I Was the Hero, But She Turned Me Into the Villain-Chapter 9 - 8 : Convergence – Part 2

«Riesenhart.»

The name slipped smoothly through my mind, like a knife, cutting through the fog to make way for a flood of strange sensations: a long corridor, tall windows, the scent of freshly polished wax.

But... were they my memories? I couldn’t be sure.

My breathing quickened again, tightening my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm these feelings that threatened to overwhelm me.

—Are you all right? —Alice asked, leaning in with concern. Her hands, small and fragile, rested on my shoulders. On her face was a look so pure it disarmed me at once.

— I don’t know... —I murmured honestly, trying to process everything.

"Who... am I?"

The silence that followed was heavy, unbearable. Broken only by the irregular beating of my temples. My memories were in tatters, fragmented, so disordered that I was unable to distinguish where mine ended and those of this body began.

Alice... this person brought me a strange warmth, so reassuring that I didn’t know if it came from me or from the echoes swirling inside me. Was it the hero Daven... or just Daven, the sixteen-year-old boy?

Maybe... she could tell me.

—Alice... —I called her with a broken voice, as if clinging to an invisible thread—. Who am I?

Alice blinked, as if the question had taken her by surprise. Her lips parted, closed, then she lowered her gaze, clutching the hem of her dress tightly. It took her a moment to speak, as if afraid to say something she shouldn’t.

—My young master... —she finally murmured, with a shy hesitation—. You are... my master, the one I serve. Daven von Riesenhart. Son of Lady Vivian and the Marquis...

She paused for a second, swallowing. The tone of her voice as she spoke left me unsettled. When she looked at me again, her eyes were shining, with a bit of pride and affection in her words.

—And... to me... —she continued, her voice barely cracking, a timid blush sliding onto her cheeks— you are someone very important.

Her answer, so simple and full of warmth, struck me with a strange force.

«Daven von Riesenhart.»

The name echoed in my mind, spun, sank... and brought with it another wave of fleeting images: a hall lit by chandeliers, the weight of a heavy cloak on my shoulders, someone’s hand holding mine with warmth.

But in every memory there was something fractured, as if I were looking through a shattered stained glass. I couldn’t be sure if they were mine... or just echoes of the Daven who belonged to this body.

I felt something in my chest tighten.

—Daven... —I murmured, tasting the name in my mouth, as if it were foreign.

Alice watched me, eyes damp, expectant. Her hands were still on my shoulders, giving me a fragile support.

Her closeness made me realize how terribly vulnerable I must have looked.

—Was I always like this...? —I asked in a thread of voice. I wasn’t sure exactly what I meant: my confusion, the fragility eating at me, or the painful sense of not quite fitting into my own skin.

Alice opened her mouth, then closed it. Her cheeks tightened, and she lowered her gaze.

—No... —she admitted, so low I barely heard her—. You... used to be different. You smiled more, your laughter... it blossomed even in the middle of winter.

She fell silent, with a faraway look, as if she had wandered off to some distant corner of the past.

...

Curiosity overtook me. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

—Really? —I asked, watching her.

—Yes... —she replied, and a small mischievous smile appeared on her face—. That same winter you chased me all around the courtyard, telling everyone that one day you’d marry me.

My expression darkened slightly while she remained lost in those memories. And even if just for an instant, sadness clouded her face.

—But that winter... —she drew in a deep breath, unable to finish the sentence. Finally she lifted her gaze, resolved, and continued—. I’m sure Lady Vivian would love to see you smile again.

Those words chilled and burned me at the same time.

That winter...?

I wanted to ask what had happened, but my head began to throb with a dull pain again. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the tangle in my mind stir.

When I opened them again, Alice was still there. She squeezed my shoulders a bit, as if afraid I might fade away once more.

—Please, my young master... rest a little. Your body is still weak. I... I’ll stay by your side.

I didn’t have the strength to refuse. I only nodded faintly.

Carefully, she helped me to my feet and led me to the bed.