Hera immediately stopped when she heard Zeldryn's order.
Her body tensed slightly before she slowly turned around.
“Y-yes, Lord?” Hera asked.
Her voice still sounded somewhat nervous.
But it was clearly different from the first day Reka arrived in this world.
Her entire body no longer trembled violently just because Zeldryn called her.
Zeldryn studied Hera carefully.
If he truly couldn't read the writing of this world, then for the time being, he needed someone who could help him.
And right now, the safest person he could make use of was Hera.
After all, Hera was the only person who knew that Zeldryn had lost most of his memories.
At least for now.
“Hera,” Zeldryn called.
“Yes, Lord?”
Zeldryn looked at her seriously.
“You haven't told anyone that I lost my memories, right?”
Hera immediately shook her head.
“No, Lord.”
This time, she answered without hesitation.
“No one knows. I haven't told anyone.”
Zeldryn continued watching her for several moments.
There was no obvious sign that Hera was lying.
“Good.”
Zeldryn then picked up the invitation he had placed on the table earlier.
“So here's the problem, Hera.”
He raised the letter.
“I forgot how to read.”
Zeldryn showed her the sheet.
“Can you read this letter for me?”
Hera fell silent.
“...”
Her expression suddenly became strange.
Not frightened.
Not simply confused either.
It looked as though there was something she wanted to say, but she wasn't sure whether she should say it.
Zeldryn immediately noticed.
“What is it?” Zeldryn asked.
Hera lowered her head slightly.
“U-um, Lord...”
“What?”
Hera became even more hesitant.
“There is something I would like to tell you.”
She clasped both hands in front of her body.
“But I'm afraid my words might offend you.”
Zeldryn became even more curious.
What now?
“Just say it.”
Hera still hesitated.
Zeldryn began losing patience.
“Now you're just making me even more curious, damn it.”
The slight rise in Zeldryn's voice made Hera flinch.
Her body immediately stiffened.
Her shoulders rose slightly.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The fear that had gradually begun to fade seemed to return for a moment.
Zeldryn immediately noticed her reaction.
But Hera had already lowered her head.
“Y-yes, Lord.”
She took a small breath before finally speaking.
“As far as I know...”
Hera paused.
“Lord Zeldryn couldn't actually read even before you said you had lost your memories.”
!!??
Zeldryn froze.
WHAT!?
For several seconds, he could only stare at Hera.
Wait.
What?
Zeldryn tried to process what she had just said.
Strange.
Extremely strange.
And yet...
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
The old Zeldryn really wasn't the type of person who would sit down quietly and learn how to read or write.
Even at such a young age, his life had already been a complete mess.
Drinking.
Causing trouble.
Abusing servants.
Picking fights with guards.
Visiting brothels despite still being a child.
Studying probably hadn't even made it onto the list of things he wanted to do.
But still...
He couldn't read?
Zeldryn could hardly believe it.
He was a noble's son, damn it!
Not a commoner.
Not some street kid.
Zeldryn was the son of a Marquis.
The Ninth Young Lord of the Giorry family.
And he couldn't even read?
Zeldryn raised a hand and rubbed his forehead.
“...”
The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it felt.
And if the old Zeldryn couldn't read...
Wait.
Then he couldn't write either, right?
A new question immediately filled his head.
Zeldryn looked at the stack of notes on the table.
Reka's writing.
The writing Kera had dismissed as a child's scribbles.
Now Kera's words made even more sense.
Damn it.
Zeldryn tried to suppress his embarrassment.
Now I'm embarrassed in front of Hera.
He had confidently claimed that his memory loss was the reason he could no longer read.
Turns out Zeldryn had never been able to read in the first place.
What a completely useless excuse.
But then he remembered Kera.
If the old Zeldryn couldn't read or write, why hadn't Kera found the notes strange at all?
Zeldryn thought about it for a moment.
Then he realized something.
Well... he only just arrived.
Kera knew who Zeldryn was.
But that didn't mean he knew every detail of Zeldryn's life.
