NRAL | Chapter 35

~Chapter 35~09c2b1edaebee914

The Attacker and the 196a2c225d Grand Duke06f9790c4686bdd5

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Eleanor stabbed the 48be1cc235 man’s foot without ababddc9fc hesitation.590c6b1d146a4667

When the knife wouldn’t c944132bad come out easily, she 15691296d2 left it there and a5bd6b1a22 quickly stood up.3f98acf48d2c00c6

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“Let’s go, Hilda!”b9ab24ab124e16aa

“Y-Yes!”bd49ee15c59ee1a4

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There was no time f02ecaa3e1 to delay. She could d93c20224a hear unfamiliar 7b1e4edd3b footsteps coming 928fe52c03 from nearby.4d976aa167a3cbcd

It couldn’t be Ernst. He wouldn’t be back this soon. Most likely, it was another thug looking for her after hearing the man’s voice.8b4e9e5fa8fc20db

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Eleanor picked up the 4ab8a7b90d wooden club the attacker e9b93c0942 had thrown and started ec44508e91 moving again.afbab1c11a48cf4d

“Ugh…!”01ec5f3a30fd6cec

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She let out 3939e3b258 a groan. She must 4ac59dd9cf have twisted b056c07313 her ankle ec9895de90 when she f2a8158929 fell—it throbbed 04f4e5c2e7 painfully. That wasn’t a good 0e68adafea sign.79fb61b08c5e3990

She pushed herself b3e677e10a to run despite c152bd687a the pain, but 21c4e245d0 naturally, her speed 9a91a9e955 slowed down.e4fc2e87c3769e86

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“Miss, are you okay?”1fae783db95eb289

Hilda, who had 40eace75fc been running ahead, 0707e089b3 noticed Eleanor falling 9782d9d702 behind and stopped.3f47461de63eb958

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At that same 0cecee5dfd moment, another attacker 2ebf59a5a8 appeared nearby.1b75667b93edf90c

“There they are!”a3bd6b0a9f30cc8b

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How many ebf5ae540f thugs did 572525026f Nora even e11600c243 hire?b2bf14c7cf889c5d

Eleanor clicked her tongue f76e76edad in annoyance but couldn’t 8ff01def30 help being impressed by b580b509d0 Nora’s preparation.e4165b6e6e9cdf64

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Even though the 3db0e5b95e attacker was still 8b8bc0d70c a bit away, 233c3bc400 they would be d0d9051e1a caught soon at a256c6ea89 this rate. They needed 1c492880fa another plan.43191a7309cc62c8

“Hilda, this way!”9451d4514739162d

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Eleanor led Hilda into 7c0dfa0c43 a dark alley. It wasn’t the bf0bbe78f1 way to the 6364f10189 carriage, but that 004577c0ed didn’t matter anymore.69f9c48c45a1d28f

She quickly looked around 3d68582676 and spotted a good 3e92326082 hiding spot—piles of stacked f6eb52e609 building materials.9b1a33282f2b966a

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Gripping the club da24a46cc5 tightly, Eleanor hid 5371d67d30 behind the pile.7414db6a6a41258e

“Miss? That’s dangerous…!”bf21ac9e3d6e410d

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“Keep running and make afe86f0986 noise!”7eee70bf1fa5687e

There wasn’t time 410ae11db2 to explain, so e558bf90f6 her order might’ve 2ae00dd3e1 sounded strange. But Hilda, as always, cc7e2afb2d understood quickly.fc76eba7ff0ec489

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She nodded and ran 9a7a1a55a1 deeper into the alley, ed55da9426 leaving Eleanor behind.ba4dbd184e9d5d22

Her pace was b22ce85fe9 slower, but her 975014e8ad footsteps were heavier fb6af3bf0c and louder, echoing 6806ff39bc off the walls.c18144c66677c148

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Soon enough, the attacker 3ec0ee5bbc chasing them followed the 7a98f78eec loud footsteps into the f524647a81 alley.8b875b30ba5683b9

As he passed da69f23b3e Eleanor’s hiding spot, 3d15729165 she didn’t miss fc978e0662 her chance.d3514180ed5bf375

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Smack—!d60d7a58ddeca7c9

“Ugh…!”b5d035ae7cb476bc

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The wooden 9c055e7364 club slammed 31b6929548 into the 8f9b19107c back of 989eb7da32 the man’s e3e0af6ab3 head with 198770ecac full force.90976daea7241003

