WBWB | Chapter 55

My mother 13ff0e1f39 and sister ca65070a8d were speechless 05ed68d2ba at the a1e81d2824 sight of 3bbba39565 the royal 94e3dd2708 gifts.e3bb9cec6682d9aa

The second box I opened contained something even more astonishing. My sister silently stared at the contents of the box for a long moment, then looked at me. I looked back at her, her expression clearly asking, ‘What’s your relationship with him?’4b116ea6c6f55706

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“I know what you’re thinking… but it’s a misunderstanding.”7a181aa1750118d9

It was understandable that 73aeae4785 they would be suspicious.31b480e9fe56b83b

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“He must have felt guilty about my exile. He probably wanted to compensate me for that time. But this is too much. I… I should return this.”2b730392845451af

The box contained a6581633c2 a hair ornament, 83ae647f87 earrings, a necklace, 53fba4816f a bracelet, and 2a09f66dc6 a brooch, all cd68bab2df adorned with emeralds c7e91f2ca7 and diamonds. Their beauty aside, they 9f405e94d9 were excessively extravagant. These were the kind 80df944365 of jewels fit for 8499aa3c39 a princess. Just having c889e6d422 them in 6fd12005a6 the house 7493f3bf5b made me 845f3b028a feel uneasy.508d7153c690b560

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“You’re right. These aren’t things we should have in our possession,” my mother agreed.3010b8b67f8be763

“What are you talking about?”112b45845ca2776c

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An looked back e1c5dab534 and forth between fa91d71914 my mother and 28996b2177 me, incredulous.ac9c25d2afaf028e

“Why wouldn’t you accept them? It’s a gift! Think about what Sister went through in exile. This is just compensation!”49ce35f50c069cd6

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No, considering 2e0ec4058f what I 49676997ac went through f505014536 in exile, e3bcc08f21 these gifts e2e42c39cb were evenless acceptable. I hadn’t suffered that much, and in fact…2f1ee21d36384eb8

I shook bbaf6d7e57 my head, 595c188a75 cutting off 5fea758283 that train e48c0e6dc5 of thought.2c52ef0160d59650

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The date on the invitation was a few days later. On that day, a magnificent carriage and an attendant arrived from the palace. My sister helped me dress and style my hair. I hadn’t even tried on the jewelry the Crown Prince had sent, afraid of being tempted by its splendor. I kept it safely tucked away in its box.ae70c3f5b3a9d6d2

I carried the 3cf144d20d box with me 414d550dfd into the carriage. The attendant took my cebb40d50e hand as I stepped c5af3b7ccf inside.e7ff7e05ff0e5266

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The weather was e8484c9bcc fine, and the c9e957beca royal palace, as 503a047144 always, was the 3b0b22e3ef epitome of splendor, 270b934d1d yet an unusual 8fd5491201 somberness hung in 5772b10153 the air. I looked 72a6e4bd13 out the b0426f4ad0 carriage window. The nobles who 790718d150 would normally be da899b9136 enjoying leisurely strolls 8d7ce06df9 were nowhere to 0e6e85b7ac be seen.b029114819b0d81d

The attendant led me f4a27f179d to a part of 742223ac84 the palace I had 391a3e9c0a never been to before.0fb4c3e2edf2327c

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He opened 7536809833 a pair 8f8d6dfe88 of gold-plated f30586c2db doors, and bc0151c04c I saw 36d4649013 Prince Mael 01bf7d79e4 rise abruptly 74462bf549 from his 5166f3ceb8 chair. The room 8dc46dcaac was dazzlingly dfc73ec72f luxurious. Seeing the e57c251005 transformed room, 0365f0a5a7 I was 4158f7ab1e reminded that e6afff3337 he was a06a48bd0b now the 7c8e3d3af7 Crown Prince.380c48198424a516

