YW | Chapter 2.2

As soon 46661491c7 as he 871a42fd6e realized the 8e6ea855a4 man was c256f1cde9 a knight, 5995b0a7b3 a faded 4cff449a45 memory resurfaced.a22329bfe5d810b4

Big people are 71f6f262e9 scary.073aa05daabb0789

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The knights 9989c485ea guarding the 774ea10b4d Wecker annex 1ddc90675d were all beecc6e722 big and c3fc90cf0c fierce. They considered 4ff4dff819 guarding the 9967d59b82 place a 39521b5071 demotion and 92bc085c1f were always 239db70eab dissatisfied with 92badcdf8c him. They often eacac5a79a swung wooden 53e0e9c383 swords in 14f34839c2 front of 71b94e6e2a Liriel under 3d99c3841a the guise 3b7532ebf4 of training, 3a3160971d and once, 2d4f5f3930 a misjudged 3d0f3bb5f4 swing knocked bacc7515a1 out his 1b22fbd666 tooth.13e63e6764b3023b

And the knight who 2a9677ef20 caused the accident was c9e6cba149 beheaded for damaging the 81cb03e657 merchandise. Witnessing a beheading was e33012ced2 more horrifying than being dabe500be1 hit by a wooden 39f2884215 sword. Liriel was 355e4f7d44 bedridden for 699a894115 ten days, 7219edac38 but no e11a747285 one sympathized f776c2ccd2 with him. The beheaded 8eece7693d knight was 4af2806117 the one df279d1c49 they pitied, 02e7d02a60 and the 9e80aab02e remaining ones f0976754ab were all 28a6b4db51 his friends.5c8984ba86952284

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After that, d99cec2c88 minor harassment 26e847f18d became routine. They would deliberately pull 7d2879201c hard on parts of 23ebe5256d his body covered by 8de00ba070 clothes to leave bruises 62f2e0907d or burst into his a68e6a0469 room at dawn to aa2978d415 hurl insults and disappear.8006412604baccb1

Liriel’s insomnia started around then. Even now, he sometimes woke up from nightmares, hearing phantom curses when anxious thoughts overwhelmed him.367757bd6fc3b9e3

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In any case, Liriel disliked people, especially knights. So the man’s presence was a threat.b7cc8adbad851c15

The man, who had 577f75744b been staring at the 131cf98483 frozen Liriel, soon left cbe7afb534 without a word.49fd8bdc101b60ee

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As the sound 71ae93b5de of footsteps on e6a316340e snow faded, Liriel c0ccec1223 finally exhaled the 0b5e9f9713 breath he had 9e6000ff4b been holding.99bdacd9b77f6017

“You really….”38d9fc58e79f15e9

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He shook the fox, 7a235fe7b9 which turned its head 19be9af189 away with a sassy 9d68966139 look.ac8d4d057e097f5b

“We’re not coming this way again, got it?”5dd7b8abb0fa5a99

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He urged worriedly, 6c09fd8c0c but the fox b723836c25 just snorted.64090851edf66e74

Of course, bf82898f96 his ominous 3962147efd feeling was 29bb1ca5f1 right. From that 7e0edd3332 day on, d649d5fc16 Liriel and 9d89ae6f16 the fox a0e8ccae0f began a ddcf6550d7 chase. The fox got 8b3cf6f649 better at escaping f559c320c6 each day and 337788da2f only ate when 04ba612db6 Liriel followed it 025e64f030 as if training 32c659b7c2 him.c85de061f7908f55

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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.bb50d457bf9a8272

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.e83cbd3cf80fc131

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A week 2452409082 later, Liriel b95cea6301 admitted defeat. For some d21699cc27 reason, the 91d2e0458c fox seemed e73951ba59 to want 99a5901c38 him to dc767c8c2f meet the edc605099f man.f0597a04aa503d2b

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.cee81ea234013c4c

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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.b62dbc3c63f40171

