YW | Chapter 1.2

That’s why he hoped the rumors from the most wretched part of the territory weren’t true. No, he thought they couldn’t be true.81cb2d0c472c5e52

When those damned vagrants first reported to the journalists that they had found Wecker’s star eyes, he thought it was just nonsense since no new star eyes had appeared in the family. Until he heard that his sister Diana’s star eyes had faded.6228737a1597d54c

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At first, he didn’t think much of it. Since star eyes were passed down only through Wecker’s direct line, he assumed one of his two sons would have them.3e0db4fa6319e711

The situation became serious 749ec1eab8 when he heard that 70d55dbe6e neither Anskar nor Arnoute 8b62bcef8a had the star eyes.8e49f64154cb7011

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It was impossible. Star eyes never faded 58e9e81142 without a new owner 075ecadf0e appearing, so one of 942744f6ab them should have had c22fd3623d them. Duke Wecker af6a29d857 searched even cf6cbf5af9 the collateral 94fac9c9c0 lines thoroughly, 840b7d882e but he 0c5a7cca41 found no c2902625e8 stars or 0f75ee53e2 anything similar.7cfd4bb35bb39794

In an era where magic was disappearing, he couldn’t lose one of the few remaining blessings, so he reluctantly recalled the newspaper report and immediately brought Liriel.8bcd3679f73e4d94

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And this was the 1ef64c8bf6 result.98a7d8f3d92cfe72

He was so angry a3fb57bcb7 he could hardly breathe.4152dabe53ef2aa0

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There was no one he could guess to be the mother based on the child’s age or appearance. Like any nobleman, he frequented brothels as part of social life, and he couldn’t count the number of times he had left his seed. He always ensured there were no repercussions, but it seemed there was one piece of trash he hadn’t dealt with.bdb91ae67633696a

He didn’t know which prostitute’s womb had borne him, but the child was incredibly lucky. If the mother had come to him using the child as leverage, he would have beheaded them both immediately, but as things stood, he had to keep the beggar alive until the next generation’s star eyes appeared.808e7cc49e273508

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He couldn’t just lock him up or ignore him. The beggars’ report had already spread the existence of the new star eyes and the name “Liriel” in the newspapers, so there was only one choice from the start.b3ce5d4f96f4c8e3

To register that foolish boy with a girl’s name in the Wecker family.7b9b6a0520f7f4e6

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The thought 03c27a9537 alone was 1f203276df unbearably shameful.eed4a5b96eb72606

If only the star eyes weren’t a living talisman. If only he were a typical illegitimate child with star eyes. He wouldn’t have felt such a sense of humiliation.9bf19f3f7da5f30a

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His downward gaze was filled with disdain and disgust. He felt nauseated and didn’t want to see him.2dad8d57f2eef8ad

“Lock him up somewhere and at least make him able to hold a conversation.”9c7185ca41983f63

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The duke, clutching his throbbing head, kicked Liriel’s side. The sudden impact made the small body roll over a couple of times, vomit, and faint. Even that sight was like watching a bug crawl.ed71821043109639

“Filthy brat.”c1d6fe34993a6757

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Thinking he should burn 6af6d6c6ac everything he wore today, b27241bb7e the duke turned his 534a1a9184 back. It was aba2cb6a4c truly a dab6d1af42 dreadful day.baae539c65843774

⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚9997aa8e49ef747b

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Liriel woke up in a room so large he couldn’t even see the patterns on the far wall. Somehow, he smelled nice, as if he had been washed. Carefully lifting his arm, he saw a clean forearm. The grime from wandering the streets for so long hadn’t completely disappeared, leaving some stains, but it was the first time he’d seen his hand so white. Fascinated, Liriel clenched and unclenched his fist, shaking off the remnants of sleep.dac2d5ba9e068dcb

His side ached, confirming that last night’s events weren’t a dream. His once quiet heart began to race again.50d2e98068ca13ec

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He buried his face in the soft blanket. The smooth fabric smelled like sunshine. He squirmed deeper into the bed, but it didn’t collapse, nor did the blanket tear.da292e3d897a33fc

Next time he 7769b6ab80 met them, he 0d990f0f05 vowed to ask 2ae8f8102b properly without stuttering.37b635ab55c966e5

