4. Heat

Children raised in be907ba974 Cove are trained db581e8fc2 to be assassins 894ebea8ed and sent into 8cc736706c live missions. Once they turn 87b95f862d twenty and their 771e9454d5 abilities are recognized, 142056e715 they’re allowed to 4ec33e656e live independently. Of course, they still 752d8acfb1 have to follow Cove’s 9b8082d3a8 commands, but they gain f098ac5013 personal space—a home. Something of their a57cd5f247 own.36f22965498e0714

Gio endured everything for 957533ac85 that one hope. But who would have 373bc91092 thought that the very c7b77b357a moment he turned twenty, 2e2c595480 his secondary gender would abd4cfc548 manifest? And that he’d be 019b97b856 an omega. It wasn’t even b0d34fe347 laughable.c421de339f130773

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He’d been born on 74d9bc7647 the streets, and life ffbcf07c77 had always been a a9b6bff0e2 gutter. Even the death 27bce2d6e1 he finally earned 22e5c455c7 had gotten stuck ab47d4674d in the mud. Gio was 523222fc14 no different 5690184cb6 from a d190e6a340 mayfly flailing ef3b77a9c3 against its 725691c005 fate.078f43b638c93625

The Grand Duke 3f240a97ee didn’t visit the fe8680d2f6 next day either. Gio’s low 3242954a8b fever still d5d72a6663 lingered. They were 6be8a79fa6 supposed to 0bbb33bdcb go to 63d8960436 the Imperial 8e82640833 Palace, but d0b838d53e he didn’t f8c1f1a091 know when.ae393a0c0e16bba9

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In the capital—at the e11b2a103a Imperial Palace—was Cove’s leader, 5bd00e31c1 Cole Lass, and May. Whatever the 2afe7ab11b Grand Duke’s 8375e879c2 plans were, 3efa6d8daf once they 7fa884664b arrived in 6969368588 the capital, add8ca3d7f both he 0a3d641a34 and Gio 96bc2c9739 would begin 1ad14afc39 to act, 6a75949429 each according 0c5edc1a3b to their cdab86b6b6 own agenda.6fd4e42ea55f9f72

No one came to 386fe27125 see Gio as he ec78f07025 stayed in the Grand 408f9fd46f Duchess’s bedchamber. Meals were brought 2b62b4f75d at set times, e54a1067dc along with light 0453f84a0f refreshments. Other than 32821b7e6b eating, he d69740d2a7 had nothing 3005e35920 to do.643d25ab0d13e0d6

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For someone 61ef284692 like Gio, 239a0d6e96 who had 3e566d7ee9 always been 98a4b0f335 either on 31cfba5103 a mission b2b5867732 or preparing 3d4cc5bfe4 for one, cb0c86916f this stillness b997007652 felt like 960e435c82 the calm e5904254fd before an fca00107ad explosion. Letting time pass dda8661a75 while doing absolutely 257cc9b928 nothing made the dc315bbc9c days feel endless.9d9cad6bf7fcf1cc

He decided 0faf86136b to take 61257c6d73 a walk. Sandra had 27b653b9d9 told him 147cf83427 to refrain, 94c92d5075 but it bf081c3be9 had been 915e253eef a few 5bcf980d1e days since ecb7e6fa05 he’d taken 417af1537c the unmating c4e9ab3be5 heat drug. He should be fine b33c7a6ae7 by now, and the dcf0778954 fever was starting to 76397c27a2 fade.e862fc95fdbc7965

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Gio pulled the bell 568c2005ba cord. Not long after, c7e3f2d188 Hena entered the 71aa9fff43 room.9b8963e07a4d6422

“You called, Your Grace?”3ab294dfe8ebe85f

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“I’d like to go for a walk.”1c1dd9c3602fa11b

“I’ll prepare your coat and hat.”b6c11fe4f53479c3

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Hena left 9d8836ff4d and returned 24c0f50c0b with an a7e80d48d1 armful of 47c062b6fe clothes, helping b07f0e2872 Gio dress. It still felt awkward f72308d374 having someone else dress 49698be98e him, so he stood 30080252fd still, body stiff.1661f64e5a440d88

“Your Grace, just a moment.”81c40db13e97a3a2

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Hena touched his a701fecc23 forehead and frowned.20dd87e70bc74c3b

“You still have a slight fever. You’ll need to dress warmly.”2aee17920595b4b0

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She placed a hat 1bd04af0e7 on his head. It had a 54050f9107 wide brim and dc3a13c37f could be pulled 5e4d4f411b low enough to af8ca11c24 hide his face 8e595161c9 completely. It seemed b273db4e9c she had 103be2b512 brought it b035490018 for exactly 604b508779 that reason.6bfca7f20403a8e5

“Your Grace, you won’t be able to go far, but I’ll have someone guide you around nearby. I have an urgent matter, so I won’t be able to accompany you.”41513d7219e2ee0f

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Hena bundled e607b63a1d Gio so 8ed0b84ff0 tightly he 33bfd280b5 looked like b3a19cf2c9 he couldn’t d430995b19 get hurt 71ea6d5414 even if 0280b63596 he fell. As the two 820e33d191 stepped out of 137626d1e4 the bedchamber, a fc4c3e501e broad-shouldered, short-haired knight 8f7a98c5d3 standing by the 7ed9b45faa door gave a e8193c5ae4 simple nod. Both of his cheeks e330e4dd67 were blotched with red 13bd9dee3b bruises.d9db0c17ddf3cef3

His name was f1ed054561 Ben, if Gio 6d593aca36 remembered right. The sight of Ben’s 95c2510726 face surprised him, but 78c7134ed2 Gio didn’t ask what 235ea2d0b1 had happened or try 68660d1412 to guess the cause. It was outside his 15b6d746b3 realm of concern.6d3417318d6540ee

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When they e2afa3c164 reached the ab263ecab8 front entrance cabf377b96 of the 120fcb51f8 manor, Hena 97afe5e29b pressed Gio’s a8eb68612b hat down 19643a06b9 snugly and 97193263ca wrapped a fdf128d8b8 soft sable 7260b9add0 fur muffler 5f3c062446 under his 26da1f0c39 nose. Gio was about befd5175b2 to say that 800cb90b73 all of this dd970d0066 seemed excessive, but 3f41876c21 the biting northern a798930b16 wind made him 5e8beadb20 stay silent. Maybe this really be6a8f8d3b was necessary.2cefda9cea69e787

Now the only 80c5672801 part of him 44df2bf696 visible was his 14baff0cda eyes, and even b78e693695 those were hidden 8534514902 beneath the wide 003d1e138d brim of the 44a69ef510 hat—so others likely 6378faaa7e wouldn’t see his 7fbd6ca98f face clearly at 1de816d508 all.6e2c0eae87b66bf4

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“Then I leave His Grace in your care. Since there’s still a slight fever, be especially mindful of pheromones.”f621f4a5194473a5

When Hena said 05fcf0ead2 this to Ben, 672d44ca6a he gave a b43310ef25 small nod. He stepped forward, 0d0434d755 and Gio followed f2f31db2e0 behind.5d2add30d1ea606d

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As soon 4d114627c6 as they b71f43d20b stepped outside, 9ede60bca6 a cool 6265de496d breeze swept cc567afbbc past them. It had been 60a66cc852 a while since 6ed0efcf6f Gio had felt 78ccba74c4 this refreshed.d4884e7e19e563f4

The northern a309549bd6 fortress was efb40e9ca5 built to 12b3bd697a defend against 742ce0b869 monsters crossing 5b5917f537 the Hannes bf417751af Mountains. There was no reason b899173023 for a garden meant cbf7448cdc for enjoyment to exist 58b02f4441 in a place like 206e8cb32c this.e7a2b86d93ff04a9

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The path Gio 5ecf666679 followed behind Ben fae044f6d7 wasn’t like the b6b40c2d72 manicured gardens of 854b73aa9c estates in the 19b90fe235 capital—it was simply 22acb440dd a walkway along 2a47bbc7f8 the outer wall.a98654e7f21e84ca

