The next morning, I brought Poobe his breakfast. Poobe was startled at the sight of my brightly swollen face.
âPutting together that face and Kururi bringing me breakfast⊠did you have an argument with Eli?â
âI wish.â
âEh?! That serious, huh?!â
âOur Eli probably wonât return anymore. She may have been snatched away by the detestable Eliza Deauville.â
âWhat?! Then, go get her back!â
âMeh, there are things in this world that are better left forgotten.â
âHow timid! You know what, Iâm going with Eli if you guys break up!â
Hey!! Youâre my dragon!! How dare you say that!
In the end, Poobe and I had a minor argument, too. What an awful morning.
Despite resting all night, only insignificant memories had resurfaced so far. I couldnât recall the reason why Eli and I woke up from the cocoon together. However, I remembered the fact that I was a chubby kid, which was irrelevant. I also remembered my fatherâs accident in the forest. I could care less!
I returned to the mansion where the worst atmosphere was brewed in the first place. Ordinarily, the living room would greet me with overflowing happiness, where Eli would be busily moving around preparing a warm meal. It had been reduced to this stiff quietness.
Eliza Deauville had been in a belligerent state, shutting herself in the room on the second floor.
While I was anxiously pondering about how to deal with matters at hand, Toto visited the mansion with good timing.
âWhat a nasty atmosphere! Donât tell me⊠did Poobe die?!â
âNo, he didnât die!!â
From afar, Poobe answered Totoâs conjecture with a dragon cry. Dragons have exceptional hearing after all.
âPoobe is lively today too, gliding above the mansion as usual. Whatâs most appalling is Eliza Deauville.â
âEh? Donât you mean Miss Eli? Did you two argue? Ah, that explains the bruise. You guys get along well.â
No, weâre donât!! We definitely do not get along!!
âAn argument wouldâve been better. But that wasnât the case. Both Eli and I had Neko-sensei performed magic to regain our memories.â
âReally?! And then, how did it go?â
âSome memories are surely coming back. But the memories had only returned partially. I have all Kururi Helanâs memories after he lost them. But the memories before, around when I attended the academy, are fragmented. I donât remember why I became a blacksmith, or why Eliza Deauville and I woke up from the cocoon together. I had no recollection at all regarding that matter.â
âYou mean, your memories havenât returned completely yet?â
âNeko-sensei said that I probably will gain back all my memories.â
âThen itâs okay.â
âI donât think so. Eliza Deauville gave me this bruise. Sheâs not Eli. She has become a different person since Eliza Deauvilleâs personality took over. I can imagine having a good relationship with Eli, but with Eliza Deauville, itâs utterly inconceivable.â
âAre you saying you canât remember why you became close with Miss Eliza?â
âDid I really become close with Eliza Deauville? That thought eludes me.â
âI donât know the details either. At the beginning of the academy life, Miss Eliza gave out a nasty aura. But somehow I felt like she gradually transformed into a more Miss Eli esque aura.â
âDoes that mean there was a turning point during the academy life?â
âMaybeâŠâ
That would be nice, but seeing the current Eliza Deauville, itâs utterly inconceivable.
âIsnât Miss Eli also in the same condition? Even if you didnât get along well back then, the two of you lived here happily together. Canât you keep at it so to get along better that way?â
âThe evil image of Eliza Deauville in me is preventing me to think that way. Moreover, the past Kururi Helan in Eliâs memory seemed to be more evil in some instances, where I wasnât considered the same person.â
ââŠWoah, thatâs dreadful. Shall I bring medicinal herbs to calm the mind?â
âNah, I donât think Eliza Deauville would drink it. Why bother.â
Curse that detestable woman who took all Eliâs good elements and only left a crude disposition. Iâd like medicinal herbs that could punish her if possible.
âBy the way, do you remember your memories with me?â
ââŠI made you drink the water from the hot spring of Helan territory and gave you diarrhea.â
âThatâs right, I had almost forgotten. Something like that did happen. I had pretty bad diarrhea, you know.â
Iâm sorry!!
âOh, didnât you and Iris grow giant vegetables?â
âThatâs right!â
âYes, bingo!â
I wonder what this pleasant sensation Iâm feeling.
Afterward, I continued chatting with Toto to verify the accuracy of the information that resurfaced and sort out the fragments of my memories. Even though Toto had a different intention in visiting this mansion, we only talked about our memories. We were chatting merrily, but the fun didnât last long. The evil on the second floor was descending.
She slammed the door open. A cold aura oozed out from the sleep-deprived and discontent Eliza Deauville that had appeared before us.
She walked closer uncompromisingly while glaring sharply at Toto. Reading the atmosphere, Toto jumped out of his seat and was ready to escape the room. I immediately grabbed his hand and gave him a pleading gaze to stay.
Eliza Deauville sat, where Toto was sitting before, facing me as if getting ready to have a serious conversation. Toto watched over us while standing next to me.