《To You Who Will Kill Me》


 Chapter 0

    Why is my life like this?


    ¡°Isaac, calm down. Please calm down.¡±


    The front of Isaac¡¯s clothes began to dampen as his blood started to seep through.


    He was only nine years old. I can¡¯t imagine how painful it must be for his small body to be stabbed by a knife.


    ¡°This¡­ what¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay, Isaac. Auntie will protect you.¡±


    Up until ten minutes ago, we were sitting in bed playing board games. Why was Isaac nearly stabbed to death and I am now running away from the killer?


    The murderer, covered in the blood of his employees, mistakenly stabbed Isaac, who opened the door, in the neck. It was an error on his part as the attack was intended for me.


    He was visibly bewildered when he discovered the person he had stabbed was a child. His knife aimed towards the young boy¡¯s neck, way from the original target that is my chest or stomach.


    ¡°Isaac, wait a minute. Auntie¡­ ¡­ Auntie¡­!¡±


    This damn body.


    My heart tightened as I gasped for air. It was a late reaction to frantically running around while carrying a nine-year-old child.


    I was relieved to know that my breathing difficulties weren¡¯t the result of the sudden stress and anxiety.


    I could see the medicine room in the distance. Fortunately, the medical treatment area of the mansion was not far from my room.


    But I couldn¡¯t breathe. I felt like I was suffocating.


    ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡±


    Just another fifty meters to the medicine room, but that fifty meters felt very far.


    I put Isaac down and took out some medicine from my pocket. In the meantime, blood was dripping from his neck.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    I pounded on my chest as I poured the medicine into his mouth. But before he could swallow the pills, a man appeared at the end of the hallway.


    I held Isaac; my heart felt like it was going to explode and my breathing becomes ragged.


    ¡®I¡¯ll protect you.¡¯


    It was an eventful day in the city, so there were no adults in the house, and all the employees were killed by an unknown man.


    Although I am only an 18-year-old girl, who had only been an adult for 11 months, at this moment I was Isaac¡¯s guardian.


    ¡®I just have to hold on until my brothers return, so just a little longer¡­¡¯


    I popped some medicine into my mouth and chewed as I ran.


    Every piece of pottery I threw at the man, the porcelain shards scattered, and dug into the soles of my feet as I tried to escape.


    The marble floor was slippery from the bloody wounds on my feet.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    My feet were so slippery that I stumbled. As I fell forward, I crouched over Isaac to protect him.


    My forehead slammed into the hard floor. I felt like my neck was going to break. I couldn¡¯t pull myself together. A half-dissolved pill popped out of my mouth.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Meanwhile, a shadow fell in front of me. I couldn¡¯t tell if I had blacked out for a moment or if the man had caught up quickly.


    A pair of blue eyes, resembling violets, stared at me. I felt like my legs were going to weaken due to fear. Tears began to flow as I sensed the terrifying atmosphere emanating from the man.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe, I thought I was going to die right then, but I wanted to say it.


    ¡®Help me. Please save Isaac.¡¯


    The man grabbed me by the neck and lifted me up.


    I dropped Isaac helplessly, as I was dangled midair by the man¡¯s massive strength.


    My vision blurred from the tears and the blood pouring down my forehead.


    Was it for money? Or was he sent by the opposing forces of my brothers?


    With my airways restricted, my vision began to fade. As I prayed for the last time, my prayers were answered with the feeling of the blood circulating again.


    I gasped as I was finally able to breathe. Then I unconsciously began to speak.


    ¡°Help me¡­¡±


    It was the first plea I had ever made in my life.


    Who would have predicted such a day would come in Scarlett White¡¯s life? Princess of the White family, who was raised like the most precious flower in a glass greenhouse.


    ¡°Help me. Please save Isaac.¡±


    Because of my arrogant personality, I never realized that a day would come where I would beg for someone¡¯s life.


    My vision was still blurry, but I begged and pleaded.


    ¡°Please save my little one. I don¡¯t care if you kill me, but this child is innocent.¡±


    My lovely nephew, my croissant. (Yes, she means croissant.)


    Just ten minutes ago, we were wrestling over who would roll the dice first¡­


    ¡®¡­ Isaac, I will save you. In any way I can¡­¡¯


    ¡°Not Isaac. Not this child. Kill me. Please, I beg you.¡±


    At that moment, a thunderous sound rang. Someone fired a magic bullet at him. Surprised, the startled man dropped me.


    While the man turned around to see who fired the magic bullet, I frantically grabbed Isaac and ran away.


    I must have sprained my ankle when I fell because every time I put weight on it, I felt like I was about to collapse.


    The situation was both mentally and physically exhausting, as I wasn¡¯t very active outside of playing with my nephew Isaac or Abigail.


    ¡®Finally!¡¯


    I arrived at the medicine room. After placing Isaac on a table, I locked the door, and shoved a chair under the door knob.


    ¡°Isaac, wait for me. Hemostatic¡­Where the hell are you!¡± (Hemostatic agents are used to stop excessive bleeding.)


    I searched through the drawers, and when I bottled labeled as a hemostatic agent, I poured the contents onto Isaac¡¯s neck. Then wrapped his neck with a bandage. Meanwhile, knocking on the door could be heard.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    The gentle knocks gave me goosebumps.


    The rug from the floor of the medicine room was pushed aside and then a tile of marble was lifted. I didn¡¯t know the reason, the only thing I did know was there was a hidden empty space beneath the floor of the medicine room.


    Isaac, with the pale complexion of a corpse, rubbed his dark eyes. Blood was now dripping from the coils of my red curly hair. I kissed Isaac¡¯s forehead and whispered.


    ¡°Isaac, listen carefully. You mustn¡¯t make any noise.¡±


    Isaac pursed his lips to say something.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    My infinitely pitiful nephew. Even in this moment, he was still trying to comfort me. I covered his mouth and whispered.


