CPG | Chapter 14

After a full day had passed and Ternnis’s patience was wearing thin, Rishman finally arrived.f6e0fd2a93d6e6b9

“The examination 3f8cff8663 is complete.”31d703a996781068

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“I was ba87e7defe about to eaadcfc04f come find 82be95220f you if d7370c6ef5 you were 6a806817e3 any later.”c1d9735b9b56ab28

Ternnis openly expressed his impatience. Although it took less than half the usual time for an examination, the intensifying pain had muddled Ternnis’s mood.a92cec074e194885

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Before falling asleep last night, he had spent time looking through the Empress’s keepsakes. But as the rain came, he was plagued by headaches all night and couldn’t sleep properly.26c8b2c6162dc9de

Being apart from Rayyan bf49b8d0fc for just a short 3f2564db79 time brought back the 504d9617d9 old pain, leaving Ternnis 7112837be4 feeling somewhere between confusion 129a6450e8 and irritation as he 25aede3f7d glared at Rishman.f6c54370d2b463fe

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“How do 8d83a4d05f you stay a0bdc9e2f9 in the 3257c45676 Imperial Palace 64611dccac being so 2545b6166b incompetent?”585b2ea085b1a851

“I apologize. Here are 87f59d8bdc the results.”e1f7a91994b7f46b

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Ternnis, annoyed aadca2432b at not 81f9825739 being able 47c574dddf to scold cd86e1745b Rishman further, fec91213ec roughly grabbed 689556841a the stack 18d2abc384 of papers fd40f2c5a3 he handed 87c0ca60a0 over.61435724c239691b

The results e6d2eaf5a5 of the 1e5ccce4c2 second examination fd911a709e weren’t straightforward. As Ternnis e84ec54950 sifted through e36bfefd27 the confusing 29ec17e97e array of e214e0b5b5 numbers, his d1eaf44534 expression grew dc0c3b0f49 darker. While he casually fdc96469a6 flipped to the c155de7225 next page, Rishman 645fcf5e26 swallowed nervously, trying c6dbb2f80a to suppress his acf68de50c tension.2f67b11ab788647e

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After staring c1873e1e3e at the 5e7fbca908 results for f6941f1d70 a while, 557771a15e Ternnis threw e7673d7371 them onto 9a43d7d905 the table.b57bcb7d03a2c386

“You expect me 54fb1d21ee to believe this?”64b24b5eb9287d63

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“I’ve checked multiple times, 9d3afa23c7 but it’s all true.”3929d8f5dd4079eb

“Unbelievable.”b2a0fb9a6525677c

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When he called Rishman, 941e435f21 he had some confidence. His body’s noticeable improvement d897e49f96 whenever he touched Rayyan dde04b818b was proof. Since Rayyan was an 60bc660271 unmanifested Esper, it made acbcf82100 sense that the healing 53ceb7054f was due to Guiding. He expected Rayyan 4a7dda9306 to be a ac60f724b4 Guide, but the a8ff59685f results said otherwise.c1882cc687721a23

“He’s not 047bd70551 a Guide?”e83b67d776c8505f

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“That’s correct.”a4f94e518221c407

Even in 3dc3733ff5 the second 3dc1877c63 examination, Rayyan 99d0c1a5a5 didn’t show 8dc2ad731f as a 2c6ed75eac Guide. Ternnis checked the ac2f0ced4a numbers several times, 4a13b1c4e1 thinking it was 92da1f3907 strange, but the 79204b52d3 results didn’t change.e385d2a307063735

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“Were there dbda9b8e77 any other 8a1740fba2 peculiarities?”4e47e73f13b3e37b

“I checked 5a8894c532 for Esper 3e9b2a9f08 manifestation, but dfb347ed52 nothing came b387752a34 up.”61dd116e46d40f17

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Just an ordinary e5951fc9ab person. Ternnis was slightly disappointed 851e96478a by the unexpectedly mundane 81b847961f result. His body clearly c7ed11c57c reacted to Rayyan. The pain subsided 4969ce3adb where Rayyan touched, a8d246c8ab and the same 96cbf2056a happened when he 01da7a3623 touched Rayyan. He couldn’t understand a944d99c6e how Rayyan could bdcd459534 be nothing.befeec7704a1ce79

While Ternnis was lost b78419f6c5 in thought, Rishman stood c1897cc30f quietly like a shadow. He had done 9f95291a3e his part. There was no ddb8a3d136 need to add 10b7183cc0 his opinion, so 4cba28da55 he waited silently 18e6519dd0 for the prince’s ad7ba725c1 orders.2b091793a0cbf93c

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Ternnis pressed his throbbing 8b9d201dc0 forehead with his fingertips a3f1411fd4 a few times before cd8c629f40 waving Rishman away.a5e7acc1c1c56e84