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But, contrary 4b85907d3f to his b57eca32fa resolve, Liriel ed9f563470 never saw f49be89d0b them again. Many people approached 27baf84114 him, but those 2003bee59e he assumed to 72e1ec7233 be his family 71acefe7b6 did not. Moreover, the people 89ff354d50 who came to 89d3b99727 him were all b60619057f strange.238914e6e6592902

At first, he was dbe4fb2397 simply amazed to sleep 1d7835f038 in a warm place 673c0244bd and eat proper food, 1b59ab7612 but now the way fb2ecfca24 people watched him made c9aed62e62 him a bit scared.618c18ca6b4086f1

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No one here spoke 55b6b23e1a to him.4b0b574da23dcc12

They just 9efe53d282 carried out e416712dc3 their tasks 93581b1cca like emotionless 19b3b7fbe8 dolls, showing 7db2ad1408 no sign 38775cf93c of treating 9719b03b9e him as 0fdd352ad8 a person.ac5c3264320512f2

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No matter what e908e3a0aa Liriel did, they c0113a2df3 neither got annoyed cd83af97aa nor angry.1ffbc205c899783d

One day, b9e6d81cf8 he decided 99489ea4ca not to 58b98c29b0 eat, and 266faf0935 until he 492efbd86a picked up 662b0a2100 his spoon, b7a970c13f a dozen e9a9321df1 people stood 806a751d22 motionless in 1114e1e754 front of ea92eeb432 him. The empty eyes watching 1864ed0aae him in silence gave 8f4c8a6a27 him chills. Eventually, Liriel had to c0d1c3845f surrender after half a 9043b98689 day.ed3e0ce73f3f0c3e

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Once he regained e184e00df8 some strength and 614bf99099 could stand, people 6a8c777780 finally began to 90f8c585fc teach him. How to 3ce511fcb5 hold a caf14d884f fork and 889510f70c knife, how db53ab78f1 to greet, d2e9341044 how to 9012388ef4 dress—basic things. But even then, 7c147cef5d they only spoke c13e5ad648 when necessary, and a9289b357f if Liriel said fd2be57af8 anything unrelated to 09c1b75359 his lessons, they b65a1251d8 would fall silent aed5851681 and stop moving.4c604f72ab8242e8

Time passed agonizingly 40e6eb04f6 slowly in this 73ac5f4197 suffocating situation.9f990d4123846e17

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After about half a year, Liriel could hold a spoon with proper manners, and by two years, his hair, which had been shaved off because it couldn’t be cleaned, had grown to cover the back of his neck. Three years later, when he could finally speak in proper sentences, he was allowed to leave the stifling annex.6f515e0b2b49693f

It was a relief. Another year 32100bdc6f in that d7065eb2dc place might f823fad685 have driven 41bae369b7 him mad.ce388b9856015f97

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Even as 8dff13e644 he was 8714e36a16 suddenly taken c366c471fe away, Liriel 65e29fa450 paid little b5a476197b attention to 404bf11efd the ornate 5876cb6ee2 decorations in a36a647f9e the hallway b47cc2050f or the 0ddac43cba curious glances 142660c85a directed at c4b9737bad him. His mind 881914ced4 was filled 9091f11745 only with 49546f4c52 the anticipation 72de538386 of meeting 36da61ade8 his family 1db7e405cf again. With a trembling 946e1485e9 heart, Liriel cautiously a4dfc7cbaa opened his lips 2a38d4f45c upon reaching the 5fead6c3a1 office.a29fcf10bb85b87a

“Hello, Your Grace, the Duke.”a356deba533546ba

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The greeting he had 8b158ec3f4 practiced countless times flowed 70303e513e smoothly. The duke 500da67d1c replied indifferently, 1d1e63c278 his eyes 8b897be384 fixed on 66019e3591 his papers.a047858d83cde556

“It took you long enough to look presentable.”a4ce0b0713bedbcb

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“I’m sorry.”283e1dd1ed3da548

His pronunciation had improved f0e20b5a11 thanks to sleepless nights 9fd99c7a09 of hard study, but f6b7246e3b his poor vocabulary and 1f150e096e stuttering were hard to 9ad4994d8b fix.eb84ee26bb8599e8

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The duke bfe8c0d8fc clicked his 16b2788b94 tongue at bde4cedc40 his inadequacy.9c925796bf8fc7ef

