"It has been more than one dance. When are you planning to let go of me?"
"After this song, I think."
"You think?"
"It's a nice song they're playing."
"...Yeah, I guess."
As I looked around the Victorian-themed banquet hall, my senses were immediately captured by the soft glow of lights and the sweet melodies of jazz music wafting through the air.
The sound emanated from a band playing at the front of the hall, providing the perfect soundtrack for the evening's festivities.
I observed as people moved about, some chatting and socializing with drinks in hand while others swayed to the rhythm of the music.
Couples held each other close, lost in the moment as they danced in slow, romantic circles.
It was a beautiful sight.
A perfect blend of old-world charm and modern-day revelry.
Not long after, my eyes were drawn back to the girl in my arms, her waist nestled snugly against me.
I couldn't resist the urge to look into her captivating eyes, which shone through her masquerade mask like dazzling emeralds.
I took a deep breath.
I could feel her body tightly pressing against mine. I could feel her warmth.
I know I shouldn't be saying this for someone who has managed to flip me over the shoulder once, but right now, she felt fragile.
It felt like I would break her if I grabbed onto her too tightly.
"Stop staring, will ya?" Amelia's hushed voice shook me out of my trance as she averted her gaze.
"Sorry," I said, chuckling.
The black-haired beauty shifted her gaze back to me. Her eyebrows creased in a frown.
"Lucas," she called out, her voice gentle. "Do you–"
But before she could even finish her question, I interrupted, predicting what she was about to ask. "I don't," I said.
Amelia looked taken aback, a mixture of surprise and confusion etched on her face. I took a deep breath, bracing myself.
"I don't remember the past," I disclosed in a defeated tone. "That's what you were going to ask, right?"
Amelia's face showed a mixture of emotions as she weakly nodded her head, and I knew that I couldn't avoid the conversation we needed to have.
Although I wanted to focus on the upcoming battle, I had asked Amelia for a dance to stop her from joining the main cast.
When I did that, I knew this conversation was inevitable.
Well, in all honesty, I didn't think she would actually agree to dance with me.
Maybe I really have changed her behavior a lot toward me then how she felt about Lucas in the novel.
Anyway, since we had started this conversation, I decided to go through with it. I would answer her questions and ask some of my own.
"But you do seem to remember some things from the past," Amelia made up a valid point as she voiced her observations. "And some of your habits, like how you chew your nails when you're deep in thought, are the same as when we were children."
I arched an eyebrow. "That's kind of creepy that you've been keeping track of my habits. Are you stalking me?"
Amelia's cheeks turned pink with indignation. "I-I am not stalking you, idiot! I just don't completely trust you!"
I shrugged. "Fair enough. Well, I haven't forgotten everything from my past, just certain pieces of my memory."
I added, "I remember everything in bits– fragments of moments that seem familiar but don't quite make sense when I put it all together and compare it with reality. It's like a puzzle with missing pieces."
"I see," said Amelia, her eyes showing a hint of concern. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how complicated this must be for you. But is it true that you don't remember any of the time we spent together?"
"I'm afraid that's the case," I confessed. "I have memories of the 'incident,' but nothing before it."
As I spoke, I caught a fleeting glimpse of sadness on Amelia's face before she composed herself.
"Is it possible that your memories were erased?" she asked, still following my lead as we danced.
"I actually believe that's a possibility," I replied.
I wasn't lying.
When I sat down to think about it, I came to the conclusion that someone messed with Lucas' head when he was little.
In fact, instead of just erasing his memories, that 'someone' planted false ones in their place in his head.
It's the only reasonable explanation for why he transitioned into a completely different person after he awakened his mana core.
Yes, he was sad about his family shunning him, but the profound changes he had undergone were clearly unnatural.
Amelia interrupted our conversation with a sudden memory, shaking me out of my thoughts.
"Hey, I remember when we were kids, you used to write in your journal?" she asked. "Maybe you could try reading them now. It might provide some leads."
Her suggestion caught me off guard, and I replied with surprise, "Wow, you're right. I hadn't even considered that!"
I was lying.
I did think about it. Prior to coming here, I thought about opening Lucas' journals and reading them.
Although I already have memories of writing them in my head, I clearly can not trust them.
