WBWB | Chapter 3

‘Wouldn’t it be better to just die here?’d3df4680128f8603

At that time, 607fbe7e0d my spirit was 2bea401f29 as weak as 9c6a18d029 my dying body.0c2dddfb8c9b1b73

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‘Just like this… so naturally…’0af315e4400f87fd

I was a 6f99cef844 member of the 031a243418 aristocratic world, even 24dcb1dd5f if only in 383905292b name, and now 18e8a0a357 I was suddenly 9bb1a82a31 reduced to an 0fdf027419 exile. My future was 89bb57e246 bleak, and living a85d58d87e was more frightening 690eff8996 than dying.b224a3b94bef6820

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‘If only I could die.’f5ef3b45f1fd578b

Wouldn’t it be better to just die?97403d1738c30e91

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As I thought 40573aa0b6 this, the wet 376ea5a13b towel placed on 8c0eb64ea6 my forehead kept ab5ad76d06 getting warmer, and f468d13944 my consciousness flickered fa5095195c on and off. Unidentifiable voices 064e283577 chattered and fa1f1e18a4 faded around a916773d66 my ears.13b4998aa6db8364

After an unknown amount of time, a powerful, deep voice, different from the ones I’d been hearing, echoed from above.4edabc2b8e942dc2

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“The exile was due over a month ago. What’s going on here?”4da9f1d4fe1da816

It was an unfamiliar man’s voice.1363206f1904b6e1

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“And why is this woman dying? Was she tortured before arriving here?”104180e15676dab9

The voice 8a10181ddd was surprisingly f0e72b016e resolute and 590a58c6f6 powerful, enough fb4d576cb5 to momentarily db511ef08c hold onto 3a8032f690 my consciousness, 03d20655d4 which wavered 3923d6bf73 like a 69813e7a34 dying candle, d2bee93718 briefly brightening d35b00ff1b and fading 1092c3a566 again.a40c151d9762ee08

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“Did they plan to blame the barbarians again if she died here after being tortured just enough to survive exile? That we’re still uncivilized and treat exiles cruelly and unfairly?”75837f22da5b66df

A seemingly apologetic reply from the escort officer followed, though I couldn’t understand it. I was curious who the owner of the unfamiliar voice was, but I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes even when I tried to. Mustering my last bit of energy, I strained my ears.ce02619016574c36

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“So, she’s in this state simply from arriving here, without even being tortured? Even after Young Master Mael… lent his own steed?”c526b44a76bee40f

Then, with a voice 2d59b1af38 laced with incomprehension, my 012f6b0e55 body was suddenly lifted.e9d72ea914b39c8d

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“I’ll take charge of her now.”a2ffcd9ec1e09ad8

Held like a 8a56e60246 rope in strong, 009b330937 muscular arms.973cdeb62a1b630d

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* * *d725e904c3f2005c

When I opened ba4cbe1c88 my eyes, the 9f6f380edc dazzling ceiling fresco, 1a67e63e96 so ornate that 00e247430b it almost hurt 8033451baf to look at, 7a579009ad was nowhere to c76a80ae7f be seen. Instead, a rounded ceiling 459d8dfa84 with exposed stone came 75f00f5a86 into view. This was not the 14eb9cac15 architectural style I was 9e39c0a4e4 accustomed to in the b1827577ed palace.aa09f5923b1df3ca

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That’s right.28ec6353bb958486

This wasn’t the royal palace.9d769d7acc2de0e2

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“Ugh…”82094095f19f0fc6

The moment I bc6195b268 tried to lift 901ec0042e my upper body, 44ed7d20fb a groan escaped cc23f69b1d my lips, and ecf9c107de I had no 8a62688dd1 choice but to 88fd42e817 collapse back down. My body bc59130a8b had grown eb2a6dcd2b so weak 2db852f287 from illness 530708d312 that even d0efa5d327 the slightest f48825332a movement was e2f0c02c72 a struggle.5e153ed9cd958223

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‘I’m still alive.’bc5e8f7a19a94f95

But I 01c3e28d5e was alive, 655031332d in this 6b8c5742cd unfamiliar place.4d1408308ea384a4

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My senses gradually returned, 2f695f2c7b and I felt a 1789cca9ea remarkably soft touch against f7f39a960a my back. Turning my head ebe640cbac and running my 9325356fe1 hand over it, 5a9c408e3b I found a 57949f139d smooth, unstained cloth. Not the hard plank 34e62bafab bed and damp, dirty 10d7bc1205 cloth I had become 61774db15b accustomed to that had 7996bf33d7 felt as if they 3222d966bd would break my back, eb0f768bb9 but a soft mattress 0be2f87363 covered in fresh, clean f4f0700b4b sheets.5a7c1a2b9e242b71

