It was late at night, and I was slowly getting ready to go to bed when I heard a knock knock at the door.

“Ah, come in, Sylvia. What brings you here today?”

At this hour, the only person who would come to my room was Sylvia, so I naturally opened the door and let her in.

At first, I was incredibly nervous whenever a beautiful girl like Sylvia visited my room late at night, but since she came by quite often and we mostly just had brief chats, I had started to get used to it.

Feeling like it was normal for a pretty girl to visit me at night—should I say I was lucky?

Anyway, usually, Sylvia came to my room with an expression of relief, signaling that she had finished all her work for the day and could finally relax. But today, her expression was entirely different.

“…Miss Scarlet.”

“You don’t look so good. Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell or something…?”

“…I’m fine physically. It’s just because of what happened today…”

Although she said she was fine, Sylvia had a rather tense look on her face.

I briefly pondered what could have happened today that would put her in such a state. Then I recalled that during breakfast, Sebastian, one of the mansion’s staff, had mentioned something about an important meeting with Sylvia.

As the heir of Astra, Sylvia had access to information that ordinary people wouldn’t have. Perhaps she had received some bad news during the meeting.

It could very well be a crucial issue related to the city.

I had been somewhat relieved, thinking that the city’s normalization was progressing quickly despite the damages, and that the academy would resume normal classes soon.

But when I considered that a serious problem might have occurred somewhere I didn’t know, I realized I couldn’t just sit idly by and immediately asked Sylvia.

“Sylvia, can you tell me what’s troubling you?”

“Ah… well…”

It looked like it was quite a sensitive issue for her to share, as I could see hesitation and discomfort on Sylvia’s face.

However, I had been feeling deeply lately that there was a significant difference between knowing something was going to happen and being blindsided by it. So, with a half-hearted desire to hear anything and a half-hearted wish to lighten Sylvia’s burden, I spoke to her.

“Sylvia, keeping your worries to yourself will just make you sick. There’s a saying that sharing worries divides them in half. I might be able to help, so why don’t you tell me?”

“Miss Scarlet…”

Upon hearing my words, Sylvia looked deeply touched, her expression radiating gratitude.

How much had she been carrying a burden to react like this?

Feeling a sense of pity for her, I decided to listen, ready for her serious expression as Sylvia finally opened her mouth.

“…Honestly, I really struggled to decide whether it was okay to tell you, Miss Scarlet. But since you’ve said that, I can’t keep it to myself. Just don’t get too shocked, okay?”

She spoke with a very serious tone, a warning that she was about to share something very secretive and important. I swallowed nervously, waiting for her next words.

“…Today, I saw Yoon Si-woo meeting with another woman in a private setting.”

“…Is that all?”

“Yes? W-well, yes?”

Her seemingly anticlimactic reveal relaxed me, and I let out a sigh of relief internally.

I had thought it was something much more serious…

However, Sylvia seemed puzzled by my reaction and spoke in a bewildered voice.

“Miss Scarlet? I said Yoon Si-woo met with another girl!”

“Well, that could happen. He’s at that age, after all.”

Knowing the original Yoon Si-woo, who would jump on any significant female character, it didn’t surprise me at all that he was seeing a girl.

Maybe it was even the girl Marin mentioned she liked before. I thought that and responded to Sylvia casually.

Still, at Sylvia’s age, it makes sense she would be interested in this kind of thing, so I understood her fuss.

Back in school, word would spread quickly about who was dating whom.

Even if she didn’t seem it, Sylvia wasn’t much different from other girls her age.

As I was lost in that thought and secretly smiling, Sylvia, looking as if she had more to say, exclaimed.

“Th-that girl! It was Marin Eloise from Class 1-B!”

Ah, I guess today was that day. I wonder how their arranged meeting went.

In the original, they were quite compatible, so it likely wasn’t a bad atmosphere at all.

I wished I could have seen their shy interactions during the meeting.

As I recalled my small hopes as a reader, Sylvia, watching me, had a slightly disgruntled look as she asked.

“…How can you be so calm? Shouldn’t you be a little surprised?”

Ah, maybe that was a part I was supposed to be surprised about.

Indeed, if everyone expected shock and nobody reacted, that would be a bit anticlimactic.

Was Sylvia pouting like that because she had unraveled what she thought was a whopping secret and I didn’t react the way she imagined?

Just thinking that made Sylvia appear incredibly cute, and I had to force down the smile trying to escape my lips while I answered.

“Surprised or not, I heard it from Marin herself. About the arranged meeting.”

“From her?! Wait, an arranged meeting?! That means they could get married!”

Not realizing they were simply meeting up, Sylvia looked utterly shocked.

Her reaction mirrored the one I had when a friend announced they were getting married just after graduation, and I had to stifle a laugh and nod at Sylvia’s amazement.

