The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory

As I continued to cry, he added jokingly:
"Then, after the regression, don’t cry. It would be annoying if you cried on some other guy’s shoulder."

At the mention of regression, I shook my head and spoke earnestly.
"I’m going to find you. No matter what, I’ll find you and somehow, I’ll save you."
"Don’t do that," Zahid said, exhaling heavily but mixing his words with a smile.

"The me, filled with distrust toward humans... I don’t think I could be nice to you."
"I don’t care. I’ll find you. No matter what, I’ll find you. And even if you hate it, I’ll stick by you."
"I told you not to do it. You’ll only get hurt."

"Huuuhhh, huuuhhh...!"
"He’s probably already fallen for you, inside, but on the outside, he’ll keep being a pain in the ass. I know the younger me better than anyone."
His joking tone started to fade, and his breath became more labored.

"If you don’t fix that hopeless kid and somehow keep him by your side to marry him, then just don’t get involved. Ah, um, honestly, this was a bit personal. You can ignore it."
Slowly, Zahid’s eyes closed.
"Just... I want you to be happy, only you... That’s enough for me."

"No. No, no, no."
I shook my head as I spoke to Zahid.
"I’m going to find you. No matter what, I’ll come for you."

Zahid, collapsed, couldn’t even respond anymore.
"Of course, I’ll save my brother... and I’ll save you and Fire too."
Tears fell in steady drops.

"Ruff! Ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff!"
Fire barked pitifully beside me.
His breathing gradually grew faint, and then it stopped.
So, before the regression, I had to watch his death through the bars of the cage.

 
****
Now, there were no bars between us.

The Zahid I was seeing for the first time, at eleven years old.
Now that I think about it, I didn’t even know Zahid’s age before the regression.
"Then, I’m nineteen... Zahid, how old are you?"

"How old do I look?"
"Um... about twenty-five?"
"Ah. Is that so? Twenty... five?"

"Maybe older? It’s okay. I like older men anyway. They’re reliable. Hmm, is it because there’s a twelve-year difference between me and my brother?"
"Huh, really? Um... I, I’m glad! I am a bit older, after all."
He mumbled, not giving a clear answer.

I didn’t think his age mattered much either, so I just forgot about {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} it.
The conversation I was the only one remembering seemed a bit funny.
Turns out, he was a year younger than me, but why did he act so grown-up back then?

In the meantime, Zahid tried to rise unsteadily.
"Don’t stand up! You’ll hurt yourself!"
I shouted in surprise and rushed over, but Zahid frowned.

His face, enduring the pain, was worn out.
But still, he was beautiful.
His hair as dark as the night sky, his pale skin, and mysterious violet eyes.

The handsome boy, like a sculpture, ignored my words and straightened his back to sit in the chair.
Then he stared at me with a stiff expression.
"I asked who you are."

Ah.
Only then did I feel like I was splashed with cold water, and my senses returned.
Zahid doesn’t know me.

The time we spent together was something only I remembered.
Though I had expected this situation, seeing Zahid treat me like a stranger made me freeze up.
The butler quickly reported.

"This is Lady Rosie Noart of the Noart Count Family. She is also the newly decided fiancée as per the Senate’s decision today."
Zahid’s expression grew even more sharp.
"Fiancée?"

Just saying that word seemed to send shivers down his spine.
Zahid shot me a wary look and asked the butler.
"...What’s this? Have the strategies changed? Where is my esteemed aunt?"

"Lady Sonoren is currently away due to an issue at the Sonoren Count Family."
At the butler’s words, Zahid’s brow slightly relaxed.
I blinked and took a step closer, smiling as I spoke.

"Don’t worry. Lady Sonoren won’t be coming back. We’ve handled it well."
In fact, this was the method Zahid used to send Elizabeth away before the regression.
After returning to the Sonoren Count Family, Elizabeth took revenge on her husband and his mistress, and truly lost her mind.

All I did was speed up that process a little.
"Ah."
Zahid glared at me and said sarcastically.

"So now, instead of my aunt, Count Noart is here, is that it?"
His voice was dripping with disbelief.
Well.

