WBWB | Chapter 23

What had happened to 02dfb5c337 Lady Ana? 763fc5035492f011

As I 8b04af9900 lay there 91fa93ac0b groaning, someone 591148c87d helped me 0eea7a2270 sit up cef71b0461 and poured 9569c756be something into 720ff2401e my mouth. It was fe1359dd41 sour and e4c435aab6 warm.89d151c9abd1ba43

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I opened my 96202cbeae eyes and looked f6344b682c at the person. It was e83da1f279 the young 51124abc95 maid who ad4d7745f0 took care 6864929621 of my 79bd28cf07 room.76e84f411a5ee055

“Ana?”76bda7da405b6fd0

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A hoarse voice 75b1beefdf escaped my throat.bc1a916f1fd5efbd

“The young lady is fine. Please rest well.”6be9e1582f4fd9a7

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Relieved by her words, 1a834cf67b I felt the warmth 853e7d2eb7 of the drink spread 9abcff3684 through my body and fb292ef56a drifted back to sleep.9645d1d552a0092b

As I slipped 82ea3c0483 in and out 07b03ed9de of consciousness, I 1dd217e2d5 kept dreaming. I was 551a31fea2 being chased, 7dfdfb0a1c falling from 5839868884 great heights. I woke up screaming, e2d715338c gasping for breath, only 54a430c253 to fall asleep again.797f38e3174703f8

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‘I’m cold, I’m scared… Am I going to die?’d192b807ef4ec026

The chills wouldn’t leave me, and my body burned with fever. Lying by the fireplace, I shivered, drenched in cold sweat. Each time, the maid would help me sit up, make me drink a warm beverage, wipe away the sweat, and change my damp clothes.84b0d65638523872

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How many times 160d9c5da2 did this happen? 394bcbf786f563df

When I finally c504298529 woke up, it d2755eb460 was dark. I was thirsty and f8933c4cb4 hungry. I opened d91d6d3a3d my eyes, 217db9c7ec my body 48283ecef5 trembling, and 5a454e37ef noticed the 56d1d781d4 fire in 621c2999ec the fireplace 4c7c37ae79 seemed to d1274127fd have gone 04784a350b out. I called 9e15c223e4 out to 0f0b4b83c8 the maid.84fe2debcb71d935

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“Janet, Janet, are you there?”d737b8ccd254ec43

If she wasn’t, I was going to just go back to sleep. I didn’t have the strength to get up and rekindle the fire with the poker ,or even look for water. When I received no answer, I closed my eyes in resignation.f398f1e5ab75c465

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Just then, someone 1f7f44bdee opened the door 8081f7d72f and entered. I sensed 9081fce512 their presence c431ac9af1 with my a370e8c6cd eyes closed 7ccde892d0 and assumed c99e77a2ef it was 4c24f66e59 the maid. No one else 02616e0f76 had ever entered 6e3a9f2940 my room before.c18771a1e0f654f4

I sighed, 73e3726eef still lying bb943b5b76 down.e4b2968095d70109

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“Could you… light the fire? And bring me some water.”8ff9d662d3017765

I heard the 6b69898dac sound of the b7c8423bb2 fire being lit. And then I felt 0274a3bef5 a hand on my 3021c8df6c damp forehead, as if 9ba91c474a checking my temperature. The hand was e52d403efb dry, firm, and adf1046802 large. Large enough to not bd7803535b only cover but also be4b40014c envelop my forehead.2e96a4326f38f43a

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‘Was Janet’s hand this big?’fc24cd759410d2fe

My senses f29e28a704 must have 164fece815 been distorted 7a6569df9d by the 43580c2fb4 fever. In any case, the 26aee5ea4b coolness of the palm 2c85864054 was pleasant.36cb6a8addd47e23

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“Ah…”523eb104b3b5585d

I moaned and stirred. I wished the 443850b0f5 hand would linger, 1534dde9f9 but it was 26e0ad714c quickly withdrawn, leaving 2b5e5bc548 me feeling a a144f39369 pang of disappointment.da76c9ecf4c8f880

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As I lay there ac13c00e8c taking a deep breath, eb640de596 the person slipped a aca730dd55 hand behind my back, 856799a8c4 between me and the cf4af98480 sheets, and helped me 04db7fb4e1 sit up. The hand on 47b2fcbce4 my back was 6163e98314 also large. I felt fb1ed1a548 a slight f4d4388e67 discomfort in ade796c678 my back, 500df61683 which must 340676e10f have also 13b6ea1b51 been injured. I drank the water 426d195913 that was brought to 5d8f87fb5f my lips. It was sweet f15f380ffd and cool.81e6f482ccd1900c

“Could I have another glass?”46aa6a2eec1838eb

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Then, opening 044fb2aade my eyes, 5cc45532e4 I gasped.9fcea330d2720d94

