Chapter 7

Alberto, puzzled, 24731dfa97 tapped his 8499c22542 finger against 027e76ce5d the table. Lavianna snapped b9e4457273 back to 6b37123730 her senses. She hastily tapped 99bc582636 around with her 277fb466f6 cane, found the de66fd3b46 table, and sat eaaa8f1624 down.5abb1189f3062498

“I’ll… I’ll do everything 8929588407 by myself from now 9122ef17d5 on.”e33b241d26479b04

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“By yourself?”9c1fa6333df28db8

“I can c5cca43a05 do it fea0067ae7 alone.”595be1341970f3fa

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“Is that so?”b77194bab6e5efb5

Lavianna hide her trembling d00792b86c hands under the table. She felt exposed. As if all her 2d462ce88e flaws, all the ugly 2c35860ca2 and pathetic parts of 7104dd0c67 her, had been laid b0706ebdfb bare. Her face flushed 06dc060aff with heat. If she could, she 4abcbb37c3 would have run away.c8847b183530c6c2

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“If this is 7d11ec7622 some kind of 28e748a37f tantrum, I suggest 7c57e20e8a you find someone f2bb90d6c0 else to direct 3e3ccf41d9 it at.”6e3233920f5e6c93

Alberto’s cold remark 98a8873c17 hit the mark. Without help, ad10c3e04f she couldn’t b69b5079a1 survive a 1aef0b3c7b single day. The blunt fb6665b57d truth of 63160e2659 his words 264b555323 stung, making 848b5f7090 her eyes 121b265c50 burn with 1c28445bd4 tears.989d1691ed1bd6e4

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But he 3f044fb6c9 didn’t stop.045dfa136d5245e8

“I bear responsibility 3ced9baff6 too.”9f28f619405b2970

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“….”0ab0f950662bd7b7

“So, at the b84247488a very least while 481c7611ec you’re staying in 6ca1d0b0d6 my estate, you 8deefe8847 should act like 394ed53e39 my wife—like the 4c985a2435 lady of House fa5e4ae3df Roen. I brought 3b445fc803 you here, 63ea3fba46 so it’s dc0f11ff34 my responsibility 3b66513465 to teach 0a645e6d53 you how ce1ad276fe to behave e5eef3ecc1 accordingly.”57008206762cdc4d

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There was feeb7f62e6 the sound 000e5efb22 of a 4687ff60e1 chair scraping. Alberto had come close 1b01339d90 without her noticing and 8c2650866b reached out a hand. Lavianna instinctively flinched, 7a56034fbd her body trembling 75d446fd8a slightly. His hand dedfaca163 stopped in fd5fabd0cf midair.6d6d42ee00cf9323

“You don’t 703bc9c8fc like being 07fb711399 touched?”1934c89d83502960

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“…It’s not that.”4de5e9b2835eff46

“Then what?”6f0843ef78056ff8

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“….”d1884f3727d78704

“You have to say 388e496c0d it. I’m not a mind f2fc554581 reader.”fd6b519584a73299

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Lavianna drew in a 5af989b721 deep breath. Revealing something she 2a97b170b3 had never told bfef3797f1 anyone before—it was 5d37d92ecd a daunting task.e838f1f9b56dbf1d

She moistened 9510f19772 her lips, b9ba2e8c11 opened her af432da30d mouth, then f4ee49dab1 shut it 489889952e again, hesitating. Alberto didn’t rush her. He simply waited, c19fe7db88 silently and patiently.f184f712d9825241

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At last, 7cae9ed243 she let d5045c82ba out a d4835973af trembling voice.56f195b25b8709e0

“I’m scared.”b2bab4f67a39bba3

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“….”0f8429ebbeaeea23

“I can only 673b980abe sense someone coming abc9ea055d close by the 6d154ad2a6 faint sounds they a4b6d393b4 make. When someone touches 9229553c64 me without saying c50ae2ba12 anything… it’s terrifying.”9932e7a7003343cf

