Chapter 323: Dinner With a Friend [5]

"Then... is there a way for me to meet her?" Soren asked, his tone shifting to something more serious. "It doesn’t have to be an official meeting. A private one would be ideal, but even if I could just see her from a distance, that would be enough for now. It would be better if no one else knew about it too."

Zura set her teacup down and considered his request. "A private meeting... that’s not impossible, but it won’t be easy either. The academy has strict rules about visitors, and I’m sure Nura’s schedule is closely monitored by the people her family hired to watch over her, especially her personal maid. She probably reports everything back to the Valmeres."

"I see..." Soren nodded in understanding. Since he lived with the Valmeres for a long time, he knew exactly how their household operated.

Most children in noble families were assigned personal maids or butlers from a young age. Almost every major house followed the same tradition, including the Valmeres, though they took it further than most. On the surface, they were caretakers, but in reality, they were watchers planted by the family to report everything their young master or lady did and keep them in check. Only children who were already considered useless or ’sinful’, like him, were exceptions.

Zura hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. "Actually, there’s something else you should know." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Her... I mean, your ’parents’ are here, and they’ve been visiting her for the past week... Every single day."

"..." Hearing her, Soren fell silent again.

However, his reaction surprised Zura. "You don’t seem... surprised?"

Soren sighed and asked. "Have you seen them? Can you describe their appearances?"

Zura nodded and explained, including how happy Nura seemed when talking about her parents.

"Dear..." Ethea whispered, finally confirming why Soren acted that way yesterday.

"I saw a glimpse of mother yesterday when we arrived at the hotel," Soren explained to confused Zura. "But I thought it was someone else since her hair color was different. But now it all makes sense."

"You mean..." Zura muttered, her eyes widening.

"That’s right. My mother is pretending to be her real mother," Soren replied, his expression grim. "I have seen Nura’s real mother. She had natural red hair, so my mother dyed hers to match. And based on what you told me, it seems to be working."

"...I think her amnesia isn’t related to her condition," Ethea spoke up, looking at Soren. "They must have done something to her. Just like they messed with your memories."

"Yeah, you’re right." Soren agreed with her. "And it might be the same person who tampered with my memories."

"Do you know them?" Zura prompted.

"Unfortunately, no." Soren shook his head. "They must have made sure I couldn’t remember them. I could have been unconscious when it was done too, so I would never have seen their face or heard their voice. Either way, I have no memory of them. But... being able to tamper with someone’s memories to that extent... they would obviously prefer staying hidden."

Ethea and Zura agreed with his reasoning.

Individuals like that were rare, and anyone willing to use it on another person without consent was committing a serious crime. If their actions and identities were ever exposed, they would face severe punishment under awakened law. No one with half a brain would risk that kind of exposure.

But there was one question that Soren couldn’t shake from his mind.

"...How did my parents hire such an individual?"

His question made the two women pause too.

"Right..."

It was a valid concern.

Memory manipulation wasn’t a service you could just find in a back alley. The people who could do it were either tightly controlled by the Awakened Bureau or operating in circles far beyond the reach of a mid-tier noble family like the Valmeres. For Soren’s parents to have access to someone like that, they either had connections they shouldn’t have, or they had paid a price far higher than money.

Soren knew his family wasn’t righteous. They were ruthless, manipulative, and willing to do whatever it took to climb higher. He wondered if they had gone outside the law entirely. Perhaps they had connections to criminals, or worse, to organizations that dealt in things no respectable noble family should touch.

"...I think I know how," Ethea spoke up again, making the other two turn to her. "...It’s probably my father. He... must have helped them."

"!" Soren’s eyes lit up. He had almost forgotten about his father-in-law. ’She’s right. Since my father and hers were the ones who made the deal, they must have included these too.’

"...Wait." He froze, his eyes widening. "Ethea! Can your father do something like that? Manipulate memories, I mean."

"...I’m not sure," Ethea replied after hesitating for a moment. "But I’m certain he has connections to people who can."

Soren nodded but didn’t entirely rule out the possibility. While he hadn’t seen an ability related to mental manipulation, you could expect anything from that guy. ’...Wait. Doesn’t that mean he might be involved in Ethea’s altered memories too?’

It sounded plausible, but he decided to keep it for himself for now. They could discuss it privately later.

"So, are you gonna ask your father?" Zura, who was unaware of Ethea’s situation, asked.

"...I’ll consider it."

"Hmm." Zura nodded, reading her emotions. "Then, let’s postpone your meeting with her till your parents leave. Is that ok with you?"

Soren nodded. "It’s fine with me. But we should take care of the other matters soon. Ryan is going to arrive in a few days."

"Of course," Zura nodded. "I’ll talk with the Vice-Principal as soon as I get back and notify you. In fact, you might get a chance to ’encounter’ your sister during your visit to the academy."

"That would be perfect." Soren allowed himself a small smile. Then his expression turned serious again. "One more thing. Does the academy have anyone who specializes in memory-related abilities? Someone who could examine her condition without causing any harm?"

"There are actually a few people. However..."