Slowly, I was beginning to sink into sleep because of the comfortable mattress I had under my body. It was curious, considering that he had spent weeks in bed; one would think that my desire to sleep would be non-existent. However, my breathing became paused, and I felt as if I were in a quiet meadow full of flowers. The comfort was overwhelming, but it didn't last long: Subaru burst into the room with a slam of the door, displaying a charisma that, I'm sure, he thought was impeccable, though it was actually terribly irritating.
"Here's Subaru!" He exclaimed loudly, his voice echoing off the walls of the room and generating an uncomfortable echo.
Next to him was Beatrice, with a withering gaze fixed on me. Her blue eyes, decorated with butterfly-shaped pupils, seemed to pierce my mind like a fine needle.
"Hello, Subaru," I murmured barely audible, exhausted by the simple effort of sitting up a little in bed.
-Did you miss me? "I knew it," he replied, answering himself with his usual arrogance.
I raised the corners of my lips in an attempt to crack a fake smile, but it failed to look natural.
"Of course," I lied without much conviction.
With a wave of his hands, Subaru ordered Beatrice to leave the room to make sure no one came close to listening. I had no idea what he wanted to talk to me about, but the secrecy made me think it was something of the utmost importance.
Subaru began to walk in circles, his hands folded behind his back, his gaze fixed on the ground. He tried to project tranquility, but his eyes and expressions betrayed him. He was clearly uneasy.
"How are you, Dante?" he finally asked.
I turned my head to both sides, looking for someone else, but soon remembered that was my name. It still seemed strange to me.
"Confused," I answered.
Subaru nodded slowly, without stopping his step.
-It's normal. Your situation is—" he paused in front of me, widening his eyes wide as he forced a smile.
I thought that this was the perfect time to ask the question that had been gnawing at me for a while. How did you know my name?
"Can I ask you something?" I said in a calm, collected tone.
"Go ahead, what is it?" -Answered.
I looked up until I met hers. My eyes must have looked threatening, as if I wanted to attack him, but I didn't mean to.
"How do you know my name?" I blurted out, anxious for the answer.
A heavy silence invaded the room. The only audible thing was Subaru's slightly agitated breathing. Was he nervous?
"That's..." Subaru put a hand to his chest, shuddering, "something I can't tell you. It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't.
His answer did not clarify anything for me; if anything, it raised even more questions. But I figured there was nothing I could do. I would have to discover my past on my own.
Subaru began to watch me closely, his eyes sweeping over my body covered by a simple white coat.
-Is... strange," he murmured.
"Yes, I am," I replied automatically.
"I don't mean your personality. I'm talking about your body.
"My body?" I looked down, looking for something that might have caught his attention, but I didn't find anything remarkable.
"You're in too perfect a state for someone who supposedly died in combat.
"That's because Felix cured me," I said confidently.
-Felix's healing powers are not so effective as to heal 100% of wounds without leaving a trace.
-That... it's true.
I got out of bed and examined my body in greater detail, trying to find any scars or signs of damage. There was nothing. I began to wonder: what exactly did Felix heal? What if I had never been cured? What if my perfect state was something natural? The more I thought, the more my head hurt.
-Could you tell me what my previous position was? I asked, looking for some clue.
Subaru sat up on the bed, leaning back while placing his hands on his chest.
"According to the documents that Felix gave me and the information I have about you by... well, for that thing I can't mention, you were a soldier in Lugunica's forces.
Lugunic? Was that the city I was in?
-Is that the name of this city? I asked, confused.
Subaru shook his head.
"No, this is the town of Priestella.
I took advantage of each name mentioned, hoping that one would awaken a lost memory. But it was useless. Everything was still blank.
"He's a nice man for a city," I said.
Subaru nodded expecting a few questions. It was clear that he didn't know what to talk about or what else to ask.
"The army I was in," I murmured, "Who did you fight?"
Subaru put his hand on his chin, remaining thoughtful until he remembered who it was, that's when he looked at his left leg and left his whole mind blank for a few more seconds.