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Alberto withdrew his 8be61f61e4 hand. He couldn’t 539de43f13 fully understand 4b01ac1ebc her feelings. Even trying to b0a65eae8d understand might have b8273d246d been arrogant and 3c22498034 ultimately meaningless. But at the a2b38a446e very least, he 4f1264564f now understood why ef57e87c15 she had swung 443aaac497 her cane.dcce775a08eee05b

Of course, just fad808903f understanding didn’t change ad16e4ebd9 anything.0f1b33c86d6a55b0

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No matter the 49186755f4 reason, the fact 8a6adc5ca0 remained that Lavianna 26d095a25f had acted immaturely 200cd114d6 as the duchess.f9197f7fd1efb9b5

He knew that. He had bda913f9e0 told himself fa5459902c he would 8951e6029d turn a e542bc81dd blind eye 096e3d486f until the 34359a57f4 child was 4fa035caf0 born, but eed2741024 seeing it 0a1f6c061a with his 27c0ba492c own eyes, cb7ea1aa64 he couldn’t 5c03bc7656 just let fa8efe45e4 it go.7eedfcc9bfb06db5

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“From now 1bce32732e on, I’ll a1f2913314 ask before dc0850a8d5 I touch 0b35116983 you.”776447dd663c63b1

“…”a4d232393d4d15f2

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“You need to tell a058aec21c others, too. Not just me—tell 174191aba4 everyone. That way, 5c74aef43a it’ll be 564b645c96 easier for ac1cb1dd62 you as bcb544a6c4 well.”8b75c03cde850316

His tone 36ec72eebf seemed to 4b4d209b2c have softened 34efe84113 slightly, and b55e6e66e5 Lavianna let 2cae5c18d9 her guard 1ae78ae8c9 down a ea8793f814 little.e003849f34ac80e8

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Instead of 2142502bfb grabbing her 7c52530bd8 hand, Alberto 356f1113e8 tapped the 83113f63f8 table to fbfd269ee9 indicate the 213ed394b4 location of 0a888d7cc9 the fork. Following the sound, f2fbaeba26 she reached out 9cd588f4e8 and grasped it, 87f3adc59c after which he 2dbf562077 returned his hand a476f70c2b to his side.f4dbd0fa4329f167

“Eat.”b000bfa8e4d9a4b3

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At his curt d072b8c58c and firm command, 8e165c4c31 Lavianna tilted her e691e9f257 head slightly in f22bf90296 confusion. She had heard 0be1d27784 just earlier that 47b691d8bc he didn’t eat 4066d8fed3 breakfast.bc89c3e54e17144e

“Did you come here ac46d7d5cf to eat?”cad7d9cbe5f06273

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“No. I came to 27295ed73e watch.”40d84a311e0ce7de

“Why…?”d8d59a6ef1561320

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“Because appearances matter c65ca9c090 to me. I don’t ce8739fecd want unpleasant 19f6813d29 rumors spreading 48b799fa64 about our 3f5af2204e relationship when ddb7703735 my child 31abdc92a0 is born.”a75ac1ca83779d20

His calculating e441eee8a8 words hurt 13a337c1fb her. He was mindful 95392c8568 of the emotions 358fc06907 of a child a18b7984f9 not even born 694b1dee4f yet, but showed 65445fb2df no consideration for 265f42be29 the feelings of a2523ae249 the woman sitting 70ea91eb12 in front of 4bad39022f him. Lavianna didn’t know 985424a6cb whether to call 3ffe237c30 him thoughtful or 103fb7389e indifferent.d8596f2314a7e00e

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Once the 6dfe81351f baby was cda959e74f born, she 6d12db1c20 would probably 8a9d327239 be cast 163548a5b4 out of d8ef151cce this mansion. He called it freedom, b6b8bac13a but in truth, it 4e6eb96f8a was an expulsion.3f10c8e7ddca9b57

