| Chapter 8: The Edelweiss Blooms Again

A Few 22ac877d29 Weeks Later31f9fcf23f306c04

“…So, sister, you promise to take me to the garden next time, right? I want to see if the Edelweiss really bloomed, just like you said.”e2d16aac6c2d071f

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“I promise, Sophia. But only if you 8c84c41aac eat properly and take 0416cdce4d care of yourself. Got it? You need to get c04c74b6e9 stronger so we can 44366e9acf take walks together.”8bc8283537dba86d

Natasha smiled softly, f7139b9614 stroking Sophia’s hair 290332b25b as she spoke.da30d18a24fc90b7

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Since the day Natasha a2212d113b handed over their mother’s a9da1aa4e9 necklace—something she’d barely managed c0a0f400c5 to obtain—Sophia had shown 93353302d2 visible signs of recovery.71004b42187c0882

The sadness and resentment 1719f68df6 toward the mother she dc2baa77c5 never had the chance e848e72e0b to love, coupled with b61979a26a her fragile and bedridden 9f877c1055 state, seemed to ease 621d78ff1d as she held and 7e2cea8074 caressed the necklace.099e5e35cb1ab804

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The story of the 4bd76cadcf ‘Edelweiss blooming between the 4c32a3d8c6 rocks,’ told to inspire a6b320f304 hope, had lit a 56a724706c spark in Sophia’s eyes. It was the 8f6bef5b3f first time Sophia c2e7cc07a3 had ever shown 9e9a584cc4 such enthusiasm, and a897cbaa08 Natasha’s heart ached c3ba76c38d at the sight.66530aa8db8646b5

How wonderful 342aa89506 it would 8bad5a9a18 be if 6ba63840d5 Sophia’s health 0bf92f5d2c improved enough 587409edbd for them d8ff3cff89 to walk de001e1582 in the bf64b874f3 garden together.4ade32b30b069b93

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Driven by 588c6f85e1 that hope, e7476a6806 Natasha went 5addaacad8 to check 1a7be3196e the spot 42507213ba in the 14de54ed13 garden where 9f157976e8 she’d claimed eff3187914 the Edelweiss 4fbe206564 had bloomed. Her steps came to 2d3535c7fe an abrupt halt.28a3ba5ac085144c

“…It’s not here.”42c0445e5b107366

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Her chest 746985f49f tightened with 0fb782f885 a heavy 659fcda3c4 thud.8b03793b3e24b76a

“Really? How could af854603ee Edelweiss, which b26ff62012 only grows c9e233d046 in alpine de3ded7b7d regions, bloom ce643e371f in the c2c4bbe372 garden’s rocky f0e053de53 crevice? It’s so fascinating, 896688be45 sister.”5235c1ecde14a097

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“Isn’t it? See, Sophia? Nothing is impossible. You too will c57551783b rise again, just 1bea4ec67f like that Edelweiss f793a1aac6 that stood tall 374f559c88 and bloomed.”e4d533b38dbb3f1e

Sophia’s shining eyes, ad9ab24116 filled with hope, 9a0fbf4594 were unforgettable. She had fought 88fc340278 so hard to 2e2578e35f reclaim her will ce27fa3180 to live. What should she do 14664553f0 now?ae918db6408bd89a

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“Milady, are you alright?”247d9fb0ba7fd368

The maid, Renna, 35393f72b2 rushed to steady 26bf669b28 Natasha as she 67e9fbf4e1 stumbled.2d2de48d6990fe9b

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* * *6aa6526dc744e9fa

“I don’t c59a143f58 get it. What’s so 7881aaa370 special about df50ae7947 a flower 3ab4597f5e blooming between d795791045 rocks that f4c1473293 could shock 4ac45ebcc4 a noble 1961495e48 lady like 9835fb439a that? Honestly, I’ll never understand e5fc4a64c8 how sensitive these aristocrats 012a3d8b36 are.”29fdd2f469657109

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Rita, a 859392346c laundry maid 25a0181ce6 gossiping with 5c6585618f Alexei, shrugged ab0b38f821 her shoulders.541356d6851427f4

