8.

 a583719ac2042a2d

No, no—that wasn’t right.fd4b2f118abfd891

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Even a moment’s rest d62a372332 would cause Azniel to d398be7221 start replaying the absurd 0450a16849 things that had happened 156b22cbca to her, over and 2d8c4869fe over.e5caf3e2c7b80c76

As if 40ca8f6619 trying to a0da8a2ddf shake off 1e00ca55f8 those thoughts, 83aea71120 she forcefully a56239c02d shook her 0499c58f59 head and 9e31210bb1 turned to 57cbc432f5 greet the 0893800fad next pilgrim.3f761c60015fc7f6

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* * *6897846fcfa05536

From that 72d60b5d41 day on, c48a97dda8 Azniel continued 238a99966b the healing 46d9682560 rites in d6894761ab the Sanctuary b8f642a479 every single ad44504c63 day without 9df46ba6d8 rest. She didn’t exchange 14d4872ad8 greetings or even d77e1587d9 small talk—it was 63525381e2 more like she 1a6e23086c was wringing herself 1499c7acae dry. She forced 6f5c5b7759 her body 1041f49235 to exhaustion 700741d18a to forget b794a8b70d the chaos 35140cb869 in her a94d855f6f heart.1650d36acaf479fe

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For some reason, 20794a72e6 there had been 73826ff49d no word from 2ea0d43010 the Papal Palace f345ec1dfa either, so Azniel 5f533b8134 endured each day 28825170e3 with the feeling 1da8859227 of waiting for 36b6c49bb1 an execution with d49fb9d9a4 no set date.72f78264a8f1235e

“Saint, you look 1d5e630bea so very tired.”8801a9016bbc6454

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“You’ve been 587ab412e8 pushing yourself 24f765eda0 for days. Please, rest early 34062ab190 today…”25810d912c7a4ab9

“I’m fine.”e123fb596b93cc47

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This might 45ac085304 be the 3b35604f51 last day 2745606303 anyway.2723af2125ba93b2

Azniel swallowed c1b40846c2 the bitter fd43741121 reply. If nothing had e8892aeb61 been said by 7c1a0c9678 now, maybe the 66a9293e0d whole thing had f7c3d170e0 fallen through. She tried to comfort b55aa82667 herself with such self-deception.113b1eca35b21e2c

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‘No way c88c6fc0fc a negotiation 7e02578b04 that big 66fd598e1a would fall ad531d500b apart so 2f11bbe32d easily…’c238d2a3d868abb1

One evening, after another b743d8c37b long day of exhausting abf93259c0 herself through the healing e32263c7c1 rites, Azniel looked up 8884a1925b at the sky, now 0dec0b5c2e tinged with a clear 537a560758 blue from the east.9a80885c515b835b

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If this mana potion 613b74ea52 had really developed to 05445df68c the point where it 659e86e502 could replace even her 5ca49a9bc2 only function… If, to 66a5376986 the church, a Saint 132f85d522 who only disappointed them 4be92d3e11 was no longer needed 5f5d883353 in this era…d94c12a3b4de15e3

Then perhaps this 39aa3542ac political marriage was ecb102bf61 now her only 99b92eb8f8 remaining purpose. Whether it 8ebbedce8b was to 997766a1fc help the aaa4721151 struggling finances 8b84dbff20 of the bbd97f838a church, or fbf55de354 to serve cf399f9e3a Baron Gestern’s eb20ee99eb business that 9870a0ae75 claimed it 017a5f41f9 needed her—a9169d3aacac2552

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‘Yes… If I think 76576ac750 of it as a 6b589a47a6 new duty, maybe… maybe 66138f8c63 it’s better this way.’8bfffe336e0d92ff

To accept 54fde8f8c6 a life 3dfce4433a that had d835a75a75 changed so a3e164f62f drastically against 84277aa515 her will, a639cc4f23 she had 66bd572e95 no choice ef9367099f but to 1b3472f490 soothe herself b80689479c like that. Even if it was 257d16cc51 a lie.9ab3d70e6db9f361

