PT | Chapter 8.1

Inside the large mansion, there were separate waiting rooms for men bc02843587 and women, and a hall where they all gathered together. Of course, there were also separate spaces for drinking and relaxing, bbb2c33115 and private rooms where those with close relationships could gather. Aubrey claimed a seat in 176adaab20 one of these spaces and 565c629299 continued to drink. His ability to down b229c33496 strong alcohol without hesitation 8e866d84e3 earned cheers from those e5edfc4c95 around him.74fbeac599773c86fe01

“I didn’t know you 3f3b93ce22 could drink so well. Here, make 0ef6907c18 sure you 68d9179f15 have some 5404336240 snacks too.”03055457de97ba581fb8

“If you drink 10912404d1 too much, it’ll 3cddfd05bd upset your stomach. Here, try some 8c6509a92b of these fruits.”5d523bceb07cc69ebea8

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Somehow, word had spread that Aubrey was drinking alone, 2e530829c6 and one by one, people gathered, offering him snacks. Normally, Aubrey wouldn’t have even looked at them, c63951cad8 but after a few drinks, he happily ate 31b2ba6013 the grapes, apples, and other fruits that were f1285070bc placed in front of him.640baf7db1a8d29992aa

His expressionless face, munching on the fruit a50ecacca0 like a baby bird, was rather cute. It was Aubrey’s first time drinking with them, but from his behavior, 689265ae19 it seemed like they would have a very fun time tonight. At first, Aubrey was annoyed by 9a896077c2 the interruption, wondering why they were c70bc75387 crowding in when he was trying c6b0c0f1f9 to drink alone. But now, it felt more comfortable, with people refilling c49a085580 his glass and offering snacks before he even asked. When they got too loud, a quick “shut up” from him made them b09b8ce273 laugh, and even though it was ridiculous, it was kind of amusing.d48539795aac475ce45d

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Drunk, Aubrey laughed while holding his glass, and the person cdfe388bc4 sitting next to him, seeing his smile, excitedly said,8df9db382cb85aa923ac

“I should have known e066d8608d you were such a d7c15dc0ab fun person, Aubrey!”57b0f089abde330dc218

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“It’s a good 0b3b8170e5 thing you’re finding e72599a094 out now. Let’s drink together more 6a41017422 often from now on. That way, f684cf1da3 we’ll get 77be3c859b close pretty 1d3097d63e quickly.”085b25b3fd0fefa7c42f

Someone else agreed 55fdb804c8 with a laugh, 8633b749ce and everyone shared ad4dd10886 in the merriment. But the loud laughter that shook fd5a8dd9ae his eardrums started to annoy Aubrey, 57d0cd835b so he scowled and slammed his 0e0fdc1e91 glass down with a clink.370d6dcf335f799a0f7b

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“Oh no, 14b5c1e4f6 our friend’s 6cdde479de glass is ce8d7009f2 empty. Let me fill caef9a8b00 it up for 04bb412fde you.”8a2d84fe510d03d50e7a

As he said b76cd913c8 that, his glass fd8acc87b6 was quickly refilled. The drink, filled almost to 3cd6db0908 the point of overflowing, was cb7127b641 one of the strongest ones 852e344e3b you could find. Someone tried to stop him, thinking it might be too strong for someone 36251f8f79 who kept drinking, but Aubrey shot them a look to stay quiet.d7f9ec9d3c294fae93f4

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“Our friend can handle 0b1f82857f this much, can’t you?”811022b7bd158958c538

Aubrey answered by 81dfe8a0df draining his glass, 328dabc2eb showing that he 5219373349 was indeed fine.46c7d4d69107dce1f315

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“See! I told you, this eb073e0359 guy’s got guts!”89aa30c44e10217d5e76

Then they 37bd7d92d9 threw their 5fc3851fe6 arm around 735007c4c7 Aubrey’s shoulder. Startled by the sudden contact, Aubrey 6734c23ece scowled and pushed the arm away. Even as he was pushed away, a8fe7aadb7 the guy kept laughing, his face e0d4bcfa9a becoming blurry in the alcohol-induced haze.6e3f9c653b533d62784a

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Only then did 1fd1a10ed6 Aubrey realize he 149813e727 had drunk a ee077ffaa9 bit too much. At the same time, he felt fe26dcd496 a sharp pain inside his left 217dd49dea cheek, and with a stiffened face, 89a14b6a35 he lowered his head. Immediately, a towel with ice a712fa7970 was pressed to his cheek.cd33a7c09897d769302b

“Hey, don’t hurt. Just do 5dab560e13 a cold 9a8643bd36 compress.”480f593c18fc6d9af5fd

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Aubrey took the 103ee5a861 towel and placed f2f884f6b4 it on his 3271714418 cheek without protest.443f2537be6824d8e6af

