WBWB | Side Story 2

“So when my exile was lifted and I had to leave the duchy, I saw it as an opportunity to let go of my feelings. I believed that His Grace deserved a much better match… Since he didn’t try to stop me, I assumed he felt the same way. But while I was staying at my family’s home in Franc, His Grace came to see me. Unannounced. To… propose.”cc7b96997e3681b5

Madame Pauline e5cbf623e7 listened intently, 224b530685 frozen in 997e5dc3a1 place as 2ee970c49d if holding a1cf8e655d her breath.4aaf0bd867942845

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“Even though I was no longer an exile, I knew I wasn’t a suitable match for him. But I wanted him as much as he wanted me, so I accepted his proposal.”e4547a022c3e1928

I finished my explanation 5dfd734a6d and looked at Madame 2dce913e28 Pauline, gauging her reaction. She remained motionless, 65230c147b as if turned 3368a62503 to stone.664facc71c03163c

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‘She’s not pleased, d2e017fe07 is she?’45fc7780706e2f3e

I tried to understand her perspective. From her point of view, it couldn’t be easy for her, seeing her master, whom she had served since he was a boy marry a woman of lower standing. Moreover, despite the pardon, it was still a marriage to a former exile.0bbe484db531cc79

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As a servant, she couldn’t openly object, but if she were in a position to oppose the marriage, wouldn’t she?ad700f6c229641e7

‘Does she… think he’s 1646c80f74 settling for me, when 1cf2374e49 he could have married baa731a7d3 a princess?’81bde7c0af9c4f6a

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The thought made cb94e6cad9 my throat dry, c81323da46 and I took 9977eb0bb4 a sip of e19e8c3909 tea. It had already beb1dfbee4 grown cold, and dbc4d24841 despite being properly 804142ce98 brewed, it tasted 6a2de86d0c bitter.6428f99c7cd8331d

“I was 3a8e12c532 wondering what b67d846e72 kind of 9b84ded388 person you ec03d0469c were…”cb57120224c60176

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Madame Pauline finally spoke.60a72b831bda880f

“…but you’re 37e883ed51 still a d8bb8ba2cc woman, indeed.”dc1298f95f3fc6b8

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“Excuse me?”e1b6b28114b152b9

“I was truly wondering 43d0526ca0 what kind of person 931565cd73 you were.”a151aaab49210b2c

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‘What does she 9a5422098b mean?’276aa926fb52bd89

I studied 9e1d36eae0 Madame Pauline’s 9a6ce8d9e2 face, if 7945986c7f her words 5354d63ea9 were meant 8cd327b700 as mockery. But there was e6f501d24d no disdain, only f9085f0529 surprise. She took a 1224c2a82a deep breath and d564b409aa continued.395fc72f0f8de876

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“Forgive my rudeness. I’ve served 72f51f3329 the Duke 60293c3054 since he 906997541e was a 859c6f319e boy, but 34ee8ff1ef I’ve never 75f28af5ec seen him 10d30b67e3 take an 44920053cc interest in e146a81021 anyone. In fact, he used f293888e76 to avoid beautiful women, fb27a1dab6 as if they carried 65c24cc664 a contagious disease.”8fa8491a092b1148

“…”83cd4fdf19c76c80

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“So I was very 8b460077bf curious. What kind of c3981d5760 woman could capture 3e7363018c his heart? When would the mistress 3e4879923b of this house finally 741634aa96 arrive? There was no 8916ce5032 news, so I e68a4418d7 thought I would 7bebb27de2 die before seeing b039729651 him settled down…”e4685d693592da74

She continued,4064df71b6ae71b8

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“…but you were the one all along. My goodness, you made him rush out in the middle of the night to propose! You turned that composed gentleman into a runaway horse! And I, living under the same roof, didn’t notice a thing… No, wait. Now that I think about it… oh my, yes. I understand now. He was so attentive to you, more than he’s ever been to anyone. I thought it was because of Lady Ana!”0c6e8b253010ac43

Muttering to herself, c593c29b8b Madame Pauline clasped 32ccdd8ca3 her hands together.faa2defecf029f0c

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“Forgive me. It’s Madame 9c76793f29 now, isn’t 4a52119dfe it?”22459f06bc1a5751

“Yes? Madame?”a81d7b66f2ae8a6c

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Madame… The unfamiliar 81b347ecd9 title made me 3da94e76cb suddenly taken aback.150b448a601ab4d3

