Alfred, the manor's butler, was the Viscountess's fifth-degree nephew.
The now-deceased Viscount Mancini was often away from the mansion on official matters, and as he was concerned about his young daughter and wife, he searched among his relatives for someone capable of managing the mansion.
'Maybe that's why Madam trusts this man's words very much."
In reality, he was a loyal counselor who worked silently like a shadow behind Madam's back.
'He is a butler who moved Into the mansion at a young age without starting a family and devotes himself entirely to work."
If you look at the overall management of this large mansion, it's not like he's lacking in ability.
With that level of ability, despite being the second son of a noble family, he refused to get married and became the butler of the mansion.
Is he lacking ambition?
"This way."
The man who bluntly led the way to the stables bowed.
As I passed him by in response to the light greeting, I felt a hot gaze on the back of my head.
Windy whispered.
[He saw the owner several times. Although it is not an explicit gaze, it is a look that is conscious of the owner.]
'I know.'
"If you're talking about meeting the lady, it would be this way. The leading horse is Victoria. It's a precious breed that Madam received as a birthday present from the Viscountess, who passed away a long time ago."
A calm tone of voice and a firm attitude without any distractions.
I slowly turned my gaze from him, who showed 'perfect' manners beyond Madam, to the horse.
The horse, which knew nothing, was closing its innocent eyes with a bewildered look on its face, wondering why on earth I was here.
"Is there anything on your mind?"
"..."
There was no trace of expectation in his eyes as he asked me.
'Windy, now.'
A light breeze blew from somewhere and tickled the horse's eyes, causing the horse to stamp its feet.
I stepped back in surprise at the horse's purring and ripping behavior and as I narrowed my eyes, Alfred quickly pulled the horse's reins. His eyes fell on my trembling hands.
"I guess it's too much."
"I don't remember anything."
I already remember everything vividly, so is there really any need to remember more?
As I bit my lip, pretending to be frustrated, he looked at me and bluntly offered words of comfort.
"As time passes, the memories may come back. The therapist also said there was no need to rush."
"Yes."
After nodding, Alfred said that was enough for today and led me to my room. Then I instructed Annie to have the maids take turns watching over me so that I would not have nightmares tonight.
"Miss, are you okay?"
I shrugged my shoulders, pretending to be sullen at Annie, who was making a fuss about me.
"I just caused a lot of trouble to the butler. He took me to the stable and soothed me, and then he backed away in surprise without even looking at the horse."
"It can't be. You saw it. The butler is extremely devoted to the young lady. You heard him tell me to stay by your side all day and take care of you, and to comfort you because you're scared!"
No, Annie.
I remained silent with my eyes down and said nothing.
It was clear that Alfred did not appreciate my presence.
Nevertheless, he treats me with such politeness and without any deviation that no one in the mansion can guess his intentions.
Perfection without a flaw is visible to those who are wary, not those who are attracted to it.
Moreover, 'stay by my side and take care of me all day long' means the same thing as keeping an eye on me and watching my every move.
I got what I wanted very easily thanks to a small accident earlier.
'I found it easier than I thought.'
I thought that if Alfred clearly didn't like me, he wouldn't bother holding the reins of the horse.
This ruined my original plan to make the horse run wild, but it made one thing clear.
'He's suspicious of me.'
Ever since the moment I woke up.
I turned my head and called out to the young maid who was faithfully standing by my side.
"You..."
"Yes?"
"Please take care of me tonight."
When I spoke with a bright smile, she blushed and muttered.
"Well, you don't have to say that..."
Do I have a good feeling? Are there too many suspicions to begin with?
It didn't matter either way.
Two days have passed.
Now that I knew who was friendly and hostile to me in the mansion. It was time to get moving.
***
That night, terrible, pitiful screams shook the large mansion.
“Oh my god, honey!”
Madam who was sleeping upstairs looked at me with a shocked look on her face.
I was pale and struggling as if I couldn't see the people around me.
"Miss, please come to your senses! You can't do this!"
I was panting hard, shaking my hair, and spitting out in a hoarse voice.
"Mom, please save me!"
At my words, the Viscountess stopped as if she were pinned to the spot.
"Those people are chasing me-"
She couldn't even breathe as she faced my eyes full of fear.
"I think they're trying to kill me. Mom! Please save me, please-!"
The moment the screams filled the room, tears fell from Viscountess Mancini's eyes.
"Baby."
Eventually, with trembling lips, she called me.
"My baby."
No, it wasn't me.
She approached her long-lost daughter, step by step, held her in her arms, and cried.
"It's okay. Mother will protect you. I will protect you, my baby."
The embrace of my mother, which I experienced for the first time in my life, was quite warm.
I, who had never once rested my tired body in the arms of my mother who would protect me, was so exhausted from my long-awaited performance that I fainted and fell asleep.
She stayed by my side all night.
When I opened my eyes, a therapist who was much older than the therapist who visited the mansion before was waiting for me. He looked at me with a serious look on his face and closed his eyes, then opened his mouth.
"Do you remember anything about last night?"
"Dream. I had a dream."
"Do you remember the content of that dream?"
I frowned, as if I was trying to force myself to think, and began to stutter.
"I'm not sure, but I think it was a memory from my childhood. My mom, she was by my side, and we... I think we were riding in a carriage. To go somewhere."
"To go somewhere."
He started scribbling down something on a piece of paper as if taking notes.
"I definitely enjoyed it. Like going on a picnic, very enjoyable..."
"It was fun. And?"
"After that, I don't really remember. I can only recall a few fragmentary scenes."
I flinched with fear as if remembering something uncomfortable.
As I curled up like a child with my toes curled, Annie who was next to me patted me and comforted me.
"Behind my back... Arrows are flying. The nasty people were screaming."
"You mean arrows?"
"Yes."
"It's an arrow."
"I grabbed my mother's hand and started running away."
When I traced Isabella's memory, a natural reaction emerged without me having to try to act.
While I was running away in the cold weather through the dark night without being able to see an inch ahead, my mother's hand holding my hand was my only comfort.
"Hmm."
After hearing what I said, he nodded and asked again.
"Is there anything else that comes to mind?"
I shook my head and then hesitated to look at him.
"Anything is okay. Even the little things are good."
"I think there was a small, box."
"A box?"
"A box the size of two spans, locked with a silver lock."
"Just looking at the size, it looks like a storage box for trinkets..."
After measuring the size with his hand, he was intently trying to determine the identity of the box and soon closed his notebook.
I put my hands together as if I was desperate and held on to the man who had 'come for treatment'.
"Just as I remembered a few scenes through my dreams, will I be able to regain the rest of my memories intact?"
Seeing me frustrated, he took off his hat and nodded with a gentle face.
"Of course. Calm your mind and focus on meditation. If you just go about your daily life, your memories will come back quickly."
After he left the room after giving me some obvious advice, I immediately summoned the spirit.
'Windy.'
Windy, who had heard my call, quickly followed behind the man and let the sound of the conversation drift away in the wind.
'How is it?'
"There is nothing suspicious. To be honest, this is a very typical reaction. In fact, she is regaining her memories
"No matter how much you think about it. isn't it strange? Most of my people know that Mad lost her daughter right in front of her eyes to a merciless incident. Accidentally crashing into Madam's carriage, losing her memory, having a nightmare, and accidentally crying out for help in front of Madam? Weren't those the dead lady's last words!"
Alfred's tone, which had always been calm, rose even further. Once again, the attitude of the therapist dealing with him was much calmer and more rational.
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