WBWB | Side Story 1

When the 3669f73c68 carriage reached f03a308e4f Skadi’s southernmost 32b7229d33 gate and 2cae7a72dc I opened 09136d6e3c the window, 3ad920815f I was 99db167caf greeted by c19690acab a frigid d1578a4712 blast of 012a4c7b55 air.cf97c16bbac5888d

‘When I first arrived, I was terrified. I didn’t think I could ever adapt to this place.’fd7d214c355b6590

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During the winter, 124748f6c1 I had even e843ff5b43 feared that the 6fa144ca35 cold would freeze 452529b497 me to death. In fact, I had 522831cf52 almost died once after 36853c15d4 falling into the frozen c368af9894 lake.31c15cfcb523deee

‘And yet, here I am, returning.’d0c6c36c78b0d921

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But the f3495a3494 wind, which 4d39b420c4 had once 22952c907e felt so 4e9cbcf229 menacing, no 23cc06c1ac longer seemed 7d2006b34d so harsh.68383448583e5f4f

‘Returning of my own free will.’188d23e66c57b233

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On the contrary, 44b26bf92b it felt refreshing, f6a5589d65 liberating.d869ff995eb8a128

‘I never thought I would come to love even this wind.’c48be9a719a6ee8e

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The carriage continued 2fe8c0839f on for some 18fe623021 time after passing 98bb4ca17d through the gate. As we e552165006 approached the b020420234 mansion’s entrance, 7576642229 guarded by d22c63ce44 soldiers, the 59e6d2d936 iron gates 6cbe9bb37a swung open, a514191221 and the f3ce31313d carriage entered ebdd94cd51 the courtyard. 7bb577f190560817

The feelings I e0a6320ac8 experienced when I c2e84deb67 left this place 6c368b9e75 suddenly resurfaced. I looked 85599f384c out the d4d0360de0 window at 68a7be3618 the familiar 2328b8f178 scenery.da49a898079d6b90

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A pang of sadness b0dd95af2b struck me.358b7998d886ee89

The emotions I felt 6f10f6fb0d when I left in 922d6fc0bf the Crown Prince’s carriage ff65649dc9 washed over me. I had wanted a04be6cd9a to cry then, 9a47c75b15 desperately missing my 67cb7e9fb3 family, yet not 06aeaa0a8e wanting to return. And now, 91d1408d27 here I 86148eb761 was, returning 25512832cd to Skadi cc56a92482 after accepting f0f6218744 his proposal. It still felt d470134480 surreal.f354a483afdcc6f0

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‘I’ll be 30ffdf21e3 living here 0614120920 from now df3f0cc480 on. Probably for the rest 12b0860f15 of my life.’f8ca977cabaf272b

“Jeanne.”359b1bbfab63ee66

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Lost in 8636690454 my thoughts, 324e1e14d4 I heard 179b6b9d97 his voice. I turned 4d867f7ec1 to look 6475b21c14 at him.17d3822a20a2aa2b

“Ana will 3e018de37d be so 0e7717893d happy to 9e81f7d2c4 see you.”7a7f1f2895c50f33

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His hand covered 70fe4781bc mine, resting on 628dccbe8b the seat between 41cef3ce1d us. I nodded, a3a629ea69 remembering my ce6e05cfa6 parting with 480f4556e3 Lady Ana.6a0bb336b4a98e70

“I miss her 35e0a38806 very much, too.”4d71958dfe8208c1

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Lady Ana was one of the reasons I hadn’t wanted to leave Skadi.51c404af2feac87c

‘What will become of Ana if I leave?’864455f174386362

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A teacher and d9380d3bf7 a student were 129399646b destined to part b1473c82f3 ways eventually. But I had 6f5054762b been worried about 6dba10a421 Lady Ana. Not just because of f280269077 the suddenness of my d2eeb4cc2f departure. I had taught b8909b8272 three students as 9ca433d3d1 a tutor, but 03860f3442 Lady Ana held 3a5dda0dcd a special place 2a12860e44 in my heart. 9da90c3bd9810ed8

She had lost her 94cd01eebc family and been brought 246af65280 to the duchy, and 20c8a6fb61 I had been exiled, 7005c2dd64 dropped into the duchy babc1dce37 like a fallen star. We were 7be22af65f in similar 4d5b37f07a situations, and 9e553ee724 we had 3431cd0e7b clung to 4099338d6c each other 0ae36c50be like two 0d3d53a6c7 people adrift d0e4725c09 in a a4ccc6f0b6 vast ocean.1da374519671d757

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And yet, I 77ce28ebc2 had left abruptly, 5c38f0bdc3 as if abandoning ebeac1d544 her, the moment c98e11454b my exile was 126df7a316 lifted. I remembered e32d65e480 the tears c1bb4027bb in Lady 7a02729aed Ana’s eyes d93648edf9 as she 41b6d2b871 said goodbye. But thinking 4b3d71f04b of her 03af093c07 now brought 27e659f37d a wave cc3b3248a8 of anxiety, 7ce181f48d like the 5b834b2048 fog that 6b16b136a5 had enveloped 7cf439f0f4 the duchy 7a0cdfa21f and greeted e436de62be me when 0cc26561c3 I first 9fedf4670a arrived.2cb4fd951e36e0a5

