Chapter 16

"Where are we headed?" As the car glided along the road, Emaline turned to the man beside her and posed a question. Alaric rarely used the vehicle because he preferred to run purposefully towards his intended endpoint while covering the distance on foot.

"Love," Alaric said, "we are headed to an orphanage." Emaline stayed there, her mind reeling from the man's words. Her mind struggled to comprehend the notion that a gentleman of his stature would deign to visit an establishment such as an orphanage.

"What shall we do once we arrive there?" She posed the question with a serious tone. Alaric gently grasps Emaline's hand in his own. They sat side by side.

"You and I are collaborating on the organization of an outreach program. Typically, I undertake this task in solitude, but with your presence, the endeavor has become notably more effortless. We could journey together," he suggested.

"I implore you not to become disenchanted with the palace," the man earnestly explained.

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