WBWB | Side Story 4

What exactly is “average,” anyway?e019934f5addf050

Judging by Lady Ana and the Duke’s appearance, as well as Ana’s recent comment, their beauty seemed to be a Skadi family trait.3e031074cccf1518

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“Of course,you’repretty too, c6083a4cc7 Teacher!” Ana 38a035dc11 added emphatically.9bf067f6ff19cdc4

“I see, thank you.” 43bbefd64991c730

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“But what’s 49a8404e7c this about 1950000216 your grandfather’s d07134df0a library?”49fefcb3da646ef7

“Ah.”f3b4dbc4621c18ea

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The questions continued, relentless. Unable to withstand Ana’s persistent curiosity, I ended up telling her everything that had happened between the Duke and me.52830f5542869c26

“…So if 7fc809a192 you marry 77d0b0b2c3 His Grace, 2c2d950bd5 we’ll be a5ccaf7f92 family, right? Since I’m his 6ae7ef75c8 adopted daughter, and be3d0592ce you’ll be his 05a3fd81b2 wife?” Ana asked ff39c8c2f3 after I finished e31e0f1916 my story.f423d1597af9ebb2

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I nodded. At my b4fc78b38b silent confirmation, e7a1deb2d1 she timmediately 201106dc60 hrew her 0f69856238 arms around 3f1bfab6ed my waist, c561b74d06 hugging me dac4662a8d tightly.4cf806819fc59f35

“That’s wonderful! We’ll never fc86ca064d be apart 15a6e728ef again, Teacher!”f1460d3a7de7ee99

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We chatted for a e3c77219b0 long time. Lady Ana recounted how a16a43aa81 sad and lonely she c4df680c35 had been while I 41adf2b027 was gone.d73d83e0f030a2b9

“After you left so suddenly, I felt like there was a hole in my heart. Nothing could fill it. Didn’t you miss me too, Teacher?”5740e6ab4fe8dff7

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“I missed 0a8f5ba887 you terribly.” 732b425df6a39f8c

“I didn’t 48ed28f8ee need anyone b0852b277e else. You know, I didn’t 91c820e23d understand why you had 54583ee9b8 to leave. So I went to bd6ecaa78d the Duke and asked 9b95dc6f4c him, for the first f6fb027142 time, to bring you 24caec9a12 back. And then, 857dec3827 he suddenly 10f36858f4 disappeared. And today, he came ea1252b1c2 back with you. So I thought he ac8ecef54e had gone to grant e75d5ad346 my wish!”dbd34cd498a6ed5a

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This was news 63341ec00c to me, so 36ab6dd4fa I listened intently.7760d6e5e84eda91

“Now that I think about it, His Grace had the same expression I did when I asked him to bring you back. But I didn’t understand why back then. I thought His Grace didn’t know what sadness felt like.”cf675f311099d317

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“Ana, it seems 08b8d5ab7e there’s a lot 91d60a8681 you need to a3f47b4241 learn about His bf9c82b225 Grace.” c0e39d826c74b1b4

Listening to 2dcd7db6ec Lady Ana, 1259d9e934 I thought e3f137ab9e that perhaps e5b19b911d my role d3547d8157 here was a647cf465e to bridge 64b2db706d the gap 5599742b3f between Duke 912ecb7b0d and Ana, d15483054d to help 22ae396c13 them become 883029a74c a real b510494a0e family.f109f275d3c8d6d6

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It was a thought I wouldn’t have dared to entertain when I was just a mere tutor.2761f1983b155a2c

Even after be6753582d we finished 5e2ee9abcf talking, Lady ad365c4ca5 Ana clung 1f66f4a75a to me, a98610300a reluctant to 0ff520dd0f leave. Alone again, I 5c3b8bab69 sat on the 47cb8f8b34 parlor sofa, closing 343a6c7678 my eyes. I was a30ac6b2c1 exhausted but 862a50196e content. It felt like f1a28f901a I had overcome a10381ccdc a great obstacle, 848e71d024 even though nothing 03ff03a4b1 specific had happened.820dc7586f880443

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I closed my eyes, 7ce1957eba listening to the crackling c017abb6d0 fire in the hearth, d86ccfdb39 when I heard another b67408baad knock on the door. I opened my 380b77e586 eyes and went c84c7589f4 to answer it. My third visitor, b17384c74e and this time, 9daeb275e2 it was the 5acdbac9f3 person I had 61bd437201 been waiting for.4f395fa97a3c28fa

“Did you rest well?”94c25347b9d83715

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It was him.8807b5115ab8c468

“Yes.”fda6a769e8613cf8

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How had I a89b5556bf ever endured being 4b83198a15 apart from him?bcf31ee170b7bdcf