    ¡°Isaac, make a promise with your auntie. Promise me you¡¯ll stay quiet until your family comes. Understand? Auntie will go out and fetch someone. Hang in there. I love you, my croissant.¡±


    After kissing him, the floor was finally restored to its original state.


    I broke the window with my bare fist. My hands and arms were torn and ragged from the glass that pierced my skin. Regardless, I pulled myself out, paying no mind to the clothing I ripped around my waist in the process.


    I had to make it seem like I had evacuated Isaac. Because the man¡¯s attention must be diverted so he wouldn¡¯t search the room and find Isaac.


    My heart shrunk with every second. The door handle was slippery with blood, so he had a hard time opening the door properly.


    Bang!


    The door flew open. The man¡¯s violet eyes met my gaze. When did violet become such a cruel color? It was an eye color that was rarely seen in humans, so it felt even colder.


    He strode over while I was halfway out of the window and pulled me in by my hair.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    My scream had to be swallowed because If Isaac hears it, he may scream in surprise.


    The man was covered in more blood than before. He must have killed the man who shot the magic bullet.


    ¡°I¡­ what did I do wrong¡­?¡±


    Why are you doing this to me?


    ¡°Just kill me¡­¡±


    The latter words were strangled and could not come out.


    As I dangled in the air by my neck, I punched the man¡¯s arm. But the man did not budge.


    Even during the moment of death, I had only one hope. That I saved Isaac. I hoped the child survived and was rescued safely.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Is this what it feels like, to your death coming while you¡¯re still alive?


    Soon, the real hell began, and I died cruelly, unimaginably horribly at the hands of that man.


    The man stabbed me until I lost my breath. He stabbed me five times then grabbed and threw my body against the wall.


    I died holding in my screams for Isaac. That¡¯s how I died.


    * * * * *


    ¡°Gasp, gasp, gasp!¡±


    As soon as I woke up from the dream, I searched for a tranquilizer and swallowed it without water. The bitter and astringent taste made my head feel numb.


    The bell rang and Marie was called.


    This is how the day began.


    ¡°What the hell did you do! Do I also have to pay attention to the security of this house? Why do I have to wake up every morning trembling with fear!¡±


    ¡°My Lady. Nothing happened last night. Calm down. If you get too excited again-¡±


    Marie quickly rang the bell. The asthma attack that had already started to affect my breathing.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Not being able to breathe is a sensation you can never get used to. With that frightening feeling, I eventually overturned the objects on my side table.


    I didn¡¯t forget to glare at the servants while hunched over. I couldn¡¯t stand their negligence. After struggling with breathing for so long, my body returned to its normal state.


    ¡°Do you want me to die? Do you want the crazy Scarlett White to die so you can be set free? Is that why you¡¯re bothering me like this? Did you call for the doctor late because you were hoping for that?¡±


    My emotional state, which originally fluctuated several times a day, had worsened since returning to the past.


    I died a month before my 19th birthday, but when I opened my eyes, time had reversed.


    Even with my arrival in the past, my memory remained intact, so I couldn¡¯t come to my senses in the aftermath of the murder.


    It was the 100th day of having to take tranquilizers and sleep inducers every day for the anxiety. Or I would wake up crying shortly after falling asleep. My nerves made me feel as if I was relying on a worn-out string while climbing up a cliff.


    Scott visited with good timing.


    As soon as I saw him, a rather old request came forth.


    ¡°Scott. Please find it for me.¡±


    Sweeping a hand over his dry face he looked like he was barely hanging on. As if one touch was all it took for everything to fall apart.


    ¡°Are you taking any medications?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the max dosage. I can¡¯t increase it anymore.¡±


    Scott was my third brother and the twin brother of Isaac¡¯s mother, Susan.


    His intelligence was more accurate than the government. Thanks to his mother being an only child, he inherited military lessons from his mother¡¯s family, the Kravitz. The Kravitz family were known for its generational intelligence power.


    ¡°You have to find him.¡±


    ¡°Will you not tell me who it is?¡±


    ¡°Later. I¡¯ll tell you another time.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s blonde, and he¡¯s a little over 180cm tall¡­ Do you know anything else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, Scott. But I owe him a large debt.¡±


    It¡¯s such a huge debt. Even if I tore his limbs from his body before death, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. That man stabbed me to death five times.


    Scott¡¯s face darkened at the word debt.


    If the White Family owed a debt, it¡¯s obviously not a financial problem, but a personal problem.


    But I didn¡¯t have anyone who could be called a friend, let alone an acquaintance. So, it was natural for him to question my words.


    Nevertheless, he smiled faintly, perhaps thinking that this would bring some excitement into my boring daily life.


    ¡°Oh yeah. By the way, yesterday the house was noisy.¡±


    Scott took out a faded piece of paper from the envelope he brought with him.


    ¡°Isaac¡¯s playmate has been absent due to a family illness. I found Isaac alone, playing with the portraits of the deceased, in the portrait room.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I thought long and hard about whether I should tell you this. But I¡¯m saying this because I thought you should know. Listen carefully before you flip it over and check.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This is a portrait of Ashford.¡±


    The words caused the lines in Scott¡¯s face to deepen.


    ¡®Ashford¡¯


    It was none other than the surname of my father¡¯s mistress.


    She was the woman my father had an affair with while my mother was pregnant with me.


    I grabbed the paper immediately and tried to rip it up, but my hands trembled and I dropped it. When the front of the fallen paper was revealed, I inhaled sharply.


    ¡°This¡­ this is¡­.¡±


    What surprised me the most wasn¡¯t the fact that Julia Ashford was a beautiful woman. I was surprised because her face had an uncanny resemblance to my murderer.


    The violet-eyed murderer who stabbed me five times.


    I was so startled that I grabbed my chest and looked for my medicine. Scott quickly located the medicine and offered it to me.


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    ¡°Breathe. It¡¯s okay. Calm down, Carly.¡± (Scarlet¡¯s nickname)


    Why does that man resemble Julia Ashford so much? Who is he?