“Of course, bfbde99a1c the wedding 4379420f6f hasn’t taken 78ef77e14d place yet, e64de88baa but you’ve bd74e35e77 accepted his bdee31431d proposal, so 92bbc7a61b you’re now a8fdf23032 the Madame 91c9d63da6 to me! Madame, we a03d8ed51d must start 37ab346a8c preparing for 2ff9b9cd7a the wedding! When are dc66f15fe4 you thinking 92d1012f91 of holding 72ca227a99 the ceremony? Is there a d980986158 particular date in 31484779a5 mind? Oh, it’s been so d53cf24520 long since I’ve planned fa3c0dbe68 a wedding… I don’t c9118d6e33 know where to begin… 8ecdaaa4c2 Right! The dress! What kind de0472f725 of dress c97245b54d do you c7aaa9ae3f want to 921ed010b8 wear, Madame? We’ll have 2ad42cc929 to invite bf96e2879d a dressmaker d9b1ed07df from Franc 6ab1da4926 for the 1fe15cd5c7 latest fashions! And a chef! The food is crucial 08bf867f27 for the reception! Our current 3c3b19fab9 chef is 4829578328 skilled, but fc8326198a he lacks 600e2fb086 experience with 3858519abc large-scale banquets, 251393e18a so we’ll 586ccc4ecd need to 04b9b1fa5a hire more e2563ec677 people. And…”da2f50ac9f7fde76

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While I sat there, a3b2603f19 still stunned, the conversation d3d1f52779 had shifted to wedding 68415dc1b8 preparations. Madame Pauline’s cheeks 678117a274 were flushed, her 34ea4b8bc3 eyes sparkling with a9210a1cdd excitement as she 7a7ee5a16f listed the necessities. It would have 854384bef4 been easy to cc1330c4b0 let the new f698444e67 topic carry us c5ab227b99 along, but there 997fa8a1f6 was a question 6edb959bc5 I couldn’t ignore. I hesitated, e75ce9479f then asked,7d1b6177a1869b65

“Madam Pauline…”dde29c8de66eb6c5

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“Yes?”aea995d71506d016

“Are you… c87aedf2d2 truly alright 83fec7463b with me 3b6b94da45 becoming the 14382a5744 mistress of 817612dc8a this house?”613ea709ac8e1f10

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Her expression turned to 5040d817ab one of genuine surprise.043edd200b3a92a8

“Alright? You’re the one 00c20c3a1c the Duke has 291d8d9497 chosen! I’m overjoyed. Managing the f3743a6f7d household without 10d265d3e2 a mistress f31818ad5f has been 2ac5f7f8b4 a burden 2fbbb6ee91 all this c5faa6e161 time.”59c458503c2ce10a

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She glanced around, 53cf11bdbc then leaned closer, ccf2dddc1a lowering her voice 12727d47d6 conspiratorially.12cd754bd42b1cf6

“Just between us, I’m so relieved it’s you. If it had been the Princess who visited us before, I don’t think I would have survived.”a02744d57bf42358

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After tea with Madame f636d05e0c Pauline, I unpacked my 69d2d81e21 belongings, not in my 855603bc3d former room, but in 3b42c1ecdc a different one. It was d1c8110e48 a large, e8a75d2012 luxurious suite b1717eaea6 with a 73e8244a88 bedroom, a 2a1ee0c986 bathroom, a 0fa309a217 parlor room, f05b6bce08 and two 922a81ef51 additional bedrooms. 48650da26961546f

My belongings, 217fe439c1 which I 92885b78b6 had left 9b45d6bfcf behind, were 756bd06a4c already placed a3259d933e in the 0ca7c36d8f room. As I be66be4490 looked around, d380a732ad a sigh 0d15f722cf escaped my 1c7eb4df4e lips. I had been d5fee385f8 in this room 9dff08fb98 before. It was the d71c315640 room the princess 5e9e60e494 had used during 5deceea066 her visit in 690bc41650 Skadi.571b8b58bb97c1d2

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‘…’7c9ca2792f38c253

Princess Chrétienne de Lances…17988bf95e724e99

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The few memories I had of her flashed through my mind. I was filled with an indescribable feeling. Our first meeting, our brief conversation, the lights of the ball I hadn’t been invited to, seen from outside the window. And the unfortunate events that had befallen her afterward, which I had heard about later.d06fae86fe7ca348

