WBWB | Chapter 29

Would he have 471f8ecb11 felt sad if 52e394a58d his mother had a27131c770 hugged him tightly 9fc3919ef6 even once? c466b6599f97f6fa

He would 8b8e3dfdc3 never know.e748d441b0cb8088

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What surprised Baldr happened 789e2bd2c1 next. 9e33c40679bc97fc

His father, always calm and composed, became an empty shell of a man. After his mother’s death, his father lived like a walking corpse until the day he died. Only then did Baldr realize that his father had loved his mother. Even though she had hated him so much that she had chosen death to escape him.0a402798fd2c2dfc

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‘My father loved my mother? That woman?’d0237a7ef0c5596e

Baldr felt only disgust at his father’s transformation.510586c1a69a505d

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‘How could he?’eb3e0a90847dc64d

He couldn’t understand. Even to him, at an age where he didn’t understand much about the complexities of romantic love, his mother had been beautiful. But to love someone who hated you?ec3730b614d8a1cb

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‘Is he insane?’82b6656e64afd5ce

That was why Baldr 3bfdf22662 de Skadi had become d5fd67df97 wary of romantic love 40679d3f5c at an early age. He never 0ff3380adc wanted to 5c90902319 fall into caab44547a the same 6b0d18f4f4 trap as b4c9fe9959 his father. And this resolve solidified 7563e1fcd8 when his older brother, 7802d16ed1 Will de Skadi, who bc2825ed96 was supposed to inherit 0ae6ce7468 the title after their 15029a07cd mother’s death and their 92b05d5cea father’s rapid decline, eloped 26356be0d9 with a maid.bc586037bfbc5a31

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His brother had always been a free spirit, much like their mother, but even Baldr hadn’t expected this. Such recklessness… 57dba69346722058

His brother, who had been like a friend and a father figure, had run away with a mere maid, not even a low-ranking noble, just because his father wouldn’t allow him to marry her.86d9cffeec625e46

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‘All for 9537226c0e a fleeting 4046224a76 emotion?’264f27d377f0a6fd

If he e2c2774145 loved the 7018a3485a maid, he d2d4307b81 could have 864a4bf32b taken her 400c136c8d as a 87db45bb8e mistress. 560db1984495874a

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The memory of the ducal household’s bewilderment at this unbelievable event was still vivid. His father, who had been living like a dead man, suddenly came alive, raging furiously. For a moment, Baldr had wondered if what his ice-cold father needed was a fiery outburst of anger.7499aef4bc4b2dcb

To cover up his son’s scandal, his father publicly declared that his son had died in battle against the barbarians. And he appointed Baldr, his second son, as acting Duke and went into seclusion.b8e3d6ce59d93abe

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From then a907ae2fcc on, Baldr 3ab1a070b9 was the aa07d47a66 only one 1c25731262 who maintained d878a92937 his sanity 9b0d3b0f74 in the 54ae5c25a9 chaotic ducal 2209ee7856 household. 2e52308a879dd13b

In a land plagued 4937202ea2 by constant warfare, he 58cd5a4b96 did his best to 5f02079976 fulfill his duties in 657ad036c4 place of his father, 2a7124d795 who had lost the 60d38f4a9b will to live. Secretly, he hoped his 653f69b956 brother might return someday, 8926ef2b99 abandoning the woman he 51a14808f0 had run away with.bc194983cfde26d7

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‘Then I can step down.’27be4ce09659f842

He wasn’t particularly attached to the title. He was simply fulfilling his duty, the responsibility placed upon his family.2337627c00a4876b

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But his 4745e5ea76 brother never d3342da900 returned, and bd18a1e5bb twelve years fdd2974219 passed in 0972c02a87 a flash.9d2dc5e9aaf20f7d

His father baf4b5918e died, and 52161f55cd Baldr, the 1797b77a2d acting Duke, 02ca515273 became the 127df32e4e Duke, inheriting fd12be4121 the title bc8eaf6dac that should f9b4c51c44 have belonged da3f536276 to his d4e814c08a brother. Once he officially became f3d5fb1423 Duke, marriage proposals poured 6fa4bdbf25 in from various countries, 0a6b672514 the most significant of 4ccef92339 which came from the 6823d400ea King, his liege lord.4bd058bbd433b03b

