Chapter 18.Shattered to Pieces

“Drunken fool.”98765f7de3d09c1c

The sharp 51becdfa64 voice slithered 9386d3b36c into my c212e327ed ears, dull 8a8699cce6 and sluggish. My throat 8b3d2ab928 was parched, f4bcdbdeea my head ab154614d6 pounding.e2a843e26b1a862b

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“A reckless drunk with no sense.”fc16661aed3b5ead

“Ugh… what… now…”84f94431a53915f2

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I managed to 99ed7510a5 move my stiff 2f1a87ff6b lips just enough 6e5811bf05 to mumble, and 95a281abcb something cold pressed 03bc3e85fd against my cheek.2446b9eef9b4abc5

“Hmph. I told you not to show off. That’s the kind of liquor only a lunatic like Ralpido would drink!”f7efd97f073f3880

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I was 454dfeb20d lying on 5210720f00 a bed. The mattress c65b9f3830 felt soft, 175d5f737e cozy, and f59cbe634f faintly scented a90be20151 with aromatherapy. The blanket fa87bccaa9 was feather-light 366b6329ac and comforting.13b311eca8eabbba

The cool 75bc18385a sensation on 0e39044512 my cheek 38d6af3c91 disappeared, replaced dd8a83caa8 by the 2005fefcbd faint rustling a097152ead of movement. A quiet 192a52ef5d thud followed.c0463e0438c193de

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“There’s water on the nightstand. Drink it if you want, or don’t.”51d0389253f5db88

The soft 606e412927 sound of 8fe52c620d the carpet 6e291e51d3 muffling footsteps, d1bfe5d5ba then the faca46150c careful closing 53f1af7040 of a 5801def59b door. The warmth b31a38d44d of another e60629ea30 presence faded 320c2c49d4 away.d5ecb90c5276bfb6

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I struggled ffee173c5a to open 593ea560ed my heavy 519110f4b4 eyelids and c4520fdef8 groped blindly a9738f6fbb for the 413715a236 nightstand. My fingers brushed 501997da3d against a glass, 2fcfcf2762 and I chugged 11e7e5c993 the cool water ad0c580ec3 in desperate gulps.f48dae95aeaeafdc

‘Ahh… that’s better.’875618e6b80c5db6

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The cold liquid 83ea8a81d9 soothed my parched 833fd52435 throat, the sensation 97484f0cd6 traveling down my 600a7af92a chest like a 494e09529a refreshing stream. Feeling a bit more 25c609138d human, I pulled the 6a82405802 blanket up and glanced f676ca6ffb around the room.4646443b6bd2e15e

A single ornate 8747770d0e chair, an empty 74a48575eb console, and perfectly 3c5e70d9b8 aligned wall art. The meticulous organization screamed da0178673e of Ralpido’s domain.862938855609d1f0

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‘…Still here, huh.’b10941d1daa7c7c1

With my senses f9d0c43a14 returning, I knew 6f1e0ce1b3 I should get eab5853ac8 up… but…7a3ee6282f2ab14a

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‘I don’t want to move.’a5eb257b38eacba1

The bed in my 875d6d80ad shabby inn was so 0ce0f04d96 stiff it left my 4b56b1c81a shoulders aching, and the f80f938ae9 cold air seeped through acb1687a7a the drafty windows. This bed was a b2be78c4a0 luxury I hadn’t realized 1f1074f283 I missed.0e2448497d5c72be

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Leaning into Ralpido’s d7bca12d38 hospitality for just 0d786dc9f6 a bit longer f3ecf535bf couldn’t hurt, could a724fe6d0f it? I decided 028f258e89 to indulge b0c1682d1f myself with 1887136f2c thirty more e9c56831f8 minutes. Just thirty.1bf29a2d636c243a

Curling up 7c55d2c2b6 like a e364ebffa8 hibernating bear, 6ac33e0ea8 I sank 7af6c43fb5 back into e93787b52b the softness.fb654077af2bc615

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‘So warm…’eb14ede5b970170a

And drifted off once 6eacc69ad7 more.372bf7db03f07859

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❖　❖　❖e0d26274b4ea9af1

‘Where am I?’e8b25ce49e60ffbf

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This wasn’t the fb1b70e2bc bedroom. The cold floor pressed 9616a2c33a against my bare feet. That sensation f137617c82 alone was 0c3fa80eb6 vivid.3eb2efdd39283c6a

