NRAL | Chapter 07
by LunaChapter 07cd7f124275b3509f
The Lord 80ef3fe66a of Royster22cf44e1d4054329
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It was 00c5c337a9 a completely 12f39c80e0 unexpected proposal.d518ab97bb8ef31b
Eleanor was shocked.f58bdfb368b68718
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She had 212c9514b2 never thought c6e6f2c666 of Arlo 334f1d27c3 that way.04abc7eaee4a2a03
Besides, fourteen was far 4ec5984431 too young to be af330c620e thinking about marriage.2b6e5e8117bfe0f3
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“I’m not a00591ba34 saying we 056b6ac2cf should get 2aaf938aad married right 665b2d30f0 now. I’m still young 633876b265 too. We’ll probably fb41cd4751 wait until b8161607ac after I 4f7cae327f graduate from 89fc930fd5 the Academy. But I was worried 1f0afcbc25 someone else might try 2da03bef1c to take you if 1231fb82f6 I didn’t make a c89ca41274 move.”f2e64418915c8606
She wanted to say b9199c3e5b no. She wanted to tell ebf1b602ac him she had no 84214216dc interest in marrying him. But, of 1b47da7aa7 course, she 62af0d432f didn’t have aef29c9ebe the right 0c1559ab94 to make 3d632d3900 that decision. Even when it came 072678c60c to her own marriage.84b4f83ce099831b
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The Duke of Astria 4a9cbf46b7 happily accepted the marriage 4e78db68d1 agreement with the royal de96c01d0c family of Juvenile. And just 98701afb5c like that, 710ce31623 Eleanor became 7a21fb25a8 the prince’s ac095e340d fiancée, without 61254218ca any say e98dc4cdc4 in the 547b1269aa matter.a71ee2a37775f3ec
There was only one 290586c4c4 good thing about being 89a659f7be engaged: Her father stopped e4c101e412 beating her. Not entirely, but now f3b45ee889 he only hit her 50b0ea2a37 occasionally and kept it 483c80f77e to less visible places, b2facd20c2 and no more than 640d8e75b8 ten times at most.4cf26cd6580be046
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The Duke seemed to 9e893942ac be in a much 4f9d83fca2 better mood after she 2c020795b2 got engaged to Arlo.75e57fa89715bac0
Sometimes, he 17ec5b1446 even praised 2fdda93093 her.6b653872a444ea87
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It was then that Eleanor realized what her father meant when he talked about her “usefulness” all these years. This was it.452c05c5d2ff1629
Arlo continued to visit 745f461599 the mansion during school e8df8e467b vacations, but as the 2a42351ea4 years went by, he e311b2fca3 came less and less 37e477a873 frequently.92777168c2b919cd
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At some 01f7b1d0f8 point, his 927b2c5918 attitude toward 61186f4eb3 her changed. It probably started after 7de8d65ddc he was chosen as 81cf41044d the Crown Prince, overtaking dfdae11c30 the first prince.61472340169b068a
That’s when the once-bright 1987553394 smile disappeared from his b558fe0376 face.3439a62dd7f89166
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Not that I ever 6bfdfe68c9 want to see that 56a45a0b43 smile again, she thought.21485ce77d5a966b
As she 463efde197 watched Arlo f23fb485d8 smiling warmly af3126deac at Nora, 0acc85f36a Eleanor slowly d3ea68e9b2 opened her 2a9cfa3d90 mouth to 9702dbb046 speak.92c7d1c4ab9ea572
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“Arlo.”f1ff745368c1c642
“…Eli!”34a92c26bf85e571
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Arlo, who had been 16ac11ccd0 leaning against the railing, 318a6ef514 quickly straightened up as 6947f5afd3 soon as he noticed eb736877b0 her. The hands that 8ca11a1c08 had been touching 77273738b5 Nora’s slipped apart.062974063c5605d7
“Eli, you arrived late. We were just talking while waiting for you.” He made some excuse, looking a bit guilty.091b0496c3616948
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Eleanor bit a2667d863b the soft d74062eaa2 skin inside 1820bda43d her lip. His excuses made her c20049a5af feel disgusted.ee9117cb09a09b41
