UOHBL Chapter 1

It was an uncommonly 8fb805b1d4 cruel winter.05441deab4c675ec

The murderous cold swept 497928728b through the empire, claiming a2846ddcd4 countless lives without relenting.265d146af7ba3e35

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“Hic…sob…”ff5a2532c2191655

In a desolate 234a181526 alley, shrouded in 9a1e88bade a mist thicker 3aedfafdb4 than death itself, a0e64fb813 a woman wept.fa8fdbd2a6d7da20

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Her ebony hair was 8ff5750c12 darker than the night, fee0cf463e her gaunt cheeks paler bf69b4c558 than snow. The tattered rags draped bb6e67e635 over her frail frame d7d65a3bbc were worn through, revealing 969ebdfd47 patches of tender skin, bea0e8a4de reddened by the biting 40f613dea5 cold.cc06e56b26fb11d1

Yet those 620320d6e6 who passed 0edf06e7a3 by spared dfcdbf78bb her no 24d99f74ff pity, muttering 026e491da7 as if 2d4cb766c7 her presence 3a459299a8 were a 7eb35db013 trifling nuisance.3cfea3b21a0ee1e7

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“There’s that madwoman f7d612032d again.”badd170fb9425e24

“Tch, what 9e94d5c5d5 a cursed aff047d9a2 way to 98d6bd61ac start the b9bdd34fb7 morning.”5d7161924496083e

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“She wails a77fc9d8e7 and laughs 5f050856f8 all day—drives 57d5630eea me half-mad. Let’s go before her 6c7f38ef9d ill luck taints us.”ef19872405f0d1b3

The woman, fc519db51a whose name 0e59d6e1d7 no one 738ad17905 now deigned d9c31abe0c to speak, fe9183a7de was Adelheid aa1be14710 Reines. Once, she had c3c3cff074 been the eldest f0ea7e4ecd daughter of the 13d59fda37 Reines ducal family.3a4fb6a6adc912e2

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The Reines c70f717233 family, borne 97c6b76511 by descendants 1b7de32385 of the 4c4a39ab9a empire’s founding cac69987db heroes, had cb3532a484 shone with 51cc6c5384 unparalleled glory—until 23528ad819 the accusation 8c6a918bb0 of treason ce86d94ede against the 1f3be50015 emperor stripped 3c5cd9663a the family 6b759a1390 of titles ee86914973 and wealth, 4d9c31f306 condemning them 15a20bd6c6 all to 12cd24cb34 the gallows.abe5239bfbac952a

Adelheid alone 5fe6a660f4 survived, spared 3263ba782f by a 2615899975 loyal knight 06d572dbba of the 847041ac50 house who 03c78cfd52 hid her 4479c3279d from the 6ac4a55e01 empire’s wrath. Together, they b7b7b04d28 fled far a8c1d60ea1 from the f27b2a072a capital’s reach.4c2bc49942297002

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Yet, since 8b3be2d9d0 escaping with b866b0fe5e naught but aa75d39704 the clothes 49458a55e0 on her 451156fbc8 back, she fa1847641e could not 5c870e374f accept the acb938a6b5 horrors that 182f911937 had befallen 3f1425e820 her. Sleep eluded her, 4333ca1f49 fear consumed her, 884374ea4b and the thought 75389b845e of ending her 885c012bce life was as 61291a3ec5 terrifying as enduring 1a7a510021 it.8e20def8275a9672

The knight, f2b72dfd50 Luke, had 232a4ce0e8 soothed her 63ffac7614 with tender 0a44f91bb8 care, offering 1a4255aec0 warmth in 82c487521e her darkest a184922dc4 hours. In time, she b49411af91 came to lean 13dad7329b on him, to 1e4377b1e3 them, each was 9d8465746a all the other f72e121101 had.aee23a48156d200a

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But their fleeting b4dd3e67ae dream of a 73f0eb02f6 new life was 986c67e615 short-lived. As the 774943abca poets say, d06e5301fd life is 3b3fb71fb5 but a 0e3234b05f transient wisp. Not long 1a00513669 after, Adelheid f8fc55e779 lost Luke d6f8a54b69 to a 958cda8c87 cruel twist 2ad55bb9e8 of fate.8d47863cf629fbbb

