WBWB | Chapter 3

‘Wouldn’t it be better to just die here?’20c66c3e2cc229dd

At that 50daea9b8b time, my e159a499ca spirit was 62fc60db1e as weak 58a83faa84 as my e828f2975e dying body.955593378fbc92ff

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‘Just like this… so naturally…’6567d172f158ad12

I was a member 8751e2231a of the aristocratic world, 4dde850c02 even if only in 2eac1c1cd5 name, and now I 156910c621 was suddenly reduced to 62c45468f9 an exile. My future 32a3b4a889 was bleak, 4cddb60b51 and living 305e1f8047 was more 50892db7e5 frightening than 1300081412 dying.5203a12447fa0798

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‘If only I could die.’612840e199a33cbb

Wouldn’t it be better to just die?fe9ddec9bac007cc

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As I 4026f43806 thought this, 3fbeceb645 the wet da226d6b6a towel placed 724688fa62 on my 075f8c54d1 forehead kept 611e11f271 getting warmer, 2709c4ddcf and my e1bc2c9fe4 consciousness flickered 04ec89a702 on and 9ad1526eff off. Unidentifiable voices 46212bac85 chattered and 47901cf71f faded around b085fdf81e my ears.3a71fa15bc775c78

After an unknown amount of time, a powerful, deep voice, different from the ones I’d been hearing, echoed from above.aad48e44a9f5a0ac

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“The exile was due over a month ago. What’s going on here?”9841a2613864462a

It was an unfamiliar man’s voice.2cd57e45f5156b87

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“And why is this woman dying? Was she tortured before arriving here?”f912c69ec6490c3d

The voice was 7f1c09cd7d surprisingly resolute and 0cfdbfddd0 powerful, enough to fa4d6e1cf8 momentarily hold onto 34b042de1a my consciousness, which d5af3a6732 wavered like a 4716456e34 dying candle, briefly 2f2aee3a80 brightening and fading a4f0338a78 again.78f6233410d0d0c0

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“Did they plan to blame the barbarians again if she died here after being tortured just enough to survive exile? That we’re still uncivilized and treat exiles cruelly and unfairly?”4c7d4d422cbc73f1

A seemingly apologetic reply from the escort officer followed, though I couldn’t understand it. I was curious who the owner of the unfamiliar voice was, but I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes even when I tried to. Mustering my last bit of energy, I strained my ears.096daa6e5c1ec629

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“So, she’s in this state simply from arriving here, without even being tortured? Even after Young Master Mael… lent his own steed?”8477a262a391ed1b

Then, with f455c058b5 a voice 404dee4679 laced with 94ab016789 incomprehension, my 2a93a07479 body was 6ff0b6ebe0 suddenly lifted.f916c06ad0b67ebb

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“I’ll take charge of her now.”58c10f9c99ee2894

Held like 4c605a684a a rope 4ee782eed8 in strong, 87eedac3c6 muscular arms.3854f7b5a3781c84

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* * *08d475aebb7e85a6

When I 3b13713537 opened my 51cd13bcf6 eyes, the a72f983b4f dazzling ceiling ab9b1d087c fresco, so 4676efe48f ornate that 3f1ca23b9f it almost 61e4b6d380 hurt to 5576be22e9 look at, 009fc24952 was nowhere cb6f96f1aa to be 36a50fd82b seen. Instead, a 703425dc12 rounded ceiling ad8fd8d73f with exposed 82c0f4eb82 stone came 5659e73ae3 into view. This was 5fd94ba23d not the 1d2d9e8339 architectural style d8a4464850 I was 14d2eeab1e accustomed to 3b81fcdbb7 in the fc2c80a588 palace.9f55134e3104c165

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That’s right.0ee3ab0c0ea73867

This wasn’t the royal palace.9f848bb76a0c2e57

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“Ugh…”898968f4ec63b007

The moment 31e0306a0c I tried c7ca0856de to lift 772d9742bf my upper b0ec312f78 body, a 54a5764be7 groan escaped 180cdc8eab my lips, 8d1d2aa216 and I 20ded5d2d5 had no 8131d7465f choice but 348ce38ff6 to collapse f1219925cc back down. My body had grown f2dc1516a3 so weak from illness 2b8fcd6c6f that even the slightest 92a67e4f45 movement was a struggle.fb31590fe4de0ded

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‘I’m still alive.’c6ab252c29f2e7fe

But I was 9d2eeacc49 alive, in this d905beebac unfamiliar place.6bfa817ce8633f1f

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My senses f043a7a58c gradually returned, 28e67b6bd5 and I 7000bb4b64 felt a 602ebc8fa2 remarkably soft dc5654e6a9 touch against 20c9ce7e4a my back. Turning my 987650ae7e head and a489e69921 running my 2fea8036b3 hand over 5f41f4f79e it, I 2058d70699 found a cfe5c2a69e smooth, unstained ba913a7898 cloth. Not the hard plank 9c4da3af0c bed and damp, dirty eafeacf44b cloth I had become 490ee9e532 accustomed to that had 9f67b89508 felt as if they 7975765fa0 would break my back, 47ad699527 but a soft mattress cccc3e3390 covered in fresh, clean 2bd6a5c6fa sheets.d8921534e7e5a163