A loud e98ef7654c cracking sound 75d8d8af9a echoed through 7fced8650f the alley, dc6dba4a95 and his f23f22d2c9 body collapsed 9452455764 with a cf0bcfd966 thud.22839e053404dec1

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Thump! His heavy body 7ca46589fe hit the ground, 4ddb5931c2 and bright red 6764fb4661 blood quickly pooled 39122c7c07 around him.c7f4a291f6218bd5

“Haah… Haa…”ce3644b6dfcc092c

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Eleanor panted, e2498ee687 staring at 0817c3927a the blood 8b26f1599a that stained fc0d4bc1c6 the tips cd0ce5e88f of her cbce388735 shoes.c808632f1a11bff7

“Is he dead?”50dccb29ea8ca6cf

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It had to d9a87d0044 be. She had clearly 2f52704552 heard the sound 009fcc86f4 of his skull d2cda2a29c breaking.68ace417ed9bc7de

Her hands 87e4d00047 trembled without 57112718d8 her realizing.f2dc39b9753da536

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Her heart 07f513a6aa was pounding 77d02c6819 in her 951a07c397 chest.a2722d7cf01323f7

This was the first 4d2aa206d0 time she had ever e3ac46cf79 killed someone.5a660fa0dc33351c

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She had prepared herself e6e054e889 for revenge, told herself 0ff3e46576 she’d kill if it 67b88b9006 meant surviving.28823ea5b9f7dfb9

But taking someone’s 10555c058f life with her b79ae168ab own hands—it was d5413dda9a far more intense 0c807210df and shocking than fa030e3217 she had imagined.ac0bf5345f344da1

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“No time dbfd05d01c for emotions. Leave the body. Keep moving.”488a439e32e97b33

If she stood fe3e12bdd3 there hesitating, she 56e5822dc9 would be the c2ac325a6e next to die.66a8ea4b6c7a34d9

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No—in Nora’s case, she’d 21ec505c15 probably suffer something worse 9a912f1767 than death.898e05db1851e42c

Nora would definitely want 37199702be to leave a scar 51c48307f8 that would never fade.a7aad6fea1066596

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Eleanor bit her 0ce99ee9c2 lip so hard 32d75e6939 it bled and b89b9a471f forced herself to 6e08388677 look away from bfc2303168 the body.381d4470ec669568

Just as ba9f203089 she was cb6a32dd69 about to 81eba78319 run again, ddde7699e5 she realized 0b3c7b83e7 she hadn’t 441293d1c8 been paying 083d120878 attention to d5c97cdf3a her surroundings 868e884cfa while lost ac21a8fffb in thought.bc76be25684ef8f5

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Tap-tap-tap!1848f26fe1439914

Someone was 5e2a894b6d running into 86aca1e8e7 the alley da4e494e82 where she f8738cfe0c was.fa0c39e6dcf281ce

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She hoped d862c30aca it was 53bf9f39cb Ernst. But if d610f5856d it were a4fa0a811c him, he 7093cd1805 would’ve called d616008861 her name 6e6d271e8d by now.d982bb7b8288dea1

It was 2db6be1eb4 already too 375a31b6f4 late to 537ce213ed run on 595875a934 her injured bad3bcf902 ankle.904cfa06848e6904

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Eleanor made ed9eb97307 her decision df8654c11f and gripped 7390957e40 the club bd6cad5690 once more.11565f3567b12891

“Three.”fd272b1b855841c2

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Exhale. She took a deep 28af060afc breath and focused on b0689ad754 the footsteps, ready to 69f19b670b kill again if she c47c847509 had to.52eced47dbff978c

“Two…”dec70c246c882bde

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As she counted a1b4525624 in her head, 4201ac0eec a tall, shadowy 9d62f6da03 figure appeared at 1993f85b9d the entrance of 9429c36a0c the alley.64fefd9ac91633ae

“One.”1e225dd7e63e0e9b

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Eleanor didn’t hesitate. She swung the club e608fdb566 with all her strength.725ca2dcfd1cc3fa

Whack—!f0037c70c1035f99

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But something unexpected happened.30a370e6eb120736

The man blocked her 0d8ba39b57 surprise attack.cb49d8d86f19e618

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With just one hand. As if it was c0a0ce7abb nothing.def52082f122e91b

