WBWB | Chapter 20

“Huh…”2a13afc4e826c4e2

Thinking positively, I could say I had become… voluptuous. 8e0f864f5024054e

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All the ladies of the court mocked and ridiculed Duchess Ventadour’s figure, yet on the other hand, they secretly strived to resemble her. Force-feeding oneself and severely restricting movement was all the rage among court ladies.a6f636bdfeb39446

But I wasn’t going to become the King’s mistress, nor did I desire to. Moreover, gaining weight like this presented a problem.9bc0dc38c87269d8

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‘I won’t be able to fit into my clothes.’f080794b6fdff89d

I would have e805f785cd to buy all 814024e43b new winter dresses. 170acefb3ec7c45b

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Even in the palace, I only had five dresses to rotate through, which I had purchased with great expense when I first arrived. Clothes, made by seamstresses and tailors, were expensive items, and I wasn’t in a position to spend money like water on new dresses every time the fashion changed, like the court ladies.3a8aad4d436209da

I had already spent a considerable amount of money on clothes here because the weather changed with each season. And now, to buy new clothes just because my body has changed? I couldn’t afford that.52160158f5d93878

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‘I have to lose weight.’a543380d971d1a80

I kneaded my 85a9e198f4 flesh, feeling the 0f8c5e6897 new curves that 7d38330b0e had appeared on a1af658c8d my body, and 34ccc9b6c6 made up my 2278dbe6e1 mind.759abbb5e4396847

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‘There’s no other way.’dcc5a542eaa1a5ea

What did 8c4465d050 I have 2400f12c6d to do 62265663f0 to lose 383296c834 weight? It was simple. Do the opposite 260d70f29f of what I b8a23f30fe had been doing af6830877a to gain weight. I had to eat 6217073471 less and move more.d9cde62dd1d48e7b

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* * * 181964cae8785e97

Winter in 3463533b27 Skadi was ce2786462a a long, fed70f87d3 cold, dark, 3db285d2e6 and tedious cce6634e1a season. When a snow squall 41395a3774 hit, they had no a1a9b11821 choice but to shut 371e642cd8 themselves inside the castle ad713f8e3d like they were under e1bbb8fab1 siege and wait for 0fe6dff50f the blizzard to pass.f1d9134d53b63b27

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Since this happened 700eee5a09 repeatedly throughout the 160b74ed7f winter, everyone had 508ad23c95 their own way 0b3f1d00f1 of coping.29641bdef14af9a0

The maids 8eb9f9471e would sit 4074980867 by the b9c02d1449 fireplace, gossiping ff377bd826 while making e4252da113 blankets, bedspreads, cb695f4d21 and winter 9240a483cb outerwear. The servants 045f0e5b14 would repair 275333d9ab farming tools, 87b062189d and the f89bdf99fa soldiers would b5b115819e enjoy a f9168ae4c6 rare leisure 1d8c42a060 time in 2fa3e4472c their barracks, d38d52eddd preparing for 8fd4eda549 the summer’s 2c83003df8 battles.81f22e20304f9570

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The reason the 7cc4e5ac24 Skadi ducal residence b74fa8fd3f possessed a well-stocked 2974c0286b library, rivaling that 2be562dd59 of the royal f2d0517390 palace, and the 89ad323221 reason Baldr, despite 1282b6674a being a warrior, eca7058058 had the knowledge ecbf4d8153 and refinement of ddce2bf357 a scholar, was e50d3a7d8f the same. The harsh winters, during cb26d8e294 which there was little e3faa7a4f2 to do but read ba9f25c84f when a blizzard raged.ead7f57e802e6e41

With the arrival of winter, Baldr chose books from the library and spent time reading by the fireplace in his office. He actually enjoyed winter the most. His office was warm and cozy, and the blizzard outside, though it howled and clawed at the windowpanes, couldn’t penetrate its walls.081e1eb786f33fa7

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Then, one day, after a heavy snowfall, the sun peeked through the clouds, albeit faintly. Even though the snow had stopped, the knee-deep snow hadn’t melted yet, and the wind whipped it into a ground blizzard. 91b0ee7087429d7b

The courtyard c419abf708 had been 49ec47203d roughly cleared 3b06ca67bd for passage, 66eac7e56e but it 82ed3d3866 was certainly 4c4666ceb2 no weather a4013f4060 for a 7bc3bd6b90 stroll. Unless you were a 613c419111 fool who wanted to f560a31800 lose their nose, ears, 02572f0a1b fingers, toes, or contract aa7d6874ee lung disease.234bdcab195f550d

