Chapter 17: A Convenient Lie

After waiting for a while, Zeldryn finally realized just how dark the room became at night. Several candles had already been lit by the servants, and although their holders looked luxurious, made from polished metal with intricate carvings along the sides, no amount of decoration could make their light any brighter.

The small flames flickered constantly, causing the shadows of the furniture around the room to sway with them. The areas near the candles were visible enough, but the farther corners of the room were almost completely swallowed by darkness.

"So damn dark."

Zeldryn narrowed his eyes as he looked toward a table some distance away from the bed. As Reka, he had been accustomed to electric lights. All he had needed to do was press a switch, and an entire room would instantly become bright. Even his cramped rented room had been far better illuminated than this luxurious bedroom belonging to the son of a marquis.

"Guess my eyes will need some time to adjust."

Zeldryn stared at one of the nearby candles. Its light was sufficient for walking around or identifying large objects, but reading or doing anything that required precision would be inconvenient. He would need several candles just to properly illuminate one part of the room, and even then, they would eventually burn out, produce smoke, and become a fire hazard if one happened to fall.

"Not efficient at all."

Zeldryn leaned back against the headboard.

"Maybe one day I can figure out electricity."

The moment he said it, however, he went silent. Knowing that electricity existed did not mean he could suddenly build a power plant from scratch. He had graduated in IT, but most of his work in his old world had involved reports, data, documents, and relatively simple technical issues. He was not a mechanical engineer, chemist, or scientist capable of recreating modern technology from memory.

If someone asked him to make a light bulb from raw materials right now, he probably would not even know where to begin.

"At least I know something like that is possible."

Perhaps one day he could find a blacksmith, craftsman, or someone who understood the tools and technology of this world. Zeldryn could provide a rough idea of what he wanted, and they could work together to figure out the technical details.

That possibility, however, still belonged far in the future. He did not even understand the condition of his own territory yet, so worrying about electricity now would only give him another problem to think about.

"One thing at a time."

While Zeldryn was still lost in thought, three knocks came from the other side of the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Excuse me, Lord. It's Hera."

Zeldryn immediately turned toward the door.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened with a faint creak, and Hera entered wearing her usual maid uniform. Her black hair was still tied into a ponytail, while her bandaged hands were clasped together in front of her.

Seeing her properly dressed again, Zeldryn unconsciously felt relieved.

'Good. At least there won't be another misunderstanding,' Zeldryn thought.

Hera quietly closed the door and stood several steps away from the bed. She did not immediately say anything. Her face was still slightly red, her gaze remained fixed on the floor, and her body looked stiffer than usual, making it obvious that the embarrassing incident from earlier was still lingering in her mind.

After a while, Hera finally gathered enough courage to speak.

"W-what did you need me for, Lord, calling me to your room this late at night?"

Her voice sounded nervous.

Zeldryn looked at her for a long moment. Since the afternoon, he had been thinking about the best way to obtain information from Hera, and continuing to pretend that he already knew everything was obviously impossible.

Sooner or later, he was bound to make a much bigger mistake. He might call someone by the wrong name, fail to recognize a member of his own family, or not understand something that should have been basic knowledge for a noble. If he kept asking questions without giving Hera some kind of explanation, she would only become increasingly suspicious.

So Zeldryn had decided to mix a little lie with some truth.

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He really had lost all of the old Zeldryn's memories. The real reason simply was not a head injury.

"Hera."

Zeldryn gave her a faint smile.

"If I told you that I lost my memory, would that surprise you?"

Hera slowly raised her head, and confusion immediately appeared on her face.

"Forgive me, Lord. What do you mean?"

Zeldryn did not answer immediately. He glanced toward the door before looking back at Hera.

"Before I explain, I want to ask you something."

Hera lowered her head again.

"Of course, Lord."

"Can you keep a secret?"

Hera looked slightly surprised.

"Of course, Lord."

"This isn't an ordinary secret," Zeldryn said, his voice becoming more serious.

He needed to make sure Hera would not tell anyone about this, at least until he understood his situation and had some way to protect himself.

"If this secret gets out, your life could be in danger. And not just yours. Your family could get dragged into it too."

Hera's body immediately stiffened. Her face turned pale as her hands gripped the edges of her skirt, and even her breathing became slightly uneven.

Hera had endured living in the mansion all this time because she still had a younger sibling. Both of their parents had already passed away, leaving Hera as the only person earning money to support her sibling's daily needs. If she lost her job, her sibling might not have enough food or even a place to live.

That was why Hera had continued enduring life in the mansion despite how difficult it had been. She could tolerate all kinds of mistreatment directed at herself, but the possibility of her younger sibling being dragged into danger was entirely different.

