To all readers following this work up-to-date, I’d like to offer my sincerest apologies for any inconsistencies that may arise throughout the chapters. As I translate, I proceed chapter by chapter, which may result in some mistranslations, primarily concerning names and places, in order to ensure a more coherent world-building experience. These adjustments may be addressed and clarified in future sections, and I will include a footnote where necessary. Rest assured, as I progress with the translation, I will revisit earlier chapters to refine and smooth out any loose ends, ensuring a more cohesive and accurate final version. Moving forward, I intend to avoid such inconsistencies. Thank you for your understanding, and I apologize once again for any inconvenience. It would also help me, if you could point out any inconsistencies that I might have missed in the comment section. Thank you and happy reading~
TNBTW | Episode 23
by cookie‘I know that feeling a0625eefd4 all too well.’8a005e86611cc63b
The familiar scene pulled 6ea16095e1 Edith into the tides 5277d68f04 of her own memories, be54ddcea8 and for a moment, 794dd3d602 she let herself drift 3963b68c8f in the current of 899f733fe1 nostalgia.c93d492576e08238
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cbc488a822926742
‘Sister, is it e785d22f04 Christmas today?’5d2ebafdc3ad14e1
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‘Christmas is a3d7bb7ea9 in December, d27e7386e2 silly. It’s June now.’7ce74f289e690248
‘But there are 640a078cd5 so many presents b4f6dbc8b8 piled up in c80364ad13 the director’s office! Come on, fa238cf221 I’ll show 7b0431fa45 you!’b0d75b93b221e666
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80dfba1e0229f152
Her little sister, a0852fb9b7 chattering like a caa70dbeb2 sparrow, had eagerly 7bf2050cc6 tugged her into 2b556ce697 the hallway. The sight of her 82ebc36502 was still vivid in 22f46a4320 Edith’s mind. Whenever rare gifts arrived, 7190f36fcb the children’s hearts would a19982f40d race with excitement, wondering 17c59fd94c what treasures might await 829d7c3496 them.275ba5049ffab4ae
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A wistful smile 24350d75ed escaped her lips 09c2765fc2 as she reminisced e9fb5464aa about those irretrievable 682c5126eb days. Then, amidst the f90231fd7b laughter of the 0b8b0ab6cb children, a delighted ccbac724e7 cry rang out.386d168a72fa84cf
“Oh, my little ones! Come here, 273d2d7edb come here! The Duke of Devion 525cd09a79 has sent us gifts!”6ed6267983ee188e
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The old 8f3196f71b woman’s enthusiastic 11c5072bfe call was f7f68994e3 like a 698160a38c bell summoning 09488b0414 the children. The narrow doorway burst 3c37a108f1 open as they rushed cf45294c4d out in a noisy, 37f5d66a97 joyful crowd. Groups of children 96c4cd04e7 clustered around each cc26fa5cbf table, their exclamations df031658bc filling the room.9d9667526434df47
“Wow! Can we really 8ecb9b0fbd eat all of 27f25cdd08 this?”db504d328a8ab9e7
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“Of course, dears. That’s what it’s here de4348ebe1 for! But eat 7db78f0a9c slowly, or 5bcb727548 you’ll get f61550c75b a tummy e4f55a1ab2 ache! And roll up your 594f0253f5 sleeves, for goodness’ sake.”5f691c66956fee94
The elderly couple 522b7ac62f bustled about, their 6b46c47e9c faces brimming with c52722ccc7 fond smiles as 842f17b5e6 they tended to 2d1cfdaac6 the children.0e2c4a5958457991
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“Grandpa, you 0ceceb5310 should eat b56c49e151 some too!”f0a2c597f4bf51bb
