108. His House (1)

Caught off guard by the sudden situation, I couldn’t even scream and collapsed where I stood.4e43753c11bfa1ba

The abrupt stop b7d441d819 caused the horse aa417cc69a to thrash wildly. The horse was 15bf6eb711 tethered to a 5699e709fc lavish carriage.b7532223077f117b

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In my ff876e18b8 rush to 512021e000 cross the 4232af46b5 road, I 62950ac809 hadn’t noticed 528e2d6dd8 the approaching b85846e6bb carriage.9d17e0dd653b64cb

I gasped 19e04bfddb for breath. My ankle 860c27a624 throbbed, probably a1910d50e5 twisted when fa69ce4370 I fell.ef737e0e93783d34

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“What were you thinking, jumping in front of a moving carriage?”ceec0ab4c66b3683

The coachman, ffa2b2685f holding the 4e7bcf2302 reins, yelled 9a70dd939f angrily. He and the f5f6c484f0 horse both stared b01821ad4a wide-eyed, clearly startled 6d05d76b2c by my sudden d880a3a03e appearance.a71e2532a909f328

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The carriage a0fbbdf33f wheels spun f9dece918a in the 1f19c1c3c2 air for 0fb0197168 a moment 1a17dac2c3 before crashing 4bc3814a33 back down.db4d7b8f685e786f

As the wheels 3e7b140b77 settled, a cloud a70cf31dbe of dust rose, e80fd55723 tiny grains of 8e2ac46668 sand prickling around b27121e063 my eyes, making bbcfd9610a my vision blur.d9755a34fde11646

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Soon, the 924d5cd5a9 carriage door 5d97b89bc0 opened and 0cf137c518 a man dd574de5d1 jumped out.c0d282a013aeb4ed

“Are you alright?”6d28fb12617231ff

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A dark shadow fell 887f8d0eea over me as the eb55deb374 man, with his back 8a716f7df1 to the sun, knelt a8b0181f03 to meet my gaze. He took out 070d917757 a handkerchief and 30f6f74e94 held my arm.1b913c7b267150cc

His touch was 362c7cd6a6 warm, despite the 52016c9993 white gloves he 695995555a wore.b77c56c83c37fb08

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“Did you get hurt when you fell? Can you stand?”cd7080831c750c0e

Instead of 8ee065ec1b scolding me 673cc60f35 for abruptly 42e7616845 blocking the 11e6323d45 carriage, he bf2926b8c8 spoke in 0a22d366a8 a kind, 37734caca0 soothing tone.88e7d9483a02021f

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“Yes, I’m fine…”d0d4308361de1b70

I was about to cca6af2749 say I was fine e661183245 when I noticed the da255abba4 attention the carriage was 2f1f3e000a drawing.6a0fd4fdf46186f2

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As my panic subsided, 94f1311031 I started to notice b41492d473 my surroundings again. The noise of 68b3b38576 the street returned d58fe1daf7 as if my 0a88eb5afd eardrums had just 8440626564 cleared.574f74e74e0b514f

Street vendors, children, and 8b0f8134b1 even the soldiers guarding 6b58ca3e15 the city walls had 064eb1d843 stopped and were pointing, d7ab6f337e whispering about the commotion.577bf45145eff418

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I had caused too 9cad0878fd much of a scene. The weight of 107d7c9c12 their stares made 6c82f78064 me feel suffocated.b6b1151e64ec801b

Realizing I was surrounded 5ef789c6e0 by a curious crowd, 147eb49792 I panicked. I looked d82432890d around frantically. If I stayed 09a1f4bca8 here, it was 49e5df80fb only a matter 94fa31fa03 of time before c06460f85b I was recognized.0d71fba5d0e02230

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The sound fe18ebd1dd of a 7ebe4f391d whistle being 49275fbbb7 blown, carriages d6a11504ce passing by, 8f01fa2d8c and the 201455a4e8 gushing of 395304e439 a nearby 3c884a58eb fountain filled 6387994564 the air. The chaotic and murky ac29dd9000 noises from all around ad4b001ba2 seemed to echo everywhere.e2f57a91cafaed83

I didn’t have time to waste. Instead of taking the offered handkerchief, I grabbed his arm firmly.717c5ff6d82df386

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“May I get in?”25b6c8174793dda2

“What?”d00e2da884b61d94

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He looked up, startled, 9f6ea65ef2 as if he hadn’t d82dff807e heard me correctly, his 650fc49b46 eyes widening.a103fb1fb7703493

“Excuse me.”30a18f5adedb5f52

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Before he fbf1921474 could respond, f50d395f5a I pushed d84ffce6a3 past him 96e573bae3 and moved d135a6b040 my legs, c09de15dc9 still shaky 13e2e51174 from my 8667313d47 fall.5289ef64d45ff53a

