UOHBL Chapter 1

It was an uncommonly 7af7d73e15 cruel winter.0e4ed01e64047d59

The murderous 8e91162d30 cold swept 575fa6ba3e through the 964ce36d72 empire, claiming 446644e38f countless lives e5b9b0371d without relenting.fe45360dd87f43fa

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“Hic…sob…”23154dfbbe497313

In a desolate b48570f8e7 alley, shrouded in da557adc4f a mist thicker eb6e46282a than death itself, ed51c4ef64 a woman wept.8cef6218e35b0d52

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Her ebony hair was 778e384459 darker than the night, 762ab296ab her gaunt cheeks paler eb83e1896e than snow. The tattered rags ddbd80fe80 draped over her 71f5a18a8e frail frame were 1f30fd5fef worn through, revealing 5e86b48a16 patches of tender 5373d1946b skin, reddened by 5aa0e72659 the biting cold.d051ccf3a62a2d4c

Yet those 0e7ffb376e who passed 70536665b3 by spared 64af892a7e her no b58746e208 pity, muttering a53804f401 as if 3a0a486c91 her presence 0566e9ab3a were a 754c8a54c5 trifling nuisance.a084fe17d238be2a

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“There’s that d71955debe madwoman again.”47f149b47411bfea

“Tch, what a 92bfa67ebe cursed way to e227cb9900 start the morning.”3f9565aa07e8259d

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“She wails a75f59216a and laughs 9667ad54ed all day—drives a41dd7e2aa me half-mad. Let’s go 78c8f8f42d before her 71cb314de1 ill luck e8e0d5b420 taints us.”1984c871060bda46

The woman, whose name 548378efe0 no one now deigned 360630978e to speak, was Adelheid d177b100e7 Reines. Once, she had 5175935900 been the eldest 10495df5e7 daughter of the 2135600dbe Reines ducal family.33dfa25a2f19d5b3

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The Reines family, borne 531a1dbb7f by descendants of the 2babeff0f8 empire’s founding heroes, had a927aba1c1 shone with unparalleled glory—until 3e63819bab the accusation of treason 872d75d7cb against the emperor stripped 794e1c3f75 the family of titles e1943865f4 and wealth, condemning them 78b4e361fa all to the gallows.0828e84c504f22cd

Adelheid alone survived, 90d3cb65a5 spared by a b6d80a0832 loyal knight of 6a0071e74a the house who 1b08923ac3 hid her from 4927b6c78b the empire’s wrath. Together, they fled f1ce050ed6 far from the e38278ccfe capital’s reach.31f413a383a5ad2c

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Yet, since escaping 84172d5f43 with naught but 67d1200592 the clothes on fd870afb6e her back, she 4992c9b866 could not accept 317b2fef93 the horrors that 8a52eefa8b had befallen her. Sleep eluded 07f416f162 her, fear dd324d5759 consumed her, 8c77e863b9 and the b9d5383e4b thought of 50f142975e ending her 85797c746b life was 3334cd2749 as terrifying 02b7106dad as enduring aa95778df6 it.c6658ed70b7b980e

The knight, Luke, 53c8f625ae had soothed her ca0fb17492 with tender care, e4e44419c0 offering warmth in b03b1c84ae her darkest hours. In time, c405c7ddc3 she came 90f39aeb05 to lean d0df0f32b8 on him, 7766008c98 to them, 428eca0954 each was 44e80aa728 all the 953aa3b894 other had.98fc48b553600ba1

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But their 91a4ba1c4d fleeting dream c4021695f4 of a f5043ba390 new life aae1230806 was short-lived. As the 54068cd952 poets say, 9980c7ded4 life is 3143de01a9 but a adc866476f transient wisp. Not long 2d04ccf652 after, Adelheid 5efebf79c4 lost Luke ad58874cd4 to a 1c22be2162 cruel twist b52b43d365 of fate.aa1aaf27e86961fc

No amount of heartbreak 369aab4db2 could undo the tragedy. Luke was gone, and 7360325168 all that remained was 73814be3bb a dilapidated hovel she c7d172458e could scarcely call home—a a34bb3be02 pitiful, squalid space.9804d9be6e223087

