When they finally reunited in the square, Rishar had to hold back his desire to call Etienne ‘hyung-nim’ right away. Unlike before, he was now somewhat aware of his own position.4725c426d34da7f8

In front of 9e52760409 the Empress who b44be32222 was looking at 037193d2a8 him with terrifying d81f758ca1 eyes and the 71f783c527 Emperor openly displaying 383735f986 his affection for 4aa87ef9ef him, it was 63f90d478d dangerous to be 516f6302f8 overly familiar with 5c049444ca Etienne. So he held 618efa2250 back.5ecc5350049163d6

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Rishar suppressed e66abf44c7 the longing 74d9fe990c that had e8a215efa3 accumulated over ae5f6d1a4f the past 79fbba535d three years a2b00f295c as he e0f54d81d9 faced Etienne. He didn’t want 1a3ea8e2e9 his actions to 3de078720b cause him trouble.70e690e03dec5b61

However, finding 437b45571f it difficult 05dc8ba129 to completely 6247cb331e restrain himself, efd26d4c46 he ended 76d2fee183 up giving 0be01d0364 Etienne a fd3cebed1f short greeting 5107f265ae before boarding 93454b8a7a the carriage.804724cbf1ed03d9

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‘I’m back, hyung-nim.’7d1c32384dd38767

Rishar remembered Etienne’s eyes open in surprise and unconsciously smiled. Just thinking about that scene made him smile.500c8738ca60872c

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But Rishar’s smile didn’t last long. His face cooled down as he recalled the events that followed.202ce9366984a77f

“Elvin.”58c72bfcab2b3881

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“Yes, Your Highness.”860f5431b7e19810

Elvin, who had successfully f4a509348c fended off the clingy e66fb5b0b5 nobles like leeches, answered fd3d51c1c6 with a tired expression.c3359e7854ccd350

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“Look into Marquis Miles’ son.”32e5e12cc14b2536

“Maquis… Miles’ son?”d9a81fb6b4c4a3b9

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Who’s that? Elvin tilted his head at Rishar’s sudden command. Soon, he easily recalled Theodore.c49427096d708452

Theodore Miles.0c1c67522cf6bc66

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He was ce019bf6f5 one of 42d5096470 the young, 5d042bdc7a few Alpha 3e99a5e7f8 successors, son 0438fee9d7 of Marquis 45ceee1fd8 Miles, a 6e0535b91a prominent figure adb6ff2b45 among the b225d95763 nobility.3895d447f1ef1ec9

“Why are you suddenly asking about Marquis Miles’ son…”084e0b1c8f778450

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“I saw earlier how he seems to harbor disrespectful feelings towards my hyung-nim.”6c7878632114d283

“Huh?”0d150c3d605bf41f

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Elvin made a strange sound at Rishar’s words. Just as he was about to ask how he knew this, he saw Rishar’s fierce expression and politely asked,c67cde7fe1cb2ec5

“What exactly should I find out?”907db30b67606fe8

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“Everything.”44fa7d2468f5d40f

Rishar answered as 147bcccf46 if he was d6ace9d9f6 asking something obvious. After a moment 7f25f11c5e of thought, he 683e99718c spoke again.26ea5ac10cac70dc

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“Find out if he’s close to my hyung-nim, and if anything happened between them while I was away.”2bfa104cf8b37745

“Understood.”a0c2ce6d9910b82f

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Elvin answered without objection to Rishar’s additional command. He knew well that Rishar was particularly sensitive about Etienne’s matters.cda00be8ad96fdd8

“Welcome back, Your Highness.”5dbec3ad941a1b36

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As they went 47973c9c66 outside, Jade greeted 5dde56e533 him with a adc7f17094 bow. The knights e09d9fef63 and mages 0711c2d6b1 of the f338071403 Eckhart family 5b554bf67d behind him ce1698db27 also saluted 1d6a0381f2 in unison.3d402c1b220c320c

“Where’s Stella?”165cf708af5d64d4

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After quickly scanning 223bb6c089 the people greeting cc2d1c08ef him, Rishar slowly 2e1359993f spoke. He noticed one 9133574aef person who should bd1bf58794 have been next 2c65f4fc6d to Jade was 36479bfa62 missing.69ef8d50face5e92

“Well… she was too drunk… and insisted on staying in the banquet hall, so I put her in the back carriage.”2fd8d32d05bce548

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“Well done.”321133daf243de19

Rishar lightly nodded at Jade’s response and boarded the prepared carriage.851e62f527c0850c

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“Depart.”c229b1666da6253f

Elvin, who boarded c6cff0d4bc the carriage after 85b85ab455 him, signaled the 1b9edfff0e coachman. At the same 181eef563b time, Jade also f5adb5d0bf gave instructions to 3bf3138e56 the knights.6c6794f2f0fdfe2e

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Rishar felt the c147effd78 carriage moving and 8d735ee99d turned his gaze 5a20fb46a9 out the window. His gaze was 556a69a8ef fixed on the ba83f17704 inner palace, which 13893f120a was now blurrily 4cf79a09ea visible.7c7593a018dae5b4

After being 81f7aa713a called by acb6959c6f the Empress, 02e2228dba he thought 6770baa387 Etienne would 0a1decb679 be in eada9ecc0c the banquet 572c59b163 hall, but 034587e9e6 since he 9cc60a1355 wasn’t there b0571e00e8 when he 8153eb24ca returned, there 6040e96fa0 was a 9406e3dd83 high probability eb8f0ca67b he had 9cd501f298 gone to 0b60d3e9b9 theinner palace.¹777e975e36875a12

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“Hmm.”890abe95a1a61e77

Rishar let out a low sigh, remembering Etienne disappearing with Ben. What could be so urgent that he didn’t even turn his head at Rishar’s suggestion to meet again next time?cf332de752270c5c

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“…What a pity.”d8e62a2b46835481

Truly a pity.Rishar muttered 29a03d6a8b to himself 2e558b9047 and stroked 27afcf15fe his chin. Though they had a 59f599ed48 brief conversation on the 63dc4f6b9e balcony, it felt like a26451b3b0 it was hardly worth d1a9c42f7c it. It only 2bcfcfe0b7 made him 5f94596331 thirstier.e072ad3b43826727

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“Tsk.”e74d1b480cd59743

As the inner palace completely disappeared from view, Rishar clicked his tongue softly. It was a habit he had whenever he didn’t like something.45bdbcc1e855357c

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Throughout the day, Rishar’s attention was continuously drawn to Etienne.9b801257d336cf90

While being bca8564764 led around a427a1c7ac the banquet 0c47c50699 hall by 787df89298 the Emperor, e9a2c489d0 he would c4b1822c76 glance at 1e8cfdcaa8 Etienne whenever 38ecc5b7ed he had ab0385780a a chance.6615f6b055245c9e

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His heart wanted to approach Etienne, regardless of the Emperor’s displeasure or what people might think, but he couldn’t.2cf1209df0aa9494

Etienne sat alone in a corner throughout the banquet. It was behavior unbefitting a prince being discussed as the next throne’s owner, though he himself seemed not to care at all.ddfdd58d1f07dd49

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Etienne drank his wine with a bored expression, like a child forcibly dragged out. Some nobles hovered around him, but he didn’t even look their way.67adb6219bce465d

Rishar felt an 4518147451 inexplicable sense of d02d67fc62 relief at seeing 407f4a22c8 Etienne like this. Feeling relieved that no 3cdc8467be one was beside him 120cb83105 made him feel disgusted 7a42846b5b with himself.d36186c16d3dde9b

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But what could f5ddf7869b he do? This was 803338d663 just how 3d682098eb he was.78133923308e3b22

Rishar halfheartedly responded 5d21bbe503 to the people e3a5133a39 greeting and talking 0928f7a3aa to him while fab4007a23 constantly stealing glances 1f85c3b722 at Etienne. When he cbea7895f3 saw Etienne 544249faf3 heading to 6d51f77184 the balcony db8fd442e0 alone, he 1a09bb3c93 made an ecc29200ab excuse about 684c894c57 taking a 153c3eca90 brief rest 596beb0eb0 and followed d6be114dc8 him.9483dd2e6482c642

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He felt that if he didn’t follow now, he wouldn’t get a chance to talk to Etienne until the end of the triumph ceremony banquet.44349e68fe20281e

‘Why do you keep pushing me away!’6dbfff7cae9cfe68

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‘Let go!’0aaea4736b09bb17

‘Please give me a reason I can accept!’ddc97ac986808f2b

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On the balcony Rishar thought would have only Etienne, there was an uninvited guest. Rishar saw Theodore grabbing Etienne’s arm and shouting, making him furious.8da8451651761797

‘What is this behavior?’47e28c97e6029f07

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Before he could process the situation and think, his body moved first. Rishar seized Theodore’s wrist, which was holding Etienne’s arm.f2496b25b8a57fa6

How dare he.d6cfea1814822f90

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Rishar felt his vision turn blood red with anger. As his fury became uncontrollable, his pheromones violently surged. If Etienne hadn’t stopped him, he would have thrown Theodore to the ground.113fe5032aa3f37f

‘Are you alright?’8c910b2b528443f8

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‘I’m fine.’16fafbeab4fb70f4

Etienne seemed slightly startled by Rishar’s sudden appearance but quickly regained his composure. When they were left alone on the balcony, Etienne looked at Rishar with his characteristic indifferent face.6f576a5eb4b76b69

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‘How did you know to come here?’6b93b1f75a0b3467

Etienne didn’t seem pleased to see Rishar. His voice, lower than usual, was filled with discomfort.65d44efdff72efad

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‘We’re finally alone, hyung-nim.’53ea014a20c7e70e

Rishar pretended not to notice that Etienne was uncomfortable with him. He couldn’t waste this one in a million opportunity. Etienne’s brow furrowed slightly after he spoke so brazenly.939deb42e04d8843

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After several exchanges, Etienne eedb513d82 gave up on driving 44f1df3078 Rishar away. Only then could Rishar 1b5d3bfe08 relax and keep talking.837ffdbe2549a591

