Chapter 32: Sean, Don’t You Remember Me?

As Sean joked with Windsor, he noticed William approaching. Wiping his mouth, he stood."Lord Sean, forgive our neglect—there are so many guests," William apologized awkwardly."No trouble. It's lively," Sean said, gesturing to the dance floor where Lucas spun his partner into the air, catching her with a flourish of douqi. The crowd gasped in admiration."Yorn is no Paromia," William explained. "We entertain with music and dance. Still, I'm glad you enjoy the food."Sean nodded to his half-eaten omelette. "This is excellent.""Ah, the omelette! A local favorite—" William launched into a lengthy description of every dish, from dwarven ale to elven ferns. Sean endured politely, sipping blueberry juice.…Finally, William moved to Count Rivers' artifacts: "This wolf skull is from a Gold-rank Wind Wolf, slain by Lucas. This rusted sword belonged to the late count—"Sean froze at a simple porcelain bowl. "May I inspect it?""Of course! Imported from the Eastern Empire, porcelain rivals gold in value. Rare and priceless!"Sean examined the ordinary bowl, suppressing a laugh. It's just a bowl. William misinterpreted his expression: "Apologies—it pales compared to the Violet family's treasures."Before Sean could reply, murmurs erupted. Jessica approached, trailed by admirers. William vanished into the crowd."Jessica? What's wrong?" Sean asked."Sean… don't you remember me?" she said, voice trembling. The crowd fell silent.Sean studied her—golden hair, different from the librarian's fiery locks. Not her. Aloud, he lied: "I suffered head trauma. My memory is… spotty."