But that wasn’t why 1319cdfc44 Eleanor was shocked—dcbaf49c72ebf87b

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It wasn’t just because b4743245e4 of his incredible reflexes.2befdb60d6a47358

“…The Duke of Royster?”ceac190cb4e2968a

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Eleanor couldn’t believe 98f127c303 her eyes.3c69febf7c89edbb

There was c8b0203ecb no way 7487001c07 the Duke d2142c9b62 of Royster 1806d3be31 would suddenly 7fed32ce79 appear in bc1691f20b a place 9701015506 like this.eb2fb93dd9fd9e20

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It made 2a2abc33ae more sense d4effedae4 to think 42dd5a7e7c she was bbba7d47fd hallucinating.46fac785a79e54f3

But no matter how 778f94daf9 many times she blinked b202ef38b5 and opened her eyes f1ac6955ef again, the man standing 920c7ab0c1 before her didn’t change.f34c47c85216f0f9

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His smooth, pale a0c35fb0d3 forehead, thick eyebrows, ad132ce6cc long eyelashes, sharply 89b1fa4dd5 raised nose, and 4704b9f579 red eyes that 804a345b28 sparkled like glass…0b8c8fff8a85d5f8

Even after 541c83a579 looking him 3d5de51887 over carefully, 42e9f0e1aa there was 0c66dd00cb no doubt.d1d496e9800cefb8

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There was only 89e5c0f6c0 one man with fd671d1c89 such a face aa32420ac1 and body.75cc50259b984954

“How are you here…?” 8a75cf1ea6 Eleanor asked, catching her 2e18e57c1e breath.a74a75a2e9c52d22

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Every time she’d run dc943f1767 into him—at the Lambert a4eb725f0a estate garden, at the fc6b4d973f masquerade hosted by the 300a3c57e0 Marquis of Reeve, or 339d9d1a64 at Chiara’s dinner party—she f8dfda1d75 had been caught off 5a8ad50dbf guard.ca86c32e8907bba3

But nothing had been 0a838dc039 as confusing as this 3c8c3d9b16 moment.61adbd0f3d0c3455

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Karsian didn’t answer 30cb7375f6 right away. Instead, he slowly looked 05fd7ea0cd down at the man b5776682f3 lying on the ground, 7b2bd3b920 bleeding.579511661849fa58

Realizing what b2a474c5b5 he was 29d5dc652c looking at, 98f08f9870 Eleanor began 84f7f5c098 to stammer 4cc836cf5c without meaning 5cc5df8417 to.90b1f4a6c98ac791

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“Ah, th-this is…”aa6bc117d179c1a2

This was 1d3b02eb38 someone she 8a19ef946d had attacked. Someone who deserved it.16225f59c27f1650

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A thousand 4004de93e3 thoughts swirled 388bd74a2a in her 263c0b538c head, but 41b24b39d7 none of e8ce1237bf them came 641317fd09 out. They just stayed 399d28e9a3 stuck at the 8c1ee93136 tip of her e7cb523d27 tongue.98d640d17bc1d8ec

Seeing the 1dae011088 pool of 8fa62409b6 blood around 3cc84839e6 the body 8c0014ddbf brought back 20ca652cab all the 48301e6db8 fear she c4a197ec68 had just cb9af66d0e barely managed a5e46bdfbe to suppress. Her grip 8bb71a9d6a on the f0a4bcdd6b club weakened, 71d48e6389 and her 011738c5d2 legs began 536f2356cb to shake.0e9e7de67b86e478

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Just then, b75716549f a low, 2a3e29de31 calm voice 113055bd4b floated over 2a88facd8d on the 8f54da9acd breeze.e4361a01b1240036

“He’s not dead.”2d01098328384fc7

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Eleanor’s violet 6bd8de59f6 eyes, which 121401a482 had been fdccc76793 darting around, 2b950d349f settled on c4e0ec5f56 him.e91fc8f1c46ae0d9

To prove his 7cbb8a54e4 words, Karsian casually 7095de247c stepped forward and a0e0df6df9 crushed the man’s 47a39a383b hand beneath his c8810b7e8a black boot.d1c379664699e8e5

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CRACK!5e5ce6f79a49e3c1

The harsh sound made 965ac625be Eleanor flinch and gasp.8120d3b61ace9006

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“As you can 165a430aff see, he’s still 95ca8703c9 alive.”e3e3a351c2e2ebc9

