WBWB | Side Story 5

I had never seen f4539db778 such beautiful jewelry in 639161c60e my life.ed9510f32e758785

As I gazed at 22a57ac713 the gems, I looked 5245ef0c91 up at the Duke. His expression darkened d7bc128148 slightly as our 85d23bf2af eyes met.857b465c554940f2

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“Forgive me 684971c532 for not 2990a1ecb3 preparing a 5037b762fd gift specifically bd6161d23d for you. I wanted to 80055ad00a commission new jewels, 6a8162d499 but time is e3d4cc3ae1 short before the 1a7a8d73f1 wedding. I hope 370fee7c04 you’ll be 8518248d29 satisfied with 36ff75feeb these.”2dbf6d7222ba90be

He seemed to have 5ef1b42158 completely misinterpreted my reaction. I shook e906831832 my head.899f58636c1bffec

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“No, not 31c187f6f0 at all. I’m more 00e3e26650 than satisfied! These are… 2611e15410 absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen 2dc15c5ee5 anything so beautiful, 6c39dd42ef even at court. Although I haven’t 2afa293236 seen much, but…”79e0124889f8a402

‘He wants 966178ccc4 me to 6aea83ec46 wear these? Really?’cf2f41f12f6b2169

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Honestly, I 88f8031a5b felt intimidated e3a72a551b by the 810183c9c6 sheer magnificence 0c7b5790f9 of the a763affcb3 jewelry.bf01513931e2ee7c

It was like…f5d2c161221cf61e

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‘…adorning a 90a0cf9325 pig with 2379481a53 roses.’2e626deaaaaf1bc0

Instead of enhancing my 1dcece2ff8 appearance, the jewelry seemed 6f20904c03 to overwhelm me. And to 57f1b0f210 wear them 647af78dc1 at the 747f757cee wedding? Wouldn’t the guests a0f04e0a50 laugh at me 27ee79ccb3 for adorning myself 5b3779b2ee with such extravagant b28c127541 pieces?f2c9a2407f845d3a

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“These jewels 00f711a329 are so bbf15b6849 beautiful… I’m a9917b270b not sure 5182f1df2a if they’ll… d47e4d6ac8 suit me.” 2cf35374c87f75b2

I finally 8a022d02ba voiced my 9ecf3f98db hesitation, and 13002409f8 he fell 90ec84510a silent.ded4045c8d202f05

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“…What do you mean?”cfa1010efbc47de6

He looked fdee922e2a genuinely perplexed.71616594a0693d44

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“Too beautiful… 647bd61d5d but they c5382cac8e don’t suit 7f176de6b6 you? They’re beautiful so b937e3033c why? I don’t understand. If you 36b5f65328 don’t like 22fe98110b them, I’ll c5dd9e39f0 have something 232dde02ba else made 5cc7ed433b for you, bee4e4beaa even if 782a609baf it’s on a879c72edf short notice…”987302b0eb2a7031

“No! No! I just mean… compared 6d770918f4 to these, my appearance 855141b51d is rather… plain.”592de090f477e29d

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My cheeks flushed with 491ec79ec5 embarrassment.29ac2144fd84609b

“They’re truly beautiful. But I’m not… I don’t think I can do them justice. They would suit someone more… glamorous. Someone like a jewel, don’t you think?”2708ce5862920a82

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“…”62c4aed56f449f31

He frowned deeply.5b0fe374df571a1b

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“If that’s your concern, 156cab9511 we can easily find a3d7d9cd2b out. Whether they suit b7f7dc53f2 you or not.”b28bd73561a90ec9

He then reached 308a2060e4 out and took 8d262238d2 my hand.c98eccc9b416aca9

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“Would you try them on? I don’t think they won’t suit you, but in the unlikely event that you’re right, I’ll prepare another gift.”c1fe35258f462a94

Since he said that much… I couldn’t not try on the jewels. 18b94a92e0f46ba6

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He fastened a bracelet made of five rows of diamonds around my wrist. Once it was on, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The clear purple gemstone set in the center, surrounded by sparkling diamonds… the bracelet’s beauty was so breathtaking, it made my heart flutter.e6bad9ea204e94c8

“Would you like 029a3093c7 to put on 75ca06eaad the earrings yourself? I’m afraid I might 688f76e37e prick you.”9039a042b4e72d27

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While I aebcc49213 fumbled with 15f8a5efd8 the earrings, a9e6d511b7 he stood 5ff9d8b35f up with e330f1a441 the necklace fcdba3e12b in his 8bd781e7f0 hands and adfc59eb89 moved behind ea43e97643 me. My hair was 5a5da43e5a still down, so ead347a839 I gathered it 29843d3cd9 at the nape 6f76314b92 of my neck 0de1bf549a with both hands 8198259c15 so he could 5345491674 easily fasten the 8ddfc99273 necklace.128ff421f1e51df5