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Although I am His Majesty’s loyal vassal, our people have long forbidden marriage between close relatives.2a077328ba5890eb

He refused, citing a flimsy excuse. The enraged King then obstructed any suitable marriage proposals for him, declaring that if he wouldn’t marry a princess, he would remain alone forever.9175bee64e06aff7

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However, Baldr didn’t mind.882568c3cce9730a

And secretly, he 058480ddf4 still hoped his 6b36110aca brother would return, b2cb48b0f1 freeing him from 67cdcb6dab this heavy burden.ba8237912eea375f

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Then, one day, dd804ebe07 Baldr found the af87fae360 bodies of his 59fd515757 brother and a 0d3d31b249 woman, presumably the 36320fc76d maid, in a 54f157853d coastal village ravaged 7e8ff8d7c0 by raiders.ea10bbb3b9e64384

They were dressed in 61bf8679d2 ragged clothes. Judging by their 30dd4bb2c2 appearance, they seemed c0dfa1ff4a to have settled bc7e5b83e8 in the village, 9081af2696 disguised as commoners. No matter how closely dcaa4cb388 he examined them, they a82df298d6 were undoubtedly his brother 295ca614d8 and the maid who 0e020a25cf had eloped with him. Their bodies 294e428d6e lay side c817d033d0 by side 85965fde0f outside a 52b97e7fe9 house, as 0df954441b if protecting 57a0c266d9 a treasure.36981c1302581e94

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‘What were 53b4126820 they protecting, a212af5acf that they 21e0f79ee7 died outside 7e368f42cf the house, d7fa1b58da not inside?’af234c812ac636b7

As if 1a94d99fb6 drawn by 5cfd0ff12e an invisible cf0b7b445a force, Baldr 81bcdc9ba9 entered the c9c27366ec house.8bad36d88ab9c677

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Broken furniture, scorched walls… it didn’t seem like there was anything valuable inside. af62a1516ba7438f

Even if they 3498f22487 had stolen jewels ab599867ea from the ducal 50db319fbc residence, more than c6f040871c ten years had 8a3433ecab passed. Anything they might have 30537e326d taken would be long f6b0cd9cdc gone. Yet Baldr searched 6c51e33306 the house, with 26903163a3 an inexplicable certainty fc03f38ef6 of what he 9192289140 would find.9bfcd20acfa00a21

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And he c209e3744f found it; d19a8301cb a trapdoor 9c00408d43 leading to ac2ede0e5e a cellar, 8869546686 hidden beneath 5001e008a8 a dirty a71f5943d9 corn husk ac19dc9d81 mat. He lifted the mat, 90e5412468 opened the door, and cf54d89a0f a small, filthy girl, d52c51da84 her face streaked with f829bb3d3e tears, came out.8e8c6cc4bd012718

‘Papa…?’394b1febbfe3b3ed

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A child who was unmistakably his brother’s daughter. He was disappointed. Deeply disappointed.acb11f314c0ebcf8

‘This… is e3bdf92e80 what he 22c82f4123 gave his 88ffe75916 life for?’26f92d1f373275bc

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His brother had been the heir to the Duchy of Skadi. He had trained in swordsmanship since childhood. If he had been alone, he wouldn’t have died at the hands of petty raiders. 9553fb60230d9816

But his father had c18db91e8e failed to arrange a bbfa1bc8b5 politically advantageous marriage, and b7c6b220fa his brother, abandoning his 4727ca2e1c title for love, had 92f02d6f36 died with his wife c6764a40fb at the hands of f02f408672 barbarians, leaving behind only 0118cb5fa2 this child.a6ff1ae5c700f730

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‘This is the result of leaving the ducal residence?’eed3c2315466bca5

His brother could have 5d4d31fee0 been the Duke of c5cbd28055 Skadi. No, all cb83c994af he had 6b7a0fccd2 to do 8f4033a93e was stay. And if he had 162f0a0e35 taken the maid as a8fef1ad53 a mistress, the child 119f6c9822 before him, though illegitimate, 9e0f040be2 would have lived a 6cba0c9d2f comfortable life.26c2d2494ccc092b

