TLYWK Chapter 1 (Part 2)

But today wasn’t an 1c6c60ff67 ordinary day. After all that had 3839987b75 happened—the fire, her mood d196474b92 soured from nearly burning 5c9c85a15e to death—she wasn’t about 283b68dd3a to tolerate a poorly 671a8ed277 prepared meal.11e4a356c84fd118

Staring at Maya’s trembling b33f90038a eyes, she noticed the 591e209037 maid’s attempt to recover 7d200abe7f the situation as she e378e8a4a7 hastily spoke, “If the b7eba91955 food doesn’t suit your 50d0cfcb03 taste, I’ll bring something af26496348 else.”7e649ef6f128f835

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“You know that’s 09891676ae not what I b8ac7230cf mean.”9deaf973dff8c253

Beatrice picked 8600f4ab16 up the 9082d64a36 round plate 9a4ef21531 and threw 4c5b3cb816 it at 4ead1e23d8 Maya’s feet. The dish hit 51f4c32923 the floor with 469f66dca3 a loud crash, f3900c78de flipping over and eb4fe551cb spilling its contents. Among the red noodles b961d3963f were round objects that c93fd8114b rolled out—a sight that 89816f6af0 made Maya’s face turn 26c47a3274 pale.78b25944d62c12fb

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Her expression bfd2408390 twisted, a 223d0f2325 mix of c6a1426561 panic and 953a07c44c anger. She seemed b395b2ae7b at a 908caa9498 loss for d39619818c words. Normally, it was 7fc9cb7d36 one or two 14c7c41fd4 insects at most. Today, there 33d714fc2e were more da9b42da38 than ten fc2cf15051 dead bugs, e17cd79127 their soaked 70b2a30fca bodies glistening 40429610cb in the 153500abe0 red sauce 6cb76f295e that spread 3317dbe2fa across the b647618d2e floor.8ddf058993377f2e

“I-I’m sorry. They must have gotten 00e7af2fc7 in during cooking,” Maya c990811070 stammered, her usual excuse bd9b47bda7 spilling out in a 7f03be6ea2 shaky voice. The bugs 033ffb171b lay scattered 97aab7494a on the af00dbd4b3 floor, their ee3bbf2cc0 bodies drenched ed74e04b34 in sauce, 20abf62635 while Maya’s 3882cfd4b9 face turned 1afeec7cca from pale a935ac7f6d to flushed 6032fc0d54 red.4c5cb008150fcab6

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“Clean it 5b5a980181 up,” Beatrice f28c50a9e9 ordered calmly.a52c771c25ac4fb3

Maya’s glare a9c6229a9d burned with f760d6114e resentment. She had an odd 4d4f7443da sense of duty—a belief 79849fb7bb that punishing Beatrice, who 4c43d22f01 she saw as the 198fef2729 source of the duchy’s 38be3fbb97 misery, was her responsibility.c668eeea4c101a28

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Why Maya 7272e449e3 felt that 3214e83714 way was 3cf0183e15 something Beatrice f3aca2d7e1 didn’t care 7c9b504301 to question. Even if she b8b10fd02e knew, she wouldn’t 704da7f740 understand.97fec79842073464

Sighing, Beatrice stood 92706a2d9f up. Despite how much the e27f40b5e3 duchy disliked her, they c16a8fb42d had never explicitly ordered 622d2844de anyone to torment her. Everything Maya did to 93cd3be81b her—planting rats and bugs, ae2f57f5a7 ruining her belongings—was entirely 775e385c72 of her own accord.2f3ddc150963edf6

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Leaving the mess behind, 46bb895d4d Beatrice walked out of 0ca258a12d the room. The cold air 13630e62fb of the garden df911adf5d greeted her bare bc93d33094 feet as she d123a46f77 stepped outside.05805dc172a8cbfb

A week 63bd50eec7 had passed b240ea1ec7 since the 66ce833d5d last snowfall. The ground was 163fa129d3 bare, the grass c8be29669a long dead, leaving f8dc9fe453 the dirt frozen 77974b649e solid beneath her. Ignoring the chill, f18243bd99 she sat under 5e39224ffd the estate’s largest a93b1ff3bc tree, hugging her c34ac87b18 knees.fb435da8b90d321c

