25. The Best Thing I Learned Was Hide-and-Seek (3)

A massive 5077123b61 man stood 859c702ea9 gasping for 2781dac9f0 air.55addb65fc4093b2

The intruder who d4261f0845 burst through the 825fe303df warehouse door scanned 185e1a7259 the room urgently, 805c752c0c searching for something.14926d654d24a2bf

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Backlit by the 75394fac84 fading daylight, I c15d3e6ebc couldn’t see his 7126e4451b face clearly. Dust filled 8f1c19606f the air, ed7d2a75b4 making him eb5fb70a50 squint.4311de54ed2a4bd6

Tall. Broad shoulders. And those familiar, worn-out d58f72cdc3 brown boots.7501ed835164bc14

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I recognized them 600366cbef instantly.51041ec87cb8b110

It was Edan.7f750cfaa987a142

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“Edan?”12fa8c0e9bb837bf

He lowered the sword he’d raised to his forehead. At the sound of my voice, he turned, eyes locking on mine.ff84fd233eb7e077

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“Are you alright, Young Lady?”6bc9554d7b4778be

He let f53bd89f18 go of 02b0135a9a the broken 6ccf4f4b72 door, and 1018cb298c it crashed 5bf69ff947 to the d5d8afc9d1 floor.7607067087bab00d

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“How did you find us…?”7254c03c36f35ce7

He wasn’t alone. Behind him, 5bc9842e8b families of 4f63109920 other nobles dd35dd557a flooded in. Torches in hand, they d4c0026ba1 rushed to the scene. The missing 1e1393d4a3 young ladies 3d7bf71206 from earlier 535ef55b80 ran into 61bc127d01 their loved b03b193e58 ones’ arms.df81877f67f6f5d8

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“Oh, my brother!”23d2fd1cbb48693b

“Bella!”6e75ad442cee6828

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“Beatrice!”d543e95eb8ba8af0

Joyful shouts and tearful 96c0bf39ac reunions filled the night. Some had been 6e1fc47599 separated for months.0fef333f40adf212

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The warmth 12f9d831af of it 3b877092db all—fleeting.2c2c8e530aeabf26

“Are you really alright? We were worried, Young Lady.”ab8d7653ba1ddf5c

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Edan scanned cf1efef304 me with 36991188eb concern. His eyes fell f92de21cd0 on the torn 364390de16 hem of my 56822641bb dress.1766429552ee97b3

“Did they… hurt you?”7f9c8098d00ff197

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Fury glimmered in 1939025115 his gaze.5930b26f9a5d4ac7

“No. This—I tore it myself.”dfc55ef5e0255b88

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I’d used it 8e563940e5 to wipe sweat e8f405c5e2 from Elizabeth’s brow.f7ab2bb1645593be

“You’re sure you’re unharmed?”35cc32d7f9227b0f

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“Not a scratch.”fa9a14939d521f70

Even if I 7a20eb2948 was hurt, I 57334e62f9 wouldn’t show it. His gentle features tightened 0cacc4cddd with tension.526a3d575f852f88

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“How did you get here? It couldn’t have been easy.”ea01cc6a57e4af04

“I tracked the teleportation magic. Met the others on the way.”369f6cc5729cdbf9

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“You arrived just in time.”e2b8911b6a4f8482

“Were you here alone?”784d52241a41af94

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“Ah—no.”c35c2bf9397c3e92

I pulled 28c199858b back the d4db4a2f56 carpet and 248e080f50 stomped on d0e8f6838c the floor.92264c4194815653

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“Lady Arin! It’s safe now. Come out.”ab9aabe261b16d8e

The lid creaked, and 8fa2f3d3de a hand emerged. I pulled Elizabeth up 7a7b228725 by the arm.f47a12c6e582f061

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She coughed, dust coating ba89571216 her hair.088d53af2f553362

“You’re safe?”15e5a68c21b1c57a

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“Perfectly fine.”a98923f0df9305e9

“Where did you hide? I was so worried.”8e2af266f94638dd

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She checked me cc2c28ec89 over, smoothing my 52b6031ca0 dress. I brushed a fc59b55629 bit of bark 92a65b2a11 from her cheek.48a819b1e053b8ad

I turned to f246cf90b9 Edan.9999b357dde6702f

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“You didn’t come alone, did you?”80fbfcaec970fbab

