He seems to have emotions of....

"Who are You?"

Those were the words that Aether himself wanted to know. He attempted to recollect any kind of memory related to this place....

But, there wasn't a single recollection about this room or the questioning man.

"ETHER, Who are you??" Velc's authoritative voice demanded an answer.

Hearing the insistence, Aether snapped back to reality and looked at Velc with an unknown expression as he repeated,

"Ether...?"

"..." Velc's lips twitched, and seeing that Aether couldn't help but find the situation amusing,

'I mean, does anyone ask who you are while calling your name?...Heh... Wait. Yeah, there was one who asked me before... his name is 'interviewer'....' Aether chuckled inwardly, recalling how he managed to irritate the interviewer.

 However, the amusement didn't last long.

"Do you think it was funny?" Velc asked sternly.

Aether remained silent, thinking, 'Of course, duh!! Looking at your twitching face and annoyed expression, the same face I saw with the Interviewer... It looks amusing!!!'

Seeing Aether staying silent, Velc also cooled down after a second he asked,

"Who am I?"

"Ve--"

"If you say 'Velc,' then I'll kill you right here!!"

'What the fuck am I supposed to tell then?' Aether thought but sealed his lips. It's not that he didn't want to answer.... it's just that he didn't know. That's all.

Instead of dwelling on this question-and-answer trail, Aether decided to tell the truth...

Only the truth!!

Because that man seems to nearing his limit!

"Well, I don't remember who I am, who you are, or what I am doing here," Aether confessed with a pained and scared expression.

Whether Velc believed it or not, Aether knew he spoke only the truth.

Seeing Aether's expression, Velc turned... scared?

'Hmm?' Aether frowned, not understanding why Velc appeared scared instead of being doubtful or an act of concerned.

Velc immediately stood up and grabbed Aether's white hair, and a pained cry escaped from Aether's lips.

"aarrhhhh!"

Aether, who initially thought Velc was going to 'harm' him in a way he thought.... However, he was surprised to find Velc effortlessly lifting him by just holding onto Aether's hair. 

The pain, though excruciating, was limited to the sensation of each hair being tugged.

Despite the pain coursing through him as each hair bud seemed on the verge of being pulled out, Aether couldn't help but be in awe of the middle-aged man's strength

His past delinquent side once had entertained thoughts of such antics as wanting to lift someone with his bare hands but the bizarre and weird hairstyles (Some even bald) of his fellow thugs had deterred him from trying it himself.

Regardless of his past,

With his legs dangling in the air, Aether cried out in pain as Velc sharply stared at his neck....

'Hmm... Thank god!' Velc thought before,

'Thud'

Suddenly, Velc released his grip, and Aether fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain. 

Aether fell down and held his head in pain, 'BITCH!!' he screamed, he clenched his fist but.... Although Aether felt an intense urge to punch his face, seeing Velc's posture made him reconsider, and he bit his lips, accepting the humiliation.

'I will promise you... I will pay back this humiliation a thousand times worse!!' Aether vowed silently, clenching his fists in determination.

'Sigh' Velc sighed audibly as he settled back onto the sofa, deep in thought.

Aether, slowly regaining composure, stood up.

"You don't even remember anything?" Velc inquired without bothering to glance at Aether.

"...Yes," Aether responded, maintaining a glare at the man.

"Not even your village?"

"Village? Yes" Aether answered, processing the new piece of information. 'It seems Ether belong to a village' he thought.

"Hmmm...." Velc pondered for a few minutes before dismissing Aether with a simple instruction.

"You can leave now..."

"Okay," Aether replied tersely, lacking any semblance of respect. Of course, why would he?

Velc already knew Aether lost memory so, trying to maintain the same personality was going to be a pain in the ass.

As he turned to exit the room, Velc issued a warning that sent shivers down Aether's spine.

"And if you dare to run away.... I will make sure to put you in the same lake that caused your memory loss!!"

'Thud'

Closing the door,

Aether's heart raced as he leaned against the wall....

Those words felt like a genuine threat, and the memory of the sea horse monster resurfaced, causing Aether's legs to tremble. Suppressing his emotions, he walked back to his so-called room.