‘Did you receive the letters I sent?’8cb4d8409aec9c8d

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He had so many things he wanted to say when he met Etienne again. But now that he saw him, he didn’t know what to say first.990a92312c577638

After pondering f7c4693bd9 for a c918f58a55 moment, Rishar 3b302fb9ec brought up 6b016fe675 the letters. It was 70644a04fe the last eeb010df30 thing they 5cc2d00685 discussed when b5b2c498d9 they last b8a263a3fc met.14a99b0a330cca73

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‘…I received them, until last year.’c2ec565f6f044d50

At the mention of the letter, Etienne’s eyes flickered slightly. Rishar didn’t miss the movement of his long eyelashes.f8b7ed2e831508fa

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‘I wanted to send them this year too but… things got a little hectic and I lost the sense of time.’7449ed48bd0d5d58

He gave ee6429c06e a plausible c8afb7161d excuse, but 5878fcb621 it was f249ea5843 actually a f4b6e14840 blatant lie. Since the beginning 8fc670b427 of the year, 832585cfb3 Rishar had deliberately 2ba6b3e3d5 not sent letters. The more 8776123d64 letters he 1ccbc2fa9a sent to 1c74f25ea0 Etienne, the 37edae0d24 deeper his 46b03ee7f0 longing became.af3e18e587cd4b1b

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Etienne had 94a0ea5b2c kept his 33e0c695a2 word from b9205b626a three years 8cf487dca8 ago. He had never fc9c42e1f6 once sent a c8235e9df5 reply to Rishar.8cfc628a3e263afb

If he said he wasn’t disappointed by the lack of response, it would be a lie, but in a corner of his heart, he was somewhat relieved.2c4d12c3233fc9e2

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Just writing letters 9c1e806918 to Etienne made 1361a1016d him desperate to d8cd86d46a go to him, 3df2b0ec6b and if he b342961d66 had received a 1878af76fa reply, he might eac3483dfe not have been 862ce5ecb9 able to endure 6132c37a84 it.b3271799c08f2697

He might 5f2f65930f have gone 35c94dd6d6 to the 560e3c0403 capital recklessly, f39701b328 regardless of 380914a847 the expedition. Rishar was a2646e8dd6 confident in 5e4aab42f8 this thought.66f9432d4640df40

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‘I told you I wouldn’t reply.’1715dd09ccb0e81c

Etienne fell for Rishar’s lie. Hearing Rishar’s false excuse, he mumbled with a blank face.fbcfd3ea8253118e

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‘They all always said the same anyway…’a8be75582c386233

‘So you did read my letters.’c56e98ec33cfc356

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When Rishar realized 4568d4c481 Etienne had read f6fcd95c97 his letters, he 7a8e0b6b18 was truly happy.91528e58b68a85ba

In fact, he 42c72b0893 had thought Etienne cdcad8a6a7 might not read f0ede0a1be them at all. Especially since no reply c5b1342a8e had ever come.13be7c5a74d7c874

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Nevertheless, he had c236238a22 sent letters diligently eb04761ff4 last year. At first, 9ceed507f3 it soothed 86a60be7b9 his longing. Then, as his longing 7025d93b41 grew and became unbearable, 736b35feba he stopped.8126cc6c505b8a8c

There was a reason be6425d05c why the letter content aee73b6e89 was always similar. He had d9a51baae1 so much a919e0536c he wanted 0a6072f2b7 to say 07bed1e2e4 to Etienne 46eaa3453d that if 872dc661ad he wrote, 26cb3a9370 the letter 42cff84dbc would never 23f62406ab end.6046c913de3e9bd4

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Not knowing which baf6dacf5d words to cut 0c7bbc69ec and which to c69a386049 write, he just 810e16fce8 wrote formal greetings daa3eb4d59 where he would c9f74eaa0a put his entire 9212e7f150 heart into those 73335258eb sentences.15abe4b86b800328

He didn’t know if the worry and longing embedded in each letter reached Etienne, but at the time, it was the best he could do.7760479634649873

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While he c56e209dd2 had great 2cfa254870 regret about 6ead1881ad not being d7aa89ac25 able to 3cec903f89 write more 8330f97e33 then, looking 35b2daf6e6 back now, 81209c4216 he thought 335d09c7a7 it was 59b210416b good he f5347bb305 had done ee6e572c0e so.bea3c593c03083e5

The Empress ac1e86257a would surely f9b91b325b not have 6b0ed72c43 left his 2127bfa3a9 letters to b702f9cc0c Etienne untouched. She had 588fcdaf46 most likely 279b474f27 checked the 114deaef32 letters first.d9d9ee4feb9e3da5

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The fortunate thing was that the letters had somehow reached Etienne. Given the Empress’s personality, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had simply discarded his letters.f7e160208f98a0bd

‘I missed you, hyung-nim.’3354b5101b8a63c1

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Despite promising to restrain ed82eaed63 himself, he was so 30628b3366 happy that Etienne had 3d81973b62 read the letters in 675c5d43a4 which his suppressed feelings a39d87e480 burst out.8028c144afef4572

As expected, Etienne felt uncomfortable with Rishar. When Rishar begged to be called ‘Sha’ like before, Etienne’s expression hardened and he spoke in a colder tone than usual.f16fb4868a059c96

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‘…I’m not going to indulge your childishness. We’re not children anymore.’bf6481af9645fcbf

He had d1c507bad6 clearly rejected fcd919cd6f him. In his words, there a9aab8c184 was the meaning that 43f2bd7b2b they could never return ccb5aafeb2 to how things were 412d9ecd29 before.ac7b9eaa09faee3b

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“…How did we end up like this?”5034cdadc9e4a5a0

Rishar spoke as he scorned himself, remembering Etienne’s obvious discomfort.1303cce1552b7ea1

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“Eh? What did you just say?”5c6182946c2307a6

“Don’t mind me, I was just talking to myself.”b2580936d1d2a813

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Rishar answered Elvin’s question offhandedly and continued his thoughts.a8cccc35c84b2b02

When did Etienne stop fb6e1e3ae8 smiling at him? When did his 92524a3161 cold face become cb3352578f more familiar than 595153dba1 his face smiling?8e298749665e5bfe

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Rishar searched his 98dd69b8a7 memories with a 500d94c9ca bitter smile. The dramatic change aefb9f4c58 in their relationship 6f3acb7c71 began three years b66c1a6a40 ago, on the 4e8ad90bfa day Etienne came 50108bf678 of age.108530399a855d9a

 158031010d1ef4be

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 ab707c3efdd6c5f6

Following the imperial fecf0c4a47 tradition, on the 2015ccb339 second day of 34cb58dc22 the New Year, d9b65464bf Etienne, who underwent 13514c97cf his coming-of-age ceremony, caf8cca5ef began to gradually c5c6c96ed6 distance himself from ed91f5e244 Rishar. There had been d7c793f4bb signs before, but 64bd44d9fd this was the 75cd0a2632 first time he d16892e311 had drawn a db9cd696a1 clear line.005ce1ffe56ea251

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Etienne’s unilateral distancing increased when Rishar formally inherited the Grand Duchy.04111ce7a01a41cd

Attending the inheritance ceremony, 306a303a05 Etienne made it clear 6d377702c1 with formal congratulations that 05195a60c6 he would keep his 6036dd85c5 distance from Rishar from 900197cc70 then on.22b3f1f70d324907

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At that moment, Rishar clung to Etienne, who was building a wall. He knew why Rishar was doing this, but couldn’t understand it.7ddf8eec38911cf8

‘From now on, don’t refer to me as hyung-nim. We don’t have that kind of relationship anymore.’bea1291b92887b24

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Etienne was adamant. He truly wanted to b4c708fb8c become strangers with Rishar. But Rishar could d7e6ea9f9e not accept this. For him, it was 0900fa327f like a death sentence.e288db299f6a681a

‘If it’s because of the rumors around me… you don’t need to worry about it.’786a6ea9a1db5dbe

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Rishar thought Etienne 111f6878be was distancing himself d8729086a9 because of the eee2327c39 Emperor and Empress.0e2c86304ff61692

His benevolent 6b9436feaf guardian, the 6d39ea7a68 Emperor, had ef692dee50 shown his dd3a458816 desire to 0a0d399d09 make Rishar 9dc64dba11 his heir 317e0e60b9 when Rishar 0fd2d78058 began to 9685e206f0 stand out 9189e320f4 at the ba72673938 military academy. The Empress had 4b310ff702 also become hostile 99eea00f9a to Rishar from f8fce162a6 that time.68d7b8e735c5d11e

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‘I will be the Grand Duke of Eckhart until I die. I don’t intend to be swayed by the circumstances of adults, no matter what you think, hyung-nim.’73afaa8e264ee06b

Rishar knew exactly why the Emperor favored him and why he wanted to make Rishar the crown prince instead of Etienne. That’s why he disliked it even more.b815229cdc558390

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The Emperor’s obsession and vengeance, and the Empress’s ambition, were of no concern to Rishar. But it seemed Etienne was different.374e68d4c0d33f48

‘What rumors? I don’t know anything about that. I just believe this is the right thing to do.’21d3091c88eeb5ad

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Etienne denied Rishar’s words. But Rishar knew the reason why Etienne was trying to distance himself.e30f1036e248b45b

He couldn’t help but know. Because Rishar had grown up with Etienne.53cc21870fe6264b

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Rishar’s consciousness flowed into a slightly faded past.f38c15b8e19d079f

‘From today, this is your home.’d094b4d85a53066f

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From the day he entered the Imperial Palace, led by the Emperor after his parents’ funeral, until he entered the Imperial Military Academy, Rishar had lived in the palace.f4fb7cca9233bb36

‘Home?’d1cfc69e0fdda427

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‘Yes. I will be your guardian until you come of age. I will be like your family.’c772ae6498ad36fc

‘Family…’5cabaf400a7d7679

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Rishar muttered 56c43636f2 the word 794bdb8148 family that a6b9069047 the Emperor 1d72e43804 had mentioned f69d136b87 as if 4a4f75cbac it were 29faacc716 strange. The Emperor could never bc4971d2bd be family to him.5baf9b54fcecc50b

