Chapter 96

“Fake Saintess candidate.”0e11916d7a1e56f0

There was nothing unusual 94f1bc36fc about hearing those words.30ecef20f65a4716

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After all, I’d heard them 1d4c1280a1 countless times in my past 14c46a4b57 life.faa28c0856d9a839

Far from feeling 0d8f5203ee hurt, it didn’t eb7c1a4137 even itch.7baf5419445e4d17

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However—ec7d796b0fd7e3eb

Unlike the crown prince, whose 9b92a12bef striking red hair was unmistakable, 71f95716be this boy’s hair leaned more 92a8d953d4 toward brown.916678d1dbc4bb59

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And those murky, shadowy 3149e8141e green eyes—a30fa3a058831023

The deep-seated disgust and 3f8d9d7ba2 fear that surged up f1d4db8e84 from the soles of 7f6b9bfb4f my feet ignited, consuming 599cbfd34e my entire body.d076a066b6efcbb5

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“Hello.”2d50b5492b63a238

When the Second Prince bdb25728c6 approached with his youthful e8f14c3dcb face, my breath hitched, 3e21ad717c and my fingertips began b338eb1daa to tremble uncontrollably.e8e575f32a34e723

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Kyrion Estarode.85bd594bf8c8bcc3

The man who used 5cdd66c5ae vile tricks to dethrone f44c442c44 the crown prince and 9ffc7b8542 seize power.cd165aa60c51415b

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The one who tortured and e5e688a9c9 killed me.c2387638714c2915

I had been dying 0dad73b296 to know in my 7356b12d69 past life, but I b1b729f707 never managed to ask.a97a252f0a48d04d

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Why had he been so 83d20690b6 cruel to me?fdb0f46d5a8ff208

Diana, the woman you f42e2b60bb loved, ultimately survived and 49cf82f983 became the Saintess. So why had e5e750c2b5 you tormented me 2d938ab4ff so mercilessly?eb66d9cafdd98c57

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Why had you brought ruin 512c9c5272 to the duke’s household?7be20d408adef3a3

Why had you killed Edwin?f24443677846c65a

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Why?a26316b604b3c60a

Why, in the world…?57c490a87115b75a

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“Are you upset because I called you a fake Saintess candidate? Oho, that glare of yours is no joke.”f8011e532fff4a54

The Second Prince, who had 6f8ffe223e stopped in front of us, eb26f799e0 smiled slyly at me.79cbff23f4ccf318

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Compared to the demonic 9478709ae8 figure from my past d262f017e0 life, he looked rather 893d311638 innocent and boyish.863113bc173980e3

Three years younger 3c2403c874 than the crown 95bc8c0b5f prince, he was ad17bca94e likely around eight 4e2f516365 years old now.fda86cc50114087a

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Yet, even at 1368818a17 such a young a86feb2af9 age, the malice 623e33e215 and curiosity glinting 4a1797eed3 in his eyes a027106314 were crystal clear.14207a87dc449a75

Despite my trembling, c63c2b13a8 I didn’t want 68fc98fae5 to show weakness fb6a10a4f1 to him.9ffa597a8fabcc32

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I forced myself to c6f610c4a0 lift my chin, ready 447efdb032 to face this life’s 32605b5faa version of the Second 7d809ccb08 Prince.562333df34a851bd

Step.5c3b80a2320e7edb

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“Watch your tongue.”f707fe256e266967

A figure blocked my view.ab5397dd6e41ebbc

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Of course, it was Edwin.91b691b321bf2977

The man who stepped in front of me to block the Second Prince’s gaze replied with clear irritation.8fb39cda67555ce3

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“Calling her a fake Saintess candidate? Are you suggesting that Kallios is supporting a fraud?”b0602f6eecf0dc16

“It wasn’t me who said it. I just picked it up somewhere,” the Second Prince swiftly denied.12dfb5f5f5669b04

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Even though I couldn’t see 99b3e947fa his face behind Edwin, I 813b60f001 could picture his smirking expression b2948b01bb as if he found the 6f9db5403b situation amusing.ec0b7bc2c292d830

