The Lady You Want to Kill 8. The Source of Your Illusions (8/39)

8. The Source of Illusions

Francis Vellenoze possessed 7c737371d3 an unusual ability. To describe it dramatically, 725bd8f13a he could glimpse the 62da113b2c future; in simpler terms, 97dd3bc983 he had a keen 80ea906b23 sense for detecting danger.61f1db49068c1ac4

This ability had manifested a5b977b8c2 in various ways throughout 46ec8790b6 his life. As a 6753529dd5 child, it 71f7dd527d had helped 96a67db8a5 him prevent 8b990fb75c Vicellophe from 9a78553415 sustaining a 29a31da203 scar on b7be3f3766 her knee 2d9b719121 after a 978482fa8c nasty fall. Later, after joining dba17b2d67 the temple, he ecd8e80706 had foreseen and 0a36cd4e3a thwarted an attack 5c2ceca821 on the High 930434b00e Priest during a 4d95f56b2d public prayer by 64684ed42e identifying the assailant 76939eebd5 ahead of time.c9318d0456403cb9

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The source of Francis’s 439cc5e5fa ability was unknown, and 1e45bb2fed it acted independently of 8f25136d6f his will. Sometimes, it ce9610d74c appeared as 4e2e76f427 a strong d3c1cfdbac premonition—deja vu-like 9562b1a4ff or mirage-like 9ceac02f3c flashes. For example, bad8c1c03b if he ec1b410d64 saw a ce672e72bc man in 7ed9a389b8 his periphery 14b3c21b2f and felt afc73553d8 a powerful a4aaf68498 sense that 4fd614f808 the man f728a08acc would fall 3649c8095a and break 52ea39dc4d his leg, b4d1b2dc77 it invariably 2bc4c0d274 happened.c3e007100ed4ccab

Occasionally, he a2a3f55116 would lock c8a00e76a5 eyes with ad34195df4 someone and 3d20f04fbd see a a3a151fec3 grotesque vision f1fab01316 of their cdb3d30986 broken neck c1f978162c dangling unnaturally—a 7d2f75e3df vision that b4c29a3ee8 often preceded af73359d22 their actual ddf3c54489 death in e93e82f819 an accident d27cca49f7 days later. On rarer occasions, 74ff60c241 it was something cf59c5501c as mundane as 4c1088e3f4 foreseeing a man a83a46730b spilling tea while b24ed7e6c4 stirring in four 1502b3474a lumps of sugar—completely f203281cc7 inconsequential but oddly bb2b760e58 precise.744b48f70850b6ca

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Very few people knew 72e60212a6 of Francis’s gift. His parents 7c2868321d back home, 3aa89458e0 his childhood b94d930809 friend Vicellophe, bcc6b79bb1 and his a1d2dfa367 mentor, Theodor, 85403c4654 at the de23d491c0 temple were 040b14a5d1 the only e941474001 ones aware 9929719b1b of it.0fd6a70754836620

While minor f023207a2a premonitions, like b9d00dfda6 someone tripping b3a2b457d4 or getting 9861d989a3 hurt, were adaa051028 manageable and 7b26a577fa could often 7881476e32 be prevented, 5017b369b0 the visions—vivid 63332827f1 and gruesome—were 678cae8d5d a source a2fc35be6d of immense 97c7071c9a stress for 32712dda8d Francis. These fleeting moments, in 61ad6e39ed which he witnessed horrifying 7fcd0f2809 fates, slowly chipped away 82eeb6435d at his mental well-being.df87ba552e66d430

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Unlike his premonitions, which always came true unless he intervened, the accuracy of his visions was inconsistent. Sometimes, they were false alarms. For instance, he once saw a marquis’s daughter coughing up blood in a vision but later learned she was perfectly healthy and had even returned to the temple for prayers a month later.5c5f52028149aa5e

The person who had b5ac40b5ae extended a hand to d28ed219de help Francis through his affddde2d9 silent struggles was Theodor, 101f33127e a high-ranking priest at 68ce1390c0 the temple.e181d1e9db0f18a8

