2026-09-17 07:00:20Elder Corbin's expression changed violently the moment he witnessed what had just occurred.
No one from the Goldwyn family had anticipated that Nick Crane would actually strike."He... he killed Young Master Goldwyn!"Everyone from the Ashbourne family stood frozen in shock. They had never imagined Nick would be bold enough to go this far. This was the young master of the Northeast Goldwyns!"You animal! I'll kill you!" Elder Corbin roared in fury.Everett Goldwyn lay
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The girl watched Nick Crane ignore her, and that only made her more determined."Hey, hey, hey, you're really no fun at all, you know that?"She pressed herself against the glass, craning her neck to stick her head as far inside as she could manage. The jewelry piled in her hair tumbled loose and clattered onto the seats, but she didn't even glance at it. Her expression was nothing short of gleeful, her delicate features lit by the car's interior light in a way that made her look almost disarmingly sweet.She grinned at him. "I can tell you what you want to know." Nick raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. But he knew better than to think she was offering out of the goodness of her heart. There had to be a catch."All right. What do you want in return?"There was no such thing as a free lunch. If she named too high a price, he'd walk away without a second thought. Seeing that he understood the game, the girl pulled her head back out just as smoothly. Her voic
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The name "Aurelia Goldwyn" had barely left his mouth. A flicker of darkness passed through the girl's eyes. She looked at Nick Crane and shook her head."Never heard of her.""Twenty-some years ago, I wasn't even born yet. How would I know who you're talking about?"Nick felt a stir of surprise."Aurelia Goldwyn is a well-known figure in the Miresong Marches," he said. "You're telling me you don't know anything about her?"The girl wrinkled her nose, her expression growing slightly unnatural. "The Miresong Marches has always bred remarkable people.""Just some woman? Why would I know her?""Besides, with so many talented people in the Marches, do you really expect me to remember every single one of them?"Nick frowned slightly. Hearing her response, disappointment crept through him. He'd hoped this young woman might have some useful information. Turned out she knew nothing either.He let out a slow sigh, resigned to the fact that tomorrow
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Nick Crane's words sent the Miresong folk who'd seized the girl into a fury."Today you'll learn what happens when you stick your nose where it doesn't belong!""Get him!"The men snatched up whatever they had at hand and swung at Nick. The middle-aged proprietor of the stilt-house inn shrieked in panic."If you're going to fight, take it outside! Don't wreck my place!"Every patron in the inn settled in to watch the show. No matter how frantically the innkeeper protested, the Miresong folk had no intention of leaving. The crowd made no move to intervene either.The Black Miresong men wore expressions of keen interest. This fool was asking for death, daring to start trouble in the Miresong Marches. By tomorrow they'd be looking at his corpse.Beside the Warlock, the corpse-child's face lit up with delight."Master, if he dies, can I eat him?"The corpse-child's question drew a contemptuous wave from the Warlock."Once he's dead, he's
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Nick Crane had just pushed open the inn's door when a shadow slammed hard into his chest."Oof!" A bright, crisp voice rang out as the impact sent a jolt of pain through his chest. The figure stumbled backward and hit the floor with a thud."Can't you watch where you're going?" the shadowy form muttered.Nick took two steps back. The dim lamplight fell across the figure, revealing a young woman dressed in Miresong garb. She looked nothing like the White Miresong or Black Miresong people he'd just seen moments ago. Her outfit was far more elaborate, layered with intricate patterns and designs. Her head was adorned with an array of silver jewelry, each piece crafted with such meticulous artistry that it was clear she was no ordinary person.The girl slowly got to her feet, dusting off her clothes. The tinkling of her ornaments drew every eye in the inn toward the doorway. The moment the patrons caught sight of her, they froze, unable to look away.She was brea
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Nick Crane pulled his car to a stop in front of the inn. The building had been converted from a stilt-house, though it still retained its original form. The area around the foot of Thundercrest was utterly silent, wrapped in a stillness that felt unnatural. Stranger still, the mountain forest held no trace of insect chirping, not even the faintest buzz or hum. Nick glanced around, scanning the shadows between the trees and the dark outline of the inn. Once he was satisfied there was no immediate danger, he stepped toward the entrance.The moment he pushed the door open, the aging floorboards groaned beneath his weight, each creak echoing through the dim interior. Every head in the room turned toward him. The gazes that met him carried a mixture of surprise and something sharper, something hostile.Seated near the far wall was an ashen-faced old man, his hair streaked with gray like frost clinging to dead branches. His entire face looked withered, sunken, and his eyes held
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They hadn't slept all night. By the time dawn broke, Iris Ashbourne lay utterly exhausted across the bed. Her skin was marked everywhere, traces of the night they'd shared scattered across her body like a map of their passion. Nick Crane, by contrast, looked thoroughly satisfied.Last night had been impulsive, no question about it. But what was done was done, and he wasn't one to shirk responsibility. Iris gazed at him with reluctance heavy in her eyes, as though memorizing every detail of his face."You're leaving today. Can't you stay just a few more days?"Nick reached out and brushed his fingers gently along her cheek. His touch was warm, almost tender."I still have things I need to take care of."He paused, his voice dropping lower. "But you're my woman now. If you ever run into trouble, you can always come to me." Iris nodded firmly, though her throat tightened. She forced herself to sound light. "Who would be foolish enough to cause trouble for the A
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