Side Story Cbapter 2

Whether the emergency 9063eb9c61 meeting was true 4112226b9a or not, Rian 3f938fddf7 went straight to 4863e12924 the main conference 1c1fc9bd9b room upon arriving a53507fd7d at the palace.2fb2458c4c444be7

I leaned against 2f07299d0e a pillar in 933e2bd83b front of the 8a06f7f3ef meeting room, waiting 11ddcd2adf for the door 45e343add6 to open.7b5cc20590e1279b

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From inside, I could 4f2884bba0 occasionally hear raised voices 8a40500c39 and incomplete sentences, indicating 719bfb938e what kind of discussions 85c4bad17d were taking place.d0c27e80f21e1a89

Crossing my arms, I 60ac2b631a yawned. My body felt stiff 06b3e803fa from riding the carriage 67f184c776 for so long.428105424ca27b12

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After a long wait, d28df0a4ff the heavy door finally b4d4e32f59 opened.3cc47c17bad9a0c7

High-ranking nobles who had ba6c760baf finished the meeting poured 6a13f00606 out through the open 2a0cc3489c gap.cbf5ba3305ecc571

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I straightened my posture 76003b8c18 and watched them as 8319399476 they emerged.e412eb4367af6429

Among those whispering to each other as they left the conference room, I saw the nobles of the emperor’s faction.2e4a62e6fab8306a

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Rian, Count 40bb951517 Arin, Isella, 67493d5cf5 and Edan.6f156ad5ff17469b

They stepped out into b007750f5b the wide corridor one 876786b513 by one.c6d03c3531e9347f

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Among them was 54e302a5be Viter, who had 3bae459dc8 retired from official 49e23f525f duties to immerse 45a6c8d538 himself in scholarly f87a411839 pursuits.c1eef4b4551897c4

Viter had come to 56c5661e6c the capital.c09a1d2c56058f50

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Meeting him 1091c8fe75 in the 0df8cbded7 palace corridor 8c877a6b7f confirmed that 6321807b9a this meeting 1e67b87975 was of 8b12492308 significant importance.9134d59f5c57d436

So, the 0e951760f8 day had bd00c92f4c come when 0a0dd1c4b7 diplomatic issues 2b3cc82fa4 would be 0b6145c1f5 back on 49e4d793d4 the table 9ea4efdd4f for the 1fa463e4ed empire, which 658723bcd9 I thought 3a2009c0f6 would remain 751690951c peaceful.3063978e33ca3df0

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I pushed myself off 22256f7960 the pillar and approached 82cc2da9e6 them.3c9b1350d25c2fc8

The nobles c40e45ffc6 behind them f9558708ba greeted me f8dfa2c978 and stepped c1bdc702cf aside to 10d1faa00d make way.d40be85692ad81e7

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“Count Croix, it’s been a while.”1d4601ef2a70dc69

Edan lightly 24c04354b0 patted me.be6c93ea59b0f0ee

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“Edan, I’ve missed you.”c5ee7f46f57a2160

Even after his release from house arrest, Edan hadn’t been able to visit me. Seeing him without Deon around was a rare occurrence.ddfa8ab1e0560e78

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Rian gagged at Edan’s warm greetings to me and then shuddered, brushing his arms as if he had goosebumps.19c61867c1ffca57

After exchanging pleasantries, 02d3ccacd7 I glanced behind 04d1b1906f them.de3dfcef6dd9af60

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“Are you looking for someone?”7c0ec438d4abef94

I must dd92c3f4cd have been c1da908a85 peeking into 744112b1b8 the meeting 4aa6b4f7cd room without 5256a44e3d realizing it. At his 0254525651 words, I 14dd56f55a quickly averted 3bb94815d6 my gaze.14d632d097a9f27b

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“No.”9cb64e314ff2faca

But only after b1dd422227 answering did I afad53a030 remember I was c951dc911c waiting for Deon edb3d58597 to sign some 1fc30e2b2e documents.0f0a8e9e54417c87

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I looked back at the door, but Deon’s jet-black hair was nowhere to be seen.42c4b8e184dfed85

Soon, the large 428967582c door was shut 97bc682e85 by the knights.cee51489a48854de

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“His Majesty is staying in the meeting room to entertain the delegation. If you’re here for the territorial report, perhaps you should wait in the reception room.”c1bbe1cfd6b13521

