hotmtlnovel Chapter 194
Chapter 194
In the early morning, Sylvia woke up with a perplexed expression, sensing that something felt different from usual.
It was quite unusual to feel warmth upon waking up.
As she sat in confusion for a moment, the sound of breathing nearby reminded her that she had gone to bed with Scarlet the night before.
Just that one realization made her chuckle softly, amazed at how waking up could feel so drastically different.
Having been raised as the heir to Astra since childhood, Sylvia had always disliked mornings.
To be precise, she despised the moment of waking up in the morning.
Because of the pressure to live up to her family’s expectations, she hardly remembered the childish behavior of going to bed with her parents, a long-gone memory she could barely recall.
Additionally, since her wake-up time was a tad earlier than others, all that greeted Sylvia upon waking was the chilly air leftover from the night before.
The cold that touched her skin in the morning automatically evoked feelings of loneliness and desolation.
For that reason, Sylvia always busied herself as soon as she woke up, just to erase that feeling.
But today, she didn’t want to do that.
Perhaps it was because she could feel another person’s warmth beside her.
A morning that didn’t feel lonely or desolate upon waking surprised Sylvia, bringing her an inexplicable sense of fulfillment.
She wondered when she might experience such a feeling again if not today.
Thinking like that, instead of keeping up her usual brisk morning routine, Sylvia decided to indulge in this feeling a little longer.
Having already sent a single message to the mansion the day before, just a mere “I’ll be out,” she convinced herself that this was just a bit of charm.
Soon after, she felt a shift beside her accompanied by a soft intake of breath.
Scarlet had woken up.
Realizing this, Sylvia felt a pang of regret at the thought that this moment was coming to an end.
Still wanting to linger even just for a second longer, she pretended to be asleep.
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
Instead of getting up, Scarlet suddenly began to brush her hair while lying next to her.
Sylvia felt a bit flustered at the gentle touch, but quickly regained her composure and continued to feign sleep.
If she realized that she was awake, this rare extension of time would come to an end.
The problem was that maintaining the act of sleeping wasn’t as easy as it seemed.
Scarlet’s touch was stimulating in many ways, and it felt good.
Not in a strange way, but in a real and pure sense.
Since she had been involved in numerous public activities from a young age, Sylvia was sensitive to people’s emotions.
Yet, Scarlet’s touch was filled with consideration, as if worried that the person being touched might feel uncomfortable.@@@@
Thus, with every small gesture, like the way she effortlessly swept Sylvia’s hair back, Sylvia felt the emotions contained within, making her heart flutter unexpectedly.
She was grateful that she managed to maintain her expression.
Had she not, she would have likely broken into a bright smile without even realizing it.
However, at that moment, a crisis emerged.
With a gaze fixed intently on her, Scarlet murmured, “...You’re beautiful.”
The compliment was familiar.
She had heard it so often from others that it was somewhat tiresome.
However, knowing that it was not a mere flattery, but a pure sentiment she felt while looking at her, a peculiar blush mingled with joy surged within Sylvia.
Just as she barely stifled an almost escaped scream, Scarlet landed a final blow.
“Thank you for yesterday. You must be tired, so please sleep a bit longer, princess.”
Thank goodness she left the room right after whispering that.
“Haah... Calling me princess...”
Had it been any other way, Scarlet would have seen her bright red face.
Does that mean Scarlet sees me as a beautiful princess...?
Hiding her blushing face with the covers out of embarrassment, Sylvia buried her face into the pillow.
After wriggling under the blankets for quite a while, squeaking in excitement, she finally managed to calm down when Scarlet called her for breakfast.
*
When told to come and have breakfast, she found a mountain of food on the table—slightly exaggerated, of course.
“...Um, did you really make all this, Lady Scarlet?”
Sylvia could only be taken aback by the extravagant breakfast laid out before her.
“It’s nothing serious; it’s just that I felt yesterday. It seems like you know a lot more about Lady Scarlet than I do. Did she tell you anything about her condition? I’m curious why she chose to confide in you about things she has kept hidden from me.”
This question had been lingering in Sylvia’s mind.
Scarlet had avoided getting closer to her, wishing for her not to struggle later.
Then why was Yoon Si-woo an exception?
Why had she shared things with him that she hadn’t disclosed to her?
What difference was there between her and him?
Her curiosity could hardly be contained.
As she asked, she noticed Yoon Si-woo’s expression hardening.
“Is that really what you want to know?”
“Yes, very much so. It’s hard not to notice. The fact that you’re keeping things from me while you know them. It’s not like you’re treating me differently. Honestly, it made me feel a bit alienated.”
When she complained like this, Yoon Si-woo mumbled in a tone of discomfort.
“It’s a bit difficult to tell you, there are all sorts of things involved. It’s not exactly pleasant news, and besides, the reason Scarlet didn’t tell you like she did yesterday was because she didn’t want to trouble you. Can’t you just let it go this time?”
“...Are you still unable to tell me?”
Sylvia pursed her lips at Yoon Si-woo, who seemed to want to avoid the subject.
Even though she thought they had shared the same boat due to yesterday’s events, it felt like he was still holding back trust towards her.
Feeling displeased, Sylvia murmured to him, pouting.
“Fine. So, to Scarlet, you’re special, huh? I’m a bit envious of how special you are to her.”
“...Envious?”
Yoon Si-woo broke into an incredulous laugh at the word “envious.”
Then, with a bitter smile, he responded.
“From my perspective, there are times when I envy you.”
“...What could you possibly envy about me?”
From Sylvia’s standpoint, that was incomprehensible.
Scarlet must be wholly dependent on him, so how could he have anything to envy about her?
However, seeing Yoon Si-woo’s expression, which looked so weary as he spoke those words...
“You haven’t had to ask Scarlet to kill you.”
Sylvia immediately realized she had made a dreadful mistake.
“...It’s not exactly a good thing to be relied upon by Scarlet. Every time something like yesterday happens, it means that Scarlet is relying entirely on me. She looks at me with those eyes, asking me to stab her heart when it’s time. You have no idea how I feel every time that happens.”
Scarlet had been reliant on him.
Completely, to the extent that she entrusted her life to him.
That’s why she must have shared everything that happened to her with him.
And Yoon Si-woo must have witnessed it.
The gradual deterioration of her condition over time.
What must Yoon Si-woo have felt watching her?
If he had to face the possibility of killing the girl whose heart he cherished...
Surely, she herself wouldn’t be able to endure something like that.
Yet, what had she said to someone like him?
That was not something to envy.
“...I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how you might feel, and I blurted out...”
“...Don’t worry about it. Just remember this, what Scarlet said to you yesterday... Don’t take her words lightly, that she didn’t want to burden you by not telling you. Being close to her might be a bit harder than you think.”
The boy who said that looked so burdened, causing Sylvia to nod silently in reply.
After that, no further conversation passed on the dining table.
In silence, they both continued to shove the remaining food onto their plates.
Sylvia observed Yoon Si-woo, who was eating with his head hung low like someone burdened by something.
Perhaps what weighed down on him was not merely the expectations of countless others but rather the weight of his promise to a single girl.
Reality isn’t as beautifully shining like a fairy tale.
If their story were colored, perhaps it would be the hue of an endless abyss on the edge of a precipice.
After finishing their forced meals, it wasn’t the food that had weighed on Sylvia’s heart the most.
It was this dreadful reality that felt unbearably heavy.