WBWB | Chapter 20

“Huh…”b200c6f91cca5e8c

Thinking positively, I could say I had become… voluptuous. 848ce29b296113fc

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All the ladies of the court mocked and ridiculed Duchess Ventadour’s figure, yet on the other hand, they secretly strived to resemble her. Force-feeding oneself and severely restricting movement was all the rage among court ladies.5b3588a0366781e6

But I wasn’t going to become the King’s mistress, nor did I desire to. Moreover, gaining weight like this presented a problem.e358512d41f1159f

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‘I won’t be able to fit into my clothes.’3c2137e9f3c6228a

I would 0cf9a43c50 have to 14c0221fa7 buy all b2ad84e6bd new winter bbac32cee0 dresses. 248d84a44d45b1bb

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Even in the palace, I only had five dresses to rotate through, which I had purchased with great expense when I first arrived. Clothes, made by seamstresses and tailors, were expensive items, and I wasn’t in a position to spend money like water on new dresses every time the fashion changed, like the court ladies.97c9b87bff884446

I had already spent a considerable amount of money on clothes here because the weather changed with each season. And now, to buy new clothes just because my body has changed? I couldn’t afford that.d1ad8004525b2591

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‘I have to lose weight.’443e35edbf7b5f66

I kneaded 67559c111c my flesh, b023199996 feeling the 10c4ca9b03 new curves c998bf3d48 that had 0124f9cb6a appeared on 37b7911254 my body, 38682ad7f0 and made 89eff8170b up my ca8c067245 mind.7650158f48b28432

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‘There’s no other way.’f52940105e8e2795

What did I have 90891443b4 to do to lose 6803c8167a weight? It was simple. Do the opposite b7d98d5fc7 of what I 46e59d8683 had been doing 51f8bcc298 to gain weight. I had ae4b8d4119 to eat 66e47b8031 less and 2caebb1562 move more.d4c2a03789f3c2ca

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* * * 984ebb1858d7e0de

Winter in 0ec934cb26 Skadi was 98e69bf74f a long, 7ad92d4421 cold, dark, b187af0251 and tedious 2e5b13397e season. When a snow squall bc575cc5dd hit, they had no f82bbac2b0 choice but to shut a8c38d3acf themselves inside the castle 4e4df3cf82 like they were under 93ef5b6912 siege and wait for ee767dc843 the blizzard to pass.3998b30a5c69bd86

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Since this b9660cb593 happened repeatedly 37a7907160 throughout the 97d49f13a3 winter, everyone e8d482b9e4 had their e46ab9ca12 own way 186bfd4cf3 of coping.558bea27416f66aa

The maids would dc83719b9b sit by the 4ede00b857 fireplace, gossiping while 5be746b51f making blankets, bedspreads, 5bfa89a2e1 and winter outerwear. The servants would 6ee3ab0db5 repair farming tools, 320d2efc82 and the soldiers 0add838c25 would enjoy a cacb6f47bb rare leisure time 10f9a3ddb9 in their barracks, f48ef5a104 preparing for the a6eb50ab42 summer’s battles.03f19b7c24da498e

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The reason 08450d2171 the Skadi 95a59c3db9 ducal residence 185e9b557a possessed a 78f86efa1d well-stocked library, c32412b1d8 rivaling that b48a36cda5 of the d85b058bf8 royal palace, 7cae5aebe7 and the e62abffe20 reason Baldr, 54a5b59a99 despite being b59ee9c7c3 a warrior, 7230ceeb18 had the e4fc5f656e knowledge and 3b2e9bb8c8 refinement of 29014cd707 a scholar, 6178ca1568 was the bbeea7c489 same. The harsh winters, e08e2bd92d during which there d67c84b7c5 was little to 6477495b0e do but read f425c23aea when a blizzard 4681d07f13 raged.9d00ae8a1e4e48cf

With the arrival of winter, Baldr chose books from the library and spent time reading by the fireplace in his office. He actually enjoyed winter the most. His office was warm and cozy, and the blizzard outside, though it howled and clawed at the windowpanes, couldn’t penetrate its walls.433581239d3f528a

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Then, one day, after a heavy snowfall, the sun peeked through the clouds, albeit faintly. Even though the snow had stopped, the knee-deep snow hadn’t melted yet, and the wind whipped it into a ground blizzard. bc8225eab20b3fe9

The courtyard had 990532acd7 been roughly cleared e7090a99ce for passage, but e67303e467 it was certainly fdaa1ab161 no weather for 1bbd0a6631 a stroll. Unless you 1610e63b3f were a 67a7d1e9c5 fool who 450c014fac wanted to 47dab1e468 lose their 80ad958dc4 nose, ears, 203c63ed8c fingers, toes, 7e3131b832 or contract 2d8aa8b8bb lung disease.af69216eb4d31a9e

