“Ugh, Scarlet! What happened?!”
“Why are you crying all of a sudden…! What happened? Calm down for now…!”
As soon as the closet door opened, Scarlet suddenly started to sob uncontrollably.
Seeing her like that, Sylvia couldn’t hide her agitation.
She had never seen Scarlet cry like that before.
Therefore, she could only guess that something must have happened to her.
Given how flustered Yoon Si-woo, who was with Scarlet, looked, it was clear that it was probably related to something that had recently occurred.
While making such guesswork, she saw Scarlet, with a bewildered expression as if she didn’t even know why she was crying, wiping her eyes but unable to stop the tears.
At that sight, Sylvia shook her head and decided to put aside her thoughts about what had happened to her.
There was no point in worrying about why Scarlet was crying when she was right there in front of her.
“…Scarlet.”
Thinking she should comfort her, she called out, only to see Scarlet jump and look her way.
Her eyes were filled with fright.
It was the kind of gaze that you’d see from a pet that had been abandoned, deeply hurt, and on the verge of running away if someone reached out.
Yet, beyond that scared look, Sylvia felt a desperate longing for someone to extend a hand to her.
So, she carefully reached out her hand toward the curled-up Scarlet in the closet and said.
“…I don’t know what happened to you, Scarlet, but we’re here to help. So please don’t cry alone in such a small space and come out.”
Even with the hand extended, Scarlet didn’t easily grab it.
Seeing that, Sylvia couldn’t help but smile wryly to herself.
It seemed that was just her nature; she wouldn’t easily accept help from others.
But, if she needed help, Sylvia would always reach out to her.
“It’s uncomfortable being there. Come on.”
With that thought in mind, Sylvia reached out her hand to Scarlet, hoping she wouldn’t refuse her help.
Perhaps her feelings reached her, as not long after, she felt Scarlet grasp her outstretched hand.
That alone was immensely comforting for Sylvia.
Where had that bold girl gone? The hand she held trembled weakly like a rain-soaked baby bird.
Feeling a wave of compassion, Sylvia quietly hugged Scarlet, who buried her face in her embrace without resistance.
As she held her, Sylvia gently patted her back as Scarlet cried.
At that, Scarlet cried even harder, as if all the tears she had been holding back until now came pouring out.
Sylvia thought about casting a calming spell to help her stop crying, but she held back, wondering how much had built up inside her to cry like this, deciding to wait until her feelings were resolved.
After some time, Scarlet finally stopped crying.
Seeing she seemed somewhat calmed down, Sylvia smiled and spoke.
“Really… Are you feeling a bit better now? You have no idea how shocked I was! I heard Scarlet was feeling unwell, so I came to check on you, but you weren’t in your room, and then I found you in the closet. When I opened the door, you suddenly started crying… This is the first time I’ve seen you cry so sorrowfully.”
“…I was surprised too. If something happened to Scarlet, please tell me. I’ll do anything to help.”
From how worried she looked, he asked in a tone as if to admonish her. Yoon Si-woo seemed to feel the same way and echoed her sentiments.
He fully agreed with the idea of solving whatever was troubling Scarlet for her.
As she listened attentively to him, Sylvia thought about using all her resources to support him, but Scarlet struggled to speak.
Feeling that it would only make it harder for her to talk if they left it be, she decided to change the mood and glanced at Yoon Si-woo as she said.
“Did something terrible happen with you and Yoon Si-woo? If that’s the case, I won’t forgive him.”
“W-what terrible thing are you talking about?! I could never do anything like that to Scarlet!”
“That was just a joke. Regardless of everything, I believe Yoon Si-woo wouldn’t do anything to Scarlet. But seeing you overreact like that makes me a bit suspicious.”
With the playful joke she threw, Sylvia couldn’t help but smile at Yoon Si-woo’s anxious demeanor.
Although she said it was suspicious, she could tell from the worried look in his eyes for Scarlet that there wasn’t much to be concerned about.
Of course, part of her was serious.
If Scarlet cried because of Yoon Si-woo, she would make sure to bury him by any means necessary.
Even if Yoon Si-woo had a good image right now, she knew it wouldn’t be hard for Astra’s influence to tarnish a person’s reputation in the blink of an eye.
