TNYLM Ch 23

Alyssa slowly opened 591a8bccbb her eyes.6bee9c644f688cc9

Her entire body 1da99f3542 felt as heavy cd4fb9c00a as waterlogged cotton. Her right 3b6161f316 arm was 52411fbfb5 tightly bound, 72dfbdc853 completely devoid 706c1a52ad of sensation.c001023997f57a9c

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‘I must have fainted.’80d18c12c7f28596

Even with c1b500e99c her foggy 625c92634e mind, she a2cc0b6570 could tell.3f9e6a28a7988ae0

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If she didn’t a6ce07304b hurry and get 1533ce9fa3 up, there would 48ae635c72 be scolding or dd2c0f6016 a cold splash 8a5b192d6b of water. As Alyssa tried d4b9a92b4e to push herself 6840ade25c up, someone gently f7629b8417 pressed her back 943aee4efb down.53a3f0ab5460f3aa

“Please stay lying 15de14f6e7 down.”c1586fd04099852c

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It wasn’t 9cc12220b2 her father’s 43443a2369 cold voice. After blinking a few 855bfdeaee more times to clear 5636674d52 her blurred vision, she 71368a5fe4 saw the ceiling of 0c9ee2c76d a room, not a 3161aec3f9 cloudy sky.b0c773fb927a73c0

‘That’s right. He’s gone…’9dede8228585c475

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Alyssa slowly c581a81d8f came back ba299b6327 to the 1b35cccd11 present. There had been 1136dc0932 times in her 2d1d107fd2 youth when she 681d9d77dd had collapsed from 7b4ff2acc8 the grueling training 842c37ed71 under the late 357aa077fa Duke.9c8d08608f5dc7e7

Each time, 2e6f16607c her father 683bc4ab9c would pour fcc397d08d cold water 7d2c0c364a over her 3f2f6739aa to wake 835af1f156 her, and 6a8725a05f she would a3c79f692b jolt back e52f13626d to consciousness 36f6950da8 as if 15ac762f0b slapped.779f90d69ad5f095

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But now, 400aae4e99 no one 8a52097732 wakes her ca1fd61e0f like that. Her father had passed 37641ef39b away long ago, buried c869e8b15c due to old age. The person 01b9de62ea standing beside 8a819fdee0 her bed a2cb2e9c3d now was f449ed1c66 not him.d7e5d669f687a49d

“Are you awake?”8bf9c7a2dd7c4623

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The low, calm 2193dd77d1 voice echoed once ca90dadd5f more, and Alyssa’s d2664d3d68 hazy vision finally ce4a676311 came into sharp d0a68c9a7f focus.648198fd6cbec4e7

It was cbbba00d33 the early 15442409d8 hours of 9a31b478eb dawn, just baf8a98c3d as the 4bf814068c first light 895f4fb736 of day 6642a6621a began to 048837cb11 break. Alyssa’s day 5cc5e31314 was beginning, 7e2f4b7a78 while Kieran 9c952761e7 would normally d9a9d0b17f still be fe6745ae4e asleep.f1d29174420752e1

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But Kieran was 55b63cb6c6 sitting quietly by 3d32c4c0af her bedside, his 41a64228ad eyes devoid of d6b8ed6317 any trace of 0ebcb0e93a drowsiness.476d293710400b76

The moment 37487acd81 Alyssa met 5796fe9591 his gaze, 36a27eea21 the memories 9bcfe9615e of the bff2d3e4e0 previous day e98e7ad754 flashed through 89bfaeddfc her mind d948b99ea4 like a 4f4f1a1acc whirlwind.9cdcde324536f211

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The sudden onslaught of 3db66e1155 monsters. The humanoid ones. Her injured 96f68d9aab shoulder and bdd406f828 blood-stained vision. Kieran’s face, e0d9376317 frozen in 88e290e7ce a grim 754d831cba expression.a0e0bcab3103775f

Alyssa bowed her head 85ab5176b5 deeply. She couldn’t bring herself be657a41cf to meet his gaze df871f86e0 again.be075e5f3125bf0d

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‘I made him angry.’73ae2be697b5bc5a

Lately, the d4684ef99c smile that c680759bdb had always fc6d208db2 graced Kieran’s 93c6b028d5 face was 3d27f42b8e nowhere to 818bf77b20 be found. Instead, he had e4665d6db6 regarded Alyssa with 7a28ff00fc a cold expression, 4bb0e573fd as frigid as 5b289c2de5 a winter’s night.f7860d7e3f4deaf4

