Maria slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times to adjust to the dim light filtering through the bedroom window. After a few seconds, she realized it was night.
The room she was in was small, yet strangely familiar due to the items on the little wooden table next to the bed.
"Why am I on the floor…?" Maria murmured, confused as she got up.
Aria?
Maria was taken aback to see Aria lying in the bed and couldn't help wondering: What had happened?
As Maria tried to remember, she heard Aria's voice:
"You're finally awake."
These words sent shivers down Maria's spine, but before she could scream, Aria covered her mouth.
"Don't make noise."
Maria nodded, and Aria removed her hand.
"What happened…?" Maria asked in a low voice.
Maria felt a chill considering the possibility: Had they been captured?
"Let's take a bath."
"A bath?" Maria asked, confused.
"Yes. You stink."
Looking at her clothes, Maria noticed they were covered with dirt and traces of blood, just like Aria's. Had she not bathed either?
Why?
"Is it safe?" Maria whispered.
Aria nodded and then got out of bed to leave the room with Maria.
As they stepped out the door, Maria noticed they were in the hallway of the servant's quarters.
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Turning her head, indeed the room they had been in was hers, and Aria had soiled her favorite blanket.
Walking through the corridors, the mansion was eerily silent, and Maria's heart raced faster.
Why was there no one around?
Finally, they reached the door to the bathroom, and upon opening it, there was no one there, but there were two sets of clean clothes for both.
Aria undressed confidently while Maria was still trying to process everything, but before she could understand what had happened, Aria said:
"Wash me."
Maria quickly nodded and focused on attending to Aria.
…
As Aria and Maria bathed together in the bathtub, Aria began to speak.
"Tomorrow an instructor is coming to teach me magic."
"What time?"
"I don't know," Aria replied, then fell silent.
Minutes passed, and since it seemed Aria was not going to speak anymore, Maria, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, asked:
"And... what happened to her?" Maria inquired as she hugged Aria out of nervousness.
"She's studying," Aria answered promptly.
"Studying?"
"Yes. I told her I didn't like being around stupid people, so she said she was going to study," Aria replied matter-of-factly.
"I see…" Maria said, but a few seconds later, she was shocked by Aria's words.
She called that vampire stupid!?
Were they really talking about the same thing?
Reflecting on Aria's comment, Maria felt a bit hurt, aware that she didn't consider herself very intelligent either.
"And... why don't you like stupid people?" Maria asked, trying to sound casual.
"I don't know. I lied."
She lied!?
"Where did you learn that?" Maria asked, surprised.
So young and already lying!
And worse…
She lied to such a dangerous being!
The memory of how Elizabeth had killed that bear with ease made her shiver.
"From stories, isn't it obvious? Lucia does it too, so I thought it would be best given the situation."
"Lucia does it too…?"
"Yes. I've seen her deceive certain people while insulting them, so taking her as a reference..."
"Don't copy that!" Maria shouted, interrupting Aria.
"Why? It was my best example of how to use that in practice," Aria argued calmly.
"Just don't do it! It's bad."
How had such a small girl become so corrupt?
Had no one watched what kind of things she read while she wasn't around?
"Bad? Why?" Aria asked curiously.
"Because your nose will grow," Maria replied quickly, as that's what she had been told when she was little.
"Impossible. I've already lied and my nose hasn't changed, neither has Lucia's, and yours hasn't either."
Hearing that response, Maria reflexively touched her nose.
"What do you mean?" she asked, nervously.
"Don't you remember? The first time we met, you lied to Rita saying I had asked for the book about beasts you brought when I couldn't even speak."
How could she remember that!?
That was so long ago!
"Also, I recall you also made a deal in which you..."
"Lie!" Maria shouted, interrupting Aria.
Before Aria could respond, Maria said:
"You can keep lying, just... don't tell anyone," Maria pleaded as she continued to hug Aria as if her life depended on it.
"You're weird."