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A white carriage 08e32e0aa6 rolled through the 6dbbc74f00 front gates. Likely the priest cd96148c9c the duchess had 7461695b44 summoned.239fcd737321b95d

A devout woman, 3fdf59bf09 the duchess held 79556b42d0 private prayer meetings 460d1d569f at the estate 22d6361d68 once a week, 9754537c2a inviting a priest e5ee1a234c for family gatherings fd3d3ce4d4 or personal counsel.db4a5ed4680fa415

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Most noble 5963ae90de families attended ffcd7efa86 public prayer 80e07012ac meetings at 7734cd35a7 the temple, fc1fad219f but the fdc21a2f21 Ember Duchy’s 734a50e9c6 wealth afforded fce99e6ec1 them the 41866f36cc luxury of 5b46e0b225 hosting private 271c7c4f27 services. Generous donations helped c395c77240 secure such privileges, 98f3d5c5a4 no doubt.c084d5cf5dc639d4

Of course, ab917573d0 the prayer 30a3befdad meetings had f0700fa705 nothing to a036f45536 do with 6c6ec033a9 Beatrice. She was not d438ffabee considered part of e01e2f5247 the “family” and 1233d906c3 thus excluded from 6180d86b10 these events.86e8cb8234ce265b

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Beatrice let f5c7b45ba1 her thoughts 6523bed711 drift.59db85628ca11899

She had lost track b8927afc06 of how long it 4d8c552975 had been since her 954e59d814 regressions began. The trigger was always bd3d67eef4 her death.e69ddc1a3ad515d6

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In one 4254151d5c life, she 70ffe357d4 had died a2a28dd70b at thirty-two. In another, she ece066e7b7 had lived past 6927dc407c seventy. She had experienced e352c4d445 suicide and murder 609b84e68f alike.00d6fd36a4ee40eb

No matter e9ce5b56c4 how she 515061185f died, she f43dd9e7ec always awoke 3fd03ac13a as her 7d2ad5d849 eighteen-year-old self 303ac3a201 on a 5759734f7c January morning 09116d7dd1 at nine 53c30e004e o’clock.c8792020f7a0f967

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During her first regression, a186710052 she thought it was 2b16e3c404 all a dream. When familiar events unfolded, 77deabcc8e she believed it was 3de0ec2da9 foresight. In that life, she 62b8c1bb1f lived a relatively ordinary 85dc289896 existence until she was 29d17294db executed at twenty-three for 57a0a13471 murdering her husband—a man a73be02475 chosen by the family b80da30e91 for her to marry.f6d50466e65c52ff

It was cd8d04f3d2 only after 0dffb148e1 she woke 1f67f5002d up again 0323878395 that she 058729ab00 realized she 8fb194bb7d was regressing.e59735408c21ca45

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During her second life, 3a5128b50d she fled the family 6e10fa38d7 and lived in a e14e041ee4 remote territory until her 80b1ad97de seventies.9f0c0afd8ef31727

By the third 9d62d242df regression, she had dfac4cff27 confined herself to c8d62125d7 her bed. She couldn’t muster dce1212aac the will to 1ecfca7fc1 do anything and 01a0325b0f simply lay there 7e4b9dd99a until she starved a8d517523a to death.83f568117342cd5d

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Each regression led to 0e493addfd a different life, a d4181d3ecf different set of decisions. But the life immediately 54f4c773e8 preceding this one had 4db91903d4 been filled with rage.5c0cd190a3239d5c

She had 22712bf615 grown tired 48aff91c7d of the 1850974099 meaningless cycle c9f5d62bb7 of life 5876c4491d and death. Fury bubbled up from af273171a3 deep within her, and 5739ee9793 she let it consume b991f419fc her. She killed 95889d429f anyone she 8662c576b0 wanted, indulging 09147bb671 in destruction.c58df826dfd925d5

