Katsuki woke up enraged once he realized why he didn't get the letters sooner. Shoto had been getting them all yet he didn't give him a single one. Those letters were his. Not Shoto's. Shoto had no right to open each and every perfectly packed envelopes. He read each and every one of them. Those were not his letters that he could read. They were Katsuki's.
Katsuki made sure to hide the bag in a good hiding place. He needed to find out more about this house, why he can't leave, and who the man is. The ring was still on his finger shining like it was happy to be back with its rightful owner.
He knew no one in the house would give him answers. Except for one person. The one person that knew everything that happened inside the walls, and one of the only ones that spoke to katsuki. Katsuki opened the door to the library and walked in. Memories came back to katsuki of the incident. He blushed in embarrassment.
Katsuki walked to a section of the library that had three tables of chessboards set-up. A woman was sitting at one of the tables, looking at the chessboard with concentration. The board already had some of the pieces gone and moved. No one else was with her and katsuki assumed she must be playing alone.
He sat in the chair in front of her and watched her as she played. The woman didn't even look up to Katsuki. She continued playing like katsuki wasn't even there. Her soft, dark colored hands reached for a piece and moved it.
Katsuki looked at her and took in every detail. Her hair was as dark as the night and it was very curly. Each piece of hair was curled into perfection with all the other pieces. Her skin was darker than the other servants. It was a natural dark, a brown color to it. Katsuki loved the color of her skin and hair. He didn't see many with the same skin color so seeing one in front of him made him want to take in every detail. However, his favorite of the woman were her eyes. Under her white-colored cat mask were her eyes, shining in the shade of the mask. Her eyes were a bright blue that popped in her figure. Katsuki loved those eyes, they reminded him of the ocean waters. Well, from paintings he had seen and vivid memories.
The woman looked up at katsuki, finally recognizing he was there. Her mask lightly shined in the light of the library.
"Are you going to move," she asked with slight annoyance in her voice.
"O-oh." Katsuki didn't realize he was playing and decided to move a pawn to not run out the last of her patience.
"I'm surprised you've come to me. You usually don't spend time in the library," she said. Not leaving her eyes off the board. She reached for the bishop and moved it across the board, taking one of Katsuki's pawns.
"I wanted to ask you some questions," katsuki replied. He looked at the board and calculated all of the possible moves. He grabbed the rook and moved it a couple of spaces forward.
"Always questions with you." Her voice was smooth like a river. But had a slight snappiness to it.
"What are the questions you want to ask?" The woman moved the queen a couple steps forward.
"I wanted to ask about some letters and why I'm being kept here," he said.
"You have to be more specific than that," she replied. Katsuki moved his bishop and took one of her rooks. The woman let out a tch in annoyance.
"Why would Shoto had the letters that were sent to me?" That was a good question to start with, katsuki believed.
"He wanted to make sure you wouldn't remember what happened in a bad way. And I mean by having headaches and night terrors," she continued, "It was mainly jealousy as well." Katsuki went quiet. Night terrors? Jealousy? Why would he be jealous?
"Ahem," she said and looked at the board.
"O-oh!" Katsuki moved his knight closer to her queen.
"Why am I stuck in here?"
"I can't answer that question, I'm afraid," she said.
"Why not," Katsuki asked. His patience was running thin.
"He won't allow me to say," she said.
"The man with green hair?" The woman stopped in her hand before it touched a chess piece. Katsuki had a bad feeling that it wasn't the right thing to say.
"So you're beginning to remember," the woman asked, interest in her voice.
"Remember what?"
"Who you truly are," she said. Her words echoed in Katsuki's mind. She moved a chess piece, closer to the king. Katsuki moved a piece.
"Checkmate." The woman's eyes widened in surprise and looked at the board. Katsuki rose from his chair, not wanting to be near the woman any longer.
"You win, again," she said.
"All in the mind." Katsuki walked away and left the library, not turning back to meet the woman's gaze.
꧁꧂
The woman helped more than Katsuki expected. Knowing that the memories he's having are from his past, makes him want to remember them all. One by one. Have that feeling of knowing where he belonged and no longer lost in a maze of his mind.
Although the woman helped, it still wasn't enough for Katsuki. Only proved Katsuki's theory that the man with green hair is the one that knows of his past. He needed more answers.
Katsuki walked to one of the guards. He was outside, playing with dice. They landed onto the ground with a thud, covering itself more with dirt. The guards around the house looked at Katsuki in alarm. He didn't come out of the manor often and most of the time wasn't allowed to.
Some guards moved closer to where Katsuki stood with the guard. Others stayed at their post, acting like they weren't looking yet they were.
