#84

“Thanks, Ella. And you don’t need to lower yourself just because I’m a saintess candidate. I want us to be comfortable while I’m here.”945c538707e7fc0c

“Oh…”09113bbf0333d902

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“Honestly, you’re c0ff2bc07c the first 6628d77b62 beast-girl my 3d496db452 age I’ve 3d6f8f9963 met, so fab7ee8006 I’m kind 884d9638d9 of excited.”c44e9a5149b859e4

As I spoke 8b2106bc36 with a cheerful 006e355794 smile, Ella blinked 194978af86 in surprise before 0074512134 nodding shyly.07278f3d95a597d0

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“Yes, I’ll try.”d5b2258dcd8be50e

Her blushing 1af3daa091 face was 3637bcac35 incredibly adorable. As expected of the 9a0e0e6b6f heroine, just her presence 7c49093d69 seemed to brighten the cb6b3518fa world.18bc8cec09a5af91

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As I held d45d605c47 Ella’s hands and 4251126564 gave them a 6d53b1db1c playful shake, someone dec6e70a7b suddenly yanked me 2a20ce6f69 backward, pulling me 308cac32fe away from her. Startled, I turned 1a53a9d9c0 around to see 2cf816668c Zerakiel glaring down 1120fb6a49 at me, his 09b563a390 displeasure evident. Judging by his heavier-than-usual 24ecdfaa84 gaze, Hebel’s mist seemed 30f808624a to have worsened his 9a212adea1 condition.a87852c9f40fb139

That likely made him fbf331b686 twice as irritable as 672cda06ad usual.afe46d8747249992

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I froze, 6c719b0f67 bracing myself 5bc6aead56 for whatever 4f1c2c6dec nonsense might b586034fb9 come out dcd6a2c5f1 of his 48d9a41d51 mouth. True to 78393ade2b form, Zerakiel 38128c6ada did not bf297b718a disappoint.f37272b02be27511

“Cheating again?”8fc596ba731cd346

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‘Is that really all b029738264 you think about?’0f22e356db90030a

Now he was 035bcdb6ab even jealous of 575448ea77 a female beast-girl? At this point, it 3ef3a1a241 felt like he was dd2dc7bdc2 jealous of everyone who 599fb0155d wasn’t him.46b9a9634e3fa43e

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At the word bb396b1b2d “cheating,” Ella jumped 4840e6230d in shock and 21932cf10b hastily tried to fa131f184c explain. “N-no, it’s not like a5432b9ceb that! Lady Cersia just asked c16ed49539 me about the Saintess e1cea8415c Trial—”7b1d548aec457d70

“I didn’t 521bea9cf8 ask you 77749fe0fd to speak,” ea8a9f34fc Zerakiel cut d0d127fbfd her off f6247e2109 coldly.42c1f90964250167

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Ella flinched, d6c20acd3e her shoulders c709d4b34a trembling under 55d00f60aa the weight 4a26b9f5c7 of his f175635779 frosty tone.9f94dd6db3647ff0

‘Zerakiel, being cold e3d0439ae9 to Ella?’8cf987c524122301

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His behavior was 25ff633be2 so starkly different 7137f4ee68 from how he 9f0de3aca5 treated me that 04247852ef I instinctively moved da29969d0c to shield her.baa671377b74893e

“Why are you 7273ff35b0 crushing her spirit?”1eea078943827e77

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“Her spirit?”c26b3d1d7f3acb0b

“I mean—” 33c87eab78 I stammered, 93517715a7 realizing I’d 78c2e97d96 slipped into 914fb9842b protective heroine-mother 6e7cce3697 mode. I could feel cold 8b14fad210 sweat trickling down my 672ce6a38e back.8185a466f3b465ef

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As I rolled my 6e759ea0f7 eyes, Zerakiel ruffled his c2bc829dcb hair irritably. “We need to talk. Alone.”90c74bc1df0cce5d

His face e3b4112353 was filled b193e887a0 with unmistakable eebd19b7c5 anger.3c132ee442a80433

