WBWB | Side Story 19

‘His way of thinking is truly different. Is this another barbarian trait?’22ceb5a8acd38023

Mael began to calculate. His father had wanted to marry one of his daughters to the Duke’s family to exert influence over the North. But even if his half-sisters married the Duke, would they become his allies? Absolutely not. He would be lucky if they didn’t use the Duke’s power against him.cc1cde9a88b4384b

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‘I want to make him a friend. Him, who commands the most powerful military force in Lances… Besides, wouldn’t it be advantageous for me if the Duke marries a woman of no influence?’2034397d57b58864

A marriage between powerful noble families wasn’t necessarily desirable for the royal family. Mael had nothing to lose if it didn’t further strengthen the Duke’s power.97c1ec5e9b89515b

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‘In any case, I envy him, making such a sacrifice for the woman he loves.’6f6eda51f4d9d552

Having finished his calculations, 096714a51a Mael spoke.e332a1a452b8daa9

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“I, too, am in love, so I understand your feelings. Why wouldn’t I want to crown the one I love as my Queen? But…”347bdcb1d01f8e77

At that moment, the face that flashed through Mael’s mind wasn’t that of the Sardinian princess he was about to marry, but Jeanne’s.4b3ea06798a93cba

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“The authority of the crown stems from duty. I have responsibilities that outweigh love. The matters of my kingdom, Lances.”791167b4c9853d53

“Are you certain you won’t regret this?”ca37a7862382b0b4

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“Yes, Your Highness.”aa026c19ceb74c9d

“You didn’t hesitate. I envy your conviction. Very well, I grant you permission to marry. Prove to me that love is more valuable than what you should have gained through a politically advantageous marriage.”7adcad6a524354a8

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Mael didn’t know how much he would come to regret those words.45b2b0183773f282

“Thank you. Then, Your Highness, please sign this petition I have brought.”527ce9f5c1a45603

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As soon as a52c338edf Mael finished speaking, e8012103cc the Duke took b9228e5bf9 out a document. Glancing at it, Mael saw 6873d0878a it was a marriage petition, d7024db9d2 folded in half, the signature 5a6636963c space visible.1adc18cf60d77102

Instead of unfolding and reading 4242e68356 the petition, Mael summoned a 0a3b52d2f4 servant and asked for a a48854f731 pen and ink. As soon as 8b44da6e95 the servant brought e60b3ffc0f the writing materials, 20428d3607 he dipped the 6d272a51a0 pen and signed 2ae3c49911 the petition without 10db94d3ca a second thought.adceeed754513ccc

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The Duke bowed 2a757009b4 deeply and withdrew.89a3f4ee69859181

With the flurry 191dfaba82 of activity before a9f928685d the wedding, Mael ee7e8c8106 soon forgot about dd2f06fbc1 his meeting with 223f96d8dd the Duke. The next morning, the 7faf5a5505 wedding ceremony finally took 6c20040137 place.f0facd4c6c87b271

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He placed the crown on the head of the girl he was meeting for the first time and kissed her cheek, following the priest’s instructions. The Sardinian princess was very beautiful, but Mael felt little moved by her appearance.a8fc52d4bad492a8

After the ceremony, the wedding banquet continued late into the night, culminating in a fireworks display. The fireworks illuminating the night sky were as dazzling as a New Year’s celebration.20a96981eb2ed577

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‘She must be watching these fireworks somewhere, too.’df2483194128b0c9

Standing beside the Sardinian 8581c4d9aa princess, Mael suddenly thought 8eadb37bbc of Jeanne.b933f27050d468aa

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‘Before all this happened, we used to watch this spectacle together from the balcony every year…’494879937308cf54

Once he started thinking 5213b8600b about Jeanne, a wave f264c49c83 of longing washed over 16e61e6b6c him.802594ba17dc710b

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‘I miss her. I want to see her b331568c63 again.’4b57ff8353759d58