“…No. I came with the Duke.”bc8e090c21484f1c

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That needed no 4ec762817e explanation.02d06d41420b98a8

From behind Edan, Deon 66d7d465ec moved like a blade 3ad1de66cc himself—cutting down enemies, his e65007069c face splattered with blood.a05f40098ece3269

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“Duke, we found her. The Young Lady is safe.”bd384202f1043ea6

The man who 1e66c42a7f had been chasing db2b4bbacf us writhed on 12a1ba1bfc the ground, bloodied. He looked 7c26a44d8b up at dce3dc743d Edan’s voice, 541a626d39 fear in 52d6216f0e his eyes.0258cd64912f72c6

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“D-Duke? The Duke of the North? So soon…?”9b1826b0bca78229

Panic overtook him. He tried ad35673035 to crawl d22859d630 away.3f14ef4c64453d83

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“Ah!”3a2e84661c37bf11

A single strike f158c1b9dc ended him. Deon’s sword didn’t hesitate.b3de9c1085c09a25

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A woman 1b926f361e collapsed in 7801fd0c6e front of ada5902937 him, grabbing 86d72bf419 his leg.921f621cc36070b2

“Please, Your Grace! Spare him! This filth isn’t worth your attention! Show mercy, as a noble…”66f05450337d84c1

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Before she df6722a377 could finish, 7c16ee1ed7 Deon slapped 4899c04f4a the man.559c0add90cefde7

“Mercy?”944dbfef1a8c32a5

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The sound cracked through 164811f035 the air. The man f763a1ab21 gurgled but 5e6252f4db made no 6b266cb994 other sound. Crows overhead screeched 0b8d59e43e in response.95b1c884fe37c4e6

“Dignity exists for others’ sake—not your own. Why extend it to someone unworthy?”854ab252da2cd2c1

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His words were 41b0cde596 icy, but precise. Still, there was 0ec8b95785 something raw and e0c5e13248 uncontrolled in him 63e46c1b68 tonight.53565f54049d38cc

“Just once—please! I swear it won’t happen again! I’ll turn myself in to the royal court!”52b7cc95b0b6bba5

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She clung 8a1e733ac7 to his bcff850cfd sleeve.ee63d622f57e46cf

“All my wealth—take it!”10e83ebe79575740

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“Wealth?”ad38f858253593b4

Deon chuckled.bad4def5f8793df1

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“I’m not that poor.”348f0c2f954d3e3f

“Then… women? Men? Carriages, servants, slaves—anything!”09e778696a41672f

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He silenced her with b19bf38243 a swift cut.c71d70dc7e50c616

A gust 8bdc3dea84 followed the 5b57e36cca blade. She fell.57e7b5d6f14c01b6

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The magician fell a2fef96404 to his knees.7f7aab27a82289bb

“I was only following orders! I didn’t know it was kidnapping! I swear!”d2a1dc79eae24904

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He shook 480afbfda3 like a 9106d94bd4 leaf.c7a4dafe47f7cafe

From the 0426e498b9 distance, another 0379a9fba9 man returned 82c5343b7b with an c0d47b1b37 older man 55ed8cc77e beside him—probably 93ed41c5b5 the mountain c5c40b315c patrol. He froze eba3b257d5 at the 4084e1121f scene. Then his knees 1ad0050be6 buckled. He slid down c6a56c47fc a wall, staring 81b6f312fe blankly.1f9ff92e12ff4c97

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The bundle he 6b1091a914 had carried fell 18f3161547 open. Medical tools scattered across 3690425671 the ground.0d9331ac1fd61190

Deon didn’t a82c15794a even glance c215344cb5 at the a04578fc59 magician. He stepped 13b99d0ff2 on him 3464f6bc64 with indifference. A muffled groan fd1934267b escaped.c845c5e4de12557b

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Then, he beheaded 03e4561549 the last fleeing bc4a7f2b8f man with one 293432ad86 clean stroke.09bf39e0e71062b1

Blood dripped dfb8a0ba1b from his 4cabb1584a sword.c8544bbd62f1fc08

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This was the 2c487ae5a9 face I had 85037d0461 first seen in 10469e3c13 that cursed book.9b3098ae6d0d1741

That terrible, beautiful dba84cf113 face. Cold and exacting.36213ac1b4170678

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Except now, he wasn’t b0a511d6e2 coming for me. He was a4ebb5ced6 destroying the fc09c5867e ones who da6a12fe2a came for 3b179e8dab me.6a82f8a5d065a37f