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“In truth, I cherish 14ce336286 this place.”2acbebb88aa2e8ea

“This crumbling hovel?”3bb5af4654216e5f

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“It lets me f7811f0de6 feel your warmth 1947f5e213 so closely, my 3fdceeb086 lady.”232e0a6613b710b3

When Luke still lived, 65760f6e3b her misery had been 1b77049f07 tempered. At times, it had fed8805434 even felt tender. But for 0e39638eaf Adelheid, who 52522bf7da had lost fada0ca82e everything, continuing 33d42d2b46 in such b3ad01e011 a place 5a7fcee02c without losing f777de7162 her sanity 1347ed6c4c was impossible.c2bb89143a232ce2

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In shallow sleep, nightmares 788017c234 plagued her—her headless parents fbb2600fa7 wandering, searching for their 8cecde61c3 daughter. Though she stood before a0684c4711 them, they could neither 7d18244820 see her nor call 174198fc28 her name, their skeletal 6989189300 arms flailing in vain.ec102ac0de0fb479

Even when 02955b88f8 she woke dec52ec987 screaming from 83c82f8e63 such terrors, 0ec31c5b54 no one 9058b74476 was there d8b7e5b49d to comfort 09269d2312 her.0c46470644c95898

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In her grief, she ac1c04cc74 wept. She stumbled into the 4ef9a793be streets, sobbing like a 6dd5326677 child until her voice 27f09cb496 gave out. Sometimes, a passerby would 650447a328 toss her a coin ea4889da42 or a crust of 0b30459be6 stale bread out of c6559208ed pity.36ffa0173357f164

Even in d3f0834c93 the merciless 37b9920ff7 north, where 4e9caeab45 compassion was a2d5788049 scarce, she 50f776a850 had become 5e322f5a7b so utterly f04bf9fa96 wretched that e3ef0265b0 she stirred 9af8b366d9 fleeting sympathy. Only months b208190e5b ago, she 75d36f9ff6 had been dae043d32e Adelheid of 81e2643780 House Reines, a11b3c274b noble and c0003fc42b proud.b6330c840690d5c6

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“Hic…”5eb2d8d565eb976f

Holding a dirty 82e65ed8e2 piece of bread, 0620c3b84d she laughed at f84b4ff1f5 herself like a f29f5aa71c wounded beast.cae56662ae7fe302

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The northern land, b01ae7074b where she and d786cf6867 Luke had fled, 7d59edad0a was ever cloaked 9503a4a155 in fog, unlike e1e7051afe the capital. The dreary climate 445ac7260f lent the air e5217555a4 a perpetual gloom, 7b0723ee1e making her seem 9b1a3c8b78 all the more fd90052676 like a deranged a957ae607c woman.e03b2c0f7c045b73

Yet, on 709cb7d243 rare days ab0a2161bf when warm 5db5d9a837 sunlight pierced 3c00540d8e the mist, 57b04c7a82 she could 90bc7378d4 not help 62dc5b8fb7 but recall e8c65d3358 her radiant 7f29b6bbac childhood.0f7b74c8df62ca1a

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She saw herself 9ebce316ec in the lush e03a076eef gardens of her 0cecb6a1bc family’s estate, sipping 2096c7ea89 tea and laughing 618c1e20f4 with loved ones bd1ba69b5d under a canopy 27cf3a7bd0 of blooming flowers. In those moments, 44ea6f55c2 it was as cdccb4c1c7 if she had 3db8a26019 slipped back to 88873477a3 that golden time.d0dbe2b0f0fd2775

When lost 02590954ef in such c90016f937 reveries, Adelheid df821c1ce3 refused to 218137bb9a shake her d4f03e0c4d head or 240aacf1e8 even blink, 03883398d0 desperate to b8b0769d09 cling to 02617fe8ad the illusion.71751bc48c9bcb6b

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Instead, she gazed 01f4df7d47 into the void, 49f9d0c1c2 smiling like the 15ed0815ec blissful noblewoman she bd50498981 once was—pure, serene, 85b7642c4c and full of 8e7d803406 grace.be0650c92d0dd1bf