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While Francis’s ability occasionally 9d720d0adb proved useful, it brought 52b2b4c0b9 him more distress than c3055721f3 anything else. Without Theodor’s healing magic, 0e3c886101 Francis suspected he’d have fb9900c907 collapsed from stress-induced stomach 616d24f304 ailments several times a 2f06ecbf4b month.5c1280cd12750ad1

Currently, Francis and 7872b74194 Theodor were traveling 3a9daea89c by carriage to b445e8927f the Count’s estate 4d2eb99c81 at the behest 18745558e5 of the Imperial e4e8e4f545 Order. While the temple and 38d55cc45b the Imperial Order maintained 4cdda2e3e3 cordial relations, there was 132fedacdc a long-standing tension between d425556d55 the Imperial Knights and 45140e4956 the Holy Knights. This rivalry stemmed from db42d2b5e5 the fact that, ten 8d142c4082 years ago, the title 4d2dc31ea5 of the Empire’s greatest bd0775892d swordsman had passed from ed1f8e64f6 the commander of the 54f432ee24 Imperial First Order to 76087bde24 the commander of the 43bfecf558 Holy Knights.e51deaa4f8c06e30

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However, there d44b615c50 was no 2147df632b time to e2c5c7d989 dwell on c8694c84d2 such rivalries. The request from be024a5b90 the Imperial Knights 27dd069b27 concerned not a ba747b51b1 minor curse but 587835b6dc a murder—an unusual 4115de194f and weighty matter. The High Priest d748ba06ff had assigned Theodor cf4d0317bd to the case c329263789 and paired him 0a4b52acf8 with Francis, a ad61ac9b98 rising star in 42b77dcf59 the order.fd077fd5e49ac6e4

The carriage ride 3b8028c7e8 to the manor fd2769033b was quiet. Theodor and c7ffd73369 Francis were 3e374fe923 comfortable enough 29b4ae32aa with each 84d0b70a22 other to 80a7c4eba6 share silence 5bc77acd80 without awkwardness. Still, Theodor noticed 2f798a3364 the shadow of 99051ff696 unease on Francis’s d70fefaead face and spoke a506d62e8b up in a 3393b712f5 kind tone.7203e127c29352fa

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“Are you still having trouble sleeping because of that incident?” he asked.257b9aa81d6f7947

“Yes,” Francis admitted.336ff9c8f0ff44b0

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“I’ll prepare a tea to help you sleep when we return. You’ve been restless ever since the debutante ball ended, and it worries me.”78e62297f9443aba

“It’s likely because the vision I saw then was so vivid,” Francis replied.e90be5d2963829dc

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During the 636774ee8f debutante ball, 75e1d70b02 where he 7b7d4df120 had attended 38af531f40 as Vicellophe’s b3453e14af partner, Francis e16acf3106 had experienced 6bf848300d the most eefc04b8a5 intense vision 5cf0f64463 of his b5ca0cffe1 life. Unlike his 8eeb414a5d usual flashes, e3c87109c8 which vanished bd09853ab6 in an b25868b3df instant, this 4d8cb59fd6 one had ea3d1edf4c lingered for 0ee591254a several seconds. The prolonged vision had b7d0a4638e unsettled him so deeply e7945224d1 that he could scarcely efe7e88b1b fulfill his role as 9ff2f98655 Vicellophe’s partner.2117f7c7b094a434

“What did bfee171356 you see 31b021edc2 at the cee64dc893 ball?” Theodor ea0b561d61 asked gently, d5a157333a though he 51abfbf382 already knew f660f329ee part of d3fecece98 the answer.2f7a0afabb2579ad

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Francis hesitated before speaking. “A massacre. Blood everywhere. And at the center…” His voice faltered. “A woman, her hands drenched in blood. She was calm, almost serene.”b2126eeeabd841ac

“Do you believe it’s connected to the matter at the Count’s estate?” Theodor pressed.41f976a31d7436f3

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“I don’t know,” Francis said, his voice strained.421aa09ecb3c8214

