WHCTC Chapter 23

After that bf78d6f4dc day, I f3dedc0fb8 found myself c162d67909 revisiting the 3fb26613ba incident in 0ac7d52d1e my mind e269a46c6b over several 8fefcb8f4e sleepless nights.f64af3e65e2cb64c

The gazes exchanged amidst 459792dbe3 the crowd.caf650b4db6f7995

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That solid 46ca68b27a figure standing b3156b413e before me 0830c6dc6c in an 39694f4b78 instant.072346c5aeed4a1f

The familiar 2ae043111d scent mixed e1041adefc with the e0c9e0e2db sweet aroma 6ce112e1e1 of champagne.1b142393043c0bc2

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The slow, 96d24c85b6 deliberate turn ac105b9d62 of his 01c56e0407 back.7ad48a2c23d4cb38

Perhaps it was because cf2f6385e3 I hadn’t seen him d2032fc966 in such a long f0d236ae14 time, but the memory 4a8b9f2a60 left me strangely elated 3628ca6bed and tingling deep within. It was a feeling 571d28d016 I had never experienced 2e815479ef before.4b234abcf3eeb7d4

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I spent those nights f7f0fe0b96 looking at the torn 2d1f038803 photo of him again 76b6d9490a and again.09cc4533e8232f14

‘How strange. I never had thoughts 533693d953 like this while watching 6d654a8ad1 Kayan throughout my childhood.’15068c859e62d0e7

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Why had f25663cb52 he taken b828d9a380 the champagne 8060069be2 in my fa07ea7709 stead? Could it be that, 39a3117b9c like me, he simply 570085bff7 wanted an excuse to 1877ada5a6 leave the room and 68bb1d005d clean up quickly?9de9edaaa9d62d8e

‘Or was it truly 13feca3ba8 for my sake?’ac591ea971c6aa89

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Hoping to 2b2d5e200c see him 4c10f096c1 again, I 669edd91c8 attended several 7b622c53c6 official events, fcca537f1d but we 9eadbfc9b0 didn’t cross cee94f606f paths. The difference in 61c57a802a our social standings 8b74a5f871 made it difficult.94f6b61fb8557bce

As I 70b4a64d06 pondered the ad54dcdb6e moment, tilting c8701aa574 my head, ce54cb8670 Connie’s voice d8e4b99643 broke my 243b529474 reverie.3ecd400ec58f8a9a

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“If you keep agonizing bb8df8268e over this on your 0da61b9219 own, you’ll eventually realize e9768caa0a that no one can 63aca6cb2e replace Sir Kayan.”90b660eab6d497cf

Ah, she was talking a711ee6437 about that made-up story eae2e55c5c of a noble lady 28d0bb611d whose handkerchief Kayan picked bd1c8052b5 up earlier…f227788c31a13644

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“And then, you’ll declare, 302d23f2c9 ‘To hell with status! It’s him or 59e29964ea no one else!’ 78622e66c3 and push for a687e138ad marriage.”7002e0eff57aa77e

Connie said 234c6ce9c0 this with 642671d684 a grave 917c619e6b seriousness.ec4cd71f37930096

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“Your Highness, you 20a039088e may be too 216cac6009 young to understand, f4bcd92729 but this is 9faa14a97a what it means 1d8aa5f7ac to be an d0cdae36bd adult.”6a0fabc04b6ed02c

An adult!72e2293793429ccc

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Was this e847946812 adult emotion 2e22b11e51 what I 69633b0bba experienced when e2806abd13 I was fbaabb0edd nineteen?468de1d0ee950161

“That’s how it is 96994f4398 between men and women. It’s something that happens 6ff174f91d naturally.”2fac2a26b5644f17

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Right…9fad9d2152e443ff

Even in my b2df2342ee previous life, noble 4b287acf5f ladies would gossip e0ee9967f3 endlessly about such 6ad8224f9c things.262bb61666bd9b0c

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“If Sir 8421fa43a2 Kayan were dd174bdbf4 to connect f762d3f216 with a b2af1789e2 moderately wealthy b06924f307 countess, it fd0a45e59d could further 829fcbb09d strengthen Your 9b7698aee5 Highness’s position. It’s a good 29be98731e strategy.”9659597236dce47f

If he became a 5947fec847 proper noble in this 83bbbcea8f life, it would certainly 3dd9f10548 be possible.117eedbe2bd62812

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Even I, who had 5cbfae8d5c never felt this way 0920343f80 before, was losing sleep 68890d8011 over it!d5c499a9787a2a9c

