Since it was late at night and Rudy obviously couldn't leave Lilim in the forest, he brought her back to the house.
"Is this your house, daddy?"
"Uhh… yes and no."
"I was looking for you earlier. Even though I was the one hiding, I had to search for you because you didn't come to find me. I was scared, so I ran out of the forest even when you had warned me. And I looked around the houses, but you weren't there."
She hugged Rudy and said, "It was so scary. I thought you left me behind like mommy did. But I finally found you! Let's never play that game again. I don't want to be alone."
'She seems to be the same age as… wait… she is nine years old, isn't she?' Rudy asked himself. 'That's when 'someone' asked Lilim to be Maria's bodyguard.'
Rudy patted Lilim's head and asked, "How old are you, Lilim?"
"Nine! Today is my birthday!" Lilim said cheerfully.
"Oh, is it?" Rudy conjured an ice cream cone and handed it to Lilim. "Here."
