Chapter 66 – Chapter 3: Another Memory – 2
“… “Huh!”
I opened my eyes.
The quiet silence and sunlight breaking through the darkness.
The cold air seeps deep into my chest.
It is dawn at dawn.
My head hurts.
This place… Where is it?
I was definitely in the dressing room just a moment ago.
Why am I covered in an unfamiliar blanket?
I spread my hands.
Instead of plump and pure white skin, you can see swollen skin dyed with medicinal herbs.
I raised my head.
It wasn’t an accommodation I was familiar with.
It was someone else’s house with a ceiling made of logs.
My eyes went blank.
Is it a dream?
I was stranded in the Charrak Mountains and fell asleep in a hut to escape the heavy rain.
Did you wake up then?
Could it be that everything I’ve seen so far was just a dream?
“…”
No.
This place… It’s a place I know.
It is a cozy space that is so familiar that I feel relieved without realizing it.
The moment I looked down at my body again.
I felt that the area beneath my vision was empty.
To be exact… There was no mound that was always visible.
Don’t you have breasts?
I realized it as soon as I fumbled.
I am a man.
“Gasp!”
The moment of taking a short breath.
A big earthworm is wandering through my head.
As I wriggled like crazy, all my memories were torn apart piece by piece.
“Wow!”
I felt dizzy and nauseous.
I let out a heavy breath.
“Heo-eok- heo-eok-.”
I remembered.
I am… Tia Anthea… No, no.
It’s Ritz.
My name is ‘Ritz’.
As my grip loosened, something fell to the floor.
It was a red bandage.
“Huh-uh-. Heo-eok-.”
I see.
I am… I came to see all the memories contained in this bandage.
I had just escaped from a memory illusion that had been so long that I couldn’t escape it.
But what on earth did you see?
Even though I’ve definitely seen all the memories, it still feels vague when I try to recall them.
As if caught in a hazy fog.
But one thing is certain…
I saw everything Tia did after she was attacked by the bear.
What exactly did Tia say?
I don’t remember what conversation we had.
I was able to draw a rough picture of the situation.
To rescue Dienbus, he followed the tribute party, met bandits, was shipwrecked in the mountains with Posao, barely escaped, and finally reached Deseo.
After experiencing hardships in Deseo, I met Posao again and saw him struggling to collect 1,000 gold.
“Oh my god…”
What I summarized and felt was a sense of awe for Tia.
Tia… How did she overcome such difficult hardships and adversities?
If I were in the same situation, there were countless situations where I would have just despaired and died.
Tia tenaciously survived.
In her strong and tenacious vitality, she had only one intention.
Me. The will to revive Ritz.
Tia struggled so hard just for that.
“Tia…”
I would like to meet. Right now.
Crash!
She opened the door and pulled it open.
A cold wind blew into her face.
Oops. I stayed in the memory illusion for too long.
Deseo was autumn at that time.
When I opened the door of the accommodation and came out, I could always see the loud sound of carriages and the streets with many people walking around.
Here now… It’s so quiet that it feels unfamiliar for a moment.
A shabby mountain with only skinny trees visible.
It is Brisden in winter.
“…”
Let’s go to Tia now.
I ran alone through a village where people had not yet woken up.
I came down to Tia’s house and entered the code for February 2nd in front of the wooden door.
“Tia!”
I opened the door and went in.
But there was no one in the house.
“Ah.”
Only then did I remember.
Tiaga…
She went down to the village below.
It was only a day ago, but it felt so long ago that I couldn’t remember it.
She felt so dizzy that she sat down in her chair.
This is dangerous.
After being trapped in a memory illusion for a month and a half, I could not distinguish myself from Tia.
When I first entered the memory illusion, I had the feeling that I was seeing Tia.
At some point, I myself became Tia.
I remembered and felt even his thoughts and emotions.
Was it so deeply buried that I recognized myself as Tia as soon as I came out of the illusion?
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before I was able to remember that I was Ritz again.
The memories were so complicated that I couldn’t clearly tell if they were mine or Tia’s.
It’s as if I’ve never been to Deseo before, and now I truly feel like I’ve been there once.
“After…”
She sighed deeply and opened her closed eyes.
I saw items placed on the shelf.
It looked familiar.
She slowly reached out her hand and picked up the water bottle.
Inside, pure white flower petals were swimming gracefully without fading at all.
“This is it. A gift I received from Chii at Charrak. Chickweed… “Did you say that?”
Next to it was a sword-shaped statue.
“Provost seal received from the Deseo Defense Swordsmanship Association.”
Strangely, I remember everything.
Next I moved my hand…
“This…”
It is a ribbon brooch studded with large blue sapphires.
The frame of the brooch is made of silver and shines pale.
It looks like quite an expensive accessory.
I think I saw this somewhere… I don’t know.
“Ugh!”