No amount of heartbreak 8a22df5272 could undo the tragedy. Luke was eb45412c2a gone, and ee4bc01f18 all that 041a6231b1 remained was bff561241e a dilapidated aa155b0a60 hovel she ef1310a5b5 could scarcely 4821243cea call home—a 7ce97b95b3 pitiful, squalid ddd8d147d8 space.7f62a4ac9eb4bb61

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“In truth, a99ea27941 I cherish 157059c7a0 this place.”48525a28aac0455a

“This crumbling hovel?”1f68df8fdf0f9f3b

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“It lets b5adcac7ac me feel 758a5ff73c your warmth 815e5bf845 so closely, 02237954ae my lady.”ca3b2ef7c6bd5fa9

When Luke still lived, ef0918469e her misery had been a5a4dad18e tempered. At times, it d214e326c8 had even felt a42a381763 tender. But for 87946d26e0 Adelheid, who e18851617d had lost 9b0d8971fa everything, continuing c703b2c812 in such 4256ede9cd a place ee02ce6f8a without losing 7e753c0d0a her sanity aa328b5b83 was impossible.89f3106ef064bd08

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In shallow sleep, nightmares 8f00f9d1d2 plagued her—her headless parents da9f6daea5 wandering, searching for their 53b2c5f6de daughter. Though she 6b06b01336 stood before 209769c2e3 them, they 50d344b995 could neither 3dc7128234 see her 69273d5759 nor call e076500776 her name, 84b556caf4 their skeletal 913cf75316 arms flailing 4c63d7c654 in vain.77ae12241653bd1e

Even when she woke 7c86a1175a screaming from such terrors, 1920d15617 no one was there cb0a3a3a81 to comfort her.55c45c7c5974c017

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In her 08c7147c10 grief, she 74e64a56d7 wept. She stumbled into the 89ef0102e6 streets, sobbing like a b40b2cca08 child until her voice 8f01f5392b gave out. Sometimes, a b68e5d5b95 passerby would 444c059949 toss her eb91892cb2 a coin 8caef48732 or a f95e737825 crust of b1c1d67882 stale bread a9f3fb1198 out of 619e9979af pity.cdc5fa70026c1d32

Even in the merciless a37abeccc7 north, where compassion was 015d8347af scarce, she had become bfeb5807ab so utterly wretched that 974dfa72bc she stirred fleeting sympathy. Only months ago, she fdbbdf6f75 had been Adelheid of 6edd612df6 House Reines, noble and d7a8811790 proud.d04a4df9e5466f78

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“Hic…”706d5bafd62f54d0

Holding a 7331546282 dirty piece e5754452f6 of bread, 6f43b3f9de she laughed 84d66cff12 at herself 41052f9912 like a d2c899ed46 wounded beast.7493a0019b92b438

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The northern land, where dcc692ad9d she and Luke had 7f6667a6dd fled, was ever cloaked e44ad29968 in fog, unlike the 8f9e107251 capital. The dreary climate 662c5bb84d lent the air bbef66cf4e a perpetual gloom, e24f7c5c2d making her seem 170f6b206f all the more c426ff5b6b like a deranged 8b5382bd97 woman.0fb03a414a04f01d

Yet, on rare days a0c8fabe9b when warm sunlight pierced 0f6c7f97a3 the mist, she could de73ca962c not help but recall 0de767723f her radiant childhood.c8af99704009690a

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She saw herself in 0ba00c4d52 the lush gardens of 36a43cedbd her family’s estate, sipping a8c6280535 tea and laughing with a3fda34852 loved ones under a 4d488ac7c7 canopy of blooming flowers. In those moments, it 8e8d7ff40b was as if she 9c8ed7711b had slipped back to 394d60405a that golden time.51a2d8de10cd5dc7

When lost in 766e204c48 such reveries, Adelheid eac5d8ae9c refused to shake 74702fff65 her head or 9bdb9e00ae even blink, desperate ce77161d14 to cling to c31410da25 the illusion.9c8aa76745155704