Katsuki looked at the guard, tilting his head up a bit from how tall he was. The guard tossed the dice to the ground and watched as they rolled. Katsuki waited for him to turn to him.
The guard's dark blue hair shined in the sunlight of the afternoon. The sky's orange and red colors reflecting against his pale skin. His helmet covered most of his hair but was still visible. His armor shined in the light like jewels and made clinking noises as he moved. The guard was taller than Katsuki, maybe taller than Shoto. His shoulders were bolder than Katsuki's. He had navy blue eyes that reminded Katsuki of the night sky. A horrible scar was across his neck, leading down to his chest.
If Katsuki remembered correctly, his name was Iida. One of the top guards of the manor. When Katsuki was alone, he noticed him to be close wherever he was away from his room. Like he was making sure Katsuki was safe. All guards have that job but it was different with Katsuki. His eyes were always on Katsuki and on whoever was close to Katsuki. However, the only time he wasn't around was when the man was there. That raised Katsuki's suspicions.
Iida rose from collecting his dice and looked at Katsuki.
"Is there something you need, Sir Katsuki," he asked in a deep tone.
"No need to call me sir but yes, I do." Katsuki knew he had to be careful with his words. There were people listening, watching. Any wrong word could cause him and others to get in trouble.
"I need to ask you a couple of questions," katsuki added.
"And that is?"
"It's about who was here a couple of days ago and of the manor," katsuki whispered to him. Iida froze and turned to katsuki.
"Let us speak somewhere more private," he said. Katsuki nodded and followed him. Iida led them into an aisle with rose bushes on each side. The roses were already blooming into their large petals. Reds, pinks, and whites covered the bushes creating a pattern. Iida walked slowly and made sure no one could hear them.
"What are your questions, katsuki?"
"I would like to know of the man with green hair and why I am here," Katsuki said. Iida wasn't surprised with what the questions were of.
"What would you like to know," Iida said.
"What is his name?" Iida's lips curled into a smile. Young love, Iida thought.
"His name is Izuku"
Katsuki's heart warmed and his ears sang in the recognition of the name. Izuku. Izuku. I-zu-ku. Each syllable of his name sang in Katsuki's ears. Each one making chills go up his spine and his core heat up.
"Why did he come to the manor," katsuki asked.
"He wanted to speak with Lord Shoto and wanted to see how you were," Iida replied. Katsuki felt his cheeks flush to a shade of red. Wanting to see him? Him of all people? Katsuki's heart fluttered at the thought.
Iida watched as Katsuki's cheeks turned a light pink and a smile grow on his lips. He looked happy, full of life. Iida hadn't seen him like that in a while. Longer than he expected.
"Does he wish to see me again?" Katsuki's voice was filled with joy. Hope mostly. His goal was longer wondering why he was here or why he cannot leave. It was now if the man loves him and when he will come for him.
Iida was quiet before saying, "He wishes to see you every minute of every day." Katsuki's smile grew bigger. Iida smiled back, a habit of smiling when seeing someone else smile.
Katsuki wanted to know more. Ask more. And so, he did. He asked many questions of the man. What he looked like. Did he send those letters. Does he speak of Katsuki often. And each answer pleased Katsuki more than the last. They continued exchanging answers and questions until they say on a stone bench, watching the large water fountain spray water and fall back into the pool below.
At last, katsuki finally realized he had asked so much of the man that he forget of the questions that truly mattered.
"I have one last question, Iida," Katsuki said. Iida looked at him.
"Why can I not go out?"
Iida was quiet. The question hanged between them. Katsuki looked at him with worry. He was taking longer than before to answer this question.
At last, Iida spoke saying, "I believe you have asked many people this question and have always gotten the same answer. So I apologize for my answer but, I am unable to answer that question." Katsuki felt a wave of annoyance. His fingers clenched around the edge of the stone bench, the stone scraping against his palms.
"And I assume it's because of Izuku or him," katsuki spat. Iida looked at him.
"You are correct."
Katsuki let out a huff and got up.
"Thank you for your time, Iida. I will be taking my leave now," he said without looking at the guard. Iida looked at katsuki with sympathy. He couldn't help but feel bad for him. His life was taken away from him by his mind and now he's stuck in this house. Never leaving and never meeting the love of his life. Iida looked down at his hands and noticed the shiny diamond ring on his finger.
"Good bye, Iida." Katsuki took his leave.
"Wait," Iida exclaimed. But Katsuki was too far away from him to hear and Iida's call was blown away by the wind, never going into Katsuki's ears to hear.