Scarlett’s connection to the witch must remain a secret.

Since that was the consensus among everyone present, it was already quite late by the time they finished tidying up the scene.

Scarlett, who had been unconscious, was supported by Luke and Yoon Si-woo, who lived nearby. Sylvia took her leave and returned to the mansion.

Waiting for her at the front door was her servant, Sebastian, who had been standing there, anxiously awaiting her return.

“Miss! Even if you have something to do, how could you only send a text message like that? Moreover, if you’re going to come back this late, you should have at least let me know! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”

Sylvia realized, after sending the message to Sebastian, that she had turned her phone off.

When she turned it back on, she was greeted by a tsunami of missed calls and messages.

If it had been in the past, her face would have turned pale upon seeing that, but in her current state, Sylvia felt absolutely nothing.

She calmly opened her mouth and apologized to Sebastian.

“I’m sorry, Sebastian. It was really urgent.”

“At the very least, you should have told me where you were going! No matter that there were no important events today, how do you think I felt being informed like this? What if the elders came to look for you? What am I supposed to say? Do you want to see me get fired from being your servant?!”

“That’s not it. I don’t dislike you, Sebastian. But I think I can’t tell you what I did. It’s a personal matter.”

Sylvia said this with a slight smile.

She was bracing herself for a serious scolding.

Even though he held the title of servant, he was someone directly assigned to her by the elders of the family. He had the authority to criticize her if she didn’t behave in a way befitting the heir of Astra.

Until now, she would never have considered speaking to him like that, especially with the influence of the elders behind him.

But as she learned about the events they were orchestrating in secret, those things felt trivial.

Sylvia waited for Sebastian to give her a lecturing.

“…Is that so? Understood.”

Yet he merely nodded in acknowledgment of her casual words, taking his usual place a few steps behind her.

Caught off guard by this unexpected reaction, Sylvia quietly walked towards her room, pleased to hear nothing further.

As she walked, the sound of footsteps echoed nearby.

Amidst those sounds, Sebastian’s voice mixed in.

“Miss, if you don’t mind, may I speak to myself for a moment?”

Sylvia gave a slight nod in response.

“Miss, I have always felt a deep gratitude towards the Astra family for taking me in after I lost my parents to a beast and became an orphan. To repay that kindness, I have been working for Astra.”

As he said this, Sebastian was a human, not a member of the Astra family.

The elders of the family had taken in Sebastian after the couple connected to Astra had perished at the hands of the monsters, leaving him alone.

“I was twenty at the time. I started this job when you were six, so it has already been over a decade. Do you know what the elders requested when I was chosen as your servant? They told me to watch over you and to nag you so that you could grow up to be a proper heir of Astra.”

He wanted to repay that kindness, thus he had taken on the roles of her servant, bodyguard, and tutor from the very beginning of Sylvia’s childhood.

“I thought it was right to be as strict as I could for your sake. Always excel, never falter. But you accomplished all of that without a single complaint. And you have grown to be the most splendid heir of Astra. However, recently, I feel like you have changed a bit.”

Sylvia had expected to hear some of the nagging she hadn’t heard earlier.

But what she heard turned out to be completely different from what she had imagined.

“And that looks much better. You seemed so happy picking out matching rings with a friend, laughing while reading a children’s book. Since you entered the academy, I’ve noticed your expression has become much brighter, and I realized that was not just the heir of Astra, but the true you. I even understood that I was the one who made you unable to smile like that. So, I must apologize. I’m sorry. I think I caused you a lot of pain when I was younger.”

At those words, Sylvia bit her lip tightly.

“I won’t report today’s events to the elders. Even though I’m technically an employee, I still have to manage your schedule. But you’re free to act however you like during your spare time, as long as you let me know in advance. And if you have any concerns, feel free to tell me.”

Such kindness felt more like a poison to her.

The elders of Astra were bad people.

Thus, Sebastian, who followed their commands, was also a bad person.

If only he could remain someone she could keep hating; it would give her some peace of mind.

By the time they reached her room, Sebastian said, “Miss, I will prepare some tea for you before you sleep. Today… chamomile would be nice.”

