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.b1e552604d5fd110

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.100624805880ec77

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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.87d8981eef57f9a1

The situation became serious eef0021af5 when he heard that 05df40c866 neither Anskar nor Arnoute 41b7f6718f had the star eyes.c2305862754c563c

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It was impossible. Star eyes never 413d692e58 faded without a 1b9981b69f new owner appearing, ea462f364f so one of 5878517092 them should have af7a0efdca had them. Duke Wecker searched even 8ffe34cc03 the collateral lines thoroughly, fae2f342b6 but he found no e3c2ac0fe0 stars or anything similar.446b836aaa6abbf6

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.f9bc5bea08fe8794

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And this 784e1268d8 was the d5e3807cfc result.9763d32a5b365214

He was so angry a10b2cb7e8 he could hardly breathe.f464b5ec615fdd3e

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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.99090965a74803ae

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.54224ae693a41ca4

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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.0129f0c1e8601be4

To register that foolish boy with a girl’s name in the Wecker family.99625492000627e7

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The thought alone 3fed3f8b5a was unbearably shameful.ca93c170bc020453

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.4d5bf46af84a3522

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His downward gaze was filled with disdain and disgust. He felt nauseated and didn’t want to see him.bdd5ab47afaf6249

“Lock him up somewhere and at least make him able to hold a conversation.”5020f502469ca9f8

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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.6e886b8663be2b9b

“Filthy brat.”9eb2f01673840a87

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Thinking he should 495e0cd1eb burn everything he 280974e343 wore today, the b536f314bd duke turned his 92ad4f4ea1 back. It was truly d669860fd4 a dreadful day.154deacf6ce0e399

⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚62822427e56fffce

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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.cdd9461668e7d0bb

His side ached, confirming that last night’s events weren’t a dream. His once quiet heart began to race again.eaeecfd720167bd9

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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.e529e0305f2eb204

Next time he met 5ab98dd170 them, he vowed to 56cc7e0cbd ask properly without stuttering.00df0ceab7765410

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But, contrary to his 343d98a1cb resolve, Liriel never saw b8d32044c6 them again. Many people approached him, 8205b6cfaf but those he assumed 5601e3df2a to be his family f891e2eb82 did not. Moreover, the people who 05f852b270 came to him were c32af35497 all strange.5dacddc6515046c0

At first, he 606e9c8387 was simply amazed 5a6db9a270 to sleep in cf924d0269 a warm place 8234864f0a and eat proper ed9befad4a food, but now 45b6affe9a the way people b23a524126 watched him made e9db38b2a1 him a bit 6ab376ddd1 scared.e651493189606f8e

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No one here 708d92e066 spoke to him.eb9f0ab8262db54f

They just carried f2dd42cf55 out their tasks 896695ff1b like emotionless dolls, 0ff0dca53f showing no sign 417510c9bc of treating him 59da75a20c as a person.c216705323e4af6c

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No matter 7b2d24fe57 what Liriel ca5eed45fb did, they 395f6d2c36 neither got 92269bc655 annoyed nor 6e5d2cbfd1 angry.4206c0a70e88b78e

One day, ecec6661a8 he decided 7f0a11c095 not to c387fc64b4 eat, and 40a13c1b6f until he d6be95fe79 picked up f3b93b8216 his spoon, 873bd9a84e a dozen 45d2ba3819 people stood 97363e4fc2 motionless in c70a5a9371 front of 32bb69fe84 him. The empty 1ce0adf558 eyes watching de244d4bfd him in 054412b9d6 silence gave 08da789254 him chills. Eventually, Liriel had to 3e08e73cf9 surrender after half a 3a015883d0 day.4b905f7d489b904c

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Once he regained some 93371ddaa5 strength and could stand, f49e157b73 people finally began to 1ed6f67fc4 teach him. How to 9d134c5036 hold a 7f1d27b30a fork and e1c86c7de6 knife, how c5ce584f84 to greet, ad0001e8dc how to fe2448bfa6 dress—basic things. But even then, they 76a4927c4c only spoke when necessary, 0429266a3d and if Liriel said c789ef32e0 anything unrelated to his 0017ad95dd lessons, they would fall 2a75b5bc4f silent and stop moving.652a870c8a4f2bdc

