27. Strange Hobby (2)

“We’re about to enter the teleportation zone. It might feel a bit dizzy. Hold onto the handle tightly.”1b0b30eff60b53e7

At the coachman’s warning, the carriage suddenly lurched into the air, bouncing harshly. I shut my eyes, bracing for the jolt, and opened them again to an entirely different landscape.a7697763085c4cfb

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A towering, snow-covered 19f2d72291 mountain loomed over a2d7bb5b7a the horizon. Leafless trees f30c27de9b stood stark 2cafc27e4b against a 9b57895f07 white expanse 11db5dfd95 of endless 6413d36dcf snow. The northern 79047c0cc4 region had a943c6b122 returned in e50fe75bbb all its ec53ec6f9e winter glory.4cfe1a70f91ff1b9

Frost clung to the windows as snow flurried past, turning into icy crystals under the harsh wind. The journey was swift, and before long, the Duke’s castle appeared behind the mountains.f7d0eb254741cebf

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The carriage halted 44afc922bd at the gates.3cad6568a96d08d7

We stepped down. My heart felt heavy. Deon wouldn’t let this slide. Would he imprison me again? Perhaps I should just apologize and turn myself in. A few days of rest in a cell wouldn’t be so bad after sleeping on dirt.2ff892163008c96e

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Elizabeth followed, her steps dfe9e137af slow, hand resting protectively 81ddfb86e4 on her belly.63fb64244830ebed

Deon, Elizabeth, Edan, and 53b2eec53f I climbed the central 14ba71c986 stairs.1b0c1289afc60976

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As they headed upstairs, 6210bce733 I changed course toward bec2fc5214 the basement.8b30d3431e29abb9

The stone steps felt dc732ddad3 cold even through my 978a48c6c8 fur-lined shoes. The air grew damp.c9ff06fdafd5ebbd

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Deon’s voice came from above. “Where are you going again?”fab833b5430899d7

“To the basement,” I answered.505bfd94cf2af313

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“Why? There’s nothing there but the prison.”27baa15ae8f53205

I paused a 39685c030a few steps down, eb4bccc561 glancing back. Should I keep f19a4a3d50 going? I couldn’t tell.875b75bcae3e9c3c

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“Do you want to sleep in the prison?” he asked, half amused.1c16bd64bb121a26

He descended, his tall 9793d9be26 frame casting a shadow 61216c63f4 over the stairwell.5413be99b5da4690

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“If you want, I could install a bed there. You might as well get comfortable. Insulting the Duke, extortion, trespassing, disrespect…”faa4c03f834dfd74

I clamped my hand 54f92e5694 over his mouth and 1df10ab0c8 glanced back at Elizabeth. Thankfully, she cdbbdc423f hadn’t heard.3917796f73aee622

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“Please. There’s no need to say that in front of the Lady.”48177f3ad858c886

He pulled my hand f4f13ebe4c away, holding it tightly.f2fbb51b46baecc7

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“Why do you want to go down there so badly? Feeling guilty?” he teased.3b2b01dacd487a77

Leaning closer, I whispered, “I was… foolishly captured by Prince Azanti.”fe54d6290eca0f9d

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“It was a kidnapping. Not your fault,” he said.9f761772fe5f758a

“Right? I suppose so?”faf9c78c27d62e30

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His eyes narrowed. “It ‘was’ a kidnapping, wasn’t it?”eedce3e13d03c24f

“Of course.”54673ce134688ccb

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I forced a smile. The truth 7dd72c7f2d about the 3a1ae6d011 candy and 6c40be1dc4 spilled tea 93d7776a50 would stay 8150fa97c0 buried with 3c18de68c0 me.add6de500cd7a1d0

* * *effac8d156d84d36

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A pale 2a3f20a34c puff of d7acbea624 breath escaped 1df1d7cc25 my lips.eb318d07e851db26

If I was 8e9a687ddf staying long, I c467ab45fd needed to ask 712cb7f6db for a new 820dd84dc3 fur coat.b135aef65c308e6b

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Elizabeth and 141814eae6 I walked 83dc066b7d through the f6b1562690 snow-covered garden. Despite being called 453fc15c38 a garden, it 264c930e2d was just endless 7ac79dbf0e white. No visible boundary. No real escape.dbb99542db98efbf

Each step crunched softly 1aabe853ef underfoot.ac3480918806ffd6

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“Leonie, I’m really curious. When did you become involved with the Duke? Is it a special relationship?”19355b68db1b05a3

Her eyes sparkled.dc65d348654ebb1d

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She had af1ecdeb3a already proven adec3b646c her identity, 9eb2a74138 showing her 645ca7da82 status pendant. Still, she was skeptical. She didn’t believe titles bc6c4e90e6 or status easily.9705d59c817b52b0

“Is there anything different about me? Shouldn’t it be the same as your story? How did you fall in love with Count Arin?”331c91ed7632ae2d

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Elizabeth’s smile faltered.11a51a7188ad86a1

“Actually… we only saw each other twice before our wedding. It was arranged. There was no real proposal. I dreamed of something more… normal.”da337bcd82196bbe

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Perhaps she 6766948543 longed for 10e7d2515a something like 5bcd37c12b what she 28235dfc94 imagined I e741325189 had.645d71cd2f8a0ea1