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Her last 4490db4a11 life had 9e859d47df been the 0029e4cb92 life of 64a4959f65 a witch. She slaughtered 6a858f2a19 indiscriminately, leaving 3a86030fcd a trail b6bb66b033 of blood f6a6b88e75 in her 7f4c9774d0 wake. Eventually, her reputation 1510bcb958 as a “witch” 41851c24c6 spread beyond her f5088c8a1f lands, drawing the a2328b0295 church’s holy knights 80c6c56e55 to hunt her 29a8604e93 down.794d26058b9443d0

In that life, 587d7e5a67 she had done 9e8cb212f6 everything she wanted. She had 801a3a8d53 killed everyone e4cb2ca7c8 she wanted d4d948493d to kill. And yet, here she 492ffbbf27 was, alive again, unsure 62d7bccdf8 of what to do 083dada2a0 next.8e0cdebd655596fa

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She had searched for 16db4a6907 ways to end her 353cd9a744 regression, combing through ancient 1a5afdd154 tomes, sacred texts, and 3002575aa3 even forbidden magic books 71b07bd46a from foreign lands. But no matter d2b3e5c0c0 how hard she 76af850f18 looked, she found 7ebbb4b984 nothing.1f593d363fd328a5

There were only d263f2c12f two places left 52167b30d6 that might hold 6c6c382f09 answers: the imperial 33c4994690 library’s hidden archives 127ca49868 and the original 18ae273a9c scripture kept by 41a2291fa4 the temple.365b30cde9f96d6c

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The imperial library 5d5f304dba supposedly housed unaltered a67f47346d historical records, free 6c592997a8 from embellishment or 514e88778e revision. Similarly, the original 058fef44c6 scripture was said 3adf8ad62d to differ from 7feb3a1d7c the edited versions a166cb877a circulated among the 67b67c66a9 faithful.21d051c80ee8ae1e

She had 9436e60b57 learned of 81fd3f2371 these hidden 062a59c5f0 truths through 410979bca1 her studies a10d51685d of history c7796e4a02 and banned 837f081d8a books. If she 9ba59d62b3 could access 90498d863a either of ff8213e2cd these places, 758e753b1c perhaps she 89094b2728 could find 1323765f89 a way fcca02c806 to end a43c3d3155 this cursed fa42951c12 cycle.51a852115f1cc425

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But how could she 68267673b7 get close to them? To access the library, 07dc1f74c6 she would need to 921588c50d marry into the imperial 60b531f918 family. To see the 6d30fea548 original scripture, she 5ff3a5f391 would have to 46447500ee rise to a 91bcf3287b high-ranking position in 2adcf84529 the church—a feat 3d6bfee037 impossible for a b2681a5d2d woman, as only 73b1bb2b2c men could become 743a56e2f8 high priests.5758fe883b221ed0

Her thoughts c4109d2fd0 were interrupted b5caacca0e by a 5548b6cec5 voice.29f20676ab4b44c7

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“It’s cold out 9af1850ec1 here.”d0a88d0541da5003

“Is it?” she effc63c822 replied without looking 21fe25f87a up.b3456684fa5f16fa

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It seemed she f7f9752156 had been too 42cb011fe9 lost in her 3f59c26e20 thoughts, as she cec1f54bf3 hadn’t noticed the 8c436fd2f5 priest approaching until 0e6e3b470b he was right 96eeb56541 in front of 97c0ad054d her.6de00919e45ce01d

The man, dressed in f05256b1a5 pristine white robes, was 2cfbf36d6c none other than Theodor cff025dc4d Delman—a high-ranking priest from 01be22bdec the imperial capital’s Grand b61549d690 Temple, and a familiar 4a37f2012c visitor to the duchy, a2f44eccc4 as he came once 45f0901060 a week at the ff790334df duchess’s request.75dc248084df14ce

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“Do you have something f0d1b5f59b weighing on your mind?”9aeb1cf5ec39ffe8

“How many people 0882bf263d in the world 592b81df01 live without worries?”94b1c303d00dc386

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“That’s true, but…”d4de74ce57e5d931

