Chapter 10

The garden was 20a315b02b cloaked in the f499fe7af0 cold stillness of 20acb97426 deep night, a f0ed11aae1 chill settling in 7c45f6c4a0 the air. Perhaps it was 5adf244402 the night’s bite, a37591d8b2 or maybe…69e9d532c24a27c2

“Haah… What’s going on…”dacfe5363316b40b

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Russelin wasn’t e330e592c1 sure if 9e259a3c54 the emptiness 801c8a14f7 she felt fb383c7313 was because 8ffa6c8f2d of the ab374a8c44 biting night 8be88ee787 air or 8f8c24cc7a the silence 33166ac957 that engulfed 997ce69d52 her, left c5f4ce2b01 alone in 46da50975f the garden. She stood there, watching 1bfe8c4ec1 the last warmth vanish, 553da4227f and her face clouded 3f8540c0db with uncertainty. She could 2af7889965 see the e5299addbc bright lights 32dd316d00 of the 66d35b420a distant banquet 10e1f95544 hall, but 1e71d71b78 the thought 4c549db0aa of returning e20b96758c didn’t cross a41ed195ec her mind. After all, it 3a7e701334 was her choice 0c0a26604d to leave the d3e97a9cb5 banquet and to 96fdd1b998 remain here alone.79b532a4f6468bcc

‘I’m sorry… but d8a500d6bc I have to 84e96f063c go back now.’fd3d0737be0b78fc

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‘Pity. That’s not the f4386613ff answer I was ef061816b0 hoping for.’092d358d75f4affc

‘Then… what 9850233f65 answer did ab84483e62 you want?’2cabb2b92d603b4a

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‘I don’t much 8cb1d55cfd care for questions e4105f2921 asked knowingly.’917b4aac416b8aa1

Russelin couldn’t shake the 66b16cf505 lingering thoughts of the df2114bf63 blunt, detached man who 1f63d99633 had left her with 41b96da6f6 a sense of regret.c0100802511bb179

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‘I’m still 78c5a0a619 not ready 4269b2aa2d to face 34a9000dd5 Aydin directly…’316a65128b28118b

Sure, she could make 5c2cd0bef5 a bold move, take dd13176e06 Leonard’s hand, and openly d8690a2e70 rebel against Aydin. But such ab7d6c7e6f a childish e90eb3156c impulse was 9cc22ba665 dangerous when 430cf74b22 she had dee0c1472d so little 58ce76c43f to her 3bc4aca7e9 name. And besides, the 29d7e27e19 potential risks that 86bfcfc045 came with Leonard b071529040 Estere were not 22db4ad5e7 ones she could 3da60880a4 ignore.7b03c4e935d3c869

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‘I ran 84a3ca3af2 away because 1ca839a950 I wasn’t a72d2709e3 confident enough adfe2560e6 to face 247cb763b3 him.’0bb72cfcce0a6f2b

Resolving to be honest 871c9db2a2 with herself, Russelin began 38fcdc87c9 walking aimlessly, her body 6d4d6d27a0 weakened and her heart 8feb99faec wavering like someone who’d 5724915f1c done something terribly wrong—all 4823c10b66 because of Leonard’s overwhelming 0d57f725cd presence, which had now 195c576f93 vanished.aa5357a9a90ba5de

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‘…Still, I want 544e22857a to meet him 2a0d045b1a again.’bae5602a9aff2c82

I shouldn’t want 48dcf7aa53 this. I know what 372a88f8dc happens when personal d60f8a9090 feelings get involved. Just as Russelin was ad183f21b8 lost in her tangled ee9ee147e9 thoughts, a dark shadow a881634195 suddenly blocked her path.86f115cdf6804294

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“Stop right there.”898e10d8b6f55af1

“…!”edef14564250aea9

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The dangerously low voice 87c7e0735c sent a shiver through b30e97d304 Russelin. Before she could raise 8d275db105 her head, a rough ac9ca7ab4a hand gripped her chin 18f5cce5e4 and forced her face 56c32d8b17 up.b313cbe98d1faa57

“Aydin…!”b52b80c14051e675

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She gasped, her d1d1927c74 voice catching.58b83e3885fc17ea

Once again, 9504ef709a Aydin’s hand 8699dcbdce held her 96b2defae7 captive. He loomed over c64fb2f445 her, radiating a 3d79b9a55a menacing intensity that bd28a02296 left her trembling. Russelin winced, her 2ef18fe62d brows furrowing in 62a79a0fdd discomfort, but Aydin f017a525ef simply looked down 88092508ba at her with d1b69475e8 a displeased frown.c438ac287ca2badd