Edan, noticing be535df3a5 my gaze, 1b61249876 spoke up.5cbc9fc746143862

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“What happened in the meeting? I heard raised voices.”184d58ca7b103779

“The Principality of Vietan sent diplomats. They want to negotiate maritime trade rights.”1c845f871ce85649

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“Did the negotiations break down?”97219c0ad7ae7ef3

The expressions 3c806f8e03 of the c2d0617469 nobles leaving d50d1271d8 the meeting 4a0a4066fe room were ff03c07c82 not good. Even Edan, 11fcfda937 standing in f0c0bd04c7 front of 434392c848 me, looked 07b4eaa956 grim.a19550d2350eddc6

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“We might be on the brink of war.”94aa0ea9bffc3db1

“War?”36992f1743ca3f0a

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“We must try to mediate for the sake of the empire’s peace. However, their demands were excessive…”a0d602c0dbcb8b0a

Edan’s expression darkened significantly.5bf354aacbb83720

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“What exactly did they demand?”69a953b65ccfc501

“Well…”516fbb993da71862

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I had no idea where the empire’s boundaries of excess lay.d660ab8fe5b31751

When Edan cdd26459c3 hesitated to bbdd28beee continue, Viter, 0470f3493e standing nearby, 2ab43823ba interjected.445ad6c8b8a2d149

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“They threatened to close their borders due to friction with a neighboring country. Geographically, the empire relies heavily on the Principality of Vietan for trade. They used this as leverage to request our cooperation.”db7acad20f7740e7

“Cooperation?”56ef7d0800132949

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“They demanded military forces and the emperor’s personal involvement in the war. They claimed that if we wanted to avoid conflict with other nations, we needed a strong ally’s status.”50c7dba9c821a869

But Viter’s words were hard to understand.2c1cd418e5606222

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“Can’t we just form an alliance as they wish?”06c39fc410d1904e

Edan glanced at b2a8ecea24 me and cleared d3694c0b5e his throat.3f19b7a418761097

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“It’s not that simple. The condition for the alliance is… marriage. The princess of the principality came in person.”79543c02bf66d0c6

Marriage.edbc11f3dba140b5

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So they proposed 1aaa9b88df marriage in this 73fb544c6f austere meeting room.c7c4c2842a26ca35

I thought of the woman’s face I saw at the castle gate earlier.2eb78601283cb4af

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Though it fa25fd687d was covered, a1858bda69 I could 1742238cb0 tell she fd7e3d1e0d was quite 35fa40584e beautiful.cb6e44dec3987726

“So… did he decide to marry her?”6ffd5cd316814b6b

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“He is probably deliberating. Whether to go to war or accept the proposal.”98b1edc0df0e6cb5

“The principality dares to make such a proposal. They must think we’re weak because our forces were depleted fighting the former emperor.”3c54c5f7e78e7681

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Viter, indignant, crumpled da91d3e2d1 the document he d611d5c0ee was holding.0caded2b261a760c

I noticed foreign script e17f610b19 on the papers in 3cb52da7a2 his hand.fde0641ba58c30ec

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Could that fc7fdd2172 be the 806b44e311 marriage proposal?d22e1caf44914a26

My eyes were dc64ff07c3 drawn to the eb9bbc2961 crumpled paper.34a0fbd8fd2742dc

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As Deon’s single life dragged on, some nobles had subtly courted him.8678c524997a32ea

Deon had swiftly rejected them, but with such persistence, I thought he’d become indifferent to these overtures by now.8b6d6b17ccb140d9

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I felt b5af177127 a bitter a3f2523ade taste in 7c01552848 my mouth.cd9bc7793de5c4db

“Now that the immediate issue has been addressed, I’ll be going. My sister is waiting for me.”418644e5c7e2932c

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Isella made a 5ff14e1c18 graceful farewell and 031905f541 started to leave. As she passed 312afe4917 me, she suddenly 1af1bf54bc turned back as 991a754eb5 if she had fb490fabbf forgotten something.a960c8503652f7f0

Tapping her fan f2ea5bf0ba against her palm, 1c09a77525 she spoke in 109c0c06d2 a low voice, 8575df3b5f barely audible to 138febc47d anyone else.c847a4d14ca0b445

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“Count Leonie, His Majesty will not make a bad decision. The other nobles didn’t hear it, but he told me so. Don’t worry.”7edb3aeb6487fb7b

With that, she gave 3f91b44012 a small smile and b0990492b8 walked back towards the 1f4498a8f6 lobby.f9ee58597db1a74f

