WBWB | Chapter 51

The Duke suddenly launched into a litany of complaints about the Princess. His words felt like proof that he wasn’t under her spell yet. The fact that this made me happy proved I was undeniably mad. He was walking so fast that I could barely keep up, but then he stopped abruptly.f580063fe769e2c1

“I heard you went into the Princess’s room and stayed for a while. What did you two talk about?”4335fca66a2a7684

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He then looked at 12570d7e0a me.db32a6db1e4eecf5

“What did the Princess say to you?”8dabc7884c517970

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I hesitated for a 33024f4334 moment, then confessed the 0022e8f72d truth.d4d711a88fde6292

“Her Highness desperately wishes to marry you. She pleaded with me to dispel any misunderstandings you might have about her, so that you would agree to the marriage.”ca2ef223508a534f

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“Misunderstandings? Does she mean the misunderstanding about her coming here and treating my mansion and my supplies as her own?”30483447cea810b3

He asked sharply.f3ab2b65237aaebf

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“She meant the misunderstandings about… the rumors that follow her.”3a4e7eb1339f7c35

“I don’t know what those rumors are, nor do I care. Now that you’ve mentioned them, it seems the Princess’s efforts were wasted.”41690d06567ff2f4

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So, the Princess’s assumption that he believed the rumors and was wary of her was a misunderstanding. I stood there silently, at a loss for words.114449dd0f47413f

“So, were you planning to grant the Princess’s request?”8a2b6090d78294e7

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“…”1775121f3a22bc95

“Were you planning to dispel those so-called misunderstandings and help the Princess? Tell me. Do you also want me to marry her?”a2ab1a804e4d9ea1

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He asked, “What’s your opinion?”1e86dbee35a27978

And at that moment, 7cd80c7161 I felt like I b3d0181e5e was standing at a 31a2dfb471 crossroads. I could 75c00bfcd4 have spoken 7e4a307723 favorably about dda572b04e the Princess, d1e2afdca3 completed the 1d66772fec task, and a90a4180a4 then asked 3cc85b0013 her to 11258e5022 release me 5786696096 from exile.c1e17f4b79194a0a

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But I didn’t. Because I was in the grip of madness.cc905a1ad8beb5c0

“No.” 13b434bc15197146

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The words c335ae0b9e tumbled out, 21d63a6018 surprising even 51ad178a55 myself.dab7812eb1b76c58

“I don’t want you to marry her. If you must marry, please choose someone else.”77b445cdd9877029

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“Why?”39890f0f840fae90

“Because I love you.”bff3e3c0d60920ee

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It was madness 7eda443ed8 disguised as love.e6ebc9c2ed328f78

“I don’t know much about the Princess, but I’m certain of one thing. Your Grace, she doesn’t love you. I believe she loves only herself, and that love is so great that there’s no room for anyone else. I understand that for people of your standing, marriage is a transaction. But didn’t you tell me? That in your childhood, no one loved you. I know this is presumptuous of me, but I don’t want you to repeat your father’s mistake. I want you and Lady Ana to be happy. So, if you must marry, please choose someone who loves you, even if it means forgoing political advantages.”21244af2b249c2e5

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After speaking without 5b684fc88a taking a breath, eddbcb1fe1 I gasped for 9738c9210b air.9682ed3f8e5809f9

‘I’ve done it now.’74b6a4f18c754282

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There was no going 549f768551 back. The words had already 134875c767 been spoken.f0a710d5877a62e9

“…”9e39aedd434baf51

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The Duke didn’t respond. He looked… deeply shocked. A cool autumn breeze swept between us.cd8b82866837e64a

“You love me?”323ed0d9977664f0

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He asked incredulously, his dadd54b6a7 hair ruffled by the 7ce6fb921f wind.dfff00820396360b

“Yes.”d2ea146c9d8eabbe

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I couldn’t deny it now, so I nodded.87481b2aaaf75a64

“Since when?”d1121d3d124e6746

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“For a long time.”98d24612eb3aa452

“Were you in love with me even when I proposed that you become my mistress?”de25475f2c36407c