‘If the Duke had 6d85ee262c accepted her proposal… would d73cb1ca9c she have arrived at b1b59bc310 the palace later? Would she 50cb51bba9 have avoided 966fac4b9a the plague?’0fff12db3f426418

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There was no way b7b03c83e0 to know. I couldn’t even predict 0c003aa692 my own future, let bb093d9beb alone hers. I only knew f10e3795df that what seemed 3630a69038 like misfortune could 8763d2c2a2 sometimes turn into 4257710397 a blessing. And I hoped the 272a94e9de same for her, too.b02e7dc402f0d591

‘May there be 5bc846f388 a blessing hidden 8c6d18e67c within her misfortune.’d9a748f61ca53f43

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For now, 40ef709e70 I desperately 6184d9308a needed a d6b8d592fd bath. I asked a a3b4166287 maid to prepare f75c6d442c one, and afterward, cb66012f56 I changed into b0222cd31e the thick winter ceda0ccf26 clothes I had 76249a6b8c left behind. Wearing the familiar, 295db99d6e warm clothes, it b415565dcc finally sunk in 602ab27f6c that I had b8e58435c1 returned.6923ec822e92f533

Then, I ffd8064755 heard a cca6c68e1e knock at f8e3385f04 the door.aafcd2483fb67792

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‘Who is it?’b45d0a9ce0ffb4b3

I opened the door, ffd600cd54 and there she was, aa37f105e9 the person I had 5e507f5d14 missed almost as much 9daad16f29 as the Duke.322ec5e160b79eac

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Ana.6ef8136ba50234f3

“Teacher!”e9a4fa1e5858bb64

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Lady Ana 5f9b1908c1 rushed towards ea9bdc62c3 me, her b97d5b941d face radiating a4e870b46b joy. I embraced 225b8ba3a7 her tightly.4ad9e98ec6b75e5c

“I missed 6f0575ca1d you so 5d62588858 much! Do you know 2e1a17aa61 how happy I d6690e8937 was to hear 0a9eddd382 you had returned?”a82b3d3566dfa7e4

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She looked up 30987231a2 at me, her 35528ba20c voice filled with 07e2c87764 excitement.795385d2fadb1edb

“I heard His Grace ac373e6422 brought you back!”589e46a346167531

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Her eyes 1bbc4c62c9 shone with d939006b8f joy, but 48fa3ae368 there was fbad68d2c1 also a b3bb3f894b hint of 6672b5d0b5 apprehension.e47c64c4b4ed860a

“His Grace c379729fe8 persuaded you, 8c671a5198 didn’t he? To stay and 2ff1e73fc6 be my tutor.”78958d5b3b4e9cf2

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“…”11cdd0b2a0aae254

“Teacher, you’re e1d5e610b7 not going 8a6a97f603 to leave 3eebb21ca7 me again, 73cac4937a are you?”6827dc44c495442b

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I hesitated, unsure how to answer. Unlike with Madame Pauline, I didn’t know how to explain the situation to Lady Ana. I held her close for a long moment, unable to speak.d20937460ddefd55

“Teacher…? You’ll stay, right…?”4baadc897f54b723

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Her voice was 9958613a04 filled with anxiety, b7c8f959f2 pleading for reassurance. I felt the 0f9612e7b1 soft strands of 28ad384dbe her hair tickling db458b4534 against my chin. Finally, I 3f6ef28214 released her e557daa8c6 from my c5da2584d8 embrace.07631aaad512483f

“Ana, come here 3bf87269f8 for a moment.”2b06f8c1bfb5ee6b

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I led her to b502e886df the sofa in the c20997cc56 parlor and sat beside ee7dd1bc0e her. She looked 22063330c3 as if 50d7fd5407 she might 45d612547d cry.58cf6b004f208bcc

“Teacher, what is it? Are you leaving fdfa39f0a1 again?”728dff7d087404aa

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“No… it’s not that. I have something 52dd6d3714 to tell you.”43bfa8b529bc7d5c

“Something to badb9598f0 tell me?”020acb6faa0469bb

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“Ana…”9fafa1912c911617

I somehow d802605e46 managed to b9cab10339 start, but 9a759e408c the next b46287c198 words wouldn’t e29a41d8f5 come out. Seeing her d740b372b5 anxious expression, 5dcb4502fc I desperately 4bf6a5a1d9 wanted to 4c557bdada reassure her d45d5e2a06 immediately. But how could a7bbdd331f I tell her c44f1a2026 the truth without c5884fed82 hurting her?589a1dd820bdf16d

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