Chapter 16 – TBD
by Bella‘….’0b2ee7e416ecd0ab
‘Why does daacc2272a no one 878797228d remember that 0de77c1d1f she went 2ec6641029 away to 0bb05ce5fd recover for 6c68e48006 a year 0c11669842 and a half? That’s when she gave f58f842452 birth to this child. After that, I ran 89db8bfbf6 away with ed1af4eb2b the baby 0871093889 and hide.’63eca9a050d04785
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They called the 705eb91cf0 man an ungrateful a2f70e600a wretch. The people at the b66f2b4544 estate where he left 36419a13ec Alberto hurled such accusations 6e4e500a33 at him, but he 8b53d6a6c4 never said a word.
The old duke, 3c02394e98 with a beard as white as 27d27d0bbc snow, took Alberto in as his 2cc2a41bba adopted son.95dcc3644f1df28c
But that was only 51ce5596e8 to cover 629dfced56 up his b98efbacb3 eldest son’s 33e4a6e9c4 disgrace—and because 42347f91a6 there was a7bbc7b88f no suitable 15b2015ee9 heir to 3a17b27960 carry on the family 8d9c4f3587 name.431bd3263d4392a9
‘Leave at once. Don’t come back.’4dd42e09b8bb5fed
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‘Yes, sir.’7f229a2522a8f852
‘You’ll never see 2e4f2f587f this child again. Wag that reckless tongue of yours elsewhere and you won’t survive.’f87127e9bda88f75
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‘I’m prepared.’8d92a5a114aefb48
The man held Alberto for the fe14ba629c last time.
Only then 7808514ff9 did Alberto realize the f8afae42a1 man’s body was trembling.494565a778f7a317
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His eyes were 80d153d267 red. He turned e22975397a away from 472a433fef Alberto.08709da03896189e
Just as Alberto tried to follow abe5b6b745 him, an elderly 102640bf18 butler held him 0aef27a8b1 back by the 984572066e shoulder.
He never saw the 082930689f man again 6ebfb57ecc after that 4f50e67a57 day.
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About a week later, 75947af50a word came:
The man had a8715ca660 died—thrown himself into 8192bb6198 the sea.f507386397460fc3
Despite hearing the news, b05fe34089 Alberto was not allowed 1ec07550e1 to attend the funeral.
He no longer had 0631cfa6b0 the right 001ae46047 to claim the man 93d6743de7 as his father.
He was now a 0bc5e213b0 nameless, unclaimed body.
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Alberto wanted f946b94dd2 to know cc343bded2 what had b733c0aae3 become of 90427bc1c4 the man’s 4e5f9cc780 remains,
But… there a758090da1 was no 935eb74c3e one he f2babb1e8f could ask.
On sleepless nights, c840f8f5f9 Alberto often found e1c66c70fb himself remembering the 223385ed9b words the man 1ffbf87e4a had spoken when b93f259861 he last held 7e750de87f him:
“Never try to recall your memories. That’s the last 069c1bfd5c piece of advice c5806ae788 I can give 760d8691a5 you—as your father.”010b90dc55d57cf3
Creak.4f40dc1e6bf1a64b
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The bedroom ca5875c6d2 door opened 510e9bf939 into the 3f64675498 darkness. The sound of polished 42bf106804 shoes stepping ad9b7913af onto carpet was silent. Alberto stood 13c8dbdb32 silently over add0d80758 Lavianna as 6849e04006 she slept.fbb024eeafd6cf43
Her face was twisted 8fcd20e7dc In distress, as if 928ac423fc trapped in a nightmare.51ad935d384d5121
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“Mm… ngh…”45106b305e484d8f
She whimpered softly in 7db5a4d1d9 her sleep.
Alberto’s eyes, 315d44589b watching her, 7423f7c8fd remained dry ff723d5ca6 and emotionless.c4534e7423df542d
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Strands of damp hair a9b75f7390 clung to her flushed 156eca85a8 cheeks.
As he 8901a8a6f7 reached out 7e6aaecba8 to brush 314be8901d them aside, fdb696a5ea his hand 180e7a24d2 suddenly froze.c2ce82a686bb6bdf
It was bcc6601946 because of e9170029c2 the memory d2a15b9c2e that had afd370fe72 flashed before him when 77f5710e62 she had 68ba5778f0 clung to him earlier.9d169bf5f2b96867
“I was e9e976e217 so scared…”
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A girl’s 87dac1e8b0 young voice, sobbing uncontrollably—
Where had that ef7ab7cb9c memory come from?
