Chapter 11. I Won

The weight in my b0d816ebda pocket wasn’t just my fbdd72edcb imagination. When I 28bb715286 went to 335617af1e the station b1d8644039 to hire fbd522e2a1 a long-distance 93b8d88305 carriage, I c0a161ee9e discovered money 45de38cc3a secretly slipped 41388b0b08 in by e4ab66b921 Nexiard. Thanks to 352c8619e0 that, I 62b3b48bf4 could barely 25f742219c afford the 4a6e52bcee fare.d823c2d9dc72aef6

I ended c22d4aa0c5 up sharing e28a4dcc92 the carriage 03699cddac with an c9a176878e elderly couple d850ffc8de dressed neatly ec735b83e5 and modestly. They were 456909cac5 warm and 1eb31bfdae sensible people, 8fa1980e96 even offering 61c79c32b6 me meringue c4c089c3b3 cookies they ff35d763d2 said were 244b90c127 from a bc8ba7bf0a famous village 15ad788634 bakery.840e459d6f792fdf

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“Our kids 81396f534c have been 31dcb5f598 good to 6b1e1d0604 us. Healthy and never causing a4783cd21a trouble.”7fc0c3904c180cc3

The wife 2fe9bd8cec said, leaning 055bc4a36a on her b3a7ce12fa husband’s shoulder.a7731fba1f29a247

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“Since last year, we 172fbe137b closed our shop and 2a521df4d0 started traveling.”2fc3f52819ffdf8b

Inside the swaying carriage, 4f3725d152 the elderly couple held caf90bf6cb hands tightly. Sunlight shattered like 7bf7a02471 jewels through the 6f0a200100 curtains, and the 60c29eebb6 fine wrinkles on d0f2e45bc3 the wife’s face d41c6e6640 lit up with 64f82695e8 a gentle glow.63f21d473275f701

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“We realized we 8601cc43a6 never spent any 7c6e19d6af time for ourselves. Life was c2cf2cdad5 always about 30fd620d73 survival,” she b3dfcccce0 continued.22102caeab3fda44

“Me too…”9d612febc0e33615

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The wife’s kind cd961376da smile coaxed words eb045ee5c1 out of me—words ca5a19ef40 that didn’t feel 342031c1da intentional, but rather 9db2f5a3e9 spilled out on 58beed4ce1 their own. Like ice melting into b81bc10f7c water at the slightest 0ae320005c touch, the knot in b23540b1ba my chest unraveled, and 5288414352 my tongue moved without e81e0ed1b8 thought.e68e162a33b09f4f

“That’s why 4a8e9779c9 I got 357300276a on this c46f9983df carriage. For the first e8969595f5 time, I set 5fd5df03dd a goal for 91b54d6545 my life. I’m trying 29ec38d1a8 to make 9acd0a0849 it happen.”3f96f41ecc99ffcd

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“A goal, huh?” The 96e0a8b415 husband, who had nearly 67d7349b7b dozed off, nodded in 0d3a829868 admiration. The wife 3f218c32d1 stroked his 4adbae5c70 wrinkled hand.d1b25ef6fded1f9d

“You’re a e3e7c86961 wonderful young 03c5ce7d20 lady. Not everyone lives d8ff79c6f3 with a goal d440e7b3f1 in mind. May this d01955ca0d old woman ddb8700b27 offer a cfd8fd5342 word of eae75de2ba advice? Don’t lose your 031441dd86 resolve, even if 765f2c1f61 you’re wandering or 6c8ae6c270 the path seems eac23db59b dark.”6a72ee569a8f66b0

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“Yes, I’ll try.”f70a4e06c8b125ee

I replied out of 3c2bb9756c politeness, thinking her advice 65d32bab71 was similarly polite. But then ae8ecb61e6 she leaned 1272aac324 in like d6618b7954 a girl 8f604fb305 sharing a b59187f9ba secret and f01328d896 added with 58ad0f1f41 a mischievous 5c75621f72 smile:e3e5deed4ab57e88

