CH 3

Chapter 3 - The Monster Duke Mistook Me for His Wife

Translated by Lianaarn

Edited by Lianaarn

“…What?”

What did I hear? Surprised, I asked back before I knew it.

“I asked who I am.”

“…Don’t you remember?”

Dillian frowned as if he had a headache.

“…Yeah.”

“Really…?”

“I don’t remember anything. Who I am. What kind of person I am. Even my name.”

So…now. He lost his memory? You’re not teasing me, aren’t you?

Having my eyes widened and mouth opened, I hurriedly covered my mouth.

“Uhm, sorry. Wait a minute.”

My voice trembled. My fast beating heartbeat kept me breathing heavily.

‘He lost his memory because I hit him in the head, right? I’m sure of it.’

Looking at the innocent eyes that knew nothing, I feel a sense of guilt.

How shocked he must be to lose his memory.

I bowed my head quickly.

“You alright?”

“…Yes, I am alright.”

I replied with a trembling voice.

While feeling sorry for him, I felt a deep sense of relief.

Even if the sky collapses, there’s a hole to survive, it really is.

I put both of my hands on my face.

‘My prayers come true…!’

I wasn’t begging to erase all of his memories, but I was glad to find a hole for me to keep alive.

“Oh my…”

I like it. I’ve been doing that for a long time.

I didn’t even know that the Duke, who lost his memory, had a strange misunderstanding at the time.

***

It was Dillian who woke me up from my deep thoughts.

“Hey, is it okay?

“Ah, I am sorry. I was so surprised.”

After capturing my slightly twitching lips, I asked him carefully.

“Don’t you really remember how we met?”

“…Yeah.”

“I see.”

I clenched my fist as hard as I could.

Crap, I think I’m going to cry.

How hard it was for me after hitting Dillian in the head.

Senses of relief touched the tip of my nose.

‘I don’t have to worry about dying for now.’

So, what’s left is to open my mouth to tell him and send out Dillian from this house.

‘Wait, but why is he looking at me with such eyes?’

I frowned not to be obvious at Dillian’s gaze that touched my cheeks.

I couldn’t express it accurately, but it’s like a gaze as he was looking at a child abandoned on the water.

“Are you really okay?”

…Or a puppy that has lost its owner.

‘What’s this, am I treated like a kind of a little dog.’

Dillian, who was staring at me, reached his hand out.

Surprised by a large hand with the size of a pot lid headed to me, I closed my eyes reflexively.

Some time after, something touched my eye. It was hard, rough, and warm.

I opened my eyes that were closed by the surprises. And I could see Dillian’s face was closer than before.

While freaked out by his behavior of caressing my eye with his index finger, he didn’t stop there, and continued to surprise me.

“Oh, you didn’t cry.”

“What? Ah, never mind.”

I slipped back and escaped from Dillian’s hand.

‘What’s wrong with a person who is obsessed to hate a physical contact with another person…’

Ah! Is it because he lost his memory? Probably it is, that was too sudden.

My heart is still beating so fast.

I don’t know if it’s because Dillian is scary or because of the eyes on his pretty face, but my heart almost popped out of my mouth.

“I was just surprised for a moment. Yes, that’s why.”

It hasn’t been that long since I woke up, so my voice sounds particularly heavy.

Dillian becomes silent. I didn’t mean for him to respond to my words, but the way he looked down to his hand was somewhat strange.

At the sudden change of the strange atmosphere, I took a hint by looking at Dillian’s eyes carefully then opened my mouth.

“Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

As Dillian gaze turned to me, he asked.

“Who are you? Who are you to stay by my side?”

When I tried to explain the fact that I was a savior who saved your life, at that time.

Nathan, who was sleeping, woke up.

“What do you mean who she is! She is the one who saved your life!”

“Nathan!”

How can you speak!

You promised not to open your mouth in front of others to me!

I hurriedly covered Nathan’s mouth, but the angry Nathan shook my hand.

“You didn’t know how much our Lia suffered to save you!”

Yeah, I have suffered. I brought Dillian to my house, so my overused body still feels tired.

Nathan is busy taking my side while flapping its wings.

“But how can you completely forget about our Lia? How I’ve seen such a guy!”

Nathan if you talk like that, it could be seen that Dillian and I are having a deep relationship.

“Nathan, stop it! He’s still a patient.”

After I dissuaded, while still can’t relieve it’s anger, Nathan shot a fierce gaze at Dillian.

And Dillian, who received that gaze, found it interesting.

Seeing his red eyes, what came to mind is obvious interest and curiosity.

“An owl who talks.”

“I’m not an ordinary owl, I’m Lia’s guardian!”

“You’re raising something interesting.”

Looking at the angry Nathan, Dillian didn’t even blink.

“So, who are you?”

It is not a suspicious thought. Unlike before, an interesting question came back.

“It’s late, but I will introduce myself to you. I am Lia Delice. I am not a great person, just an ordinary herbalist. And Sir’s name is…”

Trying to tell his name without thinking, I paused for a while.

It will be complicated if I tell his last name, right?

“It is Dillian.”

You informed me before you lost consciousness.

‘Such a perfect alibi.’

After Dillian learned his name, ‘Dillian’ he muttered his name several times.