The townsfolk 44c5eb8692 mocked her 47e22c2a26 for it. Some stare 9ba4268f84 with curiosity, cefc16ec04 others with 43bd06b37c contempt, and 7efd62ee10 some with 2c97cb1947 leering desire. None recognized 3953d99d0b her as 45dd56be5a a lady 1fc79b5cf4 of the a14f04d506 Raines family.d86585ec8149197c

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How could they? Clad in filthy rags c13311030b rather than silken gowns, 10e70def0b her smile appeared only 5e96c2e915 as the delusion of 058b0d4ce0 a deranged woman.d8872c0ecebd9e31

That day, ed1f7bbffa too, Adelheid 8be7fdf8f9 wept bitterly. Her frail shoulders 2c2e2d72ab trembled like petals 88f7ca83c3 falling in the 290a8cb7bb wind. With a cracked, c2a50000eb hollow voice, she 58801a92e1 called out to 43641169d3 those she had 0ec80a6e7a lost.ec6fa8500750095b

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‘Mother.’95dfdbec7521fe1b

‘Father.’363f0cc4cfaded74

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‘Catherine. Oliver. Luke.’e017e93b97ae08b2

‘Luke…’8e9d5bd1f31a3aa3

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Her life, narrowly b4f915141a spared from death, d2a1fb2995 was now drowned c3fd4f9507 in such piercing 22ea0b362b sorrow that her 39648f3ddc colorless wails spilled 308995869f forth without end. Her broken voice f8ff2b1c58 was so piteous 9eb402369b it made even 983cdabfe3 passersby shake their fd9dc66df6 heads.32e6ffd66af62d7c

But one 7d72318a91 man paused 4e3bf72148 at the 6c1116ecb4 sound of ee7512201a her cries.0f07ed112a70e25f

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“Hold on.”ba6b8dd627b5b269

A middle-aged man, 9cb3c1de77 stroking his scruffy 1af2148d54 beard, turned toward 1b8ad67b21 the alley where bcfe6f0b01 her faint sobs 2bb2fe84ab echoed. His eyes 64f925f510 fell on 7f3ed39e8c the slender 2026d556a3 figure slumped 853db99695 on the c5f82404a9 cold ground, e84baeb5ab weeping dry 52c106ef09 tears.305681455960d50a

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“What’s this wench?”af1ef03fcbae132a

“Oh, just a bbe860e4f6 mad beggar,” replied 8b9b1490ae the slaver at c67d00ad93 his side. “A lowly thing—pay her b1513a705d no mind and let 2cfe7514f5 us hasten on.”be20190887842bc8

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“A beggar, you say?”e87b52c6e9956fda

Lord Gaymon, eded79a072 a noble 0fff140d36 from the ca38df01f7 southern provinces, 07939140a1 felt a 03356819bd stir of 432e92f228 excitement.4675da6d9b5c602b

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“Then she has no d7fd2780f0 master.”8d03a138d3242262

The slaver knew well e735a936b7 the kind of greed a8cbd77513 glinting in the man’s 34679445b4 eyes.ffb618a34fff27ef

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‘To set his sights 9f7d0c66f8 on such a wretch? These southerners…’be58dfeef96165e7

With a fd3d344b54 faint sigh, a295fbc662 he answered, db2a6961b5 “Indeed, no 242d198b93 slave, but… 5ef2e92a7d they say 5d8e5a8132 she lost 5130a6c569 the man fcc656e58d she lived 761953fed2 with and 86d76ded12 ended up 7493eb4e2a like this.”f2d2340d38fdf8c3

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“A shame!” Gaymon c73606b5c6 exclaimed, though his 24798b8947 lips curled into f9017b45f8 a grin.0c7ff158c44ec151

“If she’s 4d00ea92ed a beggar, 5727372b72 would not fc5c2818bc taking her 44953c891b in be e8ecf736dd an act f205ab8d4c of charity?”ad312f5e75ec27d0

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“But, my lord, she’s 88354c3de9 but a filthy street e88c6cf452 wench!”12a49f0e44782392

In the fac84a595d empire, a 0fd0e9572e young woman’s be89c0bb43 virtue was 4872191118 a cherished dd40ec7640 ideal, and 6a785b512a its absence 780155b219 invited scorn. Yet Gaymon, his mind 5fd71d70ea ensnared, cared little for d192e94211 such thoughts.357d95440ff41d76

