In front of the mansion, Sylvia's lips were full of smiles as she looked at me.
How can she smile so brightly at me after I treated her like that yesterday?
I don't know what kind of expression I should have right now......
But Sylvia, seemingly oblivious to my feelings, calmly spoke.
“I heard the situation. You don't need to worry about where to stay. There are plenty of empty guest rooms in the mansion. So please, make yourself at home.”
Even though the mansion looked enormous from where I stood, I glanced at it.
The size was far from what I considered "home."
Just standing at the entrance made me feel pressured, and thinking that Sylvia lived there made it hard to breathe.
How can I possibly feel at home in a place like that?
I quickly tried to think of other options if I refused to stay here.
But it seemed there was no other choice if my legal guardian told me to stay here.
While I was deep in thought,
“Sebastian, would you please take Scarlett's luggage?”
“Yes, Miss.”
I was distracted and couldn't stop it.
Sylvia's command made the man called Sebastian take the bag with my school uniform, which felt like a hostage.
“Miss Scarlett, I'll show you to your room,”
Sylvia said with a smile.
To me, it sounded like a threat: if I didn't follow obediently, my uniforms might not survive.
Two intact uniforms and one with a missing left sleeve.
Given the price, that bag likely contained most of my wealth.
With the bag in his hands, I had no choice but to follow. I sighed inwardly and obediently entered the mansion.
*
“Miss Scarlett, you'll be staying here from now on.”
“...Really here?”
“Yes, this is your room. How do you like it?”
I had no idea how to respond to her question about whether I liked it or not.
My first impression was that everything was huge.
The room was several times larger than the one I used to stay in, making me feel uneasy.
The furniture was also oversized, matching the room's size.
Sure, I can accept that.
But isn't that bed a bit too large?
A princess bed with a flowing canopy was placed right in the center of the room.
It was so big that you could play soccer on it, if you exaggerated a bit.
I had always used a single bed, so the sight of this grand bed made me flustered.
It was clearly not made for one person, so I asked,
“...What exactly is that bed? I'm not going to be sharing this room, am I?”
Sylvia shrugged nonchalantly.
“No, it's your room. My bed is the same size, so don't worry. If you think the bed is too big for one person, we can share, you know.”
Sylvia's words sent my mind into overload.
Huh? Share a bed with Sylvia?
My face turned red just thinking about it, and I lowered my head. Sylvia covered her mouth and giggled.
“What are you so embarrassed about? We're both girls, after all. Anyway, it's not lunchtime yet, right? Put your luggage down and let's have lunch first. Sebastian, prepare lunch here.”
When I came to my senses, I was already sitting at the table in the room, cutting the steak that Sebastian had brought.
I realized that even in such a chaotic situation, the food was incredibly delicious.
What kind of meat is this? Is it beef?
Maybe this is what the famous Korean beef tastes like.
But there probably isn't any here.
Sylvia watched me eat with a satisfied look, which made me a bit uncomfortable, so I paused and our eyes met.
Sylvia smiled and said,
“I'm glad the food suits you. By the way, the mansion has a bath. How about we take a bath together later this evening?”
“!!! Cough... A... bath?”
I almost spat out what was in my mouth.
I managed to swallow it, but it was so sudden that I choked a bit.
Sylvia, still smiling, said,
“Yes, the bathing facilities are quite good. I'm sure you'll like them, Miss Scarlett.”
It wasn't a matter of liking or disliking it.
I immediately stopped imagining taking a bath with Sylvia.
I felt like I was losing my mind.
I thought staying in the mansion would lead to trouble, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Well... I'm going out after lunch, so maybe next time for the bath......”
“There's no need for that. You can take a bath when you come back. I'll wait for you, so take your time.”
Sylvia's words about waiting for me were terrifying.
Anyway, it seemed best to leave for now.
Operation: Emergency Escape.
*
As soon as I finished lunch, I rushed outside.
The mansion where Astra lived was in the northern part of the city, in District 3.
Not knowing what was around, I roughly unfolded a map and used a gateway to move to the familiar District 15.
The familiar scenery around me made me feel a bit relieved, but thinking about what Sylvia said made my head spin again.
Feeling confused, I found myself walking to a place I always went to in such situations.
The park I always visited, now strangely familiar.
I sat on a bench and thought about how to get through the day without incident.
Coming in too late would worry Sylvia, so that was out of the question.
But coming in too early would definitely lead to a mixed bath.
Was there any good way out of this?
Time flew by as I pondered.
When I came to my senses, the sun was already setting.
Feeling the time limit approaching, I became anxious but couldn't think of a good solution. Just as I was racking my brain,
“...What are you doing?”