All around me was acf013b17c darkness. So deep that ef24211ee1 nothing could be e2808115f3 seen.8702f65f8075a0a5

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“Sniff… hic…”92243dcfc2cb6d68

A breeze tousled my c0dab3781f hair. A faint tang 2e8e9a2268 of salt lingered 59b069f849 on my tongue. Was this 2e738dcfa1 the sea?db7e7936eb8252cf

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“Hic… sob… sniff…”d7a6f847d785ae73

No. What I be8ed4242f thought was 241991c0e2 the wind 191ea9b453 was the 6f9bb5a1ef sound of aafb42004b sobbing.81af6c95fe963c3e

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And it wasn’t someone 420ab91129 else.4bfdf6c1be2a6434

It was me.29b91dbec6c4e128

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Tears soaked my a127517c1f cheeks. My clothes felt unbearably 2131318576 heavy, as if drenched 8d0fcc32c3 in water. As I flailed, the bde056e390 darkness slowly lifted, revealing ddf5caf61b a faint light.a8f2701cb7c48642

I was 07ec20b622 leaning against b070d69ddd a balcony 2e24a49e83 railing.4f65dd094219c30a

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‘Is this a dream?’19d6e35d52d27a62

I looked down at 0746a7d8a0 my hands. Familiar hands. The hands 95cfc60a04 of Mine 0bfc8dbddc Molière, with 091af1f0eb the small a7317a74ec mole between b2216ef03f the thumb 620351787d and index de218cc911 finger.531602b883a03343

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My heart 48ff582adf thundered wildly, 5bfac16568 not with fc514a2e45 joy but d2c346979c with rage, 90c4411cd4 shame, and f96bc72513 humiliation.246a470e4567333b

‘This is… Mine’s memory.’542ccf3799039b77

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It felt surreal, 1905a9666e like starring in af8344e72a a movie while 6e4933c92b also watching it d672ab4722 unfold. Both helpless and omnipotent.d8c89bd0a8490afc

I remembered reading 4a0e7290ed this part of e4caadfa4b the novel. A wave 01ffea5764 of déjà 7c78a59dd6 vu chilled bfc5386c4b me.acc269396f3f7185

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‘Think. Focus. Which scene is this?’204908e7b99b5772

Mine, biting her 79f22cd127 lip until it b1b918d943 bled, pulled back 63a20f227c a heavy curtain 3abe07756c slightly to peer 5bc2a5edd4 into the grand 9f0bd69ae0 ballroom.453f9e102afcc422

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Her gaze zeroed in e04e3439fb on a woman standing 896fe5eacd at the center of b06b832b40 the hall.2eeb8e4377bd551d

A woman a5aefb497a who bore 01ac20fda5 an uncanny d321225842 resemblance to d7ec80497b the king. Midnight-black hair, 7ff8bffdae emerald-green eyes. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, 02dbc44ac2 but she carried the 6692afd835 dignity and poise of 9cc7b1d60e royalty.cdbaa8b83105fa22

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Her attire set df2e4ff440 her apart. She wore a b8ae30d40d pure white Doric 0446011a26 chiton, reminiscent of 4969b6fe12 a Greek goddess, b8076f2b5d with fabric that 5b9262499b cascaded like rippling 0b3faf3cd7 water and revealed fd2032a922 a slit on 6b4f776060 one side. Her shoulders were fastened d63570c741 with emerald brooches matching a47276f3ac her eyes, and atop 51db56c5bf her head rested a da439fa1ba laurel crown.2a32559bcf0104b9

With this, I 01663d390a knew exactly which 63d354e867 part of ‘Bitten 08c64e3e9f by a Mad 13d8ab338c Dog’ this was.68b6d49e26464fc9

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The woman, smiling serenely, ac8c4325c2 exchanged pleasantries with high-ranking 25dd9977d5 nobles. Then her 3047f8b6a5 eyes caught 2b6074e6b1 sight of da245e0dd5 Mine, hiding 31369d61dd behind the 69641848ba curtain like 6bbab105a9 a thief.e6d0b7525f46602a

