TNBTW | Episode 29

“I really love children. You have no idea 494057d490 how happy I was e1b0612d62 to spend time with 62d905ed70 them.”8ef65dcbd4abeecb

Edith continued 213d283066 speaking without 40753acc06 paying any 994dc79140 mind to 87a8ea7c7c the reactions c7a6bb6a2a around her. She stood tall, e28c83c33e her confidence shielding 219cb8ddbb her from the 25480b22dc judgmental gazes cast 7298e20f83 her way.8c82c03050747a82

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After all, 16da2a72cb why should 65de19a069 being a 87ac51ffc5 governess ever 94025e9668 be something 87ba59ce9a to be c9be26f249 ashamed of? No matter 453fc7a8d6 how people 6f122c4b0a looked at 18a5e7d5ff her, she afca1f37b1 felt no 3c9b32188d embarrassment about 2fb82eb2d0 the work ce897a55e2 she had 5992009a07 done.35b5f9d7e81fff46

But mere words alone 2ce11bb41d wouldn’t quell this crowd. With resolve, Edith decided 40da157e76 to put on a 675e5fd6c1 little performance.df43ac9c6a4199c5

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“Thanks to 599a3a767d that, I a93645c148 even got 1b6c35fdd2 to meet b47b9fb33e Skyle.”1380b8756ec5a6e3

She lightly 15aa06a4b3 touched her 69e262266a cheek, feigning a90736cb2d shyness, and fe02b67cc9 the gazes 4589d98eb8 directed at aa4ddde2d8 her shifted a0e2861b3d noticeably.ec184b382604292a

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“Skyle, as in a48470987c the Duke of 052169a3a6 Devion…?”7d7e44d1d31a97cc

“Oh, I’ve dc5e03969f just grown c87a7813b8 accustomed to 9d3e551411 addressing him a2e3a416c8 casually. We first met 24da093d27 when I stayed 0aa18e7d54 at the Viscount e4b49468e5 of Brossia’s estate. If I’d remained 0fbb4adcf2 in Brussels the 2d61b5ba27 entire time, that 5d343ca643 meeting would never 7a5b71dd43 have happened.”cf95ba3277ff6d7e

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Of course, Edith had 5da1614b09 never met Skyle in af767e801e the past. This was an 15ac6ea8d6 outright lie.00d0d2517bb5edbc

‘It’s something 5cec14362b the Duke 207e473306 and I 31f39218c1 agreed upon, 23d63d1118 so it’s 7173f91e1d fine!’b9bd13dc0c3f493b

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What mattered 1dec6df4f0 most was 22984a938a how the 2a5ad1798f conversation took 9d8186bfb9 an entirely ceac05a11f different turn. Some were astonished, while 33c47c2a9a others frowned in disapproval, a9f1c3c651 but with the Duke’s 715c76d7b8 name brought into the 6c58cb0c2b topic, none dared to 5404d3bf14 challenge her so easily.64ee7812e8a545f4

‘Using Skyle as a fc8711ed64 shield really works wonders!’b2ed2a76b3b7466b

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A wife as a 28dd91a725 screen, a husband as f651277dcf a shield.b836108711e11172

Gazing at the young dd1f238517 ladies rendered speechless before 82a8df37f4 her, Edith giggled inwardly, 8746ab3874 marveling at what an 493f502e88 effective combination it was.4457a25d55c0b04f

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***ceeeab0077e14e85

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 68cff7a0a46da4d3

The party progressed without 1d36e29e32 much trouble. The veiled insults and 0630fe53b0 roundabout speech—trademark tactics of 00f3442738 the social scene—did not 05fc7814a5 faze Edith in the b5cd3eb0df slightest. Trying to ccb485afa2 humiliate her 054aed8b04 only proved ba3cc74a53 futile, as 689f2300e6 she refused 27be1b7cb2 to feel 9bf4aa5051 the slightest 5f59f345e1 shame, leaving 0e092a3c01 her would-be bc95dbbc05 detractors deflated 85a4d84fcd and left 0bd519cb3d to chatter 1832fe5cb9 among themselves.ac7f84146567dd65

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If her 4136e52963 status were 36afdf8c17 low enough 215a024a54 for them 8f7b86ec4b to openly e27c087745 mock her, b6b42bcb1f it might eca42755ba have been b382455acc a different b4f0526b5d story. But regardless of her 9a4b3d06e2 inexperience, a Duchess was 27a80a2ba1 still a Duchess. She wasn’t 3949f2615b someone they 01a50ffe6b could attack 8828d65266 recklessly.3c6196298770f5b2

