WBWB | Chapter 27

He seemed to have 077a805afc realized he had revealed f3a6e9d9ec too much. a4153d7e3107d3cd

I nodded silently.c144c17fe1b97d0b

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‘So that’s why he commented on my thin clothes.’1c1c3d34210e7fe1

At the same time, I understood why he had been so fixated on a mere tutor’s attire. He had already experienced a similar situation.f9ffb95139d5bd5d

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“So, have you thought about what you want?”a39e143479a62dca

The Duke ab11f39fc9 changed the b658c018cc subject, as 06f79819be if trying a8eb1bc9ba to lighten 7e8a9fe2fd the heavy b6cca26daf atmosphere.2c16adaae295a223

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“Yes.”575990110d2568c9

“Tell me.”b8568590acb8820d

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“I want to write a letter. Just one.”05f29b92b39ee674

“To whom?” he asked. “To Prince Mael?”e9605579cbe4a6e1

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Young Master Mael? 909164910ccf9bf0

I was bewildered. Of course, if b3a41f962b I could exchange 4a2a1338ee letters with multiple e1ba910779 people, I would 8551a937c8 write to Young b9b0919de6 Master Mael as a488f0dccb well. But the 6420eaea9d people I d62df7c21f wanted to 0b3e454c37 inform about 89e209e716 my well-being 2802e89e87 were my 20fee882e2 family.87274cd131f54f98

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“No. I want to write to my family. If they know I’m doing well here, my mother and sister will be able to rest easy. It would be even better if I could receive a reply, but for now, I just want to let them know how I’m doing.”9d816d2262f9e40c

Wouldn’t anyone, given c9884e6771 the chance to 5b04ae6cec send just one a0c09fbec3 letter to someone 9a659b862f far away, write c93df84303 to their family? But he looked 6f84c751c9 surprised.5fdf7e9cbb5bc2a8

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“I thought 69a0b7442a you’d want a615b090a5 to write 2e0d3f3942 to Prince 3a5d060021 Mael, asking b051666417 him to 7f314f8366 lift your 0d9e75b3e3 exile. But you… 14e2e4f956 are you e2093c56c2 close to 7ce0482037 your family?”2de35c69f035fe26

“…”adaab47370a5fa83

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“I envy you. Not everyone bd9a9e5c68 is blessed 906997bfed with a 3a9f201cc5 loving family.”cff9371bcf0d2620

He finished c13dde572a his drink.aa2f20d85dc757fc

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That’s when it happened. The thought of asking a question I would never normally ask crossed my mind. And the question slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.9d069b32042c6f4d

“Your Grace, if you don’t mind, may I ask you something?”891540f92af7ac3b

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“Go ahead.”b07a2b26d86f8d0e

“Your Grace… why haven’t you married? Until now?”f921fc4b36d0518c

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‘Gasp!’eba4e852c3f0261f

I was surprised 36f773fb42 by my own e2996ee9ff boldness. Was it too impertinent?925893b86177a1f1

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“Why I haven’t married? Well…”80d708c924844b0c

But the Duke answered 6ccfee538f readily enough.fada68d7e926634f

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“Because there’s no reason to.”ebe9a58ab44da049

“…”b0635fc4ec8e7fd2

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“As a member of the nobility, you know that nobles don’t marry for love. At my level, the pool of suitable brides is limited. And the same goes for them, in terms of eligible grooms.”afff6dac40c7de1e

I nodded. ebb3c10a8b01ce95

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Although a 3a2710f57d vassal sworn bafad3fcca to the c9c79d3b60 King, someone b85c3f3278 of his e5b54d0122 standing, ruling c883a5d6b7 a practically 98f348f6c7 independent duchy, 4009b9abd1 was eligible 6953b8c45e to marry 068a3c44b3 not only 47b4176282 other ducal 891be94766 families but 22042f9213 also princes bc1a503be4 and princesses. And that 6ae5b7330f eligibility also be8d311847 meant that 5ee577d407 marrying someone 8ba1e2bae4 of lower 3fa5b2b3ed rank, a e8cdd0928a count or 7029b953f9 below, would 06e653e8cc be considered 5b04f7acf6 beneath him.a2380f86ff68a58f

