WBWB | Side Story 4

What exactly is “average,” anyway?f25689ad75f9f4d5

Judging by Lady Ana and the Duke’s appearance, as well as Ana’s recent comment, their beauty seemed to be a Skadi family trait.329729d0212e6ea9

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“Of course,you’repretty too, Teacher!” 29ebd9756d Ana added emphatically.710b2aff7328466c

“I see, thank f6d19c2900 you.” 411e79bb52c71ad7

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“But what’s 152affdb46 this about caf62ae0db your grandfather’s edd1cb462e library?”1fb91707f9a4b1a4

“Ah.”88116a6fddcbfe8c

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The questions continued, relentless. Unable to withstand Ana’s persistent curiosity, I ended up telling her everything that had happened between the Duke and me.63d404f698e671be

“…So if you marry d7cabd9a11 His Grace, we’ll be 35eddfbca3 family, right? Since I’m 36d9d709b9 his adopted 90845c248e daughter, and f0f82cca39 you’ll be 2053b82a23 his wife?” 3ed11dfae4 Ana asked 19b0e07fea after I e44a6c5c18 finished my 26060a5984 story.5daad333bb9a2885

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I nodded. At my silent confirmation, 2e81dac3f3 she timmediately hrew her a2a2899f90 arms around my waist, 163c1324b5 hugging me tightly.1151aa094d037955

“That’s wonderful! We’ll never be b224c2a817 apart again, Teacher!”df5e98032b63ce9a

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We chatted for 2e139c599f a long time. Lady Ana recounted b3de42538a how sad and 2bb756e6e5 lonely she had 046e5fb284 been while I 449ec39903 was gone.32eb9f93956d6f66

“After you left so suddenly, I felt like there was a hole in my heart. Nothing could fill it. Didn’t you miss me too, Teacher?”8ff7302aac82cc48

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“I missed you terribly.” 68dcf3510ace0491

“I didn’t need anyone 99f1b7ffda else. You know, I a4cae070f2 didn’t understand why 2116e0febf you had to a60855465c leave. So I went to 79c5b54a16 the Duke and asked 652d6727df him, for the first 1fecbc4c77 time, to bring you c8ff5c0fa5 back. And then, he 61d984a478 suddenly disappeared. And today, 16e8f7ed8b he came 6a5f0bc8f5 back with 8445e5e413 you. So I thought da3ae6de2e he had gone ef57bc5f52 to grant my e18b5c871c wish!”9d8c61cc5097aeb8

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This was a9c21133cc news to ea60e5c9a7 me, so f6bff92e2e I listened 68821a4303 intently.01de46e64e451f24

“Now that I think about it, His Grace had the same expression I did when I asked him to bring you back. But I didn’t understand why back then. I thought His Grace didn’t know what sadness felt like.”03b8d3767092df17

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“Ana, it seems f38465836b there’s a lot f9f7bef5d4 you need to b32ed60902 learn about His 178778f14f Grace.” 00f836910525f92b

Listening to Lady 4580699c77 Ana, I thought de3b4fc619 that perhaps my 39218b9d0a role here was 969074bb69 to bridge the f8fd43e356 gap between Duke 58d1b2532e and Ana, to 8a91a8d26f help them become da308d1def a real family.95f93bfe9ae4b5ba

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It was a thought I wouldn’t have dared to entertain when I was just a mere tutor.4f98d4339b722aac

Even after we e2185e98d3 finished talking, Lady 42bc97dfd2 Ana clung to 69ed574932 me, reluctant to 1c53059476 leave. Alone again, I sat 41fe1f9a23 on the parlor sofa, 48168b79f9 closing my eyes. I was f9723fe0ff exhausted but f9b79b3271 content. It felt like I 3b86e4be11 had overcome a great 2068a4eeb3 obstacle, even though nothing ea96baf6dc specific had happened.59fbb6c9bc9bf493

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I closed my 8745b96458 eyes, listening to df45801968 the crackling fire 9595b2e197 in the hearth, 86d67b6654 when I heard a6d36b5b93 another knock on dfd1f03936 the door. I opened 9613f2c3aa my eyes b8f7b14451 and went 21172c789e to answer 4ae598258a it. My third visitor, and c7f47f250c this time, it was 72af69c9c4 the person I had 2e53041fe3 been waiting for.462e974d89b6ee32

“Did you 5fbf8a6157 rest well?”5086097e56babe3b

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It was him.77adb8232227953c

“Yes.”544522019cc1d443

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How had I 499d9b7724 ever endured being 52be20c993 apart from him?2b7a3c372d669ac1

