Shortly after leaving the laboratory, Mery walked back towards the village.
The moment she stepped out of the domain surrounding the building, the area around her distorted for a brief moment before returning to the normal forest that she recognized. The illusion magic had done its work, hiding the facility from any wandering eyes.
She startled at the sudden shift but kept walking down the familiar path.
"I don't understand what is happening right now, but let me sort this out first," she muttered to herself while rubbing her temples.
After a few minutes of walking, she finally arrived at Cairo.
The village children were playing in the dirt near the entrance, and upon spotting Mery, they all dropped what they were doing and ran towards her with excited shouts.
They surrounded her and hugged her tightly from all sides.
"Mery! Mery! She is finally back!" one of the younger girls shouted while clinging to her leg.
Mery patted their heads gently while smiling down at them. "Hello, everyone! How are all of you doing today?"
"Where did you go? You were gone for so long!" a boy asked with wide eyes.
"We were so worried! We thought that some orcs must have taken you away!" another child added while tugging at her sleeve.
Mery raised an eyebrow and laughed warmly.
"What are you talking about? What kind of orc would be foolish enough to take someone as strong as me?"
"That is right! Big sister Mery will always protect us from the bad monsters!" a little girl declared confidently.
"But if any orcs come to the village, I will fight them myself! I will make sure that they never reach you!" a little boy said while raising his stick like a sword and puffing out his chest.
Mery smiled warmly and patted his head gently. "Awww, you are so kind and brave."
The boy blushed deeply at her praise while staring up at her with admiration.
"Mery!"
She turned around and saw Sharon, her mother, walking towards her from the direction of the pub.
"Oh, you have returned. We need to clean up the pub as soon as possible. The Duke might arrive with his soldiers at any time now, and I want everything to look presentable," Sharon said while wiping her hands on her apron.
"Ah, right, mother. I will be back soon to help you," Mery responded.
She straightened up and waved at the children who were still gathered around her.
"Make sure that you do not go outside at night when it gets cold! Stay inside where it is warm!"
"Yes, Mery!" the children shouted in unison before running off to play again.
Mery walked ahead with her mother beside her. Sharon was staring at the poor orphans and villagers who were huddled in corners throughout the streets. Their faces were gaunt from hunger, and their clothes were ragged from months of neglect.
"My god, I hope that Duke Perrin arrives soon. I cannot stand seeing people suffer like this. I have tried to feed them whenever I can, but if this keeps up, our supplies at the pub will run out completely," Sharon said with worry in her voice.
"But mother, we cannot simply ignore them. We have to help more people, no matter the cost," Mery insisted.
Sharon turned to face her daughter with a tired expression.
"My dear, this is simply the circle of life in villages like ours. If we give away everything we have to help others, how will we help ourselves? At this rate, we will end up starving alongside them."
Mery looked down at the ground while processing her mother's words.
"And the lord? Has he said anything about the situation?"
"People have tried to go to his manor to demand answers, but nothing came of it. His house is locked up tight with soldiers protecting him from the villagers." Sharon shook her head in disgust. "I suppose we will simply have to wait for the Duke to arrive and arrest that pathetic man himself."
"Yes, mother," Mery responded quietly.
Sharon stopped walking and turned to face her daughter with a concerned expression.
"What is it, Mery? Did something happen to you while you were away?"
Mery hesitated. "No, nothing at all happened."
"You are not acting like yourself. Ever since the Marquis's son left Cairo, you have been different. You don't act the way you used to, and you haven't smiled genuinely in days. Sometimes you space out and stare at nothing for long periods of time."
Mery knew that her mother was right, but she did not understand anything about what was happening to her. There were moments when she felt that she could control herself, but then fragments of her memories started vanishing completely. It was a feeling that she could not quite grasp or explain.
She paused for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts.
She didn't understand why, but she felt a sudden urge to tell her mother the truth. But what truth was she supposed to tell? She asked herself that question, but she could not find an answer.
She did not feel like herself anymore. It felt as if she did not belong here in Cairo at all. The chains on her chest tightened around her, and she felt like her body was slowly being crushed by a snake that was coiling tighter and tighter.
"Mery? Are you listening to me?"
Sharon asked with growing concern.
Mery tried to remember her old life, but she could not recall anything clearly anymore.
The only face that remained vivid in her mind was Edsel's face. His hands were warm when he touched her. His smile was gentle when he looked at her. The memories with her mother and the children of Cairo were slowly being replaced by images of him.
"Yes, he is my lord. Edsel is my lord," she muttered under her breath.
Her eyes glowed faintly for a moment, and then her expression settled into something calm and distant.
"Mery? What did you just say?"
Sharon asked while leaning closer but Mery looked up with a bright smile.
"Mother, can I ask you something important?"
Sharon startled at the sudden change in her daughter's demeanor.
"You must be tired from whatever you were doing. But yes, tell me what it is."
"There is a place that I want everyone to go. It is a building with lots of food stored inside. To be honest, the doctor helped me gather everything there."
Sharon felt a chill run down her spine. Mery was not acting like herself at all. She was being strange, and her words did not make sense. Something had happened to her while she was away, Sharon was certain of it. She wanted to ask more questions, but the way her daughter smiled made her want to dismiss her concerns instead.
"Mery, I don't know what you are talking about, but you don't have to trust anyone so easily. You don't even know this doctor that well."
Mery grabbed her mother's hand and held it tightly.
"Mother, listen to me carefully. If we do not escape from this village soon, how can you be sure that the soldiers here will protect us from the orcs? How can you be sure that they will save us from the hunger that is killing everyone?"
Sharon pulled her hand away. "That is why the Duke's soldiers will come soon! Why are you being so stubborn about this? Stop this foolish talk and get inside the pub right now!"
Mery paused and stared at her mother for a long moment. Then she smiled, but the warmth did not reach her eyes.
"You have always been this selfish when it comes to helping others, mother. That is why father died in the end. Because you refused to help him when he needed you the most."
Slap.
Sharon's hand struck Mery across the face. The sound echoed through the street, and everyone who had been watching turned to stare at them.
Sharon was trembling, her hand still raised in the air.
"Get inside the pub right now. Forget about going outside ever again."
Mery nodded without any emotion on her face.
She walked inside the pub and closed the door behind her, leaving Sharon standing alone in the street while staring at her own shaking hand in the aftermath of what she had done.