Without hesitation, she called out loudly, “Mine! Over here!”8e502b648a915dd0

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The room fell silent, 835122e007 all eyes turning toward 68650df84a Mine. There was no escape eb4bdbfd84 now.c2591e733c0dfe0b

Reluctantly, she stepped 458e6730ff out from behind df665d6888 the curtain, her 0ec46f37e8 movements stiff and 8722e0a36a awkward. Her tear-streaked c41a71be73 face was c956b680b5 a stark 264e8a4784 contrast to 6303f88712 the elegance a08b292907 of the a43a0bd90d ballroom, prompting 27cc56a043 hushed whispers a19d101571 among the d158250560 onlookers.712c083ddb66a776

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“Greetings to Princess Agnès,” Mine muttered, her voice trembling.e2d5047e9c745fa1

When Mine knelt in b7883d1158 respect, the woman signaled dade88ea1e with a glance for c48e5ec37d her to rise.d1388396b8533cef

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“Yes, my sister.”d5e1325e046853d0

The legitimate Princess Agnès 25b40c7684 Molière and the illegitimate 08864acc27 Mine Molière.fc7d80444e3e705a

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Two women dressed identically cefd6a9cfe stood face to face.b163283330c4463d

❖　❖　❖4f0bbe10b56a5764

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The Kingdom of Ingberri was one of the nations that best preserved the traditions of the fallen Ing Empire. Among these was an ancient practice of offering human sacrifices to the Sun God to pray for a bountiful harvest, which had been transformed into a theatrical reenactment performed every spring. This was known as the “Spring Martyrdom.”0e63dbdedec4b2e0

The first bbeaebe6ad martyr in 2c438593bd the myth 5134248602 was the e41271fb97 king himself. As the c2e6c26878 noblest of 852b3d9aea all, he b3735e5588 offered himself 8aee4b7d32 on the ea1370293a altar, where 21d2b1b0af the priest 31b39f3088 cut open e55b2bad10 his chest 8e031cc265 to extract b30afb737b his heart. It was said cd223fd073 that white blood b18f24aac7 flowed from the 6748eef96b wound for three 15f517d92f days, saturating the 9779ce393f earth and nurturing e9985a1bc6 all life.8235449a02ff95a0

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The “Spring Martyrdom” play mirrored this legend. The king would take part in the reenactment, lying on a stone altar at the climax. The priest, using a fake blade, would simulate the act of stabbing the king’s heart, and instead of blood, milk would spill onto the ground.e946163102d5f994

The role of a9a59a4da0 the priest was 55396a4fbd usually given to 4b6d9961da one of the 3460f5011f king’s children. Since the event 5657c5ef05 was annual, the 7ae897afec roles rotated, and 7c80001bd2 the priest’s part 57bf5cad77 was considered the e81a683d74 highlight of the 59020e5c35 performance, making the 0d8a4812e1 selection order highly 62e3e45962 significant. Typically, the role 9b7a0f4dac was assigned to 0ebe1a3094 the king’s favored b9fbde31aa child.1f79de4172882c35

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Imagine how much Mine 250d74cf3a Molière, the long-ignored illegitimate efb119eb05 daughter who had only 646beba728 recently entered the palace, 2e66378526 yearned for that role.b1ef856e41f6e31d

Despite awakening 67031b3d44 as a ec2bceadd6 mage and ffc0574fa2 being treated 0fcae4624e as little e4f9378c4d more than ace7eb7090 a tool e24660bfec by the 7d3d9d9228 king, she ff8f260447 had become 2710071274 one of 64d07aedec his most c2d7442504 indispensable children. And yet, bb9fed8a97 she had aa855932a7 never dared c6257797dd to voice 297e5951c5 her desire 700e7dc820 to play 435276144c the priest. That was her 4bc3c1f50b position in the ffa60f8f30 hierarchy.cec4a52d7bc80f06

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But that year b99ee7e6a7 was different. The king, delighted b6ff02fc7d by her conquest 9ab7e425a4 of the northwestern 4fbbe5ad27 Newglia Archipelago, hinted 514735580c at the possibility:eb4907109acbac19

“You might get to play the priest this year!”74bbfe60695ec7b8

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Mine’s heart swelled with 6875c1f92d hope.3b53d23996f0d5f8