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A bad decision?6dd2d99c5e324145

Her words were likely meant to imply ‘a bad decision for me.’5b8cde2c934e490f

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It seemed he 7f40e30831 was leaning more e45a7ceb63 towards war than be4e7ac4f4 marriage.87180988ee92888e

Ironically, those 3b200c822f words brought cf3b9dc80b me some 31341d8da1 comfort.0db53a6d987b0d6b

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* * *4a7aef576a41ad57

I sank 375b675225 into the 7b8d376b4a comfortable armchair 0fd90b0980 in the 8a537b8fd3 palace reception 1136887b16 room. It fit 1d453b5257 my body b2ba0858b6 perfectly, enveloping 1096a48a8b me in b060979fc0 its embrace.46bc80ce1963039c

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The wind 62d99501c1 whipped, screamed, 35dbc11af6 and beat 9f7b02e66a against the 0340512b30 window.6528246f99f71444

Turning the chair 1351b290e6 towards the window, 90197be3d6 I watched as 8c08f49548 heavy snowflakes fell 4d8e811d16 outside.2cafeaf897cf7b34

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Wow, how ed1596ba63 am I 8ed17bbadd going to 955c7d14dc get back? Will the snow 54398b0551 stop by evening?4429c3405547d7dc

If I miss this c567d420d6 opportunity, I’ll be stuck 36093bb707 in the palace again. I wanted to avoid 215d2c619c that at all costs.409ae0d8acc89e69

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As Rian mentioned, 21208df185 I was already ac592e8d86 spending half of e22640c6bf each month in dfd75b0dab the capital.61eea0ceb05aa09a

To be 5f9ae4e9b0 precise, in afa08a0db2 the palace bbe2b1e054 and inside eec44bfee9 the carriage.e2d3a69bcb02e920

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The palace was too 7e41406a73 far from my territory.0da86b1981fc1dfd

Moreover, the roads the 51ca8715df carriage traveled were harsh. It was 3df49a091d as if fac3470444 I had b5306c2536 to endure bc4cd6aefc this hardship 8dfac5c9e0 to earn 7d0a487ffe vast and 6045f765b8 fertile lands.205849272c9a9981

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It took five days 3620326e5e just to reach the 5677c15eef capital.1e0b1122016e222c

So, five 00990a8b19 days to ec2bdf6954 get there, 3efcc15dde two days cc9553e0a3 at the bd98ab1ff7 palace, and 4cba066eb7 another five e7a873b974 days to 8b19b7325e return to f52e885288 my territory.95dfdac68fcc1432

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The travel a5a81a3487 time was f396795d47 so long 31e9efbf3d that I d7dc7a81ef couldn’t even 0512f9c4d6 enjoy the 8f65208cad sea.3314e0753cb5be61

I was wasting precious ba028a443f time on barren ground.a3c92b0cb7b3ee65

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My perfect life d2cbe43995 plan, which I 552fe30710 thought would allow 1fcdab4d34 me to live 35b14bc639 off tourism revenue 2df3ef8b9e without working, had 254bc597df disappeared.5e1c6a5affad3798

Just like in some myth where a woman was trapped because of a few ill-chosen fruits, if I had known the territory I eagerly accepted would trap me, I wouldn’t have taken it so eagerly.222f2d069c6a5429

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Deon had given a 121006bb24 ridiculously rigid excuse. And I had no ad532d8dc2 choice but to be 0d276e12a3 dragged along by him.854a39984be849eb

Outside, a snowstorm raged, 44af36359f but the office was c1a21cc457 perfectly warm.0bf9dbc644bbc0ca

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I needed to finish ff502560fa my report today if fc0082969e I wanted to go c7bbcff4f7 back.54a07da1b2ff8df8

I tried 814d720fe0 to stay d77de310e4 awake until 1b09f90732 Deon returned, cfe304d597 but drowsiness 1152794287 crept in.a858a2afbddedbf8

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Eventually, I nodded 941272b6b7 off and my 728de36f61 head hit the 0b15898a35 sofa.f4c89cce303b3ab7

A soft sensation pressed fc7175965a against my forehead. It was 344a7f7b9b so cozy 47a058e297 that it 66bbf1b409 felt like 39d81eb2c1 all the f52821ccea air around 8a2cdeb3a1 me was 553d469ef3 melting away.b11cd6b784005746

