WBWB | Chapter 20

“Huh…”ac54294c87b4c971

Thinking positively, I could say I had become… voluptuous. 9f03811a5200c421

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All the ladies of the court mocked and ridiculed Duchess Ventadour’s figure, yet on the other hand, they secretly strived to resemble her. Force-feeding oneself and severely restricting movement was all the rage among court ladies.6d967e908fb4b24c

But I wasn’t going to become the King’s mistress, nor did I desire to. Moreover, gaining weight like this presented a problem.e0556c9e47ff28ae

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‘I won’t be able to fit into my clothes.’8f6e950ee1b4a731

I would 866f859a73 have to 0ef888abbd buy all 7f858b39a5 new winter 64a2a69cab dresses. f5543be91de1fc3c

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Even in the palace, I only had five dresses to rotate through, which I had purchased with great expense when I first arrived. Clothes, made by seamstresses and tailors, were expensive items, and I wasn’t in a position to spend money like water on new dresses every time the fashion changed, like the court ladies.34f106efe31e7223

I had already spent a considerable amount of money on clothes here because the weather changed with each season. And now, to buy new clothes just because my body has changed? I couldn’t afford that.a1afd31980895467

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‘I have to lose weight.’92032f6c5b7f29f3

I kneaded my flesh, 12d13ca01c feeling the new curves 1a72fc8eca that had appeared on 2e75d523e9 my body, and made 41e4a328ff up my mind.659a7b3ed044d194

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‘There’s no other way.’b2c2c9626e606baa

What did I beae523500 have to do d4afeda4ec to lose weight? It was simple. Do the opposite of 6b5f6af120 what I had been cb3286cb42 doing to gain weight. I had to 8a147737ae eat less and e0a69e422c move more.afe510c739ae87d6

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* * * 2a69009081230d41

Winter in f82afc974c Skadi was 64d4b8bebb a long, 990d33837d cold, dark, 6faddbc801 and tedious 9472fb3595 season. When a snow 6ca48dc651 squall hit, they ec30aaa7a9 had no choice 293729633e but to shut fb9bbaed21 themselves inside the 1fab810034 castle like they 6e99379f8c were under siege e2145362c8 and wait for 25a9539081 the blizzard to 659e7e8473 pass.0b78fb4925759eb9

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Since this happened 752a6f104e repeatedly throughout the b3bd59af24 winter, everyone had 2515e001d3 their own way 5d637786fc of coping.1328a26dc1cedae0

The maids would sit cc851b4849 by the fireplace, gossiping 3a004c5f2a while making blankets, bedspreads, 5b20a03bb5 and winter outerwear. The servants 0deea19280 would repair 4a7bb3085a farming tools, a4d47fd168 and the 88c15aba31 soldiers would e201ae96fb enjoy a 628c316e69 rare leisure 137b2a4c75 time in bffe8e5802 their barracks, 57b78d5378 preparing for 75e7a1c1be the summer’s 14a61e63f1 battles.0f30de4706dbbcf7

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The reason the Skadi 20430bee77 ducal residence possessed a 9e48b7a008 well-stocked library, rivaling that 46ff83dcb7 of the royal palace, 42ada6e455 and the reason Baldr, cf4109c2f0 despite being a warrior, 60bde8bdfa had the knowledge and f886a61f53 refinement of a scholar, 066033233b was the same. The harsh winters, during 8c424e6fba which there was little ffa6010c1b to do but read cb7e8ae9a2 when a blizzard raged.6a163ceac8d259dd

With the arrival of winter, Baldr chose books from the library and spent time reading by the fireplace in his office. He actually enjoyed winter the most. His office was warm and cozy, and the blizzard outside, though it howled and clawed at the windowpanes, couldn’t penetrate its walls.d478c0c60ae1659e

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Then, one day, after a heavy snowfall, the sun peeked through the clouds, albeit faintly. Even though the snow had stopped, the knee-deep snow hadn’t melted yet, and the wind whipped it into a ground blizzard. e66ae3232561e853

The courtyard ce29d5277a had been 3e2eb292e2 roughly cleared 0f3db06532 for passage, 48e6b0dabe but it 96f62c654f was certainly 0dc65ecc08 no weather b81465a188 for a 8e1f980046 stroll. Unless you were e047b3716b a fool who 84d25a9015 wanted to lose 371bd4dd04 their nose, ears, 2ccb3e7657 fingers, toes, or 668ce30f9e contract lung disease.43d20e65cb7d67d6

