Happily Ever After

Chapter 27

(Y/N) POV

"So Alois, where were you during the last two years?" Father inquired.

Alois' smile dropped along with the mood. The atmosphere thickened and became more suffocating by the minute. The dining hall went eerily quiet, a deafening silence rang in my ears.

Alois took a deep breath. "Well, you see... I erm... I was-"

The kitchen doors burst suddenly opened. The servants, along with Claude, came out with delicious food, ready to be served.

"Apologies for the delay, sirs and madams. There was some trouble in the kitchen." Claude bowed.

"It's alright. Things like this happen sometimes. What's important is that you got the job done. Thank you all for your hard work." Mother said.

The dishes were served one by one from appetisers to dessert. Everyone remained silent whilst eating. No one dared to break the ice. Instead of two hours, dinner felt like it lasted for an eternity.

"Ahem," Mother cleared her throat. "(Y/N), why don't you take Alois on a tour around the manor. Perhaps it will help him regain some of his memories."

"Oh, alright. I suppose that might help. Would you like to look around the manor, Alois?"

"Sure."

"Mother, Father, please excuse us."

~•~

As Alois and I walked along the seemingly endless hallways, I told him stories about the childhood we spent together, in hopes of helping him remember the past he had forgotten. I took him to every room and every corner that might trigger his memories.

"Alois, about earlier..."

"Yes?"

"You mentioned that you still remember us, just not everything about us, correct?"

"Indeed."

...

...

...

"Is this about our first meeting?" Alois inquired.

"Yes..."

"Look, I'm truly sorry about what I said and what I did to you. A fine lady like you does not deserve to be treated like that. But to be honest, everything I told you that day was the truth — I didn't know you."

"So you remember me now?" I looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"No, unfortunately not. When I said 'you', I only meant Auntie (Y/M/N) and Uncle (Y/F/N). My memories of you are still a blur."

"Oh... I see."

"I'm sorry. Sorry if I can't remember you. Sorry if I can't remember our past. Sorry for-" Alois apologised again and again.

"It's alright. I understand." I held his hands just how I used to when we were younger. "Don't worry, I shall help you bring them back. We will bring them back. We'll do this together."

"Together?"

I nodded in agreement. "Together."

Alois smiled, but it quickly disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"But what if they don't... The doctor told me there is a possibility that amnesia can be permanent. I might have lost my memories forever."

"We won't know unless we try. Even if it takes weeks, months, years, or a whole lifetime, I will not give up. I won't give up on you. I won't give up on bringing back the Alois I knew, even if it takes an eternity."

"Let's say that I do regain my memories. What if I'm not the same Alois you knew? What if I'm not the same Alois you fell in love and grew up with? What will you do? Will you still love me?"

"Yes, yes I shall. No matter how much you've changed, I shall teach myself how to love you and embrace the new you."

Alois smiled. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life. Thank you, (Y/N), for loving me and for everything that you've done for me, but please do promise me one thing..."

"What is it?"

"If my memories don't ever come back, please let me go."

"Wh-what? No, I cannot possibly do that."

"You'll only end up getting hurt because of me. If I won't regain my memories, please let me go and live a good life. Find someone new, be happy."

"Why are you telling me this? Are you saying 'goodbye' to me now?" I started to panic. 'Is he leaving me? Does he love someone else now?' Countless thoughts raced through my mind

"N-no, I'm not. I'm only saying this just in case. We never know what will happen in the future. Believe me, I want to get my memories back. I'm just telling you, alright?"

'Phew, I thought something bad was about to happen. Breathe in... breathe out..."

"Alright. I can't say that I can fully keep my promise, but if that's what you want, then I suppose that I cannot do anything about it."

"But on the bright side, it's not yet sure whether I'm getting them back or not," Alois attempted to cheer me up. "Besides, I have you to help me out. I'm sure I shall regain my memories in no time!" He said with confidence as he flashed me a smile.

~•~

??? POV

"Blind me from the truth and comfort me with lies. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, you will soon meet your own demise. Isn't that right, darling? Besides, that's what humans do best."