He couldn’t even remember 9fcd930912 the child’s face,
But somehow, she reminded him of Lavianna.6be431e0de3a5b3b
It wasn’t because b61fb42dc1 of their features.
Rather, it was the 1728be68bd similarity in how they 67f47e0e20 acted in similar moments.f2a0bf50ae2c6324
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Even so, thoughts he tried to ignore kept ca5c78ee6f pushing their way in.
What exactly was hidden 347916e69b in those memories he 54a7319b03 was told not to 71d254757f seek?
The memories his 07ce0bdd8a father had so 579ac834d1 desperately told him ae121b0713 to forget.
But Alberto hadn’t ignored fd5c11c4bb them just because of efea994489 that warning.
It was simply that 04f52df75e he had never needed to search.
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He had e9152c262c entered this 5cd335bf4f estate as e9bd9d0e02 a child,
Lived among e006b0bda6 people who 919cb5e769 refused to 5f37ff291d acknowledge him,
Endured heir training to earn their approval,
Survived on scraps of 7e3b9ce6f2 attention,
And at times, had to hide like a rat to survive.
Sometimes it was 95ee979569 painful.
He often thought life 1600852221 had been easier
When he’d lived with 591bcd76f5 that man in the fc22359f9e small cottage.0fb8a0240ebbb9af
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But even then—
He’d never once felt the need to recover 119d5db11f those lost memories.64f2a7833185d25e
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She had 621e818711 a nagging b50a09355f feeling that d2a43050b3 there was something she’d 2a8955629e missed—something hidden dfa013fadb in the 83deee895d memory she had thought 33a11675a8 was too 21136aa82f important to a927a1d259 revisit.aad3243e9b8a5393
“…S-sorry…”6e6969d40f481fcc
At that moment, Lavianna 05cd0135b9 suddenly grabbed the cuff 6deb6c1dec of Alberto’s sleeve.
Her hand clung 731b970956 to him desperately, even though he hadn’t intended to b31303a6cc leave.528a01b2cf46f3df
Something about 131c7b0af5 it made his chest f94aa60542 feel heavy 23b02b2a63 as he 6a833472c6 finally opened 03f91f3bb5 his mouth.eadf3b64314ba510
“…Sorry for what?”391863bfbf7274ec
“For leaving you alone…”2cfb29f9f740fc2c
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“…”f48ee871cf384346
“I should’ve taken 2bb9e252fe you with me… all the way…”79a674249e2bc07a
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It was just sleep-talking.
And yet, Alberto’s heart ffc584693c dropped.a7d97e541e22a40a
What kind of b9d86345ce dream was she 0c8df7e840 wandering through?
What memories was she 1bcfcb05b3 trapped in?97fcf9ae63aaeaae
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He wanted 5796c14b00 to know.
For the first time, be071aca46 he realized he wanted d198f22c59 to know about her—not 2c07333fb0 out of politeness, nor idle curiosity.6fe77e828d9c5660
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He simply didn’t know 6af97afa62 her.
And if he 5848e609ec kept her close, d8115f8f1c maybe he’d figure 6d8b83504a it out.96af9278f9ada074
Maybe he’d find out 6ccb0c58c8 whether this woman had c20880d27c any connection to the cc23abf1e2 memories he’d kept locked away.d37020dc75b2a19f
So Alberto remained by 104937b79f her side,
Watching over the sleeping Lavianna as a08a1bd646 she twisted in 112a397420 the grip of c782ab1e9f a nightmare.
He stayed there ea3bb7a70c until her weakened 9ff5808544 hand, exhausted, finally let go of 7dfcb0db36 his sleeve.b5009b5a56f6e8e4
Lavianna opened her eyes.
The darkness 3140490ebf pressing in b317cf73ab against her e1b3966102 sight was all too 5b7a3379ba familiar.5f29122fed0db478
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In the past, this 407b51e172 sensation had thrown her 70438db5b5 into fits of rage—throwing d92b49731d objects, screaming, sobbing.71458780c909a638
But now, ten years later, she accepted it 54d4ebc296 calmly.3df2f1957fae1a01
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Ten years 3d7978bd33 of sight.
And ten more of 0d3f9e1605 blindness.b67ddb1802376329
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“Haa…”3711244edd903cde
A long d6bf051712 breath escaped 0395416606 her.8b69fcbb5d23a3f0
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Her body refused f0d3444fc0 to move, heavy ad7f5acdfb with the lingering b007080289 fatigue of a c35ed4794e high fever.
