A warm cup of tea helped Bellavarn calm his nerves. It had entirely too much sugar and could cause heart palpitations, but it felt right. Maybe the craving was leftover from eating too many chocolate bars and late nights baking chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately, chocolate was hard to come by in this region and most people hoarded the delicacy.

I'm a Duke's son. I'm sure I can get my hands on some.

A knock at the door prompted Bellavarn to set down his tea and separate himself from his idle musing.

"Come in."

They didn't need to knock since the library was now an open setting. When he first took over the library he kept the doors closed to avoid interacting with anybody, but he decided to prop them open and keep it that way until he had an anxiety attack.

A woman walked in and closed the door behind her. The action irked Bellavarn, but he guessed it was fine if someone else chose to do it.

The older woman had coffee-colored skin and was around his mother's age. Her professional attire resembled Oslo's rather than that of a maid. Her gait was completely confident and without flaw. Her actions somehow overtook him, as Bellavarn found himself pulling out a chair for her. He liked to think he would have done that anyway, but this woman seemed to command it somehow.

"Take a seat. Please."

The middle-aged maid sat down with a small nod of her head. Bellavarn felt the air turn a bit thicker than was comfortable but pushed through it anyway. Moving back around his desk, he started the conversation with what he knew

"You're my mother's personal maid, right? Weren't you with us before we came to the capital?"

"My name is Parcy, young lord. And you are correct. I tend to the Duchess, among other managerial matters like Oslo."

Her voice was silky. Bellavarn thought he heard an accent, but it was too subtle to point out.

"I'm sorry, I feel terrible about not recalling you, madam Parcy. I must still be missing some important memories."

"Not necessarily. You have seen me often but we never spoke like this before. You had others like Oslo to take care of you."

Bellavarn nodded in thought. He could remember faces from the main house and even the name of his nanny, but he didn't have many overpowering memories of Parcy. The fact that she traveled with the family to the capital and the Duchess personally trusts her means Parcy is as trustworthy as they come.

"Can I ask a favor?"

"You've called me here, so I assumed as much, young master."

Bellavarn smirked.

Now I know for sure that she is teasing me.

"Will you call me Bellavarn?"

He looked off to the side. The Bellavarn of Earth hated when people mispronounced his name, but he disliked being addressed as "young master" even more. It was like he was a doctor without the prerequisites. People called him "young lord" or "young master" simply because he was the Duke's son. It felt unearned and stifling.

It was tradition, but hopefully, some would convert.

"Yes, master Bellavarn."

...most wouldn't. His Sallow blood told him that it was against proper procedure, but those memories also told Bellavarn that this was an easy way to show his sincerity.

Parcy chose to follow tradition. She seemed like a stickler for it, but her tone was incredibly courteous. So, with formalities through, Bellavarn dived into the true meaning he called Parcy, and would be calling each of the staff from here on, one by one.

"Parcy, please forgive me for neglecting my surroundings until now. More than the others, I should have gotten to know you earlier. Do you think we can start to make up for lost time?

Bellavarn teased.

Her posture was rigid as she sat on the edge of the chair. He searched for a glimpse of humor or rebellion, but Parcy gave away nothing.

"If you wish to know my duties, you can consider me as Oslo's counterpart, master Bellavarn. I work around the Duchess and make sure operations runs smoothly."

Bellavarn picked apart each of her words and realized how forthcoming she actually was. Every fragment of her words consisted of a landmine that would surely serve as fuel to tease him, so he smartly change the topic.

"So you were the one who helped keep my sibling secret?"

For the first time in years, Parcy smirked in the presence of someone other than the Duchess.

"That's correct. I was the first to point out your mother's condition."

Ooh. I like her.

Bellavarn chuckled openly.

"I was ecstatic when I heard the news myself. It must have been difficult keeping it a secret for so long."

Parcy straightened a crease on her uniform while she thought.

"The Duchess... was upset at the distance that has grown between the master Bellavarn and herself."

His mother was as sincere as she was beautiful. The Duchess has a temper when she doesn't get her way, but she always seems to know best. As mothers do. The distance that grew between them as Bellavarn aged was not lost on him. Before the memory loss, he didn't enjoy being fussed over or coddled. When he found a passion for the arts, his parents hired enough tutors to make him go insane. So he started hiding his work. When that failed, he searched for something that he could learn without parental intervention.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

That was how he taught himself to play the piano. Only one person knew, a maid he couldn't quite remember. Fortunately that mystery woman kept his secret; His mother would have immediately put together a regal recital so she could show off her son.

And then there was the matchmaking. Bellavarn wanted nothing of it. A significant other being introduced through his mother? What was more embarrassing?

Wait... why is it embarrassing?

Now that he thought about it, how else do you meet people? Through curricular activities, going to events, parties... why did it matter how he was introduced to someone. Would he even talk to any of those people normally? If his mother could sift through all the bad apples, wouldn't that be a boon?

He would let his mother have her moments. It showed she cared in her own way. Besides, Bellavarn didn't choose very well the first time.

I reserve the right to veto any of her picks, though.

Realizing he still had company, Bellavarn collected himself. Taking a moment to stand and saunter over to a bookshelf filled with tomes about magical theory, Bellavarn plucked a random book off the shelf.

"It is true that I've been acting childish. Even if she can be overbearing, I couldn't ask for a better mother. She is the only one I have."

Parcy wore a subtle, approving smile. The second of the day. A new record.

"The Duchess will be delighted to hear that."

