Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Extreme Fool
Three years ago, when Duwei came into this world from the Countess's belly, the maids who were responsible for delivering him were startled.
Because he neither cried nor screamed, nor did he ever need to be comforted by adults. His daily routine was more regular than that of an adult, waking up at the same time every day, eating at the appointed hour, and going to sleep on schedule. Yet, apart from eating, the child's mouth hardly made any sound; his only activity every day was staring into space... blankly.
He hardly even wet the bed. He learned to gently shake the bells next to his cradle, and over time, whenever the bells rang from Master Duwei's cradle, the maids would immediately rush to bring him a chamber pot. Such actions earned unanimous praise from the entire household, as everyone hailed this young master as a genius from an early age, destined to be the pride of the Rolin family.
Unfortunately, the word "genius" lost its luster on him in less than half a year... because he couldn't speak.
Children of his age could already babble or utter simple words like "dad," "mom," or "pee." But Master Duwei's mouth seemed to be sealed with a spell cast by an extraordinary mage, despite the Countess's efforts to teach him to speak, his mouth couldn't produce even a single note.
Even if he were naturally mute, he should at least be able to hum a few tunes, but this young master remained silent as a stone. Whether he was cold, hot, hungry, or needed to relieve himself, he would only ring the bell.
By the time he reached three years old, the young master's mouth remained closed. Countess Rolin consulted numerous skilled physicians and even invited several renowned mages to determine if her son had fallen under some curse, but all efforts were in vain. Eventually, even the most optimistic Countess couldn't help but sigh in sadness, realizing that her son was indeed a simpleton.
Fortunately, three-year-old Little Duwei did learn to walk. Though still unsteady on his feet, he wasn't much different from other children his age in this regard.
But having a child who neither cried nor laughed, who couldn't speak, and spent his days in a daze—there was no explanation other than that he was a simpleton.
Then, about a month ago, during a sudden downpour with thunder and lightning raging across the sky, even the Grand Canal outside Yanjing was said to have nearly burst its banks. Yet, something significant happened at the Rolin Manor.
While the maids who looked after him weren't paying attention, Little Duwei somehow crawled out of the house and stood foolishly in the courtyard, gazing up at the sky. Despite the flashes of lightning and the deafening roar of thunder, the child seemed to show no fear—perhaps a simpleton didn't understand what fear was.
Instead, he clenched his tiny fists and suddenly began to scream at the sky!
The young master, who hadn't uttered a word in three years, stood in the rain, screaming madly at the lightning as if he had gone insane. When the servants finally found him, he was drenched from head to toe, shivering with cold, his face pale, and his lips turning purple from the cold.
Upon hearing the news, the Countess rushed to the scene and promptly fainted. The servants scrambled to carry both the young master and the Countess into the house. Although the Countess quickly regained consciousness, she burst into tears as she held her son, who had fainted. The summoned physicians hurriedly exhausted themselves administering various potions, while two mages were called upon to use healing spells to try and revive the child.
However, despite their efforts, the child's body continued to grow colder. In desperation, the Countess ran as if possessed to the Temple of the Goddess of Light in Yanjing. There, she implored a priest of the Holy Church to perform a blessing ritual on her son. Throughout the night, she knelt before the statue of the Goddess, praying ceaselessly for her son's recovery.
By the next day, the child's body finally began to warm up, and his life was saved. However, he remained unconscious for a day and a night. During his unconscious state, the Countess hardly left his side, not eating or sleeping. Two days later, her once radiant complexion had become haggard. Suddenly, the sleeping Little Duwei spoke. Though his eyes were closed, he muttered a few syllables, though no one could discern their meaning. It seemed that this simpleton child had yet to learn how to speak and was merely babbling meaningless infantile sounds.
Yet, the Countess wept tears of joy, listening intently by her son's side. After a while, she finally managed to discern some semblance of coherence in his babbling. Turning to the silent servants, she asked in a hushed tone, "Among the servants who care for the young master, is there anyone named Made?"
The group exchanged puzzled glances for a while before one brave soul stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Madam, it seems that none of the servants responsible for the young master's care is named Made..."
After searching the entire Count's mansion, they finally found a stable hand named Made who was promptly brought before the Countess.
"My son has been calling out your name in his dreams... Made... Though I don't know why he would call your name, it must be a divine sign from the Goddess of Light. Blessed be, from today onwards, you need not attend to the horses anymore. Come and serve by the young master's side."
Made was overjoyed. In an instant, he went from being a lowly stable hand to being at the young master's side within the Count's household. He felt as if he could already see a bright future beckoning to him!
However, Little Duwei, in his slumber, remained oblivious to all this. He had nearly lost his life due to a momentary outburst of rage directed towards the heavens, only to be saved by a rainstorm. He had no idea that his simple curse in his delirium had granted someone such good fortune.
Little Duwei's illness lasted for a month, during which his frail body weakened further. It wasn't until a month later that a semblance of color returned to his pale face.
Yet, true to form, the young master remained silent. Since awakening, he had not uttered a single word. Even towards the servant he called "Made" in his dreams, he showed no particular warmth. He continued to stare blankly into space day after day. The only difference was that when the maids occasionally mentioned his recent illness, the Countess had stayed up for two days and nights without rest, and even knelt before the statue of the Goddess of Light for a whole night...
Subsequently, whenever the Countess visited her son, she noticed a slight warmth in his otherwise vacant eyes as they turned towards her.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone