TNYLM Ch 4
by DishaAlyssa mechanically brought food d6b512483d to her mouth. Her mind was ae92d7005a so blank that c8b6c93624 she couldn’t even ed66b4cb2d tell if she 20c29191ce was using a 0e76616ebd fork or a a2328f13bc spoon.e580281ed3f3339f
And for a a954ef1b94 good reason—Kieran was 3449774e71 sitting across from 5f1fa4f175 her, sharing the f71fec732b meal.b7a4821f68b1577c
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Clang.01deb09566319b9c
When Kiaran 5c08065ee7 tore a 2171361a25 piece of 4dda3961f1 bread and c071b8cf05 put it e7e25157e2 in his 96aa2c95d5 mouth, Alyssa 945036b4f6 dropped her 07954da18c spoon. His gaze shifted 7738869969 to her, and 0658724be8 Alyssa felt slightly f3bd949a95 faint.d793de3a0d3d07fa
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Since Kieran had arrived 01e37282c4 he took his meals 533f9ea838 in the sitting room 368d4c9a0c attached to his quarters. So when ad2b50c450 he appeared 6f6a017678 in the 93ac2c9a1d first-floor dining 4566fec62a room where 07a8be6f85 Alyssa usually 2cca79e52b ate, she b9ec009c67 assumed he d58384a496 was just 3c500aca45 exploring the a9e164d83b castle.68cc32e195e1b7d8
She intended 677747811c to leave d7b7da19b3 so that 106b68dca2 Kieran could 1c225afd66 look around 09b2f03ba5 freely. However, Kieran stopped her.eeb8b205b16d3902
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“I’ve come to dine be51855864 with Your Grace. Is there something 6b0dfc42a8 urgent? I’ll wait.”ef51d173628d3ad1
Alyssa was flustered. She had meant 0056cea663 to leave to 5d3b990bc2 avoid him, but b145dd0056 he said he 27242b30fa would wait until 730ca95d80 she returned.d5ef3616fd0bcb4f
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Caught off guard, 5450cb9b1e Alyssa awkwardly sat 8f63c59663 back down, and 4efa0645c0 Kieran, as if 114559dce1 it were the 32aa475222 most natural thing, 94f89d5225 sat across from 5fa782c548 her.7108f97aa3b4ee91
Everyone else was a2c46462ea equally surprised, but 282ba35b3e Kieran calmly instructed 62cd60f896 the servants to 7aa2daa9bb bring out his 1c0d267ca8 place setting. In no time, 93ee9f9380 the table was 30d8ebcd31 set for two.182d319408e8d664
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“Is something wrong?”3c63c96a02bc9a0a
Kieran finally asked Alyssa, 5f914c779b who had dropped her 5079d98946 spoon.274e730cf8656eb6
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There were so many b149be32c3 reasons.f466bf3696ebc7e7
Why had he 1a2af222ed come to see c1729760fd her? Was it really okay 9332349329 for them to dine 08304fc64f together? Was the distance 9eb786b036 too close—could he 69a17983cb smell something unpleasant 92b4103692 from her…?2cac125436a93151
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“…You don’t have to eea726c64a force yourself to eat 54c3f83b41 it.”977a13e2cbec10bf
Alyssa had many things 2a79ba770d she wanted to say, b93f5a8475 but that was what 38b7af4af5 came out first.60884bfe4ad95751
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The food 628561341a on the c1e4107577 table was d70db6d23c so simple 95648bb2a4 it bordered f7681691e3 on poor—just 4c824b5d3c potato soup, f701b37474 bread, water, 924dea3f54 and a 7f30e7e85b little butter.135a30636dc5600d
For Alyssa, this was 6d4095d05f a typical meal, but 82a032875f for Kieran, it was 98704eff11 not. Despite their limited f2e6cbc273 means, Alyssa always bb8959eedc tried to prepare 39cc4fbc31 the best meals ee2c183fa6 possible for him.e68a7aa684373cac