“Marriage… That can’t happen…”

The seriousness in her demeanor when stating it shouldn’t happen was notable.

Having grown up as a noble, she probably couldn’t even fathom discussions of marriage at her age.

In the original, when Marin showed interest in Yoon Si-woo, she had been incredibly conservative, stating: “Are you planning to pull a fast one like your parents? How…scandalous!”

Anyway, Sylvia seemed unable to imagine such a scenario and asked me with a trembling voice.

“…Miss Scarlet, how do you feel about Yoon Si-woo getting married…?”

I paused to consider her question before responding.

“Um… I guess I might feel a little sad.”

While I wouldn’t mind Yoon Si-woo ending up with Marin, I was of the opinion that the protagonist should ultimately be with the main heroine.

Reading the original, I had hoped Sylvia would end up with Yoon Si-woo, so I felt a bit of regret.

Saying that, Sylvia’s eyes brightened, as if thinking I was agreeing with her.

Sorry, that’s not it, Sylvia.

I mentally apologized while continuing.

“But, if that’s what Yoon Si-woo wants, then there’s nothing we can do about it. I just want him to be happy.”

At those words, Sylvia’s expression distorted dramatically.

She looked as if she were about to cry, deeply hurt that I didn’t empathize with her viewpoint.

Angry, she marched towards me and stood so close that it felt like there was barely any space left.

Sadly, I was slightly shorter than Sylvia, so I had to look up at her, and suddenly, she wrapped her arms around my neck tightly as if in a guillotine hold.

What’s happening? Is this a giant guillotine move?

Fortunately, thanks to my physical capabilities, I wasn’t suffocating, but something soft pressed against me, threatening to make my face burst into flames. I tapped her back, silently screaming for her to let go.

Tap! Tap! See! I surrender, please let go! Ahhh!

Luckily, she seemed to get the message and slightly loosened her grip.

As I struggled and awkwardly wriggled out of her embrace, Sylvia, seeming pouty, quickly turned and stormed out of my room, shouting.

“I will NEVER acknowledge that!”

Her voice was filled with determination, sadness, and anger.

Why was she so mad?

It didn’t seem like she was just sulking.

As I pondered what could have made her so upset, a thought flashed through my mind, and my eyes widened.

No way! I didn’t think so, but could it be that Sylvia secretly had feelings for Yoon Si-woo too?

After all, Sylvia is the main heroine, so it wouldn’t be so simple for her to drift away from the protagonist.

I soon remembered I’d be returning to the academy, and shivered at the thought.

The day when Sylvia and Marin would meet again.

Surely, a fierce catfight awaits…

I fell asleep seriously contemplating whether I should prepare macarons and popcorn for the school day.

*

I can’t accept this.

Back in her room, Sylvia thought, holding back the tears that threatened to spill.

It’s just too sad.

She believed that if Scarlet found out what had happened today, she would get angry.

How could she go meet someone else while leaving her behind?

For an ordinary woman, that would be the natural response.

Even she could not forgive her partner if he cheated on her with another woman.

But Scarlet, that foolishly naïve yet kind girl was different.

“Well, that could happen. He’s at that age.”

Scarlet had casually remarked that way.

“I’m not surprised; I heard it from Marin herself that it was an arranged meeting.”

She already knew.

That Yoon Si-woo would meet another woman.

And not just any affair, but a formal arranged meeting.

Scarlet had heard that directly from Marin.

What would that feel like?

To hear that the man you love is going on an arranged meeting with another woman, and hearing it from that woman herself.

It was surely like being mocked.

Feeling belittled.

But now she knew.

Scarlet would surely say to that person,

“Good luck with your meeting.” with a smile, while holding back something inside.

That was the kind of person she was.

As Sylvia lay on her bed, she tried to imagine how Scarlet must have felt.

But she couldn’t understand.

The feeling of a girl who had finally gained her freedom after enduring a painful, hopeless ordeal.

The intensely burning emotions of a gentle girl, one who was so afraid of the witch within her and of hurting others, that she even rejected offers of friendship, feeling love so deeply that she couldn’t help it.

“Um… I guess I could feel a little sad. But since Yoon Si-woo wants that, I can’t do anything. I just want him to be happy.”

But wishing for the happiness of her beloved so genuinely,

Thinking that being with her would hinder his happiness,

Suppressing her own feelings and having to give up on her love,

Sylvia could never truly understand what she felt.

All she could guess was that it must have been an unbearably painful sadness that would be too much for an ordinary person to bear.

Thinking about the sorrow that this pitiful girl must have endured, Sylvia ultimately let her pent-up tears flow.

And she silently made a vow.

That she would reclaim her love and her happiness.

Even if she had to give them up, she would get them back for herself.

So that, until the day she ends her life, she could fully enjoy them.

She promised firmly.