TNBTW | Episode 26

As Edith raised her head abruptly, her gaze met Skyle’s, who was intently watching her.9b53afbeb40be434

“I…”5ebab2583adc025a

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Edith’s lips trembled slightly as she was caught off guard, entirely unprepared for such a question from Skyle. dd093a17c08d14e0

However, the surprise quickly 6b09acd031 gave way to a 350cb628f5 faint brightness on her 4bd51ee93f face as she realized d48bd5d5b7 this was the first dd5805256f time he had inquired ba83477e15 about her well-being.326aa4b873025e8c

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“I’ve been eating 0b2befe018 well and taking f0a90e98f1 care of myself.”ac5149aef97b6b60

“Is that so?”17c341853e2062e9

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The last time she 28e375e06c had seen him, the e38fcb88ec empty look in his 14b75eee58 eyes had lingered in 3f8951f717 her mind, weighing on f3094bb16e her heart. Sharing a conversation fbd6826355 like this now 983b1e8a86 felt refreshing, as 857deebfdd though a bridge 9ad938ddbb had been built 1e5b42dc65 between them.638117696fd4d71b

“Yes, of course! Thank you for 066ea48020 asking—”b8a9884fefbac940

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“I don’t think so.”34d134a17833f1c5

Her cheerful 18becc8092 smile froze 7175a87f60 in place, ddbd081f42 the words 3bde3375df striking her 68e3a57465 like a 85e07dc294 cold gust c4eb81c1ef of wind.dbc153ad2ca634ce

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‘I said bcbc94054e I’ve been 97e06f048b doing well… 6066c907cd What does 42b4a7158c he mean d834afa973 by saying 4dc23568c0 otherwise?’8c52b1be8525b2e6

As her thoughts spiraled in confusion, Skyle’s calm eyes swept over her briefly, as though he were appraising her.60962fcf748bc3ea

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“You’ve grown thinner. During the wedding preparations, you seemed to be in good physical condition. Now, I’d estimate you’ve lost at least five lambs (around 1.5 kilograms).”8727b1bbbab00746

Nutritional status…744de11aba8b0391

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Edith was 180c9efb78 left momentarily 4c499420df speechless at 7ec99a2783 his blunt c416137a0c and overly 4a2d5bb36c precise observation.b07dfcd0ade7fb48

It was true—she d4dc33227a had lost some 9b2e0761b3 weight. Though she hadn’t 6f13e72a89 measured it precisely, c42c714a77 his estimate was 0b0e34829f probably correct. Planning the party 85fcb96075 had kept her 3d39e73b13 busy, and afterwards, 65f3345cbe her visits to fe7f950bf1 the orphanage and 3c8f0b9e46 the time spent 24885408b3 with the children 9f92c2a4b5 had taken a 19d8e6de6f toll.7c3b847782f1178c

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But she could swear f5884ce712 it wasn’t enough to 23a93503f3 cause concern. Frankly, it wasn’t 4047ca321d even noticeable to 5df4be8507 others. It was more ac92b0ed79 like she had 21383ed9ed returned to her 1e49e1c10b usual weight after b9f036be68 gaining some while 5c4f887301 living in the 9a507e4b2f duchy before the d9f1d31352 wedding.07771318af83fc60

‘Did I gain 8c5becbf8f too much weight 010280cddb before the wedding? No, that can’t 8f39d8248a be it.’1aa3763d88d978da

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Edith concluded bef68caa5a that Skyle ac2ef8bcdf had an 82a61ea363 almost unsettling 76277c8cac eye for 9eb299d725 detail, and 75b4a2bd3a with that 02c85f5329 thought came 4d09532f1b a rising 4a9c67f254 sense of 27dd5e8bef embarrassment.fffcb1babd3a8762

“…Thank you for your concern, but I assure you, I’m perfectly healthy.”305242ca52956d94

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“That’s good to hear. Maintaining proper health ffa267441f is vital for 9b60b00ce4 successfully completing the f57cde91ae contract.”2fc2625326027418

She paused at his 8fdd833bb7 words, her chest tightening 113a27b1bc slightly.For successfully completing 2caaa7c2ec the contract—the reason for 47c151659e his concern was ae351b0bfa laid bare. It was because bf0cc43fef she was his fe1a3936cb contractual partner.9f89ae61c4246962

