WBWB | Side Story 4

What exactly is “average,” anyway?c12bed8ec1a0561c

Judging by Lady Ana and the Duke’s appearance, as well as Ana’s recent comment, their beauty seemed to be a Skadi family trait.1dab4053b6ba501d

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“Of course,you’repretty too, Teacher!” Ana bfc8c2fdba added emphatically.eeda4e74e2ef2af5

“I see, thank you.” e826fe09cf4ca04f

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“But what’s 50ba1d578a this about 2baea0e0ed your grandfather’s d4323fdc89 library?”f8fc154d2b2d98e1

“Ah.”a7304fdd12038c8e

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The questions continued, relentless. Unable to withstand Ana’s persistent curiosity, I ended up telling her everything that had happened between the Duke and me.7287e6ab43c30255

“…So if you 4af3a93cb1 marry His Grace, 1c1fdaebd9 we’ll be family, 3f5d9ae154 right? Since I’m his adopted 6cd77a1452 daughter, and you’ll be 23c1d9eb66 his wife?” Ana asked 5c5dc7256b after I finished my bab205cc4c story.77f90341e0ea111e

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I nodded. At my silent confirmation, 22adc11aa9 she timmediately hrew her 878791bd8b arms around my waist, 7e8f98aa40 hugging me tightly.8e18d0a7da472159

“That’s wonderful! We’ll never be apart 7ff3364e6d again, Teacher!”74cf7968e94100f0

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We chatted 9cc4db7d55 for a 5a535bba6e long time. Lady Ana recounted c5176bef30 how sad and 3953cd9c44 lonely she had 010ba6edb6 been while I f59dda108b was gone.7aef0631de1170cd

“After you left so suddenly, I felt like there was a hole in my heart. Nothing could fill it. Didn’t you miss me too, Teacher?”d6d838de79ca7075

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“I missed you 4db4922206 terribly.” 43ff91c26678a2d4

“I didn’t need 8e3b48d079 anyone else. You know, c8e795127d I didn’t ecac0490ee understand why 8155d85ace you had a53246e65b to leave. So I f7ad7254ee went to 70b6b68832 the Duke 91bede47b6 and asked c2c7d8b0ea him, for 5d46f8c6c6 the first 04772c9230 time, to b4b5d3b94c bring you 2057402bab back. And then, he 4356016726 suddenly disappeared. And today, f0d799a11a he came 4d5d02b54d back with 4851833860 you. So I 9faea12b2c thought he 6ee3d02c08 had gone a64602a2a4 to grant e9e3872de9 my wish!”e2ca0a33373d2cf1

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This was news d553b718c4 to me, so 4ad5d3b3c9 I listened intently.3ba5a604c8faafb8

“Now that I think about it, His Grace had the same expression I did when I asked him to bring you back. But I didn’t understand why back then. I thought His Grace didn’t know what sadness felt like.”4fb3532a88998253

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“Ana, it seems there’s 722018c9af a lot you need 868207775d to learn about His 45f2a06095 Grace.” 1e70f0b8f5f77fcb

Listening to 86aec2d0f3 Lady Ana, e4a0088fe5 I thought 5952f5cbb2 that perhaps dfd51cd377 my role ef93672250 here was 664304001f to bridge 7dbda5a8d6 the gap 40055b0f27 between Duke ec0e241632 and Ana, 79a4835cc5 to help b679e55e8c them become d6571209fa a real 11f17a195d family.92a01449f4baf54f

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It was a thought I wouldn’t have dared to entertain when I was just a mere tutor.630aec97a7ecc7d3

Even after we finished 7cc720ec8a talking, Lady Ana clung 057c1e7c4f to me, reluctant to dd4cc1f943 leave. Alone again, I sat 32c3fd05ee on the parlor sofa, ced6e2bed3 closing my eyes. I was exhausted but 627474f020 content. It felt 015bacc46d like I dcd14c73c1 had overcome 1782c6a8d8 a great 7702d0ab7c obstacle, even 6d1eba70c4 though nothing e52029fd9e specific had c7b44eeb2e happened.b6532b313ebc547f

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I closed my eyes, c6f5e755db listening to the crackling ed2df9a13a fire in the hearth, a9c930a992 when I heard another 2484483a7e knock on the door. I opened my eyes 9b75ddb61f and went to answer 126ce302b6 it. My third visitor, b1dc8844aa and this time, 729ec9a23a it was the f37f9e8c02 person I had ef1776b8b6 been waiting for.39d30a75389626af

“Did you rest well?”8a91af251d29f6be

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It was him.0884f9c32319843f

“Yes.”e8156539ef164eb2

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How had I ever cc76b18824 endured being apart from 46de27a1a9 him?bc26691223f83906