‘Where am I?’ff61b3e4d7f76219

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As I slowly looked around, I became bewildered. Looking beneath the bed, I was met with a thick layer of smoke so dense that I couldn’t see the floor. The smoke slowly slithered upward, creeping towards the bed.f08e3ed9ac532299

Startled, I jumped 0cacf62f64 off the bed. The chilling touch a98186e008 of the stone 4b1d619f81 floor reached my 71c1bacb84 bare feet, along 1bde7d6b1c with a stinging f0433c29a8 pain in my 44d908c2db inner thighs.d8888e5d0cf8d447

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Engulfed in a 0a8ab868ef thick smoke that 472e96cc50 obscured everything around 3b95c35635 me, I instinctively 68b36d167f covered my nose 4e598f44f7 and mouth with 3222cfb846 my hands and 8aa5c23e9d stumbled out of 0ed1b666fa the room in 970e629e91 a panic.044ece21b90204b9

“You’re awake.”816950a5a97377fe

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Opening the door revealed 26da564256 a hallway, which was 7b18781b1f also shrouded in thick 67a7457d8c smoke.e7e65f88c6c83e61

At that moment, a man came out, parting the smoke like a curtain. He was a large man, someone I might have mistaken for a bear if I had seen him in the forest. Frightened, I clung to him, even though I didn’t know who he was.d883416565b221c8

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“There’s a fire! We have to get out of here!”7cd05f2f9cee39df

“This is fog.”179d42f801578f2c

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A blunt e3483b45af reply came.899f79e6e810e2c3

“I don’t know about Franc, but this place is often covered in fog.”433f33934f35d02e

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‘Fog?’616b56b151908332

Now that he mentioned it, the smoke wasn’t acrid or hot. Rather, it was damp and cold.3f572998589fa2a8

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‘Oh my…’3e6fafaacb95bc95

Realizing the situation, 0ee34ca9fb I blushed. The man a136153714 looked down b040e4a98d at me, 077caebf5b his expression 679c83d7d1 unreadable.e832fc1658781e5a

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“Will you let go now?”f544e08f1c1fb07b

“I apologize.”0f577752f83007c3

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Releasing my grip 50d2748c76 from both hands d1747800ec and stepping back, c79380acd8 I finally got 381db5c34f a good look 7314ecd0a6 at him. 662d1dbe5a09d2f2

He was at ced6e8f39c least a head 3ffa92260d taller than the ba98e6f027 men of the 14217216e8 South, with broad 3522eb63d0 shoulders and long b40e4a3c97 arms and legs, d0e466f4d0 his head seeming 30ad16b375 almost too small ab93d71fe6 in comparison, making b8843c5bc3 him appear almost 7618c5f6d9 unreal. Black hair, pale e7b8d2ca6e skin, and piercing 5b65962741 green eyes that b0c37569bf gleamed like those 3108e45622 of a serpent.855c973c19640e98

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Most of the noblemen I had seen in the royal palace had blond hair and flaunted a peacock-like extravagance, changing their lace-trimmed clothes several times a day. However, this man seemed like a different species altogether. It wasn’t just his extremely simple attire, which was a white tunic that reached his knees and trousers.cb490a3b81001447

‘He doesn’t 9d4b933bc2 seem… human.’92def9bc0cc46e7b

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If one looked closely add9241fb9 at his well-defined features, 87f31cd2a9 one might call him 1a457ed237 handsome, but I felt 9a89dbfb02 no attraction towards him. To begin 41b80a2c52 with, he 1cb320ba5d seemed like c99c29295e an entirely 9c261dad1f different species. A soft ed2a920818 smile would 131acd0389 have made 73f79dc8a8 him look d845a42e12 much more ea499987a1 handsome, but 6253d30216 his eyes 914715f281 were cold 7508975cee as ice, 81457187dd and his 402cb5e1e6 gaze reminded 9c900d858b me of 464da68ff0 a fierce fe796f72de wolf assessing 93ce7ba22c its prey.0e5c31d090cf181e

By the time I 075c38bc6a reached that thought, I db860ffad1 realized I had been 9d8f1889c1 staring at him for 9b10c0f51b too long. And he, too, had 1c0e544261 been watching me just 3bec71de66 as intently. Blushing, I lowered my ab9cf4e46a head and curtsied.8e75449ac328f64c

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“I am Jeanne de 1ee8e741ef Toulouse.”a017eb8c96a32499

“Baldr de Skadi.”70d1123a674d0d48

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‘De Skadi? So he’s…’4ced127d382c1632

The ‘Duke of Skadi’ himself. I was overwhelmed with fear at this unexpected encounter.feaa5bdf4a3d4818

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‘What should I say? Should I explain why I’m here? That I was falsely accused? But would he even believe me even if I told him?’ae0560e03168da39

