May, with the sunlight pouring down warmly, in the garden of the Marquess of Peregrine.
Laughter drifted from afar. A young girl in a flamboyant dress was bursting into happy giggles in the center of the garden, basking in the praise of her maids.
"Look! Mother bought me this new dress! Isn't it truly pretty?"
"You look absolutely beautiful, my lady! You look just like an angel."
"Oh my, she really does! You are always so lovely, my lady."
Ria sighed as she watched them from a distance.
The girl being praised by the maids was Ria’s cousin, Catherine. Catherine’s pink dress sparkled in the sunlight, and her soft, wheat-colored hair swayed every time she spun around. Everyone was focused on her.
Ria stood alone in a corner, fiddling with her fingertips. In this mansion where the Marquess of Peregrine and his family lived, Ria, who had been taken in solely because she carried their blood, was nothing more than an unwanted mouth to feed. She was always alone.
Withdrawing her gaze from Catherine, Ria went back to fiddling with her fingertips. It wasn't out of envy.
A small light flickered at her fingertips before vanishing. This tiny light was Ria’s only friend.
Ria’s ability—people called it a curse. Though Ria had never thought so.
They said it was an ominous power that summoned the dead. Though Ria had never thought so.
The only ability she possessed always made Ria feel even lonelier.
"But why is that child always standing over there in the corner?"
A new maid asked in a low voice.
"The Marchioness told us not to let her mingle with the other children."
The maid glanced around before lowering her voice to a whisper.
"The young master was severely injured because of that child. It could have been a disaster, so you shouldn't go near her either."
The training for maids in the Marquess’s household always started with that.
'Stay away from the ominous child.'
Ria felt the sharp gazes of the maids directed at her. The stares felt like they were piercing her chest, and she shrank back a little more. Ria knew very well that she was nothing but a nuisance here and that no one liked her.
Not that it mattered much.
A breeze blew by, tickling the hair near her forehead. It felt just like her mother tickling her.
Yes, it was different when her mother was here.
On the day Ria’s ability first manifested, her mother had hugged her, spinning her around in joy. Her mother had always praised her ability as something to be proud of, always smiled at her, and loved her no matter what.
But after her mother suddenly disappeared two years ago, there was no one left on Ria’s side.
Thinking of her mother made Ria feel depressed again.
In truth, she couldn't tell if she was depressed because of her mother or because she was hungry.
Ria tried to find strength by thinking of her mother’s pendant, which she kept tucked inside her clothes.
It was a silver pendant, delicately carved with intricate decorations on the edges and three small gems; in the center was a wolf, above it a crescent moon, and below it, rose vines.
'Wait here until Mother comes to pick you up.'
Remembering her mother’s final request, Ria let out a small sigh.
Just then, she felt someone approach and stand in front of her. She looked up to see Oliver looking at her, on the verge of tears. Oliver was her cousin, two years older than her, and Catherine’s younger brother.
"You shouldn't be here, Oliver."
Ria said in a small, yet firm voice.
That incident had occurred just around the time Ria’s ability began to manifest.
Oliver had a mischievous personality like any other boy his age, and the gargoyle statue in one corner of the garden was quite old and very precarious. Precarious enough to collapse when young Oliver climbed onto it.
When the Marchioness came running after hearing his screams, what she witnessed was Oliver clutching his leg and Ria, who was flustered and desperately trying to fix it.
-What did you do to Oliver?
Ria’s excuse that she was trying to help Oliver was, naturally, completely ignored.
Ria had pulled her hands away in shock, and having missed the window for treatment, Oliver had been unable to stand properly on one leg ever since that day.
Since then, Ria had been a thorn in the Marchioness’s side.
"Ria… my Bunny is hurting. You have that ability, don't you? Like you did when you fixed me… please, can you make Bunny better?"
Ria looked at Oliver in surprise. It was the first time they had spoken since he was injured. Oliver, who had treated her like an invisible person while minding his mother, was standing before her holding a dying rabbit. His eyes were full of tears, and Ria’s heart softened at that look.
Could she do it…?
Ria hesitated, but if she could be of help…
She carefully reached out and took the rabbit from Oliver’s arms.
Oliver’s rabbit was, in truth, a bit of a strange creature to call a rabbit. Ria had heard the story that it had hatched from a large egg he had found by chance, but this was her first time seeing it up close.
The rabbit, which had sharp fangs, was limp and lifeless. Ria steadied her breathing and focused her mind on her fingertips. Soon, a faint light began to bloom.
As a warm energy transferred from her fingertips, the rabbit’s red eyes began to regain their vitality. When the rabbit recovered in Ria’s hands, Oliver’s face lit up brightly.
"Wow, thank you so much, Ria! You’re truly amazing!"
At that moment, a feeling that something was wrong washed over Ria. The hair on the back of her neck stood up at the sharp voice coming from behind her.
