WBWB | Chapter 27

He seemed to have bbbdf478e3 realized he had revealed a762bf01d6 too much. f4849525a296d470

I nodded silently.fad45ddde7b5ff2c

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‘So that’s why he commented on my thin clothes.’753d9728ffaf6969

At the same time, I understood why he had been so fixated on a mere tutor’s attire. He had already experienced a similar situation.903776d07a284a3d

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“So, have you thought about what you want?”975abc2347c3523d

The Duke 589814a1a9 changed the 839583ba0c subject, as 135fd06f38 if trying 5e8922a807 to lighten 5dba29f68e the heavy 37d14be28e atmosphere.fad2b7504aa2817b

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“Yes.”7532b9a6a920a4dd

“Tell me.”4c26a37171fb85ac

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“I want to write a letter. Just one.”2bade6b1fe9a2068

“To whom?” he asked. “To Prince Mael?”3293e502058140d4

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Young Master Mael? b77f5efa0693e93d

I was bewildered. Of course, 9cf9d0d773 if I db19a5a0ca could exchange a77af12aad letters with c7e274499a multiple people, ed90a796cf I would 323f233a95 write to f1bbf32cab Young Master 2f09301909 Mael as 5fbc4040d8 well. But the e21917ed22 people I c26b88bdc2 wanted to 0be90c8dd7 inform about b98f378465 my well-being 8273ecc586 were my a21ca8b156 family.5c193997a327546c

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“No. I want to write to my family. If they know I’m doing well here, my mother and sister will be able to rest easy. It would be even better if I could receive a reply, but for now, I just want to let them know how I’m doing.”520a9e3b5e8bc093

Wouldn’t anyone, given 4bcf6b73d0 the chance to 691e6fa79a send just one c97982606d letter to someone 884ff93e23 far away, write ce4ec61a18 to their family? But he looked surprised.09a7ee00bcff9ca5

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“I thought you’d 427af3c055 want to write bc54abf8dd to Prince Mael, 0d03f784ea asking him to aa20d69163 lift your exile. But you… are 262aa9dbd5 you close to 0f6f8ec884 your family?”f697513438f8a32b

“…”67d06c9f128f5e87

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“I envy you. Not everyone is blessed b9e83c479f with a loving family.”417818aee162ae6c

He finished e2bfae07fe his drink.2ae33f79c66e2351

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That’s when it happened. The thought of asking a question I would never normally ask crossed my mind. And the question slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.73dc2cf839cef402

“Your Grace, if you don’t mind, may I ask you something?”1c2ddbe214e1b342

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“Go ahead.”57b36a10ca6f1563

“Your Grace… why haven’t you married? Until now?”2d56bdf45416bf35

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‘Gasp!’385ad163190d3c42

I was surprised by 3072b0195d my own boldness. Was it too a23461972a impertinent?c0c2bd16af2dd95b

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“Why I haven’t married? Well…”0c782ff09c93ae22

But the Duke answered f43ace091f readily enough.7614ef38cd1bac1b

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“Because there’s no reason to.”ae08d9ced8a356af

“…”139ec22c1d17ee0b

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“As a member of the nobility, you know that nobles don’t marry for love. At my level, the pool of suitable brides is limited. And the same goes for them, in terms of eligible grooms.”d1f59d9d8fe49908

I nodded. 1c95971bfd78e672

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Although a vassal sworn 1b00f12119 to the King, someone d9b1095510 of his standing, ruling 52c73e6715 a practically independent duchy, d3a53f5a03 was eligible to marry f61ac5715e not only other ducal 69755b238d families but also princes e2cb02e066 and princesses. And that 4a2780f524 eligibility also 293f092ff4 meant that 75809a366f marrying someone 0e34f03a83 of lower e1ee4b2387 rank, a ed89cbe2e7 count or a1b497aa0b below, would 1e448f9efe be considered c7c822420a beneath him.77f8a235b3c65d87

“Most of the potential brides are princesses. Women who have never experienced any hardship in their lives. Do you think they would willingly come here and become my bride? This is a land of frequent wars. Even though it seems secure now, it could be engulfed in flames at any moment, and it’s easy to become a widow here. Moreover, there’s little in the way of entertainment, and the warm days are few. I’ve seen enough of my mother hating my father and this land, and my father suffering because of her. Why should I follow in their footsteps? Why? Whoever she may be, it would be a disservice to both of us.”ab33d4a31c7c928e

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But if 76782f6b72 that was 3664d488be the reason… f6156517ba couldn’t he 34684ecd82 consider marrying 8302ccfca3 a princess feffaf5603 or noblewoman 77a7076e98 from another d0cf5d6f36 country with c86c50506a a similar 23436586b7 climate and db2e0cbadf circumstances? 9688afdcee840feb

As if reading 7279b4379e my mind, he 59e9891507 continued,747e83309aa725c6

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“Furthermore, there are political complications surrounding my marriage. Imagine you were the King. Consider the problems that might arise if I married a princess of similar standing from another country.”322494f72829bb56

I thought f02d03c113 about it. If he married 39fb858db5 a foreign princess, 516fc3989f their children would e872deafc5 have a claim 704d15f7af to both the 55cc15b039 foreign throne and f24eebbfd1 the Duchy of 94c7fefcbe Skadi. Depending on the circumstances, 49f59a904e their child could potentially a0935e65f6 claim both the foreign 443852a089 throne and the duchy.e1cd98b43bf05efd

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“Doesn’t that sound like a headache? I already have plenty of headaches.”9b11db3ce39c2fd8