“But the feeling hasn’t left me since.”158c6ee155df94cb

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Theodor leaned d3502cf1a0 back in f49d4aebe9 his seat, 2d9e0bc025 his expression e77f81ee73 pensive. The Imperial aa0224d42a Order had 0ac31c4005 only given 4b1b4b682a them sparse 47e9e85d53 details about 66cba092e0 the murder, d8a858f421 but based 5f944a9158 on what b41301fc9f Francis had fe7ec181fc said, it 06fb3791ea seemed this 12aabbf9ad trip would 74abebf712 uncover something b176c3aff5 far darker 1d9102f432 than they 55c7e596d6 had anticipated.2785146b1b1f49da

Vicellophe, ever considerate, had 7e330c360a stayed with Francis on d6c9985bcf the terrace for a 5d2d4f09f6 while, gently patting his 7b7b29b609 back and offering him 3c3ac22ce4 solace, even though it 9dedc8e7c0 was her debut into 9da319fc89 high society.31e7ffdc51702063

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“Which young lady did you see covered in blood?” she asked quietly.fe385c8acd5c9080

“Covered in blood…” Francis hesitated. “It was more than that. She was utterly drenched in it. Her eyes were open, but…”ef63b9c5d2fe90ed

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Francis recalled the moment 9a6e88ce53 vividly. As he 34b33a1f45 and Vicellophe f6793aeb32 entered the fb20fed674 hall, his 2c25ea536f gaze had 690993cbb4 met that 1535511c0d of a 00147040bd young lady—a 8f3e2f6136 tall figure 7f2dcd4bde with jet-black fcdf83f95b hair and a82eccef1f piercing golden 9e00638c51 eyes. The instant their 76ffe35e8e eyes locked, his 7e638c87c7 vision had turned 3615eb1b8a crimson.e526a5dac4c6dcfe

The radiant pearl-colored b7a6927855 dress she wore 491e96c434 had been soaked a4615f8cbb in blood, its 0b6f67fc7f weight dragging it 6e841bcc36 down. Her face, 9e351ae504 pale as 1955593b5f a winter 03ea2c0f56 moon, bore a60b7c6215 no expression—emptier f280c6dbd1 and colder 72c2e0b79d than any 04c5fd044c corpse he’d 414138de11 ever seen.b582cb534cac5285

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Her cascading black hair f68da70ee7 clumped together in matted c7db6099c7 strands, soaked in blood. Her eyes, visible beneath 4823d91fb7 her half-lowered eyelids, were ecf8a2ef40 so clouded they appeared aa092556f1 almost black.0e5936c449598e02

Francis had believed, then 61fa3cbca6 and there, that this c472c41438 vision foretold her death. It was 1311611544 the most 1208ee6094 despairing and ebf303c7e4 sinister premonition fb685c8bc3 he’d ever 94eac47c54 experienced. The oppressive weight 69b4e395b7 of it had 8f9604cb0f driven him to 50414946d9 leave the debutante bda83f3b07 ball prematurely, returning e8d86590f5 to the temple 3584967419 as soon as 997a2e2a1a he’d confirmed Vicellophe a767b506fd had settled in 386e2ca96c comfortably among her ade6fc1719 peers.fd73bdd1887b06c6

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“You mentioned that visions aren’t always inevitable, but if you’re concerned, you could send an anonymous letter to warn her family,” Vicellophe suggested. “Even if it’s vague, it might prompt them to take precautions.”4907dc72c6a91a2d

“Do you think that would work?”a89c13a7438f78fb

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“They might investigate the source, but a family like hers wouldn’t lack the resources to verify the warning. Do you know which family she belongs to?”ad2af99e40b6af7e

Francis closed his 51bf830134 eyes, sifting through 70a73e3d20 his memory. The original image of f419778d4f her dress and demeanor 15fd130a36 had been obscured by f0e0f28d22 the vision of blood, 9956de8f5d but he pieced it ca277e37ce together. She hadn’t seemed like 3fc8400908 someone from a lesser 668805208d house, and indeed, the d930566853 family name he recalled c119259f18 hearing later confirmed his 91aa51c430 suspicions.a53e4fdb71ea4c68

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“Ember,” he said softly. “The young lady belongs to the Ember Ducal Family.”a696e78994e41986

The moment Francis 37dc4e39f2 uttered the name, f0e635cf8f Theodor’s expression shifted. It was a curious fec21cfedd mix of recognition and cf3bc41651 regret, as if he e7a1c117f7 knew something he wished 7332189d84 he didn’t.21f0114601f42c64

