Riv stared quietly at Lionel.
As her memories faded, one thing was certain: Lionel didn’t love her.
Even if he liked her, it wasn’t love.
Somehow she knew it to be true.
But the look in his eyes now was desperate.
If this was not love, it must be close.
“They say I’m carrying Lionel’s child.”
“You wouldn’t have known before the fall. We only found out after the accident.”
“Ah.”
“You have to stay calm because you got hurt. I don’t know why you keep getting excited.”
Lionel stroked Riv’s flat stomach.
“You’re carrying our precious child. But I love you more than this child. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
Riv didn’t move because she didn’t know what to do with herself.
It was then that he informed her maids that Riv was pregnant.
“My wife is pregnant. So everyone must stop whatever my wife does.”
After that, Riv was preciously cared for by her maids and servants.
Whenever she tried to do something, her maids moved quickly to block her.
At the thought of drinking water, glasses of water flew straight to her bedside.
“Madame, please stay still.”
“The Duke wants his wife to be relaxed.”
Riv found their excessive kindness burdensome.
Even though she woke up a week after her accident, everyone’s actions were too careful.
* * *
A chaotic night passed.
Riv opened her eyes early in the morning and quickly made sure her hands were properly attached.
‘I did not disappear.’
In the meantime, her memories were steadily disappearing. Riv only remembered that she was a witch.
She would forget everything soon.
Her heart was chaotic on such a peaceful day.
There was a hole in her memories and her mind was starting to become ragged.
Riv remembered a person among her fragmented memories.
‘Priest Philip.’
Her stepbrother, who knew her true identity, appeared in front of her suspiciously and gave her advice.
Before all her memories were lost, she had to meet Philip.
‘Philip must know something.’
Impatient, Riv begged her maids.
“I have someone I need to meet. I have to go to the Bishop’s Church.”
“That’s not possible.”
The maids quickly immobilized Riv, saying that it was Lionel’s order. Claudel tried her best to calm Riv down.
“Don’t get excited, Madame.”
“Why? I have to meet him!”
Riv lost her temper due to her impatience.
Claudel barely managed to calm her, who was about to burst at any moment.
“Madame cannot move. If you tell us who you want to meet, we will find him and bring him to you.”
“Ah.”
“Tell me his name.”
Riv lay down and took a deep breath.
“Priest of the Bishop’s Church, Philip Katana.”
“Ah.”
Realizing that he was Riv’s stepbrother, Claudel immediately sent someone to the Bishop’s Church. It only took them two hours to get back.
During those two hours, Riv was plagued with anxiety. Her mind was like holey cheese. Her past memories were slowly being eaten by the holes, and soon, they would disappear entirely.
In her remaining memories, Philip was involved in her disappearance.
Riv clutched the hem of her dress. Then she remembered something.
“Ah.”
A jewelry box by her bedside where she kept her precious things.
Riv hurriedly opened the box. She didn’t know if there would be any clues left.
In the jewelry box, there was an empty pendant necklace and a small letter.
Riv hurriedly unfolded the old paper.
[By the time you read this, you will have already lost your memories. Soon you won’t even remember the contents of this letter.
But this was your choice.
The choice to be happy. So rest assured.]
“……?”
It was a message that she didn’t quite understand.
***
Two hours later, the Duke’s messenger returned from the church with Philip Katana.
Wearing priest’s robes, Phillip looked puzzled, not knowing what was going on.
“Long time no see, Priest Philip.”
Riv greeted Philip, but he was confused as he looked at Riv.
“Who are you?”
“You don’t remember me Philip?”
Philip’s expression reflected that this was his first time seeing Riv.
“I heard that the Duchess of Sentoren was looking for me.”
Riv knew she had seen this man before.
Either in reality or on the other side.
But why did she think that this man was in a world that was not for the living?
Riv asked, taking a deep breath.
“Priest Philip, do you know me?”
“I know the Duchess of Sentoren. The Duchess is my father’s adopted daughter.”
“I didn’t call you to talk about that, Philip Katana.”
Philip looked uncomfortable when Riv called him by his full name.
“What did you call me for, Duchess of Sentoren?”
The atmosphere between the two of them was unusual, so Claudel carefully left the room.
Riv was relieved by her exit and spoke quickly. Before her memory completely faded away, she had to spit it all out.
“Philip, I need you to give me some advice. I was a witch and I remember you helping to erase my memory.”
Philip was at a loss for words.
“The Duchess is speaking dangerous words. The Bishops’ Church regards witches as heretics. You must not say those words to a priest.”
“But I don’t have time. Soon I will forget all these memories. I have no one to ask but you.”
Philip, embarrassed by Riv’s urgency, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Riv wasn’t paying enough attention to realize that he was hiding something.
All Riv wanted to know was ‘why’.
“I think I died a tragic death while working in the palace. I turned back time to avoid dying, and then I met Lionel and married him.”
Riv struggled to remember.
“Isn’t Philip the one who advised me not to keep using my magic? I remember you telling me about the consequences of magic.”
Philip sighed as Riv continued to speak.
His voice sank low.
“Whether the Duchess’ words are true or not, it’s a problem. Is the Duchess maintaining this heresy? Do you have the power to exercise this heresy?”
Riv frowned and shook her head.
She no longer had memories of her magic, nor of her using it.
All she remembered was the moment she gave up her magic and disappeared.
She remembered that she must’ve faced permanent extinction.
Then she returned with Lionel’s child, losing her memories.
“Philip, I will soon forget that I even had this conversation.”
Philip sighed.
“If what you said is true, and if magic is involved in the disappearance of your memory, then you will soon forget everything. When magic disappears, it erases the caster and the memories related to them, as if they never existed.”
“What?”
“It’s as if they never existed.”
“If I don’t remember, what do I do?”
Riv was terrified.
“When all my memories are gone, what about my husband? I don’t want to forget Lionel. I don’t want him to leave my side!”
Even if Riv lost her magic, she didn’t want to forget Lionel.
He was the only reason she had to come back. The reason for her life. She loved him more than herself.
Philip understood her anxiety. He asked gently.
“Did the Duchess marry the Duke by magic?”
Riv hastily denied it.
“Oh, no. No.”
But she wasn’t sure.
“Actually, I don’t know.”
Riv panicked and grabbed her head.
Philip gently gave her advice.
“You will soon find out the truth.”
“I, I!”
Riv’s eyes darkened. Philip realized that her mind was greatly confused.
“I will offer a prayer for the Duchess, and since you are also with child, may you both be in good health.”
Priest Philip said his prayers.
By the end of his prayer, Riv couldn’t remember why she had called Philip or what she had said.
When Claudel came in with Lionel, they found Riv in a daze.
“Madame?”
“Riv?”
Riv lay in bed, ignoring Priest Philip. Her face was ashen.
“I’m tired, so I need to rest.”
At that, Philip left the Duchess’ room.
On his way out, the Duke of Sentoren watched him.
He had heard about the commotion caused by his wife.
“Are you Priest Philip? Can I talk to you for a moment?”
Philip nodded and followed Lionel.
Although Riv and Philip did not have the same blood, Philip was a member of the Katana family. Riv Sentoren and her relatives, if any remained, were family.
The two sat in the Duke’s office.
Lionel looked a little tired. Philip just stared at him blankly.
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It was Philip who spoke first.
***