He muttered cynically.a0634231b1b278dd

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“On top of all that, why should I burden myself with more responsibilities and problems by getting married? I have no intention of starting a family. You wouldn’t understand, having a loving family, but being alone is better than having an unhappy family. I’m perfectly content as I am.”efd72009313f6df0

I had already learned far too much about my employer’s personal life. There was a line between employer and employee, and while he might cross it as if it didn’t exist, I couldn’t. I should have backtracked, pretending I hadn’t heard anything and changed the subject to something lighter.2aa52f2458a42514

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But I didn’t.d90fce76be62c190

“But, with all due respect, Your Grace, you’re not strictly alone.”f604c1def65926a1

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Looking back, I must 30f14eb7ba have been out of 3234100261 my mind, thanks to 35e410783b the strong liquor.2abf9bada128600d

“What?”4b151bc1df93f58e

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“Don’t you have Lady Ana? Already?”d7f61fc7c45b1b06

I continued, f62835aa61 as if 22a0c19157 possessed. As if offering advice fc7e690e7f to a close friend, 0004638470 I poured out my 6d769aa123 thoughts.012d173e6a0134ca

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“And even though you’re not related by blood, your vassals who manage your territory and the people living within it are all like your children. And even this mansion alone, you have over a hundred household members. Your Grace said you’re content being alone, but you’re not truly alone. In fact, because you’ve left the position of mistress vacant, you’re burdened with even more responsibilities and problems.”f5b24dce539246f4

Because I felt… it was a waste. A waste that he, this a9688cc168 man, was 6d34294db9 alone.86a18947e3b6a540

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“What I’m 46259b5c95 trying to ffe2fcc8b2 say is a14f2a4be3 that marriage 1caaac5d30 could be 18d02b23cf a solution 15ff63b7dc for Your 7d5c58b115 Grace, not 9bbf8bf2fd a problem.”ef12a1e818b91950

That didn’t mean the Duke was wrong. Princesses accustomed to the comforts of court life would undoubtedly struggle in this land, and some, like his mother, might never adapt. But there were exceptions, weren’t there?3213cdb43346c15b

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“Your Grace seems to think that all princesses are like your mother, but just as not all men are the same, not all women are the same either.”aa595ef88e352591

If there c9771a8615 was love.d580ac187e76169b

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Just as I had been able to settle here thanks to Lady Ana and the Duke’s consideration, couldn’t someone else do the same? The thought captivated me.2b652b0831493934

“There might be someone out there who would appreciate Your Grace and this land for what they are. Wouldn’t it be a shame to give up on marriage too early based on assumptions?”6c24a48cfe5c104d

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And at 8e970655e6 the same f52bf26646 time, I c8ca515665 also thought 1c7cb1e196 he deserved f256b818db to be 372b7b0568 loved.c46968f22fee07da

Why? Because he was 37a4804c95 a wealthy man 8ea5c463f9 with vast lands? Because he e64d18aa0b was surprisingly a9c5673e18 young and ed91b22564 handsome, contrary 3d91db50d4 to his 8ded8506bd fearsome reputation 4148e47d15 outside his f2813edf7d territories?6c08f7bbf388da44

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It wasn’t just that. I realized that my first impression of him had changed. Like the changing of seasons, a natural progression over time.ec2ae80832c1df31

At first, I had been terrified of him. But was that still true? Well, he was still a formidable presence, but he wasn’t just a figure of fear anymore.b046ca2df45d549c

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‘Perhaps I had misunderstood him all along.’ae430d8cdcd56ec3

I had been 2e35f83ab7 able to adapt 7b4f995d01 to life here b1a65bfe15 thanks to Lady 61d0b0da9d Ana, but also 8bda9d693a thanks to the b0ba5a6f9b Duke. 0fc2485c46adb41f

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He had recognized my 00851e014b work and shown consideration 2ed4cd1798 for my well-being, allowing cb93a591f3 me to prepare for 520dd0746d winter. If he could treat 262489d63f his wife with the 6c2e1dec16 same consideration he had ab12b8465c shown me, no, he e5a12b3f0c would surely be even 1430c784e7 more considerate and kind. 07f19f4da6791981

Then…c70b9d832e498826

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‘Who wouldn’t fall for this man?’53d769e907be1916

The alcohol loosened bfb4912f48 my inhibitions and 44e7ad91eb led me to 95b42447c2 thoughts I would 0530296f06 never have entertained e34ce6b44a in my sober e1f7f85bed mind.59b35fa0ede992a8

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‘The Duke is handsome, one of the wealthiest nobles in the land, and his daughter is as adorable and sweet as a rabbit. What does it matter that the winters are long, tedious, and cold? The summers and autumns here are beautiful. Of course, one would be worried about him leaving for the battlefield every summer. But if one could endure that anxiety, marrying a man like him might be a blessing, not a misfortune.’13c6a561fb54c7c9

“Isn’t it possible, however unlikely, for two people to love each other in marriage?”564a03e95a2b3fee

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Because in my few a021180b98 years at court, I 6535978902 had yet to meet 1daa5d6e40 a decent man among 871c0304ec the seemingly handsome and 0995046960 wealthy nobles. Not a 0f875ad53c single one. I had been shocked 4d21ae7116 by the absence of 51b732203a honesty, morality, and enduring 0a0b93ceaa love. 7c8b34926cabadb4

It was like… a cage of wild beasts. 437f2cdbc44a4beb

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Wouldn’t this place be better, even if it was a bit monotonous? 5a92d403081c0bc9

What if there was 43edb08e2f a princess, disillusioned with a50cbcea72 court life, who wanted 5b28426203 to come here?810a2ed34d377082

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 f100f8151c13eef5