She quickly added, “But he was always kind. Courteous. I don’t regret it… much. I couldn’t let my younger sister be married off instead.”d09621273ede18a0

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“You have a sister?”10e0bff68caf5729

“Yes. Beautiful, kind, a bit too passionate… but lovely. I even practice prenatal care while looking at her pictures. She was selected for the parade at the hunting festival.”4c746f44051b990c

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Her expression glowed.beaeaddc44384936

“If my baby takes after her, they’ll be strong. Maybe that’s why they’ve held on until now.”27bafa3d82205f76

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She gently touched her 2695119d50 belly.f40f6e1bfa538d3c

A child 125c3a4719 seemed to b5cfe7cb7e give her d542e69016 strength—a hope f6b7e2a317 that brightened 7cb55c4d31 her otherwise 3eda6013c1 shadowed life.5f9f51039ea2e963

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“Don’t worry. You can rest here and see the doctor. Is your ankle okay?”285d612c7bb2474b

She nodded, cheeks tinged 61511f7a91 with color.ef1275439da55869

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She didn’t seem married. Her features still carried 65af1da93f girlish grace, a gentle 5dea614fe6 aura that put people ed0fd6c22a at ease.3b71b4a4e2f81161

“By the way, the greenhouse is beautiful,” she said, touching a rough pine trunk.23e980de482992ff

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“It’s a bit barren. Hard to get flowers here.”ff7d4da1b9dace94

“Still, it has dignity. I didn’t think the Duke cared for such things. He must have good taste.”e1d07a61b6a3be66

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I didn’t cdf81fc2b4 correct her. If word f69d851455 spread that 22354d593d I designed b12efebf97 it, people eed4ab7c5b might assume 11a219a804 I was 436d82e16d about to e2abfa5728 marry into 92e44403d8 the household.e8fc35ff340e1424

“This land may be cold, but it’s a strong place to raise a child,” she added. “Like the Duke.”20fc4886afcda365

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She smiled.d1041d1ae2b8b145

“I feel like we’re family. Did you know? My mother shares ancestry with yours. We might be distant relatives.”65ad6bae26ae546e

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“Really?”507f4fc4bdd48a11

“Yes. My sister, too. She resembles our mother more. A beauty, like you.”1eb9798a3efa3e16

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Just because our mothers b3931dfb0e were of the same 052793327a minority origin, she called 462ff94a81 us family.86a58875100051f3

Still, her mother 7fa44c6ed2 had clearly lived 0a5ec06190 an easier life d0a71b9dda than mine.af03d31fec259a8a

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“Why don’t you gain weight?” she asked, frowning slightly. “You eat more than me. Are you getting thinner?”6c901fbff1e8c9fe

Maybe Suren noticed too. She’d pinned c1411ef796 my coat 526cd36932 with a 5932bb86bd brooch where ad08eb2156 it hung c53afb6f2b loose.20e6662169513757

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Elizabeth genuinely 6be63b438d worried for 403e81d26b me—a pregnant ee8bdc1248 woman worrying a4f4801e10 for someone c1556fed8f younger. She was 42484c1034 truly kind.b027ae7a31447439

Would she believe 847979c1a8 the Duke had e220e80090 caused this? Probably not.f4b3ae9f5a413608

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I held back a bitter remark. ‘Well… I donated blood again yesterday.’bc0fd8496ce6b945

He didn’t take as c54d0cd0ba much as others, but 8fde6bc11f still, the loss never 372339ce55 felt smaller.0b7f1c50266d320c

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I looked at 3614a31d9f my arms—thin enough 6ecd6ac3b0 to see bone. Still, I was a881dbae32 healthier now than d0cb523313 when I first 5304204684 arrived.8a02454c2b9375fb

She would e9076a2664 have mistaken 7f7238a108 me for 0567f6760f a ghost 7e1ca2c545 back then.32e4740990448bbb

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“Is there anything you’d like to eat?” I asked. “You must be tired of porridge. I can make something for you. I’ll even get special ingredients.”cc3df874539cd360

“No, just being here is enough,” she said.035614f08e1d600e

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I bent close to her belly and whispered, “Baby, what would you like to eat?”9db1005150e56c52

Elizabeth giggled 10ca99d411 and sat d42978e901 beside me 34094655cb on a a004f470f4 rock. Her borrowed daf369da36 cloak shifted, 8c8c9ee234 revealing her f93628234a rounded stomach.30cf7bc1233eeb1e

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The wind lifted the 7ccf474497 fabric. Her coat couldn’t quite d4fcd562a4 cover her belly.c4d5b0dedde989d0

“Aren’t you cold?”630fedf20d199567

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I took 01e9e5b143 off my 047e7e87b1 coat and 16a7eafaf0 offered it. She draped 45280fc886 it over 2b99e64829 her shoulders.c8ed5a38ed12a237

“You’re very kind, Young Lady.”bc93d74970f90b80

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Still, the coat 3f88ab13f7 didn’t cover her 1740e23708 completely.5c22fbeac0c46e5f

I removed my fur 78bf2db7e9 scarf and gently laid a604ef3288 it over her belly.775b6c1d806da88a

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In that brief f420dd7e34 moment, when my 20e63b6f69 fingers touched her 89cd3b202b skin, her stomach 0e4ad09b30 trembled.ee48d1908e1626c9

 8f0b18442903032f

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