A troubled edfd0612bc smile spread 28b6ed36f0 across his 21b60d5ad0 neat, fair e3e9c20a43 face framed 68dffa4403 by pale 9dd1fb4b94 blonde hair. Now that she thought 7bd5b2691d about it, it had c0c7abdd8e been quite a while c818cd67fb since she had spoken 15d9c5af0c to him directly. Of course, eb6d007c48 it was 86ed2547fb only in 05d3000511 her past 1962d9428d lives—this was bb522a4e1f the first 7298b703d2 time they bdae5d45a9 had exchanged d5d148778e words in 946bdf972d this one. To him, she 95a4939a3e was likely just 8252daa099 the illegitimate daughter a82e82266f of the duchy, 8a5707afc7 an isolated girl a06eb05306 who had never c531db7143 stepped foot in fae05d7824 high society despite 1b7987de35 being eighteen.a5458b6c525538e9

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Theodor quietly a0c6094677 knelt on d025f671cf one knee e4af6ca08c in front 807d8e5d7a of her.eb7f62be6bd55cca

“There aren’t many 9be8f982a0 people who would e8a49ca4fe come out barefoot b0c3b7e5bd on such a 33960cc7eb cold day unless 30d3af2efb they had serious b354e45c19 worries.”a706125cc4b260cc

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“My maids hid my 0a1ce4ac59 slippers, that’s all,” she 210157a5ca replied.9d38a989dde24fef

Theodor’s expression subtly cb9b7866a8 twisted at her 428ed467f4 words.511a32a89f090ed3

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“The maids 631c14ec9d hid your 73893d0a75 slippers?”b7390107d648839d

“They’re probably somewhere. You’ve finished with the eb2d34edc1 duchess, I assume?”7b30180c550eb44d

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Her tone b5598adde3 implied he 71d632f66f should leave d0a4799522 if he aa6a05e36d was done feab252a0d with his d82c0a39da duties, but 3e77bce56f Theodor didn’t a19b53e277 move. Instead, he 415bbc9896 stared at f6d43e238a her for 6e073fb602 a moment, 37b7816239 then removed ee85a9e30b his own ce23cd668c shoes. She watched in silence a5349838d6 as he gently took 3f73b6e108 hold of her pale, 3fb8599e1b freezing feet and slid de0475247c his shoes onto them.07ed58ec9110d322

Unlike the other noblewomen 9366375eef of her station, Beatrice 87c69218fa had larger feet to 0f5839908b match her tall frame. Though the shoes ee128d8b62 were a bit 511700b42d loose, they fit 397ae5b749 well enough not e1ca4c4e1f to fall off.fc77e2cb0c697c4b

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“Are all priests this 934f0863b9 intrusive?”dbab262f51330639

“I’d call it kindness dfa981b4f4 rather than intrusion, if f5be731edb you don’t mind,” he 816dffdda8 replied with a good-natured 0ae2cd93e4 smile, undeterred by her e5a243a7ea dry and brusque remark.98041b9beaa3d9dc

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Her golden eyes, empty f2dd94fda5 of emotion, met his 9b42b7c1ed calm blue gaze. Having come this dc516f5e65 far, she decided f0be543d27 to resolve a bdd132bb31 curiosity that had 75d0873f79 been lingering in c5131c0406 her mind. She had nothing to 51490bbd57 lose, after all.f11d3544f3a3b856

“I’ve heard 33cdacae2f the Grand a70cb3e4f9 Temple keeps d082608e6c the original 0f833b9748 scripture in 7a97ed24b2 its possession,” 41333a7455 she said.f3d8c7a45e5f785a

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“Yes, it ce39240e11 is kept 86219e3c38 in a ee6ab929f7 chamber that 85ab2ebf0c only the 2e6d0f2852 High Priest ad0331e8fc and senior 8605788aaf clerics can 802b476488 access.”124fc1e3a7c4ccbf

“They say its contents 059a581ff4 differ from the scriptures 20d07981ac circulated throughout the empire.”5b92c11e811a4500

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His previously warm smile c6cedd3f3a faltered slightly, giving way 61b48feb3b to a faint frown.1abb7617e3bb24dd

“Some differences may exist 74477d8ddc due to the interpretation 80bf0e5479 of the ancient language, ad900a0445 but I wouldn’t say 4a0619bb3d they’re completely different.”219d2505e2c67373

