Just what did she mean? Am I in a romance novel or just what is happening? Future wife? Forget about whose family I'm marrying into; I can't date a literal child? I'm 48 years old this would be pedophilia, no? And… and I can't betray Kim like that either!
- Joel, is your head hurting you? Please don't put too much stress on yourself I know this must be a lot of information for you so take it slow alright…
The words of the maid took me out of my daze, I must have been wearing a stupefied expression because even the soldiers and the madame wore a worried expression on they're faces now. Well, what could I do, just after learning that magic was a thing, now I learnt that I was going to get married? The maid must have been really worried because she was now checking for my temperature.
I smiled at her trying to comfort her a bit.
- I'm fine sorry for making you worry… Just… yes, it's a lot of information, I didn't know that well magic existed and that I was going to get married…
I guess my distress at the end of the phrase was evident because the women looked at me furiously, I really didn't know what I had done to this woman, isn't weird to get married at this age? From looking in the mirror earlier I could tell I wasn't even 16 years old yet.
- You… you really don't remember anything about magic? Even if you are cursed shouldn't you still remember? It's always been like that before…
I thought for a few seconds but what the maid said seemed logical. You could think of it as instincts, even if you lose you're memory often times your past experiences and instincts will remember passively in your stead. Its why sometimes with patients who had severe head damage will start to speak in languages they never learnt, it is out of pure instincts and experience from hearing this other language. So especially for something like magic one should at least have a feeling of remembrance.
I decided to just go with the flow and keep going with the lie, anyways if I started to backtrack now, they would suspect me of something. I wouldn't have minded to change normally, but it seemed like the people in front of me didn't like me too much.
- No, I'm sorry but I really don't remember anything. I don't remember magic existing, I don't remember the geography here and what the political state was in when I lost my memories. Oh! I'm really sorry again…
After saying that no one really talked, the maid apologized for saying something insensitive, but I didn't really mind and I comforted her. The women was still staring at me, still trying to figure out if I was lying or not probably, who knows maybe its some magical power that can discern lies. Not that I would mind though, it would make things easier for me.
After another 2-3 minutes the butler finally came back holding a peculiar item.
It was a dream catcher; the form was a bit weird which was the part that caught my eye. Well, a bit ironic I say it like that because it took the form of an eye, the string was no string on the outside of were the iris, the inside white with the iris being a bring red and the pupil a bright orange. Under the eye were held 5 long blue and grey feathers.
The women interrupted the butler coming towards me to whisper a few things inside the ear of the butler before she let him go.
He smiled at me for the first time since we saw each other.
- So, lady Adayus has told me that it really seems like you've lost your memory so let me explain quickly how it works understood.
I nodded quickly; I was going to ask the question either way.
- The curse detector is a device that uses holy energy that's held within you to search and identify if something is impure within you which typically corresponds to a curse.
I nodded again, although holy energy was a foreign concept since I didn't believe in god I couldn't be against the idea, I had seen some novels with the same concept and it didn't surprise me too much.
- Good, so to activate the device il need to open a small wound on your finger with this needle, afterwards all you'll need to do is pass your hand threw the device to activate it. The eye will turn black if there is a curse and the feathers will turn green if nothing is detected.
It seemed like strings and the feathers also had special properties if they could change colours, but I guess I would learn the specifics of how it would work latter. So I noded a finally time and gave him my hand.
- Please go ahead, I'm ready.
It was the butlers turn to nod, he took my hand at made the small opening on my hand. It didn't even hurt and I even doubter whether or not he touched my skin. Of course, as soon as I thought that a small stream of blood came out of my finger.
The curse detector started to light up in a shining colour, I guess it had some sort of detection method to identify whether there was blood.
The butler put the dream catcher threw my hand. I couldn't help my surprise again, it really was magic, the string still seemed to be there, but they were going threw my hands, as if in a ghosty form yet solid when it didn't interfere with the real world.
It was a painful minute, no one was talking, waiting for the reaction of the curse detector. I even noticed that the maid had stopped breathing, I guess she was stressed about the result.
Well, I didn't need to wait too long to get the result as the feathers turned green.
Honestly it didn't surprise me, as I said earlier a memory loss could have been anything else and well especially in my case, I hadn't truly lost my memory. I was hoping that maybe this body was still somehow cursed, and it would have made things easier for me but it seemed like fate wouldn't leave things easy for me.
- Joel! Is this truly how you repay us? We saved your life and now you fake amnesia? Here I thought that after a traumatic experience like the one you had maybe you would have a change of heart! To say that I almost believed you for a second…
She really seemed furious… but what could I say? That I'm some spirit from another world that I destroyed with my own two hands. Oh, but don't worry I'm a good guy, I took over this body by accident! I just let out a pitiful sigh, there really wasn't much I could do here…
- Madame please wait! I think Joel really has amnesia; you can tell yourself that he's acting really differently compared to usual!
- Shiela! Don't… you saw the results as well.
I looked at the maid, seemed like she tried to reason the situation as well but I guess they placed a lot of trust on the dream catcher, it wasn't the time to get them more mad so I held onto her hand and smiled.
- Don't worry, its fine we shouldn't rush things.
The women looked at me with a bit of amusement in her eyes, I guess it must of sounded stupid in her eyes.
- Arnold make sure he doesn't leave this room until he goes to the academy in 2 months time, not unless he gives us the answers that he is hiding.
The butler nodded walking out of the room, followed by the soldiers. Well at least it seemed like the maid would stay with me for now. She was stunned as well. Well, it made sense, I probably made her worry quite a bit before it was revealed that I didn't have a curse.
The door slammed shut and only us two were left in the room, it was silent for a good while. I didn't dare to be the first one to talk, it was better to let it sink in for herself what happened. I on my side had to start to wonder what this academy was, what as so important that they had to send me to it instead of keeping me here until they get the answers they want.
- Joel… what really happened, I know you might not trust them because of how you were treated in the past but if you really do still have, you're memories you should tell them, they are one of the strongest families around… they're the ones that can help you the most…
Ah... I guess that yes it made sense to some extent… this is a world with magic after all.