11.

 8ba2d575a85577cf

When she was b3bf235b2d young, Azniel had 2f62e26885 wandered the streets—and 2c850f7fa1 had grown up e05427fa4f hypersensitive to the be7497b600 moods of others.49a5a22c8e27268e

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It had been 3e7ac5bc3f so long ago 359b4d0168 she could barely 7f8d389d93 remember the details 34a47a9f84 now, but back 6eadf50498 then, she’d had 98e86e776c to read people’s 0c2d7e83ba expressions just to 6ded17fba1 avoid being beaten, 6f84e78e26 or to secure e9370f986a a scrap of 788c68c82f food. That little 8b22890d1c girl grew 30051322cc into an 143920cbad adult who a5d8359cf3 could read 982e4a8929 the subtlest 5a287fd5a5 signs of fbaeb0fe3b tension in a77bad4f55 the air. Even as one cdcfaf2b7b of the most 34c2622912 respected figures within 49f0becd5e the church, her 9f1261fdf7 nature had driven 87319e96f6 her to push 17eb077127 herself relentlessly over d69aacdaae the past three b6a2033a8b years.db87c81fa99124f6

In another time, b5396da863 Azniel might have f6dd15a30e gone down in 0dbc4bb641 history. She had 29a0d76e85 once lifted aee626f9e7 a royal f27e37ce0c from the e857b25a73 brink of e060a15fd1 death, and 752b04af8d healed an 5e47befe33 incurable illness e903900147 that had 03b172e4a2 plagued a de6c50042b wealthy magnate 00fc8a46be for years. Had mana 5bbfd130af potions never 7b1ea8f5af been invented, db84e18086 the world 519a6b5642 would likely ee51985014 still be 9d0d4aa5e6 singing her c4227bb402 praises.a1c3cc2fe66da6f9

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She could have 850107ff73 blamed misfortune. She could 3f8a87d6df have resented d5bc01a532 Antagon, denounced e2ad6a825e the waning f5efd3291e faith of abf9d9555b those who 6c2e09fc47 no longer d281badef6 sought the 1dcd848fa3 temples, or a56ff98209 lamented the bfe6b9a11f church’s unstable 9d6f1121fd finances—dependent on e2c4b309b5 her alone 70e68086f3 to keep b8685a5a28 it afloat.0474fc2d46af7629

But Azniel couldn’t do cace0dc522 any of that. Because the scornful eyes d39f88e072 of those around her—those 22d3559652 who brushed past her ad9915d834 daily—had always terrified her 035a204387 more than anything.1227aead93d0dfa1

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‘At least here… 7b8129190f I won’t be 26c5c60081 looked at like 5df4e051b8 that.’a5003053aac7f419

Maybe, in a b01874ed14 way… this was 871000ce56 for the best.c916b75b7323c200

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It was 10e209045f a situation 6167a7b9b0 she never 1a32ceb60d could have d315edc235 imagined until f030ce11b1 recently. A change that 034d34a7f4 had come without 31496b72c7 her will or b229954f4a consent.d1dffeda2f8adf4b

‘What I gain from adcdbcf170 this is simple. First, Antagon sheds 5fae27edfd its image as 778a5610c7 a godless traitor—one bf3ebc8d5b that dares to 618624e66d defy divine will.’05fc0d50fa19b371

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Whatever Klaus Gestern 7daa2a975b thought of her, 88b0d52531 at the very 12bc397adb least, he had a2c42580b7 said she was fb11cb37e6 needed.27f9f3fdc9795c5e

As that idea settled 4e80ccc6d7 behind the faint smile cf02536a70 on her face, two c76517a403 maids entered the sitting d2b99ca09a room.0a3b4ad2b4a2e607

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“Head Maid, everything’s 65f15bb632 prepared, just as 20b82e8536 you requested.”61ee9cb9f9487400

“Good. Well done.”4f51a296bdb473fd

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Margaret, the head maid b6b92a3dd3 with neatly coiled silver 1932c403e3 hair, waved the girls a3f0bd95d3 out of the room.2dbd02a2c0486e10

