"Princess, please, why am I here?" Elisa asked, her expression a mix of confusion and bewilderment.

"Ah, Elisa," Erica responded, her tone betraying her surprise. ‘Did she really forget everything?’ she wondered, casting a suspicious glance at Elisa.

"Elisa, who am I?" Erica inquired, seeking confirmation.

"You are Princess Erica Westomsveif of the Orgador Kingdom," Elisa replied calmly.

"Why did you ask, Princess?" Elisa queried, her head tilted with curiosity.

"Because you suddenly went into shock, and I was worried about you," Erica lied, nervously scratching her cheek.

"Please, there's no need to worry, Princess!" Elisa exclaimed frantically, though she secretly felt a warmth at Erica's concern.

"Well, you're dismissed. I wouldn't want to keep you here without reason," Erica said politely.

"Don't worry, Princess. I'll be just outside the door. If you need anything, just call for me, okay?" Elisa said with a reassuring smile. Erica nodded, and Elisa exited the room.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door.

"Umm, Miss Erica," Juko called out, peeking through the door.

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"Yes," Erica replied. "Come in. Don't be shy; I won't bite."

‘I know, but your eyes are scary!’ he thought, before sighing and approaching Erica. Now clad in cleaner clothes, he looked neat and tidy.

‘The maids did a good job,’ Erica thought with approval.

"Thank you once again for saving me from the wolves," he said warmly, but she noticed the pain in his eyes as he clenched his hands.

"No worries, kid. I'm glad you're safe," Erica responded.

‘I rarely interact with children. What should I say?’ she wondered nervously.

"What happened to make those werewolves chase you?" she asked, curiosity piqued.

"My home," Juko blurted out, tears streaming down his face. He suddenly hugged Erica, catching her by surprise. But seeing the child in distress, she sighed and gently patted his back, offering comfort.

"There, there. You can have a new home here," Erica said gently.

"Tomorrow, I'll ask my knights who went to explore to see if there are any survivors." A flash of hope appeared in Juko's eyes, but as he glanced at the moon, his expression darkened, returning to its previous gloom.

"It's already been three days. They might have died. My family, I mean," he said, recalling the death of his family and biting his lips until they bled.

"Don't worry. I can be your new family! You can think of me as a mum or big sister!" Erica suggested with a big smile, trying to cheer him up. "We can play dress-up, have eating parties, and do anything fun!"

Juko suddenly burst out laughing, and Erica smiled.

"But if I may ask, why did they want to catch you?" Erica wondered aloud.

"Slaves and organ selling," Juko stated coldly, remembering what his mother had told him about the unscrupulous activities of some wolf tribe members. "A half-breed like me—they said I would sell for a high price, either as a slave or for my organs," he continued with a bitter chuckle. "The rest of those bastard wolves are probably still alive, taking the parts of my friends and family to sell."