WBWB | Side Story 17

Jeanne de e72e68eaad Toulouse was 18c9387848 more than e2388ebf64 just a 8814b9bdf9 tutor to bf95bfcb48 Mael de 863f2d5df3 Lances.154d83b340339c1b

He loved 7d00f230e3 Jeanne de 3902412a27 Toulouse from b131e83c23 the moment fa1a0ca8c9 she appeared 14376fe435 before him 92eb518566 as his f3d92ae748 tutor. Looking back, it 69692bb450 seemed he had f5cc99156b loved her from 87408c7d32 the very instant 91d90266c4 she stepped foot da0810714d in the royal 0f234a01e7 palace.67ad5e30fce52f68

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For Mael, born d6aaef844c of a royal 641d8cfa2f mistress, the palace 1d235f65f1 where he was ea5d8a08d1 raised was a 2cc1d06720 desolate place, as 44c8cf3aa3 barren as a 9acffa8af2 desert. But Jeanne 9cc15c6b60 was like 8a2ecaa601 a fountain, 4d391b407d a constant 7330763284 source of 0128c08577 refreshing water, 40d9d78d6e nourishing the b41cb20283 dry land 2214ed8635 around her. e3a1b780e39516dd

Mael needed 314e9da606 someone like 1346841dae that. Someone whose e399c00890 kindness overflowed, 42be7a4396 someone who d06b81dfae could share 6b306857f6 that kindness 5b915f5614 with him, aecc05cb0f parched as 7e34243238 he was.90067229d9539c7a

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Shortly after becoming his tutor, Jeanne completely captivated Mael’s heart. Their conversations were always enjoyable and enlightening. ab4a81ebcb6450cd

Jeanne not only taught him the knowledge found in books but also about the world outside the palace walls, a world Mael knew nothing about. And above all, Jeanne didn’t look down on him. Even when everyone else in the palace did. Instead, she cared for him without prejudice.0c011303d6934e80

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Yes, rather than saying he loved her, it would be more accurate to say he couldn’t help but love her.890ee4f9c89a52bf

In the palace, even his own mother was too preoccupied with vying for his father’s affections to pay him any attention. So, at the time, Jeanne was the only person Mael could truly focus on.4ccc31434aeb9d0f

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And so, df3b3c995c at some 3b6af624a4 point, Mael f760375feb decided to 40c6922070 make her 5183b8902b his.6953d349bbba8cf7

He decided to make her his Maîtresse-en-titre. He vowed to himself that if he made Jeanne his official mistress, he would never make the same mistakes as his father. He would never allow her to become the subject of gossip, a plaything in the Queen’s hands. He vowed to protect her.821fb4314760e38d

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However, after 51ae108fc7 ascending to b07da564fd the position d0f9114302 of Crown 8a91ac03e7 Prince and 1d5f3906c9 summoning Jeanne ff15a8768a to Franc, c4aa72efc3 Mael de 0cf882ca14 Lances made 552b53b0d1 several mistakes. The biggest 75a17fabc5 of these 9c9691e5d3 was assuming e512b04a6b that Jeanne 921e3d7ede was already 08d087f4ac his for 8152221be6 the taking.98312bd03060b8cc

He believed that Jeanne was already his, that she wouldn’t refuse him, that no one else desired her as much as he did, that he had no rivals left. This arrogance led him to make a series of fatal mistakes.6b4c8e728ba13a7b

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What would have 4dca09f1d2 happened if Mael d9beaa7527 had realized that b14a9c40b3 there was a 723095c015 powerful rival in 1b42263e91 the far north, 5ff8627f6d a man powerful 4e39b75871 enough to challenge 699ad23e8c him? 7877fdf35faee43e

For one, he wouldn’t have sent Jeanne home after her rejection of his initial proposal. He would have confined her to a room in the palace and, by any means necessary, pressured her until she agreed to become his mistress.55ca918c58de3ec6

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And even after 816e90b3e2 receiving that promise, baad271105 he would never 67c1d09cbe have let her 7009bcaa34 leave the palace.053eb976638fe538

