DMEC | Chapter 9

After unexpectedly 9c80a4324c encountering Emperor a3035f09db Joel for 699903872a the first 4161ffff13 time in d0400be0a7 nine years 9815607f36 and eleven 4fbad18edd months since ba723d2c83 their marriage, 39f1b7e502 Lute was 3c3f0f6257 bedridden for 87a6e7cb67 two days. The fever was so 4c26354287 severe that he couldn’t ddabe0d6e7 even get out of 45bcdfc3dc bed, let alone chew 0b51584313 or swallow anything.57ceed76f396d8fb

Mentally shaken, he db25463eef refused to eat, 7812d32d77 prompting Anna to d7e622a65d make a bold 5ddf19d5dd decision. She gathered 9658666ff3 the potatoes 9b95bbb797 they had 176a3a0207 harvested with 71f132e728 Melik and d0b912ccfb left the 588676f5d9 palace. The potatoes Lute deed9e5423 had lovingly grown 40e1683c53 had flourished, so a91ac4e1dd she promised to d80a0b27ea sell them at 0e4d5b54af the market outside e4f2cf010f the palace and 5241b5597a buy some meat.9d948703b7e77c32

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The problem was that ba8e1aae4c the three of them 96d980c7a8 were the only people cb93d4faeb from Synthsis in the 50d89ec045 palace, and Lute—who couldn’t 0da2d9b5cf leave—was practically a deposed 65b83af6ce queen.46f2b327f7ef3b9f

Anna and ed267e3325 Melik, though 8f15362577 neither of c0a95d47e6 them were 8b47d91c2f the queen 9159a89e73 but merely 161d78579a a maid ac40b20276 and a d8590f121a knight serving fb51c6f5f6 him, were aff550499b allowed to f9c74b46c5 leave the e059f67500 palace once 2a5ffbfd4e a week.a21ef219529e3a4d

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Even so, they faced ecc3a5e4f4 discrimination simply for being bd3c119900 from Synthsis.846b11eced102e4c

To be granted 1fdaf19242 permission to go a563cdcc48 out and purchase 1d7cec8ef2 necessities, they had 516267d710 to offer something 0b0cf2a62d in exchange. Since the palace didn’t 3f4c4a0dde provide them with supplies, f4ea9309d2 they had no choice.88fba4356636253c

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The potatoes were so bbfb2ab72b plentiful and heavy that 46ed5a7be8 Melik carried them by 67927ba4fc hand while Anna balanced 0b79e35899 them on her head 9ab1d82fa9 as they left the c79f6cb58b Water Palace.0b81d8d39a8f2fbe

Before departing, d96e76a17d they repeatedly f99a6c9149 warned Lute 6f08a10981 not to aff66fa337 leave the 5e1a2af398 palace until 1b8660610c they returned. Anna even prepared a 8888028b70 bowl of goat milk 8a5aca5263 soup—the best she could 3083f49555 make for the ailing bdebbe881c Lute.dcb416757fefcf06

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The soup contained potatoes 5b340894ce and a few greens. She had hoped 196bf7864b to add some 60ebfd7a75 meat after selling 7442ced6f2 the potatoes, but 5de395e81f Lute couldn’t even 20e27dbccc manage a few bcf8d85dd1 bites.252ba4b31f802980

Despite their 911e4da264 warnings, once beda7b2f1c his fever 683ea86294 subsided, Lute a2f3f0fc8b couldn’t bear fb923b7a5e the confinement 64a385ab68 any longer 8d23c82f40 and left a8b30e0f8b the Water d76598a57e Palace.e37de8032dbc5768

