PDMLS 14

“I heard that even if you died and came back to life, you wouldn’t be able to beat me.”

“Who?”

“You.”

What?

“Magic isn’t omnipotent, so if someone were to launch a surprise attack, I thought it would probably be at night.”

I had no choice but to ask again.

“You were worried because you were afraid of me?”

“I didn’t say it quite like that.”

“So you’re saying you couldn’t sleep at night because you were trembling in fear that I might defeat you, Phillion Elfert?”

“I think that wording is a little strange.”

“Either way, it means the same thing.”

Soon, Phillion spoke quietly.

“……You can worry about something like that.”

If I wasn’t hearing things, he sounded a little sulky. He turned his head away so I couldn’t see his expression, but the tips of his ears were slightly red.

It was the first reaction I had ever seen from him like this.

But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

Phillion Elfert was—

‘Afraid of me, Lyell Foulkes!’

If I hadn’t covered my mouth just a moment too late, I would have burst out laughing.

To be honest, the thought of openly teasing him and going “oh, really?” had crossed my mind for a moment, but I bit my lips tightly and held it back.

Unlike Phillion Elfert, I was a person with something called consideration.

You shouldn’t make fun of a patient.

Even thinking that, I should have been mature enough to endure it, but I couldn’t control the corners of my mouth.

His reaction was just too funny.

And also—

‘It’s new.’

If it were the Phillion I knew, he would never have admitted something like this even with a blade pressed to his throat.

He would have denied the fact that he was sleep-deprived itself.

He probably would have asked if I was some kind of quack.

When someone loses their memories, do they really become like this? Or did losing more than twenty years of memories completely change his personality?

……I wish he had always been like this.

“Phillion. I told you this before, but I’ll say it again.”

Looking at his still-sulky back, I spoke as gently as I could.

“I will never hurt you.”

Because once your memories return, you’re the kind of person who will pay me back a thousand times over.

“I don’t launch surprise attacks without warning. Even if we end up falling out and I want to fight you, I’ll never do it that way.”

All 153 battles between us had been official duels.

If we were going to clash, it was cleaner if it was officially recorded.

Otherwise, later, he might refuse to acknowledge the result.

“Look at today. I brought you to the hospital properly, didn’t I?”

At that, he moved only his eyes and glanced back at me.

I smiled.

“So was that all you did at night? Wait around wondering when I would come?”

“I also thought about what would happen in the future. I even thought, ‘This is why it was better when my master was around…….’ I didn’t have to think about troublesome things. I just had to do as I was told.”

“That’s different from the Phillion I know. The old you deliberately dug into difficult research problems. And then it was so annoying when you said you solved them all in a single day.”

“Perhaps they weren’t actually that difficult.”

This guy.

“Or maybe the other problems were so complicated that magic research felt relatively simple and entertaining in comparison.”

That might actually be true.

As the heir, he probably had countless things he had to study.

Not to mention his conflicts with his brothers.

“Um…… I don’t know if it’s just my imagination.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t say you’re not Phillion anymore.”

Phillion didn’t answer.

But the way his brows had drawn together tightly told me one thing.

His memories had returned.

The tension began rising again.

See? This was exactly what I had been talking about.

I didn’t even have the mind to tease him anymore.

After a moment, his lips parted.

“I haven’t remembered everything. I don’t have detailed memories that I can explain to someone. My name…… and also.”

“And also……?”

“Lyell Foulkes.”

I clenched my fists.

What was I supposed to say?

I’m sorry for deceiving you?

I had no choice?

No, but if you had just listened to me in the first place……!

“That woman.”

“Uh…… what?”

“Lyell Foulkes.”

I tilted my head slightly.

That woman?

Not you?

“She seems different from what I knew.”

“Different how?”

“I heard she was a kind and benevolent person. Someone who was kind even to strangers. But……”

His brows furrowed.

“She seems rather…… irritable.”

“What?”

“She has a foul mouth. She gets angry easily and blames others often. Above all, she absolutely hates me.”

Well, it wasn’t exactly wrong.

“And I also hated that woman.”

At that moment, I fell silent.

With a serious expression, Phillion continued.

“When I saw that woman’s name engraved beneath the statue earlier, I suddenly became furious to the point where it reached the top of my head. I have never been that angry in my life. I don’t have the memories, but I was certain. Probably.”

“……”

“Probably…… I hated her enough that I wanted to kill her.”

“……”

“She was definitely not my lover either. I’m certain.”

Yes.

Definitely not.

It wasn’t even close to something like that.

So there was no reason for me to be shocked.

More importantly, what surprised me now was—

“What about me? Don’t you know me?”

“……”

“Do you still…… not remember me?”

Phillion thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“I don’t know. You either. Nor the name Rex Emil.”

I stared closely at him, wondering if he was lying just to tease me.

But there wasn’t even the slightest hint of that.

I lowered my head and organized my thoughts.

So Phillion really didn’t remember me.

More accurately, he didn’t know the face of ‘Lyell Foulkes.’

Considering what he had said, this situation was actually fortunate.

How could we possibly work together in the future if I was the person he hated enough to want to kill?

If he found out that I was Lyell Foulkes……

“Rex?”

“Huh?”

When I lifted my gaze, I saw that Phillion had approached right in front of me.

He asked,

“……Are you disappointed?”

I hurriedly shook my head.

“No! Not at all!”

“But still……”

“You might not remember! Don’t worry about it! I was just, um, I was just……”

Because I was so shocked.

The moment I realized it, I was completely overwhelmed.

What did I realize?

Come on, Phillion had just said it himself.

He hated me.

Which meant—

‘He never liked me.’

My face suddenly grew hot.

I couldn’t look at Phillion anymore and quickly lowered my gaze.

I simply couldn’t face him.

‘This is so embarrassing!!’

The last time I had felt this embarrassed was when I had told Phillion not to take on a disciple.

At least back then, I had only thought it to myself and hadn’t told anyone.

But this was still humiliating.

Of all the things I could have imagined, why did I imagine something like that?

And with Phillion of all people!

“I’m going to get some, some fresh air!”

I needed more time to sort out my thoughts.

I didn’t even know what kind of expression I should make when facing him now.

However, the moment I stood up, he grabbed my wrist.

I turned around anxiously.

“……Do you have something else to say?”

“Excuse me? Ah, no. I just did it without realizing.”

Thank goodness.

It seemed like I wouldn’t have to endure any more shocking revelations.

Then please let go now.

But Phillion didn’t seem to have any intention of releasing me.

He stared at me silently for a while.

Then—

“Your eyes are red.”

“……”

“Did you cry?”