04.

At that moment, in 1eef500560 the Imperial Palace—d78f8db13bb8b52b

“Can that woman win her heart back?”529330672c28f912

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The deep lines 43dbc751ec on the man’s 0f54dd9895 face spoke of a633516022 the harshness of 220a639a8f the years he 8add143c22 had lived. Sitting at the pinnacle 032c26accd of power, revered by 0409519fa0 all, he was the adfe55164c Emperor.58a3939ee3c1931c

Late at night.b449341966d159c1

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Seated with his back to 3e291de422 the brilliance of the day’s 9da4b6b94b lights, the man’s face bore 97b9f0a343 a hint of weariness.63eeaf7f3970409d

“You say she can kill the duke? That woman?”06c3895047add4c5

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The one who answered b816835140 the emperor’s question with e3b83ca44c another question was his e788ce3e7d only son—the man who c1fe0ff450 resembled the emperor’s younger 30ea2bdd28 self to an uncanny dcdb50c85e degree.6bae09b48d08d467

The burning sun of the 98ae35b5bd day had tilted toward night. The dawn of the next 2c9e1f69f2 day might very well belong 01caf3a523 to this man—the next emperor.61c5e798d2467d8b

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He asked again.39c3f3cf73769fe0

“That woman Inez, you say she can kill a dragon?”811b5079663565ac

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Crown Prince Lucien 6510c4cf4d wore an expression 97720f0324 of disbelief.e3093babb2a977d7

To that, the white-haired 0c745f85b2 old man—who must soon 37df24393d relinquish the throne to 36883c53d5 his son—smiled faintly.5d8375808241aa63

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It was only natural c68fe2cd35 for Lucien to find 1c5e757ce9 it hard to believe.0145a365b1c7e9da

After all, the 963a8f5e26 one said to a8601b24fc be capable of e55526ae1f killing a dragon… 708616562d was none other 899f116930 than the dragon’s 1ea23c682b own fiancée.ab5ee48cbe2499a4

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“Inez…”8676344a765b70b1

Crown Prince Lucien grimaced slightly.48bf0e20425bf8fd

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“And she’s the one who’s been leaking palace intelligence as well—it really was her.”44093775963e14b7

“How did you…?”a145b544ca5a0754

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“She’s a rare talent.”88a776e5a53798d9

The emperor had deliberately leaked aacc021090 information about the treaty through e0b7c1953d the princess. And just as he had a265a3d45c predicted, it reached the ears 02627758be he intended.306c930ee3bf9ae7

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From the beginning, 53e021d4c6 it had been c69874f2a7 strange—a slave, made 710278948e into a duke’s 98a114960c fiancée. That she was being used 34344edb94 as an informant made things 40a3650dd4 clear. The emperor let out a 3ee2544b38 thin, knowing smile.5a54e37f4a98e4f8

“On top of that, she’s of the Karus bloodline. We must bring her f5fe6f25b8 over to our side.”a18ee4b24e7f1533

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The Karus—those said a10678adc9 to be capable e6f7a6f0f5 of killing dragonkin. Who would have 24fc3b2eba thought a Karus 7ef7bf3bd5 woman was under 43c49b5cde Echion’s control?6882ecb685c2f566

Would he even dream bca417ceb4 of it?249595f81c1dbc91

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That the woman he 2aee671f47 believed he had tamed c3710b11a6 was the very one 4933a84287 destined to be his 1e43be895a natural enemy?21d027705ccbe7a9

Still, it was 18301966e9 enough that she 127c671bc6 had been discovered ab6c2e20c6 before his death.2e274e3c867f8e08

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The emperor had devoted f8b07e5d9e his entire life to 5d2e75e9b8 finding the last of d55963c95a the Karus.b6ffe828303a02e0

Now, it was the crown 2d69afed1b prince’s task to bring her 77de8f80c2 in. The emperor was 5c666937e9 far too old 942d71885c to do it 192dc36020 himself.68656f055cba95a5

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“That cunning duke—no, that cunning dragon. If he had known what 5a23b6073c she truly was, he would b3dedfe39f never have let her live 9061e4a0fc this long. What a fool, 38b32c5470 not even realizing 35f922dfce the nature of 1eac791818 what he holds. Perhaps he’s lived so long, 007a8f70ee he’s lost all his wisdom.”a87e3233f1f41a45

