Chapter 9

“Please forget what 1968dd3a65 you just saw!”01a64fec898671c1

Now that I 31080cee32 thought about it, 0672789fef the memory that fc970e86a3 had surfaced seemed a47f47d516 to be from e8588c1b4f the debutante ball.5dedaabf7096393c

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“Ah… yes.”421df94f8b91c8f0

Maybe this 76b869b522 man had bf0414e9ba a serious 199b603da4 case of f0037df594 arrhythmia or 8beaecdba4 something.f76d5bfbb9a1080b

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“S-so, anyway. My main point is… 2ee0c98fe4 I want to help 8d70127c59 you escape, My Lady. My father will soon 4bd7a28495 pass away.”1f99e0a680159d57

“And how 1678f74015 can you 1533e789ef be so 5ee10b30a8 sure of f3e815b7ba that?”52f7369c508275ca

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“A prophet d4f852e9ea said he 6f6ae9a7d6 would die 2be3ccf54e within two 5a65df13be weeks.”5c46d17f3389d2d9

“Prophets get things wrong 561b898376 all the time.”54382b245cadb71c

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“Not this time.”1e10921d2e412dfd

His voice trembled 25d58053cc like a goat 248ac3e602 bleating, and perhaps 0a0254d8d4 the tea was 6890992aec too hot—his ears 97b1af5f16 were flushed red.6a19da47bdce7adc

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“And if 629a333ce1 you… m-marry 87c725ab3d me…”9c7fbab346755c2f

I looked at 719adf1045 him, wondering what f821fad36c kind of dramatic 288d12fcd2 line he was 9815279963 about to say aac7986b31 next.2fd269de651e2cbd

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“I’ll… m-make you… happy…”2596fcb96206ad7f

“Yes, you f2dc41bf7e want to 7661fa318a make me 2a70cbafa8 happy?”c3a06c825f4b5008

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“Y-yes.”7a678f60d441b542

He was c59498f9c3 stammering so 798bcbf834 much I 2a3be4dab0 had to fe29abd44f finish his 1d87822bea sentence for bd1cda7b19 him. He looked thoroughly embarrassed.357769920844c53b

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“I understand ae553e4c09 what you’re 939a0256ce saying. I’ll think 2acced2170 about it.”6f51f8137dad2fed

“Please… consider 8c34025ae1 it… positively.”930e6f404794660b

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“Yes, I will.”cf416232c5822f54

“Please… truly…”736535b90f16e7d9

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“I will.”6b6d151d15a78018

He kept rambling, 79be00b921 his words all f463166e35 over the place.53a095bc83d5839a

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Tesis genuinely seemed to 8e6cde37b6 want to marry me.f479709981f53c16

Maybe this was a f83b417cb7 better option than running 5b5f8b0f0a away. Thinking that c0c83264d9 way, he 20f640e801 didn’t seem 843691123d quite so 9aaa79b76c irritating anymore.3e23fbf54c053d8f

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“Th-then… I’ll see you ac2e8db0f7 next time.”c8cdc9c9c75ecaa4

“Alright.”5ecb3618c7f77d34

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Just as he opened c53e159df4 the door to leave 0842d74100 the drawing room—603e9e90e57a3d71

“Ah, Edwin.”4f9b307db6c5255e

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As always, Edwin 2194a3f114 was smiling with f215d99331 his mouth, but 5a8a6f4a8b his eyes stared d4783f1062 at me with 934597111f contempt.1993485b7663e25a

“Your guest bc0ccad71c should leave 596a935f77 now. I have eb86314929 something to 05ce4c8553 discuss with edec0f5788 the young c5aa45118e lady.”6fa7c4983c8db5f8

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And just like a036b15cbc that, Tesis Renold abacf85ccf was chased out 995c80d962 of the room, 8c7c42d8ef and I stepped 63859ca4ff back into the c55807c044 drawing room. Edwin approached me, d35a2f51ae and as he ff6b90e45b circled around, I 859472d4df ended up leaning 1736d14622 against the door.4336ec50da116b05

