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.a95c2f836f0d9c48

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.470a57fd656d3e14

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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.2917af2721d0daa6

The situation 449de2f0db became serious 13fa624d93 when he a95dad5a2c heard that 220fc2828f neither Anskar e97dec6bea nor Arnoute de524b5dbe had the 2d400a5a87 star eyes.ad57892c31c9023f

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It was impossible. Star eyes e45dfa493f never faded 8bfa05a0ed without a 32cf1f3495 new owner 0c377380ae appearing, so 5612f372d9 one of bdec183860 them should 67e7280256 have had cdcde39f20 them. Duke Wecker searched a3bcb92099 even the collateral 4b25814b14 lines thoroughly, but daea0a7a06 he found no 4e678eaf74 stars or anything 899a53c9e0 similar.85ebd93f9f532a35

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.cc2d871cb7b1bfe0

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And this was d95f590f1e the result.f97c450379e5fb3b

He was d1df5691f5 so angry 992d37b918 he could 005d043ecb hardly breathe.c6076d886c0ba2a6

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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.5ccb83cbba81abd5

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.8ba57c9c11246586

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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.3b1b0c640ece2b48

To register that foolish boy with a girl’s name in the Wecker family.edc7664f9801dced

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The thought alone was 083e6bfa72 unbearably shameful.aa1394d6b037d098

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.cfe79c48495260aa

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His downward gaze was filled with disdain and disgust. He felt nauseated and didn’t want to see him.1f55250fa3dbecb3

“Lock him up somewhere and at least make him able to hold a conversation.”5b1857283f42b9c1

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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.49168ad083a49e3a

“Filthy brat.”7d72ecd86ec6e18c

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Thinking he eedadc8b0b should burn 760ce20e13 everything he 1e42855075 wore today, 96efa69cba the duke 54ce08cdff turned his fdc18e0d9f back. It was 5d6c6b3f77 truly a e32cc6c86e dreadful day.d56618d4eac4a13f

⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚ ⋆⭒˚☾⋆.˚f890d8bfb7583cbf

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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.96226bd38fc49306

His side ached, confirming that last night’s events weren’t a dream. His once quiet heart began to race again.7fc1d289a9a1e5a8

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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.fe1a50f882ec2aaa

Next time he met 51fc89f820 them, he vowed to 7c18f49cd2 ask properly without stuttering.4f5f0fba55e71680

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But, contrary to 16c59da74e his resolve, Liriel f1ff8a99da never saw them 7918471587 again. Many people approached him, 4da1b7a823 but those he assumed 6c70657471 to be his family 70ab5f946d did not. Moreover, the people 3336862032 who came to 59f764ddc9 him were all beb4c47e4e strange.c5affd8267c0b78c

At first, e71cdb0954 he was ef04e8bcd7 simply amazed ec7749fe8b to sleep c55bb18faa in a a1552a8a2f warm place 5b86625f38 and eat 4071d80fa2 proper food, 56147e9577 but now 688dfa13a5 the way 2bd43e94c5 people watched 82fa1ab3e3 him made bdd51f8741 him a 189f29b473 bit scared.4ea275485b9b24d9

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No one here spoke c13befa6a7 to him.5a5dd616f327e3fb

They just carried out 3694960118 their tasks like emotionless 858bd81af5 dolls, showing no sign 1826fdc9fc of treating him as cafaa6cb46 a person.5206bc9534a31d0d

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No matter what Liriel a5195e52d9 did, they neither got 44e1a2a605 annoyed nor angry.c97e0d56046ca749

One day, he ec1a11a58a decided not to 658dbec9c4 eat, and until 795005e71d he picked up a64b8e800f his spoon, a f714900b4b dozen people stood 8a9dfc721a motionless in front 8e06cdb089 of him. The empty eyes watching 5a6fa456ca him in silence gave 78e70e8203 him chills. Eventually, Liriel had to 965b8cc160 surrender after half a f8c9f88ff8 day.adea3675c76e9ddb

