In the rear castle gardens stood a single cottage, enclosed by a simple wooden fence. It was built of clay bricks, and the surrounding ground was packed with loess—a dense mixture of sand, silt, and clay. A small pond, about ten yards in circumference and filled with river water, sat before the cottage. The entire setup had a carefully manufactured feel, not only fire-resistant but almost dreamlike in its isolation. Nearby, a pile of iron
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