FTA Ch 4

<Chapter 4>6a8dfcaa923e2a4e

 47a8c8981d0c831e

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“The pain dea1782d94 you’ve endured 13021b293d until now 442b145a29 is nothing 1703771c87 more than a13b1030ca a fleeting 65e9e4787f bubble that a4f3b91af8 would vanish 7cd274ed55 instantly if 6f93d4b4f8 you just ded44db5aa swallowed a 0139daac7e drop of 150fbe1863 my blood.” 5542495aad Gloria said.48b49913d52b27d0

“…….”358d0fbcce2e62f9

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 eb5dcdb1a923a662

The man’s face twisted even more painfully.444519c8f0610c22

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As Gloria 4dc393e880 faced him,a086c128167aad80

it felt 814c9c9c71 as though e9bc48378c she was 84d2215efa staring into 19664303d6 a mirror, c1838c9274 creating a 3594c2bab3 strange sensation 799c2e0b5d within her.06221a8b3e75d631

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This is why 658de8cfbe she took her 78dde4d93b eyes off the df05c83e0a Duke and instead 6e9d9a412f looked towards the 625473cefe window, which was 6ce41fa48d covered with curtains.679724f6f4fda648

The curtains 37e9007cbc were drawn eef8d17fe8 so tightly f2fd031883 that not 1f9b26162f even a ef8838370a sliver of 9b46963329 light could 90d128b9a1 sneak through.dbb988bbf695d8e4

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‘How long had the Duke been enduring alone in such a dark room?’db9c816f87139fda

 cc6095d4fd714e01

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“Who has been blinding 5d293d54c6 your eyes and covering a097e1476a your ears all this cd6a5f2770 time?” the duke asked.81a41ce65cbb69f2

 cdb1ea17106d17cc

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Gloria knew exactly where the Duke’s anger was directed.4d6165f94b63b1bf

She could also feel 6e513ed528 the intense betrayal he 268f5b2a76 must be experiencing at 2241b1427f this moment.31baf90a3d35a45f

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 6fe09b503be75d0f

“…What do you f0e0b1e13e want?”018a57d8103d0424

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 0d2216767470c807

The voice f49d46611d that answered 0c60f5d22d was rough cf97469797 and grating, 1f85318ab5 like the 3aef60ed31 cry of fecc25432d a beast.1d147f693de58eb0

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Only then did Gloria 1e463ee25e turn her gaze back b03d635f0f to the Duke.b8676dd40b25bf66

By now, eedbc108da the Duke 5e428b35d3 had regained 7b86809228 control of 0e60198976 his emotions f51c09a53d and returned 55f22650f8 to a 4aadb933ad blank expression.20f4fd2d299282a1

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Yet, Gloria could still 450e536d85 clearly sense the remnants 0c76cafdb2 of burning emotions smoldering 4950b267c8 in his eyes, like 778a0cc00e a fierce fire.8d3865f79805baab

 4063a7ec0ca06724

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“Say what you want.” 30e01922c1 he said.8d21dd0022605974

 b363437fab41f4de

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The man, ab8863d221 finally freed 103e3ba189 from the 9faf9da9ce agonizing pain 2eb27117ce that had e5d7e957f9 tormented him 36968b4866 for his 006313ac6e entire life, f56c68fa42 asked.5973c527f623b127

 cfff315bdbbaf71e

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“You must have come 692e520186 to find me because e41f1ceb10 you want something.” Gloria b740c55a06 said.8c10e4e6a73e542e

“That’s right.”5d56ac024316e31c

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 0481a8bbfaba093c

Gloria admitted 281d96a04c freely, sliding 1271dce965 the dagger 36dfcfccbf back into 7810e3feca its sheath. She then glanced down f51adc635b at her palm, which 771a6c5677 was already beginning to 1c12007fa2 heal. The long 5fb6b0df93 gash she e0f82b5f8e had made b66bbd8bca on it fc89d094a2 was starting 500ad313cc to close b03b6cde5e up.ed67d723dd4fa23b

