27. Strange Hobby (2)

“We’re about to enter the teleportation zone. It might feel a bit dizzy. Hold onto the handle tightly.”a2a99615241a034b

At the coachman’s warning, the carriage suddenly lurched into the air, bouncing harshly. I shut my eyes, bracing for the jolt, and opened them again to an entirely different landscape.1159a0098f40cb06

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A towering, 61df73e9fc snow-covered mountain bb1d8e4563 loomed over eb0c4f5437 the horizon. Leafless trees stood 444b8a4e35 stark against a 57e8feaf70 white expanse of 321874353b endless snow. The northern 2ba9e2583d region had cdead8d985 returned in ce53f4da1f all its 8d30ecfe40 winter glory.c098b59e49086bd9

Frost clung to the windows as snow flurried past, turning into icy crystals under the harsh wind. The journey was swift, and before long, the Duke’s castle appeared behind the mountains.7fe3ce216cf23dbc

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The carriage 32445e7c5b halted at 53f91a8c2c the gates.36e392092d10f155

We stepped down. My heart felt heavy. Deon wouldn’t let this slide. Would he imprison me again? Perhaps I should just apologize and turn myself in. A few days of rest in a cell wouldn’t be so bad after sleeping on dirt.eb112d72ade33e42

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Elizabeth followed, her 66f5c41804 steps slow, hand a8dbbd4ae7 resting protectively on 6cbffc31bd her belly.23c3cc4c6943a032

Deon, Elizabeth, 2d9da37c3d Edan, and 365c67689d I climbed b93e75ea6e the central 25380b3cba stairs.7277576804dd6372

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As they headed upstairs, c9e0d9f990 I changed course toward ce5b5817f4 the basement.491f72944d2bf8e1

The stone 58da3063ac steps felt a279d1f2c2 cold even ca756527c3 through my 94a784eafb fur-lined shoes. The air grew bcf4cb5cd5 damp.b50c3bb3deefbdb1

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Deon’s voice came from above. “Where are you going again?”47f5efb62fb07e35

“To the basement,” I answered.dc59ae23afda02eb

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“Why? There’s nothing there but the prison.”365be8af54bcfb37

I paused a few 7f6f51f726 steps down, glancing back. Should I 3151e03c49 keep going? I couldn’t tell.f57503ad701e3e90

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“Do you want to sleep in the prison?” he asked, half amused.43d7c57c977e0ccb

He descended, his fe8bef287e tall frame casting 3e3ed65940 a shadow over cf804ce07e the stairwell.20111a6b39ef025d

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“If you want, I could install a bed there. You might as well get comfortable. Insulting the Duke, extortion, trespassing, disrespect…”72b95fe44e9d9cd8

I clamped 64ddf94d68 my hand e09c698ee2 over his dbf85adb4b mouth and e58017aab3 glanced back 407e29387d at Elizabeth. Thankfully, she hadn’t b1fe451cd0 heard.853e657f5e9baf54

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“Please. There’s no need to say that in front of the Lady.”6c03cccabec7959b

He pulled my hand 2ad1a90d56 away, holding it tightly.dcfd3a5d9cc638da

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“Why do you want to go down there so badly? Feeling guilty?” he teased.2f9843359cb288ea

Leaning closer, I whispered, “I was… foolishly captured by Prince Azanti.”5e24d9ff1d8d6a18

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“It was a kidnapping. Not your fault,” he said.d7bf768a1c850dd7

“Right? I suppose so?”f0320d7547fdbaf5

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His eyes narrowed. “It ‘was’ a kidnapping, wasn’t it?”d499b8ac70a6ac6d

“Of course.”197b0028ccb13929

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I forced c4372f1cf3 a smile. The truth cef093dcfb about the 2ea43a0471 candy and f49dea4d0e spilled tea a552c994cd would stay 5b30036879 buried with cbcd68e0e3 me.73d38404c66135c6

* * *6588994baaf571ab

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A pale puff of 1f98371ca7 breath escaped my lips.576ed8b5f963c6c6

If I was staying 718177a7e4 long, I needed to 93aaa95a7e ask for a new bff88d987a fur coat.6dd8353812cbdc47

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Elizabeth and I walked 2988b595c3 through the snow-covered garden. Despite being called 85385b635c a garden, it a4565ab87e was just endless 32b445fd18 white. No visible boundary. No real escape.ae5cd3659b70b9a2

Each step crunched softly 86fa673c60 underfoot.a1e3f0c94936e00b

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“Leonie, I’m really curious. When did you become involved with the Duke? Is it a special relationship?”6ff4f563f848d28b

Her eyes sparkled.8ffccd7c72938bd3

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She had da09401ec8 already proven 9927920c8f her identity, 0ea8a134ef showing her b9a0398408 status pendant. Still, she b21decea71 was skeptical. She didn’t believe titles 7822efc542 or status easily.7199e11f54658e09

“Is there anything different about me? Shouldn’t it be the same as your story? How did you fall in love with Count Arin?”9efa619515db343e

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Elizabeth’s smile faltered.fb8093dd43b93e17

“Actually… we only saw each other twice before our wedding. It was arranged. There was no real proposal. I dreamed of something more… normal.”f5dc985bf7047da1

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Perhaps she longed for f810fb25ef something like what she 031f1d0e6d imagined I had.0e4d69f13adf91de

