At the carriage, Riona kept looking into Mairy's eyes. They were so dark, almost soulless—it was frightening. After glancing around nervously for a while, Riona finally broke the silence. "So, my la—"
"Call me Mairy," Mairy interrupted.
Flustered, Riona stammered, "No... I can't. You're a noble, while I am…"
Mairy looked down, her voice soft. "Please. I don't have anyone left to call me by my name anymore."
Riona saw the sadness, the lifelessness in Mairy's eyes and relented. "Okay, Mairy."
Mairy smiled faintly.
"So, Mairy, I wanted to ask... why did you take me, a beggar, with you?" Riona asked hesitantly.
Mairy met Riona's gaze. "It's because you have something I lost a long time ago."
Curiosity flickered in Riona's eyes. "Me? What do I have?"
Mairy let out a small giggle. "You don't need to know that."
"But—"
"My lady, we're almost at the mansion," the coachman interrupted their conversation.
At that moment, Mairy looked at Riona with a worried expression. "Remember, you're with me, and I'll protect you."
Riona didn't quite understand but nodded anyway. As the carriage stopped, Mairy stepped out and was immediately greeted by the sound of maids laughing. When Riona followed, she overheard their whispers.
"Who is that rat?"
"She's causing trouble again."
"Don't tell me… is that a replacement?"
"Oh my goddess, what is she thinking?"
Riona was stunned. What is happening? Isn't she a noble? As a doll for noble children, she knew how nobles were supposed to be treated, and this was far from it. She looked at Mairy, but Mairy only looked down, avoiding the glances. Grabbing Riona's hand, Mairy quickly led her inside the mansion.
Riona wanted to ask what was going on but sensed it wasn't the right time.
Inside, a warm voice greeted them. "Hello, my lady. Welcome back."
Riona saw an elderly man with a kind smile. Mairy's face lit up as she spoke. "Maison, this is Riona. Please see that she gets a bath and a change of clothes."
The butler nodded, but Riona remained still. "You promised I could get my family."
Mairy knelt before her and said softly, "I will, I swear on everything I hold dear. But first, you need to be presentable to meet the Marquis. Otherwise, you won't be able to stay. Do you understand?"
Riona nodded reluctantly and followed the butler upstairs to a room.
When they arrived, two maids were already inside, bowing. The butler spoke in a strict tone. "This is the lady's guest. Treat her with respect and clean her up."
The maids bowed lower and said in unison, "Yes, sir!"
The butler then turned to Riona with a kind smile. "If anything comes up, call for me or the lady."
Riona hesitated before replying. "Yes... sir."
The butler chuckled warmly. "You can call me Grandpa."
Riona smiled and nodded. But as soon as the butler left, the maids began snickering. They started to touch her roughly, making Riona uncomfortable.
"He wants us to clean... this?" one of them scoffed.
"Ugh, the job didn't say we had to clean up filth," the other sneered, laughing as they dragged her to the bath.
At the bath, the maids were harsh with Riona. They didn't even let her into the bathtub; instead, they threw her to the floor and splashed a bucket of water on her. Afterward, they grabbed a brush usually used for scrubbing floors and began cleaning her with it. The bristles scraped against her skin, causing her immense pain. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Riona was clean—bruised, but clean. The maids dragged her out of the bath and into her room, where a beautiful pink dress lay on the bed. Without care, they threw it at her and ordered her to wear it.
As Riona held the dress in her hands, she froze. A flood of memories surged through her mind—memories of when she was just a doll, always dressed in pink. Every shade of pink. Nothing else. The people around her refused to let her wear any other color, claiming it suited her beautiful pink hair. But she despised pink. It disgusted her. In that moment, overwhelmed, she threw the dress to the ground and screamed.
The maids stood still in shock as the butler rushed in. He saw Riona on the floor, trembling in panic, and the maids staring at her. He swiftly removed his jacket and gently placed it over Riona's shoulders. Glaring at the maids, he knelt beside her and spoke softly. "Little lady, please calm down. Tell me what happened."
Through her panic, Riona muttered, "Pink… please, no more pink."
The butler glanced at the dress, then back at Riona. Without hesitation, he grabbed the dress and tossed it into the fireplace. Lowering himself to her again, he said, "There, it's gone. No more pink. Please, relax."
Riona slowly began to breathe again and clung to the butler. He smiled down at her before turning to the maids. "Bring another dress. Any color but pink. Quickly!" The maids bowed and hurried off, but Riona noticed the hatred in their eyes as they glanced back at her. She knew that hell awaited her in this household.
After dressing, Riona was led to a study room to meet Mairy. "Please sit down, Riona," Mairy said. "We need to talk." Riona nodded and sat. "Soon, you'll meet the Marquis. Please, don't say anything that will anger him. He's… a peculiar man."
"Don't worry," Riona replied confidently. "Most people like me when they meet me!"
Mairy chuckled, but her smile quickly faded as the butler entered, announcing the Marquis's arrival. The Marquis walked in, not even glancing at Riona, and sat facing them. His eyes were on Mairy as he sneered, "Is this a new trick? Another way to make me forget?"
Mairy remained silent.
The Marquis continued, "You want a new pet? Fine, but don't think for a second she'll be living here for free."
Mairy finally spoke. "And what, exactly, do you plan to make a child do?"
The Marquis glanced at Riona and smiled coldly. "You wanted a new pet? Well, I need someone to play the role of heir until I adopt. We can't have the nobles laughing at us. So, if she wants to stay, she'll take lessons for heirs. If she doesn't score top marks, she's no longer welcome here."
"Bu—" Mairy began, but Riona squeezed her hand, signaling it was okay.
Mairy reluctantly nodded. The Marquis stood to leave, but as he passed Riona, he stopped, studying her. Leaning down, he whispered, "She looks nothing like her…" and then walked out.
Mairy let out a sigh of relief and turned to Riona, worry etched on her face. "Why did you stop me? How are you going to get good grades when even noble children struggle? You don't know how to read or write, and—"
"Oh, but I do," Riona interrupted confidently. "I mean, I don't write, but I know everything else. I can read, I know the history of all the kingdoms and the empire, I know the political powers, I know all the gods—I know everything."
Mairy stared in disbelief. "Riona… I'm sorry, but this isn't a game. You can't just say things you imagine. You need facts."
Riona smiled and began reciting a complex piece of history, one typically reserved for scholars and adults. Mairy, utterly shocked, whispered, "But… h-how? You were living on the streets… and you're just a child."
Riona chuckled. "Well…" A flash of her past as a doll appeared in her mind—sitting in classrooms, surrounded by children and their lessons. "Let's just say I read a lot of books. There was a kind man who let me."
Mairy tried to ask more, but the look on Riona's face stopped her. She knew she wouldn't get anything more.