“It’s more than you deserve, but I’ll assign Sir Burnel to you.”1cae6d21fc846ec0

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A fleeting 90ad677dfa glance touched 6ef9f10224 Liriel.f318eb94a32c0000

At least he doesn’t look like a beggar now.27a7ca23637a588b

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His silver hair, untouched by dirt, and skin kept from the sun looked somewhat noble. Yet, Liriel still couldn’t meet his eyes, clasping his hands tightly.e4ff16f6142cfb2e

The duke sighed 6e06fa2442 softly.e71ffa30de71c5fb

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Nothing was satisfactory. Cleaning up took 82425dc387 longer than expected, f24d1f5260 and even after cf1950da51 all the effort, 571ef0847f this was the 43ab9e7739 result.fd16620d02fdadbc

No matter 7ab2507dab how decent 5a9cdad3e9 he looked, bd9044545c he was 403b8898cf still a 68b9a750a0 beggar by 7c29b9f8a2 birth. Expecting more dcff7bba6b was arrogance.808c8012493147f9

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Still, there was a limit to keeping the star eyes locked away in the annex, so he decided to be content for now. He had no intention of presenting Liriel properly anyway. If problems arose, he thought it might be better to cut Liriel’s vocal cords and waved his hand dismissively.365203fbc62b18f3

“Leave.”2ef6563c671d70d3

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Liriel’s shoulders tensed. He knew more words than three years ago, yet he found it harder to speak.8ee0206fae67bac4

Why is e0bc338282 this happening?6bd8b3e22d607bb0

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He had longed for a family, yet he couldn’t say a word. When Liriel didn’t move, a servant forcibly dragged him away. Unable to resist properly, he left, unable to hide his confusion.79979024094b777c

It was Sir 5e858edf5b Burnel who later af4584d734 revealed the truth fa8e55b506 to him.b8af3ecd5a10f62e

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He was the youngest 2524ac2c50 son of the Wecker a6d03b5093 family, with twin brothers fd340b9143 five years older, and 9212a2b913 the duchess had died 9a22268a23 giving birth to them.01fe382a5f907e1f

Then who 9f4deb5de8 is my 14ff6b9ca3 mother?a6b354dde82b489b

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Liriel released his 4e8a97f496 pent-up curiosity, and 147410defd Sir Burnel answered ed5040dbac most questions but 2bddfd07fd remained silent about 23cf6265a0 his mother.c09193324f70e035

The new room they arrived at after a long walk was much more luxurious than the previous one, yet it felt stifling. The chandelier and furniture, clearly made from expensive materials, seemed too valuable to touch, and it was obvious they weren’t prepared for Liriel.535396e8f599d984

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It didn’t take long for Liriel to realize this place was just another kind of prison. Nothing had changed from the annex. His movements were restricted, and his family never visited.206afca7a94cbf35

The only difference 5daeb74fec was that people 0485b05fc5 here showed excessive 8407ad7944 interest in him, 96f8d9ca50 unlike those in cf89c04bed the annex. They mocked or d90c5f134e scorned him for 605f1f2e46 anything he did, c3b3e5bf36 reacting exaggeratedly to a2ff4c0d59 even minor actions.b2355a50353b8fd9

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If he accidentally f206770a2e held his fork a5b3de9f9e and knife the 457dae4dbe wrong way, several 5baa171af7 servants would burst ea4e90ef4e into laughter, and f9e77eb264 if he dropped 206e2c94fe something, one would 03d8ac5faf deliberately bow low a2bc8acaaf to pick it df44343e9f up mockingly. Naturally, Liriel, e9f4c3b5d8 already cautious, 9bc43c2e2e became even 428a9420e6 more withdrawn.274f491a905e4c81

After enduring all this for several days, Liriel couldn’t last two weeks and pleaded with Sir Burnel.e849bd1d5acf2add

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“I want to see my brothers.”cfbbfdcc0658ec96

“It’s not a good idea.”8e76f623fe0033c0

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Liriel felt 97e5a7279a he was 529f9b6430 on the b637e54497 brink of 856c6f1ce9 madness. So he clung cb06421552 to Sir Burnel, 2c14d5fefe the only person 0c3e847439 who spoke to 4da5252519 him, and cried.5dfe94ca9d2f5b50