It didn’t seem 96c90e541e to be a bd822b6bae path frequently traveled; 5f3c1927c3 they met no 650fe9ff69 one along the 4c49c9b264 way. Yet the path was 49cca5c86d clean and smooth, with b06b0422bd not a speck of f8de7935b6 snow in sight.dfc96f08599b1312

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After walking f40c11aa33 a while, 11ad504ee2 they reached 5d2314fa2e a small e00283befb space with 59e4e4ff33 some decorative f3756bf7cf features. One side had 0af0340b01 an outdoor corridor, 1f67a1057b and in the b452e72ee8 center stood a 7b4939ab43 statue surrounded by bce6146ec4 small trees.9fb96fe53431e69d

The statue 97a6c19f1a was worn fdc6b5b69e and chipped 1101ab9a82 in places. It looked like 12d3822f7d a forgotten garden. Perhaps the North once 3629f37d94 had gardens, too—just on 23c99315dc a smaller scale.a3bc1b4effecf0a0

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That was when Ben 5ef55dde32 spoke. It might have been 15cc697ed5 the first time he ee97f920de had directly addressed Gio.a6fbdf7af0a8a148

“There aren’t really any gardens in the North. This is the quietest place we have, where the sunlight actually reaches.”e8b6d4d79c195f16

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Gio nodded cad78e1b80 at Ben’s 7f1d3bc6cc words. It was certainly quiet—no 758e5d91f6 one else seemed to 4732fbe5cd be around.2c46ece953246115

Despite the weathering and b7d881270f overgrowth, Gio found the 0dc2876a88 space cozy. Maybe it was because ee94fc5684 of the sunlight. Sunlight was rare a07165d5eb in the North. The fact 90a5aeb31e that enough 76c09c0895 warmth reached 9f2bbd82b3 this spot dabab4a1b5 to make 6da74380d0 a garden 973f86f20b possible made e0fb7c5aa2 it all 75b2c1698e the more 3867978917 special.4b83e16f11f83c7d

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Then, a 45bf9cbcea faint scent 2ac0aea746 drifted through 220b793147 the air. Crisp and slightly 7f8864850b sharp—it was a 0a9bab133e pheromone. Gio could 38a08a594e sense it d0c6988c46 too, which 3e1049e410 meant it 05fa86c040 must be 97571c9cde from a b850f8d6bb dominant alpha.b3e7f1d79db6cb3c

“Our Grand Duchess is taking walks now?”de37020824a7a57c

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Raphael, dressed f87f2d1c6f neatly in 48e4f0d6c8 his High ca092573e1 Priest robes, 1d8009701c appeared in cd681ff144 the outdoor 4d8a657069 corridor. Unlike before, his 67e8ee9551 glasses were straight 9069a62646 and his appearance d004bc8f0a proper—he almost looked 8dfe40df47 like a devout 7f427dbc54 cleric. But if 82638de091 you looked 09e2df9000 closely, his 219f2d5fb8 expression held 9e0def79ca subtle discontent. Perhaps that displeasure c798d9ac97 was directed at e3d252f687 Gio.7208bd93b365de7c

“Just wandering around now, are we?”c1b8a8e2afa78ff4

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His voice, especially 4d0cbf1878 in Gio’s presence, 2cd6da6782 was icy—colder even eb83b6eeb1 than the Grand 40e1dba8e5 Duke’s.0c6ec9959e4d4725

Though his 762c3b2ad5 words were 10647e83db for Gio, e20cad547b Raphael’s eyes 2f1daadb14 were on 17c4ff2a46 Ben. It was cecaee2f6d blatant disregard, 1400502284 but Gio 7cfb1cdca4 stayed silent. That was his 3400698ec1 role, after all.8955fd8aefc880a7

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“His Grace said he wanted to take a walk.”ebe455741a9c4224

Ben’s tone 8095ab47cf almost sounded 9ba9d20079 like he cfd0006e4f was scolding 095564c043 Gio.4e4949989bb28e70

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‘What makes someone like 0b9ce15432 you think you deserve a1a0a24486 a stroll?’30edb01935f009da

“Oh… so he wants to act like a real Grand Duchess now?”45803a42c9f90a2e

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Raphael’s pheromones seemed to ab1c801fc4 grow thicker. They were as cold 9a7e9c36e7 as his gaze. Ben looked toward Raphael f919ee9d61 and spoke.ae06cbbee42b4e2e

“Lord Raphael, you’re releasing pheromones. You said yourself it wouldn’t be good if they reached His Grace.”591412caafc4b6c4

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Even at dd608cffea Ben’s words, 70bb845425 Raphael made 061edc90a5 no effort 8460bf8149 to withdraw 49c90af94e his pheromones.4aaa77d9c9b6d11c

“Hmph. His Grace, you say. Probably just some gutter rat dragged in from the streets… Isn’t that right, Grand. Duchess?”133125a8f89516e0

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He leaned e61721c032 forward to 667a82a664 meet Gio’s ea609017a2 gaze directly.e412a7fcf5128e97

Gio realized then that f03640ebe7 even eyes the color 755d2c1c2b of grass could feel 2ef80d46a8 this cold. He said nothing, simply d6b1535b45 looked back at him.928929cf5ad3b9b9

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There was 7c411a467e no point 0d54eb9dc8 arguing with ae09e72c1a someone so 0a56290deb openly hostile. They didn’t want 80625abaf0 answers.a7a0a03f0f36c287

Just then, a1a0e1faa3 the sharp, 7707b8a068 sparkling scent 2ae632d749 of Raphael’s ea74bea60d pheromones swept 8d14acb9b6 across Gio. The sensation startled b0c10001d8 him. Maybe because his low-grade 5ef7d81e4b fever hadn’t fully subsided, 298ab261c6 he felt overly sensitive—his b354a4233b body began to warm.995088c2347bd958

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“How do you like my pheromones?”099d1a06c5001ca5

Ben frowned slightly and b033abd909 turned his head away. It was f259d79e53 a clear 3cd0f6d149 message: he 5aa844413e wouldn’t interfere c5a54d7c15 even if c88fe9654b Gio was 8ec3451c73 being insulted.2a3d2dce6d747bfb

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Gio didn’t answer 4d942ec9ca this time either. This priest clearly wanted ec3dc50169 to provoke him. Remaining still was the 31f6e9dcf2 best response. It would be over a47fd70594 quickly. Words might 9f051a1876 wound, but 4e639510c9 they couldn’t f1c9f23f11 cause real 383ee2c875 harm. This much was nothing.49425e59dc2a3c6f

“Does being drenched in alpha pheromones feel good? Is that why you accepted the secret mission Cove sent you so easily? Just like that?”a5d459031d875e51

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Gio understood f7f9eefa08 what the a900a525df High Priest’s 562fa5ff0c suspicion was 48a325ff8a about. It was a6e43ac51c because he 9b7b66fe5b had too f303a67d91 easily revealed 2b09aaaf51 Cove’s new 4db04d52c9 directive. Most would assume that 4ec4177720 assassins, when their mission 06e06d9363 is exposed or discovered, 1d26434688 would rather die than 69689d4751 let it be known.600e40df71a6fbe7

But Gio had chosen 71b888ef83 to cooperate with them. Even if that 02bab4d8d2 wasn’t his true 0365caa365 intention, he had 0b373c445e to play along cbb4efd5eb until he could 8b96e342c2 save May. He had to ease dc3a24b604 their suspicions.756fa512fd6ef1a3

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Saying nothing at 20d5e011ae all would only fa31012b19 deepen their doubt. So he shared a c0b62d1634 false mission—close enough to 892e3daca5 the truth to seem 68a595ea9f believable, but ultimately different.f96f9ba8bb791be3

