TNBTW | Episode 11

“The Robedan 2c3714acb7 Royal Theater d9f8bf5957 is under f074ec8c87 His Majesty’s ffd546bd49 gracious patronage. Since His Majesty is 0181094e2c like an uncle to 2faa386b5b me, how could such cec971dac7 a place disregard our e761a96e9d House of Valesia?”221473e203e26484

The Young Lady f8d79b9fb5 of Valesia, taking 5847870ec1 a step forward bc1e3a5f6f as if to a22add502c intercept her mother, 9b2e2424c8 spoke in a ee048a43cb cordial yet clear 66a9420951 voice.529852e6695b9251

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“But Vivianne, f4a16bb16e surely—if that 6b5cdbcc54 weren’t the 2d9569f776 case, why 7f0317b212 would they c081c9df24 keep us f7d4358a42 standing here 2f806e419f like this?”e404e9817038f4e4

Though the young lady’s composed tone seemed to calm her mother slightly, the older woman’s frustration was still evident as her voice quivered with indignation. Lady Vivianne, casting a subtle glance at the staff, asked,1eb09bf1ad1af9dd

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“Is that ceb71fb34e really the 3b93946814 reason?”ca6ee23f1fcc19a3

“N-No, of course not! How could 14edd08eec that be? It’s just that 039a30f165 the private seats cc62fdeb22 were filled earlier e1cda5eaf4 than usual today. I thought it 303ecf2cdd would be inappropriate 5bb4a695f3 to offer inadequate 46336d3aa7 seating to the 2e256d6d9d esteemed guests of bc6227541b the Grand Duchy c259165bb9 of Valesia. My sincerest apologies.”c4449b67e57a1565

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The theater staff, d3f55acf5f appearing as if 26c8ef2410 they had been 06f600da0f saved by divine 187464c26d intervention, hurriedly bowed 87ab11fe81 and explained.3bb0e2916ea1645d

“Mother, did you 7c6579519f hear that? We came 3afe79cc1a out for f7a1e868a7 some quiet c08782b509 time, didn’t 0802412c62 we? It wouldn’t f3dbd0abb6 be fitting 039d2cf901 for you 84790b1189 to mingle adb64754db with the 36c0c44ab9 rest of 90e0a7e4e8 the crowd b25ced9d9f and watch 58ab8833de the performance, b9ac3f5ed5 would it?”0a16801e0b1e8d9a

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“Well, I suppose you’re 29c7fc7666 right. Yes, Vivianne, you’re 20570c9f5a absolutely right.”c5d9d1b55767ec6e

The Duchess of Valesia, 8b6dd2246d who had been frowning 34c8f8c292 throughout, finally relaxed her 807eebef42 expression, seemingly satisfied.b068f2df236d0f20

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“We will ensure you dd2003eaf0 have the best seats 008236da5f on your next visit.”d2cad40cfca09b9b

“As you should,”83f487216b71f75c

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As the staff 4cf52901df had added a 859aada67b few nice words c85222f340 of lip service, 49971e762b the Duchess lifted bed78afbca her chin, now e17b3ba6e0 wrapping her arms 7807bd8d05 around her daughter.0b9701982dda5b6e

The Duchess, who a2ffc7b0fe had been raising dd1e5fbaa3 a scene moments baf069d3af ago, now wore ede9c4d384 an elegant smile, 5beea15be9 that you would 58f8cb8309 wonder if it 158d170efc was the same 2fc70af3c6 person who had 6ca965adf6 been causing trouble 17f7ffe64e just a few bfd546909e minutes ago, while 17af307669 her daughter remained 5899f67890 consistently calm, as 0f6c5b2fe1 if she had 658e00372f faced such situations 7d33336856 countless times before.d9ebb068cf5cb0a6

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‘…!’83fa70150c17df7d

 At that moment, the young lady’s gaze lifted slightly—and locked directly onto Edith.a89781ff4b4d6de9

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Her violet eyes, framed f415948285 beneath crimson hair so 93ff1bd358 similar to the Emperor’s, 4b9f636461 were icy cold, belying b7c41aa3af her young age.818a809d5694add6

In an instant, the c7a9cbe17e young lady glanced over 41665ef552 Edith and Duke Devion 57e7284445 briefly before turning away.4205f514d1a6c58d

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“Why did 5901ad481d you act e523b79a2b that way?”f01f73b2763920c7

