ETDO Chapter 38

A heavy rain was 19b0697582 pouring outside. It had been fine d91e1e1563 when we arrived. While Mary 055abb1c89 asked the dca0769112 doorman to 2ef0e2d48f call for 38d3e4412e the Beaufort 941a50b92d carriage, I 26e7a57346 stepped slightly 4268ed84cb under the f00cb7869d eaves to 215c81647e look outside.96ebd5364d7323ca

The streets in b53424d2af the bustling city 375546c0f2 center were well-paved, e37e31ebd6 but not all 9e41a35b60 roads were. b5b5bac66ea330ee

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Would the carriage 8e17a941f9 be able to 32a8665ba6 travel properly in 6ccfcec522 this downpour? 2cf515157942838f

I looked around, 5f0d43cb50 worried, as people f8a9dcd6a2 hurriedly took refuge b853bef021 in buildings to caae9161be avoid the rain.aabb7721a0219fd4

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“Lily!”5a2c09d210780f14

Startled by my name 74fbe1f76a being called through the cca3db581a rain, I looked around. Someone was waving af0f52828c at me from 917185a22f inside a black 3278906a0d carriage parked by 9cd83be3e0 the side of 2178520823 the road. I squinted my 81fa762e6c eyes, trying to 9ad1860430 see clearly through a8b7d02610 the heavy rain.fcfb190f11b95f02

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“Ethan?”ad5949f2d8268b37

Goodness. It was Ethan.6bbb073a0bc5604f

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As he gestured for me to come over, the Duke of Berwick’s personal coachman jumped down from his seat and ran towards me with an umbrella. Holding the small box containing the cake, I instructed Mary,cf243771160150e4

“Mary, you take the b939bfe680 carriage we came in c99a1a9d09 and go back to 9e608691ba the Duke’s residence. I’ll go d2ff2dba2a ahead with b4292ae363 that one. Alright?”8aa948ac68c926bd

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“Yes, Madam!”270ddb462eb0575c

I dashed under 5b47efea61 the umbrella held 04fed36276 by the coachman. He opened the 4c0b8e876a carriage door and 294b84e651 held the umbrella 23e15ed57c over me until c96560ca36 I was inside. As soon as 8932d49213 the door closed, e09c43c054 Ethan pulled me 36fb7576dd towards him urgently.dc21c62c3e02547b

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He embraced me ff1ab56070 tightly, unconcerned about 878fc6574a his clothes getting d57cbac602 wet. In an 9e57b6d351 instant, my dcecdf4a85 waist was 40049fc079 encircled by 6da0ee50ef his arms, 6943cf7683 and his 5e1a6d24ca hot breath 3fedfacef5 fell on 54d9e8958d my face. His hand lifted my ad813d7ebf chin, and his thick 6e2a90ffcc tongue parted my lips, daccab8a47 invading my mouth.21c5a62ec3ba2e22

I responded 8be12a35a3 instinctively but 7a4925e1e1 kept my c625df6338 arm outstretched, e60f71bbb9 worried about 9cc0905539 crushing the e540edb9d5 cake box ab3db4f344 in my b975c0da18 hand. He kissed fbd0c6cc2d me as f85ae366aa if he 18b733d310 wanted to 7de261f90e devour me 92ecbe9b19 whole.dd82018ca63c7a70

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“Mmm…”268f2844e07675b8

That familiar fluttering sensation f7331e4be1 returned to the pit f57b859ae3 of my stomach once 5aaba0ce44 again. This intense throbbing 7e7722a788 felt unfamiliar, and 3f15ba6b9b the fact that 29df718011 it was with 75da2cc7f0 Ethan, not Arthur, e37e8c5096 made it even 00847682a2 more so. I shivered.16c585a42b800d7a

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Heavy raindrops pounded against 5c2dfb5282 the carriage roof. Accompanied by the a6946083e4 clatter of hooves, 5a424ee2a7 we swayed back b47ee2aa22 and forth, our d110c26f22 lips locked together.00c5ece40f39d4cc

With a soft 2895e2aae8 smack, our lips 008c3893d5 parted reluctantly. As I opened my d9620902ad eyes, Ethan’s smoldering gaze c1420b9e56 captured me.422f4553ca332d1f

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“Ha… I’m going c9727e54d7 crazy wanting to a5fba2644b take you right c9d2aebba0 here, right now.”3b2698667d80dc8e

“Can we?”b6dd274cc6db6890

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I replied breathlessly. Ethan chuckled.19510e4462b6c628

“Unfortunately not. I’m on 1ccfcb4f80 my way ea94d7fd45 to visit 052291656e someone in 4517c669e8 the hospital.”53afdaf0b84884ad