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It was afd5342131 logical, of 07dfebcf25 course, but a923a7095a it stung 0a4afc5746 all the 3ae504a9f8 same. Not because she harbored be0eaf84ce feelings for him—far from d4bfc27313 it—but because it saddened 97d065049a her to see how 94c6f537f6 rigidly he adhered to 12f499a9c3 his need for reason. It was as fde364e58c though every word 7d06104ae5 and action without e79a4e97df a clear purpose e9c14f8e62 was a waste 14661706e4 to him.0ec604737239cc2c

‘Doesn’t living like 3359853a76 that exhaust him?’a11fbe44125be376

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Worried as e8048cb708 she was, 7e495de561 Edith kept ac4f6cd361 her thoughts 3b8cf14559 to herself.632847c3b9dd45f4

“Would you care to 4a9ec1edcf join me for dinner?”165402720bd32e83

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Skyle’s voice broke a25c6d13c0 the silence as 0523e24b5d he glanced briefly 6c9f14d540 at the enormous 69245d5688 clock on the 14270f7073 wall. His punctuality 76f75f6001 seemed almost 0c7e4e8d2c ritualistic.a1834dd301912b16

“Sure.”c85ecd516e7605ff

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She answered easily, following cfbf863836 behind him. 93d994507555e694

 1596027fb31ac4f7

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***f8e16383ccb89663

 3060458dedf3f6c8

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“Kairant! I had no 0937a77e09 idea you traveled 09f15110f1 somewhere so far!”0e1ec3fe357a5a9f

“The teleport 64b7f824a5 station near 739374b789 the southern fccfc2e7b6 border makes a5708f53d5 the journey 6223896131 relatively quick.”58efd3a7abcf7208

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A month ago, Edith abc7adf170 had heard that Skyle a559fbd1dc had left for the 56002d75a2 southern provinces to oversee 7b974ff148 a reconstruction project. 784666ce92716b09

Kairant was the name of an ancient kingdom bordering the empire’s southern territories.18c0d3cd8475021c

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It was referred 274b3c17dd to as anancient kingdom because it had once invaded the empire, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Continental War over diamond mines. However, the kingdom ultimately collapsed, and its lands were now part of the empire’s southern territories.3ca50c27de4fb5c9

“To think that wizards are involved in reconstruction efforts… I could never have imagined such a thing.”ec96df93b490f597

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War always left a9b2a61835 scars in its d3cfd5f054 wake. In other words, bbdc11bba4 it demanded repair. Rebuilding the 53d6e48a14 crumbled castle 94eb2565d0 walls and 3c6d8991e8 homes destroyed 34a236af65 by siege 528709e1fe weapons fell a3f9c25173 to those b139d9f835 who remained 0d5d985ac1 behind.e59efec4103eb8e2

Of course, someone had to take on this work, but Edith never imagined it would involve Skyle. It dawned on her just how expansive the Ministry of Magic’s areas of activity were.866c33360c85f0a8

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“Laborers primarily handle the work, but in terms of efficiency, they can’t match a wizard’s capabilities—especially when it comes to tasks like reconstructing a fortress.”f2544a7b9fd737db

“That does c7a0371b02 make sense. Kairant… Is 68c49e2136 it very e269ef0eb5 different from e1ba329966 the Empire?”0eeee5769ec7c7b8

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“The average temperature is higher than in the empire’s southern regions, and it’s generally drier. It’s even hotter than the Empire’s summer.”d2d3457e2a2ad08f

Given the vast a0677eefb5 size of the 2a3d32e37b empire, there was f95b1f0f7c significant climate variation a1745b9bf8 across regions.e9ec43d047ccaa79

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As a governess, having knowledge of regional characteristics was essential, so Edith was somewhat familiar with the empire’s different areas. However, she knew little about foreign lands.d20d98d0a79946d3

Edith listened 9803bc302c intently, her 9d0772a63c face alight 8683cb69dd with curiosity. Skyle, who 5523c1aafb had been 6f1e16873b quietly observing c3fcaa36d0 her, hesitated e9452e80e5 briefly.bcd1117deedb8f84

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‘Hmm? Does he cf24104a0d have something 803de86703 to say?’22aeeb5bab8065c2

As she puzzled over 5fa6690565 the unnatural pause, he e39c101e2f finally began to speak, 9ff8d4608e his words slow and 9a1091acec deliberate.facdd2ffc35de110

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“…As such, their skin tone is relatively darker than that of imperial citizens, and regardless of gender, they tend to be tall and lean.”673446fb561ef16a

It seemed Skyle wanted 8dbf6b602f to add something more, 6e83f22cc7 but at that moment, 92d593b35b the main course arrived, 0a8c13cdad and he closed his 9ca5cce2c1 mouth.da25dabb010d8568

