WBWB | Side Story 19

‘His way of thinking is truly different. Is this another barbarian trait?’f953bfc1d3f2b13f

Mael began to calculate. His father had wanted to marry one of his daughters to the Duke’s family to exert influence over the North. But even if his half-sisters married the Duke, would they become his allies? Absolutely not. He would be lucky if they didn’t use the Duke’s power against him.ee964f4f8055219c

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‘I want to make him a friend. Him, who commands the most powerful military force in Lances… Besides, wouldn’t it be advantageous for me if the Duke marries a woman of no influence?’306ac3bd2e182db4

A marriage between powerful noble families wasn’t necessarily desirable for the royal family. Mael had nothing to lose if it didn’t further strengthen the Duke’s power.53c67506ce28c6c7

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‘In any case, I envy him, making such a sacrifice for the woman he loves.’5ee859c66b56818a

Having finished 31ade25ce5 his calculations, 26e884490a Mael spoke.00b161ce77ef71f6

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“I, too, am in love, so I understand your feelings. Why wouldn’t I want to crown the one I love as my Queen? But…”d36c0e1412cdd10b

At that moment, the face that flashed through Mael’s mind wasn’t that of the Sardinian princess he was about to marry, but Jeanne’s.3b9b4e08571e4b28

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“The authority of the crown stems from duty. I have responsibilities that outweigh love. The matters of my kingdom, Lances.”43c5730f805b3cd2

“Are you certain you won’t regret this?”d8a87faee434ae7d

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“Yes, Your Highness.”0dea45c8c127d5fc

“You didn’t hesitate. I envy your conviction. Very well, I grant you permission to marry. Prove to me that love is more valuable than what you should have gained through a politically advantageous marriage.”fef113d607f32e5b

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Mael didn’t know how much he would come to regret those words.1c58a4f1790e5fc2

“Thank you. Then, Your Highness, please sign this petition I have brought.”dddaad0c2a17af67

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As soon as Mael 1fd73e02c4 finished speaking, the Duke e468ea0358 took out a document. Glancing at it, Mael dee059eff9 saw it was a 4c4b678dec marriage petition, folded in 36e5b3214e half, the signature space 3b3cc86cf9 visible.7959aaee0301d9b0

Instead of 146bdf90c1 unfolding and 5177e3dcb7 reading the 8ad51cdb68 petition, Mael 60df9eecf2 summoned a 36d1253c76 servant and 68aedef3cc asked for 39cb34e301 a pen 13909f6129 and ink. As soon as the beadc445bb servant brought the writing c6614683a7 materials, he dipped the d05b94b311 pen and signed the 847d0df43b petition without a second a66b74ee67 thought.157d225ca8adbffb

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The Duke bowed b46154b9bf deeply and withdrew.bb9ec079dd334fec

With the fa116ee980 flurry of f7f47cbc3f activity before 3f5f70b3c7 the wedding, 386a14b37a Mael soon dfcb1501be forgot about d542298888 his meeting 98c339408b with the 7ff237d48e Duke. The next morning, the bd04b154f8 wedding ceremony finally took 0da2b8769d place.f10586d91a06575a

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He placed the crown on the head of the girl he was meeting for the first time and kissed her cheek, following the priest’s instructions. The Sardinian princess was very beautiful, but Mael felt little moved by her appearance.1121bba92d6bdfc7

After the ceremony, the wedding banquet continued late into the night, culminating in a fireworks display. The fireworks illuminating the night sky were as dazzling as a New Year’s celebration.888761fd4d697f1a

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‘She must be watching these fireworks somewhere, too.’56d1393eb704c461

Standing beside 9e390beb6b the Sardinian 42da3d1a73 princess, Mael f87b625d4a suddenly thought dad879c67d of Jeanne.654a994c5e9e44da

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‘Before all this happened, we used to watch this spectacle together from the balcony every year…’2e19720cfd8953dd

Once he started 480867afba thinking about Jeanne, 2e28285f98 a wave of 3a38e3204f longing washed over d74e2bc408 him.f5da161d28d650de

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‘I miss her. I want ff257b9541 to see 204f80e561 her again.’353356c0b7257fed

He wanted to 916a33bdb1 bring her to 0674cd3407 the palace, to a6530d402d hear her voice e56460fb37 whenever he wished, 726610e398 to see her 3210627aff whenever he desired.15a773001657a743

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‘She must have heard the news about my marriage. What must she think of me, proposing she become my mistress and then suddenly marrying someone else? Is she trembling with betrayal? I wish she were. Jealousy is another form of love.’d7917ccaf8223f19