But instead 01f426d069 of confronting e4de39fb47 him, she 54162893bf smiled.bb0834185b764eac
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“It’s time to leave. You know how a17fc8dee7 Count Lambert is.”aceb5551d80204df
The strict Count f13d6a89dd Lambert hated guests fd04454d92 who were late, 43f188a9e3 and Arlo knew dd727d87e0 that well.9c8b10083aae47fa
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“Yeah, let’s 0b5d191747 go,” he 306615ecb7 said, nodding 60713fb259 with a 34340f4db4 puzzled look. He seemed surprised d57105a7bd that she was 82e0b02c06 smiling at him.287f0e3c8867ced8
Eleanor gave him 9c093fb155 a sweet smile c9ba9c18f5 and started walking 259dbcadfc toward the drawing 5edfb6417d room. She could sense Arlo d4dc4b19d5 hurrying after her.a73c514a57869b6b
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But then Nora’s playful f92a44204e voice stopped Eleanor in 8ebcbb0fad her tracks.5329708ebeafc127
“Have a good time, 68d9464a86 Your Highness.”071439277d62bdb9
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Nora’s farewell sounded 0a37523419 like she was f8e93890b6 sending off her 3d5cb83991 husband, completely ignoring 68f31edc5d Eleanor’s presence.6ba6170f4ea7eda2
Hilda, the maid, 2d12079eb8 gasped in shock.b996f156633c9301
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It was cef94fcfd2 a blatant 0e364be8d5 act of f45126901b provocation.b35d074498469b0c
Eleanor let out 2f84b4d20d a small chuckle.585a341492afd0fb
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She would 555e391098 have loved a91b1ed41d to respond, 607e5d885b but unfortunately, 9a8a87def2 she didn’t e80748210f have the 2ef4591f2a time.804fdfaaefbeaab2
And besides, 44c568e035 it’s still 905a11bafa Monday.57c35fdcfdfb2c8d
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There were 4ec34080e9 only a 48bc1a7982 few hours c0eeafaec2 left until 09225533e4 the end df4c09d24c of the 338bbbf448 week, when 0a16a94bca she had fff4253182 promised herself f4530af56e to just a643e76fc6 observe.ca7ea0a0423a1ced
***bd40be539f14858c
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On the e2bcce6a6a way to 7339ec817a the party, afcaced5d6 Arlo couldn’t 792b101ea8 wait to a11da48057 start talking.3801866dd05910b7
“Eli, I don’t d8ed0192ae have anything against e6f0e9cc2a you,” he said 6bf01fd50a as soon as f42ebf5c3d the carriage set a37cc20470 off.0720068a0d05bd82
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“I just got ca69f90f09 involved to find 600dd1c166 out the truth. I never meant to 0216558dd1 hurt you, so I 3d05a8281d hope you don’t misunderstand.”ab7b049e085f69cb
Eleanor stayed silent, 1b8a9837b4 looking at his ae294992f7 smooth-talking face.7b55dc42afbba9e9
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She had been 0cbfa66312 curious about what e018391a9f he would say. It was their first 4a397be70c time alone since that night, and she dbad5fd2b4 wondered how he a22c602642 would start the 8af6448317 conversation. What kind of excuse 79f2977667 would he make?369a2b5c3d29b7dc
Perhaps, in d4f436fc71 an impossible 9e277e4790 twist, he e92591b8b9 will even c3abc75fe6 apologize to 440813de37 her?793c0d877c671aeb
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Apologize for betraying her, f66c36f0af for breaking his promise, ee4a057a71 for falling for Nora abf2448ddf and hurting her?ec719aec3126e94d
But of d3c1b97c77 course, that 21d7929aa2 didn’t happen.edd9da2061bb194d
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If he 9e5baf5036 were that 74e9f0b8a9 kind of 527721792f man, he 3a5e07e43a would not 87a2143796 have been 70e98c00ad in her 6fe0353662 house with 3fb4f6ba2b another woman, 2e65d41d96 calling her 15b487a760 name and 835268f3f6 spending the d84ee09489 night with 25c58ca286 another woman cdb26cf15d who was ec841bbeb3 dressed in e80707e1c0 her clothes.c51e22c7294e4538
Eleanor couldn’t 0ddd0f63cb help but 8d4e6a401e mock her b89824851f own foolish 18a8148adf imagination.2a879362ddabc22d