"The archbishop of the sin of lust," he said.
I didn't know who he was talking about, but, just like he did, I looked at his leg, seeing how it was covered from top to bottom with a bandage covered most of it with blood.
"Did she do that to you?" I said, pointing to her bandaged leg.
"Yes, it was her," he said.
"How did he do it to you?" I asked curiously.
- It's a long story but... I could sum it up in that he poured dragon's blood on my leg and now has the ability to regenerate, but the appearance doesn't make up for it..." he said.
I nodded my head several times, giving the sign that I had understood everything he was saying. Dragon's blood? Was he or she a dragon? A shapeshifter?
"Could you tell me his name?" I asked in an anxious voice that came out against my will.
Subaru looked strange.
"Why do you want to know his name?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in the process.
"Mere curiosity," I clarified.
Subaru sighed when he was forced to remember a name that he surely wanted to forget forever, or at least for a while.
- Capella - He said frowning - Capella Emeralda Lugunica - He added, naming her completely.
- Capella...- Suddenly my head began to ache next to my stomach. The heart began to accelerate excessively for the second time today. I didn't know what happened, it was just a simple name.
I put my hands to my head trying to soothe the pain somehow, but it was impossible.
"Are you okay?" Subaru asked worriedly, resting a hand on my shoulder.
"Yes, yes..." I murmured, noticing how a freezing sweat came out of my forehead.
Subarú got up suddenly. I knew I was lying.
- Man, do you need anything? Are you okay?- With light nudges on my shoulder Subaru I try to return myself to my natural state or, even if it is, get my attention.
Suddenly, I noticed how the sweat, stomach pain and headache disappeared suddenly, giving a feeling of relief of the strangest.
Subaru still looked worried, hoping that he would give some indication that he was fine.
I got out of bed and rested my hand on Subaru's shoulder.
-See? I'm fine, nothing to worry about.
Subaru was still worried, he didn't believe me when I said I was fine but he wanted to listen to me.
"Do you know Capella?" he asked.
The sweaters began to come out of my forehead and the dizziness together with the pains reappeared but this time I knew how to hide them correctly.
- I don't know who it is, but... - I looked at the ray of moonlight that pierced the thin layer of glass that had the window- I feel a kind of anxiety when I hear its name, or at least it seems so.
Subaru was thoughtful.
"Considering that you fought against her, she has surely left you with some kind of mental trauma or something like that," she said.
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound generated by knuckles hitting the door made Subaru and I look at it.
- Go ahead- Subaru said with a firm span.
The door opened completely revealing a short woman with beautiful, shiny pink hair. His gaze was piercing, as if my stay here was something he didn't like at all. She was wearing a dress just like the woman I met just now cleaning the bathroom, a maid's suit.
- Subaru-sama, Miss Emilia wants to see you - He said with a cold and dry voice which seemed to have no feeling.
"Oh, wow, Emilia-tan requires my help- He said cheerfully and charismatic- I'd better go- Subaru turned his gaze to match mine- I'll leave you alone, Dante.
Subaru walked toward the door, exiting it as he waved goodbye while his back was turned.
The pink-haired maid stared at me. He hadn't told me what his name was, which had made me feel a little weird.
-And you are...
- Ram - He said without letting me finish the sentence.
"Okay, Ram, nice to meet you," I said stretching out my hand waiting for me to accept it.
- Do not think to accept the hand of a stranger, besides, it is surely a pervert's hand like Barusu's.
"Barusu"? What kind of nickname is that?
- W-what? What makes you think that?" I asked.
Ram snorted, noticeably annoyed.
- You have the same perverted face as him. Disgusting.
Ram turned around and, like Subaru, disappeared.
I went to the door and closed it, noticing again that silence so sarcastically comfortable that invaded the room every time I was alone.
Just like before, I lay back on the bed. Slowly my eyelids began to get heavier and heavier, which, after a while, eventually caused me to fall asleep.