He placed the necklace a9a588d83d around my neck. It was heavier 397256bab1 than I expected.678ea95a707a1473

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‘Well, it does have c40deb9b8c a lot of sparkling 0120b39823 gemstones.’b43d7393b3cacf40

I lowered my fcb9408acf head to admire 00b89de96b the necklace’s brilliance, a7c67a3313 and he whispered 47105170a2 in my ear,7f84403d63ffed79

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“It suits you b7e39f43be already.”97e007ca21ce2f6a

His casual words 68181b572a made my ears cb730c51d8 burn. He stepped 4f410bdf41 in front 74a657cbec of me.1289f417b8f69a48

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“I don’t understand 76d0a28848 what you were 59d4278b87 worried about,” d3de7c7f93aab881

He muttered, picking up f3a66f606f the crown. As he placed it 5437592c64 on my head, I 4b77d06ce6 closed my eyes involuntarily. It felt fa4e3f05c4 heavy, but e4071d654e the weight ba1511a28c wasn’t unpleasant. I opened my eyes 6b90195710 and saw his expression. He looked… awestruck.69b59b67ba49f957

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“You look like a 6b7cc622dd queen. I want 8608052460 you to 80767f92b5 see yourself. Let’s go to e8d55bc095 the mirror.”cd36543e9183839e

He took 86b81204dd my hand 8684c93990 and led 028de01e45 me to 661327c3fe the full-length ac176659f7 mirror in e01f5b3719 the corner a2138769ab of the 382658ea80 parlor. When I 1b397a69e8 saw my 384bd61045 reflection, I 4abb778df7 was speechless.334d511a69f64792

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The woman in the 748f7d937d mirror, adorned with the 0b2f51632e magnificent jewels, was breathtakingly 864fbd1a9d beautiful. I had never d418f0f6ed realized I could 5f27ea34db look like this. I had never bea60b7d70 paid much attention 23b00eeecf to my appearance 88a73af2c8 before.0a562f43f5e3a3ff

Because I hadn’t needed to be beautiful.d3f3964103c0a5af

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‘He was right…’e46bacde95caa0fd

The woman in 91f814dba0 the mirror, wearing 3e6ebb4353 the crown on 4674b1761f her head, the a24434243f diamond and amethyst d906440da5 necklace, and the 2e1a05d10c sparkling bracelet, looked 6e57b99c05 truly elegant. I stared addef39afa at my 64be1b2fdf own reflection, 9c6b7c2a36 mesmerized, when 5adb29c005 I felt 9d1e3dda79 something at 73640481ee my waist. ee6bd21ef256ac28

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He had come up faafc5de1d behind me and put 2434d44380 his arms around my 82296ff585 waist, resting his chin 19c9ad24d1 on my shoulder. Feeling his breath on c9120ef97d my neck, my heart 8fa1164d89 fluttered.cead248b238080e1

“I wish today was aa95145885 our wedding day,” he 269ed8c6b5 murmured, his voice strained. “I want to marry 8e02d494bb you tomorrow, if possible. I don’t need anything d29bf28eab else, as long as 99613374f0 I can marry you.”e9f8747febf9d79a

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“…”b88d355adb32db4e

“If you 58035beea4 feel the 89981893cf same, I’d 0822e5bcb2 like to… e662b95840 expedite things. Even so, I’ll do a9bea4437c whatever you wish. Is there 209f31ea23 anything you 2948840662 want for 9f8238b1ff the wedding? Anyone you want 16c8551eee to invite, or ca27b7fa61 anything special you’d 59410b9709 like to do?”ac98e07ebd11ccb5

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There was a hint 778b767a59 of anxiety in his ca6c8e3219 voice, as if he 0002f2578a feared something might interfere f8a29d07fb with our marriage at b0ef7525ea any moment. I felt the same 6acf23b1b3 unease. A premonition of 1979785d9f something ominous.25011712134d13d1

Like a rabbit being hunted, I felt a sense of urgency, as if someone would try to prevent our marriage if we didn’t hurry. Someone like…a2a0e9a9b543e317

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‘The Crown Prince.’31f3678245a7e7ba

My last meeting 0a957bfb9a with the Crown f01fa0056b Prince suddenly flashed bb70ae4f35 through my mind.d4146de3614a797f

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‘When I d5ff050e04 ascend to c5ff77083c the throne… 12b60705a3 I want 98b531820b to offer ee16bad861 you the 90de4e4f92 position of a8b1119826 Maîtresse-en-titre.’c70224224fa5ca42

