episode_0145

“······I’m hungry.”

“I’m hungry too, and I’m so exhausted I might pass out if I don’t get blood soon.”

“······I’m hungry.”

“Are you even listening?”

“······Ah.”

“This kid······.”

Mi-jeong, who was hanging onto my arm, refusing to let go, seemed very hungry.

I had no choice but to make a cut on my arm.

Putting aside my worries about anemia, I had to let Mi-jeong suck my blood.

“Adults are supposed to eat first.”

“I, um. Feel older.”

“You always say you’re forever 13.”

“······Nom nom.”

“You’re just eating because you have nothing to say. Where did you learn table manners, huh?”

“······.”

At that moment, Mi-jeong’s movements stopped.

There was a glint in her red eyes for a moment.

She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, back to her usual self, eagerly sucking my blood.

“······I don’t really want to talk about my hometown.”

“I see. I’m sorry.”

“······Yeah.”

I thought the day would come when she would talk about it.

I pushed the thought aside.

But.

Perhaps that day would never come.

“Mmm! It’s delicious! It’s always so delicious no matter when I eat it!”

“Stop talking and eat. Blood is splattering everywhere.”

“Hehe. Okay. Nom nom.”

Mi-jeong, biting my arm, smiled brightly.

Is it really that delicious?

The previous Mi-jeong never left such comments.

The current Mi-jeong says that my blood, being vampire blood, has an irresistibly fantastic taste.

“Hmm?”

“Why are you hesitating again? Go on.”

“Ugh.”

After much questioning and pondering, I could come to a conclusion.

Mi-jeong had lost her memory.

The exact extent was unknown, but roughly speaking, it seemed like she had completely forgotten everything about her past life until she became a vampire.

Did the Mi-jeong before this transformation also forget everything?

No.

Back then, Mi-jeong clearly stated that it was a topic she didn’t want to discuss.

Not wanting to talk about something means remembering it.

On the other hand, the current Mi-jeong had completely forgotten all of it.

What happened last night?

It was certain that some kind of ‘change’ had occurred worldwide among all monsters.

But why did some monsters weaken, and why did Mi-jeong lose her memory?

At first, I even suspected something absurd.

That they were stealing the monsters’ ‘most precious thing’······.

For the monsters fighting mercenaries, strength was the most important, so they stole that, and Mi-jeong cherished her memories, so they were taken, or so I deluded myself.

However, that explanation didn’t account for what happened to Linda.

Quickly admitting it was a baseless theory, I decided to take a more intuitive approach.

The next hypothesis that came to mind.

The one I thought was closest to the correct answer.

The monsters were ‘reverted to normal.’

The strength that had been enhanced by Draken’s protection returned to its original state.

As for Linda······ it was a bit eerie.

Perhaps the artificial soul created by Draken disappeared, reverting her back to a normal doll.

Then what happened to Mi-jeong?

If my hypothesis was correct, then Mi-jeong in her current state was normal.

Her current appearance was correct, and her previous cold and emotionless demeanor was abnormal.

Perhaps her current personality was her pre-vampire self.

But the reason Mi-jeong changed into a vampire.

The reason she went from being so lively to being gloomy and expressionless.

It was simple.

Because she remembered.

Everything from the past.

When I think about it, Mi-jeong’s memory was strangely good.

Draken’s power bestowed upon Mi-jeong was clearly a curse of memory.

A curse that prevents one from forgetting anything, forcing them to hold onto memories.

And those who cannot forget the past are bound to be destroyed.

Having experienced an event drastic enough to switch personalities, Mi-jeong couldn’t forget it.

As a result, she transformed into a person with dried-up emotions.

The ‘normalization’ of Mi-jeong after last night’s incident was undoubtedly a blessing of forgetfulness.

A blessing bestowed upon all humans, the ability to forget and be at ease.

Thanks to regaining this ability, Mi-jeong became lively again, forgetting the past.

She returned to her former self.

“Mi-jeong.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you happy?”

“Out of the blue? What kind of question is that? Hmm… Well, I’m not really sure what happiness is. But I do enjoy being with Eugene.”

“…”

Although I don’t know what happened in the past…

Mi-jeong erased a traumatic event from her mind to the point of emotional numbness and found happiness.

That’s the current Mi-jeong.

The Mi-jeong I knew is no longer here.

That thought crossed my mind.

And everything went dark.

“So, you came to see me? Out of the blue?”

“Yes.”

“Hey?! Are you completely insane! After causing a scene and barely reconciling with my sister, what do you expect me to do if you come here…! Seriously…”

Despite getting angry and worrying about the surrounding gazes, the rabbit spirit, Alicia, clenched her hat tightly.

She looked at me as if I were crazy.

Well, it was a bold move.

I almost got caught by Yerina, and right after that, I ran to Evgenia, under Yerina’s influence.

I can feel how dumbfounded she is just by looking at Alicia’s expression.

She glanced around for a moment, then took off her sunglasses and sent me a somewhat gentle look.

“Anyway, it’s nice to see you again. I thought I’d never see you again. Since your sister is in the Southern Continent, you’re safe for now.”