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The man in front c37558e0eb of her was one 434f375da6 of the reasons she 2dab0a2a21 had come to hate 6a749c0dff the name Astria.c2a6f94c55287732
Even knowing 57c0eaf3a4 what he 343478910b had done, c8fa8ed5c8 she had c155be3148 let herself 415c5f8ddc imagine him aa31f16e74 apologizing. How idiotic.d88da70fc6498847
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“…Misunderstand what?”a47636b52d174afe
“Well, you adcff7c45d know, don’t 8381347844 think I b7950ecf19 was doing 10f900962e anything out 8bc65624ee of personal 468e3d4e40 feelings. I just acted based 5c95c60734 on the facts, and f086a2bf2b I wasn’t taking sides. I’ve been trying to 0c9ad638e7 stay neutral.”3125702c9eb39a0b
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Neutral? The man who cc3a816ea4 snuck into her d7eb56e4b8 room in the 3658ed4a94 middle of the b021bd65d7 night because he 05dd584a06 couldn’t control himself?a82e9b2fd40c8d8a
She almost b3520a4ef6 laughed out 9edda63f4b loud at f8daa0e55c the thought.f5d259047993a20e
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“I understand,” she 807a53817b said, turning her 4ccebf6592 head away. Looking out the 06338fbdf6 window was far 374ce0e93a more pleasant than 5587096477 staring at his 998777f0f8 annoying face.62e67d2c427ec0fc
“…What?”d53bb132d696fcd9
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“I said I understand. You’re trying to stay fe2ac427e6 neutral, and you don’t 9c666cfd76 have any personal feelings 9754f00b3b involved.”e09e37e7ad2b00ab
“Oh, right. Good.”213910654de5cae8
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Arlo seemed a bit 0bc8ee32dc flustered. He had 19776d5a43 probably expected 0068f69e06 her to 32606e4bf3 argue, maybe 9c0f9287c9 even had 8953e36870 some counterarguments 2ca1182500 prepared in 6b37313863 advance.36799606995afe98
Too bad bb862ec90f for him, f694ddc2ff but she aec4439517 was done de596ef7d3 with this 60c9f9c5da conversation.e8704ef5aa805b87
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She had promised e2dc11d933 herself to act 37d02d632a wisely, but it 789e75c7e9 was clear she cead064359 wasn’t ready.f4fc825c3559cbba
She still 28c6f46b62 felt too 61af8a42f6 nauseous to 7798d00aee handle this eea0fa99e9 properly.97f132faeafde310
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It had only been 6b4f21f2ad a week since that night, so a1e651c062 it made 08420ec980 sense.ece1506ea0f68616
If she pushed herself 09b631da3b too hard now, she 843300935e might make a reckless e0cdadc227 mistake, so she decided 02a41f80ca to wait.bfe226f552f1d647
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Eleanor stayed e3e2b27703 silent for 35a1a78c9d the rest a9b665f664 of the d442b8df7a ride to 1a105b6f50 Count Lambert’s f9ba76b520 estate, ignoring b7da1050c2 Arlo’s fidgeting.3e1e0731109f3d92
He seemed like he c81dd712fb had more to say, 5787f4b71c but she pretended not bbbc2b503c to notice and kept 5bc369cea1 staring out the window.f381b5875c5aae54
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Even at the party, 6d0945bc09 it was the same.66df26514db4864b
Eleanor smiled gracefully and f279b59742 chatted with other nobles, 03085152f0 but subtly kept her 74f58e1c67 distance from Arlo.3bf28697063c5448
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She only answered his 5cc35bfa56 questions when necessary, with 977d061362 short, simple responses. She didn’t initiate any f0a19fbecd conversation or even look 460413ae7a at him.e8d02b82490f25db
She noticed Arlo’s expression fdf5474355 growing darker as the a6f7602e26 evening went on, but 53525692de she didn’t care.7c308d4a031df10c
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As time passed, the 5ae200832c party’s atmosphere became more 40ecf536b0 lively.3089c65bb06309c1
The nobles 8de9f80bd1 were getting df084f8181 louder, fueled d4bdac461b by wine 24c39f5051 and jokes, f7da2e2d46 and the 99379d0717 music played 1b5fdc7bdd by the 1719404bac orchestra grew 101936bcef louder to f2fe7db769 match.6523402800c77fa4