So yeah, I had considered the idea of reading them to gain a clearer understanding.
However, ultimately I decided against it.
Why?
Well, because I needed my brain to focus on what was about to happen in Silveserine.
I not only had to kill one of the former Abyssal Vampire Kings, but I also had to survive the massacre that would start in a few minutes.
Two big life-or-death battles were awaiting me in this city. And to fight these battles, I needed to have a clear mind.
So, I made the decision to postpone reading the journals until after returning from the trip.
"I'll read them once we return," I said, receiving a nod from Amelia. "But for now, could you answer me this–"
Slam—
"Aaah!"
My words were abruptly cut off when I slammed into someone, followed by a sudden cry of pain.
As I was taking a step back, swaying to the rhythm of the music, I accidentally collided with someone behind me.
Turning to face the source of the commotion, I saw a waiter struggling to hold onto a tray of drinks, which had spilled onto a short blue-haired elven girl standing nearby.
Although she had a mask on her face, I instantly recognized her. She was Aster Aquahart – one of Amelia's friends and a recurring character.
"Hey, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" I asked while apologizing to the waiter before turning to face Aster and asking her the same. "Are you hurt?"
"No, sir, I'm fine! It's my fault for not paying attention while walking," the waiter bowed his head before turning to the blue-haired elf fearfully. "Please, mam, I'm sorry!"
"No, no, it's completely fine!" Aster waved her hand quickly, gesturing to the waiter to raise his head. "Please stop apologizing. I'm fine!"
Clap—
Right then, I felt a slap on my shoulder. It was Amelia.
"You should've been careful," she said. "Now you ruined Aster's dress."
I turned my attention to where she was pointing and noticed wine stains on Aster's gorgeous blue colored velvet gown.
"Ahh, I'm sorry–" As I was about to apologize again, a frown appeared on my face as something clicked, and I turned to Amelia. "Wait, they were behind me. I don't have eyes on the back of my head. You should've warned me about them!"
"Huh?! You're an archer! You should be aware of your surroundings!" Amelia retorted.
"What the hell does that logic even mean? Huh?!" the frown on my face grew deeper.
"I'm sorry! I must die! Please don't tell the manager! Please, I must die! I'm sorry!" meanwhile, the waiter continued to apologize in an incoherent voice.
"Okay, okay, stop all of you!" Aster yelled with her eyes tightly shut. "I told you all, I'm fine. And I don't care about the dress, okay? So stop fighting and apologizing."
"...He started it," Amelia pointed at me.
"Wha– you!" I gritted my teeth.
"Anyway, where's the washroom?" Aster asked the waiter.
"Oh, out the hall to the left, mam." the waiter replied with a respected bow.
"Okay, it's fine. You can go. And don't worry; we won't report this to the manager," Aster promised.
The waiter apologetically bowed again before leaving.
"I mean, it's really his own fault," I shrugged, gesturing towards the retreating back of the flustered waiter. "Waiters aren't supposed to step onto the dance floor to serve drinks in a ballroom hall. It's just common serving etiquette."
That earned me another slap on the shoulder from Amelia. "He was obviously in a hurry. Do you know how stressful it's to serve drinks to nobles? They give you an earful for being two seconds late."
"You speak like you have experience in this area," I arched an eyebrow.
"I worked as a waitress two years back for some extra pocket money," Amelia replied with a shrug. "Some of us aren't rich, you know?"
"So it's your fault," I commented with a smug smile on my face. "If you aren't rich, then just get rich. Look at me. Even after being disowned, I became rich again."
"Huh?!" Amelia curled up her upper lip.
"Hahaha," right then, interrupting our conversation, Aster chuckled. "You guys are funny."
"Yeah, she's a total clown," I nodded.
"And he's a complete circus," Amelia remarked.
"Hahaha! Okay, I'll go wash this stain," Aster let out a chuckle again before walking off to the washroom.
After she was gone, I let out a sigh before I noticed the second song was going to end soon.
The third song was going to start next, and by the end of it, this banquet hall will be plunged into complete carnage.
Haa. Okay, I'm ready.
"So, what were you asking–"
As Amelia was about to ask me a question, a sudden high-pitched scream rang out throughout the banquet hall, coming from the washroom.
"Aaaaaahhhh!!"
