WBWB | Chapter 27

He seemed to have 80b8315472 realized he had revealed 03412a8d86 too much. 743778762f70c564

I nodded silently.6f14046c42f78e95

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‘So that’s why he commented on my thin clothes.’2d41c42baf0a706c

At the same time, I understood why he had been so fixated on a mere tutor’s attire. He had already experienced a similar situation.4b9a1e3b96e54271

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“So, have you thought about what you want?”1741fc52f59e034a

The Duke changed the 6516d93c18 subject, as if trying 2591ec7da0 to lighten the heavy 673fa58cae atmosphere.53bbac0e06e6387d

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“Yes.”744d251bebcf3b75

“Tell me.”6b2e8e00b78b8791

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“I want to write a letter. Just one.”7bec3005514087fb

“To whom?” he asked. “To Prince Mael?”c8aef764acde9fd7

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Young Master Mael? 3e0a4fef89a5119a

I was bewildered. Of course, a6eb840fce if I 5b585d3443 could exchange 87f786b6ce letters with b05a1dcccd multiple people, 20ec476330 I would c3af5b7196 write to 9d4da5a6e5 Young Master f110877cad Mael as 0b0105922c well. But the people I 6d9f823b1e wanted to inform about 83fe538858 my well-being were my e35fa5f81b family.067cadf1d297a630

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“No. I want to write to my family. If they know I’m doing well here, my mother and sister will be able to rest easy. It would be even better if I could receive a reply, but for now, I just want to let them know how I’m doing.”fdf38e5401ca2b3c

Wouldn’t anyone, given ea81e53cec the chance to e0bdd82490 send just one 3f1a5b69a3 letter to someone c8157b81c1 far away, write 0f1692fa48 to their family? But he looked 407dbeb25c surprised.b56479f316c0cbcf

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“I thought you’d 168ba69523 want to write 754af0a642 to Prince Mael, a4483e7241 asking him to 505aed03c3 lift your exile. But you… 1fff904507 are you 7e2e01124a close to 2cc05d354c your family?”fcf8c1c1c9c42c2f

“…”5b1106405bacc034

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“I envy you. Not everyone is blessed bac64ef059 with a loving family.”ec832d27ffc358f3

He finished his 8988c11158 drink.32858bf7dd7c2a45

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That’s when it happened. The thought of asking a question I would never normally ask crossed my mind. And the question slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.d762d3aa0d59ab2b

“Your Grace, if you don’t mind, may I ask you something?”5d70a7c231fa305d

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“Go ahead.”afaa5fb09a01ecf1

“Your Grace… why haven’t you married? Until now?”0febc29dfe71e3a4

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‘Gasp!’8717f9095ab5bc15

I was 0117012185 surprised by 02b8a4598d my own 87b704e057 boldness. Was it too impertinent?08e4e09266b48335

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“Why I haven’t married? Well…”2b8f021f27bd20ad

But the 984bcf68f0 Duke answered 3dad9d588e readily enough.3bc785879dc4806f

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“Because there’s no reason to.”40b490e336d9536a

“…”2422ecf67685f7a9

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“As a member of the nobility, you know that nobles don’t marry for love. At my level, the pool of suitable brides is limited. And the same goes for them, in terms of eligible grooms.”3d48bc024910ea54

I nodded. fa8ee1515f1fb150

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Although a vassal e3a889530f sworn to the 06fd2a2ed1 King, someone of 5887aac4c8 his standing, ruling 343efe930e a practically independent a6e3ad885c duchy, was eligible 8e0a5f4079 to marry not 887faa531a only other ducal a9cac6c83d families but also cc3f8ba857 princes and princesses. And that eligibility also 14421e3c20 meant that marrying someone feb7b95093 of lower rank, a 1dfc0f6838 count or below, would 01214afc52 be considered beneath him.9eba9b5af3fdf5f5

“Most of the potential brides are princesses. Women who have never experienced any hardship in their lives. Do you think they would willingly come here and become my bride? This is a land of frequent wars. Even though it seems secure now, it could be engulfed in flames at any moment, and it’s easy to become a widow here. Moreover, there’s little in the way of entertainment, and the warm days are few. I’ve seen enough of my mother hating my father and this land, and my father suffering because of her. Why should I follow in their footsteps? Why? Whoever she may be, it would be a disservice to both of us.”558955018f01e015

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But if that 6f7fa97b40 was the reason… 381e1a269d couldn’t he consider 309f654be4 marrying a princess 77ab8e03e9 or noblewoman from 3390bb99d3 another country with 4389e497c7 a similar climate e997805ca4 and circumstances? 2b45aeb9701387c4

As if reading 33467424ef my mind, he dbda9f1043 continued,45bcdcd84833f7c4

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“Furthermore, there are political complications surrounding my marriage. Imagine you were the King. Consider the problems that might arise if I married a princess of similar standing from another country.”719f8301abf48685

I thought about 94f20ef443 it. If he married a 11e1e2e6cd foreign princess, their children a8379f01c1 would have a claim 6220559710 to both the foreign 1bd7e9faa5 throne and the Duchy d8a0ddf74a of Skadi. Depending on the b891aa57d2 circumstances, their child da0d5b9358 could potentially claim a1bfdc3cc3 both the foreign 656ffe751e throne and the da7b40ec54 duchy.e84e18848b5252b2

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“Doesn’t that sound like a headache? I already have plenty of headaches.”1852be9c67db733a