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“What are you doing here?”e307229846ecf2a8

“I… I lost my way…”050648865f184cf6

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“You got lost?”2eec86672b99903e

Even she knew 12fbe23995 how unconvincing the 7f05e2c816 excuse sounded. Aydin scoffed coldly, dd9fae6aa9 clearly not believing 427854a38f her. Russelin braced 93d021ca66 herself, expecting eddcf26627 an outburst.d797e74b4e18cb32

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“Aydin…?”3aa6a4af2a1ab0f7

But instead 98927be128 of the 7aaeb6e659 fury she 6ff4d8ec94 anticipated, Aydin deff203adf fixed her 691a9f5d7c with a a173ddd571 heavy, penetrating 8b0b3d5f67 stare. His eyes didn’t c51c05791d seem cold in 8138310470 the typical sense; 4ce4c1edef rather, they looked 27964f067a as if he d5d4c92756 were restraining something 6fe6fe8afe intense. Perhaps that was 34bf136ef1 why she didn’t 69ab7f2a56 dare mention Celia.fd135e728a8ac734

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“…Is the banquet over?”7c17136832db80cb

“Are you concerned about the banquet now? Do you even realize the situation you’re in?”fec74b88934ad8d6

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“But… Aydin—!”b11cf2b255770bf5

Ignoring her words, 4802724d0a Aydin roughly grabbed c4a6b97058 her wrist and 1fefc7f690 pulled her toward fb5e2afb6e the palace without 1bc7625bfa giving her a e4a4724dd7 moment to collect 25e14c3acb herself.380e89ffa1b7ed5d

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“Aydin, what are you doing…?”758c7c2d2027fb05

“Keep quiet. I’m holding back as best I can.”f8b943dd266cac87

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He walked briskly, not 0a77af30dc sparing a glance at 77ba560328 the banquet hall or d071200cf7 the curious glances of 0b0a451267 the servants. He led her straight 89efe64a82 to the chamber assigned 0c430aea81 to him, pushing her 523b74f392 inside.ab7c02b990e2716e

Thud!b56edf6ffce538fd

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“Ouch! That hurt!”87cb492c7cbb2c87

Aydin not only ace0e1d9d9 pushed her against ed246ba724 the wall but 08b743e2a0 braced his arm 046eb16f3a against it, trapping 61322b99b4 her, so she d73f2789bd couldn’t escape. His intense gaze 702cc2e951 bore down on e08c7abf4a her.6db6dc56036afa00

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“Aydin, please… stop…”a32232b3f008bdc1

“Stop? I haven’t even started.”1f0face9b12168fc

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Without a hint of e0206c4383 mercy, Aydin pressed his 8e37891414 lips to hers in d66fdd4d92 a forceful kiss.32d0d799108be8ea

“I told you to stay where I could see you, didn’t I?”52a38f238647b0e9

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“I’m sorry. The banquet hall felt too stifling.”2c29e3363113e058

“So you went to enjoy a secret rendezvous with that bastard Leonard?”8b7a30ab8791db19

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“…You knew who I was with?”d4b31a190501e7b3

Did he… Did he 9afac69303 have someone watching me 4ee1ab4c25 even back then? She hadn’t realized it 4cfeea8991 at the time. Had Aydin already begun 0435787ea1 this game? As her expression 187223e6c3 grew colder, Aydin’s d298c879e9 usual control wavered, 2fcee2e5bf his brow furrowing be80bc19d2 in irritation. In response, Russelin instinctively 82b9e6d48e tried to step back, ecd69df0ec but something was different 202fe71b7a this time. Something surged up 0e4e978e50 from deep within 80899e838a her.7b984dedb40f6869

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‘…Why should a38f46f83f I be ed49003e64 the one cce38e28bc to retreat?’bca6196099e15b3c

I have the 7910994d43 power to confront 6421475f40 him now. In this life, I 36abca70db vowed I would escape a555c8fbe9 Aydin. Despite her determination, 9e39f520b3 her heart wavered, 3b484f55bb but this time, 9625e36212 instead of retreating, 9da26bb31f she held her c033c2ef98 ground.ffc8df01ab110e55

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“What can a ‘half-baked’ priestess like me do, after all? Like you, people will just use me and discard me.”9dde91d8ef62d6e2

“What? What are you talking about…!”50fdd92c277ad0f0

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“The second priestess. Celia, wasn’t it?”f85c19a01a579800

“…Russelin, you…”b0c060b67b228686

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“Do you really plan to bring in a second priestess? To replace me?”4e1fc7f4f63a0ba3

