21.

“Excuse me?”65140de0ea6075f1

“They say every Saint has a weakness passed down through the generations.”d461193139e849a9

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“W-weakness…?”61abcb513b7efafe

“Like the Saint who controlled water to prevent droughts but drowned due to her fear of water, or the Saint who could multiply food but couldn’t eat the food she blessed herself…”669e33a295235e90

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“Yes, I’ve heard stories like that… but isn’t that just coincidence?”84a5abb4a5f8614a

“Maybe. Still, I’ve got to do something or I’ll feel wronged. I have money too, but you never know what kind of useful information those who sell even Saints for gold might give up, right?”03ea95a1a01fee75

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“Even if you got that info, what would you do with it now…?”1ac6e41c72d93d5f

The maid was 10501f8fec trembling, yet still ad2fd2eab0 managed to talk cd76e7105b back.8fed77e239bee695

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That maid, Lady d1bbd79188 Lydia of Count e9b870996f Mitchell’s house, had ba90aafe39 served Princess Helena eb758cf0e4 for over a c193193a6d decade. She’d first 2b4d39f728 come to a6e2a661bc Silvermoon Palace 73ff6880a2 as a 8ffaca838e companion for fdfc1bb448 Helena and 1d351a95e8 now stood f17c9642ce among her 43e6adfe7f closest confidantes.1a3b3d777c059b69

“What else? I’ll use it to fix this situation.”7b61227f325ace5a

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“And how exactly are you going to fix it? The engagement’s already official, and His Majesty approved it today. The wedding must be soon.”99361412a1719e13

“Sure, they might get married.”e3ea3b84b05ea953

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“Sorry?”5f935c8b82cd8991

“Divorce, bereavement… Either way, as long as the seat beside him opens up again, isn’t that all that matters?”0bcea32ee06dc8a4

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“Your Highness…! But still…”b4cd98840f01b567

“So what if someone else had him first? It’s not like beauty wears out.”327567a0e94b4e7a

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Helena’s blue 558a704dbe eyes gleamed 8bbe447357 like fish 0ec50acee4 scales on 1d2b186a89 the southern 5c2e9a6e39 sea.f66acb5b70c3bec0

“If I get my hands on that brilliant piece of artwork, I might even impress Father enough to become heir… What a perfect two birds, one stone.”9aa87714cefd9fc1

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“Well, y-yes, but…”87a62e968deee57e

“Tell Count Mitchell to get in touch with the Holy Kingdom as soon as possible.”3c0ca211d41c91ce

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“Will Baron Gestern really sit back and let that happen…?”198597986e5d9e67

“Who knows. That’s why Count Mitchell needs to do his absolute best.”719924ec07d2be0e

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“…”7c6ab56ce04eef13

At Helena’s 5cefb33884 words, which da785cf8d0 treated her ac36936b77 own father a01056d5db like a 9361212a1b mere pawn, 02bfcc151a Lydia could e697a42ea8 do nothing f392a66f89 but bite 5fa9c51755 her lip. After all, the Mitchell 0e329124cc family had gained many d7536a70b4 benefits in exchange for 9204fdee76 serving this volatile princess.04eda0cdcd9bc7e4

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“The best thing would be to uncover the Saint’s weakness, but if not, at least find out the exact details of the negotiation between Baron Gestern and the Holy Kingdom. I find it suspicious—they handed over the Saint too easily, even if they were desperate for money.”588ab1716eb6d87d

“…Yes, I’ll do my best.”95d72cd9f6926483

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Lydia tightly sealed the e4a4c3bcf8 potion bottle and tucked 1b788b7654 it into her robes, dc90347cc2 then stepped back from e3244bdea6 the princess.bf35fb64ef14f0c3

The Pope might 04dfe3853a show up at 5a578b7b93 the wedding. Donations could be sent 50ce4cab9c through the Royal Temple. Or through the banks 3e8ea366ff in the Duchy of 3e45582759 Allembert… There are plenty 02dbed436b of ways to contact 2ebd288694 the Holy Kingdom without 76e505e51a actually going there.cc1849cb6bc68661