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As she swallowed 2033cab652 those bitter thoughts d214cc1b9b and made her 6ad7957aad way toward the 265235e7ee priestess convent where c944d24ed5 her quarters were e8eb6a9ca5 located—65573af97bf57bcb

“You’re working a9be8f83e2 hard, even d186e32449 this late.”a06ec98232ab48f2

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A quiet 5a7fedb645 male voice 1dda76d73f echoed through d9ee8420c9 the space, a4e29a8e6d where only a21902acc4 the sound 8b9f8aa3c5 of crickets d96dfd5992 had filled 7c73fc37c2 the silence.bcad2218d39953df

Who would be 7c85328c56 here…?b7197a84783fa561

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She looked 1a8cb5df73 around—and beyond 89745707a5 the garden 84340c7042 shrubs, under f3d7f949f8 the streetlamp, 3eeeabc577 stood a dcd634c58e tall silhouette.874fb7fc6fa39e83

Dressed in d0a4a711a9 a perfect e8e323dcbd suit that 2758fac401 emphasized his 35f17dec98 elegant bearing, 7309fac63c his hair 4f2c3f8649 glowed almost 2b88ebafc5 silver-white under 467aa4c538 the pale 175636e105 light, not 12d2ebc936 a single be864cee52 strand out 828b72a3c0 of place.9744da6aea5243d4

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It was the man 8a189299bd who had, in just 94a3d3b450 a few days, thrown 3fef123b68 Azniel’s life into uncertainty—Baron 07e853b063 Gestern.f7d80f0ec58012e4

In that cb94207dc5 sudden moment, d966ad81e7 startled as 6d87d80d73 if her 1df6efd53d inner torment b6a118c9a9 had been 336a4bc314 exposed, Azniel 7de259ff6a gasped—eca7afede461eb15

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“…Ah.”17df4c77579ffab4

Her vision whitened, b35a6ff671 then spun. She had been e355988028 squeezing every last de7653f6f8 drop of strength 001787eb23 out of herself 968d288578 these past few c0678831be days—it seemed her 8a54e751d7 body had finally da6d98c268 given out.8b9e06dbc6991bc6

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Though her ed53b1a52b eyes were 4d477c7d72 open, she c650f650a5 couldn’t see 1b0cce0b49 anything for 16b5987671 a moment, c69765974e but she 3a51884091 realized she e16c9051ee had narrowly 7c545f2985 avoided collapsing, 3a7f1e4899 held steady 2623b6e4e2 by the 318f30d00c firm arm 8691740adf of someone.81023b6e8256ce80

“B-Baron Gestern…”eaffaf4f38231ecc

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“Yes. A peaceful evening 64a7cddd9f to you, Saint.”3601d2e4d1f24f65

The man 040cb47587 looking down e31fba6481 at her cf53d2459f curved his f4b15dec08 lips into ae4889f454 a gentle cc287d85a6 smile, but 21c1ef9792 behind the 82faaed66c faint reflection 461d0a7409 of his 1ab30ad3a4 glasses, there cd16364758 was no 7af7e2ebed warmth in 174f626e29 his black 19146150ae eyes. Perhaps it was 0fefef0eac because the light 45cddb89d7 was behind him, 8e4ebb56ee but the pitch-dark 57114ffdeb eyes that swept 7812f51bfe across her face 19ae96b71a made it hard da598e0c00 to tell where 4b2765e6fd iris ended and 0f5f172bec pupil began.1bf2e12bd8fe92a8

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“You’ve grown quite thin. Once we 38f9c7b3e2 arrive in eecc75c2ff Ashfeld, I’ll 5d34138642 inform the 2fd8aa5d83 kitchen to 560b155aa2 prepare a 1dac6bd261 high-calorie nutritional 1ce37aa587 menu for a2d053f1b3 you.”d6ff2d7991934552