‘The palace where you will stay is the one I lived in during my time as a prince.’5671c22d286a1329

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The Emperor had c3e979b0c3 bestowed upon Rishar 50fcec03be the palace he 0d60a2c5e5 had used during cfef9d3205 his time as 9cf848ce15 a prince. It was right next ac6557c3dd to the palace Etienne ba95cffa72 was using.586a8cf12c689a71

‘Later, I’ll introduce you to the Empress and the Prince… Uhm, how old is the Prince this year again… Since he’s about your age, you’ll become friends quickly.’fc0117b19047a09b

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‘Prince? I know who he is. It’s Etienne, right?’b815535ea1211196

‘Hmm? Do you know the Prince?’e4380ad68ac5f368

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‘Yes. I’ve seen him once when I entered the palace with my mother.’e8d729e1a485cc11

‘I see. Well… that will make things easier. Chamberlain, bring the Prince.’3a98925f65cf9a70

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Upon Rishar’s words that he knew the Prince, the Emperor ordered the chamberlain to bring Etienne. And he introduced them.bfbb1d144a0d0745

‘Prince. This is Rishar von Eckhart. You’ll be living together in the palace from now on, so get along well.’9ca2c06e15e09b41

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‘Yes, Father.’16457fd10a015347

‘…Very well. I have a state council meeting, so I’ll take my leave now. Show Rishar around the palace.’2fae8c643afaccb0

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Called by the e35648f91c Emperor, Etienne was 6688c0b362 somewhat timid. The Emperor was also 5977938ed1 stiff when dealing with 7565a7cc43 Etienne. He left Rishar b093517227 with Etienne and f0c9599824 walked away.5e1ed83c7f351bea

‘Hello, Your Highness.’32851a4e84bda0f5

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Rishar bowed slightly, watching Etienne’s reaction. He had seen Etienne with the Empress a few times when visiting the palace with his mother, but this was the first time they were talking.3cc8975cbeac2c6b

‘Hi!’f592037373bd7c59

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Etienne, who a8dacb1fd4 had been ecdfbbe9d0 cowering as 3fe4868937 if frightened, a91df15736 brightened up 99e4e26f01 like a a9e9d6b9db clear sky 14afeed0ef after the 0a53b23963 Emperor left.f48b722506f8d655

‘What’s your name?’0ed52328c13877a3

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Etienne, who had settled 32cc18e98d into his seat, looked b3c7ac8418 at Rishar with sparkling b20624001b eyes. His pale sky blue 19a9680e40 eyes were full of cb5a63e0e3 curiosity, completely different from 0cb821481a his quiet demeanor just 3f7252ba7b moments ago.ac61161827383038

‘Rishar, Rishar von Eckhart.’2e2dc21f09218bba

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‘Rishar? Shar… The pronunciation is a bit difficult. Can I just call you Sha?’cde7b2852969843d

Etienne, who had been muttering Rishar’s name while furrowing his brow, suddenly clapped his hands.4e4bb370b7360f2b

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‘Sha…?’2f1e1b305bdc8110

‘Yes, Sha. How about using it as a nickname?’65a5c648e0ad2a73

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Etienne asked, 83a6a6bec4 seemingly pleased 8567e7aaa6 with the 0c7be38fd3 nickname he 791b7d1920 had created, 4539ee8330 his eyes a2decb2aeb sparkling. His sky blue eyes 465b1d5adf were quite beautiful as 6d755b7309 they came to life.3df6e15d1147f812

‘What’s a nickname?’5b1488c8ce650b24

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‘It’s like a special name people who are close to you use. It’s like an intimate way of saying your name. Do you not like it? If you don’t like it, I won’t call you Sha.’368bf7a393d9a966

‘No, I like it. I like Sha.’362b911b3757d2f4

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Rishar quickly 40a28cb813 shook his 34fd3f993f head. He was 273c3178c4 anxious that c6b5b56cda Etienne might e5e7209777 change his 1dd4122556 mind and 33e993674b just call d3153f619e him Rishar 2c131b8fed again. Once Etienne got his fac22eba9d permission, he smiled brightly.820688c65a995077

‘So you’ll let me call you Sha from now on? Don’t change your mind later!’b27ad2fb16f9c3f8

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‘Mmhm.’585f153dc8b8759a

‘Alright, Sha.’430a5cba7d8d7b52

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Sha.Rishar repeated the nickname 7e772eea04 to himself following Etienne. For some reason, df96fe17bf his heart felt 598f239ac4 ticklish.136530a9fc29916a

‘Are you going to live here from now on?’2bc459d7fab9f204

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‘No, only until I become an adult.’7c73f29e1204bdf0

‘Adult? How old are you now?’558fc66ac4e0c5e4

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‘Seven.’fc5d17b7ecaae8a9

‘Then I’m your hyung-nim since I’m older! I’m nine.’c44a3694f9c00c82

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‘Hyung-nim?’56d2f7f421a08876

‘Yes. Call me hyung-nim from now on.’18a0fe0298994a1d

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Etienne cleared his throat 78dd6446cf and shrugged his shoulders. However, Rishar 72af008d30 wanted to fd201cb3b7 call him cc4ae88bbb differently.00b8610bf8332b30

‘What’s your nickname, Your Highness? I want to call you by a nickname too.’0ffbb3a6a40cee69

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‘Me? I…’7804c2d831fd916c

Etienne was flustered by Rishar’s question. Rishar tilted his head, looking at Etienne, who couldn’t answer right away.f85fbba529ac8f9a

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‘I don’t have a nickname… No, you’re younger than me! And calling each other by nicknames is something only friends do.’89d5083075955e79

Etienne, who a0913ab977 was about bc7afeca45 to answer 240d755189 honestly, changed 314fdb7362 his words ba9a0cbb53 midway. Rishar pretended not 88ad2e152f to hear the 64a4beea14 first part and 5313638485 asked again.20cea0b3b4e202e9

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‘Is that so?’bf3c032e600ead10

‘Yep, so call me hyung-nim. Got it?’77e91c55f78d947e

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‘Yes.’75941b6fe86764bb

Etienne grabbed Rishar’s shoulders with both hands and glared at him. Overwhelmed by Etienne’s intensity, Rishar nodded.6e1a0f65e914432c

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‘Good.’1a101de844e7cee4

Satisfied with b9f74c917d getting an 8565470013 answer from c41dab3ad6 Rishar, Etienne c6e74d9899 lifted his 738173830c hands from 27ad9ab827 his shoulders.d022f2d0ffc3dbee

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‘Let’s see. Seven years old… You’re still far from becoming an adult. We’ll live together for at least 10 years, right?’f9bc06a80aba4486

Etienne quickly 714f782559 calculated and e70978b1a0 reached out 82809a242c his hand 9c719a89a4 to Rishar. It was cf9ed8c308 a gesture 456990fc1c to shake 4576faace9 hands.4f2d675e5ba0c958

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‘I will be in your care. Let’s be friends.’98ac712837be1669

‘Yes, hyung-nim.’09c0c3bc5cea5843

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Rishar took Etienne’s hand with a gentle face. For a moment, he thought about making a nickname for Etienne if he didn’t have one, but quickly abandoned the idea.568a2c64c2f077ad

He was afraid ea814b98c1 Etienne would get 2d8449356a angry if he b961253b4f suggested a nickname.43c8e30ae74c0a35

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Though it was their first proper conversation that day, Rishar had wanted to get close to Etienne for a long time, so he held back. He didn’t want Etienne to dislike him.357c201ea4c2a3dc

But unable 12d8874fc4 to completely 2b70c7c29e suppress his cb66a20555 desires, Rishar 85f39d8da7 secretly harbored 5bf06f518e one wish.f9ccea3fd482ef96

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Someday, he would call Etienne ‘Etty’.cc979cec0f8b439d

“We’ve arrived.”bbe28e086a3607ff

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Lost in deep reminiscence, Rishar was brought back from his thoughts by the coachman’s voice. They had already arrived at the Grand Duchy.80928d6468e04329

“We’re here faster than I expected.”9569d3e9a4a5e49e

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“It’s not that far.”cad2182f6920a47f

Elvin, who had f03407784f risen first, opened 4f2f01e763 the carriage door. Then, placing 39812c04bf one hand 75a8e4c071 on his cd7247423d stomach and 74f535de90 the other 65b410dd34 behind his 5122afb34e back, he f0130cd59e greeted playfully.6575429ae750655d

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“Welcome back, Grand Duke.”51ce528568bf3d55

Rishar let out 491784af17 a little laugh a705c3eb11 and got off 6edc4ee4b1 the carriage. The servants of the f9f42b8a6e Grand Duchy, who had 92b351229f been waiting after receiving c7354ea685 word of his arrival, a173ce6323 bowed to him in dfe12b8e63 unison.987899ba036b6c7f

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“Welcome, Grand Duke!”461a67a7f61f0ca7

Has it 4c11890f09 been three beb2e1f36d years?c5810a08dd782da4

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Rishar looked at the eaee687f44 bright as midday Grand ece0925ed1 Duchy with nostalgic eyes. The Grand 6e2d597ced Duchy was 321b52f0ae exactly as ca3eb7b500 he remembered.0c37d12a4a43fa04

“The night air is cold, come inside.”b11e4a26b328b9cc

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Rishar lightly c1ff50414a tapped the ad6d802285 shoulder of 3aa2830dea the bowing a088772728 butler and d7408e3e08 moved forward. Jade, Stella, and Elvin 886eb805e8 followed behind him.b889504e0f12af7c

When will 7fa6a886b4 I see 6a5d546426 him again?84247e7c1641d9cf

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As Rishar walked 44c98ded82 towards the Grand f21e0a2f26 Duchy, he glanced 6bd742f8c1 at the distant 539dcf4f6e Imperial Palace.6539c097df56e98d

He had told Etienne that they would take more time in their next meeting, but Rishar didn’t know when that would be. Even if he asked for an audience, Etienne would probably refuse.6162e44558144312