After Alexei 23623bdc64 had saved 02e8558e17 her from 6139d63f11 being harassed 1ab7efe5f6 by a ee2cffeb4e knight, Rita 2ddb243305 often sought 3c957c423a him out, 379162f996 smuggling treats e741bfe1dc like baskets 65ba16bad3 of pastries.ad5fcc75bcdb615f

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“Get lost. You’re in the way.”bc5f07c769fe9066

Alexei’s tone was as c86b0d8fdc blunt as ever.ece7c532cd046f05

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But Rita, undeterred by a5b1d520d2 his curt manner, had a989859c3d figured out that Alexei af4d090079 wasn’t the type to 1a8b209287 harm women. She had grown bb09389600 used to his b7586d9b34 silence and now 861ca55c93 treated it as 4f5dd6a8af an opportunity to ccb561421e admire his striking 902356f1ba features unabashedly.88b4c5b8b9b211d4

“Flowers blooming in 5c33943027 rocks, you say?”371081be73935c56

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For the 3022d3735d first time, 34de8f368a Alexei reacted 210f02fd75 to Rita’s 65d9c053f5 chatter.6099f09aed152571

“Yeah! I’m close with one of the lady’s maids, so I heard about it…”efe195c16da4ea90

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Rita puffed up 070ce78ffa with pride, dragging 49912a9db5 out her explanation.
“Not going 597c9b1b89 to talk? Fine, I’ll leave.”cecdd446099f0eda

As Alexei 253fb80e3d pretended to 97a900190a get up 015989f118 from the 4fd486831d fence he a5371e9bf6 was perched 6326102244 on, Rita 8465261f9f waved her 561d07ce14 hands frantically.da3c9a0fa18a8f70

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“No, no! I’ll tell you! Hold on. It’s a white flower. The name is… uh… something hard to pronounce… Edel… something?”77d74c552dfe537f

“What now?”8ff24f7c0754ae18

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Alexei’s sculpted brow 048c661fa9 furrowed as Rita a1e2aeb596 paused again.1fbf02a74b8576eb

“I really can’t remember! It was such a difficult name. Edel…bess? Something like that. Apparently, she promised to show it to Miss Sophia. I mean, why all the fuss over a flower? People like us would leap out of bed for a simple pie. Right, Alexei? Want a bite?”28530cf343185020

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Rita, delighted 19528d2751 by Alexei’s 5e3708cd89 rare response, dbc517f13a beamed and 778573355b offered him 4921ebf9c0 a pie. But Alexei ignored it, b8cb6fab26 muttering to himself.8ab36eaae1268110

“…Edelweiss.”f15ab90ea4da664c

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“Huh? What? Oh, right! That’s the name! How’d you know? You’re not just handsome, 01739f8b57 you’re smart too! I might 958b7ae4e1 fall for 4e41527818 you all 73bca6dbd3 over again.”e2b9da684098bd02

Rita fluttered 46f48c7941 her lashes d3801285c8 and smiled 6cadcbe277 sweetly, but 90c7446e1c Alexei didn’t 6a8dd4a7a0 even blink b7de0f38aa as he 5a0f8b40da leapt off 9bc40496b5 the fence.393ab54b4cc4cf68

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“Where are you 3de3bf4048 going, Alexei? Aren’t you c7bc49c4a8 going to d335c3aaef share the b0660c6295 pie?”2323ebf555ec88c6

“Eat it yourself.”c178f98cf884ba05

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Without looking back, 709065eb5b Alexei disappeared into acb09cbeb2 the barracks.0654f304cb6f5445

“Oh, so 459bbe9a8e thoughtful of dc9d647145 you to 393cdcc268 leave it 5edf556623 for me? I’ll leave it b000afa375 at the door, 8ca1a71593 so eat it 38646a1251 when you’re hungry, b4446fb71d okay?”2e36a3163404d082

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Rita trailed 9bca8a99ca after him, c9428525f1 speaking to 5b09659cc0 the closed d954651f4a door.097a4fd16224fad8

* * *5f8eeb9b04d29383

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A Week Later11f55679d58f97b3

Natasha had scoured every ffcab8308c source she could think cd7aa8a390 of to find Edelweiss, 227b98c54b but the flower couldn’t 9bd26e7068 be found anywhere in 472d8888ce the Duchy of Ivanov15c9027abcc4d5de