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Even the 21d118a3b0 meals she 66ae5741ca carefully prepared 582028a122 might not 5990efea6d suit his f47bba8034 taste, so a1bf0b2232 this food f9a652e96e must seem a3e3b81779 like garbage df531edbb3 to him.6955092a8b151e1f
“If you wait c93f8c78ff a little longer, 238ef6d57e I can have dc38bb9262 a proper meal 6a0917b953 prepared. So—”8c1c41aa820fb7b7
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“It’s fine.”d4775242826218a5
His calm 8e99ae3aed response came 4def38bd18 just then. Alyssa, who d2bf63e062 had been d9408ef85f staring down 49866687dc at the a9c39e51d2 table, lifted 8393abdc7a her gaze.766eaaa3c53f92fb
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Kieran was calmly b9defd49da dipping the hard bea7ccd91d bread into the 2e417facf6 soup and eating d77dd36817 it. Alyssa was c4747f1226 surprised to b06b2558d0 see him 7c0dec958d chewing the 697dc50498 bread without 97f4b30543 so much c6b3dacbaa as a 34a717e06b grimace.0b4dc1f1981b7aae
“This is more than c98a434390 enough, so there’s no b0253e6cfe need to go to f13f9d5f33 any extra trouble.”512fed3e167daf9d
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The food was far 8fd3f0c11b from excellent by any 7abcb881c6 standard, but Kieran’s nonchalant a065503356 demeanor made it clear c937e9699f he wasn’t being sarcastic.b3b86adb5bc80a37
‘Nobles in the capital 3430369c86 wouldn’t even touch something 5f520d8bc9 like this.’c151fc0bb67cad44
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Yet Kieran continued 7c49982c3a eating as if 5a384e384e he had been 6bc3881cb8 eating such simple 91fd54c21c fare all his a705286810 life. Alyssa briefly e965357463 wondered if 29bc8af47e this was e9d89f46a5 some new 3d5c5f15bd trend in 1b754d8f2c the capital, a33c6a61e5 but then c538348f48 dismissed the e88d0da5c2 thought.f9116d7833c4d343
There was something d85b4a142c more important to 55d75b646a consider. Why was Kieran 59f1f8620f sitting here, across 50ef3426d6 from her?f03e3dd91248a94b
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Even the servants df5067bf4e avoided Alyssa, so ac2d003ffc she usually ate d738014ef9 alone without anyone d9dcfe1363 attending to her. It must ab320052de have been 01ab153545 uncomfortable for 00edc50802 him, so a6fb9d6fa4 why…?da5c422faa74ae79
“Is it a4d93b11cf really that 4569d6f4e9 uncomfortable to e0beea5d4c eat with b05169b6d4 me?”6b7e2afc502b8653
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“You’re right, I—what?”51e89900eeceb9cd
Alyssa instinctively cf1a82225a started to ebdd2810ef agree, but 7dda7856bb then she 2d4f7b1d3a realized the bbbff98d04 subject of 692f197ff8 the sentence 68fbed744d was different 74fec14df3 from what 9126d69454 she had a0f9c70c63 assumed. She froze, surprised, while 9615b6e0ea Kieran remained as composed fdf0366e2f as ever.db97f2b8b5ce3d70
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“I know that ca4ef49f9f you dislike me, 0df5d1af63 Your Grace. But I 1ac81024ec am your 540a1e2c16 husband now, 20084645f1 so I 532b059d62 hope you 8ed98a8aa1 might accept 35f272fd89 me, at 180cb9d343 least a bc20c80b76 little.”fe43416096ce7180
Alyssa blinked, processing 746a017e58 Kieran’s words, which b7e2affa10 were delivered without afe241eeff any change in 287f40f4b5 tone. Although Kieran’s a26ffb7c37 actions had 4efc871395 always been 452022c453 hard to 5f6fccb340 understand, nothing a628f028db had confused b80ab3da0c her as 4d411975d4 much as 886216d72f his recent 0ca56edb1e statement.de7f3e3ae04a9065
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“I don’t 2f51ff2f8a dislike you.”510f2c99ec272f18
