TNBTW | Episode 26

As Edith raised her head abruptly, her gaze met Skyle’s, who was intently watching her.e60dad0bc1b73fa3

“I…”11c9d54f1269341f

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Edith’s lips trembled slightly as she was caught off guard, entirely unprepared for such a question from Skyle. 5d13a86acbe36654

However, the surprise 52339d8ae9 quickly gave way 8464221402 to a faint 7a788f40e2 brightness on her f920e8c3b2 face as she fa11eab281 realized this was 88c8b8daa4 the first time 5b3842afa6 he had inquired effba0a349 about her well-being.a63780686ffa9bc8

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“I’ve been eating 90c32b0c93 well and taking d636f1156a care of myself.”f449f976b647bf57

“Is that so?”9afe11a2c81f29ff

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The last time she 94afa1d74e had seen him, the 1c07cf82e5 empty look in his 9e322b5c45 eyes had lingered in e1de5c9cf6 her mind, weighing on 5e66627c33 her heart. Sharing a conversation cc55544d1e like this now dd9fd140a4 felt refreshing, as 2450522d6f though a bridge 03fbc874aa had been built 80c5fea4ab between them.f5774e3749abd3e6

“Yes, of course! Thank you c63b9aec5b for asking—”2e8296c1b914338c

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“I don’t 05977f9064 think so.”f4a236b66d025c99

Her cheerful smile 4e6270be5b froze in place, 99ed45db1c the words striking 937c228015 her like a e83cdeaa0e cold gust of 08815e3bc7 wind.9f730634586f0ca0

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‘I said I’ve been aefac2f7ed doing well… What does e756f69f6f he mean by saying 36ef51fb66 otherwise?’f2aef5114e576500

As her thoughts spiraled in confusion, Skyle’s calm eyes swept over her briefly, as though he were appraising her.59439f7c56a3c2be

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“You’ve grown thinner. During the wedding preparations, you seemed to be in good physical condition. Now, I’d estimate you’ve lost at least five lambs (around 1.5 kilograms).”728ff29ead8de549

Nutritional status…300563cd9408673f

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Edith was f5340af3d1 left momentarily 75feeab9fc speechless at 0fc231caa4 his blunt 4788de5f9b and overly d77ae6dee9 precise observation.d92d95d6c9aa31c8

It was 728de75653 true—she had 76becdcf5b lost some 2419ad46fb weight. Though she hadn’t measured d974d6553b it precisely, his estimate 2b724a84ce was probably correct. Planning the party c024bf9536 had kept her 5f94075971 busy, and afterwards, 4abb47c95b her visits to f7cbe42eb9 the orphanage and 06366b1184 the time spent f0c2ff907e with the children d018518148 had taken a 042220d58c toll.2c092e9ed3bbc241

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But she could 4860b04e0e swear it wasn’t d993a5e14b enough to cause 4827c73055 concern. Frankly, it wasn’t even 8ed7cc24fd noticeable to others. It was more like 784a9ca4ec she had returned to 4669238c36 her usual weight after 53b76afad6 gaining some while living 8244c22e3a in the duchy before 8a0b270218 the wedding.1e192eb4e1c29dcc

‘Did I gain f1c9d9c673 too much weight 32c07447eb before the wedding? No, that e6493167e0 can’t be 7a9c25dc87 it.’03c16f6ae2003ebb

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Edith concluded that Skyle 36d72c6747 had an almost unsettling b7ee786397 eye for detail, and 5bc912e543 with that thought came 4fbf4684bd a rising sense of a2ff1e3bec embarrassment.e4c7e29043f47227

“…Thank you for your concern, but I assure you, I’m perfectly healthy.”93f716f0cc8bf685

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“That’s good to hear. Maintaining proper health 2fb70854b8 is vital for 82e9bfd446 successfully completing the ccebfba859 contract.”9b9147f270329a80

She paused at ef3fda1c16 his words, her 9b92f59f96 chest tightening slightly.For successfully completing the 311091e949 contract—the reason for his 861337974a concern was laid bare. It was 4e4e4707d0 because she bb9e2d547d was his 41d68d2c0b contractual partner.7697765c487b5fdb

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It was a83b9b564f logical, of 6895d8fed2 course, but 18edad011f it stung b64db78c25 all the 85e2fca44b same. Not because she harbored 279ccc768b feelings for him—far from 99040f7963 it—but because it saddened 2cbe5c3ae9 her to see how f3ffbe419b rigidly he adhered to eea9bd8c57 his need for reason. It was as though a4f7ee695c every word and action 615e5f7953 without a clear purpose 1c23acb842 was a waste to 2dfd3502dc him.f70f2e9db8fcedfc