Time passed agonizingly slowly 6cfb16db9a in this suffocating situation.998e771cef52cee4

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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.c68b489e0eba0805

It was 9f60488cdf a relief. Another year in d1b86501ba that place might e5f4957261 have driven him deea46bed1 mad.f32e906b1fb5648d

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Even as he was e524df1193 suddenly taken away, Liriel 77d28699be paid little attention to 2e407e6ef7 the ornate decorations in 7db968c24d the hallway or the 829542036a curious glances directed at 4aa51fbc41 him. His mind was filled 7dcf752b5d only with the anticipation ca1dad3a06 of meeting his family 6c124f9a16 again. With a trembling heart, 548083f1e1 Liriel cautiously opened his 7ed6f1247b lips upon reaching the 7c1643aaa7 office.014a44053aeb56a4

“Hello, Your Grace, the Duke.”5872a2406ea12bbe

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The greeting he aac48e1cef had practiced countless c1bf9eded4 times flowed smoothly. The duke replied 6cd7618605 indifferently, his eyes cf76755479 fixed on his 749cf99a5b papers.1c3f22d8ffea934e

“It took you long enough to look presentable.”59e00f4b2caab08c

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“I’m sorry.”166aec7b3b573971

His pronunciation 95ad4668fc had improved 9deeb438ad thanks to 644b453d39 sleepless nights 650e87e372 of hard 0653d23e4b study, but bbda33fdef his poor ca13c2aaac vocabulary and e92c4d208b stuttering were 41040bff01 hard to 8bb8f76494 fix.92b8bf1c7c31227e

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The duke ff76328589 clicked his 463f178cca tongue at fda7c3a890 his inadequacy.79a490b5452be1f0

“It’s more than you deserve, but I’ll assign Sir Burnel to you.”4cbbc3447f389c36

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A fleeting glance c978bb9350 touched Liriel.158a0c90bfe874c0

At least he doesn’t look like a beggar now.1bdc6829318f4732

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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.e45fe123d4775275

The duke sighed 4f17f8be6e softly.0989d9d3c2adb15b

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Nothing was satisfactory. Cleaning up 944bd5a0c1 took longer c16aa7d5c7 than expected, f6cdaf1adb and even 4e56e072f7 after all d78ac50fd7 the effort, 5f9b367818 this was fece958c4e the result.c2189fb9e8451bac

No matter how decent b066395942 he looked, he was c567bd5c69 still a beggar by e6a9fd3d75 birth. Expecting more was 6c3eb6c486 arrogance.8ef4b7f4241f2477

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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.4f428c9aed2bfc65

“Leave.”84128c006c0f7b08

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Liriel’s shoulders tensed. He knew more words than three years ago, yet he found it harder to speak.72172a115a8a0631

Why is this 7919880c16 happening?702616fef887f680

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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.23fab961f330319c

It was Sir b715772ccc Burnel who later 0bb5cd99ad revealed the truth 35cb004037 to him.58b1af0f35ec2c1c

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He was the youngest 9249cf6af0 son of the Wecker 5166de074a family, with twin brothers 5b61fa7f40 five years older, and ec190b96f7 the duchess had died 8bd75b8785 giving birth to them.6efdcfbb7d3f3de6

Then who is 9462986654 my mother?090c4866c9e8fb05

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Liriel released his pent-up 9e97f9c9ea curiosity, and Sir Burnel 66225da17f answered most questions but 48a3d375f5 remained silent about his 4d343d3079 mother.495bd5ba61e612e1

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.b1f84ad0e3fcebb5

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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.141b9e93cb4265bf

The only difference was 8cd76a0ccf that people here showed 2c70b22660 excessive interest in him, 3a5a18d4c2 unlike those in the e6b6ca3e7f annex. They mocked e039674a1b or scorned 47834f0339 him for 41c7ee1f24 anything he 4cacaa9612 did, reacting 4e8a4053fb exaggeratedly to 0b78a065b5 even minor a614eba26d actions.3fb69f728609052d