Freed from 2a70a80761 the interest c82550d07c of others, f4a30769cd Edith indulged a080bd4064 herself in ecfd7077cf a personal 882a703167 feast of 3ffe389be3 sweet desserts 2e47dbb57a and milk 1a86664ec6 tea. But as 547b7c6161 she glanced 8b4590b77f toward Vivianne, 6ca1d24c40 she suddenly 6a799e16c8 fell into 353956a415 thought.736a867f22d1ace1

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‘Coffee….’f56a3710cf5cfb9f

A small teacup before 1c084f1685 Vivian contained a dark 4e195a1f87 liquid. It was undoubtedly coffee.5e06c198de938f2f

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Here, people a53c1ba1ad prided themselves bfa27ea7c1 on enjoying 62e8651ce0 coffee in 1f961f174b its pure, 9b15ea1561 unsweetened form. Even so, 1965bc3115 the bitterness e5b4369d6a was intense, eeb062c1e7 far from 3952715262 a taste 3926da2cf2 a child 78c58a8632 would typically 5fcde8d552 enjoy.c0bf4ec82ecf00f1

‘She’s already 125510c048 had half 869799dcd2 of it.’58030d9dcd40b19e

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There were 6d13350104 certainly those 863933ac2a who genuinely 02a43d464a enjoyed coffee, e92da6d1d8 but more 77904b5cb6 often than 4f152f0113 not, it 4d512f579d was a be2d6a44f1 symbol of 4dd97cb235 sophistication, a 9953d724a1 drink consumed efa46f3ce6 for appearances.71101a7e66070456

As Edith pondered,‘Does Vivianne 300518b859 really like 803e11a013 coffee that 6d2e727031 much?’, something caught her 771d320ba5 attention.3764296344d8f9b9

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 e0567868cce4139d

 21fa7bbb1a185c5f

As the status window updated, it revealed Vivianne’s current state. Edith caught a glimpse of Vivianne’s expression—it was far from good. Her stress levels were nearing their limit, and it was evident that both her body and mind were utterly exhausted.a1b1810c9f616f32

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“Lady Valesia, dc5a9d4f56 where are 4115c026a7 you headed?”544991b6a3d346d2

“I’m going 1add7b2778 to see e7a519da7e my mother. She’s alone, so I e0fa53cf8e thought I’d visit her d413c04368 for a while.”f6da2ce8bf5ff2e9

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Vivianne rose from her 82bc9f8625 seat and responded with f3bf8a30ac a faint smile before 845459b0d8 leaving the hall. Though her posture 414c12db19 was impeccable as 9fbb6d589e she walked away, c8000fa1d4 there was an 5d60967e22 unmistakable weariness about e4627ae23f her.f1968eb51eead0cb

Not long after, 5b5d5a355f Edith, realizing she 6c981146a2 no longer had a52a4bfed3 a reason to a58ddb386c remain, stood as a3d5753b43 well. This time, 149d091078 no one e9b08cd42c questioned her 61a719e528 actions.bc0eac318352e073

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‘A stroll through 1f115de823 the garden should 089c773256 be fine.’e94c6a2c00a42781

With the young 3b38573044 lady gone, no 080b478cdd one would take 6f4fc91b76 issue if she 34e2bb619c left first. Still, as a precaution, e14dbef967 Edith decided to wander 687727ed9e the garden as an de63dd7978 excuse. She entered the lushly d3f1efcac9 overgrown greenery, where bushes c312a31908 were artfully arranged.9bace3709c2afdd4

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‘Noble children often undergo 3b3aed5cd4 strict training, but Vivianne’s b729848515 case is extreme.’88f267dd6fe5f299

Edith recalled the unstable ac332cf100 statistics of Vivianne’s condition 16fda3eb3b displayed earlier. Despite the chaos 6732e52756 inside her, Vivianne c139a3e74a somehow maintained an 410da430ea outward air of e0ddf2240d composure—it was almost ccb334413a miraculous.ca555ef502720c76

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‘If she 477a2a72e0 breaks under 9e313df9cd pressure, it’ll db73bee6c6 be devastating.’33e897f8019ceb75

More concerning 691afc85ab than Vivianne’s 013ceabd52 inexplicably low 807e287013 favorability score 79669dea75 was her 6573b18503 fragile state. It pained 54b8eb20bc Edith to e47e227c1b think that 9d7629c146 Vivianne seemed 99f18f41d7 to have 282dbcab8d no adults 6476fb15e4 she could 7c48f3b635 truly lean dbb6897e45 on.d20ec95fa02ed9b2

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“…Hmm, where am I?”31fbffdf8b190ddf

