The owner of the voice was a man in his early twenties. The voice was soft, but it did not succeed in eliminating the pain I was experiencing at that moment.
"Embrace it. You need it to stay alive."
Dude, I don't fucking understand what you're saying, goddamnit!!!
My hands clenched tightly until my knuckles turned white.
I grabbed the pillow behind me and threw it at the voice's owner.
Even though I had to take a part-time job at a boutique, before I was bullied, I was a basketball player.
My shots were always accurate, never missing. I will use whatever I can to make this pain go away.
"Ouch!"
Along with the man's pained groan, the pain I was feeling vanished completely. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you doing, Eden! I'm trying to help you recover your memories!"
Unlike me, the man seemed annoyed with me. I turned to face the man, who was still rubbing his head while grumbling in frustration.
The man picked up the pillow I had thrown, patted its surface, and placed it back on the bed.
"Now, I have to start over..."
"Start over!?" I glared sharply at the man whose identity I didn't know, ready to throw the pillow he had picked up back at him. If I looked closely, this figure was the same as the man with hazelnut-colored hair I had just seen in my mind.
"Are you crazy or something?!" I continued. "I don't want to! My head still hurts from what you did earlier!"
"Woah, woah! Stop hitting me with that pillow!" The man raised both hands, asking me to calm down. "This is the first time I've realized that being hit with a goose feather pillow can hurt this much! Your reaction when you woke up was terrifying, you know?"
"It's your fault," I replied harshly. "Do you think—"
Before I could finish my sentence, the man suddenly hugged me tightly, leaving me speechless.
In my entire life, no one had ever hugged me except my family.
I had never had the chance to develop a romantic relationship with anyone else, even though many people wanted me, simply because my family needed me.
And now, this man was hugging me tightly, as if I might disappear from his sight?
"Thank God you're back to me, Eden..."
The man hugged me tightly, so tightly that I could barely breathe.
His voice trembled violently, as did his hands as they gently stroked the top of my head with love.
In the memory I just saw, this man didn't used to act like this.
He used to be a stubborn man, always showing a sour face whenever he met me.
A cold face, filled with frustration and hatred that had reached its peak.
It was clear that this man must have hated me deeply. But the attitude he was showing me now was completely at odds with my memories.
Besides, why was he calling me "Eden"?
My name isn't Eden. My name is Alfred Clark.
Why was he calling me by a name I didn't recognize?
"The great sorcerer said you might lose your memory when you fell off the cliff..." the man continued. "It doesn't matter. As long as I can see you alive again, I won't make an issue of it..."
I didn't know how to respond to this man. For now, it was better to play along with his game.
Maybe I could find a way to wake up from this strange dream.
I was about to speak when my stomach growled loudly, echoing throughout the room and breaking the strange atmosphere that had been created.
My cheeks flushed deeply, so I turned my face away to avoid looking at the man as he released his embrace.
"Are you hungry?"
I nodded slightly.
Then he returned with food and drink, placing them on the small table, then setting them on my lap.
"I've prepared everything. Since you've only just regained consciousness, you can't eat as much as usual."
I looked at the food and swallowed hard.
The amount of food in front of me was enough for four people, in my opinion, and the man told me this was a smaller portion than usual?
Has the man lost his mind? Why did he think I'd eat this much?
Suddenly, the thought that the food might be poisoned filled my mind. I dared not touch the food.
The memories of this body's former owner told me that he had once been poisoned in this way.
"Ah, that's right. I'll eat some first to make sure there's no poison here."
As he said this, the man took the cutlery and ate it first. Did this mysterious man have the ability to read minds? How did he know what I was thinking?!
"It's delicious. It suits your taste. And I've made sure that there is no poison in any of this food. Here, try it."
Somewhat hesitant, I plucked up the courage to eat it, pushing aside my fear.
I couldn't ignore my hunger just because of the potential for poison.
Besides, the man had already eaten it first, and my mouth felt bitter.
It ... was delicious.
Even more delicious than my mom's cooking and my own cooking!!
I continued eating happily, occasionally glancing at the man.
Then I looked around at my surroundings again.
Once I felt calmer, I began to think about everything. It felt like I recognized this place from somewhere.
It also felt like I knew the identity of the man sitting next to me now.
"Is there anything else you want, Eden?"
Eden? Why was that man still insisting on calling me Eden?
Should I tell him that my name wasn't Eden, but Alfred Clark—
My eyes widened.
I immediately put down my utensils, no longer continuing my meal.
I stared at the man who was still waiting for my answer with a horrified expression.
"You… Who are you?"
His eyes widened, then he laughed softly as he reached for my hand.
As if it were the most natural thing for him to do.
With his large, warm hands, he looked straight at me.
"I'll introduce myself to you again, Eden," the man said, kissing the back of my hand, causing my cheeks to flush deeply. "My name is James. James Patrick."
It can't be...
Don't tell me I've entered a novel titled The Lonely Witch and Her Five Princes.
If that's true, did that mean I'm Eden Thames, the tyrant king in this story who was killed by James?
And now, I am facing the person who killed me?!
Are you kidding me!!!
***