“I knew that and came up here. I almost got caught by your sister.”

“Hah! And you immediately came up to the North. Are you brave or just crazy… I don’t know. Why is your hand like that?”

“My hand?”

As I raised my hand, I noticed the bandages tightly wrapped around my palm.

It seemed like she noticed it and asked about it.

“I’ve been using a sharp sword lately.”

“Do you hold the blade and use it…? No. Never mind. I’m not really curious. So, what’s the matter?”

“Do I need a reason to come see you? Why are you so impatient? Do you need to use the bathroom?”

“Hey?! How can someone be so vulgar… Ugh. I forgot what kind of person you are for a moment. If you’re not going to help, why are you wandering around… with that guy.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Alicia muttered something in a low voice and then looked around.

What did she say?

Did she curse at me?

“More importantly, it’s too dangerous here right now. I won’t let it slip that I met you for now, but if I stay out too long, I’ll get caught. I’m not doing this because I want to pick flowers, so tell me your business quickly.”

“My business is with this guy.”

“Hehehe. Long time no see.”

“Who?”

Alicia frowned, looking at Mi-jeong who was giggling.

Confusion was evident in her expression.

I understand.

I had the same reaction when I first saw her.

“It’s Mi-jeong.”

“Huh? Is this her? Is she finally broken?”

“Broken…!”

“Isn’t it the same as being broken?”

“Eugene?!”

“I’m in a state of amnesia. Unconsciously forgetting what happened in my past life. I used to have a body that couldn’t forget memories.”

Mijeong and Moomyeong were sent to a different place for a moment.

I briefly explained to Alicia.

What happened to the monsters.

What changes occurred to Mijeong.

And I, somehow, want to return Mijeong to the one I knew.

Reviving the lost memories.

I want to bring back the Mijeong who constantly activated the Guardian Knight without rest.

I conveyed that intention.

“That’s a pretty selfish way of thinking, you know?”

“I know.”

“If you know… Ugh. I’ll stop there since you understand. There’s a lot I want to say, but…”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“There’s nothing more painful than remembering everything. Even Mijeong seems to have suffered a lot from the past to the point of losing emotions and becoming cold… If she forgot that and changed like that, isn’t it a good thing?”

“…”

Alicia rested her chin on her hand and looked to the side.

In a corner of the cafe, a small playground where children were playing.

There, Mijeong and Moomyeong were laughing and playing with the children.

They looked like ordinary kids.

“That’s true and normal, I know.”

“But?”

“…”

I couldn’t say that I needed to activate the Guardian Knight.

My lips trembled because I didn’t want to give Alicia information about my abilities.

It wasn’t my true feelings.

As Alicia risked her safety to meet me.

I also had to be honest with Alicia.

“I want the Mijeong who remembers everything. She’s lively and cute now, but… that’s not the Mijeong I know. It doesn’t matter which side is more unhappy or happy. I want the Mijeong I know back. I want to be with that child. That’s all.”

“Does that child want that?”

“…”

I was speechless.

Does Mijeong want that?

To unconsciously erase memories and face the terrifying past again.

To return to a state where she couldn’t speak, was emotionless, and dry like a corpse.

“I can’t know that. But one thing is certain.”

Well.

But one thing can be asserted.

Although the memory is hazy due to sleep, now that I think about it, it wasn’t a dream or fantasy.

The night when Mijeong complained of pain.

Just before Mijeong turned into the current Mijeong, she whispered to me.

“That guy. He didn’t want to part with me.”

…Don’t forget me.

With a lingering voice, she said that.

As if she didn’t want to leave.

Even if she disappeared, she wanted to leave a trace in someone’s memory, struggling to leave her mark…

“I really can’t stop you. Do you want to ruin a good vampire life because of your selfishness?”

“Yes. I want to ruin it even if I have to. I want to be together, even if it’s ruined.”

“Hmm…”

Alicia, who had been serious all along, burst into laughter.

As if she had been holding it in, the laughter didn’t stop for a while.

“Hahaha… I’m sorry. You seem to have changed a bit. You were definitely the type to make excuses or whatever in this situation. You’ve become so honest.”

“It’s more comfortable this way.”

“You came to ask for help honestly, and I can’t refuse that. Alright. I’ll help you as an accomplice.”

“Is there a way? A way to revive memories?”

“I don’t have one. But I know an expert in this field. Take this.”

Alicia handed me a business card.

The stiff paper had this written on it.

– White Tower Clan. Temuren.

An Eastern-style name.

A strange and eerie name.

“This person is at the top when it comes to tampering with people’s memories. If I reveal my name… Ugh! If I do that, my traces will be left behind again, and I might get caught by my sister later! Oh, I don’t know! Whether to say I came after receiving an introduction or not!”

A way has appeared.

At that thought, sudden emotions surged.

As if on autopilot, I stood up and grabbed Alicia’s hand.

“Thank you, Alicia. I’m really grateful.”

“Ahem? Um, well. Your hand… a bit… Oh… it’s too late…”

Then Alicia’s face gradually turned red.

The sound of her breathing became audible.

Oh…

She must really need to go to the bathroom.