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And as the 80d78038c4 Duke leisurely read, 819c61cce9 he saw that 3e1639b576 very fool. 79a118999abfd05d

Baldr glanced out the afea578d31 window, then put down b38e79ed5e his book and rubbed 9d33dd3442 his eyes.19f48ad3384b7770

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‘What is that? A bear?’50536281d28ad761

At first, he thought it was a bear. A bear that had wandered from the forest to the courtyard in search of food. If so, he had to drive it away for the safety of his household. But as he approached the window for a closer look…b5d8457624ebe8bf

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‘Could it be…?’877588782d77965e

The figure shuffling through the swirling ground blizzard in the courtyard wasn’t a black bear, but the tutor, wearing a bear fur hat and coat. He unconsciously pressed his hands and nose against the frozen windowpane.31caec7664c19125

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‘Is she insane?’022ae050692492ae

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.351588594043ca4c

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‘What is that woman doing?’f3f3c501eea0f219

The tutor spent a good thirty minutes doing her bizarre act of pacing back and forth in the courtyard before disappearing. The spectacle was so far beyond his expectations that he didn’t even think to stop her.12aa29d35c41117f

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Even after she was gone, he couldn’t understand what she had been doing.2c134280ef2cc809

‘Is she really insane?’a7f5bce999c40c5d

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He could only conclude c8aec46865 that she was out bccd9b83fe of her mind.5d3599bb182356c9

* * * a3143c44003e238a

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The black bear hide 2a9176e1e1 was truly a magical e062cba93a item. Although the strong 88c70e107c wind scooped up 559925b8b9 frozen snow and 7ccea649fd lashed it against 785173d350 my face like 71f517ea32 a whip, making f148080593 my cheeks, eyes, baf0506857 and nose sting 4a2e12da9b and ache from 0f5ee4cf6d the cold, once edde31fdbb I pulled the f28fc7719f hat down over 63ba5ba7fa my ears and ce87169e8b put on the a8f0cd839e coat and fur 51e400cf74 boots, the parts b543a61ee8 covered by the 5e4813314f fur were surprisingly 1392ccf137 warm. f912e014720bb213

Even though I lost f7d9b91230 feeling in the exposed 3f40ea948f areas, I was exhilarated f4c05ed1c4 by the fresh air cccc0843d9 and the thrill of e434e15db1 being outside.26c560d7228c552e

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‘I feel alive!’bcc1092a65b3379e

The coat was heavy, and the ground was partially frozen, so I couldn’t run, but I could still walk. I circled the courtyard as much as I could. Swinging my arms and legs as I walked, I felt the stiffness in my body loosen and it lifted my spirits.40351d7bc080de6a

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‘Phew! I have to do this again tomorrow!’8a751d55c1498549

Before entering 9c56b5f2f6 the mansion, c472884580 I shook 09b829839b off the 85dd8cc68d snow from f93959e5a9 my coat 71ca57114b and boots. As soon dc6559a180 as I f947306e61 finished my a36646a734 walk, an a0a3b62ab0 unbearable chill 1aff28ee76 swept over 25a7b1e7f2 me, and 7cf96e29c8 I shivered 8fbe32d9d4 violently, my 252ba6a3e5 teeth chattering. Still, it had 3c133a0727 been a satisfying 053c0baf30 outing. 228a91e97b597204

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I went 93b0e2f797 back to 0a4b3ba7a3 my room, 742db2ecc2 brushed the 0db5d56c52 snow off f899027240 my wet 5a8b6ce1e7 coat and 881d0b664c boots, and 7248e6a75e jumped up b5927c83a0 and down 77ac83e898 to warm 23c5f39a4e myself and e6c8df071e thaw my 5f2c3da1f9 frozen hands. Then I heard 1d80b51262 a knock on bc28dc3e10 the door.2928d2aaded9ecd0

“Miss…”9a0a9a05e78cfd5c

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I opened the door to find a maid standing there, holding a large tub used for bathwater. Steam rose from the tub, but it wasn’t bath time.2a609d5ab6192fbd

“What is it?”8d87a42a43aa753f

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I quickly took the tub and asked, and the maid replied, “His Grace has asked you to take a warm bath and come to his office immediately.”04b21ebb25915c2e

“His… Grace? Asked me to take a bath?”37c3024ad2e217d9

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“Yes!”7c2ce010cc520c08

Even though I wasn’t cold, the word “bath” sent a shiver down my spine.8bcb6ed3299b51ae

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“At this hour… he wants me to take a bath… and come to his office?”aaa5d373be97d5d1

