“I feel a bit frustrated right now.”

It was highly likely that our family’s reaction had contributed to Ricardo’s frustration. Although we were surprised by his sudden declaration to take me away, our attitude was as if the inevitable had happened.

Helper of manifestation, that’s probably what they would call me in the Empire.

“When did you complete your awakening?”

They say there’s no Rochester who hasn’t awakened after manifesting, but Ricardo achieved awakening faster than other Rochesters. I heard news that countless wars of the Empire were quelled because of him. Thanks to that, the Empire’s territory nearly doubled.

I believed that everything had ended like that.

He gained power that no one could match in a world far beyond my reach, and I, unrelated to him, would no longer be engulfed in flames.

Ricardo remained silent for a while at my question, then slowly parted his lips.

“Seven years ago.”

If it was seven years ago, he had awakened almost simultaneously with his manifestation. I tried my best to avoid making eye contact with him naturally as I continued speaking.

“If you have any questions for me, please ask.”

“I thought I wouldn’t have anything to ask until I met you, but……”

“……”

“First question, you weren’t designated as the helper for my manifestation. How was that possible?”

It was like asking if I wasn’t a saint.

“Ah, that was by chance.”

Ricardo’s face crumpled at the word ‘chance’.

But what could I do? It really was a chance occurrence. I learned later that the wooden sword that struck Ricardo’s head was made from a tree in the Black Forest, where no one could enter without royal permission.

Even a fallen, rotting branch from there shouldn’t be carelessly taken out, let alone other items.

However, the royal family would cut down sacred trees once a year to build altars, and sometimes they made wooden swords from the leftover pieces.

I heard that these were twice as hard as regular wooden swords, about half the weight, and quite expensive.

So I guessed that Ricardo’s manifestation might have been due to that object.

But how could I say that I manifested you by hitting your forehead hard?

Isn’t it too frivolous a manifestation compared to Rochester’s reputation?

“Alright, there’s no rush. Then, the second question.”

I nodded. It would be fortunate if he let it go like this.

“Count Pennel and his eldest son were executed under imperial law.”

The time from confirming the sentence to carrying it out was a period of being alive yet not truly living.

There wasn’t even time to prepare for escape due to Ricardo’s sudden manifestation, and much had changed by then. To the extent that surviving alone while abandoning my family would have been meaningless.

“Yet how did you and the remaining family members survive?”

To answer that question, there was something I needed to know first.

“How did you find us, young master?”

“It was quite troublesome.”

Ah, you don’t remember this either.

“But when I decided to look again, I found you quickly.”

Of course. You were the one who hid me and my family here. I briefly recalled that day from the past.

“Why are you making that expression?”

When our eyes met, the events I had experienced before flashed by like a kaleidoscope. Even when he returned to the Pennel mansion after leaving for the duchy, he looked at me with the same confused eyes as now.

The young Ricardo of that day eventually protected me and my family. As if repaying my irrational and unreasonable faith.

I thought all my efforts to protect you had been repaid with that…

“What… are you thinking about now?”

He asked while loosening his tie that was choking his neck a bit. The way he raised one eyebrow overlapped completely with his old self, making me answer without realizing it.

“I’m not thinking about anything.”

“That sounds like informal speech……”

“I’m, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

I quickly lowered my gaze and moved away from him. While repeating to myself that I shouldn’t make eye contact…… But my pitiful effort crumbled with just one touch from him. He lightly grasped my chin and fixed my gaze directly on his eyes.

“It’s not polite to touch a lady’s body without permission, but.”

“……”

“You keep making me impatient.”

Only ash-gray swirled in those inscrutable black eyes.

“Perhaps it’s the first time I’ve felt impatient.”

In other words, it meant I should know better.

“And earlier I was flustered…… Someone speaking informally to me is a very unfamiliar experience.”

“Were we that kind of relationship?” Though he spoke as if asking, it wasn’t a question. How would someone who knows they’ve lost their memories feel? Somehow, I didn’t want to make him feel at a loss.

