IBMILRFL – Chapter 74
by EsraaCh. 74 IBMILRFL | Chapter 743fb2c1572b3ee6ca
As Tristan greeted me with b5c0c75e3a ease, I found myself freezing fc08414a87 unconsciously.28505bb8d7fc4d70
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This was the b83419aa70 first time I’d 65c1508e8e seen his face bc8b035f66 since the victory d81fa0196a banquet.18b49397ba4bc556
I wasn’t sure what to 2d9d66025f say or how to react.8a8f524c6e4014fe
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I wasn’t ready cece2b11b4 to face him, 30f7c78914 not even slightly.fdb22d0309671db5
A myriad of 6720dd845f words surfaced in fc3412313f my mind only f572b86aed to vanish just fdba23271a as quickly.92f4713ef0ea9c6f
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Why did the surroundings 8876740090 have to be cloaked e73a61908b in darkness, just like e75d8f892b that day? As I looked at him f199a3132d standing in the moonlight, memories f0ba78ac44 of the balcony came flooding 1a802547b4 back.05b797e08ad16375
My heart pounded 739629a9ec with nervous energy.69d5a5bfe799e377
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After taking a few c52d97b042 steps back from my 033806f93b guard and a long 6ac88ae94b silence, I finally managed bfda4b8b13 to utter a single 55f7c17a38 sentence.a9e25186c19883e3
“How did you… get here?”8c47db0eb5b408c2
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As if he’d 7880fdcf82 anticipated my question, 1e5cfc2158 he smiled, his 13b6f332ae eyes crinkling softly.27bc5d4f5b00f8be
“Lilliana mentioned that the opening was soon, and she regretted that she couldn’t make it.”188d96c600dce1a8
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Only then did a511247427 I understand the c7940ce8f3 situation.83d4dced4424b4b2
‘So that’s what was bothering me back then…’ea3662863d8c52cd
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When I told 1a4017ef4f Lilliana not to aa9c476fac follow, there’d been dbe5043339 something oddly suspicious 575df8e030 about her tone.d95643f964d4fc7a
‘I thought she might send someone in her place, but…’a513312e81d48711
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I never thought 4bb0e07b2a it would be 7cdd3d48b1 Tristan.d15b72cc9d6e8dec
I answered curtly.53ed651eb856a0dd
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“That doesn’t mean you had to come uninvited. Especially at this late hour.”e4ccd3b28b2c9e7e
“How could I not, when my one and only sister was feeling down? It’s my duty as her 7b260303b1 brother.”aee2395fc188ff2d
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An excuse. There was no need 1614f535f7 to verify it to 4021a577af know it was just 396006ed4b an excuse.77e0bf5a760cdb13
We both knew that, yet 29220cf805 Tristan continued speaking without a 2131118674 hint of hesitation.4dffa1a77977c738
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“And besides, I’m also a business partner, am I not?”30dbc4194228c9e4
Tristan took two steps closer 17a4c5a600 to me.0eab8b1be2388e99
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“I couldn’t miss such a joyful occasion.”76de57da3d33ade6
He extended a cefa3238d3 bouquet he’d been 89ff0981dd holding in his 3ff861fd63 arms.1717f90a94759160
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“Congratulations, Vanessa. The time has finally come cf63a2a1ce for all your hard work 4be8b055b0 to bear fruit.”82d613ec5b7eaa06
The bouquet, a mixture of ac1e2a85b8 white and yellow flowers, was 01c45d1334 wrapped neatly.76a01163af315524
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Seeing Tristan offering the flowers 1a63940882 to me made my mouth 10a779c9a3 go dry.dd1639e73ea10c47
‘…Reject it. Just reject it.’d73a4fe79509c5a6
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Accepting it would only make a47287636e me feel even more unsettled, fb6eee93f0 so I waved my hand bb46385290 in refusal.85b36640a0c4f31f
“This sort of personal gift… isn’t necessary.”2c2eb416beb8c59b