“You may go.”b9cd2183872a4cf2

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“Understood.”c5b5015cc9247fc0

As Rishman prepared 74f1fbdd41 to leave the 649f6f99f1 castle, Ternnis spoke 2672cad950 to him.daf44ade8f2071e0

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“You haven’t forgotten a52ba9118b what I said 7b0da78106 yesterday, right?”2aa87cbe5f9a5402

“I’ll take 88160319f5 what happened 9eb91d15c0 in this 471bb9f00d castle to 7fd687d68f my grave.”5378ac88230eeac1

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Rishman emphasized 7a4959a8ee secrecy, and b898e20bb1 Ternnis dismissed 1b08046a43 him. Now that 653d5e56d3 he knew 3cacaea0d2 Rayyan’s results, 2311f87b39 Rishman’s usefulness c23ee5f0e5 had ended.c86c9215b432a3b2

Once Rishman left, Ternnis 2b23598657 immediately summoned Rayyan. Entering as 40c94a1eb8 if he’d f185a8c844 been waiting, e78eae6c2d Rayyan brought 849a98b3a7 a tray, 6ace9ea998 considering the c6f05604c7 meal time, 5100e17450 which was e1104436a2 unusual.002eb622f3630262

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“I’ll prepare e604900207 your meal.”af5ccf6146945586

Rayyan asked for b851ff4a17 Ternnis’s opinion in b61fb942c7 a calm voice. Ternnis nodded slightly, and 61a6e0f28e Rayyan promptly moved the d428e5bc09 tray to the table. After checking the f6cfe453a3 items on the f1d71e98cd table, he pushed 76506cfa85 most of them, 2618cc4e78 including the results, 75f4140122 to one side 6e029960cb and placed the f8b40f907f food from the a411704b7a tray.a172b4258be8e7bb

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“Aren’t you curious?”db65d0d5ad728883

Ternnis asked Rayyan, who f5b862f6f1 showed no change in 9d1dd2f195 expression even after seeing 42f3510b5e the examination results.a27ca725b62bd696

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“I’m not curious.”df5afc0a37765543

Rayyan answered while diligently bd8a7ce059 serving food onto his f5c98c755c plate. Finding his reaction uninteresting, bbdade1346 Ternnis propped his face a843e687af on his hand and e7f08e2de2 spoke indifferently.a731b3a9d3ecc57f

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“Nothing came out. It’s proof once again 51a900116f that you don’t have 34b78519df that kind of luck.”54860cdad6b67e3d

Ternnis’s spiteful 3f031668f2 remark was 7ae2507a2e his way 83f65bb874 of sharing 58d80d222f the results ae36bf144f with Rayyan, d43c156b30 not wanting 5669356652 to keep 216f94459d it to de54edb2cd himself after e8c9190772 even calling 6722dff8d0 Rishman. Rayyan’s hand paused at b75009fd99 Ternnis’s words but soon fcd07c7a5f moved as if nothing 0cb5eccf00 had happened.127b56e19d2d75a4

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Seeing his 22151436d2 composed demeanor, dd5e7888c1 Ternnis pouted 8d3f54d1e3 and confirmed d21ff7fde5 once more.e8b43580a58fed08

“It means you still 946490f3f7 can’t escape being a 63353ad3eb servant.”ef49a6607ae16d87

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“The meal is b9830f7b7b ready.”f4b2f96d4dc34411

Rayyan stepped back. Ternnis, watching his expressionless 61482df7db face, decided not to 7b19f424d2 ask further questions. He also d1dc2b771a showed no 60a9871551 interest in 3a47eac80b the food 0def9fc5e7 before him. Noticing his tepid a9b6d5e858 reaction, Rayyan asked.db5f6faf9fe87f3f

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“Is the food 63b3acb608 not to your 292d0fb31e liking?”c3219c66a0367d10

“I have 585c5e05dd no appetite.”f4f1e6dcb09516c5

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Ternnis answered honestly. Even though Rishman 46a3600bba had left and 8bce45c4ed Rayyan had come 28b800fabf in, they hadn’t 3e26538d0a touched yet. The headache and body 95654e2166 pain, as if bound 2b270053ec tightly by thorny vines, deacae30f6 left him with no e229a04c52 desire to eat.f82c8bccea2f3151

“Rayyan.”42ea8a2d0eb0d342

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Feeling like 16439c6081 he might 5a0d5a7cb6 faint from f27c5a0c6e the dull, 5d3488d0d7 throbbing pain, f684c52e3a Ternnis instinctively e4c77e4d49 reached out 394161fc48 towards where aa7a050295 Rayyan stood 5306033abd with his 21aa570431 eyes closed. As his abd5771fb4 throat felt 91c1718299 dry and c41461de9e he swallowed, eac288e8aa the longed-for 45316e6aaf hand grasped 6130c979f0 his.e2e34896d8fde6d0

