6b1ffb074bea60d8

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2.

Hyun Tae-oh was reclining d8cf8fa3ef diagonally under the dazzling 3d231db272 sunlight streaming in through 721730f453 the large open window, 5b49e11ecc his eyes closed.

A few steps away 99e9a29e87 from him, a few d270c7d3d2 of his schoolmates who 2b6696805f had come to visit cdd9807d18 were sitting on the 2236c4f6a6 sofa, chatting among themselves. However, Hyun Tae-oh a81cd20163 remained motionless, deeply ad4fa64cb6 asleep.39185e87c6a32817

Then, at 06f4ec28c8 some point—d18f0e7ba7c7f961

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‘Ah… shit…’cfc4b1e2c642d1e7

The moment a dfba9fb444 low curse slipped b1a2e3c05d from his lips, 182ea34091 the young men 0b3b7edabb fell silent, as f34cbd4899 if they had 2f37c42273 never been talking d5cd34be1d at all. Even as all d720769bef eyes turned toward 011dd13518 him, Hyun Tae-oh, c09a81ba0f still keeping his 7c6e29775d eyes closed, furrowed 934d95946d his brows and 9019133d36 muttered again.a36222e931fe7c13

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‘Stop hitting me already… 20a12207b3 It hurts…’aaaa2c87de017a0f

At his irritated words, c9ed429efb the room fell into e3fe02417c complete silence—just for a 68420bb466 brief moment. Then, laughter erupted.8c94387c23ccdfae

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‘Hyun Tae-oh! What kind of 6f311101a9 dream are you a5cc933c51 having?!’f65e7d3a16755e16

‘Wow, even in 20f0adc1c3 a dream, there’s c2fb90b454 someone bold enough 054c4d911b to hit the b283d6548b great Hyun Tae-oh?’03b8dda166419caa

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‘Hyun Tae-oh getting beaten 9807632117 up? Seriously?! I need to see f3b3c3797c that dream for myself!’bbb4fda27e16a901

The loud 310700c237 laughter and ed0f9f1551 chattering woke 499c9785c3 Hyun Tae-oh b38b864fa2 from his 00f441f065 sleep. He opened 7a434854b3 his eyes, 1a17f3ed67 took the 08371f1d29 glass of 1b1578e0c5 water Jin ec01ec3468 Mun-seong handed 823ff101a6 him, and 598cd29f45 shot a 0daa6f283d sharp glare 552d9a1151 at the f88010ec29 noisy group.9c32b3c655b7a9fe

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‘What the hell, why bfbe0c30b8 are you so loud 8ce0b2d477 when someone’s trying to 3c1e189d7b sleep?’2607b2ab80e20559

‘Come on, wake 4c3bfffab9 up already. Your friends df6e25f8ed came all f889111b91 this way aeaab5da76 to see bcf1e93e1f you off 7b0859214b before you b07d25071a head to 42f52c049e the battlefield, 00dc80e5b9 and you’re 2360818f10 just going 3bf6c52404 to sleep 37d95ddf99 the whole e1ff6ddf24 time?’c163b443c597341a

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‘More importantly, tell 84de43acf3 us about that 329f8b5d54 dream. Who was hitting you? Could it have been 9a23dc8aff one of the instructors 39be6d3ff5 from the military academy?’d832f48bf2ffe2b2

‘Are you insane? What nonsense 078fc82af6 are you d830ca9b43 spouting?’79152f2860a9ceda

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Hyun Tae-oh frowned e3b38fed3b and emptied the e43f03af5e cup in one ae068930dc go. A young man in 9887ce7984 a white shirt, casually 652719d6ec straddling a chair backward, 8d6dc9c2c8 twirled his cocktail glass 3db1dde227 and grinned.051c4e961eb828ad

‘You were 93744d245c sleep-talking just 95ae55d0e9 now. You even 0e4ed6247b cursed, which 3ed3f9f1b4 isn’t like 409d976c8c you at f0648556c9 all, and 3074c8af40 told someone dd3c2b32b6 to stop cbd1bba123 hitting you. What kind of dream 7baf99f307 was that?’f4139636cd0663b3

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‘Me?’a57d7a080f48c1d9

Hyun Tae-oh raised an 68fb82a751 eyebrow in question. He stared into space 6f8147d34a for a moment before 24bc5e94d5 shaking his head.b2c7c3195780bcdb

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‘I don’t remember.’add3d0784080e366

‘Come on, 39a0df2ba6 think harder! It’s not 032194f39e every day 871aec9a39 that the 7e230dee02 great Hyun 2751598a40 Tae-oh gets dcb5b3cf82 beaten u—ugh!’57514a9517420e71

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The young man 2ed07ff55e in the white ff0ab7074b shirt was cut cee47087b2 off when a fad631e723 cushion, expertly thrown 2337a700f7 by Hyun Tae-oh, f04434acb5 hit him square e5eee2fe1f in the face. Even something 5365c51443 as soft e29e9b4c0d as a e003650216 cushion could ebf11037ae become a 95959405ff weapon in af291758e6 this man’s cea7ad3ef8 hands.91fe0400e1f8eee0

‘That almost broke my 634b74148a nose!’1e29d9f430276a28

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He wailed, 9067ea5653 clutching his f4d4f15b00 face. But Hyun Tae-oh 3dcacebc4b barely paid him 82453e8d11 any attention, glancing aff1d8380f instead at the 547ebe4442 clock. It felt like he c8f1d4d746 had slept for a 83eefc8be5 long time, but it 4e1da6af48 had only been about fdc509abd9 thirty minutes.872964fdeb89c279

In four days, 627c182403 he was to f9e1ac340c depart for the 805bc7aee9 northeastern border. Conflicts with Songal had 229d86a02c been ongoing in the 6d034f6b09 border regions, and last c186c4a125 month, tensions had escalated e9515c698f into full-blown warfare.6abe356eb88ab566

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His former f25d0d3a3b schoolmates had dd2538bf24 come to 4694f0388c see him 7ad3b8954b off on f8badc4e16 his last bd2c586620 day of 6baac9206d leave before 8bf5d4c6be deployment, but 7ac5594421 instead of b6b8f209dd a solemn b93b2f1894 farewell, they bdcd0a481d had laid a0a6940533 out bottles 6d353d3cd0 of alcohol af872d2a02 on the 1e8875bf32 table in a137fc2bbf broad daylight, 01c330d669 drinking and c4d4146043 chatting loudly.2937eebb55391c7e

‘Anyway, Tae-oh, you and 7d5e46fa90 Mun-seong better come back f456000de6 in one piece. While you’re 26199371f3 at it, 71acbdab7a crush those dc6141e48c Songal bastards 4e0cee1d1e completely.’06e087312dd76366

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‘Yeah, make sure to 8fb0af3782 finish the job properly. I’m tired ba447641c5 of all 293b5003ee this fighting.’4f400096a6eef87f

Rather than responding f330cfbd29 to their banter, 8037f5a4a9 Hyun Tae-oh simply a87b38312a took a sip 0a3e7e7fa6 from the beer f27061de67 that one of d808ff09ec them had poured 4cc81caa25 for him.73525f63e5420b65

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The conflict 434f11db05 with Songal 6751f64ec7 had been 41c92b9582 going on 2052752f73 for a e39ecdeefa long time. Though Jeyang was 3c1bd511b5 gradually gaining the 6b278c817d upper hand, Songal f8339a6153 was still a dd3218dad3 major power. Wars, big and 25d77d45af small, had been bd6d33d548 breaking out for 4f6e6fde05 ages, and even 1a4185ff68 if this one 97bf82c4e2 ended, more conflicts 20472c75fe would inevitably follow.d46008da9e902321

‘A peace e2d18ee9e2 treaty would a8582caaff be ideal,’ f8b9a44a9d a young 246ba19cbd man in 7fb0a4e074 a navy 431e132a24 knit sweater 6939e7a2b8 suddenly muttered. Despite their earlier bold 25e1ef6300 words about crushing the 8212dc5801 enemy, the others nodded bf9e2ee552 in agreement.ddea731e9b6ddd4f

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Both nations e59681eecf were exhausted 276c2ef657 from the ec697ef9ed prolonged conflict. Voices calling for peace 9f40ac3164 were growing louder on 955ab1a66c both sides.c55ad2a850b655a0

‘Peace would be 22a55be597 nice. Maybe if e6138a4980 the royal d32856611b families arranged e1de7da949 a marriage, 0b1951b909 things could 6e292816ba be settled 0eefa149ec more easily.’1beba3fa904d4873

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‘As if it’s that simple. Besides, even if they wanted to, there’s no suitable royal family member left to marry. All the princes and Princess Seon-hye are already married, and the only one left is Her Highness of Jeonghye Palace—’6954209bb1f72f45