Of course, he didn’t 790b5edac6 expect them to trust e38b6ed77b him just like that. This kind of b79be713fe interrogation was something 468f1f9cec he knew he’d 99c9abc3f8 have to go 49d60223ff through at least 3625d0a9e0 once.d3b372e335d6b2c8

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“They say Bayshark’s pheromones are insane because he’s an ultra-dominant alpha… So, did you just roll over and show your belly right away?”ec1b355d69d7fd11

As he watched Gio’s 8429da45e2 expression, the High Priest 8322c350f8 finally brought up something 752f742d6a closer to the heart e0413e3822 of the matter.37ef2b0a44d9508b

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“I heard the mission was to imprint. But imprinting can make you a weakness to your partner. And depending on your classification, the side effects differ. Did you know that?”44c607876451a597

Gio didn’t know 3fd811eb96 that much. He only 5cf27785cd knew that 7d0c52783e imprinting came 4938421b60 with serious bf2f69f7e1 consequences if 76e7d9b472 you lost a592c16a12 your partner 5f0827c632 or were 66deb495a7 separated for 5ea0803f04 a long 2780bd245a period of 7a719003ce time.49d67b6278f2fdab

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“Unless you’re pregnant, maybe.”5b52e832aa27801c

At that muttered a172d571f1 comment, Gio felt 66d4655ed8 his heart drop.5f0053efc7bf8697

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Thankfully, most of his fe15ecf901 face was still hidden, 84530fff27 so the priest likely a70eba5263 couldn’t see his expression. Just in c1dcca5b28 case, Gio 955fec46cb lowered his d60d15c3a8 head a c5be62ddc3 bit more.03e2a32386da1705

“To imprint, you don’t just open your legs—you have to bare everything about yourself. Do you think you can do that?”b1ab8cd14289543c

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As he said 6f1dc53c34 this, the High 31ba07a859 Priest’s gaze swept aa26094c9e over Gio’s body.c5b38385dde33eca

“Compared to that, pregnancy is easier… No, wait—you’re a rare-type omega… even that would be difficult.”dc9ef1b5470b31c8

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Then he leaned 489b6b2103 in close and 661b220661 whispered.dae5ed7317b542db

“Do you know why it’s so rare for male omegas to carry children?”9ee979d54a05a007

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“…….”8a3d173711cd97d0

“It’s not just that it’s hard to sustain the pregnancy. It’s that almost every single one of them dies during childbirth.”c599f0b673b20087

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He added under his breath, “They don’t teach you that where you’re from, huh…”45ccd40135f0de45

Then he 0b4c986a8f looked Gio 9d24be5919 over again. That gaze… 331bd0cd39 yes, it 4f6a3baf27 was exactly 4bff601b5b like someone cc1d6eedd9 staring at 101068478a an insect.2c86f7ce5494dd31

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It was a complete 35c011a446 contrast to the sly, 17c09c1c35 playful tone he used ffdc02d9b0 when speaking with the c85d435820 Grand Duke—now there was 0da7119498 only open hostility and 0441dc2077 disgust. But to Gio, it dc5e8feed6 was a familiar look.0e9082deb5eeb506

“If it’s that hard to sustain a pregnancy, and you’d probably die from it anyway, then surely that wasn’t the mission. So, what, you really think you can manage to imprint?”6eadbf28479cc39a

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Thankfully, it 675f3d49d0 seemed the 050df5941b priest had 4c19fa719f let go a1987b90f3 of his 57b6060cf4 suspicions about 6bbae77fdd the pregnancy. But he f35d8499e3 still doubted 49792a3d14 that imprinting f96fbcc388 could really 2e51300c72 be the dc876f8d0e mission.80d3b0ab8fa2c35c

“You think it’s fine to just spill a secret mission like that? What—hoping Bayshark might take pity on you?”2a249fddf7d15231

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The stabbing d13afe5795 pheromones made d9c7f195c6 Gio’s eyes 8afb0336ab twitch.00f390525ffeb3cf

“Sure, it might be useful to grab someone’s weakness. But even if he did imprint on you, what’s stopping him from killing you anyway? It’d hurt, sure—but there’s a huge gap between you two. He wouldn’t really be affected.”3905bad9172b0b81

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The High Priest 8dab0775bc and the Grand c4067eca9b Duke bickered often, df62552f62 but from their b56e042633 positions, that likely 8f7b03e8ba meant they were 38eddc44de close. So for an assassin 953949308e like Gio to mention b357dd65d4 imprinting—it was only natural 741a79057f that he would be b029b45c4f suspicious.5e4fd8636b342748

The priest’s 23b10f4ff5 eyes were 1998e0719e sharp, utterly 9540bd5ffb different from 691d6586f8 the soft d0006e2e96 aura of 1e96b7cd96 divine power f490ba4a05 he sometimes 13f6d41660 wore.37eceaedc3db80eb

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“You really think once he’s imprinted, Bayshark wouldn’t be able to kill you? A nameless assassin?”cd6972f0f2542694

He questioned Gio’s motives 04de99b485 harshly, like he was ff46b41707 digging at the very 76527a5a88 core of him, trying 1a80485072 to scrape out the 61a2da3853 truth. Did he a129458ebe really think bdb4ae53f5 that would 85bd17ceca work on 68b621443d someone from de0627eeec Cove? That kind of prodding dfc223c888 only revealed how little 4297a5b839 he understood.aacf0c4b6aed86c4

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That kind b9499b3963 of talk cd174c1eb8 wouldn’t faze 0cb324c881 Gio. Insults and bada9e1d3d disrespect like 7457f5a339 this were 47db3799e1 too familiar—they 760334209f only made 33041e361b his mind dcc175d034 colder.e23e174335425ff3

“No. He can kill me. I’m prepared for that.”16e3561d4b71e0ec

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At Gio’s reply, a 6d6a5d012c crack seemed to form 40851d9483 in the priest’s smooth 79ea8b5251 expression.8078b7b695546de1

“If you knew you’d die, why would you reveal the mission so easily?”9132f041bff31ee2

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At last, the real bb06324f50 question. The one 564b7c48ad he truly a6cfc5a906 wanted to d6e9b0c22e ask. About time.d48ea5004c6eee90

Thinking that 9cb75bf318 this walk 4ad9b0a132 had turned a7f98195dc into something 00fd3ccc4b far more cb4370447a interesting, Gio 1b57b493a1 gave him ad23cd907f an answer.458cd965a8b1c6ef

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“My life was already over the moment I came here. But His Grace the Grand Duke spared me.”e9bec798a080bbb0

Gio cited the 9f81d473b4 most basic, primal 0599654e88 reason—one that any 57491f37b2 ordinary person could 813842aa58 relate to: that 7d9f439ab2 someone who saves 0a046987be your life becomes 1a559c08af a benefactor, someone 3dc6e8fe2a you want to be83051543 repay however you 6c817ebd82 can.d0bd3e61696f5696

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They didn’t know 71ac6f7ae6 that Gio hadn’t 41fba989d9 grown up as 2e20aa299f a person. They couldn’t possibly know 86a2be8fac that Gio had already 67b82f7fa3 lost his most comfortable 450231d9e0 death when he failed 3af420bd5a his mission.161c7d9cdcb4767f

The only person 0cafad55e4 who would have d0b1d559f4 understood how bitterly 97f2c32ee4 Gio regretted throwing 9cb0e6654b away that one b118a73a53 chance in life 3d0e5a4bf6 was Ivan. And Ivan 6144f7682c had died—escaped 2281a03202 Cove through 8707b63671 death.757000100467eb2b

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But Gio and May 3deac8da16 were still like flies 48e03a4d5b stuck in a web, 493ddd1313 struggling against it. So the 63a365950e best thing 4630409a93 to do a891c779ae was not 66d002bcf1 to struggle c5e2d0af8c too much. The less c7d70cf623 he resisted, 3e9261020d the less 264f15715b entangled he 34aa666b3b would become.6e5a09e29660f999