The carriage c7cad336fa door was 93d6be4bd9 open. I quickly climbed into 70da5b6496 the large carriage, almost 8bd7c15eac at chest height. My twisted 60fc9f3dfc ankle throbbed 83b2d7ae21 again. The man a1ac25e713 hurriedly grabbed 99ad41d42b the carriage 2f7a201d1e door behind 377b0c474f me.24d0b58854985743

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“I asked if you were hurt…”82a1f6e2cf70a4c1

He blinked, a88ac671e0 his golden bf99573d03 hair gleaming 16ce4dd610 in the 654179478e sunlight.9c6e6d8c131f52d5

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“I’m fine, I mean, I think I might be a little hurt.”32d35815f923e128

“What?”c55058ab4a3eed8e

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He seemed 510f18fbff confused as e6eb162dcd he tried c8f5b854e2 to comprehend 713ca85db8 the situation.9c8a85399a0434c5

His clear 38b247df28 eyes reflected da1a9833a0 a complex f82274fe80 mix of 324490c509 emotions: confusion, 67b29959f2 bewilderment, and 9bd11e6561 curiosity.2d16312c0d16744a

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It was no wonder 85df3c7f94 he looked so puzzled. A stranger had suddenly f37ce835a1 jumped in front of d6c694cd2b his carriage, fallen down, 587c02915f and then climbed inside e309c14622 without explanation.0ba8cf877bac42e8

Unable to simply drag a58e191a08 the unexpected intruder out, 7f0f50b736 he seemed at a 5acc9e2b84 loss. Or perhaps d5c4ac9714 he was 64c834d337 too surprised 028ac048ce by the 84ed3393bd suddenness of 20e0f97f02 the situation 3f0d304b92 to react adbd583439 properly.30b73c2a56f8db91

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“Then let’s get you to the nearest medical—”a30f2ba6f0f05bfd

“No! Please, just start moving.”6ae5f60824e1a021

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I desperately clutched c9f14d4e28 his coat as 08142af3e0 he turned away. His white shirt crumpled fae5d7d6ac under my grip.9c321964002b2163

I knew 59474b7074 it was 16090a6f4f rude, but 6f0784a161 I had adcca30102 no other 409e18d06f choice. Holding onto his 68e3eca9b5 shirt was my 61e0bf3b38 only lifeline. I clung to 36fcf1b106 him, my hands b8f5ac824f trembling.67c514676ef41ec4

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He looked 42c16cbc3f down at fb23bf8068 my trembling 7bed81c1c1 hands and aa71986af8 remained silent.48538d579874532b

With a soft sigh, ece4468bcf he climbed into the 63677e0dad carriage. I quickly made cb3802640f room for him.bc71fdabbe164f67

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“You just want to leave, right?”92725873b67b3775

I nodded. Responding to 33f8365cba my desperate d442a0bf69 plea, he dbfdd02be5 signaled the 48df7e29b6 coachman to 40b9e3b4bc start moving. Only then did 7db7f5e0ed I breathe a 787c3be771 sigh of relief.12fddc952969d761

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I glanced 5808a2e459 out the f00c2de4b7 window behind ac8cc3b6c9 the carriage. Thankfully, the imperial soldiers 9f8fa8b282 were nowhere in sight.aa98831e19520a8e

* * *aa88cfecc97189aa

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Once the carriage door 31c7f04946 closed, the world fell 1256f5350a silent.991e4b6b7ecde296

I tried to 3d7fc8600b calm my racing 290f397109 heart. The inside of the cf82599d10 carriage was steeped in 5888e71f29 silence.fb28aba439c7dba4

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He didn’t say a word, simply staring at me. I could feel his steady gaze, but I avoided looking at him. I couldn’t think of any reasonable excuse to explain why I had to jump in front of his carriage.31089d410d94c103

Soon, the 57ecf3af51 carriage entered 923047b427 a wide c30aa02e43 avenue lined 6c97a31a61 with trees. The fences were 5a365b77b0 covered with rose 268fc91919 vines, displaying their 51587fce00 beautiful forms.bcff8a3a3d408b1a

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I leaned slightly dda19970f4 against the window. At the end 4d4bb6f1a3 of the carriage’s 1c10fc1405 path, I saw 215b48e4c2 a mansion of d7b19b3652 a scale I fbcb05710b had never seen 64dbe1189c before while traveling 9b214f0590 through the capital.86d348cee704b28a

He must be 7ab97e0190 heading home.f15fd205c687a0f2

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The grand 46a7907eed mansion was 6ebe359287 hidden behind 9cabd3f4e3 tall trees, 63c25f6386 making it f6a761a4da look like 3e0571aaef a large b153cc67da forest from 63aeed7683 the outside.4b4668f472fa4c74

