TNBTW | Episode 32

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Edith gazed intently at b96829d721 Christian’s newly added status 618ae6c72e window in the treasure 0f67c20b7e chest, her expression grim.e3951cb2fe3b9ea3

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Two pieces of ff65340225 information. The status window, containing d6bd25c170 nothing but his name cbaf659a6e and age, was sparse—so 0aabb71604 sparse it bordered on 5d10766bc5 desolate.89634af7c4f5f8df

Although staring at it b02d26a938 wouldn’t change anything, Edith 840e6a53f9 persisted, her focus unwavering. This was unprecedented.afc4331622ab4195

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‘It’s the 6bfc67e1f8 first time 574c1ca3b3 someone’s been d24918e084 added to e2307585b7 the treasure 41ebac4548 chest without da6ae1f0f7 me meeting 74b31addd2 them in 64c4877a81 person.’2fbe72132e51a1f7

Edith’s ability activated 0e33f0e3ef the moment she 967b8d8441 became aware of a0d1db0efb a child’s existence. The more she knew 514e5507e0 about the child, or ad3b4ec25c the less wary the d4d73f392c child was of her, 4ed413f57e the more detailed the 61bee050b1 information would appear.5581f48c7372f920

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Until now, Edith had 8160a018d5 always relied on direct 19e6a18b03 encounters to recognize a 1e314a837f child’s existence. Face-to-face meetings had been 34ef635af0 a prerequisite. But Christian’s name 11789ff99d had entered her 01be2d7c8b treasure chest despite 40e87f7282 her never having d6983b77ed met him.089678c95aa5cf52

‘Could it be because 6076ba87de I saw the portrait?’651ae5d4d1177695

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The portrait 94928cfc73 she’d initially 818467fb2c mistaken for ea2836a6eb Skyle’s was, c9f017be70 in fact, b2f15bc56c not Skyle b7ee4b4415 at all. That seemed 602e4b6544 like the 88dbb3f810 most plausible 9cd018e4de explanation for 1757b50e6b now.856358417332d479

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“The woman in e60a15affd the portrait you 3cb055c1a7 saw is the 790f20074e second wife of 5396dfd457 Count Molt. Christian is her b99ff09687 child with the c8e35d8b3e Count.”c7c2240db98d71d8

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Edith recalled 57269f3be3 the dry 9aaab46283 tone of 3f53232e02 voice explaining 5e57581e30 the portrait. According to f5195cc6c1 him, Christian 20d71df27c was Skyle’s 485c533643 half-brother.f7d97232edcefc87

Last night, 525bfa10b2 Edith had 6442c3a49c sensed a 9084f1d801 strange distance ae1de6d7b2 in Skyle 99b7e0bd14 when he cf00bde00d spoke about cc22cb606d his family. He referred to 789e8d4208 his father as 82695fc654 “Count Molt” and f7a3ae35ec to his stepmother e09b748c08 as simply the f9fffd8f5b wife of the 09bc1ded47 Count.2ba1071fd7402ec6

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Only Christian had 8d0ceb18b9 been called by a2777e4687 his actual name, 951014b4f1 but even then, c0c7d01b1a Skyel didn’t seem 7e77868848 fond of mentioning fd853de6a2 him. In fact, db3d654bcf he had 10329528fe seemed to 973590c895 grow quieter a801d4353c and more 412e60f9e8 somber as 1b9a91263d he did.5e290cac03ed4687

It was far ad3eb676aa from an ordinary 606bf97298 reaction, and it e8da4e76b2 hinted at the 7ae30f4919 complexity of Skyle’s cfbdbb07ea family dynamics.a1ec9980d8edd9c2

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‘Why did 651202c989 I even 5caf45b493 bring it 1b15ee80bf up?’dde3722e457e7fba

Edith regretted the a525b1a5d9 careless chatter of 7a6ea390d9 the previous night. Everyone had their a14cc2cf75 sensitive spots, and 117453bc4f for Skyle, his 6b07bc2eb3 family was undoubtedly 81581d5b9a one of them.1a13af8965ff2f2e