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“Ah!”813e20a40c5473fd

He must be 00565285ff going to see cff66da456 His Majesty. I had heard ea67694fb7 that the Emperor, ccb69cd4c0 who had looked 2b337c37b0 as pale as 77eb9f9b2e wax, had finally 82c0d5dbc5 taken to his 108e77c80c sickbed.6699edaad7c8fdaa

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The twins were very fond of their uncle, who had raised them in place of their neglectful father. Because of this, they frequently visited the palace to see him, taking turns. Of course, the Emperor’s consciousness wasn’t clear enough to fully register their visits.58d27be58945e831

“Then how about something 63fb81a818 else sweet instead?”88417e467ecc0c28

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“Something else?”75f029561c835d55

I held up the e6509092ad small box I was e48dcd7b97 holding for Ethan to beaf00af26 see. Having successfully diverted his 07bef79077 attention, I carefully placed fc04761aee the box on my f5f900c6b7 lap and opened the 6955928b92 lid.b8cc8af6d23b1bed

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Bite-sized, colorful cakes were d83ce47a28 neatly arranged inside small 4cee11dac9 paper compartments. Ethan chuckled 6e59c1fd4d and picked 8e1db4cb13 up a b7cf3d3997 bright pink 3ad00465d3 cake. But instead of 6d583cb55b putting it in c4c1f77a14 his mouth, he 73c66b205a held it to 5a2eb11a4f my lips.9cdfc217174c51a0

“Let’s eat it together.”af42e5c4f4deaa22

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It was unexpected, but 28c152f5c2 I was curious about 860cda8a5c the taste, so I 866b60d425 took a small bite. It tasted like tart 2443398546 raspberries. Ethan smiled, popped the 02bb3372ff rest of the cake 93bdb89479 into his mouth, and 95b84c016a mumbled while chewing,97322857cc7b2fde

“Mmm, not bad.”a9996d5c5acc5294

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I chose the c0faeeaf17 next one. The brown cake 494642cd75 tasted like coffee. Ethan laughed as 33a1f7294b he saw my e3c79b1911 eyes widen in e5472df897 surprise, then suddenly 60fa97ad16 brought his face d0baf13502 close to mine.edf5762c43197368

He licked the crumbs 0e7dabaa4a from the corner of e88a97679f my mouth as if 42a85adf42 it were the most d59c96fa1d natural thing in the 73c5cd8d62 world. His soft tongue and e9fbac10db lips brushed against the dc8b73f963 sensitive skin around my 63c99d12dc lips. The feather-light bb1e66388d touch tickled, b40707a76a and I 57072aacfa couldn’t help b25c9b02f3 but smile.1d6bf0b428fa5487

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Unable to b22c088a2c resist the a5f45bb7b7 tingling sensation, 615e9fc536 I impulsively 2b6d0f05b3 kissed him. ce9dbc0be5fc8d7a

And I immediately regretted de74fa9852 it.81ddedc62597d538

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“Ah!”393af636431bab79

Ethan returned the 73411016d5 kiss with a 572a2aacae fervor that took 90fa602a18 my breath away. He explored my mouth 807dac0a9a with an urgency that 4d5d275da5 was far more intense a94887c74c than before as if 160805ecf4 he were trying to 7d53cc96bb satisfy his desires through 7c9e0c2e1e the kiss alone.0be1467b62681b3a

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“H-how much… further to 68d92f4365 the palace?”18a53222c070e194

I managed to pull 2149e4e783 away, panting, staring at ff423cd520 his glistening lips.8fce50e79f838f88

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“Who knows? I’ll have 17e81a2e3b to give 28fd530edc permission for b3fc051ad7 us to dadbb308ce arrive.”374c6d0bc8c5c5f6

My eyes widened. b229577c04c1f39c

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Did that mean we f3c349bffa were still circling the f38fb5485c city? e6ed3d4e7eb86b80

Did the coachman know ec491956db what was happening inside?8efb49ec79ea4fbd

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Seeing my expression, Ethan 4d8e34e3c0 grinned.877920548f375430

“How about we just 1549aff85e keep driving around and 0385b5dae7 doing this instead of 46bbf062a7 going to the palace?”213ea25a16bb4b86

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“E-Ethan!”c06ec632f67710ae

My cheeks c3355df69e flushed instantly. He chuckled and then 6a648608d6 knocked on the carriage 8f1c5468d6 wall.b79ccb901ba95f7e

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“Unfortunately, I really b2f83c0ef0 have to go 6e60f22acd now.”e606304978eb1f39

