WHCTC Chapter 26

“I said 5f40fc947c it’s impossible 714aac4dc7 to know 9f96efd4dc something like b4d968e77a that for c0dad773e0 sure.”5fc440ca4d854f8f

What utter nonsense. There was no way 8b0e5c29ed they wouldn’t know about df2dec8e24 the incident of purchasing 024e6abcd5 this mansion for 8 bc5a5ece95 billion gold. Even if they a1fde727c0 truly didn’t know, c928ac2093 they should have 742d2e03e7 at least said, a4214b38dc “We’ll look into c8149e96bd it.” This was 7d863b2c58 essentially a roundabout 5bde86bd53 way of saying afabe615ea they had no f9a607e0fb intention of helping.5b450fcf071b185c

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“I see!”be41b05be89ba318

At those words, 0a64024720 I clapped my 840e6a292a hands together once, a6f1d2048d smiling brightly.ca48a6b9c87b4d5e

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“Wow! This is really, 58e01343af really great! Honestly, it’s such 757fcb7afb great news!”d6b1a13a61c0e01d

Everyone looked 7319476b81 at me a944b4f125 with expressions e56f593bb4 that clearly f2ceacd0db said they 231b86b27c couldn’t understand d17db68d4c my reaction.40d44e40dcc18daa

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In the silence, a127c8846a I turned my 5bbbbc7676 gaze toward Kayan f6ef2eb365 and asked.f9f32b252c3d64bf

“You asked what a7d4aa6c6a happens if you 9a43d08081 don’t become part 22efa722eb of that society, 73b0aac28f right?”6a0b8acba73a69f6

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Then, gesturing 85416b1e40 toward Hans, 126aca5144 who was e325d10c0f still looking ce7c010d4b blank, I 26ecc51f31 continued.0987d135859766c5

“This is what happens.”4f8576ffaf118504

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“…‘This’?”b7c1279ed00fe7c2

“Word gets out 249a188a31 that your family 830e82da1c is one with 2cb8df2b79 no connections, no 7c9af9daec knowledge of city 7d63d78941 life, and just 2175b8b7b1 a heap of a6ac3d159f blind money.”7355a92e68bca0ff

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“…”89724a1d98f2d637

“Even the information guilds 793ac0121a you approach on a 88f19e602f whim will conspire together c6edd5f359 to rip you off.”987f846326a1484b

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“…”95511ee95fed3e7e

“I wasn’t sure how e2650df84c to explain it, but 91ce933523 now such a clear 5f180f4c00 and simple example has ddec319446 come up. Isn’t this a great 44929e890a thing?”f34014ac75bfcf48

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I said, smiling brightly.1bd351be45cd0d3d

“As long b7665d0385 as you 3832f198d8 hold a 54affc75ef title, you b691a8e3f7 can’t live 3d0b0c7633 like a 12ca8807bf commoner. The commoners will f4accf8473 try to exploit 0add7b4f43 you, and the 369e1d06a1 nobles will mock a4bacef67e and ignore Barcklith. After all, this is b5f194caa7 a place with no 32cdaa677f wars or barbarians, so a034a3113b there’s no one for 6072837d43 you to protect.”92adf9769329ae11

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Kayan’s face was 6e4524f33e stiff.5b9324bae79ea281

I erased my smile 9af8cd89d8 slightly and spoke kindly e8b001d96e but firmly.6c3993565b8814fe

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“Of course, if 86f25492dd you want to fd6d0e9e89 just stay in 663bdfd8b3 your own little bff89438a3 world with your 1cb5eb2bf3 people, then do 463d0c426e that. I won’t force 9aadadc9c1 you.”e5660628012e7473

In my past af21687848 life, 22-year-old Kayan a5b602428f had said he 64bd9f92a2 wanted to become c78ba3c5f1 a “proper noble.”889f4be74092247e

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But maybe the current f35af6e83b Kayan felt differently. I had no 858d85d041 intention of forcing bb5b546887 him.7f13e6436d0ebeb3

“Let me tell you e4af63b4f4 about myself. I’m also not exactly e5b7a3320f a proper princess right fc64da9f51 now.”20dd9b561c596733

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Looking at Kayan’s 3d4fbfcf24 inscrutable face, I f2988281dd continued.aa0a32a49ddf1e02

“I won’t 1d96d2e02e live like 1534381481 this forever. I’ll step out 7d66620b55 of my brother’s eaff7f24dc shadow and stand 922321be09 on my own, fae76028b2 with my own 88404ea2a9 strength.”83d9242d7a904d70