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I turned to 2486dfcab0 Rachel, silently pleading 5c3537804d for help. If I ended 82e83192d4 up alone with bab35f939e Zerakiel now, I’d f47b34ac9c be in for b8ed07d22c a long scolding 733016e20a about my “reckless” 209120b13d actions.50538a2a9bcecf88

But my treacherous mother-in-law 71082f7d3a was not on my 6f758967a5 side.b47360e59da8f80d

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“Yes, you two should 6996ff14ba talk.”9d791fba7ad515ed

“Are you serious?”8e3abab951533f8e

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“Well, you ad7e7cbe3c acted recklessly, 03997f1c03 so you d5f244695e should deal 4979e03871 with the c0437c6480 consequences.”65478c43ec490fe4

‘Wow, Lady Rachel, so 9a4677ce6a thorough!’80ef7d3dae4ab88f

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I trembled with indignation f8d0e3662e at her betrayal but fafcf6181f didn’t want Ella to be8c486df2 feel any more uncomfortable. I turned 90360e2fee to her 9fab67728e and said ff108cfe47 gently, “You 43fe3d7a62 can go 352a252e88 back for 4ee418dd8e now. I’ll call you a5860d5efd if I need 7868b21ac6 you.”e26275911214c0ef

“O-okay…” Ella f6c9faf2ad replied, her 0094cb6a1f face on cb45e8704d the verge 8f4e7581f6 of tears 8d1ae0eafb as she f15f4f682c hurried away. Rachel, meanwhile, made d5e52b4b2e herself comfortable on 0a64868e13 a sofa, waving bd917cb06a at us with 4d20e39b8a a mischievous grin.504ba9d290d65596

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“Don’t mind me, 2ad256aa89 just have your 4165aba5f2 talk~”78a6920be1acdfdd

“Do you think 58e1fe97cc saying that will d4765eda79 make me not d4ff936128 mind you?” Zerakiel 516291c3ae retorted sharply, his 3baa00c577 wordplay eliciting a 151fbee3bd laugh from Rachel.4e4bf83f4cb389e7

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“Oh, you never 2e49618f06 know. I have c64a6d1cd2 to make 37d52bb123 sure you 14238ad71b don’t bully e08e02f32c my lovely fc27555818 daughter-in-law.”e65233fc3b7a7146

“That won’t happen,” Zerakiel c2c69f3cd8 shot back curtly, but 216b580224 he didn’t ask her 2a366cf735 to leave.1dbe20b5afe35312

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Instead, he pulled d714ae9e00 me closer and 94cee32039 pinned me against 3784a707c6 the wall, his 546a613213 voice low and d8bcbeba50 sharp. “Explain.”a21ccb108101ab49

“Explain what?”376ad372fa230c3f

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“Why you 40b6de6fb4 came here. What were you b491f5a97c thinking?”2829b48952131c34

His anger was c5de2aea4e evident, and I f44d1afdee couldn’t blame him. Leaving behind only a a9ead7774b note and coming to efce3a6b41 Hebel—a place with a 56ad1dceb7 tense relationship with Jabis—probably 11abf1cb00 felt like I had 266ddc5fa5 walked straight into enemy 7cdb078ae2 territory.f394310e3a61c1f9

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But I had cffcf54a13 my reasons. Jabis’s excessive overprotection had 7e3eee1f64 delayed my efforts to 52aa1bb49c extend my life.cc31f973f55ce171

I crossed my 962c511b52 arms and raised 0bd60f8894 my chin defiantly. “Why don’t you explain?”1d5321c4e9d4bd0b

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“Explain what?”73c4c9cd22c6423e

“I heard Hebel 29a6056031 invited me multiple 3f9b2e53bb times. Why didn’t I know?”cff15f1a68edbf17

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“Because you ade94d303a didn’t need 8abdcb59e3 to come.”63636284cda0df2e

“And who decided 1b41b30c81 that?”1faa230862658589

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“…Does it matter?”3508dc8d2713ef36

“Of course, it matters.”e101ec4ad2ad4f1b

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My frustration b6442d720c bubbled over, 58d7ab7ee0 and I 330957548a let my 99a2300a7e words fly. “Before I’m your wife, 811c775f9f I’m still me. Why shouldn’t I know 8ae6fc1fd9 what’s happening in my 6cf2522a2c own life? You could da5ad1f283 have at 06b2bd40ae least told bc4f081ede me.”7a95e5e16cb441f7