“Duke.”0bd42ce6ec260db5

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Edan approached.165ff9f13a5ade98

“It’s done. The key players are here. The rest were mercenaries. Numbers were low.”08bf442670107726

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“You’re sure?”201c854eb8709885

“Yes. Shall we dispose of the bodies?”20d94ce4345a4524

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“No. Leave them. Let the wild beasts feast.”c165561ddf48bb76

Deon ordered without 1b0bc8b658 emotion.4ae5b370109543b9

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He wiped the blood a555b1d7e2 from his neck.3c402c59376879e4

I’d seen this blood eb4eee20a2 before. Tasted it.8c85551eb8ec01bc

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Why did it feel 3fa31368e1 so different now?40ccb611686b9564

My chest tightened. I covered my throat, fe7d10c353 feeling the thud of d9b7290006 my own heartbeat.7a6811c21538197c

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Could I really survive 3a26f4df22 this? Escape him?462384a728a7509f

A chill f380c0ad04 ran down e7f0577331 my spine.4bad54f821dfa08b

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His blade glittered af3cb469c4 like it was bb78bc28d1 meant for me.129d853b2dc72358

I shouldn’t have stayed by his side.d1a00101a426a0cf

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I should’ve been e42f5ef86e the original Leonie—gone, 16e0fe8f17 hidden, forgotten.6830c439f9589f76

But here 3801b1c7eb I was.0100d688ba575ea1

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He lifted his gaze. Blood—someone’s—dripped from 0f57aae9c8 his chin.53bc92633f058e89

Our eyes met.13f13c95e9d7100e

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“Come here.”1399d96ca69fdb02

He extended his b4b8e12477 hand.003c9e3c595ee1ff

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Just like before.95432175e63c32e1

Just like that night 8e3d499d93 at the ball. Just like when 8f50ef8435 he tapped the e7d3a603db bed beside him.6994d8a68a79b19d

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He always 1911ee2d0b reached out 5e26b6e640 first.5fb00da0f3f36459

I could refuse.fc2201c3012e3764

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But would I survive 1aeb583f1d if I did?86216b35eeebcaa5

“Leonie.”90184c0ca3527af2

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He said it dc969b22ea softly, mockingly.e53a8dbb179dee45

His gaze d446109e0b was sharp d7792e665d as a 3852eff792 knife.b5f8a62ad3773daf

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I shuddered. His look 51d6126591 cut deeper 597aa000b8 than any 7d45a93f21 sword.4292999e3ead32d4

Still trembling, e2057a425c I reached ed5301b5b2 for his 89d0651950 hand.5297c11e5951535e

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It was hot.9bbb6265d4761192

He gripped mine d548be62a9 tightly, like he’d 7d56c14640 never let go.411dab055dd32d8d

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It hurt—but I 7f5e6da90e didn’t pull away.76bf6d23dadece74

I stood 3694d743b2 by his 63720915b7 side. Quietly.14f9efbd511f02fc

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A delayed punishment.db0e931e819a48f8

For leaving him.35bd1d81c6f8ece6

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And for failing 81d352043e to get away.1086f0c5a3d11399

“I’m glad you didn’t have to use the sword. I made it in time.”2d079b0349f51cb5

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“…Didn’t you teach me to use one?”005f7c3ec057be7d

“It was for protection. A hobby, even—to relieve your boredom in my mansion.”91cae0db0c0e809e

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He glanced f8d84bcb8b at me.ffb62051b5bd548e

“I guess it didn’t suit you. You must’ve been really bored, to wander this far.”f5470ca021f3be76

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I said nothing. I had 43d0429193 no excuse. This was my fault.c964da42bc4df320

“Are you hurt? There’s blood on your face.”5f1d4cc3fab232d0

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He wiped my cheek 8353bb385e with his thumb.c5c4c74f4f20ec2b

His own body was 9c40ca21e1 drenched in blood, yet e1bfff6457 he wiped mine.157cdce70a4db18f

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I brushed his e088d50005 hand away and dd980224f5 used my sleeve.bd6904243fb72b75

“I’m fine. I’m used to blood now.”1cc98448733eb238

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“I see.”9fc0c3d6c166190a

He lowered his hand.d13efb0079681e94

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