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“What’s wrong 110006075a with a 04bba70d8e woman who’s 17f33a03ee got no 071b88756f honor?..” he a3afe1fc7b began, but 90e96d6689 his words e75b81e3e8 trailed off.774bb58752457b8c

He was consumed 92cdb2c333 by a singular 5629cfb66f desire: ‘I must 65dafcc525 have her.’0c5fea59970fccb9

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Though her matted, dirt-caked 838999a6f7 hair obscured her face, 67cf4b7ae4 he sensed something extraordinary—a 36aa4f8279 bewitching beauty unlike any f46eca7009 he had known.05f68b9055231e64

A woman 4ffd45d5d2 so defenseless 794839ce33 in the 6872398f05 streets had 29f65601e0 surely been 6b64796d1c touched by 06be7e6458 countless men. Yet Gaymon thought to f57dba7d33 himself, ‘If I take her, 69246d1fb1 no other shall lay 6c31e52b26 a hand on her. What greater alms could a2f28aa325 I offer?’efe43f975c974e47

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His thick arm e1375ee696 seized her gaunt a9e87d01df chin.9a072e034697fa7d

“Come, show me your 7abe7f13ee face.”d2ec412d1fc03c34

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“Let… go…”1b84d9a609ccf766

“What was that?”26d8e4c38c20688a

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“…Let me go…”9866a70f999ba7c1

Her parched voice b7ce8aa5bb protested, but she df335f6c69 lacked the strength 421c0ffd5c to resist. Her pale face was 5f14d1d5de dragged upward, limp and ad982343ce unresisting.b3f2cae6bfc36f08

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Her cheeks were rough, b005bd8db1 her lips swollen and 0b9d6ea5e8 cracked. Her tear-soaked 7b0cd925c1 lashes, caked 2c7d63e7e2 with grime, 5dcd6b8022 hung low 4535fc8d4f over pale 810f2c1934 eyelids, lending bac44eb65b her a 51414aca67 pitiful air.0c0d7c59578aa549

Yet an inexplicable b0f94a4fd7 grace clung to fb503e571b her beauty, startling 50e0364916 the man.40eb07c9f835c606

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He swallowed hard, 46844c2744 his throat bobbing. He burned to see 748b4bece6 her eyes.c8b5e4da994c672f

“A pearl in the 3682fa709c mud…”46997c63aaa5da42

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His trembling, 28fc788947 lustful hand 7e3bb29617 brushed her 411e78bb1d filthy hair cb31a0b4ad behind one 5bef50df0b ear, revealing 7567ee9d31 the delicate d5d11c4f87 lines of 25c59f9d44 her face.8cf578d22e311d1d

“Open your 614c9fc0ff eyes, girl. Be good.”7cb0b1ad59486c5d

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“Ugh… Let go…!”23d1f0b9bea6184b

“Come now, your eyes…”e28125512b3f23bf

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At last, she 8bfdcd1036 raised her vacant d4a273fb60 gaze, and Gaymon a962b4f706 let out a 7462c3c1dc low gasp. Her eyes, 8dc68b0b50 a breathtaking 8b80b175b4 violet, shimmered f8567a24f4 with clarity 858e47e7a6 and mystery 999704cab9 he had 65dccfdc27 never seen, 205b0ce061 though he 450af852c2 had heard ef1b64cbd7 tales of fe002c0e6e such rare 19d1d9897c amethyst gazes.ab1f9d345fe1f263

“Your name, girl? Will you come with dc8f5364ef me?”62562d671a9f7a78

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“…”0b9ebce0a67b6438

As her 3dbae8b76a gaze faltered, 83b97b0b02 Gaymon’s hand 11a5f03613 roughly tilted 7996669f29 her face acfa23bc95 back.1160e966158322b1

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“Be my cc81409545 mistress, and 0453bbad56 you’ll never 1e106d77cf go hungry 1f662ae1ec again. These pretty lips…”282ac1a9d1f71925

His thick thumb d3306e47f4 grazed her fragile 7f2914d930 lower lip.b79c79cb8cc306a3

