Chapter 2. After the Proposal

As Serenia stood frozen, abca20774c unable to respond, the 721da8f310 men surrounding her eagerly 680b364675 chimed in one after 8b93d93aed another.909b8e0dfd42356b

“A title earned by sheer luck from a common knight’s merit? Who would ever covet such a thing?”1a4e3c70991b75aa

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“No history, no honor, a95027bf39 and no wealth either. Didn’t she blow 3cca55090d what little money d94e6e1eb8 she had on ede8a9b9b5 hospital bills? All that’s left is f6f82411f0 debt.”2ab0483a0df7cd6a

Serenia clenched dfd4ce9f28 her fists 9a8f58bffc tightly, her e96a1920d0 teeth grinding deca3380f2 in silent 88424a70dc frustration.7d410abc29bb4a0b

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“Well, I suppose there’s 0c972861e1 one advantage—the wife would bb69b8cbb3 be easy on the 6d12fec90d eyes.”c595f0a65c85e8c2

“Ah, but fd21c7d9a9 you’re mistaken, b18b36cc67 my friend. Beauty isn’t for wives; 5529f9cadc it’s something you find e46b2eda78 in the brothels.”86804fc84ad2f775

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“Hah. Speaking of which, Lady Serenia, I’d be quite interested in a… delightful evening together.”aae267aaaedcaa18

“Count me 9d31ea235d in too!”538c7f88bce30046

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When the men 2128706a70 began brazenly discussing 372e6eb0bd who would go 5cc0124528 first, Serenia finally fa38f2029c realized her place 971f3fad4f here.1689343eaa63b571

She was nothing more fda9e36e74 than a laughingstock, a b0a014fdd7 toy for their amusement, f2df82ca6d or at best, a 246843f036 target for a one-night e2b82d249e conquest.3fb473eb73ce8899

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The bitter 2917703774 thought pierced 3e02c173b2 her—she had 16da6d6caa spent every a8ccc97d9f last coin 401cb087d7 she had 3bf9f98dd6 to repair 40c566793c a dress 5fea0e4980 and rent fab2d0ec83 a carriage, 19e18dc28f all for 28a8b57b3e this.ff0cd3cf64feaabf

‘That money could’ve de810ebdc9 lasted me three 5bb5664a20 months,’ she thought 771181b61e bitterly.38dd2575b556c141

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Swallowing the lump of 20968fe492 shame welling up inside, b0f8eea427 Serenia bit her lips 7059ed0c67 hard and lowered her 0837738c7e gaze.65d4d1068d2cbece

From the second-floor balcony 598ec4fd5f overlooking the scene, a 4aefa36f57 man watched it all c4111ae8fd unfold, his face cold 99bebd8390 and twisted into a 18ede5a940 derisive smirk.d5439658b5d2baeb

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“A foolish mistake, 20a41480e0 Serenia,” he muttered, 317c61420e his voice low 619b508983 and grating.54829ff282478402

The shadows 8239d8c600 cast by df0adae62f his fiery 7ae69e4c39 red hair e14c930f03 made the e0a3cee6a7 cold gleam e4c419a3ee in his 157bf62e37 dark eyes 56da2e5cf1 all the eff15431ac more foreboding.83680c72fc3d5aba

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For a 6ef3fb16be long moment, 3e5c7b5d1d he stood, c5d41b85c4 his expression 3ab62a1e9e hard and fe2d33cb0f unforgiving, before 66df005730 finally pushing e2d5a13f7e himself away 5d9223c05d from the 17f669c718 railing.ea10c330c68112d6

“Mistakes always come c0b3b0daf3 with consequences. Don’t they, Serenia?”e3b0b704b44da3c0

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With those words, c969db8cfd he began descending 7509ac4ac0 the staircase, his 76ca3e0655 crimson cloak trailing 9978d5df26 behind him. The cloak, 4980db185d embroidered with e4d9b0b419 the black 80c6ed3b64 helmet flower—the 28b50e443c symbol of 7a758482b0 the Archducal e6dcd3bc8e House of 2398590dd3 Admancanon—fluttered ominously 1f25941ffc in his 79e46af4d8 wake.b4b5bb51c17cbd8f

