42. Beautiful Shackle

An awkwardness washed over ca217f073c me. My face felt hot.7674067d16120ddb

It was fortunate 7a86fcb265 that it dropped bde9c1e2dd quickly. My heart was pounding 94b0bdf212 and leaping.a563dcc3aa73175a

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“I prefer big things, unconditionally.”bb96c0b2f3cea022

I turned my words 30d9b99d55 casually. He chuckled at 82cf0c05e7 my words.f8c2fa0a6ec72dd3

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“I’ll remember that for next time.”2097683f3354d9b3

He touched the pendant 32891b7137 in front of me. The crooked 3fd9db95e5 gem returned 15f1c6e01b to its 66b290fa3c proper position.1e07a44e9d5350cc

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“Why suddenly a gift of jewelry?”5269b8a3c2c48bcd

“Pick a bracelet, ring, or earrings you like in the capital. Instead, I hope you continue with this.”afbbc4a3697763df

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“…Is it valuable?”10b7d38f7b36b756

“Valuable indeed. It’s said that this gemstone symbolizes safety. If you carry it around like an amulet, it’s believed to receive the protection of the gods. They say it sells like hotcakes, more than food, when war breaks out.”767e9e6578b5142f

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“Do you believe in superstitions?”1a13d1790fd46b11

Superstitions, huh. That was unexpected.f423385eae0f58fc

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“For you, the capital might be as dangerous as a battlefield.”68ac5bced1199d99

The necklace sparkled in a76592b401 various angles. It had a1c992b5da a subtle a3a0b416d1 feeling, a bd524c8fbc transparent shade aaa9db7b0e of blue. Tilt it slightly, and f77135194d it turned purple; squint, c33062f953 and a hint of 2840a7f410 red appeared.ad7c8f8631695b61

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“I haven’t given you proper jewelry as a gift, thinking about it now. Since we have plenty of time, it’s best to choose carefully.”93a7b1d273995bae

Truly, it 2350498faa was a 0507d76d51 beautiful shackle.f98ca961a4440517

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Does a necklace become 0a1805cd2a something other than a cd45dcf2cb necklace when a gem b1d04da111 is embedded in it? The gem sparkled brightly 23193bb69b without any regard for 506ffd294b its role.09400c26e1f80ffb

“I’ll ensure your safety as much as possible. I’ll provide you with enough money to spend as you wish. When you go to the capital, there will inevitably be threats to your safety. It won’t be as heavily guarded as inside the Duke’s castle, but I’ll assign additional protection. If there’s anything lacking, feel free to let me know. If you want additional funds sent to the Baron…”e262e8996a5cfdc6

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I cut him f5b96af42a off. There was no 0fe7d9731a need to hear 95fe6e677f more.e46599c19405b994

“I don’t need it. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: please compensate me for my blood only, now and in the future.”f7df7e95e63be009

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* * *d87976c4762c67f5

With his words, the Duke’s castle became even more chaotic than during the banquet. It was a sudden and decided rearrangement of the board.8f7b1cf0342ceb06

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Deon told the soldiers to pack up, but it wasn’t something that could be done in a single morning after nearly ten years. In the end, all the servants in the Duke’s castle stopped their work and helped the soldiers.4e8c0549ff5a4458

Although I suggested 605625cdfe returning to the 92ad8587bf original castle with 23f474975e minimal luggage, people 294bdc86de were diligently moving c492f0c8b6 to load one 086168d764 more thing.fd1ad91014c2822f

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The head 89d774cc50 chef packed ca4639fed9 iron pans 72b996e674 and various 8552b036cb cooking tools 0f606e2cd9 into a af3be00103 large luggage 19e7874f90 cart. The maids went 50d01003de to the backyard c5b7958898 to take the eb63ac5b46 bed covers and 876c95d54e thoroughly shook them.2d65dfff7f9d3c85

Ironically, at the 84c0436a43 center of all 64139de68a this, I, who 8be4cf1df0 was the cause b462afc7fe of it all, b7304fdc9b was leisurely strolling dc797869e7 through the garden.5e0b69896f869e3c