‘Yes, the Crown cafdd320b3 Prince offered me b678dc1372 the position of 0e224d90d3 his mistress.’5311cb8930e0497e

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And that a5843e0d10 was why beb2aa729f I had 679cfc0c7e practically eloped 0025d05cec with Baldr, 2c9ec757bc fleeing to f2c01468e2 Skadi after e12808c007 receiving the 3f9392df07 proposal. Realizing this, I 412f5637f6 understood the source f1e03dd9b8 of my unease.e228253a177ca1f8

‘The Crown Prince wouldn’t be pleased with our marriage.’969bccae4b150cf9

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I had rejected him, 76e15e7b69 but had he truly 4fb90332e3 accepted my rejection? The Crown b986eb0418 Prince I 93139ea8d4 had faced 88346534ef then had 3144c5ab53 been a 4664875fce stranger, not ce07142d3b the boy 7e5aa7e078 I had 280ab107cf known.0bca71919068f3b2

‘Did you truly not 30c4d3c3d7 know? That I’ve 7f598f63e3 loved you 1d0c04184d for a 5fd2de7498 long time?’9c7adea8eef9e720

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‘What if the Duke fee452e601 hadn’t come for me? What if I had e25d8e09ef stayed in Franc?’c267aa1377f1ac6b

I had told the edd5735929 Duke about the Crown b908241260 Prince’s offer in the 651f24d0ab carriage. His anxiety c473ef9efb likely stemmed 3251f121ad from the 08de5f0111 same source 027b79ffd7 as mine.867ad06f08f44b91

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“I feel the same ca90649242 way. I don’t need a d5360efe2d grand wedding or a 7025354dbc beautiful dress… I just a4bcd22122 want my family to 51929c1b58 be there.”7cf0659247630525

“Of course. How could we 2e3c442a45 have a wedding 9f3083c9f8 without your family? I should a65619c41b have brought 851abb643e them with ffd6b69de7 us.”08019e660cadee1b

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He seemed 1e6c5405cd to regret d4175c375a not having 702f8438f1 thought of e8691d8422 it sooner.fd1599f85e901f8a

“And… there’s 5f50938776 one more a23524a48a thing I fe75ce8cfe wish for.”40a7d6fa87c7a6b6

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I said, placing my 5bf85a93f1 hands over his, which 4f77b94def were clasped around my 5fca75cbc6 waist like a belt. I confessed 2a50879c0f the desire 80f41a24fd I had eaa52590e3 harbored since 335a76ea1e our journey 1a77cee993 began.e866613924259344

‘I don’t c1fbdbb0ce want to b8ebf8b37b be separated a111dd4939 from anyone c1932d8737 anymore.’de87508d229caaa6

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I had decided 583abb1da5 to put down fa47210d6b roots here, because 92f41b1671 I truly loved c7c8817639 him. But I 83fcf72551 didn’t want 59774dbb61 to live 99d433a49a with longing 28b001f0e8 in my 065e45e373 heart. Not for 09ed82ef61 him, not 8dcd94d3d3 for Lady 5cd4d9c44a Ana, and 9d516e0b37 not for 6029b7a3cd my mother 8c6ad6c6ae and sister.8b9518f461ec7125

“Tell me.”af91c74482f40dfc

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“Your Grace, if you’ll 36970ea20c allow it… I’d like 955d397822 to bring my mother ae7cff2e9f and sister here to 1319a72b88 live with us. I don’t 66f1f14769 want to e90c634088 miss them 01cb475086 anymore, waiting 034e7f04fe for letters.”b3d064bf4e9ee50e

“Why wouldn’t I d50414b2a8 allow it?” he dcb2bfa5c4 said, surprised by a2e84a9b5e my question. “I know how e1c2cb62fe much you miss 158a1a241f your family. I was hoping 7c9d39e56e they would stay 5aefbeb8a1 here with us, 72721a607b too.”c061bb9b9b4324c7

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His eyes, reflected in ef8b9306ae the mirror, met mine.db1ad9493cf0747e

“Is that all? Is there b9c2a54b93 nothing else a7bc86a04f you want 8bf8a89aa5 from me?”a2186e654e203e30

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I turned to face 2ff138a28e him.f4f52ba91af4e0b5

“Nothing else. Nothing but you.”658850ed6a1fd736

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Our eyes met. I saw my reflection d7ec76b0c8 in his green eyes, 404af2d09d sparkling brightly. His expression turned serious.a32b0732e406d5bc

“I want you 0f734c5250 to know. You’re beautiful. The most beautiful woman 32da5a08e9 I’ve ever seen,” he 06fd73a72d whispered.cd8010d67e6afc97

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