House of Memories

“Tell me the truth. Why were you loitering outside our estate?”

The butler cleaned the knives slowly and meticulously, wiping the gleaming blades with a white cloth. Strapped to a chair, inside a windowless room, I felt like a prisoner. An array of sharp tools spread across the table in full view, and I understood it was a psychological attack. Scare the captive into confessing everything before the first cut.

“I’m telling the truth. I’m here to see his lordship, Duke Ombre. Yesterday, when I met his daughter, Lady Lumiere, I had an encounter with him and I saw the curse cast upon his body.”

“Do you really expect me to believe that? That there is a curse on his lordship?”

Actually…no. Which was why I was angsting outside the gate in the first place. Maybe I should have left the duke’s soul to rot, given how ungrateful his servants were…

“If you refuse to tell the truth, then so be it. I’m confident I’ll get it out of you before the night is done.” The butler put the cloth down and tilted the scalpel to reflect the solitary ceiling light into my eyes. He gave a cold smile. “I have no compunctions against employing whatever means necessary to acquire the truth…also, I have every intention of teaching you a lesson for touching our young lady inappropriately.”

“...you do realize she was the one who threw me first, right?”

“Making excuses now, are you?” He brought the scalpel close to my finger. I swallowed, but the restraints binding my arms to the chair held fast. Not a problem. I was already casting a spell. I hadn’t freed myself yet because I naively believed I could resolve this misunderstanding if I cooperated. However, even I had limits to my patience. If he so much as poked me with that blade, I would…

The door slammed open, and Lumiere strode in furiously, her long black hair almost flying behind her. She stopped and gawked at the knives on the table, before rounding on the butler.

“What do you think you’re doing, Sebastian? Do you seriously intend to torture Sir Trevor?!”

“Y…young lady! You shouldn’t be here! We’ll inform you of the results of the interrogation later…”

“Why are you interrogating him?!” She threw her hands up. “Let him go! Sir Trevor is my guest!”

“He is…?”

“I thought you said we aren’t friends.”

“Shut up! You do realize I’m trying to help you here, don’t you?! Anyway, I didn’t say you’re my friend! I said you’re my guest! There’s a difference!”

“Why would you invite someone who is not your friend as a guest, young lady?”

“Are you questioning me, Sebastian? Have you forgotten whose daughter I am? Release Sir Trevor at once!”

“Actually, I can get up myself.” I cast the spell silently, and the restraints slid off. Rising to my feet, I stretched while Sebastian gawked at me in astonishment.

“How did you…?! Those are Alatcratz-grade enchanted restraints!” He picked up the shackles and studied them, his eyes widening further. “You…you dismantled the enchantments engraved into them?!”

“Yeah…it’s easy to disrupt the rhythm of the enchantment as long as you know how to ‘read’ them.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing to be surprised about, Sebastian,” Lumiere cut in when I didn’t reply. She flicked her hand in my direction. “This is the same guy who dismantled a royal geas.”

“He what now?!”

I shrugged and turned to Lumiere, jerking my head at the sputtering butler. “By the way, is his name really Sebastian?”

She stared at me blankly. “Of course. Why?”

Typical. Of course the head butler was named Sebastian. And had white hair, a trimmed mustache and a single eyeglass to boot. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some secret backstory of working in a top secret intelligence agency for the royal family before coming into the service of the Ombre duchy. Apparently, it was mandatory for butlers to double as highly trained military agents these days.

“Is there a problem with Sebastian?” Lumiere repeated, then glanced at the knives. Her lips twitched in amusement. “Oh, he might have a bit of a sadistic streak and immense experience in gathering intelligence, but I assure you that he’s a first-class butler.”

“You flatter me, young lady.” He bowed. If he had any reservations about serving a young lady incapable of magic, he didn’t show it. “Shall I prepare tea for your guest then?”

“Please.” She dismissed him with a flippant wave of her hand, then turned. Beckoning me, she stepped into the corridor. “Sir Trevor, follow me.”

She led me to a small reception hall, whose interior was decorated with luxurious furniture and expensive paintings. I looked around curiously, studying the portraits. Even though my major was in literature and not art, as a student of the humanities, such things captured my attention. At a glance, I could tell that they were family portraits, recognizing a much younger Lumiere – still a toddler – and a much more cheerful Duke Ombre. There was also a lady I hadn’t seen before – she must be the duchess, and Lumiere’s mother.

Minutes later, Sebastian wheeled a trolley in, bringing tea and cakes. He placed them on the table between us before bowing politely and exiting the hall with the now-empty trolley. Lumiere leaned against the couch resignedly, sipping from a porcelain cup.

