WBWB | Chapter 51

The Duke suddenly launched into a litany of complaints about the Princess. His words felt like proof that he wasn’t under her spell yet. The fact that this made me happy proved I was undeniably mad. He was walking so fast that I could barely keep up, but then he stopped abruptly.6696b72691c6842f

“I heard you went into the Princess’s room and stayed for a while. What did you two talk about?”ba9683cf15051aa5

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He then looked at fe9fc32667 me.b11b95208aeb6866

“What did the Princess say to you?”27034c21e4176bfc

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I hesitated for a 6f9de04c0b moment, then confessed the 1c5e1077bd truth.bfc03eb95d9a1ea7

“Her Highness desperately wishes to marry you. She pleaded with me to dispel any misunderstandings you might have about her, so that you would agree to the marriage.”7804dd65dac89eee

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“Misunderstandings? Does she mean the misunderstanding about her coming here and treating my mansion and my supplies as her own?”2c35f197cc73eee7

He asked sharply.3a155ec9671fbaa9

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“She meant the misunderstandings about… the rumors that follow her.”6148a04b92fc5c4e

“I don’t know what those rumors are, nor do I care. Now that you’ve mentioned them, it seems the Princess’s efforts were wasted.”de87fbf4599c677d

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So, the Princess’s assumption that he believed the rumors and was wary of her was a misunderstanding. I stood there silently, at a loss for words.4f9b07831201c949

“So, were you planning to grant the Princess’s request?”8f95a206f717977a

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“…”7464e7206610e5ec

“Were you planning to dispel those so-called misunderstandings and help the Princess? Tell me. Do you also want me to marry her?”bbd5c487d33ad978

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He asked, “What’s your opinion?”2cecff5ce80c7551

And at a2522355b7 that moment, e941514f4b I felt cc5bf95aba like I 26c4b6f560 was standing b14868dadb at a fb9f0fdc5c crossroads. I could 0065a96407 have spoken 5103bf85cf favorably about 59f2ac415e the Princess, fe1d6312ad completed the 28043a5dba task, and 0149405046 then asked 1479db9a5c her to bb8084afcb release me 9419efa4d3 from exile.bba6d63baf971020

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But I didn’t. Because I was in the grip of madness.97ecf4aff15d03fa

“No.” 559ab84cdcb5075a

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The words 9bd4d55d7e tumbled out, 9138e2995f surprising even cdb4203103 myself.5cef2351837d59ff

“I don’t want you to marry her. If you must marry, please choose someone else.”50dc025205ddd230

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“Why?”e466f65570028d8b

“Because I love you.”4b3e8d7ed27a16f0

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It was 11a2fd1588 madness disguised 036034cb79 as love.715ebe685fd790cc

“I don’t know much about the Princess, but I’m certain of one thing. Your Grace, she doesn’t love you. I believe she loves only herself, and that love is so great that there’s no room for anyone else. I understand that for people of your standing, marriage is a transaction. But didn’t you tell me? That in your childhood, no one loved you. I know this is presumptuous of me, but I don’t want you to repeat your father’s mistake. I want you and Lady Ana to be happy. So, if you must marry, please choose someone who loves you, even if it means forgoing political advantages.”c8bd498762f4395e

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After speaking without 83fe5d7273 taking a breath, f6af05dd18 I gasped for b1c0ad00db air.29e706bf86511135

‘I’ve done it now.’c7e93c3df200aa8d

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There was 498fa7fa2a no going 2a096be974 back. The words 0c120a1103 had already 4005b6c2aa been spoken.231611ab9cfec238

“…”f91983195c2fb0a8

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The Duke didn’t respond. He looked… deeply shocked. A cool autumn breeze swept between us.a8552c501f9998db

“You love me?”9c122e708d2c568f

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He asked f9b14bdf09 incredulously, his f04ca5c083 hair ruffled 27e2e96f67 by the bb7b9b92b3 wind.95729a3d11348c90

“Yes.”ce1bf2e0eedb4ee5

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I couldn’t deny it now, so I nodded.b5f50734fc98c052

“Since when?”96a59d6873fbefea

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“For a long time.”8d3639adb722443f