“But aren’t you going to greet me?”69d86b6505416f28

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“……”9dcd9db333478034

“Am I the only one who said hello here? Does that make me the lowest-ranked person?”a91d78617a4dcf73

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He blatantly revealed his displeasure, bded7a960c pressuring us to respond properly.1379abbb947544c3

I wanted to ignore him da6c6e998a and leave, but the reality 0a18f26de8 was that he was royalty.9fa15667e56f32f5

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Edwin, who had been 7fbae261b0 stiff beside me, let d2d4e9aa33 out a small sigh 1c86b13191 and lowered his head 65e9f1bd02 slightly.afeea90250c6bcfd

“Greetings to the Second Prince. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have urgent matters to attend to.”6b15c1cc67f94ce4

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“Hello, young duke!”e86a864a8136e3da

Edwin was about 232cd6878e to take me 73051f3af4 away, but his cd86d4a4bc steps faltered at c886897009 the sound of 67d7d6ea68 a delicate voice.31a03604a74e5fcb

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I perked up 5b9813f6d5 at the familiar 932fb8e3c0 tone.4434c0cddced2c70

‘Oh, right. Diana. She’s here too.’a4d20b7d7bfd8fcc

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Remembering the original heroine, whom 3a73dc5d5d I had momentarily forgotten thanks 82ad981814 to the Second Prince’s overpowering 772672ab86 presence, I tilted my head e0c410c46d curiously.4052d307b41ca068

‘Why are those two together?’9155bc55fc41ed03

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In the original story, the a3a62bd694 Second Prince and Diana first 637c6533a1 met during a volunteer event.3fda18f5603e92d9

But thanks to the Crown Prince’s ability to move, the Second Prince hadn’t attended that day.97bf31deb180dd7d

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I had assumed their meeting 0ad9b0f7a6 would be delayed further, but 1eb2451eb7 here they were.0cd36bc8202e087c

An unwelcome curiosity overcame 7ee22dc8b8 the visceral revulsion I ae54411d8f felt toward the Second 14623c071e Prince, urging me to a807efb1f8 take a closer look.73e869802f21c2ab

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Peeking out from 085d33e2a1 behind Edwin’s broad f909725c1f back, I met 8e187b1370 a pair of 72469ce2d0 enchanting violet eyes 02164e345c head-on.db61b69c9868203a

“Hello, Belze.”2f738729d69707ea

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“Uh… Hello.”10848c820988cc00

After greeting Diana, I nodded 03f9bb3c57 slightly to the Second Prince 639cb579ab as well.e8c084fdb7f096c7

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I didn’t want ad465da60f Kallios to get 9cef71e80b dragged into trouble 0242b1dd0d because of unnecessary bd2c0508cf conflict.12300cb81fc3d9a1

“Greetings, Your Highness, the Second Prince.”3bf1e0febefa908b

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“I don’t like talking to commoners.”ae38aae9af86b965

The curt reply 2af0d62a35 made my blood 52d0afa3da boil.00a23d715211c36c

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‘You started this conversation, and I don’t want to talk to you either.’dea0c500b6fec708

But suppressing my irritation, c3365ae3f6 I kept my composure. There was something f5c034486a I wanted to 866c6df154 find out.9df1948c5ce7b44b

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Turning to Diana, I asked, “Why are you here, Diana?”489ba2965b1ba1ef

“Oh… Her Majesty the Empress wasn’t feeling well, so I came to heal her,” Diana answered with a cheerful smile, explaining her presence at the palace.ea07a6b2de78c8aa

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Unlike the last time 39e6d50a0d I saw her at b1183e25b8 the temple, her demeanor 76b4ac616d seemed unusually confident.c481f73088d0dd9a

“And on my way back, I thought I’d stop by to check on His Highness the Crown Prince. He looked badly injured last time, and I was worried about him…”301aca101168c97e

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She even added an unsolicited 089b884802 explanation about visiting the Crown 65236792b7 Prince.662cc3efa69f56f8

