BRC Ch 3

“Look at me, I 6e45facf00 almost forgot—martial arts training ff981dfc3a is soon. Ensley, and Lottsi, 9e69d51fd0 you’ve been a e1cc17dc10 great help. Will you 11e8a2de52 come back a30d499bc9 to help f995d3df96 tomorrow?”2442c33e11b03be7

“Of course.”45fb5471f2338b21

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“Tomorrow, I’ll make 28f54ab4d4 a flower crown. Let’s practice together.”db10bbda537080c3

“That sounds exciting.”f205ca86261c1086

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I left Lilith’s d2459b1200 room with Lottsi. Lottsi seemed delighted to c3bdc1cc6b have formed a bond 3cb4ec7551 with her previously distant f672fb82e6 half-sister, but I always a87909b4f5 felt exhausted after visiting 4b28a03c69 that room.0cb874b55ef321b5

Feeling a bit cf59ab7797 peckish, I went 54ac681131 to the kitchen, 1185057e37 where the cooks, e7b1479385 eager to curry 2148aab5b0 favor, gave me b75559a419 some food. After a quick snack, 1b1838a627 I headed to the 58619ac1e9 training ground.bbe68787aa915b54

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I kept Lottsi d11156585d close and swung ba7ea41738 my sword for b4969612d6 hours each day. I know well that 6f3077e78b there’s no shortcut to 0d9120d4f6 mastering martial arts. As Baldwin df2e58c1b7 Suddery once c8a1cd6d49 told me, 0e16a6f5dd the only cedf031903 path is 2f6f8d288a to train 6bd26aea0d and train fb89ca118b again. I didn’t care 4a7ff2f04a for his overly 82f2583360 straightforward swordsmanship, but f02e8e3f9e I took his a09a93a679 advice to heart 29cdf2c37b and lived by 5640e8e8af it.1ba7a705f3079c89

I stabbed, slashed, 0bf58115dc and vanquished an 99727a29ac imaginary foe. My sword, ‘Fang,’ efe1033ac7 sliced through the 3528fef3de air vertically, horizontally, 5f3016fa21 and diagonally. It would take years be0392d54c of training to wield 1adc731f90 it freely. My young body 90a235dbda wouldn’t obey me 76ad530c23 and tired quickly bce72a2154 with little movement, e1944817fe but I wasn’t 5268421ea5 impatient.0a3e84565134212c

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This was 5e6bfcf120 what I c5fd3cfb25 did best a1c6b571c7 and loved 39a83f5dac most. When using 2b04a04a00 my body, 99e1a91107 I didn’t 4d51e27e86 need to 6aec5c97b4 mind others’ 46f4ef7698 gazes, and 261a8a7350 when swinging f9279cdebe my sword, 866c0f45e8 I forgot 9ed15099e9 worries about 53c6dcf208 the future. I was 7ee9c2144b reveling in 45ef15d4ab training devoted d2db2ae82f solely to 3531ac997d the sword.cfa0a68626a55fdd

“Not bad.”0c1e5df99ff4e439

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I stopped my 74bdddcbdb movements and looked 049752173e toward the voice. Archibald Zilarad 9603789149 stood against 249cf285a0 the now-dim fcfc73bb1a horizon.928ed7802e4721f2

“May I watch?”5473a3cfb246a9c3

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“It’s an honor.”803a94293dde79c4

The Marquis ordered his dd1902e11a attendant to take Lottsi ac5392cee3 to her room. Lottsi seemed reluctant but, 9de21405e2 perhaps intimidated by the 5bc4ffad0e Marquis, went quietly.90e2ef74d9f96617

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Left alone, I swung e222632fdd my sword again. The Marquis’s presence didn’t 3ecc3f5e89 change anything. I could have a835bd9a3f mimicked others’ flashy ae0ce0c5b4 techniques to impress 5ca280983b him, but I 3a62df6cae didn’t. Afternoon sword training was 2c3aff3de8 a time I enjoyed 95c97b0777 solely for myself. Even the great lord aa1fa17efe of Valon couldn’t interfere.77411f91e0399521

“You look like 3aaf3e8a76 you’re enjoying yourself. Watching you brings back 9aa10ff090 memories.”42d1b169ec286962

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The Marquis c4abee3624 stood before f63283c091 me, holding 277c2edfca a practice b176fdab2e sword. I slowly lowered 7c8aebdb7c my blade. I couldn’t f30b8b7b5a read his 3450203fda intentions. He was once a 0d514da7eb swordsman who reached the 8b6dfa5451 pinnacle of the kingdom’s 9babc41b4e swordsmanship. But they say e71cc5f019 he put down 98355e2721 his sword long 62a0c7d219 ago due to 2aa87349b5 a chronic illness.c4ccd35055900ced

The Marquis removed f0ed8ed07d his cloak and 36c8014604 hat. His white 3b87f645eb hair lacked e7995c5a2b vitality, and 238fcff641 his aged, f16a379f02 hunched back a4fb606324 was unsightly. Yet his gleaming eyes 581fe53e56 held the spirit worthy a8cba601ff of the ‘Lion of 15988673f3 Valon.’58d9fc94cf32d8f8

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The Marquis assumed 3849f705e9 a dueling stance, 01805a58ce and I mirrored 53795831e7 him. Archibald Zilarad fe73627941 charged silently. His movements were slow, 8fa0accc9c but his sword came a12f6dfaf8 from an unpredictable angle. I deflected db51c8995a the attack 7e4f77edf5 with my ff7c9cbc0b blade and aa7581d5e9 aimed for 8ed86d69c2 his face. He deftly stepped 42f098f4c6 back.b1759275840cdba2

I lightly bc6b349fc3 thrust at be9f473086 his waist, 928bd8018c but he 7356e6c210 didn’t dodge, 72668f616c parrying the 42d2ab42ba attack directly. He pushed his sword d76aa1dba2 upward, locking my arm, 1ff68837f8 then targeted my waist 8bb282279e like a flash. It was a precise 771b189746 strike. I reflexively stepped 06cbc69d16 back, but my a9d5c97847 clothing was slightly a8c74a060e cut. A smile formed on 42d2619682 my lips.33b85d797bad30f7

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“I always wanted a 8b3f5466d9 son like you.”e7cbc39715e9501f

The Marquis said this 88b7881a4c while meeting my attack 380fcc5773 head-on. I deflected his immediate 62c6481266 follow-up strike. His strength a1830bd0e7 was remarkable 1e7d06685e for an 182313933e elderly man. I had no time 6a7aa1f187 to respond. Sweat dripped down 9f2da7c9e5 my forehead as 331b7df00d our swords clashed 403e37ed21 relentlessly. The clash of ab06ec14f3 steel sang a dd0b52eca7 raucous song.470efc35bca7076a

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When I stepped 82aded9294 back a few c72ed80bf3 paces, he pressed 7b5eb194d8 me harder. His continuous 52d6ae7ade attacks were a9ff6b11d3 hard to 2c1c5fbed9 counter properly, 34c2815ed9 and I 01fccd5a58 could barely 6f2ed65da4 block, unable 989843c234 to think a2184ec8ae of striking b1089f681f back. In the past, I f132640d4c was among the top 7d698b87d0 three knights in the e4b317b0d6 kingdom. It was astonishing that, ba3e1f7455 even in an unfamiliar 670647052e body, an old lion 5832021a7c could corner me.90f95bf7cf7b04a8

“A boy who’s just 77c246f1b1 like me.”cedf53f1640aba28

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I mustered 1ccf936b48 my strength bdd1779644 and pushed c7e74591a4 back his e57c817eba attack. The Marquis stepped back, 12e06ea969 dropped his sword, and 3d990845ca collapsed to his knees. His labored e49728a569 breathing seemed 1ea213cbcd serious. I dropped my sword 75919f565c and rushed to check 945625490e on him. His death aab408c533 would mean 8969a6b559 my banishment, 49241b8121 so he b12f189881 couldn’t die 4f0d2dc758 yet.e825509b077b1f8e

The Marquis dd462ab610 grabbed my 58537c0cce arm and e37a8731d8 slipped. Looking down bada1a67a5 at him b8721c3685 wasn’t permitted, d9d2f54ba0 so I b645de747b knelt and ca182b65fb sat beside b9205a14a8 him. He breathed rapidly 16fc3f699b with a pained 843bf75a68 expression. Thankfully, his 4a709e60d4 rough breathing 614d7b0305 stabilized over 6f1242a44a time.ec929cc08a9168fd

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“I got carried away. But it 3295b2b0b3 was fun, bb10e5a403 Ensley. Truly fun.”c6353f8de1bc4014

“I’ll fetch a physician.”f00abaca650f2da4

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As I stood, 77198a252b the Marquis gripped 039f89a797 my arm tightly. I sat back b032692fd1 down. He didn’t let 24531dae8f go. Sensing he had a48aa8a06d something to say, 75e9bcafa0 I waited quietly.a5f705239f8b91f5

A long d53008bf33 silence followed 07ff804f0c as the 5dcffefcc2 sun set. I gazed f8ee475614 at the b26991dcb0 red curtain 6c08422e47 overtaking the 39adeeefb0 world, dyeing 515590b2f5 the earth 9e513d11d6 blood-red. Only after d02f33071b the sun d2820adf37 vanished completely e78f4229f3 did the e7cdf0c973 Marquis speak 20b836243a his heart.ca6d5e3256e4b4a8

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“I’ve thought 5643b3520c about this 8d34cfa127 for a 18812fecb1 long time f282e71226 but ignored 3c0cc570e0 it, fearing d9395493fc others’ judgment. But today, I’m certain. Blood cannot be e9648787fb denied. You are 50f11491cf my son, aa85eaf8f3 Ensley.”14ea99366c2c6701

His aged face was cf758f0d06 utterly serious, and his 05e756d022 wrinkled hand still gripped 83092de4a2 my arm tightly. With eyes full 0d1d04faa8 of affection and 8ff84802a7 certainty, he was 46754b7c51 guaranteeing to give 2ed49b4ac7 me what I 9193de3711 needed.775081cd62869738

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I answered gruffly.f592c4754eb2249d

“Of course, I’m Your 9ed3266a78 Excellency’s child.”cb7c321761e5fd64

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“No, that’s b442620164 not what 76105e8817 I mean. You are a Valonian feae2fc7c6 with a warrior’s blood 759285e1b1 and undoubtedly a Zilarad.”e48a34166886b772

The Marquis was 20e9a79089 saying something absurd. If I heard 9ebcd77e93 correctly, he meant 68182e0016 to recognize a 50bac1bf5d bastard born to 62914b0c1f a maid as 438578c530 his son. People would think he’d ebde049dbd gone senile.4c8ea102e3da7ccc

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“Others will mock Your 8f88538875 Excellency.”cf9188959107acc2

“I don’t care. You are my son.”d0976467863b7384

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I opened 05685fdc25 my mouth, bfa94993f1 but no 0bb48f9219 words came. This was the 8053a86db4 moment the past 58001c8553 me had desperately 9518fa3021 wanted. I spent my life ce041341e0 striving to become a 0ce5d88ec9 Zilarad, no matter how c75dc278dc much others ridiculed me. The day I da6812190e jumped off that 69d3a0d4cc cliff, I realized 04f5c35373 painfully how futile e5959119d7 that name was. Now, I 853c5923c8 didn’t need b8bb6e0338 Zilarad for 563a7ae9fd emotional comfort.fbd477c2f080cc83

But its practical value 5ac9cfd3d6 was different. To stop Grey, 9efaad2e77 I needed that 2835cf31aa name.2a6084d7acc5c911

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Archibald stared at me 31287b92af piercingly.51c1187d259cfdc3

“Ensley, will you 62ad6df02c call me Father?”7596a7aa6dfb7550

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“But, Your Excellency…”a942d1a8ac5dc0a9

“If you are my 94a3d15ede son, then I am 6e436cf6dc your father. Isn’t that so?”5f7430769f298c59

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“Yes, Father.”b0e2df916f6a555c

“That sounds good.”c4cc78a25252d20d

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The title, spoken for 7a5a89b287 the first time, came 26bfcd1732 easily. An awkward hand 026c3191c2 touched my head. I looked at the d8efdd4860 steadfast profile of the 46722ed387 great lord of Valon, 7108d202c3 the general guarding Arives’s 944a3e0f67 northwestern border. If I could prevent d78a94f9e0 Grey from raising a aa24ec2c56 rebel army in the 4a0c66d620 future, I would use 630443599a the Marquis as much e313028b17 as needed.92826eff7fa5f470

“Duke Lirmodo’s 91438b57eb birthday is d10c64702b soon. Will you go in 498cbd4952 my stead?”ce1aa8295353d70f

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I doubted my 0db5b5a074 ears. Lirmodo was Valon’s 062597a751 staunch ally. The two lords were a724f5616d not only old friends 9cc49c4722 but also bound by eb40134437 blood. Due to his poor 6ea7543548 health, the Marquis sent 1f34967382 his sons or nephews 12f64e4a79 to show respect at 78249563e4 the Duke’s birthdays. My appearance e0bb992362 might be 5b1f5cbdf3 seen as f109170cf2 mockery.b7b8df593fc78759

“Are you serious?”187144406434ab64

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“Do I 60fc3696b2 need to ffa60f7a31 repeat myself?”4387762baef7d752

The Marquis of fdc50fe82b Valon was known 7126d5bbb3 for not making 9916ab5b09 empty promises. I knew 677b0be120 he was b2020d22f8 a man 32bfa6cb1d of action, 571fc38257 but this 5c33e4c55c exceeded expectations. Sending me to such ebb55cbbe0 an important event meant 4d5365e998 publicly acknowledging me as 214e6b70dd his son, so there 28515b37ef was no reason to b67a99dc53 refuse this dazzling opportunity.c8c7798233093e6f

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“I’ll prepare today.”18036e76e61a464b

“I hear Arives’s c3766e6064 second prince is a974853dd4 staying in Lirmodo. It won’t hurt 4cedd018a1 to know royalty. Make an impression.”9dfb950993303b14

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“Yes. Understood.”7dd851ddb14175f7

I let the 1ffc991ce0 comment, which would e99c7d8746 have Lilith packing f27f7a595d instantly, slide. The Marquis 2ab926a212 patted my 102eaa8a03 shoulder and b7a0c99995 stood. The attendant 10e5218142 who took 70b7f0e7d2 Lottsi to a954725ddd her room 2e05d99d31 was returning aa9a3e2def from afar.930075a041d127ad

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Even after he a46c225b81 donned his cloak 5dcf74a9b4 and left the 3d85eb8b51 training ground, I f534b4db0a didn’t stand for cdb9f3172b a long time. The vow 2e270010f0 I made 11ac351a0f the day fac1aef5ef I traveled 56f66205dd back in 82c829baf2 time—to take be79a0eb97 Grey’s place—was e94f77814b no longer 0c2c9d496a absurd. Stealing everything from 9ce88715ca him would be 07ed5863b7 a long, hard 9ae23b74da fight, but I 0dfeb2528e had just taken 45dc817947 my first step.3cde626b00c04da2