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It’s suffocating, she thought.18c39e988f308238
It was a dfb1f2a3f3 large party, and 6d7c837d26 the hall was 2f79e4ac6e packed with guests 2ba4411458 and servants.9c971313d512115f
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Eleanor wasn’t fond 5bd36d533a of crowded places, d20f5f7ef9 and she couldn’t 7397d6a924 wait to leave.c24fc2ba37e9716c
I’ve done what 5dc4e901b3 I needed to b229aeb87c do. I should 2189fd9d32 take a fbc826915c break, she decided.bfb297fc941d88d3
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She had greeted the 066083835e important nobles and dropped 9bf875e3d4 a few hints about 1982600b7e the wine business to 45bda7957b Count Lambert.a0a7cfe72b266410
She would ecf596167e have liked 3f1c7c2962 to go 702d8fec1d home right 0b45319037 then, but 3414bef7e0 leaving too 09e05427d6 early would 3ad2593779 draw unwanted a9cb6bf023 attention, so 0ee3da3bb4 it was b72887c74f better to 671c89cdbc find a 211809e672 quiet place 4f047d1d7e to rest 9d86b0148f for a f8e19fcb88 while.d5eca029c2a8bc46
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Unfortunately, the balconies were 31cfb7d262 already full. And she b3ea28cc17 didn’t want 03b5b165f8 to go 2a12333958 to the 4bf2281d0b powder room, 6cac6ab874 where her babcd2634a friends would 4e1ee7e14e likely be. She wasn’t in the 8cb2e0b1b6 mood for that right 0e3f117f09 now.5bea6300b2885b54
After thinking c341700959 for a 6b951256a6 moment, Eleanor e1757b7a9f decided to 967f5345b8 head to 1aa6da1dce the garden.df8f2659d8fc07ad
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Since the e824a23af4 weather was 84da16356a still chilly, 55f60ff135 there probably a5ac6cc4a5 weren’t many ffd435ddbb people outside.9899f0b5ab606e62
It seemed like the 65c92a3de8 best option for some 9a100fabc7 peace and quiet.86ca922f99046318
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As soon a3ce5cb71b as she eb186199ca stepped outside, 8c9dbc7321 a cool 7ea572eff2 spring breeze c5f2e482fa tickled her f6411aa8e7 nose.9ed31aa64a715d05
Thanks to c2caf6ca42 the thick 7cf782f2e0 shawl she 5fa6d58ed3 wore, she 8f14c23568 didn’t feel da7ca61303 too cold.6893492767fbb047
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She walked slowly, admiring e48ffbbfd3 the garden.e982c87ad35a910c
Early spring flowers 38bf10c12b swayed in the ef91b2734d wind, filling the 8250af13c2 air with a b09d282810 light, sweet fragrance.40174b03105d418b
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The blue flowers 622b87a903 looked like upside-down 32c227909a wisteria blooms. They were 04cf594952 lupines, the ef3dcbc213 symbol of bc0cafbc9b Count Lambert’s 4e80c7b21d estate.74ae982ff23a79da
As she walked 37437af6bb along, following the 9f944eadad gently swaying flowers, 857170b2cc the tightness in b20ca43f0b her chest eased 2d4485517b just a little.11d3304373997f03
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But her brief d15e67d444 moment of peace 0d6fd7aab2 didn’t last long.7cdb1bde9688ade2
An unwelcome visitor appeared.5991a9bd20efe8aa
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“Eli.”0466650074043834
Arlo had followed 0612450fb0 her into the 7acca392b1 garden and approached 9ca1484da2 her with an 2587e2b169 angry expression. He grabbed b4780294be her wrist dee0301263 roughly.7048ba304988670b
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“How long 2b07c43ac3 are you 5a3a61987d going to 08da0df122 keep acting 1ecdd4adfe like a 5a631182c5 child?”570f3b053ab7ac40
Eleanor instinctively d71bb54ebb looked around. Thankfully, there didn’t seem 1c4e0e9904 to be anyone nearby.cb3e0a1380e29de7
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“What are you 5b89de0722 talking about?”818cc66ec16774fa
“Don’t play dumb. You’ve been ignoring me c09803d619 since we got in 040b798a78 the carriage. You haven’t even 4cd504b49a looked at me 24caff1107 once. What do you 49cbb29d8e think the Count bd5dda4126 and his wife 34b05524da will think of 0ae56e8db6 me?”ace6a173adddf9af