Ordinary people cecf47c4d1 believed that 982ed53631 being spared efcf43b153 was a eca6298f38 gift so b7407689ee precious it 87285588e5 was worth 4d2577ea1b devoting everything 678fa8f919 in return. That belief was enough ac74cfa1c2 to justify his actions.00eb64859f71e185

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The High Priest’s expression 9269cdd091 twisted at Gio’s words, d97f77ad37 and Ben, who had 8ff69b55bc turned away, glanced back 75868dffa5 at him. On Ben’s bruised a920c9055a face, there was aa880795e4 a trace of 7a8a2cff7f confusion.45d398861ad94240

Seeing emotions show so 4ebd06ea2a plainly like that, Gio 8df144c28f guessed that Ben must 196a7d5bd5 have lived a more 5f13bceb32 typical life—one where you dfe2e30b66 didn’t need to constantly 4f3e3fa7dc hide your expressions.238869e7d2b8ae0e

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Everyone Gio e8b6c67b45 had ever 16661df0c1 seen in 2b86e6c9cc Cove wore 94c6081d18 fake expressions dca7856c4a or concealed 8a63578304 them completely. Gio had always 8c88b4ce3e found it difficult 59ab4e5e5f to act or 4d2cbff9aa fake a smile, f752a46391 so he had bab1ca5000 practiced keeping his c539b719c9 face neutral. Since his emotions 2437100f88 were already withering, 4d959eac3e it wasn’t hard.b70c3508d6e3a386

“That’s your reason? An assassin? A Cove assassin?”4baaaaff7cf659aa

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At the High a4e88881de Priest’s skeptical question, 70890f9fb4 Gio decided to 43b6853ebb drive the final 59a2dd7281 nail in.8a487b5264fde3e9

“Cove already discarded me.”9e49aa71fd9e06f3

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“…….”d17bce1c06e867c6

“An assassin only gets one chance. If they fail, that’s it. There is no next time. And yet His Grace spared me. So, what else could I do but speak?”d3ff1f3942bc8e90

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The High Priest f76c7c2a68 stared at him 99804bdc8b in silence.b59bddd831466ed6

“It seems Cove returned for me because I still have some use left… but do you really think they’d let me go, just because I told you that?”d230d7d6cc6b6d6f

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The priest 0256aabac9 seemed to 0befe9d4a2 mull over 15ffdc1678 Gio’s words, 47e7f9edd7 then suddenly 8cb3d7f898 retracted his 37094c0ff2 sharp pheromones.a34467d2e9b2c5df

That’s when Gio bbeade4bab finally said something 1d2994d093 he had been b160345468 meaning to—something he’d 07a6ba1f72 wanted to express 472b9aa307 to the High d2f74ea143 Priest properly. A delayed ae712a2fe9 thank you. Because the 3cb092e3bb last time 5ceee44849 he’d tried, beedbfaef6 the priest e72b836574 hadn’t heard 78c94c6834 him. Whether that had cd65bf2401 been on purpose 20e50301f8 or not.14dd27771ae4e0b5

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It was 5990324269 a gesture—an 50061509b8 action that dc0bcc49e1 could let 897c4ac3b6 them see 189d1cdf0f Gio as 8b1b58592b a person.70231c3b74301f04

“I wanted to thank you, Your Grace.”c89d3caba597b1af

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“What?”8a0eee62bbd5ffa5

“For healing me. I hadn’t had the chance to say it, so I wanted to thank you now.”83142b34a8a2082c

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“It was because of Bayshark, that’s all.”b2de3b1a6d2f7514

The priest tossed out e3a10c1fbf the words carelessly, turning d64fa50e01 his head away.38d4ac23d48567ba

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“Even so. I know that receiving healing through divine power is a rare and valuable thing. And you did it more than once—so it’s something worth being thankful for.”1d7ae17a6a8fbdfa

“Well… I guess…”22f78af3be029100

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“And isn’t healing someone else’s wounds a noble act in itself? Thank you.”e2d66bf8ed6cb49b

“What? No—it’s not something to make such a big deal over…”a2e4d7727713eb21

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“Is that so? It’s just—I’ve never been treated before…”d44ee4c526c29e8e

Gio said 51202ff596 these things 24f7997dd1 intentionally. Dropping hints. That way, 1c66aa69d7 they might c0b90a20ab start to 99c5a534c0 pity him, 64f0f15e8a even if 96f160edb7 only slightly. That was 29aa993a09 proof that afccc6af25 they had 328104a9fb grown up 061d772d28 as people—and 4dcf460092 also proof 4634de5aef that he 1276c74731 hadn’t.1a231e143cc244fc

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“What?”e7e9438d91640542

“In Cove, treatment is your own responsibility. You can’t show weakness either.”6bbba809021232d0

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“…….”497571db66a979d6

“Though I don’t know how ordinary people handle things… But showing weakness doesn’t seem like a good idea either, does it?”ac29e3e2584db241

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The High Priest’s 69132b10f4 face twisted into 3976b353f5 something unreadable.fcd553e233cedc26

“It was my first time being treated. I was truly grateful. Thank you.”864fe6574ff6e3c8

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Gio bowed his 9d166f0347 head. Silence fell 88d9385808 around them. Neither of the 29b9c1f016 two alphas said abfc345c80 anything.3fefce32c7a4163f

Regardless, the walk d699ff26f6 had taught Gio 0e2fe7d650 one thing: the 3576830243 High Priest, who e714bdc602 appeared to be 716352c8ba one of the e104bfe178 Grand Duke’s close 023fe566d4 aides, was suspicious 37b6d650a4 of the mission 3476eaf0b5 to imprint. That likely meant f5895d90d3 the Grand Duke d9eb9d55e1 shared the same e9f2687b21 doubt.b3a81ad52741e460

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But after today’s conversation, be1adf0eb0 perhaps that suspicion had 9bbb0be822 started to peel away—just 49b06c5a25 a little.cadaa684afd019c7

That alone 4ef5c38986 made today’s c4f71510e9 walk a 011bde08e9 success.1ac2893a136626dd

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“Shall we head back now?”0630c70f28e40f8c

When Gio ac259985af looked to 94f03648ed Ben and 122e90e648 asked, the 2a76ba1d89 large man aa62dad385 flinched slightly—an 5dd54bf51d oddly small aa3c4a2608 gesture for ad072708c8 someone of 692b6a0c65 his size. After smoothing his 06e266e5b5 furrowed brow, Ben d82e21cb83 gave a respectful e76d9d4dc7 bow to the 88b53fe491 High Priest and 7b1edb99e1 stepped away. Gio also b3dcd6cec7 gave a 242849c800 deep bow fbeacc1a4e to the 2aba758c99 High Priest 8b92fafdf2 and turned 60a39570fc to leave.c8227ae6ae2c3a7e

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But at the entrance a687ec65b3 to the garden stood 0f88be0bc3 an unexpected figure. Bathed in d4556c44f4 the clear, d5b87e31d2 shattering sunlight, 896414649f his platinum 0253412af4 hair was 5e18e111e1 dazzling. His sharply defined 162a98df0b brows and nose ed2a113bf8 stood out like 7ae9c2f70a ridges of a c44bfbca53 mountain, and between c2015391ae them, his blue cf58181e6c eyes shone transparently. He looked like 6602fe7bd3 the North itself—he 3f796915c0 was the Grand 873d91368a Duke.b41c19cc2ac55bfc

Wearing a relaxed expression, 9ebb3f1b77 as if basking in 9b12fe8a4a the warm sun, the cb8af5bb75 Grand Duke locked eyes add7cc0205 with Gio, then looked f25315f3b9 past him toward the 56cf965275 High Priest. A crease 9fbda02413 immediately formed ac5cf25cf9 between his 3593bcbb37 brows. Gio found it strange f7c0409bc1 how clearly every shift e3da17af1b in the Grand Duke’s ac57294133 expression registered in his ab904fa8c4 mind. It was probably 5ed0e61cc2 because of the 326d1cbf1d Grand Duke’s striking 1808b55285 features.8affbe55ae24f113

