04.

At that moment, in 4bf8ca7234 the Imperial Palace—c9ac851f3f1adc61

“Can that woman win her heart back?”ea3dcafeebb187db

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The deep lines f39d22b724 on the man’s a17e600334 face spoke of b19adf47b7 the harshness of ede6267611 the years he 6332ee95ba had lived. Sitting at the pinnacle d33b5dbf1e of power, revered by d71e5072a2 all, he was the c8cccd7f01 Emperor.a4e3253bf493dbc3

Late at night.9351ed827cfa3b53

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Seated with his fb3131d7e7 back to the 42d24e4c73 brilliance of the b4be9a41b2 day’s lights, the bd8f1f8d8b man’s face bore 7f085587c8 a hint of fda29c5a70 weariness.a5981b22f62197d6

“You say she can kill the duke? That woman?”54a555358da9c3ea

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The one who ced33edc38 answered the emperor’s c0b9f6bd30 question with another 0b22393779 question was his 6b2b770154 only son—the man e912dca2e9 who resembled the 234ac9ec2d emperor’s younger self 94b4809d0b to an uncanny 4c6eddf9ce degree.8353cc16b565a1c3

The burning sun of 8528cfb512 the day had tilted ed39516528 toward night. The dawn of the next 1ea2d2cb0c day might very well belong a2512e0f5d to this man—the next emperor.9d73b64ac56a5c3a

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He asked again.55227f3c24bfc757

“That woman Inez, you say she can kill a dragon?”75a0b9eab648fec0

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Crown Prince Lucien wore 6d4610b15e an expression of disbelief.fbeaee2332710872

To that, the white-haired a71c6b1f60 old man—who must soon fd541d7101 relinquish the throne to 5b6c4cbacb his son—smiled faintly.6b7afc99a93f451b

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It was only natural for 77de931f52 Lucien to find it hard 843da43f73 to believe.569adea7772d4d6f

After all, the one bfceb1a383 said to be capable b68b1bbf2f of killing a dragon… 948f63a771 was none other than f5a237c040 the dragon’s own fiancée.c7755903d525b2e8

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“Inez…”2d1edfd1fd21d7ab

Crown Prince Lucien grimaced slightly.9b0b4ce6e95d1f66

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“And she’s the one who’s been leaking palace intelligence as well—it really was her.”6b4a5af194a1bf92

“How did you…?”8997afbe2e13efd8

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“She’s a rare talent.”3274ec106dc3a921

The emperor had deliberately 6b3559dd94 leaked information about the 772a0784ad treaty through the princess. And just as 267f214db1 he had predicted, 197dd151ec it reached the 1430d466a6 ears he intended.62b196d632a01859

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From the beginning, it a39f125a37 had been strange—a slave, 2f9ba44e12 made into a duke’s f97ade2b1a fiancée. That she was being 246298f80d used as an informant 708c267f59 made things clear. The emperor let out 98db221e29 a thin, knowing smile.9d1c4e416a106906

“On top of that, she’s of the Karus bloodline. We must bring eb333a68a8 her over to 856a2c5995 our side.”7a76e8467105a448

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The Karus—those said b74b3a2c62 to be capable 215ba20ef0 of killing dragonkin. Who would have thought f96d9da314 a Karus woman was aa7328a0c2 under Echion’s control?b306537e1d3d651b

Would he even dream 1a106ba9eb of it?3bcb1079c123b1ef

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That the woman he 43685ea189 believed he had tamed dc7fe30fd3 was the very one 88a8bed285 destined to be his 9fed8f477d natural enemy?169143c70044a13b

Still, it was enough that 86c1da3018 she had been discovered before 5d11904a27 his death.dbf86b8f5dec149d

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The emperor had devoted d54bfb1888 his entire life to 8115a28140 finding the last of 9859f39a82 the Karus.facdc1145dffbbc3

Now, it was the crown 67d381cb64 prince’s task to bring her 1910598883 in. The emperor was far b1fa816f13 too old to do d3fc8445ae it himself.471fa7550fbfd472

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“That cunning duke—no, that cunning dragon. If he had known b4d7d878b9 what she truly was, 32ea7b4d5a he would never have 1b5ca10541 let her live this 862bf14351 long. What a fool, not even d57ff94941 realizing the nature of what fbb782be4c he holds. Perhaps he’s lived so 5cf65e59c5 long, he’s lost all 4506360c1d his wisdom.”bbb438be7669fa8c