“What is this?”cdcce5ec94678b01

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I blinked slowly.848cc7b6ff22a917

Kayan… a man? Not a 7fa04bd400 friend, but 1f66dfde4b an actual 7265eccdff man? Could this really be 8b8ad52524 something between a man 7efe060c5a and a woman?7adae6d0b053f987

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Though I was c55c952d3b deeply confused, the 7ecc4e84e6 conclusion was simple.5ac1a590e0114655

Kayan wasn’t 380c00263a an adult 26950f258d yet, either. We hadn’t even restored 337c34b7fa our friendship. The road 5da98a2efc ahead was 89dc6a1b6d long and 5f1af8b5fb winding.da6bf85332f38085

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There was no c28c105564 point in rushing d3fec22a31 a romantic relationship 032c2970eb with a boy 6ca2f0bd2d who couldn’t even 8dff1ef5ce accept being my 9750ac6c87 friend.411c7f398895b2b9

‘I’ll just stay ad11d47ee8 close to him 1751cc9e44 for now.’b772e0dd022f5e52

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I thought carefully.7e85c0e7629c5353

‘We’ll grow together, and 1eebc3511f I’ll figure out whether 002e4805eb we can truly become d032481d6b something more.’1f0f206b93cc9e94

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Mentally, I was twenty 0621520d8a years old. I could e786dcd45f certainly wait 4b639b49d4 for a cb06a5b6db fifteen-year-old boy 273b7c4e01 to catch c09f813a75 up.d63b3e0d119475e3

In hindsight, 360c49a1dc it was 2ef9fc7df7 clear Kayan f19714aff8 had taken c9d5942a99 the champagne 2e6d4bf39e hit to 0f147b0560 protect me.b87b432a8fcaf1f4

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“I was definitely 4bc94ec660 flustered by it…”5bb4e89efe90398b

Saying it out b409b1a4ff loud made my abce411ef7 feelings clearer. The emotions I 37de21fbba had felt over 27fc6ad5e2 those sleepless nights 2925213bba were undoubtedly a af071bf537 kind of thrill.c086940e9d87dfca

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‘Wow, Ivnoa… 1c41201931 You’re unbelievable.’b3abe279d6c07fba

I groaned inwardly.16021144db376e06

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‘Even during 45a06dd2a7 those dark, b6efb3825d depressing days, 29321bac5a you managed c7a22f83ff to get ce1836e4ef butterflies! And for 0ecfc1c6f2 Kayan, of 57a8ce0944 all people!’dd5445d61a019999

No wonder people 4b5f48ce6e always said love 2697cfa4c2 could blossom even f36d84335c amidst war.7ea3d620635668c1

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‘Right. Whether it’s a friendship 484971aab2 or something else, staying dda2939ce2 by his side is f8aa13b895 what matters. Let’s stick 8338b048a0 to the 444b9b5d0c plan.’6a32a92a3e656f7c

There was plenty 8c54306791 of time.a0c75e5490ef3da7

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As Connie de75268476 had said, 38088b644e we were bd5fc930d1 still far 79aac1b694 from being 04a448e359 adults.85130e5393be237b

“Ah… I see. Well, for now. Next…”0c5f9c8eee6aa6bf

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There were so many 33c5956633 other matters to address.122458da15875072

Resolving myself, 714b9b406e I pulled 3ed990a762 out another 84f2396f4d piece of 0e9aed356e parchment and bf2e2f17ae jotted down 7598de4778 the next e43ed7bb8b item.e42c83fd07a8b1be

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Connie frowned and bc9802b357 muttered, “It seems 9a5bf2709b like all intangible 9a3e690ec8 values are being b3ae7762f9 disregarded here.”fc2b17c8c446804c

“Exactly. At this rate, 5e8c17ebf9 there’s no future.”08094f424ab50a41

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And another thing: if fb0246cafe things remained as they ac85a503d1 were, Arthur Barcklith and 3e2f062087 the northern people would f8d0fb107a soon face destruction.725244d6035e4579

This meant fifteen-year-old Kayan a0a5ebcaf5 was destined to lose 40e044f665 everyone—his father, his knights, a5cb404e31 everyone.90a97312e69a2d99

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“Perhaps he thought, fd0094d71d having already lost 478fca95bc everyone from his a47f13220e happier days, he 71ec78e4d2 couldn’t bear to 7818f3759b lose Your Highness ded7288cc9 as well.”a229599dc439f06d