    My hands were trembling. My body was limp, the anxiety had sucked the strength out of me. My arms prickled as the hairs stood on end.


    I felt pain in my stomach and chest, I wanted to tear off my clothes and check for wounds.


    What the hell happened? Where did Isaac find such a picture¡­


    ¡°Someone hid that woman¡¯s picture behind her father¡¯s portrait. Carly, listen. It¡¯s all because of her that you¡¯re sick. She insisted that her son, who resembled her, was his son. The shock caused mother to give birth prematurely and as a result, you were born so weak. But according to the information I received recently, that woman is dying.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh my, a son?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she had a son, He¡¯s a year older than you.¡±


    My body shuddered. It was the son of a lover. It was the son who killed me.


    ¡°I will do whatever you want. What do you want me to do?¡±


    Scott¡¯s eyes gleamed black. I took a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    200 days. Time left until I¡¯m murdered. I wanted revenge.


    I knew my father had an affair when my mother was pregnant. However, no one told me that my mother gave birth prematurely after seeing that woman¡¯s one-year-old son, Noah Ashford.


    They only said my mother saw a likeness and thought Noah was my father¡¯s son.


    The fact she gave birth to a child one month prematurely must have shaken my mother. Then she was told that the baby she just birthed would not live long and would die at a young age because it was sickly with a weak heart and lungs.


    That baby was me.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t my father¡¯s son¡­.¡±


    I had to stay calm and take deep breaths after I opened my eyes from traveling back in time. I was constantly ill, all because of Noah and his mother.


    I was killed by Noah Ashford


    * * * * *


    ¡°How dare you¡­¡±


    To kill me in way you did, how dare you!


    Anger coursed through her body, and a burning sensation rose to her face.


    I grew up without my parents because of Julia Ashford. I was told my father never returned to his lover, but my mother still died after suffering from heartache.


    He was also the son of the culprit, who ruined body, family, and life.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t breathe. I gripped his chest and groaned while grabbing Scott¡¯s wrist. Scott brought the medicine to my lips. I chewed the bitter pill without water.


    I wanted to live. I must live. If Noah Ashford was the catalyst at the beginning of my life, I would choose my own death. So, I had to survive.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    I will kill you.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    I will kill you. I will never let you go.


    ¡°The medicine isn¡¯t working.¡±


    Scott quickly took out a syringe from the drawer.


    Why is breathing so difficult for me, but so simple and natural for others? Maybe the world had rejected me because my existence wasn¡¯t welcomed.


    So, Noah Ashford and his mother will pay with their lives for making me this way.


    ¡°Carly. Come on, calm down. It¡¯s okay. Damn it. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have told you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t calm myself down or be okay. But sedatives made it all possible.


    As Scott injected sedatives and relaxants into my forearm, my harsh breathing gradually improved. It didn¡¯t make my heart feel better though.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Scott took advantage of my breathing issues to calmly deal with my emotional turmoil. However, he couldn¡¯t hide his concern as still didn¡¯t appear to be calm. I gasped and spat out anger-filled words.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this now?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Scott asked repeatedly.


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this now?¡± I asked. ¡°You should have told me! Even if everyone else was silent, you should have given me a clue. Why are you making a fool out of me!? Why did you turn me into a stupid doll!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too agitated. I don¡¯t want to give you another shot.¡±


    ¡°Scott!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    Unlike me, who was agitated easily, Scott always managed to remain calm. But his breathing had begun to increase gradually.


    The drugs I was injected with simultaneously began to interact. I welcomed the numbness I felt.


    ¡°¡­ She¡¯s dying?¡± I asked in a slightly hoarse voice.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What about her son?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the part that bothers you. Are you resentful?¡±


    ¡°Is there any reason not to be resentful?¡±


    ¡°Father-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a father.¡±


    Did I even remember my father? Did he hold any other emotion in my heart other than resentment?


    ¡°Who else knows?¡±


    ¡°No one else knows that she is dying.¡±


    Scott¡¯s expensive cufflinks caught my eye.


    It was one of the gifts from Aaron, her second oldest brother in the family. Aaron enjoyed displaying his wealth. The cufflinks, which were adorned with diamonds, were given by him as a congratulatory gift on Scott¡¯s birthday.


    I grew up in such a family. Among brothers who were so full of affection that they didn¡¯t know how to express it normally.


    I felt no affection for my father. Not even once.


    ¡°Find her son.¡±


    ¡°It will be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Scott shrugged his shoulders. ¡°His whereabouts are unclear. One day he disappeared without a trace. I¡¯ve been searching everywhere.¡±


    Scott reached out and stroked my head.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t let me regret telling you the truth.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any complaints about you raising me like a flower in a greenhouse, but I don¡¯t want to be a stupid doll who knows nothing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°A flower in a greenhouse lives a life under protection, but the life of a doll is passive and under the control of an owner with no choice in the matter. So, if you hadn¡¯t told me the truth, I would have died and resented you.¡±


    Scott pondered over the word ¡°flower¡± and how it differed from the word ¡°doll¡±. Then he replied with a smile.


    ¡°Okay. If you continue to stay as pretty as a flower, all the dirt will be on my hands, so just tell me.¡±


    I live under this curse every day and night, but your whereabouts are unknown?


    I want to find that man and make him feel the same pain he caused Isaac to feel.


    That¡¯s how it would be fair.  You deserve revenge. He should be sick and suffer like me.


    ¡°The man¡­¡±


    Noah Ashford¡¯s violet eyes came to mind.


    Then my hands began to prickle, like there was still shards of glass embedded in them. A shiver ran down my spine. That man still terrified me.


    ¡°Give me the information on Noah Ashford. And I need that woman¡¯s surveillance report. Regardless of where he runs and hide, he will still make time to appear in front of his dying mother.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Should I show my face? I didn¡¯t even think of her as a person.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet her.¡±


    Scott frowned. I ignored it and continued speaking.