I tried to grab it without thinking, but I felt strong resistance.
I felt a strong sense of anxiety, as if I would somehow be sucked into an endless illusion.
Took his hand away.
I didn’t want to see the memories for the time being.
Because I didn’t feel like that at all.
I stopped watching and sat back on the chair to catch my breath.
Still something… It feels uncomfortable.
Because I haven’t seen all of Tia’s memories yet.
Her memory was interrupted in the middle.
No, to be precise… That was the last memory of Tia contained in the red bandage.
I saw Tia’s movements for about a month and a half.
The reason such extensive memories were able to persist is because he never once removed the bandages from his body.
I put my belt on as soon as I opened my eyes, and I always slept with it right next to me.
But the last time I remember, I started using a new belt without pockets.
The red bandage fell off Tia’s body.
From this point on, there were no memories related to Tia, and I was able to escape the illusion.
“…”
The questions I had had always were understood one by one.
I think I understand why Tia said she couldn’t explain everything she’s done.
When she said that it would be enough to stay up all night, she wasn’t exaggerating at all.
Really… It was a series of unbelievable events that couldn’t be summarized.
I misunderstood.
Because I have lived my whole life in this small mountain village.
Because I haven’t actually experienced life outside the village.
I couldn’t understand Tia.
And Uncle Posao.
Considering his fat body, protruding cheeks, pockmarked forehead, unpleasant smile, stuttering speech, and terrible odor, he is someone you would never want to get close to.
But that doesn’t mean I hate it that much… I had mixed feelings.
I think that guy wasn’t that good in ‘my’ memory.
‘Tia’ had many good memories of her uncle.
Since the conflicting memories and emotions were all gathered in one place, I couldn’t just decide whether I liked it or not.
… Personally, I didn’t like Uncle Posao because he had a bad reputation.
I don’t mind meeting up for business, but I didn’t want to get along with such an ugly man.
The reason I visited the general store several times was honestly out of pity.
If I don’t buy something, I’m afraid I’ll starve to death.
It was a kind of procedure to check whether the uncle was alive.
However, Tia did not hate Uncle Posao.
In the beginning, he definitely treated me with stronger disgust than I did.
As the time they spent together grew longer, she came to think of him as a ‘good person’ by the end.
It’s strange.
If it were me, I wouldn’t even be able to raise my head because I would be embarrassed to go around with such an ugly man with a big age difference.
Tia didn’t mind.
Instead of being embarrassed, she scolded bad people or helped them instead.
I am… I couldn’t blame Tia.
The reason Tia thinks well of Uncle Posao is, of course, because he helped Tia many times.
The ultimate reason is that Tia is too kind.
Tia is such a good person that an ordinary person like me can’t even fathom it.
Therefore, even in that difficult Deseo, people who were touched by Tia’s good heart helped her, and with that help, Tia was able to stand up again.
“… Did it go well?”
Honestly, I don’t like it.
I have no intention of denying that one of the reasons Tia was able to survive her lonely and difficult times was because of Uncle Po Sao.
Still, I hated it.
Under the pretense of getting a massage.
I hated that she kept reaching for Tia’s body.
It was completely understandable that he touched her leg at Tsar Rak.
There is a purpose of treatment, and it is difficult to leave the village with sore legs.
But even after that, Posao continued to give me shoulder massages and back massages.
The last time I saw her, she even touched Tia’s stomach.
Even I have never dared to touch it.
That white and beautiful belly.
“… “Why?”
Why didn’t Tia shake off her hand?
Did she just accept the massage her uncle gave her without any doubts?
Tia.
No matter how close you are, there is a ‘line’.
Like the borderline drawn in this town.
There are things in this world that cannot be tolerated.
But why…
Even if Posao touches his stomach and touches his chest.
Didn’t you say ‘no’ there?
“…”
Still, I can’t blame Tia.
Anyway, the reason I’m alive now is that Tia safely rescued Dien Booth and returned to her village.
Having come back to life, I have to thank the two for their cooperation.
She stroked her face with her hand.
I want to see more.
How Tia became successful at Deseo.
Then…
Now what is the object that can continue Tia’s memory?
Of course it was the newly purchased belt, but I couldn’t confirm it because Tia was wearing it.
The thing he always carries around is… Rose Sabel.
And the ruby necklace I gave you as a gift.
Likewise, Tia took it with her, and it is no longer there.
At most it would be clothes.
As for clothes…
Squeak-.
I opened the closet.
Among the various clothes, the one that stood out the most was that pure white dress.
“Is this…”
I know.
This dress was not bought to be worn at a christening.
It was a dress purchased to attend a banquet held in the fall, and at the same time, it was an item that contained her memories leading up to attending the banquet.
Is it okay?
Dawn has just broken, so it will be a while before people wake up.
So wait a minute.
You only see it for a moment.
As if led, I stretched out my hand and grabbed her dress.