“Shortly after you left for the Empire, Emperor Dermeyer ordered the execution of all members of the Pennel family.”

“I know that.”

The execution was postponed much later than expected. We were confined in the mansion for months, just waiting for the day we would die. We only guessed there must have been some political reason between the Empire and the Principality for neither sending us to prison nor executing us immediately.

“Before the knights of the Dermeyer Empire came to the Pennel Count’s residence, you came to find me first.”

“I did?”

At that time, Ricardo came to find me while I was asleep. Still looking at me as if he didn’t know me at all.

“Yes, you got me and my family out before the knights surrounded the house.”

At first, he tried to take only me. But when I fiercely resisted, he smuggled out the other family members too and took us to a house that had been prepared in advance. It didn’t seem like it was prepared in a short time.

“So you’re saying I still had some memories of you until then?”

I shrugged my shoulders. Was it right to say he had memories?

“You didn’t remember, but you said you felt you had to save me.”

“Look me in the eye.”

He stared directly into my eyes as if trying to discern the truth.

The reason why Rochester has eyes that can discern the truth, in addition to having the mighty power to encompass all the forces of the world, might be God’s provision to prevent amnesiac Rochesters from being swayed by the lies surrounding them.

The emotions Rochester had to reveal as a price for exerting his power were basic emotions like joy, sadness, curiosity, and anger, but this was fatal for a duke who shouldn’t reveal his inner thoughts.

His emotions appear as a certain color that faintly reflects in the wick of his pitch-black eyes. For example, red for anger, yellow for interest.

So Rochester trains his entire life to quickly conceal his emotions. Hence, emotions that flashed by momentarily often disappear before one can grasp them.

“If it wasn’t a memory, was it just… some kind of feeling?”

How can you ask me about your feelings? There’s no way I could know.

I gently pushed away his hand holding my chin. Making eye contact was still too overwhelming. Especially looking into those indifferent eyes that one would only show to a stranger.

“It could have been, or maybe not. Anyway, it was you who brought us to the house we’re living in now.”

He didn’t continue speaking for a while, with a confused look on his face. Of course, it wasn’t confusion I had to deal with. Because now he had to be a person from a completely different world from me.

“You’re taking me away because I helped with your manifestation, right?”

“Yes.”

After a brief pause, an affirmative answer came back.

I tightly closed and opened my eyes, feeling as if I could hear my heart crumbling. He gazed at me with a slanted look. My body instinctively shrank at the slightly chilly feeling in my shoulders.

His deep gaze, unsuited to the situation, remained consistently calm. So much so that I couldn’t even guess his inner thoughts.

His gaze slowly brushed past my ear and rested on the empty space behind me before stopping on my face again. Somehow, I felt like I couldn’t even breathe out loud.

I was deeply afraid of those eyes devoid of warmth.

‘Am I finally becoming a witch pretending to be a saint?’

At the end of that thought, I quickly shook my head. It was too early to jump to conclusions.

“You’re thinking about something else again?”

“Pardon?”

“Lady Pennel.”

Ricardo called me affectionately while his gaze swept over my hair. Even though he didn’t touch me, goosebumps rose all over my body.

“But you know.”

“Y-yes?”

Those eyes, dark and alluring like shadows that never fail to cloud my mind.

“There’s something really strange since earlier.”

My throat felt tight, making it difficult to swallow at his lingering voice.

“You… like me, don’t you?”

“Ah……”

Suddenly, a remnant of a day from 10 years ago flashed by. The 12-year-old Ricardo had asked me with exactly the same expression.

There’s no way wind could blow inside the carriage, but the green and fishy smell of grass lingered on my nose, just like that day. Then and now, I can’t give a proper answer. Because I keenly feel that I still like him every time our eyes meet.

“How is that possible? So much time has passed.”

“I… guess so.”

There was no way I could have the will to hide in front of eyes that discern the truth. Before awakening his power, he might have just guessed, but now Ricardo could see the raw truth of everyone.

“B-but that’s just like the feeling of seeing delicious food when you’re hungry.”

His brow furrowed at the inappropriate comparison.