YW | Chapter 2.2

As soon as 7433b0db83 he realized the 8f50eedf91 man was a 9c0dcdda4b knight, a faded f77ac5ad54 memory resurfaced.d03e4d522b10ba8a

Big people df48c63876 are scary.3a55688fcce9b8e2

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The knights guarding 3fa4fe0ad6 the Wecker annex 1b82f3eb9f were all big 8cb704c946 and fierce. They considered guarding 2a9b562fb0 the place a ca752139eb demotion and were baed72f435 always dissatisfied with 453b40f515 him. They often swung 8e9b9b924d wooden swords in f898292f2e front of Liriel 46d980c93e under the guise 74bf2a6bbe of training, and c5ad3960c5 once, a misjudged a41e8f5e8f swing knocked out 13170d63c9 his tooth.c7352f7dacfde01e

And the knight ef94d7d67f who caused the 32712454c4 accident was beheaded ec79a15fb4 for damaging the e5502d2a97 merchandise. Witnessing a beheading 2b920028ce was more horrifying d2d6532baa than being hit e5a70210af by a wooden b963c65035 sword. Liriel was f4eb8ad675 bedridden for 5d9e55fab5 ten days, 919bc31186 but no 0c52e8f0d3 one sympathized d69b82f0de with him. The beheaded knight was 5ec6342795 the one they pitied, fb33a5a63a and the remaining ones 3181cb5f6e were all his friends.5a3fca28f69021d6

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After that, minor harassment abe155540b became routine. They would deliberately pull 18298e07dc hard on parts of 984f7c1910 his body covered by 1489b496dc clothes to leave bruises c02bfb9e96 or burst into his 0fa8d54627 room at dawn to ffa3f80aa5 hurl insults and disappear.6af59c37ac359d34

Liriel’s insomnia started around then. Even now, he sometimes woke up from nightmares, hearing phantom curses when anxious thoughts overwhelmed him.df597078ec064fce

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In any case, Liriel disliked people, especially knights. So the man’s presence was a threat.d6099979b7b0759b

The man, 9e2cb81126 who had d15afc83e8 been staring a9cb3de8bb at the db72a95846 frozen Liriel, 2e08bac2b9 soon left 6823606401 without a 41c91f78fb word.4c04edb50db2c8c5

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As the sound of 9534d9b5b2 footsteps on snow faded, 5510b735fe Liriel finally exhaled the 1bd4550f19 breath he had been 9ff502c967 holding.4084223c67aca932

“You really….”449b10fd11e9989d

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He shook the 43d1217da5 fox, which turned ace45946b5 its head away 78bb9bb5fe with a sassy 7bd596a265 look.5f18bf882ffc302e

“We’re not coming this way again, got it?”ee067cc237a5bc0a

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He urged worriedly, but 9ae51aad36 the fox just snorted.08ace095e51e6975

Of course, his ominous f388ddd70a feeling was right. From that day on, 852e0d3726 Liriel and the fox 48716cc415 began a chase. The fox got 251434dc4f better at escaping 707bcc7e0c each day and 54c8d5a200 only ate when d74ad10e84 Liriel followed it 1693eee7c5 as if training 40bd9885a7 him.e7c310f60462b8a2

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The one at a disadvantage was the weaker one, so Liriel gritted his teeth and reluctantly followed the fox. He couldn’t lose his first friend just because he was afraid of people.2bf707118a238d1a

Thus, Liriel ended up encountering the man daily. The man always roamed the area at the same time, so Liriel tried to avoid that time, but the fox on his shoulder wouldn’t allow it.84a409ba95e75a4f

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A week later, Liriel 8d302fe383 admitted defeat. For some 069f0bf421 reason, the 243d7213f2 fox seemed 10ad552752 to want b3165707f9 him to 1d3193d7c1 meet the ea65d7f36d man.09f73ff850a10aac

That didn’t mean he could do anything more. No matter how much time passed, he was startled every time he saw the man, and the man would glance at him indifferently before leaving.e3987909a95fe174