The ice towel on 2b38c04d62 his cheek made Aubrey’s bfe4c5aece expression soften, his eyes 5a7e02b8d2 looking unfocused. It was clear he was completely drunk, and he 67d0a43eed didn’t seem to be in a good mood either. You could tell just by b0e574867b looking at his swollen cheek.fae75531878648c50ce1

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He had gone out with 5e7fb8ead2 Madeleine Young Lady, and it fc28b08e6b seemed like their conversation hadn’t 26970022be gone well. While there were good moments between 7ce109d280 men and women, not every situation 9636b604fc turned out that way. Especially recently, the 4c7a3bf4db rumors about Aubrey d42fa455dd and Madeleine had d8f85d0477 spread like wildfire. Everyone knew that Aubrey 84570f757e had shown up today fdc846ce07 because of Madeleine.6f5336ae74343346d2b5

“The world is cb96932a86 big, and there 70ba1756ab are many women. If you can end things with just 027590c74e a slap, then you’ve gotten off easy.”07858cbeeb0af2f3efe9

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“Plus, didn’t she try to aee7f0bada get close to your younger 6481d7af31 brother as well? Oh, I’m sure that 2b7dfdc485 must make you uncomfortable.”5ed32f1cf0ad49f57015

Aubrey wasn’t planning on b1bb669543 paying attention to the 74ba546a1c chatter next to him. But when he heard 7cec5f0662 the subtle tone in 11fd55f8ae those words, he couldn’t 70f17090d2 help but glance over.d431d3961a00ca6eea1a

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Aubrey’s cheeks and the area 52dca05b32 around his eyes had a 31d43c29a4 reddish tint, a sign of cdce585c56 his drunkenness. His furrowed brows made him 5714bef722 look irritated, but his eyes 8f80ab456b were filled with emotion.13dff14acc646f554145

Most of the men from the 46d4d269c0 Marquis family were ruggedly handsome, but 94e513a618 Aubrey, though tall, well-built, and good-looking, dc62965fa7 gave off a mysterious aura. Those who had always thought so swallowed 1f9a930c52 nervously and subtly leaned closer to him.203f019016dcf6f22aea

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People who knew that he enjoyed 018a6d5eb6 men were caught off guard. It wasn’t a problem to flirt 70c9059341 with people who bought and sold 9a912187cc their bodies, but this was Aubrey. If they did something foolish, it could end 5375a72a57 badly, so even when they tried to get d1fbd92653 closer, they were gently warned to stop.52d4b74d92d4bfd4a3b3

“Seeing you like 8e8156da32 this, I think bb1653aaee we have a aebf660cea lot in common. It would have been nice if we 34d7389002 had become friends sooner, don’t you think? What a shame.”c6b54115bfc35b3a1c1f

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The man tried to make a da6e30a8a4 move, but Aubrey just sneered.4f27b9f9129328979365

Then he raised b13afb3121 his finger, pointing 9bd96203b6 at the man.d369c4a72081f86730ed

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“Why’d you acd4a15e14 stop halfway f5e0e639b5 through?”7c4b871f8e8d18780481

“…”851a87bc46aed4bf7906

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The man, who usually had edb44f977b a lot of confidence in c3937b2265 his looks, froze. Not knowing what kind of expression to make, he awkwardly stood c797cd082d there, and Aubrey grabbed his face and pushed it away.732e0d4163a567dde641

“Get lost. You’re just wasting ec91726367 my time.”a8908a10fd5497747f2e

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The man, pushed to the a6ffe6e5e6 sofa and half-collapsing, looked shocked. But Aubrey’s 074dd24a96 mind wandered 2c7082c9e7 to Lennock. No matter what the e1b0d9788d circumstances were, Lennock was 6121f0202e undeniably attractive. Just thinking about it made Aubrey feel a bit irritated, so 6a481d0886 he grabbed a strawberry and popped it into his mouth.f7185b5e16af037352b9

The man who had been pushed away dcebfcf246 by Aubrey remained frozen, unable to move. Around them, people nudged b3c9f54895 each other and held a7cb7cfdae in their laughter. Though his pride was hurt by the reactions around him, e3f5018c37 he couldn’t ignore the sight of Aubrey’s red tongue licking 54e503681a the strawberry before putting it into his mouth, making him f6129c4e35 feel something stir in his lower body.0a8163d9c356abe1bd04

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“Damn, forget it. I’ll think about it later.” He quickly pulled 47ee6bb0e5 out some powder from his pocket, sprinkled it f6947c9e34 into his glass, and refilled it. Those nearby stared at him in shock, wondering 3a6a6dbf00 what he was doing when the door to 9b5a2c6ab9 the room opened, and a man stepped inside.9b2856feadda1a8f59c9