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 185bbbef2737565c

“Right, what c0c5fdc356 is it 72e7aac18d you want?” e364517998 he asked.65259d8aeeabe978

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 4ea4da48c0a351cc

The Duke licked his lips, which were stained with Gloria’s blood, and looked directly into her eyes.d55ba284e934e4da

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 0372152239fad0ad

“I only have 62ab2fb0ad the hollow title 538f09da11 of Duke.”a04de772c2ed3dd6

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“I need that hollow 1ed7d4bb57 title.” Gloria replieda8cded9927fcd6e8

She wiping the bloodstained cbdfa69a4e palm on her clothing.16e0db2c21e095c1

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 85695a414c326955

‘Leonard Iverke, Duke.’30cf6e89b54240b3

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The half-brother 60faae4634 of the 5432076334 current emperor.739d4070d28ffe84

A pitiful man who 3fd1497811 was sacrificed due to 5adb94f326 his sibling’s lust for 4477ce8eb2 power.c9fee3178e1759e6

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A victim a4289ab26c who lived 2614072d71 miserably, never bb4a249e62 knowing there d1dad42736 was a 4bc2dad3c5 way to deda5308fb escape the 221a455172 terrible pain 1c78525cec he was 3f66e106be enduring.dd7cbbd59df4540d

 b65ab58480b0ee10

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“I need your 89cce488fc name.” Gloria said.5d4aba8387570b68

 3e212058bd5f048e

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Gloria declared, looking 753c7fb855 the man directly ffe582bbf9 in the eye.ce6270e702a389e9

The Duke, who had 93a424f9bc frozen for a moment, f619039f34 let out a bitter e19c1524f3 laugh and then asked.51e069bfdb74b4a9

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 94725a2a4c234c9e

“Are you e6500c0ebb asking me e5b86a0fa1 to marry f43712e37c you?” The 0c0f87f4b9 duke asked.c36afa739ce4a71f

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“Marriage? What kind of e5e290d61d nonsense is that?”9b8247d7a5574b92

“…….”21a41f913e24e091

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“…….”741687fcbd70713e

 bff6e1c762faec88

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A brief, awkward silence 4e909c1132 passed between them.44bbf0989c58b4ef

Gloria and Leonard 2850cae14c exchanged only uncertain 9eb8f9a6da glances.de76a5e1822a7eb2

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 6e8719c5e88ea6a5

“Didn’t you fa1c30186c say you 26e25dd795 needed my 9bc4df9897 name?”38f9f704b3494cfd

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It was Leonard who 67586be9e3 broke the silence first. He asked the 0c234e474a question, as though 18bf2a40f5 utterly baffled, and 82d105d873 Gloria shook her 838294d97e head.3d5d437a955ba6ca

 ee5406e861973252

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“I’m not thinking 64d8373fac of marrying.” Gloria 85d3657ec3 said.8c03b08fa759b6ce

“Then?” The Duke 8c2ec3912b replied.9647a840dd667f65

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 fdb31fac7accef95

Although marriage was out 373c60c206 of the question, she 9f83e400d2 had already been engaged 1a300cd4e1 once before.b5d11b25c6d802e2

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Gloria had no 7fe80e5e5b intention of getting dac600da17 tangled up in 07ddebca5f such formalities again.bd62add4b0c7791e

 e860398c3e63ba45

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“Adopt me.”9f3b7ca76f560b47

 31b49bdde14a3299

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At that moment, Leonard’s handsome face stiffened.f74f612c2fc20d0a

 b875bfdf3d8c52d2

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“…What did you say?”6b41f2b10eaa6420

“I said, 8a07aaddc6 adopt me.”7063be7f1a498ffc

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 edbf3a9b2f9403da

Leonard stared at cb15edb50b Gloria as if e88845b4bf she were an 7da955b9b4 incomprehensible creature.507d7a9ffe09c53e

