After Sylvia left, I stood there, staring at the quietly closed door, lost in thought.
I had said I had never considered her a friend to sever our relationship.
If I had continued to lie and remained friends with her, I thought she would be very sad when I died, and I wouldn't be able to overcome the guilt.
Then, my condition suddenly worsened, and my true feelings slipped out without me realizing it. However, the fact that she knew I had approached her with another purpose remained unchanged.
Sylvia, who in the original story hated people who approached her to use her.
So, I never thought it would come to this.
I never thought Sylvia would suggest starting over and becoming friends again...
It might be a selfish thought, but I felt both sorry and happy.
It felt like I had been forgiven for everything I had done to her so far.
Also, the time I spent with her didn't seem to be entirely false.
Sylvia Astra.
A girl with a pure heart despite her many experiences and the wariness they instilled in her.
A kind child who would run out in the rain without an umbrella to buy medicine for me when I was sick.
If I had nodded to her words, I could have really become friends with her this time.
But I couldn't nod.
It wasn't because I didn't want to be friends with Sylvia.
It was because she was such a good person that I couldn't.
Perhaps because my condition had worsened during our conversation, and my composure was already shaken by the rain.
The witch's voice kept telling me to burn everything, and I felt the pain of flames engulfing my body.
But what was even more difficult than the pain was seeing Sylvia being burned by the flames in my vision.
Fortunately, I regained consciousness, thanks to something Sylvia did, but it was still very hard.
Until now, I hadn't remembered, but I was always tormented by such voices and visions.
The witch inside me was like a bomb.
A bomb that could not only hurt me but also those around me.
When I shook my head, I remembered Sylvia's smile.
She was smiling as if it was okay, but the moisture in her eyes was definitely not from the rain.
From her expression, I could clearly feel what she thought of me.
But I couldn't guarantee that what I saw in the vision wouldn't happen.
Thinking of Sylvia, I decided I shouldn't get any closer to her.
That's why I refused to be friends with her.
With a bitter smile, I looked out the window, where the rain was still pouring.
I really hated the rain.
*
Back at the mansion, Sylvia thought about what she could do for Scarlett.
Honestly, she wanted to change her entire living environment.
Scarlett, who didn't have proper food, clothing, or shelter.
Sylvia felt discontent with this.
She wanted Scarlett to live a more comfortable life.
But Scarlett didn't like receiving help from others.
Even carrying a tray for her was something she hesitated to do, so she would probably refuse any direct help.
So, Sylvia pondered.
How could she make Scarlett accept her help without refusing?
Then, the scene from yesterday when she brought Scarlett medicine replayed in her mind, and a sudden idea struck her, making her shudder.
Scarlett had once said that if there was something she couldn't solve on her own, she would ask for help.
Yesterday, when Scarlett received the medicine, she was in a state where she had to accept help.
A state where she couldn't refuse, or rather, wouldn't refuse.
Then, what if she artificially created a situation where Scarlett couldn't solve something on her own, forcing her to accept help?
In that moment, Sylvia thought of countless methods.
She was so scared of how dangerous she could be.
More surprisingly, most of the ideas she thought of could be executed as long as they didn't harm the family too much.
Money, power.
As the successor of the Astra family, she had the means to use them freely.
Sylvia had read a fairy tale as a child about a good spirit and a bad spirit living in a person's heart.
The moral was to listen to both sides and think carefully about which was right.
And now, Sylvia knew the voice screaming in her heart was the bad spirit.
[Hehehe. Who cares about someone else's will! Do whatever you want! Make your precious friend feel so grateful to you that she'll become your friend! Imagine it! Her smiling at you!]
It was a very, very tempting suggestion.
Sylvia laughed, imagining Scarlett smiling at her, but then she shook her head to clear her thoughts.
She had almost fallen for the bad spirit's words, but she couldn't just listen to one side.
Sylvia also listened to the good spirit's voice, which was fighting against the bad spirit.
[Get a grip! Doing things without asking is almost a crime! Sylvia, you're a good girl. You can't commit a crime!]
Sylvia snapped back to reality.
Yes, what she was about to do was a crime.
She thanked the good spirit for stopping her and decided to listen to its advice on what to do next.
[Of course, you need permission to do it!]
The word "permission" gave Sylvia a great insight.
...Right, if she had permission, it wouldn't be a crime.
The most moderate way to achieve her goal quickly came to mind.
Sylvia called to get permission.
[...What is it, Miss?]
The person she called was Luke Aegis, whose number she had saved earlier.
Sylvia decided to confirm with him to ease her worries.
"Last time, you said the other family members wouldn't know Scarlett was an experiment subject, right?"
[Yes, Satoru kept it secret from the family. He didn't recognize her for a while, so it's almost certain they don't have detailed information. But did you call just to ask that?]
"No. I'm calling about Scarlett's living situation."
That was enough.
Sylvia thought of ways to persuade him and spoke.
"Yesterday, I visited Scarlett's place, and she was alone, running a fever. She got better after I gave her medicine, but if she gets sick like that again while living alone... who knows what could happen."
[...That happened? She shouldn't get sick... but given her weak condition, it's possible. This is troublesome. What should we do...]
"If you're worried about her living alone, you could find someone to live with her. I know her situation, we're the same gender, and I have an extra room in my house... What do you think?"
A perfect plan where she could help Scarlett, Luke could ease his worries, and Scarlett could live in a better place.
Of course, getting permission was quick.
"By the way, there's one important thing. Don't tell her I suggested this. She might refuse out of stubbornness. We had a bit of an argument yesterday. It's a bit of a lie, but I can't leave her alone. Right?"
Unfortunately, with the landlord and guardian as accomplices, Sylvia's plan couldn't fail.
*
The next day, the rain stopped.
Maybe because the rain had stopped, I felt better and enjoyed a refreshing morning, not even hearing the alarm.
It was the weekend, so I didn't have to go to school. After a leisurely breakfast and some tidying up, I heard someone knock on the door.
"Well... Good morning, Scarlett. How are you feeling?"
When I opened the door, my guardian stood there with an awkward smile.
"...What's going on this early in the morning?"
I tilted my head and asked, and he scratched his head in response.
"Sorry to say this so early, but you need to vacate your room. The landlord says you have to move out..."
Startled by this sudden news, I asked, confused.
"Out of the blue? Why...?"
"Well... The building is too old, and a demolition order has been issued. So, let's pack your things. You don't have much, so it shouldn't take long, right?"
Even so, to tell me something so important on the same day...
I was furious at the landlord's disregard for tenant rights.
"Where am I supposed to go...?"
"I've made some calls. Don't worry, just pack your things. The landlord sent some money as compensation. Have you checked your account?"
After checking the number of zeros in my account, I obediently packed my things.
They say the best treatment for anger management is financial therapy...
After packing a few clothes and essentials into the bag my guardian brought, I got into the car waiting outside.
"Where am I going to stay?"
"......You'll see when we get there."
When I asked if there was a driver, my guardian gave a subtle look and muttered, "Why go this far..."
Where could it be if I'll see when I get there?
As I wondered, the car stopped, and we arrived at our destination.
When I got out of the car, I saw a huge mansion.
"Welcome to the Astra mansion, Miss Scarlett."
And there was Sylvia, smiling brightly.
Stunned by the unexpected situation, I stood there as the car left with my luggage.