After dinner, Raphael and Sophia sat at the dining table, drinking tea and chatting.
They still did not discuss what had happened the night before. Sophia was secretly growing anxious; she had always felt that Raphael must have had a reason for saving her.
But she could not begin to guess what that reason was.
So far, Raphael had shown no ill intent.
He also had remarkable self-control. Although he occasionally made a suggestive joke and openly admired her beauty and figure, he never went any further.
Sophia felt that this showed tremendous respect for her. The men she had met before cared only about their own pleasure, never about her physical condition.
That night, as they lay in bed, they began talking about more private matters.
Raphael said that he had started stealing on the streets at five and joined the Gang at thirteen. He had nearly died in gang fights several times, before eventually meeting a Beyonder and becoming his subordinate.
These were all memories belonging to the body's original owner. Raphael found them somewhat unfamiliar, but they worked quite well for fooling people.
Sophia had enjoyed a fairly comfortable childhood, with a villa and servants at home. But then, for reasons she did not understand, her family had suddenly gone bankrupt, and her father had disappeared.
A few years later, her mother died of an illness. At twelve, Sophia traveled far from home alone and nearly starved to death several times.
Raphael could feel Sophia growing emotional as she spoke. These were probably her real experiences, from before as well as after her transformation.
At the end of their conversation, Sophia sighed. "I haven't mentioned these memories to anyone in such a long, long time. Actually... I was so scared back then..."
A moment later, she felt