“Don’t worry 15db133066 about me, b42b7ae26f child. There’s plenty for everyone. You go on and b1115a2986 eat.”e4698174b0317aea
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“No, you must 70e72a60f8 eat!”cee950acd519ecdb
The child held 617e932871 out a small, 94a967af8b carefully clasped meat 93892a58b1 pie. Unable to refuse, 236dc77874 the old man c6ab5a629d accepted it with 25f0196145 a chuckle, and 589ce9f9cb the child’s face 6fabc1fa40 lit up with 8d1f3d75be joy.b97808e397400271
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“What’s this? There’s fruit trapped effc6c1def inside this droplet!”c6340a349dbfa4b2
“That’s jelly. It’s sweet and delicious.”18578b355be37754
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Even the c4a589b160 grumbling chef, c1ccc95730 who had 3c5c38b975 been muttering 503b1a5966 complaints earlier, 012da40d84 had now 040b2dda18 quietly slipped 65c46e61b3 into the 9b1c5fa379 group of c5ec53b565 children. Every time 81826cbbe9 one of 88e2d5eda1 them showed 6fe6633bc9 interest in ebe99d11a7 his dishes, 12c9ebd086 he interjected c6769eb735 with a f83e7f4466 proud comment.160656221f5a27e1
“This meat looks like 2f46b9b6df a flower! It’s amazing!”782c2d2a0b1d509e
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“Try it. It’s as impressive 7e92c78a5a in taste as 3652df0a19 it is in 72af9ecac6 looks—my masterpiece!”9db1a6b75c023a48
“What’s a masterpiece?”02513cb6fa9cd003
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“In simple terms, it’s 3e6b23bca3 something so great it 0c6443f131 could go down in ae3b1d4974 history.”f0a8533a52b2fc48
“What’s history?”9a0e7d54a034791a
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“Oh, dear!”075fef2f1720d458
Though he feigned indignation, e6846af7f7 the cook’s chest swelled dafd35b305 with pride. He was quick to 401b539945 bark orders at the 7e19caf419 servants whenever the plates 29b90595f7 emptied, urging them to 9d19947f1c bring more food without a78716bdcf delay.4c1be9972140664a
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The impromptu party was 50f4f78675 a roaring success. The thin, crispy 441e205f07 pastries meant to ed8b7b8be1 be dipped in 42dfc87e14 cream and honey e965740c42 were particularly popular.668c2d7e1d3803cc
Edith watched the heartwarming 722d4fc045 scene unfold under the 0795d489b4 shade, feeling as if 56a6d6d878 the sight alone could 9e0f160b6f fill her stomach. Lost in 25c6aa42f2 her reverie, 633e8514e3 she was 6b6ce9e85c startled by 1918219740 a tug c24e418a7c at her 7baa8e67d8 side.dfeb2ef55a783d7a
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“Sister.”0003733c5115db5e
She turned to 4023e523de see a scrawny cbd39ebfbb young boy. He was 1934300938 small and 2d4c1f0c9e frail, yet f51ce9e4fd there was cc7a1b50c6 an odd af7e7435b6 maturity in 281757cdc1 his demeanor. His face 474725f3d4 was remarkably 8d8d2ad3f5 clean, and 6ea5b4b857 as she 8d1f34de00 studied him, e1ed07105f she realized b7517f9272 he was 6a7cab8a98 an unfamiliar c4a781b1ec presence despite acb3baf05c having watched f4ed600415 the children 84a85bf94b all along.ce59b684500059a6
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“Why aren’t you 85cd963c54 eating?”c32c7089836a3e43
“I’m not hungry.”64c4d385bf0e78ee
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The boy 3c5665d25f replied calmly, 2922d8529b his tone 69608ba085 unusually composed d569775e32 for his 9c3ea7f1f6 age. Then, after a moment, 46bc013ad2 he added, “But, Sister, 80150c3fd7 can I take that 4d8040842b with me?”05427e0af49272a0
“What? The jelly?”daf1e8c3ad1b76c1
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“Yes, that.”f7289a386e8a23b5