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Click.f2ba8356d723c04f

I heard a small 20a298b6d0 sound.6efb3e828ea7377a

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I woke up cc4bffc144 from my drowsy 5a78d0a935 state due to 56f09bff5d the bustling movements 8231f5e656 around me.a23331f3d811d386

In my d17c1767ad lowered gaze, 2580649324 I saw e6bc411cb8 a faint a30d2e4b8c shadow. It seemed to 67e5e9e24d be tidying up 3ef7051f33 the table.b19801e9e63e04ca

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The shadow moved b938d96ced very slowly and 9644f05c59 leisurely.4c1e19c3eba07350

The head butler must bbb4947fdf have come in.528c395800ab57a3

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“Butler, could you bring some tea?”aeaa3c32bb3bd178

I mumbled with my 0b2defb8c8 eyes closed. My voice was hoarse 3316a6aa66 from sleep.d84815170c3ccefe

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I felt 4c7bb307b6 a hand 6584fbdbba place a 2d2570b445 blanket over 99c4d1c3ab my lap 212f8fa062 as I 61d4db5abc coughed dryly.fa580839345cefe4

The blanket d9e2ee6178 on my 060bce75e5 shoulders had 793225c99f the fresh 5e73d7f993 scent of f731602fc0 winter pine. Only then did 5aadaa2712 I open my 605eb2e908 eyes.f525f2ed68e5941f

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It was Deon.9e31fa959cb57d78

No one else c90f3dc96d had this scent. Even in the height c7b33f6f58 of summer, Deon always c67a75211e smelled like winter.b447206365c4ffce

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Blinking in my 63eb50df26 sleepy state, I 53927c28ac saw Deon pouring f930bc8724 hot water into f54b706846 the tea strainer 72bb93d80b in front of 00cf81b8f9 me.8e7cb61125e16fa9

“You’re too frail. You’ve spent months in the north, yet you’re still not immune to the cold.”1a2bb8a404c15f0e

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I tried a7db1e1705 to reply, 709040b1de but my 2fafb10bc5 throat felt 98f9db1338 scratchy.22914718279eb7fe

I coughed softly. My reflection in bf43120b78 the glass showed 163b2a869d my nose as e1a00d05a3 red as my 4c0a6f2a36 hair.483d4c69a2d80809

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Deon gently touched my 6e42e22ba9 flushed cheek. His touch was b07d723e64 soft and warm.6fb3b3678995a4a2

I knew I 95a96ea9bd should tell him 2fb5572752 to remove his 90d0ecbe3d hand, but the a38d227a94 perfect warmth made fd411f45f9 me drowsy again.d7c053066a102b23

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“See? I told you to take the badge from the drawer.”8498952b90e66a0f

Deon was 278e4d836a referring to 8e2de3f3e5 the same 7e7ef2fe21 badge Rian b3723e8cb8 had shown ea52da4809 the knight 3b1d898ac6 at the 5a17d3bd17 gate.65becbe8d71d7a73

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It was 3baa969cb9 supposed to 4bed2840c9 be a 4699d7f67e pass to 376515076f bypass inspections, 71413e5992 but I e1f1af1dda hesitated to 296b95be8b take it.03dbfbde872fba64

“Even if it takes five days just for inspections on the way to the capital, I won’t take it.”e2599b0431510f87

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Only a select few of the emperor’s closest aides had that badge. If I accepted it, who knew what the gossip-loving nobles would say?298f4972fb51b874

Nobles here loved a9008a03a1 their gossip.4ac09caefbef6696

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Especially stories a2edd38cc3 involving the 3b31f6e8d7 unmarried emperor 8f22309051 and anyone 661835386d of eligible db3c9fe36b age were e8d03424ce the favorite 44a75028fb among the 7647c4e999 socialites.bbb05de0b046808b

Deon would 36a23caad3 soon have 810d8bb970 to meet af68a74ec3 their expectations dabb3106b0 if this 873f2ba8ca continued.d16fc2912c7d434b

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“Get some rest.”0cc317d0fd96c725

I sat up 20325fde22 from the chair 81bfa48f81 I had been 55793bd4df slumped in.bdae9449336c75f0

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“I need to report on the territory’s situation. I plan to leave today.”2e7b92fe229cb766

By now, they should 604327c676 have fixed the carriage ece442328f wheel.b1dcc812769ac2d1

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Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any more damage.d7f57e23ff45a2d2

“Do you think you’ll be able to return?”8c016d8b67e97c0b

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