He had driven out my grandfather and then his uncle came. The situation only worsened.
Then, his uncle was driven out, and his aunt came. The situation worsened again.
And now, with his aunt driven out, we arrived.

So of course, he would find it hard to trust us, who are complete strangers.
"Go back and wait," Zahid said coldly.
"I’ll send the annulment letter."

"Wait a minute!"
I ran to him, calling out.
"Wait! Please listen to me..."

"Stop. Don’t come closer."
Zahid glared at me and warned in a cold voice.
"I told you to leave. Get out now."

Goodness.
I stood there, holding a large bouquet of flowers, frozen.
"Hmph."

I muttered, feeling strangely deflated:
"Yeah, you're right... Everything you said was right..."
"What? What's right?"

"You said I would be an arrogant kid full of distrust toward all humans and surrounded by thorns..."
"What? Who the hell said that?!"
"Ugh, don’t yell."

I blinked a few times and said with concern:
"Your body is probably a mess right now. What will you do if your vocal cords break from shouting? Wouldn't it be better to just let it out instead of holding it in?"
"Are you seriously worrying about that now?"

"Well, it’s not exactly worry... more like heartfelt advice, I guess..."
Zahid widened his eyes in disbelief.
Ethan was still furiously scribbling in his notebook.

PM 2:50 – Yep, it’s Rosie. With the sweetest, most gentle face, she crushes the other person’s composure in five minutes. And before long, both of them are saying nothing.
Then, just as Zahid was about to shout, "Get out now!"
"Ruff ruff! Ruff ruff ruff ruff!"

At the sudden noise, Fire, who had been asleep, opened his eyes.
"...Ruff?"
Fire’s eyes grew wide as he looked at me.

"Ruff, ruff ruff ruff ruff ruff ruff!"
Then, Fire started running toward me frantically.
"No! Fire! Don’t kill him! It’s not like that..."

Zahid shouted in surprise.
"Rough, rough..."
Fire, with his enormous body, practically threw himself at me, rubbing against me.

‘Ah.’
I still had the ability to communicate with the Divine Beast, and Fire’s intent was clearly conveyed to me.

Ah.
You still remember me...
The Divine Beast, Fire, who had been trapped in the cage with me the entire time, Zahid's beast.

I don't know how it happened, but since Fire is a Divine Beast, does he still have memories from before the regression?
Anyway, since the regression itself was a miracle caused by divine power, it wasn’t impossible.
Divine Beasts are not only closest to gods but also respond to divine energy.

I buried my face in Fire’s soft fur.
"Are you really my brother?"
"...Who are you?"

The most important people in my life had all forgotten me.
So, honestly, I hadn’t expected it.
"Hiiing..."

I held Fire even tighter and whispered:
"Thank you."
For some reason, a tear welled up.

"...For remembering me."
It was a truth that came from deep in my heart.
Even though I tried to hold it back, more tears kept falling, one by one.

Before the regression, I had cried so much in that prison.
I was pathetic, unable to do anything but cry, but still, whenever I thought about my brother's death, tears would flow.
Every time, Zahid would console me from outside the bars.

"You can cry, Rosie. But cry in front of me. It breaks my heart to see you cry alone while being trapped here..."
But now, there were no bars between us, and he wouldn’t console me.
All the conversations we shared were now mine alone.

So, I secretly wiped my tears on Fire’s soft fur.
"Kiing, kiing."
And as if comforting me, Fire showed even more affection.

PM 2:52 – The Dyfenril Wolf has gone mad, clinging to Rosie.
That wolf seems to be crazy about cute things.
PM 2:54 – Zahid Dyfenril shouted, "Fire, come here!" but the wolf didn’t even listen to him.

Hmm, I wonder if this Divine Beast was originally Rosie's, and Zahid took it away? Or maybe Rosie’s father was from Dyfenril?
PM 2:56 – Zahid Dyfenril seems to have thought something similar.
After calling the wolf’s name a few times, he eventually asked Rosie, "Are you by any chance from the Dyfenril bloodline?"

The wolf, terrified, shook its head.
Oh, it quickly jumped up and drew a large X with its front paws. Seems like that’s definitely not the case.