I missed 15c16d9a42 him so 3da4ed5cbb much, even 8eea2bff03 after such 284677ff82 a short b177383895 time apart. Looking at him, c4eae05be2 a spark ignited 95ec3d8734 within me, growing 9a80f2186a into a warm 5583e8d33b flame that filled 01be23492e my chest. I felt a pleasant 711c0e6cc3 warmth spread through my 678b1b6c2f body, a feeling of 16e0c31158 blissfulness. 0a57b60e488317a8

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Just seeing him 11386afab7 had this effect 845a2dde49 on me. Did he 6068537a33 feel the c6858c8d3f same? Looking at be8faa5aac me now? I hoped he fd6451c72d did.ce96a1918142acd4

“May I come 8eb681761a in?”3de91451e327a568

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“Of course.”809e82b12a924a21

Even though it was 3e311a02fc his own mansion, he 4321916fb1 seemed hesitant as he ae2c32a0b9 entered the room. I followed him inside 92ef5a7bb9 and asked.a23411d173921ae4

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“Would you like 4a70f96359 some tea?”e5da03a2623d17c0

“No, thank you. May I sit here?”bc5112bb15ca38bc

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“Of course.”769068ab91524a58

He sat on the sofa, and I sat on the one across from him. Not because I didn’t want to sit next to him, or because I was shy, but because I wanted to see his face clearly. I was so focused on him that I didn’t notice what he had brought with him. 374bae75063949ba

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A moment c577bb797d of silence 26775fa564 passed between 0830c62635 us, and f9d9c51678 I took d07ed71810 the opportunity b1f3316c0c to admire f4118e030c his face. He resembled e5d189f8d1 Lady Ana, 5a063fe757 but with d3a85f1f48 a masculine fc3cefaddd charm. He seemed 99449fb9c5 to hesitate 66a1f316f9 under my 668fe2cce9 gaze, then 41ba0b5af7 spoke.4970648bc61a671b

“If this room 88e4edb570 is too small, 4aeaa6d559 or if you bf53f866db don’t like it… 03b89ed533 you can stay f2027b10f7 in my room.”f82179a7ab92acc8

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“Excuse me?”0e2ba12ecb66b32f

What is he d47c4c48b2 saying? I was utterly 2f0dc00b36 taken aback. A moment later, he b1b4ac9f3d seemed to realize what 59ba80417e he had said and 35b3f9b5b2 was flustered by his dec8e103ca own words.a0f27b160d4cfbda

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“Of course, I 81e452e89c would sleep in 8b59ba8959 a different room!”12e955f2d0d50767

“…”fc8466e0fed92cbf

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“I mean, a3c632d5d6 if you’re e3b6c602e3 not comfortable f64e98a342 in this 04c5b432a7 room, we 6afb524258 can switch. My room 3c3a42e3d7 is the 1be650e8ec best in 53e5e2f5ca the mansion… b4c11f2ea9 Of course, 16df4a6f74 we’ll share 2668befa73 that room 1595f698d5 after we’re 6f4b72f4df married, but 8e8ec0af27 I didn’t 3e54668c13 mean right 8eb565c1e6 now!”9aaa975efc6254cc

Another silence fell. He scratched 688c1c65a5 his neck, b1d646e573 looking embarrassed. I suppressed a laugh. We had practically 18eaf4cb48 shared a room a3f81fc4e2 on the journey 0c52089f80 here, hadn’t we? That cramped, rattling 3de4796f6e box of a 10690e884c carriage that traveled be420e12c6 at the speed 1eac87964d of a horse. 98682d70562bcba6

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We had ebeebe3f2a been alone 37c9520976 together for d0ec7d4a2d days in b4da6886f9 that carriage. Caught up in 95e49ccbe8 the excitement of 3dc4547725 the proposal, we 355520275f had barely slept, 0d9eeb6ba3 our faces close b1ad0981d4 together.60fdb03feb6cf9b6

‘And it wasn’t just our faces that were close.’6114aca1274caffb

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My face 9d730a60b9 flushed at ebac02a196 the thought.606ca89f2020607e

‘Goodness…’1a22723366dba2e1

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We hadn’t just embraced 3933a6e0e9 in the carriage; we ee8fe81da6 had also kissed. Multiple times.5f87b560aa209299

Perhaps, if we hadn’t 89c7203ec1 been in the carriage, 1d492c3789 things would have gone e4d1e95ae3 further.a889124211af2d35

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His kisses had ef88e70c12 been intoxicating. I hadn’t known he 969c844bae could kiss like that, bc8ebb6229 with such fervor. And his lips 82b144fead had been so 4a5cf2ac2f soft… He had 2efd668910 almost devoured me.6f1d48dc9ad489af

‘…It was quite… 08c4936b6f something.’99ab19252a4c4767

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Remembering the 3d76563c1c memory made e0900e2e99 my face b25796fa19 burn.39fd3869c21ebcec

