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n

n

"Your highness...

" a man came out of the shadow walking lifelessly to kneel greeting the first prince with the guilt in his eyes which couldn't look straight at Marinette's eyes.

n

"Why don't we split and find the duke instead? Commander Victor and Robert, why don't you go that way? Marinette and I will go this way.

" the prince told Robert to get up from the ground then suggested the idea to Victor.

nOf course, the commander wasn't much happy about that.

n

"It's faster this way. Your highness, can you tell Mary to go with them? It's easy to communicate with each other that way.

" Marinette talked to the prince, and the prince agreed immediately. Soon after, Mary came out of the prince once again flying to sit on Robert's shoulder.

nVictor turned himself away walking with Robert when seeing Marinette say it that way. It's logical since Marinette and Philip can't be separated.

nRobert caught up with the commander he respected running as fast as he could, a book dropped from his bag.

nMarinette was going to shout to call him to get his stuff back, but they were already gone. Marinette tilted her head when seeing that opened book with similar handwriting on the page.

n

"Wait!

" Philip also saw it and ran to grab that book hiding it behind his back.

n

"What's that book?

"

n

"It's nothing. Let's hurry. We need to find your father.

" the prince held the book tightly in a very suspicious way.

nMarinette when seeing the prince trying so hard to hide that book, she no longer protested didn't want to stick her nose in someone else's business.

n

"This is the alley we haven't checked yet, so let's go.

" Marinette pointed at the alley full of trashes, the alley she and Victor searched for the antidote.

nThe prince nodded his head and followed her while hiding the book from Marinette. His heart was racing in anxiety as he was scared Marinette would notice that the book was her diary he got from the basement.

nHe didn't get to read it yet, but it would be weird if she saw her diary in his hands like that.

nMarinette put her finger on her nose trying her best to walk along that alley full of trashes, it was dirty filling with rats.

nThey walked to the dead end, ready to turn back but when they did, a man appeared in front of them without any of them noticing. He didn't make any sound at all.

nHis red eyes were trembling as that man rushed to touch the chain connecting the prince and Marinette. Soon, his hands started shaking. Marinette never expected to see that side of the man. He was usually cold and fierce showing no emotion but that time, it was as if he was scared of something.

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"Your grace...

"

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"Fa--your grace...

"

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"Your highness, who made this...this chain???

" even his voice coming out of his lip was quivering. He didn't even turn to look at Marinette or check how hurt she was.

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"The emperor cast it...

"

nHearing that, the duke was quite relieved it wasn't the person who he thought of the one who cast the chain. He took a step back and then turned that chain into roses. Marinette was finally free with the red mark around her neck.

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"I'm really sorry for the trouble my daughter has caused, your highness.

" the duke bowed down to the prince. He didn't even ask how his daughter was but instead said that. Each of his words every time kept hurting Marinette.

nThe prince glanced at Marinette who turned her head down, he didn't say anything except smiling saying,

"It's nothing. Your daughter also helped me a lot.

"

n

"We'll go now, your highness.

" the duke grabbed Marinette roughly without looking at her eyes once. But the prince shouted to stop both the father and daughter when seeing Marinette didn't say one word keep obeying what her father wanted.

n

"Your daughter is injured!!! Why did you...

"

n

"I'm fine, your highness. I apologize for the trouble I caused.

" Marinette bowed down, her wound at her stomach opened again, it was bleeding. But its pain didn't compare one bit to her heart which was shattering by the man grabbing her hand.

n

"No, you're not fine!!! Let me heal you!!!

" the prince snapped seeing that duo who was completely calm even though one of them was heavily injured. The duke didn't even shake an eyelid seeing blood dripping from his daughter's wound.

nThe duke bowed and took his daughter away from the prince walking out of that alley.

n

"Where is Diana?

" was the question he asked his first daughter coming out of his mouth. Marinette clenched her right hands staring at the left hand which was held by the duke's cold arm. She didn't feel any warmth in it at all.

nShe wasn't even brave enough to look at his sharp eyes, she turned her head down walking a few steps behind him.

