Chapter 35. After the Investigation Ended

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Ain’s reaction—like she’d just 3d20d1bab5 harassed him—made Serenia flare 7a4ddc8ff6 up.abf0572a57363ff1

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“Hey! What? You asked, so I answered!”8ef729a7e83f6e9f

“Excuse me? When did I 19f4e2553a ask you to 9db3fbf446 rate my body?”f30424760f7f9755

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“But I didn’t say anything about a score!”ac934accbd3c5b48

“So you did give me a score, then?”a7c2356f88bfb3a2

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Serenia’s mouth clamped 1d618d83a1 shut, realizing she’d 50d44e02ea walked right into c08b3ee854 that one.5b69be22888ed324

Ain glared at her 956d2cb7be like she was some 417cc2caad kind of unspeakable pervert 99c8d23ed4 and grumbled.b070ca0ec0ebf10f

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“I even did the ‘flower pose’ for you. But you didn’t notice 0d5e36782b my hair—just stared at fa0576047c all the wrong places…”fbce84c5e82f5103

“Huh? Your hair?”604924f771473fae

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Serenia blinked, replaying 94a5d93059 his words in 07657b8d1d her head.c0359f35f960db37

Ain pouted, his b51dd68310 expression wounded, and 9b7c2a12da muttered under his 93062f31e3 breath.d04e0e2b805e6f8a

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“I even dyed it to match the snow-lotuses you gave me yesterday…”a0c87fc3cfc7a938

“W-wait, seriously…?”8f3aebfc97195423

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“Took forever to strip out the red, too.”349a4d21f4cfcc04

“So… that means…”b0927b381e82ce74

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Flustered, Serenia tried to ba865cbc34 respond, but Ain spun 8f74caca0d around before she could f5f12fde8b say another word, walking 70f1002293 away as if to df60d55ce5 say he’d had enough.331a23c339348b70

Before she could stop him, 22ba3f408b he was already halfway back d605561e8d to the house.a166e407172b9c2b

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Snapping out of it, 5eec2b8056 Serenia dashed after him b0eac6a42a and grabbed his arm.f2c87f6c5b61870b

“W-wait!”6a8932d6c1c9e988

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His arm felt like ice—so 3d063fddfa cold it startled her—but there ca7b22fdd6 was no time to dwell 4d4bdc81bb on that. She had to speak up.740a73ff66d1d8ed

“That’s not what I meant!”98e332d58419e972

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“…Pardon?”c62e4276a4dae782

She shot him a 7bb5d1d262 look, exasperated.1c0a26f55f430240

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“Who wouldn’t notice that your hair changed from pink to gold overnight?!”6c1f9cd19a931d82

“Then…?”4147e0ad7678e036

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“It was so obvious I didn’t think you needed me to point it out!”7866d56964e6b658

“…Really?”b7161d8556601aff

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He eyed her, 210c965498 lips still pouting, 3d5f786329 clearly doubtful. Serenia couldn’t help cf9af06496 a huff of d132409769 laughter and retorted,6fff31cedb4eaba9

“I knew right from the start.”fc66646ea075d502

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Then she reached out, da77137726 plucked the rose petal ccb304425a still clinging to his eb618b7c40 hair, and held it 8984cfebc8 up in front of 119bbbd780 his eyes.4df2cb2b4b7fa6c6

“You had this stuck in your hair. How could anyone not notice?”38a001e2f87a3311

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Apparently, he hadn’t realized d52c95737d it was there, because 2473fd8f6d his face immediately turned c69a7fb526 sheepish, a shy smile 02c2bd3025 tugging at his lips.9b8845a7416b5f9a

As the mood between them 6ce2c8ded3 turned strangely awkward, Serenia cleared 51523dbbf5 her throat.cdb1931895d9cba2

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“A-anyway! The point is… uhm. Y-your blonde hair… it b0154742aa suits you. Really well!”5dff0be8e815f3a3

