Pepe’s only family, Ryan.

Hailing from the Domain of Spring, he was a kind and warm-hearted knight, much like his sister.

Ryan had earned recognition under his sister’s protection and recently became an official knight of Growen Castle.

Being from the Spring Domain didn’t necessarily mean assignment to that territory. Yet Ryan regarded his placement in the unit closest to the Duke as an honor for his family.

“He’s forgotten everything about me.”

She had endured alone in a suffering castle solely for the sake of her only family, Ryan.

He was a man of integrity, kindness, and excellence—someone she proudly called her most cherished family. The only one Pepe’s precious family forgot was her beloved sister.

Erka gave water to Pepe, who was nearly unconscious. Supporting her head, he poured water by her lips, but more spilled out than she managed to swallow.

The fresh water soon mixed with her soaking tears. The sight was heart-wrenching, and the Duchess, Dante, and all the maids collectively held their breath.

“Just being in the Domain of Noise causes one to lose memories.”

And not merely general memories—but the act of erasing only the most precious person was unbearably cruel.

Dante, who usually found her bothersome and avoided getting close, now hovered anxiously near Erka. Yerpi, who had just comforted the young dragon, sat beside Pepe and gently stroked her back.

“Hush now, Pepe. He wouldn’t want to see you so distressed.”

“But… my brother doesn’t remember me. He says he never had a sister to begin with.”

Pepe asked Yerpi, her face swollen and ruined from crying.

“Was I not good enough, that he only forgot me?”

“You know better than anyone that isn’t true.”

“But…”

Pepe knew it too. She knew her younger brother didn’t hate her so much that he erased her existence from his mind.

Yerpi comforted the maid.

“It seems the incidents occurring there might specifically target and remove the most cherished memories of those affected.”

At the mention that Ryan’s most cherished person was herself, Pepe began weeping anew.

Yerpi gently patted the maid’s back, pondering the accidents occurring in the Forest of Discovery.

She had never heard or seen anything like this—where memories weren’t simply severed, but a single person was entirely deleted.

Among those who returned to the castle, symptoms varied widely for those exposed to Noise.

Some forgot simple things, like how to hold a spoon; others forgot how to walk and had to relearn crawling.

Among them, Pepe’s younger brother had suffered the most severe case.

Ryan remembered Pepe not at all. It was as if her very existence had been erased from his mind.

“I can’t even meet him. Those with severe symptoms are all placed under strict isolation…”

Unable to leave the weeping maid in such despair, Yerpi patted Pepe’s shoulder and made a promise.

“I’ll go see His Grace and find out the situation.”

“Really? Please, Your Grace. I beg you.”

For the first time after crying all day, Pepe’s voice carried a glimmer of hope. Fearing she might miss the chance, she hastily rummaged through her clothes and handed a handkerchief to the Duchess.

On the yellow handkerchief was a clumsily embroidered purple morning glory.

“Your Grace… could you possibly deliver this to Ryan? He entrusted it to me before leaving for the investigation.”

Pepe added, tears welling up, “He said it was his sister’s first embroidery, and he treasured it so.”

“Perhaps seeing this will bring back his memories. It’s the most precious thing he has.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure it reaches him. Don’t worry too much.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

After expressing her gratitude repeatedly, Pepe leaned back on the sofa.

Yerpi well understood how exhausting a day of constant weeping could be. She entrusted Pepe to the other maids and stood up.

“I’ll go see His Grace. Rest for now.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Dante looked adorable, lifting his chin as if to say, “Just leave her to me.” The young dragon curled up beside Pepe, who had quickly fallen asleep, sharing his warmth.

Today, Dante—who usually found the maid bothersome—seemed especially endearing in his care.

“I leave Pepe in your hands.”

Thanks to this, Yerpi could leave with a lighter heart. But as she closed the door and stepped into the corridor, her expression darkened like her inner thoughts.

‘I must go there.’

The castle was in an uproar over the incidents occurring in the Forest of Discovery. Thanks to this, Yerpi learned information she hadn’t known before.

The Forest of Discovery was originally the domain of the ‘King of Spring.’ It was said that the ‘King of Spring’ remained hidden at the forest’s center, appearing only before those who carried the strongest wind.

‘Raymond must be taking this even more seriously since he knows the King of Spring resides there.’

After all, the memory loss occurring there wasn’t a common accident.

Especially not in a domain like this—one where a King resided.

This meant the issue could affect the entire Spring Domain. Moreover, the area known as Noise continued to slowly expand its reach.

If left unchecked, the problem would grow worse—perhaps leading to tragedies far greater than what Pepe and her brother had suffered.

‘First, I should speak with Raymond.’

She hadn’t seen him since Johan’s report. He was likely rushing about, trying to uncover clues about the incident. Fortunately, Raymond was still handling matters within the castle.

Yerpi headed toward his bedroom. She arrived at his office shortly, but a visitor had already arrived.

“…I’ll have it done that way.”

“I’ll prepare at once.”

Voices conversing drifted through the half-open door—it was Raymond and Johan.

Raymond was the first to notice Yerpi. Their eyes met, making it impossible for her to pretend she’d come later. Yerpi opened the door and stepped inside.

Startled by the sudden presence, Johan turned around. Seeing the Duchess, he looked slightly surprised but quickly composed himself with proper etiquette.

“Oh, greetings, Your Grace.”

“I heard you’ve been busy handling the incident in the Forest of Discovery. You’ve worked hard, Sir.”

Johan smiled brightly, pleased by the Duchess’s acknowledgment of his efforts.

“Oh, no, not at all. It’s all part of my duty.”

“Johan.”

“Yes, sir!”

Raymond stopped Johan with a brief warning, then turned his gaze to Yerpi.

He seemed to recall his promise to explain things later, briefly narrowing his brows.

“My report isn’t finished yet. Other investigation teams are steadily returning to the castle.”

“I understand you’re busy. I came to see His Grace because of my maid.”

“…Ah, because of Ryan.”

Raymond remembered the maid who had clung to Ryan, weeping.

“Yes. I heard my maid’s younger brother was the most severely affected.”

“Each person lost something different, so it’s hard to quantify, but yes, you could say that.”

Ryan’s case was unusual even among those who had lost their memories.

The knight was currently isolated—not only because he was a patient at risk of emergency complications, but also because he was a crucial subject of observation.

He showed no issues in daily functioning, but for Pepe, the tragedy was immeasurable.

“I plan to personally form a new investigation team.”

“You mean… you’ll lead the team yourself, Your Grace?”

“Yes.”

It meant the situation was that severe. Yerpi’s expression grew deliberately serious. Summoning her courage, she conveyed her request.

“Please take me with that investigation team.”

For a moment, Raymond seemed speechless, offering no reply.

But her eyes were sincere, and it didn’t take long for him to realize she meant it. Still, any request required a proper reason.

“You’ve long been interested in the Forest of Discovery. Did you know about it from the outside world beforehand?”

At this question, Yerpi hesitated to speak.

‘What should I do?’

Without a valid reason, he would never agree to bring her along. But would Raymond even believe her if she told the truth?

Yerpi recalled her past. As a child in this world, confused and struggling to remember her previous life, she had only received cold contempt from the Count.

‘Speaking isn’t hard.’

But she feared Raymond might see her as a madwoman—just like the others.