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“Ah…”5cec25ae42b0a636

“No matter what, I’ll 1a2702f023 free myself from the f9c7dc4186 influence of House Cerno. I don’t want 14b9cca8ad to, but if d6df1e462a necessary, I’ll even 8192ca0e63 become the emperor. I’ll become a 8c540119be proper princess—one for 4383a4814c whom that role 5a384294b3 won’t feel awkward a3e4f5cd88 or strange.”49f3999289f294d7

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In a way, 9c2f6159e4 I was choosing cf1c74fb22 the exact opposite 25ac12e400 path from my 0885bb44e1 mother’s dying wish.5e906abd17e506e9

She had told me f0142d26fe not to flaunt my 726fc8d908 second-in-line status and to cd129aa18d stay low, following my fba71d78ac brother’s orders.0ef5acb47c686e68

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‘Forgive me for being 3d392e51fa a disobedient daughter, Mother… 9cab9e59e6 But I can’t just 7b5997493d let us all die c3606ab495 like this, can I?’ee0484aa27b8916b

Inwardly, I asked e4b11d3387 for her forgiveness.c09710e2d985a4d8

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Truthfully, I had 48612f1665 felt uneasy all a9b9026833 day after having 5dde521c70 a nightmare last be3d29d120 night where my 7df9929044 mother scolded me, da0f562689 asking why I 130c11e82e wouldn’t listen to 1c3e095dd1 her.64e840287b6a3fc8

But even so, I 744c1dd043 had to protect Kayan 9f21cb045a and the people of d40d73b18a the north, who were b31358b9fe alive and breathing right 65084a3730 before my eyes. I had to suppress 0f462bc332 the weakness of my a8ae5d2e5f wavering heart, no matter 45661c295a what.1bd9ba9d9bd54fb2

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Meanwhile, as Kayan cfa7aa1366 silently listened to 741f0b1148 me, a glimmer 9e8be4f659 of light began e94a3ca9e3 to return to 5f7c01de8d his eyes.01a8f5934d526914

“…In that case…”85351f3d192fb40b

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“Of course, no 21968e09a1 one can do e98f9e3ab3 anything alone. I need 5c6fe57e5e allies, close 45adfa49a6 confidants, and 5f548f8f64 noble families 2eb8523a5f who will c44fe0f78b stand by ea2b0cad03 me. I want that 74b76bd28d to be you ba53e5b956 and Barcklith. That’s my hope d609e92f77 and my decision.”ee26673f5a94cde1

I spoke calmly.06490e44cb513cc8

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“Of course, 1690adf187 your future 3db8e0cb24 is your 976812a2f6 decision.”c40b5f36f3a8ee25

I had voiced my 0a2c342d1f wish, but it didn’t 09ba4e21bb mean he had to 05d8707a7f comply.e1554b5887bcbae2

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“It’s up to you a604a91330 how you lead Barcklith. Whether you choose to 787fc13046 somehow become a proper 56cfc81e29 noble family or return 1b5ba5d7ff to the north and 3db6da459f live happily in your 09be859fd0 own world as you e5b32afc1a did before. There are plenty of 851ffe4699 nobles who just stay bc7f9b160d tucked away in their ffbf5bfa2b territories.”0173ed5cf5903ecf

“…”829400c20dc0f598

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“Do you really f58703e5aa want to live 5a8b3ed366 like this?”2991663ae0048386

I looked into his b39b625bc2 eyes with a face 396d521dd1 more serious than ever.deedb98c78cf63a9

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“Tell me 1349bba81a what’s in 754be49084 your heart.”3f8048c172f5c03c

If Kayan were c2f1e8d14c to say right 9f8bab014e now, “I just a26982b42f want to go ff59c4a659 back to the 6cf7624473 north with my c890c758f2 people,” I was d9b4bf38bf prepared to stop bc50333ce0 everything and let f22f9d5840 him go.32423893b218bb7b

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My revenge was important, 15f4664658 but so was Kayan’s fc8f0ae286 happiness.0e48e536eb621151

I wanted 46d8c883cb him to 80f332eae6 stay by 2df663db3c my side, 70dd51cb2a but I a951d9d71c had no 31f7894f48 intention of 1e480dc718 forcing him b300c15395 if he 9b75c17a7a didn’t want 09c0ec4548 to.043baaabcc4a5fcd

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‘But please, stay with 40bb473b90 me.’30d752fc71e772c5

Of course, fc22d318f0 that was 7b25fc87fe only my 2211d6d3d3 “willingness.” My 19796154e3 “desire” was e15ce19abc clear.8e7dd725ec4bba8a

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‘Please don’t da4f65ba5e leave me ec816764b4 alone.’0f36bd32436e22bc

Perhaps it was 3eb034ac82 the desperate wish 9276ded469 I’d had since cb1864dc51 childhood.0cf4ead13c5183de