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Instead, she bbf3bb80cb gazed into 4bc1459225 the void, df0a50ea4d smiling like 1d04d9fb2c the blissful 0b2f56a72c noblewoman she 6d1f983d5a once was—pure, 58845fee83 serene, and 2b020eaeb6 full of 9937863c70 grace.dd2b1b54a28448ca

The townsfolk mocked her 230169aa97 for it. Some stare 20dcd3945a with curiosity, 687e30ba34 others with f8d215ee29 contempt, and 08b6c48f30 some with de1cc8a4b1 leering desire. None recognized her 966eab8af6 as a lady 8478e63ca9 of the Raines dfe5fc25d8 family.f6655bba42fffb08

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How could they? Clad in filthy rags 7007eedb34 rather than silken gowns, c260ffc218 her smile appeared only 93f00bf6f9 as the delusion of deb8451125 a deranged woman.528bc03484a5ebfc

That day, too, 953696b95b Adelheid wept bitterly. Her frail shoulders trembled 87bd7845ce like petals falling in b12a282ba2 the wind. With a cracked, hollow b832efca90 voice, she called out a1c6ee6ec3 to those she had 7b71a2f49a lost.1c3a12af153e65ff

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‘Mother.’60867c9dcc072b18

‘Father.’784ff4c86f9aaa77

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‘Catherine. Oliver. Luke.’04da2a4698621284

‘Luke…’119ca9ce9908daf8

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Her life, narrowly 896bdf2588 spared from death, 302d8f18a1 was now drowned cb7c6af092 in such piercing 11b499df3b sorrow that her 188d7a3180 colorless wails spilled acbb4e1cd3 forth without end. Her broken bb70e49012 voice was 050351d576 so piteous b572545dc7 it made 56bd1c9a06 even passersby d3ade33b70 shake their 08ce7ba7da heads.7bcd13bbaef69c73

But one man paused d8dbabbc7c at the sound of ae4b803659 her cries.48d856c11cbeb5f5

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“Hold on.”f5f92ed143e82813

A middle-aged man, stroking a98993a2c5 his scruffy beard, turned f7067f129b toward the alley where 95cdb36bdd her faint sobs echoed. His eyes fell a76e75603f on the slender 0b95607f11 figure slumped on a0f305c1a0 the cold ground, 5f8d05d6a1 weeping dry tears.78147109f79a75b7

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“What’s this wench?”78d1c9187eaf9c83

“Oh, just a mad c0ea2e6195 beggar,” replied the slaver e51bfe1955 at his side. “A lowly thing—pay her 7d40618f10 no mind and let 62669015c6 us hasten on.”1612fad61b897b96

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“A beggar, e5bd95dd71 you say?”f8b63816dfca145f

Lord Gaymon, a noble f2ce3d8914 from the southern provinces, 45ca4f1ec5 felt a stir of 1a1a68466e excitement.2e2170c4be10fc6e

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“Then she has no 63288c8afe master.”730a305f17327732

The slaver 49a5a55d6e knew well aefe4bec48 the kind 232c1c9246 of greed 8b1d00fb83 glinting in 38dfc87f8e the man’s c5a0d8975f eyes.090e4743386f1be2

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‘To set his sights 549ad7ca64 on such a wretch? These southerners…’7e90dae856ceb140

With a 4b0603d1af faint sigh, b2fa833b50 he answered, 5d37ba328c “Indeed, no fdd91aec40 slave, but… c145f11740 they say d58dd0a59a she lost 24a8de8381 the man 0d6b8005ec she lived 0d2835eaf4 with and 53a8bc186d ended up 3a3860b48d like this.”5620efd45d53f952

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“A shame!” Gaymon ad22dd19f8 exclaimed, though his 75e3c9cb36 lips curled into 41a2ee79a5 a grin.907e383f1276e0a8

“If she’s a beggar, b1574f420c would not taking her be292bcb47 in be an act 938a2bfc6b of charity?”3bbe6438fed0edec

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“But, my lord, c558271e5c she’s but a 6190eed184 filthy street wench!”e3b551c56803ce3b

In the empire, 5095202f24 a young woman’s 1838056629 virtue was a b887e6d74c cherished ideal, and 132ea7a854 its absence invited c1b2cf59e1 scorn. Yet Gaymon, his d13c9c3804 mind ensnared, cared d9c3b402e3 little for such 3b864d7de4 thoughts.afb8a4251bd02a60