And in the end, Kera had simply assumed Reka's writing was a child's scribbling.
There was no reason for him to become suspicious beyond that.
Zeldryn sighed.
Whatever.
There was no point making an already complicated problem even more complicated.
After remaining silent for a while, Zeldryn looked back at Hera.
“Fine.”
Hera slightly raised her face.
“Just assume that I can't read or write now.”
Zeldryn raised the letter.
“Either way, I need you to read this for me.”
He extended his hand and offered the letter to Hera.
Hera immediately accepted it with both hands.
“O-of course, Lord.”
But Hera didn't open the letter immediately.
She looked hesitant again.
“What now?” Zeldryn asked.
Hera lowered her head.
“My apologies in advance, Lord.”
“I'm not particularly fluent at reading either.”
Zeldryn fell silent.
Hera continued carefully.
“I'll try to read the parts I understand, but there may be some sections that are difficult for me.”
She paused.
“If this letter is important, I would recommend asking someone more educated to help you.”
Zeldryn immediately stared at her.
“Hera.”
“Y-yes, Lord?”
“You want my memory-loss secret to get out?”
!!??
Hera immediately froze.
When she saw Zeldryn beginning to look irritated, she hurriedly lowered her head.
“No! Of course not, Lord!”
“Then?”
“My apologies, Lord.”
Hera gripped the letter slightly tighter.
“I'll read it right away.”
Zeldryn let out a small sigh.
“Good.”
Hera then began examining the letter in her hands.
But before reading its contents, her gaze stopped on something.
The seal.
An already opened envelope rested on Zeldryn's table.
A red emblem was still visible on the front.
Hera recognized it.
The Giorry family crest.
Hera swallowed.
She might not know what was written inside the letter.
But if it had been sent with the Giorry family's seal, then it was most likely not an ordinary letter.
Hera felt even more pressured.
She didn't dare ask where Zeldryn had gotten it.
She didn't dare ask who had sent it either.
Especially after Zeldryn had just reminded her about the secret of his memory loss.
All Hera could do was try her best.
She opened the letter.
Her eyes moved across the symbols written on the page.
Then she began reading.
“T-to... Lord Zeldryn Giorry...”
Hera paused.
“Ninth... son of...”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Marquis... Zorin Giorry...”
Zeldryn listened.
But the next few sentences became increasingly messy.
Hera stopped several times.
Repeated words.
Sometimes she even seemed to be guessing how a certain section was supposed to be read.
The harder she tried to read correctly, the more nervous she became.
“During... the celebration... which will...”
Hera stopped.
“U-um...”
She looked at the same section again.
Zeldryn began to frown.
“Hera.”
Hera immediately stiffened.
“Y-yes, Lord?”
“Explain it better.”
Zeldryn pointed toward the letter.
“I'm not understanding what you're trying to say.”
“My apologies, Lord!”
Hera immediately looked back at the letter.
She tried again.
But several sections still made her stumble.
A few times, Hera read something incorrectly.
Other times, she immediately stopped and apologized.
At first, Zeldryn felt slightly irritated.
But after listening for a while, he gradually began understanding the main point of the letter.
He didn't need every single word.
The important part was the information.
After listening to Hera struggle through the letter for quite some time, Zeldryn finally understood its contents.
Marquis Zorin Giorry was inviting him to attend his forty-sixth birthday celebration.
And the celebration would be held on...
5 Starfall Month 245 LHK.
Zeldryn immediately fell silent.
He tried remembering the date Hera had explained to him before.
Today was...
10 Dusk Month 245 LHK.
Which meant from 10 Dusk Month until 5 Starfall Month...
Around twenty-five days.
Almost a month.
Zeldryn placed one hand against his chin.
His expression slowly changed.
Twenty-five days from now...
Marquis Zorin's birthday celebration.
Zeldryn's father.
And most likely...
The place where he would finally have to face the Giorry family directly.
Zeldryn narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Hmm...”
“Interesting.”
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter