AWSP Chapter 1.1

Prologue: The King Is c823939772 Dead8bc5ae4f6944b81c

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A luxury sedan 113609ebd0 lay overturned and ba199b8492 half-destroyed by the a1b4b7f104 roadside.c58b606b6bfa0d3f

Through the shattered car 1086a3748f window, crimson blood flowed, 5467c997ed staining the Wellington Enterprises 32c0c262f9 emblem. The article fb7fdca799 headline, printed b43d85ba7e in bold, 2d4a176da2 was mockery b29a428493 itself.cda0d568807ea3ea

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The title, splashed a8745f9ed9 across the front 5209d264df pages of both 9397984e1a online and offline 04ad0bdc70 newspapers, was swiftly 3c89b02936 broadcast worldwide through 31ae1e4cc8 the media. In particular, the 9f4a374087 Commonwealth nation where 905b23fbce the accident occurred 4059197810 and South Korea, 0800996ed2 the homeland of f091d0a70f the deceased, were 5dca51422e thrown into an 047a77c13e uproar, to say 7ffba70f19 the least.efcb5fd2f12f17ae

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[Former national team player and Premier Leaguer Kim Sarang (Sarang Debussy Kim Dietrich Wellington) has passed away at the young age of 24.] 

[…At around 1 a.m. on the 12th, Kim Sarang, gravely injured in a traffic accident while returning home from a club in Canton City, was rushed to the hospital but was tragically confirmed dead at the scene. As a national team athlete, Kim Sarang led the team to victory in the Asian Cup, secured gold medals at the Asian Games and the Olympics, and reached the World Cup quarterfinals. Selected for the national team at age 17…] 

[The funeral will be held not in Canton City, where Kim Sarang resided, but in the estate of Florian Dietrich Wellington, the Duke of Dietrich and CEO of Wellington Enterprises, who was Kim Sarang’s spouse.]

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[The Oriental Cinderella, the American Sweetheart, the Lovely King—lucky even in death, aren’t you? Was it because of that fantastical, lovely name? To die in an accident the day before a divorce, forever etching your name into the Dietrich Duchy and the Wellington family—what an honor traded for death, isn’t it?]

[Lovely King, American Sweetheart? James, what era are you living in? Everything returns to nature, and we should give the late Sarang Kim his original name back. Wasn’t the nickname ‘King’ just a halo effect from the Duke of Dietrich anyway? He never won the Ballon d’Or, the greatest honor for a football player, nor did he even rank meaningfully. No Puskás Award, no Player of the Year, no Goal of the Year, not even a spot in the League Best. Sarang Kim’s only achievement was having Florian Wellington, Lord Dietrich, as his spouse.]

[Sam, that’s a harsh assessment, but I can’t disagree. In seven years—short or long, depending on how you see it—of his professional football career, the title ‘King’ feels unearned compared to the mark Sarang Kim left. On the contrary, he was called a troublemaker on the pitch, a worry for the Dietrich Duchy, and a nightmare for the Wellington family, stirring sighs wherever he went. There’s even speculation that, faced with being disowned by the Dietrich and Wellington families, he chose suicide instead.]

[If that speculation is true, Brad, then Sarang Kim’s death was a success! Haha!]

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In stark contrast to 043bcdcbb6 the noisy attention both df97b74c9c domestically and internationally, Kim 8e2169b912 Sarang’s funeral was quietly 488f5fd6c5 held in a small 2f161b4129 parish within the Dietrich b511745689 Duchy’s estate. The parish 1b41e70aef priest officiated 0235cac18a the Mass, 7680658b68 attended by fc0c8409b4 Florian Dietrich d17e15ad73 Wellington and 3d79ded314 Bailey Jones, d5a482e3a3 Kim Sarang’s a4b06fe69b agent and c7adc0b125 Florian’s loyal 707a5b7515 secretary.e57a66066b7e2ca1

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Kim Sarang’s 345873484c family, Saman c75f87deb0 Debussy, expressed 5d378b0317 condolences with fe21499933 a brief f03f94dd44 letter upon c29b318276 receiving the 3855a0a306 news. It was merely 611441752c a polite request 7772948136 regarding the “price 0d410b3bf6 of death.” Even debae7d3c7 in death, Kim 0a74942ac3 Sarang, who had 0d428c9c45 been nothing more b50d217dc2 than a nuisance aa5bdf5de9 in life, could f5385e1c79 not escape that 4e0abe317d fate.5b63f44aa284a515