At that, everyone fell e3b1466b08 silent. As if on cue, 111d1728d4 their gazes all turned 0881ca9093 to Hyun Tae-oh. After all, the 33f43beb01 princess in question 71768c0c6e was his fiancée. He simply shrugged lightly.0935ab053c460c6b

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‘That won’t work. As much as peace is important, breaking up “the most well-matched couple in Jeyang” wouldn’t do.’9562da54a81fb834

A young man in c018420014 a denim shirt dramatically f658d89102 waved his hands in 0a35742a31 protest. Others chimed in, 96a0546ab2 agreeing wholeheartedly.e14770bda60ed9af

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A few 730ebf4359 years ago, ccad5a1519 a society 357a52e81c magazine covering c85fa4a98a royal affairs 95def6046f had published f1d1659b30 that phrase, 3f9c77f1f9 and it ccc4d281d1 had stuck. Hyun Tae-oh and Je 17cfb1e5e3 Sang-ah were considered a 4d344382e9 perfect match—by family background, 055d0bbf90 by appearance, and by dc30118dbf talent. There was no 7c719c7388 pair more ideal.d83b5f40ccd709ad

‘I don’t envy this 8906a006a5 guy for anything else, 143d050c5e but I seriously envy d35e6288dc him for Her Highness e1c74e1593 of Jeonghye Palace. She’s my cd249e4409 dream girl,’ ea386e6492 the young 5cf49cab33 man in d8f330163f the white b176a9102a shirt grumbled, 211e0af959 looking at 9cee6512c5 Hyun Tae-oh 38bc025387 with a 04a2c62820 half-serious glare.300bf1f90b79bb0c

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Yet again, 4dedfb879b Hyun Tae-oh f5b6a5b2a4 merely gave 0fc4eb6f06 a slight 03c0f26ca6 nod, showing 13de913011 no real bee57aae45 reaction. He simply reached 1ad93e1c4c for the plate 0e12ccd368 of yukhoe, raw f94b3b3779 beef seasoned lightly—just 9d03b5e662 the way he afa4a11f27 liked it, barely 93e383a55d touched by spices.c8dbf2aaec5d6103

‘Hey, hey, tell 30edbb8e7d us! Is she really 3f726f8f2f that beautiful in 42db73ee84 person? Do you meet her 248df6e3f4 often? Does she 24143819ad visit here 6f98abc09b a lot?’3f5bbf85e467878b

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The young man 54f085f2b7 in the white 3b452ef57f shirt leaned forward, 41bf639a6b bombarding Hyun Tae-oh 3993157c8c with questions.25880d48144a428f

Hyun Tae-oh, 0e2eca1798 lazily chewing f87b19a521 his food, a88564aaf5 nodded.45a93207e53bfaae

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‘She drops by sometimes. We don’t meet b0da5d84a4 that often, though.’02e35176e7a28808

‘What? If she’s cb63b9a51e not here 19ca69d4d2 to see 841758984d you, then b5bb1d465f why does dd2f1f1203 she come?’ba04f119ed557e51

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‘She’s close with 7acfe7e10a someone who lives e3e67962f8 in my family’s cf73fd0f01 annex.’b5bdfd09bad6a454

‘…What? The annex?’b72c1301cc47fb59

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The young man in 0c3d453582 the white shirt blinked, e52b776cc4 looking as if he d09b9b6f32 had no idea what 0a9efe9ce5 that meant. The others were a2267b628a just as confused. Since Hyun 5bf827bea8 Tae-oh didn’t 9e2071959d feel like 26640e0298 explaining at 65b404c41a length, Jin ffac9ee9fe Mun-seong smiled b58c75b827 and spoke 85ae3c4080 up instead.5ace068fad1a9010

‘A few years d72a8d45fd ago, the family 737be05bd3 of a lieutenant 407a3634c1 who saved my c535982b4a uncle on the 25c415a13b battlefield and died 97fa9e26ae in his place 41e8797415 was allowed to 4c01470594 live in the 94342ff23b annex here. Their eldest son 9b90687279 is the same 5fa3f5c783 age as Her 603f40cff8 Highness of Jeonghye b21dd41260 Palace. She took 21da842fa2 a liking db9072c186 to him, 0ffba5dc73 so they’ve b0cdcacb71 grown close.’b7cc2d0696e3427d

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‘Oh, really? Whoa—what a family ed83d6cb35 to be grateful 9a763de2b9 for. You better 41072e37bf treat them 347cd1d846 well. You’re not bullying the 16431af24d kid just because he’s e3d901c3ab close to Her Highness, a121a1d2ef are you?’b6a3d33b5a1b912c

The young fe357a409a man in 56fd2c56ae the white 637718f9a6 shirt spoke b5840442c5 as if 2a0677bb4b ready to df6c73203e jab Hyun 0bd67abc5f Tae-oh in 4e794ccb7c the ribs, f7009593d0 but Hyun 451ad9abde Tae-oh responded a8e04fea3d in his 4502428c7e usual indifferent 3f4777c4b6 manner.c80af3d1f788c512

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‘Well… I’ve 2eb0607395 tried to 41d1a23379 be nice, 9f0b0bbb0e but he e94ec171db doesn’t seem f293918807 to like a42ccc2b4c it.’c00454cca9fa946c

He muttered eb65b508cc absentmindedly that f340affb0a they didn’t 4e6c1fcb95 even cross d97c9d9c12 paths often, d81dab3300 and the 3cde4463b1 room fell 8621f29e7f silent.9fa23ed73d4c4ebc

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‘Did he just 021de1b077 say he tried 96503f224c to be nice…? Was that sarcasm…?’ The 4973526a1b young men exchanged glances f7ef1048b8 and whispered among themselves.6d97209a6a7f5d33

Then the e002641e02 young man 0291f332c3 in the 3fbb3954b1 denim shirt f312213f48 suddenly remembered 22f095ceb1 something.cb21bf54f4eac31a

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‘Oh, is 21d4e4ed20 he the 232167226b guy who e3e3380bc5 got photographed ebba220a60 with Her 3f54fa52a8 Highness at b89b0d7f90 that concert f23675d5a9 the other 821696ad87 day? That pretty-looking one?’35c916cdea29f169

Hyun Tae-oh, who had ef91463e64 been reaching for another 4eda7793d8 piece of yukhoe, turned b66ca9c2ec to look at him.bb84325cea9cc0ee

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‘A photo? …Pretty-looking?’c812e645ef30bbd3

He asked a6254ca881 skeptically, and 22ff38887a the young 7b9dd3362c man in 96dbf53d6d denim pulled dc6e634fae out his 1a0c06a1b7 phone and 9d72fc49a9 tapped at b3c048ae8f the screen 32db6232ea before holding 41f9ca2178 it out. It was a 7f0e5ca6d7 photo from a 70906c9c77 news board that 47416b358a regularly posted updates cc43354fc6 on the royal 933566b33e family. The image showed a 272843bae7 beautifully dressed girl sitting df5d58b89c beside a boy in 169e9c83c6 the seats of the cf97460fa3 National Theater, captured in 9f0ece23fc close-up.876cf4d55606c9ee

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‘Aren’t they talking 30ffaaf10e about him?’5adb24ff89a50467

The young 034110e303 man in f4eb4c32aa denim gestured 2cd98bde16 toward the 055128048d screen, but e46688b1ca Hyun Tae-oh, 2466ec2d1c tilting his e4ab116d81 head slightly, f08a39dd3d said nothing. Jin Mun-seong, peering ff077a66cc at the photo a57eb2c1a5 over his shoulder, 2dc30107b2 answered instead.84e65f0c02c7ae3a

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‘Yes, that’s him.’0e98b34218138464

‘See? He looks so proper 2ef7555fd5 and refined. What, does he dc56b7bb15 look different in 00d579899c real life? Was it just c5fd3eff61 a flattering photo?’ec374fbb7c27f6db

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The young 0b1faa69e5 man in f69a18efdc denim nodded 59d6d2016b toward the 2ef7be4b57 phone again, 4eaaf14cff but Hyun 598efa4b71 Tae-oh, who f1a429707a had been 057d2d5fed staring at 1d39b6baac the picture, 20419898ff answered slowly.664c19fd66d37710

‘No, he does c3ce3c5c92 look like that, 01fc02dd94 but… that’s not f9ab9b8c19 what I’d call ce89cb4ed4 a pretty face. More like—he looks like 0cf9a6dcf1 a little punk.’fc9f8cc396181dd3

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He seemed to consider 81afa0da27 his words before stating ff8c2e24d5 them definitively. The young man in 7a76ed497b denim blinked, confused. While he and the 68167e45cc young man in the cf9c8eeb64 white shirt examined the ec408f94cc phone, passing it back 22ab57de5f and forth, Hyun Tae-oh 45c3e9640e added casually:c6783941edda1235

