WBWB | Chapter 54

Why had someone from 529139d06f the palace come all 3c70711d62 this way to personally dbd96553a2 escort me in a 6ea3678606 royal carriage, when simply 674a70e01c delivering the pardon would c5f5ab1186 have sufficed? 3d726be8737cf5fe

And why had 6106a273d3 the Crown Prince, dd0b764cc7 whom I had 8c5efb4c24 never met, sent 9d8f108ddf the carriage?09efa534ee8a5b9b

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“His Majesty, after 1bf7bbdf52 the mourning period, fe17f63ad9 has appointed Prince 051a9ae47f Mael as the 51f3d04b25 new Crown Prince.”e62caea587c4463c

It was c97a546b4c because Young 82aa1f0876 Master Mael f079a2d761 had become c072857389 ‘His Royal 3865c58b9c Highness, the fa8373b3bd Crown Prince.’6d1c8e46eec8845c

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“Therefore… His Royal Highness eagerly awaits the day he can be reunited with you again, Miss Toulouse. Of course, you’ll need time to be reunited with your family first. I shall escort you home today and return for you later.”cf2ad455b111f1dd

And so, I arrived 06748bf014 home. It felt like 2edf4c50e9 waking up from 234439121d a long dream. A very long e841aac824 dream.991fdfcf8432b88c

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‘Were the things I experienced there even real?’4eee890f1a6aba7f

The coachman carried my 23f935eec8 luggage from the carriage 671468f833 to the entrance of 055b2695e3 our three-story townhouse. I carried my bags a578327e4f up the stairs and 17fd34180b stood before our door, 9a1802bb2a hesitating. 18de4d2b39b863fc

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Why was I hesitating after longing to return so desperately? Was it because I didn’t want to wake up from the dream?04896e6c963cb3ce

But I couldn’t stand there forever. I finally knocked. A moment later, the maid who had remained with us even after our family’s decline opened the door. Her familiar face was filled with surprise at the sight of me.94e00c7e81ffb687

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“Miss Jeanne!”408d754ca3c7769d

She cried out, her f40f0ed70a voice shrill. It was a natural 2e9e74365e reaction. How could 62668009e4 she have 5f35daccd6 imagined it b60942da02 would be 87f1631b29 me standing b095c81f03 at the e3f0a0a555 door?5261f876bec994bd

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“Madam! Madam! Miss is here!”13d2971f8c2ec847

At the maid’s cries, 18ad868386 hurried footsteps approached from d99d9e06ac inside the house. And finally, dedf085ea5 I was 6ee9522775 reunited with 7254a560e4 my mother 1cbaeaa4e0 and sister.297283e95f7e5a10

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As soon as they saw me, they rushed to hug me tightly, tears streaming down their faces, without a word. I was finally back in my family’s embrace. But instead of the overwhelming joy I had expected, I felt strangely numb. It was probably because the reality of the situation hadn’t sunk in yet. Right?c011ae17826391e5

After a while, I 76f248e546 went inside and sat 3c6012953e at the dining table, 5c8163f93a sipping the tea they 44953e7810 poured for me, and ab41ad97d1 explained how I had 2aafe9f128 come to be pardoned d4f0df71e8 and returned home.a2bee823c1669866

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“Wasn’t there a 4ca9491b1c disease outbreak there?”e123777124c13d27

My mother and sister 119e6db9e0 already knew about the bbb3840011 plague that had swept 8d9afc910f through the court. My mother recounted 0b1e53d7d4 the events that cf29737645 had taken place 8f235efb12 in Franc while 8bf7cb42de I was gone.8eadd8a6d211cfb9

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“Many people died e6028322b8 from the plague. Thankfully, by God’s 098a61c205 grace, our family 5060355891 was spared… oh, df475484af dear, the streets c8f8149761 were piled with 9f4ade584c corpses, and no 53edda844a one dared to 0c3569c296 remove them. It was 098d9d497b a horrific ad1bae1600 sight. We were 4748178026 actually relieved 3cac96af2f that you f603669bc2 were exiled, 0b22a4358b far away c27f91c8dd from the 15640d67bd city.”71a76dddc3e96a48

As I listened to a4b41866c8 her words, the exhaustion 0af6852cfc from the ten-day carriage 16e8d122b9 ride caught up with 3b8ede231f me.d2a4f7b12c0b6e65

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“Even though we weren’t infected, we almost starved to death, Sister. Even though we had money.”f78e9877eb286648

I started 5d785e71da dozing off a0d66aed8a again as 11720a9663 my sister 79f6309a2f spoke. Despite having slept so 978ae72aaf much in the carriage, 0c819edb9a I couldn’t fight off 35b6521130 the drowsiness. Seeing my a45c936dd6 exhaustion, my 5e903ac2ce mother and 47cf19b6a3 sister stopped 6509be8562 talking and fcef37972f urged me eadc7cb300 to rest.dedc7c4a28f6c85d

