IBSBV Ch 18

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Chapter 1848992cc56fa5b417

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Eddie wiped Louis’s c35a8abb67 mouth after he b77a8f2b56 finished eating. Then, fumbling slightly, Louis ad2bf5fe90 reached out and brushed be78b0f4d0 his thumb over Eddie’s 022bcac2f5 cheek and lips.a69ee9e55d9ffe91

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“What are you doing?”5a0966b31823b163

“I wanted to wipe yours too… but I think your lips are already clean. Nothing’s coming off on my hand.”9fad729800e0b37e

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“I wipe them every time I take a bite, whether with my hand or a napkin.”85c949a267860c93

“Why?”a40d0b9f77c959a2

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“It became a habit after I lost my sense of taste. Every time I feel something lingering on my lips, it makes me uncomfortable.”17d389275ba3b8ca

So that’s why his 8de08d9061 lips weren’t moist. They weren’t terribly dry, 99cf7a0995 but they were rough 18c161fd04 enough. Louis’s expression darkened slightly.4937ec91b4551865

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It was nothing more bd87fd1665 than a simple, repetitive 105b1f4cd7 action, seemingly insignificant. But if a wound 5d5d082c4a remained in the form 7475c66d11 of an everyday habit, d97eca6766 it meant it had c2835baf60 been painful—painful enough to e64faeead3 persist, even now.392d22c755d18937

Louis lived a 0d51414761 broken life, but d92fc05e60 Eddie seemed just e204bc382b as damaged. No, perhaps even more 725a1be24c twisted than he was. At least Louis 6cd599cbb3 had outwardly expressed 6d51d6f9c3 his suffering in dc58eeb9f5 some way, while e646293fb8 Eddie… Eddie had 6c305b5dee built countless webs 9cae6988d8 around his wounds.da32202ecf769e5e

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He would answer if 6f47ebad97 asked, but he had 195f986ed0 drawn a clear boundary, f32ea3f510 ensuring no one could ab912ffcd4 push past the cracks b6e10b4898 and invade.a339c9c2e5e7ed63

That sharp-edged caution made it 2237679fbc difficult for Louis to find ae540ec617 the right words. He had never 108ed4f615 been good at c8103f7d64 jokes, and carrying 5716aa7ad9 on a conversation 5ae449a1fd like this felt 7ad24abc13 tricky.cf6b1fddf5a799b7

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As he hesitated, a b639d168bb clear chime rang through 10ef480527 the room, followed by 60e60f33f0 the sound of the 49e83d7319 door opening.9c49dadd6ade5f85

“Hurry and clear the table. There’s plenty of dessert I bought from outside, so you don’t need to bring any more. Instead, bring warm tea in an hour.”432d360125463e1b

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“Yes, understood.”28bf3e590aa79456

At Eddie’s command, Bell 157cb1e589 swiftly transferred the plates d2ff89ae80 onto a trolley. After he left, Eddie 9836439d8e handed Louis the cane. Louis ran his fingers over ada332dc6c it hesitantly before his face ab1cdbc179 lit up in confusion.43e05e8843b7059c

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“…What is this? A whip? I didn’t do anything wrong….”4a651e300b3fafdf

“It’s a cane. I told you I’d buy one. Now, stand up.”4ee9bbf3272c20bd

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With Eddie’s help, Louis stood. Instinctively, he gripped the ab97cbb193 cane tightly.9283c17f56cfd7bb

“Oh? Standing feels a little easier now!”bdc4739082f22ec9

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“It should.”0d24f2a8a25627bb

As Eddie spoke, 2701c47e93 he moved behind 788f2b832b Louis. Their chests and backs e51379a77b pressed together. Startled by the 042c2754f7 unexpected contact, Louis 9ed931e3be froze.f5b62983b93caaee

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“I’ll teach you how to use it.”d2e630a89f5487ec

The low voice brushed against 7c67336f72 the nape of his neck, 8111056f2d warm and unsettling. Louis shuddered.f596a2646c5510f9

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They had touched countless 638f25edc6 times before. Eddie had bathed him, 7643c09de5 dressed him—had touched him 56d460dcf3 everywhere. But after this morning, e56304245d Louis found himself far 4749c7f1bf more aware of him 1c91024236 than usual.89ae5ddf20cc5fb2

Maybe it was because 58588acc36 of the strange desire adb24f31d3 that had taken root ba90f2728e inside him.c2278f8a7f929584