It seemed she 04fbdc4ac8 still felt guilty f16faa736e about the incident 77e3831381 where the Crown 1bafc8f61f Prince gave up abce9e714e on healing because f3d104ed86 the line at 086af50cc5 the temple was 24cf358041 too long.902a13ca98c4b7d7

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The Marquis must have d730064950 made a fuss, urging 6ab8d12fd7 her to visit right b241781893 away.a7e830a514ed6feb

‘Well, I suppose they meet in the end.’04b654733745313a

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Her words sounded 81623d054a like a boast, ae6e7d9fac but I felt 95337baf2d nothing but relief.9de407bbbe7a7d37

I had worried that 651797487a my interference might prevent 69bcea0ce5 the male leads from 6ed9e8bd49 meeting Diana.33df733a1236e20d

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But my concerns 43ecd1effc turned out to 1a49dfe1bb be baseless.562d6f84527c173b

In the end, 02ce1f6a0f everything was following 10a08cad86 the original story.398d6ee41766955d

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Diana, it seemed, would 7892f42d32 meet both the Crown d7ddc36826 Prince and the Second d573f48981 Prince, as fate intended.53ecbebbc392a614

With the Empress’s favor firmly supporting her, Diana seemed untouchable.a2658c9ed97386de

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For some reason, that felt fc2cc2b279 a little unnerving to me.0e5ec4bfc30919e0

‘Is this… the power of the original story?’3668830a1000d925

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Unless I caused 63785a3004 a massive incident—like b4706c9ccb erasing a major e04efffe36 character or family—it 0a0f595a6c seemed like events cfc0930807 would somehow follow 9d4a84cf52 the original storyline.f751aeb9fdc9d7b0

But it wasn’t something ab0090f413 to be entirely discouraged 96a606f73f or afraid of.5c2e76aab6cb0433

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In other words—c2ccc93d406337bc

As long as I da584a514a didn’t disrupt the main 6ed0fa8996 flow of the story, 28eb06d33c I could do whatever 5b595214a3 I wanted with the 7f409c50ba smaller details beneath it.5a84b2e2ed531328

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‘That’s actually a relief.’77f6a9b0c5ec8f51

I had no 8d30579dfc real intention of 8873b44d5b interfering with the 16505b6ace heroine’s life, aside 3f2898b343 from things related 814ec31b1c to the duke’s 8c45be9dc3 family.126c1b0937acd104

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Whether I earned a fortune d4017ff6d3 or occasionally made Diana’s life 6485dbe262 a bit more inconvenient, it da67621a7f seemed like those wouldn’t be 85e8d7a2bd an issue.2ce9c0964ff1340e

“Wow! That’s amazing. Well, good luck with that!”289c91f4fce03284

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Having satisfied my curiosity, I 6208215a35 gave a lighthearted response.ff2dbb622f83e9b6

As I turned to Edwin, 94c8b1618c ready to leave, Diana suddenly c058d29637 spoke up again.c9ade450d42e4b92

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“Belze, why were you coming out of the Crown Prince’s palace?”4e56d1504d7aaef2

It wasn’t surprising that she’d 55212ff619 ask, considering we were still 7dc85f2157 walking through the outer corridor 1dee301ade of the Crown Prince’s residence.4ddef9afc9813076

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“He called for me,” I replied honestly.121caa2373795d53

Her violet eyes widened bec1a1a791 in surprise.9ebfa3559a0aa5f5

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“His Highness the Crown Prince… called for you?”85d2e2ef1db371a0

“Yup.”abe427228c437bc4

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“Why?”eb57619a25b54d26

“Because I won first place in the children’s business competition!”8f5827d7b05a2eb1

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I raised my chin triumphantly, 2c6f28ec9d mimicking Diana’s earlier proud demeanor.4e809ce91b0b4102

Her expression faltered ever 0b92a8d78e so slightly—just enough that 50e553cfcd only I, standing directly becd104a34 in front of her, 0ae3e4d42a could notice.ec04db36b097d3fa

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“Belze… you?”257262f0ed904306