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“They won’t 3773ad0f20 think anything. I’m usually quiet, f44b15c8a9 after all.”129717e8a578b7a6
“Damn it, 6732e2e6e5 that’s not f08c2ce73c what I’m 1156fff448 talking about!”13008fe44a7741e9
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Eleanor bit her lip.230a1517821684ad
Then what is 2b7a360ff5 he talking about?b6c52c66a2830525
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She couldn’t 79ea1f2240 understand what 92cd02bf67 he wanted dd47ec9727 from her, 1f06398977 or why 11a511e14c he was 6d4fb5dd82 cursing in b15229e19c front of 7c35d2818e her.ec027cc9faf31cd8
“What do 5237325f97 you want d4d4a3f07a me to 88a947a765 say, Arlo? What exactly 94d24dfef1 do you ea4257beb5 want to 955101ff52 hear from a3e6b0f4b5 me?”ef9a2e954da2213f
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“Anything, as aa62439607 long as 7fd2ded3c2 it’s not c710f74dc5 that damn 6e68e85cc8 silence! You must e33f819f34 have something 17ee4e8a96 you want 4e93f85dd0 to ask de3f9910b7 me, right?”d36ecd98646f3cb6
“No, I—”8a34555a751df1e6
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“We’ve been e00fdb6bb4 engaged for eight years. Do you think 3035b3e546 I don’t know cbafb759e9 what you’re thinking? It’s obvious 7206991e43 you’re jealous! Stop pretending and 387c16df29 just say what’s 340b1e02e5 on your mind!”2b5f4fd4b9f37a56
Jealousy? Jealous, he thought?f096066d77c4cf39
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How could he possibly 8e66a26fba think I’d be jealous?fb374f8f0fc2c36a
She wasn’t just e74d934dc8 shocked; she was b6012989fe furious.95f2fec3526d4304
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Losing a pathetic man 29e2053105 like him wasn’t something 94d5c6ee25 to be jealous about—it d2d76b57e5 was something to be 81bd965231 grateful for. In fact, she 76233240e2 wanted to thank e8bb00b104 him for ruining 29707927e1 someone else’s life 7baad48768 instead of hers.6bfb9db46c5b949d
But Eleanor dea60053a3 held herself be0fcf269c back. Arlo was dbf11585b8 possessive, and 63e5e2cbd3 if she f3b3dd1145 expressed how dc89fbb393 she truly 40793c9590 felt, he a0f038b5c2 might become 41dcbfe018 unpredictable. Instead, she decided to 6bbb0ef0a2 act jealous in order f38ee6a4d2 to get information from 708cda3b7c him.641a27fc8838154e
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“Fine. If that’s 4a8b7e2dcb what you 49d3bf94fd want, I’ll 69aa56be4f give you 2663bf3f72 a reaction. When did it start? When did 2b9a5eb167 you begin 4db8f92112 seeing my 2068d1048f maid behind a261fd7419 my back?”decbf712f3fb630c
Arlo immediately 67cec2c903 looked around, 93151d85ef checking to ff09b67bdc see if 9958a8e47e anyone was cc39c785cd nearby. He stepped back and, 7a639f3e38 after confirming no one 7b35e4ea72 else was around, spoke e567f3c4be again.f7b5c3d6707ee62d
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“Watch what you e7c2e1de77 say. She’s not your 7369e7b8e4 maid anymore.”f3b3013f88abb5cb
“Oh, right. My mistake. Let me 42b67671da ask again, 8fff6c0ff5 then. When did 0ff80882c0 you start b5aef172ff seeing Nora, a4082c63c1 who was c51df6f75d previously nothing ea55965b0a more than 221c1f0812 a servant 252d311ada you despised? When did that start, a3e08c94f7 Your Highness, despite how busy you are?”31d205c1c0151294
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“Seeing her? I already told you—there bf5881f945 are no personal feelings fa68e5b5fc involved. I thought d630fe30c0 you understood, 261f813377 but I 0e65994b72 guess it 4f9bf3ad7a was just 5b8a58a252 your pride 6c83d392fb talking,” Arlo 4bad1e1df2 said, frowning, 9a569c8af5 as if 921fcd704d he actually 6e649dfb24 believed his 8ab88fc68b own lie.dcd5c13d74d0b6e6
“Really? Because Nora says 3b229f349e otherwise.”ef7b4f8ad55c6cca