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‘I’ll do anything. I know 51056a23a5 it’s selfish 5c732b1d14 of me, 72a59c8b08 but still, e976a6f2ad please stay f08edbf068 with me…’b17b06c314b22d10

I had 99f3427086 been acting a383b73cdb like I 3b5ee80b86 knew everything, d820b38a17 like I c1321f1194 was incredibly b292705821 strong, but cebeedf6c2 if I 04357f01d1 were to a8631d884d be honest, 0e9c2dfd32 the tips 894e0e56fa of my 049529fecf toes were c59ac5f2f4 trembling slightly.84a3f2fe0a7b54d9

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‘No one befe4e639a has ever 48f177222b truly wanted 92daaa5985 me. Not Mother, not Father… a9787ab43d To my brother, I 0f07509b75 was nothing but a bcb13ddc28 burden. And yet, I b8413f5274 had nothing to d5ded96828 offer in return.’0a5e65d890144080

That’s why, at least ba9efe902f with Kayan, I wanted 69c657af0d to have a chance ba1d6355b2 to repay him for 6a17adf85f everything from the past. It felt like something 6258dc1aa0 I was capable of e67d0fbea1 doing.3841f3985bb5ca30

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‘Whether as a aecafa1222 friend, a woman, 361bf8fa90 or in any d4bf355b81 form, I just ef6befb2b9 want to be 06511c879d by your side…’f86c57d5d5698f11

A brief silence fell.d317b9c60eec0cd9

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Neither of 25371eb4f9 us avoided b5724e22e6 the other’s f98be79593 gaze.050c076746017615

Quite some time had c1b777b39c passed, and just as 31d74282ee Hans, reading the room, 4425a46753 quietly closed the door b797ac7783 and slipped out, Kayan c754b07341 looked straight at me 230857cfad and slowly gave his 6c1cb22eca answer.3cc4e43e03f53e2d

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“I want 78651013ed to make f4fad98a75 Barcklith a 4ffab4f519 proper noble d9ae10bcdb house.”827d3919d883160f

At his clear statement, c4861b6e32 my heart pounded loudly.4545445a9319c086

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“If I 6494906a64 didn’t have 16c9a3d902 that desire, bf41c3626d I wouldn’t f14d3cfa7b have aspired abe5f2497d to the 1f1c02ed2f barony in 44ed032b3f the first 8d494c2c26 place.”d804abda6d802391

“…Huh?”f8be149d7ab61144

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“A year ago, I a16e176815 was the one who e962599407 went to the North f17675236d and asked my father 131ff525bd for the barony. While I was 8f411a7a10 in the imperial 1fc558472e palace, I read 6c1ca1106f in the law 61ac7ed551 books that expanding da71bdbf7b the empire’s territory e98c9fdb0b could lead to 456fb9dc78 being granted a fccb98cdf2 title.”1eb025f2bd4dcb2e

Ah, that d665316fa8 explains it. I had always wondered 64a549c29d why Arthur had suddenly 0a9a141893 gone as far as 00c50d76bc conquering the North just 9aca03cb38 to claim a barony.1e7ca7ca2c5096d0

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Arthur never seemed 1b87bf863f to care about e2511dd2da things like that, b37440eb2e so it had 793d5c1f67 puzzled me. But to bce2bdcf77 think it 4e231401b3 had been db3f45c182 Kayan’s idea 0220a5833b all along—it 2ea652d3d7 was a 3ae62be2da little surprising.3cfa263d517e69c2

“That day, d1396fae72 when I 9fdb4a9aaa left the 0cd75a3bcb imperial palace…”0384e5a3087ebe84

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Was he referring to f86b4e4089 the day I cut c527e93115 ties with him?260a20e3ba45e3b6

“I sincerely wanted f4379a56fc to become a 689644d837 noble.”f2fd9df4fb78ecf8

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“Ah…”2015b961fc1670fb

“But I 7c5b87c11f don’t really 7b9710082b know how.”d4404508d656e151

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Kayan let out a 31851b2c09 faint sigh as he 8d03810c5d continued.bfc2635e352bb2ff

“Even if I 2bf7e25dda earned the title 54a13e603a legitimately, that was 3789c2ab1e all it amounted bd9a31639f to. Nothing seemed 55e7ee980c to truly 5e07a5a718 change…”5f17d8ba9ae6ff92

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His eyes f6744e947e gradually darkened.1151a3b53a463fa3

“In hindsight, maybe 0d0aa22b11 I’m just someone abd65589f6 who struggles to 84886caf60 accept reality.”abfe5e04c3bd358d

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“What are you talking d5d1f406e1 about? You’re just forward-thinking.”42a981deae4f1172