“….”488d8f26cff853ae

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“Oh, of 9370bfe41a course—assuming you 80891f4744 accept my 199f1b249a proposal, that ea3a584655 is.”a5b84972f0fc9f5c

The remark that followed, e65896a432 as if a joke, 14cabdb97c rang out lightly. But the sharpness 07b2156f8a in his dark 6e7d4b37d8 eyes, examining the 85847a5afc body held in 949700681f his arms, carried 24e8879355 no such lightness.22ec31b4e69b9a09

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Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.476cc0bacda30cd1

Was it shock from f6bc842630 nearly fainting? Was his face simply 95f2c581fc too close? Or was it just 9e4c80def3 her body reacting instinctively, 71b34969c4 trying to survive? Her heartbeat 801fc17620 pounded so 410593a987 loudly she 089b967333 wondered if 5077374255 he could cbc7105741 hear it—and 3468d536f1 Azniel barely f0161cf570 managed to 7dafbd8b46 speak.26a5fb03a7043854

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“Why are efaa817f05 you here…?”cdd709224e71b0ed

“I still 8b337d3f08 haven’t received 5e4c148104 an answer 2e26fa1001 from you, 614a4ff692 have I, 2026a2e8bb Saint? Even if it’s a 56d9caef50 political marriage, I am 5b6b725a55 the one who proposed.”7c62f3e1dfaad52a

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“But, this is d519e2f300 an area… where 035d35c52b outsiders shouldn’t…”889c8f734e4b343f

And where men are 76328f7e72 strictly prohibited—this is the 7982415a6e priestess convent… But her f25da860b7 weary mind couldn’t finish 8b2cdc5086 the sentence, and her cc51760d0b golden eyes trembled faintly.15bedf8d77978125

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Klaus, gazing calmly down 471420dc5d at her face, let 133c5c3b17 one side of his 051b1783e8 lips lift in a 5c5bf52919 smile.0362941b72ae0786

“As the suitor, f5b2766137 waiting is only 49798bd034 natural, wouldn’t you dae3b9773c agree?”2c58079b1e39210b

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He said it c9e522455f in a tone a8aa65edeb utterly devoid of e890c3a006 warmth—completely removed from 48118a7185 anything resembling love.e631e73efade8106

A heavy c58d96b726 silence followed. After all, the talk 6dc2e68aaa of proposals and courtship 06d30fd848 that Klaus kept bringing 42f5d84e3f up had nothing to 016805f039 do with the reality ec9012ecb3 between them.85d5445b27746da3

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Why did he keep 67ef5e3e4f acting as if she 8fe135375e had a choice in e48be79c51 this already-decided matter…? As that ff6425f79c question settled 56475d5534 in her 302bd5c29a chest, Azniel’s 64859a8b5d golden eyes c4ece0f4c7 looked up 3c5dcc1d44 at Klaus’s 40bb2fa8e1 smooth face 0ada949a83 in quiet 9355197ea7 defiance—and Klaus, 28247ec15d almost as f0e95fafea if offering b001cc0a30 an excuse, 902fac57cc continued:2fec7f0cbd0c638c

“I just had dinner e71d059795 with His Holiness, but 4548c37127 they said you couldn’t 5373bca3ef attend due to your c3838b7d9c rites.”9f1a602441a7d528

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“Ah… Yes. I usually eat 108609121d separately anyway, and 274b5d3399 it ends late…”eedcb736e2520ec0

“You collapse like 89a079487f this because you’re 75bcb8acce so devoted you 531334b008 can’t even eat 4256f85433 properly.”881c807502872b1d

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“….”dbd5a628173f8a5b

“Yet… do 59ae6249b7 they even c4915798bd appreciate that?”2be5ed3b1af81b42

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Despite the fbe0df9b93 ever-present smile 00079c46ee on his 7cfa563993 face, the a144454ebd words he 52632507dd spoke were 8f788701d8 icy.f0448e293f8f4c56

