Chapter 3

Aldric couldn't sit still for a second. He immediately went to find Darian and the others.

As soon as he stepped into the next room, Aldric put on a serious face, acting all nonchalant, but his smile was threatening to split his face in two.

"Hey, I've got something to tell you guys," Aldric said.

Darian and Eamon exchanged a confused look. "Aldric, what's up? Feeling sick again?"

Aldric let out a dismissive laugh, struggling to keep the grin off his face as he clasped his hands behind his back, trying to look all casual and cool.

He announced, "I know her name."

Darian looked puzzled. "Who?"

"Who else?" Aldric gave them a sidelong glance, his smugness practically radiating. "The girl who's been looking after me. I had to work pretty hard to get it out of her, but she finally told me."

As soon as Aldric said that, Darian and Eamon's faces turned pale as ghosts.

They glanced at each other, both seeing pure panic in the other's eyes.

Eamon spoke up. "A-Aldric... don't tell me you're crushing on some other girl now?"

Darian looked like he was about to burst into tears. "Aldric, what are you thinking? You're a married man. Your wife is so good to you. How could you even..."

Aldric's brows furrowed, instantly looking annoyed. "What other girl? What wife? Seriously, cut it out. You guys are way off.

"I've only ever had feelings for one girl in my entire life."

Aldric tapped the table, lowered his voice with a touch of pride, and declared, word by word, "Her name is Calanthia Thornwood.

"I've set my heart on her for life."

As soon as Aldric finished, Darian and Eamon stiffened, exchanging a glance. They were stunned into silence, rooted to the spot for what felt like forever.

The next moment, both of them let out a massive sigh of relief, almost dropping to the floor as their legs turned to jelly.

Darian pressed a hand to his chest, still rattled. "Calanthia?"

Eamon wiped the cold sweat from his brow, whispering under his breath, "Calanthia... Calanthe..."

Aldric frowned at their odd expressions. "Seriously, what's up with you two? Why do you look so spooked?"

Darian let out a couple of awkward laughs, not daring to meet Aldric's eyes, frantically thinking to himself, 'Man, that's your wife.

'And here you are showing off about wooing her. You're literally trying to win over your own wife.'

Aldric was completely oblivious to the silent panic between them. He was too busy basking in his own happiness, his smile impossible to hide.

Aldric shot them a look, his tone firm and a bit commanding. "From now on, don't bring up any fiancée or that whole marriage arrangement thing.

"That was all just you guys messing with me. Calanthia is the only one in my heart."

Darian and Eamon both nodded, their faces saying 'we get it, but we're not saying a word,' struggling not to burst out laughing, their whole bodies trembling with the effort.

Aldric let out a smug little snort, feeling proud as he headed back to his room, already thinking about how he'd call her name the next time he saw her.

Calanthia. The girl he loved.

*****

A few days passed, and the doctor said the bruise in Aldric's head was unstable.

There was nothing anyone could do. Maybe it would clear up tomorrow, or maybe it would never go away.

In other words, Aldric might never recover his memories from before.

When I heard that, honestly, I felt a little relieved for a moment. Everything he went through after fifteen was just too hard.

Maybe it was not so bad if he stayed fifteen forever.

With those thoughts swirling in my mind, I carried the medicine I just made to Aldric's room. As I reached the door, I heard a delicate, almost frail voice coming from inside.

I pushed the door open and saw a girl in a pale pink dress standing by the bed, her brows furrowed with concern.

She looked like she and Aldric were old friends. "Aldric, I heard you got hurt. I've been so worried I haven't slept for nights. It's Fiora Grimshaw."

I paused, leaning against the doorframe, not rushing to go in.

Aldric tensed up, looking wary as he shrank back against the bed, like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. "Who are you? I don't know you."

Fiora lowered her gaze, her eyes shimmering with tears, every word tugging at their supposed past. "You used to say you'd marry me when we were kids. Don't you remember?"

I watched Aldric with interest, curious to see how he'd deal with this childhood sweetheart who came knocking at his door, now that he'd lost his memory.

But his reaction was even more intense than I expected. His face went pale, and he shot back, "I never said that. Don't make things up."

Fiora, unfazed, began to softly recount a few secrets from his childhood.

She talked about how he scraped his knee climbing a tree, hid the teacher's inkstone, hated garlic, and even mentioned the tiny mole just below his left hip.

She rattled them off without missing a beat.