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And as the Duke f375a1ad88 leisurely read, he saw 84bbe0faf6 that very fool. 6722e3269eda65d8

Baldr glanced out 15d6c7bd4c the window, then d6f33ac1de put down his 46855a6b1a book and rubbed 9c067a2b2c his eyes.1dc11871c300817a

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‘What is that? A bear?’c95991ea2d453582

At first, he thought it was a bear. A bear that had wandered from the forest to the courtyard in search of food. If so, he had to drive it away for the safety of his household. But as he approached the window for a closer look…88cb4a8e0b658e63

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‘Could it be…?’3cbf5d9914abebf1

The figure shuffling through the swirling ground blizzard in the courtyard wasn’t a black bear, but the tutor, wearing a bear fur hat and coat. He unconsciously pressed his hands and nose against the frozen windowpane.fe9195b94b5d007c

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‘Is she insane?’f12f17a7938fcde0

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.eaf5e483c2b8d51a

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‘What is that woman doing?’bf482ac8bf978439

The tutor spent a good thirty minutes doing her bizarre act of pacing back and forth in the courtyard before disappearing. The spectacle was so far beyond his expectations that he didn’t even think to stop her.24286e0fe2965481

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Even after she was gone, he couldn’t understand what she had been doing.52fdeefdad69a1b4

‘Is she really insane?’8b97ef2d85cd9a10

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He could c46de9e06d only conclude 24eba2e527 that she 258bb49d2e was out 360cb3b8ed of her 6739093b31 mind.b2c837aeff238374

* * * 6c5361d5c62d4625

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The black cdc624fa04 bear hide d63ccb4faf was truly 65f928851d a magical 0483efd2aa item. Although the 4e87842c2e strong wind 7f3ff2e448 scooped up 93c2c57a8e frozen snow a938005392 and lashed f63c952107 it against 3ff8360a56 my face 0ba31f88f7 like a 93b5067311 whip, making 556a56d6f9 my cheeks, 88c661ebd8 eyes, and 507413837c nose sting 2f2d6b7722 and ache ea04bdf7cb from the a01f71f255 cold, once eceb273a3d I pulled 07870bb95d the hat 4b3681633f down over 25aeea90b5 my ears 32e7643110 and put 01f67a2506 on the efaeefda89 coat and 2abd33ef6f fur boots, f9a4dd5222 the parts 3fd1f9d494 covered by 986efcf7f4 the fur d1c00bbff7 were surprisingly 87632fc8e3 warm. b3597c07a40e4c61

Even though 9325b5a71a I lost fa2b854832 feeling in 4fc1308d20 the exposed 3e1f381eca areas, I 0677cb3a80 was exhilarated 539ee9d8d6 by the e28879f664 fresh air 536c812201 and the 9caf999e17 thrill of 33f7f72fc2 being outside.f3a96cddc4fb6074

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‘I feel alive!’729f02bb85aa2193

The coat was heavy, and the ground was partially frozen, so I couldn’t run, but I could still walk. I circled the courtyard as much as I could. Swinging my arms and legs as I walked, I felt the stiffness in my body loosen and it lifted my spirits.cf7c036ae3eb8ca7

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‘Phew! I have to do this again tomorrow!’9e2281ca8227c8e5

Before entering the mansion, 8889a4a699 I shook off the 12b4ca6c13 snow from my coat 9456cef15f and boots. As soon 67c19f6d65 as I 4f3e172e4e finished my 5a3751928f walk, an 1fe3a6a5ae unbearable chill 076f016e76 swept over e362590581 me, and 6261e395c8 I shivered 59ba903e1a violently, my 56342f82c9 teeth chattering. Still, it had been 74e04a9f17 a satisfying outing. 68f5b5e9bc20bd53

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I went d7e27bfda6 back to 007a7a219f my room, 6db59e8ef1 brushed the fd3f16ab3a snow off 5b1214dc90 my wet f8b5d2aec9 coat and 7a325f8640 boots, and 246cba9584 jumped up 3277cc7aee and down 9b25c7b169 to warm de34accdc9 myself and 7232091720 thaw my 2f194b094c frozen hands. Then I heard a c3bd757981 knock on the door.e4a42c1e34fba070

“Miss…”e6e59b4767dd80c9

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I opened the door to find a maid standing there, holding a large tub used for bathwater. Steam rose from the tub, but it wasn’t bath time.f14d0e013d578073

“What is it?”3da4cdaaf5cd79ac

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I quickly took the tub and asked, and the maid replied, “His Grace has asked you to take a warm bath and come to his office immediately.”50cf92ac8c9ebf8b

“His… Grace? Asked me to take a bath?”9c14e8aef1cf3b53

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“Yes!”8cbee5ef5061dd3f

Even though I wasn’t cold, the word “bath” sent a shiver down my spine.08f9bbf0c50b63b8