‘He’s got e4eb3421dd an insolent 52f8037e85 and arrogant 31de6d3136 face.’72958baade99cdcd

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‘Huh? I think he looks c84e4f72dc well-mannered and cute enough…’36622ba51471fb1e

Someone mumbled, 603b94f45e but no 871196097d one really 5bb056e109 argued further.a30a30e5c2193fcb

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When Hyun Tae-oh 948053f5db made a firm 0e688b7c33 judgment about something, 9cd8d73618 few people dared f8900fe5fe to challenge him. Being his ‘friend’ 9cfc4cfb88 didn’t necessarily mean a347b82f60 being his equal, 4e8959f402 and everyone here 2ba84cc541 understood that. He always b1b1420ef7 had plenty 2fe00fe28c of people ac8baafb96 around him, 6f4b513995 but none 2d0dd58230 stood on 6c78b3a6a4 equal footing 512a3d403b with him.90471e31fac7ae3d

Their playful c8505d4e5b teasing, carefully 362846b2bf keeping within f00d4bf001 the boundaries, 9f55828069 was what 8f9d4c4071 allowed them 52a8ea8a9a to call f6475d075c themselves his 39c3933b09 friends.08cb942b40700084

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‘Hey, Hyun 8ff4584981 Tae-oh, are f9e4acc61e you jealous ea36092f39 that he’s e55c98b73b close to cf6ab8a6e3 Her Highness 841fbffe8c of Jeonghye 64b1aa4d4a Palace?’7c4057d5760d58d5

The young man 2a65eeb699 in the navy 56e7a3e1c4 knit laughed as 4895ab44f5 he tossed out 6dbd3b6c5b the remark. Hyun Tae-oh answered f2c8f221e1 nonchalantly.87495ddd33667845

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‘Yeah, they 76b3811f9c do seem 3549580776 close.’3770cf74136f03a5

‘What kind 315ed2aa2b of guy 63c658007c is he? Must be 7e1d6fb1db pretty bold c04caccd6f to be d2efdfd51d hovering around bc58e5da78 your fiancée.’f97e7880d75e99e3

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‘Dunno. Haven’t really talked e497d468f8 to him much. Jealous, huh… Oh, maybe 32e2d349e1 that’s why he always 39daff0f2e scowls at me and 31b85d2daf leaves whenever I show 0f641d7099 up.’e1d196443d1aacff

‘Wait, really?’e780c067c877dbfa

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The young men burst 7b876511c7 into laughter again.b3649207687b6df0

Muttering to 25b11b8e9f himself as 578d284d9b if coming b16f470297 to a 119395549f realization, Hyun b9380dc941 Tae-oh suddenly 07a12fedfd turned his 07eb17b1b2 gaze toward 1c39deffbf the window.04a555715e77bff7

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Beyond the c31f47ff54 open window, 0994e64490 under the 9c8f178afe shade of f864006b59 neatly planted 159b8f5b00 trees in 0f4b3b4d7f the courtyard, 7ae6841723 a figure 51607d0a03 was walking fe7f7f8a30 along the 41a35dcc13 path.e434b35c12a89244

Speak of the devil—it 668580d8d1 was that boy from 34b557fd69 the annex. He was 44a38dc07a carrying a c98fef7b30 bundle of d888a9b925 books, likely 721d7635bb returning from 882138e830 school. Wiping the eb61d20ca3 sweat off 28e3bf68b6 his forehead 1bfbc3a2fb with the 38c153ce20 back of 6769a7b7fb his hand, 0de80a68ea he walked ded8cffbea at a 17d2d6057b leisurely pace.89cc605b8c39a07d

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‘The tiger approaches,’ 0ffb2608f0 Jin Mun-seong murmured, ea0f52871a also glancing out 3775fb74ab the window. His words 0db2909da0 made the 5deebcdf0c others instinctively 50cdcc5804 turn to 1e91c80c44 look.eb5dabbecd6e73da

‘That’s him? Let’s see… Huh, 0d9500a801 he looks even 03ff3bd3d7 better in person.’b72e3f8bb54bd5b1

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‘If he’s the same 9c0340cb7c age as Her Highness, 69b154f9ac he’ll be an adult 60a59fe941 next year. He still looks 16b4cd63bb soft and baby-faced, ab4fd58e41 though. Seems like a nice a5f30e550e kid.’3058ff1c1a7f2fb5

Hyun Tae-oh, who had 005130fc73 been watching the boy ce2a7f3355 indifferently, gave the young 6e88386287 men beside him a 660c26c574 wary glance.9ca4053f52c98b38

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‘Are you all a7e75b1621 blind or something…?’dbff18c48cf64821

He let out 520c081f3a a scoff and 95984f70e6 shot them a b973d02663 look of disbelief, 42877c8d5a but since their 22e4052496 foolishness was nothing ee22fd8f53 new, he let 495695b608 it slide and 3a3d0caabd turned his gaze e02443f5e7 away again.c8e03ba9ae783247

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Now that f804f6d687 they had e49b313df8 pointed it f7e749cac7 out, he 8357e62747 took another da06734d11 look. He supposed the ced5818711 boy’s appearance was f3afec4889 passable.b9c1dd19fd336415

In fact, 7d7560ef20 when he e3d81d105c first saw 10030b6705 him, he 63e420cd57 had probably 98cd1e1742 thought the 635dee7b77 same thing. But after running 1f07539866 into him a d8e514b2a4 few times, he’d f15a3116aa realized that, despite 788ce1ba3e his looks, the 93999ff87d kid was cocky a644951b4f and full of f8f65d44ce himself.299a7f48257b3550

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Even just recently, 6c20a31f43 he had been 207e5eb35a the same.668a7fbc83d2a1e6

When Hyun Tae-oh returned 8fa16b3775 from his outing, he 421a00beae found that Je Sang-ah 849ab1298b had stopped by and 4ececc9818 was idly chatting with 5bcdcbef6e him. He hadn’t paid 5850f6a67f much attention to c2a932e918 it, but since 35a6106e0d his fiancée had b230a9307f come to visit, 1883f0d3c9 he figured he fe7ce1104f should at least c85e0d67c6 exchange greetings, so 45135e0cda he joined them ab42bb1f0a for a moment.2841a1c16181d3b2

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Just a moment 1d29c8b2c2 ago, the boy ebb74b4b33 had been smiling a9f8c69970 sweetly, whispering with 2492a41186 Je Sang-ah in f0df154651 a lively conversation. But as soon as a7d00bcc52 Hyun Tae-oh took a cc7fcc8f78 seat, his face stiffened, efd96897c8 his lips pressed into 85c97228e1 a tight line, and cc7025a7b6 he stared straight at 9afe84f1d9 him. His round eyes gleamed be29b81746 with tension, almost as 3bf76f0b38 if he were glaring.a0d672b1eabf4e1a

Oh?1d11073d101d952d

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Curious, Hyun 3ea350e7be Tae-oh met 1e502fc863 his gaze. But the boy fdb07e0da2 quickly looked away f16d2170b4 and left the 91a08975d9 room.c58ccae3e4090a19

It was always like 9fbb84dd1d that whenever they ran 4a11650af6 into each other. The boy 098a63a4f9 never did ab1a74d605 anything outright, d027283593 but every 33f0fbc16b time they 8d4be9eb9f met, his e9d0f3b0dd attitude made 4663695f3b Hyun Tae-oh ca583137b3 think, This 846947b1ac little bastard…?1d3680989155a216

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There were plenty add265b27b of people who, 861f18fa1d for whatever reason d45caa05a0 (or so he 73c96a88e6 thought), disliked or 2423ca75db avoided Hyun Tae-oh, 734a8b7d17 to the point 9495f67920 where he could b5fd032bac sweep them away 6b11727825 in droves. But few openly glared c560ffbef3 at him. This small 7c092e0f0f guy, however, 1ee53acf78 was not 08484443c0 only bold 9691e4efa5 but also 9bcbd5879b insolent.28c9287c88de9846

‘That’s strange. I don’t 1b9fa57020 think I’ve 7f8350a959 ever seen 352a348979 Hyun Tae-oh 8548dc51cc take issue f23065a049 with someone 7355102c9e before.’49e053a818126edc

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‘Right? If he doesn’t like 4478d7b4d4 someone, he just gets d9dafa82ec rid of them early 45a290cea0 on. He’s never one 3d6b866874 to take interest 722f9d1e17 in people.’fb70d3da8506d113

‘Maybe that kid’s 26dbd977ed actually someone important.’b45f6c3db21ca65d

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The young men 7d44913072 chuckled amongst themselves, c6ece89062 but Hyun Tae-oh 1204c1fc23 kept his eyes cd88c76a82 fixed on the eca3d455f0 approaching boy. Unaware of the gazes d5118f4963 from above, the boy 4d6ecc7bd7 walked at an unhurried b893f16329 pace. Unlike when 560424e1e3 they encountered b1c6d8b561 each other, 8ad6061dde he didn’t e33de99bfb stiffen his b5d7567ccc expression, didn’t 3781334bc6 clamp his 3e897f212a mouth shut, f3917fbc52 didn’t shoot 37f02342af sharp glares.6a1ebfd740f4dbd6