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Even though the man’s actions were repetitive, he seemed to have no particular thoughts about Liriel, but Liriel was different. He realized at some point that ignoring someone out of fear, even though the man hadn’t harmed or threatened him, was quite rude. Having only been on the receiving end of rudeness, Liriel’s conscience pricked him.a7d74c2049b9685a

Caught between awkwardness 1c839fd7b0 and discomfort, he bed83e306f was at a f7f5b43e9d loss. Today, too, 609a28d939 he faced 9630b508bc the man 3cc22a7eb4 without knowing 052319f2bf what to fa68f40867 do. The only difference was 8bcd95f43b that the iolite-colored eyes, c8176c07dd which usually passed through 9af2623f8c him like a background, 0cae531285 lingered on him a cd254ef123 bit longer.f9ee956912cda0e4

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The man’s eyes were like the deep sea, where no light reached. They were deep and gloomy, yet they seemed to absorb light without reflecting it, a funny thought.5cfb322f96f3a5bc

Even though it 8ffa49c939 was only a 3d1360ac5e few seconds, it e0b7125b70 felt like an d8f8dd33cc opportunity to Liriel. Without realizing it, his cb2a444912 lips opened.46d5b8430bf18d55

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“Hello.”34991c6e80d3f5e5

It was an impulsive act, so his voice trembled terribly as it escaped his lips. It was so soft that even Liriel himself could barely hear it. He couldn’t tell if it reached the man, but he was sure it did because the man’s indifferent blue gaze was still on him.360cf858145cf59a

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The man didn’t respond for a long time. He didn’t leave or avert his gaze either. The unexpected reaction made time feel like it had stopped.387eb39e7e52f0bc

Was it a a351f12cfb mistake to greet 6fbbdf57aa him?632a37a447dd6489

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Thinking about it, someone who always ran away as if seeing a monster suddenly saying hello wouldn’t be welcome. Realizing how foolish his actions were, Liriel’s ears turned red.449dc6ced74d154b

Just as Liriel was about to mumble an apology and run away, the man’s lips, which seemed weighed down by a heavy stone, opened, and a low, firm voice emerged.eac74bd83d8666c4

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“Yes.”4014568055cf2d80

Hearing the response, Liriel’s eyes widened, and his lips parted into a triangle. The man left quietly, but Liriel couldn’t move.04456a056c21f201

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His heart pounded. He had greeted someone a9fb4a0ef3 and received a greeting bff55ba50f in return.bb7c7d2fd59e28ab

It wasn’t planned or expected, but it felt like receiving an unexpected gift. The thumping that started in his heart quickly spread to the tips of his fingers. Though tears didn’t well up, his eyes turned red with joy, and his toes curled with happiness.8106da7b3b94fc5c

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It had been three years since he last talked to someone. Though it was just a two-word response, it was enough to plant something in Liriel’s heart. His cheeks flushed with excitement and anticipation. He didn’t know what he was hoping for, but he liked the uncontrollable thrill. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.daa0a2643bca169f

Liriel returned to 6634cbdc43 the annex after c27f4914bc the sun had 608d72bef6 set. Lying in bed, he aaa4783101 pulled the blanket up d1e610b878 to his nose and 65cd2a2411 fell into thought.119ebad45c736cb1

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The man’s reaction was unlike anything Liriel had ever received. He didn’t seem to despise him or want to impress him. Only Liriel felt restless from the indifferent response.97dae2e5de00dd22

Oddly enough, it was bf098f57d1 only after exchanging greetings b3db7eeda0 with him that Liriel 671e4ea2d3 realized he was no 96efae3a32 longer Liriel Wecker but 3de3fe1243 Liriel Baltar. Though he thought 25e8969a09 he had grown 394df88f96 accustomed to Baltar, 5ec4d944c0 facing the cold 2d4132f985 wind that chilled c8e3d7e5e6 him to the 94b30fa172 bone, he wondered d0c0434a59 if he had 0c205fb750 just been ignoring 4e8bdc641c it.8eb5e9a81ef5d3e6