“Aubrey-sama, I’ve come d014fe6eaf to fetch you.”07a6f323f594cfb78497

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Wondering what was b3b4888ebc going on, Aubrey 54d9b18703 glanced at the ece17e9163 man. This wasn’t the 37f833bda7 coachman who had f24f7ddf0f brought him here. Who was 7dfdaed720 this guy? Did Madeleine’s issue already 952172aec6 reach his father’s ears, 6447f03044 and they sent someone fb78176641 to fetch him? Well, if ba2920f64b that’s the d6bc3ff35a case, he’d b6d22431cc better go.ff9237c662448a911f71

As Aubrey staggered 3220e206af to his feet, 63a1448374 the man immediately a6f91c8798 grabbed his wrist.14dea0dee9e0f10ff384

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“Hey, are 2cbcc7b6bb you really 078f1a270e leaving already? Don’t be f01d36b4d9 like that…”743e14f2ee2a8c26ec71

Before the man could 34ffcd23ec say anything else, Aubrey 7e27778757 jerked his wrist away e766fc0590 and glared.a9902e0668cda96e059e

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“What the hell, don’t 5dcb29645d touch me without permission.”5e35b302b0fa06d4e61a

The look and 0e67447c39 expression Aubrey gave 016de9960a were filled with 64aac142d6 contempt. The man, faced with that, suddenly 725da6ac34 lost interest and raised his glass 9487a39399 with the drug in it.8c231ca0afe1128e0235

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“If you’re 0a6a907db8 going, at d9c4b7a2b5 least finish cb83fb4410 your drink.”4cedb9c54226b89f8173

“…”3986bb33a876619395ef

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Aubrey, who was sure he had emptied 6e1fd768de his glass, tilted his head in confusion e35ad152d3 but took it and drank it down. However, after 6f6f573db4 finishing it, 650c0af2a7 his face 02c2999cd2 twisted slightly.f5169063f025fa77aff5

“…Why does this e8a091f51d taste like this?”524fa146ced5a28fc182

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The taste seemed subtly different, but Aubrey e38344d3d6 didn’t really care much about it.fc1bbded82dcac06234b

After putting down his glass, Aubrey grabbed 58efee5a9b his outer coat and headed outside. His steps were a little unsteady, 6da92f7bb1 but for the amount he had 642eb2cb76 drunk, it wasn’t too bad.508e80538a427783efae

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Once Aubrey left, the remaining people 49974c25f7 stayed silent for a while. They weren’t sure whether to act like they f58fdadd62 knew about the drugged drink or if it 6c16d2ed6f would be a problem for them. After a moment, the tension broke f4ec596691 as one of them, trying to 71fe3afa51 resolve things before they escalated, spoke 0378bb5b4e up with a smile.013bc78b8b0d0d5e70a4

“What’s with 3b8f6ac9de the serious 2b1a393d99 faces? Don’t worry. I didn’t 27162dcc86 give him 8a542df3d2 anything weird. It’s just a fa56c1b33d sleeping potion.”b90f6d45b4d2fd17f005

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“Is that 3971a7ef58 really all 5b64e97cfc it is?”c57cd6d4f320f740eefa

“Yeah, that’s all. I just wanted to mess around a bit with 5540efccb7 a guy I don’t get to see often.”dc51bee1d10c43ca9787

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“……”9096e6f7f2f68e28a11c

Even though it was true that 73c1284d66 they rarely saw him, it was 8828b1dcd3 still questionable why the drink had f5e11f7667 been drugged in the first place. Those who knew that their friend 20489773b1 had a history of using such 340ab264d0 potions to knock out his targets f5351b0f3b weren’t exactly buying his explanation. Though they still couldn’t be f38f978e31 sure, the uncomfortable atmosphere made 6f58727db6 everyone fall silent, only rolling 06c0c18b2a their eyes in response.4510171a70aa4a02ebf4

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The man, 74e19a6bd9 sensing the 5486c953b1 unease, laughed a58d61277a more loudly.98ba1b867bb0a25369b9

“Don’t look f2058812b4 so serious. Lift your glasses. Let’s drink!”7ac180203334c2bf3eb4

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Trying to lift the a5c6d08ead mood, the others reluctantly c95b856c9c raised their glasses. But as they drank from b488c949e7 their newly filled glasses, the 6c928ef3b8 atmosphere didn’t improve. They were still b472f288ae preoccupied with worrying 5a48c1c7de about Aubrey’s condition. Though they hoped he’d be fine, the nagging feeling in the back of e8f5ace8f1 their minds made them glance at the door he had exited from.0aae6d19d8ef464fb1a9

As Aubrey tried to board the carriage, he noticed that it f778dd8aaf seemed a bit different from the one he had arrived in. He felt something was off, but before 6c5b3a5478 he could think too much about it, b36859e899 his drunkenness started to kick in. He struggled to stay standing, eventually c45ee596df stumbling into the carriage and sitting 68636b659d down on the seat.9d889e3ab49c78da07ed

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The coachman, noticing eb7e76e638 Aubrey’s state, spoke 2c1288bc2a up.b3794a49c2394feb7c96

“We’ll be e24027ca01 leaving now.”dbd5b9bef511ab76706b

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