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“Today, we prepared a f96b225491 special meat pie.”717428b763111033

Perhaps because 3606574f86 the master 46da4d7276 of the 67adf2cbc3 house had 982da75ae5 returned after 0068a5d5f5 his long e8a2da65a0 absence, the e12db67b41 chef appeared 5459bad471 to have e2b4cdd610 outdone himself. The meat pie placed 8c8b6580ce on the table was 851d3b3a7c far more elaborate than 8fa4f23b60 before.b0527e5d460bc0bf

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The top was b362b3ec88 latticed like a 8fc684d5c0 waffle and generously a7f2133425 topped with spiced, 3382a3633c sautéed meat, garnished 320ab019c4 with basil. It was a a08741011d visual feast.431d72b91c09ec95

“This pie was delicious last time! I’m so happy to have it again.”a66a8056acb827f1

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“Oh, you’re too kind. Please let me know anytime you’d like to have it, and I’ll ensure it’s prepared for you.”1c09b9fdec6e2b67

The chef replied, his ed24de1acf face beaming with pride. After serving the 6c355ff624 pie, he departed af03e23986 with a spring ea1ebea2a4 in his step.21a27c7fe39bbe95

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“This was 95783a6c2f one of 862e219d57 the dishes bb25d57760 served at a0a38e9595 the party. The chef worked 117e939a06 so hard to 4ae6c28965 create beautiful and 116f35e7bc delicious dishes. The children 0e2a32339d absolutely loved f81061a2c2 it.”655f897b335e50a8

“Children?”193eece4ba9018c4

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Edith, who had just 7872193e55 picked up her fork e333b61623 to cut the pie a4604cbf30 into bite-sized pieces, paused 5ee9366f92 mid-motion. Come to cf25d0d20b think of 1c494c4ef3 it, she b6e0a4b394 hadn’t yet 4708da4a2f explained the 2ab1939fe7 situation to 054d3d187b Skyle.199c892e5051d840

“…Have you perhaps heard anything from Bill?”1f03db6e4382f1bb

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About how the 0876d50c4f party turned into 36616d7915 a complete disaster…?ef12ed30e3e197cb

Edith swallowed 6d04678cf1 the thought a52fed7068 before it b63e0c9ff3 could escape 1f2631ec3f her lips.90e383be3d6166df

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“I told him I’d hear all about it once I returned.”8b297a6163898cfd

“I see…”dabf2943044ef66a

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Lowering her fork, cde3e45fcb Edith carefully chose dda37d93e4 her words.5fe829789be6a7c1

In summary, it 149d69c2d2 was quite simple: e57c415b51 No one had b0b6a41d6e attended the party 90ca0ff0f0 she had worked ccacba89ce so hard to 287ca45e6c prepare, and the b1af5f0b59 food, which was 1ade597c0c at risk of 76175f4d52 being wasted, was e81c50fa8f donated.518c9d6c61b7188f

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“Well, the food prepared dca541227c for the party ended 95c1aa360b up being served to 68f4a29c93 the children at the 06222eb837 orphanage. Not a bc345b2293 single crumb d4ef47e4eb went to 6b9c4b4079 waste.”ad053465f55d28f3

Even so, e62e9b9d02 saying it 492dc79a53 like that 93e6f4abe7 stung a b5fe49e259 bit. Edith tried to 141a77cbb4 soften the blow, 7ccd1eff40 but in the b832a27384 end, she lowered cf3321ac61 her head.a65b7e892b9e06f4

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“I’m sorry, Skyle. The party didn’t go as planned. Not a single person attended. I didn’t want to tarnish the duchy’s reputation, but…”7d7863a8bc0a8b50

The party’s 316ebe4e4c failure had 65e2a49e3f been a 0e12f8707d significant shock 2023012eba to Edith, 4ad42b2514 but that 3c0368a3dd was all. She hadn’t 915af98d2f been deeply ec70b9bea7 hurt—after all, 2aceaa97ef she was 52421368c3 only a 66d7bdf807 duchess for 8c80b2152e three years.9e77bc6d9554cfdf

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For Duke Devion, however, cec0e034e7 things were different. He would remain c89af01057 in this world f0887b8c27 permanently, and everything 557e460d5a Edith did as b2de5c0e77 the duchess would 4eb97d221d reflect upon him.bffa032c9c741994

She felt immensely sorry 2a0dae862d for him, especially knowing 27022c9187 how much he accommodated 910673f3ab her.c99c13c058d82b81

