Chapter 150: Chapter 150 - Memories Disappearing ( Part 1 )
Morning sunbeams shone into the flower garden near the tiny cottage.
White lilies fluttered in the cool breeze.
Butterflies floated from flower to flower.
Everything seemed serene.
Just too serene.
Jennie stood near the wooden gate holding a basket with fresh bread.
Nearby, Roxy had a small bag with medicinal herbs prescribed by Old Gareth. He acknowledged that they wouldn’t heal her of Dragon Shell Disease, but they would help her cope with pain.
Snow carried several bundles of firewood on his back.
"This still seems unjust."
Roxy glanced at him.
"Why?"
"We bring gifts."
"And she’ll surely make us tea anyway."
Jennie smiled kindly.
"You might be right."
Snow sighed dramatically.
"She’s too kind."
Jennie agreed.
"She is."
She knocked quietly on the door.
Several moments later, the door opened.
Deressa smiled gently.
"Oh..."
"Good morning."
"I’m sorry..."
Her smile turned a little embarrassed.
"Did we ever meet?"
Silence.
The phrase was so natural that nobody responded for a beat.
Roxy squeezed the small bag of herbs.
Jennie managed to force a smile.
"We’ve met yesterday."
Deressa blinked.
"...Yesterday?"
She looked into their faces thoughtfully.
Then she touched her forehead.
"I’m so sorry."
"I don’t understand why..."
"I couldn’t recall."
Jennie replied quietly.
"It’s alright."
"We brought you breakfast."
Deressa’s expression lightened immediately.
"Oh!"
"Come in."
"I’ll make you some tea."
Snow lowered his gaze silently.
Yesterday.
She forgot about people who she spent an entire afternoon talking to.
The disease was already stealing pieces of her life.
In the cottage, everything seemed welcoming and warm.
Fresh flowers decorated the table.
The morning sunshine poured through the windows.
A small kettle whistled over the fireplace.
It all felt exactly the same.
Only...
Deressa moved more slowly.
Carefully.
As though she was trying to remember what should happen next.
She touched a cabinet.
But suddenly stopped.
"...That’s strange."
Jennie looked up.
"What is?"
"I..."
Deressa laughed awkwardly.
"I forgot where I keep my tea leaves."
Roxy instantly rose.
"I’ll help."
They searched for tea leaves among the shelves.
After three different containers they finally found it.
Deressa breathed with relief.
"There it is."
"I usually never forget."
Jennie didn’t say anything.
She remembered the journal.
Small memories disappear first.
While they prepared breakfast, another mistake happened.
Deressa reached for a jar of sugar.
But paused.
She looked at it for several seconds.
Finally, she murmured,
"...Is it salt?"
Roxy took the jar quietly.
"It’s sugar."
Deressa laughed softly.
"Of course."
"I knew that."
But her laughter was strained.
She didn’t know.
Until Roxy explained.
Jennie observed everything silently.
Every mistake was a new crack in the beautiful mirror.
After the breakfast, Deressa offered to bake cookies.
"They’re one of my specialties."
She cheerfully collected flour, butter, eggs, and honey.
Everything was fine.
Until she mixed the dough.
She frowned.
"...What should I do now?"
She looked at the bowl.
"I know that I’ve been making them hundred times."
"But..."
Her hands trembled a little.
"I can’t remember."
Jennie gently approached her.
"You usually add honey before the milk."
Deressa looked surprised.
"...You’re right."
"Thank you."
She smiled gratefully.
But when Jennie stepped back, sadness flashed on her face.
She didn’t forget because she was distracted.
She forgot because the memory was gone.
The cookies came out of the oven.
They spread their sweet scent in the cottage.
Snow instantly reached for the tray.
Jennie tapped his paw.
"They’re hot."
"I know."
"I’m just testing them."
"With your tongue?"
"It’s a scientific experiment."
Roxy burst out laughing.
Deressa laughed too.
For a little while...
Everything almost felt like before.
Later in the afternoon, several village kids visited Deressa.
"Miss Deressa!"
"We’ve picked flowers for you!"
The children happily gave her a colorful bouquet.
Deressa received them with delight.
"They’re beautiful."
A little boy grinned.
"My name is Finn."
A girl smiled.
"I’m Mia."
Deressa smiled warmly.
"Pleasure to meet you."
The children looked puzzled.
Finn scratched his head.
"...Miss Deressa?"
