Chapter 3. Memories

Translator: AdCaelum

Editor: Evelet

QC: Adel

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The door opened as a man with swept-back silver hair and a gallant beard entered the room. He was King Augustine.

“Your Majesty,” Angela greeted him and promptly curtsied. Everyone else simultaneously bowed, and this naturally included Asher.

“It looks like everyone is present… Asher, it is good to see you well,” Augustine responded.

“Th-thank you very much,” Asher said shyly.

The royal family watched Augustine take his seat before they took theirs. Once everyone was seated, servants brought out the dishes and knights entered the room. They stood at attention around the table, and among them was the knight who had come by Asher’s room—Black Knight Theodore. Asher was focused on Theodore when he noticed that Augustine had picked up his glass so he quickly picked up his own.

Augustine proclaimed, “Glory to the kingdom,” lifted his glass high in the air, and drank. Following after, everyone at the table shouted, “Glory to the kingdom,” lifted their glasses, and drank as well. Then everyone began eating the food on the individual plates set before them.

“Samuel, I heard that you’ve been diligently training with the knights…” Augustine raised an eyebrow while directing both his beautiful golden eyes and his question at Samuel.

“Yes, Father. If I am even the slightest bit lax with my training, the difference between Theodore and I grows more evident,” Samuel stated.

“Hah? Sam! Why did you leave me out?! Didn’t you promise to take me with you when you train?!” Hugo shouted.

“Hugo! Remember who is before you!” Jeffrey reprimanded him.

Hugo laughed playfully and looked at his mother before exchanging glances with Samuel. Samuel also had a smile on his face.

“…It is wonderful to see both the first and second prince so enthusiastic about combat training, Your Majesty,” Angela said suddenly, and the moment she spoke, the atmosphere of a family having a happy dinner immediately filled with tension.

Asher hadn’t considered this before—or rather, he hadn’t wanted to—but could it be that everyone felt uneasy whenever dealing with him and his mother…? No, it was no question about it. This was reality.

The disgust and disdain he felt from Hugo were the same he felt from others around him in his previous life. No, Hugo’s was more intense. And while not as strong as Hugo’s, everyone else seemed to look at Asher the same way. He thought this awkward sibling relationship was due to having different mothers or a complicated family situation like he had heard about in his previous life, but it was clear that he was being treated differently after seeing how close Samuel and Hugo were.

Angela continued, “Asher also practiced his horsemanship to the point of injuring himself, Your Majesty. I worried dearly about him after that… and even though he has not fully recovered after waking up, he still attended tonight’s dinner because he wished to eat together with Your Majesty as soon as possible.”

But Augustine focused on another matter. “I only came to know of this recently… but you imprisoned the soldiers escorting him during his practice and had them tortured. Is that correct?”

“Yes. Such was the correct thing to do, after all. What kind of guard would allow royalty to get injured?”

Torture… Black Knight Theodore had requested for it to be halted when Asher woke up… Asher glanced over at Theodore, but Theodore’s face remained unchanged, like a doll.

Augustine continued to interrogate Angela, his voice low and cold. “According to the report, Asher did not heed the soldiers’ warning to stop and went overboard whipping the horse, and when the horse sped up too fast for him to handle, he fell off. Yet you’re telling me that this warranted the soldiers to be punished? And you tortured them without my permission?”

Angela slightly frowned, but she promptly answered him, “Putting Asher on such an unruly horse that a child cannot control is in itself—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Hugo slammed his fist against the table. It was so powerful that the nearby tableware loudly clattered. He shouted, “Highclere was a gentle mare!!! Her coat was beautiful and she was friendly with people! Even Noah could ride her! Yet that idiot!!!”

“Hugo!!!” Jeffrey shouted, and at the same time, Samuel grabbed Hugo’s shoulder.

“Hugo, calm down… It’s unfortunate what happened to Highclere… She was a good horse,” Samuel said. His brows slightly furrowed and he lightly patted Hugo’s shoulder.

Augustine watched the exchange in silence and returned his gaze back to his hands. “…You also ordered the horse to be beheaded, Angela?”

Asher was hit with the oppressive, suffocating pressure coming off everyone. His mother did say that she immediately had the horse beheaded.

Angela huffed. “Why are you asking me about that now? Do you have an issue with my actions, Your Majesty? Why would I allow a horse that endangered our child’s life to live? Asher could have died, remember? You would choose a horse over your own child? It’s just a horse…”

“Asher,” Augustine suddenly addressed Asher. Asher’s heart leapt out of his chest. His eyes hadn’t left the spoon in his hands, but he knew that everyone seated at the table was looking at him. Augustine continued, “Asher, what do you think?”