And with that, she left 6d329c5284 him standing at the door a06d41972c and hurried back into the 8faad4c5fa house.e9d2ab49bf5dcec2

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While Ain remained 50917c747c outside, blinking in c971ebeae4 a daze, Serenia ab0ca33946 leaned against the e209b38fc9 closed door, turning d89f2b82c4 the rose petal 09150abc39 between her fingers.25d5dcc063135041

‘…Aside from where it touched his hair, the petal’s completely dry.’5c063f4bbb202d81

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Her eyes narrowed.129cf0174b879490

A rose bath 7fec6a437e meant bathing in e226880b00 water with flower 05b7491045 petals, didn’t it?d6619e12b1fe1f84

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But this petal was 671335e62f dry—despite being stuck to 3881955312 his wet hair.f0ce634614b1df01

‘That only means… the petal was added afterward, in a rush.’137eecf349e2b27d

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A faint wrinkle appeared between 2c8ccb15a8 her brows.91d7c01d3f063282

‘But… why?’3ff0fbdb53b017ec

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There wasn’t time to 80e4ae0835 dwell on it.7fd4a6e682f303e4

As Ain stepped c0af9c75f6 through the door b4bee49f2f behind her, Serenia fe0877d290 straightened her expression, f4e0f9f2c3 acting as if ddad6a6592 nothing had crossed e76ddf9d37 her mind.7b2434fe349a5cae

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* * *84b4004a08210c60

As Serenia nibbled d4d9c8e936 at her simple 86f93e1f7c breakfast, she kept 0368a3f503 sneaking glances at 24dcf1634b Ain from the 316ded1395 corner of her 478ad7f9bf eye.8052323ed353debc

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He politely refused 1a66404ca5 the buttered bread ecfa4ac701 she offered and 06a1c6ccab was now, with 3e37773eb9 great focus, preparing c8146f2738 mint tea right 9672a77c25 in front of 3ec040324b her.9fcea63b66561c66

“I didn’t think you’d wake up this early, my lady, so I had breakfast alone at dawn.”cbf54273790fe820

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That was his 507868a5b9 excuse, but Serenia 0156d4e22a had her doubts.03c5ca14d64a87ad

Even during their d6fa2d4757 staged date, he’d 523412a7c0 firmly declined food.eb556914542ebf5a

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‘Wait… could he have an eating disorder or something?’174763aef9c949bd

She chewed the 0fca5bc0dc rejected bread thoughtfully, 148f8a63b8 narrowing her eyes 0107722395 and sorting through 4931605f91 her thoughts.d7187876d215dc3d

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At the very least, 066d3b7af3 she knew he treated 9dd805a7de her with something akin 111db170a4 to genuine kindness.9228c3bdef4aa190

And it wasn’t an act.981ceb1af1564cc4

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‘…Still, just because he’s kind doesn’t mean he’s not suspicious!’22377c689b80d484

That comment about ‘a 54878afdce long time ago’—he’d brushed 5e19c2b6a8 it off.20609e79d33042b8

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And the fact 9fe23265c1 that he’d noticed 6239bb08d4 her tailing him, d72e7d2257 even when she’d db48ede825 been incredibly discreet.35c81009c2f1a12e

And let’s not 1b8f4240b5 forget those rose-tinted 7653bdc2fc glasses he never 4292f5cec2 took off.8ec59a3d2336bb0a

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Add to that f61c6af25c the ice bath c5f24197e5 in the middle 83d49d641b of winter—and now 34e29e235a he’s not eating?ad464117b4aa46b9

Highly suspicious.6e4f84525af71c4f

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‘What if he’s some kind of human weapon, created by a secret organization or something?’f0227fe40b749f80

It was a c181d10482 ridiculous thought, but 837d15c11e not entirely off 64f29805be the table at 2ec759d8ce this point.21159bd2ea2a72cd