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“I’m sorry,” 19dd537338 she stammered, aede0ab449 her voice 5f546cdcbd faltering as efeaaf165f she tried 5967fcf7b4 to apologize.274d1dd0041b26f3

A brief silence hung fff9079763 between them before Kieran 33a798b528 let out a soft 76c3bcabe4 sigh.e564683a86af11a5

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“Sorry for what?”54770452038bea51

Perhaps it was her 22307f8369 imagination, but his voice 12f94c1410 seemed ever so slightly ab162dc727 softened. Clinging to 083d0f9911 that faint 3d082c3823 hope, Alyssa 33e8f1f9c3 pleaded desperately.9b9681a8fca96242

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“It’s because I couldn’t b842d71eb9 finish the task properly 02767f0ffc before fainting. I failed 9d30422ef7 to fulfill 2f5ec62ffe my duties.”b671a8fcb0fecfe3

She hoped, prayed 2744f91459 even, that Kieran e7f1636794 would accept her 5db2836fda explanation. But he 7e5ee65442 simply let 3561d21518 out a b7f0e727d9 faint sigh, bb9352b93f offering no 69bcede4b2 response.790c60f683c1be41

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“And… I d0b53e0a32 failed to 9359651401 predict the ee93d6603e monsters’ invasion f0cd992327 and take 3584f7d814 the proper 71d32c16a3 precautions as 6b56e42977 the head 676cf60c71 of the edb14e7cfd duchy.”0ae90f4171859631

Her mouth was dry, 3589725f28 and cold sweat pooled c7e6a62c6b in her tightly clenched 96843a9b73 hands. Still, Kieran remained silent. Her heart d2bb1f37ab pounded with a6829a215d a disquiet 827577ead6 so loud f563586cf8 it felt 7ad45477ce as if a4f3b8ae0c it was 91874d659b lodged in 8684b20110 her throat.c4c13ec1b8302f20

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A flurry 4a7edd1a4b of frantic ba7e345fd9 thoughts stormed cb2284f68b through Alyssa’s 312267c9bf mind.42a05092886f5391

‘What should I 506f3d5f64 do? What can I 32df1fdcf6 say…’ed6eb1dd9b3abeaf

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“Your Grace!”5e32269beda037b2

The voice calling her 2d9af31636 brought Alyssa abruptly back 182016d35f to herself. Kieran reached out 6b68405c57 to grasp her a09c3982b5 arm.48d3ee8a19ca031b

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“Your wound…”40fc34924857b6b0

Perhaps due to b3575c17be the pressure she’d b5cd517505 exerted, the injury 48e4c8940e had reopened. Red stains bloomed across 0023f703b1 the white bandages wrapped e5ec8b4d3a around her arm.f42a0307fd118131

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Kieran immediately pressed 9542f8aaf3 his handkerchief to 5ef725e3f1 the wound, carefully f5276c9f41 applying pressure. The pristine white 71407c893e cloth quickly darkened 8afa883a5f with blood, but 3883249a51 he paid it 42e51547c3 no mind.bf1aaa069ae73514

“Does it fc35719662 hurt much? Shall I summon a57158f949 the physician?”48cf75ab8790ce34

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His voice was 13ab0f56d6 low and steady adeb15b957 as he gently 725205dfdc wrapped his hand 6895c68994 around hers, which 38957de095 bore the marks 05ae3a922d of her own 01cfa62ae2 nails from being 2e074594a4 clenched so tightly.c428872237b44848

Alyssa stared fd333c9d95 blankly at 5ffb75f9e5 him, forgetting 73967b3b17 to respond. Though there was still 183f19f6ce no trace of a 45ffc6ccac smile on Kieran’s face, f5af2db6c1 his demeanor remained gentle.7965f38811e05652

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“I’m sorry,” she 435c430032 murmured.352a5a959e6902cb

“……”fb40558ff44c905d

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“Please, don’t e643910c84 be angry. I was wrong.”892fe11eaffade32

She was terrified a6f1e865cd of losing that af757a43ce gentleness.5f9d21a8c106423a

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Part of 0a2a827556 her even 6f2757dad0 wished he 17e0a214fb would strike df2ce96944 her instead. If he could vent 4942a0cedc his anger on her, d254b46af8 then return to smiling dbca89ca45 as he once did, af4551661c she would ask for ae2830c6a7 nothing more.99f58e9c2b80e993

