[I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. Give me a penny. Merciful lady and gentleman. Please give me a penny…]

 

The child who had been begging since a week ago in the street where the café I ran was located.

 

The child who ate in a hurry as if she was full of hunger every time I put bread in the basket instead of money.

 

And the child who always looked around.

 

“Did you get caught too?”

 

“…No.”

 

She shook her head.

 

“I live here.”

 

“You live here?”

 

I frowned.

 

A dirty, musty, dark room without even a window.

 

It was not a room for a child to live in.

 

“Well, that…”

 

She bowed her head.

 

“We need to get out, miss…”

 

I bit my lip.

 

“If I don’t go, what will happen?”

 

“You’ll be taken far away.”

 

“…Far away.”

 

My blood ran cold.

 

Human trafficking was prohibited under imperial law.

 

However, in small kingdoms across the empire’s borders, it hadn’t been properly followed.

 

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have become a victim, too.

 

“Hurry up.”

 

The little girl urged me.

 

I barely got up from my seat.

 

My legs were shaking, but I had to run away from here immediately.

 

She moved uneasily, pulling my hand.

 

Her skinny body and twig-like legs were pitiful to see.

 

Where the hell is this child’s guardian?

 

Even if they sold people through human trafficking, they should feel sorry for their child.

 

After quickly exiting the small locked room, we ran through a hallway filled with all sorts of junk.

 

She found her way easily as if she was used to this kind of work.

 

“What about the others?”

 

“Everybody’s asleep. They’re drunk.”

 

The girl kept her mouth shut without explaining.

 

I decided not to ask.

 

The only thing that matters now was the fact that we had to escape quickly.

 

“Am I the only one who got caught?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She nodded with an uneasy expression.

 

“There’s been a rumor going around these days… Everyone was careful, there was no one but you, miss.”

 

Come to think of it, there seemed to have been rumors that young women were going missing one by one in a nearby village.

 

I just couldn’t afford to care because I was busy making a living.

 

The little girl guided me through the dark passage.

 

It was so narrow and dirty that hardly anyone could pass through.

 

We were midway out of the passage before the long-awaited fresh air finally greeted us.

 

I smiled at her — but then froze.

 

It was because I could see more and more clearly how shabby the little girl looked under the bright moonlight.

 

“Well, I’ll get going now.”

 

She timidly bowed her head.

 

“Hurry and go home. They’re not going to catch the one who escaped again… Don’t worry, miss.”

 

I stopped talking.

 

That’s not what I’m worried about, sweetheart.

 

What I’m worried about is you.

 

If they find out that you let me run away, what punishment will you get?

 

I thought about it for a moment and opened my mouth.

 

“Are your parents down there, too?”

 

“…I don’t have any.”

 

The child answered with a little bit of hesitation.

 

“I don’t have a mom or a dad.”

 

“Then?”

 

“I live with my uncles and aunts.”

 

I bit my lip.

 

Obviously, they must be human traffickers.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

If I knew her name, I would be able to ask some friendly guards to look after her.

 

To my dismay, the little girl stuttered as she struggled to answer properly.

 

“T-t-that… I don’t have a name.”

 

“What?”

 

I doubted my ears.

 

Even if you don’t raise a child with love, you have to at least give them a name…

 

“That, just…Everyone just calls me this and that…”

 

“…”

 

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them.

 

“Let me ask you this, do you want to keep living with them?”

 

The little girl’s face, which was already pale, became even paler.

 

“I-I don’t want to go to an orphanage — it’s a really scary place! I heard that they give you nothing to eat and make you work until you die. So, miss, please…”

 

“No, I’m not taking you to an orphanage. Well… If you don’t mind.”

 

I took a deep breath.

 

“Would you like to go to my house?”

 

It was then.

 

The sound of horses rumbled nearby.

 

As soon as I hid myself in the bushes, loud voices rang everywhere.

 

“Search thoroughly! You must not miss a single rat.”

 

Huh?

 

It was not a mischievous tone that human traffickers might use, it was a disciplined and well-rounded one.

 

As soon as they got a little closer I was sure — a guard’s unique footsteps, commands, familiar uniforms…

 

‘It’s the guards!’

 

In the meantime, the taxes I had paid with tears passed through my head.

 

Thank God, This is the result of hard compliance with civil duties…

 

“Help me!”

 

I ran out of the bushes.

 

“I was caught by human traffickers a while ago but I escaped. I’ll show you the passage to the hideout.”

 

“How can I believe that?”

 

One of the guards rolled his eyes.

 

“Maybe you’re on the same side!”

 

“…”

 

I was taken aback by the sudden attack.

 

“Miss Aria?”

 

Suddenly, I heard a gawky voice.

 

‘What…’

 

Ian, the captain, walked toward me through the guards.