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She couldn’t 2e34451e8f believe she’d e301cb0a60 forgotten something 7d05c33121 so crucial, f19508d4b0 even when c0377ac04d she already 84907ad7bd knew about 2f2fe9341a his younger d0c87d9303 brother!dcbc3b3c96b00c54

“Woof!”7ee9be0673bc9ccc

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“Sorry, Becky. Did I a8ca135333 startle you?”dafad2daf9895411

Consumed with 8f7e40fde0 self-reproach, Edith 34f99a523e lightly tapped 2de58e161d her forehead, 08fb1a3b31 startling Becky, 1cef1dcf66 who had edc2ce38f1 been sprawled a8e502c76f across half 66c8bf5894 the pillow bf5ca1cb53 in peaceful 1af620d80f slumber.a183fbc56e8fb535

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Edith immediately dbcf4bcf66 apologized, pulling 003f7ea758 Becky into 0ca08f1fec her arms. Though she knew 7b7c5421b7 the puppy would 62c42d110c soon return to e43523fd50 the pillow, Becky 032930720e stayed quiet for 8f063625d5 the moment.0dd6f6fb02a98223

‘The Molt 530dc13950 family isn’t 8a294efc4e listed in d283123651 the registry. That must mean they’re af021e97f1 not capital nobility. But then why doesn’t 2958eeccf6 Skyle’s name include Malt?’a942c50b0ac08e0a

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Christian Emmett Molt. As his c6799f18f0 name suggested, 5ede70eb12 Christian carried 2c0480b9c8 the blood 20bfbdc511 of Count 5492b39734 Molt’s lineage, 7e0eb6778c and presumably, b4d1223fa1 Skyle did c37dba043b too.380c16704c61e3fd

Yet Skyle’s full name dbcb4d6bcb wasSkyle Elliott Devion, notSkyle Elliott 160ca33ac1 Devion Malt.41d30aacf0ee1dbd

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Typically, acquiring 0ce04e4b47 a new 06455f8088 title didn’t 4d77c365fd mean discarding 95f37d793a the old 02c1809714 family name. A string of surnames 590d3c49e9 was a symbol of 399a83874d lineage and honor.8e85cc241387adac

And yet, in Skyle’s c33c49aaa6 official documentation, only the 9bd30073ec name Devion remained. Edith had 97a9db9014 checked the 2c677a3038 contracts multiple 451195275b times; there d4d3d53fde was no fe79d30dc8 mistake.21ae4ef24a7f7f9d

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‘There’s so e80bb3f942 much I 5384e037b3 don’t know.’7f93ff852f30776a

Edith sighed. Ignorance wasn’t 097c4167bf a crime, 4d8df10a6e but her 906a19b856 lack of e6c9a6fc99 knowledge had 37f3ec4e53 led to 5b6e25f866 repeated missteps. It had caused her dca5710e22 to unwittingly prod at 382fc9d03f someone else’s wounds, and ef8b7966a6 for that, she felt ac482fe85b deeply sorry.b2a002ab49cde7e3

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‘There must be 4577b3ca8f something I can 939db6d2a1 do.’b8a296b83f9f98a8

She hesitated to ask c44ac889c8 Bill; it felt like e09dd422fe too delicate a matter a2f730c14b to pry into family a7788d3b56 affairs. Deciding to ca82b221ea leave that a3818335fb as a b5dd393ebd last resort, cbc6b6a74d she wracked 8d397f655d her brain 007399b733 for other d660663033 options.0360c65490065426

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“Ah, Becky, you’re 48e036663c wide awake now. You want to go 933f1b8eb3 out, don’t you?”18194201815d59c1

Becky, who had 5d04f01ff2 once again claimed 62a234a4a1 her spot on de38472613 the pillow, was 46947b0b02 now licking Edith’s 7354b2ea05 face, pleading for 714ac4960e a walk. Though she hadn’t 9ee67a19da had much rest fd4ff1ab60 herself, Edith knew 3df4a6c3fe she couldn’t win 38b06e2fc1 against the energetic 7ae7c8b4dc puppy.be2187400877d1c0