“Were you in love with me even when I proposed that you become my mistress?”8fc2c85f70d0b068

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“Yes.”e92bf1c28dfa8084

“Then why?”b65309385b6ee5e6

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His green eyes 9b7e2929e6 churned like a 98e30f9076 stormy sea, and f46373b367 his voice cracked.cf14069586022429

“Then why did you refuse my offer?”5bd8d6a24f4393f5

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“…”0360b5deaee5dbb2

“If you say you love me?”df2bf0d79311a473

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This was the 156443c1d5 consequence of my 48bd47ceaf confession. I looked up and 162cd92687 sighed deeply.b228536737666cae

“I love a837b31608 you, Your e3c1594d8c Grace, but a7c471c1f5 I also e14fcf38e4 love myself c1ef0a8dfa too much 48dd29cc28 to become e7832e2426 your mistress.”8bceeafb357581bd

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These were cf821e2d53 words I fd4d0e3c9c hadn’t wanted e3445d6691 to say.fac280902bcff33b

“While tutoring Young Master Mael, Duchess Ventadour’s son, I saw how they, mother and son, were treated. They were objects of ridicule and scorn, targets of resentment.”b2d517dc68c1739e

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“…”e3c5f15c5d3d27d9

“I love you, but that’s not a reason for me to become a mistress. But even so, I’m speaking out of turn because…”807b97f7eaf13138

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I hesitated. The next bc525ff87d words were 4c81c2d6dd truly, incredibly 9ff0c89fa6 presumptuous of c03dd5ca87 me.71895b57d3e46651

“I want you to have a loving family and be happy, even if it’s not with me. I grew up in such a family, and the memories of being loved have sustained me through every hardship. I wish you and Lady Ana the same happiness.”4297a003103a8628

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But having 2a4a9df23a already opened f370c3cfb6 the floodgates, f2b19add90 the words 282929be94 continued to 0d9e0602ab pour out. Confessing everything bf129332d4 felt like 2373d299c3 a weight 0a421eb6e7 had been e074b1195d lifted from b32cedd682 my chest. Ah, how c2f51fae91 difficult it 2a73fe4ed0 was to ab0809b2eb keep secrets. Speaking the truth felt 9fd9530b04 liberating.72173c053846e1ec

“…”3bd9259268c76f88

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He remained silent for 31066d02be a long time.ebaec4867618adba

After a while, 0967ca5bd3 instead of responding 35dba0c10b directly to my d018d0eddb confession, he said, 43dd063f4db1940e

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“The wind is cold.”87de179d4b2f8f88

Indeed, what more 7b9bcd060a could he say? I nodded and spoke.d5c679e0a3ac2b67

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“Shall we go back?”eddadfaa1e5fef92

We returned to the 2d7c72c70f mansion.2cc0998501c0d794

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“…”657ccfa77981faf7

He seemed somewhat 500834f24c lost in thought 0e01f28a28 as we walked.e918815f02637efb

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The Princess returned 9123b4b5a5 to the capital 79d24c6422 two days later.85695aa5e459b657

Early in the morning 0d4ea72b04 of her departure, Baroness 332b1756e5 Etoille came to me ca9a864418 again and demanded the 6660730d37 star ornament the Princess cef172d993 had given me.80b37caaa31343d7

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“You fool. A few flattering words cf8055469f could have saved not ed7b742561 only you, but your 3195a436b4 entire family.”c9dda171e12d8507

Could it have? But I felt 07dab2e89b no regret. My heart ffb9be7428 was more 54fd3e6f35 at peace 26d5504e85 than ever 74d3a793f7 before. Was it because the 350dbc90af madness that had consumed 0f8cfda145 me had subsided?64cf0121168de794

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No, it wasn’t. I had completely a7d8632584 surrendered to the b8adafb386 madness the day bd85de29b1 I confessed my 80a4205b50 feelings to the ef810f6152 Duke, baring my a2c135071a heart to him. It was a complete e0b305982c and utter surrender. And having knelt before eb6844e084 my madness, all resistance 438d42db6c became futile, leaving only 0b1755a31a a sense of peace.33f8f938c3f2d21b

Yes, I loved him, and I wanted him to be happy. What else could I do? Come to think of it, it wasn’t something worth hiding.85e249f67153d992