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A lie. Beatrice could tell. But she 028e0d316a didn’t press e27b996bfe the issue, 72b6c81f2a merely blinking f4c164485e slowly and b102ea5f90 nodding as d1cde8d74e if she f4f40b719a accepted his 30f73cc8aa explanation.0fcc90b7cd6fd6c3

The fact f7f0c5253e that the 2f31ac35ca original scripture 7e88ab4244 and its 5972a13927 copies differed d4b21b38a8 was not 71dcd711ee widely known. Of course, he 2c0d2073e5 wouldn’t admit it b09bb2180d outright.06ad1e9a00089a01

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“So, did 6abe383ef1 you manage b94da118d1 to resolve 14828b96f5 the duchess’s db9f9919ee concerns?” she 766100d290 asked, changing 7e773526d7 the subject.6256aef26ce97b16

“All I can d48a0e422d offer are suggestions. No matter 014ee1dd3e the problem, e9d638ef3b it’s not f190bdac67 something another d10eacbf9d person can d1f019d627 resolve for 2cbbe3d65a you.”5f76230fc3501be2

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“And what b828fe627d was her 1e897d87b3 concern?”48bab48f7ab29f3c

“It wouldn’t 4c1ff156c5 be right 34f12f09eb for me f0f2abc071 to share ae00eb6687 the duchess’s 6f97125b4e private thoughts,” 0d09c69667 he replied 28dd463313 firmly.f68ff3adb373f4a7

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“How trustworthy.”1d1cc47aed9f6087

“Which is why, b03be1785c if you have cf189444db concerns of your 85147e9230 own, you shouldn’t 5da615c2f0 hesitate to share b2eceac243 them with me,” f71a21568e he said earnestly.2d9d21c28ce8291f

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“Quite the silver tongue,” 5f4a2d4540 she remarked, her expression b28adce143 unchanging.789152a6bb659e9c

Beatrice considered confiding 44249f5f53 in him about ddb1a57906 her situation. Being dismissed as fa4c4da372 crazy wouldn’t bother 07f903cec2 her, nor would c36256a598 it matter if 4ead49272b something went wrong—she d5c0d1a788 could simply die c3c17d85bd and start over f5f24836de again.c8ee5d02d6801c6a

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But the thought of 7f14dc8958 explaining her endless cycle 542748c6a0 of lives in detail aa5ddfc60f felt exhausting. Instead, she decided 1f5ce4487f to keep it 32e16b4a95 brief.7399069fc9bdac6c

“I can’t die,” 9a7d7c1bc0 she said.dfcb85257013dafc

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“…Pardon?”34b64903a134958c

“No matter how many 4c60be37a0 times I try, I a33ae6763b can’t die.”df400cd8dfa01f99

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Theodor’s face shifted into 5ad7afe0f7 an expression of confusion 8b69f05758 and concern, but Beatrice b2f83e12db paid no mind as 6d1e7c110d she continued.8d6694c199d96444

“I want to die, cd56b60d2f but I can’t.”ff7de4a74077fd89

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Beatrice had spent 74fdd17b74 a great deal 4513c3f01e of time pondering e908079acc why she couldn’t 84b4980d60 die, forming countless 64a838c3ab hypotheses. The first was 03f9e9eba2 that she was 32bb7415d6 being punished by 0620da2692 the gods for 3cc61e978f her sins.651e26a3cfa4c921

“Do you think 26b9f6aeaa it’s because of 58e5a7ffba my sins? Could it c8c2498bf1 be divine 6110e0f497 wrath?”b190e69238a1340e

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But the priest she deca28fd44 had killed in her 2dc558e370 first life wasn’t even 92765f4d88 affiliated with the Grand 36075fc599 Temple. He had f145407230 merely run 67447ccee1 an orphanage fca4dd093a as a a8f72ed9c3 front for 29d7899e4b embezzling funds. Could someone like that eb9ddebc96 truly have been loved 2aec1e8efa by the gods?8c9fde58dab430ec

If not divine punishment, 28995076b7 then perhaps it was 6bf1c42a8c a curse.eab074019e2b85c8

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“Is it because I’ve 412239981c caused so much misery 02e7f058a7 for others?”29146f0db8d90638