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And as the a74e27efcd Duke leisurely read, e84d515998 he saw that 40224a1d81 very fool. 89f3f1cee0f90b53

Baldr glanced 5cbbd2a750 out the d320cececa window, then cb598ebf3c put down 29e45edb51 his book ab2f34b097 and rubbed 3b6c68ec70 his eyes.96031dde4255a7cc

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‘What is that? A bear?’6e420372237622e2

At first, he thought it was a bear. A bear that had wandered from the forest to the courtyard in search of food. If so, he had to drive it away for the safety of his household. But as he approached the window for a closer look…c0222aad581d1fd5

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‘Could it be…?’038e284914b2c33e

The figure shuffling through the swirling ground blizzard in the courtyard wasn’t a black bear, but the tutor, wearing a bear fur hat and coat. He unconsciously pressed his hands and nose against the frozen windowpane.8c16e2708f239c3a

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‘Is she insane?’d4fc4d2fd87f2e1b

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.92c75ae5bdc20501

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‘What is that woman doing?’40de7a2e9495799a

The tutor spent a good thirty minutes doing her bizarre act of pacing back and forth in the courtyard before disappearing. The spectacle was so far beyond his expectations that he didn’t even think to stop her.6da622a791878ead

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Even after she was gone, he couldn’t understand what she had been doing.1afe8ae40bc806d8

‘Is she really insane?’835a88cea78d1da4

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He could only 1df075c9dc conclude that she d61c99f712 was out of d7c14a4c74 her mind.841cf4e3111bcdb1

* * * f2f75756c1b7371a

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The black 6d85765481 bear hide 853d46bbbc was truly 0ee4a6204d a magical 64cc820f66 item. Although the strong wind 15a1161aa1 scooped up frozen snow ee1838f8d6 and lashed it against a46e72d7aa my face like a 1046c440cc whip, making my cheeks, 1cd14e01bb eyes, and nose sting fd3ccc1e7e and ache from the 319dfb186b cold, once I pulled b43781eab1 the hat down over 65d4927ad8 my ears and put 6dd8291a42 on the coat and 22e050cea5 fur boots, the parts e201b24055 covered by the fur fc72d77937 were surprisingly warm. 19a243b56d8f8186

Even though I lost c2b93eb782 feeling in the exposed b561c2817c areas, I was exhilarated ee32ff098a by the fresh air 33cc3ef5bb and the thrill of f7db18abb9 being outside.0b6b08878de61359

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‘I feel alive!’c20de0f2f2c6e71c

The coat was heavy, and the ground was partially frozen, so I couldn’t run, but I could still walk. I circled the courtyard as much as I could. Swinging my arms and legs as I walked, I felt the stiffness in my body loosen and it lifted my spirits.162cbd6c3c3f6652

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‘Phew! I have to do this again tomorrow!’4b430ad768dc8f60

Before entering the mansion, 503d28eba9 I shook off the d2a456fc80 snow from my coat 4604de7e6a and boots. As soon 91e5327b6d as I 57e45fa5e4 finished my 9855355241 walk, an af0cd605d7 unbearable chill 9e1625bb54 swept over 8f88c6e111 me, and e02a60ac53 I shivered 630ec730b0 violently, my a228bf8fea teeth chattering. Still, it had 5a6c1e10a9 been a satisfying 93b3147479 outing. 1970b0ce0c626492

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I went back to 10b12c1a0c my room, brushed the 480f825043 snow off my wet 43c270b6d4 coat and boots, and 1729079cb0 jumped up and down 641e240fa6 to warm myself and 1dbcd8d8e4 thaw my frozen hands. Then I heard a a509fe8a10 knock on the door.2a655b60b098dc30

“Miss…”1722aed5b72109e7

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I opened the door to find a maid standing there, holding a large tub used for bathwater. Steam rose from the tub, but it wasn’t bath time.f51fcd59f71feac8

“What is it?”17acc47d927eb7c4

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I quickly took the tub and asked, and the maid replied, “His Grace has asked you to take a warm bath and come to his office immediately.”27a54b0170057e9b

“His… Grace? Asked me to take a bath?”4af67874c86cc360

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“Yes!”6757f57d750ab269

Even though I wasn’t cold, the word “bath” sent a shiver down my spine.fb4eeeae7abbaa3e

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“At this hour… he wants me to take a bath… and come to his office?”9154446bcdc7afcc

What kind 905f016c94 of ominous cdb0052cd8 command was 49d67e1845 that?51ef7223e7992bcb