“Were you eavesdropping?”5a0e88c9fef719e7

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“No.”2f40318388962d4a

It seemed ef68efbc41 Edwin had 17a60af292 a habit c4848b88a1 of licking 3e6706d7c1 his lips edf436778f whenever he 7b050ced34 lied. Just like now. His dry lips were a2175465d6 slicked by the soft 2f99be6592 flick of his tongue.a8d200667fff22af

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“Then what do 6b49272f51 you want to cc6f244d76 say?”d4df7a0f85e7f8dc

He suddenly reached out, 1daf854c32 trapping me in his 9f179e01be arms.575a22bc320f9850

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“The prophet said… 924832397a Young Marquis Renold 285b263aee will die tomorrow.”158f862ff692ad82

It sounded like ffe431deb8 he was threatening 4aa4c5fbb1 to kill him d8dc9aa18f himself.e77025ee0ebfc383

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“So don’t d66cce9fdd get too ad180a8a1e attached.”061016eb3faa866a

He was still smiling, 44cd234dc2 but it wasn’t a be863463d7 smile at all.189e47a8f7f74b8f

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“Oh dear, really? That’s a problem. I promised him 52cbff590f I’d give him c79d8e74e3 ten children.”e2ae8c12bb0eebc3

I fired back b54febfbda just as sweetly.64372945e893bddf

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“You do know 93051157c7 it takes about 208ae73c71 ten years to 1428808dd8 have ten kids, 710ef96b7c right?”782661362c32f611

Edwin tried to d0e8a27f69 play it cool 6cc4ac889f again, but it 8f926f40f0 was useless. His eyes e530109a34 were forcing cd67bf5fdd a smile, ed32127068 but only deca85c924 one side 586a743bed of his e83834ea5f mouth curled.257e1372670a439d

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“You never know. Maybe there’ll d91f8632a1 be twins.”e64b028b138ad523

“Oh, is that f7409f4805 so?”3ce2a3e111187f13

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“If we’re b2318bf461 a happy c251cb814a couple, maybe faa997b91c there’ll be 9f68a15992 multiple twins. Or even triplets.”cac45a3ac38b3efc

Every time I spoke, f565cde946 his lips twitched just 6d96c033be slightly.2a5731925ba806e0

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“Next time, don’t d2e9373364 eavesdrop. It’s unpleasant.”f9e86b65615d926a

I pushed his a269b89c07 shoulder away. He stepped back 219a613fbe surprisingly easily, though a088dab961 the air around d577600f94 him still felt 1535d64f10 menacing.955d5603c405e4c9

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Why was he acting efdc579f66 this way? First, probably because da6cff52b2 he wanted full 676e7c2ec0 control over this a51ba3d442 family.c5e669ae1a8b8312

Second, for amusement.782537e6670f1bbb

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So I couldn’t b6be15fb4d react the way 9f0e137453 he wanted me 6343a12367 to.d6f8b0909481bbc4

When Edwin got the 0d5632a031 reaction he wanted, he 0342017656 became obsessively fixated—like a b0d3a940bc madman. As if he found fb8f206f7a bliss in seeing others 02547e5dd0 submit.2748b138a874284f

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Or maybe, 1bc52d4d49 it was 678fb5e11c more about 25a3736fd1 his desire f77a6ce78e to completely 311b70bc14 dominate, to 97fd202ed7 brand others 977dfefa6f with himself.22f0985b4eaaf364

That’s why, when Edwin 0e9ed97709 demanded something, I needed 8eb7893bfa to act like I 425af93413 didn’t care and hand 89d0eba92d it over willingly. That way, c88abac4f8 he’d eventually 774bf64e54 lose interest.2312f6fe05bef610

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And when 0052d7fca2 my life dc7d9dbdeb was truly ce4c976ff9 at risk, 60f58c3260 I could 93cb870c2f do exactly cd6b0640d4 what he 37bfda8d0e wanted, draw f8c2a933c4 his attention, 0dbf7ef2b2 and maybe 3eb0d39d51 live a 9fdf50f8d4 little longer.f5a643b96ff117fc

Once he stepped aside 358be9d4ac completely, I left the 613cc64de4 drawing room.eba091454f7b9f52