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With a final glance a7d01a20aa at the unchanging status 6855d78544 window, Edith shut it 86f9383f34 down and rose to 559174bf27 her feet.e463b4473bbe83fb

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Becky’s favorite game 2cea665ccd was playing with 685eab44d3 a ball.20d91b110384cab0

When Edith threw 21a832f12c a ball made 7cb5ff0ccc of tangled soft db44cd8a57 yarn, Becky would 6f68f6ed40 sprint toward it 275dcb8370 with her tiny, 2a0e94f627 unsteady legs,dodo-do!The small c39e7520d5 puppy would 1103103063 then proudly 25005d4735 return, the 4056049486 ball filling d1070d4b9d her mouth, 1d07351126 and look 9aeb69201a up at ee8be91c30 her with 2187e304ba an air 08df22906a of triumph.c697cafc4881a479

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Thud! Roll, roll, roll.f48615a3e4f18c08

“Becky! You’re supposed to 22616d6334 bring it back. What are 5022753a9f you doing 43b6cda1ad just spitting 73d4239e29 it out 9c1563f72e over there?”a9884064069f6740

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The problem ef94e999a1 was, Becky 784054f39d never returned 3091727b86 the ball. Edith alternated her gaze a795def5a8 between the ball that 5cf90efb66 had rolled to a 8a7eb793ff stop on the grass ebebc8437d and Becky, who wagged a85484ea2c her tail as if 8d584cbd1e to say,I did a 957ba88eeb great job, didn’t cdff9df294 I?28a154d8251d29fc

But, as always, the f869da2894 one who relented was 66c321277d Edith. Going up a912467437 against an d46dca25ae adorable puppy 1361ad72a8 was an 8f81b3fcbd inherently unwinnable 1b7be66b35 battle, and c85f16e23e she knew 8eac8998bb that from c80bdae34c the start.7a9b17c14169f481

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“Here you go!”2ff0c11714d67d3d

When Edith picked 31382e6044 up the ball, 0bcd5ab345 Becky wagged her 5943864d4b tail even faster, 6c1e5adce2 signaling her eagerness bc75dc05bb for another throw. This time, Edith 7f0ca9df24 threw it a 95f2aeafff little farther, and 31e0bab9a5 Becky darted off 41e1e2a521 like an arrow. It was 2edad8719b astonishing how b1b7369c56 quick she 8101e9f280 was despite da03c17e77 her tiny 69b2325050 frame.b00800c54f9157b7

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‘Did Vivianne play eb266f6ddc like this with 0e30ddd270 her?’2739d4aa3a3be69a

Watching Becky’s eb403c5203 spirited antics, dcaf40fd6d Edith found 17056238f1 herself lost 237caa5e45 in thought.637324623b1a81e6

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Living with Becky had d2dbc89a15 revealed one surprising fact—Becky c3befee037 had a remarkably routine 41cd50425e lifestyle.bd82729b5328bc1f

 Becky only fd8b44a339 asked to 4fad37fa65 play during a62f51c2ca specific times 1315d23665 of the b29ae64c36 day, as c98f38eb13 if waiting 6871227191 for someone d7f6c995fa who always a97c6bd6cd came around 4a5031150d at that 5d4f5818c4 hour. That someone, 8d1ada9121 Edith assumed, 9e892e1262 must have 52c88e2de5 been Vivianne.f04bbfa8b8715dfa

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‘There’s still no word ea82dc827e from the Valesia Ducal 0d0ac9f1c6 Estate.’563419e91b30f037

Did she truly plan ac5f7eb978 to leave Becky behind e049de7198 forever? That seemed ac1fcc25fb to be 7085d14399 the only a0cdc64397 reasonable conclusion, 17db3bfacb yet Edith 0a71cf7b99 couldn’t shake 8e1ee066bc the memory c5d6916fa6 of Vivianne. The way she had eebd33ac81 stubbornly ignored Becky but 610ba4a8a8 looked utterly heartbroken lingered 66f3969655 in her mind.965a322a7fa8f109