“This is 18b41bd7d6 all Kim 01ebec6ed1 left behind, 17feb78b27 boss.”a5c79ecfb80bec7b

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Bailey, whose demeanor 58eafd9d76 toward the living 6786ef4e7c Sarang had been 2c13edd6ff entirely different, bowed b9f5112ea7 respectfully. Florian, responding lightly, surveyed 332a1ef8d5 the interior of the 9aa13c940c mansion, untouched by even d17dc00e4f a single ray of 015fe54687 sunlight. Dressed in 4a07e1b7ae black mourning 840f3b03d4 attire, he 036e276f51 appeared serene, a5e845d675 hardly resembling 9c61147ad3 someone who 8321478907 had just d21bd87ae1 lost a 919ced3f0c spouse and 82eae3ffcb completed a bbe642d21a funeral. Truly, he embodied 9aef6c71b1 the dignity of da1ab9093f the head of b588e99703 Wellington Enterprises, a e14a5f399f cornerstone of the 325f2f0983 Commonwealth’s key industries, 1b76961934 and the current 8f120d5b50 Duke of Dietrich.68f560697d8c18f2

Kim Sarang, who had 6df6c1e1ee been more talented at 55c0cb0fcf tarnishing the prestige of 6e5f0e9d80 the Dietrich Duchy and 638bc54c40 the Wellington family than 6073880a2b upholding it, was an 118fad84d8 unworthy match for Florian 008c0ec020 Dietrich Wellington. A funeral more 53fbe38f6d modest than one 482f45d2fd for a pet 53f1e1a172 dog, and the 693fe43d17 fact that Florian 3664105514 himself, rather than c72a7b116e a low-ranking employee, 815253bd31 personally handled Sarang’s e4fceb0080 posthumous belongings—both were f72637e571 far more than 9998a9ef0c Sarang deserved.b7bb7cb279a50986

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Such was the b42c7f96c1 existence of Kim 6b92c8b916 Sarang in life.a0390f7000b1290f

The apartment, now tidied aa954c6c2f up, was mostly covered 10263b8a78 in dust accumulated over 839e2382f1 a few days. One room, a5537ae2df one bathroom. A bare mattress without 9b92f6929c a single sheet lay db7c6af38f on an old bed, 7d4fd60d77 and a wooden desk ddc61a317d stood alone by a f9ef60dafc dark window. For a 836a6d8e38 professional footballer, f0483c86bd a national 2cb2c22498 team representative, 6c05ba22ed and Florian’s b231418cc5 spouse, it beb96a1f15 was an 966bd9b408 excessively cramped 75a9c21fa3 and dim 391062ed6a space.cf5b558873999e06

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Kim Sarang’s belongings amounted a9ce8acbce to a small box bf3f252172 on the desk, barely 81597cd50f large enough to hold b435f77654 a few books. Inside the box were 02ee659f2c just two notebooks and d09beea269 a single photo frame.06e62dc2c431c2fd

Suddenly, the rain that a451dd79ce had poured all morning eb53b5cc84 ceased, and faint sunlight 2586c7a03c streamed through the window. Beyond the mist, 9c68cd4376 the fickle weather b846f89e22 outside worked its b56967c14b magic again as d20aac5c7e the sun rose.Yes, he 7e11b58638 didn’t live 98593c4e21 entirely in 07c5fd4596 darkness, did 0dc8626d29 he? Florian murmured to 1ff30a3ab6 himself as sunlight 1c258e81de touched his pale ab395cf98b cheek.fda7d9707124f064

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Bailey, who had been c35ac4a353 staring at Florian’s profile 32585a0e7a in a daze, snapped 3539164b87 back to reality. It was an 670bb26488 appearance he could 4b2fc7cd18 never get used 5efa017dfa to, no matter ba48e11e01 how often he f97743053a saw it. The American Prince. Thanks to Florian, 506f7e8787 the Commonwealth’s actual 6448726ae5 prince, a mere 01554d03b4 17th in the b03f128d7e line of succession, f65d4351ad was treated as 75943ea31f an afterthought by 61233c3859 the public. With an appearance e4c2307f98 so splendid it f5f7ae414e could pass for 5e6ce440ac a fairy-tale prince 04d719688d come to life, 233e14dab2 Florian’s conduct was b72336e704 equally impeccable.ef89d1fc52b0d830