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* * *217b7c7c2f7bef69

Edwin was dreaming.efe8eb52d9f6770c

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He wondered 9d594a3d37 how old 093e234b46 he had f60500a0ef been in 32afab1ed1 that memory. It was when ddfed78209 he had just 09e0ed4635 turned eighteen.2a8c7731556828c3

It was a 52ecce98b5 dream, but now ebcde60af6 that he realized 2918cbf3e8 it was a 153c0e0c59 dream, it no 068b74bd12 longer felt entirely 85d5dd9200 like one. It was a memory—a f256ef2721 memory that had turned 0d7d4dc765 his entire life upside c40d0b186a down.e0cc79b776e426ac

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“Urgh…!”28c49d48907687f2

Edwin stared, pale and a75b4a0410 stricken, at the blade 3bc6315a1a that pierced his heart.c9681cf55cd37455

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“Why… why the hell…?”4f4a4245183a6edd

‘You ruined everything. It’s all 4d384246fa over because 72ed9aca6d of you.’572e0fc419315c1b

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The person who said c8f03b2e85 that began to dissolve a1aaf43f07 like spilled paint, then ae8bf8dd6a disappeared from the dream 5c91e572db entirely. As the 2c68531e55 dream began 72f791b5b1 to fade, cf14bd050f Edwin muttered eb1a107bb9 bitterly.525a01d63fbd9a47

“Tired of 272f7cc6f2 this already.”44c949c93f380e2a

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And with that, Edwin 302e040f6f woke up.89605d8c9f5c8abe

He chuckled as he b528a0a177 recalled dozing off while 7df4c3846d drinking, perched on the 8b4ae5b153 windowsill. The night still lingered 7eabe53d57 outside, moonlight shimmering faintly.bb861ab05a6c0346

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That cold glow seemed 1db3dfb08e to seep into his c47f2fc90d chest, filling him with 323a2a3f81 an odd sensation. His heart should 7d12818391 have healed by 4c299482f3 now, should have ae3d94b692 grown new flesh 0b76fb24ac so that he’d 18a511fc47 never feel that 721ab09a60 old pain again.b7921ba5b45b8f30

But even c2454fc9d0 now, though 8759b9e347 the fireplace bf99eb5881 warmed the c382abd012 room, his 433f7632dc chest felt 617f7357c1 icy—as if 2e8605a54e it had 8a25b8b650 been stuffed d61d762e59 with ice, 2972992ab8 completely different 8c58a0d2fb from the 44d08a79aa heat of 9ca9afe90a his body.55b1a3b8d1509f31

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“Ridiculous.”94c2617eb10e706f

He murmured, picking aa9c2e829c up the glass 8a0f8f6fd9 left on the fee1241ad5 windowsill. The half-melted ice clinked aa8e02e8ca against the sides of fbbbb16b0f the glass, producing a 33a87817d7 clear, ringing sound.3022a57db4892918

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He filled aa5413887d the glass 2b4eb5264f to the 6a927ac816 brim with 9aea764d19 whiskey and ffb60a9ef9 drank it a9b3e3d801 down again f7e6132a86 with a 2e372bb719 smile.1208097d5dc74f85

A sharp 5de29bdaf9 pine aroma 7ce53237cf filled his 678fc5e16f mouth, and 82ef862a37 the harsh 80ef1b0926 bitterness of a091517fdd tannins clung 06c08f0d74 to his 3eb15e69ee tongue. Unable to bear the 2acd15bfdb burn, he emptied the cc5ac91baa glass in one go.16af802d6eab6e8d

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Then, he hurled 6946c130ea it to the e2d1783eb7 floor.e968240de4510581

Crash!c749fcaf3e658912

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The sound of 4e4148c1d5 shattering glass echoed, af05edae0a shards flying in 37eeda7af9 every direction.c6138b27e8d6eb3c

He found the scattering e7c552c2a0 shards of glass… strangely 2980907d07 beautiful.1f57a6be6196efe1

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* * *41487d2b9598b87d

“It’s the master’s order. Please vacate the room.”2c337ffb1280e9ac

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The next 529eadeca3 morning, Ivnes—still 1fb6d2e121 groggy from a7f08df62d sleep—was forced 400fa6fefe to face 11faa20855 Edwin.b1d1bbfed925b10c