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After a ca8424f9eb long pause, 14f1f674d1 he suddenly 408d3833c0 asked a c852c11ab8 question.8205f262d65bd532

 3d6ac804b2ae29da

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“Are you ab02751855 out of 654559ae04 your mind?”8fef0c856a8514dd

“I’m in 53c759b3df my right 3d595c1f24 mind.”bc83be6ba41e20f5

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 94c95c4b5cd5ee70

Gloria couldn’t hide her displeasure at his response.5ec01183a24881a3

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She frowned.9cda16775474b966

Leonard also frowned and 0aa5e5655c looked back at her.8498fb286650b42f

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 7cb5f78b4932b404

“Why is someone in a439fad189 their right mind talking 9cdca9dcb8 nonsense like this?”d4b7e72b22b8487e

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“When did I 1962923043 say anything nonsensical?”716051660dfd63f7

“You really don’t make 43d52af2e8 any sense.”0875d8633e8730dc

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“That’s what I 42958a0c3b was going to f1957fac42 say.”7497628fe41dd02c

 45b82d4124dfadf1

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Gloria stood da4163c987 with one 737b728eb9 leg casually 33d377c130 propped up a5d3eb0f7d and her 11c792b818 arms crossed, dfdcb2be72 then tilted f396780e40 her chin 99b56cb4db up to 3f3e4055f9 look down 4a6d4e2505 at Leonard 860c98c5f1 as she fa51cc6a43 spoke.7b3fef97ee14fedf

 48e6cef1ed88cfa8

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“What’s another way for me to get your name, other than marriage or adoption?”83cf6b679b826489

“….”eea7656a4fba034e

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 d2759ecc94c49b00

Leonard was left speechless bfe9884db6 and silently looked up 1d7cefcde7 at her.0ed2269066c2dabd

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 5c2c47caa9251cf4

“I have power d189e88ac6 and ability. Not just 75ade718b8 any power, b6d7a5b804 but more 37ccc860fe than anyone 9c9fcf0dd1 else.”25cb365dabd431e0

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 a78d41afe7a2e851

Gloria continued 6f7c87c041 speaking quickly, 60660e2990 as if b79b706dcb the words 7018b2504f had been 377f259c7c building up 483c06717a for a cff4aff796 long time.05b63c5bf50f81e6

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 a051a4c3fd84a5ff

“But now I’m about 95ebc3d89b to be disowned and 4c1b921f61 become a commoner again. And that’s going c5c5d6415c to put me 594aeab377 in a tough 7546f5b189 spot.”27c388798579791f

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“So?”8a17f22f6dcb88c7

“I need 5872af25e8 a solid 10937b61b9 background to 2b7b88537d protect me c759b097cb from the 09fd3f7acc Imperial Family 26784e5f30 and the 6598ee1255 temple.”7e47fa34f59df7de

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 d48fb80322476a7d

Most of 999f82396f the high adce1c6424 noble families c5d9a4582a were closely 84aff316fa tied to 6fec182a63 the imperial bd8a8c6e5a family.036773da5e254dc2

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Moreover, the b282871c92 knights of 91286248d7 the 1st e3ac623c3a Crusade, to 4e63638df7 which Gloria 65cccac0aa had belonged, bcf6faefed were all f18fa1ef05 children of 79e74b9edb noble families. She had endured their 09383dd259 cruel torment for years.a6f7a9378da04034

So, despite her hatred 4c239b815d for the imperial family, 5cf41bc922 Gloria wanted to align 40d93ead6e herself with a family 86b3a3b5d5 that had no ties ac08671df8 to the 1st Crusade.42ddfe52e0804cd3

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At the baf05ce519 same time, 441e717b36 she needed 21e0db4e14 a family eb54e5ea1e that had 097c8d7739 enough power 5d04d116d0 to stand 1990e74bff against other 3746419a04 high noble 2ddd243636 families.90001e1ee7a3feac