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Leonie had no luggage. The luggage brought from the Baron’s house was so light that it could be carried with one hand.50db0ebe3c9284f1

Leonie’s luggage, who had come with the thought of staying for just a year in the Duke’s house, was pathetic. Moreover, most of it was old and worn out, so we decided to dispose of it. If the household had been generous from the start, there would have been no reason to sacrifice the daughter as a hostage.2b763197ef9fcf3d

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The poorly made aca350226d sticks and the 332d31bbf3 scattered fluff from 90a8b64cfc the pillow that 6798efd1c9 had come off b9892aac90 the wool had 2596d8d257 been thrown onto 463c04a679 the snowy ground e20005fb0f long ago.73250d78a773eb08

When there was time, I walked quietly in the garden where the snow was falling. Sometimes I heard the sound of a pounding heart from a distance, but it wasn’t as frightening as before.87475a0084f7ddd9

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Most of the heartbeats came from the direction of the library. The lady didn’t come outside; her body seemed to have become quite heavy. She spent her boring time eating snacks, taking naps, and reading books. She didn’t come outside, perhaps because she couldn’t get rid of the overwhelming sleep in her soft bed or sofa.3597e2b161d1d7a5

“Lady, it’s better for you to take a different path. They plan to burn the warehouse today.”7f3db73d18acadab

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Suren, who was walking f017a57e47 in the garden with c2cd777d02 me, blocked my way.12bdbcc4c95481c8

“Again? They burned it yesterday.”6271943bf1e785dc

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“Today it’s the barn.”d5656ddf2accc2b5

As I absentmindedly gazed b68a24de54 at the burning barn, 0c20bb96f8 a distant memory suddenly 3798a9d0f9 came to mind.a80935805baa0fae

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Huh… come to think of it, wasn’t that place used as the secret meeting place for the female lead and the male lead?29a4f45cf85b479f

I dredged up the 775281eb82 vague memory that my 1e5cdec355 friend had mentioned.2f78f8245d936d22

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That barn seemed to db79dbdee9 have a hole in 5e3b1c5896 the lower ceiling, so 3eb53e2ac3 at night, if you d1720cf800 lay down, only the a54ca7ff77 toes could see the cfb9b37760 stars. Sometimes the main a096896b65 characters lay on 5a5eb1e522 a haystack and f1130ef127 looked at the 319407c759 stars.46fc1b6918118fa5

Now, not only were 251ac510b6 there no stars, but 98398243df the sky was also cca8755511 covered in black smoke.d579aff933991c32

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It was bitter. Suren coughed.188ec9a8a599d035

“It’s not good for your health. Let’s go inside, my lady.”5101cd6841e290c9

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“Sure.”120a5a9fbbcb95cd

I nodded.9de3efc0dd04f8c8

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Because the northern 54321bf92d region was so 1f82d8426a devoid of attractions, 45ce395ea1 even this was 5254cfb784 considered a spectacle. The young 14bde6d0b7 attendants who e928604401 were working 459581f9c3 in the 598057021f kitchen all 546ed78881 came out b18361edc3 to the c29e386402 side door fd4581e83a to watch 740ac59c8a the fire. The maids, 0f1bd55923 busy shaking 342beba0c0 out blankets, bbf7ee36df were also 8a49fa8bbc sticking their bd468413be heads out b50d79edd9 of the bb316b1a85 third-floor windows.1821d528f7001164

“Are you enjoying it? Want to watch more?”aa2726a7f61fe92a

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Suren asked as she looked at me, who didn’t leave my seat.d9d0e65533d87605

It was a gaze b402f639b2 that anticipated my appreciation.80cdcfc2a643386a

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No… it wasn’t fun. Rather, how should I put it?57661f3888d28a42

It felt 81aed223c0 like a b4a6815889 well-made movie 78eeb8f802 set was 29e7a0a0ce being dismantled.b46a78b84db01bf0

