Past
Past
With the help of the soldiers, the doctor brought the Simple Chamber from another section.
Once the Simple Chamber was placed beside the central chamber where Lucy lay, the research staff approached.
The doctor issued a few commands with accompanying hand gestures, and the researchers nodded before bustling into action.
The researchers worked swiftly, connected the wires, then raised their hands.
"Neural interface connected! Requesting monitoring!"
The doctor nodded, checked the control panel, and pressed a few buttons.
"Confirmed. Synchronization complete. Connection successful, I report."
Having finished the synchronization, the doctor spoke to Daniel.
"......Brigadier General Daniel Steiner. Preparations are complete."
Daniel, who had been looking at Lucy, nodded and walked toward the Simple Chamber.
Stopping before the Simple Chamber, Daniel spoke quietly.
"I just need to go inside this, correct?"
"That is correct. Once you are inside, I will activate the Simple Chamber and place both your consciousnesses in a shared state. Then Brigadier General Daniel will naturally be able to enter the young lady's consciousness. However, there are precautions."
"Precautions?"
The doctor raised his hand and adjusted his glasses.
"Yes. As I just mentioned, the young lady has currently reached a state of consciousness flight. Therefore, attempting to forcibly restore her memories will trigger a rejection reaction."
The doctor, who had been thinking of an example, paused briefly before continuing.
"For instance, directly mentioning the name 'Daniel Steiner' or asking in an accusatory manner why she does not remember you would fall under that category."
"You're saying I have to make her recall the memories naturally."
"That is correct. That is why I told you that although the time passing outside may be short, there is no telling how much time will pass within the consciousness."
In the worst-case scenario, he could end up trapped inside Lucy Emilia's consciousness.
The doctor had said that out of concern, but Daniel paid it no mind.
"It doesn't matter."
Because he had already made up his mind.
"No matter how long it takes, I am going to save this foolish woman."
As Daniel removed his officer's coat, a soldier approached him.
"And Doctor."
Daniel handed his officer's coat to the soldier and continued.
"Penbark will soon become my property. You know full well what that means."
He was making it clear that now not only the doctor's life, but the lives of his family were in Daniel's hands, so he had better not try any foolish tricks.
The doctor, having instantly grasped the meaning behind Daniel's words, bowed his head in fear.
"I will do my utmost with a full sense of responsibility."
Having heard the answer, Daniel handed his revolver over to the soldier as well and entered the Simple Chamber.
After adjusting his posture inside, Daniel took a deep breath and finally spoke.
"Begin."
The doctor nodded and manipulated the control panel.
Then the chamber's entrance closed and the Magnetic Field Ring began rotating rapidly.
After a moment, his consciousness grew hazy and his body gradually began to float.
By the time the noises from the rotating Magnetic Field Ring began to sound like a soothing lullaby, Daniel slowly closed his eyes.
*
When he opened his eyes again, the first thing Daniel saw was the light streaming in from the window.
The antiques that lined the hallway like decorative pieces glinted under the window's light.
'It looks like some kind of mansion.......'
As he stared blankly at the scene, he heard voices nearby.
"Did you hear? That girl Meli was attacked by a robber and died."
"What? Wasn't Meli the maid who attended to Lady Lucy?"
"She was called a maid, but I heard they were almost like friends. Anyway, it's really terrifying. There's something about the young lady, isn't there? How many accidents and incidents have happened in the past year since she became the Count's adopted daughter?"
Turning his head, Daniel spotted the mansion servants gathered, chattering amongst themselves.
Daniel was also mingled in with the group of servants.
Lowering his gaze and checking his neat attire, Daniel realized that he had entered Lucy's consciousness as a servant.
"It's been absolutely terrifying these days. Didn't that man Malton also injure his leg less than two months after starting to attend to the young lady? And he wouldn't even tell anyone how he got hurt."
"I know I shouldn't say this, but doesn't she seem like she brings misfortune? Even her eyes are so red that it gives me goosebumps whenever I run into her."
"I agree. Sigh. With Meli gone, one of us will have to attend to her now. I'm worried the Count will tell me to serve the young lady. You feel the same, right?"
The last statement was a question directed at Daniel.
Daniel, who had been listening quietly, became aware of his own status and smiled faintly.
"Not at all. I consider it an honor to attend to the young lady."
It was a remark half-filled with sincerity.
One of the servants who had been looking at Daniel like he was a strange person let out a laugh.
"Well, that's good. Then we'll go tell the Count that you want to serve the young lady."
Hearing that, the servants thought it was their golden opportunity and each chimed in with their own words.
"That's right, you seem like the perfect fit to attend to the young lady."
"This kind of thing is best done by someone who actually wants to do it, right?"
"Oh my. Our youngest is so thoughtful. Thank you for volunteering like that."
Due to the unanimous agreement of the servants, this opinion was conveyed to Count Kaledra.
Since Kaledra largely did not care who took charge of Lucy, he accepted the opinion, and Daniel was naturally able to act as Lucy's attendant.
Though being an attendant essentially meant his primary task was nothing more than bringing her meals to her room.