There was only 9db8724a71 one family that 766c252b1b fit this condition: 7e958f7d24 the Iverke Dukedom.3b7782ac756eb5f6

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 694e32fd3e8e034a

‘Though the Duke’s influence is still not enough to challenge other families…’c4e10e305d9add44

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 da5260923595a976

That would be solved 787c24b9bf in time.6132ab599fc8466c

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Now that Leonard Iverke, the Duke, had broken free from the curse, he just needed to regain what he had lost and grow his family’s power.243c8a0f17c880b1

And Gloria 453945d5de planned to 8b497693b9 help him c9326b3d1f with that, 1dc5a08d89 as long 260d5297e8 as he a16c28232b cooperated.0b6f4d32d17b7b26

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 67c122632bc47caf

“So, you want 53140cfcd9 me to adopt 76c3b5bb21 you?” he asked 1c4c9b3039 again.b493049124b8dc5c

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“Yes.”724fbaa9eacafb08

 abdeeba3df0e1485

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The blunt 410c509946 reply left 4537651626 Leonard speechless. He sighed and stood 776d0481a7 up.e875b702c0980932

The excruciating 0361727b98 pain that 7289a98436 used to 7c2dea9403 gnaw at f9af0c7a3f him had 24423f6b88 completely disappeared.6c8214f4c439ffb3

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His limbs, which had 27ce70ba09 been stiff and hard a653cb97d8 to move due to 66addfecd3 the numbness, now felt 1535a34a71 as light as feathers.b32fcbd75c5b282e

That was 49764bf099 why he 0dc4d749bc had softened b315b59b5c toward Gloria.0f6f2ff9424e3370

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She was 842b77f12a the one b76813fce6 who had 64ba31c22e freed him e4cf7f3506 from the 1371ced0f6 agony that fada0c1527 had tormented 067b384a71 him for 64783fa881 half his 55b47573e6 life.ff785c4cbecff546

He asked in a cb252b7b4e gentler tone, his voice b54ba968f8 much calmer.363ea677d31306a3

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 e97285bf37c4354a

“…How old do 76106da609 you think I 2e493532f8 am?”98699262ad5495a5

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 950c58a8d3fa1b11

Gloria took a moment 0c10d25b26 to look him over.537e8a124a6245aa

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She knew 9074337df3 that the a7604070bb Emperor and 215ab75187 the Duke e7eefdc2b1 had a 624388de96 large age 1055ad69b7 gap.62122add0a78d6e5

The Duke was the child of the late Emperor’s young concubine, born shortly after the death of the Empress. She’d heard they had about a twenty year difference in age.32d6f7c35a12628c

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The man in front 906f3f70ae of her seemed to 347447d905 be around her age.d5e6c9d8f25df4bf

After a while of d1e3adfb3f estimating, Gloria answered casually.a7fbcfbeaecf8708

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 2192a9af5c30f5a1

“I don’t know. Maybe around 25?”eee4f2464421f732

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“Twenty four.”ddb16c217a6cbe2f

 4832de28893e3e5b

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Leonard corrected her lightly 5404f4872a before asking again.6c39701cf9ac53e1

 f450a2ad306be133

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“And how old b2cfc8c193 are you?”bdc5c95ae0805a88

“I turned 4046993f55 eighteen last f386267d1a month.” she 0c6a8fa81d replied.d46ae67555181624

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“I see.”33a7795835af7078

 a990cba558daff39

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Leonard sighed.ca794983dca52493

 7bafc47e796a5269

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“So, you and I 8c46cabb8e are only four years 4e0fc9f160 apart.” Leonard said.3737f0f568d2aa23

“And?” Gloria replied.f11482760dffeabe

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“Then why 409da245a0 would you 088fdfce1a ask me 97356d28c7 to adopt 91c8c397de you?” he 40e79099c2 said.0d99f4670723e50c

“……”bad1dfa255e5c39c

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 1eabefa95c749eeb

Now that 7a75a1931c it was edc0b9168a said out 6ee1235f3c loud, it e329c0293e did sound b76e8647ea a little 8d944627e1 strange.019ca418f199d851