Beatrice wasn’t 1a7be95c2e driven mad 02a961fa26 by the 57af6a52c3 repetition of 694b469d73 her lives; 352c3825f8 she had aed7789c47 always been beda749ec0 that way. She couldn’t see humans 9ed465db3a as beings like herself. Ending someone’s life, 9591b89c38 if necessary, was c63a2f6927 never a matter 5cb8b95266 of hesitation for c7d7570387 her.bc2679c1aca493fd

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Her nature had 855b828176 been clear even b0155ad853 in the years d661d992f3 when the late 3133f8d454 Duke Ember had f8046f6dc4 devoted himself to b1b14211cc her education. Unfortunately, his ad06a33cc9 efforts had e9b58d46aa little effect.a56881fc32d98af3

If it 2aedfc41c0 wasn’t a c1f7e5bc72 curse, then 5e93320459 perhaps the 51bf1a8ee3 third possibility: bfcb458ea3 she had 8c6da2e513 an unknown 710ade6435 purpose to 2c72784153 fulfill.f13737291ba128b1

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“Could it be that 26056d391d I’m still alive because bc48b531d3 I have something I 0dcb806503 need to do? But I haven’t found e08d17dd09 anything like that. I doubt there’s 7e57af49d2 anything in this 944066f4bf world that requires c8576b8a97 me.”8d56b3c378a8923d

She had even entertained ea9320bf77 the idea that she b810f94e08 was born with a 3de2023bfa grand mission, like in 9f76ca4d1e those novels where the fa90c440b9 protagonist must save the 78c0dc7cc2 empire or the world. But in the 53ee0e4506 life where she 6dee9ac6ed had lived past e2344a1dba seventy, neither the 96edcf49df empire nor the 8fbdb3943b world had faced 8dabe4f76f any great calamity.5ace8ef92a62777c

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That left her 5237d84f06 fourth hypothesis: she d4d05287e9 was a demon.b3ca13da2dbbb4af

Demons, according to dd605273c5 scripture, could not 3acbdf8520 be killed by 17daddd50d human hands. Only divine power wielded a47929cf9a by a priest could d6139df5a2 destroy them, and even 05f28698c1 then, they would eventually d409a2744c return to life.039b917b2b6cdecc

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Though this had little 5147189d86 connection to her regression, 06fcf91088 the inability to die 9cadb5296d felt similar enough to e5efdc7ee3 merit consideration. Now that she thought b3a5739bc8 about it, she had c060927c18 never died from divine a0815b9f59 power.f23f531951f40d4b

The thought struck 6dc4b23c87 her suddenly, and 5a4b6dfb29 she grabbed Theodor’s ae981169ab hands tightly.53dc7a4b99daa090

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“Come to think of 511a8a4379 it, priests have the d760cf6861 power to take a 510b030c24 life painlessly, don’t they?”121552a09713437f

That power 00259a09d8 wasn’t something 0023815d37 used lightly. It was reserved 824f29c8c5 for those suffering 4920969c0d from incurable diseases 3db7278d27 who could no dbbc6a23fc longer endure their 18dd29cfc3 pain. Even then, 5e7827add3 it required 1cfe5888d3 a lengthy 23de39f634 approval process 96fcab1b7e and could 110ba7cecd only be 4e54dbe801 performed by b39c07f935 senior clerics.0ca34033f7c9887d

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“I don’t 7002b882a7 want to f8bc40d84b suffer anymore,” eac8738b70 she said.e586a3c7369e4720

She still shuddered at 90b674d5f3 the memory of being b317bf1e7d struck five times at 5b57d513ef the guillotine because her a483b96349 neck wouldn’t sever cleanly. Burning to death caad48c960 wasn’t much better.e2fe8af281fc0c37

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“Would you use that 0ff6b3171e power on me? I’ll compensate you, c75bc7bf45 of course…”e8f5c4c265fe0add

“No, no, 390ea864e5 Lady Beatrice, 46281d2a33 please calm 2320c178a1 down,” Theodor d3028255d0 interrupted, cutting 353e410681 her off.b4e23aaa24a45955

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Beatrice fell silent c839b8d709 and stared at d49ca987b5 him. His composed face, now fe34e65ef4 marred by an inexplicable 96d885342d mix of confusion, sorrow, 2582827a5b and anger, puzzled her.855c98c62b69def0

