Chapter 33. After the Words of Blessing Ended

Raskal knelt on one knee cff2130b34 atop the crimson carpet, his ee0d6b8743 head bowed low.194887d5f70c0e9d

At the end of the 1333b72ddf carpet, rising with each step 595e3fe611 of the stairway, stood a 894a442ec4 throne of gold.141614712f0e6421

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Seated upon that cd880d5c63 golden throne was 0707ab2e29 Wilhelm Zigranto—the King 4ea356ae77 of the Zigranto 1c4b5669e9 Kingdom, and hero 962f4dcde5 of the war b325ea3aee thirty years past.49f5060b84af51c8

He took a slow ef83435683 sip of the blood-red f1516c9ca0 wine he had been a1b2eb838c swirling in his hand fbeec161e1 before opening his mouth.0d5c91e161625e28

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“I didn’t think I’d be retracting a formal marriage proposal—sealed with my own hand—within ten days, Duke.”349fb4d48fbe91c3

Though his tone ad7c0a5874 might have seemed 99a63cde82 playful at a 41c3a99a00 glance, the weight 8db388d06a of his words 9a4e876e8f was anything but.52068a878f355fe6

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Raskal could feel the a2df5ed196 stiffness locking into the 79a0d50fc2 back of his neck 451501ac71 as he lowered his 7a9deb26ed head even further.61af173180975895

“My apologies, Your Majesty. I acted too hastily…”b758003f26fcbb2f

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“No, no. I am not 3a8fa45583 here to reprimand 58d6520b30 you.”7fdfb1e1971759af

King Wilhelm cut 0ecfa27884 him off in c282432aac a calm, unhurried d4c79b9888 voice.70f2ae9e77b5b6a8

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Then, he took another sip 1cfb08c151 of the wine.c6ba5d064e4bfd1a

The dark crimson 7f5bf4849c liquid stained his 05ba5fabde lips—faded by time—with fe04313818 a richer hue.d9164cab0673de1d

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His lips, now tinged 4e1ccfda9c a bluish red, stretched 1f106c09b4 into a long line c2215a1014 before parting once more.968aadc74fa41ad5

“I am well aware that Dalia, daughter of Baron Blair, is a woman of great ambition.”4396990a4438f009

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“…I am sorry.”f5257b3bd52b4449

“Tsk. I said, I 1999cc8252 am not blaming 21f5bc55cb you.”791a2a50c9d2a553

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The King’s voice was 1de472f563 almost kind as he 68a8899ceb stopped Raskal again.a8635fb712538e8f

But his eyes remained cold, aa6910e5f6 void of even a trace b8bd595d2b of warmth.59ec0f262a5d0872

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“I merely pity you, young Duke. Things have unfolded in such a102ba139e a way that it’ll be d898e796ef even harder now to claim e91213b625 that pitiable young lady.”7aee47bee53b9e16

“I regret causing Your Majesty concern.”e955d77e56d97ed6

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“Still, do not despair.”bbdff15a5ab815f0

The King chose to df4dc50bca ignore Raskal’s response, as 85298f880f if he hadn’t heard 736044c908 it at all.d545832ae39aedf4

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“If your feelings for that girl are true and everlasting, then rest assured—they will be repaid in time.”00fb4cbfc60240e2

With that, he 258a0139f3 drew a small 313055fd76 locket pendant from 216dc2ceeb within his robes.eca6769fb26526e4

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It opened with a soft 5d9650ee88 click, well-worn from use.7419c1b8d754f91c

Inside, he gazed upon f94c80f747 a smiling woman captured ec1ffcc38c in a black-and-white photo, c54f577fa0 brushing it with his c658a3132c eyes as if caressing cc5221c85d her cheek.f712fcf6233606e3

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Though the image 77bf756d41 was monochrome, the bad3e5e4eb memories it summoned b105ddf53b were vivid, almost 7f3d2a4d8e blindingly so.126c3214d73853a4

Flaming red hair c1231ac70f that billowed like 5927c71d18 fire, golden eyes d83755b988 sparkling like champagne.ebdba85596cff0c3