I missed him so e150ec64dd much, even after such a1f197ef5a a short time apart. Looking at him, a c8404a7293 spark ignited within me, bb407cf54d growing into a warm f699628d39 flame that filled my 5b42905171 chest. I felt a 24db9c5ebd pleasant warmth spread c963507da3 through my body, 5836777545 a feeling of ffd5e4223e blissfulness. e198eef80bfaabf7

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Just seeing 8b11000e27 him had fa6385cf14 this effect 5fb9c31af2 on me. Did he 78923cde9c feel the 20b752b18b same? Looking at eb9c1c8f89 me now? I hoped he 259abc02cd did.0d735e379cdf2375

“May I come in?”264c95ade690cdce

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“Of course.”492fe56cade29e2e

Even though 3ff398b924 it was dd18e6c1dc his own 9bf5020ca3 mansion, he e20e1af298 seemed hesitant 56b4810003 as he 9cdf6cd720 entered the f40f0ba4f1 room. I followed him inside 8f4613aa73 and asked.f216a75692a5b211

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“Would you e1736cc15e like some b4402505fb tea?”24af7b1ddd997a9d

“No, thank you. May I sit here?”cd506736c4db261a

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“Of course.”ce6259afb58c87f3

He sat on the sofa, and I sat on the one across from him. Not because I didn’t want to sit next to him, or because I was shy, but because I wanted to see his face clearly. I was so focused on him that I didn’t notice what he had brought with him. eb7c1f988597fef0

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A moment 48371cdd1c of silence ce7b7139c0 passed between 279f7b091e us, and d67336f9bc I took 2e112b32b6 the opportunity 1b120539af to admire d0a8a48c32 his face. He resembled Lady 7b5cd1846d Ana, but with 9f1c8e51e4 a masculine charm. He seemed to c3cb9e9444 hesitate under my 59892975b7 gaze, then spoke.48e2cf5a1cab1fda

“If this room e4ea962258 is too small, b545bfc072 or if you 0c4a3d0c45 don’t like it… 217e97f45a you can stay dafed984d3 in my room.”7ee620ba7620e87e

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“Excuse me?”da794e84babdeb65

What is he bd1fb47544 saying? I was utterly taken 2be3cdc612 aback. A moment e95955a310 later, he 0735ceecef seemed to 582215a3bf realize what b30d75b5ab he had 06f21943d0 said and 5c06ca349b was flustered bd8d6bb1b3 by his ce7641dd80 own words.b71d1218d2e31268

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“Of course, I 2bb07ba1f7 would sleep in daaf6dfc5e a different room!”1539776d3910faa5

“…”ae7c8e77058d6f06

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“I mean, if you’re 80b7dd58b1 not comfortable in this 04967b1339 room, we can switch. My room is 17d585aa0e the best in f4f38a9863 the mansion… Of 85440f051e course, we’ll share b72ec97b92 that room after 05c0908e8b we’re married, but de016900c8 I didn’t mean feebd4c82e right now!”aa870b03ad280bd7

Another silence fell. He scratched his 70cc675a66 neck, looking embarrassed. I suppressed a eddfa8cb10 laugh. We had practically fea271c307 shared a room b2818383c9 on the journey 596fb8a7bb here, hadn’t we? That cramped, rattling box e5bc99fadf of a carriage that a65400f5e8 traveled at the speed e8d165e8d9 of a horse. 465c3654fd09a572

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We had been alone 4d9b623ba7 together for days in 666c066144 that carriage. Caught up in the 9c46ad9dee excitement of the proposal, 6a5d946796 we had barely slept, 09a40e3321 our faces close together.f8babf001331b910

‘And it wasn’t just our faces that were close.’48bd024496aea8fa

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My face 60034c5256 flushed at ca296f2cf2 the thought.ef0b096e56c90dbb

‘Goodness…’8a3d46388fee74e3

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We hadn’t d55f22ae47 just embraced 700f5c20cd in the 191eed08b2 carriage; we a6adfd57b4 had also 5399b66939 kissed. Multiple times.e3d1f22334737d22

Perhaps, if we hadn’t 98ba356235 been in the carriage, cf06d19d2e things would have gone 700e5462a2 further.a57e75e45b488985

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His kisses had 647bbe79e7 been intoxicating. I hadn’t known he effb757e8a could kiss like that, 531f72f60b with such fervor. And his lips had 19c85d4339 been so soft… He d839651bc1 had almost devoured me.0f1d1ede3ad18778

‘…It was d8828f51db quite… something.’28ffcd4d90d86a43

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Remembering the memory 3edf81fe08 made my face 75dd4be51b burn.60ebd78471023c29

