Paralyzed (Tboah!AlbeCale)

28) memory loss go brrrr

A/n: Includes depictions of a panic attack

"You... don't know?"

"Yep."

"...... Haaaaaa."

Cale was sitting in Alberu's office, completely relaxed on his chair. Well, at least on the outside.

Alberu was sitting at his desk with his eyes closed, trying to form some sort of solution to this unexpected hiccup in his plans.

"Is there anything you do remember?"

"..."

"Well?"

"There's something... but it will sound crazy, and I'd rather not get arrested for whatever crime this counts as."

Alberu opened his eyes and looked at Cale with a tired expression. What in the world would it be that a trash of all people would call it crazy?

"Speak. I promise to not imprison you unless it is an actual murder attempt you committed or something. Actually, nevermind, I still won't imprison you even if you killed a man. Just say it."

"... Alright. I have no recollection of getting kidnapped, but every time I sleep I hear a voice which talks to me. Not a hallucination or some supernatural shit, but a memory that plays on repeat only when I become unconscious."

"And what does it say?"

Cale took a deep breath and recited what he heard every night since he woke up in a medical bed.

"I will make him love me back. If I take him down here where no one can find him, he will surely come to love me. And if that doesn't work, I will gladly bear his child. He will not have the heart to kill his child's mother."

"... Is that it?"

"Yeah, your highness."

Alberu continued to ignore how disrespectful Cale was being, and began thinking.

'The only people who were with him were the baron, the torturer, and the fake butler... was there a woman amongst them? Perhaps the torturer, since we haven't found them yet...'

But there was something else he was wondering about.

"How is that a crime?"

"... The man that person was talking about was you."

Albers eyes widened a bit. This was unexpected. If what Cale said was true, then the person who the voice belonged to had verbally admitted to a planned kidnapping and rape of the crown prince. Not to mention how creepy it was that someone planned to do that because of 'love'.

Alberu felt chills as Cale opened his mouth again.

"Also... every time I hear it, the voice seems to be more and more masculine. I would probably be able to identify it in person."

"What? A man?"

Alberu was even more shocked. A man saying he would bear a child? It didn't make sense. Alberu pondered whether Cale's memory was credible or not.

'If it is true... then the voice probably belongs to the fake butler. If he can identify the voice, then we should have them meet. This has become more serious than I thought.'

"Anyway, I'm free to go now, right?"

Alberu stared at him for a few seconds before standing from his chair. Hopefully this solved the gap in his plans.

"Follow me."

"...Where to?"

Cale internally scolded himself for the nth time. He kept acting rudely as if he was on autopilot from anxiety, but at a diluted consistency. He subconsciously knew he shouldn't act super trashy right now, but his instincts were trying to force it anyway.