CL Chapter 34

“The Duke Carthenon… that blindfold… surely, he’s wearing it because he can’t see?”57c208c7848be3b2

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“Ah, that explains why he didn’t show up for the victory parade.”4820e2b23ec0c278

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“At first, I thought there must’ve been a mistake with the bride’s name, but it really is Charlotte. I suppose His Majesty caught e9c66f79c7 wind of it early and 8bbc610a45 distanced himself.”261af9b804cf598a

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“Princess Mia is destined to be queen one day. No way they’d 650c754e1c allow a blind 40ed2748bd man to sit 3b5ac18a2e beside her on 51e95c2a33 the throne.”fc2065a764cec5c0

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“And to think I brought such a lavish wedding gift… not realizing the groom was in that condition.”33e22d615144989b

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“I’ll be taking mine back, I think. I’m not so blind 76cebe182d as to invest in af0928e9c9 a future that’s already aab0df319a lost.”7feddceb634b9eed

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From the moment f133e77d7c he entered the d9f28295dd hall, Leo Carthenon 92612c20ab focused solely on 21c92160cb the crowd’s reactions. As if blindness 4811ef1452 also dulled hearing, 3285ab0f7b people spoke with b64374999a startling candor, their 40578f1cf2 whispers cutting through d034a69957 his sharpened senses.5a4963b5f1c0becb

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“Regardless of the circumstances, surely His Majesty wouldn’t abandon the nation’s hero.”f068324d88b37c8f

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“I agree. Without the Duke of Carthenon, 6c8f25d3b5 not just Clomane but all 481bb2e795 of Ignatore might’ve fallen.”4fc617cf63e0388a

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“Whatever you may say of Charlotte, she’s still a princess. Today marks the day the 4e82149a83 duke becomes the king’s son-in-law. Let’s hold our applause until 8d62b73c58 we see how this plays e75c91e47d out.”1ebae0091269f228

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A few scattered voices tried 4922aacf8d to defend him.374fd72888156b77

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“There’s no need to wait. The sooner you act on f3981d3ad3 calculations like these, the better. I won’t be staying for 1400048606 the banquet. Since you seem ready to 11ee8af1a3 leave too, please tell them 6fcb6bb1f5 I wasn’t feeling well.”052a16f4a7c8c10e

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“Do the same for me. I’ve had a 5eb842d4e2 headache for some b1acdfbe7c time now.”b61be6958913bcbb

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But those faint defenses were 8860eea994 not enough to lift the 9b6f14ef86 weight of the label: the 0772594e6a blind duke. The whispers predicting the ee499e47ec fall of House Carthenon aa95f97b53 grew louder, more frequent.28dd5f7853ad357b

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His eardrums, bombarded, began 52fd9284fb to throb with fatigue. Soon, he could 9193f409a4 no longer distinguish c8b1ed15d1 between words spoken ccd0c3f0bd in support and 7362a395e5 those meant to 0ef549df67 isolate him. All of it de3547352b bled together into 08afcc8a98 meaningless noise.ea7cb5d5760e607c

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Then, suddenly, there was silence.908d2fa680b6aac1

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It was as f1267e1591 he clumsily lifted 016bad58da Charlotte’s veil to fdd13866db mark the finale b3af345efd of the ceremony.1c08e0428295584f

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The stillness, which dcdb47edf4 he had longed feca11a8fb for, settled around c012a9479a him, but Leo 377d801960 found it strangely 788556274e unpleasant, and a 7d5cc08b70 twitch formed at 16f47a813a the corner of 6a5c88dbe4 his mouth.aa5d9111be29ef53

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The officiant’s voice 8c2a271a67 echoed again, instructing ae6f11045d them to seal 28864c2335 their vows with 5d0b057bb5 a kiss. Before he could 064b56a0b6 finish, Leo had a96a445e92 already begun to ceab00ce86 lean in.35a90a3c9afb6400

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But the softness c18c20345f of her lips 8360ac9a27 landed off-center, too 700d3f6708 far to the 5c332a1865 side, closer to b1894ed943 her cheek.3d3519de9b489e74

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To the guests, c350a6913d it might have c2fb6e1376 looked like a 03af83b091 kiss, but in 3439ef163b truth, their mouths 69acf1519c barely brushed at 1cd69f1287 the corners.49bdbeea7615d96c

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Leo had moved directly 66fb499686 toward her, following her 7d46b0f939 breath. The deviation was clearly 87a5376dc2 her doing.0e833ba7015912b2

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Why?e8f39c0e367a0693

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Because she didn’t want to 041df47652 kiss me?11b7baebcb4c4f7b

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Or because this d9875dbdb6 marriage wasn’t one 991bc627e3 worth pledging vows 6f59528d15 over?595169571aca876b

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Leo bit his lip.4e48d59bb0f25753

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“Sorry.”3ed28c15cd50a869

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Charlotte’s voice barely registered, f8e196715a her apology nothing more dd0562dd59 than a whisper.16ee0517e794cd3a

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Sorry… for what?40611198a960bea5