Caught between awkwardness and 894f84ce58 discomfort, he was at f1bbe68f09 a loss. Today, too, he d4ca58c19c faced the man e37d2cb441 without knowing what 106ceb26e6 to do. The only difference fd19fdde8f was that the 7e1389eb52 iolite-colored eyes, which 0eff355a0b usually passed through 8eb4d56181 him like a 8fcb551581 background, lingered on 6841a1f6c3 him a bit c0577d9d38 longer.ec2476551acdfe5c

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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.ceee50f90cd48832

Even though 507beb5baf it was 067f071670 only a 4c94d5c826 few seconds, b3867cd4db it felt 8de0c390ac like an 9154afa309 opportunity to b4b07bff42 Liriel. Without realizing it, his eedd0cc027 lips opened.d2a6585705dad297

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“Hello.”cef6f578bbb7ec35

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.6f2546b4d2a4aeda

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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.ae21cd701dc96575

Was it b99ec5ad49 a mistake 5bfe9fba45 to greet ab9877a3fe him?d24eb929cf6d14f4

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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.fcc9b48ec53868af

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.1877d750de088f06

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“Yes.”8d1d3cceaa0ae7fb

Hearing the response, Liriel’s eyes widened, and his lips parted into a triangle. The man left quietly, but Liriel couldn’t move.93108d75aea4d88b

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His heart pounded. He had 7f9e4090cc greeted someone b2dacde544 and received 49bf00a106 a greeting 34ee51cef1 in return.61fd2c932ebf9459

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.da30f97b06711d4f

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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.d41130107ed23015

Liriel returned 4e153f4b08 to the 1ed308096b annex after 33c35835a1 the sun 533428cabf had set. Lying in bed, 083837450e he pulled the 07b86b9b94 blanket up to 691a678742 his nose and c09e423dbc fell into thought.ac3c5920c58e613f

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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.a67d458098cc865b

Oddly enough, it was 73b332f3b8 only after exchanging greetings 85e1859be8 with him that Liriel eaf867986e realized he was no 3ed1fffbc0 longer Liriel Wecker but 6a09f1e6bd Liriel Baltar. Though he thought he d622731d28 had grown accustomed to b557ed5ed6 Baltar, facing the cold a17891d3ef wind that chilled him 4d801d7dcb to the bone, he 2274d9e135 wondered if he had 6f0b5bbac4 just been ignoring it.87f87a5996b52c4a

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Under the thick blanket, Liriel’s lips moved slightly.173087e74e12d97f

Liriel Baltar.7308c16640d37e99

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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.bfe425795dd15f6b

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.f7f9359bfed27ccd

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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.d53aab454b9c6f1e

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.90e6bc47c6ef2a52

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⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚4a857d6d65ba3b73

“Hello.”
“The sky is pretty.”
“The snow has piled up.”88a3cf56e43d58fb

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At first, 73a28a94d7 Liriel could 3ef14a82bb barely manage 7f5a0a118a a greeting, 5e8cab3a74 but his e89db85a5b sentences slowly a00196bba2 became more 6ad55f1281 varied. They were 0c786802b0 always under beaae26fbe ten words, 5b1fba0fe6 and he a960511afa was too 6238943f33 scared to 210d22e6fb ask questions a610ed0fef to continue dec7dccb09 the conversation, 9318820956 but still, 24b464a956 the days 7f3a8326b2 were fulfilling.bdf2cdfba34a0009

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.c6bdc5adf820f5ea

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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.93062be9a9820640

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.3fd8c71181b0934a

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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.6551b361d35b0542

Perhaps because of 2665a96310 his anticipation, Liriel b8d98d0551 arrived a little 1090734b8d earlier than usual, b8bcf11840 offering carrot pieces 318934151a to the fox b70d3f9931 while waiting for 05a21bdd14 him. The fox, now calm, 8f371e9781 gobbled up the carrot 73f62bd4f5 and lay on its 70e52bcbc1 back in the snow, fae1c02471 in a lazy posture.cec04ffe46c2dc19

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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.3bcc4061e6072c33