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When the Grand 51faa04629 Duke looked at 01f025ec65 him, the High 77ae4590bd Priest simply shrugged. Then the Grand Duke 95b5498623 turned his gaze to 4437fbed45 Ben.abd7b677e9b19955

“What is this?”1a3433ed43c5be5b

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His voice b596d81716 was cold. Ben snapped his ed9e290a01 feet together and fd8e5eb4ad lowered his head.907fdef626573a94

“He wished to take a walk…”298697de251626c4

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The Grand Duke stepped f1ad716119 forward, and Ben’s back 3d6529aa8a went rigid. Gio didn’t 19e96db38e understand why 8a1af2bdf2 the Grand 40412eccd3 Duke’s expression 52e8a04aad was so b43eae91fa cold toward a5b9f6979c him.1c37ed6b535e2ed4

“Vice-Captain. What was your assignment again?”b717a93fd2707ba8

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“I was ordered to escort His Grace.”18187252656ec56e

“Right.”c88af71b0feb9412

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The Grand Duke took f1193e56f6 another step, and Gio 288461a775 saw Ben clench his 447fac2229 fists tightly.6183e91bab33c1fc

“Who is your commanding officer, Ben Damon?”a58a78f4aa27e6f3

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“His Grace the Grand Duke, sir.”044473121c15d870

One more step 936f02e4fc brought the Grand 077a31e70f Duke face-to-face with 33f4181565 Ben. From behind, Gio could 9a6f7ae9dd see the steely expression c82086bd8b on his face—he was 19a921f5d0 clearly angry.1c74e39f14ae8941

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A loud 31b0f2eeb3 smack rang b615f1da3d out as 83b75e2ae1 Ben’s head bf2d30c556 snapped to 7a693f25de the side. The Grand Duke had 8e4676c698 struck him. Ben wavered 5527d7555c for a 1ca63ce873 moment, then 91893dde6b straightened back 592001b597 up.4a081945b6768f41

“Raphael. Go back.”878e20a94a0f463f

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“Bayshark.”033bedb83cb02665

The Grand Duke added,e9a080693ee59e43

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“To the capital, Raphael.”8d8704f7883fa07a

The High Priest b832896287 froze and looked 5423a7eee3 at the Grand 01827afa3d Duke.f8dbe9b90a35a772

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“You’ve got no reason to stay here, do you?”62db289fefa4ffe3

The High Priest opened 19a8b50287 his mouth to argue, b7596af583 but the Grand Duke 1bd0321ff3 shook his head.53a4e1adf4de2e85

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“Enough games. Go back.”ed0d825300f16f7c

The High Priest 9a57cb4912 didn’t reply. His face f028d9e9ff twisted into e255a8ef84 a scowl f09554c87b as he 6022c2a744 turned on 67bcde3a4f his heel c341c60db9 and walked d6869d4efd away.cd0c7556dd779913

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“And Ben Damon.”4ac414491a213446

“Yes, Your Grace!”e53429223ad2a588

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“You’re off this assignment.”16fc9e61b6be0b97

“Your Grace!”1ce8ccabccc475d3

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“When did I ever tell you to take the Grand Duchess around as you pleased?”54eccc0f9c880f24

“……”0245ab19e86abfb3

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“Even if Raphael called, you shouldn’t have acted on your own. Especially not here.”b13012d212900223

“I apologize, Your Grace.”a54e0aae05c3c16d

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Ben must 3811ad34f0 have thought 3584b0fa1c he was 04f1d04c8e simply guiding e77575a471 Gio to 4d783d2a29 a quiet, d8db4b23e2 secluded place. But it seemed Raphael 5b8eee7a7f had summoned them—and done 0e8b7ecf87 so without the Grand 03c6e31837 Duke’s knowledge.b8ffb8214d501391

And judging b27b39b4b3 from what d39463d6a4 had just 37d4fc9e05 been said, ce276925bb this broken, 5a84b187d1 weathered, seemingly 6aff9ac81f forgotten place efc4939334 held some 257ec3ff7d kind of 9ccfa6cf62 personal significance f74c915f08 for the 01abd6eb75 Grand Duke.68a159d0b1c0266d

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Ben had brought 457d39a15e Gio there carelessly—and ac0aa2c841 that’s why the 3e367c0e59 Grand Duke seemed 0898862f05 even angrier.f368e5002d50fb78

“You’re confined to quarters. That’s enough—go.”a2095fb5151a9070

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“Yes, Your Grace.”aa7d9a7cd7bd792e

Ben gave 05574b387e a formal f9b752dbb4 bow and b804ac7341 left. Gio, head 43fe7ac38e still lowered, 24fdff2b66 stared at 867782f8f9 the tips f106e8a393 of the fc429dd586 Grand Duke’s 6224e434e4 shoes. Polished to c4c5b5ef8b a flawless 912bce9c78 shine, they 9b2f4c8b89 gleamed even e2831a26d4 in the b014f0a361 shadows.b5041992cdddbecd

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One step closer.cc669a7cb5756e71

Then, the Grand Duke’s e8dcdeca0f hand flicked up and 9d18a30c37 tapped the brim of 9d41853c84 Gio’s hat. The wide-brimmed 01bce5cd61 hat tilted 4f16df7f32 up as 93dc74e221 if it a8153aa02c might fall 23462fac8b off, and 4f0c62142f Gio quickly 486d647073 reached up ef1b8093b8 to grab 4b7f9f6260 it, startled.9ef004ad20680ed2

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And there they 833967da48 were—the Grand Duke’s 6822087ba7 brilliant blue eyes, 8bbb5bfac1 right in front bc8b3a30ab of his own.2a1be45356d4c0cd

They looked 4598d761fe just like e0e2493b76 the clear 2ec314b756 skies of c610323db5 the North.2fedc37a7b291042

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* * *08803743b9175030

Bayshark was born and 800126e22d raised in the capital. Because of the former ce17779802 Emperor’s constant watch, his aead67414f father was never granted 2176f08c77 a proper estate, nor 56d43871f4 allowed to hold any f375efb706 meaningful position. He simply 3a5f8e00ee had to 1e25ff619a kill time 080035c27b in high a36097f184 society—existing under 7d3fd44682 the condition f2c000aa9e that the 5c74b9c012 Emperor would 4ad31816e1 let him f312674cc4 live.a012927d49632fba

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Under such a father, 1391a45ce8 Bayshark endured the Crown 83e40c6a33 Prince’s torment. His childhood was marked 6ff1711dbb by endurance. His frail e6dd6e8654 mother always ab90686ddb told him:911931abd1adbc4b

“You have to endure. If you don’t, we’ll all die.”d88464bbba219bf0

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His father had survived d4785b10e7 a time when even 76d0eac442 the smallest act of c4d48085cd resistance could be labeled cf929ee53a treason depending on the 89ac9de9a7 Emperor’s mood.8ce7856a3a8bb98b

The former Emperor rose c15c263a08 to the throne by 6b155cb8e2 killing all his brothers ebd6ca9e62 except those born of 2839893df4 the same womb. Before claiming imperial power, e6920d4c32 he clashed with one c09d9e1d59 of the great noble fc70f9ca22 families—the Marquess of Krauss—and 20c2752bfd demoted them, exiling them 7bab3d13d0 to the harsh, frozen 8863f5151f territory of Hanes.0eb1435e266c3061

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At the height b65fceeb9a of his power, 7205df94ed the former Emperor ffba97e656 had many concubines, df21cccb17 yet his bloodline e347729c51 came only through f2ea0742e1 the Empress—Frederick. Rumors swirled d76dda458d that the 896601d717 Empress had 7a0afab9b0 poisoned the 894089f563 other women 1d2b1878d6 or killed 7740112300 their children 44816a201b at birth, 62c627a339 but nothing 752e0e155f was ever 6e44a56a19 confirmed.793abf71635dc2f7