“Most of the potential brides are princesses. Women who have never experienced any hardship in their lives. Do you think they would willingly come here and become my bride? This is a land of frequent wars. Even though it seems secure now, it could be engulfed in flames at any moment, and it’s easy to become a widow here. Moreover, there’s little in the way of entertainment, and the warm days are few. I’ve seen enough of my mother hating my father and this land, and my father suffering because of her. Why should I follow in their footsteps? Why? Whoever she may be, it would be a disservice to both of us.”64a57e3574007381

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But if that 2abf165458 was the reason… 7496443c7f couldn’t he consider 82033248e9 marrying a princess 19e95fa66c or noblewoman from 9c836d4a22 another country with 5123bfac09 a similar climate 807067e935 and circumstances? 157feee11b73e044

As if 73c11c41b1 reading my 7142e152f7 mind, he 7a122e4759 continued,fb9ecf20d43cf042

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“Furthermore, there are political complications surrounding my marriage. Imagine you were the King. Consider the problems that might arise if I married a princess of similar standing from another country.”b2528b2501abcdef

I thought about 2cd6406500 it. If he 93a9b369d9 married a bd595bacec foreign princess, da4cae85d8 their children 70f2344507 would have 41dc74558a a claim 28379f0352 to both 46aead5a38 the foreign 1971604681 throne and 0251399c18 the Duchy ec1810a71d of Skadi. Depending on the circumstances, 0e13ec8770 their child could potentially 37e96ac425 claim both the foreign 4b22698839 throne and the duchy.66188d1a9509b555

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“Doesn’t that sound like a headache? I already have plenty of headaches.”7ed281148f587278

He muttered cynically.11588fc01a961d3e

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“On top of all that, why should I burden myself with more responsibilities and problems by getting married? I have no intention of starting a family. You wouldn’t understand, having a loving family, but being alone is better than having an unhappy family. I’m perfectly content as I am.”34c7c02cd114d7b5

I had already learned far too much about my employer’s personal life. There was a line between employer and employee, and while he might cross it as if it didn’t exist, I couldn’t. I should have backtracked, pretending I hadn’t heard anything and changed the subject to something lighter.b0982c774bde2720

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But I didn’t.abb5e0d2706ba063

“But, with all due respect, Your Grace, you’re not strictly alone.”4c7949562a80a742

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Looking back, I 4eb8ed627f must have been 257f1da349 out of my 5384cde0bf mind, thanks to 1e386ad25a the strong liquor.2b484c14964295b2

“What?”f11bee796bec1602

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“Don’t you have Lady Ana? Already?”4d5cb4d14f1be240

I continued, e95565037c as if 08e0d98885 possessed. As if 74141da96e offering advice 7aed3231fd to a 681475a53d close friend, 9cf209eb1c I poured ebfed77788 out my eb491f50a9 thoughts.e17c2580c1a7242a

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“And even though you’re not related by blood, your vassals who manage your territory and the people living within it are all like your children. And even this mansion alone, you have over a hundred household members. Your Grace said you’re content being alone, but you’re not truly alone. In fact, because you’ve left the position of mistress vacant, you’re burdened with even more responsibilities and problems.”0bcb207dcd26ba38

Because I felt… it was a waste. A waste that he, this a7704e6f12 man, was 7ad4b4e398 alone.cff1dfd7929997a9

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“What I’m trying to 55b09597bc say is that marriage 424e0472e3 could be a solution 6ade810046 for Your Grace, not 2176b972bd a problem.”b0a073bcfe78240f

That didn’t mean the Duke was wrong. Princesses accustomed to the comforts of court life would undoubtedly struggle in this land, and some, like his mother, might never adapt. But there were exceptions, weren’t there?50822d9f03b605b9