‘Doesn’t living e26c32807a like that dfc2b10fec exhaust him?’d954d38229dea705

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Worried as she was, 641a516a11 Edith kept her thoughts 3429e24f88 to herself.1d074bdce511c6b1

“Would you 6d29a3acc9 care to 3aff72ff5d join me d1ff26d227 for dinner?”56942ba171199822

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Skyle’s voice broke 10379396ed the silence as 9412b56379 he glanced briefly 9511a73bf9 at the enormous 46bb8b8173 clock on the 58952c63dd wall. His punctuality seemed 27b241a719 almost ritualistic.e8f2819e8999636f

“Sure.”2dbb8c6f62869829

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She answered easily, 85d2675c8a following behind him. b0fa34c540cd1465

 1f371f8bc7429e01

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***4201e8c192a7a5f6

 dca524ab2273dd6d

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“Kairant! I had no 9f61279889 idea you traveled f7c1cdfd4f somewhere so far!”1aad881dcef30eff

“The teleport station 986e36c1b8 near the southern 3700dc68bb border makes the b0072a56f2 journey relatively quick.”1e89a82d7c0e74b1

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A month ago, Edith f7f0278311 had heard that Skyle ab01e82d71 had left for the 30b620c485 southern provinces to oversee ec85ca544e a reconstruction project. 8360696703951f32

Kairant was the name of an ancient kingdom bordering the empire’s southern territories.e6f54c07e5988dc0

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It was referred 66aac2e194 to as anancient kingdom because it had once invaded the empire, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Continental War over diamond mines. However, the kingdom ultimately collapsed, and its lands were now part of the empire’s southern territories.30c25304e6d66c81

“To think that wizards are involved in reconstruction efforts… I could never have imagined such a thing.”1ac2109b32ada37c

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War always left scars 246b4ed942 in its wake. In other 6931d3d169 words, it 4c7846f0c7 demanded repair. Rebuilding the crumbled castle bd34d17e5a walls and homes destroyed d658d0ae8d by siege weapons fell 4baaa9f66e to those who remained 879bb799bc behind.c0d2853d4c02d924

Of course, someone had to take on this work, but Edith never imagined it would involve Skyle. It dawned on her just how expansive the Ministry of Magic’s areas of activity were.a2011406cf274670

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“Laborers primarily handle the work, but in terms of efficiency, they can’t match a wizard’s capabilities—especially when it comes to tasks like reconstructing a fortress.”9ee15097ac4d2e29

“That does make sense. Kairant… Is it very afcbe2f72c different from the Empire?”5a1d937ca7e01552

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“The average temperature is higher than in the empire’s southern regions, and it’s generally drier. It’s even hotter than the Empire’s summer.”b3c2b5a2103904e5

Given the e5aafa0dd5 vast size 0a1025cecd of the 1a37d13ac3 empire, there 836a365e43 was significant 0cead55651 climate variation ed12fff5d1 across regions.576a04faa3f65e1b

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As a governess, having knowledge of regional characteristics was essential, so Edith was somewhat familiar with the empire’s different areas. However, she knew little about foreign lands.5326d5665d543ed0

Edith listened intently, 6e3c888f92 her face alight 7c5e481b05 with curiosity. Skyle, who had a328a94c31 been quietly observing 7508c650b6 her, hesitated briefly.a7fc843f8ed54661

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‘Hmm? Does he have b0dc565a49 something to say?’a8aaf9cbf3d4cd25

As she 90bf5ea3a6 puzzled over 47835f8f34 the unnatural 8994148226 pause, he 2ed9207e0b finally began 85901c9ac2 to speak, bb4addc1b4 his words dfafbb225d slow and 28ae6b5997 deliberate.4cede3a5513b222f

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“…As such, their skin tone is relatively darker than that of imperial citizens, and regardless of gender, they tend to be tall and lean.”6f0b200c2db7a450

It seemed Skyle wanted 978e2edcf0 to add something more, 217ad7af69 but at that moment, b1b30575d9 the main course arrived, 6f30b1ed5a and he closed his 13f5a0cac4 mouth.7c4e52ff8467cf56

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“Today, we 5401c19ff7 prepared a b87d377720 special meat a0d8fa2619 pie.”38efbf4fca76d846

