In the middle of the night, while sitting on the bed and gazing at the stars floating beyond the window, a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and Sylvia, dressed in her pajamas, came into the room.
Her face was slightly flushed, as if she had just taken a bath.
If it were any other time, I might have been flustered by her appearance at such an hour, but the fatigue evident on her face made all such thoughts fly away.
After the incident, she had not been seen for several days even after returning to the mansion. I carefully said to her,
"You, you did a great job......"
Upon hearing this, Sylvia managed a weak smile and walked over to my bed, collapsing onto it and mumbling,
"......Yeah, I've been working really hard. It seems like only you, Miss Scarlett, understand how much I've been struggling......"
Sylvia, who was sprawled out on the bed with her face buried in the pillow, no longer showed the confident demeanor she usually displayed.
She had always shown a strong front to others since childhood, but seeing her vulnerable side now made me feel a bit awkward.
I hid my feelings and gently asked Sylvia,
"......You must be very busy."
"It's not just busy...... Even though the academy is on break, how can they keep me running around from morning till night without a moment's rest...... I barely have time to see you here at the mansion. Sometimes I think the elders in the family believe I have infinite stamina......"
Sylvia grumbled, her face still buried in the pillow.
The academy has been on break for a while after the incident.
Many students lost family members, and the heroes who taught at the academy have various tasks to perform until the city stabilizes.
I heard that Miss Eve has been busy using illusion magic to treat people suffering from depression due to the incident.
Anyway, as the successor of a prestigious family, Sylvia must have been running around to various events these past few days, which is why she looked so exhausted.
Since the academy was on break and I had nothing special to do, I was confined to the mansion, unsure of what to say to her.
According to books, it's best to show empathy in such situations......
Given that she seemed to have some complaints about the family's excessive scheduling, I decided to agree with her.
"That's a bit too much...... Even so, they should give you some time to rest......"
"......Even though it's tough, it's all part of my duties. Listening to people's voices and showing up at events like today's group memorial service. If these things can help people feel a bit more at ease or alleviate their grief, then I think it's something I have to do. That's the mindset I should have as a hero of Astraija......"
"......That's impressive. It's hard, yet you can think like that."
I thought she would vent her frustrations, but her response left me in awe.
Yes, Sylvia was that kind of person.
Despite her tendency to be prickly with people who approached her due to past unpleasant memories, she had the qualities to become a hero.
She was someone who embodied the concept of noblesse oblige.
So, thinking that she might benefit from resting a bit during this time, I gently asked,
"Hey, Sylvia, you're going to be busy tomorrow, right? Shouldn't you go to bed soon?"
"......This is resting."
Sylvia replied, slightly lifting her head from the pillow.
She looked at me for a moment before cautiously asking,
"......Hey, Miss Scarlett. If you really think I'm impressive, can you do one thing for me?"
"A favor? Sure. If it's something I can do."
I owed her a lot, so I wouldn't have a problem with a simple request.
Without hesitation, I answered, and Sylvia seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking in a small voice.
"......Then, could you, um, pat my head......"
"Pat your head?"
When I asked, she blushed and mumbled,
"......Please pat my head and praise me for doing well."
My body stiffened at this unexpected request.
Since childhood, my mother would pat my head and praise me whenever I did something well.
I had always taken this for granted, but during a post-event gathering, after successfully giving a presentation, I absentmindedly patted a junior's head to praise her, only to be severely reprimanded:
"Hey, senior, women are very sensitive about their heads being touched, so please don't do that again."
Since then, I had developed a slight trauma and avoided touching anyone's head, even when praising them.
Meanwhile, I saw Sylvia, her face flushed with anticipation, looking at me.
She must have really wanted praise.
Thinking about how she had grown up, a sudden wave of empathy washed over me.
Sylvia, the successor of a prestigious family.
She must have put in countless efforts since childhood, yet received no praise, only being treated as if it was expected of her as the successor of Astraija.
Poor girl, how much praise must she have craved to act like this.
With this thought, I approached her, knelt beside her, and placed my hand on her head.
I slowly stroked her silky, silver hair, just as my mother used to do for me, and whispered softly in her ear,
"Sylvia, you've worked so hard. You did a great job. You deserve praise. Being able to work this hard makes you a truly remarkable person. I'm sure you'll continue to do well in the future."
At this, she let out a strange cry, "Huh?!" and her face turned bright red as she buried her head back into the pillow.
Shaking in that position, she suddenly started kicking her legs.
"......Hey, Sylvia? Are you okay?"
"Nothing! It's nothing, please continue!"
Seeing her in such a strange state, I asked if she was okay, and Sylvia shook her head vigorously, begging me to continue.
Following her request, I stroked her head and praised her for a few more minutes. When her movements finally stopped, I gently removed my hand and asked,
"......Is this enough?"
"Uh? Yes, yes...... It's enough now......"
With a satisfied voice, Sylvia slowly sat up, her face completely relaxed and wearing a broad smile.
Seeing her so happy, I realized how much she had craved praise.
Thinking that I should do this more often when she asks, Sylvia seemed to regain her composure, took a deep breath, and said,
"......I think this will help me get through the next week."
"Stay strong. You're a remarkable person."
When I said this, Sylvia bowed her head deeply and shuddered as she spoke,
"......P-Please stop. What's so remarkable about me?"
After a moment, she continued,
"......The truly remarkable person is Yoon Siwoo. He's the unprecedented and unparalleled one who graduated early from the academy's first year and was appointed as a full-fledged hero. You should have seen how people cheered when he was appointed."
"I saw it on TV. He was indeed impressive."
I couldn't not watch it after asking him to do it.
I had also advised him to use the Radiant Holy Sword.
While I had intended it to help him, I hadn't expected such a fervent reaction from the crowd.
I had suggested it hoping it would help him forget his grief, but it seemed to have had an even greater impact.
I imagined that Yoon Siwoo's name would be deeply etched in people's minds, just as the brilliance of the light he displayed at the appointment ceremony.
While I was thinking this, Sylvia's voice grew heavy as she recalled something.
"......No matter how hard I try, I can never be that strong, can I?"
She must have been thinking about the night of the incident.
Even if we combined our efforts, Sylvia and I couldn't match Yoon Siwoo.
Even though she knew he was quite strong, it must have been quite a shock.
After all, Yoon Siwoo's strength, which had surpassed the original story, was absurd even for her, a potential heroine.
"......Well, that's true. Lately, while training alone, I can't even gauge how strong he is. But what can we do? We can only do our best within our limits."
In my opinion, that was the only answer.
Doing one's best within one's capabilities.
Even if Yoon Siwoo can't solve everything, there must be roles that others can play, even if they aren't as strong as him.
Sylvia seemed to realize this as well, shaking off her bitter expression and speaking up.
"......You're right. We can only do what we can. By the way, Miss Scarlett, since the academy is on break, you don't have anything special to do, right?"
As she said, I had been idle recently.
While Sylvia was busy running around, I had been training alone in the mansion's training room.
I nodded, and Sylvia smiled.
"Then it's fine. There's something I want to do with you."
Something she wants to do?
When I tilted my head in confusion, Sylvia blushed slightly and said,
"Miss Scarlett, do you like children?"
Faced with the smiling girl asking if I liked children, I couldn't help but nod in a daze.