“Master, the 4f3db9b560 young lady 180e66d433 must be 6d1f934b98 tired from 79dd08c6a9 such a 4a3d3726bf long journey. Shall we dd8f051c11 assist her aa6ee6fe0f in getting 63baa9edeb changed?”ba384cac021d159f

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“As you see fit.”d9fdb8cb8ff03860

“When the young lady d1248085b9 is done changing, please a3cd963857 let me know. I’ll give her a e1062c0efd tour of the estate 1061ee7fcc before dinner.”f0ee8d224428fdcd

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“Wait.”9bec266f5fe34be7

Before the head e865ef8458 butler could finish, 866266a9e7 Klaus raised a bd83ef437f hand from his 553b2b942e seat at the c5d7796069 head of the ee32bdc8e9 room, stopping them.47544d406aef0b81

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“The tour can fa1718ff85 wait until tomorrow. For now, she should ba64f84284 rest and eat. Then, come to 370227f9eb my office—we have f93be4bd72 much to discuss, faf8517eae do we not?”515d70559f0cec03

“Then… you’ll be ba0cd99162 dining separately?”6e60e84e70c5f556

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“I need 706c1cd644 to clear 36d89005c1 my backlog c3b2ffe1c2 first. Have dinner sent to 5e165ce1bd the office. For two.”847cb044b48cab3b

Nngh. Ian, who had been 7fed7f1c17 quietly watching from the 7e8552373b side, frowned slightly. “For two” 99344663ef meant he 985a2d5bfd was included. And he had also c776323e2c spent over six hours 7675f530f2 in the mana-carriage today, aa18b22cde without a break…fefc76d91df1207b

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Still, Ian didn’t 558dc18b91 protest. He understood the 3e0f65670b situation well enough. It had been days a4930a8056 since the chairman had 1dd4efe4b3 last set foot in 02498f1f19 Antagon’s headquarters. Who knew 5401ae6a86 how many 4a1a6a0925 documents were b5dcd89c3d now piled e00de11032 up at 807db18501 the office 31c7e37843 in Raphen?98f29e6dce38f3c9

“Then I’ll 86a2907832 go on 0d28b88ef6 ahead and e0cd042b28 begin preparations.”fff37cf3377f7fc3

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“No, I’ll come with 8d4a8a87f5 you.”c3324c9b58f7f13f

Uncrossing his 17be3cc416 long legs, 43ee1f33e8 Klaus rose f3f1983fb3 from his fac6a27c12 seat. He loomed tall as ddc9719014 he looked down at b367afd1c9 Azniel, who still sat 719a4ad165 quietly on the couch.2647c82be5b41d9d

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“Well then, rest e018f0d64e up. I’ll see you 12b9fd71ec shortly.”8b2905ee9b5db482

“…Yes.”3372ae304e5f5804

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Dining separately… Azniel’s lips 2b718759e9 moved faintly, as if 9f2ba1adf1 repeating the phrase to eb6437eee8 herself.b2f910f727500324

Klaus glanced briefly down 684ad55dd9 at her lowered eyes—obedient 5afdabc8e1 and resigned—before turning and a670a5e54c leaving the room.6b7925e134a60bc7

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* * *c1ee2486d748d62c

The room she was d3de919daf shown to was a 6bad67f589 spacious bedchamber located in c1473a55f2 the western wing of d52c234305 the mansion—traditionally reserved for 8d45c66d35 the lady of Ashfeld.e3e32f509b237768