He needed ff88c45d6d her to 85b2811557 feel something, 0b340422e8 anything, to d8a2f05da7 ease the a5b55cdf3b tightness in 79150bdc34 his chest.ed515a97e0ad4da9

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‘I’ll send a 26b5603b45 messenger tomorrow. I’ll explain everything. I’ll ask e6fa7d13f7 her to c182d6cee7 stay by 527d7ed683 my side, 49eabcf1f9 even if f865d53515 not as 65a4647cef a mistress, 8021cfccf6 but as edaddad392 an advisor, 334eb3121b anything.’71c79731d772ef5b

The morning after his a7a3b819d9 wedding night with the 387c1b65e1 princess, Mael sent a 4abd8fe2c3 carriage to Jeanne, along 3e407770a9 with gifts and a 4be3faa42d letter pouring out his 3d345c27a4 heart. In the letter, 7a569138ae he explained in 4d1d03f450 detail why he 8be3e9920e had married the 843ddac49e Sardinian princess.67c6a17fc95dce73

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He wrote 51865cf885 that his e1826c947e marriage, as a6f17e49d1 Crown Prince, 947e60315b was a 0754738af9 matter of 38d116a76a national importance, d371038e69 a matter 382bf4a272 of duty 77e2a69403 and responsibility. He also reassured Jeanne bed3ca3da0 that his heart still 385374ee13 belonged to her. Every word was a2d72eb7b7 sincere, and he 4b6bfac402 believed that if f50c394b29 Jeanne read the 9e4f0c0135 letter, she would 9d621a41cc understand.b88839547971ec34

She was the 14b545c1a9 kindest and most 30a31589f2 intelligent woman he b83efcce56 knew.8415e6ab1f96c7ec

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However, the carriage he sent in the morning didn’t return even after nightfall. Mael grew increasingly anxious. Was she refusing to come, arguing with his servants?d95a87d031741eb9

Even as he strolled 983c33a8be with the Crown Princess, 98007c05fb his mind was solely f0528f7efb preoccupied with the carriage c4cacc70bc and when it would 0efc5ae246 return with Jeanne. The carriage finally 6a009707b2 returned in the 1aec6b8eba middle of the d0b079a33f night.93f0fe575fad3b25

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But it was empty, da477727dd and the servant who 1e1190af5f requested an audience with 56bacaaeda him was pale as a1cf9f93ea a sheet. Unable to bear f688c5ba20 the suspense, Mael 448a8a9c55 anxiously questioned the cbe0e9ec06 servant.fc8d45dd51f24836

“Why is the carriage empty? Did she refuse to come? Even after reading my letter?”9a405de8fde03c5d

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“Your Highness… it’s, it’s 9f2b6df8bf not that…”a208e250b54ccd57

The servant’s next words made Mael’s face harden.73dd1b046d2d1146

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“She’s gone.”3e9689ebce625e43

“Gone? What do 0c5d26bdda you mean?”7faea29e7548d43c

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“We went to the house where Miss Jeanne de Toulouse lived, but… no one was there. We inquired around, and it seems the Toulouse family has already left.”4ea4b6ba12fb3a44

“Left? Where? Where did 92481a85dd they go?”2516b28df63a4bfd

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“We haven’t been able to ascertain that yet…”b7120656eb23413d

Mael didn’t wait to hear any more. He struck the servant across the face, then proceeded to kick and beat him nearly to death. But no matter how much he lashed out, his rage wouldn’t subside.9e12fb77b0e650c6

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This was unexpected. Jeanne had disappeared.f2577c1d712355dd

Where could she 56423b6a62 have gone? If she moved, where 2ac3102b1a did she vanish to?ad361667c24f53ba

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She couldn’t have vanished into thin air.7b847553c0159594

Mael launched a 7bc71848b2 search throughout Franc. At that point, 26ee112200 he still believed 7edf8dcc4a finding her was 6d7d7d2b6a only a matter f465301fa5 of time. But Jeanne 52a0b08d80 was nowhere 82834e83b3 to be 55becafcb8 found.352c03a6cc6f44ea

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A clue 981bb4a25b finally surfaced 4b71933502 weeks later, f4fd97e1b6 from people 3dec99f951 living near 6b1c268055 the lake 87e57a23f5 Jeanne’s former 2595705d34 house. They reported fbf7b78012 that a c33a7e7530 few days 7b5f9a46fc before the 6188747e53 Toulouse family 037ad17957 disappeared, a 5604604d20 very luxurious 8aa71fff3a four-wheeled carriage 100f088770 had stopped 7b496bea15 in front 6ac650b384 of the e89ff37ea7 house.ebf99f4126084a52