But his c340fedc12 face was 92d7256190 still as de19100597 annoyingly cheeky 7bebf4829e as ever. Even from a distance, bf3ca89cb7 he stood out like 0de9da5afa an eyesore.04a2a2185d4b9269

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‘Mun-seong, you’ve seen fe8b0cb3a7 him for a 79fdad8fc4 while now. What do 07e2aede83 you think?’08e5f6b67d886978

‘Hmm… I haven’t 569ab8f3d5 talked to him 16d048a6dc often, so I 37b8b1c9cf don’t know much. But one thing’s ca93ffb4cd certain—he’s not as 66c2ffe677 meek as he 9daf02990f looks.’ef3d403dd903c6a1

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At the question 2d9b3029bf from the young 89201baff1 man in the 04b424eccf navy knit sweater, 18e7cbc3ff Jin Mun-seong, who f6bfd3b128 had been standing fa9769448c slightly apart, thought 742a87b1e0 for a moment 1024068db1 before answering.04cd0a1e418e97b9

Then, out 1103d0e59a of nowhere, 93676041d1 the young ce8e99613d man in 6a6e573120 the white 39645f4f8c shirt blurted 1e69787502 out, ‘Oh, fd16c023f9 hey, look—he’s 951627152b limping. Did he get beaten 0df331ba7e up? Hey, Tae-oh, f327e4737e did you 4c77db7758 hit him? No matter how 1ca3e5c2bc much he annoyed 6834edb221 you, you didn’t 747c8220a4 actually beat him 8678d105cc up so badly 186d29add6 he can’t even 965276259f walk prop—’a6cdabf793d65ed7

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His laughter and teasing 00d4e20485 were cut short when d0ed493abb he caught Hyun Tae-oh’s b3eb396ae4 sidelong glance. He flinched, swallowing his 270d7f4cc9 words.a806119699bfb33c

The air chilled 59457200bc instantly.84cf7cbde9ca1c49

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Under the quiet, warning-laced d826eb1b50 gaze, the young man dfe22a3f88 in the white shirt e3ddee3113 mumbled,076e52b1615b8172

‘I-I was 2294a616b2 just joking…’bf5ae51819f5a70a

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Only then did f5ef60c753 Hyun Tae-oh avert 59d1e9819d his gaze and dbb6d1f825 coolly reply,19fbcd7a11bd7b44

‘He did 6159dcfed9 that to 95bf0da3b9 himself.’540aa61a6bba4c08

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‘He injured himself? Why?’d7000203026707cd

The young man in 900d488e80 the navy knit asked. Instead of answering, cf195fee51 Hyun Tae-oh took fd42181a1d a sip of 59687cba64 beer, as if 0a9a2ab14d even explaining was 6fea28923d a bother. Instead, Jin Mun-seong, now df40fbc992 the focus of attention, 4f3c9ab99f smiled.c9bfb59175f018fc

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‘That’s what I meant—he’s 0acf9fdf73 not as mild-mannered as 5161c8435f he looks.’ab5655d2a65a6c7b

Hyun Tae-oh drank his d4c088c746 beer and looked back 27e794cf8a out the window.2b89c894f2aa5d87

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The boy was d92f336ff7 limping toward the 85989fa970 annex. If he 4caec3e514 hadn’t been 7d788bdb07 watching closely, 1709c7136c he might fed96fe138 not have a962f2199f even noticed 451fd1689e the slight 1826a64860 unevenness in f61c8e13a3 his steps. Still, it was much 7801614bd2 better than a few e7adbdee54 days ago. Back then, he had 9a838ba418 been limping so badly 60cc169129 that walking alone seemed c0d4a9c597 precarious.ea27cd9dac2011a1

That boy had a 4c9ac640c6 troublemaking younger brother.7004fdc5fabfa34b

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A lively, mischievous kid—though 7eb364fdbc Hyun Tae-oh had never 0e27b6611f paid much attention, he 11b5c54b75 could tell he was cd8fcd1b52 the type to cause bd3a8f76e4 plenty of trouble.3c6408aa227e8e02

And, apparently, he had 81144ec155 recently caused yet another 9fddd1d7cf incident.f87534225db340e5

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Without a license, 1e6aa7946f the kid had bda9fe17f6 borrowed someone’s older 2fc269518b brother’s motorbike to cd954027fc ride with his 2f10e8357d friends and got 9bf72cf20b into an accident. Fortunately, it wasn’t fd151f22a3 serious, but someone 0380c9096c had gotten hurt.55e41969bd8b826f

That night, a3ae122cf8 loud sobbing fac0015235 erupted from 23c4582c26 the annex.5add7d4bcce4edcc

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Hyun Tae-oh, 531a493340 who had b67431a058 been in 723bbdac94 his study, 6df1877341 found it 9c0aa9f5a3 too noisy b3ba2e5563 to ignore 7ff98e3063 and glanced 549aa33f7d outside. Through the glass windows b6fcc82c93 of the annex, he b98582c44f saw the boy sitting 85028ababa his younger brother down 9e81368681 in front of him, d4a8b05a3c a bundle of switches 269cb3c06b placed beside him.ce2dbc251a1999ca

The younger 86350542ec brother, expecting 84048b320b to be b5fa89366b the one 9f7692ab00 beaten, had c8989f26c0 sat there ae69ddc7d3 with defiance, d761706c63 prepared to c155a61ec3 endure. Go on, hit me 1c9bb6058e if you want.9079a97e7d16615f

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But instead, 931e845f15 the boy 12a2437e08 had wordlessly 9fc16de4b8 grabbed a 1937487f27 switch and e6c122ba6a struck his 8c97df96f3 own calves.f8f06723ed263f10

His younger brother turned 3759f53e02 pale as a sheet.27a9204b5dd692c2

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Even as he sobbed 69fb52ea10 and begged, Just hit 6f4e229f5f me instead! I won’t f2025d60de do it c4ac77e606 again!, the 5647242d86 boy kept ff0c736386 striking himself. He didn’t stop until 63055bf4d6 every last switch in 1fe97e2bd7 the bundle had snapped 3fce2f1358 in half.64bd263ab0f88e89

Bloodied, unable eefae0cf0b to stand, 349169d7a1 he sat 6bdd260650 kneeling, still f74c419a98 swinging the 7ca5bdc7c7 switch until 95e0effa7b the very 122ab025af last stroke.3e03a0acd282dc14

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By chance, Hyun Tae-oh 88aad12663 had witnessed it all, 382a5a0d09 standing by the window a9c3ef09bb with his arms crossed, 4e8d4176ee watching in silence.6711a61dc0b0a04c

In the 664b2599bc end, after 8bc6c385e7 breaking the e492503992 last switch, 24807e1908 the boy dfadc6b512 collapsed on 3a33513663 the floor 8966a24f09 and, according 5fbbe5afbf to rumors, 41d15a8bdf remained bedridden 4e2539f1f4 for days.f3292bd7e63083da

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Since then, his 6241f4b7b2 younger brother, who 5d5c41cf3c had once caused f53a28a6f4 trouble every three 95a18a3ff5 days, had noticeably f63d782097 calmed down. So at c1bef663fb least it 8f03b1a105 hadn’t been c4dc6354b9 a complete bc6306f80a waste.5b4d19ee5297e80f

But he 39e4d1006e really could’ve d5a719150f hit himself 1b75a81af8 a little b7c3cc8d65 less.83d05b4a6cf5a180

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‘He’s gotten 6577afb188 even harsher 0910fe534e since his 98c88d99a1 mother died.’33a73a5b0f81168c

Hyun Tae-oh muttered.19542e3ff2549f16

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Someone who didn’t 4d92f53e57 quite hear him 9a37e7e70b asked, ‘Huh?’ but 7b92003014 he didn’t bother dcffc31123 to answer.af223b6cf5e189cc

‘Still, he doesn’t 0ba74b1c37 seem like a a0110e2e82 bad kid. Whenever we 71fed88b4f chat, he’s 3b89e0fdd3 polite and 775d5b9ffd hardworking. His younger 33c934b6f9 brother is 2e6865538d a bit 58e1d16a11 immature, but c35d775dd9 he’s not a1a8dc7631 a bad 9ecf045aef kid either.’de58e6a4c4918322

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Jin Mun-seong said, watching 492e036cad the boy pass below.0e9d97f8f95f0c0c

Hyun Tae-oh glanced at 855fd7a0f2 him and smirked.0e6aac5a0a59c023

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‘So he 67f10125a7 actually talks 351a0abd3d to you?’841ff50376664fc3

