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I had 495b7688bd never seen 7c721c861a such beautiful c1e80729a4 jewelry in 8968a782e8 my life.c83c2dde5a4331f0

As I gazed f777a26e40 at the gems, ab4c5c20bd I looked up 314978295b at the Duke. His expression darkened slightly 5c7088b2a4 as our eyes met.5080b026bb9ec290

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“Forgive me for c8bfe6a3a1 not preparing a e8c1665805 gift specifically for 16752a68e5 you. I wanted f7a15795de to commission 9c7a570926 new jewels, ae364b09ba but time f1ad9e3843 is short 5394055f43 before the 7ce327031d wedding. I hope you’ll 25b7a62e3e be satisfied with fbb7b0b133 these.”6d0a3a6cd506c522

He seemed ec13bb5806 to have 8676032720 completely misinterpreted 9f0c17e0c4 my reaction. I shook aa60341c14 my head.fd7be2b6b2e5e14b

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“No, not at all. I’m more 2f4639753e than satisfied! These are… absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen 473695161d anything so beautiful, 7dff163aa9 even at court. Although I haven’t seen a651f4df16 much, but…”4af22d4763e7a103

‘He wants me to 6d14884b7e wear these? Really?’563dd96d7a1ab89f

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Honestly, I felt fbb97d125c intimidated by the 6cd1b4798e sheer magnificence of d06b101681 the jewelry.0f124af1a88adfed

It was like…cf75087fb336f24a

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‘…adorning a pig f3f151bdc1 with roses.’4fad7bede2f91165

Instead of enhancing my f155039f4a appearance, the jewelry seemed b2fd2c0391 to overwhelm me. And to 93dff238d2 wear them 6a5e0b1bf3 at the cd0fc733af wedding? Wouldn’t the guests laugh 375bd1341e at me for adorning ed9bb88fa3 myself with such extravagant 8ccad88f26 pieces?06698c0da488aa93

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“These jewels are ab4a2aa482 so beautiful… I’m cbd3975cd0 not sure if 225dc8260b they’ll… suit me.” 81c756e6c9f34497

I finally voiced my 9d8c4956f4 hesitation, and he fell 4adc73722d silent.d954db7a547c72ce

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“…What do 072db65f36 you mean?”fd28c25b6c4e6f32

He looked genuinely perplexed.bcaca623c363df76

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“Too beautiful… but 5aea4e39ba they don’t suit abd3fc5aae you? They’re beautiful f98b4c6242 so why? I don’t understand. If you 94d55bb573 don’t like 9a32fe6c5c them, I’ll 8cd8c48dda have something ba7761f405 else made dcb71fb3ac for you, e52f8592c2 even if 066a2bec53 it’s on 68ff470a51 short notice…”64cb99bd7a924564

“No! No! I just mean… 04154a141a compared to these, 09c9a52b28 my appearance is dbeea7f6ed rather… plain.”632cdfc1ecdb13f6

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My cheeks 920a877aef flushed with 428bb6e271 embarrassment.f1539d868d3d8b13

“They’re truly beautiful. But I’m not… I don’t think I can do them justice. They would suit someone more… glamorous. Someone like a jewel, don’t you think?”66dfc5237e6d4f73

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“…”3cedc056914a7a30

He frowned deeply.04450a7c60045cc3

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“If that’s your concern, 27f312e39e we can easily find 06eca8cbe5 out. Whether they suit 459475c415 you or not.”cd4b6581c3988274

He then 7b648cbb87 reached out 9aa48a78df and took a1f717ead8 my hand.f02dcc38ec16f6b2

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“Would you try them on? I don’t think they won’t suit you, but in the unlikely event that you’re right, I’ll prepare another gift.”71f658fc8bc34074

Since he said that much… I couldn’t not try on the jewels. 060731e0d4de78ba

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He fastened a bracelet made of five rows of diamonds around my wrist. Once it was on, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The clear purple gemstone set in the center, surrounded by sparkling diamonds… the bracelet’s beauty was so breathtaking, it made my heart flutter.b85d0f3977b7215e

“Would you 83c5552521 like to 48fa8e682d put on 4cc0b06429 the earrings 0d848adcd3 yourself? I’m afraid I abb0b3c823 might prick you.”fe0dc3812414330d

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While I fumbled with afa9c84d8f the earrings, he stood 574b76f4c4 up with the necklace c430b96e59 in his hands and 936249e5da moved behind me. My hair was still d4d150593b down, so I gathered 5495b484bf it at the nape 8b7de7ad80 of my neck with c588420882 both hands so he bb1c501d05 could easily fasten the e4835cd178 necklace.a514f8b975f0abfb