“So…how did you end up outside my father’s estate? Why were you wandering around outside our gate? Didn’t I tell you I don’t want you interfering with my plans? If you’re here to help, I already said I don’t need it. If it weren’t for you, I would have gotten away…”

She paused, and looked away, her cup still suspended.

“...okay, maybe I wouldn’t. Damn it…why can’t I use magic like everyone else?”

“Well…” I began hesitantly. “I was telling the truth when I told Sebastian that I’m here to help. But the person I’m here to help is your father, not you.”

“My father?” Lumiere’s brow furrowed. “And what exactly can you do to help him? Pardon my bluntness, but you’re but a son of a baron. Even your father would be hard pressed to find anything he can help with regarding Father’s affairs.”

“I’m not sure if you’ve realized this, but your father has been cursed. If you’d allow me to analyze the curse, I believe I can remove it.”

Lumiere studied me for a moment before she barked out in laughter.

“Father has been cursed? Well, that’s no surprise. A man like him will have many enemies.”

She clearly harbored no affection for her father. Watching her bitterness, I couldn’t help but feel a sting in my heart. I had enjoyed a warm family environment with a caring dad and a loving mom. In contrast, Lumiere had endured what appeared to be a cold and distant relationship with her parent. I glanced at one of the portraits featuring the mature, dark-haired woman holding a young Lumiere in much happier days, both of them beaming.

“What about your mother?”

She stiffened, then looked away. Her hand automatically went to her breast, and I watched as she clutched a golden pendant that hung from her neck. I realized why I hadn’t seen it before. Usually, she kept the gemstone-studded pendant hidden beneath her blouse, but at the mention of her mom, she had reflexively reached for it, as if to seek comfort. As I stared at it, I felt an inexplicable warmth suffusing my chest.

“Mother passed away years ago. In fact…her death was the moment Father changed, becoming a totally different person.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s not your fault.” She put the cup down. I realized only now that her hand was trembling ever so slightly. I probably should not have brought up her mom. The duke’s daughter hardened her gaze. “You mentioned a curse on my father. While I do not like that man, it is true that he is my only family left. Are you certain you can lift it?”

“Yeah. You saw how I dismantled the enchantments on the geas and Sebastian’s restraints, right? You can think of it as my, uh, unique skill.”

When I reincarnated into this world, I realized I had preserved my real life skills from the previous world. As a PhD student majoring in literature, I had been trained to decipher metaphors, analyze allegories and detect subtext. That skillset translated over to this fantasy world when I discovered at an early age that I could “read” magic spells and arcane runes as I would a text.

I wasn’t sure how to explain this to Lumiere, especially since it seemed she couldn’t use magic. Fortunately, she didn’t ask for elaboration. Instead, she nodded, tucked the pendant back under her blouse, and rose to her feet.

“I still don’t trust you completely, but…in the two days I’ve known you, I’m confident that you’re not the type to lie.” Her lips curled. “If anything, you’re just a blundering white knight. But…I’ll place my faith in your sincerity just this once.”

I looked up at her, swallowing. “You mean…”

“I’ll arrange for you to have an audience with that man. We might be estranged, but I can pull some strings and request via my servants.” She snickered. “And if you’re lying… well, to be honest, it’ll benefit me just as much if that man somehow ends up dead.”

Wow…just what the hell did her dad do to her?

“We do need a justification, though…” She pondered for a moment, then brightened. “That’s right. Sebastian mentioned that Father has been suffering from frequent headaches for a while now. And they seem severe. Seems like he had another episode today, which is why he cancelled all his meetings and shut himself in the study. Sebastian!”

“Yes, young lady.” The butler appeared instantly as if out of nowhere. I swear, this guy’s previous career must have been to serve as a royal spy. “I overheard the entire conversation. I’ll make the arrangements right away.”

Overheard? More like eavesdropping!

I bit back my outrage, but I supposed everything worked out in the end. True to his word, Sebastian was escorting me and Lumiere to the grand study deep in the heart of the manor. As he pushed the massive mahogany double doors open to admit us, I caught sight of Duke Ombre seated behind an immense desk, his head drooping and a hand massaging his temples. Black electricity crackled around his forehead, causing him to wince in pain.

Clearly, it was the curse. I could see the shadowy wisps curling around him ravenously, resembling wraiths that blended into the darkness.

The curtains were drawn, casting the entire room in shadow. I looked around, distracted by the wealth of tomes either packed neatly into towering bookshelves, or left scattered haphazardly across several of the extravagant furniture that inhabited the room.

“I heard you asked to see me?” Duke Ombre said, his dark amber eyes piercing us. His gaze wandered to Lumiere, who stood her ground firmly beside me, and his expression deepened into a scowl. “I thought I told you to quietly stay in the manor, but you somehow managed to bring a boy home? And so soon after the annulment of your engagement? Are you trying to tarnish our house’s reputation further with a scandal?”