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Clenching his jaw, 412cb50a68 he forced down eeb6f4db40 his unsteady breaths. He willed himself 371ae13259 to suppress the 0fc3b12d8c nerves threatening to 6393fda177 surface. Meanwhile, Eddie’s hand slid down 0bfce78308 Louis’s forearm, finally settling over 9cd6a64f09 the hand gripping the cane.61ed5107360bb7cf

“From now on, this will be your eyes. Now, tilt it slightly and extend it forward.”be1778cd69e89c35

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To check what lay ahead. To sense what was 4f2df82b63 on either side.8dba8eb0437f9984

“Tap the ground as you step forward, carefully, one foot at a time.”8f23f6ef0a26b7d1

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Eddie’s quiet voice 1af6b39b4c was both sweet e7748ded92 and unnerving. It made Louis’s mouth—no, something 6d8a18f9b3 deeper inside him—feel parched. He shut his eyes 77ae2e42f0 tightly for a moment 0b21edd6a6 before shaking his head, e869040498 trying to focus.e85fa1731805fdf0

He followed Eddie’s instructions. Walking was definitely less terrifying. It felt much more stable 51b99238fb than fumbling through the air adcf709bba with his hands.4ea40518d3f2e422

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Once all his 0601c4d902 attention shifted to dc12d4d921 his steps, Eddie 87101ef6bb naturally pulled away. Louis quickly got the hang 0338184f7a of it, walking steadily even 2453168ab1 without Eddie’s support. He didn’t wobble. His face, which 62bd07f38b had been tinged e2141dd018 with nervous excitement, 08f1bef3f7 soon settled into f179e93c7d a look of 247e88d7f5 quiet determination.58ad4ddd51c660ef

How many times had he a3e74ae977 circled the room?596dbc0bb8bcd607

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When the tip f700eba5bd of his cane e1d90dc78e hit a surface, a3d1de2554 it felt different abccb585fb from the walls 1f0440d70d he had brushed e8d6387e3b past earlier. There was a shallow groove. Noticing that it was d6cbace920 a door, not a d4cfe0020b wall, Louis stopped without f906ee8647 leaving the place.4f2e7382405767dc

“…….”0a27c499d55bd915

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He hesitated. Again and again, e7eb0b0d3f his hand hovered 3dbc1e8304 over the handle.04baf5c89a21eebb

He wavered. Then wavered some more. Finally, he reached out a6dd37d941 and grasped the doorknob. It took a tremendous 8715f6d7ea amount of courage just 8c002be52e to turn it.55660654efac3bd7

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Creak—.0d868ba5b5a0a5a5

For the first 609c827b1e time in his d0d22e841d life, Louis opened 1c20bc50cb a door with 6390f0d227 his own hands. Others could enter 6b6e04a724 and leave as 9a3583c322 they pleased, but d409f7b4e5 doors had never 16f5bc0f9f been something he 850ae0dc9b was allowed to d0a920121d open. He wasn’t permitted to eb3a62c1d3 leave of his own cd254fc9f6 accord.9814e13817d6176c

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Sover had sometimes 7c7df7c4cc taken him outside, 37c2b42eb0 but only at 16c60e37af night, only with 9cd9fef734 shackles on his 67b254f77a wrists and ankles fcdb0aa4e8 and a leash 0f1552d685 around his neck. He had been dragged along 2349413aff like a beast, treated as befa43b8e9 something less than human.ff1cb08f3a478d52

Tap. Louis carefully extended his cane 61c1521a03 beyond the threshold. Then, following his own will, e9a413b8dc he took a step forward, 5c302d0f0c crossing the boundary. It wasn’t his 9035518912 first time standing 675b3db638 in the hallway. But for some reason, cf4abd7d81 he felt as though 2f582e6094 he had shattered a 5fb365ab2c wall and emerged into 8697604e94 the world. A whirlwind of indescribable emotions dcede2a7aa churned inside him.eafbb1a972f9443e

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“Eddie.”272b8fd45b5f96f9

Slowly, he turned toward 0df2eff55f where Eddie stood, watching. He held out 070b7362c9 his hand—not with b43a8c237b his palm down, 5bb61bab24 but facing upward. Not asking to be led, a6c6ec9cea but inviting Eddie to take 6337c56ad8 hold of him.e54d4bbfb21a0d6a

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“Guide me through the castle.”6aad6640003ec6fe