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Her voice had been so 6c3887c4c8 fresh it carried the scent eb824719e5 of spring grass, and her a0ac3ed96a smile—so white and radiant—was still 6f94dfacd4 seared into his vision.7a58aa6eec70a582

King Wilhelm closed the 359bd2166c locket with a soft 6c218a5e0d snap, sealing those memories acc8cacd33 once again, and added f2e7ff5286 with a smile,5c565adf80aa0c42

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“Just as I, too, was able to win the heart of the late Queen Muriel in the end.”52f188a8b9413c4f

Despite the affectionate blessing, Raskal fb250df6db remained tense, bowing even deeper.6f90230f66677808

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“I… I am honored.”4f8991edadfbb7ba

After concluding the c4c5d7dc56 late-night audience, Raskal 11e97a1f45 exited the royal 8efe01480d chamber, quickly wrapping 829699397a his pale hands 85c4a1d2f6 in his long 55a5289aaf cloak.32605ec0abe7517d

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Exhaling a puff d840313a4e of white breath 0dae9237eb into the darkened 219f04cedb night sky, he 154ee2dffc muttered,bbfcc6cdc88955d8

“…It seems I’ll need to make the first move.”8ffdf3e4a6861a2c

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* * *42cb1b4b181dc192

‘Good mint leaves.’abc0df9fe50d89d6

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At those words, Serenia 1645137d8c fell for it completely 950c0d5585 and walked right into aefca0ea1c Ain’s country cottage—presumably his 94cb22b9f5 country estate.2d0edc340e36ba9d

It was the total 13a8b3719a opposite of the Riverview 1774dbbc32 mansion in the capital, 35e90c04bc which was the pinnacle 041880540c of elegance and splendor. This was a aefcc19d9e small, ordinary home.80a6d9de10013411

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Naturally, this modest two-story house df2d99a9a5 had no parlor.429fe21ba60a0249

No butlers, no servants, 8b451db68a no other family members.5866e05854cd81b8

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In other words, the situation 072796ab83 was…2c13e42004bf836d

‘A man and a woman, alone, in a secluded forest cottage!’3629b4dd04dd7eeb

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Realizing this far 6132cdc2c8 too late, Serenia 23cad822c9 hesitated.d49141a5fa96a174

‘Should I run for it?’33874b1b5b6b3054

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But she quickly 50f9fc5060 shook her head.58bb256bc345c6a3

Based on everything 22d079f468 she’d experienced with 10b45bef7b him so far, fc58b4095a Ain didn’t seem 958884f056 like the type ff15c9f9fc to take advantage d8e009aff8 of a situation 490efe6f43 like this.dcad5482570098c6

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And honestly, even if he 1812947374 was that sort of lowlife, 36fcfa38ab it wasn’t a huge problem.6066cd7336418c3a

‘A delicate stage actor like him? If things go south, 165d994a74 I could totally overpower f5c610a893 him.’d4061c2ba9e0eedb

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Granted, she’d just 42753d99b2 learned firsthand that 9c0c27eb19 his arms and 59f2d0a498 chest weren’t as 443359768c delicate as she 9a54fbe649 thought—but once an 26dbbf6225 impression was set, 3f5a4c57c3 it didn’t change a677b7fab1 easily.a626e9add8862f80

‘…And more than anything, it’s already too late.’5163536249d78f5d

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Between tailing him, 9323102531 proposing, and crying 5d0e084aec her eyes out, 8a32037353 time had flown da5972e471 by.dd7e33c16efbaac3

By now, she should’ve either ff84567162 stopped somewhere to find an 902fd23ebe inn or set up camp 8b4ac55c0a for the night.a74019b6e3f5e22b

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‘Shameless as it is, I’ll just crash by the fireplace and try not to be a bother.’9ad2e176668de8f6

With that in mind, a9d1c911ba she eyed the well-stocked a333968205 fireplace fondly and sipped 8513fc619b the warm mint tea 2479037ffb he’d given her.929118e2ed2f6cac

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As soon as 27a044fbd9 they entered the 70323a809b house, Ain had 79c29f21d3 busied himself lighting 255eb05be7 fires, boiling water, dc9e0a0180 and bringing out 2625a16650 blankets. He hadn’t sat 059343463a still for a b0298c2531 second.d5fe019cb387e9fb