“Begging your pardon, Father,” Lumiere responded, her tone icy and unyielding. “But Sir Trevor here claims that he can treat whatever malady it is that is causing your frequent headaches.”

Ombre glowered at me. “He’s but a boy your age. What can he possibly do to rid me of my ailment?”

“Conversely, I shall pose this question. You have sought out countless healers and priests throughout the kingdom, and none have yet successfully eliminated the source of your headaches. What harm would there be to allow this youth to attempt his treatment? You might be pleasantly surprised. Or…” She smirked. “Father, don’t tell me you believe a boy my age will be capable of assassinating you?”

“I am no assassin,” I said, annoyed. “Though if I were one, I’m sure my stats will exceed the hero’s.”

Everyone stared at me, including the butler, Sebastian. Feeling awkward, I cleared my throat audibly and bowed deferentially.

“It is an honor to meet you, my lord the Duke Ombre. I am but an insignificant individual hailing from Livrebrook. My father is the baron governing that humble province.”

“Baron Livrebrook?” Ombre stroked his chin. “I’ve heard of him. Ah, I believe I’ve heard that he has a son who is gifted in magic. There was news about how he, a child of a backwater noble, surprisingly made breakthroughs in magical theory and was invited to the capital, and also granted a scholarship in Arcana Academy. With the promise of becoming a royal mage once he graduates. That must be you.”

I felt a sharp pain at my waist, and tilting slightly, I caught sight of a coldly smiling Lumiere, a vein twitching at her temple. She pinched harder, causing me to wince.

“Why haven’t I heard about this?”

“Uh…you didn’t ask?”

That only intensified the pain.

Ignoring his daughter’s antics, almost as if he didn’t register her existence, Ombre narrowed his eyes and continued.

“However, I am certain healing magic is not among the gifts you’re renowned for.”

“You are correct. I specialize in the, shall we say, reading of magic.” I pushed my glasses up my nose and studied him. “If you don’t mind me saying, I believe the cause of your headaches is a curse. If you’ll allow me, I’ll analyze the curse and dismantle it.”

“Curse?” Ombre scoffed. “I had a myriad of priests examine me, and none of them mentioned so much a sign of any curse. It appears that you’re gifted in being a fraud as well.”

“Now, now. At least give me a chance. Worst case scenario, as Lady Lumiere pointed out, I simply make a fool of myself, but no lasting harm will be done. Aside from my reputation, of course.” I stepped forward and raised my hand. “I shall begin.”

I hadn’t even taken more than a few steps when my fingertips already brushed the black lightning that arced from his temple. The moment I touched the visual embodiment of the curse, it recoiled for a second before reacting in rage and lashing out like a wild beast.

The shadowy wisps began to coalesce and form an immense maelstrom around me, causing pages to flutter and books to fall out of the shelves. Furniture toppled, and even the massive desk shuddered from the sudden violence, the contents — stationery, parchment, books, even the desk lamp — spilling from its surface.

“Goodness!” Sebastian exclaimed. “Don’t tell me it’s actually true?!”

“I didn’t think it would be this…dreadful.” Lumiere shielded herself with an arm as she was buffeted by the malicious gusts. “Is this really…a curse?”

Ombre himself remained silent, his figure frozen in the midst of the vicious storm that whipped around him. I took a deep breath and focused, “reading” the curse that now enveloped his body completely. Malevolent runes formed and drifted, and it stung just to look at them. Nonetheless, I refused to back down. Reaching out with my fingers, I began deciphering them.

By relying on my knowledge of literature at the PhD level, I was able to distill the essence of the magic by interpreting it as a text. By inserting my own “stanzas” of runes into core “verses,” I could either disrupt the rhythmic flow of the spell or completely alter its effects. And bit by bit, I could break down the inscriptions rune by rune and eventually dismantle the spell in its totality.

The darkness swamped me, but I ignored it, focusing on the runes. Blinking, I read verse after verse, then added runes to disassemble the rhythm. The flow of dark mana slowed, then ceased, the inscriptions empowering them starting to break down from the metaphorical onslaught I composed.

Another flicker, and the world around me vanished. Though I was sure my physical body remained in Ombre’s study, my spirit had been sucked into this metaphysical layer that lay beneath the fabric of reality. A dimension composed not of material, but soul.

Black, replaced by gold. Gloom, overwritten by joy. Death, supplanted by life. It was working. The curse was an archive, housing fragments of what appeared to be Duke Ombre’s personal history. Fragments of his memory rushed past, vague and incoherent, but I ignored them, focusing solely on completely disassembling the insidious spell that fed on such precious moments to hollow out his soul. Just a few more seconds…

“…eh?”

