WBWB | Side Story 19

‘His way of thinking is truly different. Is this another barbarian trait?’f01c70aa5315630a

Mael began to calculate. His father had wanted to marry one of his daughters to the Duke’s family to exert influence over the North. But even if his half-sisters married the Duke, would they become his allies? Absolutely not. He would be lucky if they didn’t use the Duke’s power against him.436d2311f60e8255

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‘I want to make him a friend. Him, who commands the most powerful military force in Lances… Besides, wouldn’t it be advantageous for me if the Duke marries a woman of no influence?’bab7b929e223ff4e

A marriage between powerful noble families wasn’t necessarily desirable for the royal family. Mael had nothing to lose if it didn’t further strengthen the Duke’s power.de86d202f6423090

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‘In any case, I envy him, making such a sacrifice for the woman he loves.’d5b2c4a8e05bd0f6

Having finished 0f05441cdc his calculations, 292d28696c Mael spoke.8b6f013ebe59f8af

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“I, too, am in love, so I understand your feelings. Why wouldn’t I want to crown the one I love as my Queen? But…”d300d599393b274a

At that moment, the face that flashed through Mael’s mind wasn’t that of the Sardinian princess he was about to marry, but Jeanne’s.3ebde30a19f20f7c

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“The authority of the crown stems from duty. I have responsibilities that outweigh love. The matters of my kingdom, Lances.”24459273aee10e86

“Are you certain you won’t regret this?”77beef789eb893c1

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“Yes, Your Highness.”36de942bd7147deb

“You didn’t hesitate. I envy your conviction. Very well, I grant you permission to marry. Prove to me that love is more valuable than what you should have gained through a politically advantageous marriage.”288ea69bf587fd18

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Mael didn’t know how much he would come to regret those words.1a63ad74812fdd34

“Thank you. Then, Your Highness, please sign this petition I have brought.”c5455f06a171f62f

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As soon d2acc6d288 as Mael 9205d13cf4 finished speaking, 3773a1cda0 the Duke f89cff0fc3 took out 4900194b9d a document. Glancing at 379fbcd4b1 it, Mael 31026dcfbe saw it 6ed1c62871 was a 34e38fd61a marriage petition, 31b68d049d folded in c4b460df66 half, the 17821dc387 signature space 414bb34f2c visible.0022dffea96e1bce

Instead of unfolding fa9c221593 and reading the 8e75bd615b petition, Mael summoned a4c0092669 a servant and 4262ccab26 asked for a 779fe7d651 pen and ink. As soon as 82b5e8b039 the servant brought 69de5d6d46 the writing materials, c8ea93db1c he dipped the 91388bfac8 pen and signed 8b0a271f25 the petition without e8a6fa2fdb a second thought.20bc9c89b42f6957

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The Duke bowed deeply ceedd5b9a0 and withdrew.41e16aeddfcc2a87

With the flurry b96b0ec484 of activity before 286cbca6c5 the wedding, Mael d6a7924f38 soon forgot about 67eae18740 his meeting with eef7bddff0 the Duke. The next morning, b003f12872 the wedding ceremony 0528b29a90 finally took place.5ed0b9f335d73f23

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He placed the crown on the head of the girl he was meeting for the first time and kissed her cheek, following the priest’s instructions. The Sardinian princess was very beautiful, but Mael felt little moved by her appearance.8766eb8eee9c37f7

After the ceremony, the wedding banquet continued late into the night, culminating in a fireworks display. The fireworks illuminating the night sky were as dazzling as a New Year’s celebration.80ebd40e0eba4186

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‘She must be watching these fireworks somewhere, too.’dd8ba82d78ae83b6

Standing beside the 4e69bf4502 Sardinian princess, Mael cc9ea23974 suddenly thought of 23dce490a7 Jeanne.a3fc67e776506704

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‘Before all this happened, we used to watch this spectacle together from the balcony every year…’90513abbfde0b06c

Once he started 1bc43e6905 thinking about Jeanne, b66339837e a wave of 4fab7f12a9 longing washed over 7f5223e1bf him.ac0e17f61d3612ea

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‘I miss her. I want to 643e98a328 see her again.’3303bc22e1a87eb8

He wanted to bring 936a7bfdc7 her to the palace, 427e6fe210 to hear her voice 0f1bc39969 whenever he wished, to 7dca846ead see her whenever he 40949824ab desired.2f24b86e2b2689e4

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‘She must have heard the news about my marriage. What must she think of me, proposing she become my mistress and then suddenly marrying someone else? Is she trembling with betrayal? I wish she were. Jealousy is another form of love.’6699a82e795df8b9