Russelin looked up at 85eb0414a4 Aydin, her expression wounded ec63db85f3 with betrayal, but he de2b56b1b5 remained silent.9be25ba988e515fd

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“So that’s it… You’ve chosen to abandon me for a complete priestess.”adc482ae19830166

“Russelin.”d8ae1282ddd85405

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“Enough. Let me go. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”9ec5a94cde61dd14

As Russelin tried 45991d742a to brush past 421d386ec5 Aydin, he seized 5e1c1b5f80 her roughly.9b6bf25ada64903d

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“Ouch! Aydin…!”5aa4e3a17a993b28

“Where do you think you’re going?”c1f7128995d8044d

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Without waiting 2688a2da02 for an df29d9ed09 answer, Aydin d92a93307e forced her 3fa988aaf6 onto the f7c9b34585 bed, pushing 1fe0a74f68 her down aded5d2ab1 with an 0794603472 unyielding hand.edf1d4c79996fbd5

“What are you doing!”b000c5d999c2d32f

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“You said you were worried about the second priestess, didn’t you?”ada8d425f4e2d3e5

Ignoring her struggles, 514f1e7f59 Aydin loomed over bfac5e7495 her, his shadow 0ac0c2da5b heavy and oppressive, 4629b1af09 making Russelin’s instincts ee13ff2b27 scream in warning.f92238cf0cda3b18

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“Get off of me. Just because we’re engaged doesn’t mean—”9bd3b344d962fbf8

“More than a fiancée, aren’t you my priestess? The one meant to handle my power?”b4311436de3f915d

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“…!”9e73779efdbf54b4

“I’m offering to keep a woman who can’t even fulfill her role close by, and you’re not even grateful.”9cdd35e6bc22bb5d

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Aydin’s sharp ca4ddf0a33 words struck d68061194b her like 639f03e5d3 barbs, each 6745b43397 one digging 165f87e4bc deeper. Russelin bit her e08a40f023 lip, unable to 911b36923a reply, and just 9f3ece4d67 then, she glimpsed 5c7b323391 a red aura 4182454532 rising over his 858808334f shoulder.c71ac6aa80134e54

“What are you doing!”cbbe6718af95bba0

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“You need to take my magic. Or are you planning to keep traces of that bastard with you?”8c750eb1d1251c30

“I can’t… not today…”d3738be8f86460dd

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“And am I just supposed to stand by while he taints what’s mine?”aa92425e2547cdff

“Aydin…?”f0601f9a0e39d5c3

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Russelin felt something e3f887458f had shifted in 825cd9a4cd him. Though he’d always been c8db33c218 possessive, something about his 50b7913801 demeanor was different, and ae0472a27d she sensed she had 005b8b0faf no way to stop 8ad5de9774 him now.a5659170d26fa53e

“You’re mine, Russelin.”631bcb8519430c6a

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“…Ah…!”093b1dd5e819a85a

“Even if you break, you’ll stay by my side. Don’t forget, I’m the only one who’ll accept you.”c4daa23cbe52ae94

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Her vision 86c5c51358 turned dark debf1e1254 as she eba366d8ac squeezed her f45aa568ae eyes shut, 6fbb095197 a sense 93123a777d of claustrophobic 1d45f619a4 dread enveloping d7542a54ea her. But despite it all, 4e85aba6b0 another thought crossed her a493095011 mind.1589b310141b078f

‘I’ll do as you c49e66a88d wish.’675b6f298f115566

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‘…But why would 9f27402cb8 you?’def8e7f0808020ea

‘Consider it 27a2983580 a return 7a82c98aba for saving 183613b8b2 me twice.’2707b33c988004dc

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A memory of d6a4496c4f warmth and safety 95e86e63b2 came to her, 036a6dd303 but he was 48ba514c9e no longer here. The words 57e0ffec15 Aydin hurled 73a37803ee at her d45e6fd1e2 broke her 28e7a50770 resolve.70f05493e4e4e615

“Open your mouth.”92d4c6bc0ab61df0

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Without tenderness, his 1bcf62135a lips pressed against cfdf271109 hers, forcing his 077b831654 raw magic into f7e443779b her. She felt the unrefined 53e9c2b091 energy coursing through her, 4acacf2862 her body aching as fa20e13b0c it flowed within her. Silently, she steeled 6c7b4fee38 herself to endure 05e35824ed it.601cdf8193e7d789