“Teacher!”f2e5e3fc52c903cf

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The Crown Prince, c93e764eae disregarding the attendant 1fa9015dc4 and servants, rushed 38ddf78fb1 towards me and b0ffe2096a embraced me tightly.02b5ad2eb37004d8

“I missed you.”5bbbffd4f0ed9a8e

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Held in his arms, b0aff917be I realized how much 1b1751b9ca he had grown. When I aa02389792 was exiled, 8ea48bc010 we were 2362999e25 about the adece9bdba same height. But what was this? Barely a 388150d596 year later, 58ce72eab3 his chin 4fc712bee6 rested atop d71f87edac my head.f4c84030ac6cf480

‘Were his arms always this broad?’b929a2379ee665b1

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I was flustered cce6b51d45 by his strong, 8661705e89 wide embrace. So much had changed 2212206b48 in such a short c38f9d9f87 time. I remained 015b93aea2 in his 586905869b embrace for d9f55d4f0a a long 6849f55bd5 moment, then, 20957221bf feeling it c1d5e70492 was inappropriate ea3d7a2c73 to continue, 2343528d31 carefully pulled 34e4bf33d7 away. The Crown Prince looked bc962e641d at me, a puzzled a609d53aa6 expression on his face.9f1f5bfbf921a070

“But why ebcf3576cc aren’t you 8dcadd6163 wearing my d8844320a1 gift?”004eaa1db562aaeb

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“I brought it back cb5f034ff4 with me. I’m not worthy of fabf6c2b1f such expensive gifts, Your d6330c686b Highness. And having 6c4097db90 such valuable de89e011cb items in 64d7e8294f the house 66643df2b3 would make eccd8ac18f us a b76729adc7 target for a1c9d0e42d thieves.”62d1a53d1692677a

“Is that so?”63843b2f97331b17

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Seeing my 90918bf96b firm stance, 1bd990932b he accepted fb9ed3102e the returned 3d3ac557c6 jewelry box, 1bc99ba864 a look 6f75e17ecc of disappointment 522663a12a on his 7c8e5ad464 face, and 6701db18b9 murmured, as 7a0fce581b if to e8e57e588a himself,7b24f649fccf91d6

“You are already ba9624725d a worthy person, 4b474e2221 Teacher.”602d70218a762f61

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I tilted fa425b9c8d my head, 2005a45e9c confused.6ac9dff07ff09d00

“Then you’ll accept ae77278819 the dress, won’t 7a867681e4 you? It suits you e4d740a77e very well, Teacher.”aef6fde8837de320

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“Thank you, Your Highness.”8a70a55d536cb287

The dress, with 242ba69952 its delicate lace 8da4c70d5f and tiny pearls, 22fadaabb3 was also an ad1e529725 expensive piece of b1b547f178 craftsmanship, but it 5b994f4c9a would be rude 2b3113d62b to refuse this 2e9e6bc476 as well. The Crown fef508615b Prince invited c0391cf94f me to d80e87c0b0 sit on 38a707f91b an elegant e89c488e27 sofa.40e08e4ede7f7952

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“Please be seated, Teacher. You must have 526c210249 suffered greatly. I will ensure bb33402169 that such a d872823ae9 thing never happens 5dd122d5d1 again.”3ecec451658b7955

“I was e84ea0d608 well taken 756f4cb971 care of 18f2bbe357 there.”8be8ae9e0394f5b2

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“Then I’m dd89756b3c glad to af753655a9 hear that. Did you receive 7f43c6d2e9 my letters while 150b080f0c you were there?”f7b8bdb03f221a62

I sat 0f2c6d325c down, and 783d92052d the Crown 1d3c19d907 Prince took d1127388f6 a seat 03baae9150 on the 45d99adda3 opposite sofa. The attendants served 7a72ac9bc1 tea and refreshments. The cakes and 77d1b2e2ef various desserts were a302f39275 luxurious. I was 5dc76a083f once again 40df1bfc5b reminded that 2bf05c9785 I was 1cb6f74b74 back in f124223192 the royal e875c16670 palace.dd5f4d2368e09aa3