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"She's in the royal palace...

"

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"Lead me to her.

" his cold voice was like ice, Marinette stopped walking anymore. Blood that time came out of her mouth instead flowing to her chin, she gathered her courage to look directly at her father's eyes.

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"She's the princess of the northern empire. She's the emperor's daughter...did you know that...duke??

" tear came out from her eyes, she already knew the answer and she still asked about it. She sniffled, sobbed in front of him, and yet his eyes showed nothing but hatred toward her.

n

"Is that so?? I need to find a lady named Aurora too, did you see her?

"

n

"You haven't...answered my question yet...do you know that Diana isn't your real daughter??

" her lip was shaking, she wiped her tear away. Her throat felt so dry, it was hard for her to speak. Breathing was hard as her stomach was in pain and yet she asked that question despite her pain physically and mentally.

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"Marinette...even if Diana is my real daughter or not, remember in your mind...I will never love you till my death.

"

n

"Just what did I do for you to hate me that much??!!!

" she shook off the duke's cold hands yelling at him. Black smoke started appearing in the corner of her eyes.

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"Is there even a reason why I shouldn't hate you?? Every day, I only wish for you to get out of my sight--

" the duke's heart ached to say that, he suppressed the blood pressure on his body not to show Marinette any sign of him dying.

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"Then why did you come to me?!!!! Why didn't you go to your beloved daughter??!!!!!!!! I hate you!!!!! I hate you even more than Tristan, I hate you!!! I hate this family!!!! If a wish can come true, I don't want to be born as your daughter!!!!

" she closed her eyes since she knew she will get slapped again, but the duke's hands grabbed her trembling and fragile hands instead.

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"You have to live the rest of your life atoning for your sin...for taking...away...cough...my wife...

"

n

"Duke...duke...duke!!!!!

" the duke's head fell on Marinette's shoulder, a warm liquid touched her neck. She slid her hands on the behind of her neck and when she took her hand back to look...it was black blood.

n

"Father!!! Father!!!!!!

" the duke fell down on his knee, Marinette leaned down following him as his body fell down.

n

"Hate me...my daughter...don't forgive me...

"

n

"What're you saying???!!!! Father...fa--

" his legs started turning black, his body fell down to the ground, Marinette quickly held his head seeing the blood came out of his lip.

n

"Father...?

" she didn't understand...she didn't know why...why did the duke show such pitiful eyes to her? Why was she crying so hard? Why did her heart ache so bad when the duke was in that state?

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"Don't call me father...I hate you...

"

n'I love you..my daughter...'

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"I hate you too!!!

"

n'No...no...don't...don't...'

nLight Magic: Blessing of Goddess

nLight came out of Marinette's hands, she put it on the left side of the duke's chest. Her eyes were dripping blood.

nThe duke's body felt lighter for a bit as he wasn't in much pain anymore, he smiled genuinely seeing how strong Marinette became. He pushed her hand away then grabbed it tightly putting that light on her stomach instead.

nThe wound was cured, but at the same time, Marinette wasn't able to use the light magic as her hands were shaking so bad when seeing the duke continued coughing and rejected to get healed like that.

n

"What do you think you're doing??? Hey...hey...you...you don't plan on dying, do you??

"

n

"I hate you...go away...leave me alone...

" the duke gathered all his strength to his hands pushing Marinette who was desperate to heal him away.

nA piece of paper came out of his jacket's pocket falling down to Marinette's hand as she was sitting on the ground in disbelief seeing the man she despised dying out of the blue.

nIt wasn't an ordinary piece of paper, it was the drawing...of the duke and Marinette on that paper holding each other's hands.

nBlack smoke started appearing more and more inside of Marinette's eyes, the trace of her tears on the ground turned to smoke fluttering into the air.

n

"Anette...I'll soon be by your side...

" the duke murmured looking at the sky then turning to Marinette who was sobbing sitting beside him.

n

"Don't...go...hate me...hate me...you can hate me all you want...just please continue to live and hate me...father...

"

n

"...

"

nTo be continued....!

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