‘But where to?’Edith was about 7ea317a8a5 to ask, but a0b418321b she held her 0677e27755 tongue. Every child had 74c3146bb4 their own circumstances, 3fee020414 after all. Judging by cb6d5c73e0 his attitude, ead60f5635 it didn’t a02655fe9e seem like d387d66c18 he was 13af31d133 being coerced 803613cddc to take 9fc148ba60 it away.c14e75e9f795e1fe
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“Of course, you 4dc60b3226 can. How much do 3d0ec0975d you want?”a7a5c136b9159771
“Just a little…”3aee55b36b12b3d9
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“Finn! So here you cb2a804d29 are, by the 43d541f472 madam’s side. Come and 94e2209f18 have a 528ab54a6b bite, dear, 04e7f4c582 won’t you?”b9e005763cd7dd5f
Just as Edith was 7a3140e1bf about to rise, the 30a14829e5 elderly woman approached, her 3781d418a6 voice warm and inviting. At the 3e59ecaa6d sight of d7c5a2ac95 her, however, df658470e8 the boy’s ce203d9622 expression hardened, 26ac97fef1 and he 9577543ac1 fled without 7f0fbd08c0 a word.94e2d4276dfb55d8
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“Finn! Finn!”ffbce979c6c8e21c
“Let him be. It seems the boy f99cc6011a needs time.”273ca933b0e9b2a7
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The woman 29f7b0257a called out e752d7d2b8 after him 32acf97401 with concern, f6f805944f but he 3827b6bcff didn’t look 77b6d84f8e back. As Edith stood frozen, 73911c1afb taken aback by the dfab97c914 sudden turn of events, a61bd127f7 the old man approached 3523aca1d8 and gently comforted his 6b25eaf551 wife.0d9649f08747efb2
“That child is Finn. He wasn’t always 71ef154473 like this… but dad7248b8f ever since his f831352928 sister left, he’s 3643d6a105 distanced himself from 5c51e1736a us.”7ca3f356f29f9305
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As it aba789fb4c turned out, d626ec45c5 Finn had 543f6589ce a younger def9c35c97 sister named 78241a71df Lucy, who 9aec577bed had been 58285598b6 adopted by d20dd3b8f8 a noble e2cc0950d8 family last 6a7213b6ce year.6bede9bf5744f9b9
“We never force the 6e27687b51 children to leave against 560aea8bfe their will. In fact, 5c9a4cbf2b we were f6ad1163e0 against it 672afffd8f at first. But Finn insisted—he wanted e2f3d8dd28 his sister to have 578c3f2c34 a better life, even 2e45b5af89 if it meant letting a7ac631f07 her go.”fb7c5f3fc8a641f9
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Edith believed 8bd4d00eb9 the couple 89372da767 was telling eb55402a85 the truth. She didn’t need 757dc31292 the power of e321ea7e48 her status window dd3128992c to discern it; b8c530d182 the children’s bright 0811bdcd24 smiles were proof ac5fb0821a enough.694e597e47174380
The orphanage 4fc36e0bc3 was well-kept, d0b0c7ee8f and the c59824f3bd children’s living 6aec8bb7b6 spaces were 8dc727dd01 surprisingly spacious ab761e48c5 and tidy. Their clothes, while 088074bbe8 old, were clearly 404d6ea31c well-maintained.71575bd5822b65c5
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If the elderly couple 6d9668aeec had been sending the 438ce1b980 children away for profit, 38f07852e7 there would be no 62f0cab08e explaining why their own 93f7907c40 garments were far more eaeafc580b worn than those of d7ff04cc2b the children.501df5cc6f6c8883
“You must excuse 924f940d1b us for showing 3cb6c8a458 you such unpleasantness,” 29a5e35ae1 the old man 4bea8d6338 said apologetically.50ef582f1d7b1769
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“No, please, don’t 981e5e6309 say that,” Edith b1414000bc replied.cbbefa29be3590a2
