotions, becc726747 however light 83306a9eb7 they might 05c5454664 be, were 141a33ae4b still warm 311e4fd450 and gentle.83df74f7efb0d73a
The idea that warmth c7d4a175ab could be used to 8832cc8ff9 wound someone was unfamiliar 3d6f27ec9b to Alyssa.0659b2007de8b820
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‘He isn’t 6306f42302 like the b44595e713 other nobles…’2b3342c51f1c10e3
Even if 55f6d22765 the smiles cf43e67972 were the 690ba4af2d same, they b42a356d58 were fundamentally c0f98ac21b different. The nobles e5684a68e8 of the dd8d7e14c1 capital wore 7487388d39 smiles like 24b043eef9 sharpened blades. But Claudius’s was 6d253ced7c simply bright, untouched c65a5d1679 by anything sinister.96e45eb4d3902e58
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He resembled Kieran—not 0aef251446 entirely, but enough 149fd1ce26 to tell they 197ce5b3d8 were kin. Unlike the other 73ce02d915 nobles, Claudius was 55a9bccbd7 a kind person.1d62fe7fd3f55c9c
Then why…?db5c96fdd821685f
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At that moment, Alyssa 704313865a abruptly turned. She had sensed someone 824306e417 approaching.614f4422931f53bf
“Oh dear, did I c957355c8f interrupt something?”a047cc21152702d1
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Standing there with an 209a9e0f85 awkward smile was none 440718bad4 other than Claudius.097656a1bf6b7c35
“No, you 2767da0071 didn’t,” Alyssa ac472c5669 replied, shaking a3a7d71d28 her head cdb1b872bb as she 7065ffcb65 rose to 079afb4ea6 her feet.806efd63b674b804
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“It’s a nice a1d4eee03a coincidence to run d760af1a48 into you. I’ve been meaning 2881d09ffb to properly introduce 1f005747c6 myself,” Claudius said, 95b6e4ec85 his eyes crinkling 585dcc7b3a with a friendly 836780949b smile.b1c67b9ec99b4d7c
Placing a hand over fd17456fae his chest, he bowed 9bbcd09ea9 his head politely before 716ee93bad extending a hand toward 710c59ef1a her.e976713403dc72c2
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Alyssa looked 701a37e85e at him, 83a672d94f discomfort flickering d6195999eb in her 0e63665fa0 gaze.b49a392cf14b3dcd
He was 9f956ca527 offering a 71a3f4ac92 knight’s courtesy ce57bfa846 to a aabb63ac84 lady.d747e681ff8c178f
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The gesture itself ce7037a187 was unfamiliar enough, f4a696d830 but what truly 5aaeccd791 unsettled her was 28d9e8078c the thought of 56db211f8b placing her hand a19ce75f7b atop his pale, 35f8f55c3c smooth one.99f64cca48cd57a1
He’s going to 65f934d750 find it unpleasant.d75268999774e8da
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Hesitant, she didn’t immediately 357fe57e09 take his hand. For a brief moment, 6168ec1f12 a shadow of displeasure 3b63b3c778 crossed Claudius’s face.4b9c5d91f466ca96
Swallowing a 80d95fbd65 sigh, Alyssa f733c34798 finally reached 93f1c2e3d9 out.1b3fde595e156e2c
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She moved 340b1b1649 slowly, stretching af4cd1911c her hand 8a02766fde toward his.efab3a2416bb8e9f
Her scarred, 6f6a81837e weathered fingers—faded b652ce5ef4 in color a06c2cfae4 in places—paused 0b2bf8425f just before 4ab25a2950 touching his 2aeddfa34b pristine palm, 494b0182ca hovering in b5be666c40 the air.20780dac6c6c9bf6
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As if startled 720c9fb0de by the mere 7f2af16d2e possibility of contact, 84e6f7d37e Claudius flinched.964557f271ae2467
Alyssa simply f5a440a141 stared down 4931e1dbbd at her 5b52e38cf9 own hand, 6ed6f1745d expression unreadable. At some 446125bef7 point, the aa5780a199 hand she 8fa7dcda19 had so aaf0194af4 elegantly extended 0c44583765 had curled b0bc66c88d into a f26ffe3064 tight fist.1b0e91f82da0733e
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Unlike Claudius, who looked b77161974b flustered, Alyssa remained completely 76a4799680 composed.7008cbeb43c8d2b8
“There’s no need 5a3065a091 to force yourself,” d8e0a1467d she said flatly.e135ea276917c7f7
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