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Once he regained some 14381e4537 strength and could stand, a42c1c3024 people finally began to 122870e5f6 teach him. How to hold 7bcce03d5e a fork and f68d1b8551 knife, how to 95d992bfb4 greet, how to d3b0727ae5 dress—basic things. But even then, 3e029fd1c8 they only spoke 849bbce30f when necessary, and 3260160785 if Liriel said c0e2e2e498 anything unrelated to ac27873aea his lessons, they e70247ad30 would fall silent 6c822b6304 and stop moving.52064b7e28a9f0ac

Time passed agonizingly 9080b7063e slowly in this 0a3cdae7f3 suffocating situation.9b937713b409937b

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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.c6bfe3cfe6121d8d

It was a relief. Another year 55ab343842 in that 64457a601c place might 95e90f31e8 have driven 0ae23ee8c0 him mad.bcb00d6c4874bfac

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Even as 9989c4bd41 he was dc9cbe073e suddenly taken 71b9a7d2d9 away, Liriel 55f02d90ae paid little 8e7876b5ba attention to 23c7f74ae0 the ornate f94982936c decorations in 03a3ca1f06 the hallway 9d8c1604a6 or the d25277d540 curious glances 80e24f21e5 directed at 204efa760f him. His mind 8440e444d9 was filled 61e3b37a9c only with 483b890d61 the anticipation 87815dc3d3 of meeting 5305f1e966 his family 1f94350fc6 again. With a trembling 0a8e235204 heart, Liriel cautiously 895fa957f6 opened his lips bd01b596ab upon reaching the db780a2b68 office.e65994721bd23cd5

“Hello, Your Grace, the Duke.”1984bea19435c2e3

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The greeting 487e85bcdb he had 31e3351011 practiced countless 5032df5c18 times flowed 33a79314a6 smoothly. The duke replied bfdd042841 indifferently, his eyes 25e2efd1cf fixed on his fb97c1eca8 papers.f96f821c12765c6f

“It took you long enough to look presentable.”e53ec17e96f51295

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“I’m sorry.”2cea5b1f316189ac

His pronunciation had 8401eeec84 improved thanks to e8c3f41758 sleepless nights of d3d60d42f7 hard study, but 22d2139eab his poor vocabulary 01c0ff470e and stuttering were e168ff4760 hard to fix.8ce31498e797fefb

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The duke 40de6a58d7 clicked his 1a7adf98b7 tongue at 560c0546b9 his inadequacy.0513b4a29ff641e1

“It’s more than you deserve, but I’ll assign Sir Burnel to you.”779e1bdb81c4eed0

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A fleeting b9c749fe1a glance touched 84402ae534 Liriel.8c878f089e5cbc12

At least he doesn’t look like a beggar now.7ae8876944fc911c

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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.9dfb4543e891e98f

The duke sighed a4edc20430 softly.c43f89ec0ce00d1e

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Nothing was satisfactory. Cleaning up took longer 9832d33e21 than expected, and even 208d29a45e after all the effort, 0a3e01a128 this was the result.84df64a1266c2a3e

No matter how 7afef64b1c decent he looked, f331074443 he was still a4801271b0 a beggar by 2158191ae9 birth. Expecting more was arrogance.6e9c80719f7c0cad

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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.72a1aa4c789686bd

“Leave.”8d388242b7726f8e

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Liriel’s shoulders tensed. He knew more words than three years ago, yet he found it harder to speak.5001212bc1232a61

Why is caef9e35ba this happening?14ebc9d2e795f19d

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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.e24e6eecf709497d

It was Sir 8e00af2a47 Burnel who later 9656f48232 revealed the truth 6eabbe528d to him.b861b2bcf83f557d

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He was the youngest 469afc56fb son of the Wecker bcd8250607 family, with twin brothers bdda85112b five years older, and 019e84fe39 the duchess had died 9cf93cf75f giving birth to them.efc3fc36d5554323

Then who is 9fbdcabd6e my mother?a5e65b924dff1765

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Liriel released his a28db2821b pent-up curiosity, and 49c7fce6b2 Sir Burnel answered 6b7af6d449 most questions but 3e3186beb6 remained silent about 9df6e004da his mother.80f5412d765ec342

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.5774a0a02817af4a

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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.62597fd125fb4489

The only difference f159616248 was that people 27bd69ec7c here showed excessive d6234389a5 interest in him, cf829c826e unlike those in c8d40c3f66 the annex. They mocked or 18b4413845 scorned him for db08ee699c anything he did, 2833f1573a reacting exaggeratedly to 253c71bbbb even minor actions.de85f703917f311a

