Chapter 124: The Boy She No Longer Remembers

Chapter 124. The Boy She No Longer Remembers

For the next hour, Theo and I wandered around Lumenford. Well, wandered might not have been the most accurate description. We were supposed to be heading toward a restaurant, but our lunch trip had turned into an investigation.

Not that I minded.

Actually, I was the one who suggested visiting a few locations before eating. Since we were already passing through the eastern district, it would have been a waste not to examine the places where several victims had last been seen.

And Theo?

Surprisingly, he was an excellent guide. The timid young man who’d nearly jumped out of his skin when I touched his shoulder suddenly became a walking encyclopedia of Lumenford’s missing brides.

He knew the streets. The witnesses. The victims’ routines. Even details that hadn’t appeared in the official reports.

At first, I assumed he’d simply memorized the investigation documents. After all, he worked as Lord Veymont’s assistant, and handling paperwork was probably part of his responsibilities. But as we continued walking, I realized something. He hadn’t merely read those reports. He’d conducted some of the investigations himself.

Starting with the second disappearance, Theo had personally visited nearly every location where a victim was last seen. He’d questioned shopkeepers, checked possible escape routes, and compared witness statements against the victims’ usual schedules.

The first disappearance had been handled entirely by Chief Marr and his men.

After that? Theo had somehow involved himself in almost everything.

I watched him crouch beside a narrow alleyway, pointing out where a witness had discovered a missing woman’s ribbon several weeks earlier. He even remembered which direction the wind had been blowing that evening. Now that was excessive. And I meant that as a compliment.

Most people couldn’t remember what they’d eaten for breakfast three days ago. This guy remembered the weather conditions surrounding a kidnapping that happened weeks earlier. It reminded me of my old research days. Theo displayed that same stubborn determination. The kind that made someone keep searching even after everyone else had given up.

The more we talked, the more I noticed that his nervousness disappeared whenever he explained the investigation. His voice became steadier, his movements more confident, and his attention sharpened.

He was practically obsessed with solving this case.

By the time we finally reached the restaurant, the afternoon sun had climbed past its highest point.

The restaurant occupied a charming two-story building near the eastern market, with wide windows overlooking a cobblestone street decorated with hanging flower baskets and colorful enchanted lanterns. A wooden sign above the entrance displayed a smiling fish holding a fork.

Inside, the atmosphere was warm and lively. The scent of grilled seafood, butter, herbs, and freshly baked bread drifted through the room, immediately reminding my stomach that I’d been neglecting it for several hours.

Several families occupied the larger tables.

Children laughed while their parents tried to convince them to finish their vegetables. An elderly couple shared a plate of pastries near the window, and a group of young women chatted excitedly over their meals.

A small boy at a nearby table pointed at me excitedly, only for his mother to hurriedly lower his hand after noticing the royal insignia on my cloak.

Meanwhile, several young women kept stealing glances at me, whispering among themselves with flushed cheeks. Unfortunately, once they recognized who I was, their expressions shifted from admiration to nervousness and fear. Yet their blushes stubbornly remained. I nearly laughed at their adorable confusion. Seriously, ladies, make up your minds. Was I handsome or terrifying? Then again, being both sounded perfectly acceptable to me.

Our food arrived.

Lumenford’s specialty was apparently a seafood platter featuring grilled fish, buttered shellfish, seasoned rice, and a creamy sauce made with local herbs and citrus. The fish had a wonderfully crisp exterior, while the meat inside was tender enough to separate beneath my fork.

Damn, this was good!

I continued eating, thoroughly enjoying my meal.

Theo, however, seemed to be having considerably more difficulty. His plate was barely touched. He occasionally lifted his fork, moved something around, then placed it down again. His eyes kept wandering across the room.

He was looking for someone. Someone he knew wouldn’t be here.

I remembered something from the victims’ records. The first missing bride had worked at this restaurant. A waitress. An orphan. I finished another bite of fish before setting down my fork. "This is where the first victim worked, right?"

Theo immediately looked at me. "Y-yes, my lord."

I glanced toward the counter. "Did you know her?"

He hesitated. Then nodded.

"Her name is Elena. Elena Vale."