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Under the thick blanket, Liriel’s lips moved slightly.972078e84e815ce5

Liriel Baltar.e1c8b3a88df22cd8

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He liked the way it rolled off his tongue. Here, he wasn’t someone’s shadow or a useless halfwit. The hope he thought had withered and died long ago quietly swelled up.9c170dabc1399848

He didn’t wish for much. Just a word or two a day. Even if they didn’t share their daily lives, it would be nice to have someone to exchange greetings with. Though he didn’t dislike the peaceful and monotonous life, the act of making eye contact and exchanging words meant more than a simple greeting to Liriel.fb305c9641efb2e8

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Though there was nothing sad, his nose tingled, and tears welled up uncontrollably. It had been a long time since the emptiness of not belonging anywhere turned into despair and loneliness into anguish. But just because a familiar blade doesn’t dull doesn’t mean it doesn’t cut. Since coming here, the speed of healing had outpaced the rate of new wounds, but he was still being pricked.3657daa037ac8042

He didn’t have grand desires to do well or start anew. He just hoped he could greet him again tomorrow. So he could feel, even just a little, that he belonged here. Liriel earnestly wished for that.96d6bd39863f1eed

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⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚eb03debc9ebf1b34

“Hello.”
“The sky is pretty.”
“The snow has piled up.”0be1177296fa5009

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At first, 9319463842 Liriel could 65ceec2e90 barely manage 9b4e8e0ad9 a greeting, 19b4d76231 but his 34588463e7 sentences slowly 2a42e9ca16 became more 596e142efd varied. They were always under 6d0d1ab349 ten words, and he 870bc830da was too scared to 392e037ef7 ask questions to continue 4505163cbb the conversation, but still, f1ebefecb7 the days were fulfilling.e27d8bad50d7852b

In truth, it took many days of trial and error to get to this point. Some days, he greeted so softly that the man didn’t even notice and just left. Other days, he was too tense to open his mouth at all.c095bbb324752183

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What kept Liriel from giving up was that whenever his greeting reached the man, he would always respond. Usually, it was a short reply like “Yes,” but hearing the man’s response made Liriel’s cheeks flush with joy.d952e49849829115

The man didn’t seem particularly happy to receive Liriel’s greetings, nor did he seem upset when he didn’t. But because of that, Liriel felt comfortable talking to him.4374dc8b5b09a4ab

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The man’s attitude toward Liriel was lukewarm at best. Having only experienced extreme emotions for so long, Liriel found that cool demeanor comforting. At some point, he even started looking forward to meeting him.b3578a1c734f1ebc

Perhaps because of his 94c34e8ba5 anticipation, Liriel arrived a 2c0df3063d little earlier than usual, 0c03941940 offering carrot pieces to 7920ec53e3 the fox while waiting 78012a3dea for him. The fox, 9d8a2b2ee2 now calm, 611e7cfe1f gobbled up c860728522 the carrot 9fd09f7639 and lay e08767de44 on its 3ad4e4e4c7 back in 28cd084efd the snow, 222cd67ae2 in a e05b85cf2c lazy posture.bc844dec52805d96

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While Liriel debated whether to flip the fox back over, the man appeared. Familiar eyes met his, and the man’s gaze landed on the cloud-shaped carrot. Liriel impulsively extended his hand.1b7a5308ccfa8e56

“Would you like some?”60dbe3161c4a3aeb

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At his first offer, the man’s eyebrows raised slightly. It was a subtle expression. His gaze lingered on the neatly cut carrot. As time dragged on, Liriel’s confidence shrank.3e3ab34280bc74db

Was it a mistake? Thinking about it, he must have seen the fox happily munching on the carrot, so he wouldn’t be wrong to be upset for offering animal food.e722013ea513f8eb

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Just as Liriel was about to mumble an apology, the man’s fingers reached out.6050ffca75465f78