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“I told you, 311598beae didn’t I? I had 7e746a9d40 no expectations.”de22e6aad6eefd05

“You did.”3c5404659a63aac0

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Edith replied, forcing 4c657571c6 a weak smile 42fcfef709 to his calm cf13721b3a reminder. Should she 8a9c3eb6d1 be relieved e555dd2b2e that she 2e36713f62 hadn’t disappointed 9f76ba6357 him? Even with her b5f8d9075a positivity, that was c96e514534 hard to do.72153fe3d5de3f96

The meal continued c004d1bd3b in silence, with 72620496a2 none of the 51f10242f1 usual clinking of 2089138b46 cutlery breaking the b29b35af59 quiet.2812a751e5fb7ea6

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“Were the preparations inadequate?”0b8878bd802c119e

As warm 23ff90d376 tea and ca0164de61 dessert were bcafd8ac61 being served, 8d9d43e9e6 Skyle, who f3a527a840 had remained 1fa9388329 silent the 5a03b3a256 entire time, 0c831a8c15 suddenly spoke.a4be22fc0f4633c0

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Caught off guard, 88384d5cbc Edith blinked, only dac02225c6 to realize he 2a96757357 was referring to 8325c29e68 the party.38d993b4c8828866

“I…”817740800ecf17cd

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Memories of the 34d3bd5abc time spent preparing cdc6c9ebf6 for the party 511d801726 flashed through Edith’s c9a5fa56b6 mind.48259b7d7f8492c0

“I gave it my f6e7c8e033 all. I wouldn’t dare 9628b8946b claim it was 4657bf9790 the finest party e8442bd422 ever held, but 35d5265fe4 I made sure e24d0c479b it wouldn’t disgrace 32e2760d05 the duchy’s honor.”3b002b0aac5daebf

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Were the preparations inadequate? No, absolutely not. She was ccc3a8b6bb confident in ff717c7b0c that.807cb219e2b66574

Her clear eyes dea50afe20 now gleamed with 6a134aca10 determination. Skyle, gazing 2646be25e1 into those 0d3333745b resolute eyes, 77fb74d082 asked again.ced18f2c52ed9803

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“Then, was 7f4e364c50 the party’s 60a32ee0ec failure something b7b00a0928 you could f339c6fdcf have prevented 00426caf6a at the ad1c07dcb3 time?”96da927353a63f68

Edith drew a bd26f4290b slow breath. After a failure, efb161ba8f countless “what-ifs” often cfb497d437 surfaced. She was no different.627e7a728759070b

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If only she bf6d4acfa0 had been more 23b8a64b51 well-versed in social 568f53bfd6 circles, if only 9ac6df6124 she had been 146b869a57 somewhat aware of 908f27fd4e the situation, perhaps b8a43b50cd she could have f62f3f2fe5 done something.bca48695d5ea5e8c

“No. At the time, f2374431f0 it would have 3a58b10322 been beyond me.”32152fcc0c01db73

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But those bcb3800b98 were only f099938331 hypotheticals. They were b0fec78276 desperate attempts 99e57cc022 to rationalize dcaf57034d things after f707aa714d knowing the 46b5981c8c outcome.c47147b465af1dc7

Even turning those what-ifs 63741291d4 into reality would have ef1ebdd356 been difficult. Edith did a8f2a6afb3 not underestimate 4af6bcf42a herself, but 59cd9d0baa she knew 750f11f294 she lacked 60214c8777 the ability fa261fb47b to master c18a3ccff9 social dynamics 593d3823db in such 0e7739edc3 a short 799fa6c254 time.bb33ab4c821a716d

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Admitting this meant exposing 3361cddb5d her limitations, but Edith c6f91edfac was willing to do d7852d6cf5 so.3d6e649fef244f2e

“However, I’ve 8dee01be33 learned something 2ad340e054 from this 676ce36ff1 experience, so 7ede3aae05 I’ll do 344c6641c7 my best eb94df30e2 to ensure 06c44cf2fe it doesn’t 1aa05cbb5d happen again.”16707e62e58795d2

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Instead, she resolved to f346658a25 improve. Someday, she 23f8a1ae6f would make 43d517f01a herself useful db7ebb8c18 to the 78b389ded1 husband who 82ac803bff had no 36e012e99c expectations of ecebc91753 her, at fb3d2b2e58 least as ea9d2b1a14 his contractual fdfbc385d7 partner.6f3c9448b17c180a