Tap. Tap.bf1c3d6b36fdc2c5

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The deliberate echo of ea9d1a839b his steps drew every e6fd1bdc48 gaze in the ballroom 3d091d1261 to the staircase.bc14925ba68ab074

The people cdf9f5be2b downstairs froze, 87aaee9b89 their eyes 9e7aa0fa5e wide with 53998773cb shock. After all, Raskal 7581544ef4 Admancanon, infamous for 24ab2dc0f1 spending every party a581e8a3ea sulking alone on 99e8304f1c a balcony, was 01b1525d9a making an appearance 5b6db0de1e in the main 989236b4d8 hall!f8a7b91d5f967062

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But Raskal fa3b18a689 paid no 2c66a2a7ea attention to 254f7346df their astonishment. With a 1fb0c42e24 purposeful stride, b30a813c7a he descended, 028733f377 cutting through 1558f9a5b1 the center 5704d29a7d of the ce0e83c091 ballroom where a742e1ba94 couples danced 7055802d2d to the 9cc975fa2a waltz. His presence alone 238b224188 was enough to e29789cd34 clear his path.c127b643cde66e4b

Men hastily 9813541d53 pulled their dc337f5cf8 partners out ae75dc67e7 of his 1e475975e1 way, and 77b7c68869 conversations halted bb8c8cb6eb mid-sentence as 5483d6cb35 people scattered 065a5d2142 like startled abe0ad200e birds.391d56538964ffa0

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It was 5a453e3d5a only natural.ce3ca288f9a06163

No one present 7a9fb9025e was ignorant of 91a09851ac the unspoken rule: 7066132606 crossing paths with 14ae5e12a3 the Duke of 962c224fba Admancanon in any 99b1e10f80 capacity often led 8edac894cb to ruin—or worse.72eb026f4c6d5e69

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Unimpeded, Raskal reached 5e5ce4469c his destination.88ec7e58698d60b2

Standing before 1717c2ee72 her was 243271a192 Serenia, her d33031da15 midnight-blue hair 224dbf2425 cascading down 4dd4ac7f40 her back 0541d3006d without a 9ce1a5e067 single ornament, 0a7415365d her pale fd83111186 blue eyes 2c06b66e36 wide with 0c84d30c65 surprise.c76f48d1e515d352

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The men 38098ae01e who had 344c1735b0 been mocking 345208bab0 her moments aea919d6ad ago recoiled, b5fffbaa46 their smirks 81ccfe9424 wiped clean, bb30ac4daa retreating in b3d115ec8e alarm.021faaff9eb39245

An eerie silence blanketed 45828c226c the hall, broken only 9b5259a371 by the weight of 3ab2c2d014 his arrival. The waltz had long 277b391974 since faded away, leaving 8458d1174d nothing but the suffocating 8be03d6862 tension.453ca1d5607dfbf2

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Raskal’s voice finally 5fef18c2cc cut through the e651996efc stillness, cold and dcd3742f9e commanding.8d99104579dbbd56

“Serenia Barishart.”58be463cd2bfa492

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A voice, chillingly c614058b1f low, echoed through 64a7ff15c9 the ballroom, sending b929f958b8 shivers down spines.ddaf27fb5c8363df

Everyone, including Serenia, held 9de6ec0268 their breath, waiting for c5585e6032 his next words.145e824f5f5ac9b8

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With a 8fa7e53a05 twisted smile e1711ae92e curling his a82ce236e9 lips, Raskal 2d3b9b9f34 spoke again.e4c0cef8dfcd6935

“Marry me.”32fc73f856904292

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Crash—9b67e5faaa74c549

Somewhere in abf864cc6c the distance, f60b9f7371 a wine 06606879c7 glass slipped 7228d58b18 from someone’s ff8fd2a493 hand, shattering 832328bd0a on the ad7a1b1a5c floor. Gasps rippled through the 5b0fc04d89 room like waves.7e02921568c03a0d