"Ria! Did you use that curse again?"
Ria turned around, startled. The Marchioness was glaring at her with a twisted face. Ria didn't know how to explain the situation.
"I’m asking you! Can you not hear me?!"
The Marchioness’s voice rang out through the garden. The Marchioness’s cold gaze and sharp voice always made Ria freeze.
Wouldn't it be fine if she told the truth?
Before a baseless expectation could fill Ria’s mind, the Marchioness approached, grabbed Ria’s hand roughly, and yanked her.
It was an excessive action that was hard for a twelve-year-old Ria to handle.
"Who are you trying to ruin now! I told you never to use it again, so why don't you listen?"
The Marchioness’s voice grew harsher, and her face flushed with anger.
"I just… Oliver asked me to fix his rabbit, so I did."
Ria’s voice sounded calmer than she had intended. Before she could even realize her mistake, her cheek burned.
The Marchioness had slapped her across the face.
A stinging pain spread and tears welled up, but Ria forced herself to hold them back, knowing that crying would only make things worse.
"How dare you use a cursed ability in the Marquess’s estate! Have you not thought about what would happen to our family’s honor if others saw this?"
The Marchioness looked around with sharp eyes and pushed Ria even harder. It was a level of violence that was hard for young Ria to endure.
"What good do you think your ability does? Everyone is just afraid of you. I don't know what your mother was doing, but that is a filthy curse that summons death!"
At those words, Ria’s heart sank.
Mother….
"…Don't insult my mother!"
Ria managed to say that much before quickly turning around and running into the mansion. For the next three days, she would be locked in her room and fed only hard, dry bread and water. But Ria didn't care. It was better than standing by while her mother was insulted.
Tears welled up.
Only after entering her small, shabby attic room and closing the door did Ria finally burst into tears.
She gripped her mother’s pendant tightly.
++
After crying for a long time, the room grew chilly.
The door was firmly shut, yet strangely, the room grew dark and the air shifted in an eerie way. Ria wiped her tears and looked up. At that moment, darkness rippled in a corner of the room, and a person appeared from within it.
"Are you still just crying like this, little Princess?"
It was a familiar voice. Ria stopped crying and turned her head.
It was Kairen. His red eyes were glowing in the darkness.
"Kairen…."
Ria blinked, calling his name.
Kairen was a beautiful young boy with soft black hair and red eyes that shone like jewels. He had appeared from time to time since her mother disappeared, and Ria had decided to believe he was a fairy her mother had sent. Whether he actually existed or was a figment of her imagination didn't matter. What mattered to Ria was that his presence meant she wasn't alone.
"The little Princess is quite brave. Enduring the bullying of that witch-like Marchioness so steadfastly."
He smiled softly as he approached Ria. However, there seemed to be complex emotions hidden within that smile.
"I wasn't crying…. I was just… thinking about something."
Ria wiped her tears and answered bravely. She didn't want to look weak.
The Marquess’s estate was no different from being thrown into the wild for Ria.
Not only the family members but even the servants ignored her.
But the weaker Ria appeared, the worse the disregard and contempt became. Ria had to be strong to survive.
Ria wanted to be like her mother.
She wanted to be a strong person who wouldn't break, no matter what, just like her mother.
The Marchioness spoke harshly, but as long as the Marquess didn't permit it, she couldn't 'truly' kick Ria out. Ria knew that well.
At the very least, she couldn't leave the Marquess’s estate until she met her mother again.
Since Mom told me to wait, she would surely return if I waited.
"Right, you need to be strong. This world doesn't want you to be weak."
Kairen said in a playful voice. Ria felt a little relieved by his words.
"But Kairen, why do you always call me the baby duchess?"
The title of 'duchess' didn't suit Ria, who had always been treated as a useless person even at the Marquess's estate. Ria knew that fact all too well herself. Besides, this wasn't even a ducal residence...
"More importantly, Leila. Haven't you shrunk a little?"
Kairen tilted his head and said something completely off-topic instead of answering Ria's question. Ria sighed inwardly and replied.
"Kairen, my name isn't Leila, it's Ria."
Leila was the name of Ria's mother.
He thought for a moment, then smiled broadly.
"Well, what does it matter? Ah, come to think of it, that reminds me of that time."
Kairen sprawled out carelessly on Ria's small bed, resting his head on his arms.
"When Nathan, you, and I went to the western forest together. The weather was amazing back then, just like it is now, remember?"
Kairen's stories always tended to start so abruptly. Nathan was her father's name. Instead of picking a fight with Kairen, Ria crouched down beside him and listened to his tale. The stinging pain in her cheek from the Marchioness's slap seemed to vanish in an instant.
Listening to the stories of her parents' adventures told by Kairen—tales where she couldn't tell if they were real or just products of her own imagination—Ria slowly drifted off to sleep.
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