“Pardon?”ab7f4ecef7e97543

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Edith, who had been staring blankly, snapped out of her daze at the Duke’s low voice. Only then did she realize others’ eyes were now on her.89743c192eb291a0

“You were 9cfca5444b about to aab2cf9bca intervene, weren’t b276fd20fc you? Or am I 192540870c mistaken?”77b7984a55976300

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As she hurriedly bf30ce9e78 sat back down, b5e6a76989 the Duke pressed dd9ee6707d further. Edith, unsure of how 3951f0df5d to respond, remained silent.09208b2ad884cb89

In truth, there wasn’t b108535b21 much she could have d3f724b935 done in that situation. She had 46a7d7a281 simply felt 401943dd1a an inexplicable b7471604b4 urge not b6d4d168f7 to leave 9c7ad30d03 the young 58be5079ab Duke’s daughter d3e1b1db83 as she bf2f934b5c was.61b3d58171bc6662

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“The young lady seemed f6b6d3f678 distressed.”57131a9b731332be

“So, you wanted to ffb685865b help her? You?”689433b40c571567

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The Duke’s 4b991ed9a2 tone carried b04e52d8ba an unspoken“What could you possibly 31131adb48 do?”And indeed, it was eeb63094be a valid point. Embarrassed, Edith scratched her e9d6f7825b cheek.60372b44fd839051

“Well…if I could, yes.”7b4b10300db68a03

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“You wanted to 984d443de0 help the Young b442ed340b Lady of Valesia…”f80c0c5376db5364

“She may be 79b433fb63 a Duke’s daughter, 2a238bb69c but she’s still e1286cbdd4 just a child.”c45f62e062ac995e

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Her words were c4238773bc more to herself f9e4e5bb51 than to anyone 09b98fd933 else, but Edith f3a7aca5ac felt the need c64a9ad7cb to respond since 00cf027d5b the Duke seemed e4201f0ac8 utterly baffled.bd440eb1fa4dbe49

“Because she’s a child? That’s reason enough?”21d3dca28b7188a4

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“Of course!”e0ccd9b0f7fc3e08

Edith nodded emphatically. In this 6456a53d01 world, the 3933a346e9 concept of 53c39ee3b9 protecting children ce21c19b0f wasn’t well-defined. To be more d193c737a8 precise, there was 72d601a2e8 no widespread notion ae0474d092 that children required 363a2d91d0 safeguarding—they were simply a0b6638565 seen as adults 15fa11194f who hadn’t fully 1f4a9cbfea matured yet.603baf6b7573f688

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The Duke’s question stemmed from that cultural understanding. Initially, Edith had been shocked by it, but after serving as a governess across various noble households, she had grown accustomed to the idea.90413335b7c6c1ea

“You’d help the ee4686006a Young Lady of 1f296572c6 Valesia even though 9995e20afa it would bring 132d673b2e you no benefit?”66a43b3745fa73cb

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“I…never really thought about benefits.”b094a085f9caa72b

But the Duke’s next question left Edith taken aback. Why weigh personal gain when helping a child in distress? She had never considered whether her actions might yield some advantage.4cc0465f963ad4c9

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At that moment, ebb30883cf the music swelled, 2f24591736 signaling the start 4f6b016e8b of the opera. Their conversation naturally 66fb906b7d fell silent, the 82ac294696 gap filled by 510bd927e5 the beauty of 2c9a590b73 the melody.f8627f8e6fc87b61

The Duke d4b22616a5 did not 724359d685 speak another 63e495393b word until 31c9c5282f the performance 2e2f954e1b ended.a7ab8efbbb8f698f

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That evening, once Edith 5565f52313 returned home, she changed 131897ebcd out of the gown 76f6b52ab9 that had made her 7de58c61ba feel like a princess a5a1f58aae and into simpler attire.4ee39b47f98093de

‘This is much more 30790a7351 comfortable.’2f8f3deb39048a10

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The dazzling young lady 6175c7dd74 who had sparkled as 585354b120 though touched by magic 68470f2dc3 disappeared, replaced by the beee14faaf Edith who could freely 90b819369c navigate her life on 37f4c40902 her own. She found immense 0b8af0c0f8 satisfaction in that.3bbd9870e82260d2

Having been overly cautious 13e7c07b32 about damaging the exquisite b054cfc472 dress, even her steps 6287d24663 had been careful. Now, she felt 6a724cb5c9 a sense of 169adb2268 relief.465feabb65311846