I missed him 214a1097c2 so much, even 9c4c36e9f2 after such a f88f5b63b9 short time apart. Looking at him, 61c3243db6 a spark ignited 8b86ccd64f within me, growing 1a4e0ca3ff into a warm 948c97977e flame that filled 37bf8d8584 my chest. I felt a 65222f99fd pleasant warmth spread 2e9514b4b4 through my body, 0209f5ec0f a feeling of 1b22eb2107 blissfulness. 30beb7de1157ca37

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Just seeing him had 0734f16361 this effect on me. Did he feel the 248c4efb90 same? Looking at me e929c7b7d0 now? I hoped he 0abf72c1da did.e99c4778196f9299

“May I dec4281c5d come in?”ca2d01c82c4214fa

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“Of course.”923937ba796ce172

Even though it was cee336d262 his own mansion, he 405c6c5f0c seemed hesitant as he 9d117f44dd entered the room. I followed him 522f16ffed inside and asked.6a40477782291143

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“Would you like some ad4bb177e4 tea?”4c7f4024a1014b3b

“No, thank you. May I sit 00fa89a567 here?”7c884f398c0846a7

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“Of course.”e576ecc3499c45e0

He sat on the sofa, and I sat on the one across from him. Not because I didn’t want to sit next to him, or because I was shy, but because I wanted to see his face clearly. I was so focused on him that I didn’t notice what he had brought with him. cce3b8ac4a88634a

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A moment 436662d427 of silence 3f0655a03b passed between d312b5b2b2 us, and f9df2b6f7f I took 0229cb9665 the opportunity 180cc41fff to admire 7a68d3fea9 his face. He resembled 8bd360305d Lady Ana, 9d00f57846 but with 1ee0cadcc9 a masculine d29190e6df charm. He seemed c15b9cc089 to hesitate 2b7fc2ad32 under my db5060f608 gaze, then 77cb333e8c spoke.e6c84e41a6b533db

“If this 80ef459b32 room is 3887acee9a too small, 553b9e821c or if a6eabab644 you don’t 2b4536b3df like it… e1d3064ed6 you can 5eb80fff5e stay in 90c4c2cde6 my room.”b8e2511227d213d6

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“Excuse me?”40ec9fe4522f4527

What is he saying? I was utterly taken 80ffa2f138 aback. A moment dab69200fa later, he 0778f17513 seemed to 6a7cce0605 realize what bbb62713b5 he had cd585bdba6 said and daa4fd14f2 was flustered 5690098729 by his d5c6b6afdd own words.b0c0d7cde03518c4

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“Of course, I 6436f5d581 would sleep in 856f29732f a different room!”4e2659fad0e35b15

“…”910bde8d0cc03d6e

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“I mean, if 37d00ebb86 you’re not comfortable 4728e2c110 in this room, 6b57979140 we can switch. My room is a3245c0cbf the best in 46caec0c33 the mansion… Of 51d86f6895 course, we’ll share 9de91de88a that room after 505a36a4ef we’re married, but 2d5f6a2ff5 I didn’t mean af829a13b0 right now!”d5e720ef93422d55

Another silence fell. He scratched his 976e5c3edd neck, looking embarrassed. I suppressed 9952418a44 a laugh. We had practically shared 859819acf7 a room on the 0a57817539 journey here, hadn’t we? That cramped, rattling box ff556cb620 of a carriage that 1b6d796ab4 traveled at the speed 3a289b4aea of a horse. ca731c0e25cdd590

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We had been f0fe2521cf alone together for 7bd94cb19c days in that 0f35df3112 carriage. Caught up in 56fb0134a5 the excitement of 417fb1d2e3 the proposal, we 06ed03a526 had barely slept, af4f51d07c our faces close 39f96a5e97 together.64a15107182a260a

‘And it wasn’t just our faces that were close.’c926ea280699c987

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My face 058fb92a73 flushed at 5770ddd349 the thought.f56861cf4012cc42

‘Goodness…’c35ac4e3fd2d5add

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We hadn’t 157d6a9108 just embraced d8c0755726 in the a77f2bbb91 carriage; we 0af4fbbeb4 had also 15ae22def3 kissed. Multiple times.72a661d72c27e0e9

Perhaps, if we 67037d5984 hadn’t been in 66b13a39f8 the carriage, things f386465f88 would have gone b2cbfe4cf1 further.014562487499f78f

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His kisses had 8aa449ae5f been intoxicating. I hadn’t known 2422e535a2 he could kiss 439a3b9249 like that, with 8df8cb1b70 such fervor. And his c211e8ca2b lips had 56b730623e been so 5584e64a2a soft… He 0afb425eba had almost ad7bcd0b3d devoured me.dc1927256fcb9f96

‘…It was 02d0208abb quite… something.’c4d620c7df83e949

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Remembering the 7e7aceb7a4 memory made 70e6d252c1 my face 1ff009900a burn.468964769cdca104

