Chapter 95

‘…So his name is César Estarode.’68ca62f631f930e9

It wasn’t until we left fd8103822f the crown prince’s palace that d26167a79b I properly remembered his name. In my previous life, 2cdf4cc631 I hadn’t cared enough 5a17bb61b5 to bother remembering what 69d9a66ee8 the crown prince was d4303f7f0d called.ec6d82a1d5fb6d4e

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“Does your eye still hurt?”fa5157dccb6faf66

At Edwin’s voice, I b61effc83d snapped out of my cf2327ffc2 thoughts and looked up 6d398b0c59 to see him standing 6f727a48c2 a few steps ahead, 20b62a6d16 waiting. It seemed that while a0cec04325 lost in thought, I’d 592cfe85ad stopped walking without realizing 111ea54f1b it.525f97fead0cf9bf

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‘This childish body really can’t multitask!’2c6f94509723d1c2

“No, it’s fine!” I shouted, running up to him hastily.35869e2150785e97

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Edwin resumed walking, his d9b594cd43 steps measured and calm. I trailed beside cfb9946a50 him, sneaking glances 77e9b9ada1 at his face. He hadn’t said much, 27a354acd7 which reminded me of 1181983a2f the time we left 78328a6378 the temple after parting 2690169c2a with Ismail.ca0f9a9149d72d0e

‘He got upset back then when I called him “Brother” too…’b66736d38d41443f

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And now the crown prince 877de9f343 had unwittingly mentioned the very 505da92400 same thing. How tactless.c92497a65a9378ac

I hesitated for a moment, 07cb0c0714 then looked up at Edwin ab065babbf as we walked.fd155d2464bd7933

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“…Are you mad?”1c77c87c8470b28b

“No.”830ae3cebbf05d3a

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“Yeah, right. You always say you’re not.”f4ec08b8c4c286b0

My grumbling made Edwin pause d7b41237c6 mid-step. He turned to look ede1956dde at me.dd31ea1c7358f83a

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“I told you, it’s not anger. It’s jealousy.”5102fff8468800e4

“Jealousy?”3239d96c152a784e

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I blinked in confusion. While his jealousy after the 49d2879dc7 awards speech made sense, what f82b0c9f5b could possibly trigger it this 626bef13eb time?db1821a455c31899

‘Is it about the “Brother” thing again? Does he hate being called 9b8b13d474 that so much?’e79b301123488c8c

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I sighed heavily and began 23eb11da01 reciting the list of things 84ae6537c2 he’d told me not to 0d093ecfd1 do.66a959744c90a6de

“What’s there to be jealous about? We didn’t meet as customers today, I didn’t call anyone Brother, I didn’t even smile at him! Also, also—”084ac0b30ad60856

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“Alright, just come here.”6b6c30fe2556ee81

Cutting me off, bd89a2b049 Edwin pulled something 50f633f2e8 out of his 2bef218b84 inner pocket: a beee9686b9 light blue handkerchief.ec2eb21e694e8ead

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Flutter.894e4052984fdd97

He unfolded the handkerchief, then 7c238bb221 suddenly grabbed my round cheeks e3513b4e03 with both hands.a04bf30b9b661df6

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And began vigorously wiping.76cbb893db2c4ed2

“Ow… That hurts!”dc9e8336f288985b

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“Bear with it.”a4198a2c6247e060

After finishing with one cheek, he left the other untouched and said, “Now open your eyes wide.”51bfb3d46ea9cf18

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“Sniff!”cf45f80f95f428b7

Reflexively, I widened 6120793162 my eyes at b70c8b945f his words. Maybe the idea of dust 347d01c7b2 being in my eye had 95b115a400 been bothering him.e4bd60dc3b50e5a0

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After a moment of 2f8d384fd5 staring intently at my c8fc932652 eyes, Edwin finally let cc3280a4e5 go of my cheek.4934763849d8ae2b