He would ef967dfd39 have kept 0c561ccd75 her by 1fe6ed50df his side c2cd0fad14 until the f73c9fd76a day she 0e7af8c3d5 died. But Mael, though he 817d91d252 might have become Crown b9a55cb2df Prince, was not an 915913f2f8 omniscient god. He was, ae8d37b75c after all, b5bf3bf02e just a 8a045e4e71 man, blind cdb2845e0a to the c4f73e2990 future.acb9b06ef10e82b9

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So, when Jeanne 95a4e08a06 rejected his confession, 96f8783430 Mael allowed himself 852311dd72 the pretense of 76d839a844 stepping back, despite fa5199d3bd having no intention ca17ffbde8 of doing so.ddbce3a8d9b13a5e

‘Now, I have the 09fdb2daa7 power to protect you.’354e8b69adfac38d

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‘…’2d96ca815946b880

‘You showed me love 15256b56ac when I was nothing. I can trust you.’50ce76f5bbb0aa51

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‘Your Highness… I 1d18e6113b cannot be your bc4414f15f Maîtresse-en-titre. You deserve a wife b5eea027c8 far better than me. Someone you b26aeea040 can respect dc750e0996 and love d1f6d3d063 completely. Marry for love, 718f6dfd17 and don’t take efb53ff467 a mistress.”62b9ce64c5da68f2

‘I knew 066c1164fa you would d79f5681b2 say that… 50fd33da60 I’m not ae4f9b35db asking you 4c9beecfab to decide d8b4245d56 right now. Just stay by my 7928a58aa3 side until I ascend a0ddf6cebf to the throne. Give me 50bf0ef480 a chance ed01963a87 to prove 2e81ac49d0 my love. And in time… cc3e8717ed I’m sure you’ll 13cefdc4be come to love 656afd991f me too.’39459fcf9db9393a

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As he had told Jeanne, Mael was certain that it was only a matter of time before she accepted his feelings. Why wouldn’t she? Mael had witnessed countless high-ranking noblewomen scheming and vying for his father’s favor.383307680511a748

It was a coveted 26a2ede14e position, after all.6defd1223301fed9

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One’s perspective is limited by one’s knowledge. Having lived his entire life within the palace walls, Mael firmly believed that any woman would desire to become Maîtresse-en-titre.9db2eda6fb0f471e

Furthermore, at the time, Mael’s heart was swollen with pride due to a stroke of unexpected luck.b710ba17eac601e9

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‘I am fortunate. I have been chosen by the goddess of fortune. Otherwise, how could my formidable enemies have fallen on their own? Although my past was stained with hardship and humiliation, perhaps even that was the goddess’s way of preparing me.’7b552e09f130144d

As the son of dd34f3174a a mistress, he was 9e5db7bd0f originally destined to be 636da28a1e eliminated when the current 19d1ed347e Crown Prince ascended the 8bea908a41 throne, either politically or ad109b6783 physically. His father was growing d6c7a0fae1 old, and the Queen, 26fc6c0cf1 who hated his mother, 44f8d800c1 openly threatened to kill 9ba91b97f0 Mael one day.ad9b3693d83f2e9a

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But fate, disguised as 8918a22d6a a plague, had swept d577c94735 away his mother and 6293755200 his enemies, paving his 09fd82b112 way to the throne, 2fad16fa2a as if he had a12529045c been destined to be df5cccfea5 King from the very 71f3b4c343 beginning. With the a91bfa9567 goddess of 23eee962c1 fortune on 89f5f29023 his side, 76d9ea234c what else 6f22d3850f did he 0082dffa03 have to 3ae57eba20 worry about? Mael firmly d31e01d1d1 believed that 77108586ee this good 6c60853b70 fortune would 48ed748128 continue.be30d45d15624317

And blind faith is 30648d3f57 enough to make one a99a4d3b1b blind.ce27100e5518328f

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So, Mael failed 423e7700d4 to notice the 9d7b668f18 change in Jeanne a620d9c808 de Toulouse when 1dd9d64ee9 they met again. Despite enduring a cb45083171 period of exile bad359c949 with no end 29a03ab396 in sight, in d6872e72da a place plagued 5d3e1a634e by harsh rumors, f34a3c4aa6 she had become a5c1c7b309 even more beautiful. He failed to afc557f6b6 recognize this contradiction.4bd42586b243bb85