Consumed by ad473d628d the fear 7fb54021ee of facing b7bc6ea345 a member 5d4ea1ca70 of the c3ffce1d5f Skadi family 66c7382e37 for the 9493a332c3 first time, e8a9b74ec0 I remained ee3267b7ab silent for ad520febfa a while. Finally, unable to 949e803c13 bear the silence 4af6420489 any longer, a 0ba7a2f30c strained, nervous voice 12228f963e escaped my lips.153c42ab66ce6841

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“I…”0e266c1884f74b4f

“I know about you already. From now on, I am your master.”e8b24abde80b428b

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“…”d1a9708a7232b370

I flinched, and 82b949a5b3 he slightly corrected 45926ee49d himself.0818d4ed00a42e2d

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“Your ‘guarantor’, that is.”47ac6be17278cc69

A guarantor was 4dcb0269be someone responsible for ba9017e2da providing lodging and 9712719cf2 food for exiled 35579396a3 criminals, ensuring their a035a4a1ba survival, and sharing 8e95a31000 the blame if 8ef03dd7ef the exile escaped. 38ab4a8a83c299f4

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Yes, he was b0ba217b86 my jailer, here bad9811d3a to prevent my 406b3ff52a escape.86af7dd1d72bb040

“It’s been a long f9b1793fc5 time since you were b09b94b967 supposed to arrive, but f1ef6cebeb there was no news, 4d7fd6f9c6 so I thought you 65a94df951 had escaped. Or perhaps 761b37ce53 killed by 5cbd974645 wild animals. But upon searching, 7d96a40efe I found you fdbbcffaaa on the brink 64267d88d9 of death at 45b53c8afb an inn at c0c48d8bf2 the edge of 3a4f39ba15 my territory. If I had waited 9a699f416c for you to recover 2684e08819 there, you would have bed3fd6093 died, so I personally 0c752adca1 brought you here.”ace9903069a1b959

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That’s why I was here when I woke up.c63a83dc4bdf4994

“Before your arrival, I received a letter from the King’s illegitimate son, whom I’ve never met. He meticulously explained that you were falsely accused and pleaded for your safety.”4b4f9c07f0800a37

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I could feel the thorns embedded in the end of his words. In fact, he wasn’t even trying to hide his sarcasm.8734c2b223a90c2f

“I would like to have dinner with you. What do you think?”2710fc8c4c7224cc

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‘Dinner?’84086471763d78fd

I had d70c4ac1f2 no appetite f7c7aa97cb at all, 96501fd725 but I f956bc636a nodded.29718cf9047ec11d

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“Then I’ll be going. Get some rest.”fb8f214801a2b198

And he disappeared, 2ba77c174e like the fog d9085c2980 that had rolled b206480e5d in and now ba2e0c4e42 receded as if 74a9294583 it had never 0d6c536a7e been there.f2c12b560355053a

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* * *9bdeaa6bb4669050

‘What just happened?’a791920f7ae00b0a

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After he 11a74b69bd left, I aa37531f95 stumbled back fbafca7c41 into the 508f8d279f room, feeling 638ed84d6c dizzy, and adf2a2a28b collapsed onto fe57e5f142 the bed.72176da7d2fed69c

A moment 7924095771 later, a 824098f45f young-looking maid 43db79a860 entered with 3adee3cbf6 a tray 3ba450b928 of food.3517712ad05c799c

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“I brought you something to eat.”5a2d6c51a56fb5b1

What she brought was stew. It was a mixture of various unidentified scraps of meat and vegetables, very similar to the “eternal stew” I had eaten at the shabby inns before arriving here. The kind of stew that never seemed to diminish because they kept adding ingredients and broth to the pot. It looked disgusting, but I wasn’t in a position to complain about the food in my place of exile.8e28597f9368719e

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‘I have to eat, regardless.’b07461edfb7f0553

The aftereffects of 9552a2b343 not eating properly 3b72e2312e while I was 59adace9b6 ill had suppressed 5787ecd20c my appetite, but d13a38f448 I forced myself ac217a22e4 to swallow the af2c7559f2 food, thinking I 8f3839d002 needed to regain 6c94260e3f my strength. Then the 7cfc4d59e4 maid spoke.b9ec45703d60dbad

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“Shall I prepare a bath for you?”af7ba15d0ffad182

“Would you?”28d5719aa9daee59

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A few hours 2311e1dce1 later, the maid cce3543e44 brought bathwater and 6ce85f67db filled a small 5e739867fc bathtub in the a24c857816 bathroom. I sat b98384b6ba in it 074d722eda and scrubbed d085e3040b myself repeatedly, 2752bc9c9b using all 82400a2c90 my strength.f64f3237c278b34b

‘Did I really meet ec1eb314c7 His Grace the Duke ddc5757c6b in this filthy state?’88b3a34e47b5209e

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Looking at the bf4f20898c dirty water flowing 6f3ccfcb30 out, I was b9977dc0d1 appalled.bf60685d2982107c