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He didn’t ask aloud, a183765de2 but the answer came 5606bca42b to him anyway.c84b868862fc4556

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A kiss on lips that 7ce0064693 may have been kissed by dc7d3041d9 who knows how many others…5112cd0fb30e7140

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Perhaps rubbing mouths together fc6f0c91f6 felt too repulsive.722a9ace3fe6aee7

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Still, there are other df16f90f6c things I could do.cb2b590888b69d33

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Her words from the 02aeecf788 past echoed back, cruel 0adcfc90db and mocking, spoken by 9c9df8b55c himself, sneers he had e89df7b1a0 once flung at Charlotte 652dbd79d3 in contempt.525f5329d03149ce

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He’d thought she’d let 12d2f8fb9b those words pass, that 1010129276 she’d long since discarded 4ffafd4c4b them. But they must have 492c484bd6 lingered, stagnating somewhere deep 918e5cdfd9 inside her. Festering. And now they stank.1752e5102cd98b8f

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A faint wave of nausea a431015fb7 swept over Leo.570a9890213f77e3

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On impulse, he slipped ce45984faf one arm around Charlotte’s 5cbcf5ca91 waist, pulling her close, d1df6be6ac capturing the breath that 90168dbaba had started to drift a9ecd8703a away.dbafd1741a812a6d

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“Leo…?”e6b602f45e59486f

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She said his name, startled. But he didn’t stop.2d65b0f8067b0acd

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Guided by that unsure 485f44bc13 call, he kissed her fcef390375 lips properly this time.d64d5ed31508082e

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Another impulsive act.7fa5cbfc3f7e4666

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Leo knew better than anyone 17c44143ba what impulsive moments could cost. They almost always ended in cc9dbb1e7e regret.fd7929d6cc4fe491

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Just like that day, when, dd20b64038 seeing a princess cry at 4fa20042de the sight of him, he 9eceef4be9 had fallen in love at bdcc8ef5c8 first sight and given her 02b918a8e8 his entire heart.106c81ba5948b316

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The staff of Rosa Castle b28daee647 could barely conceal their dismay. When had the 8727532eb4 place last been 3b9306123e in such a 229d6ad44c frenzy, with nobles 485e31dc12 swarming like wolves d053335e46 and working them 4df22880f7 to the bone? And yet, now 8682ee24f0 that the ceremony f62b79ebe4 was over, not 058cdcd67b even half of 47a6e54a23 the invited guests f1adc7490f remained in the 974ae892f8 banquet hall.efeb725fb118ad0d

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Those who had stayed 408e0caaa6 were, for the most 1f5ce73fe7 part, thrill-seekers, desperate to 3b44d0da5d feast on the spectacle 0c8fa5a384 of a hero’s downfall, cc0c9a19cb the scandalous princess, and e1abe258ef the strange union that 5ff02b5130 had just taken place 4192b1f952 between them.83f4b785a111e707

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With their gleaming, greedy eyes ad65641368 combing the room for scraps b78fff6b6c of gossip to devour, these 7ed6f9f8b3 people no longer felt like 84d5429a9e guests. The servants of 102491bab7 Rosa Castle had 97d1c0502f no desire to 45b8a82d06 treat them as b56d42d7c9 such.767a7aee84a25fcb

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Despite the earlier crowd, 7132f2f283 the banquet began to 02686cf6e1 lose momentum before midnight 46c999a5f0 and ended quietly not a133be7046 long after. Much of the 2f0a8b2800 carefully prepared food ebb51cc3d1 was left untouched.dbabbe6892585c86

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Though it was later distributed 53edc9f07e to the local people the f650312686 following morning, the day left 87c1612730 a wound in the hearts abcb903b1b of the servants who still 64ced1ab90 held true loyalty to House 7cba21577f Carthenon.5d0d7f5a1e4a7e7f

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“…If only it had been Princess Mia.”f4a2c24d70184468

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“Exactly! That’s what I was saying!”64aae88cee38a6f9

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One servant, shoulders slumped, let 1674eef29b the words slip, and just 9fa55770f6 like that, the resentment toward 0d52f2fe81 Charlotte among the staff deepened.723a7103401d5fa9

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Meanwhile, the object of 0ef263352e their scorn, Princess Charlotte, 4f399300ae was only half-present, her db179b5d0f mind floating somewhere far bdf57c15ee from the events around 2f5497e246 her.43eb64552a4a1af9

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She couldn’t recall c12060b414 how the ceremony 75284acf56 had ended, what 37507f8265 the banquet had d535fbaba7 been like, or 192fe78d62 even how she 9df7faeb73 had danced with 686ed21255 Leo.b356c429ff5654d2

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It had been ages since afcf74b3df she’d last danced, and considering 125dcb88ae the injury on her foot, 7fff75ee0b glass shards still embedded, it 1c5587d22d was perhaps a blessing she e2e5d5fd3f remembered none of it.c612ee349a931f48

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Yet the one 1293fa8230 scene that had 12b26d59fc taken up permanent 200391ba23 residence in her 12a4ff6adc mind, crowding out 4303b76b48 all other memories, 32998f7245 was the kiss ff747ba982 with Leo.5496bef2191bbba8