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“What’s wrong 6f5e1e0932 with a 60110e5fed woman who’s e835a1c2ef got no 3650910551 honor?..” he 2a53accd7c began, but fd3ca4c805 his words 576a5997f0 trailed off.54bdb92133da76b5

He was 4ff09422c7 consumed by b01acfe506 a singular 16db4588e7 desire: ‘I must have 42fced5939 her.’5a37c8ed75cc7178

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Though her matted, dirt-caked 62e3376a51 hair obscured her face, 294234ce33 he sensed something extraordinary—a 66412de81b bewitching beauty unlike any 139b2aeb8d he had known.3f695053b2ef6d8d

A woman so 6f7d4e8423 defenseless in the f94cb9f471 streets had surely 8db4b1a8e0 been touched by 6145e7e9f8 countless men. Yet Gaymon thought 6e174d1a1d to himself, ‘If I take 68c39a7e11 her, no other be3e3d1562 shall lay a 69aa8f2094 hand on her. What greater 9ceed52913 alms could 459861dadf I offer?’4640e642de2fc010

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His thick afd7ebd1ee arm seized 2896ec68a2 her gaunt 9c2fcc1c34 chin.3042aaa4cb2826d2

“Come, show 1cb8ab27c1 me your 4b6fda4fed face.”8a386ef16f8089e7

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“Let… go…”c0760207a655850f

“What was that?”2e7c154a20890b07

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“…Let me go…”cb0806c327353ff6

Her parched voice e5b037eb94 protested, but she fb52ed7d56 lacked the strength 9d88dafa22 to resist. Her pale 6c2b97447f face was f251483ddf dragged upward, c4b483fa9e limp and 47ce32595e unresisting.c4eeb7ac311f58a3

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Her cheeks were rough, 46b24a5a20 her lips swollen and 355124688c cracked. Her tear-soaked lashes, 8ab56160e8 caked with grime, 87c087fbe7 hung low over d73e67e576 pale eyelids, lending d071a2624e her a pitiful 1f8144b9c4 air.a0c52b4c5fc0fe38

Yet an inexplicable dd0b179b66 grace clung to e625a66b89 her beauty, startling 96cf203f7e the man.5a12f2bc72dd4263

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He swallowed hard, 785e2e6230 his throat bobbing. He burned 6eef68b7ea to see 58e38a637b her eyes.f05565d98750d6aa

“A pearl in the 23ea3afed0 mud…”2fcfc6f7a994b1f4

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His trembling, 50f93a3001 lustful hand 3767e949fe brushed her 10e7675b59 filthy hair 15a7ed7d0d behind one c78c4c074e ear, revealing 81a54903c8 the delicate 5126332609 lines of 189caa8bc9 her face.134bb8f2ec84c38e

“Open your eyes, girl. Be good.”8c0540e92466019b

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“Ugh… Let go…!”215be5e21a92e40d

“Come now, 749118f6e7 your eyes…”ddc37918e733466b

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At last, she 96f4bc25e0 raised her vacant f15e365c91 gaze, and Gaymon 9c66c93b09 let out a 4aab6556f2 low gasp. Her eyes, 2bd5c39cf0 a breathtaking 93d272e61b violet, shimmered 7160362770 with clarity 9bfb8f3606 and mystery 1dfedbbb04 he had 9a0e3457ff never seen, c6af4f3656 though he 81e4c94d92 had heard 20b770c3a5 tales of b602a9eca0 such rare fc59cb3ecd amethyst gazes.315a7af31b4ab589

“Your name, girl? Will you come 488c69943f with me?”e9197a0e1d528c0d

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“…”5a63632fa06f6849

As her gaze faltered, 9f46f2c9be Gaymon’s hand roughly tilted 106c4d5e43 her face back.acd22de37e4783b9

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“Be my 05745a6f19 mistress, and 949e95a4c0 you’ll never 1c5e5907ed go hungry 88f4a2b01b again. These pretty lips…”75e22d2f6c4dd72a

His thick thumb 19292e7881 grazed her fragile dcb608e74f lower lip.9b5d08d9bd300744