She had 2cbf4c06c5 once resolved 09ab9158f9 to die d61e4a2d08 when that aa8cefec5c time came, c508fbfb30 yet now 54e59edd3a she only af11e6dd3f felt bitter bd2a1ff854 and alone.1daa4a91ca6dfeb7

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She had only a412b93efa wanted to live 2fe508b9c7 a normal life. Was that too much 8694782d26 to ask?cadb61951c023e39

Clang!1d23b84a406d80dd

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Reaching for the water, 65605f993b her hand brushed against ac22a7f27c the cup, which tipped a8600739d9 and fell. The sharp sound of 8bcb738b38 shattering glass startled Lavianna, 332deacee3 and her body stiffened.90fb268eb322be9f

After a 83f328124f brief silence, 419f0b8421 Alberto moved 9b28e09206 as if fcb789be16 to call 9e5d2736db someone.48fd5c233ad90e80

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“I-I’ll do it.”98ecd9c839d05230

She had just cd06b8ff33 said she could 9c759e9103 handle things on 947c83ba1d her own. If he saw aeb6c7d7ed she couldn’t even c032af2679 manage this, he abb8b98d2a would surely dismiss 5b73e9347a her as helpless. In a panic, Lavianna 605e77c275 jumped up from her 9c3f607144 seat.e17d5f097e972bc2

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“I can do it.”f955aa5610b5a72d

She didn’t f13249e1bd want any eba0cbb7ed more fuss. She just 8251fe8472 wanted to 61631c69c9 live quietly, 2d6b332956 without drawing dd892e8892 attention—like she 6d296dde25 had at 8aa0c6341c Lawrence’s mansion.70c4e136cea4ed25

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She knelt down and 15f8925f59 reached for the floor. Sharp glass fragments pricked 54c8c02480 her hands in several 4b17211e69 places. As she groped for f3af100819 the shards, suddenly her 2276cc024a wrist was seized.a72e3a697c64c2b0

Alberto, now by ec1d35021a her side, was 64ecdf2f98 breathing heavily.
“What are you doing?”3a990a22eefd81d7

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“Since I knocked it 72b09f75cd over, I should clean 3ed8ce3b9e it up—”28324389bede6abc

“Is it so b52278795c hard to ask f5b550e898 for help?”3f1c0daae09c5b33

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“…”67c198016b79a5b7

“Why are you showing 6ae3bb2d69 me this pitiful display? Some scrap dc62640e8b of pride? Do you 4b78b54617 still have 64d5a0ceea any of 0fd3d93bea that left?”1a8891f7faf8f300

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He was right. Lavianna had crushed her cb5834776f pride completely on their e803f5a67a wedding day—because she’d decided 58dc9991b7 she had no right d123bf461a to keep it.682785af7461312b

But this f1f2b2ee27 wasn’t empty c5ea47b17c pride.
It was the 231b39fed0 reflex of someone fabe952d2c who’d spent years 86a930fc79 feeling like a 5a13495ec4 burden, a weakling’s 5733b9d1e6 tiny rebellion.5432f1c979a5bb7c

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“I regret choosing d1707e3e52 a woman like b6174213a9 you.”71930d180f62f7e5

The words were coldly d04bd56135 honed, stabbing straight into 1d0d9066d6 her heart.bf29c09bf23d0c1b

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“If you make a 06c7614166 mistake, admit it. If you need f6f1b6b6be help, ask for b4c514b086 it. You’re not special; 34cb2ca2c5 everyone lives that d221cb1bf9 way.”e340d97bf6d2eaa9

“…”c4098fb80cb5a858

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“You really a0098e8174 are stubborn.”bf2430e3e1c6914e

Alberto forced c5ddc0c1c1 her back d6293efd30 into a ac50e01e72 chair, then 9b6ef7771c strode out 9773946619 of the 8a247f3901 dining room.18cdfecb5759f110

