The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory-Chapter 43

"Ha! You must not know. Julian's child is inside me."

Cecil widened her eyes fiercely as she spoke.

"A bastard child of a mere temple apprentice dares to speak to me?"

Everyone watching was startled.

A bastard child of a temple apprentice.

Even Caliban, the master of this estate, had never said such words to Rosie.

"I warned you last night, didn’t I? Know your place. But it seems your intelligence is lacking, so you've already forgotten?"

Cecil seemed enraged simply by the fact that Rosie had dared to stand in her way.

Her gaze, filled with contempt, was as if she were looking at a mere insect.

"How dare you act like this in front of me? With what right?"

The servants all expected Rosie to declare herself as a direct descendant of the Noart Count Family.

However, the words that came out of Rosie's mouth were completely unexpected.

"Yes. As you said, my father was a temple apprentice. So I, too, possess divine power."

At those words, Cecil's face twisted in utter humiliation.

Rosie's arms trembled so violently now that she looked pitiful to anyone watching.

Even so, her voice remained steady, each word carefully enunciated.

"Compassion and love. Empathy and understanding."

"...What?"

"The values the temple has long pursued. Though my divine power is weak, I cannot simply stand by and watch this."

Cecil's hand shot up.

"You insane—"

It was raw, genuine fury.

The anger she had directed at the maid earlier was nothing compared to this. This was different—a rage so pure and uncontrollable that all rationality seemed to have vanished from her being.

"You’re nothing but a mere apprentice, and yet you dare speak of the temple’s values as if you mean anything?"

At some point, a glint of madness had seeped into Cecil’s eyes.

"You dare!"

"Hiiik...!"

The servants, who had been watching, suddenly sprang forward, as if moved by instinct.

Rosie, her expression showing that she fully expected to be hit, instinctively curled her body.

And Cecil’s hand was about to come down on her—

"What do you think you’re doing?"

A voice cut through the chaos.

"How dare you."

It was none other than Count Noart, Caliban.

"In my house."

Caliban’s cold gaze bore into Cecil as he spoke in a low voice.

"You dare raise your hand against my people?"

A chilling silence fell over the Noart estate as if cold water had been poured over the entire scene.

The servants all struggled to contain their smiles.

Because they knew—Caliban would not let this go.

But then—

"Ah!"

Cecil suddenly clutched her stomach and collapsed to the floor.

"My stomach... my baby... my baby!"

She gasped desperately, her breaths coming in frantic pants.

"No! No! Julian already abandoned me and our child to follow his grandfather’s orders... If I lose the baby, too...!"

The servants inwardly sighed.

That was the one phrase—the magic words—that could silence Caliban.

After all, Julian had gone on a mission under Caliban’s orders and lost his memory in an accident.

If even Julian, the strongest man they knew, had returned in such a state, then it was clear that the mission had been incredibly difficult and dangerous.

"A... ah! The baby! The baby!"

Caliban, who had been looking down at her with cold eyes, finally spoke in an icy tone.

"It seems you need rest. Take her to ‘Meida.’"

The servants exchanged uneasy glances.

After all, 'Meida' was a top-tier facility... but it was also a prison in all but name.

"She is to remain in ‘Meida’ until the physician determines that she has had adequate rest."

Cecil, unfamiliar with the name, simply clutched her stomach, not realizing where she was about to be taken.

****

"Rosie."

My grandfather lifted me up.

"Are you all right?"

I tried to nod and smile, to show that I was fine. After all, everything had gone according to plan.

But I couldn’t breathe properly, and I couldn’t force a smile.

Seeing Cecil so enraged had brought back old memories.

"Try harder! Harder! If you were born an apprentice, you should at least try! Why can’t you understand? Do I need to explain it to you again? If you ever hope to become the true master of your divine beast, then—" ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Those eyes, looking at me like I was nothing but an insect. The sheer fury spilling from them.

"What? Your divine beast is hungry? It wants to see its master? Do you think I wasted my time on you just to hear nonsense like that?"

I had been powerless. I had stood there and taken it.

I knew that things were different now. That I couldn’t be treated the same way anymore.

And yet, standing in front of her, my legs trembled.

I had been fearless before anyone else, but in front of her, I couldn’t seem to manage it.

Even though I knew she would lash out in anger, I had still provoked her. And this time... it was so much worse than when I had faced her the night before.

