At Bonita’s words, Aria’s heart, which had been engaging in light conversation, sank heavily.

“Ah… But there were times we slept together. When mother drank alcohol.”

“…”

“On days when mother got extra pay, she would buy meat and alcohol. I liked those days because I could sleep with mother after eating delicious food.”

“I… see.”

Aria’s expression crumbled miserably. She thought as she wiped her blood-stained hands on the hem of her dress.

It was good that she didn’t open the door.

If she had heard that story face to face with Bonita, all the expressions she was making now would have been exposed.

It was truly fortunate.

As long as she hid her trembling voice, Bonita wouldn’t know her distress.

“Can you tell me a little more?”

“About my mother?”

“Anything. What you experienced, or how you lived.”

Having said that much, Aria hastily added.

“You don’t have to talk about parts you don’t want to. It’s just, Mom is curious about how you’ve been living all this time. That’s why I’m asking.”

It really hadn’t been long since Aria met Bonita.

Until now, she had only roughly guessed how Bonita had been living based on the scenery when she first opened her eyes and the child’s reactions at that time.

“…”

Bonita on the other side of the door curled up. Her short arms wrapped around her knees drawn up.

“I…”

Bonita pondered, not knowing where to start.

Seven-year-old Bonita’s life was very monotonous. Like children her age, her memories were sparse. Memories from there remained only as vague images.

“I thought the days were long.”

Children’s days are longer compared to adults. After seeing off her mother who left around 11 am, Bonita would be alone at home endlessly until dusk when she returned.

She could go out if she wanted to. However, for a small child like Bonita to wander the back alleys without an adult wasn’t a very good choice.

Bonita learned this fact not through words, but through experience. The realization that the street boys and girls she hung out with disappeared one by one was a more chilling, realistic fear than expected.

Especially since she could never see those children who disappeared again.

“I just cleaned the house, um, drew pictures… and sometimes went shopping on the main street. But that’s all.”

“… Have you lived in that village since you were born?”

“Probably.”

Bonita answered.

“I don’t remember any other place. And judging from what people said, it must be true. Even in that street, mother stood out a lot.”

Aria is a typical beauty with sparkling blonde hair and blue eyes. She was also a woman with manners too ingrained to be commonly seen in such a remote place.

People around the street gossiped about such an Aria.

But Bonita didn’t tell Aria about such stories.

Didn’t mother also get furiously angry when she heard rumors about being a nobleman’s mistress? It must be a great insult among adults.

So she kept her mouth shut.

“…”

Bonita quietly blinked her eyes.

Come to think of it, daily life before coming to the duke’s mansion was ridiculously boring and monotonous.

An old, dilapidated house where water leaked from the ceiling when it rained. A cramped kitchen and hard bed. Blankets that smelled musty from not being washed on time.

The Champs-Élysées street that she occasionally visited with Aria was the only wondrous world Bonita remembered. There were also children of wealthy commoners walking side by side with their parents, wearing nice clothes and happy expressions.

That’s not to say Bonita’s life was completely unhappy. At least not as far as Bonita herself felt.

She didn’t experience being found dead the next day after wandering around naked in the middle of winter with nowhere to sleep, or being caught by thugs and beaten up then begging with a swollen face, or being taken somewhere and traded like livestock like her disappeared friends.

The standard of unhappiness in Bonita’s mind was about what was listed above. There was a house with a bonfire burning, and she didn’t have to worry about starving as her mother provided money and ingredients even if she just stayed still.

Isn’t that enough?

Bonita muttered inwardly.

‘I wasn’t unhappy.’

It wasn’t like there was nothing to smile about in life. Rather, she smiled quite often.

Especially drawing pictures while waiting for Aria who didn’t come was enjoyable.

When the sun was setting and the red sunset warmly wrapped the familiar house. That was really nice.

Sitting by the window looking at the bustling street, beyond that street, Aria’s shining blonde hair could be seen slowly approaching the house.

At those times, her heart always fluttered.

She could completely forget the fear of when she might be kidnapped by bad adults or abandoned by her mother.

Aria’s voice was heard from beyond the door.

“I see… So that’s how it was.”

Her voice was still hoarse and cracked, as if she was still in pain.