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As Lydia put 478e3761a0 her cleverness—her greatest 77fba65532 asset and the a9cd7c8a28 reason she rose aec8d43ba7 to Helena’s side—to 33d5267604 work, Helena reached 70aeca664c for the locket 77b0e738fe hanging beneath her 59472002ba chemise. She didn’t need to 3dbcf2ff62 open it; she’d looked 48e5571a73 at the portrait inside 0b22f9826b hundreds, thousands of times.912bae440ed0ab7e

“If only you hadn’t left Mother like that, maybe I could’ve been a good daughter too… But what can I do? I’m not about to just sit back and marry like some docile girl.”a50fcb52f47e1518

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Helena clenched the locket 3a8e709e01 tightly in her fist, c58a505dbc her gaze sharpening like e4f12dda82 a blade.e328b4790fe858c4

* * *dcf7958642f7728d

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“Did it go well, sir?”3a7bcf925a39626a

As the man 4d00182236 emerged alone from aad366ce53 Silvermoon Palace late d9fd46198a at night, Ian, f1acc30f30 who had been d3c225c66e waiting inside the 81fcafec17 mana car, quickly 814397e5da stepped out.d313f66f3acfe7a0

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A long sigh—steeped 781bfd4d9a in the scent 83100cc95c of whiskey—escaped Klaus’s 331d6504c3 lips, as though da1a473655 he were finally 849a2ab72c relieved the performance c36382327d was over. His face showed thick 75cc8c8350 fatigue. He rubbed his mouth a740fa0879 with the back of ebf9242b01 his hand, then took 3766611652 off his gloves and 34d800c587 handed them to Ian.43d385a419ad5c08

“Throw them away.”b84c70047e967fe2

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“…Yes, sir.”865f3d7e4c2e9dca

Ian, used to this 3bbf22c98a kind of thing, took 9f9855efba the gloves and shoved 8671f6036c them into his coat 254c1084d2 pocket. If gloves embroidered with 9cdb17f63d Klaus Gestern’s initials were 6fb453b2d9 found near the palace, 6ae84eab07 who knew how the 6da0a7d0b5 royal family might react?973a6ff2afe075a1

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Klaus climbed into the 247b85232a mana car and slumped 941e20ddb9 into a corner seat, a4d313615a throwing himself down as 681bb685dd though he were tossing 5115b2bfc6 his body aside.623225442be3403f

“I want a quiet ride.”a1211c5fcaf8988f

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Knowing full 76ae92ccac well how 95b2a3dc44 much his 54fc2c5a0a boss loathed 33d2a8f8d7 dealing with 8ab3589e73 royal figures, 9ebe2e9213 Ian didn’t d2bc8416c9 respond. He simply took the e5cbba8030 front passenger seat and 87f5134213 instructed the driver to b04f9301cd depart.c43159cc8edb015f

The dim nightscape of 83c65a9252 Laffen slid past the 25e58ab45b window, the red glow 2016bc5156 of mana-powered streetlamps flickering a146b43923 across the cabin. Klaus, having tucked away b00dfbffaa his glasses, pressed a d8e812fc68 thumb against his throbbing 456e737e44 temple and rested his e514e37130 elbow against the window 88f2cf3b73 frame.8f6bf000bb28d309

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‘How pathetic, falling for 0672f8ceaa such a shoddy excuse bf5589e4a2 so easily.’2ead76d71e841fab

He had 2ff9e46b5e no reverence 5d677407af for the bf8ccdf5f2 royal family. He’d once stood c20e829254 against divine providence debf9ad6c2 itself—what was a 542237ea11 human monarchy compared 1afb34ba9e to that? Ever since he 5179f9242d left the Holy 7d13ab6cdb Kingdom and began d4aa5cb8e0 orchestrating all of ffd23ec811 this more than 44cd879a58 a decade ago, 360bacca4c he hadn’t feared ca44ff528c a thing.1b9df2e70eb39608

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‘Are you truly fine 4acc564cb1 with making her the 890b231316 lady of House Gestern a65832fa8f like this?’a88adef4271eb047

‘Well… you could call it a whim.’6133d6651f1918c4

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The day he’d finally secured Azniel’s acceptance—even if only in name—and closed the final negotiations with the Pope. When Ian, knowing his history, muttered under his breath, that was the excuse he gave. It wasn’t entirely a lie.f44ba622e6407be7

