Chapter 10

“Thank you.”

“I just said I like what I like.”

There was a time when Bonita had gone around bragging to everyone she met that the honey bread she ate with Reina was delicious.

‘That was the day after our first outing.’

Reina had felt a little embarrassed, but seeing how happy the child was, she let it be.

The excited child probably even bragged about it to the wandering writers she might meet someday.

Realizing that Dean remembered even what the child had said back then, Reina thought he was a truly kind person.

After walking a little farther outside the estate, they began to hear the noise of a crowd.

“Cruller donuts, 230 Leon each!”

“Fresh goods just came in. Take a look!”

Among all the hawkers, the words Cruller donut immediately caught Bonita’s attention.

Her eyes rolled eagerly in that direction.

Dean noticed and spoke to Reina.

“I do like honey bread, but Cruller donuts are really good too.”

“…Cruller donuts?”

“Yes. They’re spiral shaped donuts. When I was little, my nanny used to secretly buy them and share them with my brothers and me. The ones coated in lots of powdered sugar are especially good. I recommend those.”

Before they knew it, the three of them were standing in front of a stall selling Cruller donuts.

Hearing that buying five would give a 100 Leon discount, Reina ended up buying five.

The warm donuts, neatly packed into a paper bag, gave off a sweet and nutty smell.

Reina split one in half and handed a piece to Dean and the other to Bonita.

“Mmm, it’s good.”

Even though it was her first time eating one, the taste felt strangely familiar to Reina.

‘Did I eat something like this when I was Eugene?’

For a moment, she felt like she had eaten something similar back then.

But when she tried to recall it, the memory stayed hazy, like smoke drifting too long.

“It’s good!”

The innocent exclamation from the child snapped Reina out of her thoughts.

Bonita took a bite, her eyes lighting up, and then took another big bite right away.

“Boni, don’t eat too much. We still need to eat later.”

“Mm, okay, Mom.”

Bonita stared at the sugar grains stuck to her fingers.

Then she noticed Dean looking at her and quickly wiped the sugar off with a fork.

Reina couldn’t help it and let out a small laugh.

The child’s little actions were just too adorable.

‘It feels like what happened a few days ago was a lie.’

A few days ago had felt like hell.

Now, it felt like heaven.

It was like she’d woken up from a terrible nightmare.

“Mom. Look at that.”

After eating something sweet, Bonita seemed even more cheerful and pointed excitedly in one direction.

“What is it?”

Because of the crowd, Reina couldn’t see anything and stood on her tiptoes, trying hard to see what Bonita was pointing at.

Seeing the usually calm and composed Reina struggling like this, Dean burst out laughing.

“It’s a traveling theater troupe.”

“A troupe?”

“Yes. Since the Star’s Birthday is coming up, they arrive early to secure a spot. Once the crowds get bigger, it becomes hard to set up tents.”

“That’s interesting…”

“Have you never seen one before?”

Reina had lived in the Duke of Winternight’s territory.

Dean found it strange that she seemed unfamiliar with it.

“Before the lord took me in, every day was just too busy.”

“Oh, you said you lost your husband.”

“…Yes. It was hard to find work. Especially since I moved here from another territory.”

Reina seemed unwilling to talk further and closed her mouth.

Dean judged it would be rude to press and didn’t ask anymore.

“They say this play is about a god.”

“About Bendicion?”

Bendicion was the god worshipped not only in the Eisen Empire where Reina lived, but throughout the entire world.

There were legends that those blessed by the god received mana, and those loved by the god were granted divine power.

“Yes. It’s about Bendicion and the first human he ever loved.”

For Reina, who had once been turned away from a temple when she begged for help to treat Bonita during a severe illness, it wasn’t a particularly appealing story.

But Bonita seemed fascinated.

Having no memory of that feverish day, Bonita gazed at the troupe with sparkling eyes.

Reina gently brushed the sugar off the child’s cheek and whispered.

“Do you want to go see it with Mom on the Star’s Birthday?”

“…Is that okay?”

“…Yeah. Mom wants to see it too, but it’d be even better if I could watch it with you.”

Hearing that Reina wasn’t pushing herself just for her sake, Bonita relaxed and nodded.