Because back then, I had spent countless hours kneeling in front of her, begging, pleading for forgiveness.

That was how deeply her shadow still clung to me.

"You moved her to ‘Meida’ as planned. Now, we just have to wait?"

"...Yes..."

That was what I had asked my grandfather to do yesterday.

"Grandfather, please don’t ask any questions. Just restrict that woman, Cecil. Okay?"

"Restrict her?"

"Yes. Lock her up in ‘Meida.’ I’ll create the opportunity. I know exactly how to make her cross the line and lose control. I can make her go wild in an instant."

Even as memories of the experiments flashed through my mind, causing my body to tremble, I made my request firmly.

And my grandfather nodded without hesitation.

"I already found that woman suspicious. This isn’t a difficult request—I’ll allow it. But, Rosie... do you already know her?"

"...Yes."

I said nothing more and shut my mouth.

There was not enough trust between my grandfather and me yet. I couldn’t reveal Cecil’s true identity outright.

She was someone I had known before my regression. If I said too much, I might slip up and make him suspicious.

And more than anything, I couldn’t afford for my grandfather to doubt me when it came to matters related to the temple.

‘Cecil is a high-ranking priest with immense divine power.’

She was one of the four closest aides to the High Priest.

From birth, she had been raised within the temple, served, and treated like nobility.

The temple was a strictly hierarchical society, where status was determined by the amount of divine power one possessed.

To someone like Cecil, I, a mere apprentice, was nothing more than a pebble on the side of the road.

There was no way she could tolerate me speaking about the values of the temple.

‘She must have lost her mind with rage.’

I had planned it.

And yet, when the moment arrived, my heart pounded violently in my chest.

‘Cecil coming here herself... That’s what’s bothering me the most.

‘They sent someone far more powerful than I expected.’

It was clear now—the temple was determined to see this mission succeed.

I didn’t know what they might do next. For now, locking Cecil away was the best option.

She would have to act eventually. That would give me something to work with.

"Haah... Anyway, Rosie."

Grandfather looked at me as I trembled, then suddenly lifted me into his arms.

With his massive build, my body was lifted effortlessly.

Startled by the unexpected height, I blinked in surprise.

My grandfather grinned and asked, "So, did you have a good trip to the Dyfenril Duchy yesterday? I was so busy I forgot to ask."

Ah.

I must have looked too shaken, so he deliberately changed the subject.

For the first time, he wore a kind expression as he continued the conversation.

"That brat from Dyfenril—is he good-looking? Or was he so disappointing that you want to call off the engagement?"

"I don’t want to cancel it."

I shook my head while still in my grandfather’s arms.

"But he doesn’t seem to like me much. I plan to watch and see how long he lasts—at least until he comes of age."

"What? That brat dares not to like my granddaughter?!"

Grandfather’s face twisted in irritation. "I should smack that damn brat when I see him!"

"Calm down, Grandfather. You need to take his place in the Grand Nobles’ Assembly anyway."

"Well, that is true!"

My grandfather had always wanted to join the Grand Nobles’ Assembly.

After all, fighting against the temple was too difficult alone.

However, in order to enter the assembly, one had to be at least a Duke.

And no matter how much he tried, my grandfather could never surpass the rank of Count.

"Still, Rosie, if he keeps barking at you and refuses to behave, just break off the engagement."

Grinding his teeth, he continued, "I’ll stay quiet for now because you said he’s pretty, and ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) you want him. But once you grow up enough to understand that people aren’t things you can own, you’ll break it off!"

"Hmm. But I don’t want to break up with him."

...Aren’t you supposed to teach children that people aren’t things you can own?

Still, after having that conversation, my tension finally eased.

"Alright, Grandfather," I said with a grin, clinging to him.

Before I knew it, my hands had stopped shaking, and the furious pounding in my chest had settled.

And then—

"Good!"

Grandfather suddenly turned his head and shouted loudly.

"You heard that loud and clear, brat!"

Huh?

I blinked in confusion.

Brat?

Who else was here?

"Keep barking all you want! Just wait until Rosie dumps you, you bastard!"

Still in my grandfather’s arms, I turned my head—and froze in shock.

"...Zahid?"

Standing there, staring at us with an utterly dumbfounded expression, was none other than Zahid Dyfenril.