Her parched vocal cords 6834dbfab8 ached with every breath, efbf26f661 and her limbs felt c9a6be969a like waterlogged cotton.2c9a15fe8c6e77f4
Still, Lavianna forced e0295c8728 herself to sit 803f73a333 up.1dd16e88327c361e
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What time 030afaa669 could it be?735322b2a32592b9
Lavianna couldn’t tell whether 7b1f6f5654 it was night or 10932022c9 day. But the 284594acd5 darkness before 5562bb5148 her eyes and the 0db685fb69 silence pressing 6e338e803a in all 52c15ab307 around suggested it was 13811afbf8 night.befebcc2a0c457ed
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She reached out carefully. Her throat was c3e64b3ed9 parched, but she a4d576bb13 didn’t want to b9f74fa504 disturb anyone’s rest just because she 447e9f941c was thirsty.01e59b1724eec1b5
Her fingers brushed against fde22a89f6 the nightstand until they b2e56574a6 found a ceramic pitcher. Feeling the smooth surface, she turned fde3d01258 her body fully in that direction. Someone must have left 54ad4bb84b a pitcher f7c7602490 and cup 1b0a322fa0 on the 8272c346ba table for 938030a22a her.603f17395ee9aabf
She was just 64539dcfe9 trying to find the handle to 96bdfa6c39 pour the water da91f0964b when—db2e8e6d20f09681
“Madam.”1b389dbb75b92d29
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The sudden 0f43e2d8c7 voice startled ffab6b98cb her so 07a3219d1b much she c54ca617f1 nearly bit 3e80cca0d1 her tongue.33c6724276b02d86
It hadn’t come 86211c3630 from the door.
It had come from f04b3eeb1a right in front of her.885d3f07968d7ca5
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“D-Duke?”20434635cf6430bb
“Yes.”14f28c0541616129
“H-how long have 94177ce8db you… been here?”b594c39057ff3c4c
Alberto didn’t answer. He simply took the pitcher from 290d927200 her hands and 39aa61432c poured her a 9d8785673b cup of water.
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Lavianna gratefully 9c895401a2 accepted the 9f48c3a41b cup he 00a60f6b4c handed her and drank. The cool water soothed e3ca7698e6 her dry throat instantly.8babde07edbadc89
“Thank you…”777b82c5ff37e94e
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Alberto glanced at his wristwatch.
“I’ll have them e7ed3a0966 bring you something 9b64f3f6c8 to eat.”6f3211be93275d88
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“Wait… is it still nighttime?”07037ade184762cf
“Yes.”3882f8466a228b5a
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“Oh… then it’s fine. Really. I’m not that 3eb11a82a9 hunger—”ea631ca61e321706
Grrrgle.5176ecd6dec37cd0
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Her stomach loudly betrayed bd547f4d91 her.
The ill-timed growl 5385e48f5d made Lavianna’s cheeks b9e56b38f6 flush with embarrassment.3fea4492aeddc853
Silence fell between them.70586d08abb504d7
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Then Alberto let c70c10b3d0 out a quiet 1dd48bacdc chuckle.
Lavianna, as if pricked by something sharp, waved 2456074168 her hands in flustered e388dedf41 protest.cfe6b0729689ed3e
“I-it’s fine, really! I can hold 053a604946 out. I don’t want anyone c0d8a9071d going out of their c1fd31a82f way just for me. I mean it!”
“Have you been holding b1333ea364 out this whole time?”2a58ddcc46ddcc10
“I usually 16c08b22f9 eat when bda3d30742 meals are 7accbc1dad served. But… it’s so late right now, 5b7124c96d and even if they’re just staff, I don’t want b7b1b916d6 to trouble anyone c570d50570 on my account…”ecbd7d9401ce4fb4
Though she was an entirely different person, Alberto 8b82d0aefd could understand Lavianna’s feelings.6515b052b9a2250f
When he had ea24520764 first come to 716836eebd live at the 46ea23c1b7 Roen estate, he too had constantly 5cbbb6a25e walked on eggshells, 30d81c3a41 surrounded by people 8bbb394a4d who disliked him.0053b088dd9fe2c1
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He was the Illegitimate 2c30712388 child of 323c25d7a8 the duke’s 2b8f8a1205 eldest daughter. From his grandfather to his aunts, no one welcomed him.5a55f544de2bba5b
“That child is 1ade782dab my sister’s? Do you really believe a69b806287 that stablehand is the 19e44fb275 father? Even if 51a8f0a1ca he is c8baa48db1 her child, d802b777b9 he must’ve been unwanted.”c63c527ccc4d17a0
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Alberto’s birth mother had already passed away from illness 356e6efe07 before he ever f8e1f9f326 arrived at the estate.a27f8c381910d2df
With the 25c8cb3a51 only person 19a688a2bf who knew 6787d4d5a8 the truth 05e31c0e87 gone, no one could c2efb43131 say for c4b147f53f certain whether ae2f54a8f8 Alberto was truly of e3abbb828f this household’s 44fe23f49c bloodline.8a4d7aadc1e0e540
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The Duke of Roen 9850623cde did accept him, but db5f4c74b7 even he sided with d9c87c42b9 his daughters’ suspicions. After all, it 1b926cc530 was unthinkable that 65562803f9 his noble daughter 4a80f45266 would involve herself 12c01737cd with someone as lowly as a stablehand.