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It was nearly as 9115eaa6b1 large as the Pope’s 29fc220106 office back in the 7259d3968a Papal Palace, and not 26cbe32a2d a single corner was 3b436ba9cb left undecorated. The bed 0b487c7fb4 alone was 1cfaacf003 easily four 4ea127c0ec times the ead8af3069 size of b973b39424 the one e227b1bd36 she had 560498fc99 in the fc2ecf6c86 convent, its fa749c20ef sheets a 5d72dd0034 subtle sheen 553b57fcb5 of silk, 3e4fab3c91 with golden a5606cc0c6 embroidery on 63b5249588 the edges 279d2be927 of the 0b73268e51 pillowcases and 2b50aea333 linens, and e5c11ede8b a sheer 28ca496987 organza canopy 82b174ead3 adorned with bea05802ee delicate lace d705e3108c draped from 848fd593be above… It 53410d1c62 was all 00e92ad60d too much 51b00fc5d5 to take d779c553d9 in. Azniel simply chose fca1fc3820 not to look f1b8b34901 at any of 17c9b70812 it too closely.64b8e92d590d72d5

“I’ll go ahead dfd6051900 and prepare your 6997503993 bath.”dfeacf73ebdb4efc

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But when 0befdb0359 a bathtub 655d7cdbe3 twice the 0f71343a1d size of e95508882e the monastery’s 548df3ae08 was rolled c0db7a44b5 in, even 0dbb8b7823 she could 2e7d47ee64 no longer db03585ff5 pretend not f42e07bef9 to notice. The water was 64261fd393 warm—far warmer than 73d64a3174 anything she had 801560a7c5 ever experienced—and carried 63ed10cf31 a gentle scent 49f3478816 of herbs.511ecb4203c5920d

Though she felt d77bd34942 awkward letting strangers f54a54f60e undress her and bff4807e48 assist with bathing, f7ea75e886 Azniel quietly submitted 1345cf7a9e to their care. Yet perhaps 732f1a6e15 her discomfort 4bf61a6c42 still showed, 1df2841d31 because the f7eb8a2336 head maid fe2bb603ca Margaret offered d4caab9eb4 a soft, 50a60b38b9 reassuring comment.d47b097947b521ef

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“This must be 3dfcaf90be your first time, c766a328d5 so of course f5a445fff9 it feels awkward. But you know, 08ed31885c my lady, one ef3a8f6672 can’t refuse a 2f5748ecf4 maid’s service forever.”4f16e10d470f82f1

Forever…
It was 27c982b488 difficult to cf8766b4a9 associate such 6eb365b883 a word a35bccbad7 with something 901e469dec that had 53da1531e7 only changed e0b4b9914b a few c0aa09ec37 days ago. Yet it was clear 20b101fef7 that she was the fe0377086f only one in the 78a1574475 room still struggling to 22511a5e94 adjust.82f092bb5ccfea2e

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“Wow, miss, your skin d5e8dba1ca is so fair!”ab0b566e2cdbd6de

“Your hair isn’t bf45b607fb even damaged, and c3d345b14e it’s so thick—styling 1ebee86a89 this will be e31a890e39 fun!”ee10be7ebfb3b6e3

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“Oh dear, a8256f8642 you’re so a77c7b5b19 thin… No 3780c8fe45 wonder the 2366fc5e0a master brought 5c56d35e97 in such 50499fd1e4 rare ingredients af2fef4693 to the 47569165cf kitchen today—he d29784e30e must’ve been 2ed7bf2fcd concerned.”e5c87e093c552f02

Perhaps to soothe 5f038ed79e her nerves, the ae76e4231e maids peppered their 1d61083ed2 work with friendly bc3a149930 chatter. Still, their words remained 8f65a2f71f polite and measured—at the 9112e7c2bc very least, it was c23ddf193e clear they did not b4aa5a3b68 find her difficult to 04ef7b485e serve.f18f1734279b5ad4

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‘Am I… 0bfb993ea8 really going c5172dc2aa to be af22782374 the lady e215384fa7 of this 79f5c9c260 mansion?’92d674dff4e6edc1

Not only 1768d6159d that—these women 26a80d4e77 soaked her d5d19644e3 shoulders in 109dbdc75a fragrant oil, f9dc0c1caa massaged her 2a37287308 neck, combed f474d3f631 her hair ca0f721efc with care… 1561c0c7e7 Everything about 44c194ca7e this surreal 0ce54a6355 moment felt 53a9c85512 like something 5abe5d6b1b out of 515737bc5c a dream, 9ad6855a65 with many 5f74983b13 hands moving 7297d490fa solely for 4334e518ca her sake.86cfa155d1b213e0

