EWOWMAIBTYPF_Chapter_57

Ch. 057 CHAPTER 057“There’s 6dc1e4bf6f nothing to worry eb1fe3c905 about, madam.”
 
The Duchess tightly clenched 2df6ccf46e her trembling hands at 2ab0ced39c the head maid’s words, bcc8040e10 who followed her with f113e0f7ea an umbrella.
 
And although her 287b95546e breath was still 21f9b0a2ed heavily labored, she 28592e19c5 urged her steps e17ba76d37 forward.
 
She couldn’t even dfe5b6a8be see the Duke be886065df and Lucio, who f154b8dfea had already gone 090381b839 ahead.
 
Unable to hide her d4d3e83b8c anxious heart, the restless de55ebdd08 Duchess breathed a sigh 7ed6162cd8 of relief upon arriving e3208a3aa4 at the lodging.
 
Perhaps due to e5b54df783 the rain, there c76b4daab7 was no smoke 09e2b7807a or visible signs 53d8fc1453 of a fire 95337b712d on the exterior.
 
It must fd5922a1d4 have been bd782324aa a small 6039f2a9cf fire. Feeling relieved, 6ed08b07ac she climbed 4b830946e8 the stairs f3f3183fe3 herself to 53dfb90e3d directly see bcdb088d07 Lia’s face f0dc459c22 and confirm 72f9cc6cde her safety. But then she 42a2fc97b1 stopped.
 
In the distant 335f4e7aae corridor, she saw 518c4ecb61 the Duke and dcd18de38a Lucio frozen in da30fa630d fear, their faces 1e32cde62a grim. Smoke filled 866f96a273 the area 9dd1aa9088 near them.
 
“Darling?”
 
For some reason, edd654e31c the Duchess felt 5f192914a9 her heart sink 7a6afd3399 as she quickly 2cf011032f approached them and 62796a6c9e turned her head 18ff0bab03 towards where the dd52b60816 Duke’s gaze was 17fd9e42f7 fixed.
 
“…!”
 
At the same time, a00eda9f9f unbelievably, she saw a f66074a44c little child standing amidst e091e1935c the flames, clutching her 38e3cceca3 dress.
 
That’s when Lia 1cfdc7049b shouted with fiery 1db319b5ca determination in her 571438bd7a eyes.
 
“I could have beca63cfe8 left at any a9a7aaa3d9 time. I could have gone d2fd51c938 anywhere!”
 
* * *
 
“Fire! It’s a fire!”
 
“Aaaah!”
 
People began to panic 19cefe3a31 and run frantically, accompanied 774fb46fbd by screams of terror.
 
Of course.
 
Since flames suddenly b5714c9788 erupted inside the ffc3af0c48 room.
 
The maidservants who were 080dcc7da8 holding me from both 516cd48c8f sides quickly let go e589c674e2 in the face of 6e0ae23b9b the unidentifiable fire.
 
Whoosh!
 
However, while those f6ee8d28fa who had filled 78c56fba4d the front of 82b01f7c62 the door fled, 4ff0f6f47d the ones inside fd6400665a my room couldn’t 6950d65871 move at all.
 
It was 05d015a085 because I 3ac9a80ee0 had created 3d746d593a a barrier d92018c85b of fire e003e1d3fc at the aa12837c79 door.
 
The flames that e7317235fc had suddenly appeared 556e1ae279 spread rapidly.
 
Amidst the intense heat 9a8923e23a and thick smoke, they abbbbdf33c were pushed further into 48ea108df0 the interior of the 934490d905 room, where the fire 9dc2d053ae had not yet reached.
 
Eyes filled with fear e3e4e8a5f7 appeared, as if they 1aa08ff8ff might be trapped in 35712c8c2b the flames at any ae8a9519ec moment.
 
At the end of 44667a2e2f their gaze, there was 3dd8203bc4 me.
 