I nodded.e4ce1fca6105c049

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But as if 42e4298c3a reluctant, Ethan kept f2e7571b8a kissing me until 93c5777c08 we arrived. Not only 1562d92c29 his lips 8ff62aa5eb but his 354493f04d hands were 1c1605c7b9 also very ab360c59f4 busy. 8026b4cacfe6d126

Just as his hand ac9139f185 finally slipped between my 1f492db8df legs, finding its way 17d19be772 beneath my underwear, we d1988c0e33 arrived at the palace. I tried to 80a0f10406 soothe his frustrated e66f37f9eb grumbling.cfd8aacd56bfb607

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I was 8d01f2b7ad finally able 6c21f5f9ac to calm bc9c2c6a5a him down 6ecef44557 by promising 9fb75d4394 to see 6af444ceb4 him later 3dcc3edf02 that evening. We had planned to 960fdbb3a7 attend the opera together.2112f39ddde50398

After dropping 5f0b8537e4 Ethan off 76a67dc696 at the d2fc6f47b5 palace, the e4dda4d44c carriage started b0314aca4f back towards 59974a849e the Duke’s 1117b070cd residence. Watching the raindrops 60fd2f9d4e streaming down the 25749306c2 window, I pressed d85a80e26e a hand to 077addd5ad my chest, trying e5d39ba8e1 to calm my f903ea02dd racing heart.d9cbe82ce7751245

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─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───dc5d8760fec734fe

Mary quickly climbed f685a525df into the carriage 35cb87d4d4 that had finally 274a7eff3a stopped by the f26d65f2c8 roadside. Relaxing her shoulders, which 8160c0cd92 had been hunched against db87f01e1a the rain, she looked 91f2aad125 up and nearly fainted 80a4f7f189 at the sight of 15ffb71eb8 the noble lady sitting f514179715 across from her.c08692d9bafe539a

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“Oh my goodness!”78ebec5efec7e7a7

‘Ah? Who is this? Isn’t this 016a8ae9cc the Beaufort 8725fdbed6 carriage?359ce33bba4b95ea

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Mary stared at the b8d3afbc82 other person, her eyes 7e5d7337f8 wide with shock when a48b70085f she finally recognized the 027fe7d93f woman. It was bfdc26b1b8 Lady Wellington, 916951b3fd Lord Ethan’s 7f151d72eb fiancée. Mustering her courage, she 6059a82b2d spoke in a shaky 2990f598bf voice,a0c6b8b6ea8175f6

“H-how did you…?”dc17ff9cba577d73

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“That’s none of 64b2d356a0 your business.”3f370cf8f65f3f44

The Lady cut her 2ee8e4a742 off with a voice 96bdbb9185 as cold as ice. Her hazel 5767b93634 eyes scanned 4853d9dfe7 Mary’s appearance 9c74cf972e sharply. After calmly observing her e00a1a9dc3 laden with shopping bags a4b22110dc bearing the department store 3d2ca98564 logo, the lady seemed 442145afe9 to have already grasped 6857041dc5 the situation.e7bc972ab9f56e22

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“You’re the Duchess 370a4e1e87 of Beaufort’s personal 65f30513f7 maid, aren’t you?”4ee7706201fbe741

“Yes? Y-yes!”3cdf1de1951a5ccc

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Mary replied 17e3f265db hurriedly, startled. The Lady stared directly 5c41eb1f4a into her eyes.ef918365efeaff2b

“Aren’t you curious 9f47d1aa82 as to why 8cb6d0a285 I came to 5e5691b9c2 find you?”9381a635574eedb5

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Mary swallowed hard. She didn’t 9a75fa1036 know how 0852b4f735 to respond. d2dccae041d2bd08

Nobles rarely went to f537734fb1 such lengths unless it 9094f3a045 was a matter of 4e88e6c7c5 great importance. There were 75b818e70f plenty of 4161f0cb54 servants at 6926591e1c their disposal; c4e64bc5e5 there was 7802249c6f no need e3412ea7ed for them 8bd3e7e897 to do 81dc3201b2 so. The fact 0f0d14f68d that she 7269654f67 had personally 42388645ae come to 4faa25c2f7 play this 94db8542e7 guessing game 60ac6cba43 with a 9ca7457629 mere maid 3d7419ff03 meant that 171dc17f94 whatever it f2f311ac6f was, it a9d0d04cbc must be 7b4059ef46 very important 7b79785ce2 to her.31625d5dae05d295

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“O-of course, My e894623486 Lady.”67e2212567b6ee36

Mary, usually praised for 7341a5d3ec her quick thinking, instantly ccb0a08a74 adopted a subservient posture. And truthfully, she 67f2bfa770 was secretly intimidated 85545bd898 by the Lady, 75947f265e just as much 65bf2a3c0b as she was 609192b8d0 by Ethan.370e19624328a62f