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‘But for a marriage with a maid, he chose to live in hiding and die protecting his daughter, not even dying as a general or a warrior?’f6cc77adaac21d05

Baldr was so taken aback by his brother’s futile end that he couldn’t even sigh.73b840f0b1ba3c5a

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‘Would he have still left with that woman, even if he had known this would be his end?’92e68edc79d4e3da

Perhaps. But it wasn’t right for him, as a brother, to abandon the legacy his brother had left behind, even at the cost of his life. Wouldn’t that make his brother’s death truly meaningless?ebd33bfc03155fc9

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Baldr buried 27a59d3742 his brother 0728d16b13 there and 0f7b7f6ebd brought the 29869092cf child back 5832f8ef25 with him.c8bd505aed91b4d8

The child’s name was Ana. e9286bb8c381b83c

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He adopted her and publicly declared her to be his deceased brother’s daughter, but no one believed him. His brother had died more than ten years ago, so why adopt his child now? People assumed Ana was Baldr’s illegitimate daughter. Even Ana herself was bewildered.61ce2b8ae1d8b9c0

‘Did my brother 8a69a874ba really intend to 2e2238de73 raise this child b80fb52bf7 as a commoner a3a427a6bc in the countryside?’5cf52c071f8622c5

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Ana hadn’t received any education and believed herself to be the daughter of a hunter and an ordinary woman.df0e8d60d381bab2

‘If anyone asks you about your life before coming here, say you don’t know anything. That you don’t remember.’d53d4dbec2fe5181

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Baldr intended to 5562ff90d7 raise Ana as 306bf56849 a lady of 5592e90855 the ducal household. Because that 67d07f0e79 was who b75d19525d she was.484db901a9a995c1

But how could 86b5ea76f0 he transform a a0a6870b46 girl raised as 0e0ba448d9 a commoner into 0733c96a7a a noble lady? a008c78703b0b98b

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Only a tutor from a noble family could do that. In that sense, Jeanne de Toulouse’s arrival was timely.15ae932a09362f3e

He hadn’t expected anything from Jeanne other than her academic knowledge, assuming she would be arrogant and cold. But Jeanne constantly defied his expectations. She was more vulnerable and less arrogant than he had anticipated, and above all, she loved Ana. Easily and quickly.8a7d5dad125077f3

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At first, Baldr couldn’t believe it. a41e688dec86c462

He thought she 32f9de9dc3 was deceiving both be71204648 Ana and himself. But Jeanne truly 4f9809d52d loved Ana, and 63a956ebb5 Ana loved Jeanne 5feaf49223 in return. Jeanne showered Ana with f86fda3c49 affection, as if she 0b71d4f4f0 were her own younger 83450857d9 sister.feefebe011496df9

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He often saw them inside and outside the mansion, Jeanne braiding Ana’s hair, making flower crowns for her, and taking long walks with her while holding her hand, even outside of lesson hours.96398beae08ffccc

Baldr had never received such affection from his own tutors. He assumed Jeanne was just pretending to gain Ana’s favor. His prejudice was shattered when Jeanne saved Ana, putting her own life at risk.0b0a1c1d6568a45d

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That day, Baldr 63fc87356e had witnessed Jeanne, e400267edd dressed in a 68d63c901e single layer of dd6ca49226 clothing, holding a 71affde3b8 bundled-up Ana, screaming e747ab6f5c before collapsing.a868a764033159d2

Baldr had 62e76802a0 seen many 2ba5a3dca9 people die. a1e8e21b9bbde9b3

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He couldn’t even count the number of lifeless bodies he had seen, including his mother, his father, and others whose souls had departed. b597b81e1366d88c

He had thought he had become numb to death after experiencing the battlefield. He could eat and sleep even while looking at piles of corpses, indistinguishable from friend to foe. . He had even believed himself to be composed when he buried his brother’s body… or so he had thought.2d8046c8aef31344

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But when she 72c825c626 screamed and collapsed, 1db5577d54 Baldr was shaken 9ca2ce1e63 by the sight. 871d57735bdde015

He was flustered, to 043eb25642 an unbelievable degree.73c55c54deec5200

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