WBWB | Chapter 16

From his office, de4f850b31 he could clearly 75fa7f7d14 see the sea-breeze-driven, 5c65db0294 moisture-laden clouds rolling f03f23de98 towards the courtyard. ecde2cae298b3f26

The tutor, leaning 7dac6b34bc against a tree 2d93401cd0 trunk on the 06baeb1772 hill in the 764c81b4f0 garden, remained motionless. Her horse grazed c1bca61a1f nearby.7263e21f29345831

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‘She must be asleep.’0c521b4015b1845e

If she got 4eea16808c caught in the 6303b4c1f3 rain, she would 217365a576 catch a cold, ab5ba82751 which would disrupt 2b34286269 her lessons.6a498e2fcac4fc8b

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‘She’s a lot of trouble.’289dd58d02f3636c

That was why Baldr d3933bec82 had left his office 7254771370 and mounted his horse c4fdab9814 as soon as he 5784823635 saw the rain clouds.10fe5dfeb305e5a7

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But come to think of it, wouldn’t it have been more efficient to send a servant? 801add92d9162a7f

The tutor a4aadc3616 remained fast bee963bb11 asleep, oblivious 77809c461e to the 18eee054a6 world, until 9b952a4c54 Baldr, without b958ff6f97 questioning his 3db1e2e802 own actions, e386f7c191 reached the 454c2a63f0 shade of fcdcbab1af the poplar d6558f0a51 tree.86ba6803279ae9f0

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Seeing a book 83c68de8c1 lying near her 08885dfcc6 hand, he assumed 3c9364f999 she had fallen 648bb27668 asleep while reading. He picked up 8a4092763f the book and 35ca337236 dusted it off. He had always c1e19fa1cb been curious about c36c662e27 what she was 6f44f076b7 reading.bf4a74ccd1d331fd

Checking the e813e42bd1 title, he c83296a451 raised an 2215f79d46 eyebrow.f9f12793ad3c9ad6

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‘I haven’t read this one.’676bf7a4e25f1052

He had read b263557770 most of the fe36192674 books in his 6e18b39a0f library, but not 4874210d79 all of them. The vast e4e3c85696 collection had 11177268a2 been accumulated 519bcd8686 by generations c800901b42 of his 7ed6de4cc6 family. He stood 8905dc16ff there, skimming 9acc988a80 the contents 7babbe73d8 briefly, then 9432d8a760 tucked it 6c27253337 into his 65c8213417 back pocket.433584586c8b1052

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Meanwhile, the clouds had drawn closer. Even if he woke her now, she would be caught in the rain before reaching the mansion. But strangely, looking at Jeanne’s sleeping face, Baldr didn’t want to wake her.ff547f721b2ac4a0

‘Did she always look like this?’c8125536fa90f57e

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He preferred 10d8e6ed8b to simply 2a0ed1fd25 watch her, 9359ea52f7 like gazing 31968ea073 into a f78da355d5 clear lake.3c82fd4d11abad58

Whenever she was f8b65c6687 in his presence, 51f4dbbbe1 the tutor was 82c9208358 always extremely timid. It was understandable, e1b2bdd54f considering he held b304933d49 not only her 31d98ce461 livelihood but also a6a389afcf her life in f8dc5d314a his hands. He was ee560574cc also aware 501c971684 of his 22333663b5 own notoriety.986e0ddf3b087fb0

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‘It’s natural for her to be afraid.’442846b894206b74

Fear was a useful tool for a ruler. It was better to be feared than loved, both by enemies and allies. People might betray those they loved, but they wouldn’t dare harm those they feared. That’s why he had found his reputation so useful.86c4e64d29b7c3d5

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‘But I thought I was being considerate.’a6f0fefb235723d5

However, he strangely disliked this tutor’s fear of him. Was it because she was so harmless that she couldn’t even harm a hair on his head, let alone stab him in the back? Baldr couldn’t imagine this woman harming him.87b45d2564b9ab78

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‘Could she harm me, unless it was through poison?’84274e12c7f8652e

It was a thought he could only entertain because he didn’t yet know that she would soon have the power to tear his heart to shreds.9ab2fbe73b984f94

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In any case, the 74a34feb91 woman with her eyes 470856af08 closed was sleeping soundly. Her sleeping face showed 8b6386c751 none of the fear 30e11c8063 she displayed when she 9946fe54ce was awake, and she 6e7f50d954 looked peaceful. 82b550deee8225c8

So, he wished for 93ec8ec0de her to remain asleep. Because that 63ab1bf878 expression would de73cae74e vanish the fe717077b8 moment she f11dd77af4 opened her dbbfa8d0c1 eyes.dc7bb07fa33b3f71

