Chapter 15
Rowen didn’t know what Rian was thinking. He spoke to Joo-hee in a slightly excited voice.
“I guess my name really is Lowengrin.”
“It seems so,” Joo-hee replied. She glanced back at the man, who was following them, mumbling to himself.
Earlier, he’d said he’d traveled the whole country looking for Lowengrin. That meant Rowen must have lived far from here. Joo-hee had a feeling he was from the capital, not a remote noble family. She would ask the man for details later.
Joo-hee handed her basket to Rowen. Suddenly, Rian gasped again.
“Hah…”
“What’s wrong? Is it because of that man?” Joo-hee asked, sighing. Rowen looked at her with concern.
“No, I’m just a bit tired,” she said with a small shake of her head.
Even so, she couldn’t turn away the only person who might help Rowen recover his memory. They decided to hurry home.
They bought a few more items until their baskets grew heavy. Joo-hee turned to go back.
“I’ll carry this,” Rian said, hurrying to Rowen’s side. “Please let me help.”
“Oh… no, it’s fine. I can’t let a stranger carry my things,” Rowen protested.
“Ah…!” Rian was so unprepared for this change in Rowen’s behavior that he felt dizzy. He stumbled behind Joo-hee and Rowen as they walked on.
* * *
“Ugh—ugh, ah!” Rian squeezed his eyes shut and screamed. He clung to the wolf’s fur, afraid he’d fall at any moment. He’d ridden horses before, but he wasn’t ready for a wolf.
With no reins or saddle, he had to lie flat to keep his balance. When they reached the house, he staggered off, bent over, and retched.
“Are you okay?” Joo-hee asked.
“Y-Yes… ugh!” Rian panted. Joo-hee lightly patted his back.
Rowen rushed over, gently pushed Joo-hee aside, and patted Rian harshly.
“Joo-hee, I’ll take care of him. You go inside first.”
“Ah, okay… I’ll go,” Joo-hee said, nodding. She carried her basket into the house.
“Ow, that really hurt…!” Rian groaned.
“Better now? Let’s go inside,” Rowen said. He’d patted Rian so firmly that Rian howled in pain, but Rowen didn’t seem to notice. Without waiting for Rian’s reply, he went inside.
“Even without his memory, he’s just as indifferent,” Rian muttered. He calmed his stomach, then carefully stepped into the house.
“Excuse me,” he said, looking around with his eyes.
The house was small but very clean.
“You live in a tight space…” he mumbled. Mel immediately whispered to Joo-hee:
— “Joo-hee, he said the house is small!”
Joo-hee passed Rian and said, “Sorry it’s cramped.”
“Oh—no, I mean… sorry.” Rian scratched the back of his head and awkwardly apologized. He hadn’t expected Joo-hee to hear such a quiet remark; she must have very sharp ears. He decided to be more careful.
Joo-hee, Rowen, and Rian sat close together at the dining table. Rian cleared his throat and introduced himself.
“I’m sorry I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Rian. I’m a commoner, so I don’t have a family name.”
“I’m Joo-hee,” she said.
“Um… excuse me, but are you a noble?” Rian asked. Joo-hee didn’t look rough enough to be an ordinary commoner—she seemed calm and bore a quiet air of refinement. He wondered if she had a hidden noble background.
“No, I’m an orphan,” Joo-hee said simply.
Rian was speechless. Unsure what to say next, he stammered while Joo-hee and Rowen stared at him. Then Rowen spoke.
“By the way… do you know me?”
“Yes, of course! I never expected someone like you to come all the way from the capital.”
Her guess was right. Joo-hee asked the most important question.
“What rank are you, Rowen?”
“My… rank?”
“I mean like count, marquis, or duke.”
“Uh… that is…”
Rian looked back and forth, hesitating. He broke into a cold sweat.
Should he say “royal family”?
Or should I just make something up?
What if I say he’s a member of the royal family and that woman, Joo-hee, spreads rumors?
