The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory-Chapter 5Vol 2.

From a distance, the feline Divine Beast let out a long sigh and padded over, gently brushing its paw against Linna’s cheek.

“Meow~”

<How pitiful...>

Once I confirmed that Linna had fully lost consciousness, I raised an eyebrow and whispered to the cat.

“You’ve done every bad thing under the sun. Don’t act all pitiful now. I’m not falling for your cute face.”

“Meooow.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t understand.”

“Nyaa~”

The cat Divine Beast avoided my gaze and curled its body.

Just earlier, I’d confirmed that it was fully capable of communication—yet now, it only let out meaningless cries.

Then it suddenly leapt up to the high window sill and curled up again.

“Nyaaaa~”

Right then, Linna tumbled off her chair with a loud crash, taking the bottle with her. Her already too-loose clothing soaked up the liquor, turning the whole ensemble into a complete, miserable mess.

“Good grief...”

I let out an unconscious sigh and pressed my forehead.

* * *

The next afternoon.

“...Huh?”

Linna suddenly shot °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° up from bed.

I bowed politely at her side.

“You’re awake? Do you remember anything from yesterday?”

“Uwaaaaah!”

She cried out, eyes wide with shock as she stared at me.

“I remember you!”

She still reeked of alcohol.

“You’re the one I asked how much you cost—and you told me to check your hourly rate!”

“Yes, I’m the one who scolded you for your materialism, my lady.”

I nodded calmly, smiling gently.

Last night, I had pulled her up, carefully removed her makeup, helped her change clothes, laid her in bed, and cleaned the room. I simply couldn’t leave it in that state.

The place was a disaster, but a mess like that was nothing.

Childhood memories stick for life.

‘I was an Apprentice at the Temple from age five to eleven!’

Even back then, I was so dexterous that I occasionally got praised. It wasn’t a coincidence that I’d gone back to the Temple before regression, thinking I had a knack for chores.

‘Even when I disguised myself as a maid in the Imperial Palace, His Majesty didn’t notice a thing—that’s how good my cleaning skills are.’

Linna blinked slowly and looked around.

“This... is this really my room?”

“I didn’t touch the drawers. Just opened the top one to get your pajamas. And, um, the undergarments you wore are still the same.”

Even I couldn’t bring myself to change her underwear...

“I just grouped all the things scattered on the floor by type and placed them on the table. Please check them over.”

“Aaah...”

Linna stared at me with dazed eyes. With all her makeup gone, she looked surprisingly gentle.

“You’re... really good at this. You look so young—how much experience do you have?”

“About fifteen years? There was a gap in between, though.”

If I counted from when I first started cleaning, it added up to that.

“Fifteen years? But you’re so young! Didn’t the Imperial Labor Law or something say that’s not allowed?”

“Well... Let’s just say some rotten places didn’t care about that sort of thing.”

I handed her a hangover remedy as I continued.

“Anyway, here’s a hangover cure. You had a whole crate of these in your room. You look pretty unwell—why not rest in your cabin today?”

Linna took the hangover remedy from me and downed it in one gulp. Then she murmured quietly.

“I actually got up from bed... How long has it been since I did that?”

Wait. Don’t tell me she’s been waking up every day on the floor or the couch or whatever?

“I even changed clothes... they’re so soft. No alcohol smell!”

She sniffed at her new indoor clothes, looking delighted, then got up with a world-class happy face and hugged me tightly.

Despite being younger than me, Linna was so tall my whole body sank into hers.

“Wah, thank you! I really like you!”

The way she latched onto a small kindness showed just how unstable her life must’ve been.

“Whatever hourly rate I said yesterday, I’ll pay you double! What’s your name?”

The hug was so sudden I couldn’t even be surprised—besides, she still reeked of booze.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Trying to wriggle away, I rolled my eyes. Of course I couldn’t tell her my real name. So I said the first name that popped into my head.

“Heidi.”

“Heidi, huh? Let’s get along well—huh?”

Naturally, I had no intention of staying with her for long. I was just about to say goodbye.

But then Linna casually glanced at the wall clock, and her eyes widened. It was already well past 4 p.m.

“Oh my god, five o’clock? Is it really five? Not five in the morning—five in the afternoon?!”

“Yes. Exactly five in the afternoon, my lady.”

Honestly, I could’ve left earlier this morning. But I’d stayed because I wanted to see Linna come to her senses.

‘Because...’

I sighed and turned my gaze to the window.

“And there’s no earth on a boat! Right? Ahahahahaha! What better place could there be in the whole world?! Ahahahahahaha!”

I couldn’t bring myself to leave her like that—something about her just made me too uneasy.

She wouldn’t know this, but we were supposed to have shared a dorm room at the Academy.

And I couldn’t get that black cat Divine Beast out of my mind, either.

Though it refused to speak to me, it stared at me all night with eyes that clearly said, please stay with her.

Just then, Linna groaned, rubbing her forehead.

“Ugh... What do I do? I was supposed to meet Her Majesty the Empress Dowager for lunch today!”

Wait.

The Empress Dowager? Then... Special Class?

My eyes quietly lit up.

‘You’re telling me this golden opportunity just dropped into my lap?’

That was the place I’d most wanted to get to for Zahid and Ray’s sake—but I’d given up, thinking it was impossible.

‘The Entoho Operation is probably about to begin.’

Timing-wise, this was perfect.

‘So... are the two of them with the Empress Dowager right now? This is great! It’s true—if you live kindly, good things come your way...’

I decided then and there to stick with Linna and head to the Special Class cabin where the Empress Dowager was staying. Of course, Linna seemed to think I was officially her maid and didn’t hesitate in the slightest.

“Uuugh... Heidi, let’s get ready quick. I have to go. We’re late. I’m gonna get another scolding. Ah—Heidi! From today on, wear this!”

Linna handed me an Idra Duchy maid uniform and, looking haggard, began rummaging through her closet.

I blinked, holding the uniform with an awkward expression, and said,

“Let’s just stick together until Bellotsa Port, my lady. But I’m... not great at dressing others. I specialize in cleaning, actually.”

“Doesn’t matter! Do I look like someone who’s ever let anyone dress me properly?”

“That’s fair...”

While I stood there blankly, Linna picked out a dress so gaudy it hurt just to look at it and began loading herself up with grotesque accessories.

She even applied makeup herself—practically painted over half her face.

By the time I came back from the other room dressed in the Idra maid uniform, her transformation was complete.

‘Wow... it’s really thick... Her eyes look twice as big.’

In the blink of an eye, she had become the same debauched, wild beauty from the night before.

I let out a quiet sigh at her reflection—then let out a louder one when I saw my reflection.

Now I was wearing the Idra Duchy maid uniform, a frilly white headband, and my silver hair was neatly tied back.

‘So this is how I reunite with my friends... It’ll make a hell of a story someday, I guess.’

Then—

“Hmm? Wait a sec.”

Linna glanced at me in the mirror and tilted her head.

“Heidi, come here.”

“...Yes?”

“You look way too plain right now...”

A very bad feeling crept up on me.

“Umm, my lady? Didn’t you just say we were running very late?”

“Eh, can’t be helped. Honestly, I didn’t even want to go. I’m sure they ate without me. It wasn’t even a one-on-one meeting.”

Yawning, Linna dug through her drawer. A moment later, she planted a pair of dazzling, multicolored skull earrings on my ears.

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on fre𝒆web(n)ovel.co(m)