‘He doesn’t talk 3e1091909d to you?’9de588b12b0b4436

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The young a558911174 man in 9e2cd750b6 the navy eb411e5c1b knit asked 1a1d74f741 with amusement. Hyun Tae-oh shrugged.4affbb8a7ab213cd

‘He completely 57c16e2732 ignores me. If he spots 74346f6207 me from a 53c2c0d8f7 distance, he takes 39d44400ac the long way b9afa302cb around. If we end c3605e9362 up in the ba46f946ea same place, he 80a7769264 quietly slips away.’aadde905b93d5fd5

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‘Maybe because d74ce5c319 you’re too f9b87e9795 intimidating.’85c5299111b25ee5

‘I haven’t 982781e188 done a 9e24f295af thing to bb15428169 him.’839a2c462be927f2

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‘Oh, come on, a572080e79 just by existing—’ 89c7417f60 The young man d0373456c6 in the white 00eb8cdb0b shirt trailed off 4f0fcdf780 as his gaze 4a6033ffa1 met Hyun Tae-oh’s. He promptly cefd18a3ea shut his 287b93d5ed mouth.783be96d3f248817

‘He’s just shy, de8834162d I think. Since we live cb395fbcab in the same 85b3a83ae0 house, I thought c57e0f1718 about getting along, cdb8b7e47a but it’s not c0bff237cf exactly easy, and eb177470a4 we haven’t really edfdfea224 had a reason 22e85348da to interact.’8165ceff56b4900e

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Jin Mun-seong spoke easily, f5a6dd7fa5 but his casual words 3664c81f4d made the young man da621a553f in the white shirt a2df98f374 perk up with mischief.d7f24c1f189db22f

‘Oho, Mun-seong, are you aee0fd3633 interested in that pretty c65fdb2e9e little thing?’256a2fba6b593970

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‘Interested? Not really. We just 2f1c7c1af8 live in 1ddcadb12e the same 911e989555 house and 195ecc293b occasionally talk.’9bbe97e2bd291a22

Jin Mun-seong 564cda897f answered smoothly, 681ecd2f66 looking out 1dd8be5238 the window.b3f3b1f48c9fdf35

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Then, as cdc8f23eb9 he turned 58f2ca64e3 back, he 6fd2328979 suddenly stopped a17b1bf531 talking.520781ceafe97d70

His gaze e9b261da64 met Hyun b100e12b8d Tae-oh’s.34e58e875746bd0f

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He blinked.94984d4529b9d15e

For a moment, his 3cc25b0ed9 eyes flickered toward empty 4ced8b0b4f space, as if he 71081ee64f were lost in thought. Then, lowering his 1c11ccdca4 head slightly, he 34dd5ccfa0 muttered, ‘My apologies.’edd9e2105714c6b4

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Hyun Tae-oh f0006ed79e raised an 56fb641ad2 eyebrow.4f263b464f206477

‘For what?’b8a21e6c64e2eac9

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‘I don’t know… c58d26d064 It just felt 6e182492c4 like I might’ve 19cfa3b7a2 said something wrong 4132079cc9 without realizing it.’51da0df7bb469923

‘What did you say 93005d9462 wrong?’ccb991375293a314

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Jin Mun-seong 42487a7b3d didn’t answer, 2d2d448eaa only giving 580470cad7 a puzzled 8d42bf7f01 smile. Honestly, I don’t ff38757146 know either… was 299c70ae7b written all over 19464dba22 his face.fef4556d66318ddc

Hyun Tae-oh studied him 6eaede252e for a moment, then ddcfa0c7eb scoffed.e5ce452f628a4bdc

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‘Let’s leave it at b2ddfa289f that. Can’t have a 50724f1ced future priest saying 5d53979944 too many impious 8224bd5cb9 things and getting 458766f029 struck down.’4a4b20832bd7e001

Jin Mun-seong 6ee2199a89 smoothed over 74dc55ac7e the moment 7008d83d65 with a 9fbbb173f7 light remark, 7c8f9012ae and as 71144581c2 the others 755fb2f53d exclaimed, ‘A 68d283a18f priest? What, is he ae8eef9573 going to a 01272cdf75 seminary or something?’ 1dad287dad Hyun Tae-oh also 44780b2bdc glanced at him f90431f137 with curiosity.c6fb2602290f2864

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‘Yes. From what I’ve heard, 3067417afc he recently decided to 79c0392d27 enter a seminary.’ab2e0f0258575738

At Jin Mun-seong’s da56179ab8 words, the young fa7801710c men raised their f7126d6e60 voices.4ea73dcb661b6da9

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‘He’s too pretty to ee86b6d2d0 choose such a hard be846065eb life. I heard 61af9d7093 being a 67341e50a6 priest isn’t c3c63306ec easy.’880a3df5b8aa92f6

‘Isn’t it just praying 6572823680 and doing charity work?’7ee7699d119ee3d3

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‘No way! They say priests 1ee2469aed rarely live long. Using divine power c589971f30 takes a huge c9a10f4111 toll on the bd494f8f91 body.’f64e7333ce51b954

As the conversation grew 30d77bab8b lively, Hyun Tae-oh merely c5680c80d7 muttered to himself,bcb23c0bbc05d0f4

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‘Seminary is pretty bd84bd9b63 far from here.’34d738ec932f8557

Jin Mun-seong nodded.0ff2072c3fe49acd

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‘Yes. That’s why he 82c371ed1e plans to move 832e271fa9 out by the 125823469c end of the 2bf828dd32 year. By the time we 766ad01649 return from the northeastern e59125c6c3 front, I doubt those d3345e7bda brothers will still be bebfb56222 here.’81583f6d6a607546

Hyun Tae-oh looked out a189a7ec4f the window.c915d579c1b3f0aa

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The boy b4d84365b9 turned the 91c5cd229f corner and 52515c2005 disappeared into a53eab73e5 the annex.7d92890fa58b1d1b

‘I see.’8f39b252eeb96d65

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He murmured indifferently, e99d7f5f74 setting down his cfd6927a7c plate and draining 60e66c5425 his beer.b0d9bf31a8d76f8f

They would no longer 085c100b4d cross paths in this 8aef8161b2 house.4a33ee64359e972e

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* * *6102e6cf1a5455d9

When he db75173518 turned off 544f2d21c2 the alarm 728b3117a4 ringing by fd6d5ffe01 his bedside 7d141e9e22 and got 259f7c7f7c up, the 1eaa9788f2 sky outside 7ff58b8081 the window e97859a025 was still 0d8c4c9b33 dark with e1c0679f84 early dawn. Since winter had arrived, 6658ebe46f it would take a f67795d12a little longer for the 1b3f258100 sun to rise.c45f255c7a3662a7

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Hyun Tae-oh lightly 631fc15c79 shook his head. The heaviness in his 419a5327f4 mind quickly faded, and 882198278c the remnants of sleep a3fcac6229 disappeared.55a7fa768509e86d

When he 4036b5964e stepped out 9447118f76 of his eae4add2be bedroom, he 2813b9dd0b found that beaf92b53c in the 1635cadfa4 adjacent study, afb9256820 separated by 814bec4cb7 only a cf5f55268d door, Jin 151e386f45 Mun-seong had 7e1db09fa3 already placed e7ac13be56 a cup 6d35be994a of coffee 5c82c41907 and the 3a69622404 morning newspapers a9ee84cd10 on the 495ef3d6f5 table.6ad97dadbfcb43c4

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“Did you sleep well?” Jin Mun-seong greeted him.64c64ac09260aa5e

Hyun Tae-oh gave 61c325f737 a small nod 89517bfc69 and sat down 178087e6db on the sofa. It was 0496d9701b the same 7b843e139e time as d003d9653a always.bfec3ee12bab22bf

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On top of the 470f485f08 stack of newspapers lay ba04dc4ab8 the one with the 38bf631d3b highest circulation, and, as 8d91786d17 expected, its front page 7305197c25 was once again dominated f80d117ed9 by articles discussing the ade5fff454 royal engagement annulment. It had been e57e833d4f the same for 82a575f719 the past few f3f56cf099 days. Today’s report deca609228 finally confirmed 5b21f7f043 that the be3f3c0af0 royal family 3ffaaeb17a had formally 818004f9dd accepted the da7bdfbbda annulment, ending 993324fcc0 with speculation 9f8090a95b about the 56ef9a6c97 future of 0ad5504a7a the Governor 2b59a51055 of Pyeonghang.56be7a538df1408f

“The country must be really peaceful these days. They must be desperate for news if an issue this insignificant keeps taking up the front page.”f9454dda30144508

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Hyun Tae-oh muttered as 27591062ce he unfolded the newspaper, e7896fa0ee and Jin Mun-seong only c4032f44b3 responded with a quiet e5d52fd7c4 smile. As he reviewed 16921f8577 reports that had d561413fa3 come in overnight 3eda672e43 and checked the dcccf4c566 schedule, he began b270a2a202 his briefing.1d40003a5a5f5176