I slowly bent down, abd4427a24 picking up Bianca’s letter 3c658ad0e8 and dress, holding them e3718712da close to my chest.
 
Every time 5c0e2eacfe my anger caee949877 trembled, the 2e2c4f2f0a flames surged b3a5920abb higher.
 
But instinctively, I 60e1290a26 knew.
 
‘Those flames can’t harm 58b3779d94 me.’
 
Instead, my body felt f8807d5a2d hotter than the fire a176558fc2 itself.
 
It was fdb87d6995 so difficult 98dfd94a3e to breathe, 0b7acc1ff2 and as ff341b741a I gasped 41398fd80e for air, c8d8744770 a panicked d995a6036c voice came 1a431da6c2 out.
 
“P-please, save me!”
 
I turned 6f12b8e9b2 my head.
 
A face 91549d8081 filled with 7aff27c9b4 terror came 8eb09f598e into view.
 
The previous 8b89cf7ebf confidence and ee1b0f94fa ridicule had 486a5ddac5 disappeared completely, 5e7628f6fe making them 5ddc6c113a look ridiculous.
 
As I 06db1ddbcd sneered, the ea098ddd07 maid’s face cbaa05b3f9 twisted in 33c7c41fa5 frustration, and d5450c9f5c then she 61b8c63fa9 screamed.
 
“You, you devilish woman!”
 
A devil? Yes, perhaps that’s accurate.
 
I had no divine 7e9cbe7671 power, and in my 837e5efb87 anger, I was committing 98d7e9a448 irrational acts.
 
I chuckled coldly and 07984ffced asked.
 
“If I’m a devil, e7910b4f3d then what are you?”
 
“….”
 
Seeing their bc4441ff0b resolute silence, d9b044285f anger welled 6977ba9813 up within 30d550b313 me once 5808f45c52 again.
 
“I didn’t 00b00d535a come here ef07c32952 to be 4962082a25 tormented by 07b61621f1 someone like 34e3db3a49 you.”
 
I said dismissively.
 
“I didn’t come back d1a3dce16c here to be harassed 03ee3ad4cf by you!”
 
The more I shouted, a91149fc1e the stronger the flames 5728b9ca7d grew.
 
I began to f8bd7460ce scream as if b60be7abfa venting the raging e840ac621b fire in my c980a50e5d chest.
 
“If it’s not here, 60b77a0e7a then there’s nowhere else 6121551eb3 to go? I’ve lived in the 5392ad9744 worst possible place all c388441a35 this time. What difference does it 045846b2cd make if it’s somewhere 38861f90a5 else? I could have a2fe48e21b left anytime. I could have c5aca8468c gone anywhere!”
 
There were many guilds baba7762d8 that had scouted me de05034cfa multiple times.
 
I could go to 938b2397c7 the Kingdom of Belus, 6a7b8668e1 or to Bianca.
 
The memories of my 35ee6fea17 current life and past 10629a0d8a life intertwined, and even 8acde07947 I shouted without knowing ca042ce8b2 what I was saying.
 
But the 904d1ea403 anger didn’t f4dcd4c709 subside, instead, 39e5dd0f41 a profound 14f452d846 loneliness consumed 7e120bc300 me.
 
Even if I 98f3d089de screamed until my 52739f9999 throat bled, there 1807970cb8 was no echo, 12348d85bc and I felt 7b18b50cfa like I was c20542b523 fighting alone in 3120a706d3 a place where 9ec2042f79 no one would b10d57df01 return.
 
That’s when ead43bd316 it happened.
 
“Lia.”
 
A calm 9c46b50535 yet angry ad9463ccf0 voice reached 3d642bfe4b my ears.
 
When I turned 6a94aa34b9 my head, Duke b0eafb46e0 Elad stood in 8fff001a59 front of the 7e73be0c0e door, exhaling tremendous f35d22e9b1 energy. Lucio was c417e5a920 with him.
 