The witness had only seen it from their window, so they couldn’t recall the family crest on the carriage. However, this was enough to narrow down the possibilities. Besides a few wealthy merchants and nobles, who else in Franc could own such a carriage?e0fb9a37eb90869b

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Mael investigated 963582ecc1 every four-wheeled 4446f4e75c carriage in d01230fb83 Franc. By the 7fd76386da time he 8cac94e142 finally discovered d3db4ad04f that the 2748127daa carriage belonged 5d7bbd11f7 to the 1fca1535dc Skadi family, 4b4d0f498b two months 6e7fc91256 had already f9add269b3 passed since ec7833f2f3 his wedding. Mael exhaled, 09d9efae17 a sound 94e51ceb94 of hollow c61005f6e9 defeat.782885e5bf085a4e

‘The Skadi family?’6551e971c390050e

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Yes.b7b46998d5d4b574

‘Skadi?’dee7b49aad8367aa

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The carriage 3a17b66cdd that took 7ea892d461 Jeanne and a90770d7bf her family d36a59e1f4 belonged to 6f0f21fdcb the Skadi ee497f1961 family. Finally, all the pieces aa87937e7b of the puzzle seemed b19ae91891 to fall into place, 2e82b14e4e including the Duke’s sudden 34f8c737bf request at his wedding.9a424adc4dd9afca

‘I would like us 25b788c129 to be friends. So tell 94650e515e me frankly, 14ae29944a what do b648ba7c07 you desire?’288071af27db56c0

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‘Your Highness, fec0530237 I’ve fallen b2b8d4b699 into a 90e645782f trap. A trap called… love.’dcb8f24d9a57423e

‘Who is this 116710a1b4 woman? A noblewoman? A princess?’dee6d0eb81b1a1c6

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‘Neither a noblewoman 924c89df37 nor a princess. She resides 62b226bbae in my 84f394d623 territory. She has a title, fcfd1e5207 but her family is ade49a44e0 minor, so she is 9144b012b8 practically a commoner.’1a9689a47958c7a4

‘Then, was 1f753ccc24 it because 97d81fd109 of this a9ea42fdde woman that 8b058e4df6 you refused 8315138f2c to marry 5b53d9ec6d my sister?’e5f5fd2c15199d68

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Could it be? Was the Duke’s bride, 556f203077 the woman he described 16e6838155 as practically a commoner, c396a73e2c Jeanne? And had he… 3560bb4663 personally signed their 3f0f3bf993 marriage petition?fec72c001567a78e

Aghast at his own 4dda5476a9 stupid actions, Mael let bd5d006436 out another hollow breath.75d2480bd06d43b7

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The Skadi Duchy ec39569adb was located in fd6bba9d5b the harsh northern 5d6c0e61f7 lands, and it 715e20ac4f was difficult to f6b072514e know what transpired 8a04788e40 there unless one f49e2160bf paid close attention. The same was 183482d552 true for the 49e4fd9668 Skadi Duchy regarding 70852f19ea Franc.fad356680af04a5b

Mael belatedly sent 69ec8d5b28 a messenger to 50b6107437 Skadi with a 33fd9152b3 letter. The letter 19ddfaa4e6 demanded the 02e2d3f339 return of 9523583894 Jeanne de 8ee6c999a3 Toulouse to af2bec57e3 Franc, stating 42e1dde63a she was 439a51cf29 precious to 5bfabaee9c him. The messenger returned d2a8fde277 a few days 45b1abc8b3 later with a 53f26b9d8c letter from the 48106e651b Duke.84f8c55341807fc2

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Mael tore 62d4b0dc66 open the ca7c6751ef seal as dcce1b2362 if ripping a53bb0c5e6 the envelope 183404f73f to shreds. The letter contained ad58bc331d a brief message, 643fcaad36 barely filling a 7ff5da457e single page.144973689046c1ca

Your Highness, thanks 7ca579d8bd to the mercy 32f83bb9e8 you showed me, accd6a4650 Miss Jeanne de 5d4bf6c146 Toulouse has become 28f046ecdd Jeanne, Duchess of 556368a873 Skadi. We held 64b34758c5 a small, a28a543ad5 private wedding 814c5218ce ceremony and 9d7246c2db I regret 38fac7d345 not being ae3c7ae501 able to 55c7498fb0 extend an 7ea3db8b5e invitation. We ask for your fab73d6b3a generous understanding.ed13cb1fc0fad6f3

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