| Chapter 8: The Edelweiss Blooms Again

A Few Weeks Later0924f4e3804e1c27

“…So, sister, you promise to take me to the garden next time, right? I want to see if the Edelweiss really bloomed, just like you said.”7e1daf20b39d3209

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“I promise, Sophia. But only if 468508f061 you eat properly c84a4ecc4c and take care e7eb58c1bc of yourself. Got it? You need to get fc0be1c709 stronger so we can 3bc0a4f1e0 take walks together.”ead9c0d6638c4361

Natasha smiled 63ed64d9d1 softly, stroking e87f38f14a Sophia’s hair 01740cf603 as she 5e28abff81 spoke.287297812f966be2

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Since the day 63f71d53a0 Natasha handed over 3fd3aa8aea their mother’s necklace—something 063460ac14 she’d barely managed 8a3f787bc4 to obtain—Sophia had 7c5cb58425 shown visible signs caa9978ae8 of recovery.574ba772d1dbd889

The sadness and e862966d38 resentment toward the 033053296d mother she never 8b2614e4a8 had the chance 40d7160793 to love, coupled 6d6c351f16 with her fragile 6e186b8928 and bedridden state, 0168582a0e seemed to ease ac86670b0e as she held 99391940ac and caressed the 2f7ce74811 necklace.1a423140aec9758f

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The story 3fd6525655 of the 12d82b1281 ‘Edelweiss blooming 3c481418ef between the 2921bfb00d rocks,’ told a59c068ca5 to inspire fb9614e58f hope, had ccde582077 lit a 334146d3c1 spark in 9b66ad254e Sophia’s eyes. It was the 46dfdfef6b first time Sophia 42f46a1ccd had ever shown 8189c31f15 such enthusiasm, and c9e7b10302 Natasha’s heart ached 1ecae1fbc7 at the sight.5563173df038c4f8

How wonderful fc157ea182 it would 9875b7fddf be if 81bcc3ce72 Sophia’s health 6d289e2e8e improved enough 46c2dcbdf1 for them 07afe78a44 to walk d91bb933f1 in the 6a1cf76c93 garden together.dfe29f569d4ae8c5

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Driven by that 2719300085 hope, Natasha went bf02ff790b to check the e2197177d2 spot in the 7a9b034b4c garden where she’d 22dd9a2f84 claimed the Edelweiss e39e6ce49a had bloomed. Her steps came to b67378d75b an abrupt halt.30c62522beeb62fd

“…It’s not here.”63caf7a3bf36d152

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Her chest tightened 8529903407 with a heavy fdfef22bee thud.891a3820ddabe225

“Really? How could Edelweiss, which 32913b2131 only grows in alpine a58d84959b regions, bloom in the e8befa35fc garden’s rocky crevice? It’s so fascinating, 484efc3be7 sister.”cf1c48408b5b94ed

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“Isn’t it? See, Sophia? Nothing is impossible. You too will 7b66f7de73 rise again, just 4ec161e77f like that Edelweiss 43870e46af that stood tall 52489416b0 and bloomed.”27b7b808f9d0d578

Sophia’s shining 3050452d9b eyes, filled eb16684a02 with hope, e70a5b9fb2 were unforgettable. She had c35a937cac fought so a6fb6e5a53 hard to ab1c435b18 reclaim her 14bd2d193b will to 9498c364d1 live. What should she do 5d7287e8e2 now?0924f97d0fd9d0c9

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“Milady, are 84e3fe9202 you alright?”dcb1b972b041720a

The maid, dc8fdb2884 Renna, rushed ff87814d24 to steady 180544f97b Natasha as 44dd88ced3 she stumbled.5af910e3718942d5

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* * *e1498a119cf4f95f

“I don’t get it. What’s so special about 316ca8410c a flower blooming between 643a00be63 rocks that could shock c49dfc12f1 a noble lady like 1fbd22a1a1 that? Honestly, I’ll never c5fa3d75b5 understand how sensitive e665308f73 these aristocrats are.”426b8bfb60a01450

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Rita, a laundry ecf94e7c9d maid gossiping with fac39d3b4b Alexei, shrugged her e2bd094c19 shoulders.e6cf7da8faeba69a