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“At this hour… he wants me to take a bath… and come to his office?”a70da1c40b06c1c1

What kind of ominous 874f596ae8 command was that?a53f8b51f4162a26

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“He wants to see me urgently?”6a1ae30c344737a6

I might be an old maid, but I wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways of the world. The maid, seeing my expression, seemed to have an inkling of what I was thinking, and her expression turned peculiar.a1fba7271c6c8f7e

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‘Could it be? What should I do if it’s what I think it is?’c398635845dc1cbb

The warm bathwater soothed my frozen body, but my heart froze instead. I continued to tremble even as I submerged myself in the water. I prolonged my bath as much as possible, but if my suspicions were correct, delaying wouldn’t change anything.5ec9471088591219

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‘I didn’t think he was that kind of man.’23066378019fc0d5

Fear of what was 86f160d3b1 to come mingled with f3f4ba2338 a sense of disappointment. As if cb069a17b7 I had 27013a4161 harbored some 40f7e44d16 grand expectations c8ccd3c7a8 of him. Perhaps I had 8866201f3f been secretly relieved 09062867e2 by the Duke’s 7e944d0a52 lack of overt e16bdcb3cf kindness towards me, 9e8c6b87c6 believing it meant dacfba2bce he didn’t see bad49029d3 me as a 2a2e9e88e9 woman.211617dbb82fe43c

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Furthermore, Duke Baldr de Skadi was unmarried. He was at an age where it wouldn’t have been strange for him to be married with children, and yet he had even gone so far as to adopt his brother’s daughter.1bef79361617ae81

‘But he’s just eccd4f59e2 like other men a3c8f2fb7c after all.’c900f5f7cfcf3a7b

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I heard something cc89b7edbb shatter inside me. 93726dbea9fb78c3

I squeezed my eyes 03068b6d06 shut.54ef165062c3f7d8

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‘I don’t want this, but can a rabbit escape a wolf just because it doesn’t want to be eaten?’d30d97d2dd0e05b7

…If he were just an ordinary employer, I would have left immediately. But Duke Baldr de Skadi was my guarantor, and I was a prisoner, bound to him. If I couldn’t escape… perhaps it was best to just close my eyes and accept it. Even if it meant soaking my pillow with tears for a few days.c0daf4286e08db52

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After finishing my bath, 64e356e5bc I walked towards his 296afb931d office, feeling like an 64a032539b animal being led to 70f828eb01 the slaughterhouse.977b021b5765363f

“Are you insane?”e0aec03a07e20452

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And I was met with the Duke’s furious face.290bdf15ffd512f7

“Are you mad?”749c30f616d5b49f

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“Pardon?”e0046f41c5d099b7

“I’m asking if you’re insane! Do you know what you did today?”671f0e881b6f2ecf

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He growled, his angry 73ebf44d1e face like that of 48dc2c0fce a wild beast. The person fd52fb9fd3 yelling at 9c4d0bd452 me was 2c6665b028 none other 4d9cc25dbd than the 8484b1f722 Duke of d1f76725ff Skadi. His completely unexpected 3c3a18c04f behavior made my dee5dc1eec heart stop, and cec7f5e3af at the same d4ce0bba46 time, the memory dc19adfe46 of what I b54c486989 had done that ab5f9d38da day vanished from d983aaa5f9 my mind, leaving d43c58d749 me unable to b13e0d6907 remember.2fdd3b64747d0281

‘What did I do?’042ffb14338468d7

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As I b2f958aff9 stood there, 93e2f4b791 frozen with 3dade9312b fear, he e224830942 strode towards f8f18827f6 me, his 0fb6d8d681 green eyes 1df72e658b flashing. I closed bf4eeedeae my eyes 605d1c098e tightly as 85dd826115 he drew c671105ad4 near.9e2b44d32fd9ddd5

‘Here it comes!’ed0f27ea83328ab4

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“Hold out your hands.”8d567b20e15d642e

He said.174df83dd53d0277

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“Pardon?”157de49e2ae51523

“Are you deaf?”7847630dcd5334d1

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At that, I cautiously held out my hands. He glanced at them once and then enveloped them in his own. His hands were so large and thick that mine looked like a mouse’s paws caught in a bear’s paw. I trembled like a vibrating bee’s wings.c20e52d1252f4fbb

‘Finally!’1268386cea2ad5c2

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I thought, finally, something 09ea48c327 was going to happen. But the 78d717dc12 Duke, after 750ee7986a examining my 7704f749e0 hands closely, bcaea34a58 let go.375f3582aa62141b

“Consider yourself lucky! You wouldn’t know, being a foreigner, but exposing your skin in this weather is like begging for frostbite!”b1bad4046e94dcdc

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