Sylvia, who was still holding the door handle, flinched at his words and asked, “…Did it really show that much?”

To which Sebastian replied, “I’ve been serving you for ten years.”

Chamomile tea was known to be effective for soothing sadness.

Standing by the door until the sound of his footsteps faded away, Sylvia finally entered her room.

As soon as she shut the door, she crumpled to the floor.

Recalling the stories she had heard today, she sat there dazed until she heard a knock on the door.

Slowly rising and tidying her clothes, Sylvia opened the door only to find no one there.

All that was present was a steaming cup of tea and a tray with macarons.

Observe much, don’t you…

Pulling the tray inside, she sat on the floor, took a sip of tea, and bit into a macaron.

But before she could even savor the flavor, tears began to stream down her face.

“sniff… sob… choke…”

Burying her head in her knees, Sylvia mulled over the burdens she could never share with another.

The truth that her friend was, in fact, an experimental subject created by her family,

That the creation of this subject was planned because of her,

And due to the almost torturous experiments conducted, her friend had only three years left to live at most.

The guilt, sadness, frustration, and confusion that stemmed from it couldn’t be soothed by her favorite sweet treats or the calming tea.

So, the girl buried her head in her knees and wept for a long time.

—

The next day, Sylvia told Sebastian that she was going out.

When he asked where she was going, despite the rain, she replied that she was going to meet a friend. She held him off when he offered to drive her.

While she wanted to trust him, she recalled Luke’s warning that if the family found out about Scarlett, they might attempt to dispose of her, and she wanted to eliminate any potential worries.

Seeing him anxiously regard her, Sylvia forced a smile.

After all, she was a hero and had enough strength to take care of herself.

Thus, Sylvia passed through the gate to District 15.

She had noted Scarlett’s address from Yoon Si-woo when they parted the day before.

The ring that had fallen on the street yesterday.

She had forgotten to return it in her daze, so she decided to visit Scarlett’s house.

When she arrived at the address she had received, she couldn’t close her mouth in disbelief.

‘…You really live here?’

The building standing before her was hard to call a house by her standards.

It was a dilapidated-looking structure, and with the rain pouring, it resembled an abandoned shack.

Sylvia couldn’t believe that a person lived in a building that looked like it could have a ghost pop out at any moment. With trembling eyes, she climbed up to the second floor, where apartment 203 was marked.

After knocking on the door and getting no response, she panicked and noticed a hole beside the doorknob.

Thinking it might be worth a try, she put her hand in and found she could turn the locked knob.

‘No way, isn’t this a bit extreme for a girl’s place?’

As such thoughts crossed her mind, she carefully opened the door and stepped inside, instantly spotting Scarlett lying on the bed, staring at her blankly.

The room was so small that she could take it all in at a glance.

She was shocked by how much smaller it was than even the bathroom in her mansion—she hadn’t realized she was living in such poverty.

“……”

Not knowing what to say, Scarlett, still lying on her bed, spoke up first.

“……Why are you here?”

No matter her family situation or past, that didn’t matter.

Having nodded in agreement to continue their friendship, Sylvia thought to treat her as she always had while recalling the reason for her visit.

Presenting the ring she had kept in her pocket, Sylvia said, “…I found this on the street yesterday. It seemed like it belonged to you, Scarlett, so I came to return it…”

Then Sylvia noticed her face, which didn’t look too good, twisting in a strange way.

It was, technically speaking, a smile.

However, it was a type of sad smile Sylvia had never seen in her life.

With that smile, Scarlett gently pushed away Sylvia’s hand, which held out the ring, and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept that.”

At that moment, for some reason, Sylvia felt like she knew what was coming next.

Hesitation, anxiety, yet an emotion of acceptance emanating from that smile.

And it was a feeling she knew all too well from her past.

What had she said back then?

“I’m sorry for everything. It was all my fault. So today, I’ll tell you the truth.”

A heavy sense of foreboding made her heart race like crazy.

Her lips slowly began to move.

“I never”

“considered”

“Sylvia”

“as a friend”

“from the very beginning.”

Those were the very last words she wanted to hear from her.

