Special Story 18
“They said a new kid would enter the maze every five minutes…”
Maybe she had walked too quickly out of nervousness, hoping to meet someone and feel less scared. But now, there wasn’t a single trace of anyone nearby. Even if it was a beginner’s maze, the towering hedge walls that loomed far above her head gave off an eerie feeling.
Maria walked on, glancing anxiously around. She hadn’t yet realized that the hedge around her had shifted from light green to dark green.
“Huh?”
She only realized something was wrong after wandering for so long that her legs started to ache. She tapped her knees with her small fists to ease the soreness. Panic overtook her, and her face went pale as she suddenly started to run. But the more she ran, the deeper into the maze she went.
She’d only wanted to be the first one to escape. Yet somehow, she’d ended up in the advanced maze—the one they had been told not to enter.
It was a fear far too great for a six-year-old to bear. Before she knew it, Maria’s eyes were filled with tears.
But true sorrow only overwhelms when there’s someone to witness it. Even at just six years old, Maria knew that crying alone wouldn’t help her. She clenched her jaw and held back the tears, choosing instead to keep walking, though her legs ached and her empty stomach left her weak.
Some time later, she began to hear something. Until now, the only sound had been her own footsteps. But suddenly—scritch, scritch… shuffle, shuffle…
Where’s that coming from?
It sounded close. Maria’s heart pounded with fear. But the thought of meeting someone—anyone—was more comforting than wandering this endless maze alone.
Still, she needed a plan. Ever cautious like her mother, Maria crouched and scooped up some of the dirt on the ground. If the person she met turned out to be bad, she’d throw it in their eyes and run. It wasn’t a bad strategy for a six-year-old.
Shuffle, scritch… shuffle, scritch…
The sound was getting closer. If she turned the corner, she’d probably see whoever it was. But just as she hesitated, frozen in place—
“What are you doing here?”
“Eek!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Maria fell flat on her bottom. The dirt in her hand spilled uselessly to the ground.
“Wahhh… WAAAHHH!”
Tears exploded from her eyes. She was so scared that she couldn’t help it. The boy who had startled her looked utterly flustered and immediately apologized.
“S-Sorry! I didn’t think anyone else would come this deep!”
He was a head taller than her and Jace. The boy quickly helped Maria to her feet and brushed the dirt off her dress. His kind expression calmed her down, and the tears stopped just as quickly as they had started.
“Your hair…”
“My hair? Oh, you mean the color?”
The boy’s hair was a soft pink—the very color Maria loved most. His eyes were blue, sparkling like gemstones. Maria could only stare in awe.
Still smiling gently, the boy reached into his pocket and held something out to her. A small candy rested in his palm.
“Wanna piece of candy?”
Pink hair and candy! He had to be a good person.
Then the boy introduced himself. Adrian Reid. The very same name the other noble children had been asking about before entering the maze.
“What are you doing here all alone?” she asked.
“I was reading,” he replied. “It’s my mother’s book. I’ve been really into it lately.”
He explained with a grin that he sometimes used the maze when he wanted to read quietly by himself.
Come to think of it, Maria now remembered how none of the other children had seemed all that worried when they realized Adrian was missing.
Maria liked Adrian immediately. She also liked books too. Sure, he had startled her earlier, but he’d apologized right away and even brushed the dirt off her dress and hands. That made up for it.
The candy melted sweetly on her tongue, soothing her tired little body. While sucking on the candy, Maria asked,
“What book is it?”
His hair color was pretty, but what she liked even more was his gentle way of speaking. It made her think of someone else with similar hair—someone far less likable—making Adrian shine even brighter by comparison.
Adrian walked over and picked up the book he’d been reading alone in the maze.
“Oh?”
The book he held was one Maria knew very well. The cover wasn’t pink, but the title was the same. It was the one she had asked her father to read to her before coming here.
Seeing Maria’s surprised expression, Adrian asked,
“You know this book?”
“My grandma wrote it.”
“Your grandma? Wait, are you saying R.G. is your grandmother? Then… you must be from the Grey family!”
At his question, Maria gave a slightly proud little nod.
“My name is Maria Grey,” she said, then added generously,
“You can call me Maria.”
Her grandmother was one of Maria’s greatest sources of pride. She adored her gentle, wise grandmother. The fact that Adrian spoke of her as someone impressive made Maria like him even more.
“Maria… That’s a really pretty name.”
“Adrian’s name is pretty too. Hey, is the book good?”
“What did you think?”
Maria hadn’t finished it yet, but she shared her thoughts on the parts her father had read to her. She commented how she couldn’t understand how anyone could like a character who always gave orders. Adrian nodded quietly. He actually liked the book, but he didn’t want to upset the small girl beside him.
“Right? I like people who are kind to me, like my dad.”
Maria went on, listing her ideal type unprompted. Adrian, smiling with curiosity, gently asked,
“What else do you like in a person?”
Anything else? Really? And more?
Every time Adrian asked, Maria had something to say. She liked pretty faces, kindness, hated bossy people, wanted someone as smart as her uncle, and as cool as her dad. On and on she went.
After a while, Adrian chuckled softly, and Maria blinked at him in confusion.
“What? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”
“No reason. It’s just… this is the first time I’ve ever talked like this with a girl. It’s kind of fun.”
It was true. With three older brothers and no sisters, Adrian had never had a one-on-one conversation like this with a girl. He was surprised to find it so enjoyable.
Maria stared at Adrian’s smiling face.
A pretty boy. A boy with a pretty smile.
It was the moment when Maria’s taste in people began to form—with new, very specific details.
“What about you, Adrian?”
“Me?”
“What kind of person do you like?”
It felt strangely new to Adrian—having a little girl look at him with such sparkling eyes and ask him what kind of person he liked. He scratched his head, pondering something he’d never really thought about before.
“Hmm, I guess I…”
He hesitated for a long time, but in the end, couldn’t bring himself to answer. No matter what he said, it would sound like he was describing the girl sitting right beside him—and that made him feel oddly shy.
“I like cute people.”
The platinum-haired girl next to him was unbearably cute.
“I like confident people.”
The way she proudly listed her preferences, her likes and dislikes, with that tiny mouth of hers—that was confidence.
“I like brave people.”
Compared to the noble girls he’d seen, who cried endlessly the moment something upset them, Maria—who was still cheerful even with a scraped hand—was undeniably brave.
But Adrian couldn’t bring himself to say any of that to someone he’d only just met. Then Maria spoke, firm and clear:
“That’s no good.”
“What isn’t?”
“You have to know what you like if you want to live happily. That’s what my mom says. And my grandma too.”
That probably explained how this six-year-old girl had such detailed preferences. Adrian gave a small smile.
“Then I’ll tell you next time we meet.”
“Next time? How are we supposed to meet again?”
She tilted her head with innocent curiosity. “I don’t even live here,” she added.
Adrian didn’t answer right away. He simply looked at her for a while, then stood up.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“People will start worrying soon. Let’s go back.”
He crouched down in front of her.
“What are you doing?”
“Your legs hurt, don’t they? Hop on.”
Normally, she would have refused, but she was genuinely tired. Maria gave in and climbed onto his back. But before he could stand, she leaned toward his ear and said earnestly,
“If it gets too hard, tell me, okay? I’ll walk.”
Her concern made Adrian smile. He rose to his feet, and his steady steps began to sway in a gentle rhythm.
“That won’t happen,” he said.
The House of Reid was famous in Gellang for its swordsmanship. Having trained daily with his father and older brothers, Adrian found Maria so light on his back, it was as if she wasn’t even there.