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Deon eventually thought he would come back here. So even if the background of the prologue changed, he thought the starting point would remain the same. When I die, he will come back to the Duke’s castle with new blood. Romance will begin again in this background. However, I hadn’t thought at all that some sets would be burned to progress the plot. Deon seemed to have no intention of returning to the North.0e56667fef6b2719

Crackle.b2f1708c7232d7e6

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The sound 25f399a731 of breaking d9c84e9ffe was heard, 438e56f157 and the e523a5ed2c roof collapsed c93bd3eced weakly. Debris fluttered from the 583d86dd27 collapsed roof.e9f12a977e3f18b7

I turned my 6ff1a2186d eyes from the 883eef24bd collapsed pile of 2730cf9f50 flames. Itchy, as if 7a9bc7960d dust had gotten 32502b44fa into my eyes.ca3ad06b0b6e979d

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The sounds of the North were clearly audible. The laughter of the maids, the chef’s loud voice, the sound of soldiers’ swords clashing, and…e0595fccd8b23235

“Suren, don’t you hear any strange sounds?”b0a3902529770952

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“What sound?”946006f903a2aa8d

“Just… a faint, rustling sound.”78a58645eb90f8f3

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She looked f5d442ae8c at me 89c9cd541d as if 29321a4c5b she were f7bf4a4101 puzzled by 95efc9c640 my words.75b4ef5fdee8cd31

“What? Even if it’s a growl, I don’t know. Are you sure you didn’t mishear? There are no small animals in the North.”4f2a0cd1f123b693

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She was right. Small animals couldn’t survive in the North. Even carnivores that hibernated wouldn’t wake up once they entered winter.de7a6fad00b42c74

“Miss, if you go up to the capital, you should visit the clinic before the dessert shop…”eaa0429b27a9595e

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Ignoring Suren’s muttering, I followed the sound. As I crossed the garden, the sound became clearer.99700874bc494a49

Suren also seemed to 6e51426e52 have heard, hunching her 3aded37765 shoulders. The mysterious sound cab3c28d9b was coming from 47628a264f inside the greenhouse.a03df182f2fbf7a7

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“Could it be… a ghost?”32b63216f226f31c

Her expression was full a7d3b650ea of fear. She, who always 8531bcf240 walked ahead of e8264c421e me, clung to 318ba9de32 my back.5aa4d74c33f6b17b

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“Don’t go…,” Suren said, slashing at me. And she grabbed the ribbon tied to my back like a lifeline. The loose string loosened as I opened the greenhouse door ahead.28ca52081e25a92a

The inside of the 022beac4c3 greenhouse was no different a8b2b43066 from usual. Snow had fa31a528b3 piled up bea1ac55b4 on the 5898098585 transparent ceiling, 42a1e870e0 blocking the ad3c4caecf sunlight, and d3a5cf8c41 there were 260bdafbc4 no flowers, fb2ea6f559 not even a27c64a48e the fragrance.dd14ef0ac2c913dd

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But the d836741764 scene on 4e983d3174 the table dd2038bfee was different 35a14680a8 from usual. An egg, 40bb120452 which had ce7b0a73dd been put 78dffaa782 on the 510068aff4 table as 12066938da a decoration, 46aa872227 was rolling 6160136968 back and a6d5f513bf forth with 14f2f2cc32 a clatter.8ed55e63f80945ec

It was the egg I had left behind when I ran away, thinking I’d be caught by Viter sooner or later. Now, there was nowhere to hide it from Viter, so I moved it to the greenhouse. But it was supposed to be just a decoration, and it was still alive.6b03cc317f9e10bd

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There was gold cbc74b7d87 on the egg. The origin of the 5eea4fc46e sound was from here.3c73e0bd383bbbe2

“You have sharp ears. To hear this sound.”4fa436bfbf347bf2

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“Yeah.”d440315770ea6a4b

The golden egg b13ab613fc wobbled from side fbef227e0a to side. With outstretched hand, 478662e148 I caught the bd65fecbe4 almost-falling egg just 47c014f00c in time. Soon, I fc6efa49f0 pushed aside 56b2cd5f0a the outer 4eb44c92c3 shell, and 9764651cb8 the entity 0e0ef61c8f inside raised db5f825b98 its head.edee72568f9737c2