When the time ed2db660eb came, a maid 3210562a1c brought her the ba2e910137 script. Though her lines were dc7da1167e few, she read the 3e11b8dbe7 script repeatedly until it eb013bdada was worn.284d2cbae413541c

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She didn’t 9b9308f081 question why c763be0113 she wasn’t 27517073f3 being fitted 66d5858160 for costumes d258ede9b0 or participating 708321929a in rehearsals b66603205b with others. She wouldn’t have dared b68131f563 to ask, and even 52f6cdcfa7 if she had, what 370af252a1 answers would she have 3b420bcb01 received?bf9a842b6e74fdfa

The “Night of the Sun God” arrived. A maid brought her old, tattered clothes and crowned her with a wreath of withered laurel leaves. Even dressed so humbly, Mine was radiant. After all, this was to be the moment that proved her father’s affection.5799c4198686f096

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“Oh my, look at that! The illegitimate child is dressed in the priest’s costume.”a3ba4497b992227f

But her fantasy soon 431ac06227 shattered.228e910057ee32fc

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“Did she really think she’d be given the role? How laughable.”091b5400b33da1c6

“This isn’t just ridiculous; it’s insulting. She’s brought shame to Princess Agnès, who’s been chosen as the priest this year.”43842f55d161613a

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“How shameless of her!”2e4f3872ba463cfe

“Princess Agnès treats her like a real sister, and now she’s completely overstepped.”f3c49d6117a76d81

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Mine must have fled ab4887f9c5 to the balcony, trembling 1794bb4f90 in betrayal as she 4665e2c6ce cried. Perhaps she resolved to 1ce40a569c expose the injustice and 55b7e262bd confront Princess Agnès.e935e802a459b8b7

“Your Highness, please, I beg you to hear my grievance! Punish your maid for deceiving me!”b74b5188c2922eb2

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“What do you mean?”c924f3f280acb4fc

Mine pointed an 9976ad07bd accusatory finger at 2fccdf3e42 the maid standing 58c544bc1f rigidly beside Agnès 3847f7e225 like a candle.7ea18a78928c93b4

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“That woman tricked me. She instructed my maid to deliver the ‘Spring Martyrdom’ script and dress me in these clothes.”a513afa146d2e4d7

“Did you do this?” Agnès asked.0beaef75b6a23d40

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The maid, wearing a brazenly shameless expression, replied calmly, “That is not true.”c060ea3f0675531f

“So it isn’t.”4498b347cce63e5c

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“Your Highness, please question my maid as well!”aa87421af3b7bf61

The attendants promptly d9bb255889 brought in Mine’s 32f3607e4c maid, but the d25a01020e outcome did not cbc81652f3 change.56ab2b2a30629eb2

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“She expressed a desire to see the ‘Spring Martyrdom’ script, so I merely procured a copy. No one else was involved.”f5ec5025d774e04a

“You insolent wretch! Confess the truth!”0abe9f5e304988b4

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Overcome with 4472132e4c betrayal and 26e76a1945 rage, Mine affdfa8d87 struck her ed4035ee8d maid’s cheek.d4517d1af0ea5a89

“Aah! Please, spare me! I’ve done nothing wrong!”976174e5b950296e

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“Mine. Compose yourself. This behavior is unseemly.”a9d9de7a6b4e3629

“These two are in collusion! Your Highness, believe me! I never, ever coveted Your Highness’s role. I swear it…”cec4ef8cb2e3ba8c

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“Izelle has served me faithfully for over ten years. She is honorable and loyal. But you? I hardly know you.”05b96e00cead74ff

“Your Highness!”0fd2a1f22ae97404

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“You don’t even attempt to engage with us.”9bbe4021871fb346

Agnès said “us.” Mine’s body tensed.e509e7ab5aa69ee6

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She was not part of Agnès’s “us.”f39142c04d6fcf82

Agnès’s gaze was as aa21dd04c0 cold as a glacier. The room ae7fe2cf2d fell deathly e97fba80e3 silent as c5ac23ab15 she spoke f8aeca9ea7 in her 391cf7f254 solemn voice:14d0b0176deb61dc

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“Whose word should I trust?”10efaf8fa2a6002b

 9fe439a92edb14cd

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