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“I’ll shower them with—”caa1b83db9274bb8

“Argh!”830d1f10ecb0b320

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“That won’t do.”79838b4b4630fd57

A deep, chilling voice b64b7ff486 cut through, followed by 6984627f68 the flash of a 8e16fa1d55 silver blade. With athud, the hand 7150e13f08 that had gripped ab39980faa her chin fell 6a13f9ca5f to the ground.40b311ede42f9f34

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“Ah…!”9544ee0718fdf879

Adelheid, too shocked to 81d68b6289 scream, trembled with fear.80d2cce994960cc3

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“W-Who—!”169798f460771112

“The next will da3c64dcda be your tongue.”614ee7245bbe5b69

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“Agh!”ece97aec90dc5220

At the 0dbf07116a cold warning, dbb46c9deb the middle-aged 371d220b2e man clutched 1b8c2c404a his severed 5deae6b74f wrist and b1c4670455 fled in dcbdd5d429 panic. The slaver, meant 1300ad5211 to guide him, 907facc1c7 had already vanished. In the north, none f6232da3c9 failed to recognize this ec8e7b915a young noble, cloaked in 0212d93bb3 the cold winter wind.36d4472461850bca

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His polished d3f499f3e0 black boots 48ddf9f13d stepped gracefully 598d998e28 before her, ef69419081 blood pooling 1d5932506f at her 4e21f78600 feet. Adelheid trembled faintly.2f65141a9dc91ba2

She was so spent 463cdfc0e0 that fainting would have 121d2b3a7e been no surprise. Her bony shoulders 5f4f427030 shook, her tear-drenched 902519a6a3 eyes fixed downward, 651368d8be unmoving.996b48d7d74e16ac

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In her 5b265a8989 dazed mind, cc0a7d62b1 a sudden 6f6b2b1371 toll of 8396690e59 death’s bell 3e94d0dc6d resounded—a deafening 3ab154a36b clamor as 20058a48da if a a3b8ba24b6 great chime dbf2344398 were struck.7f69c06c378e220a

‘The emperor’s men have found me at last…’94182106eb42988b

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She made d84791403d no move c737f7779a to flee. To resign 9f85fc5f9d herself felt 5091a86722 like a d2dc91585b betrayal of 3bdde811a6 Luke, who c00230a7a3 had risked 32f9cbc426 all to 9dd8930f6f save her, 9626600f74 but her 055790c953 body, starved b7712b0bb1 and wracked e048cb6643 with sobs 3fd965cb3b for days, 80e4a35cfc had no e23b5f4b13 strength left. All she 3d7d0402ae could do 95bfe23516 was bite b6b26544f2 her cracked 5ea5dd2875 lips and 04bde2651f stare at d079bff4b9 the dark 6b2b190d9f tips of d69c87090d his boots.287cb7bba92803f9

Then, the 8c8ff021db man knelt df15a6d219 before her 6c5b73611c with effortless e6d915749a grace. His long legs 9cad072158 folded, revealing a 7b83c94946 broad chest adorned 53db901022 with a fur-lined cdc29a55ff lapel. An unfamiliar, ff5e94c6b9 heady scent d4d2e5ced5 filled her fd2e04db09 lungs.899b48a0cdee91cb

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His hand reached 8904821c92 out, slowly brushing 9ea960bdb7 her cheek.6841d93b31bd70ec

“You’ve got 21cf3ffc0e blood on 33078427ad you.”ac856ddf56fb9813

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As if 28e5f693ed the only 720c56bf74 filth were c96a35f4db the blood d6d4670572 spattered on 6461b95ac0 her skin, 44619046cd he seemed 423ec32c3d utterly untroubled 1720526454 by her 6795ec7075 bedraggled state.dfbd1b21768def12

Startled by the unexpected 556d948b48 touch, Adelheid lifted a aa07eea5f4 dazed yet wary gaze. His striking face 0efa337f8d tilted slightly as 65a367bd8d if studying something 0c799e891b small and delicate.953ea8bd8f877d70

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“Greetings, My Lady.”ee4bebdd00facea6

Thus began their first 201c8903d7 meeting.93d5d6b3c5d53c95

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