No one lives to be unhappy.

Everyone hopes for happiness as they go through life, and happiness is not something that comes free of charge.

Therefore, life is a continuous effort to become happy.

One day, my father told me:

“To meet someone in this world who sincerely wishes for your happiness is a blessing in itself.”

There were times when I felt lonely, having lost those people from my original world and being pulled into this place against my will.

But Yoon Si-woo told me he hoped I would be happy.

Recently, I have felt something similar.

Even though these connections have been brief, I realized that there are many people in this world who wish for my happiness.

Mei, Jessie, Sylvia, and Yoon Si-woo.

They were not just characters from a novel.

Each of their existences was a blessing.

Just like how, no matter how barren a desert may seem, it can still harbor an oasis.

I don’t know how difficult the trials to come will be.

But for the relationships I’ve built so far and the happiness I’ve gained from words like today’s,

I answered that I would try to be happy.

*

Upon returning to my room in the mansion, Sylvia greeted me with a strange smile.

“You’ve arrived. Have you had dinner?”

“No, not yet…”

“Then I’ll have them prepare food, so let’s eat first, and you can wash up afterward.”

I pulled out the answer I had prepared in advance in response to Sylvia’s words.

“I… I’m fine with not washing up. I had some things to take care of, so I washed outside…”

Upon hearing that, Sylvia quietly murmured,

“… I see. You went out and then washed up… I don’t know what happened, but I guess you had your reasons.”

Fortunately, my excuse seemed to have worked, and just when I felt relieved, Sylvia questioned me with a probing tone.

“By the way, your clothes are different from what you were wearing when you went out, aren’t they?”

“Oh, these? Well, my clothes got a bit dirty, so I changed and bought these…”

“… Even your clothes… Is that so.”

The corners of Sylvia’s eyes trembled slightly while she smiled.

Noticing her somewhat unnatural smile, I asked,

“… Did something bad happen?”

I had no idea what had occurred while I was out, but she certainly looked much more upset than before.

“… It’s nothing. I just thought it would be nice to go shopping with you, and I was waiting to wash up together, but you went outside to wash.”

Hearing that made me feel like a terrible person.

While someone was working hard at home, it was only natural to be angry at the thought that someone had gone out to play and broken a promise.

Suddenly, a wave of guilt washed over me.

I’m… I’m a jerk…

I desperately wanted to lift Sylvia’s spirits.

So, after racking my brain, I remembered something she had subtly mentioned and opened my mouth.

“… Do you want to go shopping with me later?”

Upon hearing my words, Sylvia’s ears perked up slightly.

It seemed this was the right answer.

“… Just the two of us?”

“Yeah, just the two of us.”

“… Okay, that’s a promise, so you’d better not break it, okay? You’ll spend hours with me, right?”

Hours…

Trembling with fear, I resolved to become her dress-up doll and nodded my head.

Today, I had gotten help from Yoon Si-woo, who was renowned in the original story for his excellent fashion sense, as I had no idea how to buy clothes…

Feeling that after shopping with Sylvia, I might become a forced expert suddenly.

As Sylvia’s mood began to brighten, a man named Sebastian, her attendant, came into the room to set up the dinner.

I felt like he glanced at me with a very awkward look as he put the plates down. Was it just my imagination?

In any case, that wasn’t important now.

The most important thing was that I could enjoy meat for dinner, just as I had for lunch.

As I savored the meat gratefully, I noticed Sylvia looking at me with a somewhat hesitant gaze before she spoke.

“… Scarlet, I believe students should act according to their status as students.”

That was quite a sudden remark, but given its validity, I nodded while swallowing my food.

Then, Sylvia continued in a cautious tone, as if she was unsure whether she should say this.

“I’m not sure if you’ll want to hear this, but I feel like I need to say it. I think it’s better for students to refrain from behaviors like what you exhibited today.”

Sylvia’s serious gaze was fixed on me.

Feeling her sincere concern for me, I began to reflect on what I did today.

I had breakfast, moved, had lunch, went out to kill time, and now I was having dinner.

Looking back, I realized I hadn’t accomplished anything remarkable at all.

As the realization struck me, I could see what Sylvia was really trying to say.

Sylvia was a diligent person.

Even on weekends like today, she hardly had time to rest due to her training and responsibilities.

The duty of a student is to study, and for a student at an academy aiming to become a hero, it’s self-discipline.

Sylvia, who faithfully followed that duty, was essentially telling me to start training seriously.

