Chapter 2

It had already been four years since she was abandoned in the north annex.

While spending a day like any other, a bolt from the blue struck Solitaria.

“The head of the family is calling for you.”

A man appeared without any explanation and roughly grabbed Solitaria. With his harsh grip, she had no choice but to be dragged away.

He threw her into a worn-out carriage, then wiped his hands roughly with a handkerchief, clearly showing his displeasure. The rattling noise echoed in her ears. Solitaria, sensing the man’s mood, turned her gaze to the window.

Outside was a cozy and bright scenery, completely different from the old and filthy northern annex.

It didn’t match the winter at all, and before she knew it, Solitaria was staring blankly out the window.

But only for a moment. She felt a contemptuous gaze and flinched, quickly sitting upright. According to the memories carved into her from childhood, such reactions were always followed by violence, so her response was natural.

The time that had felt like walking on thin ice finally ended.

The carriage slowly stopped, signaling their arrival. But it wasn’t in front of the grand main doors, rather a small side entrance tucked away. A maid stood there with a clearly annoyed expression. The man gave her a nod.

“Take her to the head of the family.”

“This filthy thing?”

“If you wash her first and arrive late, he’ll get angry. Can you handle that?”

At his words, the woman grimaced and roughly yanked Solitaria by the wrist. Without proper shoes, and with a swollen ankle from being pushed earlier, walking was difficult for her.

“How can there not be a single thing to like about her?”

Hearing the maid’s sneer, Solitaria clenched her teeth and quickened her steps through the pain. After a while, they stopped in front of a grand and ornate door. Just then, loud noises came from inside.

“What? You want me to see her?”

With heavy footsteps and an angry voice, Fontana, the one who abandoned Solitaria, stormed out.

She clearly saw Solitaria as she opened the door, but Fontana walked past her daughter with a look of pure disgust. Inside the room, watching the scene with a sigh, was Secrus, the head of the Repus family.

“Tsk, come in.”

Secrus ran a rough hand through his hair, spotted Solitaria, and nodded. The maid bowed slightly to him, then shoved Solitaria’s back. She was pushed into the room before she could even think to resist. The dim space looked like something could happen at any moment.

Noticing how stiff she was, he smirked.

“So you’re the girl.”

Solitaria didn’t reply. His brows furrowed in irritation.

“You really do show your lack of education.”

At his sighing voice, Solitaria flinched. Tired of such reactions, Secrus went straight to the point.

“The reason I called you to the main house is to show you mercy. If you behave during my youngest daughter Una’s week-long party, I’ll let you leave Repus. You’ll have enough to live on. You know well enough that staying here won’t do you any good.”

He kept talking, but nothing stayed in her mind.

A festival for Una Repus.

A promise to set her free.

Solitaria’s opinion didn’t matter at all.

It seemed like she might have been shocked by his behavior, but that wasn’t it. After all, this was her first time meeting her father. Getting hurt by someone like that would just be foolish. Even so, she didn’t understand why her chest ached.

“We can’t let our Una’s birthday be ruined.”

With no choice, she couldn’t say anything.

“I’ll take that as your answer. You’ll be confined to your room for the week, but if you endure it, the rest of your life will be easier. So hold onto that thought.”

As he turned and walked away, his muttering followed behind her.

It’ll cost a fortune.

Secrus didn’t bring Solitaria to the main house to give her a chance. He shut the door harshly without hesitation as soon as she hesitated, just like he expected.

Bang. The loud sound made her glance back at the door. What once looked elegant now resembled the open mouth of a snake.

“Ugh, I’m so busy. What took you so long to come out?”

The maid from earlier stood outside. After a brief grumble, she began walking without another word. Solitaria followed. As she limped along, a cheerful laugh reached her ears. Turning her head, she saw a child with white hair and brown eyes running toward Fontana outside the window.

The moment she saw the scene, she realized.

That child was Una Repus.

Unlike her, the child who inherited everything from Repus, and received all her parents’ love. Fontana erased the coldness in her eyes and beamed brightly, picking up Una in her arms. Solitaria hesitated, wondering if she should call out to her. But she ended up moving her feet.

Because the maid’s irritated voice rang out again.

—

“You’ll be staying here. I’ll bring food once in the morning. Don’t even think about coming out.”

Shoved into the room by the maid, the space was cold, unlike the warm hallway. The room even had a bathroom, a sign she wouldn’t be allowed to leave for a week.