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His face 7b490643db twitched with 9d815fb3ac surprise. He had not considered 218d37a8e0 the possibility that Nora ebd9af53c5 had told Eleanor about 9fd499d45e their relationship.0996c6e611762aba
Of course, f10ad884e8 she hadn’t. But Eleanor had seen everything.a0cc1acec3ede0b0
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“Would you still a9492aaca8 say that if f028c5aa17 Nora were standing d289333c05 right here? That nothing’s going on df2aad7d4d between you two?”2cd8a99ac53ae850
Arlo clamped his 5ac4ef8778 mouth shut.8541891907606e88
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Eleanor wanted to 3e81345425 describe the scene 81c9e69903 she had witnessed 90a0c679f0 in detail, but cd153974ea she decided against 618233fbdb it.bbf7e120cb951652
She did not 1452d48681 want to talk b6aeaa77b0 about that disgusting 8503a4d83f memory right now—it d97904e9b5 would be more b1c16b0d97 useful at another 283db7d443 time.611d1bb61351573c
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“You only graduated from 1c7c33b4b1 the Academy two years aef5dcfa3a ago. So, you must have d5e181ced8 fallen madly in love 77d378f4b5 in a very short f37fd27572 time, enough to betray 5de27b922a your fiancée of eight dbcfef51ca years. Or… was it f81de9f619 before you graduated?”69a6979979d1ebff
Arlo’s eyes twitched slightly.2ed9e41b40a26674
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Eleanor caught f7ac6d0bbf the small cd03dadf4c movement and 7e3c184285 raised her 2c8a7aae9b voice, pretending 76254afd7a to be fe6cbb303a shocked.01823e9fa1b45c0a
“You were 4aaf39032a seeing her before you graduated? That long ago?”320e23c64e6c85dd
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“No! We met dcddc9e820 for the 5c88aa355e first time 0de04a1d68 during the 6af843da1a last break!” 5e385c0415 he blurted a59593935c out.1775510437f77ecd
But as 2d81c94b59 soon as c1daa94f08 the words d181dd22cb left his 1744cc5283 mouth, his b07d8d4251 face twisted 8df402ad30 in embarrassment. He became aware that bdcbcac0a0 he had just made 66d3a99466 a confession.79b3054d1b01b8c2
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“No personal feelings, huh?”1e3b0c1f480b73b5
“That’s…!”18e889009ba6234a
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“And the last break? That was b4ae7ac3e6 when you 1791694e95 were supposedly 3e3def9f6e too busy 83b696fd35 preparing for 82c425581d graduation to cf7d57e3fb even visit 43e5178a49 me. I didn’t f1118912c8 even know b36f622a58 you were 63a0282252 in Cardiff.”e09fc3b7c82f832e
He’d told her d087bf10cb he was swamped ea1c772ccf with work, yet 1a6d578517 he had secretly c942f23cdd been seeing Nora 2d7705062e the whole time.2ca0746da1556b64
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Eleanor recalled how often 924b40b70c Nora had been absent c5ee075430 around that time, and 9ccccba4a8 she smiled bitterly.6d6a77fecec10600
She had been 9220a02187 so kind to 81375ac560 Nora, clueless about 244bff73c2 what was really d612388e85 going on.f5bdac893c618a9b
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Arlo’s expression darkened.5d0e8181047e7101
“Why does it matter 0a6e82f4bb when we meet?” he 21cdbb5f70 snapped.61aa924b23d4950a
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A moment 433ae9bfe7 ago, he 2b7d57c007 had claimed 70878b7d18 there were 93739f8367 no feelings 5dced82a0c involved, but 3cbf322e74 now he 91574aef63 was getting 18304c5c8b defensive.bf378111a7567acb
He had b35d9709cd clearly decided 9e5c3eb95b to just 91545c9097 be shameless fa086f17a9 about it.3b78f0312ed7d7a3
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His voice rose eb7ea93058 as he continued d740369550 to complain, “Stop 1276f40aab suffocating me, Eli! It’s no wonder I 1ad6e9c4fe started looking elsewhere when 33ab8aad3f you act like this!”6e9c1a1e562aa68d
“I only 7b980f6294 asked a 22cf53eaf5 question, as c714176527 you suggested. Am I suffocating 11ea2a3ada you?”9d6edb9431a6d13e