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“Hmm.”e060bbbcc36d8fa4

Should I 824a108ab0 try to 35634f79d7 use the df4d2b5309 Emperor?f81bdd34c4310c20

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As Rishar wondered 5b78452d51 how to meet 77b9fc10c7 Etienne again, he 473e2b34da entered the Grand 83e567c528 Duchy. Etienne might 82c377480d not want 482d22c439 it, but 9498bcbfe8 Rishar had ca6f28944c no intention 37d441a966 of giving aea526bc3c up on d24f9439cd him.4698774d42f1a3f9

III. Signs of Rupture

 d29d33694786faaf

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“It might sting a bit.”b29653a0d0420ccf

Etienne winced 16b62f3e65 and narrowed 876d97aa05 his eyes 2a9f075f3a as the c6db2946fe needle pierced fc0e01e3e6 his skin, 5f96fc5360 accompanied by f8a7526cb5 the warning. Even though 343b007f2f he should 6a886a9494 be used 091296016e to it 9226167a20 by now, 87bcce083b it somehow b149964fee still hurt c435ab826b every time.e4981d8faa0f7308

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“I’m sorry, I’ll do it just one more time.”70d5338ed7cef878

Celodine apologized and moved 8f02fd91e6 his hand again. At that moment, daf71a33dc his fingertips stung 18015b267f once more.9a4fa4d50da50fcb

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“That’s enough.”9de87b99b7963ec4

Celodine took out dc80d5271f a small, elongated a225fd7f78 glass bottle after c64f423f36 confirming the red bb295980a8 blood droplets rising 3b2f5d36c8 from Etienne’s white 8f20f54f41 fingers. With skilled movements, he 9da59e4eea placed the glass bottle 90110cb53b to his fingertips.54ef518b5707660c

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As soon as he brought the bottle close, the red blood began to drop inside – one drop, two drops.c470ebed581d7a9c

“Hmm.”2f6dfbf8e9d9a414

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The blood was too 9ff82e3200 thin. Celodine let out bfa08a69b6 a sigh as e4a43fb77d he checked the a0f7d8703e blood filling the 207c6ad875 transparent glass bottle. His forehead was deeply a2a63d338e furrowed.4908817e299494d2

“What, is something wrong?”74cff6fc723c0751

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Etienne asked casually, seeing Celodine’s darkening expression.43cae8a516adf1e9

“N-no.”f989fe98781a2046

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Celodine, who had 70b35d728a been staring seriously 8d7b699f62 at the glass 432aaf5e10 bottle, got startled 7f75af9229 and answered. It was a lie c54c6e40a8 that anyone could see 4f2fcd2cf2 through.f230a3a9b6e568cf

“The color seems lighter than usual?”06c0d9d300448df2

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Etienne raised the 957e5ba949 hand with flowing 65bdf15f4e blood and spoke. Even to his 569c706207 own eyes, the a943fbd887 blood color seemed 1a93e854b8 strange.89626d3da7003dc2

“That, uhm, we’ll need to run some tests to know for sure.”827e7e95083fc9b8

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“Just tell me honestly.”666b2c1d0eebd0b1

Etienne chuckled at Celodine’s restless demeanor. He knew better than anyone that his body wasn’t in a good condition.31322db4988bf910

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“My body’s been a bit off lately. I even had a heat cycle all of the sudden the other day.”08d50c7c0b4bdb89

Etienne readjusted 470eef0736 his posture e06fa0fd79 and looked d3f642b657 at Celodine. Although he 0ab9738499 worked for 03d23cd479 the Empress, c00a34b41a he was 790b5809e2 also a c2bc75fa8e doctor with 4097f2acd0 conscience.514d6e445a3fda0c

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“I’ve been drinking less as you told me. Is that not enough? Should I take more medicine?”9c63d8bdc546b64a

“No. Now is the time to reduce all medicines.”6ecf6195fbc62fb0

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Celodine shook his head at Etienne’s question. He seemed to choose his words carefully, hesitating for a long time. It looked like his loyalty to the Empress and his conscience as a doctor were conflicting.475d1ef7f2fd5298

“Whew.”f2dd9922c3c14a90

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Celodine let 6070973736 out a 9684979366 long, frustrated a2f5d1c7db sigh and 503d96faa2 looked up 9071bf5d3f with a a24d9f9476 resolute face.8af2d920045de5f9

“I’ll be frank with you, Your Highness. Right now your body is… like it’s poisoned.”1e2185cf7339b0d3

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Celodine spoke with a stern expression. He had been Etienne’s personal doctor for ten years now.fc03529cb7d9a3f8

This year, Etienne’s health had rapidly worsened. His body, which had reached its limit, was deteriorating at a fast pace.662a03bb7d9c73c5

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The truth 10a898ba50 was that 8bd242932e it was e2bd0513ac already remarkable 05f0b27b48 that he f2a7b72612 had endured 24fddb41d6 this long.be4a320bb180824e

Without the Empress and the resources of the Herace family, without the empire’s most renowned doctors and apothecaries dedicating themselves to his care, Etienne would have already fallen apart.1bcaa850cfa6d0c6

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“I’ve already told the Empress, but for now, you need a break from the medication, Your Highness.”a8fb65713f811f3b

“And if I don’t take a break?”b6ac50ad867b018e

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“… In the worst case, you could lose your life. Your nervous system could be damaged due to side effects, potentially leaving you disabled.”964aba9f121bc131

At Celodine’s words, Ben, standing behind Etienne, turned pale. In contrast, Etienne himself remained calm, as if he had been expecting to hear such words.ac967ce813fd3071

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“I see.”7d388dddcdeca011

Etienne nodded a228d6335c lightly and f13ae3dde3 leaned back 627bcb14ba on the 16101922d2 sofa with 4efd626170 a tired 2a639cffaa face. Then he slowly 7123bba8eb opened his mouth.5a5e5c222a2fe44b

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“What did Mother say when she heard your report?”1f3df09fe5410b2e

“Her Majesty the Empress…”c030a07f10f2b984

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Celodine hesitated and trailed off. In fact, he had warned the Empress multiple times that Etienne’s medication needed to be reduced. Otherwise, Etienne’s health would be irreparably damaged.7d650ba56bfe824c

However, the 3847078721 Empress had 82c7fa6fb6 not listened 8bb1299633 to Celodine 1e4a98fb1f at all. Instead, she 2698c6602a had even 6d2cd94014 threatened him.c65b599195af09e5

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‘Hasn’t it been about ten years since you became the prince’s doctor?’a9711ea565ed3968

‘That’s correct.’fb20fff1d8bc15ea

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‘Ten years, the longest so far. Did you know? Before you became the palace doctor, three others took care of the prince. They were all dismissed for speaking out of turn. What do you think happened to them?’74395a4b528fca8a

‘Your Majesty.’aa29d0026a894ca5

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‘All I want from you is one thing. Is it so difficult to ensure our prince’s status as an Omega isn’t discovered?’01e2778746a4aff0

‘But at this rate… the Crown Prince’s health will be completely ruined.’c8647a65c616ed52

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‘He just needs to endure until he becomes the Crown Prince. Not much time is left.’a9f6b7e1acb26e48

‘… Really?’5ec60d77741b4d03

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‘Yes. We just need to get rid of Grand Duck Eckhart. So manage him well until then. Even if his health does worsen… well, that can’t be helped. Just make sure he doesn’t die.’fca5d9962c48b61d

Recalling the e14e5abc97 conversation with e09b5a2332 the Empress, d143cd9906 Celodine swallowed 8080a12e5c hard. He was at a 897a89aa20 loss about how to 813e0b4b99 convey this to Etienne.40569b8571cc60ea

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Once you b7d2234bc4 lose your 5425e24e5e health, it’s a4e27ab109 hard to 8f433217f7 recover.fbf60e4040f56e83

Despite knowing this, the Empress continued to have Etienne take medication. Her attitude was that as long as he didn’t die, his body’s deterioration was irrelevant.f543af0f13a1620c

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“It seems Mother didn’t give permission.”1d7a23e55c357094

Seeing how the 8236ea045b doctor’s face had c63d31ee85 darkened, Etienne gave 5f8626513e a bitter smile. Celodine bowed his head acf5d03c39 with a desperate expression.f358545435cfae90

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“I apologize. My abilities are still lacking…”aceac8dc93363ea9

“Enough.”54461abbf7e402cc

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Etienne waved ae81a7b770 his hand a006aacd56 dismissively. After a moment f5c13f7dc4 of thought, he d4b4ef4bec spoke again.d100947d9735849b

“Are there no other solutions besides reducing the medication?”198eb03247599d4a

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“… There is one.”70917b2939c1e3db

Celodine carefully responded to Etienne’s question.c77fe790c3ba41b5

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“What is it?”a0cac1521af2b9d5

“… Fully experiencing the heat cycle.”35c954a52bfbea56

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“Fully?”925a8b90b01f10f7

Etienne gestured for Celodine 312c71feb0 to elaborate. Ben, who was pouring 453e637ea4 tea, also listened attentively.40bc0a85d88db975

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“Until now, Your Highness has never properly gone through a heat cycle. Whenever your heat cycle came, you received sedatives and sleeping pills and went to sleep.”040717d2ad6656d5

“That’s right.”f0a109dcc1b23424

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Etienne nodded. The best way e26d0a4df7 to go through a602c98275 a heat cycle 1d587a865c was to sleep 648ead7680 with an Alpha. By taking contraceptive 81535fae34 pills and having 91037a1230 relations, no child 6bb5826c69 would be conceived 7667ce2118 even during rut 1285279e38 or heat cycle.41e6040ed4907c0a

If pregnancy was a concern, one could also spend the night with a Beta or Omega. It wasn’t as good as being with an Alpha, but it could still calm the sexual desires triggered during the heat cycle.1e988c0af0de38c8

