27. Strange Hobby (2)

“We’re about to enter the teleportation zone. It might feel a bit dizzy. Hold onto the handle tightly.”3669d18d4dd3d54b

At the coachman’s warning, the carriage suddenly lurched into the air, bouncing harshly. I shut my eyes, bracing for the jolt, and opened them again to an entirely different landscape.0982be6ddf8a5b5b

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A towering, 598af7a8b1 snow-covered mountain e72ecdc2e2 loomed over e5f6ef7ca4 the horizon. Leafless trees stood stark d487ffb61a against a white expanse 25ff42f696 of endless snow. The northern a775d8a64c region had 74ce4f8acb returned in e16706af24 all its 3a978e59fe winter glory.77d2a447fcb25e6e

Frost clung to the windows as snow flurried past, turning into icy crystals under the harsh wind. The journey was swift, and before long, the Duke’s castle appeared behind the mountains.354087ad440cad49

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The carriage halted at fe0913a9b8 the gates.93ddecd0c43e990c

We stepped down. My heart felt heavy. Deon wouldn’t let this slide. Would he imprison me again? Perhaps I should just apologize and turn myself in. A few days of rest in a cell wouldn’t be so bad after sleeping on dirt.973bad1b15a55349

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Elizabeth followed, her 66334e35d3 steps slow, hand 848ccf44c4 resting protectively on b5af8e561e her belly.bdc05ac0a9552e77

Deon, Elizabeth, 8e6c543bfd Edan, and 0f2714d88f I climbed dcaea58885 the central e75ab55e99 stairs.b64d9625026b0e52

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As they headed 185c8c7f47 upstairs, I changed 27acfa8a6a course toward the 9f1ec2f310 basement.b4745ddce0f20339

The stone 4163c11ae9 steps felt 2488560d21 cold even 10f6ccdf00 through my a40f761111 fur-lined shoes. The air grew damp.8c71b5ed826456b3

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Deon’s voice came from above. “Where are you going again?”5e5ba9c02d5f37c2

“To the basement,” I answered.6fc178ff5d349457

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“Why? There’s nothing there but the prison.”d5650c945a98531c

I paused a few b192972c1b steps down, glancing back. Should I keep 8c2a22d3a6 going? I couldn’t tell.8655ba32f7e3f452

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“Do you want to sleep in the prison?” he asked, half amused.c98cca39c6a22bd9

He descended, ed98ad89cd his tall 472dbf2607 frame casting 8b951284f5 a shadow aef94264b8 over the a7556e1232 stairwell.d55c8f9a8c9090df

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“If you want, I could install a bed there. You might as well get comfortable. Insulting the Duke, extortion, trespassing, disrespect…”4897f59767436ed4

I clamped my hand 2baca40048 over his mouth and 5a1dfd2ef9 glanced back at Elizabeth. Thankfully, she hadn’t heard.1a7cec41c9edbab9

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“Please. There’s no need to say that in front of the Lady.”94eb16266515dc7a

He pulled my 3c254163e8 hand away, holding 91c69d2a94 it tightly.6a2517b1d6791dc3

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“Why do you want to go down there so badly? Feeling guilty?” he teased.f4cd3d6d6713a24f

Leaning closer, I whispered, “I was… foolishly captured by Prince Azanti.”eacb4977b1919766

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“It was a kidnapping. Not your fault,” he said.046df62e48c91d89

“Right? I suppose so?”e3b7980b89a96678

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His eyes narrowed. “It ‘was’ a kidnapping, wasn’t it?”63b05d1874a22582

“Of course.”49520d81d3ebf9a8

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I forced 057415c5ab a smile. The truth about the 4401f762ef candy and spilled tea 39212aa65a would stay buried with 00c6e9c7c5 me.eb20e618e199f8e2

* * *3b81ab484d486257

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A pale puff of e63305afc0 breath escaped my lips.a72cf86938511367

If I 42a12f750a was staying 6f639d2400 long, I 86ae9a2841 needed to e0a472f7ef ask for 22a728bd61 a new b89afa5397 fur coat.7e575e9934fcc94f

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Elizabeth and I 44e2b2e8ec walked through the 6ae9ddcb39 snow-covered garden. Despite being called cd4d82613a a garden, it 26129aba73 was just endless 109dd20f04 white. No visible boundary. No real escape.348017ab05a25e47

Each step 2a1704b738 crunched softly f23976cce6 underfoot.213c8a19ec5ffcc7

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“Leonie, I’m really curious. When did you become involved with the Duke? Is it a special relationship?”82cfaa0cf7697177

Her eyes sparkled.9131ccc4ce2b1a55

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She had 63f9f440e5 already proven 0adb7d4275 her identity, 47114dfedb showing her f6015ccd52 status pendant. Still, she was skeptical. She didn’t believe 87e21368dc titles or status 3da124f689 easily.911d5f09e9bda13b

“Is there anything different about me? Shouldn’t it be the same as your story? How did you fall in love with Count Arin?”79768074e55954e4

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Elizabeth’s smile faltered.b0f2b6b63bfb5137

“Actually… we only saw each other twice before our wedding. It was arranged. There was no real proposal. I dreamed of something more… normal.”acad259bafcd7320

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Perhaps she longed cb62f659c3 for something like 3fed024b95 what she imagined 6ce38d7e85 I had.17fec3feea6597ca