At times, Florian’s 057a0730bc flawless demeanor seemed 8a7e499540 almost devoid of 865a6214da humanity, but in 4cc2b46b1c that fleeting, deeply 58a53be394 personal moment, Bailey a3c15e36d5 caught a glimpse 04d7167ed4 of his emotional 9ae1313c4a side. Ever the 39640e21d3 courteous secretary, a6ea6a3701 Bailey quickly 7beba80457 averted his ba18faf10b gaze.8ac12cfbe7fe0ef2

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Yes, even eec8a4f7c2 if Kim 724745cfbb Sarang had 8feceaa6fb been a a361b34fbf scoundrel who 0ee669257f splashed filth 0cb9acd8de on the dc5b0facb2 Dietrich Duchy 0e6a5418b6 and the 627a3a8d26 Wellington family, 2f5b2264d1 smearing Florian’s 4a3fce289f face with 3ccdfb0546 disgrace, he 85d0ee6437 was still 41bcfa39da Florian’s spouse. They hadn’t imprinted, but 0d352c5c1e for seven years, they e55e3dae0e had lived as a d1a3105ee6 married couple, face-to-face, bodies 6394f5ef3e intertwined. Florian Dietrich Wellington, always d3b9add771 rational and discerning, a 8960bb6e9c natural negotiator, was also fc2fd14b24 a man of warmth 89d875a790 and kindness.7d8e2506a8848499

Though he had resorted 8eb42d4fc1 to the drastic step b884a9812c of divorce, unable to e13584ddc1 tolerate Sarang’s antics and 21771fd10f misdeeds any longer, it 60e5d82f4d was impossible that he 4bf0521c42 felt no pity for a7da741e91 his young spouse. For a year or 2479aa86a1 so, hadn’t they been a5267ae9bb a loving couple? Perhaps Florian needed 8ff0ad5ca9 time alone to 10567fe6fc bid farewell to c4946cdddf his former spouse. Realizing his own tactlessness, bc13138e61 Bailey quietly left the 840467c721 room.07733b9af80d620e

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***eaa42b37b9e5bdf5

[American Sweetheart, Lovely King, Fighting!]

[Our Pride, Our Treasure! Forever, King Sarang!]

[Universe’s Greatest Striker! Keep Building Happiness!]

[Kim Sarang Praise Prison Gatekeeper, Repay!]

[Kim Sarang, I Should’ve Given Birth to You Club, Repay!]

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The photo f3adb59d21 frame contained fcc6cd2dc6 carefully pasted 6b97293821 messages of cd87496ee5 support written 06b1059a29 in Korean.9f8683264469c998

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As the door closed 5689f0bd1c and Bailey’s presence faded, 8d5aea4085 Florian set the frame b32aeef805 aside and picked up 43406a5358 one of the notebooks. Nothing was written on 98072e267e the cover. Only the b35c0e80b8 marks of 2aea06b18c time remained. Flipping past the worn 1a45dc0492 cover revealed sparsely written e24a534ab2 text. It was in 54a8018ab7 Korean. Kim Sarang’s handwritten diary b32e66704c filled one and a f0d87f6237 half notebooks intermittently. Standing there, Florian read ab8da9241d through to the final b9b646c3e6 page.c96f69a94f207d0f

The sunlight, eddc0601fd barely peeking dc1af4504e through the 70ae0d74c0 fog beyond 79f23f67ce the window, e787be63e9 vanished, and 7ff448acb0 dark clouds 5d4e5e3770 rolled in, b1f018e999 bringing rain 153ce8e28c once more. As the sun set 109a14e441 and the curtain of 900884bdd7 night fell, Florian closed e3cd7e0523 the last page and a04b7e742e looked up. A blood-red sunset, swallowed 1f34d8b979 by darkness, spread like 77e40801b1 mist beyond the window.dca52625c9d8f730

