May Every Wound Be Fatal - vanish into fiction

“You see, I don’t remember you.”

“…….”

“I lost my memories. I’m sorry…”

The child seemed already aware that she had lost her memories, showing no sign of surprise or shock.

Should she take that as a relief…? Reyna felt embarrassed and gave an awkward smile out of guilt.

But the child didn’t seem inclined to give their name. After a moment’s hesitation, Reyna summoned a little more courage.

“So, I am your mother, right?”

And Lucian wondered why the witch was suddenly saying such things.

She lost her memory and became foolish, I suppose.

Ever since the day they first met, Lucian had been curious about the witch. What could she possibly be doing alone in the garden every night? So in the end, he had slipped out of his bedroom again while Margery was asleep. Even so, she was a witch—until that moment, he had only planned to hide in the shadows and secretly observe.

But the witch was crying alone. She looked so sad that Lucian had unconsciously revealed himself to her.

When the witch turned around and their eyes met, he thought he should run away, but strangely, his body wouldn’t move.

The witch was just as fragile as he had thought that day. She even seemed frightened because of him. And from what she was saying, it seemed she didn’t really know who she was or where this place was.

Lucian felt sorry for the witch, who knew nothing.

But even so, he couldn’t be the witch’s child. There was a mother waiting for him at the separate palace.

So he had no choice but to shake his head.

“…You’re saying no?”

The witch seemed deeply shocked. Lucian felt sorry for her, but he couldn’t just nod and take it back now.

The witch, her lips trembling as if in confusion, asked.

“Then, who are you?”

It was a difficult question. Lucian had been taught never to reveal his name to strangers, nor to disclose that he was a prince. Normally, he wouldn’t have answered no matter what, but…

“…I am the master of this castle.”

The witch looked so confused that he couldn’t help it.

“…….”

But for some reason, she turned pale, as if frightened instead. It seemed she had misunderstood something. Lucian quickly added.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t come to chase you away. You can stay here. I just… I was just curious about you…”

The witch, who had remained frozen as if she had heard a ghost’s voice, finally spoke again after a long while.

“…You don’t know who I am?”

“Um… I do.”

“Who am I?”

Lucian, slightly tense without meaning to be, whispered.

“You’re a witch.”

Reyna felt as if she had been struck on the head.

“…Wait, child. I think there’s been some misunderstanding between us.”

She had no idea where things had gone wrong. A witch—whatever made him think that, the child had no idea who she really was. That meant…

“…I never imagined you weren’t my child…”

Unable to hide her disappointment, Reyna couldn’t continue.

From the child’s appearance to the royal garden beyond the wall—everything had been so perfectly aligned that she couldn’t help but misunderstand. A part of her must have secretly hoped she had a child.

Even so, Reyna stared at the child as if she still couldn’t believe it.

The child, unable to follow the situation, could only blink their round eyes. Perhaps they were a servant who had recently entered the palace…

Feeling embarrassed on many levels, Reyna tried to compose her dazed mind and suddenly looked around. The servants still seemed unaware that she had disappeared. For now, she needed to send the child back.

Reyna urgently whispered to the child.

“This is not a place just anyone can enter. If you’re caught, you’ll probably be banished from the palace. I’ll forgive you just this once, so hurry back now.”

The child furrowed their brow as if not understanding what she was saying. Reyna’s heart grew more urgent. At this rate, the child might really be banished from the palace because of her misunderstanding.

Reyna stood up, leaning on her cane. With her free hand, she grasped the child’s hand.

“Oh, and you must never set foot in the King’s Garden again either. If the guards catch you, your life could be in danger. Understood?”

As she urged this and pulled at their joined hands, the child, for some reason, wouldn’t move.

“I told you, I’m the master of this place?”

And then they played another incomprehensible prank.