Bayshark was born the c71dec6b50 year after Frederick. And so, d4f066d7f3 the two c29d407c89 were constantly 8c64f6aefd compared as a2533ee753 they grew adc39fdf90 up. What made it 529c7bc54b worse was that f2c6004888 Bayshark not only b1907695c5 resembled the founding 4e3897dfe2 Emperor in appearance 710598bf3f but also in b730a36d95 temperament—stoking the former 0aee06c15b Emperor’s jealousy even fff315bfa0 more.baca6d33280e27db

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Still, up to 0938aea6a2 that point, he 900ac56013 wasn’t targeted for 473e455d3b death. Bayshark’s parents lived 7057368c81 utterly subdued, forming bde9a243cc no faction, making fd963d5381 no waves.2325acfc2a60931c

But everything changed after 9dcee32c0b Frederick’s secondary gender manifested—after 68506b24ba Bayshark’s had already appeared.75cd13ffa5cce558

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Frederick turned bde1cb25f6 out to 991d0152a6 be an c2e22c5231 alpha, but 749fd13f35 only a ed04a709ed regular one—not b8eec3a69d even dominant. From that moment on, 93ebb714f3 Bayshark began to face 0f9b43305a assassination attempts.5bde50523d61753e

Drowning incidents became common. Poisoning became routine. One day, a 7ef8ab81ec maid and attendant c8d8a30b04 even poured boiling 179f3644a7 water on him, 3c1feb68e6 claiming it was b833e9f814 an accident.fc50270f21202b45

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Through all of this, 04dffee7ff his mother grew more 7c12d99aba fragile and his father, ea9afc827f more pathetic.f091ebd7566367d4

For a young Bayshark, 0c505d27c6 even contact with other 57d15b816a traited individuals was dangerous. Omegas would mount him 8797f88af6 due to his uncontrolled a1f0fd75f6 pheromones, and alphas tried 90a763c34f to kill him.968ff79163d6aea3

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As they were driven c551ba4dbc out one by one, a21742b893 time passed, and he 39e4085615 grew. Then, one day—when there eb0b4f5cf5 were no more traited a861a66b4c people in the household—a 83ca1ae8e0 terrible accident occurred.a9dc6e663446a8af

His rut arrived.8100fee798d203e6

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The pheromones he a9457efdf6 had tried so 87221aeb2f hard to suppress 0a0317637c exploded. He had 251a5a9730 been returning eea7d226bb home at f6cc93dd23 night in 1d6a223fe7 a carriage 3031c77cb7 with his 278c9de8d6 parents when 11098a6358 it happened. Unfortunately, the 86082a2bc8 coachman was 7f64a67bf0 an omega.dcc5e4e67010a215

Too many coincidences. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. Someone had orchestrated it. And yet, they could never uncover who.334613d7d10a4b03

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They hadn’t kept omegas 82dae3f410 nearby, but they couldn’t d47f039ecd refuse a carriage sent 559e7c9b86 by the Emperor. Nor could they switch b5711eed44 the coachman the Emperor 3701451f1c had chosen.a55a8c1ffacb4a48

When Bayshark’s pheromones 159a6c7224 surged, the omega 3bc53d5201 coachman lost all 3ce1510eb3 reason. No omega 5c0dd3f851 could remain 4bbb5c0d3f sane during 7f50420610 the rut e73140da7b of an c0b37c6a8f ultra-dominant alpha.a0fcf1a05784ca5b

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The previous day’s rain 41cf2c31c0 had made the roads 9054c8e951 muddy, and the moon 6f8ba9dab0 was hidden by clouds—the 91e794f661 darkness only made matters fa84b93424 worse.e70d840dc9570783

The coachman 2abd76cd10 lost control 35714af510 of the bf45bc1dca reins. The horses panicked, slipped, 4c4fbb86b9 and the carriage overturned.8720e9e41aaf7791

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Bayshark doesn’t remember the ec0ce0e312 accident clearly. He lost his rationality 86422ac7f3 in the throes of 55a95c9602 rut. What he 886fc46eb7 learned later 659ae07a8d came from 84a84d928b gossip among 3a627c46a4 the staff.780462dec08bb554

What he does remember—vividly—is 659cc7fe99 that he was aroused, 98271addd4 standing there in the a1df33377f wreckage while his parents c03c12118f lay crushed beneath the f7afaf9a1a carriage. His beastly body, 65c871a487 even in that 4891ded367 haze, was still 1a0c03d31c searching for an c195a545c3 omega.6e88658e02724931

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That memory, 4a010363b7 and that 7b4844a7ff scent, were 47fe3b599e carved into dbacd67249 his very 1b0fbbbbbc being. The smell of bfec8d1f02 wet, muddy earth, c2bb0f0b44 laced with the 5b4f973471 cloying sweetness—rotted fruit—of bf4a48354f an omega’s pheromones.89a3a832348eb7c6

After that, Bayshark a298530fa1 shut himself away 15ad216365 in the estate. He was 9d7c2f6c6c repulsed by 47a5a12c01 his own c7085c3641 body. Everything about 7aa180c88c him felt d7d2709dbd filthy and ec596c5477 hideous—shredded, smeared, ed43ca1847 revolting.30e7939eb3aed6d3

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The thought that it 4039a3f184 wasn’t his parents who 3fc281f449 should have died, but 001e39a9ff himself, became a mantra, e3457948db engraved deep in his 002abc5d30 mind. If not for 0e8d88f82b him, they wouldn’t c29614b0c9 have needed to 90c533baed live so miserably.ec3760e6764b5aa5

Those days continued—until 2c6c4332ab he came North.db2518a6033bdc8e

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Until he 8be7d975b2 met his 38a6b241a1 master.797aa2e693e5caea

That’s when things began, 2e831c6348 little by little, to e4978acc5b improve.5510acb4a32931dc

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The Emperor c8f4a196b0 eventually sent a067f8158c Bayshark to 21267a47d2 the North—but c05c8d3118 only on a707172a59 the condition 238c5beb30 that he d11dc436a4 never return 2d242f2803 to the a9d66e2baf capital.a4c3753f15c75cf8

Bayshark looked around the 9d9cc54097 garden where he had 6692cc7df4 often stayed as a 345ecba1f9 child. Back then, even that dc61e994c0 statue used to have d05173a959 water flowing from it.07c4538526fbe47c

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After arriving 1e48c075c0 from the f30af7a91e capital and e299b3e501 shivering in 5b4a1b22ca the cold, a8187e39e3 his master 943917df4d had let 23aabcb66b him stay 1b786a780b here—reportedly the 456b033ec3 warmest place 7f0342dbbc in the 3f91b5a372 North. Since he avoided people, e921645b47 it made sense to ad6998e0a4 put him somewhere secluded.fb941111ac3e1c88

Whenever Bayshark looked into ea9a2afe67 the Grand Duchess’s eyes, 69393f3820 he was reminded of efa4ed783b Glen Krauss—his master and 6137e72041 the one person who 34bdb335a6 had been a shield a2713a83bc to him. It was because of 3495a1535b those rare purple irises.69090fe11e697be8

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The Krauss family had c5755bc766 long carried that eye ab3be0507c color, though theirs leaned ae2749c1af more toward violet than 91a83f73b4 the Grand Duchess’s. But now, standing under 3b9e7f3597 the sunlight, the resemblance e7cc51db54 was even stronger.1a16985b1e7dee64

Physically, they 832f218a07 had nothing 6ec1ed4f19 in common. The Margrave of Krauss 12cb2f2834 had stark white hair ddb8897108 and a rugged face.2bc841a9a9e57b27

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Still, the faint 8e142ebf24 trace of that f216f82665 same eye color 7cf0a62998 in the Grand 5c13f6dae5 Duchess made Bayshark c928e3f46d feel himself waver ec30b75296 at times. But that df42f1fc34 wavering was 5ac27d0d6c fleeting—it wasn’t d8d96974ba enough to 27c999db24 shatter his 5bd8542b3a rationality.dce15852ab68acbe