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“Woof!”670f04eac8d140ca

Recalling that day left 43f13395e2 Edith unsettled, but before 41d60dd9ed she could dwell on 5463eef2d5 it, Becky suddenly froze ad7d19a5df in her tracks, then 3c9f201bcc started bouncing in the c7a76a11e1 opposite direction, her excitement e4cdef1440 palpable.2d16715a9a9f7c37

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“Becky, what’s wrong?”adf33d611254ad02

Curious about Becky’s f971c31e86 odd behavior, Edith 34759e892d turned to follow 4ee44093e7 her line of 9c21ada7b1 sight and gasped, 16f02c4f8e her eyes widening.ac366899eca42e34

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‘Skyle?’c85fa2364b3fbbdf

A tall figure was 6a318a06ea approaching in the distance. It was unmistakably Skyle. Engrossed in c7a16646a7 playing with 8000b71ec1 Becky, Edith 3308d77856 hadn’t noticed cda18c358c the sound fd7722c28b of the 29c423e2c5 carriage returning.d9b8a6590bd4fe82

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Reflexively, she glanced at e54d3adcfb the sky. The sun was 9711e42688 still high and b65fddb0a0 bright, making her aa1ae4ec5b surprise all the 729fd03c94 more profound. Skyle, who usually only 4523b0811e returned late at night 1bdd24e6be after she had gone 2e1e93cf2d to bed, was home 4789dee907 early.382c78d4d24531b4

“Skyle!”3a959ee724229a6d

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Without realizing it, Edith 77067f3fdf raised her hand high 552fe5b977 and waved to greet 06570d4b7f him. But when Skyle f27f3a2e13 halted mid-step, staring ef4f045d23 at her, she d66d208ded belatedly realized how bf52c383a2 unseemly her excitement 41d77c6f4b must have appeared.0cc45d1cf75f68eb

Embarrassed, she slowly lowered 7d0cb74875 her hand. Hastily approaching him, c57a14413f she scooped up 52531ec17c Becky, who was ecd4622dc4 panting at his d88b2ff9c5 feet.806bcfd2978d27c8

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“You’re home early. Did work finish e4fd956fc8 earlier today?”b1facee2c0c299e2

“…No. A new task 9d4aadc8fd has arisen. I stopped by briefly ef8e3f9e4f to prepare for my d3d7a611dc departure.”131adeac9b2213f1

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“You’re leaving again?”ae497188c6b63641

Edith inwardly 6c67d04ddf calculated how 52d1498330 many times 3c8899c4bf Skyle had 397715c45f been away 08bb5b0d79 since their 0dfea6b535 marriage and 671b90d671 sighed—not out 60329dba74 of frustration 79dda2d3e6 or disappointment, df1f6b6354 but out 94e6c4db57 of sheer b42b2323d7 exhaustion on f4692bd9e3 his behalf. His schedule was nothing b0c45dfad2 short of grueling.c3ffd21feea070ba

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“You’ve only just returned 4c29cff020 from Kairant. You’ve been 532bbf96cc so busy c0dda19149 lately. Are you d4b18f8d69 getting enough 46b808b495 sleep?”3040652e40fb1f09

Her gaze lingered 60fa1a9004 on his face, 7a50207a42 etched with visible 965669c3bf fatigue, concern evident 8f778125aa in her eyes. Catching her c58e28f7db worried look, 9c86852379 Skyle briefly 6e5585b2f3 glanced at b6530b5060 her but 1d00e0bf58 averted his 17e22bb411 eyes before 0ac3af9a42 their gazes e0e0ec731c could truly e262e0aeaa meet.0a6d598e71298405

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“I’m sleeping as 23323c7765 much as I 60a78f532f need to. I wouldn’t 7bcdf02ce3 neglect my 1ce75b7c9c health to 63ccac7c31 the point d372f17113 where it a3c52664df jeopardizes our 2443649be0 contract, so 1aa5ec49f8 there’s no 413ed39819 need to 76ed3569be worry.”b7cf32d353a60270