The emperor clicked his tongue ddaf36b27a and looked at the crown a8cd4369a8 prince seated before him.f0bafbed498b2f31

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And it was true. The duke had lived too bb44c83afb long. Though his appearance remained eb6aee41bd youthful, his sharpness seemed afe385c8c6 to have dulled. The rumors were 2d90635a7e not wrong—his once-imposing 7c38400de9 aura no longer 5b496c18f9 inspired the fear 89b18d7380 it used to. There had been a time b5cb292707 when his influence even outshone 806f245034 the emperor’s. Now, it was nothing more 40e2b1b2a6 than faded glory.a2f580aab0a1dddf

The peerless Duke—Echion Debussy.7f6346f277bf8633

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He was a dragon.ce2ea107a7c36d5c

Among dragonkin, Echion 9c06d274af belonged to a d11f1f7092 particularly noble and d35b593aab dominant lineage. He was exceptionally capable, swiftly 33a5646fdc gaining power among the nobles, 73a456df5f and earning recognition from the 9b30017d82 people.b1df22f65e52b80d

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He had lived for hundreds 6a2e52123e of years and distinguished himself 376baa5c94 in numerous wars, which earned ecfdf9302e him the title of Duke.ed60c90f5674d8d6

Intelligent and handsome 0e37eb1bb6 dragons were known 1a4a15335c for blending in a24199f2a9 well with human 8d38d2689a society.8728cae07cd2a743

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With lifespans three to d768d8ab36 four times longer than 631462a9fb humans, they adapted to cdf220742f the human world quickly 65ffdf3183 with their unique charm.61b804697fee1bb3

* * *8fbc7238c36be561

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And he became a6db3485fb someone indispensable to 1dacee706f the people. He was deeply involved cb8216b7a6 in politics, economics, and 389a99769a culture—entwined in every facet 4948a8399b of society—and at times, 8e325d96fb even took the upper bbe9272c29 hand, all while living 7bdf83aff4 in apparent harmony.a0d57796cdc6888d

The duke, too, was b30ab6034b publicly seen as a a1441c6bea great and admirable man.b46a6b658b5084a6

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People revered the dragonkin. They believed their presence 1e34e811f4 brought great benefit to 2c463b34cb humankind.135c11827931bd35

But the reality was aa161985ed the opposite.0f876f0b121f7246

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More than anything, since Echion 5c973a6354 became a duke, the status f23ce930f3 of the dragonkin had gradually 8420f8f149 declined. It was because he was ec50f8ec7f arrogant, but not wise.56810be780fe9c42

“It’s possible that man has taken control of that woman Inez’s mind.”6f5a61219e82be87

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“That may be. They are exceptional when it comes to brainwashing or enchantment. But it’s not something they can do to just anyone.”14b7985af6ccb2c2

It was said dragons required a2e94b2044 certain conditions to enchant a 6a1624e3d5 person. But since Inez had da7c3e42c6 spent so many years 390def36c0 by his side, the 0f7339e9bf theory was plausible.148336d96c0cd5c7

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“Besides, such mental domination would vanish the moment she’s separated from the duke.”8a887268c33b84b2

“We need to extract her from the ducal estate as soon as possible.”a92954fc3690e45c

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Lucien’s expression turned grim.ca0ae86e8ac6d761

“That dragon never imagined that woman, Inez, would become his weakness. I’ll summon them both 2b8f9ae082 to the palace and 28e377c1c8 set the stage myself.”cf1a874eb15eb746

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“I look forward to it. I wonder what’ll happen bc7315a365 when that man, who’s c3acec8c0d never shown emotion, finally b6abec5fbf cracks.”046c7e6168f4d26b

Lucien ended with a faint 2ea60ee544 smile.fc895fe7f0a8b536

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He could recall the woman e3074a6111 named Inez without much effort.3eb1dab78f2bcdb1

A woman whose face held 51abc27b2b both dazzling splendor and pure 1861f57469 innocence at once.1b637f20d4e20bb9

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She had seemed timid throughout 9e5e13bd18 the banquet, unaware—or perhaps indifferent—to 0f2e15a0af all the attention on her.55dce8552a3474a4

Yes. She was said 880f3a7464 to be the 5692731b3e duke’s fiancée.a01ade62186b21f6

