It was morning, nearing noon. Henry was in his study, immersed in the attempt to write.

"Beatriz, can you stay still?" Henry asked the restless girl who was sitting on his lap.

Beatriz's laughter filled the room. She began to move even more, but far from bothering him, Henry found it very amusing. He began to gently rock the leg she was sitting on, playing along but careful not to let her fall. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door; someone was calling from outside.

Henry listened attentively and said to the little girl, "Beatriz, I think it's your mother. Can you get up? I must attend to her."

"Alright," she replied, agilely getting back on the floor. Then she asked, curious, "How do you know it's my mom?"

"By the particular rhythm of her knocks and the muffled sound of her footsteps as she walks. Besides, none of your sisters usually knock on the door," Henry replied, tousling Beatriz's short green hair.

She gently moved his hand away and asked, amazed, "Can you know all that just by listening?"

"That's right."

"Incredible," she murmured as she quickly ran her fingers through her hair.

However, Henry sensed that Eliza was not alone; someone else accompanied her. The footsteps of that person were heavy, as if carrying something in their arms.

Henry approached the door slowly and opened it, revealing Eliza's smiling face and an unknown woman accompanying her. Upon discovering who it was, excitement flooded him; it had been several months since she last visited.

"Sir, Rosa has come to see you," Eliza announced with a slight bow, then stepped back to leave them alone.

"So long, Henry!" Rosa greeted him, holding a little baby girl in her arms who was looking at Henry curiously, tilting her head from side to side.

Henry was speechless, not knowing what to say. Although he longed to see her again, he did not expect to find her with a baby, despite knowing of her recent birth. But before he could articulate a word, Beatriz peeked out from behind Henry, as curious as the little girl, to see who the guest was. She recognized her instantly and went out radiant to greet her.

"Mrs. Rosa, I missed you so much!" she exclaimed, stopping when she noticed the baby in her arms. "Oh, I hadn't seen her."

"How rude of me," Henry said, realizing he hadn't invited her in. He stepped aside from the door, gesturing to her, and added, "Please, come in."

Rosa entered the study and looked around, noting that the place hadn't changed much. She scanned the wide shelves filled with books and notebooks. Longingly, she ran her fingers over the spines of some volumes. Then, she focused her attention on a large continental map pinned to the wall next to the library. Turning to Henry, she asked, "Where is this map from?" She approached to examine the names of countries, rivers, and seas drawn on the paper. The baby in her arms reached out her little hands towards it, so Rosa moved away to prevent her from grabbing it.

"It's the map of Henry's new novel," Beatriz interjected. "He's been working on it for months."

"Well, I wanted it to be perfect," Henry explained, rubbing his hair with some shyness.

"Is it the novel you mentioned last time?" Rosa asked, not taking her eyes off the continent named "America."

"That's right."

"Argentina..." Rosa muttered to herself and, stroking her baby's back, asked, "Does it have a title yet?"

"It's called 'The Mannequin'!" Beatriz eagerly responded. "The story is quite sad. I still can't believe that..."

Henry covered her mouth to prevent her from revealing too much.

"Don't spoil the plot; it's a surprise," he whispered, then released her.

"Your hands smell horrible," the girl remarked, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Sorry, it must be the ink," he apologized.

Rosa couldn't help but laugh, infecting the baby with her laughter.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it; Beatriz made a very funny face," Rosa said between laughs, shaking the baby with her laughter.

"Don't make fun of me; we have a very sensitive sense of smell," Beatriz grumbled, crossing her arms.

Henry took his pen and lightly scribbled on his left palm. Then he brought his hand to Beatriz's tiny nose, and she made another funny face.

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"You're right, her face is very funny," Henry admitted between contained laughter.

"I'll tell mom you're bothering me!" the girl threatened, quickly heading for the door.

"And I'll tell her you wouldn't let me write," he challenged.

Realizing her defeat, the little girl left the study grumbling, closing the door softly so as not to scare the baby.

"She'll get over it, don't worry," Henry reassured her.

"She seems very energetic, like my Ana," Rosa commented, rocking her daughter.

"Is it a girl?" he asked, curious.

"Yes, her name is Ana," the mother confirmed, gazing at her baby with tenderness. The little one reached out her chubby hands towards Henry.

From the first moment, Henry had noticed Ana's intentions, and this was confirmed when she reached out her arms in his direction again, mimicking the gesture she had made before with the map. He decided to ask, "Ana, are you trying to grab my horns?"

"She's curious about everything new," Rosa justified, cradling the child. "Don't mind her."

"It doesn't bother me at all," he reassured her. He knelt down to be at Ana's eye level and added, "If you want to touch them, go ahead. Don't be afraid."