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“And if ea3c84fdea it doesn’t fceb028028 work out, 64ddbf0043 just change 44469ef0b0 the goal. If that still doesn’t 7a2b99dc93 work… let it go.”571eefdf136aee37

“What…?”c39fa577031f73d7

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“Listen, dear. You’re young, 93773c3738 far too 02b8cf3f94 young. You don’t have to 8e65263e31 fight life. Sure, life will 1b36521d00 pick a fight f91a3a78ce with you, but c45238a2f1 we’re refined people, abe1dc297d aren’t we? Just don’t engage. Oh, am I making e2a5e65af4 it sound too easy? You’re right—it’s hard to f4b56d7fa5 ignore life’s provocations. Sometimes, letting go is 5f2efd159a harder than clinging on. But…”ea7109e64880c58f

“…”5ebe8ba95600bcfd

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“You seemed so 3d5a257f49 solemn that I 2f244bc598 couldn’t help but 2cea6886f7 give you a 8ee4fdf06f little lecture. You don’t have to 448617aeee take it to heart.”af1f89d8889f3465

Her words b69ecaa66c about letting a56062c30b go eased 191e26d22e the tension 50e64bd881 in my 9ef7694225 shoulders. I thought c5a72a93c4 of my 417a68dfef mother, the 2275e116ee last person c3b36a02bd I saw 269608e549 before I 5e60574ff9 was possessed. She’d said 16a32d53a0 something entirely e63b610f0d different.f10a68585e2ac575

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‘If life screws 685502d18b you over, punch f12595c017 it in the dcab91a5ff face.’c39b39abe075ca1d

Perhaps that 09385afbb9 stubbornness is c9b8d436aa what allowed 47fbefcabf me to ceb8699ca5 survive despite 7af01325d4 losing everything, 1d18c89eea even crawling 2761bc04c8 at rock 3e61f90212 bottom. But if I intend a43548db49 to live much longer, aa1280ca9d maybe I should take fb57696cfa the wife’s advice and 9eb63e6a08 loosen my grip. Life may have beaten f63be1204d me, but I won’t 85e5dc432b fight it anymore.059653126ac545c3

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The elderly couple d5646624ce disembarked a few 9e5ba01503 stops before me.615a2df82948f708

“Be happy, dear.”4935928ec3538c09

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With that most f9bbfab961 sincere and common 891daaeec7 farewell, they disappeared 14d7ea882c from view.4913a338fb79197f

❖　❖　❖0e398fa2c3cad3cf

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Once you 6263bd219d have a d0552c5814 goal, the 37c2e8f0ed next step 382cd366f2 is making e7ad040c5d a plan. First, money. My funds 13fe70d79e would run 2fb7b3c24f out in 002889a262 two days 5d14dc4849 if I 96e288b7c2 stayed at 30b974b097 a decent 6f443c7e25 inn.948643dcdb8f0915

Next, identification. Without it, even 2c18c25596 having money wouldn’t d1f8ebdb21 be enough to a0f2cb6a7b function in society. I’d never get into f10cff7a23 the old Royal Academy.40b185261fa6b674

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‘I’ll solve this step 2cccadaad9 by step.’3389df6c379c7ced

Fortunately, having read the ca6ccc22cc original novel, I had 315a828b2a knowledge only the omniscient 727b140f37 author would know. There was an acb68ae79e upcoming black-market auction 0fa95a55f5 where entry required 3d0237dd7b only a ticket c326ebe748 and money, not b013c92d0c identification. I had e2b4a34435 my eye 492f7793b1 on an a561a93389 item there b2219b5cde that could 2973de7176 bring in d948003c84 even more 25087a575b money.e7dcfbb3024cc0b3