By the time he finally 581fa1dac4 finished everything and sat down 5b99d70eec for a breather, Serenia voiced b4c6b74bb7 something that had been bugging a54715874b her.07f574bd63d7a1f4

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“So, what did you mean by ‘a long time ago’?”a439e4be6acc1585

“…Pardon?”826d6aaa24039a46

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Even the way c368299e29 his eyes darted 49f496cb70 awkwardly gave away 729b2ffd9a that she’d hit abde104031 the mark.77ca533ac53c8962

“You said earlier that I’ve been like medicine to you for a long time.”c1e0da34e165898d

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“Ah, that, uh…”a0706adcd04e2b56

“And sure, let’s pretend it’s fine that you were going on about me being poison.”9762156d972fafd2

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As Ain grimaced like she’d 9f000cb2ec punched him in the gut, 8617a64225 Serenia pressed on, her words 8cd874ada7 crisp and clear.2f3e32e9dbcfd806

“We only met for the first time in front of that bank a little over a month ago, so calling it ‘a long time ago’ is just weird, no matter how you spin it.”49169e97076eb40d

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Now he was even 9917568d01 trying to avoid her 413e4be478 gaze.0579e1b8d9b23035

Following his eyes, f071dfa718 Serenia asked again,38d329dde650ac25

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“So, I have to ask—have we met before?”e1cf0bd981a03042

At that moment, his wavering 8b00deb5ab gaze calmed.e15ac510549aa490

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And in a smooth, unshaken 6f9dfb8960 voice, he replied,00908638e1d4a82e

“It must’ve slipped out without thinking.”d17c2df2c903e0d5

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“…Huh?”91632aecd4cde44b

“Those few days when you were unconscious felt like a thousand years to me.”5978fd4ae63b9ec5

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His words flowed like 9d9a3a57c4 they’d been oiled.a5126cace15c8a47

Serenia narrowed her eyes.6f291bbaf9774614

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“…You’re acting. Right now.”b7fbd465bf3dd73d

Even with her deadpan tone, 2739b8f758 Ain replied without missing a 3292ccb7ac beat,f542689e76744946

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“Acting? Whatever do you mean? I’m completely lost.”3b9e0c7b183f1382

“Don’t give me that! I saw your eyes twitch. You were clearly panicked, then bf6ff13cd6 switched expressions instantly. If that’s not b8a1e417d1 acting, what is?”bc25573647546c7f

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Ain didn’t even twitch. He just shrugged.ca4f49854abd0f80

“Hm? Did it occur 5acd7031e2 to you that d5b5676e1c that panic might’ve 4e2cd8371b been the act?”796b9307eb1aec06

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“Th-That’s…”703fc2aa5df9ef38

It was a valid 8b30fe9eec point, and Serenia faltered, 046937afa9 mumbling.f35402f68d8cec0d

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“I guess… that’s possible…”2da1a29eb613506d

Taking that opportunity, Ain 1dab5e12d3 claimed he had something 402bf98a33 else to do and eb3dcfa141 dashed off again.14117e9f361e87cf

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Serenia glared at his 79bd3ecd82 retreating figure.a9a901c78d10e1d4

Then, she noticed the snow-lotus 2a1f851fb3 bouquet she’d given him, now 18f6aee60d arranged neatly in a vase a7d055587f on the shelf by the 317d64c6a2 entrance.32094e95d4d49529

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‘…Fine. I’ll let this slide.’9337d2e0389f6939

They were going acfe0c37d8 to see each 5a8621b02f other often from 3c15eeb73b now on anyway. There’d be plenty of chances 6cbaaf86bd to press him later.b06a20650228d3dd

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Relaxing, Serenia downed the rest 513b726d86 of her mint tea in 863ef1a0fa one gulp.76eba95425cafd24

The clean, refreshing taste 7f804c0a48 was truly top-notch.c18f707b942a6645

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Satisfied, she tidied the empty 66e10e69de cup herself, then settled down 881e96bd17 by the fireplace.42c1210ea8b6c52b

