SACBD

92

Philip glanced at Lionel.

"Your Grace, this will be our last meeting. Neither I nor the Duke will remember it once it is finished."

"How is her condition?"

Lionel tightly clasped his hands, revealing his nervousness.

"It's amazing that Madame came back with her memories, but she won't be able to remember soon enough. Losing all her memories will make her feel lost, but she'll get used to it."

A bitter smile crossed Lionel's face.

Philip smiled weakly in return.

"Magic is like that. When it disappears, it takes away all memories."

"....."

"There were many wizards in the Duke's lineage. They must have all gone through this."

"Right."

Lionel was rather calm.

That winter, Riv confessed that she had practiced magic and disappeared right in front of him.

The moment she disappeared, everyone but Lionel forgot her existence.

All evidence of Riv's existence also disappeared.

'I was the only one who remembered her. No one knew she ever existed.'

After Riv disappeared, Lionel fell into despair.

All that remained of Riv were the tools full of her magic which she collected in Mont Del, and the late Duchess' ring.

It was a strange world where she disappeared, yet her magic remained.

So Lionel went to great lengths to bring back his wife.

Philip sighed.

"The Duchess will lose all her memories and become an ordinary person."

"All I want is for her to be by my side."

"Then that wish has come true. This conversation, too, will soon be forgotten."

With that, Phillip abruptly left.

Lionel had lost Riv during winter.

It was late autumn, well over half a year after, that she was brought back to life.

So when he got her back, Lionel was overjoyed.

Philip was likely the devil. He brought Riv back by sacrificing Princess Marianne.

It didn't matter what he was. Riv had returned to his side.

"Riv!"

The pale-faced woman looked dead at first, but gradually came back to life.

Her heart started beating again, and her body warmed up.

Memories changed by magic entered Lionel's mind.

Marianne, whom he thought to have died, was alive.

There was talk of Marianne being unable to leave her mansion because of the Grand Duke's terrible possessiveness.

He even heard rumors that she was being bred.

'Marianne doesn't matter to me.'

The past where Riv and Lionel nearly died at the hands of Marianne was forgotten.

To Lionel, it was more important to have Riv by his side.

The magic had succeeded.

"Li-onel?"