Chapter 187 Hypnosis

Chapter 187 Hypnosis
The room was quiet for longer than it should've been. I could see the look on Caligo's face— it did not seem like he believed the words that came from my mouth. Rather, he was desperate hoping they weren't true.

I had expected such a reaction. Before I sent the text asking him to come over, I had thought it over for so long. Aurora had basically raised him. It would be so difficult to believe someone he regarded as a mother bore such feelings towards him.

“It doesn't make any sense. It makes absolutely zero sense.”

I looked up. He was lamenting now, hands folded so tight that I could see his knuckles going white. His brows were squeezed into a puzzled frown. He looked just like someone who was unwilling to accept reality.

“Y-you’re saying she hypnotized you?”

“I think so, yes.” I nodded. Caligo did not seem convinced. That was not a good sign. 

“Why would Aurora want you to be with Ciro instead? She doesn't even like Ciro!” He looked over at Nyx. “I'm not imagining things, right? We've been together the longest. You know what Aurora is and isn't capable of, right?”

Nyx nodded. 

“I'm finding it hard to believe, too. I just can't imagine it. Aurora has treated us like her children. More importantly, you. She loves you to death.”

“Exactly!” Caligo pumped his fist in the air. I shook slightly. It was the first time I'd be seeing him so agitated. “She's like a mother to me. A mother…”

His voice trailed off.

Convincing them was not going to be easy. My eyes shifted to Cassian. I hoped that he would be able to make them see things from a more logical point, without emotions attached. He understood my intent and spoke up, “Let's calm down and think about this properly.”

“Uh, Rose, could you explain this whole hypnosis thing properly? You say she's been making you do things against your will. How come after you carry out her wishes, yet forget afterward? Let's start from there.” He said. 

I exhaled deeply. After gathering my thoughts, I said, “I don't know how exactly she achieves the hypnosis, but now that my memory has completely returned, here's what I can remember. We step into the bath first, she retrieves that potion from where she always hides it. I remember that clearly, cause it's after she pours the liquid on my head that I begin to feel extremely lightheaded.”

Everyone's eyes were fixed on me. Caligo especially. 

I swallowed lightly. Then, summoning courage, I continued, “Aurora then goes on to talk about how being with Ciro is a better choice. She talks about how Caligo is not to be trusted. The evil deeds he's committed in the past. And how, if I do not act quickly, I will simply be the next in the long line of victims.”

“After that, once we step out of the bath, my head usually feels extremely foggy, and I start to forget things. But not everything. It's hard to explain, but here's what I think. The potion makes it so that Aurora’s words seep into my subconscious, but I slowly forget that she's the one who planted those thoughts in my head. Yes, I believe that's how it works.”

After explaining, my gaze moved between Nyx and Caligo. They both had their mouths agape, unable to make sense of what they had heard.

Cassian did not wait around idly. He followed up immediately, saying, “Okay, let's pretend what you're saying is the truth, what motive would Aurora have to poison you with such thoughts towards Caligo? From what everyone knows, Aurora has always treated him like her own son. In fact, she barely interacts with Ciro. Why would she go through the trouble?”

“I… I don't know…” I said, even though it was painful to admit. I also could not think of a proper motive. It made the whole thing seem too unreal, but I was certain of my memories.

I had always felt like there were gaps in my memories, and my recent discovery filled those gaps perfectly. So I couldn't have been mistaken.

Cassian turned to Caligo. He asked in a firm tone, “Could it be that she knew that Rose was Ciro’s mate from the very beginning?”

Caligo was too dazed to even respond. So Nyx spoke in his stead, “I doubt it. Or, Rose, did she exhibit any signs of knowing?”

I frowned, trying to dig deeper in my memories. 

“Not that I can think of. But, it has made me recall something. Back then, around the time I newly moved into the manor, I used to receive a mysterious invitation from someone in the house. It turned out to be a ghost.”

“What?” Caligo blurted out. “A ghost?!”

I nodded my head multiple times to show how serious I was. That did not stop all three of them from looking at me like I had gone insane. That did not deter me, however. 

I continued in a firm tone, “At the time, I had just recently learned of the supernatural, so I believed such things like ghosts were possible. Aren't they?”

“That's not important right now. Please continue.” Cassian urged me on. 

I continued, watching them closely if they showed any strange reactions, “A message would mysteriously reach me at night, saying that this unknown figure would be waiting for me at a designated location. The letter always spoke of revealing the truth of the entire situation to me, so I was compelled to meet up with them to find out. What I discovered was not any of the maids, or the masters of the house. Instead, I met Valeria. A ghost.”

“Valeria told me all about how she had died at your hands, Caligo. Along with the other girls who were unfortunate enough to have fallen in love with you. She said she was the one they had appointed to haunt the house and find a way to get revenge for their cruel deaths.”

Cassian burst into a snicker at that point.