“…”03d324d5d9867ccd

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Standing before e369e1c0cf me, pouring 44cf8b4e8e water into bb92347d23 the glass, af1f636510 was the 939d09bc83 Duke of 1d218e7fab Skadi. Frozen, I 4979e1ad61 stared at 7428e5af45 him, and 09d50510ca the Duke, 2c888f07b7 with an 25e4817e75 impassive expression, e2091c22e8 offered me 721ffff3be the glass.fc2cec24e7219a53

“Here, drink.”54509f5b3b0a24b6

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Could this be a f3e725e3a2 dream?5802591c8e7b1aca

I took 44d2a0dba2 the glass 9a86ab9e4c and drank, a4600ff410 still wondering.fe35f8f03a3ed49d

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“Your fever has subsided. That’s good. You’ve been bedridden for three days.”22d948a14d18b223

“…”4ae6a554274130dd

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“The physician said you might have died if you had stayed outside any longer. Do you remember what happened?”dafec7769987b640

But the 9c5fc286fe sensation of 6bef5c2905 the water aa15bf679a going down 126eeb2028 my throat 54876385e2 told me 4d356fa838 this was 427bb25a59 real.351b9278d2dd1775

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“Your Grace.”140ac012b309ee3d

I tried to 8666826098 sit up, but 7801f9fb94 he stopped me 3fc623f8b9 with a shake 58aa570272 of his head.bfb7fe0df16511f7

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“…”7e0dbfbaad4f5e96

A moment 0729502451 of silence 173a35f65a in the 2b5048e4b1 air.70ff9dd751eee2f7

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I had expected the 7d93fb5761 Duke to be furious de2dbe99b4 with me for putting e15ce20767 Lady Ana in danger. Perhaps he 07bd9c6594 might even 7c2f3a4513 kill me f5e2744183 on the 3cfa4dfbe9 spot. But his 6b6c8594b5 green eyes, cf70f808d8 looking at c8787bac88 me, were 6fc475f126 calm and 7429d767fc composed. a7c7d5f93fc98c78

Was he so 2403bac2f2 angry that he 9aaec21765 had become cold? 501c00f4837b6561

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I couldn’t read his thoughts.52789ac870b23f01

“I… I’m resigning as tutor, effective today.”7872de23e8efbf58

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I sat 149f3de65e up and ffeeef3668 clasped my ae61c06f52 hands together.09d1925279967328

“Resigning? Why?”e0f86db7beffa0ad

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“Because I put my student in danger. It’s all my fault. You can send me to cultivate the wasteland now. I’ll accept any punishment you deem fit.”7ead0363b86a1ac2

It was all 992abf56e3 my fault. There was 64cc5be2e1 nothing else 934499dbdb to say.3438f33e19cfe229

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The Duke of Skadi 418e9c5ae0 tilted his head, studying 3078ff27a2 my face, as if bf0c33f18f trying to discern my 9a4365b22e intentions. In the past, e6160fb505 his every gesture 46cccd7e5c would have intimidated d9d83b555f me. But not now.f8bf6ae0dd1d069b

“You’re not afraid 68f5aaa41e at all. Are you 55ccb697fa really fine 195e1b3da6 with cultivating dcf9c9d5fd the wasteland? Do you d9b589374e even know c20c4fdf32 what that 322e6bc9bc entails?”f2b76fbe288e09a6

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“I don’t. But I still think it’s appropriate. It’s all my fault. I… I should have stopped the young lady from going there.”9d63561c0a239d19

It would 1597dace6c still be 2b40f4a3ee a light dd314d0fcb punishment.9672b6265b52b7c9

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I had endangered a child under my care. And not just any child, but the Duke’s only daughter. I would have been begging for forgiveness if it were a lesser offense. But this was far more serious. I just wanted to know how Lady Ana was doing before I was dragged away somewhere.b675224618b73b46

“Is Ana alright?”e7ed3af763402ff1

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“Ana?”63cd92c6de35869c

He muttered as if to himself. I belatedly realized that I had addressed the Duke’s daughter as if she were my own sister.71da44748050cde0

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“Ana recovered much faster than you.”2b97cd78f8a2013d

That was good, I 447eae7abc was relieved. I placed my hand 7ef6618fc9 over my heart.449ad6ca144ee818

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The figure 3405edb141 of Lady 6938e1c33b Ana reaching 6d1acaf7d3 out to 72ad348b7b me from 9fdd979f2d the icy 029de92b9b water flashed 785e775b72 through my aa5dd0f10f mind. And her 0803a30890 faint voice, bbdf8147c0 singing in 1057464995 my arms. If I had lost 0c84ab76ef Lady Ana, there would 72a1eeea40 have been no greater 25bbb453ab punishment.5d841914e654976b

“Do you d81d47d2d2 truly believe 911af29c70 you deserve e94bd56fb3 to be e1e2964a3a punished?”883f8864991756d8