After Alexei a5449ccba9 had saved 2eb24178fa her from ed36518e3c being harassed dfec7b367f by a 781b7dc50d knight, Rita 84fea85b52 often sought 5c058992d2 him out, 84f7c8ecba smuggling treats 1d5a0eae91 like baskets 6edce41658 of pastries.f89ae8c8ae42d132

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“Get lost. You’re in the fe5fa92451 way.”06f58c259d08f22f

Alexei’s tone was as 3c2bbc0a26 blunt as ever.36222de022d52bed

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But Rita, undeterred 5f4dc51428 by his curt 93d6d09ee0 manner, had figured 5e75815762 out that Alexei cee26abc28 wasn’t the type 2ac18d8a7e to harm women. She had grown 6ac8bc017c used to his 51be37e932 silence and now 5e45bd00df treated it as 2ef1c051f3 an opportunity to 962647ed1f admire his striking 002bb01dc8 features unabashedly.8e3b9d576eb43cc5

“Flowers blooming in 288cc45c2d rocks, you say?”2ff99e47589ebc9d

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For the a2881dd2f9 first time, 7a5009b138 Alexei reacted 661145267c to Rita’s c38270fa5d chatter.487a575c45067259

“Yeah! I’m close with one of the lady’s maids, so I heard about it…”a9d5c42ff90d8114

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Rita puffed de518ed8be up with 8bfb57935e pride, dragging 7564bdf3a7 out her b1702194de explanation.
“Not going 60ffb24d61 to talk? Fine, I’ll leave.”669e946736cb590b

As Alexei pretended 40b67af582 to get up 81257aa998 from the fence 1c1b9f2c40 he was perched 7c4cb46460 on, Rita waved fe909edf0b her hands frantically.19947f92f9c48f7b

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“No, no! I’ll tell you! Hold on. It’s a white flower. The name is… uh… something hard to pronounce… Edel… something?”886fd20bf2f1b7aa

“What now?”8c62af512c311cf9

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Alexei’s sculpted brow fe332d0630 furrowed as Rita e6e5995b2b paused again.c9f939d9d0fa87fb

“I really can’t remember! It was such a difficult name. Edel…bess? Something like that. Apparently, she promised to show it to Miss Sophia. I mean, why all the fuss over a flower? People like us would leap out of bed for a simple pie. Right, Alexei? Want a bite?”2c9d114cd297938c

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Rita, delighted by Alexei’s 8a6875ad76 rare response, beamed and 7ff64e3d56 offered him a pie. But Alexei ignored it, 92b5c8a2fc muttering to himself.b0615785f658fcb2

“…Edelweiss.”276b7b260d71b315

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“Huh? What? Oh, right! That’s the name! How’d you know? You’re not just c171976d14 handsome, you’re smart ce61497d13 too! I might fall for 3e43443530 you all over again.”914c82f747806ba4

Rita fluttered 866ac77ead her lashes 1baf285fa4 and smiled f46d9b5b3c sweetly, but 2d6d99d822 Alexei didn’t 6d0308aeb5 even blink 1269c320b9 as he 9f47e82321 leapt off 58185234cc the fence.c99fb53cca8df105

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“Where are you going, 073ce6a155 Alexei? Aren’t you b142d7763d going to 55c523c20c share the 508df4b5cd pie?”cdd2e5410cf697d9

“Eat it yourself.”95e287ff45a68bba

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Without looking back, Alexei dea680d818 disappeared into the barracks.dd87f58c3deaabc8

“Oh, so thoughtful of 74035eb038 you to leave it ddd66a34c0 for me? I’ll leave it f9a7c8d419 at the door, 10c8b7220f so eat it db72abb3d3 when you’re hungry, 33accc6144 okay?”b5c0fcaff0101b5d

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Rita trailed 8e2a8dfd1d after him, 3012254425 speaking to 0cc7113130 the closed 388864aae4 door.26f6845e19fc15d5

* * *570949ee88c4db09

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A Week Later2162bad75dc02169