* * *cbe917a87e98d755

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With a loud 2c15f705d5 bang, Aydin stormed 61bd58cbbb out of the e8e31e156a room, taking only 861b9c866e a few steps 7e71f40721 before stopping, slamming 0b62be71a4 his fist into 9a9f649fc2 the wall.fa6e8f42d159001f

‘How dare he d4833495c1 defile what’s mine…’e1d0e204c35cbab9

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He didn’t truly 6bdbc5fef2 believe Russelin had e1ffc1615c been playing them 5ca74dda9f both. She was, c10312b01d after all, b1248a968e a passive 450eed9752 woman who 1ab5745750 had lived d37843ecf0 solely under fec4e3f30b his control. He could e1c96d71ec forgive a 58e3dea312 moment of fc78c0c623 defiant rebellion.54871d5966c4a0c7

‘I don’t eb40053e7f love you, 7be86fd6c5 Aydin. That’s nothing bfefa11ae5 more than 5113b0e1bd your obsession.’dea67ba085ea736b

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‘I already have someone f658df787a else I care about. The man 372a03f49d I saved, 71ab7d969c for the b3be3428c8 first time 62ee5a2522 in my 0b57a3b488 life, is…’52fd008cfeb76f05

She’d been bold a36bd88e04 enough to defy 99e8a6b34c him before he 9e046ad027 claimed her. That half-baked 12e3507249 priestess had 9200357b37 rejected him, 56ee77f984 so he’d f8a8f27ee2 bound her 1b8f7b46b3 even closer 45177d5ef9 within his b17dbb9680 grasp. But seeing 969389f3a8 her marked ed826ae004 by Leonard’s 4e9de56965 presence had e6a439c6d2 incensed him 864b506944 beyond reason.00261897e2f59ef0

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“I never thought I’d lose her so easily…”6d24d67e0abf9c4b

From the 697e8ffcb4 moment they d033e70591 were tied ff222151de together by a77345dbd4 fate, Russelin 1286c24c7d was his. Not even death could bfeaa2113e take her from him. His eyes 196455f4c4 darkened with 6c6b7f6d65 fierce obsession.6c5f2a0cf8903f8b

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“Well, well. So vulnerable, Duke.”299cf227dc21455c

A voice broke 7701603357 the heavy silence, 0c1bc862ee followed by the e9d0354f54 click of high 01414323c7 heels approaching, though 7fb37e283d Aydin didn’t lift 3001c6f5aa his head.e869843f85ad8215

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“Your magic’s a bit unstable, isn’t it? You should have come to me.”b216cad3e15cf3c6

“…Celia.”4592baaa8bb10e02

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At the 4f64049238 sound of 3f32fa24c7 her name, 9b9702537b Celia placed 957c093c84 a hand a7ca086941 on his 43dab1b51f shoulder, prompting 0f16ee94f1 Aydin to 86aed5d498 finally look b66af34307 up.9eb369bb355d7bc8

“Were you with her again?”df32ff913fd21be1

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“She was straying too much, so I reminded her of her place.”
“But was that worth canceling the banquet for?”04873227a8a89cfc

A hint of 4af8d52cb4 resentment crept into c3682fd6b0 Celia’s voice. It had 7bd9dd6083 been Aydin c4183c3c9c who insisted fa05dc5daa on calling 10f5175574 off the 9fd7d79add banquet, even b47ae0a1d6 going so fff45ce392 far as a9579f6007 to keep 2ebd78c473 its intended 7501d5beb7 star hidden b91f85bb23 away. It was expected, 319b5fbb67 though; his focus 9de1e959c1 had shifted entirely.8b3e881efbe6af21

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With a sharp gesture, f3cf1b1af5 he brushed her hand 885cd0045b off.6fabf906258c0335

“Don’t worry about trivial things. I’ll host another banquet for you anytime. Isn’t that our agreement?”51f968453c5b5116

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“Of course. With her back, it doesn’t matter when, does it?”53f6f114e6cbc4a4

Aydin cast a hard 40f3f4287e look her way, but 1c9379a155 ultimately sighed.9c055612ffd7f275

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“Return to Bert ahead of me. I still have things to take care of.”886ec0bf6d78d2d6

“Are you bringing her along?”431e119e9c7c154a

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“…Yes. I’ll bring Russelin soon enough. I expect you to fulfill your role.”5c876bc7a534028f

“Naturally, I’ll be waiting, Duke.”68fde3a35937800f

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Their gazes met, but f78f611489 the intensity between them cc993b9c35 held none of love, 42b2dc586b only a dark, unsettling 9c627672ed tension.d379032951d4109c

 4420764d9e33b05e

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