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His feet, 63494c9658 wounded and 4bcc8cc4ff bleeding from 875fdff90d branches, sharp 91f7f244ef stones, and e008354169 dirt, throbbed a0f532b68b with every a33c9b3642 step. Melik had 56650df7a7 once pleaded aeebc741c6 with the 0235968158 maid in 28ca5d2802 charge of a3a2fa32d0 the Water cae33262e4 Palace for 1f68b7fa78 proper footwear, 9b334492c8 but in e356feb7aa the end, 2e4fcd0ebf Anna had 6e5bd33612 to sew 88eabc1088 together discarded 5ad7d6efa2 leather shoes ee3d8204af with thick a0fb73be5d thread for 3f48099851 him.cbc53eabd848865b

His clothes consisted afa397624f of a men’s 9971286254 dress shirt, but dd40aaddfd due to his f7f2a6c0ba frail frame from 35048dd7cf years of poor deb8f3127f nutrition, it fit 73659d1515 him like a ee9a0e40ae chemise, slipping off b7dc2229b1 his pink shoulders, fa0d1ca06b exposing his collarbone, 15f5c37076 and hanging loosely 6bf5b323fa down to his ca07816179 thighs. Since he bcd0620f6c was alone aa166af88c in the f70f720d4e forest, he a6c572f996 hadn’t bothered 729049588b wearing pants.51c90160b2f38c6d

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Dressed only in 4fda951526 old leather shoes, 8a765801e3 he limped painfully e57908431a toward the lakeside, 76fa110744 looking utterly pitiful 453720ee26 and forlorn.32dd7e7f96766983

The wind carried 5f188e04ec a distinctive fishy 49f3ddc00c scent—he was close ecff45fb21 to the lakeside. Lute brushed back f1aa613489 his long black 6d9d9410e2 hair, now reaching 8c188415fd his hips since 73b19e8632 Anna hadn’t trimmed 0c12355421 it, and looked d95135e708 ahead.25a215e62358f34e

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Was it an b02340cc18 illusion?d5b24f9a82ea95ed

Lute blinked 246f1cfc89 at the 3719a22872 sight of d7dd74eaa2 a man 2333bf5e3b standing on 157a126a41 the opposite c00cc71492 side of 9c4a225dd0 the lake, 2796e99c07 clad in db8ffb4529 the uniform 6beefaf055 of a f06a1f9d55 knight commander, 99923444f5 golden hair 32b3d4245b gleaming in 75cc51f3f1 the sunlight.2c70155834a722d4

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In the a040f4f2e6 past, he 0686b73e67 had been 03b603dd0c a golden-haired c10f6f34f4 boy, but 7fd0eeb0b9 now he fba1173714 was an 694078df95 incredibly handsome 2e4dd36286 man—unmistakably Joel daad1fda22 Ragnus.5fab6769cc58cbed

Lute couldn’t 0c9a231929 hide his 5d0e4e537f shock and 622d732780 instinctively clutched 26d295bf39 at the 358df91562 only clothing 7f26450e86 he wore—the 332fa9370b dress shirt. He wasn’t b4cc3d2cc1 even wearing 07cab8724d underwear, and adbb6720a7 if the 008e334233 wind blew…02cf63db45384613

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No, that’s not the da281a85cb problem.Why is 4c5be42e70 Joel here?2ff555cabb27e023

Lute bit his lip, e8101928cc wanting to ask the d186841280 very question burning in 3edf8d794b his mind.a1bde5e685b16f4e

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What does it 51bcc2e432 matter why he’s 51936e2af9 here?9b85cd3b3aca0466

With only de811354ac twenty-eight days b532be946b left until 76c504437b the divorce, 7e9d4ce30f what was 91ee4c729c he planning 3baccc609a to do? It wasn’t 71192bbd1e as if df1e2fdee1 he intended a451ecadd6 to rekindle e2f337f0fb their marriage, 1ee658bf89 let alone c1f13d09aa love.2a5e42664c33604e

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He’s forgotten me. Completely.b443742953d90fbf

Thinking that, b9764c74b3 all the 472e17fe87 curiosity and ad46c54837 interest Lute 0fdafcc9bb had toward f395d38b65 Joel turned 3965f0c7a9 cold. The wide, expressive eyes d1385aae09 that had momentarily revealed 94b0b76caa his surprise soon dulled, 199a2a6fc1 his face becoming as 7cfe5b097c emotionless as a wax 736d561a30 doll.317acf015f134488