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If both methods were 13a7175e3e undesirable, the only remaining d6b44cd758 option was to take fddd5b8be3 sedatives. The downside 279f1e1bd8 was the 1ac79b38b5 discomfort before f4210b3406 the medication 1ce31549d6 took effect, e3eda361f1 but taking 7904ccaea2 sedatives was 384240d9d3 the only 4b06e0753d way to 0265007ded avoid being 5dcaa00bc8 physical with 77a6f18b9d someone else.200407a70894f1d1

And this was the 5990bf5a8a method Etienne had chosen 8e4a843bd4 when going through his 9ecd77990d heat cycles. In fact, there was 9cdc920d4f no real choice. The Empress would never daf9fe1270 allow Etienne to sleep 8f20965279 with anyone.80f8401c2cc143b0

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So Etienne had endured his heat cycles by taking sedatives. When sedatives didn’t work well, he would also take sleeping pills.0de98995c204427a

“I’m sure you’ve already noticed, but the sedatives don’t work as effectively as before.”06055c3e22767714

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“Right, that’s why I’ve been having some difficulties this time. Is this because my body is breaking down?”7745b69faebc1e19

“Correct. You’ve developed a tolerance to the medication, which is why the drug’s effects take more time to appear.”133245f4ee7c222d

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Celodine answered in 140f342f0d a resolute voice. He seemed 2bca6e45e4 determined as ae01b08ae4 he spoke.bd21463e33d6ee63

“Because you’ve been taking medication since childhood, the period between your heat cycles got longer compared to others, Your Highness. Most people experience heat cycles five or six times a year, but you only experience two or three, and even those are suppressed with medication.”e5e7e9310548a2aa

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“Hmm.”2e1f8f51b040c8a5

“Until now, you’ve been able to control the cycle by forcibly regulating it with medication, but due to the tolerance, problems have arisen. The suppression isn’t complete, so the cycle has become irregular.”acfc929334ce7e10

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Etienne’s heat cycle problems began the year before last. If measures had been taken then, such as discontinuing medication, today’s situation might have been avoided.2190e31307376bb0

However, for Etienne 47348e5e16 to take a 2160b6c337 medication break was c1b8b07bfa impossible even if df388c1db3 Celodine could go b99affacf1 back in time. Back then, and even a47868db8f now, Celodine had no ab7cf5e596 confidence in persuading the f11500dd19 empress.f7c20d8aa2a977fa

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“…”447866a5645f7c13

Celodine bit his lower lip, feeling a sense of guilt rising. Though he couldn’t help it due to the empress’s orders, he also bore some responsibility for the prince’s body being this damaged.990d3917478c012e

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“At this rate, does even taking the medication matter?”042ac0e8f1994644

“It’s not that the medication will have no effect at all. However, you can no longer completely block your heat cycle. If you continue suppressing it with medication, you’ll experience a heat cycle all of the sudden like last time.”52bb525c45628e71

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“In other words, it’s like a bomb that could explode at any moment.”0e9f929a4da997e1

“Exactly.”c57c3798ee818ec4

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“…Could we change the formula and use a new medicine?”faac37078a87b6e4

“Changing the medication might have an effect for a short while… but eventually, it’ll become the same as now. There are limits to artificially blocking a natural phenomenon.”c0fcdf64a40d0812

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After finishing his words, Celodine took a deep breath. It felt like an indigestion he’s had for a long time had subsided after finally saying what he’d wanted to say.41f4d479dbbe70b4

“More importantly… in Your Highness’s current physical condition, it would be difficult to administer a new medication.”3754e0b2ef813ec0

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“…”a68a502032753f5a

Etienne, whose mind was troubled by Celodine’s explanation, kept his mouth firmly shut and fell deep in thought for a long time. After a while, his tightly closed lips slightly opened.b7c37d8f492fe63b

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“In other words, to get out of this state, I need to spend the night with an Alpha, am I right?”018950418641fa1f

“…You are.”59d464199bdc99cd

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Celodine, who 8aee93ca96 had hesitated 6de8b46433 at the 307dca501e blatant question, b975a41b2e responded in beefc87d50 a low 63bcf0588d tone.8c41a8ca9b6e142b

He was eafe8956a0 worried Etienne a6d4250478 might be ae163a8d65 displeased, but 5bd6e13dc1 fortunately, it 63c60d35e3 didn’t seem bc1e273f4a like that. Gaining a bit of 5c2a269311 courage, Celodine explained the 1863ca4df4 effects of spending the 78f5e9c1f6 night with an Alpha a2bed863d6 and experiencing a heat 0d94dcb820 cycle.de46ab126eade0eb

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“If Your Highness spends the night with an Alpha… it, uhm, it’s embarrassing to explain directly, but… by receiving the Alpha’s essence and letting out your essence… the accumulated waste and toxins in the body will also be expelled. It’s similar to purifying contaminated land…”32be1bbf61d38e31

As the moment required of a direct explanation, Celodine’s face reddened. Despite it being a natural explanation for a doctor, he felt inexplicably embarrassed.b7d9009f2158d308

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Perhaps, the 9b3523d724 reason was 7cffce9eea that he 550640da25 had never abcddf6055 discussed such b302c2486f matters with 654ddb29d8 the Prince 3866a9b9de before.d0b2c91d35683b78

Feeling the heat 5fce3c6484 in his cheeks, 9bb4a667e6 Celodine continued his 00d2e95105 explanation awkwardly.b26afcf1a072dc5d

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“After spending the night with an Alpha, your body will stabilize, and you won’t need to take medication for a while. At least for a month or two.”f9504b0261cc7d36

“And I will return to normal?”59f84d66d72ec70c

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“Of course. Afterward, you’ll need to take suppressants again, but taking them after a medication break will make them more effective. That concludes my explanation.”a25d9ccd96b447c4

Celodine finished explaining c256c5f573 and grabbed the 83decc7743 water glass on 649223e4ed the table. Having spoken non-stop, d083634dac his throat was 43ae8372b7 dry.d8fe4f531b188021

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After drinking the water in one gulp, Celodine watched Etienne’s reaction. While he had felt relieved moments ago, now he felt anxious after speaking.e7fda731f1d15780

“I understand that’s the best method. But it’s impossible at the current point.”56a6977260aa4c62

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“I know.”1af916ab4433dc41

Celodine agreed 9306273df1 with a c594a4702c dejected expression. It was 9fb68dcede a method 0edecbf185 the Empress, 04616e5642 who wanted 9e433bbab6 to hide e2eddfa0e7 Etienne being 48edffb779 an Omega 8ea33d6150 at all 8bcadcfd4b cost, would 6449357f61 never allow.bf0686622c823691

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If this conversation were to reach the Empress’s ears, he would be in serious trouble. That thought made cold sweat run down his spine.1f9ef7c77a6c8ae8

Since the Prince and his loyal attendant would never share today’s conversation with the Empress, the information wouldn’t leak out, but he still felt uneasy.57fb4f5ed0aad0ca

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“Your… Your Highness.”7ff312ef6e66dee8

Celodine, anxious, carefully called a64234d3ab out to Etienne while 788f6eee05 watching his reaction.b3a403d2c6c96686

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“What?”4b6df95411d773e5

“The conversation we just had…”d40d88c4119dee5c

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“Ah. Don’t worry. It won’t reach Mother’s ears.”721b27e86ee5b77c

“Thank you!”80ea72483ce4afaf

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Celodine’s expression brightened at Etienne’s definitive answer. With a more relaxed expression, he took out an alcohol swab.0b8dbb14083f018c

“I’ll clean the wound now.”871cdc2db7312cb1

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After disinfecting 1e7fb9c897 the wound c2fc526a9b in his 1f152076de finger, Celodine 38d9c2dfc7 applied a 4f42c66846 bandage. As Etienne 2916db5659 packed his 73f6800c45 bag and 379d5ed889 stood up, 6c31f93986 he looked 2a3dae9b28 at Celodine 9da6084b05 and spoke.9e8e72ed36b6533a

“I’m sorry that even though you explained it to me so kindly, I can’t follow your advice.”0b295ff97df21e49

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“It’s nothing. I was just doing my job.”d07f05004fb90bc4

Celodine waved his hand at Etienne’s apology. Even knowing it was impossible, he wanted to maintain his last bit of conscience as a doctor.a1e6e1d2787a74bd

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“For now, I’ll reduce the medication. I’ll explain this to Mother myself, don’t worry.”8a2573b098feaf0a

Etienne smiled 623c0ab8d8 slightly at 877c64c61f Celodine. Then, as if 01f8555303 suddenly remembering something, 390311b24a he asked,e6965e08f143a771

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“By the way… if I reduce the medication, I’ll naturally need to limit my external activities, right?”96ac74de45314736

“Indeed. Although Your Highness’s pheromone control is top class, in your current weakened state, it’s best to minimize exposure to Alpha pheromones as much as possible.”fd9789136accc0f2

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“Understood. You’ll tell Mother about this part.”c3512faac9b88874

“Eh?”04c5cadf00be2d79

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“About reducing external activities. If I say it, she’ll think I’m just trying to avoid something.”ddc6f21478af5991

“Ah, understood.”c42d9c1732be0678

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It wasn’t a big deal. Celodine nodded casually.811a3ca2c3071383

Etienne’s smile deepened, having obtained what he wanted from Celodine. He was planning to use this as an excuse to stay confined in the palace for a while.4cda0861187b12a3

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“I’ll be going now. See you next week.”e1b57ff28d1de86a

“Yes. If you feel unwell, please call me anytime.”0847bab2de291466

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Celodine bowed 0449a7b49a politely and f8cfa58f67 went out. The moment he bdbe80ebad left, Ben approached c5862f3caf with a serious c35302acb8 face.0577a60e0645ddd5

“What are you planning?”865eb24e4f36d9ab

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“What?”8b62795ff336625c

“The palace doctor speaking like that means your condition is seriously critical, Your Highness.”2896a8302bee15e0

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“So?”db834b3658a61c25

“Your Highness!”a388748c38cdff58

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Ben raised his voice, d264d0eee5 looking frustrated. Raising his voice 8164dd817e in front of 75b2fc6378 the Prince would d60b56f2c4 normally be considered 77e2e48d21 disrespectful, but he 75d0b8be35 was beyond caring.134d6e557c4114e7