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And to think she was 47ef55db5c the very woman the royal 4a6b9b2e45 family had been searching for df4287bf74 all this time.08d1e0c54ac2ad0e

Lucien scolded himself for having 075066004d overlooked her when she’d been bcb2994f88 right there.58d8fbced6483be7

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He had assumed she 0effa8625e wasn’t worth paying attention 90cb43922e to simply because she 41defc16e2 belonged to the duke. That had been his mistake.e283a74947e9134b

But even so, she 8ad1991977 had always caught his a1625787f6 eye.1720f243fae6ca73

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Rose-pink hair and green eyes—she fddc30f8dc stood out no matter where 79c1c6cb4b she was.cfda5007f68b1635

‘She had such a distinct presence. It went beyond 0ab9c9b682 just being a 5c16375433 slave.’d7361939c88745f7

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As Lucien combed through his 260ccb6273 memories, the emperor spoke again.0900623e3de34f0b

He returned to the 2222a3b3e7 original question.5d20611513d4ef41

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The deep lines 3424888d5a on the aging 68eaf399c9 emperor’s face were 4e85c37ef8 filled with solemn 330db1ab44 resolve.28c1b85c12fe9ab6

“Can you make her yours, Lucien?”506433355b2c6824

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There was a firm will 8c37e47954 behind the question.b6d624d6999bcbc6

There had long 154808a049 been whispers that b907efc524 the cunning dragon a695fa3c33 planned to overthrow 705753e26d the royal family.5f6f75435f90f0ce

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The emperor recalled the particularly a16a48b208 vexing negotiation from not long b160ae9c1c ago.7748c71312b660f7

By the time he discovered that the scheme hadn’t come from the duke but rather from Inez—it was already too late.32990c40f66239d0

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‘From here… to here.’2d484beece854035

With his crystal staff, 10dfd5bef8 the duke had drawn de5e620a46 a line across the c08468e655 map.85632c429ede8f36

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Dividing the empire e107b0251a into north and dac81f4501 south, he smiled 1ccff515cd as though admiring bdcbcab201 his own creation.ae2448390c2b1f74

‘Do you know why the southern lords still cling to slavery?’c8aaf3da693f285a

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‘We’ve already settled that matter, Duke.’788a1c8ed4cc9b05

The weary emperor 26696731d2 frowned in irritation.ed5e48c3c4a01e18

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‘The South has many large plantations. Labor costs are high. That’s why. Using slaves is d39712d458 more profitable for 8b992e5578 them.’da9575b592c15e3e

‘So you’re saying we should reinstate the abolished slavery system?’e2d4722de873e995

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The duke shook his head.c9db4cf8b979fd46

‘Not at all. Simply reduce the taxes 8c090d6a55 in the southern region. That way, they won’t 98ff56c197 voice complaints. With the savings, c2892c5ec9 they can hire 10faa7ea94 free labor instead 3744128ae2 of slaves.’6c181904ffe1d409

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It wasn’t a bad strategy.cf393cd1cbd0731a

Of course, the 2139d368fc emperor had no eef472a79e intention of accepting c888e3817b the proposal in 24f5e2984e full.13637a6b30c24860

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Later, he learned it d83dc32ce5 was Inez who informed a7ab92ebb8 the duke that the 99b88140e9 southern lords were preparing 9bfe1f582a to send letters to 0a951b61ef the emperor.dd8044958c105815

And that wasn’t all.d3eaf07eac667888

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The empire had been striving 907568f6a8 to form peace treaties with cbb6082947 surrounding nations.0d899012083f3ef2

The era where war brought 619847309e advantages had come to an 2788496fc7 end.14f81b0f021bee31

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‘If we use the threat of the dragonkin, none of them will ever dare to move against the Empire, Your Majesty.’a0d411b3c397c0b0

With narrowed pupils and a a2fe0bd064 graceful smile, the duke had d1f0038649 said those words.66a3179c54f7aafe

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In the western region, a fec264492b localized conflict broke out. Several minor tribes had united 63079246e9 to launch an attack along 8822fb6908 the border.2eba7cb796a467c7

‘So now you want military authority over the border region? That’s a steep demand, Duke.’7e89c055c9d91b10