Asher slowly lifted his head and looked over in Augustine’s direction. He saw numerous cold, golden eyes looking back at him and stumbled on his words, “I… I…”

“Your own carelessness led to your injuries… but you pushed responsibility to the three soldiers accompanying you and had them tortured. You also had the horse that let you ride it beheaded… Were the soldiers and the horse in the wrong?”

To be frank, Asher didn’t think anything of this. He was thrust into this mess as soon as he woke up, and deep down somewhere, he thought he was still dreaming. That was why stuff like tortured soldiers and a beheaded horse didn’t feel real to him at all. As if this had nothing to do with him. As if this was just some story. What if this world had the old tradition he learned about in school: Were servants buried together with their deceased king? Even if it did, he didn’t think too deeply about it and it didn’t matter to him.

The sound of his heartbeats was deafening. He knew he needed to answer, but all the words were stuck in his throat.

“Asher, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened…” Augustine continued, unable to look at the silent Asher anymore. To his side, Angela attempted to say something, but Augustine raised his hand to silence her. He looked back at Asher. “You personally whipped the maid, who spilled mere drops of tea on your clothes, eight times as punishment…”

Asher did…? No, “Asher” did something like that? His mind was a mess. He had recalled bits and pieces of “Asher”’s memories, allowing him to recreate “Asher”’s behavior and speech, but he had yet to grasp “Asher”’s whole personality. To think that “Asher” was that kind of person…

Asher’s lips quivered. The numerous cold, golden eyes on him felt like spears piercing his body. Unable to endure this, he hung his head. Augustine let out a long sigh, closed his eyes in disappointment, and muttered, “…It’s hard to believe that you are my son…”

—The moment Asher heard a snap in his head, numerous voices echoed in his mind.

＊＊＊

‘What have you done?! A mere maid dares to dirty my clothes?! Face your back to me! I’ll whip you!!!’ Asher shouted.

‘Please forgive me, Your Highness! I beg you! Please forgive me!!!’ a lady cried.

‘Shut up!!!’

＊＊＊

‘What repulsive creatures beastfolk are. If I was born one, I would’ve killed myself! Ha ha! Hey, you! Don’t come near me with your flea-ridden body! Damned dirty monsters!!!’ Asher shouted.

‘Prince Asher, the kingdom of Dias forbids discrimination against beastfolk… Moreover, those people are our beastfolk army soldiers…’ a servant advised Asher.

‘Shut up!!! Once I become king, I’ll get rid of all of that!’

＊＊＊

‘Do you even know who I am?!’ Asher shouted at someone.

‘What the hell is this? Are you kidding me?!’ Asher yelled at someone else.

‘All of you, die!!!’ Asher announced to a group of people.

＊＊＊

So many voices echoed in Asher’s mind. He saw a twisted, demonic smile on that angelic face directed at crowds crying rivers of tears and begging for mercy. He recalled it all… the him of this world. Third Prince Asher Dias had a demonic personality that completely contradicted his angelic appearance.

“Your Majesty!!! I will not stand by after hearing that! What an insult!!!” Angela’s body shook with indignation and she glared at Augustine.

Augustine slowly opened his eyes and looked at Angela. “That may be so, but his behavior is unfitting of a prince. I have averted my eyes many times already, but there is a limit to my patience. If he acts like this again—”

Angela opened her mouth wide, ready to refute even more strongly when Jeffrey noticed an abnormality with Asher. He called out, “Prince Asher?”

Everyone focused their attention on Asher, who was shaking and covering his mouth. Asher’s eyes welled with tears, making his jewel-like, blue eyes sparkle.

“…M-my apologies… I-I’m not feeling very well… so may I please… be excused?” he weakly pleaded.

“Asher!!!” Angela immediately got up from her seat and rushed over to him. “It seems it was too early for you to leave your bed… I shall accompany you back to your room.”

“…No, it’s fine. I will return by myself… Mother, please stay here…” Asher distanced himself from Angela, avoiding her hand reaching out for him.

Augustine watched the two before looking around at the knights and stopping on one. He ordered, “Bring Asher to his room.”

“…As you wish,” the knight responded.

Augustine had ordered Black Knight Theodore, and Theodore promptly made his way over and supported the unstable Asher by the shoulder. Angela and Jeffrey looked worriedly at Asher, but Asher didn’t attempt to meet their eyes. As Asher was led to the door, Samuel, Hugo, and Noah watched him leave with their cold, golden eyes.

As the door to the room closed, Augustine looked like he wanted to say something as he stared at Asher, but the door closed and blocked Asher’s view.

For some reason, Asher felt the sound of the door closing to be very sorrowful.

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