Natasha had 98084bca5c scoured every bce89b0369 source she 3289f890ce could think 4c65f4e91f of to f204e274fa find Edelweiss, 3fe213ff4c but the c3c8d7feea flower couldn’t 97f86ffcc6 be found a36f8d5931 anywhere in f1ff551e85 the Duchy 1979c50730 of Ivanovce9bf984546513f8

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The only possibility 7a7a721c07 seemed to be 3871bca06a sending mercenaries to d195637e11 the northern alpine e3f1fc5bf9 region near the 83d8204cf1 duchy’s borders. But how would db3cba6efa she gain Sergei’s 14dc93d26c approval? Her head throbbed from 8f82724b39 the endless deliberation as 108f6a0c2a she took a walk 17c9602670 to clear her mind.9b3860045ae237c2

“Oh! My lady, look at 5b6e531723 this!”b5c6d97db7d7cfe4

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Renna, who b3f32aaae0 had been ecc1f0f01c following Natasha 92113178f3 and scanning 4155089d66 for anything bb02ac578b interesting, suddenly 18414dd9b5 exclaimed.4e6d3905abbf4839

“What is it now?”e8aa9101d6a41756

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Natasha, maintaining ead4b746e7 her elegant e117dfeab7 and composed 3abc5846c4 pace, stopped 92f146fb90 abruptly at c0e044fea6 the sight 7cb645ec5f Renna pointed 75ac3a90ae out.a893422500923ee3

“This… this is!”2bd4efe47a762210

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She rubbed her eyes 1da27024cc to make sure she a8bed89711 wasn’t imagining things.
It was unmistakable.12198466d057cdb9

Edelweiss.72b62f6a5a797fcf

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The small, delicate flower, fe50c88dab more elegant and pure 5bb688821f than any other, had 6ad0cbdbfd once again raised its 1a4598fc47 head shyly from the 702d92a81c crevice in the rocks 983daa9869 where it had been d763b93679 before.c6ab61834a419d2c

“It’s blooming again! Do you think b2a6709574 it might have 0f94b4d2f3 sensed how desperately 31918e9fa9 you were searching 0100e4140a for it, milady? Maybe your devotion even 73482bda2c reached the flower!”881086adcd3d15c4

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“Such… a thing… could happen…”628bdf040019263e

If it ec9a06d452 were true, 90369cd3fb as Renna cf3a90dc35 suggested, that 935191a080 such a 743af44ae7 miracle had 51acbefe25 occurred, it 9d210f63f5 would indeed 0c06e243e3 be both 876d81133a astonishing and bf83150422 deeply moving.
However, Natasha 4a57af9cfa wasn’t one cd8be95a7a to be 6e005f5281 swayed purely 001f807f0f by sentiment. She had long 1421703baa since learned that 723aab6e94 life wasn’t particularly 8741ae172f kind to her.
Leaning closer to the 04a889faac rocky crevice, Natasha inspected 20abae3b06 the flower.fbd9348cc249c946

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“Milady! Your noble hands shouldn’t ff3226bf7f touch the dirt like 727e7a8112 that!”e1657526f10bea2d

Ignoring Renna’s f58ba5c96e outcry, Natasha 9dcc7bf7e1 removed her 76eaf948f1 lace gloves 4960d8bb88 and began 85208365d4 to feel b7c1c033b3 the soil 2a6a9b80fd around the 6a9b27a1ca Edelweiss with dbf44d5cdb her bare f57edd2016 hands.61ceb49bcbee868f

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“That’s strange.”74fe548864df470e

Unlike the parched soil 0a86124a93 outside the crevice—where it 7fbeff39e3 hadn’t rained for weeks—the b91a691f31 soil around the Edelweiss 5f7d9eaecb was damp.893dddef1789200f

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“And if I remember correctly…”8bda79fb8656ae38

The last 3c1aacb84c time she d14f582f35 saw it, a9edd3d1b9 the flower’s 33c8434525 stem had 3785a66c3c been snapped, da4047e726 its leaves c7762dbe72 withering and 7ef9ced79f dry. It looked as 400c1c0205 though someone had 58588f4182 deliberately broken it.87ba8df1093ef944