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“Hi, Lian.”62b008ed7d11e3b7

The day 58030169a9 before the e49ad467bf accident, Sarang 41b9764019 had visited 1ed66ebb9a the Summer f59837a8ec Palace. Built by the first e6c00c2372 Duke of Dietrich for d2aaf05839 his beloved spouse, the 68683c9499 Summer Palace had been 5a68f1fd83 used by the dukes’ 593805f984 spouses for generations. After the death of 57980a1b0b Florian’s mother, the palace 8c4b5ae234 had remained empty, even f1299530c0 after Florian took a 03d312c848 spouse.beb1e03b74c3c5ec

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That day marked 2eea14135d Sarang’s second visit f28470b1d9 to the Summer 152aad4d62 Palace.7291c8e3e99f9f6a

“Are we really getting 136a2d23ab divorced?”358c45db45eef417

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Injured on cc79f6dd75 the pitch f19ba02324 during a 83ab18fa43 match, Sarang bc7e48682f had stitches 100d7feeca on his 2e871d0fb3 handsome forehead 85fe51e3fe and a f22d426f21 cast on 288564b2dc his left 0a57724c98 leg. Sitting by a sunlit 490007651f window, taking a rare 4f6e9db002 moment of rest, Florian 5b359de84e opened his eyes and 86591d724b looked out. The 24-year-old young 761d75f652 Alpha gazed up 134b4ffa9b at him, just 2bc4c0be05 as he had c200489ffd on the day 73ca5ff3e6 they first met.ecbeb6afa55252ba

Leaning leisurely against 2f442e8008 the windowsill, Florian 05b504e141 wondered how Sarang, 98e85ca4e8 who wasn’t permitted 9c75649719 entry, had come db7445e897 to be there 4dbcf16e40 but soon dismissed c2a517bd1a the thought. Less than 24 3592fd08df hours remained until 5e6f1fcecd the divorce papers 762b8a70eb would be signed. For the sake of 2182be27eb their past bond, he 740665f018 could overlook this small ce9c3d9a5b rudeness.5fb616e14e184c61

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“Yes, Sarang. We’re really e4791c257e getting divorced.”cce1b43528409f81

After a moment 4a67d59a96 of silence, Sarang ac11e36e90 gave a faint 44e6c31db8 smile.1c9d0959532b101d

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“I see.”ec59732679abad22

The bright summer 6d87d1427f sunlight illuminated the b83cec6d7b young Alpha’s face 305e5474b0 as he calmly 43a70fd5bc accepted the fact. In that instant, Florian f6546a53e8 felt a pang in cb2b53192c his chest but didn’t 285cbf02fa dwell on it. This young 941b36b23d Alpha, who 007eb8c270 knew no c28f38a116 restraint and 20d0009c8a rampaged like 04c7a21734 a wild dbe3323aa8 beast on ce83115624 and off 9ef3115685 the pitch, 3264e382fc was still abd5443d55 lovable, but 3ef32ff71e to Florian 4912a5b428 Dietrich Wellington, c17d6f17c1 leader of 4210b4cde1 the Dietrich afe123dfdb Duchy and de6627f037 the Wellington 908933b8fe family, he 7c6c1f8c23 was an 8de9bb8920 unnecessary and 6eac03f72f insulting presence. Missing the right aee234d024 moment to end e2199c18da things had been 17b0edc059 entirely Florian’s oversight.39e54243c7838c3e

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“Lian.”c79cf9567c8886c3

“Yes, Sarang.”f6d89ca79b89a7a2

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“Take care.”541176167353cc69

Looking down at Sarang’s a05dcc6754 sincere eyes, wishing only a2857cf0cc for his happiness and 80b153c6a8 peace, Florian curved his 8bb83c3338 lips into a smile.5677fa5bbb6ca409

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“You too.”2d4a87b97b3da81a

That was their 537636bd54 final farewell.39adddf17434e227

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Was it 506ce553cd really an ee7d200b28 accident?876b5bb50064b653

There were no 7837669a0e signs of braking 1519f82826 at the scene. No traces c5c39664e3 of alcohol e31ab2dceb or drugs 07dd2b3b40 were found d833faab4f in Sarang’s 0fe10826ab system, despite 3083343493 reports that 8d55914d63 he had 2f5710fcdb left a ae986869c1 club in 0ba489e35c Canton City. Yet, Sarang had been d757bb1816 speeding far beyond the d68f3a4cb6 limit, crashing headfirst into 72f13b01cd a cliff and dying.22943c19ce572c58