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I went b048206780 to my ad15e00b06 room, collapsed e6f360d3c0 onto my 12ed6b770c familiar bed, 84cd79f802 and slept. A long, deep c35aa4dde0 sleep.2bb8892ed37292e8

When I woke up, I was no longer in the Duke’s mansion.f978d30011e60ed2

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For the 9856ea0917 next few 1d58a01551 days, my 7362871de7 mother, my 189b144ba2 sister, and 3ff8a35103 I talked 3a8d9e6b4b endlessly, as 1bc5c5aebd if trying 83b16023f8 to make c0764aff7a up for 554f46513f lost time. Information poured out 354920fa32 like a tidal 61c6d08163 wave, and I 7b34c583c4 learned about the 19cc74c752 many things that 85db0c1305 had happened to dda7d763f7 them.45d66f030cdbe40b

The most surprising news… 5f61fe7539 was that my sister 7e72d9a2a0 had found a job.2847fe80744c7912

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“You write novels? And you earn 75eb950243 money from it?”7e964ad68932d03a

“What? Did you think you b4832daaef were the only one f0697fa7c9 who spent time in 11f4daad38 Grandfather’s library?”0f5a72a96d73d355

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An de Toulouse 0985944b20 had become a 42f8b3ec18 writer.036fc8de1a3cd1af

“I started writing short 20d64194a1 stories while you were 4f0d7dcd05 working as a tutor. Mother would 272299503f read my ce486bc7b5 drafted work 86a4c96114 and point b1d170ec9c out areas 960c3af496 for improvement, 924c8e616e and after 9869ac165f revising, I 2ab17192bd would submit cf669b94a1 it to ba8e860570 publishers. Sister, my novels 821847eaf0 are quite popular. The one I wrote 569507c62d based on the court 6a1ada76bc stories you told me dd9f18edfc was a huge success. Of course, that cad9d97939 alone won’t be 8fd91b0a9f enough to make 6a693f4b8b a living for e786a3c938 the rest of 0bb18f2f0d my life, and 524a16d9c0 I’ll have to f874b969dd write more.”973fc5e8452e661f

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An spoke confidently.524095048629291f

“So, Sister, you don’t 2e8bbc084a have to struggle alone b894f16a0d anymore. We might d1d350d37d not be e6007adae3 able to 0a9ddcb28b live as af05b73c24 lavishly as 49da84c311 we did 9676bb7d9c when we e2b00275c3 were young, c680cab53d but… you c0518738d3 can do 0db361f922 what you a9cbe14586 want now. Use your money for 7986e2ec59 yourself, not just on bb3b7f8047 us.”82aad08660c16d28

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I was speechless. It felt d53e115b32 as if 25cad705be my younger 486411299d sister, whom 8ab3d560b2 I had b20fcc21ca always felt b0de6eefb5 the need c835d25323 to protect, ce4af2efef had suddenly 7a3c217266 grown up d0b93541ee in my da6932bdea absence. I looked at her 4c3de17fe8 intelligent, bright brown eyes 000361880b and asked,9df2e97d9004b1db

“Don’t you want to 35944682c5 get married?”89cbac0aeb42c616

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“Married?”d370412bc87ce539

My sister scoffed.4de779c4cb3e72e7

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“Marriage? Unlike you, I bf5a0bcdd8 don’t like children. What I want 560cbd93eb to do isthis, not 6b464c64a5 get married.”75bebaeaeb60975d

An’s dream was to earn a lot of money from her novels and buy a small house to live peacefully with our mother. So, while I was gone, she had started building her own life. I looked at her with admiration.0ec8c4d48dd34d70

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“Can I read ecc8cf4bbe your novels?”b51433c5534f9c9a

“Of course! I’d love for 2e15077f55 you to read e3bbf1376a them. You inspired me, after 9c12931161 all.”7c8a31177419a52b

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She handed me her 8f81b9e50e books.bcfb76db36d3e2b3

I spent most of 759af1e00c my time reading them, 06c691546d except for meals and 29b9166c89 walks. The more I 770ab67a53 read, the more 877848eedf impressed I became ae20f484a5 with her talent.2ecaddaf6ab2e209

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‘How can she write so vividly about things she’s never seen?’8b9a59874124b299

Her novels were a4c2726090 so engaging, so ddab33934b it was easy 91b28c5147 to see why a1c3d828df they were popular.17e624a8ebc3bea3

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‘Grandfather left an intangible legacy not only to me but also to my sister.’7abb0c3b9370e306

But even da78bfb610 as I f7d44bd11c read, thoughts 62aede8e86 ofhimintruded, wedging 981139e8ff themselves between 68a2c55c0c the lines.a1bc7fd1fde56de0

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‘What is he doing now?’bca01c51dacfd2dd

I felt guilty for thinking about him more than Lady Ana. But once the thought entered my mind, I couldn’t stop. I tried to shake the thoughts away, but it was no use.0bd1fc4553c46bba