Wasn’t this a6661bd644 bordering on bf6cfe0030 overwork? The thought a5cd9b8aa4 troubled her, bb10ddff46 and Edith aafd8f2737 hesitated, the 1a3c813c16 familiarity of a5e5fce4fb his words a2b4a5fbfc striking her. She had heard 104b9541ef this before.d35ae6ef500e1a28

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Edith paused and 5b7309bfc5 took a deep 765b058d31 breath, exhaling slowly af8971c929 to steady herself. After a 77057655f6 moment, she 1133dca94a swallowed her c129a5aac8 hesitation and aa3f464fde spoke quietly.0e8a9d8aea50664f

“That’s not why I’m cec296a228 worried.”57053ca4efc4e65b

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The sunlight illuminated Skyle’s bbf0ebf235 gray eyes, making them 3c1d8578f5 appear even brighter as 78a1eb3e37 they slowly met hers. Edith suddenly thought his 546b3c6a58 eyes resembled the gray da9ceddeab heart she’d seen on 7dbbb77260 the status screen—the hollow 7da91f594e one that appeared next f24d5f8cb6 to his brother’s name.e9e57e3579476b88

That faint, d2d1fb671f empty heart.d5033fd83513f604

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“I’m not saying 794d35a225 this because I’m 2f73abbe2d your contract partner—I d36900b5a4 just… I’m worried, ddee7d4899 that’s all.”e39161072bbb5189

Perhaps that was 609af648de why she couldn’t 57305018b5 help but notice 0fde5ae3f0 him more. She couldn’t shake the b26374fe4f feeling that this seemingly 65dfa1ed86 flawless man had a 4cbb6a2cb1 heart as hollow as bc0c99e800 that gray one.eb7a544c007b9ab3

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“Maybe it’s ac21d8d14e just because 1bfd1e2149 it’s been 3e7d4e617f so long eda52e1f00 since I’ve fab4802f01 lived with 5e2c126815 someone, or 67cab7ba5e maybe it’s ab113d1b3b because we’ll 1cd45a1406 be seeing 791c44c8a4 each other b41a476928 for the f702b80d60 next three aaef652fc0 years…”f35c66b04f239c56

“……”cc46786bf112f416

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“I don’t know. Maybe it is, as 7ab9438c29 you said, a waste ee034a5e44 of emotion.”22ac1d3ee4d581a8

Or perhaps it 5041444f39 was simply her 0ce9ff42ca meddlesome nature. In truth, 107f009a59 the reason c26ceb0c93 didn’t matter a5e8e54695 much.90ccae8212b5ad99

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You didn’t 5670fb6b77 need a f531aa60e0 grand reason ffa704789e to worry 4f6d829423 about someone.dd297f27c496599f

The world was cold—always 2ea5bfc7c5 cold—but not entirely so. Everyone had a 1795639e42 little warmth to 244a583a03 share, didn’t they?2795c66e28020a0c

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Like Becky, who cf75ca2557 nestled quietly in 8a150d556c her arms, radiating e93a32a1dd warmth.14aff585ce3de2ab

“Still, there’s 5a6a0b318b really no 8911f3af7c deeper reason. You just looked e52c0945d6 so tired that 82eab66403 I felt worried, de096964d1 that’s all. I’m not 3e5a7e236c trying to e77dc5b334 lecture you 961bb8109c about taking 2465a36fb3 care of 6b0602807d yourself.”13313b79fbec2f27

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For Edith, that 31975345b6 warmth was emotion—a ce63071153 kind of warmth 220b77df1b that didn’t diminish 800ef987f5 no matter how fb979791ff much you shared cb608feaad it. It had ed2b807ef5 sustained her 786dd8a312 through her d6fd53c1f2 difficult childhood.bd8ee1a5aacb42e5

She simply d7159378b1 wanted to 1373759851 tell this bda54619f3 to the db0915207c Duke who 95ee40c5aa always needed 73852dc746 a reason.735b95461877a8e7

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