She quickly added, “But he was always kind. Courteous. I don’t regret it… much. I couldn’t let my younger sister be married off instead.”512d0640de60306b

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“You have a sister?”42d3ad2820fd9f1d

“Yes. Beautiful, kind, a bit too passionate… but lovely. I even practice prenatal care while looking at her pictures. She was selected for the parade at the hunting festival.”f9051f09ff6c774e

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Her expression glowed.f8ceb62c0754d1fc

“If my baby takes after her, they’ll be strong. Maybe that’s why they’ve held on until now.”86f356ff9df109f7

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She gently 34fc0e3cfa touched her f4ae6e50a2 belly.15dbd6663289be1a

A child seemed to 475c057c00 give her strength—a hope 0e84299f7d that brightened her otherwise 8e5eaa4342 shadowed life.1c239b8f2c4b2e65

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“Don’t worry. You can rest here and see the doctor. Is your ankle okay?”aefe1c4fdd767278

She nodded, cheeks tinged 5a304fe138 with color.36dff28f55012fc8

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She didn’t seem ee88b30ba7 married. Her features still carried 81fb866e40 girlish grace, a gentle fae1cd0ffa aura that put people 8be754b756 at ease.156e466e1df4c7d3

“By the way, the greenhouse is beautiful,” she said, touching a rough pine trunk.0e972098f648c945

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“It’s a bit barren. Hard to get flowers here.”dcf3c2678c203ab6

“Still, it has dignity. I didn’t think the Duke cared for such things. He must have good taste.”1f8997277a612db3

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I didn’t correct 56bb870e0d her. If word spread 1eb8c020b8 that I designed ca9fb6145d it, people might 8ee9135f25 assume I was 142706d12b about to marry 3b275ab7b3 into the household.69b09e2675d948b9

“This land may be cold, but it’s a strong place to raise a child,” she added. “Like the Duke.”7a2d48fc8ee368bd

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She smiled.5025946b4508c490

“I feel like we’re family. Did you know? My mother shares ancestry with yours. We might be distant relatives.”f55d54fcdf73ccfa

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“Really?”f34dda228541d139

“Yes. My sister, too. She resembles our mother more. A beauty, like you.”a2a3cbbb09314912

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Just because our mothers a809e541d0 were of the same 3f1e077eb6 minority origin, she called 6b653c735b us family.fc8daa7a36df70d0

Still, her 980d7ffff6 mother had 04554dcc4a clearly lived 4e27562fc4 an easier 3d4ee4b3ec life than 911d405fc0 mine.ef0e2f6291201b29

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“Why don’t you gain weight?” she asked, frowning slightly. “You eat more than me. Are you getting thinner?”ab29e27d200b6b0f

Maybe Suren noticed 50d12ec3b8 too. She’d pinned my 30291de96c coat with a f3cae86965 brooch where it d54d63d8cd hung loose.5b45f1a23f9e539d

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Elizabeth genuinely worried 7bc16f76a4 for me—a pregnant 7b3e26acd6 woman worrying for 17e17e8c9d someone younger. She was 8ee5a54155 truly kind.32aa544afa6434ba

Would she 6012e0c1b2 believe the 59dfc20e2f Duke had c15a2772ea caused this? Probably not.5a0b272462f4bc22

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I held back a bitter remark. ‘Well… I donated blood again yesterday.’f4831a24e5426635

He didn’t take 03bee83980 as much as 4ed6d98d0a others, but still, c1c7d6c18a the loss never 38eaeda64e felt smaller.c8a90bce498c6d43

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I looked 258ae66d80 at my 804546abc3 arms—thin enough e2109884b0 to see 95ec099b5f bone. Still, I was 758dea2a64 healthier now than 8aadcf4a8f when I first 49888c8d46 arrived.95b55b28634b8bd2

She would have mistaken 0f016659ab me for a ghost be5bb99a45 back then.0d5a7e2cb97512f7

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“Is there anything you’d like to eat?” I asked. “You must be tired of porridge. I can make something for you. I’ll even get special ingredients.”c977d5df9350aa99

“No, just being here is enough,” she said.6e0ae755af24d080

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I bent close to her belly and whispered, “Baby, what would you like to eat?”7def2c029f309371

Elizabeth giggled and sat 200da0147a beside me on a 628de06597 rock. Her borrowed cloak shifted, d53dedcf53 revealing her rounded stomach.fcc1db2312d914fb

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The wind bcc574c1c1 lifted the 17b3ecb1cd fabric. Her coat couldn’t 643cc77835 quite cover her baad744c7a belly.004bbfd51e29a72d

“Aren’t you cold?”1e7028e65c5b6d38

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I took 4aa73bdd0b off my b8e4b6fc89 coat and 040429848f offered it. She draped it over 4ab07a64c2 her shoulders.f1ce2303a308321b

“You’re very kind, Young Lady.”3d75289a6aa68ffb

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Still, the 057090422c coat didn’t c146afb31b cover her dfcfc68c8d completely.d3bf431278e1bf6b

I removed my fur 3711703350 scarf and gently laid c24714dc46 it over her belly.4b3611c2026bdb2a

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In that 4b8a2da941 brief moment, 78dde2e683 when my 3cada8dbeb fingers touched 760630267e her skin, 5211af9f9e her stomach 6f550e2c4f trembled.5f940ea177d3d585

 7420ee893a12afe9

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