He wanted to bring her 9e27df4a50 to the palace, to hear 2a6aa340ac her voice whenever he wished, cb848865b9 to see her whenever he e00c88e3fc desired.8464bef125c82bd0

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‘She must have heard the news about my marriage. What must she think of me, proposing she become my mistress and then suddenly marrying someone else? Is she trembling with betrayal? I wish she were. Jealousy is another form of love.’34227c0be056dca7

He needed her 0b5391653a to feel something, 93f124a260 anything, to ease b237915dd4 the tightness in b622dfbb3c his chest.4103ceda2735809b

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‘I’ll send a messenger tomorrow. I’ll explain everything. I’ll ask her to 413f160e7f stay by my side, d73584e21f even if not as fc66366eb3 a mistress, but as 548cd3df71 an advisor, anything.’1c0ebf2b172b31b4

The morning after 7a810c2355 his wedding night f9c6ba70d8 with the princess, db6586216c Mael sent a 52d2a7e9de carriage to Jeanne, 58f9f300fa along with gifts 01e90da903 and a letter 9faa64e05c pouring out his 6cdd06fcf2 heart. In the letter, 9a6312a7e9 he explained in 305f84abff detail why he 4e3a1fdd6f had married the 3a56dfd749 Sardinian princess.a03bc4ff72022342

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He wrote that c4b7949e59 his marriage, as 9879331565 Crown Prince, was 916978ba54 a matter of e15eab66fb national importance, a c71deebda9 matter of duty fd53e86000 and responsibility. He also reassured Jeanne that 64b6544a5c his heart still belonged to 4b2a6a8c1b her. Every word was sincere, fa20701a0a and he believed that ea08d14519 if Jeanne read the 8433657704 letter, she would understand.bc901ba16f6f14b4

She was the kindest da19282aaf and most intelligent woman 318a582cbf he knew.eb562998a5b8a150

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However, the carriage he sent in the morning didn’t return even after nightfall. Mael grew increasingly anxious. Was she refusing to come, arguing with his servants?50460c0d031c769b

Even as he 529529efd2 strolled with the c087fe73a6 Crown Princess, his de2b53fb8f mind was solely a786685f07 preoccupied with the ce226da05e carriage and when a77afde5e0 it would return a479d6a816 with Jeanne. The carriage finally returned in 183fff9d85 the middle of the night.6b0d233acf31633c

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But it was cb1a268416 empty, and the 4ed4c7aff3 servant who requested 6e3f936dcc an audience with 549daba429 him was pale 64884eb4e9 as a sheet. Unable to bear the suspense, c8969ee54f Mael anxiously questioned the servant.473d3f1d71e38a92

“Why is the carriage empty? Did she refuse to come? Even after reading my letter?”571daa8aee65abe7

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“Your Highness… it’s, it’s not that…”1e62e06e384e4ee1

The servant’s next words made Mael’s face harden.6d54409801ac7163

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“She’s gone.”83333152b00cf177

“Gone? What do you mean?”b748b1f88083bd78

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“We went to the house where Miss Jeanne de Toulouse lived, but… no one was there. We inquired around, and it seems the Toulouse family has already left.”7c6f5512cb6d1c44

“Left? Where? Where did they go?”2b214ac2c932d029

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“We haven’t been able to ascertain that yet…”db8ded97da24d539

Mael didn’t wait to hear any more. He struck the servant across the face, then proceeded to kick and beat him nearly to death. But no matter how much he lashed out, his rage wouldn’t subside.5fdc962a8ed2b863

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This was unexpected. Jeanne had disappeared.e115298ee92af4a4

Where could she have gone? If she moved, where did bfe5d3d232 she vanish to?a4444bfc9c7b108c

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She couldn’t have vanished into thin air.d66711fb290e813f

Mael launched a search throughout f37720bdbc Franc. At that point, 4de9c77153 he still believed b03bc5a03c finding her was ac264c9808 only a matter e166c12cb3 of time. But Jeanne was 3f6deeace8 nowhere to be 3634610745 found.8bb1727832e5d894