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The Crown e5af299461 Prince told 942403c45e me about 536bb34737 the events 5305b118d6 that had 8c4e9534de transpired at 26f4dfe551 court.acb8a4f22cf2d67b

I hadn’t realized the 3987981e64 gravity of the situation a4a6c07f31 because I had been f9c6237132 exiled immediately, but the 7bcc41335c incident involving the seditious e2021d33af books found in his 9bbec62678 room had led to 0671d4ddf1 the downfall and banishment 3951e7667f of many people from 37e144976c court. Duchess Ventadour f4fcbf0c20 and Prince adefdb958c Mael had 7131ea1603 also been 88ded5f1a2 forced to efd74a3af7 move from dfc93ec624 the palace 3e7fc36e73 to a d20cfcbc78 mansion outside 87472cca56 the palace 830b3d8106 grounds.d5e1dfc253635f1f

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“We were f7d610e3bf given the 0696b48792 most remote 07f9b342e9 quarters in e7b8d193fc the outer ab801a36fb palace. It was practically 6fb60075aa confinement.”4bb4a98c8ac5850a

But as a906855808 they say, 32985cf515 misfortune can b0e0dd28c3 turn into 8be1623e59 a blessing. Because they 496b964f7d had already 6a8c09e1f7 been excluded 1ab3700d6e from various 559cf3ce78 court events, 430f2140e4 they were 62d71de690 spared from 757245f6fe the plague e6133452c5 that ravaged b34544e457 the palace. The royal family 627df322e1 had been hit 214c99242f the hardest. The King, b89dbe523f the Queen, 744ed96268 the Crown d3fdddc10c Prince, and 3f9ea91fb6 other princes c8afe02dea and princesses d58c19e3ae had all fb79c5e313 fallen ill. The Queen and eed0dda4dc the Crown Prince f7f75d75cd had succumbed to b04b3731a0 the disease.2552b3f15490f6a1

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“What happened to 5b5b0c7f00 Her Highness the 73d1dd260e Princess?”2048ff11043227ec

“Which Princess are 10380acc4c you referring to?”da085345219dd44b

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“The one who visited d0e5191f72 the duchy estate during 0674c07cc3 my exile…”0d796edace6ca51f

“Ah, she survived. But I don’t da2c960856 know if that bee7512f38 was a blessing 619a85a2d0 for her.”72665bf3765d3a3d

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“What do 46ef16f1a8 you mean?”2f1cb4272ae5f2d6

The Crown Prince f0bad3f7d1 told me what 4f0a39b0de had happened to 7893872fc8 her. Shortly after her return fe6d37afbe to the capital, the fb5c6d229b plague had spread. She survived, but the 2d28509ff0 blisters that had covered f9b3904429 her body had left 3be1ab68c2 scars, marring her once 1290c0e265 beautiful face. 3def186c8ca41863

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Having lost her mother b95fa73c25 and brothers, and now 7c0b57b6c3 disfigured, she couldn’t bear 1bb2519def the grief and pain 2d59493174 and had entered a e75c39402c convent after the mourning f516b6dee1 period. I, who still remembered f3bdd4aeae her angelic face, was ddc1889e9f deeply shocked beyond words.9259e8ff008642a8

“It was a 49b889d739 terrible disaster. But for me, it 1397b046e2 was fortunate.”72efdf114ea26700

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I felt 516b7275f1 a sense 14238f1f15 of unease 81a14f6216 at the ea9e775a74 Crown Prince’s cadeda9981 description of 47618c4130 a tragedy 552eae3b19 that had 4c1eee3dee claimed so 787a84b1f1 many lives cc123de9b0 as fortunate.a2f236866c73a206