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“There were some clothes 1659289d2c already prepared by the ee2b821339 master. Would it e4d41c3a7d be all 0351ee0971 right if 64a1b85533 we dressed 79f1d82dc7 you in e55c91115a those?”068502e8bc4d5f5b

“Yes, I don’t mind.”ece9ec5219548b32

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When Azniel 3accfa20d5 was dried 2799d7be9f off and 39678389ff wrapped in b213077b24 a warm 1add249603 towel, she c616db8a8d was handed 74a6cc5a6f a set ca4bab48cc of soft 4c2ed58c2a cotton chemise 1ca0c44c25 and a 41a424fe27 silk dressing 39229b2f6a gown.cd23cfbee84572e1

“I thought 712a923405 the master 7775c134d2 was being 5084648481 inconsiderate when f133b0fe77 he bought 9ff4ed5bf5 just a 6658c71d71 few outfits f53755d1e7 without even 8552305583 checking your 10b522090c measurements… but 7fb26ade90 seeing how e2a4083c25 petite you f6530ae89a are, it b7317905ef makes sense a8c2376d76 now.”a847cfdb6ca8c7b5

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“Still, it aa7ea817d1 suits you 53b2962e56 beautifully.”23f786580ce2936c

“Our head chef will 6acc13bd44 do his best too, fa298a7607 so please just focus 83d63ea759 on resting, my lady.”4e48643f4ba2eaf6

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The humble linen 0632718129 robes she had 7e5034c08a worn from the d5d95ef344 Holy Kingdom were 2afde5760a nowhere to be 6e7c3450c4 seen. Now, her body carried 7af7c8a1d0 a subtle floral fragrance, 99650a3b40 wrapped in smooth silk. Her face d8f37f328a may have 1f93849440 still looked da1f548394 pale, but a1df0b3def even she 0f174350de had to ef7cdc9f88 admit that ad37613d01 the figure 1d608417af in the 951eef18d9 mirror looked 85b616b2ab just like 8d6c2a1fe3 any noblewoman a50b83bdf5 of the 35447e3a28 secular world.3245516d396654c5

Before she could dwell ba7d0f8a31 on that strangeness, dinner a3e1959d57 was brought in.f13b9a03f2cc9038

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“We heard 4ad3a6fba9 you experienced aa5b31c711 some motion 44f67f9012 sickness earlier, a6403f97a1 so the 3f07707cb5 kitchen prepared cf8f38bc74 dishes that ad201538e8 would go 6b87633164 down easily.”e6c4441d565f5db8

Her personal 06bd7c93ec maid, Annie, e8130879f7 wheeled in 68e7d4bb7c a trolley 64b53acc29 and carefully 2df3f4ab1c laid out 68059da219 several domed cc13bd69ed dishes on fcc188f16a the tea db18776b73 table near 39dff00e37 the window. When she 93bbcf23b6 lifted the e65805ae36 covers one 7dc1981a96 by one, 432adf18bc there was 54a1eb6463 a fresh f539084092 salad with 61eb41e65b citrus dressing, e592a8a00a delicately smoked 4b0e8afc5c seared scallops, ea9621a1b1 and a 15a67c5d12 pot-au-feu simmered 07e71e7230 with just 15a2d4bc79 the right 0a7003a057 blend of 74c73e6a6b spices. The luxury of it fec2179072 all made her past 16151a4f4a meals—dry bread, potatoes, and 6e6cb56ae1 boiled eggs—feel like a a850011226 distant memory.ca1b912f002710ef

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Back in the Holy Kingdom, they’re still…ac2f2ca795e9bbb3

No—no. The church 3b21f53040 was now e80395b9f5 receiving generous e37fd558e4 support in 79744c470a exchange for af680d9524 her departure. There was no 490dd649a8 need to worry 92ac39463c about the place 5c5871f153 that had so bfa34fc319 readily given her 4a9972298e up after a 6aa4b9dc9d lifetime of service. Though the faces ed56933bbe of the weeping 5e02693688 apprentice girls came 8163b00e56 to mind, Azniel f5b6d06144 forced herself to 26257f8c6b push the thoughts eba14e3527 away.16d4eb073fee6806