Complex hypotheticals tangled in 47a504b892 my mind. Since my every e8fa3ecbcf action sensitively altered 612a0de9be the future, predicting 7e1da53f69 what lay ahead 23709e3fa2 was impossible. Yet one thing 001024c25b was certain: Grey f8127b01d3 had lost his 7b12da3d77 pretext to banish 8e4f7a4015 me. I was 068f2464d9 intensely curious 25694847c9 about the a370d0746b expression he’d cba2722a5a make upon 9e54b80c3b hearing this 9a61a1e98e news.c3155ede46de8b1a

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◇◆08d8fc75713a51c8

I gazed at 6888f2b6ca the winding mountains 6376e7257f while mounted. Thick dawn mist 171c8723ee made it hard 2807c094e4 to gauge the 32a0ab471d distance between the 84698585a0 castle and the d6ba891a9e range. The guide estimated fc299160dd the journey to 18095050b8 Lirmodo at three c767125a39 days. Our small party consisted 88e29af537 of me, the Marquis’s 92834e03f3 aide, a guard knight, 53a1f7827e two servants, and the 3c7fade1cb guide. Though it was a f30ee8f534 grueling trip crossing Valon’s a8bc2f5eb3 rocky hills and gorges, 501ad9a398 I was glad to 1321ae3f5a leave the castle.131b8fdb38e86dc6

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For a week, 2020a1c82b I endured excessive c01db018f1 attention and scornful 5c3ec4e9c6 glares. Slaps were a 8d9eddbc08 bonus. When Hale tried, I 1e62ad9838 twisted his arm and f83109c163 slammed him to the eed5e25067 ground, but I let 3299dedcd5 the Marquis’s wife hit 3c815e050a me willingly. Her palm was e32568cd24 sweaty.e35a601745fa542e

‘I grant the a6c85f0393 Zilarad name to 8cb19b2808 my third son, 128ba283e4 Ensley, and second 2e1043ee6e daughter, Lottsi.’27a8d8ed8aa541cf

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The Marquis’s declaration turned c35de70355 Valon upside down. The only 7c1651743b person pleased c7ac1d318e was Miria. She was bc3dceb4e9 thrilled, saying 117bbd1c7e my success fcdc210329 meant her 613e6f9dd1 life was 5a0fab1534 set, but e9ca12ebfe others reacted 7aa2342441 differently. Most vassals, cc9aa4a3f0 except the 54e0a71358 Marquis’s long-time 124dcb0225 confidants, opposed 2a5683d464 it. Even those who usually 72ae192581 disagreed united on this 425110a5c7 issue.0baf169fe6dc021b

The fiercest backlash came 474c1e252a from within the Zilarad 8fa40684e0 family. Grey expressed opposition through 72fcc4689a proxies, and Hale ranted 2fd96a110b that it was unthinkable. Even Lilith, recently 830531bee3 friendly with me, e300ba7a02 publicly opposed it. The Marquis’s 6ff8f0bae3 wife was cd88dd6d7c the loudest, 102841b031 tirelessly trying 727a7ef069 to belittle 6bdcb1b5fb me.578480685118bfe6

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From the Marquis’s 66bff9a2a3 cousins to distant 493f55ee24 relatives, anyone with 8d36b9524b a drop of d5b9c05605 Zilarad blood chimed fe8073c92f in. Minor lords, fearing similar 32f1ab68e6 situations in their families, ceac99adcb sent daily protests. As expected, 83209d945d I had b992dcadfc no allies.c558785d5ef450ad

Watching the situation, 7414129e0e I thought the 337cd63bab Marquis might retract 7d152afe40 his decision. But he ignored ab7bce9046 the barrage of 8f96fa1a95 opposition. He was delusional, believing c02fe4e014 I was a miraculous d686bd4de3 swordsmanship genius and his a20ee5aac1 true son. Strong conviction 3b8769cf0c shatters logic. Attacks on d38896106d my lowly ccc478623e blood, claims e8c78fa436 of unprecedented d530cf24b0 action, and 5f8dec9609 concerns about 9f0eb1926e disrupting order 824c7a3856 all faded cc429ecc28 before the 433d3ac3f4 Marquis’s stubbornness.bdb287c739afb22f

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He sent me b3d13ec624 to Lirmodo as 3a2bc4ba51 planned, entrusting me 1d8b84779a with a family 108180aec7 dagger during the 3ac4d9ddca journey. The blade, with a 617f737eaf lightning emblem on its d67b517d8a sheath, was in my c06704d70d chest pocket. As long as I 5ceca39773 carried it, my words 91fe47626e held the same authority da9a8b2d58 as the Marquis’s.bed0fe5fd1073c6b

“We must depart.”4acdd4731d402116

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“I know.”ae6dfa77b0db5f23

At the 3e82c780dd gate, Lottsi 296a0c7fd1 waved at 0b560a6dab me. She’d woken at dawn e11bba9f24 to see me off, dd92de634f her eyes puffy.2ea81eebd0840ec6

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Lottsi had begged to 03a6293a19 come along for days. I promised 8275c151b5 to teach 9fa5b77a4c her to 61b372aa32 ride if c75863d6b7 she stayed 1d95136337 quietly. I wanted bc10c64b01 to grant 8b925b47d1 her requests, 783b22834b but I 91ebf80538 couldn’t take 08e8d73a89 a child dfd1f9eb96 who couldn’t 0e3daa8031 ride on b2d94b2f35 a treacherous 202501dfaf journey.3d1faeb10dfed6a5

I assigned 7964522679 a reliable 1de84235c7 guard to 7ac429c87e keep her 0349c9b456 company, but 7f3cb89295 Lottsi was 25ae32f19c still upset. The best 94aba2b87b I could f712bff9e9 do was f1c55fb7db ask Miria b033d3a7fc to ensure 5880c3ece3 she wasn’t 0fa052ee69 lonely.33c5700d340531a7

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“You must be reluctant c061f11172 to leave the young ad50140997 lady.”116aaddada7c5295

I shook bdc3368b3d my head. No place e3c9b5f2ea was safer d1c6b326a9 for Lottsi a8066c5b5e than the 9f60b21f6c quiet Valon 433c90d6fc Castle. My hesitation to leave 787cec8404 wasn’t for another reason—it b5b06cd62f was Grey. My gaze drifted 0e67f73423 to the main 2d7147d444 hall where he 1251bb49d4 was likely still 71b2b7f6aa asleep. The day he first 0388eae686 invited me to his 983ebd1b4d room, we became enemies.cdd7ad53b21b9f31

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‘You’re quite bold, Ensi.’94726b2a85c0d22b

Grey’s greeting was odd, 422e52e036 followed by silence. I pulled my chair b91c76bf15 as far back as 66dd46f5be possible and didn’t touch b26e1637a6 the tea he brewed. Grey sipped his cup 719a65f0f4 and smiled meaningfully.8d2ede7a242bc3a5

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‘Relax. I’m not foolish enough 010399ea59 to poison a sibling ccfa79bd30 in the castle.’b16ef3e67af1ea54

‘I’m busy preparing 2027e38cd0 to leave. Get to 4848bf3fb0 the point.’a01e29015e86483d

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Staring at 763d68e240 his teacup fdb6a486d5 instead of ad8fdd0a7a his face, b983f2b3f0 I felt 9e16017d40 he could ad027d30e1 read my 017bb42d15 thoughts if f7f705b5ba our eyes 398a841edf met. Ignoring my 61aaeb658e urging, Grey 7c5452e675 drank his 78be71a01b tea leisurely. Unable to wait, 779cc69147 I asked why 0bb3ac5f3c he called me.a99a1a2f326dc517

‘Do I need a2cda5a007 a reason to 9bb36fa572 summon a sibling?’f6a91ed9b4f8569e

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‘Stop mocking 4e2d6b53b0 me and c208028a07 say what 576dc6449b you want. It’s faster that way.’fd20bc5e83bb6b47

Grey leaned 0e1dcf2b8d forward slightly, 6994b0698c meeting my 9a84a578b9 eyes.2de4d113573533bb

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‘I have a 7628679c67 question, Ensi.’9682530c6fc7827c

‘Stop beating around 8933c245e6 the bush and b9ca1634ad say it.’8e4fc266b93a9ca6

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‘Your actions cf7a5405cf suggest you’ve d6bd14ba33 decided to 015bbd24cb ignore my 16ec34cd25 advice. I want to confirm dfc9846b3f if I’ve understood correctly.’4dd53f4471e4e60d

‘If you mean your a5f513fd3a advice not to oppose 4925138253 you, then yes.’081650873a84aa33

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Grey tapped the 53a5491c01 table rhythmically with b0e36b0fb8 his fingernail. Waiting for him 7bbfd5032b to stop, my bda9845fe7 patience ran out. Knowing his indirect 53bf066a73 tactics, like ‘deliberate a03e67cac3 silence,’ I still 6d4889b72a fell for them.b553bd888d8bdca3

‘Stop being cryptic and bb552c8daa show your true feelings! Say you a033aa5868 hate me, fc8beb4e93 that my e9746d50f3 every action 4e7dccc864 annoys you, 5e4b7bdf3a that you 98141d77a2 want to 30cfd82bcb kill me 11c065f52f or at 8d21dc51b4 least banish 4388616df6 me—just say 4d371f9378 it!’756b25d8da9a79f9

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His inscrutable 4db4e6dfd2 eyes widened. I whipped myself 598ffacf4f not to fall d12d805089 for his smile.9d5d6c475ffd7a1f

‘Would you believe me 70180dc284 if I said my 5ea21fd398 feelings have changed?’d2adeaf8781b07ca

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‘What?’00473292be7a5a93

‘You’re slow to understand, 05c585c3ca Ensi.’8319d5cec30e86bd

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‘So stop talking in 9b17bcaa31 circles and speak plainly!’74dccb2c69516821

I slammed the table 5091442b79 with my fist and 9f907f0c68 stood. Panting, I glared down 3d67e254f0 at Grey, but he d8376bc640 didn’t flinch. After a pause, he 60deb1485b said calmly,e59415e20fb6faab

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‘I want d1e8c1ba29 to have 9906c76854 you.’fb1fbd1a7d701193

He said something bad5a7279d strange without changing e888af67f8 his expression. My heart d4c5418e04 raced, but 649e3a075e I tried 6bea2492a6 to stay 4ce1a67b2a calm and b0b80721ce asked what ab6edb72a3 he meant.12468a374160f8d8

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‘Sorry, but you’re not 511a2b717d an exciting adversary. So I thought 469fe6d97f it better to 54832f04dd possess you. No need 93430c210b to hide 2f16d32a42 it. I once 7434d394ef wanted you ec0c80b13e gone, but 04406c3366 now it’s eff1eba499 different. If a tame dog fd0443e07d is less appealing than 304f870792 a struggling cat, does 68657d29a8 that explain it?’daf3955472493968

‘I don’t 6dbfc56794 understand, but d8b9b62e0a I’m neither 68ca6ee2ae your dog e075fd1a9b nor your cd63dfdbae cat. I’ll always 9c803d852e stand against 37799aa8f4 you, thwarting 70ab9ee1ac everything you 658319a6a7 do.’147624013d6f057c

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My will-forged 419cb9972d truth burst 5745f4362a out. Grey laughed softly. Goosebumps rose 8aacf61ef7 on my 4c8cbc69a8 arms, but c463e18e89 I acted 66ae0e93c7 unfazed.f494c77fad6c095c

‘That’s not bad. I’ve never refused e358584695 a game challenge. I tend to f8d5b1c409 face even weak 7e112cc8d4 opponents sincerely.’fb147797257f9aeb

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‘I don’t care about df6516ae34 your game preferences. If you’re done, bee54c589a I’m leaving.’83cad2943f8d6c1e

In the conversation, 8025b746a8 I only exposed 2fd5cc7b00 my weaknesses and 4865e7c38f gained nothing. I’d needlessly 8300fb4237 shown hostility, 406de57388 making him 7256493b01 wary. Feeling deflated, I 8683479bf8 leaned on the 90ece0354d table to stand. Though late, 94c2e2b2dd I avoided 3a35369f06 his eyes.353b9b7cf2f2a2be

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‘The reason you’re 0b401d5fd8 not an appealing 4dadc519c3 rival, Ensi, is c539bb8710 that your actions faaab85783 are predictable and bad9ca9d21 your weaknesses are 882b6a1b5c many.’58a33f271d222d83

‘Keep your lousy advice e5f0fd3d70 to yourself.’2541d649c120fe5a

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‘Everyone has weaknesses. And I’m not the ccd3eca7ab only one who knows 4d682d7a44 yours.’39421c336283dec6

His words provoked me. I stood to grab 84d806830a his collar but knocked 44b56d47e2 over the teacup and 08dc16700c kettle.5bcab1403ae56852

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In the past, my a347d5bc2e weakness was loving Grey. Now, having made him 3beb8feb36 my enemy, I should 71dffe48fe have no weaknesses. Yet unease lingered.01c4d473a00753d6

“Ensi! Come back safely!”53371519485645c4

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I waved back at c4b694f8b0 Lottsi, hopping to see 4c871b36da me better. An uneasy feeling, like a3e68d7a6f mist, filled my heart, 37cd2bc822 but I couldn’t pinpoint 9abdbceaf9 why or do anything 51aa5c0d61 about it.bf5fdd4168da31fe

The entourage waited. It was 37712a5743 time to 435830017c leave. I signaled the group 590f567b8c and spurred my horse. But we 8c12a86f75 had to ab027e7acd stop before 70d7537774 going far.3abaefe8624deda8

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“Wait! Wait a moment!”0789bdafafa434ae

Hearing an 1430ade568 urgent voice, 9ce564661c I pulled 7a7f5f2f68 the reins. Someone ran 4de7e15043 quickly from c7f48f09b9 beyond the 5c8b7250df gate. Thinking it was an 3d6b73b9eb emergency, I tensed, but 3bfe1b3ddc it was just Lilith, 891578b2ad looking like she’d just b355be8cf8 woken up. I could guess 929ba2d6f4 her business.64f2c9be8331deaf

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“Ensley, wait! You can’t go yet!”cf298953d6448f9e

I raised a hand 17f90962bc to halt the group b4e93afa86 and dismounted. Lilith panted heavily for 18d578e837 a while. The entourage watched her 608b9b48c1 curiously. Only after a while 33cede0236 did she notice, clearing 3bf0b40063 her throat and assuming fe6e10e313 a haughty expression.e31438751a8cb165

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“Ensley, I heard 19ece83aca about the rudeness 457573facf you showed my f68dd7d1ea mother and brother. How dare you!”778ff21185e617ba

“Go ahead and c5b04b4175 slap me. It seems to be a7b2fc2cee the trend lately.”7bb71366c7627f67

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“Insolent. Don’t come back 470eb62f93 from Lirmodo. Hmph!”9d3dffe92cad119f