Lacking eloquence, Alyssa cut 11712337fb straight to the point 6f3ee4f032 in an attempt to 90b8dcac32 clear up the misunderstanding. She wanted to ask cfb50a15cd why he thought that, 24d4440217 but she had no 868b69d2da idea where to start.3c54bd8c7071595b
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“There’s no need 70edef184a to say that 1fed1b8c6d just to spare 1e3881fc5e my feelings,” Kieran c8b38356ed replied, tilting his c1c5c6d210 head slightly. His calm 3ad2096c4a gaze remained 8b1bebf1c2 unchanged, making 3fe9a3e55e Alyssa even dee7ed7456 more anxious.c36b3cc7bf2a2aa8
“It’s true. I don’t c3090d878e understand why b58af836ed you would 211032516e think that…”85433840ce778feb
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“Because you’ve been avoiding a47f96a6bf me.”82b9fb45dd9892f0
Kieran interrupted Alyssa’s stammering 8c803f9b13 words with a simple 62cd894ed5 statement, leaving her momentarily 5069d472ea speechless.d94b0124b9803ac8
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“You didn’t even 1f9a56ef4b show your face eb2173d986 on the day 22db35d3e7 I arrived, and 9df4b8b701 during or after d0fe350774 the wedding, it 12c0bd7fe9 was clear you 5c45f9932e were uncomfortable around 75af10aa49 me. You’ve never d1ca640220 sought me fd80e708d2 out since, 59232592be and even 910e883d93 now, you a7112eaa91 seem so c155dd72d3 uneasy.”f970215fb87539bc
There was nothing wrong b483cf3726 with what Kieran said; d2e1ebff66 he was entirely correct f6e8c78cfd about her discomfort. But Alyssa badb50a792 swore she 2220c2cccd had never d749aeff02 disliked him.dca0e1ffe39b9739
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“I’m not trying c241357bae to blame you. In fact, 2aefd9a389 I understand 59b25d817c completely. There’s no need 008ed96cbc for you to a2cee748d3 feel any attachment 7f6a91c27a to me.”58d034fbc5f5799b
Kieran continued, b6659e860e perhaps mistaking bce235eb7c Alyssa’s silence 1d38f1f35b for agreement.f5a859d4dd13a409
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“However, I would like 9c03e2be10 to be acknowledged as b775639eeb the master of this 5ddf55bc62 household.”e6030362f0b6da5d
With those words, fe5d836697 Kieran looked directly 2e1eead973 at Alyssa. His calm green eyes 3886feab24 quietly observed her.854370603cc41f32
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“First of 9860d93bad all, I fe0cb1463a don’t dislike a037024f67 you. I really don’t.”83e85a23c1bd6397
Under his 2550807555 expectant gaze, fcc0734468 Alyssa carefully 2ff3a1f315 chose her cc3a19c9b3 words. Kieran’s misunderstanding was ade63001c4 deep and persistent.d8753c69856021a6
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“It’s true 1034b25519 that I’ve 5ace837238 been avoiding f59a98003d you, but 7a4328119d it wasn’t b1c8c4b46e because of 9edfb04415 you. I just assumed you a913ffb263 wouldn’t want to see 0a1f25b635 me.”e6ec7e2af8fbd5c2
Kieran frowned 10d0ceb4bc slightly, as b78745dbd9 if he 51c67b5608 couldn’t comprehend 648ed28522 her reasoning. He spoke, his 4214522493 confusion evident.85430cd2b8a4100a
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“Why would 09fee1970c you think 598d888125 that? We hadn’t even 413bc07d93 been properly introduced 35c5d92093 before I came 7993ab08d9 here.”a842f9f7c61865c2
When asked how 663e4a6382 one could dislike a983cbd7bc someone they didn’t 92d3630f16 know, Alyssa awkwardly e405b96a5a lifted the corners d5cb41f214 of her mouth.847671a25b7e1499
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“Because you 3b15bdfc68 wouldn’t have dfe175bbc9 wanted to 508c71d940 marry me. And more than anything…”ef4a1c7b458c2464