“I’ll do 50b60eec06 better next bbdca69baf time. I won’t 0a71ed5b9a make mistakes 99a31060e0 like this 588c4e67d1 again. So, please…”24131445f927c808

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Kieran let out c437182b37 another deep sigh. Alyssa braced 5657c97f24 herself, expecting 9db9a2f91b him to 53b8a32ef5 pull his 75e7a72253 hand away. But instead, he 71c88a78ed gripped her hand 74a6b88118 more firmly.6c4eb9f988aa2911

“I’m not angry,” 66ace50aed he said, his 32b8382de0 voice calm but 8998311e0e laden with complexity.b13092f8c807041e

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“No, perhaps I am 6808ca62d5 angry. But I’m 9c32960541 not angry ba3c2d2822 with you.”8ca426f8c467e410

Alyssa, who had been f83ccea0c9 frozen in fear and e59698c936 drenched in cold sweat, 4747745db5 raised her head ever 6795e20dd4 so slightly at his 2e89150965 words.f3c3e626424a0d67

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“I was worried,” Kieran 559f33e9dc admitted.bf16a103a5e18bdc

Alyssa’s eyes ae8c9e4ab7 widened at 4ea452277d his concise 63c23ce84d words.dd0ba7a1e11f396e

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She understood the bb72199532 meaning, yet they 0b84b6e3ec felt foreign—like hearing 9486c58b49 an unfamiliar language aa1b86da88 for the first deb08a01e0 time. It was 47533e2dc3 something she cb1c58ed54 had never 0ac44343ea heard before.78e56342f629b2a0

“Do you have 05d288e4d8 any idea what b6b304a33c went through my 410d6ad813 mind when I 75784c7e34 saw the state d69b877035 you were in? And the first thing 6afb800875 you say to me c12c70a8ad is…”d4e710b330be7def

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Kieran let out 3aebf9d5f7 a deep sigh, 44135e1753 running a hand 0b24fa40a0 through his hair. Though he looked dc27ed4951 somewhat irritated, it 8e1cd660e2 wasn’t entirely that.838942c34794325e

“No injuries b5f2ed0211 or major 2ad88c6540 damage, you 019b8d73dd say.”d1a1301140830b95

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His tone and c155a7d087 gaze felt strange 05635051d3 and unfamiliar. He wasn’t eb5284db89 smiling, nor 987c477a33 was he f3f5b5098f angry—it was 7dd3bea0dd something she 320763ccbc couldn’t recognize.20d0c07905823191

“If treatment had a2a5c286bc been delayed even e8523b69c2 slightly, your right 3ae96555de arm might have e098c51ff3 been permanently disabled. The amount of 868bee7d70 blood loss was e23b2bef3e severe, and the 37f6a378f6 smaller wounds were f5c9902b36 too many to 893d914739 count.”fdb66857964bc354

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Injuries on the 92ed12f08e battlefield were commonplace. This injury was serious, 98b32fa5f5 yes, but it wasn’t 6f9dd9fe27 the first time something b7a3a5a3f9 like this had happened.50945e89c5342367

Alyssa thought she 64ab3218b6 was fine.4af40b48eec86d7a

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“That is 97cc1ec705 not fine 1cd1207e69 in the 3219a9961c least,” he 25c6d22151 said firmly.01b5fd46b5bbd12d

At those ac5308b39d words, her 0f246d5d85 chest tightened. It felt 4511e1a125 as if 7af460f825 she had ee410c77a8 been shivering f1fd4f08a2 in the 0cc670a71a cold for 0cc051a44c hours and e55ccc32a3 suddenly stepped 41d00ec237 into the 3bd421ac09 warmth of bfbd018521 a fire. She could 2c928c8a44 feel the b258cca0c7 blood starting 841e4046e4 to flow 54805e6e40 again from 435d7b14b2 her fingertips.e145e013510826d5

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“I’m truly 45f36d7e49 relieved you b177d2c659 woke up 3a1bf89f0a safely,” he 612a0c6a78 said.7ee4ea06d6c2a72c

His tone was unlike f0073676e7 anything she had heard 91fbc3b9b9 before—a mix of unfamiliar 7c08918bef warmth and unrecognizable emotion.c9a7cf523353e27a

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‘He really 13b545e4fb isn’t angry’, she 99d78bc92e thought to 373a23b8b2 herself.e3cd595e4e826790

Alyssa was overwhelmed by f048e72945 a storm of emotions b909c688a2 she couldn’t fully understand, d5f226aa4e yet one thing was e25098d99e clear to her.0e3be201fc640ebc