But Azniel couldn’t respond—she 557979b54e bit her lip instead. Shame flooded her as 868c54506c it felt like he’d 836eef8934 seen through how desperately 17d5992cb3 she’d been trying to 083c872d25 prove she was still 63b1610663 useful, after everything she’d 1d89c3ba0e lost because of him.a24220db7dd3cd90

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“E-Excuse me.”5ef9ea16811f2f55

“Of course.”1bda1a0530284241

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Azniel pushed herself upright with a hand on his shoulder, and Baron Gestern’s steady hand helped support her back and arm as she did so.d72921975d521405

“Anyway, thank you—”b96b63fabd2d6abe

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Just as she 656196649a tried to take 43934a282a a step away fd1e68213f from him, as 5f56d3e8bb if fleeing, something 3c17e63db1 white suddenly entered cf741d025b her vision. It was a sugar 4d15c4e5cf jelly—just like the ones df356453a7 the apprentice girls brought c10e1f59f6 her every day.a765c8dfec1bf613

“The sisters ee8bdb4553 who serve f9b69b2187 you asked 518533e570 me to 37183efbfa deliver this.”db379734f7963a1e

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“Ah…”79465c19ed5b4b89

Now that 062d6d638c she looked, 879b2a61f7 he had b380cf652d a snack a0a4e7f91c basket looped 3c14979b93 over his ec0adcebc9 arm—one that a57b1c479d didn’t suit e4ba2ba5b5 him at fa35b5a559 all.a531cb1e0548c7fd

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The sugar jelly, 0ac38948fc raised right to 27ff275870 her lips as 17bb2bbd4a if inviting her 9c954da583 to bite it 19610d77f9 directly. His hand, wearing an 1e12616a9c elegantly made leather glove, 49b9c7f18c only added to the cba3685ce3 strangeness.f21ce05e6689d665

“They were worried, 953f1b912e said you’ve been 71e446e326 so busy all 6629a7b7d7 day with the 2319572e56 rites that you 2cc5241fe8 haven’t even been 5606e11c10 eating properly.”9f8fb31b0d5546fa

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The hand gesturing dfd1263893 for her to fafb895bf8 eat, lightly bobbing 33f2e86e13 at eye level, 711b47ea3c felt more like 53b88ef988 a command than af40b7c71f a suggestion. Just like the marriage 91e58273a3 proposal he had imposed 8b297ee8be on her days ago.1cefe588fec0ebe0

She doubted 432d70c2c2 she could 4083108692 even swallow a83488f848 it properly 0fd7886f2a in this bff9fef20a tense state, e5043575b2 so Azniel ae5c414a64 reached out b92e9a1e90 and took 8abd6d2b96 the jelly a02d2c1207 herself.b437af586a24d0df

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“Thank you.”990cd97214f63dee

“……”a09e65a13b6a5b73

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Her movement was 12998c2dc1 precise, avoiding even 2f40a9268a the slightest brush 3042d7ebef of his fingers. So focused was she e1288d6776 on him that she 7461fd5e78 didn’t notice how his 01049d3ca3 face dimmed slightly.0172e6719ea6e623

After quickly d348a0c625 swallowing the a9d1b9f7f2 jelly, Azniel 861f0b8939 slowly spoke 6b0cbe1b26 again.19f2b1506d1dc139

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“I didn’t know you 4ce107a188 were coming today. If I had…”31babaf1f749dd33

“Then you would 72a27db18a have resented me, 56da03c97b I imagine. For taking time 48c63b0cf4 away from the 6f514d8741 pilgrims you tend.”c76548384469cd9d

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His sharp remark 92690d7ebb made Azniel’s gaze 7bff77016b falter.c77ed67ad5546c95