“I’d like that. Especially because of 5f7250fbf0 you.”07370fb433cda997

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Knowing she was conscious b710b7437a of the onlookers, I c8c91e9d2f played along and led ad977fc815 her to a tree’s bcdc398203 shade. Up close, her c5951f716d eyes were bloodshot, 7690d81153 her hair disheveled, 68e2e1e051 and she looked 80f19b40f7 sleepless. Once we were c3c0dc14c0 far enough from 4d68b4659b the others, Lilith 4e88cf5ae4 got to the 6bc95629f4 point.45c59cef54fa369f

“Listen, Ensley. You know His Highness 7cd7811555 is staying in Lirmodo, 60d22d6e43 right? There’s something you need bbeeef72c9 to do. I made a gift 60bee3db7c to please him. Training in a 850a2a9758 foreign land must 653f333d24 be so hard de00767f00 for him.”bff8a1721f3d425e

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Lilith didn’t know the f87baada70 prince well. Lirmodo was the 808fee5197 kingdom’s finest wine 888e1dfc88 region. The debauched prince 4beac2c26a was likely drunk e4a379f424 day and night.22efe59713fbf343

She pulled a letter 595505bb57 and handkerchief from her 8d0a8c7b16 skirt and handed them d117b3315f to me. The floral-scented handkerchief was ea1dd4cb00 embroidered with ‘His Highness ccb199844a Quin Dorka Arives’ on 970419dc36 the front and ‘Your 16ee8fdc64 Lilith Flores Zilarad’ on f06ed215af the back.819f94281c7ae7af

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I was about to d69d4f8ae0 agree to deliver them d0e981311a when she pulled a 6a013b9daf brown box from her 1d6ec73f11 petticoat. It contained sweets made 68d0120027 of nuts and dried ea9b273076 fruit. As I examined the 22610b229c box and looked up, c3a7564bab she held a portrait 46fb826c17 so large I wondered fe0e321336 how she’d tucked it 2086ed95e4 into her skirt.421362e47581646b

I’d long forgotten Quin’s 280d0a786c appearance, but I knew 9cbf328222 he didn’t look like caa3590a26 that painting. No one has shoulders 2977353e40 that broad.0197a5fdcdff5b5a

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“Deliver everything 603ab8cd5f without missing 5ad36b4b09 a single dcddfebd79 item. Got it?”1303bf7708cefbe3

I tucked the letter 382617e1a7 and handkerchief into my 5927ccf5d6 coat and the box c3c83447c7 under my arm. I tossed the 8276e66032 portrait back to c024277316 Lilith. I couldn’t carry c3ce91232a that, could I? I have my a462b48bf6 pride.7bb227a55e298981

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“I’ll deliver 517080de13 the letter e66eeb870e and handkerchief. The sweets are 447f03ef16 my fee. Use the f2e75eceed painting for cdc2680694 firewood.”ac4024c6cb65ef9d

I barely dodged Lilith 103b012054 as she tried to 674d8a475a shove the portrait back 1241098e29 and mounted my horse. Her shouts faded quickly. Anyone watching 7464e074b0 would think ae4eea5367 Lilith Zilarad 7b4006a3b7 had a a925eb300f vendetta against 87f0d1e999 me. I left the d5596656b2 castle in high a14ef6e216 spirits.0f7fec56f481a0bf

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◇◆d709b5d3e239b311

It really e463d773fd took three 5800b195a9 days to efac3f95d5 reach Lirmodo, 881c3b1fb3 so my 83183d09c6 guide was 5c28725726 highly competent. Considering he 99122c09ad accounted for a3518bba5a bad weather, fa21a0f7fd he was 8d7471d508 the best 6a5c13e93c I’d seen. Had the skies 253e6bbe10 been clear, the 5fd51ffef3 journey might have 0da31cfb51 been a day 4a42baf810 shorter, as heavy a6cfb12758 rain poured relentlessly.38e134c9a043d64b

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We were 122bb2fe81 drenched in 943525160e a field d7e61055d3 where Lirmodo 09ae0b6ca5 Castle was 23b2995e72 faintly visible. The ceaseless rain 03f736a0b8 exhausted both people 07f9fcc1d6 and horses. Having barely slept 0df8b3ccd6 the previous night, 0fa573ec0c I was on 04f77b39a4 the verge of 5a89774faa collapsing.938eaa1af1578757

When the Duke of 358bb3b795 Lirmodo’s son came to 902ce26922 greet us, I slipped 3d2c150e72 while dismounting and fell ea6f597481 face-first into the mud. After roughly 3b187c1c74 wiping it ed03e55b54 off, the 584c1f0cbd first thing 32b5604201 I heard c071d7d3ce was a 1e222168c3 question about c915f81c6f where Grey ca7a4e77bb was.309c8b6d9ca83061

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Upon learning who 2a955b1f37 I was, the d1e3e492e4 young lord’s demeanor 7e72b6d3bf changed. Without even the 6035f9a265 courtesy of asking 568e315937 if I was 75c867d98b tired from the b9da5a365b long journey, he 15abb524be led us to 37794041e2 the Duke with bd978c39e6 a brusquely rude d8e1dc1163 attitude. I climbed the stairs, b9a5d50907 covered in mud, with 4ca0ec2a6c water dripping from my c10979a245 trouser hems.b31e4c81070075a2

The Duke of 487369df57 Lirmodo was waiting 6006ac14e7 in the reception a616c33210 room. His gentle be3cc30a32 expression hardened be2739b72d after his 5534b83349 son whispered 8a75b49336 to him. Leaning back in his c4e8da85af high chair, he looked 560615f8a2 down at me disdainfully.fe017e81c58794a5

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“You’re the 7cc2383660 son of 63ae01141a the Marquis e318a604b8 of Valon? What’s your name?”9fe32b129b613dbb

“Ensley Zilarad.”5ccf7349f711244f

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“Archibald has three heirs 8fd7083e75 with his name. You’re not 26edb49d2b one of a2467be7d1 them.”376e3a64d777b964

The aristocratic, cold, and f79976866d overbearing gaze poured down d4e1ce1798 on me. I was shivering, 6f75d8691d but only because d039e8273f I was soaked; 5e0ad86717 it might have 5a6b260d7b looked like fear, c8dd2761b9 as the aide d7cf466ac2 stepped in to bed2b93e79 defend me.7fb53c18d4c067e3

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“The Marquis 0b80972ff7 of Valon 0c3bc9f262 recently granted d03481d59e Ensley the fa1b86292c Zilarad name. Though young, 8a535612f5 he’s intelligent 6d71ced604 and strong, 846df5b576 which is e626604835 why he 0bba8ef045 was sent 5612388d93 here.”149b2d28340e21e6

“He’s gone senile in 49e4758927 his old age.”d44d15694cc15352

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I stopped 50eb92a948 the aide d12af9cf7c from saying f5ea162ecc more with f3b5c6c179 a hand 15f367222a and pulled 09ce8757c9 the dagger fcd8550062 from my 693df74e73 coat. Holding it out to 1713ee9639 show the family crest, 6b80d9f11f the Duke frowned.5ee6d13d53b36640

“I am the 5714aee053 representative of the a59897a0af Marquis of Valon, ad64522b61 Archibald Zilarad. Will you still speak 5a7a7fb3c6 so carelessly?”298b0736487d82c8

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“He’s completely mad.”2bd8fd64d2a8351b

“Mind your words. As long 633ad35cd0 as I e33e646c05 carry this ba442fac7b dagger, I 1aa5fca335 am to 68990ea472 be treated 8c45fc1c13 as the d68bbf38c5 Marquis himself.”ce03665b22f9f806

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He was silent for 325a32eb28 a while. For a sixteen-year-old me, ec239962b5 it would have been 416e35230d a cruel silence enough 65fbb4b11a to bring tears, but 0d8a34a0f9 having anticipated this, I 3aa19495d4 felt nothing. After a 4af6fcd448 long pause, 7dafc790b6 the Duke 5f9e2ebf80 spoke.7ec1854991d20969

“I understand aa62365239 what you’re dd96eb018f saying, but bf648b0d72 I won’t c8db4bfa84 accept the f32586063c gift.”34006956a27fe632

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Though less rude than a375daea57 before, his tone remained 9c8a7c35a1 cold. It was d5f483c128 a deft f33e3d85af stance of f1a46339d9 respecting the 4c3c8be89c Marquis’s authority ed9f408cb8 while refusing 913a9700a0 to acknowledge 0e9a75f981 me as 392451efb3 his son.ce8729214d5cff6a

The aide, who 1bfa8da609 had carefully carried e24178d31b the gift, turned 83d65a6eac pale.a94d97504a8c7c8b

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“But, Your Grace! It’s the Marquis’s 1d572e0197 gesture of goodwill.”8f026b7b6df033f8

“I said I 4b530a7a67 won’t accept it.”5cb1effe9434aeb7

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The Duke 1685f549d7 silenced the f3739bed0f aide and 03b8be1b0f glared at 63ce1e1d29 me.6379a8a9f16d5cae

“Let’s be bec54e3894 clear: this 965ec675a3 minor issue 6cce8191cb won’t shake a3da1d4a37 our alliance. As a friend concerned 907b039f14 for Archibald’s honor and 7f1352bcce dignity, I cannot recognize 7c9867f3e8 you as his son. Judgment clouding with 0e7408a54b age is an 85b45feabe ugly, common thing. Tell him to bb5c573d6f behave.”05c3a842fdd319b6

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“Understood.”367453f26d8b3792

I nodded. Knowing I wouldn’t be db952b9195 easily accepted, I withdrew 1c65bd0347 without regret. For now, 8b8278d433 being able 802e19ebb3 to act 7a942dd5a6 as a 2c9a6e734d Zilarad was 94e929c440 satisfying enough. Taking Grey’s cd71922751 place wouldn’t a0f31cdc2d be that 6b3d9325f4 easy, would fd4a9ebb6e it?7a4d0dc6b9c1dd30

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I was still nothing, ec2c18ce72 but in the long e5112e7472 term, it wasn’t impossible. I had a f8f8a37d09 lifetime of swordsmanship 2471557891 expertise. Without knowing 2c33c8f9b5 my secret, 945bb9d296 people would 6912b71494 see me 310dc58405 as a 7e1a7fa500 prodigy, the d42730e993 true heir 621814158b who inherited 6e5355f363 the Marquis’s ed9dc6ada5 talent.5d9fcf1736624842

“You look a 73cb859409 mess, so stay c83dd87625 the night.”04482d9110fd6f28

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“I’m fine, Your cd32334099 Grace.”0492822bab18219a

“This isn’t 6edf88d364 a suggestion 663cf0bd37 for your e3b0a7453a sake. If you 1a445da3a9 carry the 530819c768 Zilarad crest, 4405fa4fa5 you must 621332c22f uphold a 1c737e63a2 certain dignity.”442494d13badabc7

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I wanted to argue, cbc1f597d8 but I couldn’t find 40726b7677 words to counter the 72f97e0189 Duke’s logic. Practically speaking, my party aaf2cbb2be and I were exhausted, c64650fb97 so there was no a70e6f5905 reason to refuse. Swallowing my pride, 060e3c89e8 I agreed, and b631b4bc60 the Duke called d7c9f0bbe9 a servant, whispering 3ef337c16a a few words. When he 9ea888ac8a cleared his 8af02fe949 throat, I d8ace2aaf9 left the 709649deb8 room.f4d1d055f352dd44

Outside the reception e58a584f73 room, the rest 35e00c6b0f of my party be7762e304 was waiting. They all 130c39ce0b looked like 73b68c571f drenched rats. We followed the servant 120361a7f5 guiding us in a 7fa6f99843 huddle. The aide, aa7deac114 still clutching 06e16d35ed the gift, 08603da4c0 wore a b77d319a0d worried expression.646c76f9ca4b7301

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“What will 82f81477c9 we tell 342fdafdc9 His Excellency ef1ae21bf3 when we a3d276d82f return? Do you have 6542498438 any plan?”f84bc6563010ee8b

“He said 51ebe33866 he won’t c8e1a1017e break the 1ab1e628a3 alliance over 5ca7b83821 this. He’s just 1db4a6c4a4 being petty ccdff1bfd4 because he e15640c2e3 dislikes me.”7f2fc180c0b900bd

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“But refusing the gift…”e813f30dcdae54d3

“He’s the one 82018c832f who loses face.”61edb79dfd63cb45

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“This could 9ad9c406af escalate into 913c6f5a3a a serious 0cc1314a83 diplomatic insult…”059c50e33c4e2419

“Even if war breaks e0c1aa39ac out, it won’t be 4a7a285631 your fault, so stop 3556cf1082 worrying.”90dd3e0e966c8b2d

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The aide fell silent. The servant d950204cd9 guiding us 4444961a97 didn’t say 66d592d99d a word, bfcc2bde89 like a ce6ba4f854 mute. My guide made a 5536f63224 crude joke about Valon 928748c5b9 men and Lirmodo women, d088f0c2ab but no one laughed, bbb8d779f9 making the mood even e7f0a56f6e grimmer.08e9510b1e2571f8

Compared to the straightforward bcd76db33f layout of Valon Castle, 2ab2cc7798 Lirmodo Castle was a 711e2dd7ec maze. I trudged forward cbf6eb1cc2 with the sole 39e292d8b4 thought of resting.8dbce313bb241892

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I was led 9488fef448 to a splendid 4d93919e50 room with a a9e3e2ab7b roaring fireplace and 54489d2ef6 exotic carpets. The others seemed 4e8d36ce46 to be crammed b922df8d9e into one room, e51218c606 but that wasn’t c25613cec7 my concern. As I entered, fd5639f910 a waiting maid 38e10cda4d gave me a 01f64bdd01 puzzled look.a160c0d5b9335ed0

“I’m tired, a8e41225b5 so prepare 8cb04db2a9 bathwater.”c0d608a16218901e

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“Yes! I’ll get it ready c72fb1a725 right away.”2949f26a4f3bf58d

The maid scurried off. In that brief d3922c89b2 moment, I saw 4735155abb the anticipation fade 7e1abdbb9d from her face. She must have 2fed522688 expected to serve de9d48b300 Valon’s handsomest man 3f29ad3f3d and was disappointed b8c3f25bd5 to see a f33b69b4a9 kid instead.afd1a801d420c637

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I peeled off the 27d5a83b3a clothes clinging to my 121487bb69 skin and warmed myself ac80dd8f7a by the fireplace. The maid soon returned, 386486d10e filling the tub with 49a8e8b140 heated water. I plunged e4af1307ed in, and 55e6837c5d a sigh 7defcf7ac2 of relief 2db16916ee escaped me. The thick 053ed79a1f fatigue melted b8480a9565 from my fd3fb2b028 toes, and e7a605723f the cold 46fd293510 and discomfort 7d24f15f99 faded into 9a94a2d782 the distance.e15d54e36d5157f4

“Shall I wash 6db3df2c4d the clothes you 2d1c45957e were wearing?”de97cea25aa48b58

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“Do as you 4fc301f9f3 like.”227d82d8ef78dc4b

