Episode 7
As soon as she stepped inside, Elysia spotted a tray like the ones used by the servants lying at her feet.
Come to think of it, the servant she had almost run into earlier was also holding a tray. She couldn’t be sure if it was the same one, though.
Was there a tray in the room yesterday too?
She thought she had looked around thoroughly, but maybe she had missed it.
“Was there a tray here yesterday too?”
“No, miss. That child only woke up on the day you arrived, so this was his first proper meal.”
As the answer came immediately, Elysia just nodded and called out.
“Eden.”
He must have eaten not long ago—unlike yesterday, Eden was now sitting on the floor.
The tray placed by the door suggested he had eaten in a daze and probably hadn’t had a proper meal.
As evidence, Eden was still sitting not far from the tray.
Still, the fact that he came all the way to the door to eat meant he was doing better than yesterday.
“Let’s try standing up for now, shall we?”
Elysia approached Eden and asked gently, speaking in as soft a tone as possible.
Kind and gentle.
As expected, Eden’s condition seemed to have improved a lot, and he slowly turned his gaze toward Elysia.
Though he still remained seated on the floor.
Letting out a long sigh, Elysia plopped down beside him to meet his eye level.
Rachel would have fainted from shock if she saw this.
No one had to tell her—Elysia had always strictly maintained her dignity and decorum.
“You got it all over your face.”
Noticing crumbs around his mouth, Elysia used a familiar gesture to wipe around Eden’s lips.
She wiped his mouth with her own sleeve and was reminded of Ariel when she was little.
A younger Ariel used to frequently get food all over her face.
And every time that happened, it wasn’t Rachel or any of the other servants who wiped her face—it was always Elysia.
In those moments, Elysia had felt like she and Ariel were truly sisters.
“Still feeling out of it?”
She could only guess that his head was still fuzzy, so she asked.
Eden blinked in response to her question.
Just then, Lizbeth, who had been watching them quietly, shut the door behind her.
A soft sound came from behind them.
“I hope we can talk properly soon…”
Assuming he wouldn’t answer again, Elysia muttered under her breath.
“Turn your face this way.”
Believing it was still too early to have a real conversation with him, Elysia forcibly turned Eden’s face toward her, avoiding the worst scabbed-over areas.
Eden blinked again.
Staring closely at his face, Elysia lowered her head and rummaged through the medicine box.
“I’ve been beaten a lot too, so I know… it’s really miserable to apply ointment by yourself.”
She laughed as she recalled the past—being hit by her foster father and applying ointment alone in her room.
It wasn’t just the pain of the beating; the loneliness of tending her own wounds often made the tears flow.
Though time had passed, and now she could talk about it without much emotion.
“Not that getting hit and putting on medicine makes everything okay.”
With a smooth yet slightly rough hand, Elysia applied ointment to Eden’s face.
Eden, who had shown no emotion up until then, furrowed his brows for the first time.
“Oh? Does it hurt?”
As Eden flinched, Elysia’s face lit up in joy.
Her words sounded concerned, but her expression was full of joy.
“Ah…”
Fixing his gaze on Elysia’s face, Eden let out a small sound.
Having not used his voice in a long time, his vocal cords were weak.
His voice was so quiet that Elysia had to lean in to hear it.
“Hmm?”
Elysia encouraged him to speak, her voice full of anticipation.
At her prompting, Eden’s eyes widened. His previously dull violet eyes now held a clearer light.
“Ah… it hurts…”
“Really? It hurt? It did, huh!”
Elysia wasn’t a pervert.
She wasn’t happy because Eden was in pain—she was happy because, for the first time, he had responded with words.
“It’s all done now.”
As if to promise not to hurt him anymore, Elysia closed the medicine box with a sharp clack.
“…Who are you?”
Still watching her quietly, Eden asked.
“Who am I? Did you just ask me a question?”
They could finally have a real conversation.
Overwhelmed with joy, Elysia responded by repeating his question.
Eden flinched.
He seemed unsure if he was even allowed to ask questions.
“Ah. I’m Elysia.”
“Elysia…”
“To be precise, Elysia Partin. But I don’t like being called Partin, so just call me Elysia.”
