Chapter 70. The Returned Memory

“Mom! Don’t go!”

Terrified by the sound of swords clashing outside, I shook my head. But my mother was firm.

“If, by any chance, Mom can’t protect you, you must run away as far as you can. What should you do in an emergency?”

“C-call the knights and hide in a safe place.”

“Right. Our Lala is good at hide-and-seek. You’ll be able to hide well with your friend.”

My mother handed me a knight caller. It was a magic tool connected to the Francis Knight Order, tracking the location in real-time. She probably gave it to me to ensure my protection.

“Of all times, your father isn’t in the capital….”

My mother seemed certain that it was a sneak attack by an enemy. She carried the caller for emergencies like this but probably never expected to use it.

“I’ve already called them, so they’ll arrive within 10 minutes. Mom will buy some time until then….”

Just as my mother was finishing her instructions.

“Ugh!”

The carriage started moving abruptly. My mother, losing her balance, fell to the floor.

It was hard to stand properly with the rough driving. I held Aster tightly and trembled.

“I-it’s okay, Ash. Our castle knights are very strong….”

“I-I-I think it’s because of me.”

At that moment, Aster mumbled, pale-faced. Looking down at him with a puzzled expression, Aster burst into tears and said.

“I-I’m sure it’s because my mother sent them. So throw me out of the carriage. Then Lala will be safe.”

Aster’s words made the atmosphere in the carriage serious. My mother asked Aster.

“Ash, what do you mean? Can you explain to Auntie?”

“S-sorry. Because of me, sob, sob!”

Aster started crying loudly. Then he tried to jump out of the carriage, and I hugged his waist tightly.

“Are you crazy? If you jump out now, you might break your leg!”

“B-but if we stay like this, you’ll be in danger too….”

Aster couldn’t stop crying and talking nonsense. I blocked the door, fearing he might try to jump out again.

In the urgent situation, I couldn’t understand what was happening. Then, after a long silence, my mother spoke.

“Now that I think about it, I heard there are two illegitimate boys in Blanche.”

At the mention of Blanche, Aster’s shoulders stiffened. As a child, I tilted my head, puzzled by the sudden mention of Blanche. Aster trembled and said.

“S-s-sorry…. I-I didn’t mean to deceive….”

“How could it be your fault? The fault lies with the adults.”

My mother sighed deeply. Since she had already called for help, the Francis knights would follow soon. But I knew it would be too late by the time they arrived.

That’s why the vision unfolding before me was so painful. There’s nothing more helpless than experiencing an unavoidable accident again.

At that moment, the young me, who didn’t understand the conversation between my mother and Aster, asked.

“Ash, what do you mean? Blanche?”

“C-Camilla, I-I….”

“Are you saying you’re from Blanche?”

“…S-sorry.”

Aster apologized with a tearful face. I couldn’t hide my disappointment and spoke, my voice trembling with surprise.

“Have you been deceiving me all this time?”

“…….”

“I thought there were no secrets between us….”

At that time, I felt more betrayed by the fact that Aster had been deceiving me than by the fact that he was from Blanche. It hurt me that he hadn’t given me enough trust as his friend.

In fact, our first meeting was in an alley where only commoners walked. I found Aster collapsed while pretending to be a commoner exploring the alley.

At that time, I didn’t suspect he was an illegitimate child of a noble family. His clothes were too shabby to be considered noble. I just thought he was a child abused by his parents.

But hearing that he was an illegitimate child of Blanche was shocking. Especially since Blanche was a rival of Francis.

Then Aster, trembling, said.

“You said you hated Blanche….”

“That’s…!”

It seemed my words criticizing Paris Blanche and Helen Blanche in front of Aster had caused this. He couldn’t reveal his identity because of my blatant hatred for Blanche.

Considering how timid he was when he was young, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

“Ha. You’re really a fool.”

Feeling both embarrassed for criticizing Blanche in front of him and betrayed by his lie, I couldn’t easily open my mouth.