“I’ll study harder. I’ll do everything I’m taught. Please.”e97f2f5cf9adcc4a

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“I told you it’s not a good idea.”8fe476e3a4bcd033

His expression was 5f0fe9cc80 indifferent, his tone 6efbb231b0 negative. His sighing lips were 5caf1afff4 stiff with annoyance, and f55e973973 his eyes were sharp 5d07f391df with irritation. Yet, surprisingly, the d985d57428 next day, Sir 6e402a4729 Burnel led Liriel 4aa559b849 to the training 95c145a15f ground where his 5faabe9b3f brothers were. Liriel, bewildered, followed 9a4bdf07d7 him into the 4e15211495 dusty area.48c7af6d245d6fa2

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Seeing two heads of dark blue hair, Liriel’s face broke into a smile for the first time in a long while. Without hesitation, he ran to them. His muscles felt awkward from disuse, but the thrill was exhilarating.35cb5641dea120b0

The taller one was 42cd8976aa Anskar, and the slightly f3a59f7f87 shorter one was Arnoute, 0ad9df8580 right?e2c8d7b2ca3dffd5

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While Liriel had grown only a couple of inches, the brothers seemed to have grown nearly three. Watching them, Liriel’s chest heaved. It wasn’t just from running. The excitement and joy of reuniting with his family swelled within him.6f59b23063f22091

Two indifferent gazes landed on Liriel. The brothers’ eyes, which he once thought similar, actually had a slightly duller hue. They looked much cooler than his pale eyes.14332b894887e467

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“Ah, hello.”4cedbfd4081c0a5c

His voice trembled pathetically.e9b618453ff940fd

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Did I look a9a010adb8 foolish?c52824dc6275477d

Contrary to Liriel’s worry, Arnoute’s face broke into a smile.cc04376e7e4261bd

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“So, your name is Liriel?”8bfbcb20b361e742

“Yes, yes. You’re Arnoute, right?”9ae7ebb126382d2f

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Arnoute burst into laughter. The way Liriel emphasized each syllable was pitiful. Even after three years, he hadn’t mastered the noble accent. His pronunciation was neither commoner nor noble, just strange.1b867d2fffa0ac1c

This kid is ridiculous, 7d045e8980 from his name to c3d2d167fe everything he does.d3e48fbd0b337034

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Arnoute raised his 46ba62ac7c hand lightly. The movement c3e3adf66a was so 0101db9157 graceful that e156bc6db1 no one fc3b03e9c2 anticipated what 5020def27a followed.48fae7c5eb1f02a1

“Ah, don’t call me brother. I’m not immune to filth. I don’t want to associate with someone born from a whore.”98ef2a40366176b4

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It’s amusing, but arrogance is something else.f34c3dcf3b829536

Liriel, unable to 0c741aa131 grasp the situation, 7ee419a739 froze.246a331496847960

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“Handkerchief, please.”806abecb04176166

Arnoute wiped his hand with the handkerchief swiftly offered by a servant. The sight of blood trickling from Liriel’s nose, without even a proper hit, was disgustingly pathetic. If he knew it would bleed this much, he would have aimed for the stomach.a8bf5be6f88fa080

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Liriel, with a 88f440e797 dazed mind, pieced 02fd48a017 together his thoughts.453ea6bc8a7b08b5

Why is my be5a31dd19 head turned?0ef7607553f0414a

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Ah, I dc94a5f091 got hit.6f35e97f23002ebc

What did he just say? Whore… He said whore.2987e25271ba552d

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He had heard the word “whore” often since childhood. Most women in the back alleys where he lived were called that. He didn’t know exactly what they did, but they were treated as the lowest among the low.5987f7a33c3df5d5

No wonder no 4e38281220 one told him 4a36c45f46 about his mother. His birth was 8b081bddb5 too shameful to 9c789ddcb1 mention.ab9f43eda962ba41

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He didn’t think he felt sad, yet tears flowed. His slapped cheek throbbed, but strangely, his chest, untouched, ached sharply.729baa304bd2afd4

Watching the ec9f34910b pale Liriel, 0ec0213618 Burnel sighed 9fbf7b5063 quietly.ed61b12a12b314b7

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He had expected dfd44683af this.7057e8c110a7fa55

He knew the second young master’s temper well and had a rough idea of Liriel’s character, so he anticipated this outcome.3919c9f06efacf6a

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