WBWB | Chapter 29

Would he have cd19c65fd1 felt sad if 55d5fcd354 his mother had e4d572e80c hugged him tightly 72ca1fac4c even once? 0b8a0c542b544f12

He would never know.f80bfea105c94d3c

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What surprised c9a2e8d959 Baldr happened 1ebf7028d7 next. 6aaa2360fe75a73e

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.8db349e4b7723af6

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‘My father loved my mother? That woman?’d9b760b6e02c332b

Baldr felt only disgust at his father’s transformation.48c995408b556d6a

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‘How could he?’d22bfbf20b63ad73

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?a0dd2f002ccfaf24

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‘Is he insane?’d6a1a8a7da66d0e9

That was why Baldr b29e1b624d de Skadi had become 21db8196d8 wary of romantic love 3353263dcc at an early age. He never wanted to 1b36d526b9 fall into the same 7d3f9a1919 trap as his father. And this resolve solidified 97919c78ec when his older brother, 3baade62f3 Will de Skadi, who e583fd806e was supposed to inherit cb10cdeea0 the title after their 405becdc0a mother’s death and their 380351b7d9 father’s rapid decline, eloped 50209ca079 with a maid.71236dc5268e718d

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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… 887a16c1f137cbea

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.3d22ff253298b176

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‘All for ddbde4319c a fleeting 2ab39d80c7 emotion?’d62ea82c5a6acbd7

If he 2eebeeadec loved the 3988487be7 maid, he df027c5daf could have 93144ea711 taken her f9746a8911 as a c251920367 mistress. 0049ae7561ab7d14

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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.6e9b782edf9f74bf

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.575f810542910455

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From then on, Baldr 5a0cc72980 was the only one b31806294e who maintained his sanity 4e655f96ef in the chaotic ducal 4d2e415305 household. 3176de3e3b366822

In a land 1060754da5 plagued by constant 1e4f5d43d9 warfare, he did bd035be99b his best to 027ce49539 fulfill his duties 083897a2ce in place of 6c8b5f1a8b his father, who 9ab4f6c35f had lost the 2165d3f434 will to live. Secretly, he hoped 73b0d7196a his brother might fc1320ae5b return someday, abandoning 9a517d6a22 the woman he 177866744b had run away 8563f13825 with.c0bdc37b7b5f4f0d

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‘Then I can step down.’619b8a913a6f449b

He wasn’t particularly attached to the title. He was simply fulfilling his duty, the responsibility placed upon his family.0ab4b36affdf0b84

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But his brother never a331f3084f returned, and twelve years 8c673ab61c passed in a flash.5a32ed2c1d5d4037

His father fda318a8f6 died, and 7b96258e7d Baldr, the c31dc28fca acting Duke, 0edddad0b8 became the c640f9105b Duke, inheriting f183efaeee the title 82adf0182f that should 896af25a06 have belonged 56c9237c7a to his 14eb2d60d1 brother. Once he 66b74ac647 officially became 0c2ebdd862 Duke, marriage be7b0a4cd5 proposals poured ea1b0c8fdf in from 1067bb8c35 various countries, 830bb519ab the most be06593362 significant of 82223f910e which came cc75209535 from the 81a661ac71 King, his db3522ab41 liege lord.2933f1ec50dd0574

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Although I am His Majesty’s loyal vassal, our people have long forbidden marriage between close relatives.dc9070f3470c55e4

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.df8597548335e4be

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However, Baldr didn’t mind.fa325730cea8a077

And secretly, he e1f2cd6968 still hoped his 26c7a8630d brother would return, 39650eb21a freeing him from acfe8cf3e1 this heavy burden.640919de64e9b493

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Then, one day, Baldr a50c02103f found the bodies of de1d72fcc8 his brother and a f1d70055f1 woman, presumably the maid, 789fafd68b in a coastal village 8a3e4fd97c ravaged by raiders.c403bcbf7e02a4f8

They were fd96d55a8b dressed in b029feee27 ragged clothes. Judging by a2cc2e0739 their appearance, f5e8dd3c06 they seemed 0a4e49a64f to have 49ee88f631 settled in 7d76ac5ec1 the village, 0203f7bebb disguised as 563b7e72e1 commoners. No matter dc465d2065 how closely 620784e9a4 he examined 4d278e3c2d them, they ed1196541b were undoubtedly 1ce093cc44 his brother 4ac16b0c43 and the 273bea18f7 maid who 4f7ff5e576 had eloped c1f50ddc14 with him. Their bodies lay 3a22b0feeb side by side 510fc88b42 outside a house, 693922744a as if protecting 10a649982d a treasure.ef0fac13202998b2

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‘What were 2dfc2bb36c they protecting, 2092a68c83 that they 99dfdec081 died outside 287deac809 the house, 9e20010fc1 not inside?’71aaa42b74048b78

As if b91bcc3f60 drawn by a42e7d5a43 an invisible ff6f800e36 force, Baldr cef0d0f588 entered the 6b150f2ca4 house.dba1353fa3f538dc