With the expectation that doing so would bring back memories. But nothing comes to his mind as his expression becomes darker and darker as time goes by.

“This is Nathan. My guardian and precious family.”

I only give a simple explanation, because I can’t reveal that it is a holy creature.

Contrary to my worries, Dillian didn’t pay any more attention to Nathan.

It was none other than me who took his attention.

“Did we know each other?”

“No. We have never met before.”

Such controversial words. I absolutely, absolutely didn’t want to be acquainted with Dillian.

“I brought Sir Dillian who is bleeding in the forest.”

In short words ‘you’re my patient, I’m your savior’.

Dillian’s face, who understood the meaning at once, cracked.

With the face which says ah, while looking at me, he swept down his face with a heavy sigh.

“…Without knowing, I made a disrespectful comment.”

What…? Disrespect…?

Nathan nodded, satisfied with his words without knowing me who was hardened like a stone.

“Fortunately, it looked like he was a man who knew his place.”

Shut up. Nathan. That’s not the problem now.

That Dillian Sinaize! He used honorifics on me! He says sorry!

Dillian, who I thought would be arrogant, surprisingly has common sense.

Is it because he is in the state of losing memory? He didn’t seem to be the vicious duke I knew.

But I can’t be happy.

‘Dillian’s apologize! I don’t want to hear that!’

Dillian who regained his memory later on.

「You dare to fool me? You must want to die, trying to kill me and shamelessly receiving my apology. Might say that while trying to kill me.」

I hurriedly waved my hand.

“It is not. You must be shocked that you lost your memory. I can understand that.”

“I am sorry about that.”

However, Dillian, who was unnecessarily polite, bowed his head and apologized.

“I beg you. Please don’t be sorry!”

After contemplating, the blank me grabbed his cheek and lifted it up.

Dillian eyes grow bigger as he is looking at me, perhaps surprised by the sudden grab on his cheek.

I made eye contact with Dillian shaking eyes, and said it again.

“I don’t want to hear your apologies.”

“…”

“I beg you. Please.”

With my request eagerly Dillian nodded slowly.

“Yes I will, so, now could you let go of my cheeks please.”

“Ouch.”

I let go of my hands in surprise at the warmth felt in my palm. What did I do…!

Surprised, I was confused and pulled my body backwards.

“Sorr, I’m sorry. You feel hungry, right? I will prepare the meal quickly.”

By squeezing out an excuse to leave the room,  I quickly turned my back.

I was going to go out straight to the kitchen. If only Dillian’s voice hadn’t caught my ankle.

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“…Yes, please tell me.”

“About us. Are you sure we’ve never met before?”

What’s the meaning of that question? I have an eye contact with Dillian for quite some time.

Just as I tried to find something from him,  he also tried to find something from me.

‘Is he doubting me?’

But there was no sign of that. Dillian who lost his memory completely, expressed his feelings without hiding, there was no such thing as doubt.

The low sinking eyes were covered with a sense of guilt.

‘Sense of guilt? No matter how much he lost his memory, Dillian won’t have such a feeling.’

I guess something happened to my head because I couldn’t sleep. Smirking on the inside, I nodded.

“Yes. That’s all.”

That was all it had to be. I don’t want to get involved anymore.

Worried Dillian would try to hold me again, I escaped and left the room. I could feel a stinging gaze on the back of my head, but I didn’t look back.

Having escaped to the kitchen, I hit my head on the table and rolled my feet.

“You’re crazy. Why did you do that? Idiot.”

As I banged my head on the table, I got up.

“Let’s send him quickly. I must hurry up to let him go.”

And let’s leave this village, this empire. Before Dillian regained his memory, I had to run as far away as possible.

“Before sending him go, he needs to eat”

I chopped the washed onions.

tap tap tap tap-

Tears flowed because of its spicy air.

Ouch, this onion is too spicy.

***

Looking at the escaping small back, Dillian’s gaze turned down.

‘Why did I do that?’

Dillian slowly touched his index finger.

The soft and warm feel seemed to still remain at his fingertips.

Strangely, all of this felt familiar.

‘Did this happen before?’

Crash. As he tried to recall his memory, Dillian touched his head in a dull pain that struck like a big wave.

Crap, what on earth is that woman that bothers me so much.

And what is this scent that fills the room.

Dillian swallowed his breath in the sweet smell that lingered at the tip of his nose.

“Hey. Owl.”

“Nathan is my name.”

Instead of following Lia, Nathan who claimed to be under Dillian’s surveillance responded bluntly to his call.

“Nathan. I want to ask you one question.”

“What are you curious about?”

Even though it didn’t like Dillian, Nathan who inherently loves and cares for humans showed him the least kindness.

“What was the relationship between that woman and me?”

“Uh, what relationship,  I told you. You’ve never met before.”

I really want to believe it, but there are many doubts about it for a first time meeting relationship.

The surprised face with the doesn’t know what to do attitude by my words about losing memory, her crying face, and the bitter smile on her mouth as if she is already giving up.

And in conclusion.

The voice that came out of the answer as I said that I forgot to meet her.

‘…I think I’m going to cry.’

It was a thin voice that was damp as if it were about to burst into tears.

“She treats me like a fool just because I lost memory.”