I Didn’t Want to Remember You Anymore

At the southernmost edge of a vast continent –

In the warm, winterless land known as Brisira stood the Tower of Magic, a sacred shrine to sorcery.

The tower rose high into the sky, surrounded by a circular village of wizards.

A land untouched by political strife or war, this magical haven was an ideal place, the dream of many.

As always, the tower welcomed a quiet night, its soft lights glowing peacefully in the stillness.

At the top of the tower, where the night sky shone brightest, stood the Master of the Tower.

Aster, gazing up at the twinkling stars, pulled the curtains wide open to get a better view.

“The stars are so beautiful tonight. I wish you could see them too.”

He murmured quietly, then turned away from the window and back into the room.

Lowell understood – he knew how much Kylance had loved Lady Blante.

Before her, his master had laid aside every burden, revealing a sincerity he had never shown to anyone else – not even the Emperor or the Duchess of Viasteus.

That was why it was so incomprehensible. The sudden breaking off of the engagement, and worse, the cruel and heartless way in which it had been done.

It was inconceivable that someone who had once loved so deeply could act in such a way. Yet after the breakup, Kylance seemed to be consumed by an unrelenting longing that was completely at odds with his earlier actions.

Perhaps it was regret.

Lowell remembered the day he returned from the Marquisate with the untouched money and the words Deryl had shared with him.

“Lady Blante… threw herself from the cliff. His Highness… tried to follow her into the sea.”

Deryl, who had carried his master back in a dishevelled state, had spoken in a broken, defeated voice.

He said that Kylance had been so out of his mind that the only way to stop him had been to knock him unconscious.

At the time, Lowell had reprimanded Deryl, insisting that what he’d done was inexcusable, no matter what the circumstances.

But now, looking at Kylance, he finally understood.

Kylance was out of his mind. His dark eyes, wild with despair, were searching desperately for something – someone – that was no longer there.

Lowell muttered to himself,

‘I should have spoken up then.’

He should have asked why Kylance was treating Lady Blante like this, urged him to put things right if he was truly sorry.

If he had managed to change his master’s heart that day, this tragedy might have been prevented.

A crushing sense of remorse washed over him, but it was too late. The damage was already done.

With a heavy sigh, Lowell ordered a servant to fetch a horse.

Deryl had begun searching for Lady Blante, but so far there had been no news from the sea.

The heavy rains of the previous day had made the waves violent and unforgiving.

Jumping into such treacherous waters… To be honest, Lady Blante couldn’t have survived.

If they could at least recover her body… that would be a small mercy.

But could his master accept even that?

If Kylance found out that she was still missing, he would surely try again…

“I can’t lose him too.”

Murmuring under his breath, Lowell quickly mounted the horse brought to him and spurred it into a gallop, driving it forward at full speed.

This time he wouldn’t be late.

* * *

The Cascade Sea, renowned as the most beautiful water in the Pentium Empire, stretched endlessly before him, its surface a deep and vast blue.

Deryl stood on the shore, staring at the horizon with a heavy, sunken gaze.

The sea, once a breathtaking sight that had always filled him with awe, now felt cruel and unforgiving – an endless abyss that swallowed all hope.

“If only the waves would calm down…”

Hours had passed since Lady Blante had thrown herself into the sea.

After forcibly rendering his master unconscious and escorting him back to the Grand Duke’s estate, Deryl had immediately returned to shore with a group of knights.

The search had been gruelling. The night was dark and the waves unforgiving, but there was no time to waste.

They had to find Lady Blante.

But the sea was unforgiving. The waves were so violent that even launching boats proved futile – they couldn’t get far.

But Deryl refused to give up. He pushed the boats as far as he could, scouring the waters beneath the cliffs, the harbour and every inch of the surrounding coastline.

He clung to a faint hope – that by some miracle Lady Blante might have washed ashore.

But miracles, as always, were rare.

Now, as the first light of dawn streaked across the sky, there was still no sign of her.

“Haah…”

Deryl let out a heavy breath.

The image of his master, ready to jump into the sea after Lady Blante, was still sharply etched in his mind.

And when his master awoke…

Deryl dreaded facing him. Not because he had committed the unforgivable act of laying hands on Kylance – something no servant should ever dare.

But because even if he could go back to that moment, he would do it again. Even if Kylance refused to forgive him. Even if he punished him.

Had he not intervened, Kylance would have thrown himself into the sea without hesitation.

So there would be no regrets. He would accept the consequences of what he had done.

What really scared him was what would happen if Kylance woke up and found out that Lady Blante still hadn’t been found.

What if he tried to throw himself back into the sea?

And what if Deryl couldn’t stop him this time?