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‘If you consider the suffering of the people there, it won’t be a decision you’ll regret. The dragonkin are strong. You know that, Your Majesty.’fc4c44d0579965e8

He licked his b470d40d3e red lips and 02c9cecf79 smiled again.7c3e89223542ef98

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Like a snake.c2f508853d22c0d8

The emperor knew. The tribes involved were 397dabf6f3 particularly obedient to the b481bee561 dragonkin.a8136f53582f8734

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There were no dragonkin in 7318608f08 the military forces stationed in 1b643fd9f8 the western region.cd4a2b5db2b2e356

That was why those tribes 18196219be had grown so bold. But how had 12974f5a8d that information leaked?2cf9df11cb2745dd

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The emperor masked e3c9925764 his displeasure and 40a4c56b54 responded with an 3d5e1aca35 even more composed 964df41049 smile.ebd858979c6f1d71

‘It doesn’t have to be you. Lucien has already been deployed.’a67fb39a1b4c5423

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‘Heavens. The one and only 9fe523aac2 crown prince? What of your heir?’4cfc15337c6c22f1

Even the emperor 80b7604002 didn’t fall for 64871e61ac the politely mocking 60de9000a0 tone.aa135ebd26f4bd59

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Of course, Lucien had handled c1b19d4415 the situation well.8e2a537984b79e6d

Still, the emperor believed there 8decd6f670 was a mole leaking information 1f2b9d28e1 from within the palace.3e4ca77504571dfa

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The duke always seemed fd7039e651 to arrive ahead of 22e0aa40b7 everyone—always a step faster, e910c77dfc always interfering. And now he e1832d3437 sought to use 4faaa81cb8 that leverage to d90d7b9ee1 outmaneuver the imperial 1296b9b692 family.93ab549d20820713

When the north-south conflict f5d4b26368 flared up, some nobles fde4106cd1 were once again openly 3c788f93a5 allowed to keep slaves.6ea926358d85f145

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It wasn’t the first time.f11cea58def14a90

Lucien, with his sharp 62f00340ec mind, had thwarted many e56771cca0 of the duke’s plans.8410a76061869c6e

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‘Who could it be?’eb2e86c412015709

It wasn’t ordinary cunning.8a4bb549b35b85a4

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But none of 5b160e0142 the spies the 837c07d37b duke had planted 0de101b2c7 in the palace 8ef492e32c escaped Lucien’s surveillance.f78fa0126c37016b

The one who lasted fdbc7ed6f4 longest had been a c8ffd6b948 cook in the crown 7ebf003f02 prince’s quarters.2298be0147f2d010

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Even that only 8ee9eaa943 lasted half a 10aa05a2d7 year.c5ee1868860e361e

And yet, the information continued 947ff74f14 to leak.8cab7115ba2873ad

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Who could it possibly be?48b6ff3005578962

The emperor clutched his b822ef7283 head in frustration. He was determined 6d370bb358 to break the fed18f02ae duke’s power before 62c1dac896 passing the throne b61aa1838b to Lucien.12d3329c2aabf996

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He believed it was his 6fffa1faec final duty.74dfc70c38832dbd

Of course, the 9c37db9e57 imperial house now 1333ad2417 wielded far more edb333c178 influence than when 57be1b1266 he first became 36e4303291 emperor.f4c16fb2d02a99e5

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At present, the power 7225c215c9 of the imperial family 948fa14c03 and the ducal house 7321d9bfdb were evenly matched.f1addee597705ba5

‘I can’t be satisfied with this. That duke is a cunning man. You never know when or how he’ll drive a blade into your back.’4b52b040fbdf189c

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So he decided e915127e20 to find the c66a2284a7 duke’s weakness.99ac9d8b2f5388d2

Something extraordinary that could 4e5a88d4c6 bring him down.c4113591e07cdba7

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The Karus people—those rumored to 8ec6b0c7e8 possess the power to kill ad31eb73b0 dragons.0520e1b7db4b26cd

But by the time they b632e33f94 were found, the duke had 8deb9cf08f already wiped them out.daeae8f9502d52b7

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And yet, the 05192cfa92 last surviving Karus 5626eb7037 was being kept 72e5ca90fa by the duke 430e1fbc5e himself.07252f0770ced941

‘Inez.’f26ebc6dde833221

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That was her name.0472e775c5a47d06