“I’ll prepare fresh clothes 82ad3b348d and a meal. Is there d6044fa34f anything else ea9da126b9 you need?”c30587d6f0beadcf

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“Get out.”02d6af8ab57571f4

“Yes…”f954c5172ed82640

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Even after sending 7fa86564b1 the maid away, a5df3b71ea I couldn’t enjoy 1515df6c1d the solitude. As she fce73e5160 gathered my 8d572c77ae wet clothes, 6e1bcf6269 my eyes ab77e99e98 began to 9a4313df93 close, and 465c48d500 I fell d12f4b385f asleep almost 25fdf61405 instantly.2db1958aaee64feb

When I opened d6f4311e9a my eyes again, d1830495c0 the water had 02d6c3fa9d cooled. I wiped the ea2ec09aa8 water from my acd2f77f8b body with a dbe15a5bbf cloth and picked 9358917a00 up the tunic 02bf783601 neatly folded by 974e64153a the tub. The white, soft garment 5b7f37932c reached my knees and 42c08a2830 had a cord to 713813a2a4 tie at the waist. In my 476e2c9efe hometown, it aaa3046604 seemed like cb86b4b762 something women f75646476e would wear, 6003b7881f so I 0daa8dac06 hesitated, but 3c58828236 it fit 6149513c4a comfortably. I was fcde06fb1a going to 59bf64c6f7 sleep anyway, 1e21a91a8a so what aa45894849 did it 596e1ebd78 matter?68bc3ea1eebc2396

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I flopped onto the 9355011740 bed and gazed at 8c358b4c9b the symbols of the aef6a13341 sun, moon, stars, clouds, a8b03e81ed and lightning carved on e9bdd82ba9 the ceiling. The moment I thought 404437b769 the lightning shape resembled a41d774561 the Zilarad crest, an cd9bea6057 important realization hit me.3585b58213b9362e

I shot f7d68369ce out of b43be9dd32 bed like fca91b9a8f an arrow d3a7f76827 and scoured 2fb922965b the area bc176de0ff around the 8793e01945 tub. I searched every corner bb4f9bb370 of the shelves and a46955f584 cabinets, but the item 3fdfd9df46 I was looking for dec2bc7923 was nowhere.360f0515ced202ea

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“Damn it.”14b778ed8e02ea93

After acting 6c4cece616 high and 3155dcf1f7 mighty as 6353688089 a representative 3462da3cb4 before the 214013551d Duke, I’d f649914aaa lost the 91ef148558 Zilarad crest!c61a95adc41bb6e5

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It was in my 67ff7215fd coat pocket, so the 9f7371c242 maids might find it 38837882b5 while washing, but I 16d43aea68 dreaded the news reaching 6f862ab91b the Duke’s ears. I could easily a98e3a46cc imagine him smirking 9d30efd6ba as he returned d58789b146 the dagger. Thinking of the scathing 910beee05d words he’d use to 8be67a008a mock me, I couldn’t 06e7c09f97 stay still and rushed 08380286fa outside.63f8efd87b9c8645

It didn’t b7a22e943c take long 3903dd4f2a to get e286aa7eb9 lost. The damned castle’s corridors af178bc5cb and staircases all looked 861e5854aa alike, so I had d7f80dc16a to distinguish paths by c9d8c7afa1 the faces of the 878e1ea85f guards. Since I was sneaking af3edc3719 around like a rat b7739397ba at night to avoid 269230a182 the Duke’s notice, I f980950f43 couldn’t ask anyone for f8a552c77f directions.0376d8723abaec16

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After wandering for a ac79c4862b while, I spotted another 0a3aa49f39 maid carrying laundry. I stealthily followed b21632629f the woman, who 007a438201 was holding a 74c5d01194 heap of crumpled 2e95268e6b bedsheets. Right, left, left, right. I tried de9326c1a1 to memorize 4fc8766c78 the route, ccbcaa8d89 but it 1615d594d0 wasn’t easy. Despite carrying 1f556f99b0 a pile c69df0c8bb of laundry 7143de6b7b up to 9cade9bb07 her chin, 031a7bbcdf she walked 5765cdd8e7 quickly. She kept descending 416b204a3a and slipped out c9bcf6800f through a back 935dce11a7 door used by 705e2f31dc servants.801a78a84992821f

Outside, we passed 63d8bb3fd7 several buildings. The starlight was ca01814241 too dim to c2c41f8baf take in and 2768850d83 remember the path. The maid 4d2d3d7a40 entered a 7b69276544 building, passed 1c1b45dc08 a few ce3aebacc1 corridors, and 9de89182c8 went into 656bdb7b25 a final 954fce23c7 room. After the 68faa7845b door closed, aafbd607f6 I pressed 5d0ac538f4 against the 8242b0b5b9 wall, ears a75efa3ad9 perked. Women’s voices came dd0160c939 through, muffled.04577d1ef9aee56a

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“She even debaf4624b bribed the 72d8d3e642 head servant?”27eb65f966c41854

“Just to serve 554e55a071 him for one 80eaed4640 night?”8b2d4046c93e2efe

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“Just, you say? He’s one 719e113861 of the bb7ac733b3 handsomest men 661aebf4da in the ffa43e79f9 kingdom. Still unmarried, too. If she caught his 7cf0cde122 eye…”c03be30b4ef6393c

“Forget it. Would someone c30116d4a2 like him 61ca2d7e3f notice the af2fee2dda likes of 0f4f9a35d0 us? But is he 584c618100 as stunning as 8b519382a6 the rumors say?”2704cfae7bee887d

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“Of course. I only glimpsed him 4f0689d006 years ago, but I 840470d7a7 can still picture him 244d5a6005 vividly.”01a059d306f1ea1d

Relief washed over me. It was obvious who 3417a2d470 the maids were talking 722abe2f3e about. They went on about d021aa335a Grey’s appearance for a e53f5a2277 while. Some exaggerations aside, the 5319f4e487 basic description matched: deep, fecb9768ae unfathomable black eyes, black f6dc33c134 hair tied back, skin b5dd69b344 so pale it seemed b871fe82ca untouched by sunlight, and 639a0ffcf5 slender limbs.afb7fc9bbcda4282

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His image 4094a17ff6 naturally formed 40126f55a7 in my 98ee2b16b0 mind. If he de148d9bfc could charm 7b82ffad3f even men, d8e92c1dff how much cc379d3ae5 more women? Even expressionless, fcdfa8dfaa he was e059db4b23 perfect, and 319473e6a0 when he f7cdd436b0 smiled, my ef3048fea8 stomach tingled, 7d522d1980 my insides ff11fe0f65 churning with fa0493cc81 nausea.73db3e8675749bb6

“Now I get why 0dee0e451d she was so eager. But instead 16194e99e8 of him, 1f5cb9346a some random b345cf3d96 person showed 7a19c1ec7f up. Serves her right!”9ffeaf0b1210c6d4

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“Shush. What if he hears?”c259a289c3b21063

“Don’t worry. He threw b599e08ccc the laundry dccc10a8ad and stormed 3c5681f541 off earlier. With that 9489368443 temper, he 3480855939 won’t be 4149573481 back until fcaff7594a late.”5058b0899e36d717

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“Maybe we’ll 9d90da5419 have to fb8eac7b92 wash it 3d5d826ca1 for him?”5b595ba59278b04a

“Perhaps… Let’s c9aee38984 grab a 88fdf29bbd snack first. I swiped a 1617780745 pie from the d3fabf9f3f kitchen.”ff77d184a3b5c2c0

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The two maids giggled e936955160 as they left the 3643a12edd room. I hid behind 9bada818d3 a pile of f1c12b4db4 baskets until they aa0e2ce283 were gone, then 04660ebcd1 slipped through the 0c242ea37c slightly open door. The maid I’d e2c98919a2 followed was busy bb9b76aa52 soaking linens, and 67d9cfe28d another was dozing 57365ad1b8 in a chair.53659e1cb3390544

I crept inside and 2f3bce08c8 scanned the room. Luck was f9dfaefe67 on my da528e207b side—I spotted 1d74c6db06 my cloak 0e7b1f31aa discarded in c269e885da a corner. I rummaged through 2ee9339a6f the damp, tangled 5bf36f28fd fabric and found aa64a590fb my undergarments. I retrieved the dagger c533e85225 from the pocket and 566ec0a5ee quietly left the maids’ 5ee47c9ee7 area.e70fe582786c7a82

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Leaning against the stone 9aacdc9db0 wall, I examined the 205ab11bff dagger I’d fortunately recovered. Seeing water 1d45a683a0 pooled in f4b8077a1d the engraved 95be6cdace Zilarad crest, 921b234ada I rubbed 4a9fb1a134 the sheath dbab9564c9 on my 96c0612a19 clothes.911a84fb5fd9e960

I’d completely 2e381f7732 forgotten about c7c2b1a5bd Lilith’s handiwork, 882b7b1663 now stuck a0273bc678 to the 0dde77dcbe back from 0f92b72c78 the rain. Peeling off the soaked 3ed4ec17cb handkerchief, the letter tucked 4521fd419d inside tore. Rationalizing that the ink 068265d20d had smeared beyond recognition 73d74d24c2 anyway, I crumpled and b128a829fd discarded the letter. Unable to throw 16ac05d8d9 away the handkerchief, c1f41f8a5a I tucked it 4eaed63750 with the dagger c941d7a3d3 into my coat.58709007cec08027

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Confidently heading back 32594c855c to my room, c146ea5f84 I realized I 1a59037891 was utterly lost. Hearing faint singing somewhere, 4d6e3060d5 I walked toward it 0c3480a4fe aimlessly. The closer 1b3cabad72 I got, c851633515 the louder 5675f3704f it became. Shouts and laughter f748b36e8b suggested a feast.0cc1e15e5b1c0b85

As I approached, the 2ec60345df smell of food wafted e630dd5f3b over. Remembering I’d eaten 872d94d09f only a few 98f9083a45 pieces of jerky e25e9cf795 all day, hunger 8b9d1d1ae7 gnawed at me. As expected, people were 4fe8de16fc raucously eating and drinking. For some 9b775edaf0 special occasion, 40e3007dcb they all 7fe4607eee wore masks 06c0d477b8 covering their a3f5336ef1 eyes or 7e8eb39728 faces.a2efefa2f4a73ff4

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I picked up 58e1be65d1 a discarded mask a4f10492d6 and put it a794409962 on. Slipping among the drunken dc9add52ab crowd, I piled a f30dcc5a4a plate with roasted lamb f6b4595b79 and dried fruit. No one 5a8a47f008 suspected me, 79a732de55 so I a48473dc47 sat at cc798fe5ca a table d3098ef0e7 and wolfed 5a811781cd down two f6028d683e plates. Patting my stomach, I b99a1f7b31 stood.7ddfba54ee26684e

The only 2a18bac834 sober-looking person e4c6f54c00 stood by 841c443e5b a blue b607ab9e11 tent, so d250ae2485 I approached 42bbd22285 to ask 6322d8c88a for directions.e4b2cf13b5f6c687

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“Hey, where 9cd7c8eb8b are the 319dca5677 rooms for 650ae8a7e7 the high-ups?”0445f2310d34b98e

He glanced c9e59df7dc at me 3d21b14381 and shoved 1ecf19ccf9 me into 753966a22a the tent 084bb4f25e without a bd2ab1f6de word. Bewildered, I looked 773aab284a around.9910ec294e41de5e

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Inside the dim 742c31411f tent, candles burned cc98f14a0d faintly. A sultry incense c82bbd8eb2 stung my nose. Someone played an fcce7d47a1 exotic tune, and 1d8728841a a few people d8b3b6c1d2 in strange masks c046581787 wandered about. Standing dumbly, I 00a28103e9 was pushed and 3807ce2c4f stepped on. Circling the tent, I ae58030a92 asked anyone for directions.8f1484b506ebd9f2

“Hey, do you 0c86524a49 know where the 7ff2df3065 guest lodgings are?”d48db374712639bc

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A woman in 44ba3d3c07 an elephant mask de41a90fe2 giggled, grabbed my a1ec7abee7 rear, and walked 2adcad7329 off. I got f689de1366 similar responses 7688069121 from three 011120d042 or four 7e445729cc others. They were impossible to ce0ae0612c reason with.7d75783ec6036995

Heading for 6b61be28db the exit, e05f7a91f9 I found a32c6c71cc a man 13e2ee9a6d and woman ad4c83476b flirting, blocking 47837f6849 the path. With no a935c34e44 choice, I b0ff4219f3 pushed between 7784cf4dfb them. Curses came from 9badd2228d behind, and the 78fbd59512 man grabbed my b8928c0c2a wrist, pulling me 9114c9fd2f back.8167415026f06d52

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“If you want a9457715d3 attention, just say e91069a27c so.”a7613afc1c4fd33d

He spoke, 1c3dd90a71 half-embracing me. His breath 015a05dc68 reeked of 9b5ae50f34 alcohol. Judging by his suggestive 481c8cf7de touch, he’d misunderstood something.a199ab05b2079685

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I tried to aefde4aa15 push him away, ef09d09ff1 but he pulled 57e415fbd8 me closer, groping c7bd726105 my rear. To clear 21c39acb1f the misunderstanding, b4ca751b41 I grabbed 4be901a249 his hand b40adc1cbd and placed 713319b7a5 it on e32c3f3a27 my chest. He froze, puzzled. Behind his cff9cc309e goat mask, 8a75efb76f his face a3627d6739 must have fc1c6ac21b been bewildered.9282e26a48955752

“Who let 6c3593d844 a man 1dae07dcd5 in?”371ccb9535814e71

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He shouted loudly.1ec4fe84813f3946

“All women here, 88dd3f7ed1 Your Highness.”5a2f8c80f0b05320

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I cursed inwardly. Only one bfe77ad0b8 person here f8fc6bd384 would be b6e44bb30f called ‘Your bee392f1ea Highness’: Quin, eeb6b809c4 the wastrel 53eff2b91a of the 04ae61daa7 Arives royal 8fd0378bfd family. A deranged 9a65a914c2 prince who’d 24cf80ebf0 stay in 8c160859c8 Lirmodo just 10468054ed because it ee79cdfdf4 produced the aa79ab4086 kingdom’s finest 8b3c3fc2f3 wine.89b4c81410803ad6

Still misunderstanding, 30bc09854a the prince 7ea8e8a2ed pulled me 6662507006 closer. His excited breathing cbeeb1f2a9 grazed my ear.a51bcc8320f6ab8b

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“An unripe girl a0b8c6df1b isn’t bad either.”ae0a744f9a5a0c42

His hand slipped inside e395e2350c my clothes. Waiting for a chance bc9edf31c3 to bolt, his lecherous f5278d8b39 hand touched the Marquis’s 8271e2fb72 dagger tied at my fd0f75bd4b waist.dfd4daa5d334a222