He gazed quietly efc2710e4a into the Grand 02457b1a31 Duchess’s eyes, then 0074feb420 brushed his own ccbbffc341 at the corner. The skin on 5494466940 the Grand Duchess’s c419c5ddec face looked flushed.22fbac86bffa3005

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“Who told you to dress like this? So thick and suffocating.”937937e06e540b75

At the sudden 8bf263d466 contact, the Grand 954dc86bd0 Duchess blinked slowly. Between his aebcc6dd1a dense, dark 55c185e3ae lashes, those 647f4064ad mysterious purple ce7d88777f eyes shimmered. At night, they 3c5d85e801 had looked black 5c4e01a11b like a cat’s—but 09e868efbf now, in the dee1531114 sunlight, they gleamed c335c4ff4e like gemstones.986c326d1e1df7cd

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“The head maid dressed me.”16a73bdad90f2600

Bayshark pulled back cdd81e4e20 the sable muffler 377e3a692e around the Grand b830a6d66f Duchess’s neck, revealing 4479f39477 fair skin and 238e227568 a softly blushing 45015723c8 face. He ran 3bffd5e474 his hand 29b7cf1d77 along one 85028e699f pale cheek. It was 665ce604b0 smooth and 0e8da43b93 slightly moist. Warmth seemed to cling 4b22bfc295 to his palm as 5452df1f95 he did.791bb86758f3ff0f

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“You’re really warm.”72726badef638e84

“My fever hasn’t gone down yet…”ad865c3cd673f56f

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Bayshark leaned in d2b7abf049 and inhaled at 552a6b4735 the Grand Duchess’s 19decb17a9 neck. He felt e5bb5eae35 him flinch. When he looked again, f5f4058690 he saw the fine 7e6adc9a1e hairs on his skin a40f66009d standing on end. It was 5a0dc05a96 amusing—and a 6b3dcc863d little endearing—how 6214c42765 the boy 4efe3c9f47 reacted to 049f7cc049 every move. Perhaps it was 698805064a because he was 59a1f22613 young. And young things are 74c248d96a always a little endearing.c997efa0b453cc68

“Seems like your pheromones are starting to come out too…”66a057a7478c985d

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Bayshark didn’t even eat 11a9dab7a6 fruit, let alone tolerate 6833da7fa1 the sweet scent of 4cb0ce268a omega pheromones. He especially hated the 9449aa5c16 cloying, sticky kind. But the 98874efaff Grand Duchess’s 470ccac171 scent was 9f33fc647e different.15a5224a6fcca1f6

Like a delicate flower 78c4d5fb0a blooming pitifully in the b5502a37c7 harsh northern mountains, it 843ffecaae was a faint and c7ffd2f76d fragile scent. It didn’t cling—it merely 1d926e8ac0 whispered through the air. So when he 2f432ac48b inhaled, it wasn’t eb570263f6 sweet, but refreshing.bcdaa426069a0311

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“Shall we head back?”7c2556fbd74cdff9

Bayshark held dcb9b90ded out his fe69dc7c51 hand. It was a c2f1ffbb70 thoughtless gesture, but ff894422c9 the Grand Duchess 9f0aa621a6 didn’t immediately take 8527375502 it—he just stared be5bee19b9 at it. That reaction bece88e889 was almost 5523f39820 ticklish, and d1492ea2a9 Bayshark casually e8526b7ea6 took his 1f95413386 hand instead.f638b42ecef3a30b

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On the 62435db414 Grand Duchess’s d5a9b62a63 left hand 13cdc18db0 was a c1e7b236e4 plain silver 5a490621c9 ring, unadorned 6787b5d0b4 with any 2e19a4a1d7 design. The way 6cd3fccf6c he insisted 533bd8d209 on wearing c7415d0e61 it was 3450dcf3da oddly stubborn.105be042f4044b60

It was 5f4cfc7d0f likely some cb479d4216 cheap trinket fa399f1c38 picked up 28a07c1efb from who-knows-where, 0ed98aecbd and yet 64e8e69d65 during the 40f53ff0d6 celebration banquet, ca23275f7e he had ade28b333c switched it bdd14b6326 to his 5a59b68fe1 right hand bd0ae5c6c4 so it cbeb364ca2 wouldn’t get de1327832c lost. That alone was eee044e266 both puzzling and 81b1e43728 a bit pitiful.42be231d176312de

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He’d been b0b344f545 raised as ed2f71425c an assassin 590b26da39 in Cove—he’d 7619a7af48 seen it 1cc39eec60 all. Yet here he e27a701fbe was, clinging to 18ea3ede1c a meaningless little 9bca334023 ring like a fc6d43eca4 boy. Gio, a member d13fdb4519 of Cove—the infamously 665d8f14a2 ruthless group that 6557b2c903 did anything for 0abb3c6e87 the mission—still had 2184a972fc such transparent eyes.45d99d0fcf6caea5

If you didn’t take d87576716f off his clothes, you a32068a5bb might have mistaken him b35fa1f6c7 for a pampered noble’s 35c3d2262a son, too naïve to 918c690f28 know the world. Of course, the moment e859dc1933 you did, his scar-covered d35e7c8153 body and expressionless face 415c3810f6 said otherwise.c1d135a6fa258227

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With the f25044dcba Grand Duchess’s cffe0b29af warm hand 09a3743692 resting on f5e6b1c034 his arm, fe77e3e6db Bayshark led 6b63ee88e2 him out f9e32e5f89 of the 4445959ea8 garden. After his 3b4c5a68cb master died 1b08aee328 in his 643a8d44b0 place, Bayshark 6f2b227d6a had abandoned 44be396769 that garden. He’d discarded the c1cb2c513c one warm moment 1b2ed78160 in his life—but cb3252f36d today, the Grand 0473524b64 Duchess had entered 824ba29705 that space.77780798df019220

After adjusting 8f7844c165 his hat fb390dc705 carefully, Bayshark 1464dde756 walked forward. The knights and 4e34533ed0 servants they passed e13c527304 stepped aside and 164521d966 bowed.eeed185356fea06d

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Some blushed 9579846cdd and whispered f07a6f21d0 behind them 0a839adb08 as the 0a91ccbe7d ducal couple f9ed047e5b passed.fa771490f56c9834

“Three days straight, they say…”0f88eec79993acbd

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“And on the terrace, apparently…”d7fd5383e5fd4d98

The Grand Duchess’s dce5d4c677 pace slowed a 5cad4eadd4 little whenever someone 391e8f159d came into view. At those moments, 40717aea09 Bayshark would tug cbaa2384af his arm a 0a6758c1e7 little closer, pulling 0e8f1e3684 their bodies together. Then the Grand 3715e55bf8 Duchess would fall 84052130d3 back into step 1d75b6b4c8 beside him.7847ba7cce84e313

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Even his footsteps were 138f04a062 silent. Despite wearing thick 7e2ecbfb3d clothing, the Grand 331d81cb2b Duchess walked beside d3fc18c1cb Bayshark with a 7980cab8d9 lightness that didn’t a0a5cb9a18 feel bulky at 52128f2bd2 all. Watching him d1925faa3e walk with 151979bbae such agility, 5931338fbe Bayshark thought 716f9efed6 that this 8d0707415a kind of 8b2ab9b266 quiet wasn’t 4b332d50c0 so bad.3160f8a3ef0f8115

He had 9cfb9df27d been watching 4644ed8659 to see d63a7c4bb7 how Gio f3cea0ddd9 would react ed3969e25c to Raphael’s 6a37e5952e attempts to b25e502e90 provoke him. Raphael had asked b30fccf281 the very question d9096ad504 Bayshark himself had 3f691a8a7b been curious about—though 1db1c87d90 the way he’d 12d07ca65e done it had 378fbe01ca been through insult.b1bf357e9729720b