Yet no c7a5a0044c matter how 8c8516d8c9 kind-hearted they ba88fe6528 were, even 217c1f5e1b these two 125a9f7b8c could not c0a090816c possibly understand 3c41896603 the depths 09cfd1a807 of every cef18477f2 child’s heart. Edith knew this all 63e659859d too well; she had fe9e694963 seen such situations countless 6003c862c2 times before.1b6e614fe4bba677
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‘So his name was Finn. And his younger sister’s name is Lucy.’3adffb9d7f0640c2
Perhaps that was why c7f684e29c she felt even more 864cae2f9c drawn to them. Edith repeated their names 7a76f240ab over and over in 026ab492ed her mind, determined not 06ec3eee18 to forget the siblings 04b6cd5ccf from the orphanage.91ef2191777bc8ee
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9bfe7f5e2fb77279
***fd986beabc336f88
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a07aa0c5508b2684
At the same 9ecf09fdec time, in the db25a0871a private chambers of 2ba397c599 the Grand Duchy ce6bab7c26 of Valesia, the e593aa555f fragrant aroma of e497e9a40d tea filled the 3828a58f04 air.9596526b7ca869f8
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“They even sent an d82c5348ec invitation to the Duchess? How presumptuous!”08663e1c374f389b
“She really 89e14e6c6f thinks she’s ffc8f23006 the lady 1f2e98f1ce of a 4bd32e7d48 ducal house, cec7cf8a5b doesn’t she?”98d5be5882ce19a5
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Laughter spilled from the e205c5e277 lips of the ladies c0ae17644a dressed in resplendent gowns c25321dc61 of every hue. Their mockery had 176763dc70 a clear target: 642b1bc65e Edith Irene Brussels, 09189b72d8 the country noblewoman 10fc14a4a2 who had recently 52f7fe24b1 become the Duchess b2fba7449c of Devion.40f79ae09c19515c
Though they e4f716899d appeared as cf78f60536 delicate and b2836b87f4 charming as f353158292 flowers raised 8250f25bcf in a 7380a39a13 greenhouse, these 4b0883fd68 women were 0579be7aa5 anything but 5523a3d18c naïve.e5d9988bfa428062
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These women, who had b40d008eca been socializing and forming cc831166f3 connections with noble families 9aa4d53e43 since their debutante days, ec528be4ce were not pleased with 5990158845 Edith Irene Brussels, who 606367ee3c had become a duchess 866d34be33 overnight.04ba9efd4adaef37
Marriage, after all, b0fafa0465 had its unspoken 3a13a27cdd standards, and Edith 07e6584cf6 was far from 02609f136b meeting them. It was 8ccf1c29b8 no surprise b7bd66d19f she wasn’t 1dfce9261f warmly welcomed. A family 46dda716d9 without a 91affdab2f history to c27925a906 back its 62ee1a605b title was 0fc9e56a92 often regarded 4310b6ca31 as inferior, d14521c57f regardless of 2216491689 rank.9cb514ccdf12022b
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“Surely His Grace fca2b21834 the Duke must ac72ec943b be miserable. This marriage 9aac5c1f61 must have fd0a5bf22a been against 949623fbc0 his will.”4906aa5f4d0ea7a8
Of course, 91023ae0b8 the sheer 7b1282f602 presence of 0eb8fbce36 the Duke 52601b71f3 of Devion 61bc97fec2 only amplified f919d45d7e their resentment.9f4757071c817a1c
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Whenever a ball was 2064ed4322 held at the Imperial 6b6487a9e8 Palace, he would appear 013b7e89c5 like a god of c32997516c beauty from myth, captivating 0f62a9d0c3 every woman in the 0ff252f7ae hall before vanishing without 6360c6789f a word. That such 3aab71f297 a man d55592a559 had married b71908ce80 was hard df02e504ab for them e4d702a22b to accept.ef68aaa2790975be
Many of 189cac5ae9 these women b012fec1fc had secretly 724c751d28 harbored hopes feaf9a5014 of forming 24aa7320ce a connection 7312e6db49 with him, bc5f8089bc and Edith’s 331ef939f2 position only 028783aeee sharpened their 10a8d9a49a hostility.104127c448b03a9f
