Remilia treated the little girl as if she did. No matter where she went, the girl followed her like a shadow, quiet and persistent, much like a stray cat seeking affe. Her crimson eyes watched Remilia's every move, a silent plea for aowledgment. Yet, Remilia never looked baever spoke to her. She simply pretehe girl wasn't there.

  But the girl didn't stay at the mansion for long. The man appeared once more, his expression cold and distant as he led the child away without a word. When they returhe little girl's small body was drenched in blood. Her pale blond hair was matted with it, her tattered dress ging to her frail figure. Her eyes were empty, hollow, void of aion.

  He left her standing there, motionless and soaked in red, and disappeared just as quickly as he had e. The servants hesitated, fear evident in their faces as they stared at the bloodstained child. One of the maids relutly stepped fuiding the girl away to be ed.

  That was when the nightmare began. Moments ter, a scream echoed through the halls. The maid who took her never came back. Wheher servants discovered the body, they were paralyzed by fear. Her corpse y twisted, her throat torn open, eyes wide with horror. From that day on, no one dared go he little girl. They avoided her like a ghost, whispering rumors of a mohat wore the face of a child.

  When Remilia heard the news, she was unfazed. "It doesn't matter," she said coldly. "Just get another servant." Death meant little to her, especially when it was the weak who perished. It was just the way things were.

  Yet, the little girl came to her once agaiiny figure standing before Remilia's throne, her dress dirtied with stains of blood she couldn't wash off. Remilia's gaze flickered over her before she called for the maids to her. But the servants were terrified, trembling as they looked at the child who killed without a shred of emotion.

  Remilia sighed in annoyance. "Pathetic," she muttered under her breath before standing up. "Fine. I'll do it myself."

  She led the girl to the bath, her footsteps eg in the vast hall. Steam filled the room as Remilia undressed, her bat-like wings unfurling from her back before dipping into the warm water. When she looked over her shoulder, she noticed the girl hadn't moved. Her clothes g to her skin, blood seeping into the bathwater as she stood there, unmoving.

  "Take off your clothes," Remilia ordered, her tone firm yet indifferent. The girl obeyed, the fabric peeling away to reveal her pale, slender frame. But Remilia's eyes widened as she saw the massive scar on the child's back. Two jagged lines ran across her shoulder bdes, brutal and uneven, as if something had been violently torn away.

  Remilia's voice was uncharacteristically soft as she asked, "What happeo your back?"

  The little girl's shoulders trembled before she replied in a hollow whisper, "Cut it... so I 't run away... It hurt." Her words were meical, emotionless, as if she were merely repeating something she was told. Her face remained bnk, eyes empty.

  Remilia's fingers curled ier, her nails digging into her palms. She didn't o ask who had dohis. The image of that man fshed in her mind. A cold chill ran down her spine. Would he do the same to me if I tried to run? she wondered. But she quickly buried the thought. It was dangerous to question him.

  Without another word, she approached the girl, gently scrubbing the dried blood from her delicate skin. As she washed the child's tangled hair, she murmured, "My name is Remilia... I don't have a st name... Not yet." She paused, looking at the girl's refle ier. "What's your name?"

  The little girl hesitated, her brows knitting together as if trying to remember. Her lips parted, and she whispered, "Fndre... Mommy called me Fndre..."

  Suddenly, her eyes widened, her body tensing as she clutched her head, her fingers digging into her scalp. "Mommy... Mommy... Don't go... Don't leave me!" Her voice cracked, hysteria seeping into her words. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her nails scratg at her own skin, drawing blood that healed almost instantly.

  Remilia's heart sank. She watched helplessly as Fndre began to unravel before her, sobbing and g at herself, eyes filled with despair. It ain Remilia knew all too well—the pain of abando.

  On instinct, she pulled Fo her arms, ing her small body in a protective embrace. She held her tightly, her voice soft and f. "It's alright... I'm here... Sister's here... I won't leave you... Not until you don't want me anymore."

  Fndre's sobs softened, her trembling body rexing in Remilia's arms. Her tiny hands g to Remilia's back, desperately holding onto the only warmth she had ever known.

  After they finished bathing, they dried off and dressed in fresh clothes. Fndre's face was still stained with tear marks, but her expression was calmer. Her eyes were no longer hollow.

  Before dawn broke, Remilia returo her room, exhaustioling in. As she climbed into her bed, she heard soft footsteps behind her. She turo find Fanding in the doorway, clutg a worn teddy bear in her arms, her eyes filled with silent longing.

  "I... I want to sleep with Sister..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

  Remilia stared at her, her heart tightening at the vulnerability in those crimson eyes. Her bed was rge enough for two, spacious ay. She sighed, feigning indifference as she turned away. "Do whatever you want."

  Without another word, Fndre crawled into the bed, curling up beside Remilia. Her tiny body pressed against her sister's back, seeking warmth and security. Remilia remaiill, her eyes fixed on the darkness.

  It was the first time she had ever felt the presence of family.