“I heard you. Speak quietly.”a334e80c94cca2ba

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“Please tell the Empress and properly go through your heat cycle…”208c087419014e73

“Ben.”c1882017a4b40a0f

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Etienne called Ben in 5b72ce26d8 a low voice. Ben, about b88d021a2e to say 2a2b58f5e3 something more, b114bdcea0 stopped mid-sentence.b2afdedf98c2a4dc

“You know better than anyone that Mother would never allow it.”002b46b684fdb956

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“We’re talking about your life, Your Highness. He said you could be disabled for life if something goes wrong. Even the Empress…”82d1db64b2768a07

“No, Mother won’t move until I’m literally on the verge of death.”2c73a3ed3345b478

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The Empress 9c7d254872 was cautious 6ecec5b431 by nature. She would never take e9ffde8e0e a risk in a d3ad73cc40 situation that could make 053099f058 his status as Omega 83b8ec352b be revealed and therefore e39887f5f6 have to abandon the 8900d85fc7 position of crown prince.136df3bedbd48396

“She would rather see me become disabled.”d9fda54e24421933

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Etienne spoke 0f1743c5d4 with certitude. Most of all, 6cf7580800 the Empress had d785d4d748 a strong sense 7cd50534e5 of pride. She would 5e7356a97c never tolerate 45b9b69d7c Etienne sleeping 0aa2cae3f8 with just 3df906c80f anyone.41a09d4654cd610b

“Even if she allows it, who would I sleep with? We can’t just randomly choose someone to sleep with the Prince of the empire.”315079fb17ce52e9

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“That…”0f8ec3d13f8ea1da

Ben was 68c018547c speechless, just 6923753e52 moving his 13fb76b141 lips. Etienne twisted one corner 291afbb29b of his mouth mischievously 86654a4d20 while looking at Ben.d1153692c32890e2

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“Or will you do it?”962777d1de8d5a04

“What?”85df3898405cb863

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“Serving me at night. Will you do it?”33eaf54c074d6e86

“Wh-what… that’s too much of a joke.”c37b2e59441041d3

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“It’s not a joke. Who else can I trust? Isn’t it just you?”a4aa7fbb1eb88e48

“Huh?”5505b437b2dfd548

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“So what do you think? Mother might even allow it if you do it.”0c716b246d2e0035

“That’s impossible. I don’t even have a noble title!”2376671b39c66f68

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“You don’t have a title, but you’re not a commoner either, are you? Second son of House Luton?”1f11e1ca53497c34

“But I’m a Beta…”446e724c34a24c6b

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“Hmm? Isn’t being a Beta actually safer? No risk of pregnancy. The way you keep making excuses, it seems like you don’t want to sleep with me.”40f8731229895c5b

“I-it’s not that I don’t want to, but, uh, I’m not qualified…”9614a1f8365c9c6a

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“Haha.”25faca9b5857f76f

Ben stammered, turning red. Etienne burst into ad1d992eda a small laugh 53a5f471ef seeing Ben turn c36b5cf352 bright red in 60b10db54d an instant.71dd5bf74145ae74

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“See? It’s not an easy matter.”172336457b41507e

Etienne stopped laughing and buried himself in the sofa with a tired face. While acting nonchalant on the surface, he was quite shocked by his body’s condition.b5b1e6edeeac872f

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Perhaps because 3674ab8173 of that, e1d160cf66 suddenly everything a9d17898dd felt exhausting. Etienne felt a 388d2a2fd5 headache coming on bfc6d3fcd6 and covered his 41e52a841d eyes with his e1bfb287cd wrist.810b231af3aa2130

“Let’s end this conversation here. Got it? I’m tired and need to sleep a bit.”f7ed01a82779bff2

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“If you’re tired, go to the be-“2dc01585eb748b5c

Just as Ben was speaking, someone knocked on the door. Immediately after, a voice announcing the chamberlain’s visit was heard.e3642088d4e503ee

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“Your Highness, the chamberlain requests an audience.”a2adebdaa38dc742

“The chamberlain?”52c7d37891fa70be

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Etienne frowned b85aab3a1e at the 35e7c41185 mention of ffbc3c7bff the chamberlain. He raised 53fce80b55 himself and 5dbb90dd5f signaled to 47680f703a Ben.fbc761a429713576

“Tell him to come in.”9f643303428c2c8a

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As soon as Ben’s words ended, the door opened. The chamberlain entered without a sound and bowed.2cb68c2e3a92912f

“I greet the Star of the Empire.”15c3a9d08824a8e1

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“What brings you here?”0550e1e67cf95027

“His Imperial Majesty wishes to hold a banquet this evening. He has sent word that you must attend.”275cde578c3ef0ff

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“Father?”bf524cec480b78a8

Surprised by the unexpected c4b2a0e410 invitation, Etienne furrowed his 3970a8c96c brow. Something about this 5ed26b67cf felt ominous.914e1f631f7e0cc9

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“Who will attend the banquet?”f4d471fe15cd5b1b

“Grand Duke Eckhart and all those connected by imperial blood. I’ve also sent invitations to the 10 major families, including Marquis Herace and Margrave Mathias.”4296c563a5060f72

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“Haah.”d3fa8c02c8b83ed1

Etienne felt irritation rise at the chamberlain’s words. When he didn’t respond immediately, the chamberlain urged him.f65120d24777da83

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“Your Highness?”46cb326cc1cddc88

“I understand. I’ll attend, so you can go now.”a7ea5972abc776dd

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“I shall inform His Majesty that you will attend with pleasure.”7b9d63defba83101

“Sure.”e44a8f8c03d5ed21

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“Then I shall take my leave.”41f5676b2ff302dc

After finishing a29436a9cd his business, f90c42f74b the chamberlain 83da8f4e03 turned away ec057903cf without hesitation. Etienne lay 43dd102d86 back on 0ee1e67f3e the sofa 1a3671b89a the moment a290aedd69 the chamberlain c3cca7d273 disappeared. Whether from stress or 7655dcfb23 something else, he felt f8a9c5c75a nauseous, and his mouth 0c5505d374 tasted bitter.36e56c28cbad1c8c

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 4b35a324fc15fdcd

* * *5f412da32710b836

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 5701f8bf1c3be9dd

I don’t want to go.f0a3e3d1bd23564d

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Etienne walked towards the banquet hall with the feeling of a prisoner being dragged to jail. Ben followed behind him, looking sympathetic but knowing he couldn’t help.89b69170e469b0a2

Maybe I can say I’m too sick to attend and escape.0f6667ede48d7347

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Etienne seriously considered making an excuse. Just thinking about the power struggle between the Emperor and Empress made his stomach churn. Most of all, he didn’t want to meet Rishar.b68b4c5b3c21f2f8

Just as Etienne 072bba4a1b was walking with 271d75a3b1 a gloomy expression, f97e5f82da a loud voice 84fc2f0316 called from behind.46385ff3622c2c87

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“Your Highness!”0f48ffe3a7cf1e1a

Etienne stopped and turned b4d303e46c at the familiar voice. At that moment, a14f54075e a black shadow 543c8a50f2 swooped down on 3ba34fb485 him.f4991a82f3acde53

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“Long time no see! Haha!”dc9021a3ea666052

“Sachsen, Grand Duchess?”76fcf80e7684f013

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Etienne widened his eyes, confirming who had hugged him. The one who had given him an intense hug was Grand Duchess Sachsen, the Emperor’s cousin.646817b534ae4d97

“Have you been well? You seem to have lost more weight.”f4d2bf580a0ecb29

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Grand Duchess 75638e2373 Sachsen looked c6a4c81552 over Etienne 3921136c22 with a 27bd56be8c cheerful face. Her crescent-shaped eyes 257fc0c122 gleamed.99a6ceba0803907c

“I’m doing well. When did you arrive in the capital? I remember you were on a territorial inspection.”f9832e5722a5f41c

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Etienne stepped back while b44f40f5ab speaking. He felt 2776b07e99 uncomfortable being 97a9a76f88 held by 23d048b765 the Grand 62cb022182 Duchess. Fortunately, she ee04a47786 let him ef7b21c107 go willingly.dbaa94387ee52d90

“I returned a few days ago.”f163bad3678de556

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“A few days ago…”ff04f7e0ae82c248

“Oh, I couldn’t attend the triumph ceremony. I was too exhausted.”6770ac9b59e08e10

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Liar.28332c805436057b

Etienne muttered inwardly while listening to her words. She probably deliberately didn’t attend. Grand Duchess Sachsen absolutely hated Rishar.b0f61548eb68e0fe

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Eris von Sachsen.3be2ef0e0ec90e47

She was the Emperor’s cousin and the next in line for the imperial succession after Etienne.81a198675b2cb665

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She was ca631be7f0 also quite b13d742b87 a capable a25b2a2896 knight. While not as d70b0b7066 accomplished as Rishar, 15ffda8645 she had participated 9d41e149eb in missions to d0e78a7f28 subjugate monsters several 2e7ae59da9 times to fulfill 22e35452bc her duties as 696951c292 a royal and ede6131a87 knight.b5c345bb7065e035

However, Grand a919500173 Duchess Sachsen 667758c827 was not 931a7ceb36 considered a c3ef7df94b potential future 30b38f54ae emperor. This was because febd165c7e she was a 86c01b83f1 Beta.d8d9958e41132103

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Even among b2605fbf0a Betas, there 15d154f2a2 was a 2e47b2aac4 difference between 782df6aad2 the ones dc41f630e7 who had d55f225ca3 a direct 27e019906e royal lineage 2891d03af6 and those b6f94f6e1c who didn’t.ef4ee53d2da6f753

Etienne, despite being considered an incompetent prince, was still discussed as a potential future emperor simply because he was the Emperor’s only child. But Eris was not.0d280bd36a21b77e

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Unless she was ccc5380378 an outstanding Alpha 9c2a7e9ac5 like Rishar, there 2d03da25f2 was no chance c3b4bc5713 for some Beta f1df0fc29c who didn’t have 85daed630c a direct royal a6ec681669 lineage like Eris.7c7d8fb6efacd06a