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Different.8711355fdbdbba84

The flower before df098c2318 her now didn’t 91413c0916 resemble the one 6c5c2f185c she had seen 103753123d before. Its shape suggested db4bcfa264 it wasn’t the bc934c397e same Edelweiss that a307d4201c had grown from 316698faf2 the original root.a814329dc08e3ab4

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It was as if someone… had intentionally replanted it.d9daed7e020aa768

But who… could it have been?024aa87f456e1dcc

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The only one who 9f602bd32c knew she was looking e12a139c75 for the Edelweiss was e25e967922 Renna.fd065902669de944

Could Renna 64145f6641 have done d52c453f0b it? For me?bd754267befd628f

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But judging 8fdb6d19d9 by Renna’s 91da7da80e surprised and b0db0df3b2 excitable demeanor, bab2db0b80 she seemed 0bb731f705 unaware of 5818df8e2a the flower’s 9bd9fccd1e reappearance.301a7d95904642fa

Who would go f5070d2f8d to such lengths bcf1cac668 for Sophia and 77d5aec60c me?9c9feedab7adfee2

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No matter how much 2f5d113734 she thought about it, d13d6f25c1 she couldn’t come up c3016adfc0 with anyone. The duchy’s nobles and 6eb4effe47 courtiers were focused solely 8b6853dfb0 on the centers of c7779bef1f power. No one would f146673b4d dedicate themselves to f0bfa3183c someone so removed c2e54f6ddc from authority, someone 0d71b34975 like her—a displaced 64cdce357c princess whose rightful 098be1e406 claim to succession 10c861c07f had been handed 180d7733e7 to an adopted 8a38ac75ed heir.6364389052cbf310

“Milady approaches. Show proper decorum.”16ea9b52668dd665

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Suddenly, Natasha froze 82e8a73281 as the memory c4048a03be of a voice 7a290b5f75 echoed in her 64a9b00e07 mind.fbadd3bf5f66540d

For that brief moment, 7b63228803 she had felt like ae5639c4ad the most revered being b87ca52a5a in the world, not 762e3ef15d a powerless figurehead.535dd00cfbf46b64

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“I’ll remember that promise, efcf09cacb milady.”9dd930aec5ed9d3f

And the pair of 6913df06c5 intense eyes that had 016ca6bb79 burned with such fervor 6e9ba7fe12 yet seemed sorrowful enough 29f2c4d42d to shatter her heart…59bbe85f27de2079

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‘No, it can’t be. Why am I e80db22ce6 even thinking of ff4b7e760b him?’aecb24883c28cc53

Natasha shook bab97b9d21 her head 6c51160fe8 sharply, trying f90154f295 to dispel fb4bb269ed the thought.399571a533cb7f87

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* * *bc49c601a6536906

“You insolent slave! How dare you b6ce8ea793 lay your filthy 1152c00720 hands on anything? A slave taking a 9c6cb385c7 week’s leave, skipping matches 60570deda9 under the pretense of fb29dc4589 altitude sickness, and now, f1243c5499 theft?!”f2282f792630ab68

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It was a 8e71692c77 place Natasha would 319ea91e22 normally have no 3d2df9a4dc reason to visit—the d485959820 training grounds. Yet for 2b618e41ef some reason, 1bedc2fb2b she had 7b2b630146 decided to e18f67b66e take a 20facb7c86 walk in e77c70ecad that direction 79fa95581c today.c7f76144149d9daa

“Brother!”e84685c1dfbfe633

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At Sergei’s feet 84de54e8b9 was a massive f1c73eee26 figure, bloodied to 1849f00b03 the point of f2a1a7bfbd being barely recognizable faba3a718f as human. Natasha stifled a 812ba1b4f6 scream and instinctively eb33e12b45 grabbed Sergei’s arm.b21c1a996a2e6910

“Natasha? What brings fba88c765d you all 8e2583a1a9 the way 7e66837ae6 out here?”4f6adc4d7e96647f

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“I… I was looking for you, brother. I thought we might have tea together, and here you are…”ad7806f756dabf6e

Barely suppressing a groan, f617165881 Natasha forced her gaze 0270691660 away from Alexei, who 677e46633e lay curled at Sergei’s 79bd271e18 feet.1605b7a874532363

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