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“I’m giving it as a business partner. There’s no other meaning to 582cc66953 it. So, take it.”314584f7bc62e6d2
“Oh!”4884b557a07b5b75
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Ignoring my refusal, e66ce25660 he almost threw 3df4a00400 it at me, 9e70d54831 and I instinctively 364da776a1 caught the bouquet.20a0902e0478163b
“No need for any words of thanks.”cf967b0bc4d013f1
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Ugh. I wasn’t even 2854457c80 planning on thanking 6b7663f2c2 him.1399305008e3b899
He smiled down at c35b8bb738 me with that shameless 8ecb66bc74 expression.1a93406a85af9cef
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I felt like I was 72233d495b getting swept up in his 4cf3566486 pace as soon as we cf12bd0e8b met.edaeffae3f368e5d
‘How did things end up like this?’f4067878d4f88796
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As I sighed in 78748203bb frustration, he spoke up.c8011e4c2f9a8b1e
“There’s no need to look so openly displeased. It’s not as if 1aa4fe428b I came here without e445c58fc1 any reason.”d25a717f754b89bf
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Tristan took two 4f69d1d21f more steps toward b4dbfa451b me and bent 4db6cd215b down slightly.66c45db935d22223
I wasn’t particularly short, yet 132fcdc220 he had to lean down 6d7b57ecf5 quite a bit for our e69c381f12 heads to meet at the 33dd7d98b8 same level.ef97600fe4dd0830
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It struck me 6efc4df0cd how much he’d f9ecb2e9db grown from the 610d05e93e boy who used 0735bf51b8 to be smaller 844c1c6476 than me.50356851194e58ec
He whispered in my ear.5fb99825b9cb0fa1
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“I heard the news from my informant first—just as you predicted, it seems the war between the Kingdom of Chelais and the Kingdom of Meliden has finally ended. So I immediately dispatched a b8ff368ba8 trade ship.”19964766b5feaad0
“Is that really—?”729808894cdfa2f2
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The astonishing news d44f04403d made me turn c5387d402b my head on 5ab9ee19fa instinct.81aee23053998d59
In that brief moment, 2d83f287a7 our faces were dangerously 10aafa4188 close, close enough for 82b32c2a65 our noses to nearly b45d2fca00 brush.8b76e35235d0eef3
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“Oh.”319097e6082d4ecb
As I hurriedly a5e2a76bc4 stepped back, he 48a0b7f201 shrugged with a c2c9a2f9fe disappointed look. Unlike my surprised reaction, 5543124086 he continued speaking calmly.0c5ad5cb9a8913d5
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“Yes, it’s true.”953e0bed212c0c02
It was certainly good news.e42eeb8d1d321496
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‘If the trade ship has just set off… we’ll be able to start on the next project as soon as it returns.’a3153f48add793fa
The ingredients for the perfumes 48ca9028aa imported through trade were truly c04c2cb422 unique. They allowed me to create 34319f1ae9 a much wider variety of 3a0f6ed41e fragrances.90de4a77d3ff8dfe
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I stayed silent for 8b66e5c924 a moment, mentally reviewing 41658949fa my upcoming plans once 5abbbf3f68 more.7f5f73c15cdefe23
Tristan, watching me 82bf38dffa quietly, came to a19fb58613 stand beside me.12ea065b48591960
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“Now that I think of it, I’ve always been curious.”fe52bc257bacfe5b
“Curious about what?”1eda13fb9b00c577
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“If it were simply about making money, there are plenty of easier ways for someone with your skills to achieve that, Vanessa.”1d58a9e680c908b5
He leaned casually against 3f4687e76d the wall as he 5754488afa continued.3199d7ed07601300
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“So I wondered… why would you take on such a risky endeavor like this?”3fd1ef822513f8ca
Why perfume, of all things?86f9f30c764bbf7b
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The answer to f120fc7290 that question was bedbeae4fa complex.f3797b23d569d6b3