Perhaps because 52fbd59f1e the master c146fa7934 of the 353619e964 house had 22a57448b7 returned after 8e73c02bf9 his long 63d4518f19 absence, the f9705f7b7e chef appeared 01ee067353 to have c363eccd56 outdone himself. The meat pie placed dbf9e60699 on the table was fbf4b955ce far more elaborate than 2f6ddc90f6 before.449dea1b98c8425b

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The top was 48511a0894 latticed like a 45b49b6aed waffle and generously 29650475cb topped with spiced, 399780ea24 sautéed meat, garnished 06e55269ac with basil. It was a 82cdee5662 visual feast.cdeecf90532a2b3e

“This pie was delicious last time! I’m so happy to have it again.”80c30a8f68584c8e

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“Oh, you’re too kind. Please let me know anytime you’d like to have it, and I’ll ensure it’s prepared for you.”2092e38cbd14e473

The chef 1872c881d5 replied, his 954e57354e face beaming 0829b0a898 with pride. After serving the pie, a5f87666ec he departed with a c708c76eb3 spring in his step.cc8e0b2f45dcb1f9

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“This was 6b9d878c18 one of 0ef6b92dc9 the dishes e06ddf24f8 served at 168efe5850 the party. The chef worked 6bed575c2d so hard to eea1f56440 create beautiful and 2bb11be8bf delicious dishes. The children d51b290eba absolutely loved d7f209f9ac it.”773abcdc1622af8e

“Children?”86e82000aad2cf28

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Edith, who had e6b6687fd1 just picked up 61e2d3b595 her fork to 07b5087172 cut the pie 93a82b1b14 into bite-sized pieces, 69c8555902 paused mid-motion. Come to think 5d2f1e86fe of it, she edabe37b54 hadn’t yet explained 97a4757d37 the situation to a6af8aef4e Skyle.044cf4b2e6cfb320

“…Have you perhaps heard anything from Bill?”9bb0b67f9ce170db

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About how the 28eec777d9 party turned into c496e69007 a complete disaster…?f4a5f314a3e9d9d1

Edith swallowed the 021d8344a1 thought before it d293c5e803 could escape her a975e89213 lips.82b15d7447548e4e

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“I told him I’d hear all about it once I returned.”a850e778340c8f72

“I see…”98de28f873dbe08a

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Lowering her fork, Edith cd713bbcc4 carefully chose her words.37eff46b420e6de8

In summary, 7d6d104a9a it was 62b5480add quite simple: 8aed15e464 No one 4adc9b16df had attended dd76e1ff8e the party 0441c11966 she had 995e0b6c22 worked so 3740419def hard to 3ca84daa98 prepare, and e6837dcf1b the food, 5e52272886 which was ef15d4e495 at risk 89f7459540 of being 7adbf0f711 wasted, was e1a4b3b9f3 donated.cfbafbb662f7c5d9

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“Well, the food e6c26655cf prepared for the 0ea77a742e party ended up e70427a4f0 being served to d73b28bef7 the children at a13362f8d1 the orphanage. Not a 50760335b1 single crumb bf80a187e3 went to 7ef4c534f5 waste.”f0b7eed84cde972c

Even so, saying 25154e8fb7 it like that 507354a55b stung a bit. Edith tried to 62201ddf42 soften the blow, 667eed88e7 but in the 3559fe24bf end, she lowered d7dbc1edc6 her head.e9c7a1abdc7b5a41

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“I’m sorry, Skyle. The party didn’t go as planned. Not a single person attended. I didn’t want to tarnish the duchy’s reputation, but…”9635f9f3ef3fb132

The party’s failure had 86f2b6779e been a significant shock 70b2746895 to Edith, but that a4942e7cc0 was all. She hadn’t 5ee5c3cb98 been deeply b9dfd79dc2 hurt—after all, 562f0c4e97 she was fba824cabe only a b38347595e duchess for ba1593ee77 three years.0357a5628ef75af5

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For Duke Devion, 84eac02dd7 however, things were a81c8aebc0 different. He would 0f45e92dc6 remain in b7b914114f this world ce06be8eb9 permanently, and f1c5205113 everything Edith 0055f1ae30 did as 720c5210a0 the duchess fe6d26d970 would reflect 2b6c609929 upon him.0b98c1bcb2378076