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“Yes.”f7218347f6ff5fe7

“Then why?”c7509975882fe501

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His green eyes 996d1a26c4 churned like a 96d946daf4 stormy sea, and ccf5b67805 his voice cracked.50fd2d9c10bfb358

“Then why did you refuse my offer?”9ca6ecd61afa7849

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“…”8db4d4b7e96a1aba

“If you say you love me?”c628d28b84c78619

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This was the consequence 1425346e88 of my confession. I looked ada758f86c up and efa91ab3d3 sighed deeply.1536d98b3ebc93d0

“I love you, c61bdef984 Your Grace, but 55d8d8beb5 I also love 3ef4309ada myself too much d2e079f01e to become your 0ff6552cc1 mistress.”2255010d3177e590

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These were words I 6f4072e485 hadn’t wanted to say.760d07ba72b34b76

“While tutoring Young Master Mael, Duchess Ventadour’s son, I saw how they, mother and son, were treated. They were objects of ridicule and scorn, targets of resentment.”dc6079830c93b28b

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“…”f4ac145475e30608

“I love you, but that’s not a reason for me to become a mistress. But even so, I’m speaking out of turn because…”f900ee166ca6cf78

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I hesitated. The next words were 524c567c92 truly, incredibly presumptuous of bd4e207870 me.ede0c11fcef500a7

“I want you to have a loving family and be happy, even if it’s not with me. I grew up in such a family, and the memories of being loved have sustained me through every hardship. I wish you and Lady Ana the same happiness.”68c78eae2ddf5aef

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But having already 0ae4c56150 opened the floodgates, 5da93177b5 the words continued 3a4b4ae325 to pour out. Confessing everything felt like 508d224b70 a weight had been 9614b71148 lifted from my chest. Ah, how difficult d138500261 it was to 400b0fcdf7 keep secrets. Speaking the 1b89cae1b7 truth felt 16da274843 liberating.b5a77aee5e86271c

“…”7490f936a5c4db8b

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He remained silent c022bcd12b for a long 4083fcd96a time.35e91e67b908a3b7

After a while, c9c137c7e7 instead of responding bdac518fe6 directly to my 90e2ad92da confession, he said, 373d30058803e140

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“The wind is cold.”54d55dbd7f1f7fb8

Indeed, what more 186540b789 could he say? I nodded and 48c2c6dcc9 spoke.7f7c305f25efd48d

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“Shall we go back?”96cf27da667d1783

We returned 4bda3372c6 to the bf4a84c6a4 mansion.2f55002ae8a80840

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“…”85edbc4ca7e92d39

He seemed somewhat 23fc7043b2 lost in thought fccb735bb1 as we walked.d308b3555648e107

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The Princess returned 9de42b71e5 to the capital 9d6aae1d76 two days later.c39f83dd3edf764c

Early in the a2339f8ce6 morning of her 683cbb8ab2 departure, Baroness Etoille 5a63e27f78 came to me 7a1ad8f176 again and demanded 05c343e7a1 the star ornament 7672256b85 the Princess had 697178ad3c given me.bfebaa50a1b31910

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“You fool. A few flattering words 97d8d3097c could have saved not 5c2686746b only you, but your 53bee34407 entire family.”ac315ef69138a4c1

Could it have? But I felt no 8f2f714e0c regret. My heart was more ad16cef8ab at peace than ever 23c10ed5a6 before. Was it because the d0515008a8 madness that had consumed badabc61e4 me had subsided?ccb1b6a894ef250a

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No, it wasn’t. I had 428c8fc4cb completely surrendered 68ca69d4ed to the 181d9f50b7 madness the 74f6df5ad3 day I 822a4a8da5 confessed my 1fde5fb596 feelings to 55c3541305 the Duke, 27abe538d7 baring my 6645c163b0 heart to d08e005f1d him. It was 594145fded a complete 472f44988d and utter bca0254a4f surrender. And having knelt before 60679bdeb5 my madness, all resistance 6d8c619169 became futile, leaving only d05584c009 a sense of peace.918024f62c619881

Yes, I loved him, and I wanted him to be happy. What else could I do? Come to think of it, it wasn’t something worth hiding.1a855e3541bc97d1

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‘What’s wrong with loving him and wanting him to be happy?’eec9c7189674e6bb