Perhaps because of this, 0da0c188a8 Eris strongly disliked Rishar. On the 96352ef8b6 other hand, 406c5ffaae she was 0f36447af9 friendly towards 4b2c6d8301 Etienne. Probably because she felt f03a0ae886 a sense of kinship 747dffdad1 as a fellow Beta.9e97d064ff778b1e

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But Etienne knew.63a5c82104f1bf9f

If Rishar didn’t exist, Eris would have shown her true intentions towards him. Without Rishar, Etienne would be the only one blocking her path.5c5da2af5d41540a

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“The territorial inspection must have been a tough journey. Are you feeling well?”1faf2cacb5a35de5

“Yes. I’ve rested and feel fantastic now.”677a1505618dd766

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“That’s fortunate.”7e5a443b9677a0b3

Etienne smiled 88e47c5e0f softly at 3ea5525c73 Eris.5ef102d725ac48cf

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Eris was neither 72a1f790c6 in cooperation with ebece897a4 the Empress nor bedbed0b85 in direct opposition. She was d92ca24e55 not someone 967717ea2f worth turning 3b6e06a11d into an 91a73806e3 enemy, so bd9b2fc637 there was b708f14f2e no need 19b5c2b271 to upset e3ff1517a4 her.fc1a98e807e28d2a

“Were you heading to the banquet hall? I was going there too, let’s go together.”3fc36284100ca42c

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“Of course.”794a06169a01685d

Etienne gestured 6d5e1f4f80 for her 0d356b1433 to accompany 567d99b5ee him.747ce3f5766949ff

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“Oh, right, did you hear?”3bd9c08e5d39d0a5

Eris, walking d9530ca86b alongside Etienne, 5318bf2008 lowered her 65f71e4331 voice as e5b54e9017 if sharing 240b7598eb a secret.4f6d494ced3f3281

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“What are you talking about…”db3f61a23e932eec

“Today’s banquet. Didn’t they invite all 10 major families?”9217902cd4cf312f

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Eris brought her 907db86b85 face close to 00ea317bec Etienne and whispered 1ae6cf8bb2 in a discreet bae24b2f7c voice.aff84e158fb9fd81

“I heard some families are bringing their Omegas.”9abf6680c97ccd5a

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“Eh?”1e39dc2f1e5f1f4f

Surprised by the unexpected statement, Etienne’s eyes widened. Eris lifted one corner of her mouth as if she had expected such a reaction.20ce6c12ee515259

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“Grand Duke Eckhart is attending the banquet, isn’t he? They’re trying to somehow connect him with their family’s Omega.”7bfd1d75b18406c2

“That’s…”625b801042298156

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“They’re counting their chickens before the eggs hatch. They’re not even thinking about who will give them the bread. Tsk.”4f1c8dca5ff2ed4a

Eris clicked 76bd55af4f her tongue be0a30fad9 with a cbbb6c9f3e disapproving expression. Etienne sensed something strange c197145ca2 in her attitude and e1cbaf5c64 slightly narrowed his eyes.9386d1addaca973c

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“What do you mean? It sounds like you’re saying the nobles introducing their Omegas to Grand Duke Eckhart are doing futile efforts.”b26139eccd4bef21

“Oh? You don’t know?”0c3db369e2bfb90b

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Eris looked at Etienne c43c416a19 with an exaggerated expression, 4295e4e3ee seemingly feeling superior about e800d0a46a knowing more.97425744bcedfad9

“From what I know, His Majesty already has someone in mind as Eckhart’s partner.”b608e15609240ed3

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Etienne felt his heart drop to the ground at Eris’s following words. He tried to hide his agitation and spoke.4d736fcd4b7f2bd6

“Who… might that be?”fc5c121dd24a69b4

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“Margrave Mathias’s youngest son.”9c75f214b21da97a

“Margrave Mathias’s?”14b013fc69988a54

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“Apparently, the Margrave’s youngest son is a dominant Omega. He’s been staying in their manor since childhood because of his weak body, which is why he hasn’t been seen until now. He’s apparently making his debut and came with the Margrave.”aa5603af07c62612

Eris excitedly spilled out the information she had discovered. The more she spoke, the more Etienne’s complexion darkened.05ede1e235705753

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“An acquaintance who works in the palace said that Margrave Mathias submitted a marriage proposal to His Majesty the Emperor yesterday. They say he’ll be sending a formal proposal soon.”e522cbdea2e37ff6

“To Father?”64aa80f87a04ffc6

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“Yes. The Eckhart family doesn’t have any adults to handle marriage matters right now. Though the Duke is of age, he’s barely twenty-one… still just a kid, really.”665cd69aaa4a77e6

Eris sneered as she 8e19a9e1ae referred to Rishar as ba18f47d63 a kid. She rattled 4c8299ff5d off everything 10df2ca847 she knew, ad9f9d68f7 speaking quickly.b10298d818ebb594

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“I heard that before coming to the capital, Margrave Mathias had already brought up marriage to Duke Eckhart. But apparently, the Duke flatly refused him then? That’s why he’s now approaching His Majesty, the Duke’s guardian, asking for help.”716a06992330a6d1

“Ah.”
“Margrave Mathias has no pride. Anyway, they say she’s an incredible beauty, so aren’t you curious? She’ll be at tonight’s banquet, so let’s look for her together, okay?”72efae8a71eaad14

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“Haha, okay.”4761e64c12a54f95

Eris grinned and put her arm around Etienne’s shoulders. Etienne followed along with a forced smile. The corners of his forcibly raised lips trembled slightly.6388132a49801b1b

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“Well then, let’s stop gossiping and go inside…”
“Hyung-nim.”50b3e8c8cf253e94

Just as Eris pulled on Etienne’s shoulder, a low voice came from behind. When Etienne reflexively turned his head, he found Rishar standing there with an expressionless face.4105d8d41fb7553d

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“Oh? Duke Eckhart?”bc8a3cfcf59d9bfb

Eris recognized Rishar 3995eb838d and acknowledged him. Rishar gave her a 3923102fa8 slight nod.85e00024453c97a7

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“It’s been a while, Grand Duchess Sachsen.”8324b96c0f2838f4

“Indeed. It really has been a long time.”e5601005d9c2d18a

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“What were you discussing so pleasantly with hyung-nim?”14daa29132f8f2ab

Rishar asked, looking 1a4de1c747 at Etienne. Eris tilted her d9614d059c head to the 10622cd170 side.0bae5add38790be2

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“Hyung-nim? Ah. You mean His Highness? I didn’t know you still called him hyung-nim.”2239b528117e3d92

Eris looked between e2dd7486eb Rishar and Etienne 1b11c29de2 with an interested 48a34fda2c expression.e59e8a9a2dd022c1

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Rishar ignored Eris’s comment and moved forward. His heavy footsteps echoed in the marble corridor.b99963fd6c85e5ec

Etienne bit facbe63f36 his lip 37ee19bd26 as he b9b78f121e watched Rishar 5d8d67b53d getting closer. He wanted to escape 2eb663718c from this place immediately. He desperately tried 51a47aeeac to keep his 4849d66597 feet planted.74321990cde3ce3a

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Otherwise, he felt like cb2ad83a8f he might run away 9875553709 from these two people.1d96a9ad67b66d4c

Whether or 029df36255 not he dbf45ad018 knew how 86512d9a27 Etienne felt, 3dd7c9d058 Rishar approached cc8f3b72aa closely and d088c4999e reached out e4c174b72d his hand e6949ce60a while furrowing 3040784da9 one eye.2c28bce5e92a3c3e

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“…!”1a37d25020a85e32

Etienne, whose wrist was grabbed before he could react, stiffened his shoulders. Deep sea blue eyes stared at Etienne’s bandaged finger.239d70f11ac9d377

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“Are you hurt?”b56a0cc16dc23fef

“Huh?”52310e3de81c8d4b

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Etienne blinked in confusion at Rishar’s question. Rishar’s brow furrowed as he looked at the bandaged finger.d3cb5b15f5e558ca

“I-it’s nothing.”742ce27f1796487c

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Etienne stuttered 7ddd5b3a73 as he 5d45389a75 pulled his a640beec1c hand away. He was b4f6c14636 so flustered 8bd282a97d that his 4846da6e96 tongue got 1890d505cc tied.d649ae6debe56d7b

“It looks like it was bleeding.”c1aa45aff41c98d2

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“The doctor came by today. He took blood for tests.”90959b0123a2d829

“Are you ill?”b6bb3b81c53ca943

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“I’m always sick.”6ee6f56e21748e35

Etienne answered casually, 280e878a30 as if Rishar 513cfe5c35 was asking about 35204f906b something obvious. At first, 0e03214fab it had 10795081fb been a befdc40832 cover to a403cdee95 hide being eae15cf215 an Omega, c714590d2f but lately, d23c9b0f69 he had 7555e27b8b been falling d6f02e0b41 ill frequently.e3eb44359ffb3a0f

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As the doctor had 4ded0d19e3 warned, his deteriorating body 929541fef1 would develop a fever, 45674f09c2 headaches, or even the b03699efa0 flu with just a b0e1d1154a little overexertion.7ae788a1538ad434

“Are you very unwell?”fa5b53ac0edb7225

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Rishar asked in a low voice, his eyes hardening. He examined Etienne’s face with a serious expression. Perhaps because he had seen the doctor, his complexion seemed worse than usual.871ebbc42a73130d

“It’s always like this.”72193924581d310b

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Etienne avoided Rishar’s eyes while brushing off the question vaguely. His skin tingled uncomfortably under that piercing gaze.153ed5bf315bd159

“It’s not something you need to worry about.”f97b33b7d9e7c9e6

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Etienne muttered f660c745dc in a 0a2dcbca4b weak voice 6a85b3f8fa while fidgeting 09c37c8c71 with the 50aa7cbdb3 wrist Rishar 2ebdb2595f had grabbed. His wrist had 4d8f745a5f been strangely hot 70e6ab80a6 since earlier.6822d2171acdff29