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“…”c30aa72adf1c635d

For a long time, Baldr silently gazed at Jeanne’s face. 108d141ded89571d

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Her smooth, arched forehead, 9003cb0c80 her dark, neatly shaped 3463e156b4 eyebrows and long eyelashes, f1e64c5883 the bridge of her aa68e9baa3 nose extending from her 3c5856da19 forehead, the corners of 0384601ca1 her mouth twitching occasionally e1967afff0 as if she were 605cfd77e0 dreaming.50fb1561d135d6a1

She shivered slightly in her sleep. His gaze shifted to her clothes. The tutor was wearing a dress with ornate embellishments on the bodice, much like his mother’s dresses from the past. He frowned.2ca69b1cf662ead5

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‘Are these clothes still in fashion?’9934604a4e327cd1

The dress 230cf6c1e9 was too e9cc256a20 thin for 713953f00e this climate.b212ab504395a0a9

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* * * 7f3e11a53c6485ef

‘Where could that book have gone?’edfb77f1918c2957

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As time passed, my edde61117b heart grew heavier and e4e921d4e9 heavier, like a waterlogged 4316f95ed4 sponge.3a60591d6c0c82bb

‘I really have to tell Madame Pauline now.’0685b4bee256e66c

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Even on the day f1a7863a9f I made this resolution, cbb2ede5f1 I went for a d5c8e37071 ride on Brulee. b34c59157244b32e

Lost in 28df1641fd thought, I dc695f19f0 rode aimlessly, ee8948bbb1 and before 8672049ac2 I knew de97d728c6 it, I 20da9df3b1 had arrived 26f2720aed at the 9d3b2e2c31 apple orchard. The air was filled d986c723b4 with the sweet, fresh 21790550bc scent of apples. The horse, 1984f0a298 attracted by c9b4c2f0e6 the smell, aac7b09a34 perked up 9ea9bd0e99 its ears 768437cc06 at the 6c7c3c478b sight of b0458aef3e me.9b23c82b9f6152b3

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“Come to think of it, you used to pull apple carts, didn’t you?”5e7f5024459e49ac

I stroked Brulee’s mane. a5bc2065067ffb0f

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There were also acd9b24436 wild apple trees d51f2ce3c4 outside the orchard 3ba1e59fdb fence, their branches f294900d6f laden with ripe 2e057224ef apples, threatening to b26200a3b2 break under their 244e562d33 weight. Small but f1ab9fb14b appetizing apples cc2ef3b5f1 were scattered 03d3de6ff5 everywhere, and 2e978eabd4 Brulee happily a415ce69b9 munched on 0317b3b8d7 them. Deer and squirrels e60a1dfb2e were also feasting 3e5976d3af on the apples.03fdbec2f64015ab

‘Should I… take some?’8c6ef895cb2aa931

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They weren’t orchard apples, and even the animals were eating them, so I thought it would be alright to take some back to my room as a snack. I dismounted Brulee. But the problem was, I had no pockets. While riding, I needed both hands to hold the reins. And I couldn’t stuff them in my cheeks like a squirrel. e6ec8e0f393c36b6

So, what should 6d67db784c I do?17ef1700c8d42ca9

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I hesitated and 7234587d27 looked around. 8a9c015d37bc1336

It was a secluded spot, and no one was in sight. I decided to gather some apples in the folds of my skirt. My plan was to tie the long hem of my skirt like a pouch, mount Brulee, and then carry the apples in my hands when I dismounted. It wasn’t very ladylike, but what did it matter? No one was watching.195815279a580e54

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Lifting my skirt naturally exposed my legs. I bent down, examining the fallen apples, selecting plump, undamaged ones and placing them in the folds of my skirt. I wasn’t planning to take many, but once I started gathering them, I became engrossed in the task.726b39bd7700a0c7

‘Did I pick too many? Should I give some to Brulee?’f7f895e29c3f6c2a

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I was so focused 636cd39d1b on gathering apples that 7145f80b91 when I straightened my 15b38bc377 aching back, I saw 9a5083c6d3 someone.f31f66f156edb209

It was him. 431cfa9e80698adc

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Duke Baldr de 8ef95de3b0 Skadi.3720f607212e829b

‘Gasp!’f05318ebe99fc9e1

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They say 2d5b71b672 you meet 0ef96514db your enemies 4ff736db61 everywhere. That was dbb36bb58b certainly the 301739417d case for 92fd97864f me. e4856f676c979271

