Charon was sitting in the room absentmindedly. How many minutes did he count? Charon's eyes were filled with hostility and anxiety.
"…I can't stay like this."
He staggered out of the room. He entered the room where the other employees of the Halvark estate had gathered.
"Mr. Charon?"
"…everyone, we need to leave."
"What?"
"Get out of this castle right now and stand in front of the carriage. It's an order."
"Yes, yes."
The employees nodded reflexively. Charon left the room again and entered the room next to the room he had been inside of with Asher moments ago. Inside, Reika was lying asleep and alone on a spacious bed.
"Wake up, m'Lady."
"Huh…huh?"
Reika, who opened her eyes, felt shocked and embarrassed when she saw Charon waking her up.
"Why are you here Lady Reika?"
She lifted herself up and looked around.
"…Huh, I don't know? I was definitely on my way to our room after finishing my meal…."
"I don't have time to explain this to you right now m'Lady."
Charon hugged Reika's body and lifted her up in a princess carry.
"We have to leave."
"Huh-wait, what are you doing?!"
Reika struggled, but Charon came out of the room carrying her. The other employees were waiting nervously by the carriage.
"Lady?"
"Here you are."
Charon put Reika down softly. Reika smoothed her clothes and frowned.
"What's wrong with you?"
"We have to leave. It's dangerous here."
"Is it because of the politically arranged marriage?"
"That is not the problem."
"No, wait. What about Asher? Where is he?"
At Reika's words, Charon paused.
"Why isn't Asher here?", she repeated once more.
"…he's inside."
"What?"
"Oh for fuck's sake."
Charon muttered a curse under his breath. He was talking to his master right now, but he didn't have the time to dilly dally with the urgent situation at hand any longer.
"Stay right here."
"Come on, wait! Charon!"
Charon ran into the castle to get Asher.
***
Coooong!
Charon smashed the door and entered the Lord's room.
In his eyesight, he could see Boros, the young heir to the Count, and several soldiers.
And… then he saw Asher, holding Balbaca by the neck and pushing a knife into his abdomen. At the sight that Charon could have never imagined happening, even in the wildest of scenarios, Charon muttered blankly.
"Crazy."
"Boros? Why would you be here? What's going on with Asher?!"
"Hello, I'm right here."
Boros looked back at Charon and Asher waved to the two of them with a relaxed facial expression. Balbaca screamed.
"He's here to kill me, too! Hold him down! Get him!"
"Ha-a-ab!"
The soldiers pushed their spears reflexively. Charon clenched his teeth and pulled out his sword.
Kaga-Gak!
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
The soldier's spears were pushed back by the single swing of the sword from Charon. They grunted reflexively and took a step back.
"I don't care anymore."
"What nonsense are you talking about? Aren't you the knight of the Halvark Estate?"
"...."
There was nothing to refute, so Charon shut up. He glared daggers at Asher, as if to prod him to explain what was going on. Seeing no reply from Asher, Charon finally spoke out.
"…what are you doing?!"
"I told you. I'm dealing with the imposter in this room."
Balbaca grated his teeth in anger and pain as he looked at Asher's cold and unfazed eyes.
"You are crazy."
"I'm not sure if I heard you correctly Asher. Did you just say my father is an imposter?"
"Then, do you really see him as your father still? Even in your eyes, Boros, the young heir and son of Balbaca Belturia?"
"At least he looks the same as before.", Asher muttered.
Boros furrowed his brows ast the words Asher muttered under his breath.
"You don't honestly think you will stay alive after stabbing the Lord of the Belturia estate, do you?"
"If he's the real Balbacca, then you'd be correct."
"You don't think I can tell if he's my father or not?"
Boros laughed. But, inwardly he had a similar suspicion.
"How can he imitate himself? How can you say he's an imposter if everything about him is the same, including his memories? If he were an imposter I wouldn't be able to remember certain things that are unique to only himself."
Balbaca had proven to Boros over time, that he remembered the smallest of things he had told Boros when he was a child.
However, Asher did not loosen his grip.
"There was once a time when there were men who were called the greatest of their trades, heroes of their times, masters in their own right. Balbaca Belturia was such a man. However, during that time, there were also demons and monsters that could imitate the appearances and replicate the memories of humans."
"There is a certain demon that can steal and devour the memories and appearances of those it preys on."
"What are you saying right now…."
Boros blurted at Asher's words. His eyes slowly began to shake at the sudden information that Asher was revealing right now. He had heard stories about the demons when he was much younger, but he had never studied them or known their appearances.
"No way…"
"What are you doing?! Kill this man right now!"
Balbaca shouted harshly and with anxiety visible across his face.
"Hold him down right now! Kill him! Kill him!"
But the soldiers did not move an inch either. Boros grabbed the sword and bit his lips, but his feet did not budge like he was rooted down by a giant tree.
"Are you doubting me?! Your Lord?!"
Balbaca gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
"You. Rayvan!"
A soldier who was faltering flinched. Balbaca shouted at him harshly.
"I gave all my support to you when your mother was sick and having a hard time. And you, next to him; I helped you with your hard times of trying to get your child an education. And Barnia! I visited your wife when she gave birth to your first son!"
Balbaca looked around the soldiers.
"Kron! Did you forget who helped you when you were almost killed by a wolf? Bohem! Who watched your father die with you?!"
The soldiers faltered and backed away at Balbaca's angry fit and harsh words. Balbaca shuddered angrily.
"I remember everything! Because I am your Lord! Do you dare to doubt me like this?"
"It's because you've become strange."
Boros murmured melancholically and Balbaca snorted as he heard Boros' words.
"Is it because I killed the woman I had brought? You are a noble, my son. I needed to set an example to you to understand we do not marry commoners!"
Balbacca's voice then suddenly softened.
"When you were a child, you said you had always begged me and wanted to see a hero with your own two eyes. So I took you to go meet the ones I knew."
"…I remember."
"Yes, I also remember. It's very vivid to me, even to this day as I'm growing old."
Balbaca then, shouted in a dignified voice.
"They looked at you and said you looked like me. They said that you would be a great man someday. All the heroes loved you Boros!"
Boros' hand holding the sword began to relax.
"How can an imposter remember? I'm Balbaca Belturia, the Great Hero…."
"No."
Asher tightened his grip on the neck.
"Crik! Uck!"
"You say you have his memories, but you do not have his morals. The Balbaca we all knew, was a man of integrity, not some fucking pig."
"What?!"
For a moment, Boros' eyes shook at Asher's rough words.
"They didn't just 'love him. Walters clicked his tongue, saying the kid was vulnerable to taking a more violent path like they had, and Van Ester was chewed out by you for asking him to leave Boros as a disciple. Lepenia pretended not to be interested on the outside, but she knew how talented he was. They even were trading artifacts with each other over who would take in the kid as a disciple."
"Come to think of it…."
Boros murmured. He recalled the memory and Asher was right.
"How could you know that?"
"You imitate people and eat the memories of people around you."
Asher laughed. Balbaca fumbled with his neck being still held.
"What are you talking about? I…."
"Children's memories are the hardest to remember since they pass very quickly with time."
Children's memories are often forgotten when they are young. As they grow up their memory becomes more clear just like any other person, but a child's remains blurry like a mosaic painting.
"Isn't that right? You should know that best… since you're a Doppelganger."