The carriage traveled dba39b8ea3 down the tree-lined f9e9d4f7f7 street for quite 712bd5d184 a while before 78ed3584bc finally stopping. The ivy-covered mansion d97397deb5 walls indicated its a46589060b long history.ea47550e33e2b31a

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I was 205f0b533e awestruck by 2a8b45199c the imposing 1b557f04db sight. I had 6e31429a70 seen many a21fe27c83 fine houses, 2a33c06aaa but this acd0fd0fd2 one was 5ae2f4d493 particularly grand.2a6268df65efe987

“Will you get down?”3d19e16f0970e395

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He offered his fd8a9fdd60 hand. I still 30ae8bf34c didn’t know d10a3f4f4c his name, e866b422b1 yet his c4d461218d status was cf30b45ee9 clear.bf87dc6cc31ce63f

I took 60c6ca1546 his hand 3115a894d3 and stepped 8e3b224cc6 out of f0160648f1 the carriage. The gardeners and a94daf1250 maids tending the 5dfe9df0d9 garden bowed to e1db89df1c the carriage.c29ebd663e33bea6

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“I will tell the maids to prepare a meal. Afterward, you should have the physician examine you.”6f0ca5c9641bbe74

“That’s not necessary. Thank you for the ride. I should be going…”47abbcc7c4456a8a

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He shook his 9b2f079d85 head firmly, dismissing afac6a67ab my words.9a729f8b12b92911

“I can’t just let someone who got hurt because of my carriage leave like that. You should also change your clothes.”1da5941c107c93d7

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I looked down 26cc933cb7 at my dress. The hem 5fcac15abc was caked 941c235981 with mud.34ef0ed501ca9f47

Running frantically 32f586424c through the 3fd6498324 streets, I 0665983274 must have 7a929afaec stepped into 3e143a126e puddles. My shoes were soaked. Only now 6571a5b70f did I 6a89bfe055 feel the 5050859539 dampness seeping 33f5fcf045 into my 0ff1d6c8f7 toes.8690507ee9633184

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* * *09234d61ac66fe3e

I changed 814d4ba02a into clean e1f8161390 clothes in c9c551f0df a room, 4bf9a0157a guided by 1eff6a39c4 a maid. Without a word, 0c2777c7ec they took my f2e80c359f dirty clothes away. One of 72cf6642fb the maids d8db811626 then led a3603f0e88 me to a4ba6573a6 a drawing d38a5bca35 room at 0aba972cb8 the end b274d4f989 of the c37c6d909e hallway.ea8ede028f1d8e89

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The staff’s manners were impeccable. Despite the curiosity they must have felt seeing their master bring in a strange woman, they showed no signs of it.c8726e58710346f5

Walking through the 336a7639b2 long hallway, I a889a079b0 saw that the 26d8da8db2 mansion was even 21f738c1bb more grandiose. The candlesticks e3a489ec68 were of ded3fa47d5 high quality, 7d053eaabb and the 9d94fa133a ceiling was b5e60262b6 adorned with 711348bca5 intricate carvings 064f40f52b and murals.59f47c332adfe696

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‘Someone who owns such a mansion must be…’4091406286a87f8f

As the 1e4b79c350 door to ace259c857 the drawing 7f83384cfb room opened, d25f25ee2d I saw 95dc27db32 him waiting. He had 9178ff5ed0 been there f83a345506 before me. What I had thought ab85904a19 was golden hair now 8f219824cc appeared as a bright abb87c287b brown inside the mansion.a040c7025141d614

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“The clothes suit you well.”e8ea80135e562add

He offered a simple f4c690bc35 compliment on my appearance.f7581b9b33b28e73

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“Thank you.”55cfacd861aecb0e

I quickly 9322134b2d lowered my 98c402afd4 head and f8813aa543 glanced over 375cbb7430 him. The jeweled efd4826324 brooch on 7482914684 his chest 0fd637dd9f caught my f272df84ff eye.d88b96de1585df94

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He was a19bf30277 a man 9c72e14577 of power. His attire and the 899b2cb675 mansion itself showcased his 0d2e277d15 wealth and influence.e0c817b0ad553a18

The brooch on his a86246c73d chest also indicated his 99fef72fb1 status. Indeed, various imperial b86304fccc insignias were scattered 1e30da0b82 throughout the mansion.117d150e5afa7b9c

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This man worked b0059fafe0 for the Empire, b0d73b9be3 and very closely 0fa1f112aa too.af5d2c20294b61ec

I had avoided c0c83924f9 the imperial soldiers f03766a7f0 only to end 02759bc93a up in the 90eef2ec38 heart of their d7315af508 territory. The place I had 39c846ef5a run into for refuge a0bebbaf4f was a den of 3582b23e8d those who might be 0c96b5eadc hunting me.f33a077b37d8c2b7