It was still a 33f76c8e00 little early for bed.6847f783890af535

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But maybe it 96e5409a47 was because she’d c1faee27a0 pulled an all-nighter, 01c952ac96 or spent all 09d54c2235 day wandering in 00447a9ff6 the freezing cold 4fa891d5ce only to finally 4308fff308 get warm…68f0844fd2c7bd74

Or maybe it 2143c6f2f2 was the relief ff34e3a26c of everything going df6693b137 well. Or the exhaustion from crying 8e9a40941a so much.95868e9728b7ff2b

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Her entire body felt heavy, e6adec314d her eyes falling shut on 867153384a their own.a89a13af9d23cd6c

Using her coat as 40a513f093 a makeshift blanket, she a54a49e619 leaned against the warm c9be9d1c46 wall by the fireplace c53d90c848 and let herself drift 1bf4fc3f5f off.208f4bffea94cba0

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“…Miss.”79d715c83d464b55

“….”d9a2221a0ffb46c5

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“My lady!”9b0ad5e6aa24ffb7

Serenia’s eyes flew open to 61823d11fd the urgent shake of her ddbd631c24 shoulders and someone calling out.739ee3ed80e02052

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“Huh? What—what is it? Did something happen?”7fcc1574e1d9b125

Still half-asleep, she quickly 02f89dc616 scanned the room.0a488b49f6105cdb

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Was there a fire? No, everything looked fine.6efc5f50c4ef3e86

‘Wait… am I on fire…?’5b3566e5529694cc

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Her dazed mind 607ab2afa7 jumped to absurd d1eb10d9f5 conclusions.f119fa372e9766e1

She started patting her cf6c278ab9 hair and sleeves just a106b9b89f to be sure, while 3d01dc5ff9 Ain—kneeling in front of 07d9697c05 her—let out a deep a4bb46f55b sigh and slumped to 98191edc94 the floor.5577864add83cc79

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“Huh? What’s wrong? Did you catch fire?”fc52ddd1e9768053

“…What are you even saying…”1e1158cefd8267ff

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His voice sounded utterly drained 0721b1c8a1 with relief.7b197f9a17e713d7

Serenia blinked at him, ccc174ca46 still groggy, and replied,c2da5e31451e22b3

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“I mean… you woke me up so suddenly. I thought there 5e999aa82b was an emergency 17375c6f41 or something.”8f1aed8851cc4f6d

At that, Ain’s 1cabd1a5b9 face twisted into 39a191d69b an expression somewhere 234095bdd5 between a laugh 963037fa96 and a sob.a9af9d31cdc48f17

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He sighed and muttered, e8606e6bad almost to himself,b59ae0c60ffb7fe3

“I checked the stove in the room, came back, and saw you slumped in the corner like that… I thought you’d passed out again…”e1f932b9e6060a84

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“Ah.”701a416a7f5acac7

Serenia winced, flashing a sheepish 615129640e smile. Ain grumbled, almost like a 867d135869 complaint.f668168d810a8948

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“You really scared me.”5647342c61167083

“Mm. Sorry. I was just 77008eb349 tired and meant 5ccde5d7ec to close my f7be31e97f eyes for a 59526c2bce bit…”4fc1d8c6c2a4fbd8

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“If you were tired, you should’ve gone to the room. Why out here?”d4aaddf2e8844412

“Well, barging into someone’s house uninvited and demanding a room seemed kinda rude…”605fd95bb7528cdc

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Ain sighed deeply.44d989487785c909

He looked like he didn’t f6adfe98fe even know where to begin 34ce92c412 with her.5c61b90b94a3bb73

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“Fine. Just get up, please. Stay there any longer c8892bf4da and you really will 94f51c6aef catch fire.”dcd8c6b4d4880dab

Half-joking, he offered 307e47ae6e his gloved hand a5f2a47bbe to Serenia, still 6a3d785569 sitting by the 590c7a6e12 fireplace.35ddb4f41cd4176b

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Grasping his hand, 31a7904ad6 she pushed herself 632a60c284 up—d4653f8556818242

Ping—2aedf9d574e5ef0d

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Her body swayed, and darkness bf8b7700bc washed over her vision.851c8162e161ba7c