 

He became a captain in his late twenties and was popular with the village maidens because of his good looks and outstanding skills.

 

Well, to me, he was just a regular customer who I was grateful for.

 

He hurriedly approached me and looked at every nook and cranny of my body.

 

“Are you hurt, Miss Aria?”

 

“Yes, I’m fine.”

 

“This kid…”

 

“We were captured together.”

 

I lied without even breathing. It’s not good to let him know that she’s a kid who was abused by criminals.

 

“I think she was caught while begging on the street.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Ian nodded.

 

“Okay, let me know where the passage is. There won’t be any disappointing cases anymore if you help us catch them.”

 

I hurriedly informed him of the location. As soon as I finished, Ian thanked me and ran into the aisle with his men.

 

I did what I had to do.

 

It was time to focus on this terrified little girl in my arms.

 

I built a fireplace right away once we got home.

 

“Hey.”

 

The little girl turned her head and looked up from her crouched position.

 

My heart ached as I saw the conflicting feelings of hope and anxiety clash in the child’s eyes.

 

“First of all, you will need a name.”

 

She gave me a bewildered look.

 

“Do I need something like that?”

“Of course.”

 

I said firmly.

 

“Everyone should have a name. Let’s see…”

 

I tried to think of a suitable name, but I couldn’t come up with any.

 

“Hey, is there a name you wanted to have?”

 

“Not really.”

 

She shook her head.

 

“You can just call me anything.”

 

“You can’t be called anything, it’s a name… Aha!”

 

I exclaimed a little.

 

I came up with an idea that would help her!

 

“How about this? I’ll give you a lot of names and you can pick your favorite among them.”

 

As soon as the girl nodded, I began to say whatever girl’s names came to mind.

 

“Catherine, Johanna, Rosemary, Elodie, Serena, Marianne, Pearl…”

 

She smacked her lips as if she wanted to say something.

 

“Is there anything you like?”

 

“…Elodie.”

 

“Elodie?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She nodded eagerly.

 

Such a powerful expression of opinion that I had never seen before.

 

“It’s a pretty name. It matches you well.”

 

I smiled at Elodie.

 

“Elodie, come this way. We should wash first.”

 

“Wash… Huh?”

 

“Why? You don’t like it?”

 

Elodie shook her head.

 

“Well, I’ve only washed my face.”

 

She knew what a bath was, but she had never done it properly.

 

“It’s okay. At Elodie’s age, it’s only natural for someone to wash you. But it’s not like you don’t want me washing your face, right?”

 

Fortunately, Elodie nodded and approached me.

 

I helped Elodie undress and let her soak in a bathtub full of warm water.

 

Luckily, she had no major injuries except for several old scars.

 

For a moment, my heart pounded as I thought there was a bruise on her calf, but when I looked closely, it was just a large star-shaped birthmark.

 

One side of my chest felt numb.

 

Even without medical knowledge, I could tell that Elodie was severely malnourished.

 

But who am I?

 

Aren’t I the owner of the best café around here?

 

I quickly vowed to make Elodie gain weight.

 

“Elodie, can you tilt your head this way? I’ll wash your hair.”

 

Her gray, dusty hair leaned towards me.

 

I washed Elodie’s hair as carefully as possible.

 

‘…?’

 

I blinked my eyes.

 

Her hair color changed completely after washing it with high-quality soap.

 

What I saw just now was not dark grayish hair…

 

‘She has silver hair?’

 

As soon as I stopped my hand, Elodie asked in an uneasy voice.

 

“Did I do something wrong?”

 

I got over it in a hurry.

 

“I was just surprised because I didn’t know you had silver hair. You are so pretty.”

 

“Pretty? My hair?”

 

I nodded my head vigorously.

 

This time, It was Elodie’s turn to be surprised.

 

“Well, the old boss said it was weird, so I had to dye my hair black when I was younger…”

 

“You dyed your hair?”

 

I frowned.

 

That’s weird…

 

They don’t want to feed you, but they made you use expensive hair dye?

 

“It’s okay. I think the guards caught him earlier.”

 

“…He died. A long time ago.”

 

Well, he died well.

 

I swallowed what I wanted to say then helped Elodie wipe her body with a towel and dry her hair.

 

“Are you hungry?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

I hesitated to give cookies and warm milk to Elodie, who changed into a long linen shirt instead of rags.

 

‘I have to wash myself, too.’

 

But how could I ignore a child who’s chasing me with a desperate gaze while her mouth was full of cookies?

 

“…You know.”

 

While contemplating, Elodie’s faint voice came out.

 

“Can I ask you one thing?”

 

“Of course. What is it?”

 

Elodie seemed to have no courage at all, clutching a mug of warm milk and bowing her head.

 

After a while,

 

What came out of the child’s mouth was beyond all my expectations.

 

“Miss, are you my mother?”