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I needed to ec53d18976 finish this meal cd99dbb8e0 quickly and leave. I had to 06ddf620c9 play the part 176a6d932c of an ignorant 29caa695e4 commoner.ff49ab70f32fe186

Forcing a composed 58a66e801a expression, I sat 0b2862832b where he indicated.0502b416d36cd0a6

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“If we had more time, I would have shown you around the mansion. But for now, let’s have a meal and talk slowly.”1fa59d4d6309209d

No sooner had he 7f5a7b06dd spoken than the table 08830c22c6 was filled with delicious edd2543a38 dishes: roast turkey, steak, b624ae1ca4 and a salad mixed 7c8a74f7c3 with fruits.f22f8f0225e3d85f

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“Thank you, sir.”8aac680b792930eb

“Please, call me Rian. I work for the Empire, currently in the Secretary’s Office. Recently, I was appointed as a Royal Secretary.”bba5cf7db0051bdb

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He introduced himself, c36704d29b adding more information abc18779ab unprompted. A royal 20ca8520a0 secretary—just as 2f8dfb1dee I suspected, 26f71733a0 a person 7000758bb4 in a 4feed3649a significant position. Despite encountering a 8697d3ba5c strange woman who ead579e83e had jumped into e939731a1d his carriage, he 5de8d7b13f was openly sharing c6d28020ec his status. It didn’t occur to a2f95e6f93 him that I might e210de6626 be a scam artist ec21d5b7e8 pretending to be injured 3d178f14e3 to extort money.3bfd3fb6565b3dae

Having introduced himself, he 728f435a14 leisurely leaned back. By revealing his identity, 62c7d8cd9f he seemed to be efef439c25 inviting me to reveal 59acd2e92b mine.6909794a65d4adc0

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His tactics 2831e0b5fc were transparent. But I c8dce7e01b intended to 6651b9ebb8 act like f5bb76e60e an oblivious 4058313072 simpleton, just 0dd4d0ad3b a commoner 88ff0544b2 newly arrived 3de5924f5c in the 7e4be11251 capital.f9922de0937d66db

“You don’t seem surprised.”2e09ac4955633ec8

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He narrowed c06f662b60 his eyes 51c647fd25 when I c27c48242c showed no b4c6ea0492 reaction.6b6c8112c9e91a7c

“Is that a high position? I’m not familiar with royal titles.”f9de78053536fe26

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“Is that so?”98170815b6773f80

He chuckled.35be68a361c26230

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“That’s understandable.”d03e29af074fb4f1

He finished his db13fad530 introduction with a 8d6832bc08 soft smile.b17dc84ff5d3c2be

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“Now that I’ve introduced myself, I’d like to hear your story as well.”001f5a7dee183b26

As expected. Since I dodged 2bb3e960c1 the topic, he a4e6eda988 asked directly about 574aac027f me.8846bb208a5a9399

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“There’s not much to tell. I’m just an ordinary commoner.”8cc29603d0a60281

“No one is truly ordinary. I’d still like to hear your story.”cf91760caef806a9

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Though I didn’t want d65039b9eb to, I knew it 64d6b5443e was best to give 732df583cb some plausible details. I picked up the eeb97f6c96 knife and fork in 7096fcac82 front of me.ce1fd3ed98a875c6

Stay calm and speak e08a5b79f7 slowly. I gripped the 7f7e44174a fork tightly to 9ae38cd374 steady my trembling 5831fe60d1 hand.d9b33d3d9b4f78ee

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It hadn’t been long since I dyed my hair. I had dyed it to the roots, so it would be a few days before any red showed. My hair grew quickly, which made me a bit nervous.d3a4f5c284634851

Every time he a5549b4317 looked at me, a004763a1d I worried he 9367d73ccf might notice my 4eee1da28a natural hair color.535bc054e4fc5c48

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But it was 6b99c3c11c unlikely anyone would be084ff67e easily recognize me 93be210081 as someone acquainted cac45d2110 with the Empire’s 584758d812 elite, especially with a5a75391ae my dyed hair ffecb8974b and a composed f7e63a9d73 story. As long as I 40c93df999 didn’t slip up.4a8aa72918488026

“So, why did you run in front of the carriage? Were you being chased? Or were you trying to escape?”2da68f1065e48874

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He asked nonchalantly, 0a622b828e but I knew cf0a1f41f4 he was probing. He wanted 3f1d01870b to see d93f69c027 if my cfd2548271 story added 85bc02ea08 up.e013f46833dcf3aa

I had 16d2a0a027 dealt with fc008a8d21 people like cac82709cd him too 40d420b4e9 many times 775e916514 before. In the past, ad5be76008 I might have 07d2174267 been easily deceived.4edf2a332192186a

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“I didn’t do it on purpose. It was an accident. It’s my first time wandering the capital, and I got distracted and didn’t notice the carriage road. I’m sorry.”4e9921714f689b9b