Maria suddenly asked.
The girl before her, tears streaming down her face, froze at the question.
By the time she came back to her senses, Maria had already stuffed an old-looking piece of candy into her hand and turned to look at the documents beside them.
"No!"
Seeing this, the girl tried to stop her.
But then she discovered in shock that Maria had somehow produced fire and set the documents on the ground ablaze.
As she watched those precious documents gradually burn, the girl stood there in a daze.
"I don't know what kind of person you think I am, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm just an ordinary passerby... So, can you relax a little now?"
Maria looked down at the girl on the ground. Only after the tears on her face gradually stopped did she calmly continue stroking the girl's cheek.
Her slightly cool fingers gently brushed against the girl's filthy skin. The girl's eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the cold-looking woman before her.
Though her appearance was sharp and unapproachable, the tenderness of her movements could not have been faked.
With the sky at her back, she gently wiped away the girl's tears.
The girl widened her eyes and silently allowed Maria to stroke her cheek.
A long-lost sense of warmth and safety wrapped around her once more, allowing her to calm down again.
Perhaps... this person... can be trusted?
The thought appeared in the girl's mind for an instant, but she immediately scrambled away from Maria as fast as she could.
Just as Maria thought her attempt at comforting the girl had failed, the girl finally spoke timidly.
"Don't... don't touch me."
"I... I'm Infected."
Though she tried to sound strong, she could not conceal the inferiority in her voice.
The