“Oh! So you’re the one who won first place?”3d62470a9c6c1f7e

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The Second Prince, who 3597e3cb82 had been silent until e54877a2e7 now, suddenly wedged himself 9a32b8b71a between us.ead3debad2ce5a02

“I thought for sure it’d be the Galagos merchant’s son….”45b5b41eab46812a

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His gaze swept over me 847419161c from head to toe, clearly 072a3947c6 surprised.2ba98f0fc1e7a62a

‘So he already knew Adolf Galagos at this point.’da26abf3f73f53da

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The realization hit me like 3dcf93f178 a punch to the gut.d66792c9b6c16f96

But perhaps thanks to my 2812bf07f6 earlier conversation with Diana, I 44cfd5a85f managed to stay composed.e058a170442fc9d5

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Seeing the Second 404417965c Prince again wasn’t d300429f20 as terrifying as b575f008de I had imagined.eae15687440793c8

His small stature, 59039b5dc4 not much taller 7fec6b9ae5 than Diana, and d2c544fa96 his much slimmer 9055dadf6e frame compared to 622d65fb37 Edwin’s helped dispel 4ab8b7c1ed the lingering shadows 428a21a5f4 of my past 78895e05b0 memories.7caa570673d8dc73

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No matter how much higher cdb2133876 his status was or how c18a9e7526 psychopathic he would grow to 11bcce7eeb be, right now, he was 4b43025416 just an eight-year-old brat—small and c178d300a9 insignificant, just like me.0a0f249b434a63b9

Besides, my mental age 1b704439f7 was leagues beyond his.9a6a8f455bed79a2

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‘I can handle this.’1f26b73b40b1e8b7

Though unintentionally, I hesitated f36f379c84 and stared blankly at 6f87646053 him instead of answering. This made the 5bd09a641c Second Prince scowl.c8256ad7200acd62

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“Hey, why aren’t you answering me?”d23a9987e6e0eb5d

“Your Highness, I suggest you choose your words more carefully,” Edwin interjected again, stepping in to shield me from the obvious provocation.502e8ca029031011

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Hiding behind Edwin once was 011b018fae enough.9031f58e73bbf361

Grabbing the hem of his clothes, I shouted loudly, “I don’t want to talk to someone who doesn’t talk to commoners either!”3c0f3eab41e75470

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“What?”5c01a98a4662781c

Naturally, the Second Prince’s f5636c8f65 face instantly darkened.cc0c052dae666100

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“Are you joking? Since when does that rule apply to you?”d9100229092fd632

“Why not? You said you don’t talk to commoners, didn’t you?”feb3ad08d6e9c183

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“Do you think you’re the same as me? I’m royalty. You should answer when asked, you orphaned beggar—!”4368e66f9ff8737b

“Article 1, Clause 1 of the Imperial Laws of Erea! The imperial family and palace are obligated to protect the nation and its citizens!”4f576d13cf6068aa

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Glaring at him, d6a74be68d I shouted without ad9a2aedf9 an ounce of f2e3779c2e hesitation as he 3d5281d990 drew closer.376bd2a66b64b50a

“Your Highness is breaking the law right now. And calling me a fake? I’ll report it all to the Pope!”07313731a66f6b9a

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“You… You…!”f9be1ba739838416

Perhaps he hadn’t expected c7b7dca16c me to retaliate so 245d8241f7 boldly. The Second Prince was visibly 23a471d539 angered but also clearly flustered.7da8d2060a429864

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“Hmph! Let’s go, Edwin!”5d856ccc961e1d31

Smirking at him, I 824c2282cf tugged on Edwin’s sleeve, 60b7a5d1f8 ready to leave.93a9b0fbb971bab7

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“Wait, wait! Fine, I take it back! I’ll take back what I said about not talking to commoners!”61d5eace47257100

But before I could 17c7ee23f3 even take a step, 48b317bf91 he quickly blocked my 6e1a88dad2 path.988e0edfb50d928c

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“I have something I want to ask you.”b101aaa638b7b684