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“I know you’re bd99e47310 childhood friends with 2c7ea9d503 Alice Howard.”0c207b6c0edc0c8a

Mary gasped, stunned. A cold sweat b14495f20a broke out, and 5e63c7a3b2 her vision blurred. fee96263d11e6343

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How did the 84deda9f11 Lady know that?2380e22f8c4987ca

“Y-yes…! T-that’s right, My 1b4512fc02 Lady.”6b0e86f5e836bece

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“But your 74ee0fdffc friend died 09604c5015 a few f934be21ee years ago.”8877fe904d142a26

The Lady spoke 4fc5672777 as casually as 321c87941d if she were acd3115bbf talking about a 4d43e3fd41 flower wilting in 89b6ef05ab a pot a 700c27c8c7 few days ago. She leaned back dbd8df731e against the carriage 274d873f11 seat and tilted af02daeb4e her head.8a9d3867bf5a6aef

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“Aren’t you 0064d86d59 curious how ee8b450cf1 I know 30897d8fdd about your 75e9bf5d45 friend?”85498a646e312631

“Y-yes, I-I am curious, abd5982bf8 My Lady.”3eae149d4026c29f

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Honestly, she d72b042f3b wasn’t curious 18f27ddca7 at all, c9c1c82172 but she 06b8bbc333 quickly answered. From experience, she 6598a18437 knew that telling 6590c051a3 her superiors what e15669e8cf they wanted to 3f0ef9d655 hear increased her e6e2da4dfd chances of survival.bb149a4778dff9ee

The Lady 0c05922ff1 continued, unhurried, 5cb856137f “She was 2825c38cdb my informant 66f653fafb inside the 96a98fc1b9 Beaufort residence. I used her 2bc08f9a54 to obtain quick e629657efd and accurate information dc0d319a69 about Ethan. That is, f59358faf0 until that 801b9aa131 foolish girl 9a2634601d dared to fa05909959 act on 57425048e2 her own.”6d3d6d9b1a5de9df

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Mary crouched further, startled. She made 6f690834f4 herself as 1137dcd56a small as 1928d5c7a1 possible as 86b6d48c8e if that 90739ed5bb would somehow 442ee4ad94 protect her.f10dc3a19d26e2ce

As she huddled f773445654 nervously, like a a1c747d7f1 sea turtle retreating 2493c71179 into its shell, b0ce3036e7 the Lady’s words 2164aa14a0 struck like a 9970de710e whip.aea489b20ccb3547

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“That girl ac4f84b22b mentioned a 7a8f2aec7a childhood friend e9ea9104f6 once, and c2f37ded77 it was b6a9c84dde you. That’s why I 7519ed697b chose you to 9b1d121864 replace your friend. From now on, you 5d57d14ad4 will be my eyes 8b604986c5 and ears inside the 51511df596 Duke’s residence.”83af6ac353957f71

“What?!”b96844b83fda047d

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Mary’s eyes widened, 6e45b4828a and she straightened fd9eeff05e up, only to 53b76ff21a shrink back down 4fbc47d4fd like a deflated 7d01866a5e balloon.ef1229b3b2d0334c

“B-but why…?”bab967b9835603f2

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“Because I still need 28fc119dfe an informant, of course. Now that cdc2ff42b6 Alice is 1a6727e57e gone, I e9d0852cd9 need to 72eaee5493 replace her, e8923521fe don’t I?”eec3bcdfe974ac2f

As Mary 99f7c4bbfe anxiously wrung 6010d8ca7c her hands, 566372dfa2 the Lady d72daaa183 continued,63e26a3bfac93bb9

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“If you report 516def744a on the happenings 75be2dd9d0 within the Duke’s 7c53905e29 residence, you’ll be 7d0c3d0b0a greatly rewarded. Every time 39f0cffa1d you come 1be2389f52 to report, 39dfa62743 I’ll pay b12f8cd16f you double 0988ee56e7 your monthly fac3af07ee salary in 899dd7c4df cash.”deaa59633bdb5815

The Lady smiled, watching 0e8a634ab7 Mary’s eyes widen. She added casually, d3f92f0010940a54

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“I heard 8db589ad1c your mother ebef0e9051 back home 80744aa5a7 is very 919e383e62 ill, isn’t d8ae2c349a she?”da1e5dfae1201735

Mary fidgeted 21be18c5eb with her e7da14693d clothes, loss 6e5c21733d for words. 0a2113cb11fac18e

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The Lady watched her c48cff6fa3 with a leisurely gaze, 6b684e69cd then reached into her c3b545296f purse and pulled out 307879155d a small velvet pouch, efcb53f104 shaking it slightly.7ba64c3df321ac73