MADE BY GUNSMILE

MADE BY GUNSMILE

MADE BY GUNSMILE

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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Julien raised his eyes to the door when he heard it squeak open. Mari stood in the threshold, embarrassment coloring her features a bright, blushing red. Suppressing a chuckle, he crooked his finger at her, beckoning her to his desk.[break][break]

"Have a seat," he said, keeping his tone even and mild as he gestured to the chair on the opposite side of his desk, the one used by guests and visitors.[break][break]

Once she was seated, he showed her his phone, which had their AmiGo app conversation on the screen.[break][break]

"What's this about, Mari?" he asked. The corner of his mouth turned up in the ghost of a smirk.

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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"I'll have water as well," Julien told the waitress. "And the New York strip, medium rare, with a side of seasonal vegetables." Naturally, he had read the menu before arriving.[break][break]

The waitress turned to Elise with her pen poised to take down the princess' order.[break][break]

Afterward, Julien inclined his head toward Elise. "My apologies for not recognizing Your Highness earlier. I am Julien Demassieux, of Snowbelle City. My older brother is the Duke of Snowbelle."[break][break]

He did not assume that a Galarian princess knew every Kalosian noble family and their ancestral homes. However, given that Elise had declared herself an ambassador, it was reasonable to expect her familiarity with the names and cities.[break][break]

Still, the revelation astounded Julien. Nothing about her appearance or demeanor suggested she was royalty or a politician.[break][break]

"I've arrived in Hoenn as the Kalosian ambassador, in fact," he continued, letting none of his surprise show on his face. "So it's an interesting coincidence to meet you like this. I expected a more formal arrangement."[break][break]

Such as sending an invitation to meet, from one embassy to another.

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Julien suppressed the urge to frown with disdain at the mention of the Chevalier family. Instead, he focused his attention on collecting the Pokéball that his Fletchinder had retrieved for him.[break][break]

Still, the fact that the stranger knew the Chevalier family meant he had indeed walked in the same social circles as Julien.[break][break]

"No, I'm a member of the Demassieux family. My name is Julien," he said to the blonde-haired man. "I've spent a great deal of time in Lumiose, myself, though I wasn't born there."[break][break]

Any member of Kalos' nobility should know the Demassieuxes hailed from Snowbelle City. They had ruled over the duchy there for hundreds of years.[break][break]

Severa flew from Julien's shoulder again, this time using STEEL WING on a wild Roggenrola. It was enough to catch the Rock-type off guard, allowing Julien to capture it.

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Julien was composing an email when his cell phone buzzed. Still thinking about the precise sentence he wanted to write, he absently glanced at the notification. The logo for the AmiGo app caught his attention first, followed by the name on the banner when he did a double take.[break][break]

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Julien raised an eyebrow at the timing. It was the middle of the afternoon, just past two o'clock. As far as he was aware, Mari had finished her lunch break and was hard at work at the desk just outside his office.[break][break]

He considered his options. He could ignore the notification; after all, she was his direct employee, and it wouldn't be proper to DM her on a dating app from his office. On the other hand, she was his direct employee. What was she doing on a dating app during work hours?[break][break]

Julien opened the app.[break][break]

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He blinked at the message Mari had written, then chuckled. He couldn't imagine a more fitting scenario for the poor girl. And for a second, he did consider abiding by her wishes and deleting the conversation.[break][break]

But then the part of him that had tricked her in the cafeteria took over. He tapped out a quick reply and sent it.[break][break]

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There was just enough innuendo in his message for someone ill-minded to misconstrue it, but he could also refute such a claim should anyone confront him about it. Either way, he guessed Mari would take it at face value.[break][break]

Julien put down his phone and returned to his email, waiting to see if—and how—she would respond.

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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"Wait a moment."[break][break]

Julien pulled on the reins of his Rapidash to bring her to a stop. Confused, he turned in his saddle to look back at the other man, an eyebrow arched in his direction. "Do I now?"[break][break]

The other man looked familiar, too, but Julien couldn't place it. The ways his nose, mouth, and eyes were shaped all reminded him of another person he had recently encountered, but the answer remained outside Julien's grasp.[break][break]

"There's something familiar about you too," he said, his Kalosian accent an obvious indication of his origin. "Have you been to Lumiose City?"[break][break]

Severa took wing at that moment, honing in on a target Julien could not see. With a precise QUICK ATTACK, she dragged a Litleo out from a patch of tall grass. Julien threw a Pokéball to capture the startled cat.

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MADE BY GUNSMILE