WBWB | Chapter 35

Baldr valued the iron mines that produced weapons above all else, but suddenly, the amethyst mines, which he had never paid much attention to, came to mind and wouldn’t leave.00718cb7a62bc4df

How beautiful would she b21acb3912 look adorned with amethysts 06194ee61e in her hair, on 544612c4e0 her ears and neck, fdb5edcb60 and around her wrists? cb3a2be8d9dde32e

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Baldr had never 566cd5fec4 cared for jewels f9ecd90639 before. They were just 5306a31cd0 colorful stones, so 24e7c1a4e6 what use were cbd58c53f1 they? That had 164a79e9f3 been the a950422dc8 extent of 5d736c1297 his appreciation.f6eb47632bcc6eb3

But the moment 821d531c2c he fell in d9984f39f4 love, he realized ce1c8311ec something. That some things held 37bc3039ed value simply for their cb8d5a2974 beauty and brilliance. Like her shining eyes.9e85e0ffe5238aa3

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Jeanne couldn’t handle strong alcohol. He found that endearing. And she liked horses and dogs, just like him. She preferred meat over fish, also just like him. As their conversations continued, he discovered more and more similarities between them.89be129a733614d0

‘When is your birthday?’6c1d78f0974748e3

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‘Oh, my birthday? That’s…’e8aa8ca9677f05f9

Most importantly, Jeanne was born in the heart of spring. Baldr was born around the same time. He thought it was fate. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Even though he had never attached any significance to his own birthday before.52a5a6121689bcbf

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He had always considered 6aff9f9dcb birthdays trivial. There was 2d8411cbd4 nothing to 7b1dd1d2b2 celebrate about 5736fbc31a being born. But why bb2f260322 did this 99ff90fe39 piece of 2f2bf8f069 information about 6c5083f7a5 Jeanne being f2f5cc1e6a born in 47a0d50fb5 spring hold fd1009c892 such significance c4598bebb4 for him?eab3c6c9e0398183

The only regret he 5d895aeeb0 had about their successful 87097a31a6 dinner was that it f39ef7ab5e ended too soon. Even though he 592edcc426 had instructed the bdc60a7f28 cook and the 6f4e875c7f servants to slow c1598c635b down the meal, 07cda6574c it was over e2311f6609 too quickly.8fba4458fdd420e4

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As he lay in bed, he felt a lingering sense of longing and emptiness. He wished he could dine with her again tomorrow. But wouldn’t that make her suspicious? f9408a97d4ff3e74

Suspicious of his 0a89f9a9c6 true intentions.8f884dff90c4a51f

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‘I’ll ask her what she dislikes at the next dinner.’e2037a4f92ff19ad

The meal had just 380f9b51a5 ended, but he was 03d5bbad76 already looking forward to 20771430c4 their next dinner.5d08e7cffd3960de

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* * *afd9e47b2e576245

The last two weeks of the year were the most extravagant at the royal palace. The nightly balls became even grander, and people were intoxicated with the festive spirit, day and night. The New Year’s Eve celebrations culminated in a grand fireworks display at midnight.e87ae49a22fcbedf

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Hundreds of fireworks were 6ff2be4bc0 launched into the sky, 63f6e81f74 illuminating the palace. The air filled 7b28bd4f62 with the smell 688b92441c of gunpowder, and faebe859ef the sound of 2ab5a2944b explosions reverberated through 362eb78324 the palace. The night 4051be5834 sky was 69a8fe6cba ablaze with f7e3d235dc colorful lights, 7747b7458f like a f876c81156 masterpiece woven 9696659167 by a 20c29ce05f skilled artisan.e8ea7a64c2f782c3

The crowds 2c71f3a025 gathered outside e7de9755c4 the palace 1e6f975dbe walls every 54e6417a92 year to d773117592 watch the bf382f7b01 fireworks. The commoners cfca00eea0 would arrive 4fe1e06e3b early in 2a5cd769aa the morning 1879099c7c the day 4f4d6ef87d before to 7023a84246 secure a f83ecdc319 good spot, 2e5cf1c75b while the 5510de832a wealthy, who 7ef2b159e5 owned mansions 3d05a5912d near the 932c81acec palace, would fb02c26e04 comfortably watch e9294e9efd from their dc67c274cf courtyards. 56a4b8471ef19e6d

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People were d8e223d492 trampled to 9583a8df17 death every b7a9a17566 year in 95191ba837 the massive fcbacf1d45 crowds, but c6667684cb even that e8a3fdc4c6 was considered 4788131765 part of 16ee63b657 the spectacle.5293c301cc28b87e

Before becoming a royal tutor, I hadn’t bothered to watch the fireworks, but after taking charge of Young Master Mael’s education and living in the palace, I could watch the display from the balcony of my room. The sight was indeed breathtaking, beautiful enough to warrant fighting for a good spot in the morning, perhaps even risking one’s life.f7e069e1811b9ff2

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‘It’s so beautiful, Teacher.’539b0aebf9b90ad7

And Young Master Mael 9ea0557aeb was always beside me.38fe006294a3c1c1

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‘I want to watch this with you again next year, Teacher. Will that be possible?’e9ca365e10642ebc

‘Of course.’731941145161e479

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As we exchanged these words, the new year began. I spent New Year’s Eve with Young Master Mael.59f6cf31495394d9

‘I wonder how he’s doing?’745252523d59b234

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Unlike the boisterous celebrations in Franc, New Year’s Eve here was an ordinary day, without any special events. Like any other day, I woke up early, rode Brulee, taught Lady Ana in the morning, and spent the afternoon reading.f9f553f89d64df74