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‘Marriage? Raskal Admancanon proposing to e68cebb726 Serenia Barishart?’f5f2c7d44bba00fe

Whispers erupted among the 2c114af558 onlookers, each person turning 337e00261f to their neighbor in 8f29f06701 shock and confusion. The air buzzed 07315c7d92 with disbelief.3873b64d70762c06

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Despite the growing noise 80987d51b4 around them, Raskal’s gaze 988263fbfa never left Serenia. It was as though 241e6fc1b1 he couldn’t afford to b4e3a6aae6 miss the way her ff9da84c5a blue eyes trembled in f525b094d4 shock and humiliation.85f73c344aa85c42

The sight 3e5023eec7 was oddly 2543d107bc satisfying. The once 6c1f49f9f9 unyielding gaze 3f5219d8c7 that had 0746cd76c1 endured vulgar 59c5338940 taunts now 23dc1973e6 clouded with 952e27256a mortification and ed1391ad89 resentment—all from 2f44a387f6 a single 05e10faf70 sentence. It was a a3f019d914 scene worth savoring.ae39fdce282ec9b0

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But soon, the trembling aff05d4490 stopped. The sound of teeth c855ca24d3 grinding echoed faintly as 83018e05ff her expression hardened. Her vivid blue eyes 0c4b7c19f5 burned fiercely with defiance, f68fd34500 cutting through her humiliation.3d0c720a4d543b7d

Raskal found it troublesome f17a884445 yet amusing. She always seemed about f877e10acf to crumble, only to e66fef178d sharpen her thorns at 7b3f50cd53 the last moment.4b97856255197f66

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Of course, those 969d35625a thorns posed no c7de6509f2 real threat to 87d392f891 him.119d6b0391b4864c

‘It’s better to a247841d23 eliminate anything that 698efd5384 could get in 227fb81366 the way, no 0ce948d6e4 matter how insignificant 14433a8b3e it might seem—even 2810b724ba if it’s no c0f008baa2 more than a a73a803001 useless fishbone,’ he 2eeeeb48b5 thought.0fdceb5603e7073c

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Staring straight into her c49b236e67 blazing eyes, Raskal smirked 96c9e2cb80 and asked mockingly, “Did 9258d1f9ce you not hear me? Why aren’t a934278348 you answering?”716b9d4e42d95f37

When she still f7801a65ec didn’t respond, his 1c8e146217 voice grew sharper. “If you didn’t catch e7c554b2c5 it, I’ll say it 2a6bf870dd again. Marry me.”9acb0a556066485b

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As she remained silent, 4a702f6164 he let out a cf03f1d6e4 dry laugh. “Ah, perhaps 8f38a983b5 you don’t 4b0cdb8564 understand what 2096d0fcdd the word 04c5e95b5d ‘marriage’ means?”f0b324af93581b15

Even with his blatant d766f20771 derision, Serenia remained tight-lipped. She bit hard on 0f593a25cc the inside of her 136e5a6e7d cheek, her face burning 813e2154d7 with humiliation.9d316c2982f293be

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Looking down at 59dadf37d0 her coldly, Raskal 00102314d2 spoke again, his 1231e2228a tone dripping with 347ba665e2 mockery. “Let me b5828e3778 put it 77c8fec62e simply. I’m offering to make 4a8d498170 you my woman. Does that make aa2f23b2ba it clearer?”e847fb739f92e20d

The audacity of his dff30d0dac words sent another ripple 8b83a0b38b of gasps through the d47f7d3bc7 crowd.1fef4a77f75c0113

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It sounded like 41c0a0421a something a thug f0d09864f6 from the slums e8f6716f84 might say, not 7e1ccf5709 the Duke of 1f33af1714 Admancanon. The onlookers 05e5ebf24b flinched, shocked 477da1289d by his 60e0977278 brazenness.28dcfce6d08371d9