    ¡°I want to ask her one question before she dies. I want to ask how sweet the affair with a married man was.¡±


    ¡°If Susan finds out, I will be dead.¡± Scott sighed as he rubbed his face.


    ¡°Then I will meet her casually, and then I¡¯ll forgive you. Because I¡¯m just as nice as the main character in a novel. Did you think I¡¯d be like that? Rather, does she not need to pay the price for her sins now? Before she dies, kneeling on her knees will not be enough. Does it make any sense for me to keep still and lie down? You may have forgiven her, but I have not. This is just the beginning!¡±


    ¡°Okay. You¡¯re right¡­ I¡¯ll have you the info by tomorrow. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do, but you have to make sure it doesn¡¯t harm your health.¡±


    Instead of answering, I just smiled.


    I died just before turning nineteen.


    I know my end. In the end, all paths lead to death. So, I could throw everything away.


    * * * * *


    After Scott left, the lawyer, Mr. Smith, arrived as scheduled.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    At my words, Mr. Smith raised his glasses a little puzzled.


    It was then that I realized that I was not in his memory. I met Mr. Smith while I was lying in a hospital bed before I was murdered.


    ¡°I was mistaken for a moment. This is a will I made with Mr. Johnson when I was 14 years old. Unfortunately, he left before me in a train accident.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you would like to edit?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Money was in fact, meaningless to my family. The White family has been wealthy and influential for generations. If my wealth was the water in a bucket, the wealth of my older sisters and brothers was a deep lake.


    ¡°I became an adult a few months ago and inherited a fortune. Sometime in the future, I will build a scholarship foundation under my name. Please put all my inheritance there.¡±


    I continued after confirming that Mr. Smith was taking notes of the request.


    ¡°And I own a lot of real estate, cash, bonds and stocks. If¡­¡±


    I closed my eyes. A disastrous future came to mind. This has nothing to do with murderer Noah Ashford. As I raised my eyelids, I saw Mr. Smith glancing at me with puzzled eyes. I lowered my voice and spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this a top secret between us. Can you swear?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry. I swear to God.¡±


    ¡°If my niece Abigail becomes unwell¡­ She has a physical disability due to a serious medical condition.¡±


    My head was in a throbbing pain.


    Abigail, the only daughter of my eldest brother, John, had suffered from a severe fever. She has trouble walking and was blind. I had caught Abigail¡¯s fever and suffered greatly as well.


    But Abigail¡¯s blindness prevented her from functioning properly.


    ¡°She especially has problems with her eyes¡­ ¡­Natalia has a low level of ethical code in medical magic. I commissioned her research at the Wizard¡¯s Tower. When I die, my eyes will be taken out and stored. As soon as Natalia¡¯s transplant magic research is complete, transplant my eyes. Since I am a family member, there¡¯s a lesser chance of transplant rejection. And I will pay for all the surgery costs.¡±


    Mr. Smith¡¯s face contorted. He shuddered as if he felt disgusted with the idea of ??an eye transplant. At the same time, he began coughing to hide his thoughts, but it was all in vain because I could see through it.


    ¡°I will leave everything related to ships and construction to Isaac. Isaac¡¯s mother, Susan, doesn¡¯t have a villa, so it will be perfectly fine to leave all of my villas to Isaac.¡±


    At that moment, I heard familiar footsteps outside the door.


    I whispered to Mr. Smith to quickly hide the documents, and before the door even opened, I jumped up to greet him.


    ¡°Croissant!¡±


    I ran to the door and held Isaac, my croissant.


    My lovely nephew, who I would miss even if I saw him every day.


    I placed the child on my hip and hugged his little body tightly. I felt relieved once again today with the warmth of the small body. I¡¯m thankful I returned to the past.


    My death is a set circumstance, but Isaac¡¯s death is an event that must be changed no matter what.


    ¡°Croissant. Didn¡¯t you miss Auntie?¡±


    I kissed Isaac¡¯s curly red hair. The croissant giggled and hugged me.


    ¡°Did you enjoy school? Playing with Auntie is the best, right?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Auntie. Stop calling me a croissant.¡±


    ¡°Then what should I call you? Apple pie?¡±


    ¡°Auntie.¡±


    When I saw my lovely nephew, I was convinced that I would kill that man no matter what.


    Susan, who was slowly following behind Isaac, hardened her face when she saw Mr. Smith.


    ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Smith?¡±


    I¡¯m so screwed if Susan found out the reason he was meeting me. So, I pretended as if meeting Mr. Smith was nothing special and asked Susan tactfully.


    ¡°Did you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°He worked hard on Aaron¡¯s lawsuit last time.¡±


    There¡¯s no way the quick-witted Susan didn¡¯t realize the meaning behind Mr. Smith¡¯s visit. So, I decided to use a distraction ploy.


    ¡°Isaac. Do you like small ships or railroads?¡±


    ¡°Me? I like the railroad!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, Isaac will grow up to be a railroad king like Uncle Aaron! In that case, I will hand over the mining rights to Isaac. For Abigail, cash and real estate-¡±


    Susan frowned and interrupted me. She seemed very angry at this situation.


    ¡°What are you doing right now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to do the organizing in advance.¡±


    ¡°You have no need to organize things now. Mr. Smith, I¡¯m sorry that I made you take unnecessary actions in vain. I was planning to see you again soon for a bill of exchange lawsuit, but I didn¡¯t realize we would meet again like this. I will contact you separately on Monday.¡±


    Susan sent Mr. Smith back with no protest from me. Susan is a bigger customer than me, so he didn¡¯t have much of a choice either. Susan was currently the largest shareholder of White Bank.


    It was also strange for me to entrust my will to a lawyer in charge of disputes between companies in the first place.


    ¡°Isaac, I¡¯ll play a card game with you next time. Uncle Scott is home, so go ask him to join you.¡±


    As soon as Isaac disappeared, Susan cried out.