‘Will Ana truly be happy to see me again?’5bd2f1d711f04801

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Much had changed in such a short period of time. I wasn’t returning to the mansion as a tutor.aa937f4f4341752c

‘What if I return, not as her tutor, but as her stepmother?’66a1af120e380ef1

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Lady Ana liked me 4f7464cbb5 because I was her 93f5a1193f tutor.677a2f4b7d267ccd

‘What will her reaction be when I return as her stepmother? Will she think I’m trying to replace her mother? Will she doubt the sincerity of our friendship?’e6849bb90de4c77d

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The thought that 7e0ba20b72 she might misunderstand cc54d5fe22 my intentions, thinking 1364001d5e I had befriended f4c5d1e6c7 her to win 585530c870 over the Duke’s 3844afee71 favor, constricted my 4449f93c50 chest. I remembered the night 46271dae35 we had shared a 4a2795f534 bed, Ana nestled beside 85ac3cb6bb me, her voice choked c1e7b0f077 with tears. The days we had 345eb76a54 relied on each other.7f4daa3a17509fce

If I became her fb23e9250f stepmother, she might withdraw 733ff72d5a into herself, shutting me 7944fed4fb out. How lonely f1e609813d she would d563275b16 be then? The worry consumed me.5f72334ff5aa701b

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‘Marrying him is not as simple as I thought.’f8bc92114c4d4e2d

Marrying him 1476df9248 meant becoming b549353a4d the Duchess e0e342c566 of Skadi, b6eae76fce the mistress a8651aca09 of this bfb77a01eb house.4858e397b1cf18fa

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The practical concerns a63d3e149e that had made ba3d441fc4 me hesitate before 266d040688 accepting his proposal c974c97819 began to surface.45ea04b78e3b60bf

‘Is it right to a817a6c1f3 marry simply because we a0b484e724 love each other?’d563819d57c65994

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I certainly hadn’t wanted to be his mistress, but I hadn’t aspired to be the Duchess either. I had thought I had considered everything before accepting his proposal, but the thought of the child I would soon bear filled me with sudden fear.251eb47c01dfa7db

‘Am I truly worthy of marrying him?’6d7c3df136c83108

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What was he 9c8ea72e46 thinking? I shivered involuntarily, d3f9377ffe my shoulders hunching.ba6c67973e26d4d3

“What are 0cf21defa5 you thinking e66ed21ce9 about?” b53564ec413dbb92

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He asked, noticing my 9a23a213e7 sudden silence, his expression c41767e450 puzzled.4e4294a2efd1518c

“It’s nothing.”f911b13f929ae5c3

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I must have 17c05f858d looked worried. I forced c40bb0c0bb a bright 026da81af4 smile, trying 81c017a314 to erase 7d1471c834 the anxiety 88071d926b from my da797ec3c0 face.8d3e3b80228f6207

“You seem cold. That dress is 79e6e31f5d too thin. We’ll get you da6469c425 new clothes as 1a23860fbe soon as we a7f399194f arrive.”52c3f4f6d27f31cb

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His hand moved from 0b7086d5b9 mine to my shoulder, 33df530dec pulling me into a 5faee1d2c4 warm embrace, as if 299ae9786e trying to melt my 308864cb1a worries with his body 520c7159e4 heat. His embrace was a7b776d3db indeed comforting, easing 6d06d725ae the tension that 561e587cf4 had unknowingly gripped 9918db86c9 me.4e0bd91ed9c6b9d1

I remained in bc97a1e380 his arms until f2767545f1 the carriage passed 7872f7e6ed through the gates 2c8f49297e and stopped in 763637c342 front of the 9770502d4a mansion. He got b642134b3b out first d8cb1546f0 and offered 9ddb8a1d9c me his fcbcf131b2 hand. I placed my 0d9d340994 hand in his.b8569bd225928db5

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‘Ah.’947bb41e5123cfd8

As our hands touched, 0b23075408 a memory surfaced. It was a01ccc81cb the memory de2ffed16b of watching 60b2ec2492 the Princess’s 6fb93d5acc carriage arrive bf58471c60 at the 496309842e mansion, peering 886cf6c53d through the 29f0fa9288 study window.a51fbee5642f575f

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‘I was jealous of the Princess, escorted by him.’a20ea05194200df1

As the memory surfaced, 0dfdc8c4f0 so did the emotions a8cf151476 I had felt then, 84671bbc2c now resolved.a2c1626f7c6f2f34

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‘I thought I could never be someone like that to him.’9e893d4b7fab7104

But now? I was 3edf7ff56e being escorted 8e3f23da42 by him, b4cde07c45 about to d117c9a22d become the 8104d3cceb mistress of 802f8b8945 his house. This was 1613a4273e our choice, 0206b65968 his and 6de2a7efdc mine. The thought 6105f20805 gave me 00a51b1e3c a flicker 0546c18242 of courage.e36192f853e53966