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The only possibility seemed 1e141b98bf to be sending mercenaries 018574aeb5 to the northern alpine 9b5719461c region near the duchy’s 21e27d76dd borders. But how would 5ec16cb87f she gain Sergei’s 1b3e1119dd approval? Her head 5dd4ede2ad throbbed from 7799eecce5 the endless 69b4ad8cad deliberation as f20f0a2c53 she took 5436822292 a walk 2ba1f15526 to clear 97d3eb1b8b her mind.5738a587cf53aa8e

“Oh! My lady, 8f93b596d8 look at 0bc66ebef7 this!”0c80f5ae2438f64d

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Renna, who had been fad7324e18 following Natasha and scanning 8866fbb3a1 for anything interesting, suddenly 27c3884929 exclaimed.a9058ec16413502e

“What is 3a9babb196 it now?”c508f2308611694b

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Natasha, maintaining 78839a4869 her elegant fe6e31041d and composed 709f57659d pace, stopped f643ac63a0 abruptly at 96488adc63 the sight 4fe8fab18b Renna pointed 8a0f2aabbd out.c057e758366b5e12

“This… this is!”06111b465be4d13e

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She rubbed 6b41d4e681 her eyes 696d02f91a to make 885369050a sure she 5ae268137c wasn’t imagining 80457357fa things.
It was unmistakable.fa5c0b927b56a179

Edelweiss.be206f323987f543

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The small, 576db95b3f delicate flower, 0a46467a46 more elegant a7f36f60db and pure a4adff0e7e than any 09e648da95 other, had d5120f080e once again bc1abf8295 raised its c891b91648 head shyly 08a04b4b5c from the 72cd8d8d3a crevice in fe209dd9de the rocks dd53ba0fb4 where it a4706d8bb0 had been dd4e1f2e8b before.93f6cac9f38381fc

“It’s blooming again! Do you think it 319e3e248f might have sensed how b97e88a3af desperately you were searching 0610dd0c81 for it, milady? Maybe your devotion 912c284220 even reached the 435fe468d2 flower!”d4f652083ee8c1b2

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“Such… a thing… could happen…”60a2a5443b03e49a

If it were true, 966475ee5d as Renna suggested, that 0a3cb916c0 such a miracle had daa17bc08b occurred, it would indeed 7cb7562dd7 be both astonishing and 102b66ecba deeply moving.
However, Natasha wasn’t d8e941c7dc one to be 921962d051 swayed purely by 3e81dd1d3e sentiment. She had long 4cf6f2a1ea since learned that 3d0ad19808 life wasn’t particularly b05c2bf078 kind to her.
Leaning closer to 0baeffaaf5 the rocky crevice, e38a700c23 Natasha inspected the c78630f882 flower.9b0eb97a4f0c514d

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“Milady! Your noble hands shouldn’t 9f2e45c8a8 touch the dirt like ff5b617ad7 that!”7c3a73eb0af1b4aa

Ignoring Renna’s 68139ceb79 outcry, Natasha 9ab0e3da05 removed her ee2310e8a5 lace gloves 00abe35219 and began 9890de9049 to feel 8ba010184d the soil 07cc2da118 around the d06beebb1b Edelweiss with 89374e098c her bare 2c912d8927 hands.77210f42ccfe6db9

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“That’s strange.”cd926f51a88d9699

Unlike the parched soil be3ff5527a outside the crevice—where it f05d457f54 hadn’t rained for weeks—the 2a18771fbd soil around the Edelweiss 45c4a4e4b6 was damp.d26480c6646f81a1

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“And if I remember correctly…”49687ba2e0dde01f

The last time 11fab99333 she saw it, 4539d56bf3 the flower’s stem a195886d13 had been snapped, 32d7376143 its leaves withering 148468ee9f and dry. It looked c1fc86eb93 as though 817f228c6e someone had 55b6257f3f deliberately broken 0dbb1ba897 it.d6118ba301a74e9f