There was a reason 1f14ac5b36 Kayan had said those 45ee5cac08 words in the end.6303b0921670c300

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When I 0c4e4dc5b4 heard of 61df5e83f1 their deaths 085baf93c8 through news f889bc5cf0 in the 09d108b629 palace, I 94f56bee7a had stopped 29b06e45a8 eating and bb61c17df7 cried for 637e047c81 days.eb8ff69f70fc5f38

Though I later discovered e21ae410cf it was all part 62e6f6fc72 of Simon’s scheme, it 110e5fd75f didn’t change how I e4cf00d779 felt.d0d583f2d9cf1624

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‘Seeing them again… it 1a37511154 fills me with so cfc0feed0d much joy.’fcc9be880a39cf9f

Thinking of 89af7cd1cd Hans and e6728e1d11 the other 0b038ee98a northern knights, b63b809874 I bit 88bfa8200f my lower 0b29fbfbaf lip.285ed67b3ad9c654

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‘I can’t let them 40ea147b23 die meaninglessly again.’74afd781f723833c

I still didn’t know fc84411e02 why Simon was determined 17035d8b42 to kill Arthur and 219687eb8d the northern knights around 794c1ea7b1 this time, but one f245acb4ca thing was clear—I had 495e6183fe to save them.1bf681fc4c59f698

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‘Because they’re 59bf039f19 all precious 0bf39ca281 to me.’eb5b8a09503896ae

However, solving d414a602b9 this would 053e50aebe require patience. I needed 1a68f18d42 to wait 2ff9d82443 for the 7fd60a2e63 right moment, a264b822e7 and there 2869b3cac5 was still 4165e690ff some time 69fb305b9d left.d05c403138b1ac7a

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It was c2efa1cd1a then that 1101f340a1 I heard 00384097a7 a cheerful 6b12952167 voice from c1ce33d0f9 outside the fcf3de6a77 room.80f7574d31abcdab

“Your Highness! Come have 59e0a2854f some snacks!”bacc944d6ea271d4

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Connie’s eyes widened b03cef8cef in disbelief.68eca0c6e8acd161

“…Did they just dare to invite Her Highness to come for snacks?”f750d5290195b928

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“Let’s go, Connie.”3dfb977165abd0a5

I stood up abruptly, 231002b6ae smiling.654b9f939a0b504c

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“Like I 4e64fe43cc said, this 7aa160e9ea is how 5c05807d61 things used 10807aab7a to be 20a320c522 for me.”9a86f82db3c7d5ba

“B-but how 8be8584cf5 could Your 219fbdd5ed Highness! Walking to snacks on 91deb576e3 your own two feet!”7dd6a6841259be7b

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“I’m not 56391ad876 walking there dd65d03f62 myself.”7846d51d248d8011

The moment I 5d985b732f opened the door, 83ddf4712a a knight waiting 860e76750f with a beaming df924a6171 smile swept me 6d375b9fdc up in his a6162bfa62 arms.8602cb9b26a6fd3f

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“Let’s go, Your Highness! Hahahahaha!”b8551b808e6dff47

The large, 45d0f846fe burly knight 743d5e1d90 practically leaped 6f6d63eef2 with excitement 0a2ce31df2 as he 5e464cbe02 shouted, “I f9d3736c4b won rock-paper-scissors, e3c3f981ea so I 2bd865b20d get to 1a4da23c69 escort you! This’ll all end 0a4e0468d8 when the Viscount cdd92e92c9 arrives anyway! Hahahahaha!”950f845ebeffa146

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Connie rolled her 110479ea55 eyes and muttered 828594853a beside me, something 2a23983cdb along the lines a8e901312f of, “Snacks should 639bd841da be brought to 5ba9f443a0 the room, not 27a1bab168 served in the fc76836bcb kitchen. What nonsense.” She didn’t b9449c45e3 dare say it too a710dd8bc7 loudly, though, as the 838d42fe21 knight’s face was half-covered 4096469a35 with a menacing scar.82abec0340da404e

“I-I just don’t 442aeadfeb think I can bdff29178b ever get used 63e10a4f1d to this…” Connie 598a8cab24 whispered to me, 6d024c30dd looking teary-eyed.9241c416bc028684

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“Just seeing the knights’ ab5d5b414d intimidating faces makes me 804efe1f34 st-stutter…”f958bc07424cfcba

Of course, the knight 2aea1a569a didn’t hear her as 3e4d363f24 he continued talking boisterously.748a8d732157accf

