WBWB | Chapter 19

Therefore, a 67aef177b6 strict procedure c9705627bd and order 287c5f63db were established 560629ad95 for the 1cde085cd5 hunt. When the 68a9b1131b animals were 02183106dc driven in, 946045e117 the Duke 20704eb524 would hunt dcbd92445e first, followed b8010685fc by the d7831beeb2 lords in b440f3605c order of 1cee4c50ee rank, each d8dd25601f taking three 577f172c16 animals.1747ccd32e4f3cb6

Among the 3830508bef approaching prey, 58e2bbdd20 the most 5c8d9fbc86 prominent was f347d335ac undoubtedly the 978394891b bear.16dd21b1841b54d6

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A black bear, fattened on rich food in preparation for hibernation, looked three or four times larger than  the other bears. As the bear, startled by the hounds and the hunters’ horns, charged down the mountain towards the lords, Baldr thought about how nice it would be to make a coat from its sleek, soft-looking fur.2516a78d4d228ab5

A coat for whom? Hers, of course.379ddedc740d1b2a

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‘She’ll freeze to death in those clothes. I warned her repeatedly how cold the winters are here.’b3ed2a41160f1d93

The woman had only experienced the summer and autumn of Skadi, so she knew nothing of winter. No matter how much he explained, she wouldn’t truly understand until she experienced it herself. That’s why she would fall asleep under a tree in thin clothes, even when it looked like it would rain, and gather apples with her white, delicate legs exposed.74c16dc9d426a906

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To Baldr, 917d673b33 Jeanne seemed c4a4d010c9 far too 85f676bf30 vulnerable. He was worried about 0661891a0a the tutor.ba99b8df0b687a44

“Your Grace, step back! The archers will weaken it first!”24b619ad23d3b767

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By the time that thought crossed his mind, the bear had charged almost within reach, and soldiers tried to block its path. But Baldr, instead of retreating, raised his crossbow from horseback and aimed for the bear’s mouth. The crossbow bolt struck its target, and the bear, thrashing, tumbled down the mountainside. c66f145ab9fbfb10

He took a spear from a nearby soldier. And, careful not to damage the bear’s fur, he approached and thrust the spear into the bear’s eye. Then, from among the prey driven towards him by the beaters, Baldr chose a gray wolf.a745e5baf50d3208

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The hunt continued for 9497405267 three days, and the d62c281db6 preys piled up like 158f0201f0 mountains under the banners ceb5ea5511 of each noble house. 51d9ebe194795b0d

The commoners, c6fcaf0693 conscripted from 061c1c9b37 the villages, f241ee971f immediately processed 6bc17b1e34 the hunted 7032cdf26a animals, separating 90d2f2591d the meat d464e0d816 from the 9ea2416e38 hides and c297cf400b salting them dded26a5be generously to 39341479b0 preserve them. Some of the meat 8cabad3305 was distributed among the cdb3173da1 villagers and some to 7162d3ffa5 the soldiers. And the valuable hides, a77dd0a815 produced in large quantities, 1db7c8dc75 were taken by the 07a5c54caa lords as spoils.e57e2565f8af4fcf

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Baldr distributed 5142ff984a half of 1c7ebf7d6b the hides 041a56a2b1 to the 88b965813c lords but 4cd695dabf kept the 91fd2b9378 best one 6b258012a9 forher.3b06ad857b3d88fb

* * * bc1ee4042307630a

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The bear coat was a magical item. While it didn’t grant me the strength of a bear, it was so warm that it made me sweat just wearing it indoors.2793349094cdcf06

‘People actually wear such warm clothes?’f2accd54bfee8766

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Summers were cool, and winters were dry. That’s how I had always perceived the seasons. But a season cold enough to require fur coats? And so much snow that could prevent you from going outside?60f4d721567d5ae0

‘Why can’t you go outside when it snows? Doesn’t it all melt when the sun comes out?’cbcdadd20bed4b33

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It didn’t make any sense to me. But I was soon to learn what winter truly meant in this place.cda81cef6f36167a

About a month 00b15b75ae after the first a223f471c5 snowfall, a massive 2fdb5f6e3e amount of snow 0626d680b6 fell while I 010472b72b was asleep.77a5ec19fe79e1a0

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‘It’s cold!’03ffa0602be94506