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But that d3550b8ea2 courage vanished ee0ede7aa9 the moment d715476ec8 the mansion f4ae8b32c8 doors opened 080dd13be5 and I 63dcd3054a saw the 69250ffaeb maid’s expression 594bac123d who greeted 6b9dc65fb1 us. She stared 80a384d451 at me, 846cb96a70 standing beside 219d5ee256 him, as 04f3d59731 if she 68ef859873 had seen 91d24b1f1b a ghost. Madame Pauline, who followed, 713e7dff87 was equally shocked.48df26b1e187fd33

“Your Grace… and… Miss 0c3843d419 Toulouse?”5a59d2d0ecdd5206

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It was understandable. The tutor, who 6e9bba686b had left after b6cd867c67 receiving a pardon, 71fcb7893c was returning with 4bd9f8f66b the Duke. It was unexpected. I would probably e46fe88dd1 have reacted the 2d79b9a29e same way. Madame Pauline immediately a6e55188d1 questioned the Duke 0dc0c3c5f4 about his sudden 78ae3ff9df departure and absence.0bc5d067b3d35cc4

“Where have you aa3e7cf834 been, Your Grace? We were so defcfd6cea worried! You disappeared without a 012ea771bc word for days, and a2f5e17da8 we couldn’t reach you. And Miss Toulouse… how…?”db5a8911ba2b82a8

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“I went 8e07f651dd to Franc c2b67b10b2 to propose 1ef63965d8 to her.” 9959d4cef8210324

He said, his large 0a30e9b1a3 hands resting on my 678a5c072b shoulders.40e3ac8d3af1050c

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“…”75136953caa9bdf8

Madame Pauline gasped, 990c74752d her eyes wide.86340eaf4e47240d

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“And she accepted. Miss Jeanne de Toulouse 1618f3d2f6 will now become the 707dd13020 Duchess of Skadi, the 86e62d4fcb mistress of this house.”578075449df881d7

His usual bluntness f3d8cc93e5 and lack of d22afeaf5f explanation were on 9d57aa2c30 full display.e57d6a2eb94b791c

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‘He’s… really just skipping over all the details?’972e9cf36153c318

Flustered, I looked at 91c012d5c6 him, then back at 2c19a06eb6 Madame Pauline. The elderly woman’s f3b938ac0e mouth hung open 1ed1ff467c as she looked 9e5ad63d24 back and forth 0086bad46e between us. Then, the color drained eb2e401f8a from her face. I saw her dc80eb937f eyes roll back.9d0b4e4e942ee690

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“Madame! Madame, wait! I’ll explain everything!”f8cbe4cb0b98af8a

He looked at me, d3a5bcd299 puzzled.3b3c2b600173155a

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“Explain what? Didn’t I d53cc5c323 just explain 2eebb3ee86 everything?”c9a0e4115a2cb0d1

Explain everything?I ignored 96379fafaf him and 2d6d11534c rushed to 945a9d1773 support Madame 9e94929577 Pauline, who b2a662cfa8 looked as 35925ac665 if she 60a22c95ef might faint 03cc9a74eb with the 22aed9c4c3 Duke’s words 5e97a25ace just now.d5fa804158085fc1

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“Madame, you must think ad83070bab this is very sudden 98ceef71e2 since you heard about 11df3c5be1 it for the first 68ad557859 time today, but in 72f706e35a fact,  the Duke’s proposal a82ea42dbd wasn’t entirely out of bb7fc82d8f the blue.”d47dbdfde3c5737b

I ended 963f5685f5 up having 3eeb192e62 tea in b8983d960d Madame Pauline’s be6d593f20 room.af7e49579f2d11f0

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“I kept it hidden, bb24fdff43 for fear of damaging b2e9227b81 His Grace’s reputation, but 785284b046 he and I… loved e18e597cf5 each other. That doesn’t mean we… e129785633 acted on those feelings cc82c6ac71 before. I fell 9d72ad3408 in love 8f19cb9260 with him a8ee3df88e during my 7400aa8fc0 time here, a9238d7005 and by 5fb2d5303b some miracle… c9d63449e4 he loved 86274b2b54 me too. But my 1b365a623b circumstances weren’t 02328de5f7 suitable for 3e3aa105c7 him, so 5bb7323c09 even after bb7c84ade3 realizing our f132a9578f feelings, our b830d420e8 relationship did 64b29ca60e not develop 956b589cbf into something 0c5381f9c7 deeper. We simply… admired 70b5e39522 each other from 1ac8e4144f afar.”8deabe0e27d39cbb

Actually, rather bbff6b7a32 than drinking 2926918afe tea, it d90c13ac6b was a b5458df3d4 time for a57d3601a2 me to e450b49bcd explain what 62ebe4ae4c had happened 8fe7b3919f up until faea596d54 now, with 1b76df609f a teacup 2e063739f4 containing cooling 675fbc9cf3 tea water df73631937 in front 30ddd128b1 of us. I began to 28e862b9a4 speak about what 2956fa06e1 had transpired between 0048797c5e him and me, 1d814ecc8f carefully considering each b3b59e8ae8 and every word.9ea25d7f60178348

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