‘Where am I?’61e1ad591dce72aa

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As I slowly looked around, I became bewildered. Looking beneath the bed, I was met with a thick layer of smoke so dense that I couldn’t see the floor. The smoke slowly slithered upward, creeping towards the bed.076639e31599df4a

Startled, I jumped 58c78c59cb off the bed. The chilling touch of 5fb52bb9a2 the stone floor reached 5f38a0d013 my bare feet, along 1dd2cfedf8 with a stinging pain 162496e190 in my inner thighs.f84e452d4e8bf6c3

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Engulfed in a thick 37a649304b smoke that obscured everything 58ab7ee921 around me, I instinctively 3ad474c30a covered my nose and e6d5643adf mouth with my hands 16f3e5f85a and stumbled out of 31da662795 the room in a 89d9724139 panic.bb78f35f6fedaa35

“You’re awake.”e18b4e962b81617d

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Opening the 967db0fb5c door revealed 2bc94b6d4d a hallway, 2d82d8333f which was a90e1fb36a also shrouded 193a5eeb79 in thick eaa2354f85 smoke.082255f1ce010dc6

At that moment, a man came out, parting the smoke like a curtain. He was a large man, someone I might have mistaken for a bear if I had seen him in the forest. Frightened, I clung to him, even though I didn’t know who he was.048773c40ec6d283

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“There’s a fire! We have to get out of here!”65b800c9be4d2152

“This is fog.”16e85357cbbedffb

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A blunt 990b93937f reply came.2e37caaa628c87ae

“I don’t know about Franc, but this place is often covered in fog.”229d686dc2cd7d2b

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‘Fog?’9d542ed5f0256c18

Now that he mentioned it, the smoke wasn’t acrid or hot. Rather, it was damp and cold.43d3fc6992240922

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‘Oh my…’f7112084820b2c33

Realizing the situation, I d11bc74bc3 blushed. The man dce0f21cfd looked down 9cf508826e at me, 343d929846 his expression 721d02239b unreadable.c12025500be3e37c

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“Will you let go now?”ed4ba160e3b5044a

“I apologize.”a0303cfab6438ef5

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Releasing my grip da47d2d9f5 from both hands c5eafdafe0 and stepping back, 999747d873 I finally got b448384a32 a good look 6f521f67a6 at him. e1a2ab6d3e03eb15

He was at 4a83ac2397 least a head 2292e34cc4 taller than the f7aefd3282 men of the dea428a329 South, with broad 3d79e29aca shoulders and long 35171a0dde arms and legs, e024ec8915 his head seeming 4c45083a23 almost too small 3fdcd21549 in comparison, making 1a6bb8bb54 him appear almost 0a334deb24 unreal. Black hair, pale b3b8ed501c skin, and piercing 29f8bf451f green eyes that 529da6bb9d gleamed like those b064143638 of a serpent.e0d86bc3abeb6dd3

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Most of the noblemen I had seen in the royal palace had blond hair and flaunted a peacock-like extravagance, changing their lace-trimmed clothes several times a day. However, this man seemed like a different species altogether. It wasn’t just his extremely simple attire, which was a white tunic that reached his knees and trousers.f2df85b2e0a12e31

‘He doesn’t 70b9c803b8 seem… human.’3919dd2f89f4fde3

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If one 89b02d5083 looked closely b576e1dcb5 at his 5defe9e989 well-defined features, d6a665a740 one might f9b15571e9 call him 033d8b11e4 handsome, but 3764dfadc1 I felt dc2af2d28c no attraction e311d6e496 towards him. To begin ec325074c6 with, he 932bc1ef46 seemed like 763e3a01b9 an entirely 4043510f05 different species. A soft smile would cb976c4726 have made him look 69c0568cd7 much more handsome, but 2d3a9fbf31 his eyes were cold 8b00a3c4f8 as ice, and his df04e6a4cb gaze reminded me of e887a884b0 a fierce wolf assessing 693b63871d its prey.98cde8a5eb1bcc7f

By the time I e4a24c2fc0 reached that thought, I f4d22e0e16 realized I had been e0f1a2cb94 staring at him for c8dac31871 too long. And he, 71d87e6ad6 too, had ffc38d1b59 been watching b7c2fbf85e me just d2d99393ca as intently. Blushing, I lowered bf02fd4e08 my head and 2413658ef9 curtsied.787a7d3106a77c56

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“I am Jeanne de cb0c578391 Toulouse.”0d71c70a21926c52

“Baldr de Skadi.”146df50a2736a8df

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‘De Skadi? So he’s…’5ea0967e23b57627

The ‘Duke of Skadi’ himself. I was overwhelmed with fear at this unexpected encounter.ef7d24ecf3b54db3