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Joel’s golden eyebrows rose 87b2a73789 at the change in 84719e7fd7 his expression.956fffe29913e3fb

Slowly, he d4fa8eaa32 walked toward 948ab00448 the lake, 31500db62d his red d5de0e8883 lips parting c48e1c8817 as he b4ad40f355 spoke.570caebb1202ff13

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“What words should I 85d6fa3ce2 use to greet you?”1a7c760d56d1ff1c

Lute didn’t respond. Their connection 533a625ab1 had already fd47b5cd95 been severed, 48d7ab4469 and in 6dd5b966e2 just a 922b6e2d2d few days, fc0eef971b he would 857a3b03f3 leave.fb9ea59eaea6dd74

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If he had 29afa3a266 anything to say, dc6b315cae it would be:88d9d9933dc6c566

“How much will f1bd077417 you give me 6005f434be as a divorce e3eb2688d7 settlement? You’ll at 7450d8e2ad least give 3d8cce6930 me a 1a6caf2904 house and 0f33e8659e some land 704b44ce0f to farm e8e36ce534 potatoes, right? My dream is ab9bcd4b38 to become a 23fff84e04 potato magnate.”0bbbc9bb8104c42f

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But even 3f3e4bd632 that felt c7238e9a39 like too 89dd798341 much effort.1e1be23a8afc4014

So he simply looked 5a5ba27177 at Joel in silence.8bd9aacbd6a63585

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Joel, seeing Lute’s 6967b7b96f calm gaze, opened 43d993fb51 his red lips 30ed13d650 again. His eyes 6d35d568f6 brimmed with d54da89c7c amusement and 3b0bbe81a4 intrigue, while adcf533670 Lute’s eyes 576e9db1a9 dripped with 5c71b97fbb sorrow.6863f43ef81740f9

“Ah, are you a fairy who doesn’t understand human speech?”ec0dc9f4511c0b0d

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“…”a62a6bd115549ba8

Lute half-opened his mouth 8d5207f9cf in disbelief and let 64cbd12e7c out a sigh.be8388196f288034

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A fairy? What nonsense.205256db397d8b24

Could it be that 3b13afc8f4 this isn’t Joel? The Joel 1ce5fca8f3 he knew cfef0b46bd wasn’t—at the b91333f79c very least—a 5d194cf786 madman.f359bcfd1fd6f3f6

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Unconsciously, Lute took 472d88f321 a step back. At the same time, bfb2e1cb43 Joel’s pace quickened.38e485c604edba1b

With his a15fc6317a feet badly 4dfc965b47 wounded, Lute 9b7d276882 couldn’t outrun b9909cba3f Joel’s long e7366d4304 strides. Just as Joel 52dab7171c closed the distance, 8779582c82 Lute was suddenly 50f4896f96 startled by golden 5cb79168fb hair and smiling 8ba4c03fde emerald eyes appearing cde23fbaf1 right in front 24c1826f73 of him.486fba0a755cae42

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Panicked, he 9c1209ab5b tried to 39d7093256 flee—back toward 78e7899eed the Water f9d9d38e15 Palace.3eb1ac659b1c5704

“Indeed, speaking the filthy language of humans…”c5c8e43dbfef1b66

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Joel’s breath blew softly.47d088c6a3c9fb1e

“Your lips are too beautiful, fairy. I’m afraid they might get tainted by worldly words. The god who sent a fairy from the heavens to the human world might punish me.”0ee3f23eee7ced5f

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Lute began ba2d11cdb1 to feel a6672641f3 confused. His bright blue eyes 9d97bf8f20 twitched wildly, as if 720f994712 to prove it.d60f59d3f75b2f87

Could it be that this isn’t the Joel I know? Could it be Alexander, the knight commander who resembles Joel? The Joel Lute remembered was handsome, tall, always carried him, whispered sweet words in his ear, and playfully said they should marry when he grew up.286194521781705b