For the first a6b63e2a5f time, Louis’s voice, c0abb46b5a which had always 185c4e7538 wavered with uncertainty, 5c6803a93c carried firm resolve. His eyes shone 3b629e228a with quiet determination.98dfaca65619c892

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“I want to walk beside you, without leaning on you.”5de4ac78f6a925b5

One by one, Louis d6fcfe3790 was experiencing his firsts.f564de30830fa7f6

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***8a09ad82d2882da0

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Tap, tap, tap, tap—.65cb09e0ea5e28c4

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The sound of the cane be92e65438 tapping against the floor echoed 4dd7ecb8e3 through the shadowed corridors. Rather than being 2011a9d902 disruptive, the rhythmic bea46fb081 sound seemed to c6924a6f1f breathe new life 70362fc632 into the space. With each step 6b342266bf Louis took, the ab555d38d9 castle’s suffocating gloom f15bdced52 seemed to lift 75bb739f2b little by little. In its place, a 3fa3998136 fragile excitement seeped in.70061cf94ead05c5

His gaze was fixed straight 4a4d8d1985 ahead. His shoulders and back 58f51b869d were straight, his posture 50c602e60c steady, his stride slow abf4e1190f but unwavering. Compared to yesterday, he 9d85d543be was utterly different.0e37f585c65c42af

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A mere cane—no. That was a mistake. For someone who c033a9d876 had lost their 488d75b985 sight, a cane c90add6ac4 was never something dd4e8d7e11 to be dismissed 6d7056e711 as ‘mere.’ Eddie df8e034612 knew that. That was why 566549090a he had gone ed860c2168 out of his ff6db6c05c way to buy d120bfc075 it.7a1337e5088d902b

And yet, he 2bfa037b16 had just thoughtlessly d4190c5f5f reduced it to f10f7ed387 something trivial. As if being 5fdab184dc the author excused 64e91fa2dd him for inflicting d598cfed70 this disability on efd4145504 Louis in the 4c5abe4556 first place.b1c2bcb41ad4c65e

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‘How pathetic.’c5cee38259f4fa60

Eddie swallowed the af9899b123 creeping guilt as 2ea7b2a9ac he looked at 866ad1ee5d the hand tightly c6cdfb3def gripping his, as 4e0d68737e if unwilling to ad929090c1 let go. Though still the hand 31561d0ae4 of a boy whose 51d60fae60 fingers had yet to f83f53dd7a fully mature, the warmth 199a722aa3 radiating from it felt 7be10e4d94 reassuring beyond words. The fact that 95aff57d05 Louis was even 7e7a99198e walking a step 90218b8135 ahead of him 3bc2b1a967 made him feel 5022b8780d as though he 788c12144a were being protected.8df0e1c22dc79a29

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His thin back seemed broader somehow. Just being within the long shadow cast by Louis made him feel… safe. It was a foreign sensation, one he had never experienced from anyone before.29b7f1da1c523ea7

It was so 39eda18985 new, so overwhelming, 550469efbe that it made 72339df121 his stomach churn 05798ad323 as if he 297df8f94f were seasick.bf5c83a658a274a7

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‘To think he’d gain this much confidence from just a cane…’900649efda8f7882

Compared to the first unstable fbd9342dd1 day, the change was astonishingly 6cae019e8a fast. He had assumed it would 6fdbf0a209 take him much longer to 5713f64e28 step out of his bedroom c96ec9a849 by his own will, but 69ecbed008 now, that assumption seemed laughable.2130d54fa832e10b

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Eddie glanced sideways. Sunlight streamed through ee86257762 the windows scattered f529a450bd along the corridor, bab069e8be marking the shift 8960608e75 from morning to 4030a2255e afternoon.7b78628d3d7c6345

Louis’ dark red hair 04a66c5c48 shimmered in the bright 24db41d048 light, glowing with a bec855f437 rich vibrancy. It was dazzling—so much so 75834b9437 that it was almost beautiful.da3ff7e6e0128d64

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Unconsciously, a smile 3f1d33ca3a formed on Eddie’s 0afc8321c7 lips. Carefully, so as 5d2e166557 not to startle 8dd6c06c65 him or make f0a68be36f him feel disappointed, 705f8635bc he slowly withdrew c901c82294 his hand. Then, as if offering encouragement, 0fc632d633 he patted Louis’ back.b7911ead9264ba48