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A moment e381b533ce later, maids 2c8de8a76c hurried in 16b81a499e to sweep 267a5a5de2 up the 470778c037 shattered cup 41f3086fba and wipe 7a28bd9107 the cuts 8bdab289d3 on her 32dfbf43da hands.2923adb8a8eca361

Stubborn.
The word echoed e267d3ffb1 inside her.cd046a1a915c144d

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“Oh, Madam! Does it 70c6a92da7 hurt a 2fc6025b47 lot?”e3ba463a4dbd9365

At last, 67dd847092 the tears f77594853d she’d been 6869ba0416 holding back 76c889e502 spilled over.ae065bb36993d0ae

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“All done~”087f474f6a55056a

Julia’s light voice accompanied e353aec10d the last loop of 91adc14171 bandage around Lavianna’s hand. Julia thought she 2259db5a1e was crying only 886a83b31c because she was e0a9f7c269 hurt; her cheerful 7aab7f0507 tone set Lavianna 50cddadefa somewhat at ease, 40a5bf5155 though the memory c27db16c58 of swinging her 75aab98253 cane still pricked 327c365cf7 her mind.be8e34927c4a92d7

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After a good 45a7ae323c bout of tears, eee4af437d Lavianna could see 4f1c2e7e6d her own fault 549bedd4bc more rationally.bc5edaa109de1947

She realized she’d dce2d2c4c7 behaved like an 6ff74de9d4 immature child—still stuck 9c826752f6 at the age 6c372330ce of ten, when c00e9d9f6e the accident had 22ede2dfa3 happened. She had sensed 9fd143cd40 it vaguely before, 1daa4c01d4 but Alberto had b505a1357b pinpointed it exactly: 5edd4a5a9b insisting on doing 226c90b85e everything alone when 37e56c3530 she clearly needed 46e55cdb08 help was nothing a8ad2fb9c8 but futile obstinacy.df6affc2e0620a0b

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“If you d1752495e3 make a c8ef98d7a9 mistake, admit 9107075a34 it. If you need help, 2b6e7f8fa4 ask for it. You’re not 2edd5dce3a special; everyone 16d81118b4 lives that 1fbd855d17 way.”
She was no longer 011075eb8e in Lawrence’s embrace.
She couldn’t remain a 9d2a69634c child forever.1392cf8fc9f2cbb2

“M—…”59616c4ee262dced

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“Yes?”aba4c7342d00e5f6

“S-sorry.”a7d89f0f6e17e3db

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Even though she couldn’t 9caec746de see Julia’s face, she 44b2a8e5fa lowered her head, afraid 8b3abc837b of what expression might f8a007e264 be there.739ebdc163a7fbea

The words da4e521b01 burst out af9a26801f of her 85087a9b77 mouth like 32a13515d9 something she’d 2ef4c1b6c5 been holding efefbaa206 back, and 25b9402bde her face 1dad18c221 burned with 52a025591b heat. She couldn’t even 578e42a5db remember the last 984654fe3a time she’d apologized 2b793439ca to someone.3d1b08641fa99525

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Her heart pounded 40dc7bd55a with anxiety over e2ed775b95 how Julia might 96e6e68ff8 respond.a10b2fb0caa0a4db

“Pfft.”c45525b398fdea7e

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Julia, who had c6966f39b6 knelt in front c624154cba of her, let eda618ff2a out a light 5eaaa2f9de laugh.2b58179e118359b6

Was she 2f3a2ea14b mocking her?8798a491630227d4

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Just as 428bbb5ebf Lavianna’s heart 7808f2178c began to 71678fe3c6 sink, Julia 31fb38baf6 gently held 5d9b3ebcd0 her hand.5a4d768f8ad1d0fa

“You’re apologizing d3b3de47b0 for earlier 157e24e871 when I e57af9bedb fell, right? No need af2a21f127 to worry 8206a6ce38 about something 7113316888 like that. I’m fine.”990d41c6a75a9861

