“…Good night, Bianca.”
As she finally passed out in my arms, I gently laid Bianca on the ground.
As I caressed her softly, I could feel the mana in her body was completely exhausted. Come to think of it, it made sense. After all, she had just fought Aria in a bloody battle and then fought me right after. It wasn’t unreasonable for her to lose consciousness like this.
“…Ha…”
I took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. As I released the tension from my body, which had been pushed to its limits, an indescribable and excruciating pain surged through me.
“…Ah, ugh.”
My entire body was covered in scars. My left arm, which had borne the brunt of Bianca’s Sigh of White Flame, was barely attached and completely numb. It was twisted and shattered.
The skin across my body was torn and tattered like rags, marred by lacerations, burns, and frostbite. Perhaps because I had recklessly converted my life force into an aura, my body had no strength left. It felt as though the very concept of vitality had vanished from me.
Judging by the aftermath of my fight with Bianca, I estimated that at least a few months of my lifespan had been cut short.
“…There’s nothing left.”
It was an inevitable outcome. My opponent had been one of the strongest mages in existence—one of humanity’s strongest. It was a miracle I had managed to defeat her, even with injuries this severe.
…Still, wasn’t it a hundred times better to lose a few months of my life than to see either Aria or Bianca dead? That thought aside, my entire body felt like it had been utterly destroyed.
“…Cough—!”
I spat out black, clotted blood. Lately, the frequency of vomiting blood had increased alarmingly. The grim thought crossed my mind that I might not even get the chance to die peacefully. My vision blurred as the blood loss began to take its toll.
Tuck…Tuck…
It was then that I heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
“Good work, Young Lord.”
“…Aria.”
As my hazy vision struggled to focus, I recognized a figure coming closer. For a moment, I couldn’t identify the person, but her voice confirmed it was Aria.
“…You overdid it. That’s impressive, too,” she said, wiping the sweat and blood from my face with the hem of her dress. Her pristine attire was quickly stained, but she didn’t seem to care. She meticulously cleaned me, then stepped back with a satisfied expression.
“…You didn’t have to get your clothes dirty for this.”
“How can you say such things? I’m your exclusive maid, Young Lord. Right now, this is all I can do for you.”
Aria offered a serene, mature smile, far from her usual demeanor.
“Young Lord, may I ask you something? If it’s not too much trouble, of course.”
“…What is it? And please be quick about it. I’m starting to see double.”
“It’s nothing complicated, just a simple check. After Bianca del Castana kidnapped you, you lost your memory, didn’t you?”
“…Yes, I did.”
There was no point in denying it; Aria must have overheard my conversation with Bianca. I nodded in acknowledgment.
“But, Young Lord Cain, your memories aren’t fully restored, are they?”
My body froze at her words, and my fading consciousness sharpened in an instant.
“You know, while you were away, your personality changed a lot. It hasn’t shifted fundamentally, but it feels… more serious and calm,” Aria observed thoughtfully.
She muttered to herself, “Well, it doesn’t matter whether it’s your past self or your current self; both are within acceptable bounds.”
…Aria was right. Though I had regained my memories, they were incomplete. A significant gap remained, though it didn’t hinder my daily life or my relationships. Still, it meant I wasn’t entirely the same as the ‘me’ from before.
“…How did you know? Was it that obvious?”
I wasn’t trying to interrogate her; it was more of a self-deprecating question, wondering if I had been so transparent.
“Personality is naturally linked to memory, right? As experiences accumulate through memories, a person’s personality gradually evolves over time. But even considering that, I feel like your personality, Young Lord, has changed noticeably. To me, it seems a bit dramatic for such a shift to occur in just 40 days.”
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