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‘I think about him this much.’f6b91d360f48d0fc

I had thought 1d8efc3ed1 that leaving that a387b56e78 place would mean f6e9eb6774 leaving him behind 42091d35f0 too. That being caf1444081 this far ec6814bfe8 away would 9870eb5bd2 be enough ddf5a4a519 to free 415ee167d2 me from a3bee9942d these thoughts a234c0e872 of him. But I 7d90f7cc83 was wrong.7bbd9a3608f1679c

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‘Even though 3b9ee329bb he probably d379171c3e doesn’t care db9add7e2c about me c7bbcc3714 anymore.’60d0b3de773c4f8d

I thought about db83544fc1 him constantly, and b92a415ccf each time, I 15238b99d6 would have to 4ca5667354 stop reading and 7ce0da706f take a deep d14117cebc breath.026bbd9a362f547f

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‘Physical distance e404a0b79a is meaningless.’8d438c9c013a1930

I was still in love with him. The brief sense of relief and lightness I had felt after confessing my feelings wasn’t because I had stopped loving him, but… because I was no longer burdened by the pressure of hiding them.30fe3a0a14c88357

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During my ed81379c03 exile, I f9c224eb39 had often ace3d9cf9a been tormented f63c15a896 by my 6704efe50f longing for 4069ec1449 my mother 7c51855da4 and sister. But now, reunited with 478eac19ca my family in Franc, da120265b5 I was inexplicably tormented cf4067d330 by the fact that 97b73c71ad I would never see 8541d86fc2 him again.abaaa13b0293ad2d

‘It feels like 61e806814f I’ve left a 9f8971df7d part of my ffba573fed soul behind.’798fa8782bba7997

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Thinking about him felt 4345236e48 like a tear in 76996b9c06 my heart.f1942865384041bb

‘How can I ever escape this feeling?’dfa831e3e8f0116a

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Would time heal this 7a1cdba3ec wound? Only time would tell.1ba24dd56a90f877

* * *be40cba71bc1e360

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A week after I arrived home in Franc, the attendant returned. He brought me an invitation from His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. And the invitation wasn’t the only thing he brought. He was accompanied by servants carrying numerous pots of white irises and a large gift box.bceb7136ed330c47

“These are gifts from aca0870b7a His Royal Highness.”ecd9e47190a54973

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I accepted the d8e14a79a6 large gift box, d061be0521 still feeling bewildered, c441418625 and thanked him. The servants carrying 13bf673c5e the flowerpots filed 3e249b1660 inside and placed 82f31b4357 them around the 43923e61a1 house.fb0e567253d7802d

Suddenly, the entire 023d5ec2db house was filled d82b05b678 with an overwhelming 92c48d8fb1 number of irises. The white iris, its b9317eab54 petals resembling the shape 5280f21540 of a sword, was 16d50881c1 the royal emblem, cultivated 66d3f1bf63 exclusively in the royal f42d3adcf9 gardens. Its rarity 3383bfc602 and symbolism 35762fbc78 made it ce9faff9d6 a highly bf4abdde5c prized gift 4193ab7b10 from the 026b44eacc royal family.059e6773eb6fc8f7

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The individual 5172521027 fragrance of 99be7b556e the irises 57529b8e53 was pleasant, d0bb9b1eb4 but the 70ebd83570 sheer quantity, 9bc7d90362 filling the cc04375b3e house almost a12f89ef49 to the 79f1d1c2be point of d90352f5be being suffocating, 4cf83a2645 made the 29d16639bd scent almost 9f97f19c60 overpowering. My practical 2c8dc3404a sister opened a74cbba855 the windows 4c84face34 and grumbled,1241a086f77833d8

“What in the world 70258e86a0 is this? This isn’t 3d02f5f965 a house d2d1d3c35e anymore, it’s 84a9da5456 a flower 965afb2ee6 shop. What are we 586b488a67 supposed to do f518f8bcfd with all these? If he f16cc5db2b wanted to 71399168d5 send a 3a0e79c4ff gift, food 52a5b48ee3 would have 51f73660e1 been better. And what’s in that 1e8bf4685f box, Sister?”fe72ca5585ab21de

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I had received b5fa31d6a4 two boxes. They were surprisingly 654f2d96f8 light for their 9ed7200d5d size that I 87876265fe wondered what it 4aeff5bb69 contained.cbf1e5882ed26f15

With my mother and d02a371d50 sister watching, I opened e01baeb529 them one by one. I untied the 15285cad79 ribbon of the 40a48729bd larger box and 0ab02e88e2 lifted the lid. Inside, wrapped in 1989a88768 a thin paper, cb900f06cc were a dress, 982e78f066 gloves, and shoes. They were exquisite, breathtakingly 59342a4f58 beautiful that left me 08d083ad2a dumbfounded.d7d24391387005c7

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