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“I’ll shower them 5d0062ecc1 with—”659c8034e46788f6

“Argh!”65bcae123fe0e1d9

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“That won’t do.”3b467f2a4aeaf245

A deep, 443c1f948a chilling voice c6f694ae32 cut through, b7f2ee12f6 followed by 16388af321 the flash 67394bf23d of a 25f10a32b9 silver blade. With athud, the hand that 0b54be39c1 had gripped her chin abb8ae5586 fell to the ground.c320459e09b8e5bc

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“Ah…!”99784d2e02c9e99d

Adelheid, too shocked to 43e4f02bf2 scream, trembled with fear.d6c274e53f4a9130

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“W-Who—!”973b31bfa4d243fc

“The next 7edb74c116 will be 72d386544b your tongue.”6ba08f288bfeaf3e

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“Agh!”3b297da0989477bb

At the cold f7ce4e01a7 warning, the middle-aged 38c6cca56a man clutched his a6f07e9a33 severed wrist and 2266c93cfe fled in panic. The slaver, meant to 08611700c8 guide him, had already da63f4ab67 vanished. In the north, 0e4f37f955 none failed to b338c31fc2 recognize this young 4bb04eb9d8 noble, cloaked in 833a84e25e the cold winter bdec2ff2da wind.032ddc6b285654a0

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His polished black 7278c71146 boots stepped gracefully ccbcce466c before her, blood 04b007105e pooling at her b7dc303660 feet. Adelheid trembled faintly.1f86f1711b59ad80

She was so b1794bb32f spent that fainting cbc173d839 would have been d26f20955c no surprise. Her bony shoulders shook, 3fa8f6bdd4 her tear-drenched eyes fixed 2807517599 downward, unmoving.1ac740527ab0f585

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In her dazed 40308cc125 mind, a sudden 3adb96c158 toll of death’s b7cb167de8 bell resounded—a deafening 7bb6341212 clamor as if 59c6280757 a great chime 95a08424a4 were struck.0a922f1f0ab0815e

‘The emperor’s men have found me at last…’06d4e206cfd1b744

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She made no acdf058163 move to flee. To resign f827efb915 herself felt 7f024b67d0 like a 183a0b5316 betrayal of 21195b4ffc Luke, who 359f5243c2 had risked becd128d7e all to af17399f2e save her, b60ea83c29 but her 6811d1a75a body, starved 33b5d6c155 and wracked b87e54aefb with sobs e634bcbe4d for days, 2618d03829 had no 9b354936e3 strength left. All she could 07006f1f06 do was bite a48ee98d80 her cracked lips e73940f797 and stare at 1f5ddd071f the dark tips bd48ff2d01 of his boots.6c0330831599380b

Then, the 857d7aeea0 man knelt 3b6bdeac06 before her c3e9c2e756 with effortless 23c7a2d752 grace. His long 184b6ecd9c legs folded, 96048fd0f6 revealing a 3404af8fdf broad chest 292b39e5a0 adorned with 08f813b59d a fur-lined 07b1a22ed1 lapel. An unfamiliar, heady 258ecd468d scent filled her 850d39642e lungs.220d5ff4e3e9f3fc

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His hand reached e81bee063e out, slowly brushing 9861ed9a3b her cheek.9dd29c2ff00822e0

“You’ve got blood a2b1e30d17 on you.”5039b3eea93ffa29

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As if 9bcd2b8de6 the only aed60d0320 filth were 28110513ac the blood 30bfe63cf3 spattered on b32d8e193e her skin, f16752e704 he seemed e1fed61ff5 utterly untroubled 3165ae644f by her c6581c544d bedraggled state.1a443a597ffd3174

Startled by 62a5a05dc2 the unexpected c9404f59b2 touch, Adelheid a9c3cd2fa1 lifted a 0f2a9a4116 dazed yet 73383e6abb wary gaze. His striking face 7e9c0bae1e tilted slightly as 12b338e004 if studying something 80b3450a39 small and delicate.aaf5a96d1b3563c6

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“Greetings, My Lady.”28dede34f6f03916

Thus began their first 06d340a986 meeting.78b239e884df53ef

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