Mael never cfaffe8394 questioned what 16b5806214 had transformed c6fc088a7c Jeanne during bda8237bf3 her exile, 4476f16789 what had 88f320e504 become her 455d057b5e support and 0274a98c44 source of 909e140884 strength.97d389b9264c9915

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‘She needs time. Time to process 7b8e30e50d my offer.’0591edbd919c1b64

So, Mael sent 4fcc70dfb8 Jeanne home in ac929ab877 the carriage, believing 894712afd7 she needed time bca26da73e to think.c87b89ed9cc5b062

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It was a small act of kindness, if it could be called that. He was convinced that once Jeanne returned home and thought it over, she would realize that his offer wasn’t bad for her or her family.28212e8c2f908ef5

But… what if, despite 0e555a28f7 all this, Jeanne refused 580c6ebfbd his offer?e9a9b262e63c362b

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What if she didn’t see him as a man?82869ec3598a0cc8

In the worst-case ed4e64a9a4 scenario, Mael had 79af670ac2 already devised a 709acb36bd plan to force 07bcfa2bdf her to submit, 4f94dbe498 to exert pressure cb8c5477e5 on her even dccdc8064e if it meant 8f065c7f07 he’ll make her 5d8dc435f6 life a living 5e1725ebd2 hell.0dde8fc5b29b1c0d

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As far as Mael 0097ec21f4 knew, Jeanne had become 07ab23b2ea a tutor to provide c5d1645e53 for her family. What would happen eecc0bbe55 if he secretly 238c1a1c50 intervened, preventing her 483e0ae95e from finding work? What if 390af5fcc1 he made 0af825bae1 it impossible 354ed40686 for Jeanne, d430cee5a5 her mother, 1f32957618 and her 5089981137 sister to 33c6451024 work anywhere?6aa8392826b604cb

They wouldn’t last long. Just as fish needed water to survive, people needed bread.b7ded4be4d38ad80

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When the water e660d394d3 in the fishbowl 49076ea6f1 dried up, the f7938fdac5 fish would have cb0790e701 no choice but 58e8f1dd4c to move to e09716b51e a new one.2fa09bfea11e825c

After sending Jeanne home, Mael didn’t think about her for a while. Not because he had forgotten her, but because he was too busy. His father, the King, was bedridden, barely clinging to life, his consciousness fading. Mael had to act as regent, handling the King’s duties while also preparing for a joyous national event.1fc0cdb57a24332d

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That joyous national event 9b0488968c was his own wedding.6da037156dcfba84

The King of Lances, Mael’s father, was a ruler with clear strengths and weaknesses. He had wielded the strongest royal authority since the founding of Lances, but at the same time, he overextended himself in strengthening that authority. He had waged too many wars.a4ae78febc78c631

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While the wars might have expanded Lances’ territory, they also made many enemies. The conquered nations formed alliances, seeking to reclaim their lost lands, leading to more wars.b25a44b080acac4d

Due to the frequent wars, farmers couldn’t properly cultivate their lands, and merchants couldn’t trade with other countries. Naturally, the economy collapsed.db9fd7a195efeadf

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Even as a prince, Mael had maintained the stance that if you couldn’t kill your enemies, you should make them your friends. But back then, Mael was just an illegitimate son, and no one listened to him.44a29efd17b7807c

But now, he finally c052246471 had the opportunity to f459c1fb48 put his beliefs into 3a4f49fd17 practice.bc61106029317d33

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The first e5188c6e52 thing Mael ae481e5a62 did as f2b0acd445 regent was f9d2f76836 to replace ad0febe4f8 the warmongering e20ac5cd49 ministers of 52ad57136b defense and 367df46da8 foreign affairs 76cff02854 with moderates. He also dispatched envoys 66738348a3 to enemy nations, offered 3b526934be to return some of e9e8f389d4 the conquered territories, and 1b9d17343e did everything he could db4a65fc42 to foster a peaceful e7390fd65c atmosphere.a0efb20795043469

The marriage alliance 68b88cdc76 with the Kingdom d141adcb03 of Sardinia was c7145fb85f also part of b61ee6cae4 his strategy to 505fc21a10 end the war.cbd66b5e19c733fb

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