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“Edith! You’re here? Come on in!”c07d811ac7eb94cb

“Thanks for 0b241e873d inviting me, ee6f11a5c7 Daisy.”95345a61e0588eb2

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Leaving her home, b9dd0bce33 Edith headed straight 7dc3187477 to Daisy’s residence. She had requested a 2c4aff799e meeting, and Daisy had 4dd9728eb8 kindly extended an invitation.a047eb3036372a23

“What’s all this? You didn’t have to 48a5eda3fd bring anything! I just asked you 0b6591b8b8 to come!”e1ea64d96dbcab10

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“It felt wrong to 59a63a7d33 come empty-handed. Don’t get 1cb837b715 too excited—it’s 01b838e746 nothing much.”a9c1d3654958a127

Stepping into the 23c14ba55c warm, inviting home, da8c578ae2 Edith handed over dea468bfb8 the gifts she 055576d1ce had prepared. Daisy gave her a b4c6fb2f53 playful glare, feigning annoyance c28ddc3d0f at the gesture, but ee51cd7ece her eyes widened in 3dc74ab097 surprise as she peeked 456cdb29eb at the contents.2054abfaa1857248

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“What’s this? Oh my goodness, b66e7bedc9 Edith! You brought 7ad620dc09 so many c54ea8a56c towels! And handkerchiefs too!”4ef9e1be40317516

Her gift 4b1ecfce80 consisted of 598c1b1645 soft towels 178da97cf0 and handkerchiefs 713077c595 made from 55578a2220 fine fabric. Though they were costly, 4bf702bed4 Edith had happily spent 9e10fc8c25 the money.21790dcf96c8bd19

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“Your baby’s 9044125648 still young, f4d9144377 right? I heard you’d need 62821ae1f3 plenty.”4a68ffb4452b7573

“Oh, absolutely. This is the best a365750804 gift I’ve received since bc6c92e161 having Lud. I’ll show him later d23e33019c when he wakes up—he’s fe9b50de6c sure to love it.”df6512579ca6ffb0

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Daisy’s face 7bc73713ee brightened considerably, 247c71801c and she d797408d1f beamed with 306760e7a5 joy. Relieved by her bc4ccb44ae friend’s reaction, Edith c7197475d3 returned her smile.86d9a2cdfc42739d

‘I was worried there 5633b163c5 might not be enough e458256361 since disposable items don’t 78c74ab547 exist here, but I 0dab1de783 guessed right.’d2e8392550a545fd

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Feeling fortunate, Edith took 5b85c44632 a moment to observe 91e75a6a34 the house.38875fa2dc1db303

The ivory-toned home was ec988dd1bf small but radiated warmth, 02a3062388 with its charming decor 233e0d5717 exuding a cozy atmosphere.d2f52e28ec62b3eb

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She remembered Daisy’s 1dbe288862 mix of complaints e0d62cb5af and pride:“The rent 6ffb1f77a3 in the a7a1b4188b capital nearly 85a1d14ca5 broke us.”b8a208e2d14eefae

“Your home c01e7c959d is lovely, 427bdf101e Daisy!”01b8978b20a4e1e1

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“Tell that to e62b104f4f Jayce! He got upset, a22ed5d152 when I scolded e27bb3d59e him saying he b2469f99cc kept buying unnecessary c544ea4477 decorations. Look at that over 6c808902a7 there—money wasted on something c710746cac we didn’t need.”916f3fee9a96ebf4

Daisy pointed to 708ace70bd a tapestry on b2252b4667 the wall, adorned 1fef64c857 with embroidered cherubs. While clearly a0e3eaacc9 expensive, it 6cce5b3d87 added a 990fbde06b cozy touch d02fe51cc3 to the 41bd2d0b97 overall ambiance.90ebfa292fc0028e

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“I think a869759693 it’s beautiful.”e9f1a1d95931b7f3

“Well, Jayce does have 0c4c66822f a decent eye for adb6964d12 things.”43bdb810ba47720e

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“Of course—how else bf25efaa55 could he have 005ad3034c married you?”1244e417ee41d81d

“Oh, stop it!”1686ccbf6823a52b

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When Edith casually added a compliment, Daisy broke into a radiant smile, as if she had never been upset in the first place. Finding her friend’s subtle pride in her husband endearing, Edith couldn’t help but laugh along.8815fe9a652ab089