The problem was that even performing this simple task was not easy.
"Young Lady! I am the person newly assigned to serve you! May I come in!"
He had come to her room to deliver the meal after becoming an attendant, but Lucy did not grant him permission to enter.
Even though he knocked and asked for permission multiple times, there was no response at all.
Normally, he should have just left the food in front of the door and gone back, but Daniel did not do so.
Out of concern for Lucy, Daniel opened the door and went inside.
"Young Lady. I do not know what the matter is, but you must eat......."
Daniel stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.
Because Lucy, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, looked far worse than he had imagined.
Perhaps because she was young, her small-framed body was clearly emaciated at a glance.
Her waist-length silver-white hair was dry and brittle, and her red eyes were devoid of any life.
Her hollow eyes, so empty it was impossible to tell what she was looking at, seemed as though she had halfway given up on the world.
Clear tear tracks were visible beneath her puffy eyelids, showing just how much she had been crying.
After a brief silence, Daniel set the tray of food down on the floor and approached Lucy.
Kneeling on one knee before her, Daniel looked up at Lucy's face and spoke.
"Why are you so disheartened? Are you perhaps thinking that the maid Meli's death is your fault?"
Lucy did not answer.
But he did not particularly need to hear an answer.
Because fresh tears had welled up in Lucy's eyes the moment she reacted to the name Meli.
As Lucy blinked, a single tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye traced a path down her cheek.
Unable to just watch, Daniel pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped around Lucy's eyes.
"If you happened to hear the servants talking recklessly, please ignore them. If I may tell you the truth, this is absolutely not your fault."
Lucy, who had been listening to Daniel's words, bit her lip hard.
After doing so for a long while, she shoved Daniel's hand aside and suddenly began to sob.
"Young Lady......."
He wanted to comfort the young Lucy, but it was clear that pushing any further would only backfire.
Left with no choice, Daniel placed the handkerchief in Lucy's hand and silently rose from his spot.
Resolving to try again next time, Daniel bowed his head deeply and exited Lucy's room.
But the situation did not improve the following day.
Because Lucy was lying on her side on the bed without moving a single muscle.
She hadn't touched the food on the tray at all, as it looked exactly the same as when he had brought it yesterday.
Feeling pity for her, Daniel murmured quietly as he swapped out the meal.
"You shouldn't be like this. Skipping meals is something Meli wouldn't have wanted either......."
It was then.
Peok─
A small doll flew and struck Daniel.
When he looked up, Lucy was glaring at him, breathing heavily.
Judging by her fierce gaze, she seemed to be yelling at him to 'get out right now.'
Though slightly flustered, Daniel did not lose his composure and picked up the doll.
After placing the doll on the table, Daniel bowed his head toward Lucy and left the room.
And then the next day.
Entering Lucy's room to deliver the meal, Daniel discovered a change.
Lucy was still lying motionless on her side on the bed as usual, but the soup he had placed on the tray had diminished slightly.
It seemed she had eaten a little of the soup while retrieving her doll from the table.
It was a trivial thing, but to Daniel, it was a positive change.
'Rather than trying to forcibly restore her memories right now.......'
Wanting to see Lucy regain her strength, Daniel immediately sprang into action.
From that day on, he began stealing desserts from the kitchen or making them himself and sneaking them in with the meals.
"This is a dessert called parfait. Do you see how the ice cream, cookies, fruit, and chocolate syrup are layered in this glass? It is impossible for it to taste bad."
The appetite-whetting introduction was a bonus.
At first, Lucy didn't even react, but Daniel was not one to give up just because of that.
"The dessert prepared for today is an éclair. I will give it to you once you finish your meal. For your information, this éclair is a creature of such alive sweetness and softness that you will instantly become addicted once you taste it. What do you say? Do you not want to eat it?"
And so, a month passed.
"Young Lady. You really must taste this one. It is something I had a hard time smuggling in without the head chef knowing. Are you curious what kind of dessert it is? Its name is Mint Chip Ice Cream! It is a fellow that boasts an extremely fancy flavor."
Two months passed.
"It isn't Christmas now, but there's no rule saying Stollen must only be eaten at Christmas. Do you see this Stollen covered in powdered sugar, seducing us with its alluring figure? If you slice it thinly and take a bite, you will truly experience the supreme taste."
By the time three months had passed, Lucy had regained her vitality.
Her once brittle silver-white hair began to regain its luster, and her previously colorless red eyes began to sparkle with life again.
However, her reactions remained indifferent, so the day when Lucy would initiate conversation with Daniel never came.
Still, it was meaningful that Lucy had regained her vitality.
"Then I shall take my leave now."
It was the moment when Daniel, thinking that, was about to exit the room.
"You......."
Daniel's feet stopped at the sound of young Lucy's voice, which he was hearing for the first time.
Having gotten off the bed and sat down at the table, Lucy murmured without looking at Daniel.
"Come here and eat with me. The Stollen."
As he stood frozen, wondering if he had heard her correctly, Lucy spoke in a barely audible voice.
"......This is an order."
It was the moment the tightly shut door to her heart slowly began to open.