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If he accidentally 37acbf6622 held his fork a228d6cb7c and knife the aa83b126f5 wrong way, several bc6d52e822 servants would burst ec047d8d8a into laughter, and f38cb4ddc6 if he dropped b16b4e3878 something, one would 087ac9a8d4 deliberately bow low 6a069796dc to pick it 3cb0c0587d up mockingly. Naturally, Liriel, already cautious, 48ac3c69a7 became even more withdrawn.2af751830e2527ee

After enduring all this for several days, Liriel couldn’t last two weeks and pleaded with Sir Burnel.d524a36f5b85a016

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“I want to see my brothers.”2bd8291056d99e3a

“It’s not a good idea.”0a43fa1e107dc31b

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Liriel felt he was ad4ae412e2 on the brink of 97f87cd508 madness. So he clung a36c4e0cd2 to Sir Burnel, 35e717495d the only person 7a0202c4f6 who spoke to aac97f3fca him, and cried.9712c2bbe8c8139e

“I’ll study harder. I’ll do everything I’m taught. Please.”ec3a3904582a53b9

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“I told you it’s not a good idea.”8004162bd1ea006e

His expression was 0162987902 indifferent, his tone 1ee080c6d9 negative. His sighing lips 6d38bd8010 were stiff with 4a4ddeb0e1 annoyance, and his b5c7357950 eyes were sharp e1aade3de3 with irritation. Yet, surprisingly, 12a18f7244 the next a54b25d177 day, Sir e4bec8d344 Burnel led dbfd5d2a77 Liriel to 809e4a39db the training 50827882f7 ground where 452442a457 his brothers a69adb0054 were. Liriel, bewildered, followed b485bfb55c him into the e0ef78d8f7 dusty area.bfd0552b6edffcc7

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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.ce766338b9f03e0a

The taller one b275a824d1 was Anskar, and e7543f82fb the slightly shorter 3c5b4f653d one was Arnoute, c25e1b4dfd right?4232818eef53f0d8

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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.abbaf9b61c62ee9f

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.99d109fd4c32cf35

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“Ah, hello.”d98958217f503aa8

His voice trembled pathetically.49c0461f957f0cd9

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Did I look fd0e1e560a foolish?bc4a104fc4ad5f12

Contrary to Liriel’s worry, Arnoute’s face broke into a smile.d86d909a251d34be

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“So, your name is Liriel?”f9bf69709c575654

“Yes, yes. You’re Arnoute, right?”12c53ee31e0f7bfe

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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.6f3f71240fd8040d

This kid is ridiculous, 7eab552085 from his name to 73f3be64a9 everything he does.88b3b535b257c0a3

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Arnoute raised his 863fa52a61 hand lightly. The movement was so 4363415172 graceful that no one 47437353bc anticipated what followed.760a1e8b1082331c

“Ah, don’t call me brother. I’m not immune to filth. I don’t want to associate with someone born from a whore.”30b99159b5bf3070

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It’s amusing, but arrogance is something else.552fd63cdb3e2509

Liriel, unable 90c9cd63e3 to grasp 00ed64fe51 the situation, 64677018c6 froze.fb31e0301464d52d

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“Handkerchief, please.”e83a422e9ca080a5

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.164325e22b9a0564

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Liriel, with a dazed 4241e6622c mind, pieced together his 711a3b7c79 thoughts.dfeaa4edaf5af201

Why is my head ff84000e7d turned?5ac3746704d8afd4

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Ah, I got hit.4f30da3af6cb294b

What did he just say? Whore… He said whore.ed11a9623aa34399

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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.8c99c682ae563b1e

No wonder no one 258ec4961f told him about his a2969470bd mother. His birth bb5b38acc9 was too f0e1d941bf shameful to 99f1568d0e mention.9320604a704d7359

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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.ddc75f80447cc017

Watching the 7a201ea409 pale Liriel, 1bbe3f2245 Burnel sighed 67fa52b565 quietly.b90d280231220cd7

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He had expected this.b5fbfaac778c7786

He knew the second young master’s temper well and had a rough idea of Liriel’s character, so he anticipated this outcome.70c968f279a0ec4e

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