Esmeria, calm and composed, sat on Aria’s bed, slightly sinking the mattress under her weight. She tilted her head, her intense gaze locking onto Aria’s. The younger girl sat motionless, her cold, emotionless expression making her appear older than her childlike features suggested.

“Before I answer your question, Aria…” Esmeria began, her voice steady but tinged with intrigue, “I’d like you to tell me what you think of me.”

Aria blinked slowly, processing the question with her trademark unshakable composure. Her voice, soft and measured, broke the silence.

“You’re a bodyguard.”

Esmeria’s smile widened, a trace of amusement flickering across her face.

“Correct,” Esmeria replied, crossing her legs with effortless grace. “Now, tell me, what do you think of the cowardly girl who just left the room?”

“She’s my personal maid,” Aria answered without hesitation, her eyes scrutinizing Esmeria’s every move, carefully studying her reactions.

Esmeria let out a brief chuckle, a mix of mockery and amusement.

“Interesting. And this girl who follows your orders… don’t you think her attitude resembles that of a sheep?”

Her words were sharp, though Aria’s expression didn’t waver. Behind her calculating mind, however, she carefully dissected the comment. After a moment of silence, she finally raised her gaze and asked in her usual emotionless tone:

“Do you see María as an animal?”

Esmeria kept her smile, though curiosity now gleamed in her eyes.

“That depends, little one. How do you see yourself? After all, you’re the one who can give orders to me and Elizabeth without restrictions. What does that say about you?”

The question caught Aria off guard, though her face betrayed nothing. She pondered for a few seconds before responding with precision.

“That would make me their leader.”

“Exactly,” Esmeria said, leaning forward slightly, emphasizing her point. “But tell me, is that a role worthy of you?”

“No,” Aria replied with icy detachment. “I’m far from being as strong or fast as either of you.”

Esmeria burst out laughing, the sound genuine and filled with pride.

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“I suppose you’ve got a point. And thanks for the compliment,” Esmeria said, dipping her head in acknowledgment.

“You’re still not answering my question,” Aria pressed.

“Sheep without a shepherd are bound to fall prey to wolves,” Esmeria explained.

“Then, who’s the wolf here?” Aria shot back immediately.

Esmeria let the question hang in the air for a moment before responding.

“If Elizabeth and I are the shepherds, and you and your maid are the sheep... what do you think the missing person represents?”

“Hugo,” Aria said without hesitation. Her inquisitive gaze, however, didn’t waver. “Why do you refer to him like that?”

Esmeria’s smile took on a dangerous edge as she reclined slightly on the bed, savoring the conversation.

“Remember how Hugo nearly killed Elizabeth with that lightning bolt when we were waiting at the entrance? Don’t you think someone with that kind of attitude could be considered a wolf?”

Aria, her slow and deliberate blinking betraying nothing, countered with flawless logic.

“Elizabeth turned all the staff into vampires when she arrived at the mansion. And she killed a bear in cold blood. It makes sense that Hugo attacked her to rid us of her.”

For a moment, Esmeria seemed genuinely surprised. Then, her face lit up with pride.

“Well, well! I didn’t expect you to pick up on the mansion incident. Good job, Aria,” Esmeria praised as she stood and effortlessly lifted Aria, her small frame seemingly weightless in her arms. “How did you figure that out?”

Aria maintained her composed demeanor, her steady gaze meeting Esmeria’s.

“Answer my question first.”

Esmeria chuckled, gently setting Aria back on the bed and tucking her in carefully.

“The shepherd’s role is to guide the sheep along a good path, so they’re not devoured by other wolves.”

Aria raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Isn’t that what Elizabeth did with the staff? Stripping away their humanity?”

Esmeria’s laughter rang out, light yet mocking.

“That’s human rhetoric. If only you had seen how Elizabeth convinced them. It was so easy! They even begged to become vampires. A vampire lives much longer than a human and rarely gets sick.”

Aria listened quietly, her serene eyes absorbing every word. She then asked another question, her voice as precise as a scalpel.

“So, if Hugo is teaching me magic to give me a better path… doesn’t that make him a shepherd too?”

For the first time, Esmeria seemed momentarily caught off guard. She scratched her head and let out a sigh.

“It’s a matter of perspective. To humans, we’re the wolves. But to us, anyone threatening our path is the wolf stalking our sheep.”

“Then why is Hugo my teacher?”

“We vampires aren’t the best at handling mana,” Esmeria admitted bluntly. “And what better way to leverage contact with that human to develop your talent as quickly as possible?”

Aria paused, letting Esmeria’s words settle in her mind. She then posed another question, one heavier than the others.

“Why do you want me to develop?”

Esmeria leaned toward her, gently brushing her hand over Aria’s head with unexpected tenderness.

“That’s something you’ll discover when you meet the queen. She ordered me not to tell you.”

The silence that followed was thick as Aria processed the response. If the queen had given such an order, it meant she expected a particular attitude from Aria. This led her to an unsettling conclusion.

Though Elizabeth and Esmeria weren’t direct threats at the moment, could she truly trust the path they were setting for her?

Sensing the turbulence in Aria’s mind, Esmeria broke the silence.

“Are you satisfied with our conversation, Miss Aria?”

“Yes,” Aria replied firmly, her tone neutral.

Esmeria smiled, pleased with the intellectual prowess of the child she had modeled herself after.

“Perfect.”