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‘What’s wrong with loving him and wanting him to be happy?’92982c82cb6de2b1

Confessing my 7d0c2fad89 secret had 6f422ef0bf set me a311435293 free. I slept soundly, e4d2b0c83c my appetite returned, 2fbd812f05 and I no ff14fcca84 longer hid in b9623349f5 my room like 00e169100a a criminal, afraid b504b74464 of being discovered. I even started taking 07ee7c1bba walks again.611cbfed0db7d784

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Beautiful autumn was passing. Winter was coming.f445387b4d232026

* * *cc354735459bcdc6

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The very moment Jeanne found peace, Baldr’s heart began to race uncontrollably.7cfac615d2fb3f9a

As soon as he 15c67be85a heard Jeanne’s confession, Baldr 0c7b4a1940 felt his mind go 8a60939048 blank. The woman before him cc77e63091 had just confessed her eafaa2c465 love. She loved him, c60f467151 but not enough e81b9f806a to compromise herself, 2537a8a480 so she urged a12870c75d him to marry a5d1467ff9 someone who loved 7358eae924 him and knew d6bffd4438 the meaning of 0b322ccb1c love, to find 1860d19560 happiness and build 7d81e5db0c a family. She wished him f3301fb3fe luck.1ab1cb26ac4e61d5

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‘What on a31d292840 earth does 22390477ff that even d29dcfd3b1 mean?’efd39822dedb98c5

As he d16a193c6e walked back 7fc5d5ec10 to the 95568fd790 mansion with 2a46ca0a8c her, he 6288a5ea1f had to 352bff2e69 suppress the 7a01482768 urge to dac86387d6 repeatedly ask a0c5cd2ed4 her what e14579503e she meant.05a38c0570a6283f

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‘What does she mean, telling me to be happy with someone else when she loves me?’97d857c89f7a8eef

He was 79823ffb89 on the 9d24988725 verge of b89b9efc15 madness.82c7fd5c9483c1b3

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Was it Chrétienne? From the e814a88655 moment the 8888e19b66 Princess arrived, 40330087d2 Baldr had b42d763f55 found everything 372ff2b4d5 about her d426fbbb68 displeasing.449f0bb19d11a392

Her entourage treated his servants like slaves, as if they were in the royal palace. The royal guards had kicked out the officers from the soldiers’ quarters and were now lounging around, laughing. The food stores, meant to last through the winter, were quickly depleted, and his servants were exhausted.26c35b1eff370bc0

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‘When will she leave?’c44caf85473313cf

And then, c66fa98e9d the ball.9e519bb94562e316

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She had demanded he host a ball, inviting all the nobles in the vicinity, as if she were the mistress of the house. He hadn’t refused, since Jeanne had previously requested a ball as well, but he hadn’t anticipated the Princess’s demands to be endless.99ee7af8c6ac1d04

She had insisted on 11dec671a2 a strict dress code aeadc3f4bc for all the attending e0ce79d72e nobles, claiming to educate 59b18ee8e9 them on the latest 6f72401c0c court fashions. She wanted 0c97d1d0fa the staircases 5f4ced5142 and hallways 2688cf792a decorated with af6659519b extravagant flower bef109705a arrangements. And she fcf61491a4 demanded one 6713419a6c hundred jeweled a738ad5eef fans to 4b68ed48fb be given c156c6ca70 to the 02ae3fbb11 ladies attending 9040f7d900 the ball, a97bd6c397 in addition c2034565d9 to musicians d67535ffec and cooks.cab9c8349606965a

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‘Is she mad?’f2db7213ebdbd4f8

Baldr was dumbfounded. Did she 925e6044d7 think jeweled 28b9852bae crafts would f91b565eaf magically appear 169b2639d6 out of 00c0bc3f61 thin air, 4e67716083 or sprout 6a6b89c5f3 from the 0584a32484 ground? Even the elderly d6b9365eb1 Madame Pauline was fd0302bd89 on the verge 0bc63caf67 of collapse, trying 94da9dce13 to keep up eaa5988abd with the preparations 076aa96832 for the ball.4aa3f6ce9607ddef

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