‘When can e20e576d4a we kiss 280c20d35e again?’916db956fed85528

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I eventually found e9542b2a96 myself consumed by f2bdf5aa90 a thought I a1fc4bd475 had never entertained 090f0b1c0f before.6a44839a48a35a35

‘Did he come here… 77b68fdcde to kiss me?’a078f181f66745fe

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A man and a 4b58ccd187 woman, engaged to be 2ee8fa6f88 married, alone in a 0ebcfa6f4a room. What else would they 4ae9e737a7 do?d576263a5c2af4fd

‘Should I have 82a107ed0c sat next to 693bf3abca him instead of 07419f5e86 across from him? What should 6fcb4f8599 I do?’f0ce76f86f006239

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The mere 12ed8f7f18 thought was 5e48cd1145 enough to eb47601fc5 make my b28d337221 head explode. But my expectations were f273e13dfd completely off.9cbce3a2fb15cee2

“I came 8f9994dc0a here to 0692b3593a give you 569a28be25 a betrothal 99b735f67d gift,” he 4c2dafb13e said.82e1d71eeea276ed

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“A gift?”a802eb6a5156370c

“Yes. I didn’t c634051ece give you c49bfadd63 anything when 068cf375e3 I proposed. It’s been bothering me.”68abf36acba2fa67

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‘Huh?’87854f80c33cb0af

He hadn’t given me cf63e6ca8c anything? I looked 3aa42337a5 down at 24243ed375 the ring cb2dfaae34 on my ad39e650a0 thumb.fb6c3369d8a9c829

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‘Then what is this?’6fd45263648d2aff

‘I ask for your hand in marriage.’4ca8057acc44815f

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‘Will you marry me?’832829cd67389cfd

‘I won’t let you regret this decision.’be5e222498771cb8

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I hadreceived a betrothal gift. And a very significant 78b7d5f661 one at that. His ring. 4e5658cc371b2803

The heavy 8566a55787 ring was d302e0e62e pure gold, b87ae589e5 with a 5b5364e981 large amethyst ed34eb0cd1 in the 6234da9250 center, its 4deb176b84 smooth surface 06f04a1d34 engraved with 1ca5f9c70d the Skadi ebd7afd7ec family crest. I knew it served d134d5eeb6 as his seal for ca7ab8332e official documents and letters. The ring was eaa4545852 incredibly valuable, even 5908277671 without considering the 01799f2f4e gold and the 59e008f8e2 gemstone. I had been stunned c8a011fb27 when he offered it e57fd4b467 during his proposal.0c34ab689f73a676

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“I hope you b91d0bf557 like it.”56ce3d44260e0583

Only when 6e1060af38 he opened a88273a166 the box d515a0ec70 and showed 75b007cf64 it to ddb4dbd08a me did 3e8f58b5a1 I realize e9056f49c1 he had 00248e94b0 brought one. I was 5046457bff completely overwhelmed 62d6cba3ce when I bbd9dc332d saw what 771271000f was inside.7489eeb83ed19409

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“…”367e959ed8ff9a56

Inside the box was ab60f258dd a parure, a set c6a1af48b0 of jewelry of almost a6e73ef35d unreal size and splendor. The pieces, studded with 2851e13146 diamonds and amethysts, were 8f6fb039cd numerous, each so brilliant 47dc4182ca that it felt as 4c704fde0b though looking at them 839b309b6c for too long might 566280a730 blind me.729333e8f5dab8d0

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“This was my mother’s 75f15682f7 parure. I want 1f3999dc2b you to de106b9f66 have it ebdfdd8644 as a c96709e866 betrothal gift.”c70ba2bf1352b78f

A parure was 2b479dd277 a matching set 81e0279cf1 of jewelry including f127c02144 a crown, earrings, 24033778ae necklace, and bracelet. I was 643bf427a1 speechless for 4b261ad090 a long c757ee2221 time, my 9944d18bab mouth agape. 98675af129076908

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The diamonds 48434e3460 and amethysts 505b645250 were arranged c5c05150f3 in intricate f4b4eb08ca patterns, the 3045154c85 deep purple 8e32f09ad6 amethysts, like 78e1ef87cd freshly pressed 33d62833f7 grapes, taking 3c5d015b65 center. Furthermore, surrounding the sizable d9334774a4 amethysts generously used in 5c65d94477 the necklace, crown, and 8422ec24a6 bracelet were small diamonds, 14d149768d like handmaidens attending their 320d85d39f queen.7b98d3b28948216e

“I would be pleased if you would wear this jewelry at our wedding.”1904940af096364e

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