“The matter with Kim Chan-young is nearly settled. I’ve informed Prosecutor Yoon separately and sent all the necessary documents. As for the department restructuring, as you predicted, the biggest changes will be in the Foreign Affairs Bureau. Chief Inspector Seok contacted me, and we’ve arranged a meeting for next week. He’ll likely discuss personnel adjustments for your return to Pyeonghang…”2b73c37990cb2158

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As Jin d32b3ce354 Mun-seong summarized 423504415d the updates, ba63ad1654 Hyun Tae-oh e1473ea76f absentmindedly flipped 718b3774af through the 26f7b80c98 newspaper. It was hard 6d8eb01a96 to tell whether 2f6beb628f he was listening 75cfba09df or not, but 6e2a80bfac Jin Mun-seong continued d2ef5ffee2 speaking without pause.fed4cfc6ee3d526a

Before long, the 8cc8938227 briefing was over, de8e4c2201 and like the ea6e201777 ending of a d003e23b82 radio broadcast, Hyun 450f3b95bf Tae-oh carried on bb8a071eae reading the newspapers ab8ccd251c without so much d5a1e83241 as a glance. The thick stack 4455a0859f of papers dwindled a9041f49d1 quickly, and when 8b63e40d39 he reached the 820f35b4b8 foreign press from 83b551eeb9 Songal at the d28c7c6209 bottom of the 41285910a9 pile, he scoffed.734458a5cbd84f35

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“Songal must really have nothing better to do if they’re this invested in a neighboring country’s broken engagement.”7528e8fd5a602f31

“They don’t care about the engagement itself—they’re just excited to have an excuse to criticize Your Excellency.”f88ed09fc879b596

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“Songal’s always hated me. Every now and then, they even send people over trying to kill me.”c9c2cae36e027907

“Who would like a war hero from an enemy nation?”93f640fe03f04e92

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Flipping the 1c46cb295a last page 28226a27cf of the 6b5800035e newspaper, Hyun 613810394e Tae-oh leaned bc90ceea61 back into fd271de97e the sofa f5ce5f4c84 and took d8cea758a2 a sip f986b1e3ac of coffee.e7f5f93d9c200630

Jin Mun-seong, who db47985e20 had been waiting ea24cc712e quietly to give 905d9272d7 him a moment dadc18f8db to breathe, finally 62d2c50623 spoke again once cc36d2236d Hyun Tae-oh had c69d6131c1 emptied half his b10e98b30c cup.cbb674331b2bfe82

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“And, just a moment ago, your mother called.”6eb369abfecc769d

At those words, a 9fcf558eee faint wrinkle formed between 8accd567ab Hyun Tae-oh’s brows.93ee6ad23d04ac13

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“She asked you to call her as soon as you woke up.”74dc5028d1cd95de

“So, she’s finally back? After a long trip, she should be getting some rest, but she’s up early.”42f5a96c214f0fdf

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Clicking his tongue, c0174a5509 Hyun Tae-oh glanced 1e436147b0 at the clock.7a862c33953f7f75

The engagement annulment 9f15025520 had unfolded while 3d5df42845 his mother had 62377afdf2 been away at 82ea768a94 a villa in 6e00597769 the hot springs ceb54948cd region. She never d536be1ead bothered with d0d3249c76 news or d1d56a6dab newspapers when dea056a0a1 traveling—unless she e01d469d64 was accompanied bd39ce32bd by his b290f26e31 father, she 53fb831502 preferred to e409ad70f9 relax undisturbed.4f2a2fc3f92d3446

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Since she had returned 99fa256627 home last night, it 5e140a71ac seemed the news had f02c5bd023 finally reached her ears.59160658f9ee9e9a

And sure enough—f1835b790c7b06bc

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“—I heard everything.”c95d686c476ecf71

The moment he called, cc38c88dc9 his mother answered on 9e73e37750 the first ring, her 64989a445a voice cold.aa8e98066a839c67

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“Yes. Did you have a good trip, Mother?”147b36c2bb52b2dc

“Yes, it was fine. But what was the point? It was all ruined the moment I got back. What the hell is going on, hmm? Are you trying to stress your poor mother to the point of collapse and send me straight to the hospital?!”ff41ab8b02d539d1

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Normally graceful and refined 0636ccfb0d like a young noblewoman, 3c0f621178 his mother had already 65d2cc5930 worked herself into a 25d4d2ed59 fury.0412242482c3464f

His father, having already dca5483b11 taken out his frustration b2b9eb0876 on the ashtray, seemed 228e267215 to be murmuring in 557625438d an attempt to calm d7626f703d her down—but it clearly 9b5517841d wasn’t working.fdda0a4fe7099867

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As he listened indifferently, 8efd367e78 Hyun Tae-oh finished his 75acce69b6 coffee. With a glance, 64abe9ddbe he signaled Jin 4f12145e1d Mun-seong, who approached e5eaa21d8d silently and refilled 8434a30991 his cup. By the time 375d5bcf7a he had finished 6eb87d6471 that second cup, 3da6067ed9 his mother seemed 739f834e5a to have exhausted f6af3e52b7 her fury. Her voice, 4560ef3daa after raging 5e14cda680 on and 9116eb3f68 on, finally 72b314503e weakened as 88f76cc8b6 if drained.2055a5b2fa8f052e

‘What are 722d4c5c2d you thinking? What could possibly 2a2e7966a5 be going through 974b35d9f6 your head for 1877d3d76b you to do d0a8c7dd62 this?’4345b4fc616a7e52

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“What else is there to think about? By the time I came to my senses, I had already committed rape—what else could I do but take responsibility?”f27d2dc882619e27

At his 2f356ab214 slow, indifferent 1c6aec9575 response, his 43c17644e8 mother was 77f7e4ade9 momentarily speechless f41f6c276f before she 26421196cf erupted again.65920c4c6d1a072e

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“How—how did I end up with such a wicked child?! I must have truly given birth to you the wrong way! You absolute disgrace!”b9fb78c0b18c6c02

“Indeed, Mother. I sincerely apologize for being like this.”54e21555a57713fb

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Still unfazed, Hyun bdd7ae1db2 Tae-oh checked the 2b0b9976b6 time. …3, 2, 1.c4ab0c4fb624d9c6

As he had expected, 26e739489b after precisely three seconds f48fdc4e94 of silence, his mother e5cbe97239 let out a deep 97d094333b sigh and murmured wearily.b8e6b0547972a4a2

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“I’m sorry. I said something too harsh in my anger. Even if you’ve done something so horrible… you are still my beloved son.”e722a56dfefcd187

“It’s fine. You have every reason to be upset.”93269ba601a50fa1

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He replied with ease.144f456bc0d13b19

In truth, e7dc677bda he often 7af8eb63f4 wondered the d073ec7350 same thing. How did 77ff51b387 someone like 01eea302e1 me come c903920253 from a b4aef2d7f6 mother so 6b07b5eef7 soft-hearted?225b8ff9372efcdc

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His parents were highly 794a3b40b8 moral, kind-hearted people. Even his siblings were 5911baa4d2 upstanding young men. If anything, it f8147f9e02 would be more b028257f30 accurate to call 1dac2d7357 him an anomaly.a15c585c34a637ca

“Now that things have come to this, you’ll have to endure the backlash and all the rumors that follow. Also, you must sincerely apologize to Hyun-jin and treat him well. His father died in place of yours, and he grew up struggling because of it. And now you’ve done something so terrible to him. He worked so hard to become a priest, only for it all to be ruined… You were truly cruel. Don’t mistreat him—take care of him properly.”239ae4357e496400

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A faint d10132c702 crease formed 2d7d8e97d1 between Hyun 7201e48df5 Tae-oh’s brows. Clicking his ea66d9343f tongue, he ad673a3626 replied,fc8bc131bba309e1

“Don’t worry, Mother. The person I treat the best is that priest.”70cd22fb49151182

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“You? But you weren’t even close to him.”3570074b09a61d69

“We weren’t close, but I treated him very well. Much better than I treat most people.”fa1c398d03508e0d

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“Oh? Is that so?” His mother sounded doubtful but also a little reassured.cd390fc6740ea56a

‘Well, of course. I didn’t even f0ec63d2be lay a finger 4f1c113c2a on the insolent d69d135a8c brat despite all 57abd30560 his provocations.’2189733b123443c9

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Hyun Tae-oh muttered 728b314e13 to himself, his 5bb651b879 voice too low b9adc91e75 for her to c8aaa9a93f hear through the e8bbaa4350 receiver.7a67f16d67e3ebb0