Her soft tone carried a trace of bitterness. Thinking it was his fault, Eden quickly scanned her expression.
He still looked scared as he searched her face.
“You’re Eden, right?”
“Huh? Y-Yes…”
Even in his hazy, fogged mind, Eden remembered that he had told her his name.
She was the only one who had asked him that since he came to.
So it was her.
Using his clearer vision, Eden focused, trying to memorize Elysia’s face.
Meanwhile, Elysia couldn’t hide her joy. Her smile beamed.
Eden had come to his senses.
This was the best possible sign for Elysia.
Now, I just need to make Eden resent the Duke of Partin.
Elysia held a contradictory wish: that the original story would both twist and stay the same.
Because that was the only way she could survive—and, ultimately, free both herself and Ariel from the Duke’s clutches.
“……”
Eden, with no way of knowing what Elysia was thinking, relaxed his gaze and looked around.
It was his first time truly taking in the detached building.
Even as he examined every corner, nothing felt familiar.
Nothing came to mind. In fact, he didn’t even know what he was supposed to remember.
— Your name is Eden. That’s all you need to remember.
That cold voice, forcing his name into his head, was the only thing that lingered.
But now, in his previously empty mind, an image was slowly forming—Elysia’s bright face, smiling with satisfaction in this bleak little building.
Just having something fill that empty space made him feel a little less hollow.
“Umm…”
Now that they could actually talk, Eden didn’t know what to say.
He had just regained his senses. Elysia, knowing that, didn’t want to overwhelm him.
“Did you like the food?”
“…Huh?”
Food?
Eden looked confused.
“You just ate, remember? The meal.”
Elysia pointed to the tray behind him. Eden’s eyes naturally followed her finger.
“…Uh…”
Did he eat?
He vaguely remembered putting something in his mouth.
Uncertain, Eden hesitated.
“You don’t remember?”
His mind had probably been fogged, and he’d eaten purely on instinct.
Growl—
Suddenly, Eden’s stomach growled. Both sets of differently-colored eyes instinctively dropped to his belly.
“Guess it wasn’t enough.”
Of course, after only having fluids for a week, one meal wasn’t going to fill him.
Nodding in understanding, Elysia stood up.
“Are you going to keep sitting there?”
She looked down at Eden, who was still staring at his own belly.
Slowly, Eden lifted his gaze.
His movements were slower than most people’s.
As his eyes met her red ones, he swallowed hard.
A vague anxiety washed over him.
“Isn’t the floor cold? It felt cold even when I sat just for a bit.”
Elysia brushed off her skirt and spoke.
Her movements looked like she might walk off at any moment.
That wasn’t her intention, but to Eden, it felt that way.
In a panic, Eden scrambled to stand up.
His body, unused for days, groaned in protest.
His awkward, staggering movements were so obvious that even Elysia could see how unsteady he was.
Worried, she kept her eyes on him until he stood upright.
Eden’s fragile state tugged hard at her heart.
“Sit on the bed like you did yesterday. I’ll bring some snacks later this evening.”
According to Lizbeth, the guard shifts changed at midnight, so it should be fine to come back in the evening.
Despite being told to sit on the bed, Eden just stood there, staring at Elysia.
Sighing, Elysia gently grabbed his wrist and led him to the bed.
She gave his small shoulder a little push, and Eden’s body collapsed weakly onto the mattress.
“Evening…?”
Ignoring the soft feeling beneath him, Eden looked up at Elysia and asked.
The fact that he was still using polite speech despite having no memory showed just how gentle his nature was.
“Yeah. Evening. I’ll be back when it gets dark.”
When it gets dark.
Eden repeated her words in his head and looked quickly toward the barred window.
The sun wasn’t visible, but it was obviously bright outside.
How long until it gets dark?
Trying to recall what little basic knowledge he had, Eden’s face turned pale.
“I’ll be back at night.”
Already heading toward the door, Elysia didn’t see the color drain from his face.
Her voice was as light as her footsteps as she opened the door, promising to return.
Bright light briefly filled the building, but as soon as the door closed, the shadows returned.
Eden stared blankly at the door—no, beyond the door—with a hollow expression.
