Chapter 4

“Mommy, is that the girl? The one who’s going to Monster Island instead of me?”

“That’s right. Melissa, you need to listen carefully to the sorceress now. Hold out your hand. It might bleed a little, so hold Mommy’s hand.”

“Okay, I understand!”

The veiled woman lightly pricked Melissa’s hand with a needle.

Countess Rheinfeld frowned as though her heart were breaking simply because her precious daughter had been pricked by the tip of a needle.

The sorceress asked dryly, “Shall I continue?”

“Continue. Melissa, you can endure it, can’t you?”

“Sniff… Mm-hmm…”

“Good girl.”

While Countess Rheinfeld soothed and comforted her daughter, the sorceress examined the drop of blood and then raised her hand.

“Now, I shall imprint a mark upon that girl’s heart.”

What on earth was happening?

Why had they drawn Melissa’s blood? And who was that veiled woman?

Ariena stared blankly at the two women, unable to make sense of the situation.

That was when the veiled woman’s sharp fingernails dragged down Ariena’s body, from her neck to her chest.

In a way, it was nothing more than a brief touch. Yet, at that very moment, Ariena felt as though her entire body were being heated from within.

“C-cough…!”

A moment later, Ariena violently coughed up blood.

The sorceress had been extremely careful with Melissa, not wanting to hurt her even enough to draw more than a single drop of blood. Yet she didn’t stop, even when Ariena began coughing up blood.

Instead, looking almost satisfied, the sorceress probed the depths of Ariena’s chest as the little girl endured the agony of having her heart torn apart.

“Hic… Hiccup…!”

Ariena collapsed face-first onto the floor, like a piece of garbage someone had thrown away.

Meanwhile, Countess Rheinfeld carefully held Melissa’s hand, whose bleeding had stopped long ago, and spoke in a flat voice.

“Has the mark been properly imprinted on the sacrifice’s body?”

“Yes. It has. At this rate, she will be recognized as Lady Melissa Rheinfeld for at least three days.”

“And you’ve also made it impossible for this child to reveal, in her own words, that she isn’t Melissa?”

“Yes. That effect will last for three days as well. However, since it is temporary, there will be a risk of discovery afterward.”

“No, three days will be more than enough.”

Countess Rheinfeld stared intently at Ariena, as though calculating something.

Just then, Melissa, who had been looking at Ariena with contempt, spoke up.

“Mommy, look at that! What is that filthy thing holding?”

As soon as she said this, Melissa scurried over to Ariena, who was lying on the floor. She pulled Ariena’s hand toward herself and forcibly spread open her tightly clenched fingers.

“That beggar must have stolen something… Huh?”

Inside Ariena’s clenched fist was a single crumpled note.

Since it was nothing special, Melissa pouted and unfolded the paper.

Even as she lay collapsed on the floor, still suffering the unbearable pain of having her heart marked, Ariena struggled to reach out her hand and murmured weakly,

“Pwease… give it back…”

It was true.

They had said she could make a wish if she went to Monster Island.

That was why Ariena had picked up a quill that had been lying around the estate and carefully written a wish on a piece of paper, pouring all her precious feelings into every word.

No matter what happened, she didn’t want to forget it. Never, ever.

But the moment Melissa saw the note, she burst out laughing.

“Ahahaha! What is this garbage? It’s so stupid! All the spelling is wrong! You’re an idiot!”

Melissa tossed the note onto the floor as though she were throwing away a piece of trash.

Ariena stretched out her hand with all the strength she had left. She had to pick up the note.

With her tiny, fern-like fingers, she grasped the paper and tried to smooth out its crumpled edges.

The fact that the note containing her precious feelings had been crumpled made her sadder than the pain in her own body.

Watching her, Melissa spoke as though Ariena were utterly pathetic.

“You idiot! You don’t have a mommy or daddy! And even if you did, they probably died somewhere on the streets a long time ago. That’s why you ended up in an orphanage. You stupid little orphan!”

Ariena clutched the note for a long time before finally whispering,

“That’s not twue.”

“What isn’t true?”

“Tunteuni has a Mommy and Daddy, too…”

At Ariena’s words, Melissa tilted her head.

“Mommy, what is this filthy girl talking about? What’s a Tunteuni?”

Countess Rheinfeld answered indifferently, showing no interest whatsoever.

“Tunteuni? …Oh, probably some sort of nickname.”

Ariena murmured quietly that it was her name, but the Countess’s voice was louder.

“She’s showing just how lowly her origins are. Even her nickname is utterly pathetic.”

To Ariena, Tunteuni was a very precious name. But to everyone else, it seemed to be something laughable.

Ariena’s shoulders slumped.

Tunteuni has a Mommy and Daddy, too.

Tunteuni does, too…

They promised they would hug me tightly when we met again.

So everything is okay. There’s nothing to be sad about.

“Mommy, that girl is crying.”

No, Tunteuni isn’t crying.

I didn’t cry even when they marked my heart. There’s no way I would cry now.

Ariena sniffled.

Only then did she realize that the corners of her eyes had turned red and the tip of her nose had become pink, like a little kitten’s.

“Hey, don’t cry. When you do that, it makes me look like a bad person.”

A girl dressed in beautiful clothes fit for a princess stood beside Ariena, who wore shabby, worn-out garments.

The difference between the two children was obvious to anyone who looked at them.

Just then, a small whirlwind began circling around Ariena.

It was as though a breeze had suddenly sprung up.

And immediately after the brief gust of wind swept between Ariena and Melissa, something incredible happened.

Ariena’s hair turned platinum blonde, and her eyes changed to a deep golden color.

Her face had become exactly like Melissa’s.

Ariena widened her eyes in astonishment and stared at her own hands.

Melissa spoke with a scornful expression.

“Do you think this beggar can imitate me properly, Mommy?”

Countess Rheinfeld replied indifferently,

“Who knows? Still, we have to make sure she does.”

Melissa stuck out her tongue at Ariena.

“Anyway, thank you for becoming the monster prince’s sacrifice in my place! Bye-bye!”

Melissa smiled brightly and waved cheerfully. There wasn’t even a hint of malice on her lovely face.

Just then, news arrived that the servant who would escort Ariena to Monster Island had arrived.

Now, it was finally time.

Ariena would be sent away in Melissa’s place, offered up as the bride of the Monster Prince.