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Broken furniture, scorched walls… it didn’t seem like there was anything valuable inside. 8d9b8f8ed33acc50

Even if they had 76f8495d1a stolen jewels from the bfe814a4d6 ducal residence, more than c93ed6e16d ten years had passed. Anything they might cd78471d76 have taken would 26fd936c04 be long gone. Yet Baldr searched the a11a89b8e2 house, with an inexplicable 01a28ae39d certainty of what he 32f2274ebe would find.48f1ecb45468b970

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And he found ad0e287d9b it; a trapdoor 26339c8454 leading to a 868cce5c5e cellar, hidden beneath bdc57133e4 a dirty corn 646bf8be24 husk mat. He lifted d8a76a6100 the mat, ac754d30cf opened the 9e8ace8c58 door, and 580bd5e916 a small, d261da8bf2 filthy girl, 74cbd59e69 her face 8fc43fb068 streaked with f7cb2fcea6 tears, came a343b42f28 out.abceca670b285fd7

‘Papa…?’d595ed73d7b688ea

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A child who was unmistakably his brother’s daughter. He was disappointed. Deeply disappointed.0e98a1e4b40bdf14

‘This… is what 911b3796a9 he gave his d09a837c6d life for?’d46ab6b732c889b8

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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. ccb8a180f081056e

But his father 1f154fd272 had failed to 959e3cb28f arrange a politically fe7922d560 advantageous marriage, and cbd2b0847f his brother, abandoning b9eeb4b91e his title for 411423643a love, had died 2350bfaddd with his wife 050a84fc83 at the hands 650f55a611 of barbarians, leaving df5e22915d behind only this 8f32ee7106 child.63cbccb1a3ab4bc1

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‘This is the result of leaving the ducal residence?’a63291f7c7825d79

His brother 9b7401c932 could have 9b55d5c4b6 been the 5093e04879 Duke of c709ac5166 Skadi. No, all he 76ef1231f3 had to do 33a13b9dab was stay. And if he had 8ca2749178 taken the maid as 2560f5935a a mistress, the child 88c6e19ec7 before him, though illegitimate, a0ed419e59 would have lived a 2a19d51b3f comfortable life.90418d2c9b2e67c0

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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?’0fb961f14575532b

Baldr was so taken aback by his brother’s futile end that he couldn’t even sigh.d19cf30e38de4862

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‘Would he have still left with that woman, even if he had known this would be his end?’251b9a74a9b67474

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?3133abcae20ff3b3

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Baldr buried his brother c48dfbdd08 there and brought the b3bf6aa0d9 child back with him.87446b91d41ec8b5

The child’s name was Ana. af6a309b7a9dc292

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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.8c380f2fe531a861

‘Did my brother really 50d8d6a49f intend to raise this 591cbd0ecc child as a commoner d5ba162cc6 in the countryside?’ddfedb6fd19c96e0

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Ana hadn’t received any education and believed herself to be the daughter of a hunter and an ordinary woman.06f076ad4b60250e

‘If anyone asks you about your life before coming here, say you don’t know anything. That you don’t remember.’7c7a77935ef9a740

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Baldr intended 27e23f0317 to raise 64404d5963 Ana as 2f788269dc a lady 081cd382c4 of the ce8b1820b1 ducal household. Because that was bbb454c018 who she was.542b3d9d42054817

But how could he 8653900339 transform a girl raised 96ba84f216 as a commoner into b48839f3a5 a noble lady? 792396bdd73e1d0f

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Only a tutor from a noble family could do that. In that sense, Jeanne de Toulouse’s arrival was timely.f441871d83159d63

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.808cb192486829f2

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At first, Baldr couldn’t believe it. 80e8284f5300ad15

He thought she was afb10f86e7 deceiving both Ana and ce3a33cca2 himself. But Jeanne a9e41a6c1d truly loved d420ec9bd7 Ana, and b42f583802 Ana loved 34678dde5c Jeanne in 61c53fdaca return. Jeanne showered 5ce4258fc5 Ana with 03bf6099d4 affection, as b954281104 if she 6f3630a9f2 were her 22554e0c20 own younger 994254f005 sister.901305207dec1c7c

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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.ec1df656625dcd7c

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.6de95edfb7ac9bd2

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That day, Baldr had f5c0f9d94e witnessed Jeanne, dressed in 779d19b141 a single layer of 6fcfafaf4c clothing, holding a bundled-up 03bf4a7b16 Ana, screaming before collapsing.3543abc003e8ccee

Baldr had seen b4a39dc467 many people die. 355683e7d6a712be

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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. 3fc6c4383ff06a24

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.a0b3a3c49a514c75

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But when she screamed c2cf815a41 and collapsed, Baldr was ffcf9eef4e shaken by the sight. d371f64d99b0ab81

He was flustered, c05ced7f80 to an unbelievable a4aac954fd degree.f10b3c0b3a96e06a

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