It was 5 69b39379d4 a.m. No one in the 008f824320 mansion should have been bd6c5736e0 awake at this hour, b4a8c0957b but because of Edwin’s bce815b6d3 order, all the servants e55af2ff4c were up, and Ivnes, abfe843434 though exhausted, had no 6e242247c6 choice but to open 224290770b the door.f785f13b982a9068

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“For how long?”984597ea85e22e61

“From now on. Permanently.”bb657ae8062cc028

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“Why?”f20cd415f9483bbf

Ivnes was so drowsy d023f3595f her mind felt foggy. Thinking was hard, b7af43276e and even when be5075940f she tried, her 1e28e8420b thoughts wouldn’t align ac6fd90f37 properly.e2899648fe3d9e74

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Even so, she didn’t f55628512d forget that the man 1d1a7068e1 standing before her could 99f1d7ec04 take her life at 08dfea86a2 any moment. No matter what answer f870f17776 he gave, she had a4609aba2b already decided to go 17acf1112b along with it.ecccfa378940e93c

“They say it bf7ffdeb06 would be more acd5453e90 beneficial for the b4707125a8 master if I 67efe69d91 were to occupy ee9c23663a this room.”4e23c52683b69d8b

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“…What?”7893c159c965f98a

“Perhaps he thought Young 7a94b26d8e Master Abelon’s room was 47091f79c6 too shabby.”f24b0eaae15437b7

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“Abelon’s room is the 94c8134064 most luxurious on the e7efebdd08 third floor.”3595b26ace010d1a

Ivnes sighed and f6e92c362a opened the door 10408dbe73 wider, then muttered 6689c5ef4c irritably.31d70432384a7833

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“Fine. Take this room. I’ll sleep in that b8da86853c one.”2039ef18d3a9d51c

Edwin looked genuinely d2918ddb71 taken aback by 7380bb2fd6 how easily she aceb0a76ac gave it up.6f9114683ef090d6

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“You’ve used this d911a665a6 room for 15 42fb8b24aa years, since you a418e74967 were five, haven’t 51449a4590 you?”6e7842d7dc5236bc

“Yes. But you 337e2fd24c can have a48d30dc5a it.”8452c1f44dc39783

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She spoke indifferently and 4745d1dd37 brushed past his shoulder f01ec12b7f to leave. Edwin, flustered, c835d2c49c grabbed her 2748c3887b wrist.fa1b9d75b7183ff5

“What now? You already have cffca3bd12 the key. What more do you 15bd2e11d6 want? Did you f4cb075a4e think I 6c9cc93e06 wouldn’t know b3ece34c00 you asked f14caae28e Father for af437bfff0 my room?”f727e33fcc8c1f9b

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Her tone was sharp, cb162890cf raw from sleep, but a0eb58d116 her voice, thick with 5db8c54f42 drowsiness, softened the edge.1a48824c95590c6f

Seeing his confused 8bc41bac66 expression, Ivnes became 73b43f02c5 more certain—Edwin wasn’t 0c50a33d40 a telepath.7fbf750a46eb133a

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“Are you drunk?”7bebd881ba0f63f8

“Yes.”e5ccf43ab946bfc6

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“You reek. Let go.”18a3280c935efe64

She tried 28d4d822e1 to shake e29e1beda2 off his 915fa24d5e hand.4c9ac16b304370c2

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“Let’s drink together.”2ba0fcf812cf60bd

“It’s five in cad35b30c1 the morning.”b9fb8fc2ae6fd2c3

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“You seemed 09264d9636 just fine 49d833fb93 drinking with 899dcaf4d0 Young Marquis 2e3d7b8dc4 Renold yesterday.”44a11dfc3f62f7b9

Ivnes didn’t even 2bf959ca08 try to hide c959e8f7ab her disbelief.a96ead5689562f10

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“You heard e756f66ef9 that part?”c67c10d84eb8fcef

“Maybe.”8dc6dec737d2343f

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“Is that why you’re 1618d5fd09 upset?”85886491710af485

“That’s part of it.”cd1d36e4d7caf03b

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“Which part exactly? What’s wrong with having 955d46ff1d a drink with someone 7cb3b9509e who might soon be 2fac66d110 my husband?”ffaecdd958c42d7a