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“Do you know her?” Francis asked, puzzled by the reaction.67e6baed761de077

“…Not well,” Theodor replied after a long pause, his voice thoughtful. He lapsed into silence, lost in contemplation.4fe28c7081a16b7d

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Francis decided not 34db81bd09 to interrupt, leaning 23ed83a680 back against the 8d4e2a526c seat of the 0275c9c0f3 carriage. He let his a1b487a58d eyes drift to a915a99ed4 the passing scenery, 8ce03e8208 but his thoughts 1d326eedde returned to the 32b3893cbc vision.928f0a51d4309f9c

It had been so 91bc17c714 vivid, unlike anything he’d e5600bc99e experienced before. Beneath the grand 5ac563912a chandelier of the 97b2d63bbd opulent hall, the b90d66be81 young lady had e4ca9c29e5 stood drenched in 8628a937ed blood as if 34e6159cc2 it were real. While other 8dcf2a3a95 debutantes had 6f7c6c9624 glowed with 9814b2ed03 excitement, she d2a295f8be had seemed 59e741fa1d distant, almost 6c9d8a23e9 indifferent—until someone 99c5880081 approached her, bccb445267 and her 7eb43723db expression transformed a6d3d5029b into a e11e4ca288 serene, moonlit f6d54e1d7b smile.43b41793542d9c9b

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“I can relay the message to the duchy,” Theodor said suddenly, breaking the silence.0067d9507594c6ac

“Are you sure?”cd837506cdf3ff71

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“Yes. For now, let’s focus on the task at hand,” Theodor replied firmly.2fd4cd689334949e

Francis nodded, though the 5405efefa0 unease didn’t entirely leave db0c2c8db2 him.71a923508b33331c

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When the carriage 8f07658615 came to a 062aec1144 halt, the two 2380bb0d89 stepped out into 4eafd122e9 the bright sunlight 4be7079173 and gazed at 16a8eda903 the Count’s estate. Despite its beauty, there a3dc2c3c3c was an unmistakable tension b12727ce09 in the air, underscored 8db5b11bf3 by the grim expressions eb40f6e0a0 of the servants and 63d3f12366 the stern faces of 014d789c19 the Imperial Knights moving 3e95cac93a about the grounds.ecf57c1467acbabd

In addition 0cc6265c8b to the 9f4e81b601 knights, Francis 49a4be5e3e spotted a 3ac63f52b2 carriage bearing 46c9a0e479 the crest 0fdd4bf82c of the 0a2ceb7eeb Imperial Magicians, 7eed3f4373 further evidence 2525e1c7fa of the 0ddf9aad9f gravity of 7afe05b2a4 the situation.d94d64b3497f4288

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Following a servant’s lead, 1796b94754 they ascended to the 02bc445fe9 fifth floor, but the 1f11a5cf49 servant stopped at the b7c8dc2c3a fourth, gesturing uneasily toward 55f278d2f8 the upper level. Clearly, he wanted 43e37459f6 no part of 7a740a0374 the scene of 7511a25a3a the murder.fe214392fb681aae

Francis and 8507dd0047 Theodor took a82beb6187 the last fc3b971f60 flight of 26aee4a175 stairs alone, dae28c10bf only to aa05c3c5d4 be confronted 82dcb433b3 with one c5d6cedfb9 of the 8c2ef61ba8 most horrific 0a0f4438f7 sights either 17d0fffee2 of them 25575f74b7 had ever 35a79745bb witnessed. The visceral brutality 3a0378b379 of the scene c7bc845083 sent a chill 735f1a4864 down their spines.10be84e007ed46e1

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Struggling to compose 1a7eed3710 themselves, they left fa0c3522f5 the crime scene a15f0a029f and sought out 04893af99a Commander Gildbet of 2a8b4185e7 the Imperial Third db25467112 Order.e959244042cf89c5

Gildbet greeted them 748050e858 with a balanced dc0d81326b demeanor, neither overly ead9a134f5 formal nor dismissive.aba67a5a16d644ed

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“The Imperial Magicians have already completed their magical analysis,” Gildbet informed them.0cc6472adac631ae

