An act of goodwill?

As per the young master's request, the number of servants and guards accompanying him to the empire was reduced significantly. Previously, when he wanted to go to such ceremonies, he would ask the count to give him the best servants in the mansion and the strongest guards, but he did the complete opposite this time.

I'm not going to ask why he did that or get surprised at his actions. He had lost his memories and seems to have gone a little bit crazy in the head so it's not anything surprising.

After it was confirmed that the head butler has handed the keys to Severin, he was temporarily dismissed from his work until he was proven innocent or guilty, and thus, Ranger was responsible for his tasks for a few days until our departure.

Using that opportunity, the old man added Ralph to the team accompanying the young master. It was a good decision in my opinion.

Alaric was not taking any other servants besides Ranger and me. Ranger is old and I am sick, so we probably won't be able to do our tasks properly. Ralph was young and energetic, so he could help us out in our job. He was also a kid, which made it reasonable for him not to know much of the etiquette and proper behavior the adult servants had to know, and thus it was understandable if he made some mistakes. It was better than taking an ordinary adult servant who might cause problems due to his lack of knowledge.

Probably Ralph's endless naggings, pleas, and winnings about how he would be left alone in the mansion and how he'd miss Ranger were without any effect on the old man's heart.

'I'll run away as soon as I get the chance!'

Nodding my head and repeating that 'plan' in my head, I washed my hands and then my face before leaving the bathroom. I headed to the garden where the carriage was. It was early in the morning and the sky was not completely bright yet. We were departing today so everyone had to get up earlier than usual and prepare for the trip. Even young master Alaric was up and he was... He was helping the maids pack his stuff? What the hell?

'But I should find out the truth behind Alaric's memory loss before I run away...'

I went to his room that night to search for any clues, but couldn't find anything unusual besides the notebook with that unknown language. I have not seen that language anywhere in any of my lives till now... how did Alaric learn something that even I don't know of... and that is... he learned it in one night? Just when he lost his memories, he learns a new language? Can it be something he knew for a long time but didn't use until now?

'Can it be that... Can it be that he suddenly received a revelation or something?'

I've heard that there are some people who see visions or hear voices in their dreams, which lead them to achieve extraordinary achievements or gain supernatural powers... Huh, is our Alaric chosen by the gods?

Come to think of it... I'm a freaking regressor who has seen any kind of strange things and had done all kinds of fuck... Maybe me punching him led to some sort of reaction and resulted in Alaric's memories flying away in exchange for him gaining some kind of freaking knowledge! He was even screaming strange words once he woke up as if he knew something, but didn't know something at the same time.

'Nah, that's too imaginary. Such a thing can't happen. There must be a logic behind it... Why didn't Alaric gain this so-called knowledge in any of my previous lives?'

Above all, Alaric seemed to be chosen by some evil spirit instead of a god. Just look at him, tsk!

Alaric, whom I'd been unknowingly staring at for a few minutes, tilted his head with a puzzled face and asked with confusion.

"Is something wrong with me, Ian?"

Yeah, honestly speaking, everything is wrong with you!

"No. I'm sorry I guess I'm still sleepy a little bit."

I swallowed my words and shook my head, giving an answer to my master while having a polite smile on my face and a gentle look. Alaric cast me a somewhat worried gaze and moved a little bit closer.

"Do you want to come to my carriage instead of the servants' carriage?"

"...Yeah?"

I lost all the gentleness in me and failed to maintain my polite smile and blurted out a confused response to Alaric's strange question. The young master chuckled and explained himself.

"My carriage is much more comfortable than that old thing the servants use. It's also smoother when it moves and is also spacious enough. You said that you are still unwell so if you want to, you can rest in my carriage!"

"...."

"I know the trip will be tiring and you won't be able to get any better at this rate! And I'm also sure that the servants' carriage is not really suitable for a patient!"

"...."

What is this fool talking about? What's with that innocent smile? Oy! What is going on here?

"If you are worried about Ranger, I'll convince him! Ahem! I'm his master after all!"

The young master puffed up his chest and his smile suddenly widened. Ignoring my stupid found face, he strolled towards Ranger who was ordering the workers, and engaged in a conversation with him. The two of them sent a few glances at me, Ranger knitted his brows a little bit, and Alaric sighed as he shook his head. Their conversation ended when Ranger nodded his head and Alaric turned to me with a bright smile and gave me a thumbs up!

"...."

What?

I don't know when the packing was done or when I was pushed inside the young master's carriage nor when we started to move. I was in a daze all that while, not understanding what was going on. My mind however was in a frenzy. I was thinking about different reasons why Alaric would suddenly do such a thing... Is this an act of goodwill? Alaric has changed a lot... and he gives me food but... He went up against Ranger for me! There is no way this will be an act of goodwill! He wants to achieve something through this!

'Does he want to interrogate me?'

I don't know how that idea struck my head in between all the theories I was creating, but once I thought about it, I couldn't stop myself from creating the full scenario in my head.

At first, it looked like an act of kindheartedness and I was about to accept that, but when I thought about how he talked back to his father and sister at that dinner party, or how he had a meeting with the young lady last evening, or even how he managed to persuade Ranger so easily, a feat that was impossible to achieve for someone with amnesia and without supernatural powers, I couldn't help but be reminded of the possibility of him being chosen by some evil entity and then couldn't stop my thoughts from going wild.

'Did he perhaps find out that it was me who put his room on fire? Or maybe knew that I drank the tea and took his pill intentionally? Does he want to ask me why I burned his room or tore his notebook or how I knew about the poison or even why I punched him that morning? Wait, if that language is really something that was bestowed upon this fool by some powerful entity, then doesn't me tearing those pages apart lead to me getting cursed by that entity... or something like that? Did I enrage some evil? I wonder how my life can get more miserable than this... Imagine regressing while also having a curse on you... I guess life has been too easy on me in the past few decades of me regressing, I didn't have any kind of curse after all... I guess it might be even a little bit interesting. Imagine putting a curse on a fool who keeps regressing again and again! Pfft! The poor evil entity will be so confused! Wait a minute, isn't regressing counted as a curse itself? I used to call it a curse myself for a while... Then does that make me a double-cursed human? Or maybe the negative effect of a curse can be mixed with the negative effect of the other curse and they will form a positive effect and both of the curses will be lifted? Do curses abide by mathematical rules? I guess I should try getting cursed by some powerful entity once to try this theory. Man, I guess my future is going to be crazy!'

"Ah... Don't be so tense!"

I was snapped out of my thought by a voice and then felt something being pushed on my lap. Once I looked down, I could see a small pillow and a thin blanket.

"You look pale and dazed. Take a small nap."

"...."

I stared at the pillow and the blanket.

'Does he want to curse me in my sleep?'

That would be cool! This was not an act of goodwill either. Haha! Young master, you are such a great actor!

I grabbed the pillow and the blanket and looked at the young master.

"I believe that you will do a great job, young master!"

In cursing me. Or maybe killing me? Feeding me with poison? Breaking my legs or taking out my eyeballs? My previous theories might all be wrong,... but please do a great job in whatever you want to do with me in my sleep.

"...Pardon?"

I just smiled at the young master and prepared to take a nap.