Chapter 74
In front of the mansion, Sylvia looked at me with a bright smile on her face.
How could she smile so cheerfully after everything that happened yesterday?
I had no idea what kind of expression I should be making right now…
But seemingly completely unaware of my feelings, Sylvia opened her mouth calmly.
“I’ve heard about the situation. You don’t need to worry about where to stay. There are plenty of empty rooms in the mansion. So please think of it as your home and feel free to make yourself comfortable.”
I stole a glance at the mansion, which seemed gigantic even from a distance.
Its size was worlds apart from anything I would ever call home.
Just standing at the entrance made me feel a sense of pressure, and the thought that Sylvia lived here left me feeling breathless.
How could I feel at ease in a place like this?
I quickly brainstormed other options if I refused to stay here.
It seemed like there wouldn’t be any other solution once my legal guardian had decided that I should stay here.
Just then, while I was engrossed in my thoughts…
“Sebastian, could you please carry Young Miss Scarlet’s luggage?”
“Understood, Miss.”
I couldn’t stop it in time because I was lost in thought.
The man named Sebastian, who stood behind Sylvia, grabbed my bag containing my uniforms as if it were hostage.
“Miss Scarlet, I’ll guide you to your room,” Sylvia said with a beaming smile.
To me, it sounded like a threat: “If you don’t follow quietly, the lives of your uniforms will not be guaranteed.”
Two perfectly good uniforms and one missing a left sleeve.
Since that bag clearly held a major part of my belongings, with it now in their hands, I had no choice.
With a sigh inwardly, I followed Sylvia into the mansion, my steps feeling oddly light.
—
“Sylvia, you can stay here from now on.”
“…Is this really my room?”
“Yes, this is the room. What do you think? Do you like it?”
I was at a loss for words on how to respond to whether I liked it.
If I had to describe my impressions upon entering, everything was huge.
This room was incredible compared to the one I was used to; it was several times larger, which made my heart race uncomfortably.
The other furniture also matched the oversized proportion.
Well, I could accept that.
But seriously, wasn’t that piece of furniture just a bit too oversized?
It emanated a sense of discomfort and was intensely eye-catching.
Trying to ignore it was impossible, so I couldn’t help but ask Sylvia.
“…What on earth is that bed? This room isn’t just for me alone, right?”
In the center of the room stood what was called a princess bed, draped with white canopies.
A kind of bed that I had only seen in movies; to exaggerate a bit, you could probably play soccer on it with ease.
Having always used single beds, I was taken aback by the sight of a bed that came with grand descriptors like queen or king.
That bed was clearly not meant for one person, so I asked, but Sylvia shrugged casually as if it weren’t a big deal.
“Yes, the room is indeed for you alone. My bed is the same size, so don’t mind it. If the bed feels too big for just you, we could always share it, after all.”
Sylvia’s words left my mind momentarily overloaded.
Huh? Share a bed? With Sylvia?
Just the thought of it made my face feel hot, so I lowered my head, ashamed, making Sylvia giggle behind her hand.
“What are you so shy about? We’re both girls, after all. By the way, isn’t it still before lunch? Leave your stuff and let’s eat first. Sebastian, prepare the lunch here, please.”
Once I managed to regain my composure, I found myself sitting at the dining table in the room with Sylvia, cutting into the steak that Sebastian had brought.
I realized that the saying about not sensing the taste of food when you’re flustered was pure nonsense.
Even in this situation, I could tell that the food was incredibly delicious.
What kind of meat was this? Could it possibly be beef?
Maybe the famed Hanwoo I’d heard about was like this?
Though there certainly wouldn’t be any Hanwoo here.
As I busily sliced my steak, I noticed Sylvia watching me with a satisfied expression, as if she found joy in watching me eat.
I had often heard that just watching me eat made others feel full, but being stared at so intently was a bit much. I stopped for a moment and caught Sylvia’s gaze.
At that point, she smiled warmly and spoke.
“I’m glad to see that the food seems to suit your taste. Speaking of which, the mansion has a bath. How about we wash together later in the evening?”
“!!! W-What? A bath?”
I nearly spluttered out the morsel I had just bitten off.
I managed to swallow with considerable effort but ended up coughing slightly as I asked Sylvia.
“Yes, the bathing facilities in the mansion are quite nice. I’m sure once you try them, you’ll absolutely love it!”
This wasn’t about whether I would like it or not.
Imagining washing up with Sylvia made me stop in my tracks.
I felt like I would lose my mind.
I was sure staying quietly in the mansion would lead to big trouble, so I quickly said the first thing that came to mind.
“Um… After lunch, I’m planning to go out, so the bath can be… later…”
“Is there a need for that? You can wash after we come back. I’ll be waiting, so take your time.”
The fact that Sylvia said she would wait felt more daunting than I expected.
Anyway, getting out of here seemed like the best option.
Operation: Emergency Exit.
—
As soon as I finished eating, I dashed outside.
Astra’s mansion was located in district 3, in the northern part of the city.
Not knowing what was around, I quickly unfolded a map and crossed over to the familiar district 15 through the gate.
Seeing the familiar scenery around me brought a sense of relief, but the words Sylvia had said clouded my mind again.
With my thoughts in turmoil, I unconsciously found myself heading to the place I always went to when I needed to clear my head.