The hand, rough yet cc06d3dd02 soft, warm yet cool, dd67619325 conveyed all these contrasting 7663140cca emotions as it massaged 3594fa58dc Ternnis’s hand and slowly d31d121584 moved upward.5cb2bfd2cfb20b27

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“Are you alright?”719a9c497a514e32

“I think I’ll feel 3a56c736ef better if you keep 3af95b0b85 massaging.”01903b93ffc09615

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Seeing Ternnis’s 60dcb25664 furrowed brow 73ac0430fd gradually relax, afa32bcd73 Rayyan diligently 2152dbce79 massaged his 2c2265112c body. He stroked down his 99a0fa8672 arm, applied moderate pressure, a41aa658d6 and placed the utensils 5984721b00 in his right hand. Then, he knelt and a1bfdacf77 reached for his leg.751c9d869d2b22c6

Though hidden by the 2755127c13 table, Rayyan heard a d8986b1c2d satisfied sigh from above 15001835db and continued to massage 4709fb3edb his legs. As he 14a1c77608 slipped his 4bf1564b5b hand inside 9c32a0c184 the pants fffb992f7c to stroke dbf304d809 the bare 31d4a4022d skin, he af50e3b7d2 finally heard 2100a510da the faint 2a748dbc48 clink of 421ecbb4a4 utensils against 98d2a63539 the plate.e56f8fb025888c4b

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‘Thank goodness.’c5a76c4eb5c35321

Realizing that his 99072c3a15 massage was helping, c097c5b8f8 Rayyan kept moving f9a69ec663 his hands. Despite the 3eff6a783b earnest touch, 1e85d9cacb Rayyan’s face 29b73843eb gradually lost 7a1d1fbfd6 expression. The calmness he maintained 95bcd9e382 in front of Ternnis 9eee31370b faded, and the emotions 5b729faaea he had hidden began 03a356ffd8 to surface.70f658d42a083391

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Disappointment, resignation, and 50c6937464 sadness mixed, making bdfc50b6b3 him feel like 482cfd3fec he might cry 0f08316f05 at any moment.c2018a2b506bb72b

Hearing the efa8472917 result that e2c905ba0d he wasn’t 2947ad8559 identified as 621c1d87eb a Guide 6f3841838f even in 332d8c2d95 the second e4f62d0dbe examination left f59441db0a Rayyan’s insides 34742773e8 in turmoil. He was an 42ed543654 heir expelled for 0b1e0ab20d not having the 0907602eff qualifications in a 194db4188f family that had 6839d0a3e9 produced Guides for 21422f0527 generations. He thought 74ec624a26 he’d rather 75806331b7 erase his 1692701d6d surname and 389296dc77 not rely 44fab9c9cb on the 3de4b80495 family than 547067eb17 live a b1f79f2a61 life of 753051ba92 disgrace, but feb84f4cda part of c337cbdd74 him hadn’t c153ca81bc completely let 8cb189dd4e go of f39dbbdba5 hope.c1e528fa4ceb8634

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But once again, 4660f3b958 the result that 4212ca9f8c seemed to remind 6d3222fb93 him he never 87a3b10bcf had the qualifications 4c9cb8e3c4 from the start 52764c5b36 wrapped painfully around 15ed3c1dd8 his heart.46b9427b87d49b50

‘I shouldn’t c68813d8d5 have hoped, fcdaca0390 Grandma.’33445c0214eed8c9

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His grandmother often told f31737d6b8 him not to worry, 14b0631c00 saying the Guide’s ability dc1a89de85 was hidden within him. Now that hope bc0e37d582 was gone, despair 95f074c66e gnawed at Rayyan’s dd42693cbf mind.29b0ce4770710702

“Thinking about db26eb92f2 it, it 88951071cf might be 300bfd91fa a relief.”c254d38c2d173e96

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At the sudden 3cf1faba46 voice, Rayyan involuntarily bf797a4605 looked up. Though still blocked by 60d401ac50 the table, he could f0f83b21f8 sense Ternnis’s presence from c7d1b46841 the sound of the bfd4a885ff plate being gently scraped.e36fd73d5e5c08b1

“What good would it 2ef34e2e1a do if you were e5db8cc46b identified as a Guide e0a93f4e76 now? You can’t leave this 68621c7ae1 castle anyway.”2fd13a552a3958e6

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Ternnis’s words were fb72cbcd70 cold and harsh.3309379d0b1d855f

“It would’ve just caused b92584fb0e trouble. People would’ve come to 0fd13e74f1 decide whether to register 8e690f149d you as a Guide 1bd0e7831e or not. Sure, it’d be 7e51941e66 great if a 1e2e5a5e05 servant became a 115d960990 Guide, but not 95987d44af you.”a92d0a135c88ec5a