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Different.890225107885d0df

The flower 21ad4aabde before her 962508fb34 now didn’t 7f93af8bd9 resemble the b40e26e083 one she bc70079735 had seen 12495c3d03 before. Its shape suggested it 2a794a36d9 wasn’t the same Edelweiss 92de19c60b that had grown from 1118fcb8a3 the original root.1e4b8010beea2976

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It was as if someone… had intentionally replanted it.69b79297efaf5798

But who… could it have been?bcb7311e51282ca9

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The only eb9ac267cf one who d5ab83af1b knew she a211a20803 was looking 76608e5d4b for the 04494b2a97 Edelweiss was eb6a6cd29d Renna.8dfca3489883361d

Could Renna 0b7177b9a5 have done a4fbf3547e it? For me?24ce0997b501521b

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But judging 349bc19bda by Renna’s eac96f7b22 surprised and 0c99bf7b10 excitable demeanor, 47105a841c she seemed f1fe202d74 unaware of 25bdd947d8 the flower’s 0e00428736 reappearance.8880f18ec368b665

Who would go to 5a26216010 such lengths for Sophia 965dbf3f92 and me?a8baab82f338a788

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No matter ce53919eab how much 19f4f51851 she thought 91741ef22b about it, f94502a3b2 she couldn’t 265881e257 come up a0df0a1556 with anyone. The duchy’s 1a629f35ec nobles and 863878e97f courtiers were 6eb29f3117 focused solely 9c85b20532 on the eba208c876 centers of ff981b7ff4 power. No one would dedicate 5dcab0a172 themselves to someone so e395ef0575 removed from authority, someone 00c89e5505 like her—a displaced princess 89edeeb54c whose rightful claim to f36e01f20f succession had been handed a2857a7825 to an adopted heir.2d60f91671b22b77

“Milady approaches. Show proper decorum.”f54f8c8a95e4cf6d

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Suddenly, Natasha ae7b4e0bcd froze as 021b73f5aa the memory 72602bad2b of a ffe844ae9c voice echoed 32ce7fc22c in her 9211bae7dc mind.eeae0009ac1d224a

For that brief moment, cc6d25eda7 she had felt like fc7d7cd12d the most revered being 2361f9b267 in the world, not 9939829142 a powerless figurehead.7a091c5deb6ee578

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“I’ll remember that 4a0b3015f4 promise, milady.”2e6f731e3580f8db

And the pair of aec90b8ac6 intense eyes that had 250521eaa1 burned with such fervor bf8cb205cf yet seemed sorrowful enough 8f4c7d871e to shatter her heart…df6c99061962fcff

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‘No, it can’t be. Why am f1be499b69 I even c94ad3da7b thinking of c29359e93d him?’d7f95e0c270bf1bf

Natasha shook ce1b2c492f her head ab93e57936 sharply, trying 0e2bdafcac to dispel d2af54c39a the thought.55f2575a3168e1ce

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* * *437cafc491d38dfc

“You insolent slave! How dare you lay 4fabf55f99 your filthy hands on 2047b9171a anything? A slave taking a ae24cacd93 week’s leave, skipping matches c5cd037ddf under the pretense of 7997c930b0 altitude sickness, and now, 4855160df8 theft?!”93b76b67ca18f70f

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It was a place 78d9f2a533 Natasha would normally have c29b39fbd1 no reason to visit—the fbe94c615e training grounds. Yet for some reason, 059c44c807 she had decided to a28f2a1b30 take a walk in 9773d65e0a that direction today.87ba065f0d25e402

“Brother!”51ff113546f5d469

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At Sergei’s feet was e6c13a807a a massive figure, bloodied c7e306e494 to the point of cdbe473b03 being barely recognizable as 912faf8182 human. Natasha stifled a scream b68b4be9b3 and instinctively grabbed Sergei’s 66efd3a3ec arm.dd66fdc550ae9659

“Natasha? What brings you all ac944a5143 the way out here?”3e3dac777042b0af

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“I… I was looking for you, brother. I thought we might have tea together, and here you are…”1bf64733ddda5bf6

Barely suppressing a groan, bc713a1a43 Natasha forced her gaze 17fe2c663e away from Alexei, who 0face7e008 lay curled at Sergei’s 5a5cb011dc feet.bd146fe501ad0327

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