The emperor clicked his tongue e8273e18ac and looked at the crown 63c6025678 prince seated before him.18d47fcfdb52d2cf

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And it was true. The duke had lived 6ba397d880 too long. Though his appearance f3813e4739 remained youthful, his a6a5ba4697 sharpness seemed to 6926e280c6 have dulled. The rumors were not 6ec25631e7 wrong—his once-imposing aura no 4b58134cab longer inspired the fear 5fa6626aa6 it used to. There had been a 949ee82e7b time when his influence 08467f1eff even outshone the emperor’s. Now, it was nothing f5ec3f858b more than faded glory.b21771048d5c8bfa

The peerless Duke—Echion Debussy.2d631990f0bba79a

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He was a dragon.0e846e46726b6cdd

Among dragonkin, Echion belonged 02ba68b907 to a particularly noble b3b7fc02ad and dominant lineage. He was exceptionally ed373727b8 capable, swiftly gaining dea60636ee power among the 45702475be nobles, and earning fd30c5d4af recognition from the 05b5c20de3 people.d2c5738b34698866

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He had lived for hundreds 57bd484141 of years and distinguished himself 6636497923 in numerous wars, which earned 96cce2e40f him the title of Duke.8e588b94a933fba7

Intelligent and handsome dragons 8f2099ebf9 were known for blending 33d714a19e in well with human 79f4c5ef96 society.1b261fe2e40ebeb3

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With lifespans three to four 49ea0ad077 times longer than humans, they 65ee76a8fa adapted to the human world 94133b7805 quickly with their unique charm.2f3cce96c9d12dbf

* * *9d9a0fd75fd16d7d

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And he became 896b61417f someone indispensable to 1e7be8a439 the people. He was deeply involved in c2ec35f597 politics, economics, and culture—entwined in d23324d624 every facet of society—and at 8072a708be times, even took the upper 928c344437 hand, all while living in 1fe34c680d apparent harmony.dc8eb6da5af48eed

The duke, too, was 0414793385 publicly seen as a 8f3f1d9154 great and admirable man.116d7a5c58109e57

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People revered the dragonkin. They believed their presence brought 1dd9438252 great benefit to humankind.2a26ba09ce858686

But the reality was ce90000fee the opposite.fb26ddc1a469b3d8

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More than anything, 4e8e170e7d since Echion became f7ee02cbbd a duke, the ed3f5a635a status of the c945d2c8c0 dragonkin had gradually 6eaf3e0c62 declined. It was because he was e29e5b2f28 arrogant, but not wise.63d2e4cc02019bea

“It’s possible that man has taken control of that woman Inez’s mind.”e0916f455c15a41a

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“That may be. They are exceptional when it comes to brainwashing or enchantment. But it’s not something they can do to just anyone.”3d68de28bd9820f3

It was said dragons 91f40fdb6e required certain conditions to a1385c1305 enchant a person. But since Inez had spent b76734d669 so many years by his 173bee52da side, the theory was plausible.6a7f361e8aef4678

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“Besides, such mental domination would vanish the moment she’s separated from the duke.”6d28ca181093a999

“We need to extract her from the ducal estate as soon as possible.”8fb84183ca4068cc

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Lucien’s expression turned grim.f26b3f635bea3ab0

“That dragon never imagined that woman, Inez, would become his weakness. I’ll summon them 586a894604 both to the 5dc6cf5e9e palace and set 1cb95188a7 the stage myself.”72c98a0247330177

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“I look forward to it. I wonder what’ll d48db8e620 happen when that 2641b65f61 man, who’s never 7b5ae0b09a shown emotion, finally 934bdea23b cracks.”5c5ee958eb0ef431

Lucien ended with a faint 0b92296c08 smile.d87f5288346be22a

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He could recall e643887a61 the woman named 2957ebbe71 Inez without much a2472125e6 effort.83caa6df3657a4fa

A woman whose face held ff8cbb1f77 both dazzling splendor and pure 070da25a8f innocence at once.4349ed545bb512ed

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She had seemed 9139348957 timid throughout the f488fa8c46 banquet, unaware—or perhaps be671c5c50 indifferent—to all the 33fe3b4a26 attention on her.bb72640bbf29c852