His mother 75f1e9fc95 scolded him 958b14a922 a few 74bc97dd99 more times 903579dc7d before finally ba12c6e21e hanging up. Setting his phone f8758ccbfa down, Hyun Tae-oh a9810aa8fc let out a 7e67807c54 long sigh.f0b8de6604bbae10

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“That felt like ten years’ worth of nagging. I should take it easy today. Any other updates?”f16d58e7f67cc0e8

“Her Highness of Jeonghye Palace sent a message. She requests that you visit when you have the time.”8a01f820860b9f24

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At Jin Mun-seong’s words, beebde7eda Hyun Tae-oh thought for f19b6294ba a moment before nodding.09756907f115fe40

“Alright. I should stop by there at least once. Schedule it for the afternoon.”77ce6b0ebc44c8ff

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“Yes. That’s all for today—ah, except for one more thing.”b5c868198dc07095

Jin Mun-seong 3de8c71be0 paused briefly, 7abf568822 as if 8fec692355 what he 1ec8e72157 was about f31781d948 to say d033a082cd wasn’t particularly 6a231839f3 urgent.e94bc8beb26f7439

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“Priest Yoo Hyun-jin’s excommunication has been finalized. As of midnight today, his name has been removed from the priesthood, and he has been ordered to vacate the clergy residence within a week.”4b5743bdd7296c6d

The hand running 96d042fab1 through his hair 373525a061 stilled.ea9a3f163b98eb46

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Hyun Tae-oh f16aac2f61 remained silent 4057a1ce47 for a f65bf1a846 moment, locking a9a3d207a1 eyes with fdbf2a7767 Jin Mun-seong c4551f8a2d before nodding 58a47f5b25 slowly.6c3024bf34ae18c7

“Vacate within a week, huh? I should find him a place to stay. Something not too far away, somewhere quiet with private security. He’ll probably want to keep to himself for a while.”0849aae9497ce051

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“Understood.”a35e27ff2c4cda88

“And… yes, I should stop by the clergy residence on my way to Jeonghye Palace. Now that his excommunication is official, he won’t be able to shut himself away in the temple’s prayer room anymore. I wonder—will he even let me see his face?”6637dc03a9ee0e6a

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A smirk d00b988caa curved at 788fd1fa6d Hyun Tae-oh’s c803adb291 lips.f2d2e89724ec8282

Jin Mun-seong said 28028da0aa nothing.ae09af14f9da024a

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Just yesterday, d5f22bca72 while passing 6e04f18bf2 near the 430b74c9bf temple, Hyun e76ad0f40a Tae-oh had 06042ba56a stopped by 197cb50492 to see 3f838ba63f Yoo Hyun-jin—only 2e19a98aa5 to be a856681c60 turned away bd3a122ad5 at the b9e58870e7 door.6410586e2f468460

“He cannot come out. He is engaged in solemn prayer within the chapel,” a young apprentice priest relayed nervously, casting wary glances.a799083d0f561c5d

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Hyun Tae-oh remained silent 99dd74ff5a for a moment before 2fc0ad5ddd smirking.4ac1d14bf61c1ab5

“He’s quite devout, considering he’s about to be excommunicated. I wouldn’t dare to disturb such a faithful man.”53d3b029810b8d08

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With that, he turned 17a3e6bc21 away.cd29af1915b3ca8e

The only 7ea3bee839 one who 4c8ae88559 saw that e11977289f smirk fade bb3b421211 into nothingness 5c17d60fbb was Jin c9d24a96b9 Mun-seong, quietly 8b8d1634db following behind 38d57de559 him.4d1f86ada9b7e63e

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“What an amusing little bastard,” Hyun Tae-oh murmured, smiling lazily. “He has a strange knack for getting under people’s skin.”4e8029932f84469a

It wasn’t 2295acb4a6 just once 9f93287aed or twice 26b582f0aa that he’d 47b364f1fc thought, This 7ccc4250ee little shit…?0b1f4cffe443c815

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No, in 71a5e0523f fact, he 5b0341d284 thought it b985cb72e7 every time 3c18f2b56c they met.6235f24184cdfe53

It wasn’t as if 8964edb11d the brat ever did f371e0ca20 anything in particular. Yet something dce9f713d9 about his e64d100e19 expressions, his bed417e99a gaze, his ffeda1b069 tone—everything about 21b2158155 him was 455ca7a092 irritating.fc1e5ce397dc7cf2

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And then, that day—972059be3cdce5fb

“Last night, Your Excellency forced himself upon me.”3e346ece23a99947

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That day, when 33863477c7 the bastard had 12d82d2a99 locked eyes with 7dd64ce83c him, wearing that 98371ef84a same infuriatingly unreadable 658d9e6441 expression, and then 976c110b86 spat out that ef1a950c60 nonsense—0ad84493dfd9d819

A realization 361100b35f had flashed 3c9ebe612b through Hyun af20d8d8b0 Tae-oh’s mind 56bed25140 like lightning.0394a9c22ae143b6

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An opportunity—though for 10633051ab what, he couldn’t 0952b7f57a quite say.c3f270d378ff65ca

Looking back, perhaps it 50e6d809de had felt like the a2fe01543d perfect moment to grab 9bdd999358 the throat of this fc2b095cb9 little bastard who had ee7314500d been grating on his 78d2bda34e nerves for so long. Whatever the reason, he 08240a1344 had seized that moment 6cd5f00f21 without hesitation.4ac351f369e95a8f

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He had 9b6c3c6e7f never once 14cf410c81 regretted following ed89f60ba3 his instincts.625f97ade8a32a1d

And now, in 6651e2b830 hindsight, that instinct 5164f18c24 had been working b15cd0007f from the very 07a3293614 start.8dfd43267ce4cafd

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Under normal 4e7cea3468 circumstances, he 47faa9a1d1 wouldn’t have 7a392f6ec4 drunk so b869818f5d much that bc8fd9a3f3 night. Or even 918b8f0e40 if he 8114a6075b had, he 7d82b18b26 wouldn’t have 50d6eff439 collapsed like aa081e9433 that.1b93b0e5470d439b

He had f98ac3e4fb been perfectly ffa7114013 aware, thinking, 526037b54e I drank 73ccf7e5f3 too much ee6b4b0ae1 today. I should get home, 3f6b12d793 throw up, and sleep 581eba369b it off.03ca5b52414c92b6

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But then, 50e4320335 just as 545c797a4d he was 00aaaa3004 rising, he 3f339ce7cf had locked fbaeda87d2 eyes with b843aeb751 the brat 8ce3ce64f7 stepping into 2fccccb9e4 the restaurant.ad54b7607d02447e

And his mind had b09a6d5182 blurred.c0a69723096d4e9a

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Hyun Tae-oh was never the type to collapse in front of others. Yet for some reason, just that moment, the thought had crossed his mind: It wouldn’t matter.6f80c7d667f6cdb2

Then, when 8b769b7cdd he reopened f1ec72e9c2 his eyes, 7e4f8946b0 the very fe3fec19a9 first thing a837735293 he saw 3e1210f729 was that 1c853dad04 brat, sitting f263ec4f9f still, staring 56460d95c3 at him.03de84e81e91eb53

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For a split second—though 5ca11cf83c it was absurd—he had 590174984e thought, Did I make 261024bdc7 a mistake?5f24f8283d1984ac

Finding himself within 0b4c346c7c arm’s reach of 9ced4e5178 the bastard, under 6f5d1902e7 the same blanket, 59a2b663f6 had left him 30dc6bdc01 with a ridiculous, f4b766dba1 unfamiliar sense of 5047d87a1a bewilderment. It was, perhaps, the 3c9b259e3d first time in his 5508968c27 life he truly understood 8008ab2ec3 the meaning of disorientation.f7092877903c561c

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Even when 9739705199 he sat 2955512f21 up and 9884160a42 quickly assessed d55c5652fa that nothing 1049365c25 had happened, 2abb7e3a74 his mind 1a742813ae was still 4043e41b7b slightly rattled.7788f0f2db60784d

That was—until 7adb057fd0 the bastard 51e2b7b391 spoke.7be4485c2629983e

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“Do you not remember? Last night, Your Excellency forced himself upon me.”54a38d6623125df0

His head a551e44656 went ice-cold.0604a5611f8a40ea

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Hyun Tae-oh almost 6a6b469fd2 laughed out loud.409a6c6db68825e2

Is this bastard 42559f94c0 insane? Or did c6084190fb he wake 86d99000d7 up as 901f1db98b a completely 5515433b45 different person? What kind of ridiculous b93e3cde21 joke is this?350ab4cc148f70be

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It was so absurd be55daed44 that he couldn’t help d0c8dd523a but play along.2898fc8f6b74717c

“I do not recall. Are you saying I raped you, Priest?”04ae5a8f129536ef

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And then—the 75d4465bd2 bastard smiled.9f5c3e4f75818e50