Bellavarn ignored those foreboding words while turning the tome over in his hands; he checked the spine. It was clearly an older book that had many different owners in the past. He idly wondered if repair was possible or if it would need to be copied.

"The strangest thing happened after my amnesia. I haven't had the chance to fully appreciate or understand the ramifications yet... but I would ask your assistance in confirming something."

He spoke with newfound excitement.

Parcy was in a good mood, so she gladly accepted.

"How may I be of service?"

Walking back over, he handed the tome to Parcy, who accepted the object with care.

"This is a book on magical theory titled Basic Theoretics Volume II. I would ask that you open the book to a random page and read the first ten words."

Parcy looked at the thick tome and guesstimated the page count was around 250. It was remarkably thick for a textbook. Complying with the strange request, she softly separated the pages and looked to the first line that stuck out. She read...

"The magical backlash from a falsely infused spell formation will be..."

Reiss spoke instantly.

"...equal to four times the amount of mana imputed."

Parcy nodded. His memory was good.

"Try a different page, start somewhere in the middle of a sentence."

Was he going to try to recite it from memory again? Parcy did as she was told, flipping to one of the later pages. She read.

"... often causes an adverse effect when there is an abnormal..."

Bellavarn tilted his head, thinking for a moment.

"A combination of opposing elements often causes an adverse effect when there is an abnormal amount of mana backing only one element."

Parcy wanted to raise her eyebrows. That was quite the feat. She saw Bellavarn's lips turn upward as he raised a finger.

"One more. Choose a different page, but use only five words this time."

Again, Parcy complied with faint amusement and interest. Searching for something more difficult, she chose a place near the beginning of the tome. She ignored an old tea stain and read through the discolored parchment.

"...lost. It can only be..."

Bellavarn jerked. Did she have to choose two separate sentences? He wracked his brain, creating swirling motions with his fingers as he tried to divine the right words. Then it clicked. It wasn't a difficult guess if you have read it before.

"Mana cannot be lost. It can only be found."

Parcy's allowed her eyebrows to rise. It was an impressive feat to memorize the contents of an entire book. Reporting Bellavarn's new memorization skills would greatly delight the Duchess.

"That is quite impressive. Even if you spent an entire month here, being able to memorize a book like this is a considerable accomplishment."

Bellavarn grinned. Motioning for her to hand the book back, Bellavarn replaced it on the shelf.

"It wasn't just a few books. I get the feeling I can do that with many of the books I've read."

Waving his hands, he quickly continued.

"Not all of them, of course. That would be maddening. The ones with abstract terminology or obtuse sentence structures are virtually impossible for me. I also can't recall anything on the spot. You reading the words aloud helped me."

Bellavarn only read that book once, but he could still recall most of it when prompted. Neither Earth Bellavarn or Bellavarn Sallow had this ability before, so it was strange that the skill suddenly blossomed.

"Oddly enough, I'm most proficient at recalling lines from trashy romance novels. Eh... Can you keep that part a secret. Saying it out loud made me realize how embarrassing it is."

"Do not worry, master Bellavarn. It is nothing to be ashamed of."

Bellavarn drooped dramatically. He could see the laughter swirling in Parcy's eyes.

She's teasing me again.

His memory wasn't eidetic and crystal clear. Bellavarn guessed it had to do with word association—the best memory techniques involve associating a memory with a set of words or actions. Many people, in both worlds, have difficulties remembering names. The reason being that we don't have unique experiences with each person.

Why do you remember that one person who complimented your scarf three years ago but not the name of your classmate you've studied alongside for years? Because it was a rare encounter unique to that person. You've sat alongside other colleagues, worked on group projects, or stood in line at the coffee shop. You'll lose the name written on your group paper or the side of a coffee cup because they are just another person passing by in life.

However, you remember the name or face of that classmate in middle school who dropped a cookie at your table as a random act of kindness. The owner of the car that you ran into when first learning to drive. The asshat who cut in line at the waterslide. The stranger who helped you mail a letter and even paid for stamps.

Without the will to memorize, memory is inherently emotional.

Training memory was a different story. It involved inputting sensory feedback with visual or auditory recognition.

Bellavarn associated that benign tome of magical theory by tapping his finger on his desk whilst reading it. An intense mystery novel was memorized by folding the corners of each page. Another book he read while pacing back and forth. He remembered a romance novel, A Chance Encounter, because of how he spurted his tea and had to wipe the pages down with his shirt before Kerv offered him a towel.

Make an encounter, a memory, a moment, a person, stand out from all the others. Force it to be unique.

Melody.

Father.

Mother.

Oslo.

Kerv and Henry.

Anne, Kly, and Tristan.

Lecil.

Remember the encounter. The first people he officially met.

But... he still forgot the maid who came in to deliver food every mealtime; her face and figure became blurred. The server at dinner the morning after his dream, a false memory sneering. layered over-top.

He ignored them, making the encounters worthless.

Even that faithful woman who kept his piano skills a secret. Why did he forget?

Parcy brought him out of the trance by speaking.

"Even if you cannot remember everything, master Bellavarn, it's a wonder how much you have memorized in only a month."

It wasn't ignorant praise. All nobles read books, and many tried to memorize their content. It usually took several days to memorize an entire novella even for the best of them. To memorize almost every book in this room? That was an amazing achievement.

"Thank you for the kind words, Parcy. I have another favor to ask, if you're willing."

"That depends on the task, master Bellavarn."

"Nothing much. I know you can keep a secret. But can you spread one?"