The Distinguished Mr. Rose Chapter 126: Chapter 125: Hearts Stay Unchanged

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Chapter 125: Hearts Stay Unchanged ——— Karolus When I was little, even littler than I am now, my sister used to read me stories every night. It was always my favorite part of the day, listening to her and snuggling by her side. I remember how warm it felt. Like… being swaddled in a soft blanket, or maybe basking under a bright sunny day, not that I ever really had the chance. Gisela and I were forbidden from leaving the castle. I never knew why exactly, but sometimes I’d hear strange things out in the halls. I’d hear people screaming, the clash of metal, something slashing and a crunch, then it’d all be over and Uncle Ganelon would come back to our room looking a bit tired. He’d always ask us if we were alright, if any odd people entered our rooms, and then he’d leave just as quickly with an angry look on his face. Now that I’m older, I think the reason we were trapped here was because the people outside wanted to kill us. Maybe my sister knew that. Whenever those scary moments came, Gisela would take my hand and hide me in the cupboard, where she’d assure me all night long that everything was okay — that I had nothing to fear. I never liked being separated from her. We’d been pretty much attached to the hip ever since I was born, and whenever we were pulled apart this tight feeling would seize my chest, and I’d start having trouble breathing, and my head would get dizzy and start to throb. It was terrifying, and painful, but the worst part of it was the loneliness. I hated being alone, because without any people around me I was left to think about how scared I was. I didn’t feel safe. I was small, and timid, and far more frail than what a paladin should look like; and in that castle where a monster lived and roamed as he pleased, I was always running away, trying to stay out of his sight. Uncle Ganelon never let us forget his most important lesson. “Stay away from your father,” he’d say. “If you hear his footsteps, then hide in the darkest corner you can find. If you feel his sickening presence approaching, then flee as far as your feet can take you. Never talk to him. Never, ever, dare question or bother him. Karolus, Gisela, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.” In my memories, Uncle Ganelon was always apologizing to us. He was sorry that we didn’t have a mother, he was sorry that we couldn’t have a father, and he was sorry that we would never live as normal children. And I remember feeling confused about his words, because wasn’t this normal? Always feeling afraid, always flinching and clinging to my sister’s side — it was all I ever knew. I didn’t question it, maybe because I was too young to understand how unnatural our life was, and it wasn’t as if it was always bad. Gisela eventually discovered the one place our father would never come near, and that was the royal library. It became our special hiding spot just for the two of us. And there we would play all day, running around the tall shelves as the smell of musty books and scrolls surrounded us. My sister must've read me every book that was there. She was always great with words and reading, but sometimes when I saw her there, so engrossed in a story, I’d feel an ache in my chest, because she’d have the same look as me — a sad, longing look. I think those books were all she had before I was born. Uncle Ganelon always tried to teach us whenever he could, but admittedly he wasn’t very good at it, so my sister had to learn a lot by herself. She could pick out a specific author from anywhere in the library within seconds! Whenever I wanted to know more about the outside, she’d dash off and then come back with a giant, heavy pile that’d crush her with one clumsy misstep. She was especially excited when talking about history, or nature, or the rules of the world we lived in that she called science. Why were there clouds in the sky? If we threw an object up, why would it come back down? She loved to research all she could about how things worked, and if given the chance I think she wou