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He asked, his voice dfad8f51b7 like an interrogation.747b4679eadc2f81

“Do you even know what kind of punishment I might inflict? Haven’t you heard the rumors about me? I’m someone who can make even stones weep.”b0ce565469d17378

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Honestly, despite my resolve to accept any punishment, I couldn’t help but be afraid. I didn’t understand the Duke’s intentions in pushing me like this.9a1b159e179c532f

“…”8c631ca285b66903

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Unable to speak, I closed my eyes. This must be what it felt like to be thrown into a lion’s den. My breath hitched in my throat, and I couldn’t control my trembling.2b88a3eb26d12ee1

“Yes.”157b570cc8985838

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I barely managed to eea76a473c answer.4a1422f9d0cc83d3

“Is that so? But I don’t think you deserve to be punished. If you hadn’t gone with Ana, I would have had to retrieve her body from the lake.”16f045a09c9a78b3

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I opened my eyes. He was still looking 0c0afa9805 at me with an 673d9da664 unreadable expression.be560aaa0a71cff6

“Even if you had told her not to go, Ana would have gone to the lake that day. Alone. And it’s not your responsibility to entertain her. The nanny, negligent in her duties, has been dismissed. While you were hovering between life and death.”2ff6ac8e925382fb

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I stiffened at 8eadd19ade his unexpected words.44b4aa3898833248

“I’m here not to punish you, but to thank you.”94e74b610277f748

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Thank me?87e79ef61ca9ae07

“From what Ana told me, you handled the situation admirably. You wouldn’t have experienced such accidents in Franc, where the ice breaks and people fall in, but you acted with remarkable composure, especially for a foreigner who had never faced such a situation. If it hadn’t been for you beside Ana, I wouldn’t have been able to face my brother in the afterlife. And…”442da2e87280cff0

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He paused before 48a89bc218 continuing.4a5c40b26695bcc9

“Thank you for waking up. I was worried you might die.”f89f5f2bfe53c120

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And then he quickly added, “Now Ana can rest easy too. You’ve done me a great service, so I’ll do something for you in return. Tell me what you desire, and I’ll grant it. Come see me when you’ve fully recovered. And…”ab6277d1e894ec0e

He paused again.60f9bc97c5dd6225

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“Let’s have dinner when you’re feeling better.”75b96e9b44736967

In that instant, the dd935701fb tension that had been d0003966eb constricting me released.1940ffe3a2d40a7c

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Lady Ana was alright, and I didn’t have to resign. 69e52b3aef0c95e5

The guilt that 18713eb976 had been choking b7a0ad8bc1 me also dissipated. All the 6aa3565919 pressure that 3c5cd293c3 had been 6ab803f64e weighing on 0151034f5f me lifted 71ffe582e0 at once, 1996b4bb5d and I d2412bdfa5 burst into ab59f8f3f7 tears, overwhelmed 31bae04302 by emotion. 275417a3ec659edd

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I lowered my head to hide my tears. I didn’t want him to see me crying.5ce6deef30d63d95

Wouldn’t it be polite for him to excuse himself and leave at this point? But instead, the Duke offered me a handkerchief with his calloused hand.6e569f8e125cf234

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“Wipe your tears.”669e77ef46a93af1

His words 3d2e109932 sounded like 5e98d47af3 an order. I took the handkerchief c383d65dfa and pressed it against b19a148f57 my eyes.f4dd3d4426dd6c42

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“I don’t think I said anything that would make you cry.”f60de0601f310891

“I just… couldn’t help it.”58d8d59bdecd3d1b

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Indeed, I just couldn’t help it.82ad65dd7006afcf

‘This is awful.’3b5e6ae731bb8736

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With the b6e575f1a8 guilt and d274808182 pressure gone, 416b5a708a shame washed c1f77f940b over me 9bdead34c7 again. 000bfc5200716b0a

Why did I always 53e1c71017 show him such embarrassing 8ac58590f1 sides of myself?4ff3b834731d9d33

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‘I must c5b03d707f be so 48aae619d8 filthy and 75ccefd13f smelly, and a4fa35a595 my hair 3c12605031 is probably 0c5ef1f6ec greasy…’7471efb072318168

Vomiting, being seen unwashed f18106d3be after days of travel, 9772cb653b being caught gathering apples e6c9e34641 in my skirt.eabb4bae677ab7da

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‘How much lower can I sink? I’m so pathetic and ashamed. I wish I could just disappear.’cdec692052e360a5

I returned c5aee00ec2 the handkerchief d811e82f8b and apologized.11e816d90cc077ec

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“I’m sorry for constantly showing you such unseemly behavior.”d22d6a9e43199dde

“Unseemly?”14a3dadf5f51b9c4

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He frowned as 5b16b0b9e2 he took the 51b2aabc6a handkerchief, as if a477b68a2f I had said b9f12bcf47 something strange.1e596333da23cb68

 46833418ab8bbf87

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