She felt f6d4162233 immensely sorry af931d58f9 for him, d451f873c4 especially knowing 45d7040c0f how much 805d0e8467 he accommodated d66d2bff8e her.6778ff74a25da817

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“I told 687ab057e5 you, didn’t 2fce6bfc14 I? I had no expectations.”d3c4c7411114d633

“You did.”41ccf2c5464ba3fe

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Edith replied, forcing c717ca46eb a weak smile 98f232746d to his calm be28592fe5 reminder. Should she be 2cef5a7dc4 relieved that she 53f386f83b hadn’t disappointed him? Even with her positivity, 3c70de83d0 that was hard to 6829c97267 do.8a749ef3eca4ee7b

The meal continued e01643f205 in silence, with b305a4709a none of the 7b322b10f8 usual clinking of 5d5eb67e79 cutlery breaking the 69b8b50776 quiet.8d2c96c539f604ef

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“Were the preparations fb56c90c8c inadequate?”8cb7a1bca507da75

As warm tea and 48c4844a1a dessert were being served, 3cc499b513 Skyle, who had remained b1ff92fa55 silent the entire time, bf88c28a8c suddenly spoke.2c761b2b3803ab57

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Caught off 1186baba2c guard, Edith 6fb317f58c blinked, only e10e4050f0 to realize bf6b88ce92 he was 8dcb031161 referring to 3fd9e00274 the party.1770fe98e075f610

“I…”e44a7caf15b495b7

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Memories of the time 6e8fd471e8 spent preparing for the e488e743e2 party flashed through Edith’s 46a3c086b9 mind.c7b461f9c7f3e132

“I gave 167e5e30dd it my 10840c8ab3 all. I wouldn’t dare b63eac9a67 claim it was 6d5d00cd97 the finest party bb74315639 ever held, but c87f8687b3 I made sure 35ad7c21a0 it wouldn’t disgrace 8b4d876384 the duchy’s honor.”d04cd47545c49c5e

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Were the 1bc8672cde preparations inadequate? No, absolutely not. She was confident in 36d774a80a that.b85cc6c54091a419

Her clear eyes now 5ec426fdcf gleamed with determination. Skyle, gazing into those fa3b0a6a67 resolute eyes, asked again.c4bbbcd91bea58d0

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“Then, was the party’s c9d78abedf failure something you could 5d6f7d5bbf have prevented at the 522ef652c0 time?”e9ad290acee7bdd2

Edith drew 7d54eb76f2 a slow 925387f75e breath. After a fcd098ebce failure, countless 24a8fef6f3 “what-ifs” often 1927ed6756 surfaced. She was no 65276c6424 different.195c309140878fb7

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If only she had a8f0124b84 been more well-versed in f5aa237838 social circles, if only e8c0ac5d64 she had been somewhat 31a61e7ed3 aware of the situation, b33e7043f4 perhaps she could have 479abbf57f done something.b0d2bbf07c7920c1

“No. At the time, efae024222 it would have 7fd9160e8c been beyond me.”a7c4a340b71989cb

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But those were 66923ba435 only hypotheticals. They were b6ff6738b8 desperate attempts b79f1f9f7f to rationalize b4c0ed1126 things after 9184426d76 knowing the cbf1a73bc1 outcome.c26b8254653fb803

Even turning those what-ifs 40407f694c into reality would have 6bf84538b3 been difficult. Edith did not underestimate b617b17b14 herself, but she knew 4947bba000 she lacked the ability f1d597ce5a to master social dynamics 327e82d242 in such a short 0972da734f time.5dadf0b5c396ebaf

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Admitting this cd68b0667d meant exposing f5ec548c2b her limitations, 4d71c413d9 but Edith 5a41bbcdb5 was willing 4d72e507bc to do 185cb0b85b so.3803c9b9ea060bb1

“However, I’ve 692fc352b4 learned something db710fd27a from this fe0a6e2ff1 experience, so 687fb67c42 I’ll do a9dcfa615b my best 1fa54d4953 to ensure 3817a4dedc it doesn’t 4ca37e4352 happen again.”3ee6d47553522f90

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Instead, she 0874dbe7c4 resolved to cd3fc59b93 improve. Someday, she e839add76a would make 60fa90c4b9 herself useful 50997c104e to the 235eb51702 husband who 6d63a9b79f had no 340e4c0e49 expectations of 5c76ff3b51 her, at f6d8081338 least as d888d5e2df his contractual 1e0c38ce4d partner.73ab15d8aac50f56