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If he accidentally held 8c53695051 his fork and knife cbd19ef553 the wrong way, several fa264201e8 servants would burst into 934fd59e41 laughter, and if he 0e6b4cd2b3 dropped something, one would d5cc5b3619 deliberately bow low to 987cf7c6cd pick it up mockingly. Naturally, Liriel, 042a979265 already cautious, a5e5d1d135 became even 235d7a1709 more withdrawn.3c2e4b9e169cf562

After enduring all this for several days, Liriel couldn’t last two weeks and pleaded with Sir Burnel.5e7f8bfef186500e

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“I want to see my brothers.”03902f51045d4875

“It’s not a good idea.”a76e54ca4c9c131d

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Liriel felt 2640b3466c he was 03cea801ef on the dd1a288956 brink of 42e72d7321 madness. So he bb0336ed3d clung to eac67ce1e4 Sir Burnel, 93c8347f32 the only 2bef5a4c7c person who ed2fe3e57d spoke to 16c7805348 him, and 4110a6dcbd cried.fbe550fc05c5e945

“I’ll study harder. I’ll do everything I’m taught. Please.”b9014f75dce47d65

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“I told you it’s not a good idea.”b0e75fdded509724

His expression was 6a645ef28f indifferent, his tone 07f93c85cd negative. His sighing 86284ffc99 lips were c776e5441e stiff with 37849b46bc annoyance, and eb98475171 his eyes 254223bb91 were sharp f1b1d28e84 with irritation. Yet, surprisingly, 6f88971641 the next 52709faaa5 day, Sir ddf9369242 Burnel led 5d8c15c5c3 Liriel to 4c0fa024af the training ddeeda3c14 ground where df866683e4 his brothers ca297396a1 were. Liriel, bewildered, followed him 347f395fc4 into the dusty area.f3bae308b690f090

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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.69b1fa345b1905d0

The taller 0b04c8eed0 one was a5f88c89d0 Anskar, and d16cffa7cd the slightly 8a490210e1 shorter one 3499765ca3 was Arnoute, dd146fcffb right?1adfa1949583d988

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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.ee87e9d39958d48d

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.22dcbc7f6e016a72

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“Ah, hello.”bc4b515bb9b53d60

His voice 15845b0e52 trembled pathetically.d3f0ac3c08aeb01f

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Did I look foolish?8434235377db86d6

Contrary to Liriel’s worry, Arnoute’s face broke into a smile.e98be947a3eaa7af

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“So, your name is Liriel?”15da3d37e7c62d3b

“Yes, yes. You’re Arnoute, right?”7b8f0945f75f953d

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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.d774a54b4f2e7440

This kid is ridiculous, bc51b6e2a9 from his name to edb9564765 everything he does.415bfe7ac81794b7

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Arnoute raised his hand 087110bd5e lightly. The movement was 93b913bd65 so graceful that 556f14cbf6 no one anticipated cee992a31a what followed.8fa833c4bd452290

“Ah, don’t call me brother. I’m not immune to filth. I don’t want to associate with someone born from a whore.”8b5bb797b6e40325

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It’s amusing, but arrogance is something else.a3315a3ebd4fd5eb

Liriel, unable to bfe519623d grasp the situation, 60fc96c299 froze.947d09bc66be0ec3

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“Handkerchief, please.”f242bb460fe2ecfb

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.2bdb23ca9cec6675

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Liriel, with 93a06f76e0 a dazed de9088c704 mind, pieced ef2852bd9b together his f2b8035afe thoughts.ae6658e5ef75dc0c

Why is my f97e2adbd7 head turned?4309515f871fd89b

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Ah, I got 40b1d3e36f hit.7bee2e04747436b8

What did he just say? Whore… He said whore.a2af01b7e0a2e5f8

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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.cf48d5cd15695b27

No wonder no df56fad45d one told him fc361ed241 about his mother. His birth was too dc10ce3499 shameful to mention.e8fb56b62ab75148

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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.b0a6f902ae402e17

Watching the df361f1f30 pale Liriel, d482cedfd8 Burnel sighed 8e3c42f7be quietly.05b1d41183c30a9f

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He had expected e3cba1d6ea this.7189c85f1cbc75a7

He knew the second young master’s temper well and had a rough idea of Liriel’s character, so he anticipated this outcome.6b65f331cc15595d

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