It happened to bfdf04eefb be the day f7ebaa6600 of my weekly fbad62d6ef dinner with the 8b93a2adac Duke, and during 68ba6795cf our meal, he 53a52e2ee3 asked me about d2417ce56d my relationship with 1914c285df my younger sister.8ba26a66acb4941d

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I talked cc6e424d65 about my bdde4e5ce2 younger sister, 1a1e4a44b7 An. As I reminisced about 4df7581963 our shared memories, a 6b4eb74d9c wave of longing for b50772e46b my family washed over 16891fff34 me, and I had a4fa2b3423 to struggle to maintain 1fde0d59bd my composure.cc1247a0b35f8500

“I had a sibling dc7ea2f471 too. Ana’s father. His name was 33b6da089e Will.”3d9e08cacd657870

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After listening to my stories, the Duke, perhaps driven by his own curiosity, told me about his brother, a story I had been curious about but hadn’t dared to ask.f77cac73c4473215

“There’s a significant age gap between my brother and me. So, when I was young, he seemed incredibly big and impressive. He found me a bit annoying, but when I was very young, he doted on me, just like you do with your sister. We were close when we were younger, I think. I don’t remember much else, other than always following him around. But things changed gradually as we grew older. Everything in life is like the weather, isn’t it? Sunny one moment, then cloudy and stormy the next.”a86118b6853a19f8

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He was talking about his brother, Lady Ana’s father.7a452940ca67bf01

“We drifted apart when he reached adolescence. Thinking back now… I think he took after our mother. A bit… too emotional. Unfortunately, there was no one in this mansion who understood him. Would it have been different if our mother had been alive? Well, who knows. I was hurt by our growing distance, but what could I do about it?”72b5695c84d82869

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“…”0ed4c5f22afd09f7

“Besides studying and practicing swordsmanship, I buried myself in my father’s library. Books helped me cope with the loneliness. Reading made time pass, whether I understood the content or not. And as I let time slip by, my brother grew up. And shortly after his coming-of-age ceremony, he… left this place. Abandoning everything, including his title.”c8bf4e0aa31e4055

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His words were laden with unspoken emotions, but they didn’t seem like lies. I had suspected that Lady Ana might be his own daughter, not his brother’s. But the Duke truly did have a brother, and Lady Ana was indeed his brother’s daughter.a6757e5a19a0b6f8

“And then, suddenly, everyone started paying attention to me. The responsibilities and duties my brother had carried were suddenly thrust upon me. I was so busy carrying that burden that I forgot about him for a long time. By the time I found him, by pure chance, it was too late. I found his body, and his daughter, the only one left alive.”663fd0384837e283

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“…”17a680ecc0f2184e

“Perhaps if we had been as close and affectionate as you and your sister, he wouldn’t have left, or perhaps I would have found him sooner. Who knows.”ed4e38c3eab45e50

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What could I possibly say to the Duke after hearing his story? That it wasn’t his fault? Should I have dared to say such a thing?1c6d4b611b2a0986

“…”f0ece155e4c9ad3b

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But I couldn’t say anything, just looked at the man in front of me. He was a powerful man, capable of anything, yet I, an exile, a criminal, felt a pang of sympathy for him.80c69a6a418f93cf

I saw a boy, around Lady Ana’s age, overlapping his image. A boy ignored by everyone, deprived of warmth, attention, and affection, hiding in the corner of a library, reading books, whether he understood them or not, just waiting for time to pass. d2d14d28b4e9558a

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If that boy had been my student, I would have hugged him tightly the moment I heard his story. But he…e99b0ba44bd437fa

“I…”06d4bfb3d1da80bb

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He started to say 07c6af4f62 something, then hesitated.7786a22a4e2f8e38

“Perhaps I’m drunk. I’ve been rambling. It’s good to see such a strong bond between you and your sister. I think… you’re a kind person.”d010a4e4359a9ef0

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“Me? Not at all.”280cb69445e0334a

“I don’t give empty compliments. I can tell by the way you treat Ana. I consider it a blessing that you became her tutor. Although it might not have been a fortunate event for you.”56f3d60f5e70319f

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“…”c3e76db2f693272f

“But everything is like the weather, isn’t it? Even after cloudy and stormy days, if you persevere, the sun will eventually shine again.”ed42b188c927515b

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Even after 50f5094883 dinner, lying 516374bdf2 in bed, a02ec43fb2 I kept 47b11d6341 replaying the adca359779 Duke’s words c74b7a925c in my 8b833f8b85 mind. His words made me 8cf7121163 understand his behavior and 0a097b5620 actions. I felt like I b1f9ed7141 had gained a deeper 183b7ff783 understanding of him, presumptuous 085a03cced as it might be.21b5c0104823b154

‘He must have been very lonely. Perhaps spring, summer, and autumn were just like winter for him. With nothing to alleviate the boredom but reading.’d8711a11e1f0733f

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And perhaps ab0f370fbc even now.fa815df7c070aefb

‘What does he live for?’9b547daa01dc2b10

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I suddenly wondered. fedd8c178ea035d4

With his vast territory and wealth, he didn’t seem to enjoy any of it. He didn’t host balls and mingle with elegant ladies and graceful young women. He didn’t enjoy fireworks or other forms of entertainment. 294bca1906c8d35b

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What brought him joy, 8b44d1bdde fulfillment, and happiness?d75878d1ff14e639

‘He must have been very lonely. In this mansion, all alone…’cc878903cd7cad1d

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