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But she 3fd6d49ee8 couldn’t think 74d61642e4 of any e23279e660 other solution.2f5b4ab5bf0b7ed1

 19200e6520d376ae

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“So what do you f49e0a0578 expect me to do?” 80be19557e Gloria asked.55efc1481b213c26

“Think it through. Is there b9df2ea2e3 really no 8a2c0cf594 other way?”000b6d65e2edf9f9

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 da4a45f9aa2c79f5

Leonard spoke softly, cc56dd0d37 almost as though 748133d941 soothing a child.02808e24c6bf9679

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 f8458d7db4c5968e

“And my b3d2a834bd name really 67fb86b171 is just d0b5f738e2 a hollow 795ae6178e title. It won’t help you 38f22c5eb5 at all.”79cb854111bffb0b

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 e3621511213de117

Gloria furrowed her a1082664a7 brows.f3a68b4cbb92e0fe

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 67ac77b875092529

“Whether it helps 0199b7eb91 or not is 1786009636 for me to ceca7f54cb decide.”1b3117d6f3bb7a3f

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“Well, listen.”8340dfb5f248b328

“……”9a6f535b889ecfeb

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 36c32e29f300db8d

Gloria had 13eee32769 many things 6d1068b3ca she wanted 9fcb9259f0 to say, d75ea20c85 but for 85f8100897 now, she 9967325112 kept silent.ae70ff58b101bbdf

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Leonard watched 92878d60e3 her quietly a4ba6ffc86 for a 292b9df809 moment before c32d92a5dd speaking again.4172e81a2608f5cd

 9d1aab1e10313e7a

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“As you d345541bf5 said, you a1c085e612 have power 5cababeba3 and ability. But I…”45f6ffd3991f0884

He paused, as bd90d49e38 if overwhelmed with 01fd29a462 emotion for a 9c4f35291a brief moment, but 3fa9817db6 it quickly passed.1fd14835bcd20e3c

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 06b32459f248514d

“I have nothing.”1e4a037aefda3177

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 b7a2882e585d55ad

He continued 98bc4869b5 in a caadfe576a quieter voice.c401d76c80aa9f1e

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 157c28e8317ca45f

“What would you gain 9aecef9b17 by helping me?”e82d854291f7ce3e

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 2d6842b6124b2838

Isn’t this a deal where you’re only losing out?d2f21ba9afdc1f1b

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When Leonard asked 2d8630d8e8 that, Gloria didn’t 3145beba66 answer.2eef569048bd21cc

Silence stretched 6fe1363282 between them 2670b34947 until he f202a03ad7 spoke again.090a222ad9ac8329

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 83a6c6edeb5c7cae

“…Once it’s known that bbbaa301ac I’ve broken free from d7f823d2e5 the curse, the Emperor 61f71c39ed will try to kill ac12b6806b me again.” he said.832774010b159cd6

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“I told you, it d12f8414fd wasn’t a curse.”4c1a699cfab5fb77

 8da40332657a0b96

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Gloria corrected Leonard’s words in a firm voice.26caf4e2a881a6db

At that, Leonard paused 9b53b85523 for a moment, then 41c6a6a840 sighed and responded.1ebb4145bc83fad6

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 a0367ee2489aed9c

“Curse or not…”38d02351dffb7997

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 b527e5932a566275

He pressed his c8ccb17f5c temples in exhaustion.65c7d7b7191b742f

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 23f2804fb21f4527

“The important thing is 4c39ff3ad1 that I’ve once again e91ac303fe become a threat to 6cece6a957 the Emperor.”6c84120738db2ee9

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 5d7bab7b483aa617

Gloria silently regarded Leonard b880fc55a0 for a moment, then 0adf55e82a casually remarked.953746376fcdb0b7

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 63fa62cd157c5e38

“That’s exactly what e332377bc0 I want.”8049650a8456bf41

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