There was a cot, but the wind came in through the window, and the blanket was a thin summer one. The food the maid left was moldy bread and fruits so suspicious they might have bugs in them. Food even animals wouldn’t eat if left outside, but Solitaria picked it up and ate it.

“Locked up in a place like this, how could I not eat…”

It was resignation.

A reasonable action from a twelve-year-old girl with no protection. But deep in her heart, Solitaria still clung to the thread connecting her to Fontana.

She stayed blank for a long time, then ate everything that was given. Then she washed herself clean with icy cold water. There was a small hope. That if Fontana came to see her and found her tidy, she might show mercy.

Of course, Fontana never came. And all Solitaria got from washing in unheated water in the middle of winter was a terrible fever and dizziness.

—

Solitaria couldn’t tell how much time had passed since she was locked up. The maid’s morning meal delivery marked each new day. Loud noises every night signaled that another day had ended.

“They’re shining again today.”

She looked up at something twinkling in the night sky, something she had never heard before. Despite the cold, she wrapped herself in the thin blanket and sat by the window. It was the only joy she had.

“…Wow, pretty.”

A strange feeling bloomed in her heart. It was hope. Watching those sparkles rise night after night, she began to believe that if she made a wish, it might come true.

‘Dear sparkle, I have a wish.’

She couldn’t say it out loud. Only whispered it in her heart.

‘Please make Mom… and Dad love me.’

At that wish, pop, pop, pop, the sparkles lit up the sky. They faded quickly but rose again not long after. Every time they rose, Solitaria made her wish again and again, never aloud.

Only when the lights faded and stopped rising did she feel the cold.

Her nose was frozen. Her lips had turned blue.

“Ah… It’s cold.”

Wanting to preserve what little warmth she had, she curled the blanket up and climbed onto the bed. Then, like a rabbit, she shut her eyes.

That moment, with an unexpected noise, the door she thought would never open suddenly did.

At the sharp sound, Solitaria flinched and opened her eyes.

“What is this place?”

“Ugh, what’s that smell!”

Soon, voices of children her age filled the room. Solitaria squinted and looked toward the door.

The open door that had once given her hope now filled her with fear.

The girl and boy she saw looked rather mean. Her instincts as a prey animal screamed.

Run away, now.

But the children were faster at finding her than she was at hiding.

“There’s something over there!”

The girl pointed excitedly at Solitaria. The boy followed her gaze.

“A silver rabbit…?”

“What? No way, that doesn’t exist!”

“So dirty! How can a rabbit be silver!”

“Right? But still… It’s kinda cool.”

As the boy spoke, seemingly entranced, the girl backed away in horror. Ignoring her, the boy reached out and poked the trembling Solitaria.

No matter how many times he poked…

The boy, speaking as if he were possessed, made the girl flinch and try to leave.

Ignoring her, the boy poked the trembling Solitaria, who was curled up tightly.

When she didn’t react no matter how much he poked, the boy grinned mischievously, as if he had a good idea.

“She’s probably dirty because she’s silver. Let’s clean her up.”

The boy suddenly yanked on Solitaria’s ear.

Since she had turned into a small rabbit and hadn’t eaten properly while being confined, she couldn’t resist. She just dangled helplessly in the boy’s hand.

After a brief hesitation, the girl nodded to show she’d join in.

“First, we need to get some water. Jizia, hold her tight.”

“Ugh, Salli. I don’t want to touch her. She’s filthy!”

Just as the boy named Salli was handing Solitaria over, Jizia shuddered in disgust, as if she couldn’t bear to make contact, and ended up dropping the rabbit.

The children began arguing over whose fault it was.

During that moment, Solitaria forced her trembling body to run outside.

Because the children had left the door open, it was easy to slip out.

But her head started to spin, and her legs gave out. She could feel her steps getting heavier, but she couldn’t stop running.

“Squeak.”

She had only just opened one door, yet the hallway was filled with warmth unlike the room.

But Solitaria had no time to notice the difference. She was too busy calling for her mother.

“Squeak…! Squeak…!”

The small sound coming from Solitaria’s mouth was a cry for her mother.

She kept crying out so that, wherever she was, her mother could find her.

And finally, she did.

“You… Why are you…”

But instead of a warm welcome, she was met with eyes full of contempt and a voice filled with shock.