‘Sure, it was a new market with little competition… but that wasn’t the only reason.’fe800df67befc93f
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After seven years of living 702b932e31 under the label of a 90b78e907a villainess, I was undeniably worn 4e403fb9d2 out.01783bad93135348
Sometimes, it was almost amusing 0bd4a3ff34 to watch people who didn’t 9de3579038 know anything about me be 82ffb0e234 fooled by the persona I’d b8e48d72aa created and point fingers at 08f4e1224b me.00543a4e961f8e82
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The truth is, ea48c441c4 if they closed cdfa270b78 their eyes, they ef57f8c53d wouldn’t even know b4aa423a2e who I was.e30232e41e3724c2
They wouldn’t remember my 5e8af13ff9 reputation or the biases 2461c97c81 against me.193595e1a73d084f
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I think that’s why I e87dda1f27 was drawn to fragrance.1341cbc2cb6f06f9
It was one of ff5633aee2 the few things one 90a87d437d could appreciate even with ca3075a20c closed eyes, free from 1cc976e20d any prejudice.a8dfbd0bf83ef1ce
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‘I wanted to share with others how captivating a scent can be—not just for me but for everyone.’cce68372d1eab089
That was why I’d chosen 886f79cf80 this difficult path over an c241f6658d easier one.97d739cd122efd53
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Someday… I hoped that people 67636f84e1 would come to enjoy this 142675ed96 new culture of perfume through 22bbbc2916 this place.55cc281e37ea5ebd
Even the name ded6882a3a of the boutique 185bb04cdd reflected this wish.dc29789142411276
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New Silhouette.3933099aee93ad79
It was my very e781a6563f first shop, created entirely ccf7abda42 through my own efforts.b7b10889bb8a9d6f
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Not only did it 077ee5c969 signify a new beginning 2fe59bfc0c in my life, but 780989ca0b it was also the 6f9ef516b2 first step in bringing 72d93cfb96 a new “Silhouette” to b70dd4323d the empire through fragrance.a18dd3cd18c76aab
‘But… there’s no need to tell Tristan all of this.’4408dc091259ce4b
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I didn’t want f516125c6f to reveal such 12a40c1b1e a vulnerable part c418efbeb6 of myself to 937d6e7dae him.42fc41eac5d74894
“There’s no particular reason. I simply thought this 5fb304bcf4 path made more sense d1aff8535d than entering a market a6a5b84add already filled with competitors.”e4767a1b18526208
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“Haha, for a ‘simple reason,’ you seem to have poured a lot of affection into it.”164c97e784edc9f9
Despite my careful words, Tristan 509df1f491 didn’t seem to believe me 790c1be434 at all.a39f8f3d7ad2c2e2
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‘Is he perceptive, or does he just know me too well?’e7c341a896e6427e
I thought I’d grown skilled ef7955546c at lying, but in front 71f218f0ae of him, everything seemed exposed.2e7ec104d519280e
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He lifted himself df0003df55 off the wall 65edf5c64d and took a b66249316f step closer, speaking f2103a05de in a voice 502fdb0eae tinged with regret.a544cc09955c132f
“It might seem hard now… but one day, I hope you’ll be honest with me, Vanessa.”6c521eec435856b1
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“…”e918b52e0de52954
“I’ve been curious about how you spent all that lost time.”b7faceba5307ba6f
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He finished speaking and gave 52ddfc936b me a gentle smile.acbf0cbdbc8c4717
“In any case, congratulations once again, Vanessa. You’ve finally achieved your dream. Here, please accept this.”7da85973f6c9e953
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Tristan reached into the a6f4dda8e3 inner pocket of his fc59a11010 thin coat and handed 5b913a537f me something.5bb6ed98eb178bda