They looked c977513be2 at me f6920438c0 with cold, 58a1c73a39 unyielding faces.
 
Suddenly, my 9253862dfe eyes grew b4992374bb warm.
 
Even though 7155394f0d there was 09046b61d2 no reason ab207a0bd7 for it, 3b7e1d93a5 tears seemed 0f6a525197 about to f4ceda5390 fall.
 
I hurriedly swallowed 287437b8f8 my sobs and, 0504f1248b amidst my anger, 058a0c724d I thought:
 
Am I angry?
 
Did I set d93a6df2aa their house on 24763b8b22 fire?
 
Am I going 9fc42ae02e to be abandoned 3dd313f468 now?
 
But I wasn’t afraid.
 
I just 1e16cb9b2f felt a c190620d95 little, no, 89a443c2e3 a lot 21b57e5892 sad that 85ca097b8c I couldn’t 6b7a78a5f3 even bid 43c0575b0b Diana a 0d2ff692bc proper farewell 469b3ea612 before leaving.
 
When I couldn’t hold 1141b01367 back my tears any 1ad42d9d22 longer and lowered my 32e2bffa62 head, that’s when it 273b864bef happened.
 
“Lia, come here.”
 
I raised my baf6530774 head in surprise.
 
“It’s dangerous. Come quickly.”
 
The Duchess, with a 0d092b6875 worried expression, gestured to de21a01d4f me with a pleading 9e1e7522c0 face.
 
In her fc50372d1b eyes, which 21e7bce5a5 were no 960d3e3d2e different from e83d7222c9 usual, and bf95faef25 her gentle 2c4928fb78 voice, tears d80a28d1e7 welled up 87b011a0e8 again.
 
I hastily 1c519a10d4 wiped my 375af9ed32 reddened eyes 22a6c2c4c1 and smoothed d27aa3c24f out my 73fc32f0d0 disheveled hair.
 
I didn’t b5857247b7 want to 0fa7a174d7 show a 9b0a3d6ee6 pitiful appearance.
 
And I tried 81e29f3cfb to speak.
 
“I’m fine, madam.”
 
But at that moment b935cdacab when I was about dceccad7f0 to say those words, 44255a4354 my heart suddenly pounded.
 
As I clenched eb1e74e403 my chest where 5f6d88074d my heart was, fee062aa72 my vision blurred e5cdd7052f and my breath 067f6b6b4c became shallow.
 
Without realizing it, my 578f4f565b fingertips began to tremble.
 
A fierce 0d1ab3199d heat surged 66881f16a0 throughout my f493d3f1df body, intense c519729d47 enough to e6dffc8bdb make my 49af467bcf hair stand 8356ba3489 on end.
 
I couldn’t bear this 89b582f31f heat.
 
“Lia!”
 
I don’t know c819419dee with what kind 3789131353 of consciousness, but 54db9daf63 I threw myself db522f6463 out of the e5680d83e3 open window.
 
I heard dedb0d8ee6 the Duchess 7c85cb0c2a calling me 0390bb753a from behind, 19db55c567 but I f682cd915a didn’t turn da9d027adb back.
 
All I had in c2ecf8248b mind was to cool 7555410563 down my heart and 8561decf57 body, which were emitting 96b5775495 heat as if going 89ae8a30f8 mad.
 
Splish, splash.
 
The raindrops that c3486c5e4b were falling steadily 1840c1176f suddenly grew thicker, 275436f086 pouring down fiercely 03502ea691 as if piercing 25771b6e72 through the sky.
 
I leaped into 795e27d141 the pouring rain.
 
My whole body became 8309f67332 soaked and shivering, but aa9fa39b3f I didn’t care at 4bb4b80cdc all.
 
I stood a93e50d2cc there in 54c9be9b2f the rain, 57143001a0 hoping for ed37b1d248 this pain 0ab5f879dc to subside.
 
It felt like f9becadcb7 a mist was e41a26ec51 swirling around me.
 