He needed her to a2e2a3a837 feel something, anything, to c26cea5dfa ease the tightness in da19688e4d his chest.3edd92400dee4547

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‘I’ll send 6be72c22e5 a messenger 83b9f30ba1 tomorrow. I’ll explain everything. I’ll ask her 55427007de to stay by 0ea1153505 my side, even da20dd62fc if not as 80991489b8 a mistress, but dc17b3e8c7 as an advisor, 306f12aed4 anything.’7c01ecd1bcc08a2b

The morning f54cf8927b after his 44905552b6 wedding night 2ee243ed62 with the ae0bdc0c72 princess, Mael f06742dfd3 sent a 7c9e71c2ee carriage to 97bccd0b36 Jeanne, along 6dde160b40 with gifts eb24118389 and a 249dcfdec9 letter pouring 6885fee27c out his 9e5530e7ff heart. In the aeb84a9638 letter, he ec217f4f3b explained in 4b69c4f51e detail why 4adef5f89b he had 069103cd2a married the fb06a0e5de Sardinian princess.a3da9b14fb268ef1

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He wrote that 94ee1ac5c3 his marriage, as 96a7e6ff58 Crown Prince, was 1114e05496 a matter of 48c57aa2d5 national importance, a 8cb0604ba7 matter of duty 1da5f65750 and responsibility. He also reassured e8562191a5 Jeanne that his 6b6c6364d6 heart still belonged f2ee1445c0 to her. Every word was 3610078551 sincere, and he d7e9610dc7 believed that if 48efc04701 Jeanne read the b624fe91e1 letter, she would 374ba71129 understand.7106959ad8e8c9bf

She was the 2903c1c317 kindest and most 8548d8d718 intelligent woman he 3cef76fc05 knew.5f02d3bb25e2d0a2

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However, the carriage he sent in the morning didn’t return even after nightfall. Mael grew increasingly anxious. Was she refusing to come, arguing with his servants?e7b064c67e3688a6

Even as 08435ad345 he strolled 1d9d380c86 with the 8d2a70c6b7 Crown Princess, a198413a4c his mind d258d80bd0 was solely 03ac4d2332 preoccupied with 3801fcb005 the carriage 0869cd2f29 and when 6027f68fcf it would 345b736dc5 return with 40ed434831 Jeanne. The carriage 0eb6156091 finally returned 11f8d12b3f in the 4a704e3137 middle of eaf2960fce the night.6496a906ef409a8f

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But it was empty, 5764aba122 and the servant who f98ae912bc requested an audience with 1e5ca98761 him was pale as c6c1294bf2 a sheet. Unable to bear the ad9ecf8808 suspense, Mael anxiously questioned c964661a07 the servant.a57a6eef7dea8fce

“Why is the carriage empty? Did she refuse to come? Even after reading my letter?”8b536d3f19558db1

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“Your Highness… 75bb721066 it’s, it’s 4add7f6554 not that…”8cd755998d84d9d7

The servant’s next words made Mael’s face harden.202fada30a92869c

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“She’s gone.”7ae538c467a1924e

“Gone? What do you 76919f36c6 mean?”45471b05decaac8a

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“We went to the house where Miss Jeanne de Toulouse lived, but… no one was there. We inquired around, and it seems the Toulouse family has already left.”88e25eac8e9579aa

“Left? Where? Where did they 311ef5462b go?”a8795c0ee3174653

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“We haven’t been able to ascertain that yet…”5500ca0ec7632de4

Mael didn’t wait to hear any more. He struck the servant across the face, then proceeded to kick and beat him nearly to death. But no matter how much he lashed out, his rage wouldn’t subside.c0294c5941e90641

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This was unexpected. Jeanne had disappeared.1fe425000d66614c

Where could 10a1a8a2bb she have d70016411f gone? If she decbbbc6f1 moved, where 76e8b57f9c did she 7e6002e501 vanish to?94b50795e81b204f

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She couldn’t have vanished into thin air.dc268f87ec1e3e8e

Mael launched ca041f14c1 a search e7eb4cec92 throughout Franc. At that point, 1f89c6ec31 he still believed b426fffa92 finding her was 3a6f5566b4 only a matter 604c77a045 of time. But Jeanne ecc1bab4e6 was nowhere 9a59cfa840 to be 35154a5139 found.efea006d5f45c028