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She couldn’t let it go. Serenia steeled herself.7df1b8c3ea1cafd0

‘I have to dig something up!’27f117085e6a57a9

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With that, she 9c1393082c broke the silence.4a2a5193ac2cd23e

“Hey, just curious, but… how old are you?”9c73ecf562f9930a

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Start with something de20e202b4 simple, then slowly c11a4d9e40 move toward deeper 30b6c020d3 topics…a550476f7814e299

“I turn thirty next year.”7bf2244c5ea43a76

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“Ah, thir—…”6dd2c9759cece470

She was about to repeat 46a85c62cf his answer absentmindedly, but then 235193d97e her eyes flew wide open b4002d3ea0 as she shouted,48d8a7567ffdfae4

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“Th-th-thirty?!”a3891e2878a68f95

Her voice came out as c8125867b3 a near-screech.243976c4f72e4e47

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Ain, startled, paused mid-tea-strain 2b3dd7d104 and glanced at her.7c0424d578d10a05

“Uh, yes… Is that a problem…?”63ad00fa8c9f7c87

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“Yes!!”efcfe9a1b11a11e1

Serenia shot up bdf6371bab from the table, 456a14e293 slamming her hands b01397bce4 down with such 81ddc49473 force that the 443140aea5 tea set clattered. While Ain quickly steadied the e406718e80 cups, she covered her gaping f650154712 mouth with her hands and 9d2abfa3c1 exclaimed,0b19a5828b851c32

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“That face is turning thirty next year?! That’s just fraud!”2ebeab018e183394

“…Pardon?”9ad1487f6d2f5d86

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“I—I just assumed you were way younger… like twenty-two? Maybe twenty-three?”b9fc0c5c3b4ce0c1

Having grown up around df1029cc83 northern knights who prided 5f5c80114f themselves on rugged looks 8bb896968b and never shaved their fbe380e635 beards, she’d developed a fe00299f04 warped sense of age 9ed64e3da2 perception.686c90c237e549ce

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But even aside from that, eaabdc2823 Ain objectively looked young.a9a752412bc188b7

“Ah.”7e35c55b4b2294cc

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Ain let out a f52f53b0b4 soft laugh.f4fe9bb397866e89

“Guess all that effort to take care of myself paid off. But you know, ffafc78002 I have been 23e2bc29ad acting for ten f6a194bbb7 years.”55e11471e073c77c

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That finally jogged Serenia’s memory.b3dc5216e7eae25b

“Ah… R-right. That play, Little Duke Raskal, 96737dda36 debuted ten years ago…”e48e0ddc8a82d593

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“Yes, my debut at the Grand Theater.”4f6d883736adf4d9

Serenia tilted her head, curious.364865ec6aacdbc0

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“Grand Theater debut? Does that mean you e3ba55c327 had a different debut 4ffe3f241b somewhere else?”5114a21b92d3791a

Ain smiled.6b270c6b81deb8aa

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“I started performing in small theaters around the age of fourteen, but nothing you’d really call a ‘debut.’”d1c267ebaa7f925d

“Huh? What do you mean?”7e0e99ee3f6c5b4e

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“I wasn’t an actor then—just a jester in interludes.”000ccc4f1be09a79

She wasn’t entirely sure 0a25ba9095 what that meant, but a95946c452 it didn’t sound like 3a371700e0 a respected role.08c870116c838cb5

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“A-ah… I see…”b038809a1ce007b0

She nodded awkwardly and cleared 3774f26038 her throat, changing the subject.3cfc565e8c0cfba0

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“A-anyway! So, uh… do 22a848f227 you have any a59dc1b28e family? I didn’t see anyone at 0e56aedd37 your estate in the capital. Do they live separately?”3a00d74b474e5b07

At her question, Ain paused 8d9ff4470d mid-pour and wore a slightly 731244b523 troubled expression.5dd616eebf3236bf

