The weeks passed with a monotony that settled into the routine of Aria, Maria, Elizabeth, and the others.

  Hugo and Esmeria had reached an agreement to divide Aria's time: two days a week without supervision, reserved exclusively for Hugo to teach her anything he wanted without interruptions. The rest of the week, however, Esmeria and Elizabeth oversaw every one of the girl's steps, ensuring nothing escaped their control.

  Over time, Maria began to notice a change in Aria. She had started to distance herself little by little, no longer calling her for every little favor or demanding her constant attention.

  Although part of Maria felt relieved by the newfound freedom, another part of her couldn't help but feel a slight emptiness.

  With the extra free time, she took up tending a small garden, using seeds Hugo occasionally gave her. She also tried to learn magic on her own with books he lent her, but her spells were unstable and sometimes dangerous.

  Out of fear of hurting herself, Maria decided to practice only sporadically.

  And so… two years flew by.

  One day, after a training session with Hugo, Aria returned to her room to rest. As part of her new routine, she now did physical exercises at Hugo's insistence, followed by a bath, and then took a nap lasting exactly an hour and a half.

  Maria entered the room carrying a tray but stopped abruptly at the scene before her.

  Elizabeth was standing in front of Aria, who held a letter in her small hands. The vampire was slightly leaning toward her, whispering in a tone so low that Maria couldn’t catch the words.

  When Elizabeth noticed her presence, she turned to her with a frown of visible annoyance.

  "Could you leave, please?" Elizabeth asked, her voice polite yet carrying an aggressive undertone. "I’m discussing something important with Miss Aria."

  Maria opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could utter a word, Aria's calm and firm voice interrupted:

  "No. Stay, Maria. Come in."

  Elizabeth glanced back at Aria, clearly displeased, but said nothing.

  Maria, confused by the situation, stepped forward hesitantly and sat on a small stool by the wall. From there, she watched Elizabeth remain close to Aria, whispering something in her ear.

  Maria couldn't help but notice the closeness between the two, so different from earlier days when Aria barely tolerated the vampire's presence. A faint ache settled in Maria’s chest as she wondered how this change had come about.

  Now, it almost seemed like their roles had reversed: Elizabeth spent most of her time with Aria, while Maria had been relegated to the background.

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  “It’s incredible how things change…” Maria thought with a wry smile in her mind.

  Lost in these thoughts, Maria didn’t realize she was being called until she heard her name spoken with coolness.

  "Maria."

  Aria's voice was as neutral as ever, but the mere tone made Maria straighten up quickly.

  “Ah! I’m sorry, Aria,” Maria apologized, bowing her head.

  Elizabeth took advantage of the moment to shoot her a reproachful look.

  "You should be more attentive when Miss Aria speaks to you, you know?" she scolded sternly.

  Maria nodded quickly, embarrassed.

  "I’m very sorry… it won’t happen again."

  Elizabeth sighed, crossing her arms.

  "Sit closer to her, please. I don’t understand why you’re sitting so far away."

  Maria glanced at Aria, looking for any sign of her opinion, but the girl’s face displayed nothing but calm. Finally, Maria stood and moved a few steps closer.

  “What’s going on, Aria?” Maria asked softly.

  Aria lifted her gaze from the letter in her hands, her piercing eyes locking onto Maria’s.

  "I want your opinion. Do you think I should decline my father’s proposal?"

  Maria blinked, puzzled.

  “What proposal?” she asked, without much thought about how her words sounded.

  Elizabeth clicked her tongue in annoyance.

  "You speak as if it were a trivial matter, Maria," Elizabeth reprimanded, her sarcastic smile not reaching her eyes. "This is a serious issue."

  Aria interrupted before she could continue:

  "My father wants to congratulate me on my progress. He wishes to organize my first official party."

  Maria tilted her head, confused.

  "Aren’t those ceremonies held at twelve years old? I thought they were to mark coming of age… And you’re only four."

  Elizabeth chuckled softly, shaking her head slightly.

  "You’re mistaken, Maria. Human nobles have several important ceremonies."

  “Eh?” was all Maria could respond as Elizabeth adopted a solemn tone, as if giving a lecture.

  "First, there are small celebrations organized by parents in the early years of life, usually at two or three years old. Then, there’s another ceremony at seven years old, followed by the coming-of-age ceremony you mentioned, which happens between twelve and fourteen years. Finally, there’s the ceremony held between eighteen and twenty-one."

  Maria listened with her mouth slightly open.

  ‘All these ceremonies exist!?’ she thought, astonished.

  By the time Elizabeth finished, Maria felt dizzy. She could barely remember her own coming-of-age ceremony, and it had been a complete disaster.

  "Wow! I… well, it seems I don’t know much about this topic," Maria admitted, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. "I’m not important enough for my family to hold so many ceremonies, so I don’t think my opinion holds much weight here…"

  Aria stared at her intently, her neutral expression unchanged.

  "Speak anyway, Maria. I want to hear what you think."

  Maria swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Aria and Elizabeth’s gazes on her.

  ‘Seriously… I don’t get them!’ Maria thought in frustration.

  Finally, Maria sighed.

  "I think it could be a good idea, Miss Aria," Maria said cautiously. "You could meet children your age and, well, your family too. And… it might be useful for forming connections…?" Maria’s voice faltered slightly, and she averted her gaze.

  Aria nodded slightly, and when it was clear Maria wasn’t adding more, she said:

  "That’s enough."

  Aria turned to Elizabeth.

  "Is it true I’ll need a new dress for the ceremony?"

  Elizabeth smiled, leaning slightly toward her.

  "Of course, Miss Aria. Shall I inform Esmeria to start looking for one?"

  Aria shook her head, then looked at Maria.

  "Maria will accompany me."

  The surprise made Maria let out a soft laugh. Her moments alone with Aria had been so rare lately that the idea of spending time together felt almost strange.

  Elizabeth exchanged a brief look of annoyance with Maria before turning back to Aria.

  "As you wish, Miss Aria. Your wish is my command."