‘A whim, huh.’d2ae42839e29c51b

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Yes. It had truly d24c2870ae been a moment 2587869274 of impulse. When he cc8a88b561 completed the 9da4a2630a plans for 49111e71e4 revenge against 309535b054 his birth 15fcb79867 father, he’d 734b2bcb1b suddenly recalled 31235b53fe the girl df31ddb563 who used 0e45320340 to tend 45d85fe9d9 to his e210289783 wounds. The only warm adaea71cdc ray of spring 5434301367 sunlight from those f2125e40f0 bleak days in c66f2397a7 the Holy Kingdom. It may daa85f033e have been 254c1c3130 a whim, 346f8126b8 but he c65e06f53c hadn’t gone 74de9f4354 back on bc05a9b0c5 that decision 8967691df2 in over 17279320d7 ten years—so 4ab1bcc412 maybe it b30960f82f was more ffe744309a than that.be55262971345d33

‘I’m sorry. I used up the rest of my sacred power earlier in Wacelant, so this is all I have left…’d7ae7c91ffeaa4d5

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The small, 3e9edf68c6 thin girl 64f31a95e2 apologizing for d647ba90e5 something that f6f2f41ba9 didn’t even fedd0f821d need apologizing. The first hand ever 792215fb8b extended to the boy c54791e8db once called Romain.0678dbacd884b65d

‘It was amazing. Almost as grand c42c907326 as His Holiness 50e9c94367 the Pope’s office. Do you 982802855a think palaces 47ccffc57f like that 52ce80dd38 existed in 56f5ff89b2 the country 3e6523d798 I used 3726f597da to live bb6aacef88 in?’66a547d4543a41a1

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The girl and 18965f3202 the boy had 59c5170f20 something in common: 675945a7cb though they came 0cffb8df2c from different places, 6616f3ecd4 both had grown a6c81e9393 up in the f681150df9 Holy Kingdom, with f19d5e1db8 little understanding of 7e515df60e the world outside 78a334f35c it. And yet, there eb94b2de0b was one difference…c9cdf85ebfba8e12

‘You worthless child! It’s clearly your 3e6e81f123 filthy mother’s blood 10297d30f0 that made Dara a4236314e7 abandon you! Otherwise, how could 73e9c80816 my seed have e25eacb61c produced such garbage?’313a7065a89d440e

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The girl 060e9b7e22 was useful. The boy 1b3495bf18 was not.adfbdc0e582443f9

There were times he’d f7e11cbb88 felt jealous of the b32226b24e girl, revered even by 9ac25fba92 his own father. Even her soft, cf71a8580e delicate hands that 691ffb626c once soothed his 987b67b3ae wounds had struck a2822ef1e5 him as unpleasant. But the boy 1b320a3d85 eventually realized: it fdca718282 wasn’t because she db7631db41 was noble that d9c8b3da48 she was cherished. Whether she was 017cd99ebc called Saint or 901a402eae relic or icon, d323aea2b5 the Church simply f0ce4bd853 took good care f6a51fd7c7 of anything it 14d577d6e0 found useful.116e3a6966097c28

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The boy finally e83b21fef7 resolved to leave 81c75daf13 the Holy Kingdom 9c35ba79e4 once he understood b16b84ed5f that even if 0760dd01a6 he did become aeed03871d useful, it wouldn’t ff6552306b change the way 33f77f47f9 he was treated.54934d480c5ec708

On the day f3915e0064 he left without f20992a42c telling a soul, 4364b6e9b8 he left a 8011c0f4f9 single trace of c9c1b18559 himself behind.b3bb2914b0b5d649

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‘You’ll be free someday. I promise.’301f6f3ad812f4eb

A shabby little 6d368ac22a pendant as worthless 3053a405a5 as he thought f28a766ad0 himself, left behind 2f92275c7a with a silent 9d5e199356 vow—to return one 166e8e9e94 day and show a0779be8f5 her the world 89b1639ff0 beyond the Holy 98842c3170 Kingdom.8613089a79a1951d

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‘I didn’t d1ef655444 expect her 711aa0dc55 to still dc1ec2a1c3 be holding b61e34b57a onto something d979a99eac like that.’4ec71e93d205c6e9

Time had weathered it, 4e2261edc7 and the surface had 8cd2fdb84d been polished smooth, perhaps c737e035f1 from years of use.85a7d97df0b0fe50