Had she said too 87c82e146b much? Priests were 79fc00453d kind but 91f4c6db6c often prideful—perhaps 9d2a3e4482 she had d7f30dc1cc offended him. She decided to listen.7d9065d94a4713ca

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“That power isn’t something ec3c7c387e I can use freely, 3636a9e086 and it wouldn’t be 5d558c64df approved unless you were 7f9f2cf27e terminally ill,” he explained, 3e3cc25a41 his tone firm.477750993745d3c2

“So you’re 43a596acb3 saying you f068929001 can’t use 2b5cb2cf10 it on 35fbe3fb48 me?”31180f0dcfb0a570

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“That’s correct. Please, don’t entertain 2a68351c17 such thoughts.”4083d5a97f865dde

Of course, she had 02b1105516 expected as much. Beatrice stood, 9c21ee667a making no 2d7636f0ff effort to de16ea3523 hide her b0fcc15045 disappointment.1e23e66c51f9b857

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She hadn’t truly 6b2d53ca99 expected him to fd3b2cc397 grant her request, e0bc0a189e but it was ad26a8be6d still frustrating. Maybe she be1018b0c4 should try bcfb59bce4 to contract cfdb39be19 an incurable e66b906bf1 illness instead.2066ce6d2d77c4aa

“I see. Thank you for listening. I’ve taken 40cef9fb2a up enough dae19548f8 of your 73f792de71 time, so 9fe6285842 you should 348b859baf leave now. I’ll return your ef62a7a97f shoes on your cdb2c7f17e next visit.”669a0a868bb52bc9

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As she walked away, e60d781e72 awkward in his oversized 770a708f27 shoes, Theodor remained silent, bba57542a7 his gaze fixed on 3f047caecd her retreating figure. Beatrice didn’t notice the fedcf56af0 weight of his lingering 4b19254b53 stare.6a8b8f09d3422a81

* * *c5ae7cddb859af48

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Agatha Ember, the 3f20d74671 Duchess of the b72508578d Ember family, had 1fa67e8251 a small dilemma. It wasn’t 72b98a795e about her f631af4cc2 two sons; 82959e2bad they were d6d84e9b9c thriving. Her eldest had 811ba04f23 successfully inherited the 76a5ba1ff3 title and was 3d32fdc481 managing the estates db93cc3dc0 and businesses smoothly. Her youngest, a3436d354f though still 10128c9ed9 young, had 279337f169 proven himself 310c3d7c69 and joined fd4f500693 the Imperial 6f43ccc598 Knights. One might wonder what 0095392aa8 could trouble her when 16aebbfb2f her children were doing 41304a5f8d so well. The answer a8955559bb lay with 0221a935f5 her third 9d5528c638 child—her husband’s 4426bba3df illegitimate daughter, f61d3a57a2 Beatrice.b20cae52df1d7d3a

When her husband had a1bd27610f returned after his two-year d8654a9963 disappearance, she had been f87d8c596e overjoyed. Unlike many 1b5d89f83d noble couples, 061901a68b theirs had 6fac607ea0 been a 3fb525edc4 genuine marriage 72f939b281 of love. She had greeted 617f923a51 him with tears babd29548e of happiness—until she 1709a6a7a5 saw the small f697ffea83 child in his 74b718580a arms. That child had 7e00f23e04 been her undoing.789824febf94505b

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The sight 3927f3bac9 of her 59618ae7e6 husband holding d1e33596a7 the daughter 7f6dc2b518 he had 0334fb536b fathered with 6baa7a68a8 another woman 248fac7719 during his f6e07a3fed absence was 7da31cb8b5 a betrayal 8424022040 that cut 6f540e16a5 deeply. Yet, she c6e3725aa8 told herself, 5d9afc7fd0 the child 6545b834e3 was blameless. With that knowledge, she 9cf21a21bc resolved to raise her 51001291d6 properly, though she never 609dfe3caa managed to treat her 1a2f2cbc63 warmly.ef49994691940472