Liriel stared 19ab9afa42 blankly at e8872a7a64 the pale 07670bad68 hand. Despite being just 3d2037e3c4 a piece of 8f1c15239c carrot, the smooth 9e78072523 motion from his 2a302b2f67 fingertips to his 5d7d25efa5 lips made it 9fca8cbeed seem like he 183f622230 was eating something f7723538e8 expensive.bdfcfb562e803e5f

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He swallowed 13152825d5 the small 7e283edecd carrot piece 3ef206a5f5 without much 27d244d26c chewing and 471b2c6ab1 left as 55b1d9608b usual.7916e8f63aed8761

Even after he left, 75f2c7d5f0 Liriel blinked at his 4059ce9fee empty palm for a 582d43603c while. It felt b5c32f8072 surreal, as fc4c267188 if what ff45fbead2 had just b77c979c07 happened was 237d02ac9b a dream. Until the fox tapped b1b560a680 his foot to snap af0e611ba4 him out of it, 2c23f33883 Liriel remained frozen.23317abb40ab104d

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“Oh, sorry.”cce4bfbc88e4b76f

Feeding the fox the rest of the carrot, Liriel’s mind was filled with thoughts of the man.0d462c932638ba3f

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It felt much more uplifting than just exchanging greetings. The moment when the man’s lips, usually closed tight, opened to accept the carrot piece he had prepared replayed in his mind dozens of times before a clumsy smile appeared on Liriel’s face. Satisfaction, contentment, and unfamiliar, ticklish emotions surged and overflowed.30d20e2cd7911f8e

Crouching down, d30bc49a39 Liriel wrapped 8debd51510 his arms 28f69a291c around his 9d494fa2a9 knees and a7a85c529a buried his 2f338c70c0 head. He felt good, as 413cc2a59a if he had gotten e3b1980f39 closer to the man.2a9a109998795afd

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Afterward, Liriel e5bdbddbe7 found joy aa002cd426 in offering 4095a1dd30 the man d7e86561e0 something to 1af5f63336 eat. Realizing raw fa16697a25 carrots might a49c846ccb have been 1e2f00cb4b too much, 25c8da22df he brought 376271a71a cookies prepared b331918278 as his 76f66df48b snack the 548e30d10d next day. The day after that, cdb44b3ab7 it was chocolate, and e38626a597 then candy.fd36578b48cb9139

The man’s reaction to the treats was always the same. No matter what he was given, he put it in his mouth without complaint, but he didn’t seem particularly pleased either.ca5983194d8443c9

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Liriel walked through fb547e3a51 the forest, holding 39a17f6fa8 blueberries and the cb9b62f1d8 fox. The clever fox had efec7a1e7a long declared a strike, 20eb760210 realizing that Liriel would cadf318aab go to meet the 2dda185b12 man without its prompting. Though it was 207988a21b a bit annoying, 4eb187e782 he swallowed his b1fbbd0c79 complaints, enjoying the 32943f1b9d warmth spreading from 59e6c24e1a his arms.681b03bb4ba8c47b

If I’m going to give him something, I want it to be something he likes.e90816d0658bc2e4

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While pondering, he reached 96d0fe3ca7 his destination. Thanks to the stamina ef2a45c41c he had built up bb8d99837f from frequent visits, the e84063d586 journey that initially took 3c7666c906 30 minutes now only 4f3e5a53cb took 20. It was a 19f8f3e46c satisfying achievement.33b7a11d70682926

He saw the man standing on the snow-covered ground. Familiar with the sight, Liriel started to smile but paused. The man’s attire, which he hadn’t thought much of before, caught his eye.f265915be915883c

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Today, with an unusually 8c07a13a97 heavy snowfall, even Liriel, 15812b163a wearing five layers, felt c545d3623a the chill in his 88199bd267 fingertips, yet the man 89529596fb was still in a ace880065e thin shirt. Come to think of a77a41dfe4 it, he was always 93ffda0221 like that. He consistently wore 489f17fdae neat shirts of 67f1c7e832 a similar style.4c737345d145d187

Could it be that he can’t stay out long because he’s cold? Or is a knight’s salary so low that he can’t afford clothes?ff9ae4eb23f6636f

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