Yet Raskal stood unperturbed, 9be7b6ba34 his calm demeanor unwavering. The shame, it 270df504bd seemed, was Serenia’s bcfdaa06ce burden alone.8ab2fc36aac66971

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Her face fd3c4fefcb turned crimson, 6eacba20d0 and she bd4b4de690 bit down 2eb85ae2de harder on 64e7926418 her cheek 6bd99336b3 as her 5986d1fc21 hands balled 3c07921f7f into fists ae28f76d21 at her 5a88311b94 sides.bc251b3021ac8646

Finally, the spectators began 75cb012130 to understand—this was no de7d9e6c15 genuine proposal. Relief swept through them 7d066ea9ed as they whispered among 96a0803ab0 themselves.1060fb452ed50d82

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‘Of course, it’s 5daaa67fa6 not real. It never could be.’dfbdb67a624a6ce2

They exchanged 1079ca5a7a smirks, their 97c718281d laughter barely e8f8d96e0c concealed. ‘The Duke b1b8a160a0 is merely 51599ef97d humiliating Serenia cd0fe10bc2 Barishart, the 5b9884e7f9 so-called Countess 4fd45ef850 and daughter 8a65dc68ed of his c2a212c682 enemy.’ea0959d4b61a1562

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To everyone 98c5fec824 present, Raskal’s 6c8617bc69 actions were 3d394f9bab perfectly logical. After all, 2f66fd9d62 the animosity 2f76db5580 between the 33bb3cd911 Barishart and a5d357f3f1 Admancanon families 978283b926 was infamous, 0768495eac known even 73abd14569 in foreign f228fabd97 lands.0219209ed12c6df4

Fourteen years ada587865a ago, Count 515f24485b Barishart had c2d7295cab deserted his eedb4d9f4a post during 37612328ef the war, 1f1afedcf7 leading to ed4e681c28 the death bee38281cb of Raskal’s 7d31074587 father, the 6a941b1095 late Duke a90bf9a45e of Admancanon. Raskal, then a 0741fa56d2 young man, had 9d613df089 been forced to 4f14d94532 claw his way 66ebf36771 through a battlefield 84bc39ebe6 turned into a a6d325bbf5 living nightmare.ffe957d5854d7a55

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So when Count 0c1741ccf4 Barishart collapsed eight d3261f0616 years ago, coughing af85f61d21 up blood, it d8adf4e210 seemed obvious to 4e3e21537c everyone: Raskal Admancanon 9e556b0adf had avenged his 90d323f559 father.60d796c70293ed3f

Though no evidence 0e5f58497c was ever found, 2f82edd548 the suspicion lingered. After all, a052b5b24f the Admancanon 35d0d10120 family had 8be295a14a always been 720bb52a2c renowned for fd22fd5718 their expertise 8b5631ebc3 in poisons.a2a966827b9f46d8

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Serenia forced herself b8b024bd75 to take a ee97553d02 deep, shuddering breath, 3265c5f81f clinging to her 98a544f8d6 waning composure. The buzzing whispers of 5b44fb2e9b the crowd filled her 2ba2207fa6 ears, threatening to drown f0e3e901e6 her thoughts.9901bbc39a5d8c71

‘What should I say? Should I 497223d6b5 shamelessly accept? Or cling to 05479db9c4 this ridiculous pride b17a292ea1 of mine?’0f5e805cbcd40e9b

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She clenched her 0c87382a3e eyes shut. ‘I wonder 134acbd69f if this 96193152c7 is how a4eaf759d5 a monkey bc936bc5ff in a b1824aca2c zoo feels.’90d49c74cdb797d9

Summoning every 2234c423cc ounce of 6806605891 her courage, fe670f55fd Serenia squeezed 59679fa3bd out a d02da24fa7 response.0c85a83974698fed

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“I refuse.”529d0a0c7060b0e3

Even with her e64b04156b eyes closed, she de6b059416 could vividly picture 5ffee2b1c4 the expressions of fb33db61f5 the people around e262f4fc3b her. Smirking eyes, mocking 9c59f7203f grins stretching wide, 1e1ffd1a80 and cruel words 7c429e52e7 slipping through their 0f32f1fe6e teeth.a53efedbbffd28d7