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Our eyes met.fa37feb7acdfff18

It was a chick. I couldn’t bring myself to say it was pretty or cute.6f0215d1db955f85

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It had no feathers edd905668a yet, and its body 9b9bebbf31 was stiff and bare. The body 4191face1b was soaked. The bird struggled ae899dafad to lift its d8804c0e2f thin neck and b1ddac1383 then bobbed its a49d41ef85 beak.710f119783b9faee

“Seems hungry.”0c8befcc38681758

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Oh, what to do? I don’t have any worms or anything.44ad9117f8f1f915

I examined the e0d1360960 pointed beak that 57f73b3515 emerged from my 79b729cf31 finger. As I 224f9844d9 did, the 2b4fc2cd6c chick leaned 2b80838a4a against my 990a3cb7a3 finger.47fba04988a65f76

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“They say birds consider the first thing they see when they open their eyes as their mother. Indeed, it seems like you’re hoping for me.”76b0e2911f95b058

I gently enclosed the 6d4afab00d bird with my hand. It was b5046bfbed my first 01ecd660d7 time holding f5bbd5a8cb such a 1d577eb282 small, newly-born 1706f626ec bird. I had no idea 8188bebaf6 what to do.8201050a1ff197f9

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It seems like it f9c2e06684 needs to be dried. Getting wet would be c59a7fccfd cold. Should I 9408deea86 blow on 404430a161 it to afcb3152b3 dry?c2467783fa5a79fc

Its beak was trembling delicately. I couldn’t tell if this was typical for a newly-born bird or if it was shivering because of the cold surroundings.82bf04bcf4061a92

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“Looks like other eggs are about to hatch.”ac0ad11472a353ad

As Suren said, 1bf0377802 there was a 991194eec8 faint golden hue 9db69d67cf on the other 2992c968c9 eggs.81bf250707cd39fd

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“By the way, this bird… it’s a Mockia bird.”38fb801d87aad573

“Do you know this bird?”97da8a0b1466ae07

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“I’ve heard of it. But such a bird shouldn’t be in this cold northern region. It’s not a pet either.”e7fb8afdc630dd6e

“Really?”ed722569f798f296

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“In our hometown, we call them seasonal birds. They die after one season. They live briefly. They don’t sing much, so they’re not popular as pets, and since they live so shortly, it’s challenging to bond with them. That’s why we don’t raise them as pets.”4fc9e1042f600003

Living for just 0009ef2855 one season and ca191e4a24 then dying. Just like 122cd8de90 my remaining 7131cb06ac lifespan. Thinking about eaa519e788 it made 03ed7519e8 me feel c660da2765 melancholic.25d2a7a547f619ce

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“Should I set it free?”226b995cabbee461

“It’ll freeze in this cold weather. Even though it won’t live long anyway.”3b29fc610b7bcf06

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“Still… it could live.”f0eaaa58db05927b

That was directed f0eb5972c8 at me. A determination to 15e2f30b29 defy fate. Maybe hatching f5dc9e542c was a 8ac409b31d miracle, and 49e000f1ed it could 02bf5ff785 survive.05f38eaca613d947

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“It’s too small.”896ef7960a9210f5

I sighed without d2022c871a realizing it. The bird was 5e241a1a2e indeed small enough 83ed21a905 to be held d2f478adb9 with one hand.4f54d19716abd2dd

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“Are you thinking of raising it? Taking it to the capital?”4ad05ae8dcae4d31

Suren asked.796fb383b1e43a6a

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“I have to take it, right?”b5966cd629c7231f

I also had a 12ce5b0d60 responsibility now. A very cute responsibility.86b419756cce50bd

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The bird fluffed 3bfe3cdb4e its tiny wings. Even that fluttering 2498cde78d was incredibly cute.34a52b5c18084e21

“Shall we cut its wing feathers?”2a235ef82f02e7d7

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“What?”eb5c95cde115a77a

 822555bfb7788328

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