Kyden was holding the arm of the woman he just grabbed. His grip was tight even before he spoke to her. But the lady, appearing to be in a trance, did not even flinch at his force.
"Snap out of it." He spoke. He could see that something was wrong with her behavior.
She was staring blankly at her hand and not moving. Although he could not tell what was it, her face was void of emotion other than an inexplicable hunger for something.
"Miss Mona." He called out.
The woman who seemed to have broken out from a trance blinked after being called and shifted her head towards him.
Finally, Kyden completely saw the face of the woman he only met two years ago. Nothing changed at all, he thought. Except the messy long black hair back then was tied neatly at her back and a few locks are falling freely on both sides of her face now. And the gaunt face and pale skin she once had, was now brimming with vibrancy.
Her wide-opened eyes blinked once again. Recognizing him.
"G-Grand Duke?"
"Welcome back, Miss Mona," Kyden replied.
He had so many questions, as to why she was there, what happened when the darkness came, who was she fighting with, and how she got hurt badly.
But he couldn't understand why his lips spoke out the warm words he wished she could hear when she came back.
He witnessed how her plump and rosy cheeks became redder. And for a second, Kyden doubted if she was really the talkative and unrefined lady he accompanied. Because her blushing at his words like that took him aback, when years ago, the woman shamelessly clung to him without even feeling embarrassed at all.
Of course, he can't really tell what kind of a person she is just after spending a few days together. But somehow, Kyden deemed her to be so carefree and heedless of others' insignificant words, and on top of that, an affectionate woman. To have such deep emotions toward someone she did not know.
"Your grace!" Mona, finally realizing what was happening, shouted and jumped on him.
Kyden did not expect the reaction, but he instinctively caught her. If not for his sturdy body, perhaps he would have vomited blood on her impact, and Kyden thought it was amazing how she did not even feel hurt upon meeting with his armor face to face.
The lady's hands embrace him. It stayed on his back for a few seconds before shifting to his chest.
Mona looked up and saw the Grand Duke observing her. She felt embarrassed, but unlike before, she tried her best not to blush or be obvious. She was going to say something when the Grand Duke's hand held her wounded arm again and pulled it closer to him.
'He must be wondering where I got them...' Mona thought while looking at the grim face of the Grand Duke.
"You need to be treated immediately. You've been bleeding since earlier."
She observed the Grand Duke again, but the warm welcome she felt earlier was now gone. His usual cold and nonchalant face was back.
She stepped back and tried to pull her arm back, but the Grand Duke did not let her go.
"I can treat it myself." She insisted.
"Have you learned healing magic?"
"No." She shook her head. "I will treat it normally."
"Then you can just have it treated by one of the magicians here."
"You've forgotten magic doesn't work on me. " She answered back.
".... right." The Grand Duke answered, who suddenly became lost in thought.
Kyden's speculations only grew stronger. He had actually forgotten that fact, and remembering it made him realize why they couldn't use their magic inside the darkness.
Then why and how was the power of darkness can be used by her?
Was it handed down to Mona by Lady Vandross?
Or....did she actually go back to her own world?
Kyden stared at the woman in front of him.
And he wondered, why was his chest suddenly felt heavy at the thought of Mona disappearing from their world.
"S-sister Luna?"
The voice of another man snapped Kyden back from his upsetting thoughts.
He did not pay attention to the man but instead focused on tearing his armor's cape and whirling it on Mona's bloodied arm.
"Uhm, is it you? S-Sister?" The man started approaching them.
Kyden only glared at Marquess Luven after knotting the temporary bandage. He then shifted his head down to look at Mona.
All the knights and magicians are listening to them. They were all watching while somehow being wary of Mona.
One particular magician was seething with displeasure towards her.
That magician walked over and spoke disdainfully.
"How could this be? The empire had proclaimed your death already."
Mona could feel a patronizing attitude towards the woman who had joined them. But she just openly ignored her remark.
She pulled her arm back and the Grand Duke had let go this time. She looked at the man who approached her.
Luven Gayle Vandross.
Luna's younger brother.
Mona was reminded of her memories. How a young boy was always finding her older sister to play with. He always wondered and asked his mother why his sister wasn't eating meals with them every day.
He would knock and knock on her doors every time he had cookies and candies to share, or when he got a perfect score on his quizzes to brag on her. And whenever he would catch hold of his sister, he would forget all his schedule just to tag and follow her wherever.
Mona saw that the young boy grew up loving his older sister so tenderly, from her borrowed memories.
His dark bluish hair was looking damp from sweat, just like after he would run on the whole mansion to seek her locked up sister. And his bright grey eyes are full of hope and expectation.
A hopeless longing and wishful thinking.
Mona slowly shook her head and looked at the marquess.
"I'm sorry, sir. But I am not your sister."
"....Ah." Marquess Luven reacted dejectedly. He laughed bitterly. "How could that be? Even your way of talking is similar to her."
Mona could understand why.
During her stay in the holy nation, not a day would pass that she wouldn't dream of Luna. All her memories, insignificant or not, would always visit her whenever she slept.
There were times when she would dream of a good memory, but those are rare times. And most often, she would fall into nightmares to the point that she no longer wants to sleep again.
The nights have become a cinema to her, where the theater only played a single genre; an autobiography; a life's journal, or an adaptation of a personal diary; where all ends on tragedy.
She learned her manners, gained her wisdom, and adopted her speech and her attitude. Due to her ambition to keep Luna alive on her, she slowly forgets herself. If the Saintess had not pointed out her changes and snapped her out of her self-righteousness and illogical approach to keeping Luna alive, she would really have lost herself completely.
'.... I think you're mistaken. There are plenty of people out there that will not forget her....whatever the reasons were...but as long as one genuinely remembers her, then she won't cease to exist....that person will always carry her....'
Those were Eli's words to her.
Maybe she was right. Luna doesn't need to be remembered by all these people who would only think wrongly of her. One genuine person would be enough.
"I am not her. But I can tell you, she's alive inside me." Mona responded warmly. "My manner of speaking might have been influenced by her. So, forgive me if you think I'm being impudent for imitating your sister."
She bowed slightly.
The marquess only kept staring at her. The lady who was ignored even tried to interrupt once again, only if Mona did not see another man grab on that lady and pull her aside.
Kyden was silently watching the scene. He was a bit surprised to see her acting refined and speaking politely.
'Maybe the years she spent in the holy land developed her to become ladylike.' Kyden thought.
But he knew that he was just finding reasons to get rid of his own doubts about the woman who promised to tell her baptized name to him once they met again.
The conversation would have been continued if the Grand Duke had not interfered.
"Let's continue this after clearing everything. Marquess Vandross, don't you think the matters with the subjugation be settled first? Look at your knights." Kyden pointed out the fallen knights of the third squadron.
Some are already dead, some are dying and yelping in pain.
Upon seeing the pitiful state of his knighthood, the marquess quickly gave orders to the magicians to heal them. The Adri knights were ordered by Captain Lionel to clean the area. While the Grand Duke dragged Mona to one side and tended to her wounds.
He was applying medicine and bandaging it properly. Some knights are even stealing glances on their side. Wondering what was on between them.
But Mona only stared at the Grand Duke, completely ignoring the nosy people.
After some thought, she finally fulfilled her promise.
"Adriana."
The Grand Duke's hand stopped. He met her eyes, asking what was it.
"My second name. Adriana." Mona repeated.
Kyden was silent for a while.
'...Adriana.' He thought.
He wanted to speak her name even once. But what came out of his mouth was different.
"How dark."