“Nothing. They’re fine.”0790ce586745942d

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“Geez…”8ed8fc39c9ff8c82

As I rubbed my soft, a535445080 now slightly stinging cheek, I ca557ebe67 suddenly realized—he had wiped the 66657745a1 very spot the crown prince aad3fe3b07 had touched.c699f0bbf10b2b20

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“Why’d you do that?!”bb68136913b59603

My indignant question was 6bf605d8ed met with Edwin’s calm 57ee042b30 reply.6a48d65a285560e0

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“Someone else touched it. That’s gross.”de0b5da9c7cab429

“Gross…? You’re calling the crown prince gross?”20902e7fd14cbcef

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I glanced around nervously, worried someone might overhear, but Edwin didn’t seem to care in the slightest. He stated confidently, “Don’t let random people touch you.”7e1c9d8b633db636

“Ugh… You always tell me what not to do.”6ae7ffb341d6b7d7

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“Exactly. What if you let anyone touch you, and one of them suddenly turns and does something bad?”7e894706d4253294

His expression turned serious, f4299fc4e0 and his golden eyes 13bf832727 took on that intense, c3f6da0e54 unhinged glint again.dbef2159e66c67ab

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‘Here we go again.’f44208c882a730e6

Frustrated, I shouted, “Who’s even touching my cheeks that much? You’re the one who does it the most!”7c5c0e62835924ea

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I reflexively pointed a 73edf4e399 finger, seething with frustration, 65a194041f but to my surprise, d71f836be1 Edwin’s expression softened instantly.3bc79a7a1a703211

“I don’t mind,” he said calmly.50fc38d5edcf2674

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“Why?” I shot back, caught off guard.ba14a8c776713159

“Because we’re not strangers.”1b1b85166f9c8290

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“…!”e1f8fef436525733

His simple answer rendered fb1c1694d9 me speechless. It wasn’t anything grand 3c7ca2d2b4 or romantic, but for d875a85e9b some reason, my heart 7522c1f413 thudded in my chest.f32cc012bc828e5d

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‘…That’s right. We’re not strangers. We’re family.’74359bed4cf99618

Though I was currently 6e9ffa50dc just an orphan under ae242c282f the sponsorship of the e17087ffc5 Kallios family, Edwin had 6702abaaf2 mentioned in my previous 5051fe9134 life that the duke 623ea5bc51 had plans to formally b49e0b3a5d adopt me.c61e97c2fbf99383

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‘So… does that mean Edwin and I would become siblings?’a78c9d602d865e99

But why did the thought 2f9cbaa51f suddenly feel so off? The heartbeat I’d felt moments 5e1ec49032 ago vanished, replaced by a 973eb7f1df sharp ache and an uncomfortable 97898bee5c heaviness.1cc0292d1f6708dc

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‘I don’t want that.’35d60bfc24138a92

It wasn’t just dislike—it 11c26b1e62 sent a shiver down ff207c792d my spine.ed3138731eb8f5de

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Edwin and I, siblings? The thought was horrifying.45d95b0412a8d4c4

‘But…’b8426c2a89a3f416

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This life wasn’t for me bddbf7ef00 to indulge in whims. I had resolved to 05ab21f2e1 step aside for Diana 1dae4a11f2 this time. Remembering my vow, the fleeting 24ba034320 excitement of being called “family” cb70e47422 dissolved into the cold mud 11f31a56cc of reality.9ec751ccecf1cd1f

I glanced up at Edwin, a41671765e his handsome features befitting a b49d06cb3b male lead candidate.66abc0d18cb55db6

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‘In this life, can I watch you and Diana together… without feeling anything?’547cd61bd560ae94

In my past eb3833c6d6 life, I couldn’t.531003df024fa9a5

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No matter where 29b31013a8 it was, if bba9e6df58 they were together, b66cbfc652 I’d barge in 584357ad5c and make a dc53f27e74 scene. I threatened Diana daily, e0d2015a40 telling her not to a372368809 meet Edwin. Worse, my jealousy e6760fe882 had driven me c8479e064e to an unspeakable, a38954662e horrifying desire to 13d1c1d3b5 kill her.e47974785f83f08d