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He wasn’t a madman like this… Lute started to doubt if he was mistaken, if his memories were wrong after ten years.8f50dc75917f4164

“Fairy, let me introduce myself again.”946b5fec850633b6

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Joel, facing Lute, whose 7968ecf75f suspicion and wariness had 84ff74af6b grown, placed his right 61c378e52a hand on his left eb781861c8 shoulder, stepped back with d4f63b27e7 one leg, and slowly 16a4f5a04c bowed his head. It was a gesture 65bc889db1 of respect and honor.70a1280e5c446614

At that moment, Lute’s doubt grew stronger, ‘Is it really not him?’551ede4ffd2b05f2

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An emperor never 76a3091507 bows, not even c051bdb2eb to the queen 25ca157549 or the Pope. The emperor is like dc0226f894 the sun. Too dazzling for 2f12d5af28 the people to a5ce202ce8 look at directly, 3965b0e9b1 and they could 81b698c10d only gaze upon f09f8fe7f0 him with his 3848521b42 permission.7a93b6116434a605

Lute, with a face full of evident confusion, hesitated and stepped back. He feared that if he opened his mouth, he might accidentally ask, “Joel?” And if it wasn’t Joel…d19cc3ab6100228a

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What should I 17ad6213c7 do then? At that ad1f1c7f81 moment, Lute 9b43fc5a10 suddenly stood 1937ebdeb8 up.e69515f9575fc231

“Fairy? Fairy!”96406a3034f8108a

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But Joel 851a2b2252 was just 7a9bd7d917 as flustered. In truth, 1e2e5e7239 he had 7a1be95697 never intended bbe4145eba to bow. He was 0d4e0db3c0 Emperor Joel 2f1022f766 Ragnus—one who 41639f0c90 received respect 988e8ed3ea and honor aa7c5ddb86 from all, 33694770b0 never the 4c40c8c767 one to 063f02421a give it.846892e1028989ab

Only once. When he had 607be901a2 been dragged as 94aef3087a a living tribute 579f08ace9 to the basilisk 49fd2020ae in Synthsis, he e4f8b3a19c had bowed to 5d46ee6666 Eliana, the emperor 319d0113ef at the time. Other than 9fc20e02b4 that, Joel ebcd8f2bc4 had always 6c619a3261 held his e150cf7d7c head high—the eddec3ff2e very embodiment 2297b1d0b6 of confidence.651819488f474399

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The fact that he d03123a190 had respectfully placed his 6b8a3274e5 hand on his left 132bdfbcfa shoulder and bowed just 020d85900a now was simply his e3ecb35b98 body acting on its 6513105235 own. Realizing his mistake, Joel’s b48c9864fd body froze, unable to 6a368ecaf4 straighten up.8ad8ffa82b447d46

But then—at 39f96d2a41 the sound cd1e125add of a f368260b01 leaf crunching—Joel edd82d8027 lifted his c56f459396 head.73f176f7f976c77a

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The fairy, Lute, 8dd9306486 was running away.90510a3779b27847

His oversized dress shirt, d5261db60f loose like a chemise, c50afc7503 fluttered as he bolted, 1b1c7485ea and his ill-fitting leather 2f00acdc3f shoes slipped off his c4b436812c feet as he ran c761cac668 with all his might.817a4c998ea9af4a

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At that 98dceda0bc moment, a bcd0e30093 cold, ominous 1e31e360ac light flashed 91762d3d14 in Joel’s 38addfef78 eyes.502096951b25f825