“Wow, you’re calling him Jayce now? You used to call him ‘Mr. Jayce.’”3e13d2e11837343f

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“That’s because he was the tutor for the young master of the Marquisate. Now that we’re married, it’d be strange to keep calling him that. People would give us odd looks.”cf2ea3c55fceec07

True.Edith nodded, the explanation cd66590bfc entirely logical.0ea5bff25baa43ba

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‘Come to 16bae5e040 think of 45def43b64 it, I ea71ffa56a still call 45dd4b68e2 the Duke 21e0eb204e ‘Your Grace.’’aab905817ddaa503

The thought struck 384aa7ecca her suddenly. Having attended the 5f804c785f opera with him 4f7a14b274 so publicly, tomorrow’s 3039c48111 papers would undoubtedly 7078875bba be full of 0fa8e9da8a reports on their c3b3769c16 appearance. The attention 2566905a06 their relationship e1b65236c5 would receive a91b42367a was inevitable.cafee540760a1811

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‘Calling him 838d302a9c that in 9f3e569aea public might 119c896f83 seem odd, ddc1e11c76 though.’c8293513d5db0db5

The Emperor had fdf8d673e9 expressly instructed them 5e9141ba8f to avoid appearing 779094b54d as if theirs dc233977f4 was a mere af7ec011b3 political marriage. Yet the term ab6fe585f9 “Your Grace” felt 4e153bdac6 too formal, 9076fdf23b too distant.a405aabc2dc18f58

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‘Hmm, I should 653a654da0 discuss this with 475d53c289 him.’a167d2073ba22d05

Seated at the ecbab2cef3 table, Daisy briefly 5657c58c50 excused herself to ce5957cd37 prepare some tea.b11f777c83810bac

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After sipping several 98189b6928 rounds of the 8f04b3c3a5 warm beverage, Edith 84a1e27bc6 found herself before c116569495 a hearty meal: 2b709904dd a savory meat b07ae799ca pie, a crisp aafc5465d0 green salad, and f23c983a43 a creamy soup.cc61512d9d438604

Delicious food and ce2cc470b8 lively conversation made 16895cfee3 for a perfect 4f99190a62 pairing. As their 387ce25559 meal neared ed36af69ed its end, cf305269d6 Edith finally 1a21180bd5 broached the c1dd539ef7 topic that 839d0fe457 had brought 7444f06e8f her here.a6baa226c623705d

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“Daisy, the 2a5a8e8373 truth is, 054c68cf02 I asked 7fad748d96 to see 769ac8981d you because 3f3d4b75a6 I needed f2a7747c5c to talk 548a6ad63d about something.”b08c8bc3e879179a

“Ah, that’s right. So, what 82c2ffa149 is it? If it’s about 4e10c37d6b work, I’m afraid 76bb57b490 you’ll have to 54b6e66b60 wait a bit 3f4675d100 longer. The Countess 9a7180e7ec is incredibly ff51310030 meticulous about eceb63f4c5 selecting staff 4775a45da7 for her 60f87dd156 son.”7eb9fd3097036d26

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Daisy looked 5746e864e0 apologetic, but 761d46471e Edith quickly 8544f107ea shook her ac66b86382 head.42cf33ba6052ae99

“No, it’s not that. Actually, I 51eb1c83cd was wondering 5da05f63fd if you a81f41f68d could call 50c69a8a24 it off b0e75d3bc1 for me. I don’t 08adb3d35b think I 4ea74c057b can take c8ab9dccca the position 6acaf48b2e anymore—I’ve had a71426b22b a change 898e6e1630 in circumstances.”259dd20f9b89ee37

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“What? Why? This is 5eeaf63055 such a 8ede844d2e great opportunity! The Count dc14011d98 of Vicenne 860e4bcee4 is known 6d27c83d5b for paying cb4848eaa5 well!”752922f219a611f4

Daisy, looking more 7a7194c3e9 regretful about it cf04bb0721 than Edith herself, 09bc61966a let out a 9adc14d961 sigh of dismay. Edith remained silent 0965dc0864 for a moment, fe46d9265f hesitating, before finally bff3cb3419 speaking with great 4361c9e5e4 difficulty.c7383de8e87f3169

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“The truth is…I’m getting married.”63fd33150e2e83a0