Chapter 15: Chapter Fourteen: Fear of Loneliness

Kai didn't know when he passed out again but when he opened his eyes, it was already dark and cold outside. For a while, he was only blankly staring outside the window, thoughts unknown. After a while, the door was pushed open and a figure entered. As usual, Helix was wearing a white robe. Though, unlike the one last time, what he is wearing now is much more comfortable.

White robe loosely tied on the small waist which yet again, exposed quite a lot of skin on his chest.

Kai remained silent as he stared at Helix. Even the other couldn't predict the thoughts behind those eyes, he didn't mind either. Helix indifferently made his way to Kai's side of the bed and sat on the chair he was using earlier. "Do you have any appetite for dinner?" The other refused to reply and for once, Helix was patient. "Water?" Still no answer. The black-haired man closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. "Is there something wrong?"

The green eyes belonging to Kai simply stared at Helix with a blank expression. Pale, pinkish lips were lined flat and the eyes expressed no kind of emotion. Just like that, the two shared a calm staring contest for a while.

If this goes on, there's no doubt that spring will arrive before they finish this peculiar contest between the two of them.

After a while, Helix placed both of his hands on top of his lap and calmly said. "Do not test my patience, Kai Zein." Though his face showed unwavering indifference, the purple eyes glowed alluringly yet so dangerously cold. "When I'm asking you a question, you must answer."

Kai's palm is already drenched with sweat from his fear and nervousness, but his face remains indifferent. Deep down, he was afraid of evoking this man's anger. But at the same time, he wanted to protest against this man. He keeps leaving, again and again, and Kai is unable to do anything about it. Being left alone in a lonely castle is too painful for someone like him.

In his last life and this life, it was in his nature to be sociable. He truly doesn't want to be alone. Memories of his childhood briefly flashed in his mind and his expressionless face broke. There was now a small frown on his lips.

In the memory, he sat in front of a broken mirror. His hands were bloody and behind him was a young girl, watching speechlessly as she held the door knob. He doesn't remember what happened back then, but all he could recall was that he was inexplicably lonely to the point that his heart ached and yearned for someone's presence. He felt that there was a hole in his heart, in his soul. He felt incomplete during that time.

It was all that Kai could remember. The broken mirror, the bloodied hands, and his sister, speechlessly looking at him with pity and surprise.

What happened before that and the reason why that happened in the first place are completely gone from his memory.

Kai swallowed the words that wanted to say, 'I was from a different world, I am Kai but not the Kai of this world.' and gloomily mumbled instead, "Helix Vernon… Will you please…" he lowered his head. The few strands of his shoulder-length hair fell in front of his face and covered his eyes. "Please don't leave me. If you're leaving, take me with you, will you?"

The one sitting on the chair beside him crossed his legs and arms and raised his head. The frost in his eyes melted and returned to the usual indifference. "So your problem is that you were lonely when I left you alone? So you don't want me to leave, or that I bring you with me?" Perhaps it is because of the situation that he ignored Kai using his full name this time. He closed his eyes for a few seconds while taking a deep breath. Eyes slowly opened themselves and revealed bright purple eyes that carried a faint gentleness as they stared at the person on the bed who didn't reciprocate the gaze.

"Very well. For a while, it's not like I won't be leaving anywhere anyway. I took care of my business during the three months I was gone so that I could take care of you for the following months."

The voice was so pleasant and so smooth while the words were what Kai wanted to hear. He raised his head, lips parted while his jade-colored eyes gleamed with happiness as they stared at the other person.

Helix continued, "Though, I believe that we won't be able to spend our spring here." Helix grabbed a letter from the table and handed it to the still-dumbfounded Kai who mindlessly received it. He only stared at the envelope with a blank expression but when he saw the seal used on the wax, he snapped out of his euphoria, and with wide eyes, he glanced at Helix with confusion. "The royal seal… What is this?"

In the kingdom, there is only one family that could use the symbol of the sun. That is, the Rukadius royal family. What's on the seal is the sun, a crown, and a sword. The royal family's crest itself.

Honestly, he already has an idea about this. Actually, he is already certain. The plot of the novel is starting now.

But what he's confused about is, how did Helix get this on his hands?

"It is an invitation from the crown prince himself." Helix stopped speaking for a moment, glancing at the letter with an expression that Kai couldn't discern at all. 'He does have some lingering feelings for his only family, it seems…' Helix zoned out for a while before he continued, "It is an invitation for the anniversary celebration of the kingdom. Since you are the Duke, it is proper to go to the capital. Moreover, since you are the one guarding the northwest of the kingdom, you also have to give your annual report."

In agreement, Kai gave a nod. But he asked, "But I… My memories are still…" he still needs to keep an act in front of the others after all. If the others find out that he has lost memories, who knows what kind of rumors and suspicions would befall him?

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After the letter, Helix took a small glass bottle out of nowhere. Kai was only surprised for a moment, he soon realized that it was just spatial magic. Helix's specialty…

Inside the clear glass bottle was a brown pill. One glance is all it took Kai to realize that it was not an ordinary pill, but a magic pill. He looked at Helix with confusion evident on his face. Helix shook the bottle and stared at it as he spoke, "Medicine for you. Apparently, it cures memory loss."

"..."

Wasn't this… the plot device the author used once when Kai had amnesia once when a minor antagonist hit him a little bit too hard? The one consuming this pill also would receive great benefits. It included life extension, internal injuries recovery, and heart temptation being cleared. Curing memory loss is only considered a small benefit of this pill.

Also…

Wasn't this concocted and belonged to the Holy Saintess herself?

How did this national treasure end up in this person's hands?

The look of nonchalance and indifference on Helix's face looked different in Kai's eyes right now…

Helix handed the bottle to Kai and said, "Who knows if it will work? However, it's best if you consume it. You might even receive enlightenment and reach the fourth level, learning two levels of magic all in a single day." His eyes were on the bottle. But when he raised his gaze and met Kai's own green eyes, a rare smirk formed in his eyes when he saw the expression the other had. "What, got a problem?"

"... I want to know where you received such a precious thing…"

"I found it when I was casually strolling the streets."

Oh wow… looks like this person lost his disgust and hate towards a crowded place such as a busy street. Moreover, finding a national treasure, a kingdom or an empire would wage a war so easily, what a godsent gift and an entire life worth of luck! Also, with this luck, Kai could probably find a way home when he goes to the marketplace, wouldn't he?

Although Kai is confident in this person's skills and abilities, even he would find it hard to go against the Holy Empire of Urigel, wouldn't he? He thought of the righteous Holy Empire barging into the castle because of the stolen magic pill and Kai looked at Helix with a complicated expression before shaking his head. "No… No problem." 

"Then eat it. Then you'll finally be cured of your memory loss."

Kai hesitantly took the bottle and opened it. The strong smell of medicine was not like what he had gotten used to. Also, the dense amount of magic concentration inside the bottle alone is enough to give a magic beast a conscious mind of its own. Truly, the Saintess of the Holy Empire is so admirable.

As expected of her, the greatest pill concocter in the world. At the young age of eighteen, she could already create something like this… Taking this pill really is a waste. But under Helix's eyes, Kai had no choice but to take the pill out of the bottle and swallow it whole without any hesitation.

"Mhm. Tell me when you feel any changes. Now, going back to my first question…"

Kai looked at Helix, feeling quite overwhelmed. 'Does he know he changed topics more than five times tonight so randomly…?' The taste of bitterness lingered on the tip of his tongue but it was bearable. Helix stood up from his seat and looked at Kai. "Do you want dinner?"

"... I really do."