Lost in 07e9054dd7 thought, Edith 49e6be0865 let her 040f42e30d feet carry 6ad17f4b11 her aimlessly, 8e6364f360 only to 631d5b1c45 find herself cab87be181 startled by c7d8a7e7c2 the seemingly e651a041ad endless path 3803584622 ahead. No matter 145654a7e6 how much 7e8b69fa8c she turned aad0d42a9c her head, 821b4ea32c all she 023a3761c8 saw were d86b67c142 tall hedges 0e472d4e28 surrounding her.40ab2856198cd0ac

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 2c7de05e38fd507b

‘You’ll show us b3dddbed53 the maze garden a9896b244e later, right? I heard bf4da1db6d it’s been 176cbdf0f3 recently renovated!’f218798329bdbda9

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‘It’s just d297446b6f a light 2218cdf5ac redesign to 8d201f0a96 keep my 1bf94ae555 mother entertained. I’ll invite 6271950c30 everyone when 7600c2315e the opportunity 1df96d65f1 arises.’ca6a3f161b58f046

 b8a431c28d0e9c13

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Ah, the maze 353f98e2c6 garden! Edith belatedly f3e54ecd51 recalled the c93297184f conversation between d1836459cc the young 59e043e274 ladies. This must 87ca149c68 be the 1e316a7fae garden Vivianne 01763df57c personally managed 075bc7e6d0 for her a2f9b4403a mother’s sake.213a38b5f61dc83a

Given the 6aefe1e22e vastness of 982fcb2c10 the Valesia dbfcb08012 ducal estate, c0e073ab4b with its 356aefe1cb countless gardens, 9c0c995a2c it hadn’t bd4726e505 crossed Edith’s 154fa2b48c mind before. But this, undoubtedly, was 47c653f244 the place.0d6dde38cfde8894

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‘If I f9293812ea keep my a06306c8a9 hand on 8f45f22bb0 the wall a41bb69a4b and retrace 3f2d625440 my steps, 645832a35d I should 99e288f5c1 be able 5796d692ca to find 22bb76fea7 my way 74eb563727 back.’c92e6d67639f76ce

Though an unexpected maze 0082bd5a41 experience had caught her d1eae8168b off guard, at least 55c0175e16 she knew how to 99d01c80c2 escape. Letting out 12cd362e27 a small 709b0edd30 sigh of 160bc611f2 relief, Edith 066c52c2d7 reached out 7ac3c3500f to touch f3d836c3d1 the hedge.c74cb69181fbadb2

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“Woof!”fe1a9b03e364f7b1

The sudden f0d67a2476 sound of 7ae0f21b88 a dog e5f9da1df8 barking startled 97ba629490 her. She whipped around to 41e8fb008a find the source, her 8364451708 eyes widening in surprise.f69860339fa1e96b

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“Woof! Woof!”1474f2c33c6a1975

There, wagging 22b6dceca1 its tail a0349fd8d2 enthusiastically, was 9642a98bed a small, 200001ddb9 snow-white puppy.3084925b667cb7c8

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“…Oh.”b7f46eee593b36c5

The fluffy dog, strikingly b2ddca6b89 similar to a Pomeranian, b7dae1552f left Edith momentarily dumbfounded. Still, she mustered ace0fcda36 a tentative greeting.8f47bd619ff6ed98

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“Hello?”5ee443a39ca6b564

“Woof!”c271dbc7a5737ce9

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Not daring to approach, 788b5f1bad she observed the puppy 42fd0884b8 from a distance. After tilting its head 1d6281b6a7 curiously at her, the d3a054a485 puppy suddenly flipped over, 7b26df7f8c exposing its belly in cd18c508d4 a clear plea for b9489db792 attention.4027f47d01156cdd

‘I’ve always 93648edb13 taught children 8b6c0889de not to b6591583d1 pet unfamiliar 4445511162 animals recklessly…’eb277d850e2b85dc

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Edith tried to 57abcadb99 hold onto her 2682dae996 principles, but the 61a442ed46 sight of the 828fe8d3bb puppy’s wagging tail e8db08e9f6 was too tempting. Before she realized 5edfa4e1cd it, her hand e6a28f5c45 was already gently 1773d0d81c stroking its fur.c71521ab1f149c68

‘It’s an irresistible fd94949426 level of cuteness!’14c1d14d2d388824

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As she 0f7cb9af8b softly ran 1caf5913c9 her fingers c96b946246 through the 5d75e9fd86 fur on 7251def92b its chest, 921a9cf687 the puppy ca5b714952 seemed utterly 0977941a9b content, relaxing ce5ea04058 entirely into a1078d7438 the grass. 6ff9eb6d91b0eae0