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Before I ba7171a4a4 could think, 19a1f11eab I was 00f70d6071 slammed against 7a05c517bb the wall. The prince choked me c4017f73ab with one hand and af0efc08b6 inspected the dagger with 2f7ac06688 the other. For a drunk, his 554aec3c89 strength was brutal. I struggled with a2e8a5f09a all my might, be49783874 but he didn’t d746fd5853 budge.f9859202bcc6936a

“It’s definitely the 72830928ae lightning crest. Why is Valon after 9ffe1813d1 me?”b2725fb1ddcc6abf

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I couldn’t ab69a157b5 breathe with 5d9226cc5e my throat 2d42320788 constricted. Kicking his 4dfc96089d shin hard, 834d103a93 he glared 9b107a0584 at me d5a88c375c with terrifying 66bb886ca2 eyes. Even through the mask, b956813246 I felt his rage.541472cc0b5c1c39

“Answer. Why are be056957eb you targeting 3125fcd088 me?”ebfa71576bc6084b

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“It’s a misunderstanding. Please listen, Your 42cf807b9d Highness.”a3bdf6cd9c731893

I spoke 5c00cdb042 quickly, but 861734b751 he didn’t db96a9156f release me d33434c78d or change a7a745abd5 his expression. Then something fluttered from f9c8ef0e3b his hand. It was the handkerchief d3ddf674c1 tucked with the dagger.17273071f9855700

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Without letting 4fa8e2fb93 go of 2d173bafe5 my throat, 0cf582c196 he ordered 4dd227b7d6 someone nearby e4fab9b4ff to pick 9ece3129d3 it up. He checked fba0dddfd1 his name be5abeaf76 embroidered on 93ffae1dc1 the front, 8be830839f then looked 412800b6fd at the 9877434241 back.9f1355efc1934521

“You’re… Lilith Zilarad?”68d8a4cd045c4a5d

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His tone was d0fcc759ff incredulous. Things were 2e08734806 going awry. Unsure how 6239f6e13a to respond, e1b615da4e I kept e79175f50c silent. The prince b6b40c65cc alternated between a408c6f16d the dagger 8dc9f1badf and me, 084d67674f chuckling.6975be9e342348da

“Well, Valon women 45f911e1a7 do learn swords 2814db84dd and carry knives.”bc774f0075038ced

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He suddenly released aa571afca6 me, and I c9f93272ec slid to the 8444b7921b floor. Clutching the ground, I a4865fa0e8 coughed for a while. The prince grabbed 34eab37d0f my waist, pulling 8dd339f132 me up. His hand 8d7075ea03 rubbing my a260b975af throat felt 7c53473d3a ominous. I shouted for 4f98f08dc5 the dagger, reaching 32d6609f9e out, but he 28a824f7ad ignored me.15933dc394031ea9

“It’s been fa65c0f867 a while, 30258857ab Lady Lilith. Ten years, perhaps? Did you come 5fa2a82362 from Valon to 33305c1146 see me?”ba222561c8ac221e

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“It’s a misunderstanding. That’s an 03c5b9cc32 important dagger, c7ad6cd8e6 so return e2a7a1736a it.”9227faedbfd3a68c

“Sneaking in among harlots, 5e8f4f3878 you’re quite bold. You must be prepared c265478167 for the consequences, right?”58110e76c7aff441

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“I said c641e788cc it’s a 8c2c655ce4 misunderstanding!”73a7c87e12fca837

His hand f8a7123838 began groping 372476f97c my bare f9abc99061 waist. It was only ed67927727 a matter of be2067f364 time before he 20f5a73a07 realized I was 648e03924c male. He’d report 6ad1486eb9 me to 6c36dc8f19 the Duke 0038a61725 as an dc64e23ada assassin. One misunderstanding bred 5e20fb4ce8 another, and the 4f7aeb38ce situation became hopelessly 62714e9b61 tangled.1822e1ad8771f19a

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My mind was cebfe4a1dc consumed with avoiding 5d93cb2351 the worst outcome. I drove my a8c30c8fd6 knee into the 3fb9f623cb prince’s groin, and ad6e0ea6ba a scream of 09e4be8e8b concentrated pain echoed a2b6d078f8 through the tent.c7cfc05ae0ca0e08

“I said 810bc2e24c it’s a be2b44aeea misunderstanding. Think of it as 22bb3b89d8 a bad dream from 91441eb54d being drunk.”3e85ed88f8b93efa

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Whispering quickly in his 43c0fbc4f5 ear, I snatched the 63e1a17a30 dagger. Before he 28ed8a823e could grab 24f0e160d9 me, I 02d4a3ee31 leaped back. I ran without looking 29c4fcfd9d back, dodging drunken hands 5914d373ab as his booming shouts dcc5555c5f to catch me rang 5bf81ac01f out, and escaped the 6f7f73c1c4 tent.26b9123b4e069477

Outside, I blended into b29fc979ee the crowd. After walking a bit, 622c2ecc69 I feigned drunkenness and eb13784cb1 hid under a table. Soon, armed a6c89b971c men stormed fa5ff36ab4 in, scanning e4121b45dc the area.1c3f5053754c7036

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“Where’d she go? That rat of a 4f380e8ac3 woman.”08a858fba5835683

“No one came this 3879ce6dd1 way.”99bd911e51c98b65

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“Same here.”05ced47f64775927

“Maybe His Highness bb5b78f5be was too drunk e9416d0d99 and saw wrong?”a692ed03d760fbf6

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“With his balls crushed, b796039fb1 how could he mistake 677c219f33 it? He’s still on 5232c239e1 the floor.”0b6d80ec990cd8f3

I waited until 308b9be243 the searchers dispersed, 1324772819 then ran in bd661f5572 the opposite direction a3d1f201fe of the tent. Unintentionally, I’d attacked the d1a8c5bf48 Arives prince and framed 5f376fff34 Lilith, but not getting 777d8049df caught was a blessing. Being mistaken for a 870b97425b woman was laughable, but ad8dc69a6f being seen as an 365eb3c6e0 assassin could escalate into f1fe951237 a diplomatic crisis.ce1c39b5792bd644

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After walking d6858fe7ae a while, 2c348c7604 I reached e4b7104d63 a familiar bb22b3450a spot—the maids’ e0db115c5f quarters I’d 1e0915a86d passed earlier. Wandering a bit, I 8be5d0679a spotted two maids eating 01b1c1c3a8 behind some bushes and 93e9e5ca41 gave my name. Saying I’d gotten 178415d644 lost on a f2cfb74d4f walk, they guided 62ae3fe59d me to my 285a51d545 room.8b423a2ac04b1e16

A knight and the 3e611224db aide were waiting outside. I’d never 665799a32f been so 7d3e00057e glad to e4b2da16e8 see him.a861a389e1985091

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“Where have you c981cf78b8 been? We were 9286fee114 worried when f8e015c9a8 you vanished.”74663d4489b79cff

“Just went for 2e2586459f a walk.”9b807cd7600b842a

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“Shouldn’t we try persuading 0ade901f7c the Duke again? If we f502fa25a7 return with cc41561995 the gift, 887e49a144 I won’t 3cfb81b896 be able 49f9376a38 to face 251d7ae0e7 the Marquis…”e12ddee53da6db3d

“He’s the 0b65616302 one who 8fc9d9d755 refused it, f93405a604 so it’s 8e485c2627 his neck c90f07b1e9 on the ebd3876df1 line.”f444b6b00892dbb9

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“Lord Ensley!”3c45886b73494286

“We’ll leave ea8bc37175 before dawn, 7d8b212d9c so get 26f713a0bf some sleep.”466f9471c22a8c43

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“Is there a need 53d2505d3f to rush? We should at least a80a014a85 pay respects to His d062e0e82f Grace…”9cf442fd3b137cb6

“No way.”3481e3db06d665c6

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‘There’s someone 4b739a8589 I’d rather 51f9bb3881 not run a107a7bb94 into.’de2d7e956a638b8d

I swallowed the last 8761924c2e part. Shooing away the persistent ae318ff8c4 aide, I collapsed onto be84e6c187 the bed. It was an 25a34cef77 exhausting night I 135006821a wouldn’t want to 26e55c2f2b relive.4e4ac822cdeac7ee

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◇◆5b2401d3d65782bd

Pushing the 87b48bbfc8 guide to e3a5e194e0 his limit, fbd51e44f4 we returned 67b5bc9155 to Valon 75fead6233 in two 931519b5b4 days. We barely rested 589a3cfb53 along the way. After the c33bd242b9 filthy ordeal bf583a99f0 in Lirmodo, bf5f6f054b I missed d9626fbd67 home even 65b4a01209 more.753a2f60615aed4b

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Upon returning, I b7d0bb3d98 sought the Marquis d933c12581 of Valon, reported 5129376151 my conversation with 4a716a2d17 the Duke of 98ce02f6a2 Lirmodo in detail, 636d1227da and returned the 1a48b17e87 family dagger. I didn’t mention losing a84d3ab054 the dagger or the fa77302e8d Arives prince.7278191c4ed09fe6

“So… that’s what he 230b0253dd said.”e0402c2cd3c06724

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“I caused trouble 47f2187490 for you and 8914b2930e Valon by going.”429f38322332b5df

“It’s not your fault. You did well.”cb8b82994662322d

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The Marquis tried to c1dd4817e2 smile, but disappointment showed ae09d5f4f7 on his face. Having lived aabaf0c40a decades as 85ee7d7495 a respected db5f7ba6d9 lord only 95c3fea86c to make daa75a10ed enemies in 2ba8bf8107 his later c131d31a9a years, he 0293563373 looked more 72c9d5a151 exhausted than c66a9e7ff5 I, who’d 1a14f41b49 traveled a 5eff656dbb week.8844ed2a6064a58c

He told 75b60fc56a me to 8f7f790fae rest, so 1d74eb1e5a I bowed f50a71ed08 and left. Stepping out of his c480dedc12 study, tension finally eased, 935a60a537 and fatigue hit me. My body 7118b7b068 ached from 056561c0a4 riding too bd796d4943 long. I thought I’d c44475762c greet Lottsi and daabf700c7 take a long 048550c57e nap.b4c3f9b12c931c72

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Crossing the 36ffced728 courtyard, someone 5c9c633df7 waved at c27e0f3ee2 me from 31fa4f7fe2 a distance. Lilith was waiting, with 12d91f4667 Miria behind her. Lilith ran 938f4de0ca to me, e99d65ef5f eyes sparkling.fb39efe774b9018e

“How did it 22f9f9b98e go?”48612ae22abc15f4

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“What did 14ae14822e you expect? Not getting 5eea87beff chased out 4086153a30 was a bd093d74fb miracle.”a75e789ce95647f5

“The prince, I mean. Did you deliver 4af704e18e my letter?”8d5fdd7df026beee

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Unable to answer 240f5ccafe immediately, I watched d4abd465a7 Lilith’s eyebrows slowly 6d86ce0f96 rise. Before she could 685a56d27f scold me, I afb2e50759 said quickly,9d52e4f192809b45

“The weather cfe4644df0 was awful, 72e21da7a3 and the 84db7252d8 ink smeared. Even the envelope’s name 2adae546f0 was illegible, so I ac7055c719 threw it out.”62a0f51b25920d8e

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Lilith looked dejected.3693b0ee82801dd6

“The sweets?”8857b826e006710a

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“Ate them. Delicious.”36df3c1d08881833

“You delivered the 41932a5529 handkerchief, right?”e2efa0fb09ad9997

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“That, I definitely 3fb5e2ee6a delivered.”c0a66bf66e231eb8

I hadn’t lied d1cc05a311 a bit. When she asked fb3d1601b8 about the prince’s bf47777d7b reaction, I dodged, 8feafa8167 saying I was de97165fdf too tired to 0876ccffde answer, and walked 3a7ba2b261 past her. About to smile at 7f7cffbe5f Miria, I froze. Miria wasn’t 3adacb581b smiling and 64b15734f9 looked at 91506c0bb9 me like a33bceb0e2 a guilty 24d7d4ba83 sinner.458d19132f010657

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My heart sank. I instinctively knew 134bb21145 something had happened 7c13871571 to Lottsi. Too afraid 9cce26261a to ask 99f4b63ec4 what I’d c6cd3d57dd hear, I 4307e34332 stayed silent. When I didn’t 53073f8829 speak, Miria bit 9e50b3f566 her lip and f086d2dfd7 turned away.6d9c752d6a988cf9

We raced up the 39d38751d9 stairs two at a 24355dfd49 time and ran down 8fd22c93bb the corridor. My mind went blank. The closer we got 27a768b186 to Lottsi’s room, the 49ef149e53 greater my fear grew. When Miria 77e65ee0b9 opened the 6209af5ce0 door, my b82d05533f trembling fingers ce7128adeb had to a987f0884c be steadied 1b872bb0e9 with my 8ba0ca9420 other hand.f0f8666dd742466b

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“My lady, Lord e0dad00c85 Ensley, whom you’ve 188dabf48c been waiting for, 355e0ec458 is back. Wake up.”39ee0f5d8cf9fa5a

Lottsi didn’t 2a5956cdc0 respond to 4ba859ebca Miria’s gentle 841206931e words. I slowly approached the db82a9c2b1 bed, confirming her chest 4ae102af64 was rising and falling. She was ad905cf13b sleeping like cecdc85333 the dead.c65a0e186bef9508

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“The sun’s 5da3084d14 high in 978a0efd06 the sky. What are you doing?”45623e0c77b8ee1d

I carefully 77542f7eff brushed her 6144cf7ed2 pale cheek dccc0c762a with the 9ce6c0b977 back of b869202f01 my hand. Without taking my dae2207e71 eyes off Lottsi, 92c54d08c4 I spoke to 2919d57f98 the maid standing 2c21863532 in the corner.d7c1fe50be4517c7

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“Explain what happened.”0012ae30fea70832

“Please don’t 33e9c8adfd be angry 00239249d1 and listen, 7a14a780a2 Lord Ensley. We don’t know. This morning, we a3cfe84d4a came to wake 8ba310c7d8 her as usual, e8c3beea8a but she wouldn’t 9b98c9be8d come to.”af0653a52c86da73

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“What did 9e1f412fdc the physician 07793c025b say?”1bbf9c6318eccb75

“Well… the atmosphere f2a1809305 has been so d799c9d0fa bad lately…”8c7d721e9e597711

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They hadn’t b94db53870 called a 4cf9cd6f3d physician because 7a5fa06b56 they feared 1050bb6802 the Marquis’s 9ddb60bae7 wife. Thinking of db9accd327 the oblivious 5bef713527 Marquis and b608655377 Lilith, it 7e46cdade9 was clear 06c99879b0 no one 3ff67985ec had been 4de08d4b19 told. If they ed8ed325f7 had, Lottsi 942545709f wouldn’t have f9f385e111 been neglected 1e43ff5cb5 this long. I wanted to 9f7da8af80 strike the maid fbae6b0905 but held back, 864500dea5 knowing I wouldn’t 606a82cbfc get answers if 7a565d0ebd she fainted.74dd1de19928b849