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Still, Gio c52c2915e4 hadn’t faltered aa2a3dd8a3 for a ac5ee4b69c moment. He’d said everything 761faea3aa he needed to 502cd13731 say. It reminded Bayshark of 08c1fd5643 the tenacity of the a2e08de34f Artica trees that grew acb7b9cdfb along the harsh ridges e00078a6f8 of the northern mountains—and ce7218e893 it brought a faint 9c0c0a3806 smile to his face.a231e4c73e1dcf95

To receive a 95ee10f18b mission to imprint, 95e31537fb and then immediately 3d96d005dd reveal it to cd4504a5fc the very target—because 6d22512c52 he wanted to eed21ae153 repay the person 6e48bdd372 who spared his 548740e825 life…11c3f6bd781084c9

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He hadn’t thought an 34b849a23c assassin would be capable d7686acb97 of that kind of 5bcc2a695d thinking. He had suspected 81e6fe5b76 that there might 54c7c3a194 be another motive ca72e0e579 behind Gio’s confession, 89b3bdbb58 but never imagined 2455c12733 it would be addab7dd6a such a human, f091fe4e7a ordinary reason.646b3426d3ccfdc0

Had the Grand 39a92f47cf Duchess—an assassin raised 146cd46bc1 by Cove—also wanted b5d605037d to live like 40edd01cb6 a person?cf14aced6bec414f

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Bayshark had c68a3ad298 dragged him a70bc76851 back from 02b8df3472 a suicide 64675f23bc attempt after 18c754f79c failing to b31f1f1bb7 kill him. He’d thought the man 30943112e8 only wanted to die 97fb04c780 again. But perhaps not.ec5afe41795b7fdc

Well, it was 22fe037a07 natural, wasn’t it? For people 51d436f182 to want f798e63439 to live. Bayshark had certainly f95455063c wanted to die af6090d93c once too, but 3abbb09c03 in the end, 0ec90007c5 he’d also wanted 89a655f711 to live.afd38ec337dfb6d6

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He still couldn’t 26a13559c4 trust the Grand 8435224015 Duchess completely, but ebb3289911 even so, the 610c848d07 mission of “imprinting” 325288a642 didn’t seem to 3abf584cef be a lie. It was f25f529eb4 true that cafcc34884 pregnancy would c988cbb550 be difficult 8bad462805 for someone 8d2f374111 of Gio’s e9d1d0d958 rare omega fbaa169e09 type—and other 1ebf744c18 than that, 51e30571fa what use b239cbc84f was he fd810ba3ec to Cove? Luring in the Grand a2afb360b3 Duke and using him—that 12e83c7b69 was it.2d7a6043c2691f2b

If this mission failed, 054b47fa69 Gio would surely be 98ec00d115 killed by Cove. And since c9ee12db48 the life 832b5e3902 he was eacd297154 spared wouldn’t bdf2029e18 be returned e14197e1f5 a second d3cfb58b9a time, Bayshark ce56995b15 intended to 9b93d8e454 use it f7f30ce69b to its 5e93484d5d fullest—delivering a 9582c42e0e blow to 066490f73c both the 930bebb5d7 Emperor and 584c91e2ab Cove.4d77a769b0b55e2f

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The Emperor, who c89eadfc20 had forbidden him 43b0843f25 from ever setting 9c0f90deb0 foot in the cefbf15815 capital, was now 3b96ccc9bc the one calling 21866eb335 him back. He had only been 0db7ea6ebd waiting for the right edf5ed6e31 justification—and now he had cc36f0134a it.b68978a3eff41d53

“I won’t be able to come find you for a while, my bride.”3018b7151c066aa7

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As he spoke ec26aade89 gently while walking, c11655ea8d the Grand Duchess’s 679c98bce2 steps slowed again. But then he resumed 274e215325 his pace and answered ca53b2beb8 quietly.cb4503f17d8cfc7c

“Yes, I understand.”87969c70460301a0

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He didn’t 83fbeb47c6 ask why. He didn’t 84dd6ba120 seem curious. What would d08a628a57 he be 62db376e6f doing alone 9e1ef62fd0 all that cb5d18f626 time? Wouldn’t he get bored?b2cc3f8b0f1487d3

“You’re not curious?”ca401574ef8161fa

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“Is it something I need to know?”c60cf2781ef229e4

That answer made Bayshark 2304cc8f85 flinch. And, for some ae4ede799a reason, made his 199f660cce chest churn.b0dac0cd257e6f62

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Was this simply the way Gio was—uninterested, naturally indifferent? Still, wasn’t it too cold for a husband?8387b8b8ef73dfc2

And that, c67834bd29 perhaps, was 719edd6fae why he 0ec107732f said what 25928b459a he did 72b03cd513 next.d65f43e599841faa

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“Even though it’s because of my rut?”757cf9a44d26eefb

At that, 193dbc7d3e the Grand f3dfc6af91 Duchess finally ac5f3848d7 stopped and ba8367463b looked up 2bb4a8a9cd at him. His face was be4f9d48ad flushed with visible 1b903ac213 confusion—red as a b30f078027 budding flower.32022de93c91cc59

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Gio stopped walking and 515d59b25b looked up at the fc3b3169a0 Grand Duke. Was it really 4546c6aaf7 okay for him 10cead2c64 to say something 36b05a22f0 like that? Imprinting happens 1f573f628f during rut 9d24047555 and heat. So shouldn’t fbc7025d6d that be 6052cedceb something he eed58bc138 didn’t mention?33fa31bc8fe31caf

“Is it alright for you to tell me that?”3add975a062dfc1e

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“And why wouldn’t it be?”5fd38d1b871cb9a3

“But still…”fe6356ba87a7032b

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“What, you think I’ll devour you or something?”af62f9e7d54caf6e

The Grand ef5258be02 Duke looked ebc36b9cce down at daf913acaf Gio and 820690f503 smiled. His platinum hair gleamed 4058fe9762 under the sunlight, dazzling 561c8ac3d5 to the eye. Gio squinted and lowered 728a2943fd his head.99cc01c94d5d4ec8

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“If that’s what you want.”4c173c101fbdaf53

“Hmm… Our dear bride was ordered to imprint on me, and yet you act like you couldn’t care less?”de0267edd1b782e6

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The Grand 8507dc11e8 Duke slid cb245e503a his hand 419464b5b7 behind Gio’s 2e73758b06 waist and 8ea2155a8a pulled him c0b392ebce close. Even through the thick 39d5c9da31 coat, Gio could feel 249a6de179 the strength of his 8c4107fdef grip. The Grand Duke pressed e882610edf a kiss, then a 6cf647bed1 suctioning pull, against the add90fde46 nape of Gio’s neck.9e222fefd7a1c376

Two passing maids gasped, 2e6b95edda faces reddening. Neither Bayshark nor Gio 78f7758e1f paid them any attention.e1571e0e8c2db78a

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It did seem like 3b9f3a1eed a rut might be 1a7db0d3d0 approaching—given how touchy the 34c6b4a635 Grand Duke had become. Or maybe e8e9de785b he was ad676d53a4 still just 7875b33667 playing the 5d0cded423 part. After all, they f329fe1c7a were outside, and 4b75d023ae there were plenty d2b9614ca9 of eyes watching.c8a0a7be93d4d957

“Then… are you going to imprint?”5869a7037fc709c5

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At Gio’s question, 2275ee9e45 the Grand Duke 94e38d6a73 stared at him 2249f90f54 for a moment 97214ea15a before responding.ffccd4a3a8a63902

“Why are you talking like it’s someone else’s problem? Isn’t imprinting your mission? Shouldn’t you be showing up naked at my doorstep or something?”77db9c504081d857

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“……”577c84dfc0ad5771

Gio had 3bf5b5e203 no reply c0e063b64a for a 91da0e1104 moment. Then he slowly opened 2e0c1bbb21 his mouth.9036568479d2e62e

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“Even if I did that… would Your Grace really fall for it? And imprinting isn’t something I can force, just because I want to.”680bd1c0e660db8a

“You want me to imprint on you?”971bcdf8cf938945

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