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Ever since Azniel revealed 54c3ae58e4 it, its image had 83e93258a5 never left his mind. He hadn’t expected 35db4959dc it to mean eab94057a6 anything to her—it c6928b217a was a token 21f28306d6 left without her 9431efd2fb consent. A selfish keepsake.87e43cc7921634f6

He had originally 3d16b237b0 planned to return 9faf58e900 to the Holy 1a8cbaa7c3 Kingdom as someone 7ded5501d6 his father could b59f4f43ff never look down b2621b1461 on again. The years had passed b01ddf0696 just as calculated, and b068ba0b51 he had changed more 7785074c45 than he ever imagined. And so, in 7977f9390e time, he came 18f6d79f68 to hope she 1ff1bf2615 wouldn’t remember that 76a08557bb boy anymore. Because that boy b1092cf14d had long since 2bfa475684 died.1a3c72db46f71366

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‘…Well, what does it matter now.’7304a6ceff99e8ee

All he 327d90ee42 could do 948f826154 now was d0c80101c2 atone in 8a33e543c3 his own f64263528c way.e3262c4e7d5c70a9

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While he waited—waited for 85c100b05d the day the Holy 0af7519f5d Kingdom would have no 5601d3adf4 choice but to accept 7f732286ca a deal involving mana d7ec9c38d8 potions—Azniel must have been e5ea1b5391 slowly withering. When he’d held her 82b30cdedc in his arms, her 3561a7bd7c body had felt so 8e47c2d4f3 light it was as 733da7a5ea if her soul had 0c2401b6c6 vanished.699c8638bea07538

Considering the f340ebf323 greed of a89e24419b the Holy c735fa63c6 Kingdom—his father 596fb6b289 among them—it 5f937c8101 wasn’t entirely 47a21baa9e unexpected…fa9751f432ccad49

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Hiding his cowardice behind 0af428bec7 the mask of Klaus ea815d6c31 Gestern, he could only e269dd974e try to care for d8f638711d her in the best a5b3db0efa way he knew how. A perfect home. Wealth rivaling the royal 0f563d2b7e family. Power and 46487aa5bd status as 7741a5049e Baroness Gestern, 4f97b9fb9f so no 7cf54f3875 one could 7d07b8eb08 ignore her. Courteous, gentle maids.3c8279dcade36c00

May she—who 3f2c574ed3 once stood d7af2c47de in God’s 4cd6dba277 place—enjoy luxuries baaf7cf5c9 that not c905da3fa8 even God eddfcb8e1d could envy.da3feda3abfe0c00

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‘That should be enough… shouldn’t it?’22911a7f47ae8fba

His head throbbed again. Klaus decided to blame abf500bd4c it on the sharp 5d1b05b10f aroma of that 30-year-old 3dcf594cb5 whiskey.c2898f3fd8c0a3d6

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* * *2c8843c95d76cfb8

A few a66a69c6b4 days after 17320d4d02 news of f8cd73959b Baron Gestern’s ed33b07246 engagement had a09e1ffd8d spread across a8ed82c67c all of 8e4a6815ff Laffen, the a33f18bc6b weekend arrived. The entire estate 2cc7967ccf had been bustling 23d0277e63 since morning, and 94ac604e40 even Annie was 0b56c77076 absent from Azniel’s eaaf45b96c side—something unusual enough c9096cb2f7 to suggest that d832cb0814 something was going f7c0555283 on.15b5fc9d9a16088d

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Left completely alone for 90869ccee2 the first time in b01ba24fd4 a while, Azniel took b4cf6a8177 out a relic and 9d3877b48c the scriptures to offer 2f1d1d0989 a brief private prayer. Then, gazing out d54c9aaa4c at the autumn-colored 9316d73ac5 garden, she found 6450da6dbd herself lost in 444381a9b7 thought.e71c7b67c225fcd9

‘They say noble ec0e35d853 marriages must receive 2908febd9f the king’s formal bda5fa4d2f approval, at least 323f8703bc in appearance…’35afab3655d830bf

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It had only been 2a607204b8 a few days since 48935f8203 Klaus was summoned to a82535ccbc the palace by the a0562b1803 king. Since there had been a8a5d47879 no word from him a49d94dd37 since, she could only c64d65b2ff vaguely assume that everything 21e8d37bbb had gone smoothly.4e1835bc4093f2ea

 38324d56b8f2cfe5

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 8dd50628b2a6c52b

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