Right now, his master was teetering on the edge, far too fragile.

And if Lady Blante’s body was found… what would happen to him?

The thought alone made Deryl feel faint.

But in truth, the chances of Lady Blante being alive were almost non-existent.

No-he had to accept that. There was no chance at all.

‘He won’t be able to accept her disappearance… or her death.’

Deryl let out a long, heavy sigh and looked up at the sky, now fully lit by the morning sun.

‘Is there really no such thing as a miracle?’

Though he had never been one to cling to faith, today he prayed desperately to the gods.

‘Please, let there be a miracle.’

Perhaps his master could be saved if Lady Blante lived.

But the sky was silent, offering no answer. It was clear and cloudless, a stark contrast to the storm raging in Deryl’s heart.

As he wiped the moisture from his face, the sound of pounding hooves suddenly broke the silence.

Deryl’s eyes widened as a horse galloped across the sand.

“Your Highness…?”

Kylance, astride the horse, raced past him without slowing. In an instant, Deryl understood where he was going.

The cliff where Lady Blante had fallen.

Kylance was heading straight for it.

Deryl sprang into action, running after him in a panic.

* * *

Shoosh

The waves roared, crashing endlessly against the jagged rocks below.

At the edge of the cliff where Ariel had fallen, Kylance stood motionless, gazing down at the waves crashing violently against the rocks below.

The height was dizzying, and the merciless waves roared as if ready to devour anything in their path.

It was into this raging sea that Ariel had thrown herself.

‘If I jump from here, will I be able to find you?’

The relentless pounding of the waves began to sound like Ariel’s cries, calling him, drawing him closer.

As if hypnotised, Kylance took a step forward.

But at that moment, a piercing voice ripped through the air, echoing off the cliff.

“Your Highness! No!”

Coming to his senses, Kylance paused, slowly lowering the foot he had lifted.

He turned, his movements slow and heavy.

The desperate voice was Deryl’s.

Kylance’s cold, dark eyes bored into Deryl as he knelt before him, gasping for breath.

“…Deryl.”Kylance’s deep voice rumbled, calm yet chilling.

At the icy gaze, Deryl fell to his knees with a heavy thud.

“I dared to lay hands on Your Highness. I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit.”

Yes, it had been Deryl – the one who had stopped him when he tried to follow Ariel.

Had it not been for him, Ariel might have been saved.

If only you hadn’t gotten in the way.

For a brief moment, Kylance’s eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.

She wouldn’t have been left alone in the depths of that cold, endless sea.

Rage surged through him, raw and unstoppable, pounding violently in his head.

But before it could consume him, Kylance’s lips twisted into a bitter smile, laced with contempt.

It wasn’t Deryl’s fault that he had lost Ariel.

It was his own foolishness that had allowed her to slip away.

He was the one who had left her, the one who had turned his back on her.

Who could he blame now?

If anyone was to be blamed, it was himself – his own ignorance and mistakes.

Punishing Deryl would achieve nothing. It would be nothing more than an unjust venting of his anger. After all, Deryl had only done his duty by trying to protect him.

“This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. All of it.”

Kylance’s voice was heavy with guilt and remorse.

Deryl, unable to comprehend the depth of Kylance’s feelings, bowed his head in silence.

It was then that Deryl noticed Kylance’s bare feet.

As soon as his master had come to his senses, he had rushed here without even stopping to put on his shoes.

Deryl had told himself he had no regrets – that stopping Kylance had been the right thing to do to protect him.

But now, seeing his master so broken, doubts began to creep in.

Had he truly saved him, or had he simply left behind an empty shell of the man he once was?

The terrible question haunted him.

Deryl bowed his head and pleaded desperately,

“Your Highness, please… pull yourself together. Even if you threw yourself into the sea now, you wouldn’t find her. You must hold on – hold on until we can bring Lady Blante back.”

It was a desperate act, using Lady Blante’s name, but Deryl feared that without her, Kylance might seek his own end at any moment.

To his surprise, Kylance’s calm, steady voice echoed above him.

“I know. It’s too late for that now. I’m not going to jump into the sea, so get up.”

Deryl paused for a moment before hesitantly rising to his feet.

Kylance turned away from him, his gaze fixed once more on the vast, unforgiving sea.

The vast, endless sea weighed heavily on Kylance’s chest, choking him.

If there was any chance of finding them, he would dive in without a second thought. But it was already too late.

Hours had passed, irretrievably.

To throw himself into the water now would be a futile, meaningless gesture.

The place where he had lost Ariel was right before his eyes, yet he was powerless to act.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he clenched his fists and turned to Deryl.

“When will the waves die down?”