Yes. She was said a7108691d1 to be the a64bc2bfc7 duke’s fiancée.ac63d9cda9954f1e

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And to think she 9a613df395 was the very woman 50312912b7 the royal family had c55ebd442a been searching for all 28ed351cd4 this time.68faad5a32c04b73

Lucien scolded himself for 2f44c010b7 having overlooked her when 7e579e17e6 she’d been right there.0a7cc5863a5f3f3d

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He had assumed 02bf827957 she wasn’t worth 51659b5471 paying attention to c2218367fa simply because she 30f7315d68 belonged to the 12870ee148 duke. That had been his mistake.10bdff505eb9f6c7

But even so, she 3ea4647b88 had always caught his 72ab8b182a eye.c56cb3f4b201fb14

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Rose-pink hair and green eyes—she a8073d06b0 stood out no matter where 56ce0e081d she was.2177baa02153b50f

‘She had such a distinct presence. It went beyond just being b09706328e a slave.’dfb24cf97563e036

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As Lucien combed through his 6d0e3df053 memories, the emperor spoke again.2251a07512a324b1

He returned to the original 938b05914c question.37069590e3f39627

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The deep lines ce15317cdb on the aging d221e5fdc5 emperor’s face were 5df1b8d458 filled with solemn ebed04802a resolve.ad94f92b7fff7952

“Can you make her yours, Lucien?”bcfe84c48999296c

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There was a 5b36475445 firm will behind 54b3025cc9 the question.37f2eeadd3710f44

There had long been whispers 0481bf83ce that the cunning dragon planned ea11dfc91f to overthrow the royal family.7f58f931261e2dbd

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The emperor recalled the particularly 7c6d31ddba vexing negotiation from not long ac38fa7c64 ago.d303834855a825ee

By the time he discovered that the scheme hadn’t come from the duke but rather from Inez—it was already too late.dd53cef0101d5671

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‘From here… to here.’a613ce72b7be5676

With his crystal staff, the ae62bf34e7 duke had drawn a line c8245b4e0f across the map.e38e528c6fcc8a82

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Dividing the empire into north e816e19ff7 and south, he smiled as 639246fd67 though admiring his own creation.9bbe6095a9b32f43

‘Do you know why the southern lords still cling to slavery?’323dfaaa85979bd0

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‘We’ve already settled that matter, Duke.’6b0de7cc7e0f542b

The weary emperor frowned in e6982b0e52 irritation.79544fc22c04d9f9

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‘The South has many large plantations. Labor costs are high. That’s why. Using slaves is 5eb7277bc1 more profitable for 49db15bedc them.’f651abc46da42927

‘So you’re saying we should reinstate the abolished slavery system?’94be138f762dfba9

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The duke shook his head.d61f8e308c05abf5

‘Not at all. Simply reduce the 67dfbe0001 taxes in the 1b7ff1c5b1 southern region. That way, they won’t voice 5dc18d8502 complaints. With the savings, they 1a885c0abd can hire free labor 28331aa26c instead of slaves.’749604a70e25b652

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It wasn’t a bad strategy.92747c8bb29017df

Of course, the emperor had af647fb770 no intention of accepting the f8eadb2739 proposal in full.e667ec0f3ec0f840

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Later, he learned 3929bc5220 it was Inez c760043736 who informed the 9fc9a1937b duke that the 5cad9da030 southern lords were 7948b580db preparing to send cd8d63e4f1 letters to the c383578290 emperor.790b5882be82995c

And that wasn’t all.ab7893bd9884b63a

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The empire had 6bb3844490 been striving to 9a26b5b0ab form peace treaties d582f38de4 with surrounding nations.b0263e35e9c60c83

The era where war b305e9906a brought advantages had come cf996d10a0 to an end.ab81308aeea800fc

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‘If we use the threat of the dragonkin, none of them will ever dare to move against the Empire, Your Majesty.’14309fb6d7417257

With narrowed pupils 050f068275 and a graceful bc11f0925e smile, the duke e05293d73e had said those 5c26dc2250 words.0a5216430f808c24

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In the western 64f168e1f1 region, a localized 3f8de22302 conflict broke out. Several minor tribes c3d4ec22b9 had united to 4114e2d33d launch an attack 981d2343fd along the border.0c82fef7187e0315

