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218 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
218 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "Chapter 274: Her Feelings"
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slug: "ch-274"
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novel: "Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100"
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number: 274
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views: 0
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likes: 0
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wordCount: 1032
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createdAt: "2026-04-13"
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---
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Max's eyes narrowed as he instantly recognized three figures at the front of the group.
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Nathan. Arthur Gale. Tom.
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And judging by the disdain etched on their faces, they weren't here for friendly conversation.
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They had a purpose, a very bad one from the looks of it.
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Nathan's sneer widened as he stepped forward, his voice carrying just enough volume to draw attention.
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"Oh? I don't see the genius Max here?"
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His words were casual, but the mockery beneath them was impossible to miss.
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The moment Max's name was spoken, it was as if a chill had crept into the air.
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Alice's shoulders tensed.
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Anton's posture stiffened, his jaw clenching as a storm of unspoken emotions passed through his eyes.
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Even Princess Aveline, who had been maintaining an air of politeness, let a faint frown crease her brow as she regarded the approaching group.
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The weight of the name "Max" still held power.
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It wasn't just a random topic—it was a wound, an unspoken taboo among the Phoenix Order Guild.
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And Nathan had deliberately brought it up to fan the flames.
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Tom, standing to Nathan's side, let out a low chuckle, his gaze flicking toward Anton.
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"Brother, you should know…" he said with exaggerated casualness.
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"Max betrayed them."
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His tone was lighthearted, almost amused, as if he were speaking about a mere rumor rather than a deep, personal betrayal.
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But the effect was immediate.
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Anton's expression darkened, his fingers curling tightly into fists at his side.
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A rigid silence stretched between them.
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Then—
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"You should mind your business," Anton said coldly, his voice carrying an undercurrent of warning.
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But Tom merely smirked, unfazed.
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"Mind our own business?" He scoffed.
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"That's exactly what we're doing. We came here for Max, but the coward ran away like a rat."
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The venom in his words was unmistakable.
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But before Anton could respond, before the tension could escalate further—
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Alice spoke.
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Her voice rang out, clear and unwavering, cutting through the thickening hostility.
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"He isn't a coward!"
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Max's eyes widened slightly.
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Her tone held no hesitation, no doubt—just pure conviction.
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"If he were here, I'm very sure you wouldn't dare cause a commotion like this!"
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For a brief moment, everything stilled.
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Nathan's smirk froze for just an instant.
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Tom's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise.
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Even Anton, despite his anger, turned toward Alice with a sharp glare.
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But the words had already left her lips, and they could not be taken back.
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Max's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by Alice's words.
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He had braced himself for the worst—prepared for the possibility that she had moved on, severed all ties, just as Aurelia and the Phoenix Order Guild wanted.
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Yet, here she was—defending him.
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Not with hesitation.
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Not with reluctance.
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But with conviction.
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A warmth spread through his chest, subtle yet undeniable.
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For the past four months, he had told himself that people could change, that bonds could break, that loyalty was fragile.
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But at this moment—
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He realized he had thought too much.
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A bond built over true feelings, over genuine trust and shared memories, wasn't something that could be so easily shattered.
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Not by the pressure of a guild.
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Not by the expectations of family.
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Not even by the weight of betrayal.
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Even if the whole world stood against him, even if her own brother, her people, and her guild condemned him—
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Somewhere, deep inside—
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Alice still believed in him.
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And that belief was enough.
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But then—
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Nathan laughed.
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"Heh… a traitor is being praised by the daughter of the very guild he betrayed?"
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His laughter was mocking, filled with a cruel sense of amusement.
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"Now that is interesting."
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And just like that, Anton snapped.
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"Alice, don't speak of him from now on!"𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
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His voice boomed, laced with frustration and anger that had clearly been building for months.
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"Don't praise the one who betrayed our guild!"
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Alice lowered her head, her long hair falling slightly over her face, but it did little to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.
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For four long months, she had endured relentless scolding from Anton—her brother, her protector, the one person she had once thought would always support her choices.
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"Forget Max."
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"Erase him from your life."
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"Don't look for him, don't speak of him, don't even think about him."
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"He's a traitor. He's dead to us."
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She had been forced to suppress every instinct, every emotion, every ounce of curiosity she had.
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She had tried.
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Tried to ignore the ache in her chest, tried to convince herself that maybe, just maybe, her brother was right.
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But the truth was—
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She couldn't.
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She wouldn't.
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Because no matter what anyone said, no matter how much they tried to erase him from her mind—Max had never been a traitor to her.
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She had known his kindness, his strength, his struggles.
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She knew Max. He would never betray the guild. Never.
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That wasn't someone who would betray them without reason.
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Yet here she was, being punished for believing in him.
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And at this moment—her heart reached its limit.
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She was just a child.
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No matter how strong she tried to be, no matter how much she held back—
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She could only endure so much.
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Max watched it all unfold from the shadows, and rage clouded his mind instantly.
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A raw, blistering anger unlike anything he had felt in a long time.
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He had always known Anton was stubborn, loyal to the guild to a fault, but to see him break Alice down like this—to watch her eyes shimmer with unshed tears, to see her shoulders tremble ever so slightly—
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It made something inside him snap.
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He wanted to step forward.
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Wanted to grab Anton by the collar and throw him to the ground.
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Wanted to slap the self-righteous arrogance off his face, to demand what right he had to treat Alice this way.
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But—
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He controlled himself.
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Barely.
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His fingers curled into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood, the pain a reminder to stay still.
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Not yet.
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Not here.
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The time would come—but this wasn't it.
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For now, he could only watch.
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But—
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It wouldn't be long before he would take action. |