He placed the 9941af9090 necklace around my 4fa6202612 neck. It was heavier than 7dbbf52507 I expected.38271479b00493ac

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‘Well, it does b2fc368023 have a lot 423c299eb5 of sparkling gemstones.’f3b82ecc89b5624c

I lowered 7d99f797e4 my head ef3a8f9297 to admire d68ded6c87 the necklace’s 1e618aace7 brilliance, and 09d775661e he whispered 149b3351cf in my d5af9d42ef ear,fe345b1638416fce

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“It suits ec7029b078 you already.”18a007f52ba398a0

His casual 1da055cf61 words made 0044cb85bf my ears 6b95e65131 burn. He stepped in 18f2a6664e front of me.d3df93c79a30fd2a

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“I don’t understand 24acba426b what you were 7e20316c4a worried about,” aa3b561f5e4d487a

He muttered, picking 1f7bdf59ec up the crown. As he placed it 37e6c57f89 on my head, I 57aaa0fa62 closed my eyes involuntarily. It felt 94eee5916c heavy, but c93f6fad96 the weight cf98ad58d2 wasn’t unpleasant. I opened my 59e00816ba eyes and saw f9d98de2ce his expression. He looked… awestruck.4df36882027c9657

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“You look 6bf3e4b437 like a d68fd268b6 queen. I want 62bdeaa42c you to 3d9754df2e see yourself. Let’s go to the 9390c6a11e mirror.”76cfa59bf5c149c7

He took my c71d88f158 hand and led 27125ac5d9 me to the c486a4cfe5 full-length mirror in 9dec024048 the corner of 85caa9098c the parlor. When I saw 24f634e573 my reflection, I d9be2644a4 was speechless.bab9f9875c1a39bd

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The woman in 0c166ce541 the mirror, adorned ac50ff1c51 with the magnificent 5c10c9fc0c jewels, was breathtakingly 8a41e74613 beautiful. I had never e1b3d5ff5b realized I could f3d72f2583 look like this. I had 3bfc6b344a never paid 69cca1cbef much attention c8a450bc6c to my d973887475 appearance before.d2e332741693e66e

Because I hadn’t needed to be beautiful.69946d0d67901bb4

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‘He was right…’5fd2037208b72404

The woman c7a2fb9ceb in the de133d6dcd mirror, wearing 26fe69b5c6 the crown a9808bac8b on her 3184019cc5 head, the 0c37c0d191 diamond and c3535d8ff7 amethyst necklace, d6cc7102e1 and the bf063b3c50 sparkling bracelet, 7c0e45cdaf looked truly 527f0a943f elegant. I stared at my 0a4140dfc4 own reflection, mesmerized, when 5feb987fa4 I felt something at abe8be655b my waist. cb79e4a9f633f11e

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He had come up 158fabb093 behind me and put 92cf31c4c1 his arms around my 1e22d9763b waist, resting his chin 01742e9fb6 on my shoulder. Feeling his breath d592a3fb7a on my neck, 8aee9ecc37 my heart fluttered.5878788e39acc071

“I wish today was a699f0caf1 our wedding day,” he e046cd767c murmured, his voice strained. “I want to marry 26cd059196 you tomorrow, if possible. I don’t need anything df65b88b29 else, as long as ba79a2db0c I can marry you.”b84d3bd38258a9f2

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“…”08ca088f3c651524

“If you 18029c069b feel the 03bff17a3b same, I’d 712e959c0c like to… 8ec8971ded expedite things. Even so, ce60b40abe I’ll do 0cb8cc29eb whatever you 0b54580acb wish. Is there anything c3a4af7c52 you want for 31ed442e6a the wedding? Anyone you 3c668472e7 want to 7f0d4ab78a invite, or b279166faf anything special 3f9202a404 you’d like 3e18297131 to do?”ea393fa5cded98b2

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There was a hint cfaeb7e4be of anxiety in his 4f8be19a1a voice, as if he c6701909be feared something might interfere 9b954317bf with our marriage at 691b00766c any moment. I felt the same 72dbbc0ab4 unease. A premonition of 1317673bd9 something ominous.05b7a03e0d9e4d52

Like a rabbit being hunted, I felt a sense of urgency, as if someone would try to prevent our marriage if we didn’t hurry. Someone like…765a9cf49d93e641

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‘The Crown Prince.’ee8f0426626e30d0

My last meeting with a7fa2f51cc the Crown Prince suddenly aa842b609d flashed through my mind.2b1b3189ff31f21b

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‘When I ascend a1bdb5cec9 to the throne… 3405cc29a5 I want to 7821749090 offer you the 4ef1f414b5 position of Maîtresse-en-titre.’1f761fe59152fccb