"You already know us."
"We visit you every week."
Silence.
Deressa’s smile gradually disappeared.
"...Do you?"
The children looked at each other.
Little Mia nodded quietly.
"You always make us honey cakes."
Deressa looked at the flowers in her hands.
"I’m..."
"I’m sorry."
"I don’t remember."
The joyful mood changed instantly.
Jennie quietly approached them.
"They’ve grown so much."
"Children change very quickly."
Deressa looked at her gratefully.
"Yes."
"That must be it."
But Jennie knew.
It wasn’t.
After the children left, Deressa sat near the window.
She looked into the flower garden.
For several minutes she didn’t say anything.
Finally, she murmured,
"They look familiar."
Jennie quietly joined her.
"They care about you."
"I know."
"But..."
Deressa’s voice was very low.
"I couldn’t remember their names."
She smiled sadly.
"They deserve better."
Jennie looked at the flowers.
"They’ll come again tomorrow."
"I hope so."
"I’ll probably ask their names again."
When evening was approaching, Luka came carrying a sack of vegetables on one shoulder and the same rusty sword.
"I brought you dinner."
Deressa looked at him with her usual gentle smile.
"Oh..."
"You’re..."
She stopped.
For just a second...
Confusion appeared in her eyes.
Luka froze.
Then Deressa suddenly smiled.
"Luka."
"There you are."
Relief swept over his face so quickly that only Jennie noticed it.
"...Yeah."
"I’m here."
He put the vegetables on the table and changed the topic quietly.
"I’ll repair the fence after dinner."
Deressa smiled happily.
"Thank you."
She didn’t notice that second of fear that passed through Luka’s face.
Jennie did.
Snow did too.
Neither of them said anything.
That night, as they went to the inn under the starry sky, Roxy finally broke the silence.
"It happens faster than I expected."
Jennie nodded.
"Yes."
Snow lowered his head.
"She forgot us."
"Then recipes."
"Then children she raised."
Jennie looked at the remote cottage where the warm light glimmered through the window.
According to Old Gareth’s journal...
This was only the beginning.
The disease wasn’t just taking memories away.
It was slowly deleting her entire life.
And with each sunrise...
Deressa woke up in the world that seemed stranger every day.
The sun descended behind the western mountains, casting Rosario Village into the golden light of twilight.
After finishing their daily duties, the smell of food wafted out of the chimneys, signaling the start of dinner time.
Jennie stood outside the inn, staring in the direction of Deressa’s cottage.
Her mind still dwelled on the mysterious journal of Old Gareth.
Dragon Shell.
It did not merely take away life.
It eroded it.
Gradually, years of laughter, tears, and happiness vanished leaving nothing but a hollow shell of a person.
She tightened her fist silently.
There must have been something they could have done.
No matter what the rest of the world thought.
Snow poked Jennie’s shoulder with his nose.
"She’s outside."
Jennie lifted her gaze.
Deressa was watering her lilies in the flower garden.
She was humming a joyful tune while working.
From a distance...
She seemed to be completely healthy.
Absolutely happy.
Unless, of course, someone knew the truth.
Roxy sighed.
"She keeps smiling."
Jennie nodded.
"It is because she does not want anyone else to feel sad."
The peaceful scene ended abruptly with a familiar voice being heard.
"You’re watering them too much."
Luka Manjero entered through the gates of Deressa’s property carrying a basket with fresh vegetables and bread.
His rusty sword lay casually over one shoulder.
Deressa turned her face in his direction and smiled.
"Oh."
"You promised you will come today."
"I did say that."
He placed the basket on the porch of the cottage.
"You forgot your lunch again."
"...Did I?"
Luka just nodded.
"You also skipped it yesterday."
"Oh, dear..."
She blushed awkwardly.
"I suppose I did."
Without another word, Luka stepped into the house.
In a few moments, he came out, bringing with him a small wooden chair.
"There."
"You usually sit there after watering the roses."
Deressa tilted her head.
"I do?"
"...Yeah."
She smiled.
"Thank you."
And then, obediently, she sat in the place where Luka put the chair.
As if her body knew better than her mind.
Jennie watched the whole scene silently from behind the fence.
Every move Luka made was natural.
Habitual.
Like he had done that many times already.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in the garden.
One of the watering cans fell over and its contents were spilled on the ground.
Deressa frowned.
"Oh..."
"What was I doing?"
She looked at the can in confusion.
