He shook his head slightly and approached me. Since we were only a step or two apart, to begin with, it was quite an uncomfortable distance. I unconsciously took a step back, but the man also took another step forward.

Our silent chase ended when I felt the hard wall against my back. There was a soft thud as he placed his hand on the wall and looked down at me.

Naturally overshadowed by him, I found myself stammering.

“W-What is this, now…?”

“Aria.”

A dangerous voice tickled my ear.

“I don’t understand why you make me yearn so desperately.”

“…What do you mean?”

My voice trembled involuntarily.

“Do you really not know?”

His long, firm fingers caressed my cheek.

“I thought I had made my feelings clear many times.”

“……”

I remained silent. Unless one was a fool, it would be clear what this man, Duke Theodore Baniche, was trying to say.

“Are you pretending not to know, or are you just that obtuse?”

His voice, which had been soft and polite, gradually changed into a threatening whisper.

“Are you testing the limits of my patience?”

I swallowed hard. Now I had to admit it. Although I had been trying to deny it all this time, Theodore Baniche was completely smitten with me.

As a handsome and wealthy duke, he would be a welcome suitor for any woman. If I didn’t know his true nature, I might have been moved to tears myself.

If only this man hadn’t been the madman who tried to kill me just a year ago, accusing me of kidnapping his daughter!

***

I never intended to raise a child from the start. It’s hard enough to take care of myself in this world.

It’s been seven years since I was reincarnated as an extra character in an interesting novel I was reading. After working hard, I finally settled down and saved some money. Now it was time to enjoy my life.

That’s why. That’s why I stayed late at the village festival I had never been to before because I was always busy working.

I didn’t go with anyone in particular, but just walking around with snacks and a drink was enough to make me feel refreshed after a long time.

Was it because I was intoxicated by the festive atmosphere? On my way home, I didn’t notice the dark shadow lurking in the alley.

As I staggered through the dark alley, someone grabbed me with strong force. Of course, I tried to scream, but they quickly covered my mouth with a handkerchief.

An eerie voice whispered right next to my face.

“If you don’t want to get hurt, you’d better stay quiet.”

“Mmph, mmmmph, mmph…!”

I struggled hard, but I was already trapped in a leather sack, so it was useless. Darkness soon overtook me, and I lost consciousness instantly.

How much time had passed? I shivered as I woke up, feeling something damp like a towel on my forehead.

“M-Madam.”

Then a small, cute voice called out to me. I blinked. A dim room slowly came into view.

Definitely not my room.

The rough blanket and the carelessly gray-painted walls looked more like a prison than a home.

“Madam!”

I turned my head towards the voice. A young girl with ashy gray hair and red eyes, looking quite disheveled, was peering at me.

She looked about six years old. She was so thin it was hard to guess her age but judging by her height, she seemed about that old.

“I’m glad you’re awake.”

The child’s large eyes were brimming with tears.

“Wait, you’re…”

My eyes widened as I recognized the child.

[I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. Please, just one coin. Kind madam, kind sir. Please, just one coin…]

The child had been begging on the street where my cafe was located for a week. The child would eagerly devour the bread I put in their basket instead of money, as if starving. And each time, the child would nervously glance around.

“Were you captured too?”

“…No.”

The child shook their head.

“I live here.”

“You live here?”

I frowned. A dirty, musty, and dark room without even a window. It was nowhere near suitable for a child to live in.

“Th-That…”

The child lowered their head.

“You need to leave quickly, madam…”

I bit my lip.

“What happens if I don’t leave?”

“You’ll be taken far away.”

“…Far away, huh.”

My blood ran cold. Human trafficking was prohibited by imperial law. But in the small kingdoms beyond the empire’s borders, even this basic fact wasn’t properly observed. If I wasn’t careful, I could become a victim too.

“Hurry.”

The child urged me. I managed to get up. My legs were shaky, but I had to escape from here immediately.

The child pulled my hand, moving unsteadily. Their emaciated body and twig-like legs were pitiful to see.

Where on earth were this child’s guardians, and what were they doing? Even if they sold people through human trafficking, one would think they’d at least pity their own offspring.

We quickly left the small room where I had been confined, and then ran down a corridor full of all sorts of junk. The child easily found the way, as if used to this.

“What about the others?”

“They’re all sleeping. I put something in their drinks…”

The child stopped mid-explanation and closed their mouth. I decided not to pry further. The most important thing now was to escape safely.

“Was I the only one captured?”

“Yes.”

The child nodded with an anxious face.

“These days, rumors are going around… everyone’s being careful, so you were the only suitable person, they said.”

Come to think of it, I think there were rumors about young women disappearing one by one from nearby villages. I was just too busy making a living to pay attention.

The child guided me through a dark passage. It was a narrow and dirty passage that seemed rarely used. After crawling through it halfway, we finally emerged to the outside air I had been longing for.

I started to smile at the child but froze. Under the bright moonlight, I could see even more clearly how shabby the child looked.

“I-I’ll be going down now.”

The child lowered their head with a cowed expression.

“Hurry home. They don’t try to recapture people they’ve lost… so don’t worry, madam.”

I was at a loss for words.

That’s not what I’m worried about, child. I’m worried about you. If they find out that you helped me escape, what kind of punishment will you receive?

After a moment’s hesitation, I opened my mouth.

“Are your parents down there too?”

“…I don’t have any.”

The child hesitantly answered.

“They say I don’t have a mom or a dad.”

“Then?”

“I live with some uncles and aunties.”

I bit my lip. No doubt they were human traffickers.

“What’s your name?”

If I at least knew the name, I could ask my friendly guard acquaintances to look out for the child. Surprisingly, the child stumbled over their words, unable to give a proper answer.

“Th-th-that… I don’t have a name.”

“What?”

I couldn’t believe my ears. Even if they weren’t raising the child with love, they would at least need a name to call them by…

“J-just… everyone calls me that, you know…”

“…”

I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them again.

“Let me ask you just one thing. Do you want to keep living with those uncles and aunties?”

The child’s already pale face turned even whiter.

“I-I don’t want to go to an orphanage. I heard it’s a terrifying place! They don’t give you food and make you work until you die. So please, madam…”

“No, I’m not trying to take you to an orphanage. It’s just… if you’re okay with it.”

I took a deep breath.

“Would you like to come to my house?”

It was then. The sound of horses galloping nearby reached our ears. As soon as we hid ourselves in the bushes, a resounding voice echoed all around.

“Search every nook and cranny! Not even a mouse should escape.”

Huh?

Instead of the rough speech you’d expect from human traffickers, it was a disciplined and sharp tone. As they got closer, I was certain. The distinctive footsteps of the guard, their commands, and the familiar uniforms.

‘It’s the guard!’

All the taxes I had paid with tears flashed through my mind. Oh God, thank you, being diligent in fulfilling my civic duties has paid off like this…

“Help us!”