Hera immediately bowed deeply.

"Y-yes, Lord. Whatever your secret is, I won't tell anyone."

Her voice trembled badly. She took a short breath before slowly raising her face, her eyes filled with fear.

"I'll take it to my grave. But please, Lord, don't involve my family. If I make a mistake, punish me, but no matter what happens, please don't touch my younger sibling."

Zeldryn silently watched her reaction. In truth, he had not even known whether Hera still had a family. Mentioning them had only been a bluff intended to make sure she understood how important the secret was.

From her reaction, however, Zeldryn immediately gained a new piece of information.

'So she has a younger sibling,' Zeldryn thought.

He stored that information away in his mind. Zeldryn felt slightly guilty for frightening Hera like this, but right now, he could not think of another way to make sure the secret would not spread.

"Of course."

Zeldryn gave her another faint smile.

"As long as you keep this secret, nothing will happen to your family."

Hera quickly nodded.

"I understand, Lord."

"You're my loyal personal maid, aren't you?"

"Yes, Lord."

Zeldryn slowly took a breath. Now it was time to explain the lie he had prepared.

"Hera."

He pointed toward the bruises on his face.

"After I was beaten last night, it seems the injury to my head was much worse than it looked."

Hera remained silent and listened.

"When I woke up this morning, most of my memories were gone."

Hera's eyes slowly widened, but Zeldryn continued before she could interrupt.

"I still remember my name. I know that I'm Zeldryn Giorry, and I also remember a few things about myself and the Giorry family."

Zeldryn touched the side of his head.

"But most of my memories are nothing more than scattered fragments. There are many things I know I should remember, but when I try, there's just nothing there."

Hera stared at Zeldryn without blinking.

"Lord... lost his memory?"

"That's right."

Zeldryn smiled slightly.

"That's why I've been asking you so many questions since this morning."

Hera fell silent again as everything that had happened since morning began replaying inside her head. Zeldryn had not even known the layout of his own mansion. He had asked about the number of servants and guards, and he had even asked Hera to explain where each room was located.

And that was not all. The way he spoke and acted had changed too. Zeldryn returned the servants' greetings, punished Henry and Aeglo, had not hit Hera even once, and had even told her to stop waiting outside his bedroom door all day.

Memory loss suddenly provided an explanation for all of it.

Hera clasped her hands even tighter.

'So that's why Lord has been acting strange since this morning?' Hera thought.

All the strange things she had been unable to explain were beginning to make sense. Maybe Zeldryn had not deliberately changed. Maybe he genuinely could not remember his old habits or personality.

His face was still the same, and so was his voice, but without his past memories, he seemed like a completely different person.

'So it's true?' Hera wondered.

She looked at Zeldryn again. There was still a little doubt in her eyes, but her shock was far more obvious.

Zeldryn noticed that Hera was beginning to believe his story.

"That's why I need your help."

Hera flinched slightly.

"Mine?"

"That's right." Zeldryn nodded. "You're my personal maid. Compared to anyone else in this mansion, you probably understand my daily life better than most."

Hera did not deny it.

"I want you to help me fill in the missing parts of my memory."

Zeldryn began counting on his fingers.

"I need to know about this mansion, the Giorry family's territory, the people I know, the rules among nobles, the currency, this country, and all the other basic things I should already know."

He looked at Hera seriously.

"Answer every question I ask honestly."

Zeldryn then smiled. Under the dim candlelight, however, the shadows cast across his face made that smile look slightly unsettling, causing Hera's body to stiffen again.

"I don't need answers designed to make me happy," Zeldryn continued. "If you don't know something, tell me you don't know. If something is bad, tell me it's bad."

Hera lowered her head.

"Of course, Lord."

Her voice was still trembling slightly, but her answer sounded much firmer than before.

"I'll tell you everything I know."

Zeldryn raised an eyebrow.

"No lies?"

Hera nodded and placed one hand against her chest.

"Not a single one. Whatever Lord wishes to know, I'll do my best to answer."

Zeldryn smiled in satisfaction. Finally, he had found a way to gather information without constantly pretending that he already understood everything.

"Good."

He shifted his position on the bed until he was more comfortable, while Hera stood straight several steps in front of him and waited for his first question.

Zeldryn had already prepared plenty of things he wanted to ask, but he needed to start with the most basic information, the kind of knowledge that anyone living in this world should already possess.

He looked at Hera through the dim candlelight.

"Then let's begin."

Hera nodded.

Zeldryn leaned back slightly.

"Tell me. Who exactly am I?"