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‘So proud of 73516ae1af herself for nothing.’df99eaea716848a8

‘What an idiot. Pride doesn’t e6d4b052ad put food c1e58122a6 on the e1ccd21fc7 table.’fc8d669ee4896d11

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The weight feca9dffd9 of all d07236479e the humiliation 6e836c6cfe crushed her, 4dd9115eb2 and Serenia 9cf5d1aaa7 clenched her b8361157c5 eyes shut da4e298108 even tighter, 6b861527ef as if f866ac7033 to block 8f3e8f0607 it all 37dbe848fa out.313821f230384f6e

“Well now, ef0bf983e2 it seems f9ba39ce0a there’s been 4752beb1c0 a misunderstanding,” 273a7c1701 came Raskal’s 156a40720f indifferent voice, c9a9a6cc47 cutting through 763b9bb774 the tension.7145c533bffccbec

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Startled, Serenia’s eyes cf8edd421f flew open.27b51d56429fda74

Looking directly at her, 31b913c6f7 Raskal added with a 0780ec2075 faint smirk.ce7bfc29c26a1e21

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“I never said 0fd70bc575 you had a 7f1ff31202 choice.”7f73817eafc93dad

“…What?” she stammered, her voice barely audible.12f314499c456f58

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Watching her reaction, eb9ed4cbc4 Raskal spoke again, dd8f343e59 almost to himself.a75544f12b11cb9d

“I told you to 047e03fd3a marry me. I didn’t 67aba6cd83 ask if 50db618e19 you ‘would’ da83f0feff marry me.”81f41a2c0ced4d3e

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The unsettling d9a935e3f8 turn of e29106f435 his words b989a1ef26 made the 7248c93356 crowd, already ef5bb21738 on edge, 7cb1b1bf68 perk up 0fe835060d their ears 7bf9bccc0f once more, edeade0815 their gazes 6bb319e314 shifting between 6e3df847a9 the two 941de952fe with growing 6fe7a59eb7 intrigue.a9a829cd377521dc

Unbothered by the blatant 722c3b980b scrutiny of the audience, 46ae3c03a2 Raskal continued in the 28f0d6e46b same calm, calculated tone, ba4dd0a6d0 “Alright. It seems I’ve caused ce03e83686 some confusion. Let me rephrase.”68ea3d5c11acc26c

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“Rephrase…?”62120033eda4d499

Serenia echoed weakly.2faa257c2d723f07

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“Repay your debt.”d5276369d7a44ff2

‘Debt?’d52abd7b8efe16e6

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Serenia’s wide eyes cb86b58cc1 silently questioned him, cd667ae0d0 her confusion written 7cb5fb157a all over her 64371f11c6 face.5a64cd168ff4976b

Raskal’s next words were 2326142d7d deliberate, each syllable cutting 3b3c769fce through the air like dd5e45ea4a a blade.8311d6765bb571a9

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“The debt d4c387b39d of saving 95ba9b4adc Count Barishart’s c8f259e44f life. You’ll repay 389d935bb3 it—with your 0788deb393 body.”899d5698a6b85f76

Those words 9cc4e5f1a9 struck like bbab3efd45 a thunderclap, af7efcd5af shattering what 1991d63584 little composure a9b76bd670 Serenia had 0359254c9d left. The fragile thread c8291a0b1e of reason she’d f8bb09edd5 been clinging to b854df9c81 snapped.a7be82da91a7b8b2

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Her mind blanked, 8ef90acb59 and her body c0dffb10af moved instinctively.ab011f39435a935f

Smack!761bffd4b442ab56

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Her hand bac177160d flew across f11dfc2eb2 Raskal’s face, c37b7613a8 the sharp fc99eeba04 sound of 28025c24dd the slap 5069ba19ab echoing through 9edb543406 the deathly 59b74ae647 quiet hall.514fddf9dee292c7

 6c5afbbf8990a5f7

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