Chapter 231: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 231

She wakes up to sunlight seeping through the curtains.

As she slowly opens her eyes, the familiar ceiling of her room comes into view.

Sylvia, who had been staring at the ceiling with blurry eyes for a while, mumbled absentmindedly to herself.

“Wait, did I come home and fall asleep last night?”

Sylvia felt puzzled as she slowly sat up, unable to recall coming home, despite not having had any alcohol. Grabbing her head, which throbbed with a dull headache, she tried to recall the events of the previous day. Slowly, memories began to resurface.

Yesterday, for sure, she had been called into a meeting with the others...

“What happened with the meeting, again?”

‘...Farewell, Sylvia.’

“Hah!”

Sylvia suddenly recalled the moment just before she had succumbed to a sleep spell, and she gasped in shock.

This wasn’t the time to be lying around.

She had to stop the First Elder, who had left to subjugate Scarlet, as soon as possible...!

As Sylvia quickly rose to her feet, ready to rush out of the room, a voice called out.

“Are you awake, Miss Sylvia?”

Just as she was about to leave, she sensed someone’s presence and saw the servant, Sebastian, entering to greet her with a morning salutation. Sylvia hastily shouted.

“Sebastian! The First Elder—where is my grandfather—?!”

“...Miss.”

At Sebastian’s reply, Sylvia realized.

“The subjugation team has already left.”

It was too late to stop them.

“...! Miss!”

But how could she simply accept that?

Even though she heard Sebastian’s cry from behind, Sylvia dashed out of the room and headed straight for the estate’s exit. Even if the subjugation team had already departed, she thought she might still be able to catch up with them and prevent the worst-case scenario.

However...

“Agh?!”

The moment she stepped outside the estate, she felt a sudden weight on her ankle, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. Surprised, Sylvia looked down at her ankle. A bracelet, which had somehow appeared on her left ankle, was glowing faintly.

“...This is a magical device developed to prevent the escape of prisoners by restricting their movement. If you try to leave the estate, it will become as heavy as a shackle.”

Sebastian’s voice reached Sylvia’s ears as she stared at the bracelet in confusion.

“The First Elder had it prepared before he left, worried that you might attempt something reckless.”

Sebastian, who had come over and helped Sylvia to her feet, explained with a bitter expression. He added while glancing at the guards stationed near the gate.

“Until this matter is resolved, I’m afraid you’ll have to remain quietly within the estate.”

Sylvia’s face twisted in despair as her last hope was taken from her.

* * *

“...Miss, I’ve brought your meal.”

Sylvia, lying on her bed in a daze, overwhelmed by the fact that she hadn’t been able to prevent the worst-case scenario, turned her head slightly to glance at the food Sebastian had brought. The meal on the tray was full of delicious-looking dishes that would have easily tempted her empty stomach, which hadn’t seen any food since yesterday afternoon.

However, for some reason, she didn’t feel hungry at all. Sylvia shook her head slowly, refusing the meal.

“...Take it away. I’m not hungry.”

“You should eat, miss. No matter how hard things are mentally, you must take care of your body.”

Despite her refusal, Sebastian insisted with a firm tone. Sylvia let out a soft, bitter laugh.

“Do I even deserve to eat? Both Lady Scarlet and the First Elder...”

She wanted to lash out and blame herself for putting them in an irreversible situation. But when she saw Sebastian’s worried face, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She remembered something Sebastian had once told her during her etiquette lessons.

You must not hurt others just because you’re sad or upset.

If she said such hurtful things, it would only make Sebastian feel even worse.

Not wanting to see that happen, Sylvia swallowed her sharp words and instead responded quietly.

“...Fine. Leave it here. I’ll eat it if I feel like it.”

Sebastian looked at her with concern for a long moment before bowing and leaving the room.

Alone, Sylvia slowly stood up and walked to the window. She peeked through the curtains and saw guards stationed all around the estate. What was amusing, though, was that they weren’t watching the outside—they were looking inward, toward the estate.

Sylvia couldn’t help but think that the First Elder had been extremely thorough. Not only had he shackled her with that bracelet, but he had also arranged for guards to monitor the estate in case she tried to follow them.

With a bitter chuckle, Sylvia resignedly set the meal on the table and muttered to herself.

“Well, there’s no other way now. I have no choice but to give up. Chasing after the subjugation team was reckless from the start.”

It was impossible from the beginning.

Giving up was the right thing to do.

Even if she set out, she didn’t know where Lady Scarlet or the subjugation team was. It would be pointless to search for them aimlessly. She was simply being stopped from doing something impossible, so there was no reason to feel upset.

“...Let’s just accept it and eat.”

With that, Sylvia put some food into her mouth.

Yes, if she could just accept things, it would be easier.

All she had to do was accept it.

All she had to do was... accept it...

“Sniff... Hicc...”

With a quiet sob, tears spilled from her eyes, falling onto the tray and scattering.

Though she knew accepting it was the right thing to do...

Though her mind understood it...

She just couldn’t.

“...Sebastian will worry about me.”

Because of the sobs and the tears that kept flowing, Sylvia could hardly eat any of the meal, leaving most of it behind.

* * *

“I’m here.”

The place Sylvia headed after skipping her meal was Yoon Si-woo’s room in the estate. She stood by the bed, gazing down at his motionless form, before gently taking his hand and channeling her energy into him.

The starlight flowed through his hand and into his body, but there was no movement or sign of change.

“You will wake up, right...?”

The chances of him waking up were slim.

If she were to look at it from a purely probabilistic perspective, the situation was bleak.

But still, Sylvia spoke to him in a bright voice.

“...Don’t worry. Even if things look hopeless, I’ll do my best for you, Yoon Si-woo. You better be grateful.”

Just like that.

Even if there was only a 1%, or even a 0.1% chance...

As long as there was even a sliver of hope, Sylvia could do her best.

And that’s why, right now, it was so hard for her.

“...Hey, Yoon Si-woo. What should I do?”

Suddenly, Sylvia asked him.

Of course, Yoon Si-woo, lying there, gave no response.

“...I know I have no choice but to accept the situation, but I just can’t. I don’t even know what I want to do. What should I do...?”

Though she knew no answer would come, Sylvia still spoke.

If she didn’t, she felt like she would lose her mind.

“If only... if only there was just a sliver of hope...”

If only there was some sign of hope, she could do something.

But with nothing, no way forward regarding Scarlet, Sylvia spoke in a voice filled with sorrow, as if lamenting, as if begging.

And then...

“...Ah.”

At that moment, a faint light emanated from Yoon Si-woo’s body.

Was it a sign that he was about to wake up?

Sylvia, startled, quickly examined him, but his condition hadn’t changed.

However, she couldn’t help but think that perhaps he had heard her voice.

The faint light revealed a small, white dagger above his body.

It was the same dagger Yoon Si-woo had used to find Scarlet’s location when she was kidnapped.

And that dagger now held the very power Sylvia so desperately needed.

Of course, possessing the dagger didn’t instantly make everything better.

There was still the matter of the shackles on her ankles, and she had no clear way to deal with the guards preventing her escape.

But now, there was a possibility.

A sliver of possibility.

It had appeared.

Momentarily taken aback by the situation, Sylvia looked at Yoon Si-woo and asked.

“...What should I do now?”

No special answer came in response.

The dagger simply hovered in the air, shining as if to offer its strength if she needed it.

And that alone was enough of an answer for her.

The answer was already clear in her heart.

“...Thank you. For lending me your strength. I’ll be going now.”

To claim her own hope, Sylvia gripped the dagger tightly.

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