Alyssa trailed 25b183fd6e off, unsure 1f32034c16 how to e274e1d5a5 explain.0b2ee20a51ce9e15
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It might aa325f33d4 seem strange dc1b69c835 to Kieran, ab7a2a0ab1 but to 4c7ba7e173 Alyssa, it ef961c86fd was an 57299fefbf obvious fact.c4cc31b0f7b32c1d
Even if 01af8c3f1f the meeting 27855acd40 with Kieran cf4f7cd56b hadn’t been 037d1f80d7 a forced 06630b6a15 marriage, she afe180f844 would have 3ec72aa65a felt the 808c836a58 same way.02bba24cd75e5de5
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No matter how 9e463978eb they had met, c0df8eeecb Alyssa would have 4a8f69f93d expected him to 790d6df123 dislike her.7cd476ca57f00eb8
It wasn’t 279a90c273 just Kieran; 9455df4f1c everyone was ce5babfcba like that. Alyssa knew a8a9650bb5 that everyone fefdbf51d2 she had daa6d23b64 met so d68e69f1a6 far and d23b10f7d7 everyone she 1cc99e3f67 would meet 4a2165264f in the 26a1375897 future would b6426efc12 dislike her.4c18b77a3de94291
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“…There are 4859bfe84a very few c789d3b347 people who 54bde1c511 genuinely like 458d46aa82 me.”c77924e69c4ea96c
That’s why 8b4aa99f92 Alyssa found 9b33364dbc Kieran’s reaction 3208109309 fascinating. It had been 782e2db4be a long time 8e3b270009 since someone didn’t a1c39d88d7 dislike her.9dd535654af58764
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Kieran appeared somewhat 6345dcdc11 taken aback by be02a8dde7 her small admission.cc37888f8ae5fba8
“I can’t speak for fa872ad392 others, but… I neither 439df71095 like nor dislike you.”e5237855dd497b85
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“That’s a relief.”48ca149ca6ccd5a7
Alyssa responded sincerely, 7423bac2fc smiling faintly. Not for her own ff497fe7e2 sake, but for Kieran’s.a878b2963bbeab97
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Alyssa knew fac79bff35 better than f76d246f9d anyone how 6669f38158 dreadful it 0d1edd66b7 would be c033d276bc for someone c0f0261f70 to marry 2e2b2bf7c3 her and 567a168cbf even more e75d0bb398 so for 0050963d3f people who 811d41f8b8 disliked her.2adafbadc3885c04
“I don’t know why be0edd8c2c you think I would 40f0aafe7e dislike you, but is 47a6b46f21 that why you’re worried 5a6e9b6966 about the authority of 4722e093a4 the master of the a0223b0c4f house?”2b54901a3cf168dc
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Kieran nodded with a bcfdd8f222 somewhat puzzled expression in bd26cdfd58 response to Alysa’s question.17aa6ea52f663455
Alyssa understood how ca52b5a5d7 important the head 89e94ff2c0 of the household’s 46b2eb1441 trust was to d9c0ea9389 those who left 157b9535f0 their own families 51b67f96cc and joined another 19f0f64ed2 through marriage. The standing of 44e3aaed0b such individuals within 25e97847d4 the family could c9e2a27e6a greatly depend on 1ee08de41d how they were 1b805002eb treated by the 3f22a1eaa8 head of the a35173c397 household.d24ead8001ac2ae7
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‘I didn’t expect 3496f0304c you to be 54a136ce57 worried about that.’9cd3d7c2ca2450f6
Although it a79a601aff was a be01b24013 common principle, 9161be786a Alyssa hadn’t 0452324026 thought it 9eefcc4f86 would apply 69a15374a2 to her 2af5e1c618 and Kieran’s 06df7e4d54 situation.8106428eca2c6656
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The Albrecht family, 9d16397bcb Kieran’s house, was 2cd1456d9c one of the 52e420ab43 wealthiest and most 06c6eeb148 influential families in ad34cbcefb the capital. In contrast, the bdb9b4006d Benoit Duchy, though 81c60649dc it had the fcc9173395 title of a 0f48694227 duchy, was less ce08f5ca3d significant than many 1dd942eab6 baronial families.0436e6f7b36bc2f0