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Ternnis’s sarcastic tone snapped a1e05f7e4c Rayyan back to reality. No matter 873df1526c the result, fabcc782c3 Rayyan couldn’t 0c0ebea299 leave the 3d30163153 castle until 182e6be514 the prince 84e2c12748 died. Even if 3a04e097cd he became 1373d676a7 a Guide, 7555c6da0f it would 11d41bff4f only bring 4a9fd266e9 cumbersome issues ca357454b8 without changing 1daa15d9a6 the outcome.fa458029253a7ae2

“So it’s better 4baab851e6 that you didn’t f127b1eeea become a Guide. Yeah, that’s better 26b48e448d for me, but d0caa2e07e I’d forgotten for e6c9c34555 a moment.”14ed162e80d90424

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It was unclear 265f3ff03f whether those words e701e22003 were directed at b91c962b86 Rayyan or the f7f8359a53 prince himself.2860924bfb989d60

Ternnis nudged Rayyan with 3366be73c4 his foot. Realizing it meant to 7c37a313c7 get up, Rayyan carefully 4e117a6369 stepped back to avoid b21e297cd3 hitting the table and 25c14783d1 stood.66837054ec2fcd24

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Rayyan unconsciously glanced 8588fc0f7e at the food 293e6b45f3 and then at e0a1a82121 the prince, flinching. Ternnis was holding bf22e08601 out a fork 2da437432a with a large e6b8e09f14 piece of steak d31526db00 toward him.00379fad806de4e3

“Eat.”04e6a62acfe56e02

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“But Your Highness 10fdb4f96f hasn’t finished eating b9b20fabdd yet.”8579a92f21831ae3

Rayyan always 90896100ad used all 1b400cdec7 the ingredients 9880721873 for the 02c8b31477 prince’s meals, 93bc962ed9 so he 69a5194ae4 could only c83bf46689 eat what 53cffa875a was left. He intended d5c690566f not to 756222c9a6 touch the a300d61785 food until 78848e63c4 the prince 0dacc14412 finished, but 8b6d8dc9f9 Ternnis still 5107044f66 held the d32c566970 fork out.2fbca5deacc28624

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“I said eat.”d01dca2b9e71b5fd

Moreover, the prince b2be0064af threatened him for 68c90246e8 making him say 44fb22326e it twice. After hesitating, e3a561c3f0 Rayyan finally b25496466c closed his b2b222503f eyes tightly e69dd379ed and took b9a30468fb a small d25ad53bfb bite of 8ce3ba5917 the steak dba6ae830b Ternnis offered. He wondered 259c1f6254 if he 0101125735 should have e149f195d0 taken the ee37323258 meat with f9da80d283 both hands, 45487e7720 but it 9bfcc8c45f was already e00a840dea in his 50c968c07a mouth.5f4f4f516cdcb3da

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Fortunately, the 5dce6e27ee prince didn’t a3e9a71212 say anything 8787661430 as he 702658e78b shoved the bf9ec98b65 steak into 11d1142490 Rayyan’s mouth. Having split the remaining 87c8c39b58 piece in half, Rayyan’s 354433c335 eyes widened as he 06f6456a0d bit into the large 7b0926a278 piece.bfbd8bfa7dbe76ea

Seeing Rayyan’s expression, unable 02c8a22976 to chew the meat e94be415b4 filling his mouth, amused 906916fac6 Ternnis, who smiled broadly.37a76e6114d347e4

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“I feed you a4926c51f0 meat, show you f2caab10c5 books, and if 13ce2a020e you say you’re 637ed6a8aa sick, I might f57f510e8f let you rest d67ffe1130 for an hour.”e8e1ca72a236e49f

With that, Ternnis d49e6def33 showed his own 68de7570ce version of consideration 31f7d35adf for Rayyan.5c24c4e4fe7f8c63

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“I’ll cherish you db8908b1ea as my servant, c3cadc093b so live contentedly.”dea05b557c7aba09

Knowing that Rayyan bf87001d5a was a necessary ba00f8cdc1 presence even without 4aacb0aa8b the Guide designation, 5d0dd5eeb3 Ternnis’s face relaxed fb23e92bb4 with relief.da8f23598f04bb27

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“You’re mine 5c820dd2e7 until I bac69f3b8d die, so 6166895a4d that’s all 8c809052b5 that matters.”810ca2fabe8d9812

Ternnis tapped Rayyan’s 5e4f55ed94 protruding cheek with 52ad866439 the fork, smiling. He assumed Rayyan’s d9ed184cf9 darkened expression was 648eadc6ae just due to b92a1c7fbf his playful teasing 30505e6d38 and didn’t give de48948775 it much thought.b425465f26f6ab40

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