Scarlett’s connection to the witch must remain a secret.

Since that was the consensus among everyone present, it was already quite late by the time they finished tidying up the scene.

Scarlett, who had been unconscious, was supported by Luke and Yoon Si-woo, who lived nearby. Sylvia took her leave and returned to the mansion.

Waiting for her at the front door was her servant, Sebastian, who had been standing there, anxiously awaiting her return.

“Miss! Even if you have something to do, how could you only send a text message like that? Moreover, if you’re going to come back this late, you should have at least let me know! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”

Sylvia realized, after sending the message to Sebastian, that she had turned her phone off.

When she turned it back on, she was greeted by a tsunami of missed calls and messages.

If it had been in the past, her face would have turned pale upon seeing that, but in her current state, Sylvia felt absolutely nothing.

She calmly opened her mouth and apologized to Sebastian.

“I’m sorry, Sebastian. It was really urgent.”

“At the very least, you should have told me where you were going! No matter that there were no important events today, how do you think I felt being informed like this? What if the elders came to look for you? What am I supposed to say? Do you want to see me get fired from being your servant?!”

“That’s not it. I don’t dislike you, Sebastian. But I think I can’t tell you what I did. It’s a personal matter.”

Sylvia said this with a slight smile.

She was bracing herself for a serious scolding.

Even though he held the title of servant, he was someone directly assigned to her by the elders of the family. He had the authority to criticize her if she didn’t behave in a way befitting the heir of Astra.

Until now, she would never have considered speaking to him like that, especially with the influence of the elders behind him.

But as she learned about the events they were orchestrating in secret, those things felt trivial.

Sylvia waited for Sebastian to give her a lecturing.

“…Is that so? Understood.”

Yet he merely nodded in acknowledgment of her casual words, taking his usual place a few steps behind her.

Caught off guard by this unexpected reaction, Sylvia quietly walked towards her room, pleased to hear nothing further.

As she walked, the sound of footsteps echoed nearby.

Amidst those sounds, Sebastian’s voice mixed in.

“Miss, if you don’t mind, may I speak to myself for a moment?”

Sylvia gave a slight nod in response.

“Miss, I have always felt a deep gratitude towards the Astra family for taking me in after I lost my parents to a beast and became an orphan. To repay that kindness, I have been working for Astra.”

As he said this, Sebastian was a human, not a member of the Astra family.

The elders of the family had taken in Sebastian after the couple connected to Astra had perished at the hands of the monsters, leaving him alone.

“I was twenty at the time. I started this job when you were six, so it has already been over a decade. Do you know what the elders requested when I was chosen as your servant? They told me to watch over you and to nag you so that you could grow up to be a proper heir of Astra.”

He wanted to repay that kindness, thus he had taken on the roles of her servant, bodyguard, and tutor from the very beginning of Sylvia’s childhood.

“I thought it was right to be as strict as I could for your sake. Always excel, never falter. But you accomplished all of that without a single complaint. And you have grown to be the most splendid heir of Astra. However, recently, I feel like you have changed a bit.”

Sylvia had expected to hear some of the nagging she hadn’t heard earlier.

But what she heard turned out to be completely different from what she had imagined.

“And that looks much better. You seemed so happy picking out matching rings with a friend, laughing while reading a children’s book. Since you entered the academy, I’ve noticed your expression has become much brighter, and I realized that was not just the heir of Astra, but the true you. I even understood that I was the one who made you unable to smile like that. So, I must apologize. I’m sorry. I think I caused you a lot of pain when I was younger.”

At those words, Sylvia bit her lip tightly.

“I won’t report today’s events to the elders. Even though I’m technically an employee, I still have to manage your schedule. But you’re free to act however you like during your spare time, as long as you let me know in advance. And if you have any concerns, feel free to tell me.”

Such kindness felt more like a poison to her.

The elders of Astra were bad people.

Thus, Sebastian, who followed their commands, was also a bad person.

If only he could remain someone she could keep hating; it would give her some peace of mind.

By the time they reached her room, Sebastian said, “Miss, I will prepare some tea for you before you sleep. Today… chamomile would be nice.”