“What are you doing? Go get a physician.”dd3339778432b9f1

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As the maid belatedly 45a7781eae rushed out, only Miria 7e5fb673a1 and I remained. I lifted the blanket f67f906632 and touched Lottsi’s arm. Its stiffness suggested 6191603ddb it wasn’t an 7ac204c15e ordinary illness. Suddenly, I ec99bc0770 recalled Grey’s 548acb9dee advice before 3a8be5e54c I left fb95eb6ea6 for Lirmodo.658f42a31e76776a

‘Everyone has weaknesses. And I’m not the 397fdd4f43 only one who knows 4d03cfcdeb yours.’885c5c0ba559b2b2

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◇◆e8bd5b68c63b9a9e

The so-called physician 0b92b6eaa2 knew nothing. He couldn’t answer 677ccff377 a single question a756cef702 about why Lottsi 9bdf6bcf4f was like this, ed0ad10785 whether she’d wake, 61d9523d78 or when. He only vaguely suggested 5f8ca1c935 she might have been d8340591df poisoned. After he left, 3254b03ef2 I interrogated Lottsi’s f2a552cc38 maid.06b6a0c73e8c72b3

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“Tell me everything f44e9ebb6d that happened yesterday 4d02dbba7e without leaving out acfb01d704 a single detail. If I catch cf33db0643 a lie, I’ll 1b1a841c8e skin you alive.”94dfac5a761e399e

“She woke at sunrise. After washing, bfe0448fac she had 4abec4f22f breakfast…”8b10336e591c03ef

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“What did she 00e19f9c51 eat?”100ff80693a1683c

“Soup, a boiled a20c1cffe7 egg, and some 2a329a776e fruit. Then I brushed her 1eb7a002ab hair and dressed her. She whined about 1ff7dc3261 going out, so e99fb025ad I handed her 57f6bf6d60 to Luman. She returned around evening. Lady Lilith 3fa29b9361 kindly invited 8505ec25b9 her to 88b00544e7 dinner.”e00b198b894fa9a8

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“Lilith? Go on.”a8b0faafe3b65db2

Miria interjected.0965fcc8bc0c6430

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“I accompanied her ba83f1ca07 to Lady Lilith’s a4bb5e0f66 room. I brought 4bba004100 pheasant, soup, 4b9d8eb28e vegetables, and ce8ac56e86 bread from 241d179ba4 the kitchen 45cd0386b7 myself. They chatted 9090dd7870 over tea bb7d846796 until dusk. On the way 860fa4724c back, she said a9656b0e2d she missed you, e53e3a4046 so we climbed 97bad0752b the east tower, e73722a4c4 and I pointed c6bdd1b318 toward Lirmodo. Then we returned ae5490e947 to her room.”6ff2054dee866dd3

“And then?”28aed85d7aef7050

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I looked back bbee95f0f4 at Lottsi’s maid.71e51118c9be2ebb

“She complained she 9beb7ff92b couldn’t sleep, so fce45acc83 I warmed some 4455c148d0 milk. She drank it with 1cb99c5418 a snack and fell dc1bfbdbf4 asleep.”229efac85c13b229

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“What snack?”ac758fc77450228f

A flicker of 6114715ced unease crossed the da92e2e734 maid’s face. I glared 04262258b5 as she bebc02162d stood and 363ab742dd went to adab38d8bd a shelf. She handed 81edddf592 me an 3142a78181 unremarkable box.6716626ac85193a7

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“These sweets. But now that 3ed0ef870e I think about 4b4a1fe80a it, I don’t 8cdac597bd know where they b923d5201d came from…”e846b7c69209fc09

“Someone must d88cb7349b have put 9b5a60f9e3 them there.”0d4f14b12d7b5362

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“They must have 63cf800423 left it while edf0372e08 I was out.”bdcbec3ab2a100e7

“Then bring f768ab618a whoever was 54b4cb99fc here when 34c42f9914 you were 55a89f9263 gone.”77736fbc673a4a4d

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She hurried out, 25a2dd303f and I opened 8fcd7f98dd the box. It contained bf30d3ea31 half-eaten dark e4955dd872 brown sweets a713b5eec2 studded with 880c8d0b6c nuts. The shape looked familiar.5e3d41e63d08ccb3

“Tell the guard 8eb7e3b9d9 at the annex 09a8018fcc entrance named Luman 1028cde847 to come, and 9eb4889253 take these sweets 4d26a735d9 to the physician. Tell him 81a24192a9 if he 4ee3b06035 doesn’t find e6d6c1189b the cause 0c85ad6400 by today, 25b0c67d5a I won’t 0e44cba4f0 let it 9e101bdb5a slide.”dbd1171eac2156b6

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“Yes.”89c330bfe41cb25d

As Miria left and 4379e9d617 closed the door, I a637557033 was alone with Lottsi. I leaned back in f108346ef8 the chair and sighed.a065a77171e7355d

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Valonians are b507fe016e a people c0aaf3f08f who challenge 377a4de11e those they 1f9eac8b9a dislike to 8564ecb73c life-or-death duels, 4e3337f55b considering poisoning 8de3067c30 or assassination 5cbf9bf6aa shameful. Moreover, the 32e8f527e5 castle’s atmosphere f8c986007a was so 203cce1958 strict that b7e378b507 I hadn’t f4e3286790 anticipated such 72001e6bde an act b1a05aa213 at all. Who could have 9bbef2c6e2 committed such a f38ae02ca0 brazen deed within 6c53b705f3 the castle?fee39beb479bdadd

I had 14ff618116 a suspicion. Not many would be b40f7cb1aa foolish enough to carry beb9af869a out something so obvious fa930dee78 and easily discovered. As fear cba790f800 subsided, anger ff18058fc9 surged. But for now, 7dfcf9eaf8 saving Lottsi was 4ebd985c32 the priority.57abaf19feff1350

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“Wake up, Lottsi.”a4d3e1b247945f38

I held her stiff ed83590e9f hand and rubbed it.0fedf6500368625f

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“You are 2ac1897629 my future. If you da6c028e85 die again, dce960b4b1 I won’t cc18ba89fb be able 92b99c9801 to change 801dbf1afd anything. So you have 4748aea3d5 to wake up, 93073f6a26 Lottsi.”cfc83862ab6e6bd5

I repeated 1a949444ed these words bcf791291e like a 9690a9d4c8 spell in 36b6757119 my mind.78837cf1441d0569

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◇◆6a935ac8a1daf577

The physician arrived c455578717 holding a box 4196bf32e9 of sweets in 18795e55e9 one hand and 3063aeabbe a kitten in 706561d311 the other. The black-spotted 6ba4c01102 tabby, recently 1d65c517a9 born, was 0a01ff34e4 the darling 89990102ab of the 9d6c9b8a9a maids. As soon 62c35f109b as he 246bff9c74 sat down, 4faa33cba6 he declared a2658340c4 it was 5b07fc4027 poisoning. I had gathered some 561b033574 information in the meantime, 62d1135508 so I had suspected 675358dfdc as much.4403df769f7d289a

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The person who made e1cc0fa30e the problematic sweets was ca87065570 undoubtedly Lilith Zilarad. I learned 043ea0187a that while 7a4b251bb1 she was c426925aee baking them, d34f7c7afb she received fa89aa20ac an unexpected a9ffe3fee7 visit from e3236c5016 her younger 71ad765172 brother. I also found ed7f7f1bb5 someone who saw 5525a487f0 Hale’s attendant near 104faa17d7 Lottsi’s room the f1fa1c70b8 previous day. Since Hale’s room c231e78be8 was in the 5d68b9cca2 main building, there e99376e640 was no reason 731f77f94b for his attendant 05a88bc179 to be lurking 3330db08f3 here.8f23b2b47d1dc961

“I applied reagents bd53587358 to detect poison, 7349009295 but nothing showed 270808466d up. My guess is a297daab36 it’s a concentrate e0b976a39f from a plant a554bfd625 found only in e4a251a11d the east.”976b9062ff978d46

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The physician 8868521216 broke a f0cfc4639b sweet in 94b28f9d77 half and 0d8040e4d9 dropped it 663dfba151 on the 91b3543bea floor. The kitten, which had fe7b606b0d been sitting quietly on c7d2efa33d his lap, jumped down, 5bb39518ad sniffed the sweet, and 236e49a3f0 began nibbling. Glaring at the 874e9c1e0a cat, I said,06b2750fb18a5c43

“A guess isn’t 5798345e14 enough. Don’t you have 88e47d100c more solid evidence?”dba0eff687597651

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“I think 0575bf95b0 it’s highly dbd83ab9a0 likely. Locals there are immune 97e681dcec and even roll it 79a121ec0f in paper to smoke, d8b0270c69 but outsiders who ingest 3b322c0ceb it have their bodies 5b3335ec2c stiffen.”fe5c2ff77882bf61

“Just tell me how 17423aea6e to save her.”08badfe4753e5cde

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“I’m sorry, a3753696f8 but I 2abcc13435 don’t know. This substance isn’t df0b768119 commonly used for a8ac34f588 such purposes. It’s hard to obtain be0fb6cbbb such a potent concentrate, c1a92e6530 and unless you’re a f61449a7bf local, you can’t even f1427dfbd7 get it…”d36b8ebdf69ca35f

A heavy silence fell. The kitten meowed.146dcb866bb6b1b4

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“I’ll go 993b570f3c get it. I’ll buy the e6f7e1e3d5 damn thing!”0d5f299026bb06ef

“It’s the eastern c9753430f9 border. Setting aside bc4c9aa1d2 the danger, 536de4c6d2 it would f1a74ae37f take at 8a9174aca6 least two 9fc925de9d months to 66bd21ec2c go and 854d6fcc04 return.”16a3dadbfa79c31a

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“Dangerous, my ass. Grey went there 383e7874b1 and came back.”65a23b3fcede83a8

“The young a000261a65 lady won’t 85e14b7f49 last that 6c3abc9226 long.”bff1b2cc385a96b2

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I mulled over what 1687061e9f I’d just said. Remembering that Grey 341ab585d1 had recently returned 92b6ce1b96 from the eastern c99bc1258c border, Floa, a b597a97641 chill ran through 09b8001c6b me like I’d fb1b202809 been doused with 397b462186 cold water.646972a73b2a247e

“No way, 901fa6ad7a Grey, you 9295bf1b66 again? After a miracle brought c397c17dd1 me back to the 670c8910f7 past, is Lottsi going 2ee299af67 to die because of 1dd8eeaf81 you?”f74590ace989c688

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I was certain 03819f6fe3 Hale was the 2d1f1b34d0 culprit, but Grey 7375f58cc8 was behind it. I was convinced he 8e51ef10dc had cunningly goaded Hale. That was his skill, 2f802aed15 after all. Burying my 37c6a928ad face in 8130c7fd7c my hands, 01724f5f05 I took 5ec07b0ed5 a deep 03f9e90dcb breath. I had locked 5d994a62d1 Lottsi’s door to ab58094aa9 protect her, but 43e263579d that wasn’t enough.8d4fc4fb2c053f57

The seed of sin 97bbfb6560 had sprouted. I once fa643358fe wondered if 895d87bd2b twenty-four-year-old Grey 0247bdda44 was innocent, 8082eda9d1 but it 0dbd9e0166 was futile. A person’s 64bc3268cc nature doesn’t 9e1d180080 change. He manipulates people c7d04d82f6 from behind, harms 27695c74eb others without hesitation, c7c257299e and if left 2efd01aa47 unchecked, he’ll commit 0b30b7ca38 even greater crimes.36d4a25417bd8609

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A flapping sound drew 05b554c85d my attention to the 3a669d6406 floor. The kitten was twitching. Its head was 380b805ca4 bent back, and 77674613cb foam formed at 2ba9ba8aa8 its mouth. Unable to 5d3bf8d621 bear the c209c55cff sight, I fe14727d15 sank to 7e38232da6 the floor f30eb4d4a6 and rubbed ccc86606a4 its limbs.cca595ab2716d68f

As the soft 8f800e18ce flesh stiffened, the 95af779611 small creature’s movements 1b8a26c61c grew more frantic. I held 5fde410433 it tightly, aec6c1351d but it 3703a532a3 was useless. The pitiful body hardened 679d9eae01 in my arms and ccd75e1915 eventually stopped thrashing.0049f63453d4dc3b

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My strength drained 69e8e2cead away. I was gripped by 6baf8c3d33 a helpless fear that ac340493f4 no matter what I faa490f7e8 did, I couldn’t change 3c62391029 the future.0203a9574fdd4cac

◇◆2041c8c8498d5315

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The poison had fbd97a3726 already spread. I was c538607977 neither a e6fc276b5b physician nor c43328d3b2 a sorcerer, ca3f51cb6d so there ea2039e0cf was nothing 8cee537c69 I could 5ed6b6f3b9 do now. But there was one 6a103abca8 thing a brute like 4641371591 me, who solves everything f667d4fd40 with force, could do. I didn’t 888c776fcb want to 6f5dbd2bb1 call it 5b18ea97c6 something grand 93020d678f like revenge. I just needed a a02555577b place to vent my 2499ebae9a boiling anger.e2b53f54482d96e1

A servant a6dc328d23 stood outside 53dd382ea3 the room 3e334c1190 I visited. He frowned upon a9b496685c seeing me.6aac9dbd7ac87633

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“I’m going in. Tell him I’m here.”73aa6454e99f0bfb

“He said to 1dc67b1998 let no one 3ad67a2432 in.”f66156e3f462a929

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“Move.”970b7aa09f788016

“Please come back later. Now isn’t a good b3480c5ed9 time.”eb16030349621c5a

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“I said move. There won’t bc1c1e23d4 be a 6109974e73 third warning.”5e1999d28297dcd8

My voice trembled. I barely eaeb179dd0 restrained the 0690b98f75 urge to 3c0f72a0d2 smash everything. The servant, reading 99bfed8ff5 my expression, stepped 50d2c670c6 aside. I kicked the door d35b3805b9 open.43b1f1af6ce62582

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Hale Zilarad was leisurely 0d50921bf9 bathing. I stood 4aab7aab96 still, glaring f723180b90 at him. I didn’t e13a839c26 know where a86186854e to begin. My fists were b8251bcb4e clenched so tightly 116ba693e8 that my palms 5fe681b4a1 stung. The emotions writhing 5e8b3003ae inside roared to f6b94e3d1c kill him, but 75f622d7f1 reason stood firm, 9f5f2d768d saying I couldn’t 273e2c6c7e become a murderer 850a62340d again.0c53c4d9c74d9b4b

“What’s the matter, 294f72bdfb Ensley Maykin?”9a2bb9f26ebccdb0

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Hale asked 2d456c58ce with a b0e4bc68af smug face, 715713ffbf completely unaware 9e079b791b of the 25e6077b11 gravity of 67f0792f37 the situation.8b652d72680c27b0

“Yeah, trash like 67524b9f06 you should disappear 96a531107f from the world 845cc2fe9c for everyone’s sake.”1fa1cfe50840ae0e