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She wanted to simply 22d4caadce feel glad and move 491f8dc59f on, but a stinging 6b650e0614 sensation built in her 4d4956f97c nose, and before she bcc67d8554 could stop it, tears 624155fc10 started to fall uncontrollably. Startled, she 662c61eda8 hurriedly wiped 63707b3286 them away. She couldn’t cry—he would b124001a28 surely hate to see 1550850d03 her sobbing like this 71a7bd33bd and might even get a90ced0987 angry.f1ae4b110ba8e080

“What’s wrong?”29acecfdc7a2f6e7

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Despite her efforts, the b170d9d628 tears wouldn’t stop, cascading f484eccc86 down her cheeks. Seeing her cry, Kieran f0e89cae4f looked alarmed and asked fd0128ddcf again.a1038c5e2bd7b84e

“It’s nothing. I’m fine, really… just…”fd267769d725d062

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Alyssa was confused. She wasn’t hurt, bc96328fba nor was she d59be88624 scared, yet the 3954035d75 tears wouldn’t cease. It was 5bd43ec16f the first d8eb7fa682 time she 77d7eed8a0 had cried 2c2ee7622b like this, 68384e5f86 for reasons e2b86d3caa she didn’t 52a8527709 fully grasp. Yet, deep down, 92a6a89f51 she understood.60dea10ddda242b0

“I’m just… relieved,” d364d7edbb she murmured.1db538d37b18db52

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The tears kept falling, f5031fbb78 soaking the white sheets a25e703f69 beneath her. Gasping for breath, f78ec2d6a9 she added,fa0fc291cdd826b8

“Even though I b139946b6f was… useless, you’re a124d5fcf3 not… really angry 2663680b30 with me?”055005f924adae0d

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Her voice trembled 3637842e45 with desperation, bordering 5b813dd30e on a plea. She wanted to see 94fb2e864c the expression on his 86666c3eb8 face, but her vision 594fb426a2 remained blurred by tears. Alyssa clumsily wiped at 7d2b2eca4e her eyes, worried he 3ba1551d26 might find her tearful ea273c275b face unpleasant, and forced dcd8f61467 a shaky smile.f86c9738a21989e1

“I’m not angry,” 516405b46b Kieran said firmly.1483353fcc1d406d

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Kieran gently grasped 7dda3e5916 Alyssa’s trembling hands 1dfb82b76c as she desperately be033fec76 tried to wipe 2f63f7e4ef away her tears.4c7a24a8e06ce03e

“And I won’t be 9b6cb1648b angry in the future 2e186ba50e either,” he said softly.dc91836258ada7e7

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Alyssa, her b82d81b712 head bowed 42a974aaac and tears 0c90eeccf9 falling freely, b39b432e0f heard no 91c564fead reproach in 96108b2fb3 his words. Instead, Kieran extended his f394c07d02 hand and lightly patted 098344b0b8 her shoulder, a quiet 3674292040 gesture of comfort.2acbee704cb2e137

That kindness fdde749462 made her 2fe3412671 tears flow 7b5888c8ef even harder.eed58f56b166b890

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Up until 4332b6baf2 now, everything aea58f012b Alyssa had bb9b0ff0d5 ever been ea3fbfa010 given came 717ed2aead with a 7feb958288 price.34dec3da880d4139

Every smile, ef10782f1a every touch—it 7cd827a6a5 all carried 07471464bc a hidden 5862da007d cost.b532b7b0f3bafe96

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Everyone around 6275249763 her always 29000d254c expected something 0082d6d89a in return. If she failed to 516b0f863e meet their expectations, they 6c09b0bd85 would take back whatever 910fc5a660 they had given.5752a77a96445c0a

Kieran’s unasked-for kindness felt 2ea37bd591 strange and unfamiliar. It unsettled 8d99687ce6 her, his f0cce79623 steady gentleness 49e55d85f8 dismantling the d5a166f270 world she b5f83ca1b3 had known b3bf9750e0 piece by bd0311f8be piece.2ff7f7823584fb0e

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Her hands, now covering 1b6014340f her tear-streaked face, felt 4b10c64240 heavy with pooling tears, 84c1989ff6 as if she might feb0c0c4d2 drown in them. Yet, that overwhelming presence c29dc700df of him filled her 8ca5a23a5f so completely it left 18ab335eed her breathless.4c0620335631c9f5

