Philip glanced at Lionel.
“Your Grace, this will be our last meeting. Neither I nor the Duke will remember it once it is finished.”
“How is her condition?”
Lionel tightly clasped his hands, revealing his nervousness.
“It’s amazing that Madame came back with her memories, but she won’t be able to remember soon enough. Losing all her memories will make her feel lost, but she’ll get used to it.”
A bitter smile crossed Lionel’s face.
Philip smiled weakly in return.
“Magic is like that. When it disappears, it takes away all memories.”
“…..”
“There were many wizards in the Duke’s lineage. They must have all gone through this.”
“Right.”
Lionel was rather calm.
That winter, Riv confessed that she had practiced magic and disappeared right in front of him.
The moment she disappeared, everyone but Lionel forgot her existence.
All evidence of Riv’s existence also disappeared.
‘I was the only one who remembered her. No one knew she ever existed.’
After Riv disappeared, Lionel fell into despair.
All that remained of Riv were the tools full of her magic which she collected in Mont Del, and the late Duchess’ ring.
It was a strange world where she disappeared, yet her magic remained.
So Lionel went to great lengths to bring back his wife.
Philip sighed.
“The Duchess will lose all her memories and become an ordinary person.”
“All I want is for her to be by my side.”
“Then that wish has come true. This conversation, too, will soon be forgotten.”
With that, Phillip abruptly left.
Lionel had lost Riv during winter.
It was late autumn, well over half a year after, that she was brought back to life.
So when he got her back, Lionel was overjoyed.
Philip was likely the devil. He brought Riv back by sacrificing Princess Marianne.
It didn’t matter what he was. Riv had returned to his side.
“Riv!”
The pale-faced woman looked dead at first, but gradually came back to life.
Her heart started beating again, and her body warmed up.
Memories changed by magic entered Lionel’s mind.
Marianne, whom he thought to have died, was alive.
There was talk of Marianne being unable to leave her mansion because of the Grand Duke’s terrible possessiveness.
He even heard rumors that she was being bred.
‘Marianne doesn’t matter to me.’
The past where Riv and Lionel nearly died at the hands of Marianne was forgotten.
To Lionel, it was more important to have Riv by his side.
The magic had succeeded.
“Li-onel?”
Riv’s eyes were hazy when she woke up.
Even if Riv got confused and forgot many things, she didn’t forget Lionel.
It was exactly what he had hoped for.
“Riv.”
She smiled weakly.
Lionel whispered as he stroked her hair.
“Philip won’t be around anymore. He will disappear from this world.”
“……?”
“You won’t even remember these words.”
Shana’s magic was activated and the past changed. Philip’s existence would soon be forgotten.
She wouldn’t remember the things Lionel had done.
Lionel recalled Philip’s words.
-“You may forget all those memories of the Duchess if she returns.”
Even if he forgot, there was no greater tragedy than losing Riv.
Riv, who gave herself up for his sake and disappeared in front of him, was his only love.
The figure of Philip superimposed itself on Riv and asked him a question.
-“Are you going to regret it?”
-“I have no regrets, because she is next to me.”
Philip’s form disappeared. And Riv remained.
Lionel grabbed Riv’s hand and kissed it.
Riv’s heart raced and her cheeks flushed. Her fingers and toes curled up at his touch.
Lionel put his head on Riv’s chest. He could hear her heart beating vigorously.
“I love you.”
Riv was awake, but didn’t seem to understand his words.
She closed her eyes again.
Then she stroked Lionel’s hair. Her body moved out of habit, though her mind didn’t process it.
Lionel almost cried at the warmth of her hand.
“Thank you, Riv.”
Some time ago, Riv found she liked to stroke his hair.
She seemed to enjoy the texture of his hair, which was different from hers.
“Lionel.”
In her dazed state, her voice was faint.
Lionel grinned.
“I love you.”
***
A few days later, Riv said she needed to relax, so she sent everyone out of her room, opened the curtains wide, and leaned against the window overlooking her garden.
Beautiful maple trees could be seen, sporting fall colors.
Claudel approached Riv.
“Madame, wouldn’t it be better for you to lie down a little longer?”
Riv’s health came first, so butler Karl and her maids were scolded for prematurely decorating their baby’s room.
Riv stared at the trees outside her window.
“The color of the autumn leaves is beautiful. I didn’t even know the seasons changed.”
When Riv tried to think of the past, the water that had cleared turned muddy at once.
It was difficult to carry on with her thoughts.
Then a sound pierced her ears, bringing her back to reality.
Riv looked down. A black dog was vigorously wagging its tail at her feet.
It was a cute dog with clear eyes.
Riv naturally called out the dog’s name.
“Chewy.”
Chewy’s tail increased in speed as he dropped a cloth ball at Riv’s feet.
“Are you asking me to throw it?”
Riv picked up the ball and threw it.
Chewy excitedly rushed to retrieve the ball. Then he set it down in front of Riv again.
The dog’s tail swung energetically.
“Chewy, I’ll do it later. Do you wanna sleep beside me?”
Riv appeased the dog and led him to her bed.
Lionel returned a while later.
He saw Riv leaning against the window.
“Riv.”
“Lionel.”
When Riv saw Lionel, her eyes lit up.
He walked over to her and gave her kisses on both cheeks. He was delighted that Riv was so excited to see him.
“Riv, you look good today.”
“I don’t feel too bad.”
Riv’s condition was indeed good.
The only thing that was bad were her memories.
Lionel knelt in front of her and looked up at her face.
It was like they were the only people in the world. Nothing else mattered.
A sweet thought crossed Riv’s mind.
“I had a strange thought. I think I came back for this moment.”
Lionel’s face hardened. Riv stared out the window.
“But where did I come back from?”
Lionel grabbed Riv’s hand.
Lionel’s hands were warm. When he spoke, his voice was low.
“Riv, your magic vanished and left no trace.”
“……?”
“Perhaps neither you nor I will remember this conversation. Still, I wanted to tell you this.”
“Lionel?”
“I love you. I didn’t want to lose you.”
“You knew.”
Riv knew that there was something wrong with her memories.
Lionel must have known too. Nevertheless, he brought her back.
She knew that they would forget both this present conversation and those disturbing memories.
“You lost your memories to let me return. Won’t Lionel regret it?”
“I have no regrets. Because I got you back.”
If their memories were erased, they could build new ones.
Riv stared at Lionel’s worried face.
His sharp expression softened, and his eyes were filled with only her.
“Riv, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She loved him so much that it was meaningless to say those words out loud.
Riv was relieved to hear his true feelings.
***
A dazzling white space. It was a place neither for the living nor dying, but Limbo, the middle world.
A place where souls who had left their bodies gathered before going to heaven or hell, or where lives on the brink of death rested for a while.
Riv was there.
In front of her was a man wearing a torn cloak. He was familiar to Riv.
Riv stared at the figure.
It had a skull for a face, a strangely shaped body made of bones, and a terrifying black scythe in its hand.
It pointed at Riv with its bony finger.
“This is your subconscious mind.”
“You!”
Riv’s memories were shattered, but she knew that she had come face to face with this being several times.
It must be because the existence of the reaper was imprinted on her soul because she experienced two deaths.
“I remember you.”
The reaper laughed.
“Even so, you will soon forget me.”
“……”
“You will forget that your husband tried to save you and that you are a witch who died twice. No traces of you being a witch will be left behind.”
Riv didn’t remember that she was a witch, but she wasn’t surprised either.
But she had a problem facing the reaper.
“Am I going to die?”
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Instead of answering, the reaper spoke.
“Go back.”
***