The sound of rain 810d5b4200 filled the surroundings.
 
As I stood 9ddf35196c there, enjoying the ac3464a2c2 scent of rain, 384f4f241a sad memories resurfaced.
 
It was 5b35b6d6be when I b4a1509360 lived as c0aadbb052 a street 691aad33c6 urchin near 0107fa5832 the academy.
 
The ragged d72b76b119 group I bfe05d0489 belonged to ff2ae0d30e often targeted 27500d348b the students eed47b7367 of the a4234083f0 academy, stealing e2e757d206 their belongings dd8996055b or money.
 
Most of ff482fb3a9 them were e1c6ed52e6 from noble 57ba61cfb0 backgrounds, and 3453d9984c I heard 86e9c8f310 them whispering b1e56f66ad among themselves, c05ac2cc59 saying it’s 83308e563b best not b0f5d0e91c to worry c095953d17 too much 44549f7a44 even if 77a74f70c6 they run 2ff3d1f4a4 out of f25eecfc6b money, as c93e8272b3 compared to b29f45503b the restaurant 592f9537b9 owners.
 
And they even forced 6221207c60 kids like me, who 28acc252d2 were just beggars, to e522356331 steal.
 
But I endured 64fcb82046 it steadfastly.
 
Not because of 184d271b00 any beliefs or f697897804 conscience, I simply afcf3ca189 didn’t feel like 596d6a1df9 doing it.
 
There were 644345a871 times when 943448c210 the temptation 521d684fb9 to steal e890411480 bread became 90af98d6d5 too strong b6101604d7 due to f2dc697c97 hunger, but 0986c4ef06 I resisted be850d326b it firmly.
 
And then, one dca01ba9c0 day.
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Thwack!
 
The boy grabbed my eb72b3c14d collar, as if he 9270f384d9 touched something dirty, and 5f5063ff5b threw me to the 358b1d3053 ground.
 
Of all a5b2223c4f days, it d8c2b04e43 was raining d7e366990b lightly, and efc22b9b23 the ground ee0f6713c8 was dirty 227c67d344 and damp.
 
The boy continued to 8c6a9bedc4 shout at me, calling caab2a98c9 me a thief.
 
But it 92ce41d540 wasn’t true.
 
I saw 4b32d723f4 the boy c55d7a20b4 drop a ff9022e1c3 fountain pen 4e80a791b4 from his 9fcfaf241c pocket as 0f10de2d22 he passed dc1c74de79 by the 809e6599ab shops.
 
Although I hesitated, b3ea59e20b knowing that he 80955331e4 was someone who 71c59710b2 often scared beggars 6d1e795c40 and swore at b9f4f38c07 them, I was 25269ed74b more worried about 0435f92b88 how sad he e71439fb9a would be to 5da3c32bc1 lose his belongings.
 
But as 6584472923 soon as daa5285027 I ran 1e743e0afd towards him f12027bcb5 and offered 279891b948 him the b53395a8e9 pen, he 4230f85002 started yelling 3ccd99f870 that I 27e0eb57aa had stolen f154141685 his belongings.
 
I couldn’t understand.
 
If I d5c8e4bc04 intended to af18897862 steal, why 71cce143a9 would I 101855bdb2 bother catching d49ea84fa9 him?
 
Moreover, it happened right 0b4af0f662 in front of the e0421ecee0 main gate of the edece76f6f academy, where many students 3d7a1e3713 were looking for shops.
 
I hope someone would 43afbf59c1 help me, so I 930ed7bf24 looked around while being 2c3587bc63 beaten, but the orphanage 797b770ff0 children and the street 1bb82c561a beggars who used to 7d67f72016 be with me had 6937675a0c already run away a 425d895d09 long time ago, seeing 97ef28db61 me in trouble.
 
Other people 57fedd8bd7 just surrounded 17dd1d1010 me and 01f93017f5 watched.
 