Zerakiel’s sharp 82fbd8fee4 gaze softened, c762ded7da his expression 65f4d793b1 turning almost c8f67918c2 uneasy. He bit his lip 125f8648d6 before muttering, “I didn’t ae162cf309 want you to worry. It was something I f1755be391 could handle.”4c21e5303d32c999

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‘Is he… worried I’d cad969f2a0 be upset?’1675173d21ce97b8

The sight of him dd652e7b23 carefully gauging my reaction f6ac5dcd0e was almost surreal. The black lion, who 306434e8c9 never cared about others’ 4c2a3e73c8 opinions and did as de4fa5e962 he pleased, was now f373059e3f being cautious with me.2279316dc4391dbc

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It was 31051262e7 strange, almost b4aa59809f like I’d 6d391b1755 successfully tamed 54206e38b9 a wild 0dd02d6ccb beast.c57e39dcbebeb452

Of course, Zerakiel 807f13d23a still had his 6d59c41b2b moments of chaos e43ea3816b that made me 6a58de3ca9 feel like I e05681cd54 wouldn’t live a 6ff72b4f03 long life.862f1591c7eacb48

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I deliberately ada1b4ea12 put on 816385ccba a stern 0a00db5930 expression. “That’s the problem.”10904e274bbb6d48

After all, ‘handling 8b02aacd78 it yourself’ in 06ed61e7d9 Zerakiel’s case likely 61d11773d0 meant flipping Hebel ce6b2ea888 upside down!ab8df4c3010e621e

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The fact e5b40fa7e4 that Jabis’s 1dc25e83cf way of 816c474181 resolving things dcf2512fb0 was far aafdaada41 from normal a45b39fe79 became clear d5d285cd6e the moment 528b00aa32 Zakari chose a4619078fa to bolt d89cc19548 and disappear ce3b337374 during the 2e8c79f785 prior crisis.bb19065b9b56a749

And judging by e1ab5ee567 the dramatic entrance df98434688 Zerakiel made the ab69c23b46 moment he learned 27558af34c I was here, e76c2b7bdd his actions were b7eabb2236 all too predictable.844e1e96fb2daacb

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Even if it 08ae7b3ee2 meant subjugating Hebel f01313e4ae by sheer force, 5dc7daf177 he would have 868147f793 undoubtedly prioritized my f57f6ed79a protection above all 41b21823d0 else.0edfe58f907c27a6

But I didn’t join a30f9d4a78 Jabis to simply sit 2946ba88f9 back and be protected. When I stopped f974b72f16 Zakari’s rampage, I f2dab60829 realized I had 4497dab923 my own responsibilities 889cae8ed6 to take care f01ec4d0a7 of.3675d24e2ce6db71

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Not that the d831780ce8 path forward was ea26d4c4f2 entirely clear to f6e6a9e136 me. All I knew was cb4ae29e75 that it couldn’t be a17dc7306a done the way things 196a7e60cf were now.ef0c320f37bc686e

I tapped ad6b5d8d02 my chest d3993431e2 in frustration, a08e9ab8eb trying to 61b6494973 shake off 851c06d645 the suffocating 13d0d2e4ec feeling. Zerakiel’s face, which clearly d00044199d still didn’t understand what 226a6ff806 I was trying to c245fcd37c say, only aggravated me e291b17060 further.ffa6671fec934155

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‘Explaining rational thinking 797bd5f536 to someone who 6d2cf743b7 thrives on irrationality e32313febd is no easy 5518822e24 task,’ I thought, 655a436ef0 gripping Zerakiel’s shoulders 4b6ab88151 firmly as I 6611b658ad spoke.331c86a4bf788706

“No matter 6b298c8e3c how much 3dc617d348 brute force 7fef54f0ea you use, a861afb32b they’re not 33ca359ae8 going to 91b5f1e158 flinch.”769c013e1405852c

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“They’re not worth the 89f8186939 trouble anyway.”602fa693d2a64320