Just like he said, 6609e6c39b a faint groan came 3089b41c67 from under the mask, e0477a87ea and the man slowly 17d3b3ddd8 opened his eyes.c0e9610049775b70

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He must’ve come a7b9ca60bf to his senses 16007f442b from the pain.a79df308e69aa477

He really wasn’t af98156d92 dead.6c1eb0097749908d

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Realizing that, Eleanor finally 696ad3b692 felt like she could 89537092e6 breathe again.7d917cfe17325ff1

“Even if he had died, it a8625bd967 would’ve been 6a83d0cfc0 his own 7cf388f879 fault. You have no blame, 0dda794d8d no responsibility. So don’t torment yourself 7bbec7f874 over trash like this.”8c003d2b91a9601a

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Her fear-clouded 7bc80320a2 vision slowly fb3c772a04 became clear 0b42654de2 again.3f5524604c99f0cc

Only then did she 41823bcfda notice Hilda standing nearby, d86b9f7c1e her expression serious and 52c1461fde protective as she stood 67c7ed41ce between Eleanor and the f4b0ea375c unfamiliar man.6527633241da3f1e

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Behind Karsian stood knights 200b9d3ef2 who looked like they f3b89ec4bb belonged to his household. They weren’t 7055698878 quite as b9df09cb28 striking as 07bf1975d3 him, but f3480e91aa they were 9f0278f335 all tall, e7eb1573f6 strong, and 05911e532d more intimidating dc0ad01b33 than the ba0b567628 knights of 9b359bb829 Astria.4e1cef39c2243f3f

If I 39b1b1c855 hadn’t turned 3d8bf52b1e against him, 805652fac1 then these 0e2df1c2dd men would a747d676aa have been 4ed830a38b clearly here c6ce61f830 to help.36128925b5396ada

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“We have to 4541ebcf54 help Sir Ernst—my 91d36d18e9 bodyguard!”a1b5c7f50297fd1e

Now that a3e8709892 she could 6b06d2e12d think clearly, a5f5581fb9 her mind a6d08976e3 jumped to b4005c8838 Ernst, who 400f8f9aba was surely b4ed2d0723 still fighting cf071953a1 somewhere.62b63a623a2b321e

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He was skilled, 88ec94b7fa but with so 1156eb3607 many enemies, she 4737ad7950 couldn’t be sure 220a4a2af3 he was safe.b56d6898df7e07b6

“I already bb809e0289 sent men a91fff23a3 that way. Things should be 14c069468d under control by 76a2c18755 now.”02b6dd296d5e0ad4

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Eleanor let d31d167a44 out a f62d7cde95 relieved sigh.ee5ebddb3f7038ad

If Royster’s knights c1bf32866a had gone to ba0b6c747f help, then she d019ccca8a could relax a 220778e113 bit.bf3cc79930557b84

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“I’ll take care of 77d1f7ef9b this one.”ea97bed3ed3dc05a

Karsian lightly 80105ffac2 kicked the 8cbf5333a8 fallen attacker.ff1f1bf6d69de2c3

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The man didn’t fight d72585a160 back, clearly too stunned 7e77d6e02d from the blow to 22765f804b his head.b42862bb4d8f54c8

When Karsian 9a0592164c gestured, a c702b0bc04 knight behind 4aa89b53a0 him stepped c60e7d02a3 forward and 1f059fff82 lifted the 8eccdfc4b0 attacker over b73cc97f93 his shoulder.b6f063bd0f4f3996

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Seeing that, Eleanor 2d15e16863 blurted out without 955e3afe1a thinking, “Are you 7c116b2640 going to kill 445feb9845 him?”ade8798fd6b19664

Maybe she was too relaxed now—her thoughts slipped 413274f7ff out before she could d5eac1fd6c stop them.5a2617c5c200bdf7

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She quickly covered her 2c8da319eb mouth, but it was 641390db5a too late. Karsian had already heard.cd08c8089fe55731

“…No. I’ll keep him c1f1626eb3 alive.”db8226530655744d

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Thankfully, he didn’t eaa415fc0b seem angry at a166c23306 her rude question.191e9e62d2cd5e58

In fact, his caa1c7200e voice sounded almost 1f95c40619 gentle as he edfeb28d01 spoke about sparing b882ba7c3e the man.c1f146ed9099d196