He muttered cynically.4ad4cd2182f1c535

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“On top of all that, why should I burden myself with more responsibilities and problems by getting married? I have no intention of starting a family. You wouldn’t understand, having a loving family, but being alone is better than having an unhappy family. I’m perfectly content as I am.”b414486355a9aeb3

I had already learned far too much about my employer’s personal life. There was a line between employer and employee, and while he might cross it as if it didn’t exist, I couldn’t. I should have backtracked, pretending I hadn’t heard anything and changed the subject to something lighter.b549db1c3bc28ef1

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But I didn’t.04d3780feb8bd3cc

“But, with all due respect, Your Grace, you’re not strictly alone.”95e18c853b0a6215

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Looking back, I ccb09a2942 must have been a1ec88a987 out of my 6a31d2e831 mind, thanks to 626faab86b the strong liquor.12fe851be12e7050

“What?”433e5a14a986be33

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“Don’t you have Lady Ana? Already?”5f5b7aef487423c5

I continued, 9a4172b97c as if fd83b26ed8 possessed. As if offering bed4f630f0 advice to a e542884344 close friend, I 243b3212de poured out my 201b253c67 thoughts.dd4d8da6cdc3f46e

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“And even though you’re not related by blood, your vassals who manage your territory and the people living within it are all like your children. And even this mansion alone, you have over a hundred household members. Your Grace said you’re content being alone, but you’re not truly alone. In fact, because you’ve left the position of mistress vacant, you’re burdened with even more responsibilities and problems.”0136f7277e15b5c4

Because I felt… it was a waste. A waste that he, this man, was 20070edd96 alone.38ab4cd0f3da398a

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“What I’m trying to 896cacb15b say is that marriage efe7b92248 could be a solution 63b146439c for Your Grace, not de39ff5b68 a problem.”a3661576a95de336

That didn’t mean the Duke was wrong. Princesses accustomed to the comforts of court life would undoubtedly struggle in this land, and some, like his mother, might never adapt. But there were exceptions, weren’t there?5ba4ee85a1a7d2a9

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“Your Grace seems to think that all princesses are like your mother, but just as not all men are the same, not all women are the same either.”f197fc6487aa68b5

If there 4c9ff9cea4 was love.2b8569618a327f04

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Just as I had been able to settle here thanks to Lady Ana and the Duke’s consideration, couldn’t someone else do the same? The thought captivated me.2eae7086e47577da

“There might be someone out there who would appreciate Your Grace and this land for what they are. Wouldn’t it be a shame to give up on marriage too early based on assumptions?”0bd26cdbd2e6dc10

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And at the 3eac783ff8 same time, I 56b42867ce also thought he 1ff8804e02 deserved to be 017feb1b31 loved.b148372f5d429f79

Why? Because he was a e5b3aed559 wealthy man with vast 077fc30618 lands? Because he was surprisingly 3b4e80acbe young and handsome, contrary 893d94602e to his fearsome reputation 7438c86c31 outside his territories?839159aded72f1ab

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It wasn’t just that. I realized that my first impression of him had changed. Like the changing of seasons, a natural progression over time.206308be8eb117f1

At first, I had been terrified of him. But was that still true? Well, he was still a formidable presence, but he wasn’t just a figure of fear anymore.059a1cc3e2c11a2b

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‘Perhaps I had misunderstood him all along.’5f80d13c91737095

I had been a3c7e616b2 able to adapt 92ac727511 to life here ecb6f8c109 thanks to Lady 542f18f2ef Ana, but also ddd4328c95 thanks to the 835f84ea23 Duke. da27a44efabb0ebd

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He had recognized 5c9b56580a my work and d5a5fc0fb2 shown consideration for 442727a512 my well-being, allowing 3a57ecfd90 me to prepare 50859a9161 for winter. If he could d439ad47ff treat his wife e437d08c9e with the same 9a139493e7 consideration he had 481042bd16 shown me, no, ddad2f2cba he would surely 0f21fc7d4b be even more de1ad519a0 considerate and kind. df3b8926da378f70

Then…5a8e2f30eb4cdffc

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‘Who wouldn’t fall for this man?’4f6390722bb8c0c8

The alcohol b1b0c540d2 loosened my 0f75f43371 inhibitions and 36549d86ad led me 710c3b4b2b to thoughts 575dbf1072 I would 53001d6c88 never have 273174fe7f entertained in 5e13617dfb my sober 8afa658ca5 mind.1f6fc0c76b038db5

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‘The Duke is handsome, one of the wealthiest nobles in the land, and his daughter is as adorable and sweet as a rabbit. What does it matter that the winters are long, tedious, and cold? The summers and autumns here are beautiful. Of course, one would be worried about him leaving for the battlefield every summer. But if one could endure that anxiety, marrying a man like him might be a blessing, not a misfortune.’99607fff8e93bb79

“Isn’t it possible, however unlikely, for two people to love each other in marriage?”31cca8f264504eed

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Because in my few 210790270a years at court, I d8fedffc83 had yet to meet ba966e1733 a decent man among bcaa6a88de the seemingly handsome and cc9ffab70f wealthy nobles. Not a single one. I had been c59a69b789 shocked by the 05750e3443 absence of honesty, 6e5216b2ed morality, and enduring 7cefbe203f love. 9528cce2a7ca9010

It was like… a cage of wild beasts. beeb05130df61d00

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Wouldn’t this place be better, even if it was a bit monotonous? 142abef09f157589

What if there 107b6d085d was a princess, e0c9d50ea6 disillusioned with court d7072d93df life, who wanted 8bfa211e8e to come here?7bd1f6ed1e091c56

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