Seeing my darkening expression, Aster began to panic. Just as I was about to tell him that I wouldn’t hate him for being from Blanche, an opportunity didn’t come easily.

“I-I’m sorry. I was going to tell you today. Actually, I’m leaving soon….”

Aster tried to say something before me. And at that moment, the carriage door suddenly opened.

A rough-looking man spat out curses and looked inside the carriage. Then he saw Aster and spoke harshly.

“Come out.”

His polite words were in a threatening tone. My mother blocked Aster. She couldn’t let suspicious people take Aster. She said,

“Who sent you? How dare you demand the child after hijacking the carriage.”

The man frowned and shouted at my mother’s refusal to hand over Aster.

“Who kidnapped the child?”

“It’s not kidnapping, it’s protection.”

“Step aside. This has nothing to do with you!”

The man spoke irritably and tried to drag Aster out of the carriage. I grabbed Aster’s hand tightly and shouted.

“No! Don’t hurt Aster!”

“You little brat!”

The man raised his hand at that moment. Aster said.

“I’ll go! Just don’t do anything to them.”

“Fine.”

The man gestured for Aster to come out, as if he didn’t care as long as he took Aster. I hurriedly called out to Aster.

“Aster! Don’t go!”

“I-I-I’m okay. I’m used to this.”

“Used to it?”

“I’m really okay. Really.”

Aster smiled as if nothing was wrong. But he couldn’t stop his lips from trembling.

“Are you really going?”

“I can’t cause more trouble. Thank you for treating me warmly.”

Aster bowed politely to my mother. My mother seemed to have a lot to say, but knowing that he was from Blanche, she hesitated to intervene further.

She was worried about what Blanche might do using this incident as an excuse. Aster looked at me and said.

“I… I’m leaving for Arendt soon.”

“Leaving?”

My mind went blank with the sudden farewell after the ambush. I was worried that Aster might get hurt if he followed that man.

“You’re just leaving like this?”

I kept holding his hand tightly, unable to let go or hold on.

“I’ll definitely come back….”

With those words, Aster shook off my hand and got out of the carriage. The men didn’t stop there and warned my mother and me.

“If you don’t want to die, keep quiet about what you saw today.”

“You’ll regret it.”

It seemed they didn’t realize we were directly from Francis yet. The man snorted at my mother’s retort.

“Then should I kill you before you regret it?”

“Who do you think you’re talking to….”

My mother reached for her sword, ready to protest strongly. I ran out of the carriage to stop Aster, who was moving away.

It was because I felt an anxiety that I might never see him again if I let him go like this.

“Wait, Ash!”

“Huh?”

Startled, Aster opened his eyes wide. Feeling a surge of emotion at his appearance, like an animal being led to slaughter, I grabbed his hand and gave him something.

“W-what is this?”

Aster looked down at the item in his hand and asked. I hugged him tightly and whispered.

“It’s an item imbued with my ability. If those people bully you, use this to protect yourself.”

“C-Camilla….”

“My ability has only recently manifested, so it’s crude, but it’s better than nothing.”

At that time, I had not officially certified my ability since it was before my birthday. Only my parents knew about my manifested ability.

Usually, noble children with abilities from families would officially get their abilities tested and certified by the imperial family on their eleventh birthday.

Since I had awakened my ability earlier than my peers, my parents had given me some education. One of those teachings was how to imbue objects with my ability, but I had only succeeded in doing it once.

Moreover, I had hastily imbued it into a bracelet I was wearing, so I was a bit worried. I put the bracelet on his wrist myself and advised him.

“Break the bead in an emergency.”

“You’re r-really g-giving this to m-me? E-even though I d-deceived to you?”

“Deceiving me was bad. So I’m mad at you.”

I teared up, hating the idea of fighting and parting ways. Seeing my tears fall, Aster’s face turned pale.

“S-sorry, I-I….”

As Aster fidgeted, I whispered my true feelings quietly enough for only him to hear.

“…But I don’t want you to die.”

But before my true feelings could be fully conveyed, the man separated me from Aster.

“What are you kids whispering about?”