The park I used to visit, which felt strangely familiar by now.
Sitting on a bench, I pondered how to get through the day without issues.
Staying out too long would worry Sylvia, so that was off the table.
But coming back too early would definitely mean sharing a bath.
Thinking about whether there was a good solution or not, time passed quickly.
Before I realized it, the sun was already beginning to set.
Feeling the urgency of a time limit approaching, I started to panic, but no good ideas came to mind as I clutched my head in frustration.
“…What are you doing?”
I heard a voice from in front of me.
Looking up, I saw Yoon Si-woo standing there with an awkward smile.
His effort to act natural was so obvious that it was almost amusing.
“I was just, well, thinking about something,” I replied with a slight laugh.
Yoon Si-woo’s eyes widened in surprise.
Now that I think about it, I had hardly ever smiled in front of him.
This made me realize just how hard I had struggled to prolong my limited life.
But now that I understood that the end was predetermined, I felt strangely relieved, allowing me to feel somewhat more comfortable around Yoon Si-woo.
Maybe that’s why I felt it was okay to lean on him a little.
Although Si-woo and Sylvia accepted me despite my past, I knew well how dangerous it was to be connected to a witch.
That made the only people I could honestly ask for help were those two and my guardian.
Among them, the person who could ease my current worries the most was the one standing right in front of me.
I usually didn’t like owing others, but I was in a situation I couldn’t avoid.
I could just repay him slowly in the future.
Helping Yoon Si-woo in his fight to protect the world might someday be a way to repay him.
Thinking that, I spoke up to Si-woo.
“Hey, you said you’d help me if I had a problem, right? Is that still valid?”
Si-woo, seemingly caught off guard by my words, nodded slowly, looking a bit flustered.
“I’m relieved to hear that. Then let’s go somewhere private. I need to talk about something sensitive, and we need a spot where no one can eavesdrop.”
As I racked my brain, a bright idea struck me.
A place where no one could listen, and that could help solve the bath issue I was pondering earlier.
The first time can be tough, but the second time is always easier.
I led Yoon Si-woo to the location.
—
Swoosh—
Water splashed in the semi-transparent booth.
Yes, I was taking a shower.
Even I had to admit it was a pretty good plan.
If I washed up outside and came back, Sylvia probably wouldn’t insist I wash again.
After finishing my shower, I deliberately kept my hair slightly damp to show that I had indeed bathed.
After changing into the new clothes I had just bought, I slightly opened the door and announced.
“You can come in now.”
As I said that, Yoon Si-woo, who had been waiting outside, stepped into the room.
Today, I learned for the first time that a person’s face could turn that red.
Where I had brought Yoon Si-woo was the motel where we had previously come for a demonstration of our abilities.
Wasn’t it the perfect spot to avoid eavesdroppers while also having the opportunity to bathe?
Sure, we could have gone to Si-woo’s house, but considering the situation, I’d rather not wash up at someone else’s place when I was already on the verge of crashing at someone else’s.
With hardly any space to sit, I perched on the bed and patted the space beside me, indicating for Si-woo to sit. Instead, he shook his head vigorously and plopped down on the floor.
Why was he overreacting as if I were up to no good…?
Anyway, before diving into the main subject, I had something I wanted to tell Si-woo.
“I said, I will never let it go like that, right?”
“…Huh? Ehh? Uh…guh…”
The moment I said that, Si-woo’s eyes widened, and he started making strange noises, like a malfunctioning machine.
His already reddened face turned so red it looked like it might explode.
I couldn’t help but find his flustered state amusing, and I chuckled while he lowered his head in embarrassment.
He probably didn’t realize how embarrassing this was when it was directed at him.
But I wasn’t trying to tease him.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
I stopped laughing and quietly said,
“Thank you. For saying that.”
I got down from the bed and gently took hold of Yoon Si-woo’s hand.
His trembling ceased as he slowly lifted his head to meet my gaze.
As our eyes locked, I smiled softly at him.
“Knowing all that and still standing by my side… it made me really happy. Being connected to a witch isn’t a good thing. People will see witches as nothing but scary, malevolent beings. And to be honest, to an extent, they aren’t wrong.”
I would die in three years.
Because of that, I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise to Teacher Eve about not dying.
Then I realized.
The promise of not dying was, from the start, an impossible promise to keep.
Everyone has to die someday.
“Sometimes, I hear the witch’s voice. Telling me to burn everything down. I see visions of my body engulfed in flames. I try hard not to give in, but honestly, I’m scared. What if I can’t hold on? What if people get hurt because of me?”
So I thought about what I should do to keep the promise of not dying for as long as possible.
Not dying ultimately meant living life to the fullest, I concluded.
No matter how hard it gets, to live boldly.
“I want to protect people. That’s how I, Scarlett Evande, want to live. For the next three years… at the very least, I want to live like that.”
I vowed to protect people in the gym.
Scarlett Evande wanted that too.
Thus, I wished for the anxiety of potentially harming people with my own hands to fade away.
“So please, if… if I stop being Scarlett Evande.”
I knew it was too much to ask.
Yet, I needed to ask Si-woo.
The strongest among those who knew about me.
Someone who could possibly stop the witch’s power.
“So, kill me.”
I begged him to let me live as myself until the very end.
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