Images began flowing into my mind with such strength and emotion I was no longer able to dismiss them. I grimaced and squeezed my eyes shut, but they continued bombarding me. Visual, auditory, haptic…

“Damien.”

The name echoed softly throughout my mind. I frowned, but realized that the caller wasn’t addressing me.

“That’s…”

A younger Ombre, who looked no less handsome than he was today, standing beside a familiar woman. It took me a second before I recognized her as the same dark-haired mature lady in the numerous portraits placed in the reception hall.

Lumiere’s mom.

“Damien.”

“Diane.”

Damien Ombre reached out to her, taking her hand and clasping it. The coldness that suffused his features was absent, replaced by a bright warmth. The two of them strolling along the streets during a night festival and exploring stalls, even as laughter and cheers erupted around them.

A shift. The two of them cradling a baby. A cry, and the infant opened her eyes, the same ruby eyes I recognized in Lumiere. The ones she inherited from her mother.

“Isn’t she lovely?”

“Have you thought of a name?” Ombre asked, gently hugging both wife and daughter.

“Yes. Lumiere. May she be the light to illuminate our lives.”

“You’re already shining bright enough.” Ombre laughed.

Another shift. Damien and Diane watching a toddler take her first few steps out on the grass, already dressed in a frilly dress.

A third image. Lumiere riding atop Damien’s shoulders, and Diane accompanying them as they watched artworks in a museum.

A fourth. An older Lumiere pointing at the night sky as fireworks detonated, coloring the vast blackness a vibrant canvas.

The Ombre family, in much happier times.

Then tragedy. A scented aroma of candles. A sorrowful fragrance of flowers. A funeral. Lumiere, about thirteen or fourteen, sobbing. Damien, sprawled across Diane’s coffin, raising his head to stare tearfully at her portrait. Priests surrounding them, fellow nobles who attended the wake, offering inaudible words of consolation. Damien was clearly too distraught to hear anything.

He reached out for his daughter and held her close, the two of them sharing their grief in embrace.

What happened? I wondered, watching as a phantom. Though I felt guilt over trespassing such intimate memories, part of me was overwhelmed by curiosity and concern. From what I saw, the Ombre family was previously on good terms. What changed? Why were father and daughter so cold and hostile toward each other now?

A royal mage approached, his status signified by the silver crest woven into his sapphire cloak. Touched by Ombre’s memories, I intuitively understood that he was someone from the royal court. Not an individual he had a close relationship with, but at least someone whose name he had heard. They spoke, and I vaguely made out the inaudible conversation. Even without hearing the words, I could tell from Damien’s memories what had transpired.

“That man…” I murmured as comprehension dawned. “He offered to cast a protective charm on father and daughter. As a way to comfort them and alleviate their grief after the tragedy.”

Then the next memory. Ombre had grown cold by then. Distant. News that his daughter couldn’t use magic had reached his ears. But he seemed indifferent. Uncaring. He merely issued orders that she should stay in the manor, and restricted her from leaving. The family’s reputation mattered.

And the pain. He couldn’t handle the pain. Every time he looked at Lumiere, he would be reminded of Diane. The woman he loved…the wife he lost. The agony was unbearable. To soothe it, he buried himself in work. The headaches came, striking every time he thought of her. Of Lumiere.

Of…family.

“The curse.”

Mumbling, I took a deep breath and dispelled the last of the malevolent runes with a decisive verse, selecting my words strategically and weaving them into runes. Runes that brought about the ruin of the spell.

“That should do it…”

I exhaled in relief and tried to pull my spirit out of Damien Ombre’s mindscape. I didn’t want to intrude into his memories any further. Wishing to respect his privacy, and also overcome with guilt from prying into what should be his innermost secrets, I forced my spiritual body out. There was no way I was physically inside the duke’s memories. I reasoned that it was my spirit that got pulled in somehow, while I was dismantling the curse.

A bright flash, and I felt as if I was spiraling across empty space. For a moment, I saw nothing. Just dizziness and vertigo. A blinding light, and the sensation of falling.

And then…

“…huh? Where is this?”

I found myself standing in a meadow full of gently swaying flowers that stretched for as far as the eye could see. Scattered trees broke the monotony, their golden-green leaves fluttering in the cool breeze. In the middle of it all, a single lady stood, surrounded by dazzling petals.

Even though her back was turned toward me, I recognized her from the long, dark hair. The portraits in the reception hall flashed through my memory, and for some reason, I felt the same warmth I did when I glimpsed Lumiere’s pendant. As she whirled gracefully, a smile on her face and her ruby eyes gentle, I swallowed.

“You…are Duchess Ombre, aren’t you? Lady Lumiere’s mother.”

“Ah, so you know me.” Her already radiant smile widened, and she clasped her hands in delight. “I’ve been waiting for you.”