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“He wants to see me urgently?”91c324356c2711ac

I might be an old maid, but I wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways of the world. The maid, seeing my expression, seemed to have an inkling of what I was thinking, and her expression turned peculiar.465aae75c4fbb198

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‘Could it be? What should I do if it’s what I think it is?’58c2b3de0b8ddb35

The warm bathwater soothed my frozen body, but my heart froze instead. I continued to tremble even as I submerged myself in the water. I prolonged my bath as much as possible, but if my suspicions were correct, delaying wouldn’t change anything.5638505a30977871

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‘I didn’t think he was that kind of man.’9de954bfd455ea02

Fear of 1701378296 what was bc06c98842 to come f0a9296199 mingled with 512cca4d5f a sense 45bd2e6e44 of disappointment. As if I had 3c070a1cf4 harbored some grand expectations c347042f56 of him. Perhaps I had d7e1e32239 been secretly relieved afcbba6416 by the Duke’s 274ca034f2 lack of overt 213978bccb kindness towards me, 2a436ba965 believing it meant b3bd34596d he didn’t see e7ef3f36f3 me as a c19e98ac90 woman.51f72c76f32b492c

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Furthermore, Duke Baldr de Skadi was unmarried. He was at an age where it wouldn’t have been strange for him to be married with children, and yet he had even gone so far as to adopt his brother’s daughter.40d5b10507a6a586

‘But he’s just like a7ff6e4825 other men after all.’e3086fb096871de1

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I heard something shatter b5798faf3a inside me. 42948b1b4e6a87f5

I squeezed 4fe7af9e28 my eyes 1b78344e0f shut.c1f2b33322bb61e3

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‘I don’t want this, but can a rabbit escape a wolf just because it doesn’t want to be eaten?’b94327f1ad0f606f

…If he were just an ordinary employer, I would have left immediately. But Duke Baldr de Skadi was my guarantor, and I was a prisoner, bound to him. If I couldn’t escape… perhaps it was best to just close my eyes and accept it. Even if it meant soaking my pillow with tears for a few days.da9eba44247f77e0

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After finishing my bath, 2641330a1b I walked towards his d0cbb47b1a office, feeling like an 7da1735f5d animal being led to 56f5ace8fa the slaughterhouse.b36da2df916481bf

“Are you insane?”934ec753e9627dc1

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And I was met with the Duke’s furious face.f801113284ed1042

“Are you mad?”4a238de99a27ec18

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“Pardon?”09325c5f37dab9e6

“I’m asking if you’re insane! Do you know what you did today?”16619a5f1aaa85e3

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He growled, 23eabc6435 his angry 7acb51b6ae face like 274f5f6e4c that of 1549627498 a wild 27809fd4c4 beast. The person yelling 4a33f11ba4 at me was c29b2ec0b1 none other than 8348debe23 the Duke of 05176082fa Skadi. His completely unexpected behavior d7feb295a0 made my heart stop, eb5dfb0aca and at the same 80d1c53868 time, the memory of bff23b2de3 what I had done bcee685246 that day vanished from 41abc09975 my mind, leaving me 3554412539 unable to remember.2bb65c5c172de81f

‘What did I do?’dbceae4651203e86

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As I 4d89538e56 stood there, 4f95653f5e frozen with 117609d592 fear, he d5be858a71 strode towards 062e8eb2c9 me, his 9a08266817 green eyes 020c8a8beb flashing. I closed my eyes b9e6f7b129 tightly as he drew 1ef6c35deb near.e17f7a1aa29b2389

‘Here it comes!’f34da951df18f33f

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“Hold out your hands.”5690a28fecbac06b

He said.0b28541096d69cf9

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“Pardon?”b8bc87103a4209a1

“Are you deaf?”c4692c43d1145469

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At that, I cautiously held out my hands. He glanced at them once and then enveloped them in his own. His hands were so large and thick that mine looked like a mouse’s paws caught in a bear’s paw. I trembled like a vibrating bee’s wings.d41887fd3d0326b7

‘Finally!’5ccb7885e148e9e2

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I thought, 33a40fca62 finally, something 236adfb663 was going b70b89e04b to happen. But the aee1336534 Duke, after cfacd51ed7 examining my 43dac5c043 hands closely, 9ddc083ccb let go.0e0daae489e14721

“Consider yourself lucky! You wouldn’t know, being a foreigner, but exposing your skin in this weather is like begging for frostbite!”779e73f747e7a7e5

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