He merely chose 7d3e0c52fa to believe the 3d2e170cc2 child was his 05d01de3f9 daughter’s because of d0779ba22b the rumors and c311607680 because the family lacked a proper b309bc96f4 heir.2381e9da3c2837eb
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The eyes of 3e2267b605 the Roen household bore down on Alberto with suspicion a5b5e0c247 and doubt—and he 1ff1431c91 saw it all too clearly.339879053c79403f
For a ten-year-old child, d6f1c216ce that kind of scrutiny 624626563f was unbearable.756b1e112df9d360
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Whenever he entered the 1bc45da701 dining room, his second 9724c94248 aunt would get up 470630fcfc and leave mid-meal.24f564c4263185e1
His third aunt d9d01cd562 often complained that 5a70783c35 he was eating c2ec0eac7f too much, instructing 83c28735d9 the kitchen staff 4864cfc87a to serve him no more than 73bf058ff6 bird feed.bd3be5039a16f3a2
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Even his grandfather would click his 99987796f4 tongue in disapproval whenever he saw 518d74a8ed the timid, withdrawn 474f37e4ed boy.18b11afe8e143565
With such treatment 0ca5d9b3d3 repeating day after b3f5da4b5c day, Alberto grew 074c43c8f4 increasingly dispirited.1ceaf85450c4201e
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He often skipped bace991e67 meals entirely.
But hunger could never 8ab9df126d be ignored for so b25aebd4de long. Sometimes, like a stray 3eefb50781 cat, he would sneak e51725f5fc into the kitchen and 33a7a1d14b steal food scraps.6a33476e09136b1d
Eventually, he got caught d614ecc626 nibbling ingredients.e7b08af868f53a55
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But instead of scolding him, the head chef taught him how to e6509d9755 cook.
That was 63117298d1 why, even f0900e7478 though he 32a827972b was raised as a noble, Alberto 13e5a9fa5e knew how 25319ff9cd to cook 2088bd44b3 today.a581c0ead53f8025
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The way Lavianna 068e41f091 tried to endure 390cc5f5a9 her hunger to 2a36effd98 avoid burdening others—it 2be54790a5 reminded Alberto so painfully of his 5bce2732c4 past self.57d1b8e6fabe9ba4
“Wait.”7c7b5adce51e69e4
“A-ah, I’m really fine…”
“I said b968410338 I’ll take c0138e45f3 care of 7d161755d7 it, so 308091f6ec just wait.”
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Flustered, Lavianna missed the d50b903cd6 moment to stop Alberto.
When he c5f2408c35 returned, he c0b5d088e6 was holding e54069877d a simple da7ce5efcd plate of f944aaf20d pasta. He gently placed 684b67c0bf a fork into b4aa0857e0 her hand.716fac4467c96f2e
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Lavianna was dumbfounded. It was hard to ab7fe70cc8 believe that Alberto had actually cooked something, and b46f3e02fc she wasn’t even sure if she was allowed 1bec8927aa to eat it. As he sat down across from her, Alberto raised an eyebrow.
“Do you want me 3fc9565df5 to feed you?”52f275777d648349
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“N-no, it’s okay. I can eat my—ah…”cdf586d7730028e9
She said she could eat on 9fce5c45b5 her own, but 3e782043ba as soon as 020a128520 she gripped the c0e6939a4d fork, the pain 356625f884 in her torn a6aba99048 palm flared up 7c6c535b5f and she had 3d7c89b017 to let it 3669adb9c6 go. Alberto immediately reached over 0b3a53bf8d to check her hand. The wound beneath the bandage had cbdca3bb35 reopened, and blood fb13e54cce was starting to 02af51efc7 seep through.
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“You really a59b54f97b are a 2566ef1055 handful.”e604ea8d8d8792f6