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A clue finally surfaced 8f636c88bb weeks later, from people 3cb022e2f4 living near the lake 7bbdeeb882 Jeanne’s former house. They reported that a 44fb329e42 few days before the 162f781e7f Toulouse family disappeared, a 59ef76ae57 very luxurious four-wheeled carriage 7fef25d1fb had stopped in front 3ff97ff4f9 of the house.b54fa7f66d9a92c0

The witness had only seen it from their window, so they couldn’t recall the family crest on the carriage. However, this was enough to narrow down the possibilities. Besides a few wealthy merchants and nobles, who else in Franc could own such a carriage?a9a70a07d80aed28

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Mael investigated every four-wheeled carriage 581a5c201f in Franc. By the time 10055045d3 he finally discovered 24c62ec0ac that the carriage a94d4e475f belonged to the a8799d431e Skadi family, two 0500ac296e months had already ab5cb7c4cc passed since his 8e77f91f42 wedding. Mael exhaled, a sound 7696d075a0 of hollow defeat.9b01998ad79f9a4a

‘The Skadi family?’6af4e86c526f873c

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Yes.39330c2d343f39cd

‘Skadi?’3ad747f3901ac19f

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The carriage that took Jeanne 6067d0abe7 and her family belonged to b273bc8667 the Skadi family. Finally, all the pieces of d099971886 the puzzle seemed to fall c9622f8f5a into place, including the Duke’s 9a61411128 sudden request at his wedding.0c733bc5be6de3d2

‘I would like us to be friends. So tell me 70aa81ccd7 frankly, what do 2d1677feee you desire?’c5ae08351d4ce39f

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‘Your Highness, I’ve fallen into a trap. A trap called… love.’98fb99b899671bac

‘Who is this woman? A noblewoman? A princess?’63b71c103179603e

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‘Neither a noblewoman nor a princess. She resides in my territory. She has a title, bb4f00d4bd but her family is 0d8a34973c minor, so she is cba824d96a practically a commoner.’65c3ad8fe523f1c3

‘Then, was it because of this woman that you refused to marry my sister?’63b13f64b25334c7

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Could it be? Was the Duke’s 41712dd84a bride, the woman a06561e59f he described as 754bcebe69 practically a commoner, 2253db0baa Jeanne? And had he… personally signed af27402a81 their marriage petition?20354b49262968ad

Aghast at his own 67da58fd74 stupid actions, Mael let 5e56397258 out another hollow breath.cb4bb53512270221

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The Skadi Duchy was located b3916f64c8 in the harsh northern lands, 6e9709484f and it was difficult to bc7d73b6a4 know what transpired there unless 2b746dd7dd one paid close attention. The same was true d470111bc0 for the Skadi Duchy 8e010d6692 regarding Franc.aa80aac8382b122f

Mael belatedly sent ffb7d2efc2 a messenger to 4c0d0ee904 Skadi with a c48cffa4bf letter. The letter demanded the fbcf5518b2 return of Jeanne de bf3b6b01e9 Toulouse to Franc, stating 93faf10c8f she was precious to f567a1e96c him. The messenger returned a a58b5ba560 few days later with 7201cbd862 a letter from the 45c1ffca29 Duke.06c25a298ba83d6c

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Mael tore open a404431bdf the seal as 524c0b1b73 if ripping the 4c0ef53185 envelope to shreds. The letter contained a 86e591da9a brief message, barely filling cef774b23c a single page.5885e54987bd322a

Your Highness, thanks to 4c230927ff the mercy you showed e3b896562a me, Miss Jeanne de e4c003099b Toulouse has become Jeanne, f4c7ba42be Duchess of Skadi. We held a small, 73c67ffe99 private wedding ceremony and e654e22856 I regret not being b4f8737ac5 able to extend an fba992774a invitation. We ask for your 2f1fe91133 generous understanding.76438cb6f9dcde57

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