It was a piercing reminder that struck me right in the heart, especially since I had been neglecting the essential training while claiming I wanted to protect people.

Truly, it was a blunt yet insightful sentiment.

However, I was moved by those words.

As the saying goes, a true friend is someone who tells you the things you don’t want to hear. Despite my cold rejection of her offer of friendship, how could I not be touched by Sylvia’s caring heart?

“Then such things should be done as an adult, not as a student…”

When I couldn’t string my feelings into words, Sylvia seemed to notice my reaction and her face turned pale.

“I-I’m sorry! That was a mistake! I didn’t mean to imply that…”

Believing I had taken her words negatively, Sylvia nearly choked on her apologies, her voice wavering.

“It’s okay. You said it for my sake, didn’t you?”

“But…”

“It really is okay.”

I genuinely felt it was okay and tried to soothe Sylvia, who was on the verge of tears.

But even after my reassurance, it seemed there was still something unsatisfactory lingering in Sylvia’s emotions as she looked up at me gently and asked,

“… Um, Scarlet, can I ask you something? Did you have fun today?”

I recalled what had happened today at her question.

Although the day had started chaotically with my move, I had still managed to enjoy meat and realized how many people sincerely cared about me.

It was a day filled with far more good than bad.

So, couldn’t I say it was enjoyable?

As I nodded, Sylvia smiled in response.

“… If you had fun, then that’s what matters. I’m sorry for saying that.”

Was she still feeling guilty about telling me to train?

On my end, her words had actually motivated me to work harder.

I wanted to do something to repay her, but when I thought about what I could do for her, nothing specific came to mind.

I couldn’t just suggest we take a bath together…

Then, as Sylvia left to wash up after dinner, I thought about something I could do for her gratitude upon seeing Sebastian come to clear the table.

I casually made a request to him, even though he was still looking at me oddly.

After a moment, he softened his expression and nodded.

*

After washing up alone, Sylvia returned to her room to complete the remaining tasks for the day.

As she focused on her work, there was a knock at the door and a voice could be heard from outside.

“Miss, I have brought tea and pastries.”

Since she usually asked Sebastian for tea while working at night, he seemed to have brought it voluntarily today.

“Come in.”

As she said this, the door opened, and Sebastian entered.

While continuing her work, she took a sip of the tea he had placed on her desk.

“Hmm, the tea today tastes a bit different than usual.”

When Sylvia commented on the tea, Sebastian gave an awkward smile.

“Well, Miss, it’s your friend who prepared it herself.”

Sylvia’s eyes widened in surprise at that.

“Scarlet made it?”

“She asked me to teach her how to brew tea because she wanted to express her gratitude to you. The pastries were also made by her. Given that she knows your favorite snacks, it’s clear that you two are really close.”

Sylvia looked at the plate next to her teacup.

It contained macarons that looked exactly like the ones she always received.

“I wondered if someone so clumsy could be your friend, but she seems to have a good heart,” Sebastian said while scratching his head.

After lunch, Sylvia had instructed Sebastian to follow Scarlet for her protection and to report any unusual occurrences.

She had been shocked when Sebastian reported that Scarlet had entered a motel with a man with white hair.

The realization that Scarlet had developed such a deep relationship with Yoon Si-woo so quickly was astonishing.

Sylvia wasn’t surprised; remembering the day she was kidnapped, it made sense that she had developed feelings for Yoon Si-woo, the one who came to rescue her.

She recalled the feelings of infatuation she had experienced the first day of school when he helped her.

However, what truly saddened Sylvia wasn’t just that Scarlet had gone to such a place with Yoon Si-woo, but that it meant she had broken her promise to Sylvia because of it.

That implied that Yoon Si-woo took precedence over Sylvia in that situation.

But that wasn’t the important thing.

Sylvia bit into the familiar macaron.

Unintentionally, she had hurt Scarlet by suggesting that such things were better done once she became an adult.

Three years.

Scarlet was destined never to become an adult.

Yet she continued to offer such kindness to someone who had hurt her.

Feeling on the verge of tears, Sylvia quickly gulped down her tea, pretending to choke.

Yes, that wasn’t the important thing.

Even if she wasn’t Scarlet’s top priority, Sylvia wanted her to enjoy everything she could.

Delicious food, beautiful clothes, warm baths, and soft beds.

A joyful school life, friends who understood each other, and maybe even a touch of love, albeit a bit too early.

So long as when Scarlet closed her eyes for the last time, she could say that she had been happy.

That alone would be enough, Sylvia thought.