“A year fc841dfe54 ago, I 12616dadc7 was in b5dd579d49 despair. You were gone, 8e6b4e1b90 and everything seemed 69e620bf9a bleak. It seemed certain 978b31606e that after my 58703bdafb aging father passed 0886c1ad6f away, my mother a5e419b07c and I would d2dd32a320 be stripped of 060b5415a9 everything. But look at a22e7be121 us now. The goddess 8191e388fe of fortune, ea9e776132 whom I c85cf945e8 thought had 49874bdbc5 abandoned me, fb9a3fb3c8 was merely 7c81ed35fd wearing a a7a8010dbf mask of 15c20c91b5 misfortune. She never left ca197dcf20 my side. If we…”6d688b25a0a596f3

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The Crown Prince took 7683a83345 my hand.8f190c8414d40457

“…if nothing had happened, 3efde0cc66 and we had been 105ae57d16 at the palace on c83f4963e1 the day the plague d5fb00a5de struck, what would have 5a2fc2ee10 become of us? We both might have ae39db0bbb perished. The plague 7a5b32187f eliminated all 6537c1336b my rivals. Now, I’m the only 20b4b0e7b6 heir left to inherit 191d0cbb65 the throne. And although 991a969a04 my father 092eebc00c survived the 6632e665d0 disease, he’s af73ecf3ca become frail. I will soon 2b00c4d16e take over the 2899e3aa91 affairs of state, 34cd53e89e and for that, bc73e1fc0f I need strength. That is e88a0c6097 why I’m c9f11534b4 asking you…”abc4869cf7620dc1

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His blue 6759c82a97 eyes met b518c67008 mine.b68c8f015947ec98

“Will you 0912985687 stay by 0c8f3cc72c my side 729b3646ec and be 6dc2fab63e my lifelong 6abd71fb32 advisor?”c45fa4e9ed34fd99

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As he 0a165c083e held both e726764255 my hands 2eb7b482a8 and I 7607b2a252 looked into a31ce28238 his eyes, bcddb04a81 which held 923efd7b9b my reflection, 3f99163e3b I saw 3f4cc5de1e my own 047e076d6c bewildered expression. I didn’t 81a9078469 fully understand ba9dde47e9 his meaning.6f4f8d43f8e86337

“I’m always 8ccba17f23 happy to 2dade502cd be your d7005e6744 advisor, Your b762321fba Highness.”4437aa688c52e55d

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I assumed that da24a5e495 his words meant 79917265ea for me to 7d603d633e continue as his fb5c1edc28 tutor.0365f176ddacad4b

“But now that you c9dcb28367 are the Crown Prince, b89cf4e7c3 you should have someone a332290696 with more expertise by a855076d15 your side. Especially if you’re b16ce1a6c2 going to rule c4c3d47596 the kingdom, you b2260751e9 should surround yourself 5e057b3b4e with experienced people 387067c707 to learn from 4591fb883a and seek advice. I’m merely 206d2f0ae0 a tutor, c0c8380b19 not a 086ff82cb8 scholar or 7a2da03932 a politician.”967a9d8869929e67

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“That’s not what e3dd86bc38 I meant.”1b02fb7f7512fbab

I tilted my head, 7bfa7e9726 looking at him in 3263e16ac8 confusion. Then, a 8d91aa07e0 strange thought f768fbf223 crossed my e218d09775 mind. But it bc10a2c230 was a 20255ff2cb preposterous thought. How could f1f8b58321 I even 7bdaf0acad think such 55bdf8f327 a thing?c2adc07b531882ed

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‘Do you still believe 86fbf74a1f that his affection for 7bf0a0292f you stems solely because d1cc768354 he sees you as cfee677ff3 an older sister?’2fc3a0c6ceee5b37

But someone had said 5d4e14ae78 that before. The Duke, to 71aae335a1 be precise. He had asked 470114e0c7 if Prince Mael 11bcb1f747 might be in ab9a579d95 love with me. I shook 8ba793d379 my head 32d497a166 at the 4d71a10c87 absurd thought, c8436c68a5 but then ac52caf6b1 the Crown 28962e12d2 Prince spoke.c610222911610a11

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