Rosa looked at him, unsure of how to react. But Ana didn't hesitate for a moment and reached out her hands towards the curved horns protruding from Henry's head, although she couldn't reach them. Finally, Rosa agreed and carefully brought the baby closer, who tried to grasp them unsuccessfully; they were too wide for her little fingers. Satisfied with her curiosity, the little girl withdrew her hands, and her mother cradled her again against her chest.

Henry stood up with a smile and commented, "For a moment, I thought she wouldn't let go. She has a lot of strength in those tiny hands," he said, straightening up in front of Rosa.

She remained silent for a moment, as if sorting out her thoughts, before speaking:

"The first time I read one of your books, I was just a child. For my tenth birthday, my parents gave me 'Argentina,' your fantasy novel. I completely fell in love with your stories and how you told them, and since then, I have followed all your work..." she looked at the spine of the book, evoking memories.

After a thoughtful pause, she continued:

"For me, you were just an admired writer, but when I got married, Ferdinand gave me a signed edition of 'Argentina' as a wedding gift. Knowing my love for reading, he brought me to meet you. I just wanted to meet my favorite author," tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Henry approached, moved, but stopped when he saw that she wasn't finished yet.

"What started as an occasional visit became recurrent. And then I realized that I had fallen in love, so I asked Ferdinand what his job was when he came here every three months."

"It's not his fault," Henry interrupted her. "He's the magical artisan in charge of my choker, the one that keeps me prisoner in this mansion," he explained, instinctively touching his neck.

"I was unaware of it, but he knew perfectly well. I tried to convince him to set you free, but he refused, saying that we would be executed. I distanced myself from this place, from you, and decided to have a child, thinking that would make me forget you. And yet, here I am, crying like a lovestruck teenager," Rosa confessed, shedding the last contained tears.

Henry went to his desk, opened the drawer, and took out a small book titled "The Mannequin." He approached Rosa and said, "I want you to take this farewell gift. It's the first edition, signed for you. In fact, I was planning to send it to you as a gift for the birth of your daughter, although I didn't know her name then," he opened the book and scribbled something on the first page. "There, now it says 'And also for Ana.' It's a shorter story than the previous ones, but I hope you enjoy it."

Henry tucked the book into one of Rosa's coat pockets. Then he returned to the desk and confessed, turning his back to her, "I loved you too. The only way not to think about you was to write, although I still ended up remembering you. I want you to leave and never come back," he turned to look her in the eyes. "Your husband came last night and gave me this," he pulled a small white key from his pocket. "With it, I can remove the collar, but I won't leave this house because of the promise I made to her."

He lowered his gaze with sorrow and added, "Go and don't come back. Your life is in danger. Maybe being noble will save you from execution, but you wouldn't see your daughter again. Ferdinand really loves you, enough to risk everything. Go and don't look back."

Rosa longed to embrace and kiss him, but the baby prevented her. Still, with a heavy heart and a lump in her throat, she obeyed his words. They bid each other farewell in silence, with just a glance. After this, Rosa understood why Ferdinand insisted so much on leaving the empire and fleeing to the neighboring kingdom.

Henry gallantly opened the door for her, and Rosa began to walk away, holding back her tears. She crossed the library without stopping to browse the books as she used to, and Eliza was waiting for her outside. She turned once more in search of Henry, but there was no trace of him; the door of the study was already closed. Silently, the maid led her out of the mansion. That would be the last time they would see each other.

Henry, furious, let himself fall onto his desk and began to tear apart all the manuscripts and love letters he never managed to finish writing to her. Although he was happy for Rosa knowing she was married to someone who loved her and was willing to do anything for her, he couldn't help but feel a profound sadness, and tears of helplessness welled up in his eyes.

After Rosa's departure, Henry, enraged, collapsed onto his desk and began to tear apart all the manuscripts and love letters he had never finished writing to her. Although he was happy for her knowing that her husband loved her unconditionally, he couldn't help but feel a deep sadness threatening to devour him from within.

He took the small white key and contemplated it, pensive. Then, with determination, he brought it to his neck. The choker came loose, falling onto the table with a metallic sound that echoed through the walls. As he freed himself from it, Henry realized that he had completed the first phase of his plan.

He stood up upon hearing the sound of a car driving away from the mansion. He peeked out the window just in time to see a car moving down the road. He squinted his eyes and distinguished Rosa's silhouette in the rear window, tearful, casting one last look at the house. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met before the vehicle disappeared from his sight. Henry closed the curtain and walked towards a door next to the window. He took out a key, inserted it into the lock, and opened it.

With determination, Henry entered the dark room, and as he clapped his hands lightly, the lights came on, revealing in the center a huge black egg. With a mixture of excitement and seriousness, he placed his hand on the smooth surface of the egg and murmured, "Now I just need to find Sargonas Xul'tharac."

He wiped the tears from his cheeks and smiled at the mysterious egg, as if seeking some kind of response from it. Then, he left the room, closing the door and locking it behind him. Back in his study, his face took on a determined expression. The second phase of his plan was underway.