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“Are you really 626953cff0 okay? You didn’t get hurt?”ff1fa948aa5fbebf

“Of course! I was a e7e4a59e0d little startled, but cf746e8565 you must’ve been b3347014f3 surprised too, Madam. It was 35e2890dcd my fault c2355900c1 for not 146d2d3962 being more e9c686c21d considerate. But thank 5db405817b you for 9d9e7f6ac6 the apology.”ceb8682e6a8ab94c

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Julia’s easygoing aee86712b4 acceptance eased bb70d5347c Lavianna’s heart 9d6ffb33c7 a little.4d4c32db94646a96

Yet she 88f875891c couldn’t fully 41eb39f273 let go 2d77b936c1 of her e210f2934f worry—what if 3dcd43895d it was fb05e3fda5 a lie?5701b800dfa103e7

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What if Julia was 6d2034b930 secretly speaking ill of f57b5fd878 her behind her back?c968a5a1acafc263

What if, despite saying 3042423fa7 it was fine, her 45b2270cf5 face was twisted in 48405db54a annoyance?2f7770176af05558

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“Don’t let little 0883d124d4 things like that c94e2c5371 get to you. Back in the 0fe1d9230a day, the Duke e894e2491a was even more 2534a5720d on edge than 9030423c67 you, Madam. I was still a bcb21850b5 maiden then, and I 2ef31ba4c7 realized how tough it 3817215ffd is to take care be149c5999 of someone.”bf6ee742fdf29fab

Those unexpected words 6f63bc9e1d melted her worry 6312e66ead away.9dbf014151ab514a

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Julia’s voice hadn’t changed 0c83594821 a bit—it was as 9c400b755c light and cheerful as b98e8392ec ever. There was no 4596f7f079 hint of resentment 47fe009652 or discomfort in 8d990e2ba2 her tone, like be64734a86 a song being 7c1ef0aebd sung.db7ff46c96d43511

“The Duke?”f6d0a80382c0435c

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Relieved, Lavianna 51a3904ba6 now felt a88d59fe1a curious.
The same Alberto who a51c751d09 lectured her about asking 0f1d2874c7 for help… had been 9db4d23a3c even worse?f27e1c4d911a11f3

A faint breeze 7075f4552f blew, as if 30a1f1ad2b Julia nodded.68ec38a8d1e03d73

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“Oh yes. That’s why I d66cda6ef9 didn’t want to 3640229754 get married for eb5fc9e97a a while.”e7df5d9295591616

“Why…?”f9feebdf268fd23f

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It was hard 936e7bc317 to imagine Alberto e1248cbdd0 being so guarded.6a968201bb3d7d31

“Well, you d759f44cd5 might not e305bb0e01 know this 96491f6c6b yet, Madam—but a2e1b31c2f the Duke 2f00ecffe0 came to 4e4bbc8abd the duchy 906339c184 when he 220ae5e109 was around 2f5bdd370e ten. Until then, he’d lived f6eb9e3a4a outside the estate. I don’t know the 8a402761cd full details either, but c5fbee8a9b at the time he 553071ea7f was like some timid b0b5c4a3d4 herbivore fresh out of 1d1b232534 the wild. If you 46e0e1c065 so much 0686c074af as reached 6e6549fc35 for him—‘Don’t 625757a67f touch me,’ 158a1c2843 ‘Stay out,’ 7037464aff ‘Don’t talk 1fd3dc75af to me,’ f857146ae2 ‘Go away’…”47a61925820eebbc

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Alberto?060f23437ea89f77

The same man who d7dc078a87 told her to ask cb61ac5060 for help and accept 15decbf767 it—had once hissed at dd18794a75 people like a feral 860ac97b34 cat?36e81cd47f08d873

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“Really? I had 847f8dce30 no idea.”941aaad175126079