    ¡°Scarlett White! What are you doing!¡±


    ¡°I was contemplating what to give my beloved nephew. What do you mean? Do you not like the railroad? Should I give you land or cash?¡±


    ¡°Even without your money, I have more than enough. Why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not a day that goes by where I don¡¯t cry and get angry for no reason.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me We¡¯re on your side.¡±


    ¡°Are you on my side?¡±


    A lie.


    I didn¡¯t believe Susan¡¯s words. If she was really on my side, then why has she been silent about Noah Ashford?


    A complex feeling of betrayal towards a sister, who I relied on most rushed, over me.


    Then there was a look of annoyance on her face because she didn¡¯t understand my intentions. So, I impulsively told the truth.


    ¡°Noah Ashford killed me.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    I was angry and wanted to say it anyway. She wouldn¡¯t believe he killed me when I¡¯m still alive like this¡­


    That was ridiculous.


    So, I searched for a suitable excuse.


    ¡°Noah Ashford destroyed all possibilities of me living normally. But I almost died without knowing his name. Why didn¡¯t you tell me? How much did you intend to fool me?¡±


    ¡°How did you know? Did Scott tell you?¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter? Regardless of who told me, the most important thing is that you deceived me. I have the right to know. I should have known.¡±


    Noah Ashford hunted me down like a dog as I bled and ran away.


    Do you know what it feels like to have been brutally murdered just a few months ago by the same person who almost caused my death before I was even born? Do you know how miserable it is?


    ¡°What else are you keeping a secret? Would you mind telling me?¡±


    Susan kept her mouth shut and gave me an unknown gaze. I felt an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach because I didn¡¯t understand the implication in those eyes.


    ¡°Since you refuse to say anything, I won¡¯t say anything either.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because it happened before I was even born? Or because I don¡¯t know my mother¡¯s face? Ha, yes. Just as I couldn¡¯t fully understand the situation at the time, you won¡¯t be able to understand me either. What do you know? What do you know about a dying body?¡±


    Instead of attempting to calm me down, Susan kept silent so I could vent my anger. I constantly criticized her. We were thirteen years apart and the only sisters among brothers. So, I felt betrayed since I trusted her so much.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come because I don¡¯t want to see you for a while. And don¡¯t keep an eye on me.¡±


    It was late in the evening when Susan left and the documents from Scott arrived.


    Julia Ashford was a cheap woman from the Kingdom of Cersia who went back and forth between this man and that man as a mistress. She chose my father as her final destination, and the actual father of her son Noah Ashford, remains unknown.


    Noah Ashford was said to resemble his mother from an early age, but she strongly insisted that her son was the blood of the White family. My father also claimed that Noah Ashford was his son. But that¡¯s just a cheap lie for a man in an affair to win a woman¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Disgusting.¡±


    And my mother did not sit still, even though her body was extremely weakened by the premature birth.


    She took all the rights my father had and handed them over to my older brothers, who had just become adults, and prevented Julia from taking a piece of the White Family¡¯s fortune.


    Before my father passed away in a wagon accident, Julia Ashford was living with my father in his mansion in the capital. Afterwards she left the capital and her whereabouts are unknown.


    And now, after some time, she reappeared in front of me.


    * * * * *


    ¡°It¡¯s so dirty.¡±


    To live in a garbage dump in the capital, with streets full of trash and filth, was an appropriate final destination for the mistress of a married man. But it was not the easiest place for to me stay because of her. I closed the carriage window and grumbled at Scott.


    ¡°If I come to a place like this one more time, my lungs will rot. My lungs are too weak to handle this stench.¡±


    There was still no conclusion.


    How can I harass this woman and lure in her son?


    What the hell happened to Noah Ashford that allowed him to escape Scott¡¯s network?


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know the whereabouts of Noah Ashford? You¡¯re not lying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been truthful to you, but you don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a reasonable doubt. There is no truth that is not revealed in Kravitz¡¯s information.¡±


    ¡°We are also a group of people. How can I know everything when I¡¯m not a god?¡±


    Yes. We are all born human, but some grow into beasts while some remain weak human beings.


    ¡°We have arrived. Be careful. It¡¯s a street where you can¡¯t walk alone as a woman, so stay close to me.¡±


    I stepped down from the carriage and was escorted by Scott. It felt strange because it had been a long time since I had walked holding Scott¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve gone back to my childhood days.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s your childhood days, that would be terrible. I hate it twice as much. Seriously, even Abigail and Isaac together weren¡¯t as bad as you. You were so stubborn. Sometimes you would cry and scream¡­ ¡­Ugh, raising you was so difficult, I decided to announce my divorce.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use me as an excuse. Why are you blaming me for failing your first love?¡±


    ¡°But I forgive you since you grew up so well.¡±


    Scott lightly patted me on the back. I was deeply grateful to him for taking such good care of his younger sister when he was only thirteen years old.


    If our father had never committed the affair, could I have grown up under the care of our mother? No, could I have grown up under the protection of my father without my mother?


    When my mother died, John, who was the oldest, was only 21 years old.


    My brothers, sister, and I have been deprived of a proper family. John, Aaron, Susan, Scott, and Andrew. My immature brothers had to grow up unprepared.


    And I was forever deprived of the opportunity to have a decent family.


    ¡°Raising me, wasn¡¯t it difficult?¡±


    ¡°It was hard, but it was doable.¡±


    I looked up at Scott.


    Scott, the tallest man in our family, was one head taller than me. Perhaps because of that, Scott looked like an adult in my eyes as a child. Come to think of it, Scott at that time was a young man with a long way to go before adulthood.


    ¡°We all shared the time, effort, and responsibility it took to raise you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I liked it, too. I received five times more love.¡±


    Scott smiled faintly at my answer.


    In time, 85 Dahlia Street came into view.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going in?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her,¡± Scott answered while pulling candy from his pocket.