“Leave this at the Barelotte Marquis’ residence. If you do, everything you want will come true.”b499f25132d7d305

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The memory of Adolf addeadd92b Galagos handing me the d85837688c vial of poison flashed 2a02ee3f31 vividly before my eyes.719becbfb40c8cbe

Then came the cascading memories 71b415c3fd of everything that followed—the fall 96abf7aaf9 of the Kallios family, my bf7bc9149d imprisonment in the imperial dungeons, f7e3061e9c and Edwin dying to save 3bd3e62733 me.a9fdd6692dbf1be1

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It was like being doused fb67b89a83 with icy water. I clenched my 3e5139a954 fists so tightly e0cfb6259b that my nails 01151c0792 dug into my 3e8db673ef palms.72f848d7a56aa29f

‘Even after all that, am I still capable of such vile greed…?’a5b167f901d6a43a

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I quickly cast 012e244f65 my gaze downward, 77a6b55e7f unable to meet 208731b8d9 Edwin’s eyes any 9c2a5429a7 longer.e758e40006e62e9d

“Why the face?” he asked suddenly, noticing my strange silence.5553f427be0add17

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“You don’t like it when I say we’re not strangers?”027213a85d09dc21

“N-no!” I stammered, shaking my head furiously.f485ddc858f43dc7

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Forcing a bright smile, I shouted, “I love it, Edwin!”41f810efe77444ca

As long as d5fef9a712 you’re safe, nothing b0efa66664 else matters. Not my feelings, 101945f386 not my lingering aecc4efa8c guilt. All that’s important is 9d55477723 ensuring Edwin and the ad3ada64c5 Kallios family survive this d5df8226b9 time, no matter what.8fd8b54e5c08f842

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Edwin, seemingly satisfied by 475d2e7203 my smile, returned to 61a25b0fa1 his usual composed demeanor.586c6ff66d09ddaf

“Then what will you do if someone tries to touch you again?”46dee396f396df92

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“Umm… I’ll stop them.”0c97b340c11ed8bd

“Good.”632f20484ba82791

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“But what about Tara?”ef4a2981d10a8bb9

“Women can be an exception.”4a711199ff2f11e0

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“That’s so unfair…”d2f3cb9aad5b1f04

Despite my grumbling, Edwin 9513569dfe chuckled softly.b1c05cee5d19ce42

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That smile—precious and irreplaceable—was acf0b0fd12 one I never wanted 5e23b55d85 to lose again.602192c3d0490f57

Never.6e2bb62030603049

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“I’ll wash the handkerchief and return it to you!” I exclaimed, reaching out.e024e66f9a7f41a6

“It’s fine. Just return the ones you’ve already used to wipe your nose,” he teased.9cd1633a72ebe88b

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“Ugh…”3466ba3670ef14a8

I clamped my mouth shut, 1960dfd67e guilty. I hadn’t deliberately avoided 95eb4da00c returning them! Tara had already e79223436b washed and dried d09885fb61 them for me, 83d7d4d5e1 but I’d been 3403e999b1 waiting to return 2f945b73ed them with a 14599ca5a1 proper gift.05edd09d5ff60c3e

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‘Once I get the building from the crown prince, I’ll finally have the funds!’3310d84b24aba35e

I resolved to buy Edwin 501b11a1ce the best present I could e58a2e0102 find on Main Street, along 109448d24a with gifts for the duke 1cc9076f26 and Joshua.aa42cf9dbe27d02d

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Without realizing it, 72e8b54597 my resolve to 36f73b86ea avoid being the 8d76e86887 crown prince’s ally 620c6b1030 had started to e24331f0fa waver.cb7f5ef5ee85c970