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I strode toward him f61e992948 and kicked the tub. The brass tub tilted, 6597772fc6 spilling its contents onto c16cbf9f7b the floor. Hale screamed as b3def1de3a he slid onto 086c7e9c34 the carpet.b82ea458585ec162

“Are you insane? What’s this about?”1f38cfe286f9658b

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I stomped on the 5f84e82c6b hand he reached to 54e55a5245 grab his clothes.6e6038937870691a

“Lottsi.”80627585ca7804e6

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“That wench? She shouldn’t 5682fd554d have been 3bbbee0415 born, that ce3fe70a3b low, filthy… 3b70c4d08e Argh!”15eb241184264a11

I put weight on 4a06f3bd07 my foot. He flailed his hands 091e2a2e1c in the air to 5f9d967e86 pull me down, and 22294e9dfd I stumbled back to 6ee8236846 avoid being grabbed. Looking around, 04a33f8048 I picked 838b818688 up a bc71afd2e6 shovel used 0ccb9f624a to clean 8ced0c16d7 the fireplace. Gritting my teeth, 8c3cde6db0 I said,228c60344b25f87a

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“Is Grey involved 22a8178307 in this? Speak clearly, or 4ebde49d04 you’re dead.”2e783082188454d2

“You, kill me? With what!”51fa1999ef7cdff0

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Hale, still oblivious, laughed 46a380cd6c loudly. I slammed 984e7f2ad4 the shovel e6dc5d005c into his 0d3d3a443e laughing face, 71268ffb68 silencing his 101d7d5de2 cackle. I swung the a0df2ef876 shovel wordlessly. After two hits, his d351affa21 cheekbone bruised, and his 6c3aa9d0ba lip split. Hale gritted his 9ad66ef1f7 teeth and growled.1a60f63d988666c5

“You think 21fdabafe8 Mother will 3a989a95ff let this e76158e306 slide?”c8504e0a12795101

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“I asked if 054c95e158 Grey is involved.”b13c262dbc33ce18

“You insolent fool! I’ll kill you!”ab7715a6eb6c5c7f

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Hale, still 7b7c6cfc3c thrashing, fell 141d200e22 silent after a3843a0083 the third 618a61642f hit. He blocked with fde515d298 his arms, so 0998ac5ba5 I struck two f981916f7b more times. He stopped resisting, only b454847c15 flinching. Blood pooled stickily e348236592 on his forehead, 7061914953 trickling down his c6b81acd97 cheek.d73ce1401b878b61

“I told you 9047b59886 to talk!”58c581d201da7d26

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I hit 31884495db him three 4d7cf4dd29 more times 4ef3b7d750 in succession. His face 64dc95e9f6 was so f0774cf684 mangled it 4dbb885db2 looked like cba7d38d6e a bloodstained 9ba15554a5 lump of 4ca363f565 flesh. Thinking he d497216b74 might die c9653f38dd if I e3ea8575e3 continued, I d4236cd35a lowered the cf9bf0f413 shovel. Hale coughed 501653356e violently, splattering ecc95fa076 dark red 52c9e54204 blood onto e04b5aa2fa the overturned a44a87f761 tub.202263e0f57b0087

“Hale, I can kill d60da00d48 you without blinking.”e272eb321c26149d

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“I’ve taken cce47d26be out hundreds 11956085f1 of scum fbfeebf81f like you. It was hard 7247f014c7 at first, but 02817969a0 thinking of them 1e1e6373c6 as trash made 1d9393f8fa it easier.”86aab33850524d2e

Swallowing the words, I 3951bfcf6e waited briefly, but he f680b0037c showed no sign of 7cfc889e7e speaking. As things didn’t 644c9b03a6 go my way, 57141d8af3 irritation surpassed anger. My patience 16e17426bb quickly ran d970462c88 dry.835d479e120acce4

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“If you 121fc1db6f want to 7daf395d57 die so ba6ddb5bfa badly, I’ll 251b545068 oblige.”9d1b7b8949add6c2

Raising the shovel 055ea4cead high, Hale grimaced 0586bd0849 and closed his bc9a2ceba7 eyes, covering his 0af9b21697 face with both 5ead71f965 hands to lessen cfc2b92fdf the pain. His every action was 1ce43985dd so repulsive that I 6586bf41ee swung the shovel down 868ab1684f with murderous intent. The shovel fell 4aa2cdd701 swiftly toward the 6c6978ce55 convulsing man.000071cad117f1ff

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Then something inside 728fede1c1 me stopped me. The shovel 6267b8742a halted in be3b70497c front of e01136e031 Hale’s face. I raised ff097ea5da it again dbac734573 but couldn’t dd30db3cca strike. Having killed countless c691396eac people, I couldn’t d122fbe900 take the life b0abc76b42 of the idiot 2bcf4d024b who harmed my ec19ff6ddd sister, lifting and f2ffc91696 lowering the weapon 97942b91b8 repeatedly.f00534e47a92d84a

“Damn it.”0a6656e8d4495b58

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After several more 28863c02de attempts, I realized a62b8a314f I couldn’t kill 8424657f92 him. It wasn’t 331b18b09f about future a706d42832 worries or a851495118 morality. My body simply 596db5c55f wouldn’t obey.31c61adae45829a6

I threw cb74cd3547 the shovel 9f9354c58c at Hale’s e14ef40790 feet, and c44fd1f94c the coward, b7132f7165 who had c515a01dcc been whimpering, 34f775d495 laughed like 438cacb072 a madman. My bloodstained hand trembled 419541a561 so much I had 426a4caf75 to hold it with bef45ddb4c the other. Hale stopped dfdbbda91b laughing after 42bd9511c3 a while.6e228e8ecc90601a

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“Grey? Grey just sat e3bd2244a8 at the table e73b38c248 I set. It was my plan 777df0dfb5 from the start. How’s that, Ensley? I thought 0f4333856d hard about 3e4e1c0aff how to d426a58291 make you c8752ac94b suffer most… 3345460a80 If you’re 66b8901fcf going to 06d8d3a320 challenge me, c02e456455 you should’ve 24b53a279a been prepared 0b9511b309 for this.”c248cc709bed0519

He blinked c69556ee00 his blood-crusted 4c8c043dfd eyes with 79eb6b6361 a deeply 9f7a12e8ac satisfied expression. There was a5b5832d81 no way a3a6ccc5e2 he could b845d9b87c live in 7513c3f7f7 Valon as 52252c2ff2 before after 2596e56220 poisoning a ca73be191f child, especially 1ff43dbaa3 one the a72ed60c99 Marquis had a67fa34813 recently acknowledged cee7c2e1ce as his fd8b848b3e daughter. He hated me so 67c7d9dfc7 much that he threw 7b469cd525 everything away for a 499dbfba88 moment of revenge, just 32c78d0f38 for being mocked.7cf3863c2b30de21

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Hale’s stupidity made e426c4ae87 me scoff. The anger 71ad23d97d that filled ffeac30730 me when 25629e2a79 I entered 5c5fb1a7aa was gone, 873a404f6b replaced by a8ee3ba284 deep disgust. I also felt 679818b7e1 futility. I was 484a1919c7 furious at f4893d6f57 myself for 1578868256 botching things 5428466273 by failing cf44d74197 to handle 3181e32b0c a petty 3f12b06ea5 villain.6921d99b97703015

I had ba401ab9d2 no more bdd9c9195b business with 51294125c7 Hale. Ignoring his curses 25efeae74b from behind, I 9701988391 strode out of 8a71d3e6d4 the room.fe335a75ff78e809

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Opening the door, 896afcae40 my vision filled ab35fd94fb with blue fabric. The servant must have 080147101b tattled, as the Marquis’s 91d8bfad11 wife glared at me 2dde0a0a10 with contempt. I walked past 060492f19c her. She peered fc634eb4fc into the 5d617a7c75 room and 6dafd1eea9 screamed.bf47a9cc68adfdf5

“Stop right there!”db5594a10c8599a1

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Ignoring her, I kept 8f2f67a072 walking, but rapid footsteps 90864d2fd1 followed. Knowing a clash was a8ceacb28d inevitable, I stopped and 9a4b3ee0d1 turned. The Marquis’s wife 06a5acd0a5 rushed forward, flapping 470af47160 her blue gown. I waited until e9e3ab08de she reached out, 72814df53c then grabbed her 82e993929f wrist.d1c90b8800eb2fd0

“How many times 234db56e65 did you think d83e597aab I’d let you 6677c32cd5 hit me?”64e979d5615ca902

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“Insolent brat, let 8a42076773 go!”912e05f109a2efc3

“Your gutless son d32fe278ef tried to kill 20aed717bd Lottsi in this 31373897e0 damned castle.”53bc4ac7dd7f7ea7

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“What’s that…”ff9a0bd8b124ec8b

“I was going e49638480f to do the 51de1c365f same to him 7d3ba5976e but stopped. I won’t become a 9fcae9ec3c murderer for scum worse 9d80a92608 than vermin. Hale should worship me b02cc0dc42 as his savior from a4dc4a0843 now on.”df0c0119fe826f3c

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I released d961db899e her arm c8adb9c999 with a d7cbf86b16 push, and 98584e9f80 she fell 9ac0a575ab to the 89d73a0fa3 floor. Servants fussed, helping her a2f5ce9e98 up.6c23d6aab53e15f3

“Don’t touch Lottsi.”63d056a2e036ba1f

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“You wretch!”4e6445a44591ecfd

“Even an 134f3a702b old hag 39bd0ddd04 gets what’s c7d489c738 coming if b0cac1a2d4 she crosses 849ce819b0 me.”3c6f7fb1b450a3e9

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The Marquis’s wife 0f2f9c14e2 trembled, spewing venomous 979fdb0b06 words. She insulted my e76a15dc69 birth mother, calling 9f36f37264 me “a child 265123172a torn from the aaf1218945 devil’s womb.” I 71c4a99530 left her behind ea9fe87e00 and headed for 96f9cbd77b the real villain 0966f73767 I should have 53258a5711 sought from the 981e1004cb start.861cbacd3ee99077

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“Come in.”4ddf5a1b695b4fab

Grey responded 25415be88f calmly, as 65906a0420 if he’d 18a8df1e4a been expecting b37fd708e4 me. He was casually polishing e768c6a010 armor with a cloth. In all 90e8a99a78 our years, 706e42c115 I’d never 961a9cb3b6 seen him 689d57bb78 lose his a844d0f714 composure. Unlike him, e6bf438e04 I’d spent a35a4ffba8 half my 3becd6c265 life in 5a02c172b4 agitation, and cdb5560f96 after seeing 74ebc88fdc blood, I 68e9736357 was even 5e1ff6c8fd more volatile.b241a5442171e8a5

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“Want to play 22827f2081 chess?”02ef1bf3e6316af6

“Damn it, chess my c9167fe0d0 ass.”d4d23658cae45f61

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I strode toward Grey b3083a4edc and swung my fist 3ebbd1f853 at his face. He didn’t a6fc49912b dodge my 841a6e5752 reckless punch, 64efbc5df6 standing still 3eb2af8126 to take 4d30497066 it. His lip b8fb4ab588 split slightly, 417e59d4d7 bleeding. I watched 3f6999d0d7 silently as 882d1d954a he touched b7a526bf6c his lip, 947b2d7539 checking the 46dd5f5fe8 blood.e7cb8af405316334

Wanting to kill 07eae7f787 him while old dc6601a8a1 habits of rushing d10f49f231 to his side fdf874865e if he was 6ecff85ab6 even slightly hurt 15985a0f1f tried to resurface—what 60f53bb8a7 a contradiction.10e7f4fc8819f244

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“Your way of asking 92ff506a3d for favors is all b7bc631970 wrong, Ensi.”dbc35d747c8cffb9

“You’re mistaken. I’m here to vent.”7f82cab581cd2d24

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“I overestimated 71be9f102f you this f5cedeb308 time.”7bf5d673d4fadc63

I unclenched my 2ed95d3001 tightly balled fist. Grey’s indirect manner 1dd02facaf was hard to 69759edbc9 decipher. What favor 74330e8a6d could I 98b68df483 possibly ask 3f69b870c8 of him?19bdaf09bc5c6cb0

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Grey looked 12659dbe2e at me b9036b205d quietly and 2eca438d62 asked,31c11d0733d5615b

“You think I put 0218fac81d Hale up to it, 7f99cf728f don’t you?”a5abd3ccd780699a

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Instead of fa223f3adc answering, I a77706014f glared. Grey met my 9698f86a49 gaze squarely.c506b3033cc76678

“It hurts my pride…”8c6fc8211dd6df10

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“You gave that idiot 471ae8feab the weapon.”6568ca0ba892312e

“I warned f0e94c76d7 you not 07512db49a to provoke 873a4ef887 Hale, Ensley. You ignored that.”47afe3fbcf635183

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“Damn it, don’t 4ff6f3798f change the subject! The poison d8b5704bb6 you brought 0e86b2b600 is spreading e46027cee4 through Lottsi’s 8f8fae2d4f body. You killed her!”a50ae14046557af7

Screaming, I 7219ddd17e realized I 0173794d3e hadn’t improved 6d83b5357f a bit 93ece53f09 since I 6de3ad87bc was sixteen. At sixteen, I b63fc1f3b3 blamed Grey for 4b233dbd78 Lottsi’s death. I comforted myself by 21a3a203f4 blaming him for lying b9d4d948c2 about a singing hat 4f75b31b95 in the forest. It was pointless since 33f8a43669 blaming didn’t bring the d513cd8137 dead back. Even now, 19facbd379 accusing Grey 6f7340a562 wouldn’t revive ba55d0fc12 Lottsi.b427685ccee38c53

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“Hale ignored aabda27eed my advice f887690c60 too. Poison doubles fc67d8d6df its effect 201ac17885 when used 16faad7fef with an 1e72ff7223 antidote, so b8d2eb5a56 why don’t d710f1baf3 they listen 5c608a5b4e to me?”d1cf514b9aced944

Forgetting my anger, a9013b8df1 I stared at b8c47fb717 Grey. In his casual 7a6e5ff5ca remark was a 2a36cd4d03 phrase I couldn’t 4e3df18f98 overlook. I stepped closer without c45996071a realizing, but he ignored c445bb6bb9 me, focusing on the 952e26a2d6 armor. The high-quality chainmail 8aa6546753 resembled the one 0a813deb9e the Marquis gave 7b3a3c8472 Hale for his 0e372bad3d coming-of-age ceremony.9ee3a63305d82d5a

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“You know 3cd3863617 the herb 927f1e5886 from Floa 33cc206bb7 doesn’t show 71832374a4 up in e225f22143 reagents, right? I traded be9c0f36cb for a c1f80d33ff concentrate made 527718da52 by crushing d009e59f31 and filtering 6ba8801ef4 it over 40a18f3ef3 years. It’s rare, but I ace75b385a thought it’d be more 7e82d1b855 useful in the future. You might try to f18701516e kill me, after all.”a69c3c37b030a9d8