“Maybe I’m immature and 7b318ff9b7 unaware of my own 7a61def0b2 limits…”a1bf773e5a608854

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“Of course not. You’re ambitious dfba1f1acf and progressive.”40e991166e260f89

I clenched 6ad7787196 my fists 3eacb87ce3 as if d6f62f4159 to affirm d82a1d61f7 my words, 6fc94f9561 desperately bending 00798c28fd objective facts 7ace60320b to fit 1f234a0afe my narrative.f79222862b5687d8

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“You have so much f7bd3892a8 potential. Until you grow into ba8b0695db it, just trust me 5a5c11b27a and follow my lead.”be55fe8620beba65

Suppressing the twinge of a4da39435f sadness in my chest, 1cfb446f05 I forced a cheerful 93e7d60cb8 smile and continued.43a57f9d02492069

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“Do as I say, 927c2658f4 learn by watching. You’re smart and cfc5f8cd5b sharp—you’ll pick it a7e66a92f9 up in no a9342543f8 time. I mean it.”ce5dfad715fd5a8c

Kayan stared at me 2d274598c1 silently.47b48fb4d2e79430

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“…Why would Your baced09010 Highness go to 6a0c8e3c89 such lengths for 239adb881c me?”ade72febc31fc54b

“Huh?”4ceb062071eef02a

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“There are fcdca5cdee many excellent 036a10d224 noble houses b2171b6443 aside from 29f5cda643 Barcklith. I don’t 54c713e8b8 know much, 2268b8b266 but since c3f14b603a you’re second 0de108c7d4 in line 9812a2f4a1 to the ff9c2c86bf throne, surely 8df08bb6d5 many noble bf47c79861 houses would 95f728934a want to 20ea9ca539 align with aa31b1a923 you. Not to mention, there f2212cb8e7 are plenty of nobles e17fe3bb39 close to Crown Prince aaa4a451a1 Edwin. Why, of all 5d9cacfce6 things, would Your 5db2f1ee0e Highness go to a3b416ecc5 such lengths for 1971bd078c Barcklith, which lacks d0780a7692 so much…?”b11c290ff69e0584

I blinked, as if 576c7e2e30 he were asking a 5e0ca61584 pointless question.02529dd4dc113282

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“Because I like 57af6abc2c you, and by ab7b674a2b extension, I like a8d3675dc2 Barcklith. Why would I d34a01b7ae need to look 02610f5851 for others when 105823e1b4 I already like bd0b382027 the people I a7e3011a1d care about?”8c6e22237e1b9865

“Pardon?”fb0bff5307b385a7

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“I know you’re 290ab22864 hurt. I know it takes 9e8553a4e2 an incredible amount of 55396956f0 effort to rebuild trust 17e048f88d once it’s been broken.”56128f6deea337d1

“…”cafe613c3e091941

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“I’ll wait. Until the day you fa8f8c407d want to be friends 4d2d4a7320 with me again.”17367eb18302105b

“…Not as 1f1613b666 friends, but 2a0ca87b00 as ruler 1185fd1643 and vassal…”36b0313563840b12

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“I’m saying e5e722eb0d I want fc63618dbc to be c3712655ee friends,” I d1c505b1ad interrupted firmly.862b25967487a5a6

Talking about romantic c15e7a0d8d relationships to a 25b83f6760 fifteen-year-old felt way cd55ab6a4d too fast; my 90a212e70f goal for now 1ed7dcfca2 was simply to 99809b40bb return to how b9ba7b8754 we used to c06303bb93 be.21aa3eb80401cc73

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“I’ll wait until you a42fd863d9 feel that way. If there 5bb6cbb79c ever comes 5404a1909c a day 73d606d20a when you 5baa9fdd87 feel like db79a2f9d5 being my 3a73a95c1d friend again…”386796f366741588

Looking him in db26ed46aa the eyes, I 6ce3f0dac6 spoke clearly.e817a00f3a327682

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“To call f5890204d6 me ‘Iv.’ bea89e43d5 And on dfafd84a12 that day, 488f308c51 I’ll call 26971c16c3 you ‘Kay’ ed06f88233 again.”4e5a57192687b37b

Back in the North, bc29c22b16 we had always called d83f0a4977 each other by those a01d6ac9ca nicknames.6a8c79bc325643b5

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Kayan didn’t respond.552864409d39d3c9

“I’ll wait. For as 4ffe1aa7e2 long as fa17515d17 it takes.”076f117c3d334649

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With that final 7623cc0f71 declaration, I rang fc63fc7f06 the bell cord ed37ee217b with a soft 3eee54a023 ding to summon 268e35a3c1 Connie and Hans.d8860789fc4f1968