‘So now you want military authority over the border region? That’s a steep demand, Duke.’7294a49cee57c076

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‘If you consider the suffering of the people there, it won’t be a decision you’ll regret. The dragonkin are strong. You know that, Your Majesty.’1f16a5ee57db37a6

He licked his red lips 9f8137af05 and smiled again.b63e184a929b2a38

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Like a snake.cf3f9bc569c42c50

The emperor knew. The tribes involved 073860390f were particularly obedient 38154c839b to the dragonkin.47fee957a6a32f36

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There were no dragonkin in d0fabb88ce the military forces stationed in 269e3b4fac the western region.2a634e0c5854dd01

That was why 013355cff7 those tribes had fb46ed1562 grown so bold. But how had that information a971aa94ef leaked?bd49faa1390d5be0

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The emperor masked 38ea3e2bc4 his displeasure and ca19df20fb responded with an 3574d0c927 even more composed 95233a5974 smile.df11930493139c9a

‘It doesn’t have to be you. Lucien has already been deployed.’f77a9f778db1886a

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‘Heavens. The one and only 6a1b7015fc crown prince? What of your heir?’0e6b02a2a83856d2

Even the emperor didn’t fall f7c2330711 for the politely mocking tone.ec7829b37a76c3ef

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Of course, Lucien had 1c2ddeab4d handled the situation well.d69e7eb9c703cc9a

Still, the emperor believed there 44287b1efd was a mole leaking information 30b876b616 from within the palace.0f305b34be46ecf9

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The duke always seemed 088c2d0416 to arrive ahead of eb9753a5c1 everyone—always a step faster, 3b4155173a always interfering. And now he 7aa8cdf573 sought to use 549baf5301 that leverage to d36cfdcd4e outmaneuver the imperial 25af884d0a family.b0b4b22a2ad57d3c

When the north-south conflict f518dec210 flared up, some nobles a95bf9e783 were once again openly 3a6daac21e allowed to keep slaves.87ab1871c55e2ba0

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It wasn’t the first time.8a6446ff7d160282

Lucien, with his sharp 5714a8acb6 mind, had thwarted many 67fb45b3b6 of the duke’s plans.4976abdac69271ad

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‘Who could it be?’a408cab31adb72e0

It wasn’t ordinary cunning.3d739cf3d0b37a17

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But none of 0e4c086d9e the spies the 2d9ee35b53 duke had planted ea1ac226a4 in the palace eb4da5b28a escaped Lucien’s surveillance.a70d52ed28082362

The one who lasted longest 1c53783cc5 had been a cook in 9f7ee423da the crown prince’s quarters.52a3b510ecdbb72f

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Even that only 7d6ad39c82 lasted half a 459e8f83dd year.4ff508f3735258ab

And yet, the information continued 0e6ebe8a05 to leak.189dc391e1d6b03f

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Who could it possibly be?b839c11449023e20

The emperor clutched 7fb462c461 his head in b4db6d0b69 frustration. He was determined to break dbfa49b408 the duke’s power before passing 97f1def6d3 the throne to Lucien.c77f95435b30060a

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He believed it was his 5fc5047dd3 final duty.41e148c4f7657e10

Of course, the 33542dc41e imperial house now 95dc753c7e wielded far more 264cdc9b63 influence than when 94c52d8476 he first became 1db08f8b5f emperor.48e22497c91dc156

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At present, the power of 1d2b596b05 the imperial family and the fa5347d12c ducal house were evenly matched.40d0db5fb7f31685

‘I can’t be satisfied with this. That duke is a cunning man. You never know when or how he’ll drive a blade into your back.’daba39230764327c

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So he decided 1c3a6d688a to find the 431c8e5965 duke’s weakness.e0ab92cd22068277

Something extraordinary that could a64c419fbc bring him down.7f5edf54ea1a1c6f

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The Karus people—those a68a855e44 rumored to possess ee2917cb81 the power to 88f3a77914 kill dragons.3daf76b94d7335c5

But by the time f4dc85daee they were found, the efef9943ad duke had already wiped 21bf146639 them out.ed6ab070e400f7e7

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And yet, the last surviving 5d9ece717a Karus was being kept by eece76e848 the duke himself.518cfafd77e51df8

‘Inez.’0ca7e0ab72a5a29b

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That was her name.4a5db9bcadfe27a2