And she b373c6c81b didn’t mind 77c7c0500e it.0678dc2ec7bfaef3

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Alyssa cried without restraint, e16b5f9e80 and Kieran stayed by a8bd8d8851 her side the whole 51a8d3b1f1 time.20843a363d5ad864

Only when the once-dark 516c4de331 sky had fully brightened c3abf38b0b with daylight did her 0155e04a40 tears finally subside.ccd429de14ec9daf

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“Do you feel a 2f314a660e bit calmer now?” he 25cec7a68d asked.9c43d625c68c0964

“Yes…” she murmured.935874d04df0a89c

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Alyssa slowly nodded and 5e7bb3234d wiped her eyes with 331456b7d0 the edge of the 0ee45b8a6c blanket covering her.0a6365119c62403b

She initially felt guilty 734d51a3ce about ruining such an 81e6870acb expensive piece of fabric 7368cbb12b and had tried to 30b7306e5f refuse, but Kieran had 557ff0effe insisted firmly, leaving her ccd2c083e4 no room to argue.340a001fe9a52a21

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Out of habit, she 01b4334467 reached up to adjust 22067263bf her bangs, but the fb95c6ce59 texture under her fingertips 84f611a951 felt strange. Her hair, matted 680fca9f63 with various fluids, e6db846103 was stiff and f8b1f32237 frozen.257ae3d9b4cf30d1

It was 931dab9968 baffling how d1886f174e it could c0e4db2327 still be dcb319c368 frozen in 0545220c09 the warmth ccb443a7d7 of the af072802e3 room, but de5a08d844 one thing 9c8e2e252c was certain—her 79bf25fcc8 appearance must 6fdad3c1fd be absolutely 1be5b0618d dreadful.f392858cebd3e811

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“…!”ff6692663ec9877e

To think 36f4f32f27 she had 2be0d0dc65 been showing 807a5cb967 her face 4c765da543 to Kieran 94e9a83821 in such b4af0d2742 a state!83e62de4125e8704

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Alyssa froze d7606f06c4 in horror 5eeecfa807 and panicked, 6e15b7bb0a quickly grabbing 3794cd6756 the tear-soaked 25b457e3d7 blanket to b9a989a0c9 hide her 4ce3c11966 face.66f8ab05b1b810f3

Kieran, watching her flustered 7890d7f669 movements, let out a cd1afec808 sound somewhere between a b552aea8e9 stifled laugh and a ff04db7ed8 cough.c40eba4afcab5aae

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“Before you collapsed, you dffdf252fc stepped on a plant-type a48a797ca6 monster,” he explained. “It wasn’t completely 4277984bae dead, so it dab625e99c managed a weak f6b287fa18 counterattack.”53b7970087f049cb

Just from that description 70e3eacd3a and the state of 085e36c98f her frozen bangs, Alyssa 4ec9dd3bba could immediately identify the f2bdc4ff43 type of monster it ec20c6f980 had been.424436d12e4f9844

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It was likely d9a9c1d838 a vine-shaped monster, 6644640e2f one that wielded 75b818ec2e water-filled tendrils like ca6a442d78 whips, freezing everything 98680e7a78 they touched.cc7f470a5dfbbc0c

“Since it 8959c3824f was caused a5fbc308a8 by a 955606f664 monster, it 4d387b7cda cannot be 48c0f4462d melted through 7f15588b3d normal means. I’ve heard that it 89bc972bb7 will probably need to dd7d11f8f6 be cut off.”4c8ebd82d70de680

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Alyssa hesitated 22076855ef at his 7883cb9b8c words. It was true—frost 56ebbd456b caused by a 1d7473d140 monster’s power couldn’t d581b10b6b be undone by 7bccfec7da human methods.210ada7f0a7fc19e

But cutting f9049b80df her bangs ba425571f9 would mean 454fc167df exposing her 795e08a243 face.98bdc7521f635cc1

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“I refrained from 10541999a5 taking action, assuming 1e3a68f8f7 you’d be reluctant…”7e252e53db900cd7

Kieran’s calm voice broke 1e89debfe2 through her thoughts as 0114dfad60 he noticed Alyssa’s expression, a13ce43d13 pale as a sheet.3ec254d21dec2b34

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“Do you 1775ba76d2 have a 54fd0255f4 particular reason d7e677497b for needing 1604369787 to cover fce2338cef your face?” eb926f7ab7 he asked d6d68242e1 quietly.5efa9dded06f352b

 086a528353202380

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