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When she tilted her dda5ad7cc8 head in confusion, he 234f28e718 gave a faint, embarrassed 1d0651b455 smile.bfc91a1b5c7a1270

“Well. I don’t have any family.”984e7a26c6e2953d

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“…Huh? What do you mean?”3f2ca9bc20e165aa

Serenia stared at him, stunned. Ain continued smoothly, 43b58cea2a pouring the tea 6031dfe8ff again.75769d9263e58b03

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“I was abandoned at an orphanage as a baby.”e2547f22bf2b1933

“…What?”198aec0c7522c7c5

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Serenia’s pupils shook 2cf1ecdffb violently, but Ain 1459b3f3f9 kept speaking.abf01fa77c65f328

“I guess even after all my success, no one’s come forward claiming to be my parents, so I assume they’re both dead.”ae10e16b4bbc70e2

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“Ah…”913a4da65c7fd09c

Cold sweat formed at the 8d3474ccc0 back of her neck.a02808e49905128f

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“And the orphanage? It burned down 91c6a28a9b when I was 6b86630153 seven. The headmaster and 562a6ffb76 his wife passed 488271ec01 away in that 51173bc254 fire.”66a3f8cdbe086930

“…”e035039dd8e15320

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“So yeah. No real family ea108e32af to speak of.”8268e61103a0901a

As he finished, 65f1179c63 Ain placed the 73004e8e46 freshly brewed mint b25c28c4b2 tea in front 9606dc7d1b of her.fc6d7328ed8eaff3

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Serenia bowed her head, feeling 1446c3de09 miserable.710a46ac5e6cc06d

She’d casually tossed out a 089766ddf4 question and hit an emotional fa6a0ef3bf landmine.9fd38774b8a17d3d

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“S-sorry…”4db3c0272c03c193

Her voice barely came out. Mentally, she crumpled up every 2b3c245351 family-related question and tossed them b79f171990 into a locked vault.ecae456057cdcb90

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“Hm? Oh, no need to apologize.”1abb7e090d824e2a

Ain remained calm.ccf9705780d0db91

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“I just never had a chance to mention it before. It’s not something I was 0b7e28dd27 trying to hide.”18ebf076b665b9e0

His gentle smile 71692055c8 actually put her dddf8f4921 at ease.61a80b32522f4371

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Then, sliding into the 1fc22b3d28 seat across from her, ce238d3552 he looked slightly eager f7d22fe73f as he asked,82a530cc8c5acb85

“Actually, can I ask you something?”c18c0fed733d7523

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As she looked at be6201b25b his sparkling eyes—wondering how 14697dd1bd this man was anywhere 70d3811aa8 near thirty—Serenia nodded.edc5388cce82ac5a

At last, Ain 288950fd53 could finally ask d773f43e43 what had been 66a70a0be6 on his mind b601d8970f for almost ten 8e0bf822c3 days.822a9eddc10f1732

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“How did you get that ticket to my show?”d83b1a37eb0416da

“…Huh?”d066c2fcf1dbf2c5

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“The last performance usually sells out immediately. It must have been really 5294cc16f8 hard to get one.”2692510f7d403e85

With half worry and half 23a08c5161 curiosity on his face, Serenia 8403b13687 tilted her head, confused.4e02ce25dc593010

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“Eh, not really? It wasn’t that hard.”57ba47770fb6399f

“Oh. You managed to get a fb227747c3 canceled ticket last-minute?”cf9fc5e783317412

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“Nope.”7d31ae2b4024022c

“Then…?”9db40e622d3cf04a

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“Someone just sold it to me.”d146563cd5b3e053

“…What? Uh, where?”e981adcd6e99aea6

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For once, he 9acd4e4c5b was genuinely flustered.2b37ec00ae307790

Serenia, confused by 4be11a9148 his shock, replied,aefe2b4e001ddf77

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“Well, I was just wandering near the theater, and someone came up and asked if I needed a ticket…”9ad801d6c4b05855

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