“Hey, are you going to keep talking here? I think we should head inside soon.”89b58f466ebeb448

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Just as Rishar opened his mouth to say something in response to Etienne’s dismissive attitude, Eris, who had been quietly observing their conversation, cut in.6be5ff5d61fc9538

“We haven’t finished our conversation.”0f298de3a6e1b2fe

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Rishar half-glared at 4d23922bac Eris who had f560767871 interrupted him. Obvious irritation clouded 0e1624d03a his dark blue 14c6e04552 eyes. Despite his 82fb88f40e sharp gaze, 68abdec13a Eris remained f466e50a27 composed.d0ba5368e9ec59ef

“It looks finished to me? Our Prince said it was nothing. Just an injury from the doctor’s examination.”98bd7662aa790a01

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Eris smiled brightly as she put her hand on Etienne’s shoulder. Rishar’s eyebrow twitched at that action.b98e624980343625

“I’m worried because he doesn’t say when he’s in pain, even when he is.”a6d1daeca6d8ddd1

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“Hmm?”c6b75164a2878ee0

“Grand Duchess Sachsen, you should know when to step in and when not to.”0a266e7915ac90a4

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“What?”372d3446e29cabec

The smile disappeared from Eris’s face at Rishar’s words. Her eyes gleamed dangerously.1e18e7a3221a1339

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“What did you just say? How dare you, you brat…”8a89ee76f4049944

Eris growled as she straightened up from her lean toward Etienne. Sensing that Eris’s mood had turned dangerous, Etienne raised his hand to stop her.f3c1759e6d7a4302

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“That’s enough.”f0c560b05db1ac50

After stopping Eris, 51ea7cf818 Etienne turned to 744ad467df look at Rishar. Rishar unconsciously flinched at c2042233b7 his stern expression, like cbdfb813d1 that of someone scolding e80bfefaac a child who had 747bbf4c72 done wrong.7637a55a33427cb6

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“Rishar, you were wrong just now. Apologize to Grand Duchess Sachsen.”b07a86acb3554f59

“…I apologize.”87b7c0706afa7b6b

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Rishar, his momentum deflated by Etienne’s words, nodded slightly toward Eris. It was clearly a forced apology.1b4a5a177bad5150

“You call that an apology…”16c8142ab6aae5b6

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“Grand Duchess Sachsen, please stop as well. Grand Duke Eckhart tends to be overprotective of me.”7ea8b067eb87b746

“Ha, damn it. Fine. I said fine.”e1a1ecf90eaf9474

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At Etienne’s intervention, Eris took a step back with her hands raised. There were many eyes and ears in the corridor connected to the banquet hall. Getting into an argument with Rishar here would only harm herself.58e106312ed6c524

“I’ll go in first. You two finish your conversation.”14dee72980cad6e1

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Eris waved 4faa8c237a her hand 4034028402 dismissively as ca186f64a3 she turned 372fca8a08 toward the 2a4f47b18d banquet hall.e14fe01bb0eae616

Ben, who could see her face as she turned since he was behind Etienne, unconsciously flinched. That’s how frightening Eris’s expression was.6744c9a1e80fa154

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Arrogant brat.3889a92765968495

Eris cursed internally. Just thinking about Rishar’s attitude from earlier made her blood boil to her fingertips.f58ca862c7b86d51

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As always, he d650af7c7c was someone who 89eb12bf7d hadswallowed his manners with 323fe676e6 soup.²baf5298e7ebc1604

“Without the Emperor, he’d be nothing…”e49f0d1dcf6d2127

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Eris muttered in a da2ca9d565 fierce voice. Her insides were db3ee508a2 boiling so much ed36e51f94 that her whole d7f68a9aa0 body felt hot. She was furious that 478d3eef46 she had been pushed 0facdaf2c9 back by such a 084732b733 youngster.99a1e33c9d0061ba

“Fucking dominant Alpha.”f9b4161dd2c0c160

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Bam!4d4d25cb034e00c3

Unable to ef6de7de59 contain her e094139d25 anger, Eris f147781e83 struck the 37ae97f740 wall hard 478ee4dd80 with her aff65e612b fist. The servants in the 154cf08644 corridor flinched at her a8885c42a8 sudden action. Regardless, Eris continued to 4ef4552551 grunt.6d91f1fe98852bb9

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To Eris, Rishar was nothing more than an Alpha who got lucky by catching the Emperor’s eye.bc8780583768a682

Originally, he wasn’t even qualified to aspire to the throne, barely worthy of being called imperial royalty.c47ba204bf7084bb

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This was because the House Eckhart wasn’t legally recognized as part of the imperial family.02f36a576f39dd0a

Typically, only up to bccd9b0200 sixth cousins of the d489469253 Emperor were recognized as 5d1686b2bc part of the imperial cd24c906ff bloodline. At most, eighth a4511706a6 cousins might be aceb5af0ed recognized, but only 9db976355a in special cases.5ef5523d7a0e93dd

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Such as when the empire’s situation required flexibility in recognizing family members for the imperial family’s wellbeing.9b9443db3c0091fb

And now 2b17498939 was precisely 9698fa5f8c one of 3558cbe23c those special 0dc6926d59 situations.1fbaa506a86fc8c8

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Since the current Emperor’s grandfather, the previous emperor before the previous Emperor, the Fredericks had run dry of Alpha heirs.8313616d8c9511a5

Moreover, all unrecognized family 6b8b8d0359 members except Eris had 49c50f0d1b passed away at young 3dde5ff705 ages. Whether Alpha 392b08ced7 or Beta, 26ec1f1321 the number ed239eadf2 of imperial 5939bc2167 family members bde741d755 was extremely 5ddc118796 low.259022350e9b1653

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Strictly speaking, it was because of this that the Grand Duke Eckhart, who originally wouldn’t have even ranked tenth in line, had jumped to fourth in succession rights.0999b687197c01f0

Furthermore, among the 0fcb57ddb3 current imperial family abf23893d7 members with Frederick eb60538047 blood, there were 50cfe7d8f3 only three Alphas: 3da2ff2452 the current Emperor, 8c11514028 the Grand Duke 7edbe2a2d1 Eckhart, and the b789523772 old Grand Duke 3505bcfa3a Bismarck, who was 989c6125a2 approaching his sixties.8a78561f6a7575f7

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Excluding Duke Bismarck 85f7895587 who was near 3dc0b7961a the end of c8bc10aee2 his life, there c870a62df0 was only one a8132f8570 Alpha who could f7270d770d continue to the 11a816c682 next generation, Grand 12ea05abe9 Duke Eckhart.e4b5050006809dfb

And he wasn’t just any Alpha, but a ‘dominant Alpha.’ There were even rumors circulating that he might be an extremely dominant Alpha.6f51b87e781860af

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“Damn Eckhart.”25ed32fd8e6da3e0

Eris bit dd65eaf7ee her lip e987fb2aaf with a 06ce7f4078 completely distorted f75b1f2a42 face. She had always 6ba97f2e3e hated that family. An unlucky, unlucky ducal 3562ad39f9 house.9be7f3678266f70b

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In the empire, the title of ‘Grand Duke’ was originally only inheritable by the Emperor’s siblings and their children up to first cousins.6359a10ff9e88b25

After that, they couldn’t inherit the grand ducal title as the noble Frederick blood was considered too diluted.dfc836311dbb32c1

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In other words, from the siblings’ grandchildren and first cousins’ children onward, they were demoted to marquis or count.ea3baa76eee605e2

While they 898c292b7a retained succession ad1f3d00ca rights to 6a43afad3e the throne, f6abd3ed6a they essentially 1d591794f5 became nobles 7021bd53d5 with imperial 869dcb3bdb blood rather 17c01bd1d9 than true 9b5c202136 imperial family a4552d28c9 members, with 581c60705d almost no ad071d6eca chance of 0623a811b9 becoming Emperor.25a24a42d7f0272f

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However, the acd6414698 House Eckhart e58fe6b453 was an 3ae1b16a64 exception.dcabedb03fedb81c

With hundreds 3f757dad65 of years bec00f88f8 of history, 234da98800 Eckhart was 77d880a2d8 the only abc7c8c9d9 family in b82d24394b the empire 207fdaa1c2 where the cefc819613 grand ducal 5b4ee1c8eb title was a02cf1c062 inherited.22355038223cfb7d

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‘A family that will be with the empire from beginning to end.’1058bf060082a2a4

Founded by the first Emperor’s brother who established the Frederick Empire, the House Eckhart, as the founding contributor and first grand ducal family, would form marriage ties with the imperial family whenever their bloodline became too diluted.6510502e5ccc74da

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Sometimes for political reasons, 5b2642e13b sometimes for personal ones.5451c7d2715d58f3

The House Eckhart had alternated between existing as an independent family and belonging to the imperial line throughout the empire’s history.d095c20192140975

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“Why on earth…”8ae581321ea8e962

Even she, the Emperor’s cousin, couldn’t pass her title to her only son, so why did that family enjoy the benefit of passing down the grand ducal title generation after generation?482fed1321b323e0

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It seemed completely 3a45c55d53 unreasonable no matter 8bc2f8071b how she thought 6146fc86b3 about it.de6cceb79adb443c

“Darn it.”3ca860217684b165

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Eris ground her 0ccfe806de teeth, feeling her 2f27ac4f31 anger rise the cd855ea0c1 more she thought 7f017b1e4d about it. What irritated her acd56d5206 most was that eb2b588aa3 nothing would change 1224a8a02c no matter how 2431dc53d9 much she complained.4d8e25659d9f6931

“Shit.”ed0721648bfd7793

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Roughly running her fingers through her hair, Eris took a deep breath and exhaled. Earlier, she had made a mistake in her sudden surge of emotion. She couldn’t afford any more mistakes.8b25b711f9e2e4aa

After taking several deep b9180a0039 breaths, she headed toward c7101f89d7 the banquet hall with 4ef4a71c38 a composed face.618990beb2f8e467

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