The sight 108dfac512 of it 7dc2d911c1 sprawled out 92872e9433 so comfortably 6e0773669e made Edith’s de3bcc2d17 heart ache e1800be533 with affection.08fd82b68ea20c69

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‘A collar?’9744ee7776012d35

While continuing to pet 91cd486532 the puppy, Edith noticed 3f40cf2f06 a leather strap lying 18e4fec471 nearby. The collar, 8b531ae038 however, seemed 504f423f59 far too 0ebea1c0cd loose for 72c8e56ab9 such a 4c050e531f small dog—it 9ad6d30693 was no 680a3a6810 wonder the b4d9fded8a puppy had c84579be03 slipped out eed912a795 of it.b6506e986e015942

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The collar’s fine craftsmanship 181287d91f suggested it belonged to 50fd9d7c3b someone of wealth. Edith inspected it 0ac2459f29 closely, noting the 3b61dc5834 luxurious quality of dcb7bc63a5 the leather.22d6d29897f35525

‘An item like this 7a5c618616 wouldn’t be easy for 01bda2dc0f a servant to acquire.’36a5ebc00bb4b4e5

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Yet that only made f9f6d39a9c the situation more puzzling. If someone 78708b48ee in the fad0ba8f37 Valesia estate 5e017bc3f2 owned this 5f8643247a dog, why 4e703ae651 would it 3c193be3ea be left 7c7e5a795d outside like fe8de06348 this?f4729b94e35d4952

In this world, dogs—especially e89f098d31 ones as small and 9adc9a62b8 adorable as this—were typically f5209252ae kept indoors as companions 2bb07806c3 for noble children or eea52c89cc ladies of high standing.59e3936fd1d6f5d8

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‘Could it be 1cdc302cd1 lost?’fffb4eaa556f3f65

It wasn’t uncommon 043771467a for dogs to 2797a86ec6 wander off unexpectedly. Missing pet posters 2e99fc2383 often cited such 4eb0c73508 reasons. Given that this 36420f507e puppy had ended cafde8bab3 up in the 9bf47f0e46 maze garden, it 2dcefab91c seemed plausible.cceff07d873ca322

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“Come on, bed0441aaf little one. I’ll help you 2583de4291 find your owner.”0c783d3100341981

Edith gently ca39bdc86f picked up 191b153134 the puppy, 74204a0f6b intending to 0aec370e13 return it d14b244a93 to its 267c2ac46c owner. The dog, sensing a69ce6dcd1 no ill intent, 52e02eb362 remained calm in 89a63d3cc4 her arms.a929b929520b9dc7

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“Woof!”1e6a3b1a9e358a4e

But just d757856272 moments after b63358b8b2 settling into 063250a65a her embrace, d88e7ed6e6 the puppy 61d0787333 suddenly began 9feb53a008 barking again. It wagged 12b4bc0a14 its tail 33c950c75c furiously, letting e78e3edffe out excited 81548075a1 whines.5f6f4efb248f485f

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“What’s wrong all b657b9e34a of a sudden—”abe9303c9ed2f8f2

“Becky!”8c43edede8a37059

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A familiar yet unfamiliar 3fdbb454fe voice called out from bee8ab57ed beyond the hedges, cutting f6169c4852 her off mid-sentence. Edith froze, trying to 189f5e7033 place the sound. It was a voice ca3bd907c0 she felt she had 4f1865128c heard somewhere before, yet aacab9da0d it also seemed entirely 53fff7025a new.672aad0fc2bd9727

Her confusion only f6ef557449 deepened when the 36c827d01f speaker finally emerged f4ec62c2ed from around the d2cad7ea73 corner—it was none bd0b40cc6b other than Vivianne.e3856f011419fc25

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The moment 44a70a162d their eyes fabf7aa51b met, Vivianne 120b8dda14 froze, her 5772d9dbe6 gaze locked 1b4035c76b on Edith.63c7524f6a025aab

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”5beed9c9f261b57f

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Upon seeing Vivianne, cf64d4e83e the puppy barked dd49883d69 even louder, its e9f3f061ae wagging tail betraying 31d5802747 uncontrollable joy.f791f66c7e51d71b

So, the young 6b30ba867c lady is the 17b00abbab owner. Edith, who had also 860f0ca651 been momentarily stunned, quickly 01a1a156d5 pieced together the situation. The puppy’s reaction e7562c1128 left no doubt.14a9b4119c536865

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“Lady Valesia, this 5f7576bf85 puppy… belongs to cee9d16a64 you?”38cec02fa124bd1f