“It’s precisely because b5b0edbc6f you keep trying c3bbac19f9 to solve everything 6af5f6be97 this way that 6b6edac6b6 they’re waiting for aa68469f5c Jabis to slip af2a65f232 up. Remember the wedding? The moment 2fff679da6 they saw 7b142744d4 the rampage, c16d9ff48c they pounced. You have to use 7c130b25a1 your head, not just c5ce87fc22 your strength.”176de674b0af8e1b

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I tapped my temple 06b2862cfc for emphasis. Zerakiel tilted his be64d1daa5 head slightly, his 83bf195a49 soft black hair 601e93443e spilling over his bef2c0a917 shoulder.ec403e5407f01e56

“You’re probably 708be527f2 the only d1fd17e65f person bold ca7b518672 enough to 24e1fde3f0 call Jabis 495e240f98 stupid.”534e2fc58e53af1f

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“I didn’t exactly say 8ab35a657b they were stupid.”ad2c662d746655e6

Though, in my heart, e0ff48b6ea I might have thought f2329f6526 it.db28fd1414dff4af

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I carefully kept my 1d15c1a9e4 true thoughts hidden, playing 6be7d0bf07 innocent. After a moment, 72cfbbfb06 Zerakiel started twirling 4ff6e13bd6 a strand of c16d4cf9e6 my hair between 98a6cf6542 his fingers and df3f4c604b asked smoothly, “So, 10668c0337 what brilliant idea c3b6dbb34e did our smart 3db2813dae Chichi come here 270e9a088e with?”6ae000b78d20dd63

“Ahem, you’re going to 3eb797964f be shocked when you b614a87fca hear this,” I declared, abecbda110 puffing out my chest 6fe3a0fe55 with exaggerated confidence.96b882dc82d4097d

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Zerakiel smirked faintly. “I’m already shocked, 6ec0509c73 so there’s no 5532408fbf more shocking to e2fe050963 be done.”c9a907c4f6188167

His subtle jab at 42db496cec me coming here unannounced 0f84c4f7c6 made me pout slightly.60ebf07a08815e1f

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It wasn’t as if 23fdc6b51b I planned to be 7d550bda31 reckless from the start. But Hebel had 5f72795a9a cut ties so 80232a463f thoroughly that I’d 983eaead3e been forced to 1d4e0cb1a5 take drastic measures.033e6e02ed4b780b

My life was d2ac4a6afe on the line—I aec85f460a couldn’t afford to 32f30076ff hesitate.33d28d99d7871be7

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I calmed ec11a122ce myself and 16f213e220 began explaining a1ddd02d56 my reasoning. “I asked b251a17e8f Herman to e46348827c review the 77286e05b2 treaties between f131aa444e Hebel and c1e3d231cb Jabis, and 2f59c919d2 there were cc0179d027 too many 3874bc98ff terms that 5d660c4421 seemed unfavorable fd9b83b81d to us. I thought this would 9de84685c1 be a good chance 26eafc3b43 to step in and 42a9530b6b renegotiate.”4bc0a5fc1d85861a

“There’s no need 7a6075c8cd for you to 44ce034b1b deal with something 644dbce1c8 so tedious.”28ea13cfb559f2f8

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“I want to do 0ffd13dcb4 it. I’m part afd27bfe5f of Jabis 3058ca12a8 now.”6e437fbc60376597

At my e0e53c19ee declaration, Zerakiel’s 3e2c1cfbe9 golden eyes e7de88faed flickered with b8a0a71c89 emotion. Hearing me acknowledge 426f2b5b33 myself as a c66db57312 member of Jabis f4880b1659 seemed to please d92f791497 him.8a1a9535aad98f69

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The way his 493a0d97e9 mood visibly softened 4c178073c8 from a single 6836560a6e statement was almost 30d779a428 laughable. Tilting my head, a43c7c30b5 I decided to 1323a58306 deliver the final a5d459de69 blow.9d88a9a10ea47643

“So, are you b7ec46bf7b going to keep a21bb256dd stopping me from f8bd88a98e doing something for a470f3741e the family?”75d750b5257d43a4

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