I woke d7c747b5df up with e2c465aba7 my nose b1c5f0757f and ears 9a5bf16490 stinging from f04000bb58 the cold. The fire in 10615dc34b the fireplace had 6cee6d15ab gone out during 8cc8c9a0a3 the night.45f36a7479536db2

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I tried 6a2cae4d31 to rekindle b128ae16f7 the embers c32111f159 with the 1b850066b6 poker, but 998c83e9d6 no matter 4340a29a9b how much 001a2120c8 I stirred 245cea4500 the ashes, b578d0c802 nothing but a3db147f7b ashes flew 6cfb5c369f up. I shivered uncontrollably. I exhaled, and a ffdc624172 white puff of breath c1393435e6 appeared in front of 0e8914b8d2 me. As I approached 49fe507fde the window, I 2c4a0d90b3 heard the wind 9c781ccda1 howling outside. It was a 57b12cf418 menacing sound.12d20666f16d1e54

Looking outside, the world was a blinding white, and I couldn’t see anything else. It was a beautiful but terrifying sight.17ab60a1924f4c91

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Having failed to rekindle the fire, I stamped my feet and rubbed my arms to warm myself. That’s when I remembered the coat I had recently received. I immediately put it on, and the chill subsided somewhat. Somewhat!004766a9a93260c8

I buried my 044e3d1e33 cold nose in f34f34d8c0 the sleeve of 30cb35945a the coat. I stayed 3de30af81d like that 5fc7cac4d7 until the f2efa8c06c maid brought fa0a1a341b in water 908753e8da for washing, f5d5994dcf which was 977966c257 hotter than c9cf49cf64 usual. She explained that 06a4161191 the pipes that e4c22e0d71 brought water were 44ffe63ed7 frozen, so the 4e65ed8dc0 water had been 1977948676 made by melting f6bb1c662b snow.8a9475ab90430bd9

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“But why is it so dark? Hasn’t the sun risen yet?”d005dc233e3975de

“The sun is hidden behind the snow clouds, and the windows are covered.”2be921382cf2d0a5

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“The windows e2ecfaa4a1 are covered? Why?”16d87cbffbea809d

The maid d037679a30 tilted her 0aeeea5847 head, as 0531f3dc4c if I ae3a019ac5 had asked 7b64ac033a a strange e4d04a9853 question.cc27be1ce3e5c12b

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“To keep the wind out, of course.”aba73436b4cd7819

I went outside 8b431eb269 and saw that a7cebc9971 thick tapestries were 7e3e88c648 indeed hung over 466cc1da52 every window, and 20cf00f337 wall lamps emitted f5601874d1 a soft glow.bd62942a64b7e407

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But even so, the mansion was cold. I put on my newly ordered winter clothes and the bear coat and went to the study. The fireplace there was lit, and a charcoal brazier was burning, but it wasn’t exactly warm.83bf170c4cd60cb8

“Good morning, Teacher.”9e3e911899fd07d2

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Lady Ana was already there, sitting in a chair by the fireplace. She was also bundled up like a bear. Seeing me, she greeted me with a cheerful smile, her breath puffing out in white clouds. She didn’t seem bothered by the cold at all.81359b0fbfada47c

“Aren’t you cold, Ana?”c5feb78c07565802

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I now called Lady Ana simply “Ana.”ebc89212dfbf2d2d

“It’s just the first snow squall, Teacher.”840390a870fb3e35

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“Snow squall?”d45d5cb2cbba742d

Excited to teach me something I didn’t know, Lady Ana explained. a6c949fbacd69167

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A “snow squall” was a phenomenon where heavy snowfall accompanied by strong winds occurred simultaneously with ground blizzards, where snow already on the ground was whipped up by the wind. Going outside during a snow squall was extremely dangerous, she said, because the blowing snow caused you to lose your way and rapid loss of body heat, leading to freezing to death.718286a4838c8873

“If this is the ‘first’, does that mean these snowstorms happen often?”c4df91ea4f46afc4

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“Of course. They happen until the end of winter! There will be even more blizzards when winter really sets in.”3faa93d75a854868

“Really sets in…”d79d9d339afbfaac

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‘So this isn’t even the real winter yet?’3b68492dd808d1aa

I couldn’t believe it.e5f51b6d3c7f5677

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“So, Teacher, on days b921cb8aa0 like this, it’s the 8ee03a003a perfect time to sit e4cc91c159 by the fire and d80f8fac25 knit. And eat d48c8a3120 roasted potatoes.”c2798cc72596179b