Luka helped her pick it up gently.
"You’ve finished watering them."
"I have?"
He nodded.
"Now it’s time to cut the white lilies."
Deressa smiled brightly.
"That’s right."
"I almost forgot."
Luka gave her small gardening scissors.
Deressa kept going with her job happily.
Snow’s ears lowered slightly.
"He didn’t correct her."
Jennie whispered quietly,
"No."
"He led her."
Behind the fence, Roxy whispered quietly,
"He remembers everything for her."
Jennie nodded.
Every time Deressa forgot...
Luka helped her fill in the gaps.
Without ever making her feel ashamed.
Without ever reminding her that she had forgotten something.
He simply continued with the day as if nothing unusual had happened.
Later, Deressa went inside.
She opened one cabinet.
Another.
And finally, looked around confusedly.
"...Where are the bowls?"
Before she had time to search further, Luka said without even looking up from repairing the wooden stool.
"Second shelf."
"Left side."
"Oh."
She smiled.
"There they are."
A few minutes later...
"Luka."
"Hm?"
"Have I fed the chickens?"
"You have."
"Oh, good."
Several minutes passed by...
"Luka?"
"What?"
"Do I know these travelers with silver hair?"
Luka hesitated for a split second.
And then answered calmly.
"They are nice people."
"You invited them yesterday."
"I did?"
"You made tea."
Deressa smiled.
"That sounds like me."
She laughed lightly.
"So I guess they are my friends."
"...Yeah."
"They are."
Jennie felt something tightening in her chest.
Luka was not lying.
He was just protecting Deressa’s dignity.
As the evening arrived, a few children rushed towards the cottage.
"Miss Deressa!"
"We brought more flowers!"
Deressa waved happily.
"Oh!"
"Thank you!"
She accepted the flowers with delight.
And then...
She leaned toward Luka quietly.
"...What is the little girl’s name again?"
The words were so quietly that only Luka heard them.
He answered in the same manner.
"Mia."
"And the boy?"
"Finn."
Deressa smiled brightly.
"Thank you."
She looked back at the children.
"Mia."
"Finn."
"You have grown so much."
The children grinned widely.
"You remembered!"
Jennie noticed Luka smiling quietly to himself.
Just the corner of his mouth.
Very subtly.
But he smiled.
Maybe...
This was the first true smile of his.
That night, Jennie and the others were sitting outside the inn.
Rosario Village was silent.
Cricket songs and the sound of flowing river were the only noises here.
Snow glanced in the direction of Deressa’s cottage.
"I don’t get it."
"What?"
"If Luka really is that frightening bandit as people say..."
He tilted his head.
"Why is he like this with her?"
Roxy nodded.
"People are afraid of him."
"But..."
"He is so gentle to Deressa."
Jennie thought for a long time.
"I don’t think we have ever met the real Luka."
Snow blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"The man who shouts at villagers..."
"The man people are scared of..."
"This feels like some kind of mask he wears."
She glanced at the cozy cottage.
"But this other Luka..."
"The one who reminds Deressa where she put the watering can..."
"The one who knows every forgotten name..."
"He is the real one."
Roxy smiled slightly.
"Why is he hiding then?"
Jennie did not know how to reply to that.
Not yet.
Back in the village...
Luka was alone on the porch of the house after Deressa had fallen asleep.
The fierce village leader slowly opened the small notebook.
There were hundreds of pages filled with her notes.
Her favorite tea.
Names of all children she loves.
The flowers she plants.
The recipes she cooks.
All the places she likes to walk in.
Birthdays.
Memories.
Conversations.
Everything.
Every page was filled with Luka’s clumsy handwriting.
He added another note.
Today...
She forgot Mia’s name.
His hand stopped.
He closed his eyes.
And then wrote a new word.
She smiled, nevertheless.
Gently, Luka closed the notebook and glanced through the window.
Deressa was sleeping quietly inside.
Unaware of the tears silently collecting in Luka’s eyes.
"...Do not worry."
His voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper.
"I will remember everything..."
"...until you remember them."
Outside, the wind ruffled through the flowers in Deressa’s garden.
Underneath the rough looks and fearsome reputation was a man who bore a burden that nobody else in Rosario knew about.
And for the first time, Jennie started wondering...
Who is Luka Manjero, really?
A fierce leader of a village full of outlaws...
Or just a man who wants to save someone special from disappearing forever?