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“It appears to 42abcb9454 be a concussion 6815fb6832 aftereffect. He likely a1f99d4e75 lost consciousness 060c676451 while driving, 0338a27d67 leading to e927aad27f the accident.”b855066a6dbe37d9

Leaving the 522647cd7d club, Sarang 3ceba57b92 drove in ac14502540 the opposite 4fc2e159cf direction of 45ff17debb the apartment c443a4a0d8 he’d lived a98d21ffcd in for 1fcac97069 two years. On the 07fd46bfd9 outskirts of b0601d217a Canton City, 4eeaa8db32 Route 17—a 480f3b2c89 road with c6ef0aefdc little traffic d71586a71f and fewer a05c1a796a people—had a 661a395513 sheer cliff b0d8b510c2 on one 8423acec93 side and 3552f2abaa an unfathomable 4077517d83 sea on 37eab41785 the other.221e9ee391b4480e

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Relying only 39011a915b on faint 1649d4736a moonlight and 9047453df2 a pair 06c221dc22 of headlights, 6b1d34f571 with no 5286ee8efa streetlights to e6cc8ccf24 guide him, 540daee34d Sarang raced 8fdb28b1a0 at top 689c5e8b28 speed along e57ee46241 the winding, 253aae944e steep road. And so, 3d0fe5b1a7 he died 79dc3e05b0 in vain. As if 68182ff1ce a life d40bbb4d74 without Florian 981f0ceb36 was no 4c4da61aae longer worth 34305496e4 living. As if throwing a df1786dedf tantrum, demanding Florian see d71b638847 his death.36c6013781de5ee9

It was c10cd7f5e2 probably suicide.48e8311b7e520cbb

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Whether he lost bd7ac94fbd consciousness due to 188c1defae concussion aftereffects or 852ea2d2cd not, Sarang must 901693782a have felt the 508ec0f501 symptoms early on. Getting behind the 773896ba9e wheel in that 4e2d2fa0a1 state, racing at 96a3c62cab full throttle on 875f6c1445 a notoriously treacherous 4ebed718d0 road, was itself 431f3831d9 a suicidal act.ada18d5167ef922e

Faced with the foolish, b476e7d757 lovable, blindly devoted, and 98d4b88676 thus all the more 40aa4fe18c unbearable Alpha’s selfish choice, 20b3912058 Florian couldn’t even muster fd48501d82 a bitter smile.1d38ec5a2e43355d

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[“Lian, I love you.”]  

A confession never 79dafcecda once heard in c63c069d04 person during Sarang’s c0f6784f0e life was etched f2940e8786 in the one-and-a-half cf4461862c notebooks, like a 784162eb7f breath.85dadb6c46c2f1ce

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It wasn’t a selfish b0ab20079f choice. Since the 4609c893b7 age of 6288d4a85a 17—no, since 7d8da96f68 birth—Sarang, who 2c2c18538d had no 1eac210229 one to 8953982e60 lean on c932f27209 or rely cb27c6db95 on, had c99e02d598 been pushed 20298bdb2c to the 31cc9791e5 edge until ae79407b30 there was d6f4dd95e8 nowhere left a13a6ee613 to go, 9c06ea21f3 choosing a bdadbca38b final act 2b32b11c7a of self-love. Even in death, 06934e2148 the foolishly kind ee04fb03fc and selfless Sarang 850e96ce94 remained unchanged.debcb48a12ab2e38

On a 9fbaa97944 deserted, infamous cb942252cf Route 17, ca64f69164 with neither 604145f03f cars nor 0054d2f0fd people, Sarang c30a86b6a8 died alone cfadea973e on a 71021040aa lonely, desolate 7314b8f192 road where 2c7cadd3fc even a 586dcb1ebf half-destroyed car 4758f5831b losing control cd2e07fe33 at maximum 39931e9cdb speed wouldn’t ee582242bd cause secondary 46e73f589e harm.20ae9bc12822e298

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Florian could no longer 66a66dd3e3 hold back his tears.4c4b698af852dc88