... [she paused again, hesitant. She expected the child to laugh and taunt her and say 'I don't caaare' in that mocking way children do, but...

Now that she was behaving, she felt an actual twinge of guilt at confronting her like this.]

...Well. Apology accepted, Mary-chan. At least she's... safe.

[she'd sigh, feeling uneasy that she couldn't express the anger she worked up.]

But, from now on, you must listen to what Miss Zelda tells you when she talks about how to vote, all right?

Will you promise?