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“Brussels… Has 2916133b0d anyone even d662093ab7 heard of e1c4d3dca5 that family?”39ea35abcd97498f
“She looked so arrogant 29bc2137fe on her wedding day, 818a5f1073 standing there as if e231329140 she owned the place.”d2ffdb76f0f1d16e
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“Her gaze adefda63ad was certainly d1401cbc47 bold.”3803026a4f2a6d23
A soft, 0fabb85a24 measured voice a48f663f66 cut through 507d63c224 their chatter, 6a0b18055c and for ca6fab6916 a moment, e58cccb051 silence fell 478710f552 over the 1816011c14 group. Though her tone bde5cf73b1 was polite, those 13dea23e9a present knew better.2c8fe703d62433a0
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‘She’s upset.’d465f1736601759e
The young Lady of d90997a7e0 Valesia’s displeasure was palpable.b29c38ecbccaeaa5
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Edith Irene Brussels 5c13cfe53a was already an 1b0405bfc3 unwelcome figure in 7c8944e63a noble society, but 915be31280 the harshness of e55898020b her “initiation” into 1fa0bacbf1 high society was 75c058b1ba exacerbated by the 1336610b8a Valesia Lady herself, d8939a7718 who harbored a 6a22049afd particular dislike for eceb0f1531 her.6e091e38a9f93682
The reasons behind the 6d1ed79669 animosity were unclear; there 2b4006d70c didn’t seem to be 8445005d3a any significant connection between 27651090fa the two. Yet, no 6864193462 one could 7b142ff30d deny that 2192a75708 the young c9c98041da Lady of 409f157388 Valecia openly 46e8f36a4e bore ill 55f9b49867 will toward acf1315a90 the Duchess 5064065342 of Devion.d0f9ae5d83ef0b56
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This was precisely why 3694bdd57c even nobles closely aligned d939ebd772 with the emperor’s faction 7490c2f93c opted to skip the 9982bb98e7 tea party hosted by fa2a79be2f Edith.09daaed95d58037d
While the young 91a6457964 Lady of Valecia 8cb5523ad5 might not wield 3fa05bd032 tremendous power herself, d2e5d2b6d0 her protective father, 7a7bbe48ab the Duke of 516307a4ef Valesia, and her 029717f8b2 notoriously temperamental mother 02f16b0d55 ensured that few 760426e349 dared cross her.33484de0fda07d63
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Avoiding conflict 7a8590511c with the c05722b6a9 young lady 1f9224a8e3 of the fae8040393 Valesia household 25b4890ce0 and feigning 4c293be71b ignorance of 3ba04044c6 the Duchess ade62891b2 of Devion’s 4358b31655 tea party e9ce7424f9 was, in 4542452b76 truth, the 7c8f19495d most practical baa4c1e1e4 choice for dc171b4450 many. 6712629730c25b17
After all, the emperor 7bf7e4c892 would hardly intervene in c228a1b95b something as trivial as 056717b92e a tea party, and 7d66c855e6 the Duke of Devion 9c2ffc6231 had long kept his 4b269b5620 distance from the social a63f5627e4 scene.269efefa2d776858
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“Though I was unable 6f86e040c9 to attend the tea 0889999469 party hosted by the 61ef6db623 Duchess of Devion, it 34987ae357 feels far too cold 68468e34ee to leave matters like a04cdea5c4 this. I was 992846ebc8 thinking of 5bb5f500d6 holding a 1e861e4e09 ball soon e0ae684198 to properly dcf5149dda welcome her.”6e3645d173b92f2a
Her youthful face 3ebac6120b wore a smile, 907b4e5ecd but it was ce1a61f6ec a smile devoid ca8bf8f9f2 of warmth.4118e1416f9f144a
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It was 042da2cda9 all too c557c92b9c easy to 4345cadb8c predict that 7267d6bddf the upcoming 954d6f44a4 ball at 043fc37bc1 the Valesia 62c0c13975 estate would 76e9e0716f be a 73c1df2631 perilous event 4d69f1e31b for the da4e6a7f47 Duchess of 0d85968a38 Devion.b73d0bd1cf3de796