Rian thought hard, then finally answered.
“He’s a very… important person.”
Joo-hee frowned in irritation at his vague reply and asked again.
“So what exactly is he?”
“A very… important person.”
He seemed determined to keep it secret.
Suspicion narrowed Joo-hee’s eyes.
Rian, looking frustrated, let his eyebrows droop and said,
“I can’t explain why. But I promise—he really is very important!”
If Joo-hee had seemed trustworthy, Rian would have told her everything. But he barely knew her and had only just met her today.
“When Rowen regains his memory, I’ll explain it all.”
He couldn’t tell her now, but he had to be honest with Rowen.
He needed a chance to speak with Rowen alone, but Rowen stuck close to Joo-hee like a baby bird following its mother.
“Rowen, I’m going into the forest for a bit.”
“Oh, okay. Be careful.”
At last, Joo-hee and Rowen walked off together.
As soon as Joo-hee left, Rian darted forward and knelt before Rowen.
“Lord Lowengrin.”
“Why are you kneeling?”
“Lord Lowengrin, you are the First Prince of this Empire.”
“…What?”
Rowen thought he must have misheard. He blinked in disbelief, so Rian continued.
“You were to become Crown Prince soon.”
“Me?”
“Your full name is Lowengrin de Alexio. Don’t you remember?”
Rian looked at Rowen with desperate eyes, but Rowen only looked more confused.
Rian bit his lip and said,
“We need to return to the palace quickly. I was given two and a half months to bring you back.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
A sharp pain throbbed in Rowen’s head. He pressed his fingers to his temples and said,
“Let’s… talk about this later.”
“It’s fine if you don’t remember. The palace has great doctors who can examine you. Maybe your memories will come back once we’re there.”
Rian spoke faster, knowing Joo-hee could return at any moment.
“Everyone is waiting for you, Your Highness. If we delay, the Second Prince might be named Crown Prince instead.”
At Rian’s words, Rowen’s headache deepened. He felt as if something was on the verge of returning—but then slipping away.
Seeing Rowen’s pain, Rian asked with concern,
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
“Let me ask one thing first.”
“Yes?”
“How can I be sure I am the prince? What if I just look a lot like him?”
Rian bit his lip again and answered,
“You have a star‑shaped scar on your shoulder blade. You got it during a monster hunt.”
Rowen lifted his shirt and checked with a mirror—there it was.
“Your Highness.”
Rowen’s gaze returned to Rian.
Rian said firmly,
“You have one week.”
“…”
“In one week, we must go.”
“…”
“I know this is confusing. But I speak the truth. In one week, I will wait for you at the village entrance.”
Just as he finished, they heard someone outside.
The door flew open and Joo-hee returned.
Rian glanced at Rowen, then said to Joo-hee,
“I’ll be going now.”
“…Okay. Follow me.”
Rian bowed to Rowen and followed Joo-hee outside.
A few minutes later, Joo-hee came back inside.
“Are you alright?”
“Huh? Oh… yes, I’m fine.”
Joo-hee pressed her lips together and stared at Rowen. After a moment she spoke.
“Do we have to leave?”
“Huh? How—?”
“I heard what you said.”
Actually, Mel, who had stayed behind, had told Joo-hee everything.
“You may go.”
“Joo-hee.”
“I’m not going to force you to stay.”
“Wait—are you serious?”
Rowen jumped up, gently grabbed Joo-hee’s shoulders, and looked her in the eyes.
“Would you prefer I leave?”
“…You must go.”
Because you’re the hero of this story.
Joo-hee swallowed hard.
When Mel first told her, Joo-hee had been in disbelief.
“Mel, what did you say?”
—“He’s the Crown Prince. The man who came said he disappeared before becoming Crown Prince.”
“…My goodness.”
Rarely did Joo-hee look so shocked.
Had there really been a scene in the book where the Crown Prince lost his memory?
She tried to remember, but she’d only skimmed the story and couldn’t recall.