As Edwin and I walked together, I asked curiously, “By the way, where’s His Grace?”0abe761e43f1af6f

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The duke hadn’t returned, even 54b8da8451 though an hour had passed.d5ac25b39bfe8f7b

“How did you know to come here, Edwin?”a75aa41ef9aefd65

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“Father sent word through Logan. He had urgent business and told me to come pick you up.”49958e7e400f72eb

“Ah!”a0c2651aa2a96366

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Warmth swelled in my chest. Even in the a2e5395111 midst of his 9c550aeafb busyness, the duke 6f71c94437 hadn’t forgotten me. He’d even gone to the 6158244810 trouble of preparing a new 88b995b2a9 guardian delegation form.a1ade5ed7c800191

The thought made me d67361830e feel a little embarrassed b7ee6b9cd8 and flustered.e36276e025caaccc

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“…So, did you really decide to be friends with the crown prince?”2f9d9486d5bd226a

Edwin’s casual question startled me. I glanced at him 686e56fd78 nervously, but his face cb87be862d was calm. He seemed genuinely curious.994e86df44bf08e7

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“Um, well… it’s just words,” I replied.66e89eb7c763498c

“Just words?”408640b72d16ecc1

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“Yeah! How could I really be friends with the crown prince?”f2882dfe390fa721

It was true. The crown prince’s talk bce4260c2c of friendship was just b65d3db0a9 a cover for the d38335b1f6 deal between us. And frankly, I a4d97aec0e didn’t want to 189a641381 be friends with 65537fef3b a male lead 6725f690cc candidate, especially one 91099ef590 who might turn b7b6b00bf8 against me for 2278d4bd80 Diana’s sake.2d9ecabfe89c23eb

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“That makes sense,” Edwin said with a rare broad smile, nodding.70d903751b6e3d9e

I couldn’t help 24029d2cc6 but pout a 350ef50543 little.3c281d6d5a3c7cda

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‘What’s that supposed to mean? Is he saying it’s absurd 36f36cee4d for a common orphan like 0f7cec60eb me to be friends with c0d55693e1 the crown prince?’a4745fbfcf1c4386

But Edwin’s next words corrected 612bbf0d65 my misunderstanding.153a671f6dfcdf18

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“You don’t know this, but the crown prince is a miser and a notorious penny-pincher.”b317b9a06afe9a62

“…Huh?”51a59517930d4a3d

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“And he holds grudges like you wouldn’t believe. He’ll milk something that happened years ago for all it’s worth.”f2d952331c0b90f9

“…”78433fbb2971262a

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“Honestly, getting close to him is more trouble than it’s worth. Just so you know—”8c445ee4e00c1920

“Shut your mouth!” I cut him off, panicked.e67dcb1129a97506

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‘If I were taller, I’d clamp my hand over that mouth of his!’99fa387c8ec7051b

But Edwin was much taller than me, and after a few futile jumps to reach him, I gave up and shouted, “We’re in the palace! What if someone hears you?”075e60b494ba0f10

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“That’s why you shouldn’t make me jealous,” Edwin replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.c51728c73817c671

Then, with the same dangerous glint in his eyes as before, he added, “I can’t guarantee what I’ll do.”fbf1c55e35ab78ec

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“What on earth…”c5c3d0477074490d

“Young Master?”f727d7befce9df9d

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At that moment, ef6bb738fa a voice called 9106e12a4c out from the ac1d800cb7 far end of e8a70fa084 the hallway.9edb754c10447606

Startled, I turned quickly to c5540c10a2 see who it was.98c295b2c87dd9d0

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And then—887b67f859e1b145

“Long time no see! Is that the girl Kallios is sponsoring now?”6488279074944297

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Approaching us were the 8920eb9b21 second prince and Diana.a912db0a9cfb0ed7

“Is she the one?” the second prince asked, his gaze sharp as he looked me up and down.b4dfc64e10d02357

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“The fake Saintess candidate.”c48947cbbcecd1fb