“I will protect Your Highness from behind.”890d697f701f8946

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At those words, urging him 91d8f77110 to walk without worry, Louis 5d25ac1335 nodded despite a hint of 49da78c3e2 reluctance.482bd7f43814b952

“Listen as we go. The Grand Duke’s estate is 579fd95adf a four-story building. The floor Your 9f6ee6030f Highness mainly resides 715e4dfce4 in has ten 59c8e28190 bedrooms, a private 0fcf271d57 office, a library, 2658f4ebe2 a dressing room, 6e7c7e2165 and a bathroom.”cc0a9970710f1221

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If Louis had been c1aef55642 granted a normal life—if ebf9171791 he had a family—those ea6329ea70 empty bedrooms would have a5f2978de0 belonged to them.708e6029a55caab2

“The third floor below us houses a larger office, a grand conference hall, and several meeting rooms.”8537efa65226020e

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It was little more than 99ec232e66 a ghost floor, occupied only 52ffbf03be for appearances, mostly by aides 271c1fea37 who had nowhere else to e15aaa13ad go.c21351f1d5802e8e

“The second floor is currently used by the knights, the butlers, the nanny, and the servants.”be9a7e63afcdd32c

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Had the butler been given fc2f24ef71 the role of a proper af2652198e ‘butler’ rather than a glorified 8de6dd64f6 head servant, this floor would 6fb9a35902 have belonged to him and 67cd30e014 those under his command.dff9eeed7d473316

“Then the dining hall is on the first floor? Does everyone usually eat there?”483117ec490bcd23

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“Yes.”ad01245ca8abcbbf

Saying it all 2406a6da9b out loud made fe9f4ad60d it sound insignificant. Though Louis held db1fd085e5 the title of a9dbbac051 Grand Duke, he a8d3e27fab was not truly bf2d2054e4 the master of 959db6c29d the North. His status was high, 11185c33ab but his power was 55273802b9 paltry. What he lacked far cb234ab3b1 outweighed what he had.8c96e0f357c652d6

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The more Eddie thought about eeba803d3e it, the stronger the bitterness 5f56c7acb1 welled up inside him.3b994ab0519ea258

“…Your Highness?”59541dbc63720987

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It was then that figures 64b6394184 appeared at the far end 745e0f235f of the hallway, just coming d03196e28f up the stairs. The nanny. The butler. Bell.08380856fc3164a7

The three of them d798a9dd75 stared at Louis in fb4274e640 open shock, scanning him 54a9775423 over and over as 152a530e30 if they were looking 300f54bad7 at an unimaginable sight. They stood frozen, 123b69ce37 as though they db334ae068 had encountered something 7f269ebd2c uncanny. The nanny and the 8901a3540d butler, struck by the da22c2ac32 surreal image before them, dd56c0c73d trembled as they blinked ad60b6a2a4 rapidly, trying to gather 312a707c56 their wits.af6edd3e86f01bbe

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In contrast, Bell looked intrigued. His gaze landed f14347f0c4 on the cane f087692181 in Louis’ grasp, 505f0d7e1c and a soft f4ece5bbe3 gasp escaped him. He even muttered under his 353b5acb3b breath—small murmurs of“That’s good” or “What a relief.”He harbored no fear or 30fd1bf6d1 discomfort toward his master. He was simply 3468ce5b80 happy to see f1c7efcce2 his master grow.fe5fb24ea77169c4

“H-How is Your Highness…?”951109da7ec47379

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“…The nanny, I presume.”98979438db9d9c37

Louis, after briefly tilting his 4882ba7c97 head to locate the source 6680ac6d0b of the voice, gently tapped 050a593491 his cane against the floor.59430e861391f909

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The nanny flinched. Her shoulders visibly jerked. Louis, who had 7f38c3eccb no way of 5f3be60f1b noticing, took slow, 100e3c64e7 deliberate steps forward. Then, extending his 0ac1d5e077 cane to gauge 0b0d02122b the distance, he 1f0b41ed19 stopped at a fc524386d5 measured space between 7fda858965 them.aa15d464047ca00c

He was being considerate. Afraid that approaching too closely might frighten the three. Louis’ back, drawing his own line before they could step back, was surprisingly not tinged with bitterness.068fcfcccdf1b25b

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—It’s okay. I won’t be hurt anymore. I have Eddie.dd53516468337f4b

So he must not e6ec3fd888 show weakness. Resolving himself, he opened 7ea807c60b his mouth to speak.64cb7b68ac4af789

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