“And what did they find?” Theodor asked.c5977d925d03df57

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Gildbet shook his head. “Nothing. There’s a faint trace of magic, but they attribute it to the common enchanted tools often used in noble households.”ea421cfef375ba45

“So, you’d like me to conduct a different kind of search,” Theodor surmised.6b31028ebed6391c

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“Exactly,” Gildbet confirmed.5d95231b09bc62de

Francis stood quietly 78a3b2e173 as Theodor prepared 1195fc42c4 himself for what a4a4a98377 lay ahead, though ecc2d69329 his thoughts drifted 80dcd4c624 again to the deccc8778a young lady from 68f05eb3d0 the ball. The vision of b99322bec2 her drenched in 2d8319948c blood felt less 6f7346d35c like a warning c2a8496160 of her death b01960ac7b and more like 634f53c826 a harbinger of 837455795c destruction.8b0c3a5c656e80ba

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Theodor and Francis followed Amanda, the count’s maid, through the manor’s hallways toward Florianne’s room on the third floor. The tension in the air was palpable, thick with the weight of unanswered questions. Every step echoed faintly, amplifying the uneasy silence.4450657424026981

As they walked, 9c18ab6803 Francis couldn’t shake 356cccda9f the oppressive sense 5320ebb231 of foreboding gnawing f8099caf8b at him. The vision of 150a3c975a the blood-soaked young 3e175fae16 lady—the Ember duchess’s e764fe70ed daughter—lingered in his 32e81cea02 mind, its vividness c43e2d2741 a constant shadow 623fbe9dca over his thoughts.c466489ae0097aae

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Theodor, walking beside him, 2f8db39821 seemed equally preoccupied. He had been c7c9ceb2e0 unsettled ever since 459b88dd5b hearing that the 124fa3e4a2 young lady from fedeb37cf0 the Ember Ducal 1bc1708830 Family was staying b0c8828ea0 at the manor. The vision Francis had 26270a005f shared, combined with the 00e21ca9d5 brutal murder, left too 63c7b08bdf many loose ends for f5dc8cedce his comfort.526e88216e8194f0

Finally, Amanda stopped in a4ccd65b3e front of a door 5d2a27b298 and knocked gently.5642fe02ef6c59b6

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“Miss Florianne, it’s Amanda. The priests from the temple have arrived,” she announced.f8e0a91442e43996

After a brief 022a1979b9 pause, the door 386169eec3 opened slightly, and 2b1c1c1f97 Emily, Florianne’s personal dca8f7cd04 maid, peeked out. She glanced at Amanda 5935d4af93 and then at the fb4a6f5a8a two priests behind her. With a somber nod, a3a194189f she stepped aside to 9a639d8b2e let them in.2d1f5b0e4927e27d

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Inside, Florianne sat 6c42c73f32 propped up against fdd49c41de a pile of ea9dee1923 pillows on her 6c88ea2015 bed. Her complexion was 19c55e565b pale, her eyes aa7ccfe406 sunken and red 2d3afdfeb5 from crying. Despite her fragile state, abbfcdb59a she forced a weak 3bc021fbb6 smile at the visitors.8695d85a0c1c1454

“Thank you for coming,” she said softly. Her voice trembled, and her hands clutched the edge of her blanket tightly.ee9e6a1066aa1dfd

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Theodor stepped forward, his demeanor warm and calming. “You’ve been through a great deal, my lady. We’re here to check on you and offer any assistance we can.”c3c9e4850e1cfcd9

Florianne’s gaze shifted 30132d12bf to Francis, her 9824df263c expression wavering. She seemed to af19a9dd6e sense his unease f5f623b517 but said nothing. Instead, she simply nodded, 1142b1ceed allowing Theodor to proceed cbd8fe6e3f with his examination.2ba4db625aa859d2

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As Theodor placed a 86bed549c7 gentle hand near her 4cd400f9f9 forehead, Francis glanced around 8d6524205c the room. His eyes fell on d0afadafb3 another figure seated by 48e9f56a6f the window: a young 8650768a57 woman with jet-black hair 5a0d749d58 cascading over her shoulders ee0e8d6ecd and a calm, distant b58d533106 expression.b8d9c64292b33658