Confessing my secret had 36014001af set me free. I slept soundly, c697b91036 my appetite returned, c8b82a1f10 and I no bcb552ebea longer hid in e94acfacfd my room like 9b01c8bdc1 a criminal, afraid 0779188479 of being discovered. I even 5a52eb298f started taking e80b52e953 walks again.34649f89007642d7

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Beautiful autumn was passing. Winter was coming.34abec8504b7b3a8

* * *9f206ecd85ab533c

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The very moment Jeanne found peace, Baldr’s heart began to race uncontrollably.6e1e6ebb319cc902

As soon 97c09c759a as he c9679dfd89 heard Jeanne’s b50405ffcf confession, Baldr 7cad1b714c felt his 8c536b29ed mind go baaad056d5 blank. The woman c0b66ec6a6 before him 5445bfadb1 had just ef8d39267d confessed her 7c5b255ca0 love. She loved ef86936d87 him, but 9c4f12f03c not enough ff56c35d39 to compromise 33f966a512 herself, so a3be47b45a she urged f1def16ce0 him to 9a1f845063 marry someone 05bdadb324 who loved d039c322cc him and 81ec33da54 knew the b185444284 meaning of ebdc2d4447 love, to 37eab62b67 find happiness ff7f1b3a38 and build f96da5f7b7 a family. She wished him luck.b8f3873a20d8d8f2

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‘What on earth does 84dcaae2ff that even mean?’daa5a968262e6824

As he 4245877774 walked back 605f63d62d to the 6b5fa3c261 mansion with ae876a7ba2 her, he 2681b1dead had to 35671b393d suppress the 956e0ed8e7 urge to e5a4bef76d repeatedly ask 4beecdd205 her what fa4103f2af she meant.412358557a496eb9

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‘What does she mean, telling me to be happy with someone else when she loves me?’e2d348f32c753ebc

He was fa40b8922c on the e9dc8150c5 verge of 64e48194a7 madness.e2da00e8ccc9d459

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Was it Chrétienne? From the 0e4ec5374e moment the 37e4ca4c51 Princess arrived, adf880d791 Baldr had c67eea0dad found everything fe5bc3da11 about her c491af0852 displeasing.925a886ab7299240

Her entourage treated his servants like slaves, as if they were in the royal palace. The royal guards had kicked out the officers from the soldiers’ quarters and were now lounging around, laughing. The food stores, meant to last through the winter, were quickly depleted, and his servants were exhausted.70bdcd789d2dc890

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‘When will she leave?’b211e58db96ad066

And then, the ball.31150d504dcc753b

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She had demanded he host a ball, inviting all the nobles in the vicinity, as if she were the mistress of the house. He hadn’t refused, since Jeanne had previously requested a ball as well, but he hadn’t anticipated the Princess’s demands to be endless.541a7a005c12040f

She had insisted 4b55f1a51c on a strict 0498dac524 dress code for 4c52835cb3 all the attending b798d2b4f0 nobles, claiming to 1f5e2799ca educate them on 6a4e1b51fd the latest court 940c57f183 fashions. She wanted 41e8aa06e5 the staircases 1caca4d836 and hallways 6b99c35d48 decorated with ffa1cd1c5e extravagant flower 2c06502bca arrangements. And she 76ca8f6c33 demanded one 5a3cb4087a hundred jeweled fd180c524d fans to fe40f61b21 be given 181a26c34f to the 8aae414fe9 ladies attending 7e451c9f47 the ball, f62670746e in addition 5af9fb00ec to musicians c71cce58b7 and cooks.743ad75874c77188

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‘Is she mad?’f26e4366c78163a3

Baldr was dumbfounded. Did she defcc2904b think jeweled 512adbff81 crafts would 2e478e38fb magically appear 88a52fc788 out of d14e829d10 thin air, b7e7b37095 or sprout 11dbdeaf0a from the 614946d91c ground? Even the elderly Madame 4be60f86a8 Pauline was on the 8df66825e1 verge of collapse, trying 87b3aa3d8e to keep up with 8de20abea1 the preparations for the 4563797f71 ball.b5388740ecdfceed

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