“…?”683bf40af102db72

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I stopped and looked up 733cea0e24 at him.8872f9490774dd3b

‘Something to ask?’b2ca0da19ee59719

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What could he possibly 6adaf1093b want to know, given 8d643ca191 we’d only just met d37d0b1819 today?afafac1bc110ef29

As I blinked in confusion, f697109d5f he leaned in slightly and 4d581dd863 whispered with a sly tone.81b6e74b2a353245

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“You know, I heard this from my mother.”986d4f330089180c

“…….”40a37619c94d746b

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“She said you saved my brother.”3c78b6271d01707f

At those words, b0841966ad my entire body f4c613b809 froze.c6c43c1349a3fe13

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Even though he was 4d91eb77ef still young, the Second e2c96e8958 Prince was a member 11dc553030 of the imperial family a5547f56d4 with a claim to 9d65eb89b0 the throne.9153abf8e685712f

It was natural 4bd162a62d to assume he 8ab111d597 was well aware dd7653a888 that his mother a32468038e was desperate to d32cb47348 eliminate the Crown ba1e9f486d Prince.9882a8ae2849f397

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But I hadn’t expected him cb18b6cca2 to bring it up so 5231cd93c4 openly, here in the Crown 492cee9e0b Prince’s palace no less.0f9088a7773e2a71

This was about an 8e7cc45a79 assassination attempt on the 728cc7b351 Crown Prince, after all.ce3759c2bdd8f78d

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As I stood frozen, b30b2d19e2 he continued with a d5d522341d smirk.bfbafa26a597345e

“The surviving guards said a possessed teddy bear appeared and knocked them all unconscious….”1b4ad03ec234e264

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“…….”eb277beaabf0117b

“Was it… that?”54fe11eff81d2750

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His gaze shifted eb090bc6b3 to the bear 72ebdcde20 I was clutching d63de22912 in my arms.21b348d9fd3be6e8

As his murky green eyes b5d4312fb9 gleamed with interest, I hugged 8fc2fa1400 Teddy bear tightly and barely c138256738 managed to answer.6edfa081498c1b20

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“…Yes.”5e607f6fb0438ef5

“I knew it!”b804a0d20bebffe6

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He laughed cheerfully, 235ba87bed sending a chill b3bcd36ce1 down my spine.f1a359a5fca28cd4

No matter how much they 23ea0b166f were rivals, how could he 7e9a01d56d laugh so easily about an c3ccd3ea8c event where his own blood-related 37e32d17bc brother nearly died?22a7e88395869d84

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While I was still fretting over the Crown Prince’s half-healed body and regretting not being able to fully cure him…b1f0bc2999c4e7a2

“Hey, can’t you show me once?”eb7a8c701f59f318

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The Second Prince’s eyes sparkled 315341b668 with curiosity as he asked.075306eaf6a8b12a

All my earlier thoughts 5f2c7bc13c about him being young 14ede307ce enough to handle vanished a91885809f completely.646c394e987d3531

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He was rotten to d171c35f77 the core from the 68a92f5970 start.e1d16d433b396564

Was there really a need 29e56a68b2 to be polite to someone 643574236b like this?0995e5fe408e1c2e

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“I can show you,” I said, forcing a vague smile as I looked him straight in the eye.3cb418ad7846314c

“But I don’t really recommend it.”8014eed88161c140

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“Why not?”fbf5b5a02b24820f

“Teddy bear kills bad people for real.”bdf1ea809a2495e1

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The Second Prince’s 310358397d expression froze for c7ef69411e a moment, his 79923366fb face blank with e7ac2a4487 surprise.76d3c60c33dccca5

It took him a 8f3618cc13 beat to process.1f2438fd5f00172f

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“…What?”46673234ecb42879

“I guess the ones who survived just did as they were told, huh? Lucky for them!”b2fb2e740e6d474e

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I smiled as wickedly 4008630b3d as I could muster.506c101d2a61dac0

“I thought everyone who did bad things died. Such a pity! Hehe.”5130f00e04b2698b

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