    ¡°Carly.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°No matter what you do, I will support you. And whatever you want, I¡¯ll help you get it. Do not forget.¡±


    No matter what form of revenge I took, Scott would support me. This gave me a peace of mind.


    I knocked on the door with a little trembling heart. There was no sign of anyone inside, so I knocked a few more times, and then heard a muffled sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s open. Come on in.¡±


    I knew the sickness in that voice. When you have a lung disease, your voice will often sound like that.


    I opened the rotten black door and went inside.


    It was a dark place where not even a single ray of light could come in properly. It was dark that I struggled to see, but I could tell how dusty it was just from the smell and the stale air.


    ¡°Cough. Cough.¡±


    The woman coughing lit a candle inside and slowly approached. Who uses candles in this day and age?


    She was dressed shabby and looked so unkept that the sight made me nauseated. While it was thrilling to see, it also annoyed me. How could she already be dying in a miserable state without giving me the opportunity to destroy her?


    ¡°Julia Ashford, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Who are you? Are you from City Hall?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±


    I took one step closer to the candle. The swaying flame revealed the woman¡¯s emaciated face. I got goosebumps because her eyes were the same as Noah¡¯s eyes. If I hadn¡¯t been on sedatives, I would have started convulsing right then.


    ¡°Who¡­¡±


    I pulled out a magic stone from my pocket and activated it. Then a bright light glowed brightly, illuminating the dimly lit interior of the house.


    ¡°You¡¯re not an observer. Who¡­? It¡¯s time, right?¡±


    ¡°Red hair is characteristic of the White family. I guess you don¡¯t remember the man you used to roll around with 18 years ago.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Julia Ashford¡¯s disgusting blue eyes shook violently. The wrinkled face revealed the harsh life she had lived.


    My lips were twisted. It was unfair that my life had been swayed by such a meaningless woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m Scarlett White. I¡¯ve grown a lot, right? I thought you would have thought of me every time you looked at your son, but I¡¯m a little sad to find out that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s complexion turned from pale to blue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what my father had, but I know he had a lot of money, but I guess he didn¡¯t give you anything. It¡¯s so funny.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m not just a guest. Scarlett White has arrived; you have to serve me properly or get ready to kneel. But here¡­ ¡­It¡¯s so dirty I can¡¯t even sit down.¡± (I see what she meant by arrogant personality lol!)


    Julia¡¯s body seemed to falter a little, she trembled and struggled to drop a candle at once.


    I approached her and blew out the candle in her hand. I smiled and continued speaking.


    ¡°Careful. There can¡¯t be a fire. My lungs are weak, it¡¯s so hard to bear this stench now.¡±


    ¡°Miss White. Oh my gosh¡­ ¡­I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d already grown this much.¡±


    ¡°Did you think I was going to die? Or did you expect that much?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Seeing that you¡¯re healthy¡­¡±


    ¡°Healthy? Do I look healthy? Ugh!¡±


    Whenever I took a breath, the weight of my body became heavier, as if it was pulling me down to the floor.


    Julia Ashford didn¡¯t understand that I was mad at the fact that our complexions were not much different from each other. We were both sickly.


    ¡®Calm down. Now is not the time to get angry.¡¯


    My first priority was to find Noah Ashford and kill him.


    So, I forcibly suppressed my anger and glanced around the house. It was narrow and dirty. That was the end of my impression.


    ¡°Your son is nowhere to be seen. The youngest son of the White family.¡±


    ¡°He had something to do, so he went out for a while.¡±


    It was obviously a lie.


    It doesn¡¯t make sense for Noah Ashford, who disappeared without a trace, to be somewhere nearby, impossible to locate with the Kravitz¡¯s power.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s too bad. I wanted to see how much he resemble me. Does Noah have red hair too?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. He is blonde.¡±


    ¡°What about the eyes? Are they gray like mine? Or blue like yours?¡±


    ¡°He looks just like me. But Noah is definitely Mr. White¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°¡­What on earth did you want from the White Family that made you approach a man with five children? John¡¯s influence as a senator or nobility? Aaron¡¯s railroad? Susan¡¯s bank? Andrew¡¯s shipping business? Ah, I wasn¡¯t there at the time, so was it the mines? Or cash? Real estate? Well, even a little dust from White shines.¡±


    I was out of breath as I spit out long words without stopping. My heart was pounding with excitement, and I felt a sense of crisis.


    In the midst of my head spinning, the words continued to come forth. I couldn¡¯t stop. Every word I spit out was only a tiny fraction of my searing pain.


    ¡°Miss White. It wasn¡¯t as simple as you know. We really-¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Kravitz¡¯s information revealed that you were pregnant before meeting my father. What did you covet so much that you became my father¡¯s mistress?¡±


    Julia Ashford shook her head, trembling as if she was about to die.


    ¡°¡­He is Mr. White¡¯s son. Mr. White acknowledged it and promised that Noah would be his son. Always.¡±


    Promise? Did my father love this woman so much that he recognized her son as his, even though he knew it wasn¡¯t true?


    I was sick of being the daughter of such a man, and I had the urge to drain all the blood from my body.


    I was impatient and couldn¡¯t stand this situation any longer.


    ¡°Where is your son?¡±


    ¡°Noah went out because he had something to do.¡±


    ¡°Where is he hiding? I know he¡¯s missing.¡±


    Darkness fell on the woman¡¯s face.


    She knows where her son is. And she knew better than anyone that I wasn¡¯t looking for him with good intentions. Nevertheless, she has to tell me.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I will erase your son¡¯s identity. He¡¯ll forever be unable to live as a decent person in this world. And as soon as I find Noah Ashford, I will send him to the northern coal mines as a slave.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±


    ¡°You know, right? The fact that the White family is expanding its power deeply in society, including in the political and financial circles. Dealing with you, it may be embarrassing, but it won¡¯t be difficult.¡±


    It¡¯s really nice to have the power to be cruel.  (TL: Gurl¡­are you a villain? Cuz you sound like a villain lmao)


    I smiled brightly because I was willing to throw him into the gutter with more joy than anyone else.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Julia Ashford kneeled in front of me.