Bonita thought that voice sounded as desolate as the wind blowing in late autumn.

“I’m curious about something too.”

“What are you curious about?”

“Well…”

Who are you, Mom?

How did you suddenly appear?

Those questions welled up to the tip of her tongue.

‘Someone who entered my real mother’s body and loves me much more than my real mother…’

Bonita preferred the current Mom to her previous mother. Liking the changed Aria more than the mother who raised her must be because she was a bad child.

But she couldn’t help it.

The love given by the changed Aria was so intense and sweet that she wanted to die immersed in the love she poured out.

It didn’t matter even if the identity of the changed Aria was a demon that only appeared in stories.

It would be fine even if she came to take her soul later as payment for love.

As long as Aria loved her.

But deep in her heart, there was still a seed of fear remaining.

‘What if Mom suddenly disappears someday?’

‘Since she came in an instant, she’ll probably disappear in an instant too.’

‘No. I don’t want that…’

One morning.

As always, she opened her eyes in Aria’s arms.

“Get off me this instant?”

If she shoots sharp words like the previous Aria.

If she looks at Bonita with cold, empty eyes, seeing someone other than her.

Just imagining it made her whole body tremble like an aspen tree. It was something that could happen at any time.

Bonita changed what she was going to say at first.

“You won’t leave me behind, will you?”

“…Huh?”

“You can’t suddenly disappear like when you came. Mom, I, I…”

I can’t live without you, Mom.

Bonita swallowed the last words down her throat.

She didn’t want to say such things.

If she spoke them out loud, it felt like Aria would run away right then and there.

“Of course not, daughter.”

From beyond the door, a gentle voice was heard as if soothing a crying child.

“I will never leave suddenly.”

“Never, ever?”

“Never, ever.”

“…”

Bonita hated herself for not being able to feel reassured even with Aria’s firm answer.

The sound of sniffling was heard. Bonita rubbed her reddened nose and rested her head against the door with a thud.

Then she closed her eyes.

The two stayed still like that for a while. They could hear each other’s faint breathing through the door between them.

After about 10 minutes, Aria opened her mouth again.

“Bonita?”

“…”

There was no answer.

Aria called out to Bonita again with an anxious heart.

“Bonita, are you there?”

All that could be heard was the sound of breathing.

Aria rose with an uneasy heart. But she couldn’t open the door carelessly.

Aria’s waist bent down.

Worry swept over her, wondering if she might be crying. She lowered her body and looked outside through the keyhole below the doorknob.

A small, round pink head could be seen below.

Bonita’s body rose and fell rhythmically. Aria’s gaze turned to the clock in the room.

11 o’clock.

It was certainly too late for a child to be awake.

It seems she fell asleep at some point while trying to stay awake and talk. Aria felt relief wash over her.

‘She’ll catch a cold sleeping like that…’

There was nothing she could do.

Aria pulled the bell rope in the room.

A short bell sound rang out, and soon footsteps could be heard coming from far down the corridor. The leisurely steps gradually quickened at some point.

“Oh no, young lady…!”

A surprised but suppressed voice was heard. It seemed Mary had been startled to see Bonita and quickly lowered her voice upon seeing her sleeping form.

Aria spoke from beyond the door.

“Bonita snuck out and fell asleep here. Could you take her back to her room?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll do that, Miss Hilton.”

Mary carefully picked up the child from beyond the door.

Being careful not to wake Bonita, Mary asked in a very small voice while paying attention not to shake her.

“Miss Hilton, I heard you were sick. Are you alright? Should I bring you some water later?”

“Yes… Please do.”

“Then I’ll take the young lady to her room and come back. Please wait a moment.”

Mary’s footsteps gradually faded away. Whether from relief or the shock she had just received, the strength drained from her body.

Aria sank to the floor and rubbed her face.

She didn’t know what to do.

These things were too difficult.

Mary, who had taken Bonita to her room, was about to visit Aria’s room with a glass of water, medicine, and a light meal. Behind her, a man’s low voice tinged with curiosity was heard.

“What’s with the meal at this hour? Did Mother order it?”

“Ah, Your Grace.”

Mary bowed her head in greeting upon seeing Luke.

“Miss Hilton doesn’t seem to be feeling well, so I was about to bring her medicine and a meal.”