“Then we’ll watch the play later. For now, let’s buy clothes, get a toy you like, and eat.”

“Okay.”

Reina headed toward a cute clothing shop she often passed by.

A grand yet delicate building caught her eye.

“…The temple.”

A place where sacred priests who believed in the god gathered.

But all that remained in Reina’s heart was the bitterness of that day she’d been rejected.

* * *

“Have you found who’s behind it?”

“…I’m ashamed to say we haven’t.”

The duke pressed his tired eyes as he asked.

The surface culprits had all been captured and punished, but the duke hadn’t slept or rested at all while pursuing the true mastermind.

He hadn’t expected to find them in a single day.

Even so, he’d hoped for at least a small lead, but there was nothing.

“A noble house with nothing to lose wouldn’t dare do this on their own. Someone must’ve pushed them.”

On the surface, it looked like a single noble house kidnapping a child, but their real target had been Estelle.

If Reina had made even one wrong choice, he might’ve lost his star again.

Peter glanced at the dark circles under the duke’s eyes and spoke.

“Shouldn’t we give proper compensation to that maid, Reina Botn?”

“…Yes.”

Damian pressed his aching temples.

“We should compensate her adequately, but I don’t know what would be appropriate.”

Even with her daughter’s life at risk, Reina had remained loyal to the family.

That loyalty had played a key role in saving Estelle.

“What do you suggest. I’ve prepared a list. One billion Theon, and the Bovena Islands gifted by the royal family last year are in need of an administrator…”

Money was the fastest and most reliable reward.

But Damian frowned deeply.

‘Wealth.’

Was it really okay to give such immense wealth to that woman.

He rolled the pen in his hand as he thought.

“That won’t do for now.”

“Pardon?”

“She saved my daughter.”

Reina was a commoner with no connections, and a woman.

If someone like that suddenly gained a huge sum of money, it would only bring misfortune faster.

The duke himself had inherited his title at a young age, unprepared, after losing his parents.

He knew all too well what happened when unprepared people were handed great wealth.

He recalled Reina rushing out to Bendel the night before, hair disheveled, ignoring him as she clutched her child and thanked her for being alive.

“Giving her that much money right away isn’t the answer.”

The duke wanted to offer a safer, more certain reward.

* * *

“…”

“…Wow.”

It had been a perfect day.

At first, Reina worried she’d dragged Bonita out unnecessarily when the child was still shaken, but seeing her bright smile put her at ease.

Following Dean’s recommendation, they ate at a cheap but delicious restaurant.

They bought Bonita a black dress with sky blue frills and a bonnet. The child liked it so much that she kept glancing at the box on the way home.

They bought books Bonita might like, toys to play with while waiting at tables, and more. Soon, both of Reina’s hands were full of bags.

She stuffed the leftover Cruller donuts into one of them.

They were all tired by the time they returned to the estate, but happy.

But the end of their perfect day hit a small snag.

“…Our room changed?”

“Yes.”

Just as she was about to enter the servants’ quarters, the head maid stopped Reina.

She told her that Reina and Bonita’s room had been moved and that they’d no longer be using the servants’ dormitory.

Dean looked surprised, as if he hadn’t heard about it.

“What does that mean…”

“It’s the lord’s order. Reina, it’s not bad news.”

The head maid called the butler and asked him to guide Reina and Bonita to their new room.

Instead of the servants’ area, the butler led them into the main estate.

“…Um, sir. I think there’s been a mistake.”

“No. This is correct. Please follow me.”

As Reina stepped onto the luxurious carpet, her vision swam.

What is happening. What’s happening to us right now.

They stopped in front of a magnificent door.

Surely not this room.

As Reina denied reality, the butler opened the door.

Even if they combined all the rooms Reina and Bonita had stayed in before, they’d still be smaller than this one.

There was another room connected inside, and a separate bathroom and washroom.

There was no draft, and no worry about noise from neighboring rooms.

The bed was wide enough that they didn’t have to sleep pressed together.

Bonita climbed down from Dean’s arms and lay on the bed, gasping in amazement as she pressed it with her hands.

“…Mom.”

“Yes?”

“…Is this maybe made of clouds?”

It was that soft and plush.

In her eight years of life, Bonita had never known a bed like this.