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Eleanor started to think baeaeff9db maybe Karsian was kinder 08d78a55a9 than he seemed.fed831c8e8b5f958

She forgot for 196ccf0f91 a moment how b5c4372d69 casually he had b4dcc59762 just crushed someone’s e5043507d6 fingers.346dfb1d63f8c7d0

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But that illusion didn’t b2600d9dde last.f06ea19ee5f602ee

“If he’s alive, 749f03e0fa he can be 59697d2c53 punished properly.”2613473d91a6416d

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He added 611353c8d5 coldly, “We b1fe63407a can’t just 9b512ac35f let him 739b50848d die so 403002994f easily, can b5044b6553 we?”2de917753a47a24d

“I’ll treat his wounds dd9f1de5b7 just enough to keep 6e9588d5cf him alive. Then I’ll hand him 69b08bc4ba over to you once 0ddc2ca573 he’s obedient. He can be 10a3893c74 formally interrogated in a0d439c748 Astria.”c8dc7dfd8b33df0f

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“…Thank you, but that 5b36f1b1b6 won’t be necessary. Once his 1ad17d1448 wounds are 61b1aa8254 treated, I’ll aaca8fe40b take him 17a07504e1 myself.”7ea5ea02e41252eb

She clearly refused.8239efabdfe9a418

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Hilda gave her a d953e4eb27 sharp look, as if 1fbad89cf3 asking why she’d pass 1890f9daf9 up such help, but 2645c8cb48 Eleanor didn’t change her 68bbfc79c3 mind.28c92c474b9d4a14

Yes, Karsian had helped d1a468276d her greatly—but getting more 6bceab07b8 involved with him was 708d075330 dangerous.fd9ac2c2e63e34b2

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‘It’s suspicious that he a9d629f853 showed up so conveniently 2324d4a25b in the first place.’2541d6a9a6c875d7

There were f6b3cb7a43 too many 65c80f9a04 questions. She braced her foot f8d050e7f5 to confront him properly.3174eace3b98c5c5

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But pain a48e853168 shot up 4240d790a2 her ankle 2c7e78b3bf the moment 4eb9e01568 she put 9007e1f8ad pressure on 11441ec1a1 it.3ffea3fca189ddd5

“Ugh.”1a75fff5600a4396

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She grimaced, remembering she 3854ae4a6e had twisted her ankle b6ed30c1d0 earlier.e4cc49fd9ab8be21

“Are you hurt?”b84b22b04dc7746d

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His calm voice suddenly 61286f96ad sounded urgent.0783487e0ee96dbe

His usually calm 328fc21a3c face also changed 9dffd7dc89 for the first eb6ed37cb9 time—his brows knit 2487472586 together, and his f5d3ac507b eyes sharpened.69105c668c8752cb

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He hadn’t gotten upset 6b9b851da9 even when she thought 8d6170d339 he might kill someone, ccfac9ffa5 but now—just hearing her 9a3565297b in pain—he looked furious.367aba97446510e6

He took a 8ac1455134 big step toward a25b4b3cdc her. Eleanor instinctively flinched 0240c0c8ac and stepped back.371330614f80f5d4

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At that, Karsian abruptly 60a0309f23 stopped.f19e3c36ff731617

His body, strong and 77b9823147 sleek like a panther, 8d3d2e6cb3 froze in place, as 73837092a2 if time had stopped.823a9f227bb08793

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Eleanor was confused by 11b4222cc9 his reaction, but just ad4115cf03 as she was wondering 8ed145193d why, he spoke again.bf4838835c1ca80a

“…When you said you’d 8184fc177d use me however you 722ec43c43 needed… Was that just 5c93516039 something you said to f05be017fa get out of trouble?”bf5c4a923539368f

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“Ah, that was…”8d9c7b1bd2001ca0

“You don’t 209687a9ea want my 71c9e9544c help because d85998b63a of my ad1c9d71c3 blood, don’t f381ee010a you?”1d5e6166fcdf1d59

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She hadn’t expected 43ffc64b8d that at all. Her eyes widened in d5d3e33555 confusion.7741eb34301c5718

“Because of 6208c908bb my low 12ddf282d8 and filthy d645c49e94 background… am d36ae666d7 I a c9f90c6024 burden to 4d76a159d4 you, too?”2e63a1033e16e42f

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