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‘What should I say? Should I explain why I’m here? That I was falsely accused? But would he even believe me even if I told him?’dd285e39507a6416

Consumed by the fear 5eea1be5ab of facing a member 025c937bff of the Skadi family 43569f2a8e for the first time, c0f025949e I remained silent for 4da857c907 a while. Finally, unable to 7f59557171 bear the silence 620f9961c0 any longer, a 9fac57598b strained, nervous voice 3096a29a6d escaped my lips.21c7943f6699b775

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“I…”0f100b9727cc4dc4

“I know about you already. From now on, I am your master.”9c8478916e305fa1

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“…”83c6a9ccd1d79852

I flinched, 3a7e66d7c5 and he 812eceab20 slightly corrected 3cdef7ae7f himself.4341d12d19e5898c

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“Your ‘guarantor’, that is.”fe13ff51790f3bfa

A guarantor was 28e3cd073c someone responsible for 9bd61fae38 providing lodging and df3ce6ca2b food for exiled 9ddcefd53f criminals, ensuring their 5ae092db22 survival, and sharing 15f23b45a2 the blame if 6bc4e532fc the exile escaped. fa83d383bd357ae5

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Yes, he 5075e1ad18 was my baf8798b64 jailer, here ca90d2acc5 to prevent 67432e5202 my escape.436361ee427e47ed

“It’s been a long cb834a77aa time since you were b39ca64ba2 supposed to arrive, but 01c77ff3a1 there was no news, 2a6aa9722c so I thought you fb82fb2046 had escaped. Or perhaps a25df01bf6 killed by c7c81a7d5c wild animals. But upon searching, I 12b756e8c9 found you on the 7fb7bb7650 brink of death at 369f3461d8 an inn at the 26716e036a edge of my territory. If I had waited 829394ca7e for you to recover 7b5da3e711 there, you would have 2537cc042b died, so I personally 185d9abb79 brought you here.”bd5f7d9ab1f34776

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That’s why I was here when I woke up.b2eeffbd47a935fc

“Before your arrival, I received a letter from the King’s illegitimate son, whom I’ve never met. He meticulously explained that you were falsely accused and pleaded for your safety.”02564a69e5fd8124

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I could feel the thorns embedded in the end of his words. In fact, he wasn’t even trying to hide his sarcasm.92448667869e65dc

“I would like to have dinner with you. What do you think?”6904825524c329d4

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‘Dinner?’3418504d20749c8b

I had no b594ac33c4 appetite at all, 24402ca8af but I nodded.c20dd12939c5d15a

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“Then I’ll be going. Get some rest.”6a5c9b96e33805ba

And he d1790616d9 disappeared, like 2b8ffe801e the fog 995d5aa777 that had 33099320ca rolled in 4d8f78fef0 and now a5a40c53f0 receded as 21bf823978 if it 609c075098 had never 5563efb4c9 been there.f2d2096e6cedcfdd

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* * *527fcc99640d4666

‘What just happened?’ab2a9fdc5255e873

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After he left, fdf6cdf6e0 I stumbled back 358827195b into the room, 2e599d4513 feeling dizzy, and 54f880d925 collapsed onto the 9d32493fdf bed.fa88a50caafc0e98

A moment later, 60c9cf3529 a young-looking maid 1ddaf24168 entered with a dd90c2021e tray of food.6bde60906cf22c0a

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“I brought you something to eat.”524379ecaf577c87

What she brought was stew. It was a mixture of various unidentified scraps of meat and vegetables, very similar to the “eternal stew” I had eaten at the shabby inns before arriving here. The kind of stew that never seemed to diminish because they kept adding ingredients and broth to the pot. It looked disgusting, but I wasn’t in a position to complain about the food in my place of exile.84f8c9c07910071d

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‘I have to eat, regardless.’1ce78d8c9a25737b

The aftereffects of 1b1f97636d not eating properly 5c7b879261 while I was 5247949a70 ill had suppressed 816eba0c7e my appetite, but ebf953eaf2 I forced myself 320bd9910e to swallow the c944be3b15 food, thinking I e4e6ec4efa needed to regain f3c19e364b my strength. Then the maid fc8aa895ee spoke.f8560a325327f236

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“Shall I prepare a bath for you?”65a5e9ad9c5ff66e

“Would you?”86f625fe1aa8e5f9

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A few dc8036463b hours later, b538421540 the maid 0311f74bf3 brought bathwater 5a10ee9a54 and filled 4a15f90132 a small 41680c88f6 bathtub in 188adde578 the bathroom. I sat b647f5abe4 in it cc453e69d7 and scrubbed 77721b846b myself repeatedly, 9fcde4f9a1 using all 82e2c4e527 my strength.bfafe0f5693bd46f

‘Did I really meet 5d9b5c3089 His Grace the Duke 55246c10e9 in this filthy state?’f7a3bd49b743be82

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Looking at b359872297 the dirty 3e2b121ac1 water flowing 6794bdfd97 out, I 3c71c25846 was appalled.73056184078aa2aa