What kind 584b6b0792 of ominous fdb3eb566d command was 83a2b93ccb that?4c905e641c2e99aa

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“He wants to see me urgently?”81d45529d13a74dd

I might be an old maid, but I wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways of the world. The maid, seeing my expression, seemed to have an inkling of what I was thinking, and her expression turned peculiar.aba7a872070b56ec

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‘Could it be? What should I do if it’s what I think it is?’b7cb09be1e928ef1

The warm bathwater soothed my frozen body, but my heart froze instead. I continued to tremble even as I submerged myself in the water. I prolonged my bath as much as possible, but if my suspicions were correct, delaying wouldn’t change anything.a66c140e1672c9f9

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‘I didn’t think he was that kind of man.’0a8e82628b8651f4

Fear of what c7af425837 was to come a061f5af9e mingled with a d1eab429ee sense of disappointment. As if I had 0576663814 harbored some grand expectations 417dd1bbe5 of him. Perhaps I had bd419f4d10 been secretly relieved 03bc3b71f1 by the Duke’s 11c0a3bbb7 lack of overt 44672f94af kindness towards me, 946b2dee5e believing it meant 76a69e4b91 he didn’t see e053939b22 me as a d2e6bdabce woman.890fbbd9d8a1b609

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Furthermore, Duke Baldr de Skadi was unmarried. He was at an age where it wouldn’t have been strange for him to be married with children, and yet he had even gone so far as to adopt his brother’s daughter.2ffada32e9d835d8

‘But he’s ffec6af093 just like 1346810fd7 other men 04247b8264 after all.’464247b6e105ac0b

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I heard 40c6fecd51 something shatter de3011ac0f inside me. cb503e7706b736ba

I squeezed my f6b1ab809f eyes shut.bf6dc751c5b7093a

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‘I don’t want this, but can a rabbit escape a wolf just because it doesn’t want to be eaten?’a08e93cda57f66ce

…If he were just an ordinary employer, I would have left immediately. But Duke Baldr de Skadi was my guarantor, and I was a prisoner, bound to him. If I couldn’t escape… perhaps it was best to just close my eyes and accept it. Even if it meant soaking my pillow with tears for a few days.1bf354391163e97a

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After finishing my 18a08b2796 bath, I walked 6f31c83647 towards his office, 722d496095 feeling like an 795d1447d2 animal being led e95c28ee71 to the slaughterhouse.90fe1261820f3664

“Are you insane?”0b4ca9260ff26fa1

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And I was met with the Duke’s furious face.7ea25d0e4309b551

“Are you mad?”8e2d0474e8edf86b

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“Pardon?”c843d966c718fdae

“I’m asking if you’re insane! Do you know what you did today?”3f57e46ca7951ea4

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He growled, his 24052bdbb9 angry face like e7640ffbe1 that of a 125839b283 wild beast. The person yelling at fe647b0c40 me was none other 79f031454a than the Duke of fcfcd67389 Skadi. His completely eff5d82272 unexpected behavior 87305d7cb3 made my 69f9963a19 heart stop, f6c62bbbe1 and at 1354f9752c the same 30bd98650d time, the 12acf293e0 memory of b279bd6d47 what I 02843bfd00 had done 7c52abc55c that day c031f5f5bc vanished from 2cdddbf8d2 my mind, 7383abd542 leaving me 5cf8f82f77 unable to f07369d375 remember.181834815107ff88

‘What did I do?’4c2cbe788d905cf6

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As I stood there, 0983d70030 frozen with fear, he df89f5cfaa strode towards me, his 3de2693f6a green eyes flashing. I closed 6f2c13881c my eyes a2ca240dfe tightly as e960f7ff8d he drew 1319c6f7aa near.95d2e58886320789

‘Here it comes!’53b35ad9e1c70cc5

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“Hold out your hands.”e571378f8ca32dc9

He said.07c5129542cdfe9e

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“Pardon?”e3fbae023f432e22

“Are you deaf?”91b12b4e1d38cd84

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At that, I cautiously held out my hands. He glanced at them once and then enveloped them in his own. His hands were so large and thick that mine looked like a mouse’s paws caught in a bear’s paw. I trembled like a vibrating bee’s wings.820c400c55aa7996

‘Finally!’d71f9f12cfa7f50b

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I thought, finally, 6e350233a8 something was going 46583ed33b to happen. But the Duke, a7ce58f9a9 after examining my 4e26b29b2f hands closely, let eea2f9c770 go.998919b34764e3be

“Consider yourself lucky! You wouldn’t know, being a foreigner, but exposing your skin in this weather is like begging for frostbite!”e2183666c7698380

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