    ¡°Please find Noah. Please!¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Noah is missing. He went out to work five months ago and I haven¡¯t seen him since then. He must have been kidnapped. Miss White, please help me!¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡­.¡±


    Are you lying in reverse to hide Noah?


    But Julia Ashford¡¯s expression was desperate. She crawled on her knees and came up to me and dared to grab my hand. The action was so absurd that I slapped her hand sharply. It was dreadful to touch her skin.


    At the same time, I didn¡¯t take my eyes off her. It wanted to see if she was using a trick to confuse me.


    ¡°Noah Ashford. Where did you hide him?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hide it. Please find Noah. No matter how much I search, I can¡¯t find him. Even going to the Police Department is useless. They say that he¡¯s not a minor, and simply ran away from home¡­¡±


    Julia Ashford began to summarize her story in a fairly logical manner. But her words could not penetrate my anger.


    I was becoming furious. I felt it, that deep-seated hatred swelling from within the darkness inside of me. It doesn¡¯t matter if what she says is true or false. What matters to me is that she¡¯s begging me.


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    How dare you do this to me. How can you look up at me and say such a thing?  How low is that woman¡¯s morals?


    I have suffered from heart disease all my life because of him, how can she ask him to find him?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to curse at me.¡±


    She raised her head, her blue eyes flickering.


    ¡°With the power of Kravitz, you can find Noah. I¡¯m begging you, please. He must have been kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°What do you gain by kidnapping a person who doesn¡¯t have anything?¡±


    ¡°Legally, Noah is recorded as Mr. White¡¯s illegitimate son.¡±


    ¡°The law does not recognize illegitimate children.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Mr. White¡¯s son-¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± I snarled in anger.


    I clenched my teeth and immediately tried to ease my breathing.


    However, I didn¡¯t want to reveal my pain in front of Julia Ashford, so I held back my anger until my fisted hands turned white.


    It¡¯s disgusting. The mother was making a fool out of me and her son had murdered me.


    I grabbed her by the neck and pushed her up against the wall. Tears filled Julia Ashford¡¯s face as she cried and pleaded helplessly.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ ¡­But Noah is Mr. White¡¯s son,¡± her voice was barely a whisper.


    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±


    All my strength drained from out of my shoulders. She was a meaningless woman there was nothing to be angry about.


    Thud. Thud.


    A strong knock could be heard from outside. It was a signal from Scott, who was worried since I hadn¡¯t come out after a while.


    I took a deep breath and released the hand holding her by the neck. I turned away from the eyes shaking with anxiety and grabbed the doorknob.


    But the door opened before I pulled it. I was dazed by the light coming in. I frowned and called for Scott.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. What did you expect? I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    I took Scott¡¯s hand and walked away. It was a long way to the carriage. When I started to stagger from the lack of strength in my body, Scott, carried me on his back.


    ¡°Noah Ashford is missing.¡±


    ¡°He must have run away. There is no hope in that house. The business failed, all he had was debt and illness, as an ambitious man, he would have left the house.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say his grades were abnormally high in school?¡±


    Noah Ashford¡¯s school report card was among the information Scott provided me. (TL: Even his report card?!!) It was written that he was extremely smart and had high academic enthusiasm. He was eager to study.


    ¡°At least you know that he and I are not siblings.¡±


    Because I hated studying.


    Scott frowned slightly at the next words. I was trying to relieve the stiff atmosphere, but it was a failure.


    ¡°Scott. He could be at his father¡¯s house. If your biological father is a powerful person, it might be possible to hide.¡±


    ¡°At least not an influential person.  Kravitz would have found something during the information gathering. But what do you want to do after finding him?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just a second. You didn¡¯t give me any medicine.¡±


    ¡°Medicine?¡±


    ¡°I have to stay alive until my anger has dissipated.¡±


    Like Isaac who bled and almost died in front of me, Julia must bleed to death in front of Noah Ashford.


    I headed back to her house, leaving Scott behind. I was only a hundred meters from Julia¡¯s Ashford¡¯s house.


    I was reluctant to come back in person but wanted to warn her by handing over the medicine myself.


    I am the one who will destroy your life, just as you destroyed other people¡¯s families at will.


    ¡°Noah. Be careful.¡±


    My hand, lifting towards the doorknob, stopped at the sound of a woman¡¯s voice coming from inside. I stopped breathing.


    ¡°They are looking for you.¡±


    ¡°They?¡±


    The low voice, without a doubt, belonged to a man. The man¡¯s voice was younger and healthier than Julia Ashford.


    The disgrace of being deceived intensified my rage. I can¡¯t believe she knelt and begged for such a lie.


    ¡°Noah. Don¡¯t come here anymore. They don¡¯t know where you are. I think changing your identity worked.¡±


    ¡°Did they come and act violent? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened. How fortunate it was that they came while you were next door for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°Who came? Was it the eldest of the White family?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­was an employee. Nothing really happened, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Why are you hiding me?


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    I covered my mouth. The voice of the man belonged to Noah Ashford.


    I wanted to call Scott right away to capture Noah Ashford and make screams come out of Julia¡¯s mouth. My stomach was twisted with pain.


    ¡®Hold on. Now is not the time.¡¯


    At the most appropriate time, I will erase that name as if it never existed in this world. And before they die, they will taste hell on earth.


    ¡°How is your body?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s much better. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re skinnier than me. Are you having a hard time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m still growing taller. The work is worth doing.¡±


    My heart was pounding at the sound of soft words. I was suffocating due to the tension in my stomach.


    ¡°Prepare well for the entrance exam-¡±


    The speech was interrupted. I also shared secret words often, so I could tell they were conscious of this. I stood right in front of the door. Scott was not far away, so there is nothing to worry about.