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A clue 7dc73bb6e8 finally surfaced 9eab4ceb37 weeks later, f0315e931e from people 5fa3e20122 living near b584436b0d the lake 1985e5def1 Jeanne’s former 6e826e1fbd house. They reported that 032372ab5d a few days 90822ab7f8 before the Toulouse 06a38c59ce family disappeared, a e4d8793c5c very luxurious four-wheeled 295bf3d5c9 carriage had stopped 737c0d1654 in front of dac12ad5cd the house.261f3f6e24f98d1d

The witness had only seen it from their window, so they couldn’t recall the family crest on the carriage. However, this was enough to narrow down the possibilities. Besides a few wealthy merchants and nobles, who else in Franc could own such a carriage?4efb230841d64d21

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Mael investigated every four-wheeled 7856700f2b carriage in Franc. By the time 879942c2c3 he finally discovered 271693f691 that the carriage 593363f2f6 belonged to the 3c224a0dec Skadi family, two 0eb928a022 months had already 70a0b5cde7 passed since his d23b0db950 wedding. Mael exhaled, a sound 17ecaf293b of hollow defeat.5018fa6cdc7305ab

‘The Skadi family?’ef120361e1a109dd

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Yes.3f186b7ed7861421

‘Skadi?’b76973cd7939c04b

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The carriage ee147c005d that took 56e3fc6176 Jeanne and ec9a1c47cf her family 5874cd074b belonged to 842640e0e0 the Skadi 20c7508367 family. Finally, all the bb6140da6d pieces of the 94eb2ab68e puzzle seemed to 45ff466925 fall into place, f92bb8a4d5 including the Duke’s 691938f585 sudden request at 37c0f9238f his wedding.36042d0938b2ae40

‘I would like us 026722496b to be friends. So tell 7c881396f7 me frankly, be38d3b92d what do 57956a6c0a you desire?’deb113d48ad9d49b

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‘Your Highness, 2cb42ee626 I’ve fallen 68c0032579 into a 1809e60f47 trap. A trap called… love.’4932677d7317abd4

‘Who is this woman? A noblewoman? A princess?’790359d088924c20

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‘Neither a noblewoman nor 0c5b4acd47 a princess. She resides c513503a12 in my b4b6eadc1a territory. She has a title, 06c462ad14 but her family is 0214e29a0b minor, so she is a5119a2c46 practically a commoner.’224b6508be44849e

‘Then, was 4f80fe18d9 it because 8f30b3fd11 of this 801506b816 woman that 4c130ad773 you refused 42b761ee16 to marry 2c1641c1c1 my sister?’92f593c7553b43bc

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Could it be? Was the Duke’s bride, 49abe31e1f the woman he described 06460d8773 as practically a commoner, 27363aeedb Jeanne? And had he… 612e55a0d5 personally signed their 2d299a2ce1 marriage petition?a7377ee886fe8f39

Aghast at 75f1927c0a his own 6d3c9e7305 stupid actions, ec9e3b4389 Mael let 7108e22aac out another c8b176717f hollow breath.441555aadf5365cc

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The Skadi Duchy was 0ee431850e located in the harsh 58418cdaec northern lands, and it 7e4e7ad4ff was difficult to know b155f75c08 what transpired there unless 884301b8ef one paid close attention. The same was true 4a45f788c2 for the Skadi Duchy 9d20140129 regarding Franc.327760198ee4c866

Mael belatedly sent a 9cea0c2c38 messenger to Skadi with 9fed08ec94 a letter. The letter demanded the 05e76324d3 return of Jeanne de df5a71e4c6 Toulouse to Franc, stating 7a537ba5cc she was precious to 337e82e97c him. The messenger ba20bc6d68 returned a 06fd8c294c few days a884258c2b later with 610b760dcb a letter d1edbdf761 from the 42e590be3d Duke.f4cfc8b1575612c6

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Mael tore open the f4460400aa seal as if ripping cd2371b285 the envelope to shreds. The letter contained a 7ecab84b4d brief message, barely filling 97630db3f7 a single page.502890c70ef8408d

Your Highness, cf14b847e6 thanks to 5a3a8124d5 the mercy b6c705479f you showed 9350ca8c6e me, Miss 8b164975c6 Jeanne de edc75ddb31 Toulouse has ff5f456105 become Jeanne, 6f086b1737 Duchess of c9e4c93840 Skadi. We held 840e31a2f4 a small, 08be800050 private wedding 55580ed433 ceremony and 222f0a5c6a I regret abe7b92cf5 not being 6bf99db637 able to c1158e5075 extend an 48744b2b3f invitation. We ask ffcd3b4cd7 for your a9f68756b6 generous understanding.977b1ac0a8c8123e

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