So, she shot him a cautionary glance, hoping he would treat Scarlet well, before turning her attention back to Scarlet.
“So, Scarlet, can you tell us why you were crying like that?”
With that question, she asked.
After all, she thought it would be better to hear what had happened to her.
Depending on the situation, she might need to take action herself.
Scarlet struggled to answer, her lips moving for a long while.
Finally, she muttered one word, as if it were a struggle to let it out.
“…I almost made a huge mistake. I started to hate myself for feeling guilty about the things I almost did…”
Sylvia couldn’t help but tilt her head at her words.
The reason she had been crying like that was not because she had done something wrong but because she had almost done something wrong?
While it must have felt serious to her, Sylvia couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
What a cute creature she was.
If people feel such guilt for almost making a mistake, someone like herself would probably be unable to survive from the weight of guilt.
“Wait a minute. You were crying over something you almost did and not something you actually did? Oh my, how can a person be this kind… It’s alright, Scarlet. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You don’t have to feel guilty over something you didn’t even do.”
While attempting to comfort her with those words, Sylvia naturally felt that the mistake Scarlet almost made wasn’t really that serious.
Being such a kind-hearted person, she wasn’t in a position to commit a serious wrongdoing anyway.
So, thinking to lighten the mood, she jokingly said to her.
“You didn’t almost kill someone or anything like that, right?”
However, as she spoke, Sylvia couldn’t help but notice Scarlet’s complexion turning pale.
She realized that she had inadvertently touched on a wound she hadn’t meant to.
“…Scarlet, did it really happen?”
The self-reproach on her face revealed that this subject was indeed something she found extremely difficult to discuss. Yet, Sylvia had to ask.
Killing someone, even if it were just an attempt, was a serious crime that couldn’t simply be brushed aside.
It seemed she needed to hear the details to know how to handle the situation, but that meant she would have to trouble Scarlet.
After a brief hesitation, Scarlet began to speak in a voice filled with despair.
Every word that came out of her mouth was shocking.
To replenish mana, she had hunted lesser demonic beasts, but when she was almost caught in the act, she attempted to kill her classmate Jessie to destroy the evidence.
It was a shocking revelation.
But what shocked Sylvia the most was Scarlet’s words.
“I’ve become a monster that could erupt at any moment and do such things. If I’m not careful, I could end up burning my precious people with my own hands…”
Only then did Sylvia understand what had frightened her so much.
She finally grasped why she had cried so sorrowfully.
What scared her was herself.
She despised her existence, the monster within that could harm those around her at any moment.
What a sad and painful thing it must be to have to deny her very existence.
Just imagining it made her feel suffocated, and the more she contemplated her pain, the more it hurt.
The sin of Astra had birthed her into a being who could only hate herself.
Because of the sins they committed, she had no choice but to deny herself.
Then how could she atone for that, even just a little?
In that brief moment, Sylvia agonized over the thoughts.
Then, she realized what needed to be done and turned her gaze back to Scarlet.
Scarlet’s eyes, filled with self-loathing and denial, locked onto her.
It was as if she were blaming herself for making Sylvia feel this way, and it made Sylvia’s throat tighten with emotion. Yet she forced herself to speak.
There were words she needed to say to her.
“…It’s alright.”
As she said this, Scarlet looked at her as if in shock, her expression frozen.
Seeing her like that, Sylvia thought.
“…Scarlet hasn’t done anything wrong. You’re not a monster, Scarlet. So, it’s alright.”
Even if she denied her own existence, Sylvia would affirm it.
That was the role she had to fulfill as an Astra.
Holding Scarlet, who was in pain, tightly, Sylvia embraced her.
Scarlet let out a sound as if she was holding back something, then finally burst into tears in Sylvia’s arms.
That she desperately needed to hear those comforting words because she felt she could only reject her own existence.
It’s alright.
Scarlet has done nothing wrong.
If there’s anything wrong, it’s Astra’s.
So don’t suffer anymore.
All the mistakes and pain will be borne by Astra.
Holding the tearful Scarlet close, Sylvia silently repeated these thoughts to herself.
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