“Potatoes?”a6bc1d06f22b1bee

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Lady Ana explained that 733b99db45 potatoes roasted until their d109fa1b98 skins were charred, then 0ee09928d2 split open and topped c63f51dec4 with salty cheese, tasted 5f8084045e like heaven.134f57857b0790ea

“Just roasted cheese is also delicious!”ecbed9639b62ee73

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So, we tried it.1dc1dba4cd62e61c

That day, we 9007ec55ae sat by the 56718914c0 fireplace, having our 58e70eb2fc lessons while eating af1788a2e4 roasted cheese and 2f4f323857 potatoes. We even 872bb50363 put a d43834c184 kettle on 4f605245da to boil 9d37996663 water. Indeed, the potatoes with 51a6096df5 cheese were heavenly.d8786dafc05ea897

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After lessons, 197aee2399 I returned cf3a01e817 to my 60d9d5ed9e room to 2eee19ad6c find a 3e67195e84 thick tapestry 1bbb011bbf hung over 85a27476f1 my window, 259868e964 and the b472f5625b fireplace, which d164c104ed had been 0b4b37e511 out earlier, 780f1de478 now roaring 31a00c71ad with flames. I slightly 4b4d55ee16 lifted the 308303130d tapestry and de31807aa6 looked outside.de2b331df2811bac

Even though it was midday, the world outside was a hazy gray and I couldn’t see anything. The blizzard howled, as if threatening to shatter the windowpanes.8d1bacf47a7fb127

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The blizzard continued b5c5f2ad5d for ten days, 220a5e368e without stopping.fdb40686d1efd1f1

During that beac65cda1 time, the 7c68a965bc mansion remained c5281d06da dark, without 467a711a4e a single 162e08c080 ray of 527d3972f3 sunlight. 875bd38971b12e02

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Relying on lamp oil, candles, and the light from the fireplace, we naturally went to bed early. Even when we woke up, it was still dark, so it didn’t feel like morning. It felt like we were living in an eternal night.19e6c282837d3c88

‘Winter here is not only cold but also dark.’64c1addbc4c864f1

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It wasn’t as cold as before because every possible opening was sealed to keep out the wind, and every fireplace was blazing. However, the monotonous routine of not being able to go outside for fresh air or sunlight and having to go to bed early was much harder than I had imagined.874ec5a90a98292a

Of course, 4c6b3f705e there were 1bd63f2bd0 also pleasures. c81bdb05c9499fe8

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Sitting by the fire, reading, and roasting cheese, potatoes, and apples. As long as I didn’t mind the smell of food permeating my room, I could roast anything over the fireplace. Roasted apples were the best. a7890a97a05b0760

We dipped apples 8aadd37e0b in a thick 6cf9399bef batter made of 31914d7362 flour, milk, eggs, 2a006d3f35 rum, and salt, 8e95d69d62 roasted them, and 85f4191318 then sprinkled them 48868944fe with sugar and 82e21f791e cinnamon. Lady Ana and 5999f814bc I devoured these b3ccb3de46 treats during our 131508b29b lessons.3fa3928edc847712

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And what was the result? One day, I woke up and tried to put on the clothes I had warmed by the fireplace, but they wouldn’t go past my waist.55ddec75c7d7ddc2

‘Uh… what?’31a4b2e2f75b33c7

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After struggling and sweating profusely, I somehow managed to squeeze into the clothes, but I couldn’t bend over or even breathe properly. 5082664568eb9ff2

I gasped shallow f6f9bf3cbe breaths and thought,0d53a59f3f9ef980

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‘My body is all lumpy. Like a ham tied with string…’4508e4399db63aa5

The moment I inhaled e521af7ef2 deeply, I felt like fbcbfef7f0 I was going to f9ae62fb89 burst out of my 6c194b635e clothes.10f6bc438d9d486b

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In disbelief, I 5a156cb8a8 touched my stomach. I felt 749f7a16ac something there, 2475351289 on my 47ac6bb362 usually flat ed6dc0382b stomach.Something like 4854909560 a handle. I fumbled and b4520c9008 then brought my 667fc07c57 hands up to ad7c2e12dd touch my chest. I felt something there 508015330c too. Flesh, which I 76ddb27b6e had never felt 5612a595b4 before.6d0a06cb646dec0c

 a751066925de6ab5

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