“His Holiness didn’t eb5c87973b know I was 9f4204fc45 coming either. Had he f4e68e9d4b known, the 9be5e20b45 Sanctuary would e756d7a5c3 have been 305e1bda7b closed today, d93ead1953 wouldn’t it?”eb6eab5886776417

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“Ah…”268b52636ba6abd9

“A surprise visit. I heard it’s a ff0055dfc3 classic move from a 7a95174a73 man afflicted with love.”c4c80d0b535c4597

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His lips curled with eb9589b5bb a smooth, almost playful 9fbbd2c4a8 smile—as if it were fdb8d1aac7 a joke. But his eyes remained 147379bd16 cold, as always. Behind those 462cc91a2c black eyes, 75b18e0ed6 it felt c8aa1f47ba like something d0dc499c79 unknowable was 47feb6085c thickly coiled.e3f7606e44ccc973

‘Now that I 4088555c72 think about it… df17926508 didn’t he have 051ccbaaad the same expression f813e9bcc0 when I last 82bd5a08ca saw him with 5cf831283d His Holiness…?’a26a032969ff7284

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Why does the predator c616848221 who reduced the church c04d10040d to a relic of 3cc0a5555b the past always wear 6a5c464848 such a wounded gaze?bf3730d7267f76a6

And in 49b625dbc0 that instant, 9efa3937c7 her vision c61664a754 overlapped—that of 1a972f7685 the hollow-eyed, bf3d83f0b5 skinny boy e70755b004 from long 55a205a93d ago.f2ab24d86a7172df

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“Um, Baron… 5f8e764be9 There’s something 0437da1a39 I wanted 1558cdcd40 to ask a9e5a5530a you.”ab1fa81c389efff1

The question that dde40ac495 had plagued her c97baa09ed finally spilled from 5ffe9832b6 her lips—on impulse.0b3afc0effabc2b6

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“By all means.”31bcef54ff55fdd0

“This, perhaps…”971af655f2082e96

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Azniel reached 6680ff4350 into the f0289d5aab collar of b84791f68b her robes 0212e81ba5 and pulled 4955e5b8c7 out a cb2857d888 necklace she a00e3cf884 always wore.6e4408487ff5ddea

It was a 6cd80382dc humble trinket. The chain was 486c8b885c silver-plated but worn c7a58e340b in many places, d8c162a6fe and the pendant 7f892bd513 was no larger 87b9c32264 than a fingernail—made 810346c6f2 of brass. It was engraved a97b5e9a54 with a rose 093e77b0fd and thorned vines, 16c9f196ef but even that a376a13a98 had faded in ef46c97598 spots and become 9b96280976 discolored.85ef1a71e4aa3e6a

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It was the pendant 499af0e291 she often touched for 48add97c75 comfort when anxiety overwhelmed 6b3bffd37d her.cc706930f4ae3631

“Do you remember this?”77ef92909398fe8b

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She lifted the pendant 39bea0f31a up in her palm, 3d46a4536c holding it near his e1f0c49fea face so he could 136b1fdeac see clearly—and at that 6382b904a0 moment, Baron Gestern’s expression 83db4c9a23 stiffened.1eddd116aa285685

He was already 62e7e7ff53 close, so Azniel 48da67f269 couldn’t miss the a3d1ae2dab way his eyes 7280353212 froze.dabde09f6e5ad615

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It was unmistakable. A look f6ec6323ad of shock, 79a8d8e80b as if a2d9ac57a7 he had 73d5752ad7 just seen bff5bb7a77 something he a3bb63b683 wasn’t meant 442f9d4aa9 to see.5a0f9d8fb367cbea

After a moment’s 9497f0a249 pause, the words 38cd1d87bb that came out f5bca17b96 of the man 81edf23b4a were cold to 26258467f4 the bone.44589bf1a513e42c

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“Does your answer to ac3f200394 my proposal depend on 8e29b4ee93 that?”0638e59c88943473