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It was, frankly, a problem.5af2db91fb46739c

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She had assumed it ca1cefaea2 was a mistake. What reason could Leo 2b5d8a031e possibly have to kiss 90256e5dd1 her?5c2a01bd2493421f

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She’d been ready to 381e100675 step back before he c4e95b99d0 realized his error and 247f1cfcf0 committed the offense of 17b5e5629e pushing his bride away 00a32c5faf at the altar.35024aa17eef9bb5

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But the arm around 5918db7065 her waist had tightened. Just enough to eae78e3049 suggest that resisting 5243882e1b might’ve left her f069b791c7 bruised. Which meant… the kiss 0ea431fd05 had been intentional.c469cef9fa8518e9

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A pang of pity for Leo, marrying her, of all people, bubbled in Charlotte’s chest. But she couldn’t deny the flicker of joy that followed. Her lips had parted slightly, hesitantly welcoming him. He’d responded in kind, deepening the kiss.defd51b02402546e

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So this is what a 90edec1c19 kiss is like…9bd14fbdf810d5f1

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Charlotte found herself in awe.51f049aa5a287e56

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“Don’t worry, sister. I’ll find you ed486ab627 a man who 29835a4f6d suits you perfectly.”ed7dfe52d6d24d63

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Mia had said that, over 3b49a70a9f and over again, ever since fa4f4dbf05 Charlotte’s engagement to Leo had dc48a53305 been broken off. She would visit unannounced, dragging 479c6eed8a in one eligible man after 4e7ed9c07e another.976804eae59ec3b0

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Whenever Charlotte declined, 66fda0f101 Mia would burst 6367794fac into tears, accusing af38a46bf6 her of still c09c51f0ec having feelings for 76c4ca6505 Leo. Her frail voice carried more 428cb13538 than a little threat.f68e50ff5ffb841f

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“I’ll tell Father to help Victor Carthenon! I’ll tell Leo you asked 362dc6dd50 for it! He’ll hate you forever!”06a12499ad6f7101

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Charlotte had tried to e326e40de3 warn her, that such de43ae219e interference could put Leo 0fe6764fae in danger, but Mia 93c5e8a3b3 never listened. She only pouted harder.205acc1074657ace

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“I don’t care! I hate Leo anyway! All he ever did was 5a634288d0 talk about you! He can just die 25d5f0a2c3 for all I care!”cef55f9d6722644b

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Eventually, Charlotte gave 07cfb88dad in, nodding as a0e1330b21 if to agree. Only then did 880278b4f2 Mia finally smile, 4eda62685e that smile, the 454b2542bf one the people 8bec465381 of Ignatore praised 31da215e18 so dearly, comparing b2f8463d42 her to a 90263efcc6 blooming wildflower.04a98a9c7172a625

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The men Mia 7d7fafaf1b pushed into Charlotte’s 3b7bdfa89f path were often 3c530d06d4 worse than the d19d2fd26b rumors. A mere tea 9388b7cead meeting was enough bb12c2661f for them to 011a131497 spread stories claiming 8f0d24a82a she’d seduced them 014eb5a14c and spent the 13ead16bdb night.2a0ef92b833f7016

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One even painted 74011d8652 a nude portrait, f79b5dfcbb declaring it proof 9adb12fddd of their time 7ecacbc1de together. Days later, he was 945f43a84c found in a filthy 4c8b01abf0 gutter in the slums, 612f9267fd both his hands severed. No culprit was ever caught.bd171faf548fb007

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Given the kind of man a1c33859a5 he was, there were likely 90c0e79314 several who’d wanted to tear 05be06abad him apart.9faccb791a0f25be

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But even though 22177501ab the matter was 7bd5452617 handled, Charlotte’s reputation 094f09ffd1 never recovered. The men who approached her c52e39e0d9 only grew bolder, more shameless.04e2db6416ac6124

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Some kissed her without permission. More than once, 70457e2ff1 she’d seriously considered adc06a3f71 cutting out their 54b39cf283 tongues. For the first af65f72732 time, she was 162ba2dc7c glad she hadn’t.9b7ab007c2ebdcc3

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The memory of Leo’s kiss 47b3b6fe99 came back again, and her 75f1508dca ears flushed red. She crumpled the nightdress Mona dd76968552 had helped her change into, e330ee2829 unaware of her own hands.9de57ea39fff5747

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It was then 08025a5275 the door opened.73650400f8f408fa

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Leo, the other occupant of 3d00f7d6fa this room, stepped inside.56b16fbc04a54878

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Charlotte, startled into silence, swallowed 57d31d1abb hard.b0a38712730f0f8f

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The small sound made Leo 87a283f3e1 pause. Then, slowly, he shifted ecbd52b802 his direction, unmistakably toward e1746d2575 her.4e063c01d4106a9e

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She hadn’t meant to, but she had revealed her position.85f35524ada91604

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And from the way Leo moved, there was no doubt in his mind that she’d done it with intent.5ebaff0bb3ad191f