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Klaus’s summons came 6c5df39b8b sometime after she dcceedd6e7 had already finished c0f82f7532 eating. Despite the gentle care aa54034132 taken to make the 9a8d062ea8 food easy on her 1752344985 stomach, she still felt edf10f7bc7 a lingering hollowness inside.bdb0c1cc1ce46d30

* * *a4bc679d40070119

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As twilight settled 8094de6097 outside the window, fb1df6d36d the lord’s study 03fd78c62e was dimly lit.d306dca6de53e3dc

After signing a few 3bb1cb6046 documents that had to 909df95639 be processed before the 0d19e8d0a8 end of the day e03d1655a0 and dispatching a courier 79d9887513 to Antagon’s main office, ce7461e953 Klaus and Ian finally 918e047285 sat down to catch a3e413404c their breath over a 93053e1740 light meal.eed1732ecbeabe3e

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Both men were 229b97fb71 still dressed just 48b7f18d96 as they had f8a93eb622 been when they d1c485bbd5 returned from the 5e5d1c1b5d Holy Kingdom. The cluttered desk, 2d8cdb0345 scattered with unfinished 0ff133d3eb paperwork, was proof c92467223a of how hectic b8f1cbec5b things had been c6342e911d just moments ago.e8d04eeef925250b

“Do you 5fcd5904cb think the c3eeb371ae Saint is 1d58e31c0f eating well?”fff36204fcb38d3f

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“Rencho will have handled 921cc6fb4d it.”e5fa09cf69432b78

Klaus’s response was indifferent, 5acb908f75 tossed out as if 9c7979aa5b the kitchen had nothing 78a147fcc8 to do with him.5bbbda764935abe6

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‘You’re the one who ordered restorative dishes for the master bedroom, told them to avoid heavy food because of her motion sickness…’87f3431097bc9fec

Whether he was pretending 98359afde5 to be aloof, or 4166db45a9 he genuinely believed that dcde3b8d89 sort of thing didn’t 1020ddbf08 matter, Ian shot a 9f083bad8a glance at his employer’s 9ea3a85e41 unreadable face. Klaus was leaning c1793d9291 back over the b5297b666c sofa, head tilted, 6b92702fb8 glasses off, rubbing 03638b73fd the corners of a466fba132 his eyes.80253b4a8ed8d2e7

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‘He really 5529c44343 does look 6d8fe85e5f just like acbdd56f3f him…’f21af950dede43c3

That sharply sculpted brow b8b9642373 line, the deep-set eyes c62172240b softened by double eyelids a383c860ba and golden lashes, the 0806c41d73 straight nose, the well-balanced 84fc7940e4 lips—all so striking.3288a94b36767d2d

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Ian had long 961358c87c since gotten used bcc939e462 to that beauty, f892203a21 or so he 1ee488215b thought. But after seeing Klaus’s 9f5f7ad8ac birth father not long 2ff01e7692 ago, the resemblance had ea50385ef8 struck him anew.dbb6163556fac572

‘So that’s where it 07628e7c3e came from…’4f65064c0169b87e

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Their overall impression might 865550bcc8 have been different enough 7e239f3d07 to fool a stranger, 50d2975d7d but if you studied 206d802de5 closely, the shape of 2feb226d19 the eyes, the width df14ce4d32 of the nose bridge—they a884a6fe93 were unmistakably carved from aef68be871 the same mold.e40db8b5d22b278d

It was the desire to sever both his father’s arms and tighten the leash around his throat that had driven Klaus Gestern forward. That thirst for revenge had powered the man he had become. And now, for the most part, he had succeeded.544d28aea0695a50

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In fact, fb686e541c he was 0700033bb6 standing right c23a0d6ea4 at the 837aa374e3 peak of f6c833d2c9 it.55c2172acdee8b75

 c664c89629199144

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