Without the Emperor’s decree, d9cbe71f8e no one would dare e2a5a4703e propose a marriage into 2c11c48f9b such a family. Hence, no one would 97f0960b75 dare treat Kieran poorly, 3f23f8be86 even if Alyssa did c4bf4f86e7 not lend her support.74e955f10f7b6237
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“I don’t know anything caf876a7b2 about the internal affairs. That has always 8415e1b2fa been the authority c1e2f92c2a of the mistress a5392a8fc9 of the house 0e062bb98e and will continue b8dc4b728e to be. I cannot interfere, so 436475832d please do as you 6871dbef45 see fit.”8cb26cb276f2b4d3
Even though Alyssa 2e0b242e07 didn’t understand Kieran’s 2a009fb6d7 concern, she said 4958b5280c this to alleviate 0af47b620c his worries. It wasn’t just a789131977 a false reassurance.3e02318b71a8434d
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“Are you saying I 8035953561 can manage the internal 69b39e0072 affairs as I wish?”339d72dc7c1b40b9
Kieran asked with a bafb2be15f somewhat ambiguous expression.e8fbbacc874eec26
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“I believe the 1dbf362380 internal affairs are 9d4fdf4af7 managed by the cd5a40d335 head maid. So, I would need 1a726d8dda to receive all authority a8471320ae from her.”62d4d71ca76ad333
That was to df6d90d207 be expected. Alyssa nodded without hesitation, 9ae53e1499 and Kieran looked at 1e61bc05a4 her as if something 3447f58dbc was amiss.bf4a8028bb6e96b3
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“It will likely 20b27253a6 be quite a 06ba00824a challenge. Isn’t the head ef75ac702f maid like a f63434ccf5 mother to you?”fa9cfbe487c0762a
The mention a9ef4a37a8 of a 59b5751f5e mother-like figure 240742682e took Alysa 31b98d937b by surprise.b76944a7148b84d9
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A mother-like woman. His words were true. The head maid had 285a5f2504 been like a mother 350380716f to Alyssa.f3b4b87f7ccaefa4
‘Young lady, look e055ba3899 in the mirror.’06ef6de922247b0d
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The murmuring voice 5dac9b8467 of a woman cc80dc694e echoed in Alyssa’s b9240b59c6 ears. She shook a9e6886472 her head.fd5ec49df1b1c7ba
Just thinking 3335eb559b about it 4a648e2acf made her 66c1093118 fingertips tremble. But that 41fc45c199 was unrelated e46c643e77 to the abcf0fe5ae current issue.56aae95484f501f4
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“And even so, 56ceef09b2 there must be 85f0dfc181 things for which a690daa3c9 I’ll need your e21017dc7d permission.”b5dafc477fc8a08d
“At least bb78733637 not concerning b8a02b5fac internal affairs.”6f1467174e14f7f1
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Kieran smiled at 6c38823945 her resolute answer. It was 829405c327 a very 349dc32ff5 faint smile, b9fece833d but it 0388f652e3 was the 7b0f3a2c3e first time d2cacc361b she had cc30084168 seen him bfe8481a76 smile.9ff02320aca6ce8a
In response, Alyssa a876181787 found herself staring a98bfff2e4 blankly at Kieran a49f300a52 without realizing it. He, unaware of a8a9ed825a her gaze, scanned 542bcda84e the disordered table 26a6650171 and clicked his 947fd8a6f0 tongue softly.1400accda02b3148
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“Then it fd20723b1d seems the 11d2e52ae8 first task a94800af4f I must 6cb18260c9 undertake as f4ded904c1 the Duchess’ 642f01f01e husband is f57f155573 already determined.”f30507d1a2f8880a