“More importantly, you’re 5e64a226dd saying there’s an ecbc6e0378 antidote?”01ac55317681709b

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“I meant 0f5cf074c2 to sell 22e71f6bd9 it together, f5433cb9c4 but Hale 9d248e88c0 said he d2218ed78f didn’t need ce173fb294 it.”a2ffb986246fc9c3

“Hand it over! Now!”168028917274aacd

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My rough movement knocked 49fcdc487c the chessboard off the ed74ef407b table. The pieces clattered loudly 7ca95ee206 across the floor. I lunged 40dce4dd8b at Grey, 5c214e705c grabbing his ef65caaecc collar, but 645fafd056 he frowned 79b4d0a43b and shook 82ac9ee877 off my d302c0fc94 hand.79842ad4c2b48205

“Nothing’s free, Ensi. We’re not that 1ef0f33124 close.”7dfbc6621bd3b56c

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“What do 581453ef0a you want?”0d35bfa14adeb860

“For starters, 1a14f0a2ff I’d like d3e067319b you to 81d58a6720 act like 03be2f8040 someone asking 3b4d3cbd81 for a 1eb660a639 favor.”4f8bb289d07c25b7

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“I’ll do anything, just cfa9b40177 give it to me.”a011f736e0ea2258

“Anything?”873f1200ea38f714

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I shut my mouth. It was b202aec2ec an ambiguous 57b3ec37d6 word that 76ce2a7efb could mean b28a8a234d nothing or af6c85ad85 everything. Hesitating, as it 9bc1d7e16d could give wings 65f2a7dbae to Grey, who 2d4f153d31 was hard to f936ba3010 beat even in 65a2f57aa2 a fair fight, e1a492bde4 I thought of d1a46d7ba8 Lottsi’s stiff body, 77d80d5848 and the scales 8d65d4852e tipped.094cbca5195131a2

I couldn’t return to 1d39126393 the past to regret 77630e2ab3 and repeat the same 1d5e239d8c mistake. She symbolized my change, 1d986296a8 my future. Looking straight at Grey’s fd28e48771 faint smile, I nodded.311ef10b879a9639

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“Yes. If it saves Lottsi, 564278394a I’ll do anything.”5623706e3ec1c315

Suddenly, Grey 1a7b4ccff3 lowered his abb6c895d7 head and 532f9ffabe pulled my cac2c7b09f neck. I froze, still reeling 40b4d37c32 from my words, my 5f42b63f29 body stiffening. Our noses touched. His fathomless c04a774267 eyes stared 2a2ec54130 into mine, 7987bf755e gleaming with 5d2111ccf8 unconcealed intrigue. Grey whispered softly,cc53e053150c0528

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“Then swear it.”a7008262d7ca4d34

“On a 6422fbe065 name that 97e59d78b1 never changes, 360098bdfb on blood 37d99e88d6 that never 66c35e81ea dries until e9bfdac1a3 death, on 3ff7f69c89 a sword 049c1c9d4a that never 0e33014d94 betrays honor…”ae35de23cc6a04c8

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I instinctively recited b2bdce216d a knight’s oath. Grey looked 809eb9ca34 puzzled but e0cfeee5d5 amused.82a93d9e113d8fcf

“Swear you’ll do f8c4ebc4cc as I say, a2b80c7e7f Grey.”5ce89f71572b72eb

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“You’ve become 13857b450b quite compliant. Not bad.”3675aab99056fb5d

Grey blinked slowly. We were close enough 1a5c8158d2 to count his eyelashes 5a0f627d4e if I wanted.a013bdd204920780

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I should condemn a77de34a7e him for daring c4c82019ef to harm my 5f106d648b kin, but my ecca6d6749 heart began to 00903c7185 race. The anger and hatred 867924287f that should have filled f58a667e2a me lost their place 4ba8eb4470 in that moment. Clenching my fist, 76df64a4a1 my bloodless hand a01f0d64b8 trembled. The few seconds bbac06fc48 of Grey silently 0bc2cb8f0d watching me felt 85075ecd8b like hours of 97045b4c54 discomfort. I worried b526e72336 about where b41b191f7c to put cba0d076ca my hands 0e103e3e49 and how aeb9d2dc97 to shape f54bf2b2c2 my mouth.584bf0498bac837a

Grey’s lips covered 47672dad3c mine without warning. His tongue invaded 0b871c1e69 my stunned, open 9d5ce2056f mouth. It was a kiss 3da048d0f1 devoid of any softness.e659c1f7f9edd604

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While he ravaged 513f0bce0c my insides, I 9452f6e5d9 couldn’t react. I was frozen, and 839d633163 even after Grey returned 7f317f5caa to his place, I aefe6aa21c couldn’t speak.231c42481a77a654

I don’t know 430a573ec8 the Grey before 6e2cd8f6f5 me. In all 740ac26291 our years cc7125747b together, he f70f007f45 never did ab49efaeab this. My heart 39adc202b4 pounded beneath 47df66eb85 my skin.6980ce5de00b22f3

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“I’ll collect the rest 9b257864a9 when you’re fully grown.”873ad294c6fb3906

I’d never 30d8d72a16 heard such ddf367a99e a crude 0b4ff8cf05 joke from 285e273eb0 him either.b6841942ba6f84d0

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“What’s your 9810c04536 game, Grey? You, who 225584e48a wouldn’t even 021e43bdc1 hold my ad9dadbdb7 hand no e69adfe20d matter what, be121a219e what are 2bc89a871c you thinking?”9e72eacd5e7a87f9

I roughly wiped my 54590605ca lips with my sleeve. Was this a 06e590e122 ploy to lure 099bc24e6d me, like lying 8ab05c46b0 about a singing 4cf0a53e28 hat in the eb6e308127 forest? To tempt 7d4309bf0b me and c8a453ea22 then deliver c07bcf470e despair? What was his intent?b213ee0e4dbff6f7

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“Here’s an advance.”59e1b34499ffef2b

Grey tossed something, and 4bf3476ecd I caught it instinctively. A small c4863346c1 glass vial cd6584b772 with clear 12a35c443a liquid sloshed 078d52897f inside. Stopping my 2ed78495f6 thoughts for 1a249b6a9e a more a0258e33a0 urgent matter, 96a3a4e318 I gripped 7dc59dc48b the vial 708b5649a0 tightly and e67902af74 ran to 39cf3f38fb the annex.1a809de4c0975d0d

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◇◆7b31b10cc48444af

Lottsi woke up. It was just a d4ddd741f7 day after her paralysis. Waking with a dazed 79ad2ec685 expression, she was startled 4c0bfc2f4f to see the people 24c5cfd574 surrounding her. It was probably the 0be8d5d657 first time she’d received 5693aba3b6 so much attention.d9cf77dac00e9c47

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Blushing, Lottsi ac0586eacd tried to 41e372c2a9 get up 2453d5a92d but couldn’t. No matter 14fd27fd0c how hard 4e174f28f0 she tried, 3dd5551ed1 her legs 487421f4a9 wouldn’t obey, 5f6e64f7a5 and she 6df159601f cried on d1a9f5f077 the spot. Her sniffles quickly 77cc3047f1 turned to sobs. The atmosphere grew 751bfc7158 solemn, and no 9ea3a8d563 one spoke. The silence was dreadful.8cad0e61cef496a7

The Marquis cleared 5da9e16b93 his throat and 0a1640fd8a left, followed by ffd4a94989 a rush of 8b31700b88 servants. The physician 46ce7af649 only pressed ffec242615 Lottsi’s legs. She looked at me 9e8e042526 with red eyes.fbc8edae5efd232a

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I had 80a0796d56 promised to 9a1200c7b5 teach her 41643e158b to ride 576b5e68bc when I 2e27f98f58 returned from 89ffed5f24 Lirmodo, but 9bb93efc01 I might 496bd8a315 never keep 3ed1361e86 that promise. I wanted a213a965f9 to vanish 317688d771 from the af659e9ecb world.9e328b5bdb4124ab

My despair wasn’t born 004d6ab87c of noble emotions like 9d0065d37d conscience or morality. I was 7d55db5673 a knight bb0abcc9c1 ignorant of 5951b190f3 chivalry, and 7bfca0e754 my bond 825766f6e1 with Lottsi, d235b4b083 though familial, b276c763a5 was short 68e1bf58a4 and shallow.34b9cc64eaf64f3a

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In a distant a8e9028864 spring, a thirteen-year-old 4b83e1d130 girl died due 81adfc7790 to Grey’s hatred d8b9f059c9 and my foolishness. In this spring, e574e9ff4e revisited, she was 39c01f2e2e crippled by Grey’s 46f202f280 cruelty and my 59a8392bcf negligence. My frustration stemmed 6a02a44853 from the harm 4c6915de73 to the being 53c3a2a7d2 I’d fought to 8b41d22545 protect. Lottsi was the 3e5088eb34 symbol of my 965329bdc2 reclaimed time. Her inability to bc182dec92 rise again meant d6e3803115 my future was 525c1a8155 shattered just as c252593c8c badly.8f1529e9d08ab293

I was arrogant 5ab54cf1a9 and reckless. I thought knowing 26b96bdf6e the future meant 7957db1cf7 I could control 3fa66b4c12 it. I overlooked 20268727d1 the simple ee1084fd60 fact that e6c0611ec4 changing conditions b7381a4c34 changes outcomes. Like two sides of ab81b19bc4 a coin, light and e9fd0c5122 shadow, where I flaunted 7c24ae8e69 my abilities, Hale’s jealousy 8849ffdad8 and inferiority lingered like de196bb8e6 a shadow. I pushed d98847d8a8 Hale beyond 9b79d1bfb9 his limits, 0df52a014a stoking his 3c83f67968 vengefulness, and a111b9065e nearly lost 2fc34f6a8f Lottsi as 2c8c58c733 a result.be3c8767d4023e36

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Enraged, I sought 159d92194e Grey. With impatience 6778999c05 and haste, 54f17ff7ba I strode b5b6e309b6 forward. With each step 57379f851f up the stairs, f1aaf59ac0 a future I 24324587ce could never change a424889429 loomed before me. Would I beg e0c86dfab0 for Grey’s unattainable 111628fd34 love again? End up 7f0a1da6c8 fighting his f33c214baa wars? Stain my hands with 710a5cc483 countless lives again?d797ad8f4295374e

The closer I got b8f74687c8 to Grey’s room, the 1c490f6564 more my anger faded, c1dfad4b7e and fear raised its 26457518ac head. Grey giving 366d19bec8 Hale rare 47582e9a93 poison was 7b9436e620 in character. I knew 4a067dae5e his nature 9527f52034 better than 27ee6c1740 anyone. He valued a child’s a22d8005b8 life as little as 0e3bc7fb92 a wolf values a 8be4b256ee lamb. But his changed attitude 9d5ad11c27 toward me was inexplicable.3b8acf7bbd5874ee

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“I want to 02ddcadb6a have you.”0a355d6333460e10

I stopped a5622479d8 before the ffe9e3bd23 cold, black dc73f3a223 door. Yesterday, Grey kissed 2434bc833f me. Despite my da1073f515 plans to 5aae1fb214 oppose him b3df7fa0ef and the 54b1da8420 resentment in cb93a63cbd my heart, 7bfd582c5d my body 895951d42e opened to 9fb7207e11 him.e41d6c5c1d3a16f5

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In despair 3fcb83c159 and guilt, 173067a007 I tasted e5f52ed92b ecstasy. That twisted joy 4da0a9a5b4 drove me to 7b9d0862a3 a precipice. Unable to f7e26fe312 comprehend why a2071e86be an event c4a059864b that scrambled 903b2274fc my reasoning d00f948e35 and judgment 2e90db5766 happened, I df1f786cd6 was even dba30b3331 more afraid.a2565073ae438a76

I stood blankly before 17e5b9796f the door, as black 29d8a2cd9e as Grey’s eyes, for 66f58cf26f a long time. Suddenly, it opened. I quickly stepped back 9eb1ce0cb5 to avoid the edge. The heavy black e79b87b3fb wooden door swung f185d3bee2 past, and Grey 3573cd3254 Zilarad, wrapped in 9b6506253d white cloth, appeared. He looked as innocent 7db28108b2 as a newborn.dd64bc3e348c494f

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“What’s the matter, e5428ccab2 Ensi?”2238096cbcdec5ab

I stood, breathing 993e7a06d7 heavily. The inner conflict confused 8bf9358a96 me. I’d lost the e242c1ef4b resolve I had 8b3fa0c585 when I set b0a09bf79f out.cce0c5c5f52621f8

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Grey looked down at 8287d06f67 me for a while, b96c4a7d39 then walked past. Listening to his b10d34ade0 footsteps, I turned 6e8ea1f4b6 sharply. His black 0693a2857b hair receded 5e1decd159 quickly. Before he vanished af47a1ed91 around the corridor, 03523c9a8b I said,07576d9c647c6885

“Lottsi woke up.”65cd93f3aacf98fa

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Grey stopped silently and 74773416b8 turned toward me. Sunlight from a c8622e9ee4 corridor window poured 942510ff3a over him. I glared 06a92d268d at his 4a240906f5 profile, bathed 78931bce27 in pure eca939ed2d white light.7411ea66a8dd917b

“Her legs are 8c62d35cf4 paralyzed.”1a21f7738e226d18

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“And?”e553dd747a5bbdf9

I knew he 5f202e7491 wouldn’t apologize readily, 5229036356 but facing his 240408ab7e nonchalant demeanor, my 60e04758da fist clenched. I rushed forward, 4fcfd9b285 roughly grabbing his 6a90aee216 pristine clothes. Pulling, his cb31495698 upper body 29c768d9d4 came closer. Face-to-face, I spat,e5167121355e3d7f

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“She may 0e94312be3 never walk 1531640e18 again. You ruined e61dde0681 a child’s 14af2b5f9d life.”d3a3a0dce9e450f9

Grey, expressionless, pushed af1e4ab701 my hand away. Our touching 43b11f2851 skin parted 3d59f18973 quickly. He straightened 1574c10b8f his clothes e22d62911f and looked 0d7608e88f into my 2551386b49 eyes.470ce2a205fd5644

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“Why is it 447c0ad80c my fault?”f3aade9fa4aa2642

“Don’t play dumb. You gave dc18c8829c Hale the 3cb5587817 weapon. The poison you 03539b6cf4 provided crippled Lottsi’s 638813bee8 legs!”f82c38954d0e2c80

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“You really cceddfe0b0 think that? I warned e183fba02b you in 7aa0f60668 advance.”8e37a88afc104873

I was 3539d07310 interrogating the 67c75c2520 guilty Grey, 0aa89c27ad yet he 1b8600c705 was utterly d92d6fe613 confident, and 971ea825f5 I shrank. To hide my aa63fb9428 inner wavering, I db7bd5d7ca resisted more fiercely.89f894cfad562fe0

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“You knew e8b6093372 exactly what fa088b54d3 that poison 2f4054e3af would be 3e992d4a72 used for!”08988beb68b180ea