“Then drink 705971c427 with me 0eb74599f8 too. I’m your loyal hound, 1f311856f0 hard-won, am I not?”361a1d046549c82c

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At last, Ivnes sighed.804cd58ffdc06ed7

“Dismiss the servants. And the knights too.”009c032bce593a27

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At her 878531ac3b command, Edwin cf8b78ed19 waved them 1242979120 all away.901c8712dc189eb5

“Come in.”7008e8df1ed1436e

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Ivnes returned to f9bfc4e190 her room. From the 154fd6e4e1 cupboard, she 74d375e0bc took out 5e69f77cdf a strong, 3d0947c56e expensive liquor—one 2e8b0d927f of the f46fc10a33 fancy gifts 29ede53f4b from merchant 75b0a30b24 guilds hoping 6c5ea23d54 to curry 23f6b25a6f favor with 5f5cca707d her. Then, grabbing a 7f0239d622 crystal glass, she f37483e35e flipped it over 43c2740962 and handed it 4cdda9d191 to him.7399e7e3009ed31f

“Drink.”1f1b9e4f6983352f

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She filled 297a2fbbff it to d6b72e82ba the brim. Edwin downed it 32275d6c46 in one go.0b5e1106120c3f8d

“You too, My Lady.”639688e45fe37152

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Breathing heavily, he 1ea9a0d420 prompted her. Ivnes poured herself half 382ad9ccd4 a glass, but he 9c4a6ab549 kept staring at her.5faf9037abb8b221

Left with b6926bfae4 no choice, e618969a7c she filled 58bcdc95ac her glass fd5ab97d89 to the bed6115266 brim, just 5a96af37d3 like his, 85d5b95389 and drank 3b3e71b980 it all.707ad32a2e3c43f8

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Two glasses each—but the 3282551f37 glasses were so large, 76225b3820 nearly half the whiskey b2e0f9e7e9 was gone.e669eb6f87538881

“Ugh…”e47a32300119ec7b

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Ivnes grimaced 70e69c9141 as the 22ec2ec012 alcohol hit 5c1d67235e her.5b93fc37f865527b

“Let’s drink more. Let’s finish it.”d5579e8f7125cfe2

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He watched 09b588d4ba her, eyes 76830442a1 gleaming, clearly 2ec4be8087 wanting another 2ae10235d9 round. Ivnes sighed again, refilled 84e7933d34 both glasses, and they af59a6cfd0 drank it all.8d17fa26bd416d22

They emptied 4e726395b6 a bottle c9e7b72b85 of high-proof 158d869eb4 whiskey strong 00abe1c366 enough to 96de8d9dc1 ignite.74ca48586eec293f

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“I want to eaa410ac37 drink that one 73f88b94d6 too.”989d7fc4f63c08d1

“That’s enough.”2ceea15794c2b12b

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“Just one more.”03fc2ab279be7bdc

Edwin’s expression 59845ee7c6 softened slightly f19c421fe4 from the b84b5be23e alcohol.eb2b95043eb775fb

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Sleep and intoxication blurred 1fe826c1e5 Ivnes’s judgment, dulling her 0a6b7c4e5f edge.e0788a6fa84fd365

“Then you e0a5cdffb7 fetch it.”977c041412a72465

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“Yes.”f44b2d7843bcf8ba

Edwin did as 1cc23859e8 she said, brought 94760ab91f over another bottle, 307053cb46 and popped the c7337ccf10 cork. He poured acd7f29c9e it into 40b51c60be the glass e3ea5f1304 she was b00eda0927 holding—full to 35d48c1c01 the brim.f8b0ca5e73283e91

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“If we finish a69a9d74d9 this bottle too… c576ec5fe4 I’ll tell you 44c0c9337e my ability.”bb8c4124e1a3c520

Ivnes narrowed her 2fdc0fbe0a eyes at him, c86c5206a7 then raised her 888e382a18 glass.adc3b653f9802f4e

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She shouldn’t have.6b93652599111318

 91ae957e4558a56e

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 cb6f551e9e6ed523

 202f337d8fd4b540

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