Sylvia, who was still holding the door handle, flinched at his words and asked, “…Did it really show that much?”

To which Sebastian replied, “I’ve been serving you for ten years.”

Chamomile tea was known to be effective for soothing sadness.

Standing by the door until the sound of his footsteps faded away, Sylvia finally entered her room.

As soon as she shut the door, she crumpled to the floor.

Recalling the stories she had heard today, she sat there dazed until she heard a knock on the door.

Slowly rising and tidying her clothes, Sylvia opened the door only to find no one there.

All that was present was a steaming cup of tea and a tray with macarons.

Observe much, don’t you…

Pulling the tray inside, she sat on the floor, took a sip of tea, and bit into a macaron.

But before she could even savor the flavor, tears began to stream down her face.

“sniff… sob… choke…”

Burying her head in her knees, Sylvia mulled over the burdens she could never share with another.

The truth that her friend was, in fact, an experimental subject created by her family,

That the creation of this subject was planned because of her,

And due to the almost torturous experiments conducted, her friend had only three years left to live at most.

The guilt, sadness, frustration, and confusion that stemmed from it couldn’t be soothed by her favorite sweet treats or the calming tea.

So, the girl buried her head in her knees and wept for a long time.

—

The next day, Sylvia told Sebastian that she was going out.

When he asked where she was going, despite the rain, she replied that she was going to meet a friend. She held him off when he offered to drive her.

While she wanted to trust him, she recalled Luke’s warning that if the family found out about Scarlett, they might attempt to dispose of her, and she wanted to eliminate any potential worries.

Seeing him anxiously regard her, Sylvia forced a smile.

After all, she was a hero and had enough strength to take care of herself.

Thus, Sylvia passed through the gate to District 15.

She had noted Scarlett’s address from Yoon Si-woo when they parted the day before.

The ring that had fallen on the street yesterday.

She had forgotten to return it in her daze, so she decided to visit Scarlett’s house.

When she arrived at the address she had received, she couldn’t close her mouth in disbelief.

‘…You really live here?’

The building standing before her was hard to call a house by her standards.

It was a dilapidated-looking structure, and with the rain pouring, it resembled an abandoned shack.

Sylvia couldn’t believe that a person lived in a building that looked like it could have a ghost pop out at any moment. With trembling eyes, she climbed up to the second floor, where apartment 203 was marked.

After knocking on the door and getting no response, she panicked and noticed a hole beside the doorknob.

Thinking it might be worth a try, she put her hand in and found she could turn the locked knob.

‘No way, isn’t this a bit extreme for a girl’s place?’

As such thoughts crossed her mind, she carefully opened the door and stepped inside, instantly spotting Scarlett lying on the bed, staring at her blankly.

The room was so small that she could take it all in at a glance.

She was shocked by how much smaller it was than even the bathroom in her mansion—she hadn’t realized she was living in such poverty.

“……”

Not knowing what to say, Scarlett, still lying on her bed, spoke up first.

“……Why are you here?”

No matter her family situation or past, that didn’t matter.

Having nodded in agreement to continue their friendship, Sylvia thought to treat her as she always had while recalling the reason for her visit.

Presenting the ring she had kept in her pocket, Sylvia said, “…I found this on the street yesterday. It seemed like it belonged to you, Scarlett, so I came to return it…”

Then Sylvia noticed her face, which didn’t look too good, twisting in a strange way.

It was, technically speaking, a smile.

However, it was a type of sad smile Sylvia had never seen in her life.

With that smile, Scarlett gently pushed away Sylvia’s hand, which held out the ring, and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept that.”

At that moment, for some reason, Sylvia felt like she knew what was coming next.

Hesitation, anxiety, yet an emotion of acceptance emanating from that smile.

And it was a feeling she knew all too well from her past.

What had she said back then?

“I’m sorry for everything. It was all my fault. So today, I’ll tell you the truth.”

A heavy sense of foreboding made her heart race like crazy.

Her lips slowly began to move.

“I never”

“considered”

“Sylvia”

“as a friend”

“from the very beginning.”

Those were the very last words she wanted to hear from her.