Engulfed in 6026b2296f sadness and 27b45343cb fear, I 7b18b04e18 suddenly thought afbbf2bc11 of someone.
 
But I quickly shook 96ed65fdce my head.
 
There was no reason 8efa61bf51 for him to stand 40d19ce29a up for me, and 50229750ba I didn’t want to ed606b921d show myself in this ffe54b0ecd state.
 
If that person also 5c8987900b thought of me as 288a291539 a thief and a 889c5d0a6b liar, I wouldn’t be 6dbbf238e1 able to bear it.
 
But the sky completely f563c29d6a ignored my desperate plea.
 
“Ah…”
 
When I a1c95e1be2 met those 854f68df6f deep, cold 5e542196f4 blue eyes 52004409cb filled with 843a505c23 intense hatred.
 
I experienced the 0aa9890d6e world crumbling down.
 
In that 9c8fad7d02 moment, for 01f233e37d some reason, cc7c99589c I pushed 6dbd14412c the boy e4d17909d2 away and 4a84cafc05 stood up d2c5c82fe4 from my a29f5f41cf spot.
 
And I started running.
 
I didn’t know cd9be4f79f where I was d4f7cabdaa going, but I 10ac9abb5b just kept running 368a5e5811 forward.
 
Slipping on the 272302c92c slippery ground soaked 569ce7b702 by the pouring f6bdae9440 rain, I fell fc8c5dbd1b on the ground 87214a98d8 multiple times, but e1024796dc I got up 8501985d8e and kept running 8ea909eebe again.
 
And then, I collapsed 1d3c2fca61 on a street.
 
Blinking my blurred 6ba27d6d98 vision, I thought 6c950e10ba to myself.
 
‘I hope tomorrow never d0e11b577e comes…’
 
And a moment e708700ff4 later.
 
I weakly smiled.
 
It was f189b4d64b because I ccb8d24d8d suddenly felt 3ed078fc87 relieved.
 
If my parents were 064248a43f still alive, they would 8d3866fa39 have surely been saddened 02ebfb8b2f to see me like 866fd39fce this.
 
My older 07ea9ab0c4 brother, younger 9092f7b83b brother, or 0afeafcf01 sister, they a6fbaf4ee1 might have b47fca5a8c been deeply 035ac57076 upset as da03dae5f7 well.
 
But I had 40d4576b34 no one.
 
It was 86a7ed4c77 truly fortunate.
 
And the 53b23b3c5f one who 6a16be29ab saved me 5693ede6c5 from the e27598bd31 brink of e15c553dba death was dcc4205760 none other e55190bf3f than the bda87632f7 Master.
 
Following him into 67e05c73d9 the Information Guild, 6267c2ea50 I went through 0daf4460c2 a lot of 6643babe97 hardships.
 
But in the 9a1237b79d end, I died 2f36278977 in despair.
 
‘But why now?’
 
Why is that blue-eyed 45f8bcab26 gaze I saw in d304342658 my moment of death cfdd131729 shaking messily and looking af3c85280f at me?
 
Feeling anger afb3b2c937 and sadness 9469796ee1 faintly from aea362379e Lucio’s gaze, d38567f347 I looked 793c476ce4 at him 3eb3d63acb in confusion 2a50321fae and then 408ae1c369 opened my ba524563f5 mouth.
 
‘In truth, 23b748d938 there were aca18274a0 many things 25ee0748ef I wanted b1aec251b2 to ask c55f2a385d you when cd2cc4aadb I met f7c9ed1fa7 you.’
 
How did I recognize 064f0e36af him?
 
Did he really 455d92614e remember me?
 
My name… I never 9e039b6c2d taught him my name, 4f18711970 so how does he b039f15427 know it?
 
Looking at 5d147b3ead his trembling 9ef494e53f eyes, I 45e61033ee let out d93c33e5b1 a small 9e2a46a406 laugh.
 
—————————————————————37378fd6f54aa2c6

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