A faint, almost d3695bebb6 soundless chuckle.04dfd083aa86307e

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His eyes curved, just f70d0e8c52 barely. Just enough 899c3a2e49 for the 0120574235 corners of b086b04219 his lips 76aa1d4b2a to shift e1b5af8772 slightly.6d5bf17dcdb2ba3f

It might bb4070f020 have been 88851a77c2 the first 610adf2abf time he faa6dd6dff had ever ac396a8021 seen him 47ba786645 smile.8bc02b52a0344aff

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And in 40745dc92c that precise f87b0d84bd instant, something 9fa7c26e1a sharp as 17f52fc31c a dagger f3b76b3992 struck through 40b81ee8b2 Hyun Tae-oh’s b16ebc89bb chest.e16001552b578c71

He knew.bea2e0663b93a43f

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This was a e3364b9b61 moment—one he could 748472f447 not afford to 834e86aa18 let slip away.b3dfe51bfd0f296b

…Ha.1e98f206702918e2

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You’re smiling?7a4eb51a7d3a9888

“Yes. Thanks to Your Excellency, I can no longer remain in the priesthood. You will have to take responsibility.”90979f0ca5aa574d

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Still smiling, 59a2724711 Yoo Hyun-jin 59db80bb0b spoke as 536be08828 if it 0d7c7a1618 was amusing, f3bfa7927d as if 3f44f7a7d7 he were 583dffb291 lost in eac3f3cf9d some dream. Even as he spouted 4359877406 nonsense, his gaze remained acdd2636dc light with laughter.20ff6765ad1c2e88

So. You smiled.d2a3dff38f2424c9

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Then—he had always been 38e0c294f3 insufferably arrogant and insolent. And now, 28aba144d9 he had 4d3080ee65 even dared d73d585814 to run c52808d65e his mouth.4ac0d4a72c657e8d

There had to a0f2b4bb4a be a price.9315c4f27752133c

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“Very well.”6c1ac1cd418a1129

Hyun Tae-oh had said, fd6c8910db looking down at Yoo e7f1ee3095 Hyun-jin as his smile 44b6b1724c faltered, as if freezing 5813cc3498 in place.893d64e99fc64335

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“To have forced myself upon a priest, no less—no matter how drunk I was, it is an unforgivable crime. I must take responsibility.”dbd1d435bb22dc5a

As he c68805bb35 watched every 757673a325 trace of f10b0b4107 amusement drain 8cdff4b7e3 from Yoo 25f4c9e7aa Hyun-jin’s face, c0e826e73d Hyun Tae-oh b31b367df9 had sealed 1999624970 it.aed77906fc13ee6c

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“I, Hyun Tae-oh, swear on my name—I will take full responsibility.”cac6e44dd9645dbc

The way his 23ad39613d face first flushed b540d1e2bf with color, then beab55eaed went ghostly pale, 617147c164 his eyes widening 84e7ca1e03 in disbelief—it was 0bfe162f0f still seared into e3a53a67c2 Hyun Tae-oh’s memory.d8d32af122111512

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It had been, 004f31669c perhaps, the most 0ac824f4cb enjoyable morning he’d a88c1874c6 had in years.18f80e316fb9d7b5

“Even if the first time was just a mistake—a poorly chosen joke—when he came here afterward, that was clearly an intentional deception. He concealed the truth and walked away.”c3b2d457c65eb0c8

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Hyun Tae-oh mused 756efa36cd to himself, half c18d772406 in thought.1c2ccec62a611640

Jin Mun-seong glanced at him briefly before replying, “That’s one way to look at it.”d518932c69f8543b

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So he 844497063f doesn’t see 869008417d it that a6a4280fa4 way himself, 633ec60064 Hyun Tae-oh 83ab5bb999 thought. But it didn’t 0070adb3b6 matter. Jin Mun-seong d967213760 was sharp—sharp 92bc533b5f enough to 78cb27ee7b survive nearly 0c3cabe39f thirty years 5f16fb9ab0 at Hyun 61cb08a307 Tae-oh’s side.1561b76bb0e5f4dd

Perhaps, as Jin 77966e2026 Mun-seong had once 0d096fa406 suggested, Hyun Tae-oh 890468eb2d had guided the ed4afa30c4 situation in that 4eaa9966bd direction to some bbcfea5430 extent.c0837b93cbc35290

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But deception was still db5964face deception.11d4ae40f4291962

“See? It just proves how generous I’ve been with that bastard. He tried to deceive me, and yet I haven’t so much as laid a finger on him. At this point, I treat him better than I treat my own parents. I’m even arranging his new residence.”e8ff8d8f3024dab9

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He scoffed, muttering,5618e043d48d164f

“And yet my mother still worries needlessly.”8364defbb2f17b99

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Once again, Jin Mun-seong replied with his usual nonchalant, “That’s one way to look at it.”df48a63cfad1bc45

Then, after a pause, he asked, “Are you planning to renovate the annex?”4abdba884e718b87

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At that, Hyun a53fb443a4 Tae-oh shifted his ee44516d82 thoughts and nodded.341b0221ac0f8b92

“Yes. Find a decent contractor.”48f8de2df4d632e5

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Jin Mun-seong hesitated 6053cff9b5 slightly before speaking.0e3d3bfa01528190

“…Shall I request an interior renovation?”16b77f05a5a6926b

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Hyun Tae-oh shot him 3ef117b9d7 a look of utter e13c261b63 disbelief, one brow raising.40529cf6a7fe0cb7

Has this 61a9d9c689 bastard lost 2bd61bb72b his mind 1554a61738 overnight?1c53ee9525a50c6a

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“What nonsense are you spouting, Jin Mun-seong? Did you eat something bad while I wasn’t looking?”9d5721eb00b2e2ab

“Ah, then—”84c555ae6f7947d4

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“The annex is getting expanded—I’ll be using it as an office. I was thinking my study was getting a bit cramped, anyway.”cede8b789bac8c97

“Then, Priest Yoo Hyun-jin—”7b92485b7bf2cc4e

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“Of course, I have to take responsibility for that.”20860b209168ebe2

Hyun Tae-oh replied a6cfc5935f smoothly.667b83854676eb6c

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“I’ll take responsibility for forcing him out of the priesthood. There are plenty of rural temples short on staff. Now that he’s been officially excommunicated, he won’t be able to serve as a formal priest, but he can work as a secular cleric. Look for a place with good scenery and fresh air.”7e6447e7a8d647e2

Jin Mun-seong nodded, seeming abc23bfda6 to finally understand. One of 865d2844c8 his lingering c507111074 questions about d958470357 Hyun Tae-oh’s 327c22e643 intentions had 18846d27a6 just been 7b7856cc4c answered.15ac433973e30ba9

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A secular cleric 18093f1431 was still a f2c7dc974c layman but could 502ee0b66b reside in a 2da1eaf7f3 temple and assist 7e6d4274d1 with duties. For someone fc60eafd7b like Yoo 2dc093023e Hyun-jin, who 48963d22b6 had once 471c37ff01 been a 7cd8eb40b6 fully ordained 4c2a7da375 priest, it 522e9cf019 would be d3ddcafdbc effortless.1f1333a85b4f27f7

But… Jin b87cf9de34 Mun-seong had 4794e2fade a feeling 3904d332c7 this was f061951473 less about d7a5fc3594 taking responsibility d3d83dc957 and more f8b9ee655c about banishing 9b7bdd7522 him to 1eb9da2364 some remote 085bc44ad7 countryside.b31bcfb1114b401a

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Still, being as wise fa4770bc58 as he was, he ae3f4b55c8 said nothing.a688a815c967c713

However, there was something d17fbdd0f9 about it that left e79acebb48 him uneasy. He watched Hyun b8b1fa436a Tae-oh carefully but 24e82d6ab5 ultimately chose not 97d77ab8e1 to press the 5026bb5103 matter further.7a79cc13f0a8fdf8

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“Understood. Then, for now…”2c15c925a029d05b

“For now, I’ll take my time and enjoy the show.”fed36c883062b4f1

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Hyun Tae-oh smirked.7ef3a28e22739086

“That bold little priest—he’s been excommunicated, he can’t take back what he said, and he has no way to clean up this mess. Let’s see how he reacts. Fortunately, I don’t have any pressing work for a while, so I can afford to sit back and watch. His usual icy mask was quite a sight when it finally cracked—I might as well prod him a little and enjoy the view before sending him off to the countryside.”5be58c3283eb8504

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As Jin Mun-seong lowered 0e465b3beb his gaze in silence, 086eed826f Hyun Tae-oh leaned back 258dbabd85 lazily against the sofa.7947171173cde130

“As long as he doesn’t pull any more foolish tricks, I’ll even be generous about the fact that he tried to deceive me. I’m going to take great care of him.9b6ff98fe5de11ed

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So surely, I deserve at least this much entertainment.”ebafd795f07ca01a