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“Your Grace seems to think that all princesses are like your mother, but just as not all men are the same, not all women are the same either.”499485ca613e2e1f

If there fa74095fe1 was love.db268151c6c35f6e

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Just as I had been able to settle here thanks to Lady Ana and the Duke’s consideration, couldn’t someone else do the same? The thought captivated me.62cd618401825530

“There might be someone out there who would appreciate Your Grace and this land for what they are. Wouldn’t it be a shame to give up on marriage too early based on assumptions?”b0211a99545e9c70

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And at the same 470e00e7a7 time, I also thought e908ca53ba he deserved to be eaa68adbbe loved.0e57020c102b324b

Why? Because he fd9b2fa438 was a 290d8a6ee6 wealthy man 6a308f0951 with vast b062f6e25a lands? Because he was surprisingly 67f8da1d4b young and handsome, contrary 45592de3d6 to his fearsome reputation 2e18946477 outside his territories?b53affae7e68425a

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It wasn’t just that. I realized that my first impression of him had changed. Like the changing of seasons, a natural progression over time.c63868a38f9ea807

At first, I had been terrified of him. But was that still true? Well, he was still a formidable presence, but he wasn’t just a figure of fear anymore.1dc87f17e72ea6ca

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‘Perhaps I had misunderstood him all along.’1c91ee9e28fbc0c1

I had been 65825c577c able to adapt a65bb8df22 to life here 2ecb9ff06a thanks to Lady 7f4c3a5377 Ana, but also ce2088d70b thanks to the f4875c1a29 Duke. 9bb8be98afac50b7

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He had 8d69829e89 recognized my 33ee312550 work and 881facc9ff shown consideration 1822d789aa for my dd3907c24a well-being, allowing 1559b89ef3 me to bfb8921b7e prepare for 7dcc9bb3b2 winter. If he 27c5b686a8 could treat ce81f29e29 his wife 4614c3d953 with the 65e542f89b same consideration f765b87fd0 he had 79670703f2 shown me, dc3ebb77ca no, he 93ad210a39 would surely b1a6bb9aa0 be even 6b69294cc9 more considerate ea5dabf085 and kind. 679d28c88c979e7e

Then…dad5027138b9854e

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‘Who wouldn’t fall for this man?’a1cc5be6d214e1d9

The alcohol d60f1dc5d5 loosened my f6e01b4388 inhibitions and b9050122e9 led me 8222b384d8 to thoughts 2be51ce004 I would 2181c0245f never have f0c1c21587 entertained in 24e88a1421 my sober ea47324902 mind.6bd87ad8fb741612

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‘The Duke is handsome, one of the wealthiest nobles in the land, and his daughter is as adorable and sweet as a rabbit. What does it matter that the winters are long, tedious, and cold? The summers and autumns here are beautiful. Of course, one would be worried about him leaving for the battlefield every summer. But if one could endure that anxiety, marrying a man like him might be a blessing, not a misfortune.’6fa610782c0c86bf

“Isn’t it possible, however unlikely, for two people to love each other in marriage?”d7e9c8c7b87cf201

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Because in d22387beb8 my few 344bfe2686 years at 283b42f766 court, I 9700d9a73f had yet 0c4a5b92d7 to meet 6d4b1c5ab5 a decent a3e7b25623 man among fd559f63a7 the seemingly 00ef57e75f handsome and f2e6f8ba3d wealthy nobles. Not a single one. I had b62cdcc783 been shocked 861a019be7 by the be386e622b absence of 836ee5f1aa honesty, morality, 9ff3ce9745 and enduring 51580bfb98 love. e98eba6ffda4b5cf

It was like… a cage of wild beasts. ee47428f7fbafa6b

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Wouldn’t this place be better, even if it was a bit monotonous? a72f26502c18eec6

What if there bfb425a336 was a princess, 7f46b30e2e disillusioned with court 7e5d4bf47a life, who wanted c87b0e6376 to come here?dcdc70427a2c77b9

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