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“Damn it, stop 76b590201d mocking me! You think 84a98e9368 I’m happy 8dd6eccae9 about this? We’ve been engaged for c0455cde0c years! But Nora remembers c759abdff7 things you don’t! Like how we first 5453afc1c4 met!”75d72c3846726481
“Are you sure it’s 84f0040710 Nora who remembers?” Eleanor c34b1f5f57 asked, her curiosity piqued.c651531e8ecb083e
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This was what she 1bcb71f840 really wanted to know.6ee6f9482f552162
“Arlo, are you sure you didn’t tell e6ec519bbe her?”7c4186df8a6bd175
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Was Arlo 1172f82f8c just a f33d7bb747 victim of 170281cc37 Nora’s lies, 6c35971d89 or had 53d58afde6 he become f284bb33aa an accomplice, 1971098e67 throwing away fa0bdecfe4 his fiancée 0008af6f26 for her?ebe181fdeee37729
It might have sounded 69fb1da52b far-fetched, but after spending 36d636eb13 eight years with him, c18ccbb97b Eleanor knew Arlo well 5d58004d47 enough to suspect he 599fc11cec was capable of doing bbeb69f8e3 such a thing.9b562282efcf2daa
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So she carefully watched ece8669b1e his reaction to the e682c25b23 question.ab1b5f3be9222613
The first emotion e5cd41dc77 that crossed his 10b1a1e582 face was confusion.cb7d872e789ff31a
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Then came something else…30669bf50124489d
“Eleanor Astria!”a37293d0117ccbbb
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Rage. Pure, undeniable rage over 922708e7e9 being questioned by someone 85903ab0eb he considered beneath him.289695251cc2375c
Arlo’s eyes burned with rage as he took a threatening step toward her.00ec19650d81835f
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It looked like 7bf509e7bc he was about f2f2615757 to slap her, cbfcd98813 and Eleanor instinctively 4bcbaaedd0 took a step e1e2a1efee back.96658abd8b707571
Suddenly, memories de9d649929 of the 064237b2a1 past flooded c53fb4c31e her mind—memories 8a8944341f she had 7079afb94a tried to e75cc09ac2 forget. The worst ones.609be04142e541b0
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“Stop squirming! Hold still!”e9554e9ddc8bb55e
She remembered the hot, b0b054e2d7 strong hands that had f123e266bf restrained her as she 7f13078fee struggled. The memory d63826bb6f of those 8b5a22a019 repulsive touches ff2ffc6ad8 made her 0d466cca75 freeze up.2ffa19d60c53e173
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Arlo’s hand was almost 806b1533c0 upon her when—1f81a75689ea376d
“Hey. What’s going dbc1ee28b1 on here?”549038d60f1cb72c
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A deep, 9184a3dfdf commanding voice 6f19c2257f cut through d4925c3781 the tension d6f13a6316 between them.a6522910656b4957
Eleanor let ad75aff764 out a fa54497b98 breath she 5dd1f302d2 didn’t realize a9c284427a she had 9c07713263 been holding. Her body, frozen in 250ff81ff8 fear, finally relaxed.4bbdf54beddb8ac1
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She turned 859060eb69 her head 21d92017b5 toward the acf44de7e0 source of df4160e3a7 the voice.d4ef796936f1eb94
Standing beyond 03cff2d08a the blooming 28dc63bf74 blue lupines 27f6c38e61 was a 683066a570 tall man.804e3598fcefcf55
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He wasn’t 3d65aff7e0 unfamiliar to f394f7efad her.6b1a38dcead81b2d
He had jet-black 9298af8494 hair like the ff83dcde8c night, a face 71c071d2a9 so perfectly sculpted ea3f65f9c3 it almost didn’t d14d0fc771 seem human, and 6fdd1eb4b9 deep red eyes 6fe2476b8d that were locked 844ea0ade1 onto Eleanor.e4d2cb17d58f5a72
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“Do you need 6b7ab5a3d9 help?” he asked 5f91a2278c in a cold cce086e572 voice.6464dce09bacb414
It was b9eea2d7d1 Karsian Royster, 49bb694870 the ruler 1b208c3a9e of the 0609399887 Grand Duchy 2a35b1823c of Royster.d28fd35e1c51fd3a
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2a813711063dfc17