As Riona runs to the hall, she bumps into the butler once again.
"Little lady? Is everything alright? Did the class end well?" he asks.
"What? Oh, yeah, everything was fine, but I have to go and meet the lady. I have something important to remind her," Riona replies quickly.
The butler pauses, looking her up and down. "Little lady, follow me to clean you up first," he says, reaching for her hand.
Riona pulls her hand back. "No! I have to go now."
He shakes his head. "No, if she sees you like this, she won't hear anything you have to say. She'll only ask how and why you're like this. Please, follow me to clean you up, and then you can go to her."
Riona glances down at herself and sighs. "Fine... but please be quick."
The butler signals a maid to help her freshen up, instructing her to call him if needed. Afterward, Riona heads to Mairys' study, knocking on the door. She's invited in.
"Good evening, my l— M-Mairy," she stammers.
"Riona! Welcome. How was class? Was everything alright? I heard the Marquis made sure to hire a strict teacher," Mairys greets her warmly.
"Yeah... everything was fine. I even have assignments for the next class. But more importantly, do you remember what you promised me?" Riona asks eagerly.
Mairys looks puzzled. Riona clarifies, "That I could bring my family here? Remember?"
"Oh, yes, I had forgotten. Don't worry. Tomorrow morning, I'll se—"
"No!" Riona interrupts. "You have to today! They might think something has happened! Please!"
Shocked, Mairys nods. "Fine... I'm sorry, I didn't think it through." She signals the butler to fetch someone, and soon a knight arrives.
"You called, my lady?"
Mairys's demeanor turns serious and cold. "I need you to find some people. Riona will describe them for you."
Riona takes a breath. "It's two people, a girl and a boy. They both have beautiful golden eyes, like the sun," she says, smiling and giggling softly. "The boy has brown hair, and the girl, light brown..."
As Riona describes them, a warmth fills the room, her love for them evident. Mairy watches her with admiration, noting the tender details in Riona's words.
Once the knight leaves, Mairys says softly, "Forgive me, Riona. I didn't realize they meant so much to you."
Blushing, Riona smiles shyly. "N-No, I mean, yes... but don't worry. At least now, we'll be together again."
Hearing that, Mairy smiles. "I'm glad you have a family you can trust," she says. Although Mairy is smiling, her eyes are cold as ice, soulless. Her eyes… what happened to her? Riona wonders, afraid to ask.
"Can I ask… why did you take me in?" Riona ventures.
"Hmm… I guess you could say I admire your will to keep going when you had nothing," Mairy replies. Riona looks at her, sensing there's more to it, but decides not to press further.
"Well, Riona, it's time for me to get back to work. When the knights return, I'll be sure to let you know," Mairy says. Riona nods and heads to her room.
After some time passes, worry gnaws at Riona, so she decides to go for a walk. As she steps outside, she notices a few maids watching her, laughing quietly, but she ignores them and continues toward the garden. Moments later, she overhears whispers.
"They brought two bodies. Both are children…" Riona stops, frozen in shock and fear. "One is a boy, and one is a girl," they continue. "It was awful… I don't know why they brought the bodies here."
Horror seizes her, and her mind goes blank. She can't even hear the maids laughing. Why would they bring bodies here? A wave of pain crashes over her, and everything fades to black as she collapses.
The maids panic. "Oh no! What do we do?" one cries.
"We can't let the butler find out!" another maid says, her voice trembling. In a frenzy, one maid slaps the other. "Calm down! Let's check her heartbeat first."
They fall silent as one maid places her hand on Riona's chest. "... She doesn't have a heartbeat," she whispers, horrified.
The other maid faints. "Laura! Don't leave me alone!" she cries.
Hearing the commotion, the butler rushes over, and the maids start to sob. "I-I didn't mean to kill her!" one of them wails. Without a word, the butler lifts Riona and hurries to the doctor.
On the way, Riona stirs awake, feeling dazed. The butler nearly stumbles in shock. "My lady! You… they said you didn't have a heartbeat! I must bring the doctor immediately," he says, rushing off before she can respond.
After examining her, the doctor sighs, bewildered. "It's true. She really doesn't have a heartbeat."
But the goddess… she made me human. How can this be? Riona thinks, growing more confused. Am I forgetting something? Suddenly, a memory of the goddess's voice surfaces in her mind.
"Wait! Gramps!" she calls out, startling the butler. "T-the maids… they said there were bodies. Did you find my family… dead?" Her voice trembles.
The butler gives a bitter smile. "No, my lady. They were just pulling a prank." Relief floods Riona, and she begins to cry. "Thank goodness," she murmurs. Just then, a sharp pain pierces her head, and an image of the goddess speaking to her surfaces.
"Ouch," she yelps, holding her head. The doctor looks at her with concern. "It would be best if you rested. We can talk tomorrow."
"But… I have to wait for the knights," she insists.
The butler shakes his head. "My lady, I promise, the moment they return, I'll wake you."
Realizing it's pointless to argue, Riona finally lets herself fall asleep.
I can make you human, but I can't give you everything, the goddess had said. To become truly human, to have a heart like theirs, you must find true emotions: true sadness, true anger, and true love. Only then can you have what you seek.
Riona remembers the goddess's words as she drifts deeper into sleep, wondering how she will find these emotions. Will they come on their own?