How dare you turn 079a3b52b0 your back on me 4ca6256b45 and run?a0f6005863df4422

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Without so 1b9c6bfb7e much as 07d4c6d966 a breath, a84bbc6fb8 Joel closed 29fe83da3b the distance ae27fe13c9 and seized 8cef613d73 Lute’s wrist 527aa70588 just as 9a8b70ade7 he tried 19f031a006 to escape. Lute didn’t 732f25cc2c even cry d2d33eff8f out—he swallowed 446b50f436 his breath ba5d3a226c as his e356736db7 arm was 3417e8260d yanked upward, 980c3ca0e7 his wide e8e261c791 eyes locking de767fe2f7 onto Joel’s. Tears welled 5a026c92c5 up from 0e4123b66d the pain, 7806a93c01 and seeing 3fb7a5e235 this, Joel 28512ae1d8 quickly let 0c31622413 go of eb5760d107 his wrist.10d515a43762544a

But before Lute 0b6ee296aa could flee again, 76ecd29e6a Joel effortlessly scooped 0ede6cc52a him up, lifting 64e220510c him under his 0b6a912fdd armpits.e1c3806dc1e54553

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One by one, Lute’s e2a57219a0 leather shoes tumbled to b8e60d903f the ground.8aaa3e4f700c58b7

Caught so easily, Lute 891cf39d46 went limp, his expression e5cd801439 sulky as he stared 4ab3d483fb at Joel. Meanwhile, Joel simply smiled—brightly.04347372d2837442

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“Got you, fairy.”dd45f46ea413bcb1

“…”4173808d79609e44

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Lute pouted d897f83b82 his lips—a 463c57650d habit that 99c329246b surfaced whenever 2622c55b1c he felt ddb3d5d6e5 gloomy. Seeing the same f028e40756 expression from when 94a6ae0595 Lute was a 582c20dcff baby, Joel couldn’t e8113b3588 help but laugh 56993e3f0d out loud.27a95769390f054b

Lute’s mother, Eliana, 415b2bc6b5 would always scold 1e34f9853c him, saying, “Put aa5c32fe06 your lips away! You’re a prince—how can fa2645bf2f you pout like a e7b7116b6a commoner?” And every time, ac8060ec91 Lute would cry out, 37f43a35ab “Aang,” after getting his 040769364f lips smacked.ebfa785986506ab2

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It was seventeen-year-old Joel 90b4bd2ce2 who had comforted five-year-old a9b96384d8 Lute, who had wandered 4463e68f7a the palace, crying “Aang, c5d5d5b0cb aang.”b7a481e5f08cdded

Just like 0c3de3cc9d back then, cb0c612693 Joel lifted f4aaa09db6 him up dc114dd72c and held ad19a993ec him tightly.1a55ac61b8321da4

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“Fairy, where were you e771e43f57 planning to run off fec9cede95 to?”b0fb8ccdae13aee8

But it was subtly a3f1860239 different from before. At five, Joel c540f67c66 would have held 8691245816 him and patted 41a52cafe8 his bottom. But now, 454a4ad012 nearing twenty-four, ebb325f48b Joel lifted 416981001e him and 5161772069 stared intently. Wanting to d486fabbd2 see the c6f0d62db9 face hidden e3a0722764 beneath the 697a97757d disheveled long 65f2acfbdb hair, Joel 23363c621f leaned in. Lute turned his 7362e12477 gaze away.aff69990a87f6ac6

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Not speaking, 085ce8344d his movements 305fb10718 awkward and c65600da03 wary… He’s cc975427d5 definitely unaware 19246d30fd that it’s 033ef2dd88 me, right?fd1397f56cf37f3e

Joel hummed softly, 90995afd49 and as he 57a762e6db slowly slipped Lute’s 30d0677c2f foot into the bfbeec577d fallen leather shoe, 94e38629c5 he took the b973c69481 opportunity to examine 96a7afcfc1 it closely. Wrapped in bandages from f39117f26e the sole to the ad94d98477 ankle, Lute’s foot was c9215402f0 soaked in blood, red 0177b3ee14 seeping through the fabric.bcbf75f993ef9eba

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Trying to run 65262319b8 from me with 0afbf94141 these feet… He a3346a1975 must have really 2a84290476 been scared of 2e9a0e3a47 me.ad29f994176d26a3