Suddenly he called to the kiosk with freshly squeezed juices.
I was embarrassed how easily he dragged there, and I wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Okay, but this is the last ti.
I thought I was going to pay for the fruit juice and run away. But I couldnt
I was unable to leave the market after fruit juice.
Raymond managed to settle with the shopkeeper ahead of . In this way we went through several stalls.
Every ti I tried to insert a word, he interrupted , and we moved on.
He went over everything with his long legs, and I trailed after him, as if under hypnosis.
"Is this all your works?"
Here he stands in front of a kiosk selling handmade accessories.
"Yes. Everything is done with my own hands. You won't find anything like that anywhere else."
Raymond exchanged lines with the rchant, while I focused on the silver coin, which I held in my palm.
This ti, by all ans, I will have ti to pay first.
No, I'm even considering sacrificing the incense burner and just leaving if Ray fails his focus again.
"What a beautiful watch. How much it costs?"
The mont I heard this word, I tossed a silver coin even before the rchant opened his mouth.
"Please, here's the board."
Raymond's gaze fell on . A light chuckle followed.
"Can I accept it?"
A little embarrassed by my insistence, the rchant asked the question carefully, looking at Raymond and at in turn.
I answered imdiately to keep ahead of Raymond.
"Of course you can."
However, Raymond didnt react the way I expected.
He didnt argue, he didnt try to get his money out.
Until the feeling of embarrassnt overwheld completely, I threw Raymond one last:
"Here's your paynt for help."
For a mont, I wanted to say sothing else, but most likely he wont like it.
"Thanks."
Raymond responded with a slight smile. He seed to like this watch a lot.
His eyes were just riveted to them.
At first, I didn't even look at this watch, because I wanted so badly to disappear from here.
Hm.
diocre brown leather, clearly unworthy of an Emperor.
There was no particular decoration to be seen.
Its completely incomprehensible to why Raymonds choice fell on this particular watch.
Its just the shape was a little unusual.
Similar to my long-standing gift to him.
I lifted my head and looked at Raymond. Our gazes t.
I saw how his silent eyes tremble.
I have never seen such a look before. And since I ca back, Raymond has been looking at with that look.
Why then did you say that you would never love ?
I hid my eyes because I didn't want to see him again. These thoughts made feel stifling in my heart.
"I paid back my debt, so I really should go."
"I will take you to the carriage"
"I hope that this will be the end. This action gives inconvenience."
Walking with , Raymond may have enjoyed fond mories of the past. I just hoped that our eting would end soon.
For him, the past we could be close friends', but for it was a terrible unrequited love.
There was a mont of silence, and soon his voice was heard.
"Then let's part right here."
He gave the incense burner.
In addition, the box contained violets covered in mud.
"You can do anything better than with these flowers. They are so much like you."
I raised my eyes and gave him a gentle look.
Raymond still rembered what he had said once.
Oh my, do you really rember?
Why the hell right now? After everything?
My heart froze at such a sudden thought.
It's all nonsense.
We shouldn't have t again at all. But when he appears before ti after ti, echoes of the past co to visit .
"Youre looking at like that. How can I let you in alone?"
He studied my face, trying to track changes in expression.
I think I imdiately need to gain even more distance.
"It's uncomfortable, even if it's a joke. Well, I have to go."
I gave him a cold look and turned around without regret.
I felt a tenacious gaze behind , but didnt slow down.
* * *
The next day.
In the early morning, when the blue just covered the sky.
The gates of the Drua estate opened.
A knight on horseback jumped out from there. Leaving the Duke's estate, he drove his horse and disappeared.
And when the knight disappeared, the Duke's gates were locked again.
The gatekeeper dozed off again, and the Duke cald down again, as if nothing had happened.
However, the attentive watched will notice how the knights now and then one by one left the Duke's bedroom and left the estate.
Jeremy appeared from behind the pillar.
No one noticed him in this deathly calm mansion.
Jeremy glanced at the Duke's bedroom, which was now tightly locked.
What order did the knight receive from the Duke, if so early he rushed off on his way?
It was a family that had lost power. The only thing the few remaining knights did was kill ti.
But that knight was in such a hurry.
It was weird.
Did you gallop to Marquis Sios?
Duke Drua and Marquis Sios.
The first ti I realized that there was a connection between them was when I returned to the Empire six years ago, when I beca aware of Ellie's divorce.
At that ti I walked by without thinking, but now no.
Marquis Sios tried to destroy Duke Croft, and the Marquis and Duke Drua had secret etings.
I found out about this by pure chance.
One day everything went on as usual. Instead of announcing my visit, I quietly sneaked into the mansion in the early morning, while everyone was asleep.
Then, by chance, I saw Marquis Sios leaving the Duke's office.
It was pretty early for the guests.
In addition, Marquis Sios arrived not in a carriage with his own symbols, but in an old carriage, like the commoners.
In a black robe, as if he wanted to hide from prying eyes.
Marquis Sios walked by without seeing , but I, lost in the darkness, saw exactly his face sticking out over the top of the robe.
If it is true that these two conspired, then it happened a long ti ago.
And I had the feeling that this was a great danger.
Especially for Ellie.
After that day, I fussed and tried to dig deeper, but couldnt find any hard evidence.
Duke Drua never attended public appearances, and the two families were unrelated.
This ant that the work of these two was a very secret endeavor.
Jeremy, who had been in his thoughts for a while, looked at the surrounding landscape. The sun has not yet risen.
There was a sound like a heel hitting a marble floor.
Jeremy went all-in and headed straight for the Duke's office.
In the silence there was a lock click.
Jeremy stepped into the office and walked over to the bookshelf.
Freud, the current Duke Drua, was utterly paranoid.
Since he couldnt trust anyone, and even his own family, when he did business with soone, he piled dirt on those people.
Jeremy pulled out a book in the upper left corner of the third shelf and the entire bookcase slid to the side.
The Duke's secret vault was revealed.
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