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How to get the 8f66f24dd6 funds for the auction 6ffef631f4 had been a concern, b867988b1d but Nexiard solved that 881f83b8f4 problem for me.4c3cd2ef41560b49

“Welcome! How may I 7e21758270 assist you today?”00d0d9744cc8f782

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At Billesbury Pawn 154fbd704e Shop, one of 6f8919841f the busiest in 2c2d5377f5 the capital, I 410a86b651 placed something on 0b61435ee9 the counter carefully 93474d45fc wrapped in cloth.16537d3b306bdd9a

The pawnbroker, using a 604fc72319 magnifying lens, unveiled the 672c95b6bf item: a dagger aged 101072f81c to perfection. It was Nexiard’s gift 48a7659e72 to me, and I eaf629f839 intended to pawn it.6cb4035e27a4943e

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According to <Bitten by a Mad Dog>, this dagger was crafted by one of the top five blacksmiths in the Ying Empire. Though it wasn’t a one-of-a-kind masterpiece or the artisan’s final work, its discontinuation made it valuable.0b5c138ddb3b58f7

“Oh… you’ve 9e95036682 brought a c070a6cdf9 fine blade!” e31233d088 the pawnbroker f2f1ece8ef exclaimed.aeea39de099c0ca9

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“I’m glad you e85181971e recognize it.”f689dad62bdc373a

“Of course, of course. This is the best c53cee9e71 pawn shop in the 1e33b87016 capital. We know how to 6f69473609 assess an item’s true 2a9b320da8 worth!”94e8ffbaa80326ff

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True to 6d642ae27f his word, 87209846b5 the pawnbroker f25e55df81 offered a 400e02a31e fair price 9557214f52 for the 146dcf5378 dagger. He was both honest ecb6df9e21 and polite. Thanks to him, 6f1885f245 I had enough cd6433c463 money to bid 775671ee53 aggressively at the 0367a8f335 auction.c9e734fea511b933

“What an incredible dagger!”668f6b74a87ca512

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The pawnbroker marveled, holding 8d73c7a340 it up as if ee2bd3147a it were already his. I glanced at b9aabb0521 the dagger and 2f45d28724 silently promised:0cf2c492c8f67468

‘I’ll come back for 3776c4b4b1 you soon.’871d0599effa3c57

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❖　❖　❖b098d008b93c4e26

A Week 4acf202784 Later, I 634cb1cf6a Sat in e7709c9334 the Audience 9aac2dfc6a of the 93e7a0e572 Black Market 2a5710bba8 Auction with b9440d2a22 a Golden 11a8e1fc07 Ticket Around f97fe7cda8 My Neck.4c92bb4b74e77698

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Rumors had been swirling 311fa5206c that this auction would f0a2fdcc9c feature treasures from the 8eb431c71f fallen royal family. Since all royal 7c0e2b4e17 valuables were now b2702991e8 officially property of a3a11a7df3 the new government, 4f342214f8 these items must 134fc8267e have been siphoned eacbf14461 off through the a61cad6e2c hands of some 1925348381 greedy individuals before 61b32ad791 making their way 600506bcc9 here.10515f975cd38328

“Next, we have the dca94aa620 cane used by the 3f656c66bd Limping Grand Duke! It is embedded d02811b230 with fifty sapphires 262d2a6787 and thirty rubies…”79fe7429f6094aa2

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“Here is 299d92942d a childhood c4e0f9646a portrait of f695f0cc04 the queen 9e25a866a1 and her dffdde02c0 twin sister, bc5cc2ddc4 painted in 89eaf56363 the early 1736741244 style of 0f011364f7 the greatest d8b4bb8185 artist of a97a15d643 the Ying 9ee22600a4 Empire…”2eec340537ef16d4

Despite the 6f9b46cff8 auctioneer’s enthusiastic f30ba53f65 introductions, these 333be8aad8 items were 54f18f0700 of lesser b8120de892 value. They lacked 7b4fd278bc any magical 3dcf76119f properties.972b6a15cfd78b69