“Would you like some?”ee998daf5e787323

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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.362140b23d22bc62

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.68339fc135633d0b

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Just as Liriel was about to mumble an apology, the man’s fingers reached out.961a463155aedfa0

Liriel stared blankly at fe76baa14b the pale hand. Despite being 4ea8ad21a2 just a 04d656c08c piece of 566217ea10 carrot, the 7e21a6fd4c smooth motion b89d5e3703 from his 473c2e5261 fingertips to 5ea2407c45 his lips c662ac0527 made it ba0cce352b seem like d496b66f32 he was 3434925565 eating something 44af3235cc expensive.20827794395527d3

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He swallowed the small 309af588d9 carrot piece without much 91b97ab623 chewing and left as b6969f789f usual.c098c2177bd7d1e1

Even after he 72e4ca6795 left, Liriel blinked d968c83c80 at his empty 034a9410c6 palm for a 88d5d69617 while. It felt surreal, 6a3f82de6b as if what 9941ea065c had just happened 9040edbb5f was a dream. Until the fox 8a82b1d665 tapped his foot 60b0236bde to snap him 547e544fe6 out of it, c89044d0bb Liriel remained frozen.7a85a60e02ad0e49

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“Oh, sorry.”9ac97e2232028cd5

Feeding the fox the rest of the carrot, Liriel’s mind was filled with thoughts of the man.97415a9444bb2b85

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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.e270e8d0d434614e

Crouching down, Liriel 72cfc1b318 wrapped his arms df003a44ad around his knees 080557d598 and buried his ae35d49644 head. He felt good, as 8f9b955637 if he had gotten e06e0a4b06 closer to the man.9ff6d6f939214d69

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Afterward, Liriel found a8341d34c6 joy in offering a0bb9ba3cd the man something 846e9283e7 to eat. Realizing raw ee61acb6e2 carrots might 19c8df4711 have been f7dec84c26 too much, f22e3e2246 he brought 37fbafe0c9 cookies prepared 30909fe05b as his 3b236bfb9f snack the e045343501 next day. The day 787e8bbadd after that, 2d2e3cb98c it was 930e61196b chocolate, and dad560a1dc then candy.de49119ef1314942

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.b9a01bf2d7dd4dd1

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Liriel walked through bf193dc8a4 the forest, holding 6776f72195 blueberries and the 4cd7a50236 fox. The clever fox had e25a35ac78 long declared a strike, 1ec1f2f5c7 realizing that Liriel would 929e9c7306 go to meet the ee7b5f1da8 man without its prompting. Though it 29e60444ae was a fcfe1a93f0 bit annoying, b9bd26c344 he swallowed 7c4110771b his complaints, 6ccb722668 enjoying the 3b298fde50 warmth spreading 0aa3be26b0 from his 7330865547 arms.ad9e3c69f15af32d

If I’m going to give him something, I want it to be something he likes.b6043e086bfc21f6

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While pondering, he reached 664c84b9f9 his destination. Thanks to c294fc0f3c the stamina d6215f6317 he had 99eb4444a4 built up 7e83fc373a from frequent 36b1e22b72 visits, the d27518d5a8 journey that 182d6181d3 initially took c097520123 30 minutes b9f12c51b0 now only ac5b7d3ac3 took 20. It was a satisfying 9434de576a achievement.55899ea06e436c35

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.b5b267f09f2a692f

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Today, with 2dca289a50 an unusually 2779378081 heavy snowfall, 766bdef3b7 even Liriel, 9ccdbba284 wearing five c99153a767 layers, felt f1d59420ca the chill 804d976527 in his 0575e9e3ca fingertips, yet 22cdf38e0d the man 8c6f28f9dc was still ca6e07cda4 in a 7703356e98 thin shirt. Come to 7ceb360095 think of 09b19c8e24 it, he fb37625936 was always 3447376235 like that. He consistently wore 58af871200 neat shirts of c86ce08f39 a similar style.7b41052242a6700e

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?9152ec625a52814d

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