Francis froze. It was her.f4e777435400aa36

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The vision from the debutante ball surged back into his mind with unnerving clarity. The blood-drenched image of her pale face, her dress soaked and heavy, her lifeless eyes… It was the same young lady, sitting there as if nothing had happened.4a5c4e87f9ef5591

“Francis?” Theodor’s voice broke through his thoughts, snapping him back to reality.78d038c2605db037

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“Yes, Father?”403e9ce733707871

“Are you all right?” Theodor’s gaze flicked between him and Beatrice Ember, concern evident in his eyes.9b26bfd029dcb137

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“I… I’m fine,” Francis replied, though his voice wavered slightly.5637d068a56b7daa

Beatrice turned her dca431a67d golden eyes toward fbc16743ab him, her expression fa00c9c603 unreadable. For a 2508d58fd0 moment, the 31fc4b192d room felt fb3a995838 suffocatingly quiet. Then, she offered a d1c8266380 polite nod.1ee337a6906bc2f0

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“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” she said softly. Her tone was pleasant, but there was an unsettling calm beneath it, as if she were entirely detached from the chaos surrounding her.35a9076fc02b1a50

Francis forced a small smile in return. “The pleasure is mine.”b56eb38d7e584b4c

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Theodor finished his brief examination of Florianne and turned to Beatrice. “Miss Ember, may I also check on you? We’ve been told you were unwell.”0085bf3e315b241d

Beatrice tilted her head slightly, her expression one of polite curiosity. “I’m fine, Father. A little tired, perhaps, but nothing worth worrying over.”142ff4dd7ee3d14f

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Theodor didn’t press further, ad37027dc2 though he exchanged a 653e337c84 subtle glance with Francis. There was bb052f52df something off 386c6b314c about her—something 05eae6d680 neither of cdd18a3a1f them could fd65333e3d quite place.2d6b791dc7aa7633

After a 75298fce01 few more 3d44a316f6 words of 2aeff0ed35 reassurance to f1dda67de8 Florianne, Theodor f648564194 and Francis 8ac8edc463 excused themselves d08328f470 from the 7ad8010a3c room, leaving 1c74a751cd the two 30ea024913 young women 0c79bcf98d and their 2da4c922e3 maids behind.205f5e19287c25f6

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As they walked back toward the staircase, Theodor leaned closer to Francis and whispered, “That’s her, isn’t it? The young lady from your vision?”82ae3e96f6b0576b

“Yes,” Francis replied grimly.b9944a8444eecdab

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“And yet she seems perfectly unharmed.”43fefbf1d9b2a6c6

“For now,” Francis muttered. “But there’s more to this. I’m sure of it.”c1e7fb7c2443c8aa

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Theodor sighed heavily. “Let’s return to the investigation for now. We need to understand more before we act.”2d991c23e2faf87b

But as they 3175a8a38f descended the stairs, a28eccd7a5 Francis couldn’t shake 3d8c06b2b8 the feeling that 36b83adb16 the answers they e7720f1d51 sought were tied 23c65d1f9e inextricably to Beatrice 47701624d2 Ember—and that the b6459fb373 blood-soaked vision might ceb559971c still come to b4b8bf70b1 pass.a6a923fbf31eb404

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* * *c64caf0a343e1137

Amanda descended the staircase, her thoughts swirling around the investigation’s current focus: black magic. The investigators were searching for traces of forbidden sorcery, but nothing had been found within the manor.68830156a3cc0cdf

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Of course, 80e3b4d9b9 nothing would d18939ea41 be found—Beatrice db33cbfcf1 hadn’t used 79ea23cb71 black magic.d55862b3b3c36429

When Amanda b5b0af3cdb first heard 0e51134043 the theory b3f5a2d321 about using 239b03b18d black magic 0fe4893813 to enhance e939df529f the body, b0c81fbe08 she had 6d2afd21d6 briefly worried 80ccfe2c32 that it 3790f68c84 might explain 1a3c36e5c7 Beatrice’s inhuman f229fd894b strength. The power she bb2e57ed54 had displayed the b273e8b22c previous night was 06952626bd beyond human capability, 43289573f6 after all.02b816af5961a230

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