The silver surface of 64816c5075 the object gleamed under 8660507bca the moonlight.418c3538733e6caa
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Realizing what it d273d22c3d was, I froze.f0905c0b2e85e421
“Unlike the bouquet, I’m giving you this with a particular meaning. I’ve never forgotten 2414f2f380 our old promise.”e4a6be28676f469b
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In my stiff, 0ce71fe75a unmoving hand, he 16ccaeed09 placed the gift.961b9aa3a713885e
It was… an elegant pocket 34a34a332c watch.5ad40b08e46dc1dc
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“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”fbee6d1f5245a744
Without any further words, Tristan 0bed755d52 departed simply, leaving me feeling 4063c9a78b conflicted as I watched his 3ad793f367 back.9e503097492e5406
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‘It’s a promise from over a decade ago… yet he remembered it.’919012c11695afe2
Back when he bd9aa1c049 was still studying e78fbf2016 abroad in the 4f3e54dda9 Kingdom of Onz, 1e3028d407 we’d once shared fe7febaa6e our dreams with 7067234dcc each other.b80610f398613c56
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—5053b8fefe700eea
‘So, Vanessa, what do you want to do after leaving the Kingdom of Onz?’5b541c8c2a1c7af1
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‘I… I suppose it may sound silly to you, but I’d like to start my own business. Succeed or fail, c562357b5d I want to 430b72aa8d make my own 2ec9788550 choices.’546d0d82f3499d46
‘Ah, a business, huh?’3c87f9c11df10ade
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‘Yeah. Here in the palace, I’ve 9e8960082f never handled anything entirely on 026817c3cf my own. It’s a bit absurd, 3f6b3d230b isn’t it? It seems so trivial.’a5931ab8de98358d
At that time, fa6960394f I feared he’d 5a2a8c60f0 laugh at me. I tried not to e9b640b3bd show it, but my 7052726090 self-esteem was nearly nonexistent.d21b58d4527064f6
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Unlike me, a e7e3f6f80b nominal princess, he’d 76641570be been born into 2e0305e6d0 power. I couldn’t help but b6e4cc5de9 feel that, in his 5152d88a8a eyes, I was probably b3db2ff220 laughable.b54b75cada691027
But Tristan simply replied with ce1e7ed346 a bright smile.8e47cabc76ddf1a9
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‘Then I’ll give you a watch this big! Time is gold 0e18a517c0 for a businessperson, 4bccfd86b7 after all!’ceb0a820236c414b
‘What? You can’t even d1521c1703 carry something like b74b37e0e2 that around.’287dcea233041ce9
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‘Ah, you’re right. Then… a pocket watch! I’ll get you a 45a79a1f11 pocket watch that suits 9fc6c20481 you, Vanessa! Then you can fd35dbbd82 carry it with 2fe7a1a868 you every day 874c503e8a and, every now ae1de2ea2a and then, think 218ac03fef of me. It’s a promise!’5393515da007256c
—88a2554bafb7910c
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I don’t recall 325ad0a4ae what else we bd6458d374 talked about that 3c71d042dd day. I had always thought 9a2e6a911d of that promise as b1535a9109 a playful joke.77b544bfec1a580f
‘…Yet he remembered it even after more than ten years.’a522c728cf3814f5
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A sharp ache afa7965930 spread in my 696d221f88 chest, like a a6c395eee2 needle prickling at 21c8d9b119 my heart.68777023cf45f778
I felt both grateful and 754422b12d resentful toward him for keeping 7e293312c6 that promise.aa8540bba81a435b
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Because the promise 7489825d4c I’d truly hoped 28353e3060 he would keep 7538e46f90 all those years… b56aff01f5 wasn’t this one—it eda3279d17 was something else a9605c0c18 entirely.862be514692d97f6
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •7c38e8110798a0e8
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If you want 82a2a2e3f0 to support the 159b1cba31 translation and the 22118df3ff translator, you can 87f4a5283a buy a coffee~5f525e8df681c333