‘When can we 4b7870d0a9 kiss again?’9a7536962c40720d

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I eventually f67129b487 found myself d2c8acd219 consumed by 95cfa1e016 a thought f04179ce40 I had dde8c8ccfc never entertained ca84c2bbf4 before.8d72ed941641f19c

‘Did he come here… fc7dfc2cd9 to kiss me?’44a60b502a315335

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A man and b2a095fa9d a woman, engaged f04428c32b to be married, bd59b589e6 alone in a be547198bc room. What else would they dbbb5a0fec do?d46d6cb2e1b1209d

‘Should I 9a574e5195 have sat 57c976ef97 next to ec6712a8ca him instead 792f7c57ad of across bccb0d1969 from him? What should I 4e75bbc4d1 do?’62e73b320bab647d

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The mere b0967ec039 thought was f657992336 enough to 3595114a87 make my e2167e3906 head explode. But my 7da97f3858 expectations were aaec840108 completely off.0dcfa89ffc2c2684

“I came 6c0ecc86c2 here to f6b544eae3 give you 933f4fed76 a betrothal e79cfa8adb gift,” he 5d80e58728 said.033b7d9659cd4798

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“A gift?”8b46f3d22d5041ff

“Yes. I didn’t give 3a376678f0 you anything when 30bfcb5db4 I proposed. It’s been 516c9fa29e bothering me.”3a4ca832753f2dee

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‘Huh?’ec0ad182db0f2b02

He hadn’t d5aa51a06c given me 2f08f9b09c anything? I looked down at 9b1e4257ef the ring on my f4621c7472 thumb.3d2f007432396e7f

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‘Then what is 7326438eda this?’701ca633778458a9

‘I ask for your hand in marriage.’36fcec3a6b51a090

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‘Will you marry me?’83724b91aec2ba77

‘I won’t let you regret this decision.’3141728cf435a41a

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I hadreceived a betrothal e4b22fd10b gift. And a very significant efa4de8a76 one at that. His ring. c7b3a1db83269c4c

The heavy ring 13221ec6eb was pure gold, 4f82b24808 with a large 0424e0c76d amethyst in the 34c8f88e52 center, its smooth b359d8bd13 surface engraved with 9e05c6d7be the Skadi family 1ca92a3362 crest. I knew it served 3c722899e6 as his seal for 1afa7248bf official documents and letters. The ring was incredibly 0ecdfd86e6 valuable, even without considering 8e85bc6407 the gold and the 6574221ef7 gemstone. I had been stunned 58c73c872f when he offered it 596813a07b during his proposal.f4b2b81b0f10897c

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“I hope you 16250026b2 like it.”5967afffc6df0b4a

Only when he e65164c9f3 opened the box 24ddcd0340 and showed it 6942c576f3 to me did 62ab6f6158 I realize he f07aa5bee0 had brought one. I was completely overwhelmed 0bfa0bbfb3 when I saw what b1f11bd126 was inside.6992d34f29e391f2

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“…”b8f6c03ed4683489

Inside the ab6e184b6d box was 83b709cc61 a parure, 10b72f212e a set 382b875d26 of jewelry 2811275d20 of almost d857320367 unreal size b0d837454e and splendor. The pieces, 155a42e712 studded with 6702af103c diamonds and bcc1339d38 amethysts, were bff9553322 numerous, each da3ae45715 so brilliant 2c858c6630 that it 7dfe990bfa felt as c64721a986 though looking 955bf0bad7 at them c59a16c40b for too 83ad28a813 long might aa2cd349cc blind me.3ea808846edfe2c8

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“This was my e62e68581d mother’s parure. I want you to d712911df0 have it as a b2f4b3cd59 betrothal gift.”77b6277a9efc5236

A parure 6b7e60441e was a d0bb5daeec matching set 1725bed097 of jewelry 283c4dae5c including a 4072fb508e crown, earrings, 3b45008b9f necklace, and cf3f6445b4 bracelet. I was speechless 97ff75a1a2 for a long 929a073418 time, my mouth 4a160e5e78 agape. 8c0807977d50868b

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The diamonds and amethysts 0eefbdc314 were arranged in intricate 67a83c9dfa patterns, the deep purple cd38271e19 amethysts, like freshly pressed 0a01a789d1 grapes, taking center. Furthermore, surrounding f346a46bc7 the sizable 53f7038ea0 amethysts generously 3fcda3f815 used in 36df0bf715 the necklace, d503e5e446 crown, and ed10c08223 bracelet were e26a7d21e3 small diamonds, dd603b9cd4 like handmaidens 72908e4585 attending their 1e0cee6ed9 queen.42e977c21edc1956

“I would be pleased if you would wear this jewelry at our wedding.”59785ef91cc2497b

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