A voice came from in front of me.
I looked up to see Yoon Siwoo standing there with an awkward smile.
His attempt to act normal was so obvious that it was almost funny.
“Just, thinking about something.”
I answered and chuckled, which made Yoon Siwoo's eyes widen in surprise.
Thinking about it, I rarely smiled in front of him.
I suddenly realized how hard I had been struggling to survive, even with my limited lifespan.
But knowing that my end was set made me feel relieved, and I felt a bit more at ease with Yoon Siwoo in front of me.
Maybe it was because of that that I thought it would be okay to lean on him a little.
Yoon Siwoo and Sylvia accepted me despite knowing my past, but I was well aware of how dangerous it was to be associated with a witch.
So, the only people I could honestly ask for help were those two and my guardian.
Among them, the person who could most effectively alleviate my current dilemma was the one standing in front of me.
I usually don't like owing people, but this was a situation I couldn't avoid.
I could pay it back gradually in the future.
If I helped Yoon Siwoo in his fight to save the world, maybe I could pay it back someday.
With that thought, I said to Yoon Siwoo,
“Hey, you said you'd help me if I had any problems, right? Is that still valid?”
Yoon Siwoo, clearly not expecting me to say that, hesitated and then slowly nodded.
“Great. Let's go somewhere no one can hear us. This is a bit sensitive to discuss outside. Is there any place where no one can eavesdrop?”
As I thought, I had an idea when I looked at Yoon Siwoo.
There was a place where no one could eavesdrop and where I could solve the bathing problem.
The first time is always the hardest, but the second time is easier.
I led Yoon Siwoo and moved my feet.
*
Shower sound—
Water splashed in the semi-transparent booth.
Yes, I was taking a shower.
It was a pretty good idea, I thought.
If I washed up outside, Sylvia wouldn't insist I take another bath.
After finishing the shower, I left my hair slightly damp to show that I had washed up.
After changing into new clothes I bought on the way, I opened the door slightly and said,
“You can come in now.”
At the same time, Yoon Siwoo, who had been waiting outside the door, entered the room.
I never knew a person's face could turn so red.
The place Yoon Siwoo and I went to was the motel where we had demonstrated our powers last time.
It was the perfect place where no one could eavesdrop and where I could also take a bath.
I could have gone to Yoon Siwoo's house, but I didn't want to bathe at someone else's house when I was already going to be living with them.
I sat on the bed, tapping the spot next to me, but Yoon Siwoo shook his head frantically and sat on the floor.
Why is he reacting so sensitively? We're not here to do anything bad......
Anyway, before getting to the main topic, there was something I wanted to say to Yoon Siwoo.
“I won't leave you behind. Right?”
“...Huh? Uh? Ah...”
When I said that, Yoon Siwoo's eyes widened, and he started making strange noises like a broken machine.
His already red face turned even redder, as if it might burst.
Finding it somewhat amusing, I chuckled, and Yoon Siwoo lowered his head.
He might not have realized it when he said it, but hearing it from someone else can be embarrassing.
Anyway, I didn't mean to tease him.
Quite the opposite.
I stopped laughing and spoke softly,
“Thank you. For saying that.”
I got off the bed and gently held Yoon Siwoo's hand.
He was trembling with his head down, but his trembling stopped.
When he slowly raised his head, our eyes met.
I smiled slightly at him.
“You stood by me even though you knew everything. That made me really happy. Being associated with a witch isn't a good thing. People will think I'm bad and scary. And to some extent, that's true.”
I will die in three years.
Because of this, I couldn't keep the promise I made to Ms. Eve to not die.
Then I realized something.
The promise to not die was impossible to keep from the beginning.
Because everyone dies eventually.
“Sometimes I hear the witch's voice. It tells me to burn everything. Sometimes I see hallucinations of my body burning. I try 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, thinking about what I should do to keep the promise to not die as much as possible,
I thought that not dying meant living with all my might.
No matter how hard it is, I want to live strongly.
“I want to protect people. That's the way of life I, Scarlett Evandé, want. For the next three years. At the very least, I want to live that way.”
I made this vow in the gym.
Scarlett Evandé also wanted this.
So, I wanted the fear of possibly harming people with my own hands to disappear.
“So, I'm asking you. If, if I'm no longer Scarlett Evandé......”
I know it's too much to ask, but
to Yoon Siwoo,
the strongest person who knows about me,
someone who could block even the witch's power,
I said,
“At that time, please kill me.”
I wanted to live as myself until the end, so I asked him that.
Author's Note
Did the subtitle confuse you?
I just used "If" to mean "if."
The idea of Yoon Siwoo and a motel is more like something you'd see in an "If" story, though.