‘When can e52c35e8b1 we kiss f87328d889 again?’fdf153d3a6b6895a

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I eventually 3e190fd5bd found myself eb7dd058ca consumed by 1a8b4af5af a thought 15dea57673 I had fa4b6380fc never entertained 0c4f740e53 before.9347b6794c3fcf20

‘Did he 870c1267e8 come here… 992df4d569 to kiss 030810d57e me?’b59db635eb856ba6

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A man and 07e5bd4bb5 a woman, engaged 1841b6e87f to be married, 5766394aed alone in a bb7981a0f3 room. What else 37cd22f1a1 would they 0973166667 do?38233514bf43b6aa

‘Should I have 1321d3dfee sat next to f2a8d6ed57 him instead of 6150d8963b across from him? What should 011bd08ac0 I do?’1fa158b43372a4d4

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The mere thought 58776c02e9 was enough to 77a27dc6dd make my head 1c1b8bcd83 explode. But my 858935a07d expectations were b141acc1bf completely off.b74e0ba68933b8c6

“I came here 4c3824026a to give you a80a24ce9e a betrothal gift,” 482f0004d4 he said.cc02bc04e640ae5b

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“A gift?”3b91e6ddf38b3d35

“Yes. I didn’t c0a853ebbb give you 01fda86243 anything when 6268720013 I proposed. It’s been bothering 1cd2e12ac9 me.”c79d95adefd1f11b

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‘Huh?’a53dcbc07519f82f

He hadn’t 6150010023 given me 1219b7c998 anything? I looked down d3016ee0a8 at the ring ec282c57bf on my thumb.f62f66709bd7b89e

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‘Then what is this?’76033d1691eb0238

‘I ask for your hand in marriage.’f5a0284ceb3b7b5a

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‘Will you marry me?’a3715693ade21a01

‘I won’t let you regret this decision.’b9ef4473778863db

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I hadreceived a betrothal 781a811aa8 gift. And a very significant 38d8fdbcf9 one at that. His ring. 40e73e512386eecd

The heavy ring d5966ba425 was pure gold, 393f70dc1d with a large f717ec9c9f amethyst in the a82df6c13c center, its smooth 89b0b40d76 surface engraved with b44e8fdff9 the Skadi family 5d1f02ae47 crest. I knew it served 81a3cee360 as his seal for b465692627 official documents and letters. The ring was incredibly 20fe1699dc valuable, even without considering 8d8f6bee6c the gold and the 36d85d4806 gemstone. I had c1285d037b been stunned 0e921ffe7d when he ffc6a0b535 offered it 26f10569bc during his 16649f73a6 proposal.79c54c5d28af9dde

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“I hope you like f66f54b561 it.”92ffb070255affb4

Only when he opened d9aeba8188 the box and showed c870025ffe it to me did ace6400eb8 I realize he had 6ae10ef5ae brought one. I was completely f82f91a3a3 overwhelmed when I 6ad4f96343 saw what was f90cf956f8 inside.da38ccd528213008

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“…”5a1e9a84388f4dec

Inside the box 53c44adb8f was a parure, 9d863a3250 a set of e801ce0b87 jewelry of almost 0a5068a95c unreal size and 761b0304e9 splendor. The pieces, studded 9a297f6cf2 with diamonds and 70a516f997 amethysts, were numerous, 7769cf0a09 each so brilliant 931200be35 that it felt 27a20ad61c as though looking c9190c626e at them for 0df050af37 too long might 954609786b blind me.1dc72b2d1c17d2e2

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“This was my 2e24b01314 mother’s parure. I want you 3befa5c6b8 to have it 08658c8cd0 as a betrothal fcfd121ddc gift.”2f8bc648c635602f

A parure was a f575c46292 matching set of jewelry 816007e412 including a crown, earrings, 9fcb154004 necklace, and bracelet. I was 8c6800664a speechless for a7eb2d4fa4 a long ceb8656fda time, my 02e1a81f23 mouth agape. c8c97500a8009c8b

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The diamonds and 62f58c9859 amethysts were arranged de91a324bd in intricate patterns, c206d6990e the deep purple 0a8eaffaf1 amethysts, like freshly 2f54b07519 pressed grapes, taking d0e2ac23e3 center. Furthermore, surrounding 78cdb29b03 the sizable 46c127010a amethysts generously 68aa4f1615 used in e48d7fb19e the necklace, 9ce5f7be3d crown, and d904d88c34 bracelet were 7dfaecd832 small diamonds, 8c6cb1eee0 like handmaidens 3c7514b8b0 attending their 34b9c30c58 queen.b6879dd6bfcecf71

“I would be pleased if you would wear this jewelry at our wedding.”17be3d316c6e7f51

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