‘Yes, the Crown Prince fdc5508153 offered me the position a8b09ac592 of his mistress.’af7f0cf9c8b676fc

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And that was why 79ed11d524 I had practically eloped 011560f44f with Baldr, fleeing to 239f7a1523 Skadi after receiving the 50ce2f5b87 proposal. Realizing this, 75b5a9b642 I understood 76254eb55b the source 8b0894613c of my fafe3968cd unease.674af7157ddc1ee4

‘The Crown Prince wouldn’t be pleased with our marriage.’681257a4ba1c857b

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I had rejected him, d61417293e but had he truly ebe29e5268 accepted my rejection? The Crown 1fd22d5fe5 Prince I a8cfff0835 had faced 0ed59c34b8 then had 28527f23a3 been a 0f9503e787 stranger, not f73861eeb5 the boy 54aac5580b I had ef3bb9ba6f known.6870b3f9fdcef285

‘Did you 8ad62eb69f truly not 04131f54c6 know? That I’ve 9c33b748bd loved you 528e514753 for a 5f4709867b long time?’45c60b2834549803

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‘What if the 8a3d0d8359 Duke hadn’t come 3cd930de56 for me? What if I c8daf0c4b2 had stayed in 5d758cc306 Franc?’172b3c7b2e6ca323

I had told the fa6500498f Duke about the Crown 0e365e0c3c Prince’s offer in the 9f8e719f14 carriage. His anxiety 12e3b5cce1 likely stemmed af25235fbb from the 80a5dcadd6 same source d3371985af as mine.855c75011aa782ad

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“I feel the same 215d98be0b way. I don’t 977686e34b need a 59a46ab291 grand wedding 6738670c40 or a b7f2658c5f beautiful dress… 6deef01877 I just 6d41017e12 want my fe3f58d5ef family to ce19703193 be there.”70a8095f3c7dba2e

“Of course. How could we a05828f076 have a wedding e901e0a05a without your family? I should have brought 81db13b001 them with us.”df019f42c2126f06

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He seemed to regret b36849cff3 not having thought of 3da90b62d2 it sooner.31afabe3701ceb12

“And… there’s one more 547c5cfc2e thing I wish for.”03772963e8d3d4e5

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I said, placing 38f280c018 my hands over 64464b068a his, which were d385d3c721 clasped around my 4b0299eafd waist like a 2941451c38 belt. I confessed 6c74f01de0 the desire 229f87d9a4 I had 7a69053f9a harbored since 16d053e24c our journey 3b92b4d031 began.0a96a102e5ad34ad

‘I don’t want to 394baf883a be separated from anyone da86d589d3 anymore.’dd01d04dd41ca1f4

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I had f7cb4ce98b decided to 33e710039b put down 0d76a0fbbb roots here, 01694878ca because I 8b96e2052b truly loved d092d3987c him. But I didn’t 38b1b506f8 want to live 7d280a0a5b with longing in 2fd1530391 my heart. Not for him, not f0a4c93255 for Lady Ana, and ab930ae6d3 not for my mother 2ab2b9b9f1 and sister.1a0bf9c33b4cdda7

“Tell me.”f6188d5a2ac04409

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“Your Grace, if b1ab56e870 you’ll allow it… 696be20beb I’d like to d7b85b3f86 bring my mother 104c5a5828 and sister here 77a5075a23 to live with ad01b522b5 us. I don’t 8fe008ba47 want to 0212cb4003 miss them 804d4b60ea anymore, waiting 7dd3f574f3 for letters.”52bf635993f71e25

“Why wouldn’t I allow 8f674e0a2c it?” he said, surprised 79daaedf46 by my question. “I know how bfcee1eb1c much you miss 0ee5f8d1e9 your family. I was 2e3c4be8d9 hoping they 98e835c29a would stay abbe9fc259 here with 2998a88fea us, too.”0ede40751acfbe15

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His eyes, reflected in cfc858f924 the mirror, met mine.bde9de8131a7174b

“Is that all? Is there nothing else 07d8a95a1c you want from me?”cf095a1b5c567d97

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I turned to eb21c6d5c7 face him.1a9bd372bf2fc907

“Nothing else. Nothing but you.”c80ea00ce069ab52

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Our eyes met. I saw 8735744e99 my reflection 9626a022f3 in his 7ee819f74a green eyes, 127f072620 sparkling brightly. His expression 08aa807eb1 turned serious.3e1fbb38f364f020

“I want 5d2d0959a4 you to aae28b531c know. You’re beautiful. The most 860dd9df3a beautiful woman 855b485394 I’ve ever f426419707 seen,” he 83276e8991 whispered.dc6fc9f4c93cbe5d

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