Startled by 30ea5895a2 the sight 191a5502e2 of him, 438fcb3e1d I loosened 57bc54abb7 my grip 0b46dba50c on my 84f5fa59c0 skirt. The apples tumbled a22215d4f9 out, and our ece972e4e8 eyes met. It was 065e1bb941 the first 7c71a7c8f5 time I f46ea516df felt the 0f711ae889 intensity of 381145537c his green b8df3ff714 gaze. 4ea3168066e83f85

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Did he see 52c7e447b7 everything?95efecf188696475

The Duke walked towards 31847e1584 me without averting his 64dee55576 gaze.ddb557569a9eca90

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“You’re taking a walk in a rather secluded place.”de34747f9272278d

The Duke said 935c852b57 pointedly.64e75423095044ff

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“Yes…!”3b8df0af1a9fa87a

“Have you ever been gored by a stag?”a336f5c0a221e1a4

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“Pardon?”0b77bdc5539c9d5d

“Wild animals, attracted by the scent of apples, often roam down from the hunting grounds, so stick to the paths closer to the mansion.”f332ac8954beeb7c

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“Yes.”e817a1fba0beb800

‘Is he… worried about me?’1996cdb2454add75

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His way b0462bcc54 of speaking f118316646 was truly b0661588a4 perplexing. I quickly lowered 57da8c0c69 my head. Conversely, the reason he 337661f7a1 had come to this 434725fcd7 secluded, rarely visited place 1933b4cc17 must have been to 568c8f5f3c have some time alone.1b08234b99dfa7e2

‘I should leave quickly.’c525e09fed72028c

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I looked 7728992527 around for 4cb0c46902 Brulee. She was 483a80f84a under an 0d6c820c29 apple tree, d97889858b her nose 9e2d8799c7 buried in 32ad53dd59 the fruit.038c850025ff3e43

“Then I’ll be going.”fac5aa4f3f6ac8d3

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But then he said 10002dafb0 something completely unexpected.30a90269bae4301a

“Shall we take a walk together?”baa6d8bbd50c2b9d

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“Pardon?”aa44cc6f57a5025a

“It’s lonely walking alone.”36eb15ecd5684129

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I thought, ‘I’m in trouble now.’e95d36d4fd9d76b7

But what 8308936c25 could I 98bcee1e4a do? I ended up taking fd5339f289 a walk with him.34c7b57114b5a057

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This time, I didn’t commit the rudeness of remaining silent. I talked about Lady Ana’s daily life and the lessons we had been focusing on. After listening to me, the Duke said,843e517e2b073ea5

“I see.”a9e5884ea6bd2271

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And then the 7e4a480b7e conversation lulled. I tilted fc6ab63b8b my stiff 7c6d238354 neck and 4dbb275e56 looked up d23367a527 at the 0aa2bfcafb sky.b4af00cc67f058d9

‘This is agonizing.’64b00dc880ec79a9

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I couldn’t think of anything else to say.207fa606fe057ec5

That’s when I suddenly remembered the lost book. Yes, this was the perfect opportunity. The perfect opportunity to confess to the owner of the book that I had lost it.594ba3c2a7a332d2

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But as soon 0a85dfd71f as I made a8cf07cd20 up my mind, 88d870f548 cold sweat trickled 4929bde0c0 down my back.89edc153a5078daf

‘Do I really have to? Wouldn’t it be better to just… tell Madame Pauline discreetly?’941a2afbacc64bd5

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It felt like I 797f567edd was walking with chestnuts 92a0dfd4f8 in my hands. My conscience pricked 60b177626f me, urging me dc886c3513 to confess. I clenched and unclenched 230a498106 my fists.07f90cedd5454893

‘I should have told Madame Pauline yesterday.’12dc59f1e2e39b25

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Out of the frying pan and into the fire. I considered telling Madame Pauline tonight. But the pangs of conscience were relentless, and I couldn’t bear it any longer.00ed64b1c72f459c

“Um, Your Grace.”4a00565b3981540a

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When I addressed ec584f489a him hesitantly, he 5415d81e68 looked at me e7efc22542 with a puzzled e712189702 expression. His green eyes 3e72228ebe sparkled in the 83b15c5c9d sunlight, as if b693ab0ede emitting their own bfb47349ec light. I swallowed hard.84e2f37908589ce1

“There’s something I need to tell you.”06af6d473ab47d61

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“Go ahead.”85f22dfc873443dc

“I, well, I…”25494bcd99958985

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I crumpled my 675e1ab422 skirt in my b8459d016f hands and closed 7ccb9b932e my eyes tightly.efeb401017411d7c

“I lost a book! I’m so sorry for using the library, meant for teaching materials, for personal use and then losing a book! I’ll compensate you for the book and return the library key! I’ll accept any other punishment, I’m truly sorry, Your Grace!”1d54d87dffed7ed4

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