"Tell me about her."

Theo lowered his gaze toward his plate. "Her parents were merchants. They used to travel between Lumenford and the Holy City, selling enchanted lamps and other goods." His fingers tightened slightly around his fork. "They were in the Holy City when the Dark Lord’s subordinates attacked. They didn’t survive."

I stopped eating. That attack. I knew about it from Rey’s memories. The Dark Lord’s forces had launched several assaults against the Holy City before the final confrontation. Thousands of civilians had died, and entire neighborhoods had been destroyed.

Apparently, Elena’s parents had been among the casualties.

"What happened to her?"

"She survived, but the attack left her badly traumatized. When the rescuers found her, she could barely remember anything."

"Memory loss?"

Theo nodded. "Most of her childhood memories disappeared. She couldn’t remember her friends, her old home, or even some of the things she used to enjoy." He paused. "Lumenford was her hometown, so her relatives brought her back. They hoped familiar places might help her recover."

"And did they?"

"Not really." His voice became quieter. "She remembered some things eventually. Small things." He gave a faint, humorless smile. "But not the people."

Trauma-induced memory loss. Although given the magical circumstances surrounding the attack, I couldn’t completely rule out damage caused by dark mana.

"She started working here?"

"Yes. The owner knew her parents and offered her a job. She was good at it, too. Everyone liked her."

Theo glanced toward the counter.

I followed his gaze. A young man stood behind it, laughing with a waitress. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with neatly styled blond hair and an expensive shirt that seemed a little too fashionable for someone working in a restaurant.

The waitress said something. He grinned. Then leaned closer, apparently whispering a joke that made her giggle.

"That’s Adrian. The owner’s son. He took a liking to Elena shortly after she started working here," Theo said.

I watched Adrian casually brush a strand of hair away from the waitress’s face.

Oh? Quite affectionate, weren’t we?

"He proposed to her," Theo continued.

I looked back at Theo. "They were engaged?"

"Yes." His expression tightened. "They were supposed to get married today."

I paused.

Today?

I looked toward Adrian again. The man was still laughing. His posture was relaxed, his smile charming, and he appeared perfectly comfortable flirting with the woman standing beside him. I wasn’t expecting him to spend every waking moment crying, of course. People handled grief differently. But considering his bride-to-be had disappeared under suspicious circumstances, his behavior was... carefree.

"He doesn’t exactly look like a groom who’s lost his bride-to-be," I remarked.

Theo’s lips pressed together. "No. He doesn’t."

I raised an eyebrow. There was something in his voice. Resentment? Disgust? Perhaps both.

"He liked Elena because she was beautiful," Theo continued. "She had long silver-blonde hair and blue eyes. A lot of people admired her." He glanced toward Adrian again.

I followed his gaze. The young man had now turned his attention toward another customer, offering her the same charming smile.

"He likes all beautiful things," Theo added quietly.

I picked up my drink and took a sip. Then I looked directly at him. "What about you?"

Theo blinked. "M-me?"

"Yeah."

I tilted my head. "You liked her too, didn’t you?"

His eyes widened. "Uh... no! I mean, that’s not..." He stopped. His gaze dropped toward his untouched meal. For a moment, he seemed to struggle with what to say. His shoulders slowly slumped. "She’s... my childhood friend."

I said nothing.

Theo stared at his plate, his fingers tightening around the fork. "But..." His voice grew softer. "She already forgot about me."

Suddenly, his obsession with the investigation made considerably more sense. The first victim wasn’t just another name in the reports. She was someone he’d known long before the kidnappings began. And judging by the look in his eyes, I could tell his feelings for her went far beyond childhood friendship.

This guy had probably spent years loving a girl who couldn’t even remember their shared childhood. And just when she was about to marry someone else, she’d disappeared.

I huffed. "Finish your food."

Theo blinked and looked at me. "Y-yes, my lord."

I said nothing more.

There wasn’t much point in asking him about his feelings. Whether he loved Elena or not wouldn’t change the fact that she was missing. And considering how miserable he looked, forcing him to talk about her would probably accomplish nothing.

Besides, I wasn’t a relationship counselor.