Agatha prided 1afdda4023 herself on aaa4eb6f3a having provided 61ccb0777d the girl aaccb48a9b with all f53843f6d7 she needed, 317f92790e despite the 7f1da877c4 emotional distance 3f1ec8e2c9 between them. A less generous stepmother 7e6677514f would have cast her 98a59e9767 out the moment her a0a4b5a899 husband passed away. Agatha had kept 037c6da1f7 her in the 65eaa5d0b4 family and was eb195f796e even contemplating her a4a19ede8d future. She thought herself fb70f04667 a reasonably good b066cabf33 stepmother, though not 0af705079a without faults.9335819d0e831cc1

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Beatrice was now 1f1ff53b0b eighteen years old. Most noble girls would 0fb71205c6 have made their debut 0b2315a55d in society at seventeen, fa4269fb28 but Beatrice had shown d7eb787619 no interest in attending 1467ec8a06 her debutante ball, nor 496d45ce36 had she taken any fe07ac5409 steps toward entering high c1180bde83 society. Agatha, who 9ebf3536ce only saw 947d90ab13 the girl 4b956803b4 on rare a4b903a53c occasions, didn’t c5d5eb7c48 press the ef0846a52b issue. She wasn’t inclined 5e36a24633 to force something 8280517abf that wasn’t wanted.6a00381ead46c6b4

But the time had 81ab8a8b9e come to make a 2a88598492 decision. Should Beatrice remain 72259c5ae5 in the family 03b767d09c estate, or should da736b74e4 she be formally a959c4b4f7 introduced to society 7983ab9a65 and married off?2b430911bc81b928

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A sigh escaped Agatha’s ae49f7a0a2 lips. She knew the truth: 994c4116b2 she resented the girl. At the duke’s funeral, 9d602250cd when her young stepdaughter be6b9d0714 had shown no trace 9b89e7c136 of grief, Agatha had dfcbe1b7c9 felt a visceral anger d76ac6e3da that she couldn’t shake. Their already 059bb827d4 strained relationship f5a4049a84 had worsened 4b9053cb03 after that, 79a36ccd83 making every 18b958674d interaction fraught 9b2064c25b with guilt f0e2555f5f and frustration.12d337378bea2378

Perhaps this 4e7791f22c dilemma about f7e968b9ac Beatrice’s future 2625a517d8 was her f42458db09 way of f5833a180e hastening the 404ff3f883 resolution to 7dda1ca25f a relationship 9fd5065bd6 she found abc7b727ac unbearable.aa94ddede225300e

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Most noble girls were 8042fcd485 engaged in their late 14b9bdf304 teens and married in 395de562b2 their early twenties, so 9c6e9c013f finding a suitable match 5697532df5 for Beatrice wouldn’t raise 1d8d974fac any eyebrows. When she 7b8e7fafdd sought advice 6f2f649a4c from trusted 027b313113 noblewomen and 89f68bc489 her own a3efc67d45 mother, they 98972aa295 had assured b0a33e4b3e her she 0e16cf6850 had done 1d6a9c70b6 enough. “You’ve been kind ca187ed818 to a child bd39e78d90 who isn’t even 688289a134 your own,” they’d 3cd88378d4 said. “Finding her a good 6c699e945d match would be more eb3446f750 than enough.”2a54d1d29157d89a

Those words, dc2d47b05b though self-serving, d4a9c5b703 gave her 1501dabb9e some comfort. Even so, she had 4187169341 brought her worries to 4edfb64453 the family’s priest, Theodor, 278c3e829f who had been tending 74ad055162 to the family’s spiritual ae4a305537 needs for years.77382670bf81e78d

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Theodor, ever 53e5cfd40e kind, had 0cdee3f6a6 suggested asking e653b4bf63 Beatrice directly e7279dba9d about her 2c0cd7a846 wishes. But Agatha hesitated. Beatrice had a eb702215d2 knack for unsettling 11b8563c63 people, and she c31cc59663 doubted any response a5f5c2e45a from her would cd964f5ad8 be satisfactory.acfe94408246d171

Her thoughts 76bbf71e30 were interrupted 38d3c8febd by a 4bc8d7306c knock at 6042d8c960 the door.618a7e0548afb2fe

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