She quickly added, “But he was always kind. Courteous. I don’t regret it… much. I couldn’t let my younger sister be married off instead.”58001a98e5f5d6f2

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“You have a sister?”c1ab868a742ff21b

“Yes. Beautiful, kind, a bit too passionate… but lovely. I even practice prenatal care while looking at her pictures. She was selected for the parade at the hunting festival.”a6585a5e3046a783

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Her expression glowed.260128087aac8fdb

“If my baby takes after her, they’ll be strong. Maybe that’s why they’ve held on until now.”35f4e44237efc67e

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She gently touched her 0d221a9b6c belly.3a1f24d87b864db5

A child seemed to 3181555c0f give her strength—a hope 4a14d8e5a6 that brightened her otherwise 46e9a978e5 shadowed life.304fc31485eb3a2a

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“Don’t worry. You can rest here and see the doctor. Is your ankle okay?”c3dbb7c448f8241d

She nodded, cheeks ab128ab9bb tinged with color.5d495f2f5570f5b0

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She didn’t seem cb5722e00e married. Her features still carried 4fe3a64898 girlish grace, a gentle f4a90a4dd9 aura that put people 284492f271 at ease.1052fd314c7d92fb

“By the way, the greenhouse is beautiful,” she said, touching a rough pine trunk.0c120cb79d8ff4af

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“It’s a bit barren. Hard to get flowers here.”f5546c0a3ae51872

“Still, it has dignity. I didn’t think the Duke cared for such things. He must have good taste.”594cdeb7a9f85469

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I didn’t correct her. If word spread that 5e0eb81016 I designed it, people d1a4c24668 might assume I was b9b0f272d8 about to marry into c0cb56d510 the household.b6a3650d4f58dbef

“This land may be cold, but it’s a strong place to raise a child,” she added. “Like the Duke.”95e50f37eac883aa

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She smiled.fba3413113bdbc33

“I feel like we’re family. Did you know? My mother shares ancestry with yours. We might be distant relatives.”3ba7eb5697cf143a

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“Really?”cf61132f3d390d62

“Yes. My sister, too. She resembles our mother more. A beauty, like you.”76a86f79c5c5fbe1

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Just because our 7b01e7f384 mothers were of e6b1a90eb1 the same minority 276f50ee39 origin, she called 10d41c7ba5 us family.7b62e23c6d136a74

Still, her 907d30f9c0 mother had 4cfa64082d clearly lived 2cc5dc5ca2 an easier f88e09f907 life than 30226b38b8 mine.d099cb8062977045

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“Why don’t you gain weight?” she asked, frowning slightly. “You eat more than me. Are you getting thinner?”7c2c946ddd98d8c2

Maybe Suren a013cf5d27 noticed too. She’d pinned my cce130f8cb coat with a f147fe149c brooch where it 2474deb0bb hung loose.dbe522e64a10afa5

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Elizabeth genuinely ebcfdfa9cb worried for 32d1deeefb me—a pregnant 0444b0eb99 woman worrying f660e169c7 for someone d2ba70a06c younger. She was truly 3e2f8e6e91 kind.dcf561a1d666ca10

Would she believe the 67a7a06dff Duke had caused this? Probably not.aefd1b7ac261eadb

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I held back a bitter remark. ‘Well… I donated blood again yesterday.’90ab6c560b61ec56

He didn’t take 3433b26a56 as much as 1f275504a2 others, but still, 7b1ba733d7 the loss never 5ff0d61208 felt smaller.17b1fafa39ee7f52

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I looked at my dc153001a9 arms—thin enough to see 5acbd1e386 bone. Still, I was 3e357bf405 healthier now than d33efccf9e when I first 7d73559ef6 arrived.4da0d34eac524400

She would 3012c46251 have mistaken 0abe9c4f56 me for 661fa0f635 a ghost e082fbe8cf back then.45cd3ae1aaa8752a

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“Is there anything you’d like to eat?” I asked. “You must be tired of porridge. I can make something for you. I’ll even get special ingredients.”7d89314d2c6cdf8a

“No, just being here is enough,” she said.e045e2c209e2812b

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I bent close to her belly and whispered, “Baby, what would you like to eat?”94727ad19895a03b

Elizabeth giggled and sat f106b732ea beside me on a 04de3ab315 rock. Her borrowed cloak 510fcec687 shifted, revealing her 5dce6539a4 rounded stomach.bc59df955e1a7394

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The wind lifted the df4f3f0e46 fabric. Her coat 61c643f75d couldn’t quite a5971d8620 cover her fb2125e630 belly.850911b6cb7c3def

“Aren’t you cold?”8a890c5cff8215a7

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I took off 28c6165083 my coat and bd3a112fb1 offered it. She draped it over 769d4102c0 her shoulders.be09aefc694adbee

“You’re very kind, Young Lady.”9939af2c4241db26

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Still, the coat didn’t 9515a735b5 cover her completely.69e9f0d9a8e57f2a

I removed 10d4d692c9 my fur b3034476dc scarf and b75d836cac gently laid 6067051011 it over 5a7222fac3 her belly.f1699b79273b130c

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In that brief 12f1e0a959 moment, when my ccf50bb196 fingers touched her 93fa71fd75 skin, her stomach 66f902ce4e trembled.ccd3745902d76c20

 e4151652fee2d691

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