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“There’s a room perfect 448eecc736 for gathering and enjoying 39f533563e snacks together here!”7b1c839c493ed161

The idea eab66e9fb9 of such 067c700a48 a room 4cc7e2b30c in a a6b1dcc56c noble residence dd0c714298 was unheard e60c00b008 of. I had 59f78a967d no clue 5cd2917e31 what he b252cfc275 meant.9f09a39f638f538f

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Still, when we arrived…a95d0958f9586ac2

“Ah.”18c1d6a3b7e3304e

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Everyone stood in two 2ff6ccae30 rows, bowing deeply at 10b2a402fe a perfect 90-degree angle, ad3ce72cbd and shouted in unison.edee95cbb6f6dbd0

“Welcome, Your Highness!”5f45f548e5ff1aa9

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The burly men dressed 75070ecc52 in black all greeted c37b3f1250 me at once, making 435c9d3481 it feel less like acb4ff5f1f I was being welcomed ef067abd6e and more like I’d fe1f3084e8 stumbled into the den edec02d463 of a mob boss.e4482c24754db18a

“We will serve you e13c9990d0 with the utmost dedication!”2776b4b1f6f41627

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Among them, one knight 55ea1633a6 wearing a chef’s hat 350d4789df stood at attention and 757176fc25 announced, “We have prepared 0803ecfe01 all the dishes you 92c4ebe082 loved, Your Highness!”8846ac43e6982dd3

Plates were promptly laid bab365e682 out in front of 87ced0ceea me.f31919f493dfffba

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There were no servants 7b776552e0 here. The knights handled 6446dfb401 everything—cooking, cleaning, tending 929f1f263e the horses, and 1e44f80e53 even laundry. Originally mercenaries who took 370ee1d6a0 care of their own 648401c4bf needs, they seemed to 3413c82c46 find it completely natural.e25abd124e8d528c

“Oh!”46cc92f28b50939c

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I exclaimed in delight ad19164ccf as I looked at 28ef1289c0 the plate before me. Though rough cbeaabfaaa and rustic c7bbc3e062 in appearance, ece5d5860c it was a8df1ea651 filled with 2ae421d266 cookies and a25a176d30 tarts made d6ec750128 from northern faa2ed9893 wild berries.c7bbe08761512228

“Surely your tastes haven’t 65fff9aaca changed in a year?”2574e81d0b1f2105

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Everyone looked at a82bce906c me with eager fe2c57e9b0 faces.a2297cec7cfdca6e

I took a fork, 4298e3061f scooped a generous bite 6a9bb9b894 of the berry tart, c5706d14c1 and brought it to b8d89a273c my mouth.b37f504ac78fd934

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Warmth flooded b99aaab6b0 through me, 9680612703 just as f0ca8cdcc0 it had 52598dbe89 in my fc85d3a3dc old memories.3c0afee7c86529bd

In the North, cdf4c750dd there was no b1042ffca8 tea time culture. Instead, during snack time e0f34342d1 in the afternoons, we 8179bdbe4f would gather like this, 2b92892398 eating sweets and chatting c52fec3053 noisily.df42f24253bf0b66

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“This is so delicious…”4545c9ac8e01cb51

Though I had tasted 8cc0044a54 countless rare and exquisite 702c07fa3f dishes in the palace, 1555363068 none of them had 4b3996e858 ever been as nostalgic d1bd90b4d3 as this.ab9b336b824de4f7

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“Thank you, everyone. Truly, it’s 261fe4952f so delicious.”912bd8cefeaac1d2

As I savored the ee04aa8c90 cookies with teary-eyed gratitude, 341c7f68c4 everyone around me chimed bbd674e478 in with their comments.0ce2b7ef99e0bb91

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“Wow, the palace 9533304ab4 has really done 2b0356c81f wonders! Why are you so cd9bc420de much prettier now?”9d3571cef59f70c1

“She’s already quite dddfce3689 the figure, isn’t 0680044c30 she?”3ea49ff847010487

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“Your skin’s glowing! And your hair—what 65ac40186a did you do 9e080252a9 to it?”f3e887e1903b3a2c

Meanwhile, Kayan, 496d3cb59b caught in 990c57ce8e the middle 82fb287549 of the 7b329136be chaos without 5369e12598 a chance 2c58bc1b9e to even 267c513b02 offer a 48fe310af9 proper greeting, 81e2a3ebbb was left 165b820dab rubbing his edf0545155 forehead in d53a714896 silent exasperation.60977165502e3dc4

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