After Aether left the room, Velc's voice resonated in the now-empty space,

"Did you observe anything different?"

Emerging from the shadows of the corner room, a figure, silent until now, gracefully approached Velc.

"Yes, Master!"

This figure was a white-haired old man adorned in a meticulously tailored butler's attire.

He wasn't using any kind of power to hide his presence or anything since guests already knew his presence. It's just that he stayed in the corner like a doll so Aether didn't see that man...

"He appears to harbour emotions of joy, anger and.... ego...." The butler remarked as he positioned himself before the intricately arranged teapot.

While scrutinizing the teapot, a slight frown crept upon the butler's face. The meticulous arrangement of the teapot was a subtle etiquette known only to well-trained butlers or esteemed royal servants, 'Perhaps it's just a coincidence...' The butler nonchalantly shrugged, resuming his task of cleaning the table.

"But we cannot be entirely certain; he may be putting on an act... Despite his memory loss, he willingly followed your orders" The butler continued his duties, seamlessly transitioning to preparing tea for his Master.

"No!"

Velc's immediate dismissal echoed through the room, prompting the butler to cast an inquisitive glance at his Master.

"Why, Master?"

While it might seem insolent for a mere servant to question his Master, this particular butler held a position of great importance.

"Because he didn't even spare a glance at my daughter!" Velc exclaimed with a stern face. From the very moment Aether entered the room, he seemingly failed to acknowledge Velc's daughter.

It wasn't about expecting a mere slave to pay attention to his daughter, but Velc couldn't shake off the feeling that the previous version of Ether, before memory loss, had always displayed a keen interest in her. He stared at her every time and everywhere like a.... stalker.

"As for complying with my orders.... it was likely a result of his survival instincts. I deliberately emanated an aura of intimidation to ensure his obedience, so... I believe his compliance was genuine....

and... Yes, That doesn't seem like an act, especially considering how he glared at me without fear" Velc explained the subtle dynamics of his interaction with Ether, highlighting the deliberate pressure he exerted and Ether's fearless response.

Furthermore, Before memory loss, Ether never made eye contact with others....

"It appears that memory loss has granted him a certain boldness... He needs to be tamed now, or else...." Velc trailed off, his thoughts lingering on the potential consequences.

The butler, acknowledging Velc's observations, wore a subtle smile, reflecting a sense of satisfaction at his master's astute awareness of the changes in their surroundings.

Noticing the subtle smile,

"Tsk, You surely know everything, and yet you're asking me!!" Velc's voice carried a hint of irritation.

"Hehe..." The butler giggled softly as he handed a cup of tea to Velc, "As I promised my previous Master, I was only allowed to guide you and the rest is up to your decision, Master"

"Tsk, that old man...." Velc clicked his tongue in mild annoyance, taking a sip of the tea.

"Inform the old man... just in case he felt I was hiding something," Velc added with a serious tone.

"Hehe..." The butler chuckled lightly, acknowledging Velc's instruction.

"Anyhow, who is responsible for this? Who pushed him into the lake?" Velc inquired, frustration still evident in his expression.

"That is... one of my disciples, Master" The butler responded.

"..." Velc stared at his butler, his silence indicating both astonishment and discontent.

"Sigh, I already punished him for his recklessness..."

"..." Despite the explanation, Velc continued to gaze at his butler.

"I am sorry, Master. I will punish him again" The butler offered an apology.

"It's not about the punishment, Alfred....

What if Ether died?

You do know how important he is to us!!" Velc expressed his concern with a touch of fury.

"...." Alfred remained silent, absorbing Velc's words.

Seeing no answer,

"Sigh, Next time anything like this happens again, I will make sure that disciple of yours disappears from my house...." Velc delivered a stern warning.

"I will surely teach that brat, Master" Alfred bowed respectfully, acknowledging Velc's directive.

While Velc and Alfred having a nice chat,

Aether left alone with his thoughts, gazed into the air with a mixture of shock and.... frustration? evident on his face.

"I got this..... SHIT!"

!~Ding~!