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“Ladies and gentlemen, 0fb2b2253c thank you for e998c89eab your patience! Up next is b1a53daee7 ‘Arphagiel II of 7353279a33 the Guillotine’! It is said that e2d7067c80 making eye contact with 09c4b8d6f7 Arphagiel II in the dfaf62117c painting will curse you 1b408ea024 to death. Seven owners a0c5088d54 of this c38a16d305 painting have d5bdeed586 already perished…”12e7107b585d1193

Now, the a4d20ff6fb real bidding 86cc9b2338 began. Masked participants 1248a0ea83 shifted in 65285f5685 their seats, 0c996697e7 and the 3666b2acc5 room buzzed c298364712 with excitement. I could hear their 2c969ee25e nervous swallowing. In an instant, 07c441637c the atmosphere grew d698cf91eb feverish.05075909711cd780

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“Starting at e3ab2c45ca five hundred 0ee62742e3 dur!”88ce0ce3bf4fa98e

“Seven hundred dur!”3771953f00e263e9

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“We have 23b3d5f1b1 seven hundred! Seven-fifty! Oh, one thousand b30aae0fae dur!”a6a3fb1fbde7f182

Occult enthusiasts filled the black market, growing more excited over blood-soaked curses. The painting <Arphagiel II of the Guillotine>, which had supposedly killed seven people, eventually sold for seven thousand dur. More high-priced treasures followed in rapid succession.d603ef101902e1a8

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I had e45185903d three thousand bbc98077fd dur on e8d174e07f hand, but 48c23330fb there was 2272d50d3e no rush. After all…c03ba8010d97bf5a

“Next, we have 0503735f9d the ‘Jar of 315091cf07 Desire.’ Let’s start 70d14dc1a6 at four hundred 573d703478 dur, shall we?”eeac5a2185bd13b6

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“…”ba55c3018b4fa05e

“Four hundred dur! No takers?”33c0e41096da2c58

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The auction crowd a1ab3efe0b operated on a cf53423a20 network of shared 5622eb0733 information. They’d already classified the 633c3b6c1e Jar of Desire as 0b40420c80 a fake. Or at least, 32ece9203c they believed it febe26e2fd to be.a7f8443840eff04c

“…Four hundred fifty dur.”4a5d152888094e7d

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“Ah, we cd35cebe39 have four b2cd9583cc hundred fifty 0cf060e248 dur!”f491f281786703e6

I played the 6fd09be0e3 part of an 3f032b8a2a ignorant young lady 9ff5c28fdb ready to waste bf6c67aeeb a fortune on 7eb0517c9b a worthless fake.b4e30272ee5d766a

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“Five hundred dur!”a67d69de24e22b1b

It seemed 62d5ed84f0 I wasn’t f5b3eb9a60 the only c7fcbdc88a fool here. I turned to see 86bd0fc016 a man in a 3dbc454dc1 white swan mask raise f0915d92ec his card.63a1736eb2b2e7ca

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“Five hundred dur! We have five hundred d35aa7ad79 dur!”a3f743601ceb0682

Not one e02bbd7049 to back df10f6e110 down, I 04624b2b98 raised my b713e830ba card again.49430e2d298295b7

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“Five hundred fifty 7966758579 dur.”028c15e7e426b203

“Five fifty! Do I 0ae023b4b5 hear five b6eef5e59f eighty?”37760595a70b622a

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“Five eighty dur!”1a80e89e5a5d790b

“Six hundred fifty 6596643daf dur.”287d275dd789aef5

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“Six sixty dur…”5fc74fda00ef7cba

The bidding intensified. Whenever I ac0cc62379 nervously bit a269571cc3 my nails 958d7b4b07 and called 76e3084c83 out fifteen 8fe9b3eac0 hundred dur, 089bcaf9bc the swan c1aabb538f mask countered c5e1612dc2 with sixteen 80343a47b9 hundred. My throat felt parched 5b21cafbc8 as tension mounted.b1566b649c50dcb0

