"…ady"
"…lady!"
"Little lady!"
Riona suddenly opened her eyes to see the butler leaning over, gently trying to wake her.
"Hmm… Gramps?" she mumbled, still groggy. "What happened?"
"Little lady, the knights are back," the butler replied softly.
Riona glanced at the balcony near her bed, still half-asleep. "…What time is it?"
"It's past midnight," he answered.
Her eyes widened as she bolted out of bed. "What happened? Why are they back so late? Are Zane and Leoni with them?"
The butler raised a calming hand. "Please, my lady, relax. They haven't told me anything, only to bring you."
Without another word, Riona jumped up, rushing toward the Marquess's study. Outside the door, she paused, took a deep breath, and knocked. Inside, she heard Mairy's concerned voice inviting her in.
Her heart pounded as she stepped in and saw only the knights. Panic started to rise within her. "What happened? Where are they? Did you not find them?"
"Riona, please," Mairy said gently, trying to calm her. "Let the knights explain."
Once Riona quieted down, one of the knights began. "My lady, we went to the hill you mentioned, but found nothing. After that, we asked the children around the area but still got no leads. It was late, so… we decided to go for a drink."
Mairy rolled her eyes. "On duty, I see."
"Er, yes," the knight coughed awkwardly. "While drinking, we discussed where they could be. Then, the waitress overheard and told us that a mercenary had left town with a boy matching your description."
"Only a boy?" Riona asked, struggling to hold back her tears. "What about a girl?"
The knight hesitated. "Well, the waitress thought there might have been a girl too, but she wasn't certain."
Riona's composure finally broke, and she began to cry. Mairy quickly hugged her, signaling the knights to leave.
"I know," Riona whispered through her tears. "They'll have a better life away from the streets… but if only they could've waited. And what about me? Have they forgotten me already?"
Mairy held her tighter. "Perhaps they saw you leaving, knowing you'd have a chance at a better life. Maybe they thought it was time for them to find their own way."
Riona's heart ached as Mairy's words sank in. She didn't want to believe it, but she understood. They had left her, or maybe she had left them. Exhausted by her emotions, Riona eventually drifted to sleep in Mairy's comforting embrace, her mind filled with memories of the family she had once known.
The next morning, Riona was forced to wake up for class. She didn't want to get up what was the point? The family she once had was gone—so far away now. But she didn't have a choice.
Everything felt meaningless. Classes passed by in a blur, her mind numb to the lectures. That day's lesson was about the beliefs of the kingdom, the gods, and their blessings, but Riona didn't pay attention. Her thoughts kept wandering, picturing Leoni and Zane.
It wasn't until the teacher flipped to a specific page in her book that something caught her eye. Riona's gaze landed on a painting of a woman—both familiar and unfamiliar. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she raised her hand.
"Excuse me, teacher, but… who is she?"
The teacher scoffed, glaring down at her. "Now you're paying attention? And you dare to ask who she is? What did I expect from a street rat?" His voice dripped with disdain.
"Listen well, because I won't repeat myself," he continued. "She is our goddess protector—the one who saved this kingdom from the dark gods years ago. Through her blessings, our holy kingdom thrives."
Riona hesitated. "What is her name?"
The teacher's face twisted with irritation. He struck her on the head with his pointer stick. "You insolent child! You don't even know the name of your own goddess? Her name is Rohi. Now stop asking questions and pay attention if you want to learn anything of value!"
As the lesson continued, Riona couldn't tear her eyes away from the painting of the goddess. Her thoughts raced. You were the one who granted my wish, weren't you? The mother who named me... Rohi.
But she received no answers from the silent painting. Frustrated, Riona closed her book. Just as she did, something in the background of the painting caught her attention—a dark, ominous shape. She leaned closer to study it, but before she could make sense of it, the teacher struck her again.
"Focus!" he barked.
The class eventually ended, and the teacher left in a hurry, leaving Riona with unanswered questions. She muttered to herself, "Should I ask Mairy about the goddess?"
Shaking her head, she decided, "I'll think about it later. For now, I have another class to get through."
And so, Riona went to her third class of the day. Once again, she couldn't focus, and the teacher kept asking her questions to test her. Of course, she knew the answers—she had technically read every philosophy book over a hundred times. She was even in the embrace of the child who once wrote one of them. Yet, her day dragged on, feeling like she was stuck while time moved around her. Mairy and the butler kept trying to make her feel better, but it was no use. Her day continued in a daze.
The very next day, Riona woke up feeling rested... too rested. She looked for a clock and found the large one on the wall showing an unusually early hour. Yet, sunlight streamed brightly into the room, and she couldn't shake the feeling she had slept for hours. Deciding not to dwell on it, she went outside.
She soon bumped into the butler.
"Riona? What are you doing here? Don't you have class? Don't tell me the maids did something again," he asked, his expression calm but concerned.
Riona shook her head, startled. "No, it's not them. The clock is broken in my room. Please have someone look at it."
"And why didn't anyone wake you up?" he asked, his tone tightening.
"They probably thought I was already up. Besides, they don't really like me. I get it…" she said softly.
The butler sighed. "You should head to class, but it's already past time. The teacher likely won't be waiting for you anymore, but you can try finding him."
Worried, Riona took off running. As she hurried through the halls, she paused to catch her breath. That's when she heard laughter echoing from the next corridor.
"I can't believe she fell for it again!"
"I know, right? And since she's just a commoner, no one will say anything."
Riona froze. She wasn't shocked anymore, but still...
"I mean, what was the point of bringing her here? The lady really can't think straight since the accident."
"I mean, can you blame her? I don't even know how she's still alive—with blood on her hands."
Riona began trembling.
"Right? I mean, okay, you've tried to end your life—at least do it ri—"
"SHUT UP!" Riona yelled.
The maids froze in shock.
"Not only did you get in the way of my learning," Riona began, her voice shaking with anger, "but you… You dare to talk like that about the person who saved me? You have no shame!"
The maids scoffed, attempting to mask their embarrassment.
"Oh, please. And who are you to tell us what to do? At least we have class, some upbringing. You were raised on the streets," one of them sneered, her face full of contempt.
Riona laughed bitterly. "Upbringing? You're right—so much upbringing that you bully a child. So much that you try to interfere with a kids survival. So much that you mock the person you work for."
She stepped closer, her voice steady and cutting. "While you're playing your childish pranks, this 'rat' is doing her best to survive. Next time, try thinking about someone other than yourselves and the consequences of your actions."
As Riona walked away, the maids blushed, guilt flickering across their faces.
"Y-yeah, right! We didn't do anything wrong!" one of them shouted weakly after her, knowing full well Riona had been right. But pride wouldn't let them admit it.