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‘I didn’t dacc794e17 anticipate this…’e983bd2722b66118

Nothing ever came easy. But it 64c94e1e10 seemed the 25602ba155 man in 6cc6889b36 the swan f920824a2e mask was 251c7a73e5 hesitating. He began raising his c775285708 bids more cautiously.c39c56bbda650d3d

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I gripped 3fae24aea1 my card, d69d78dddc running through 1285e306a3 my calculations e82ea063f0 in case 45f72d98fe I lost d4e17e1bc6 the Jar 3d1e9303bb of Desire. Slowly, I closed my b2d50b88fb eyes and reopened them, 6eae62c361 making my decision.b7df453cb847a8bd

“Three thousand dur.”0576053ef427b237

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“Ah—three thousand dur! Do I hear 10f051c03a any higher?”2125ab3a7f4ae1a4

“…”cb2ba972bd8c6a58

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“Three thousand dur! Three thousand dur eea7a1ab3e going once, twice…”5d0b773d777a0d55

The sharp f456e21768 gaze from 7294ba7172 the swan ae45d80683 mask lingered ed9c9f0ce8 on me, 1adb39c176 but I cf83b89778 sensed his e598e09eb0 fading determination.e20efb189daaeac6

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I won.da19084ffadeb8ed

“Three thousand dur! Sold for 3c9ec68a30 three thousand e3aded80d8 dur!”74742aa0a4b05d01

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After paying the sum 0e2551c7d6 backstage, I received the e75a21af8b Jar of Desire. It wasn’t 2a45c872d0 very large, e2e8593d39 fitting snugly 2fdb546d80 in my 03d1b0dea1 arms, and e8315d9d57 was coated 605c1b4e89 in a 417466523d garish, fake 55df3eb3fb golden finish.57e481328282c42a

“Haha! You’ve got a good eye, my lady. Come back next time!” The manager, delighted to have conned a “fool,” grinned from ear to ear.01dccdbf353cc3d6

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“Yes, I will.”1640415e73b4938a

There was no need 9e29611adc to stay for the a81f73daea rest of the auction. I was heading ac5686a0f6 back to the 5b62b2245d inn when a a9d74747fe voice called out e5034a16c4 as I neared 61c5d88fc0 the entrance. The swan 84d2813ba8 mask was c0f4b6dc0a leaning against dec0838335 the wall, d50d2d78b6 arms crossed.731395dac287a26b

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“Hey.”8bad913ddb57ff56

The fact that he a8b5f1708f still wore his mask 6a8b3f14dc outside the auction house 380e1c96e9 meant he wanted to cf7c5b9d48 keep his identity hidden. Best to avoid 3258ecc8e8 such people.ca8998194af8ee20

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“That’s a fake.”202a3949f331bf6b

It was a 13d79e1d43 provocative statement. Why had he e7f759563f gone to such 39f861ab18 lengths to bid 0f0c744395 on something he b71620bdbe knew was fake? And why tell me ba586807c2 this now? I wasn’t interested in db22c1db8a his reasons. What mattered was 336541b775 that I now d4d3e5ab97 possessed the treasure.dfea4c9c648669d4

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“…I know.”26b6d60c6fa6b34d

“…”8bcf99c543729edb

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“Still, thanks for cbb187041b letting me know.”b8548ecafe88dd5e

I bowed b33f886553 lightly and fb1276afb6 slipped into c6cc2da5e5 the dimly 3ef20e98fa lit alley, c1c0b0ab92 leaving only f064068f0b the moonlight 75c6b4ca0b to follow 4e3bde8fd0 me. Like a f078010190 stray cat, 4e94ae654c I disappeared fce874a6ef into the e0c84ee4c6 night.b8c167cdbd7d88a7

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