    Soon the door opened, and the woman appeared.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­Not yet¡­ ¡­You didn¡¯t leave.¡±


    After confirming I was still at the door, Julia¡¯s complexion turned pale in an instant. I noticed that her eyes trembled unsteadily, even biting her dry lips with her teeth.


    Just a few steps away was the one who killed me. I pretended to be okay by giving strength to my shaky hands.


    ¡°I forgot something.¡±


    I took a small medicine bag and threw it at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s medicine. Let¡¯s see each other again.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from looking around behind her. Without realizing it, my body visibly shrank, and I lowered my eyes.


    The sensation of being stabbed five times came to mind. Tears welled up in my eyes at the horrible feeling that I couldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Miss. White?¡±


    I lifted my eyes and glared at the woman who had committed an unforgivable sin. I clenched my jaws tightly, emphasizing each word.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t die.¡±


    Because the hell I go to when I die is not hell for me. (Basically, right now living is hell for her and far worse than the actual Hell.)


    * * * * * * *


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about attending Iodes.¡± (Name of university)


    That evening, my family had different reactions to my bombshell remarks.


    Susan was concerned that it would be too much for my health, and Scott, who gathered the information I asked for, smiled calmly. My sister-in law, Amanda, jumped in to say no, and Aaron¡­


    ¡°Haha. I wanted to go to college too. I¡¯ll just give you one of my foundations, so don¡¯t worry about the admission.¡±


    I was proud of the wealthiest of my brothers. If my other brothers were present, their reaction would have been the same.


    ¡°Is Auntie going to school too? With me?¡±


    ¡°Isaac, Auntie will go to another school. If I go there, I can¡¯t play with Isaac as much anymore. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Even when this child turns 20, or becomes a grandfather, he will still be a small and precious child in my eyes.


    Tears welled up as I remembered the courage of this child, who tried to comfort me while bleeding from the cut on his neck.


    ¡°Oh my God, Carly. Not being able to go to college isn¡¯t anything to cry over.¡±


    I usually screamed and shouted when I got upset, I didn¡¯t cry often, so Susan rushed to my side in panic.


    Since I already had tears in my eyes, I decided to use it to my advantage.


    ¡°I¡¯m now over eighteen years old. I want to go to college at least once. It¡¯s only one semester. Why do you think I¡¯m creating the Scarlet White Foundation? Since I can¡¯t fully attend college, I¡¯m trying to live vicariously through others.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Aaron groaned as if he was troubled and asked cautiously.


    ¡°Iodes is a top 1% school. How are you going to get in?¡±


    ¡°There is a donation admission.¡±


    In fact, the administrative preparations had already been completed, and my admission to Iodes was decided. Now I was simply notifying my family of my decision. How hard it was to prepare quietly without Scott knowing.


    ¡°It¡¯s only one semester. I¡¯ll quit right when the semester is over.¡±


    One semester is enough time to kill Noah Ashford.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a light matter. This may give John issues as a senator.¡±


    ¡°It was never a light matter for me either. It¡¯s something I want to accomplish before I die.¡±


    ¡°Carly!¡±


    Scott had good sense to cover Isaac¡¯s ears. He was speechless.


    ¡°No one knows when or how my health will deteriorate. Even a small illness could be fatal to me.¡±


    ¡°So, you shouldn¡¯t go to places where there are more people.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s the meaning of living if I stay at home? You can¡¯t find any value in a life by only surviving.¡±


    Amanda patted Susan. Scott¡¯s face darkened. Aaron crossed his arms with a serious expression, and Susan looked like she would burst into tears at any moment. Only Isaac welcomed the decision with a faint smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Auntie was always bored at home! When you go to school, you play ball and secretly eat snacks with your friends, right? I agree!¡±


    ¡°Sure, apple pie. Auntie has a lot to do at school. I¡¯m only going to do fun things with you.¡±


    In the end, two days later, I obtained permission from all my family members.


    The preparations were done quickly. I decided to live at a nearby villa during the three days of class at Iodes and spend Fridays and weekends with my family.


    * * * * * *


    When I arrived at Iodes, a designated student helper was waiting for me.


    It was a system where students of the same grade assisted students with disabilities like me, all day in exchange for a special scholarship.


    My student helper seemed a little nervous, his tanned, healthy-looking complexion had become pale. He must have waited outside for a long time because I didn¡¯t show up for the entrance ceremony. It didn¡¯t matter. I did it on purpose.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ ¡­Scarlett White.¡±


    The low voice I heard in Julia Ashford¡¯s house resonated in my ears. Contrary to his expression, there were no signs of nervousness in his voice.


    I was actually the one who was nervous. If I hadn¡¯t taken a sedative beforehand, I would have collapsed from shortness of breath right away.


    After disappearing like smoke, Noah Ashford reappeared with a new identity. His new identity was someone my age, who died long ago, but was still alive on paper.


    And that name was¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s Theo Grisham.¡±


    The moment I met Noah Ashford¡¯s violet eyes; my heart froze.


    I couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just killing him.


    It was time to contemplate a more terrible revenge.


    Every night, those wretched violet eyes stared back at me as he murdered me. I was stabbed five times as I pleaded while struggling to breathe.


    ¡®Please save Isaac.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t know if Isaac survived or not.


    It was unimaginable for me, a human being, was able to return to the past. So, I imagine that my future death would happen as it did in the past.


    Would Isaac survive and become an adult in a world without me?


    ¡®Wake up.¡¯


    The important thing is how breathtakingly difficult it was to meet Noah Ashford¡¯s eyes. The sharp eyes of the murderer who tried to kill Isaac was here, right in front of me.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    My voice trembled. Stupid Scarlett White!


    The moment I put money in the dean¡¯s pocket, he was arranged to be my student helper, but I pretended not to know.


    ¡°¡­Are you, my helper?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll always be with you while you¡¯re at school. I heard you¡¯re not feeling very well. Is there anything I should be careful about?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡­¡±


    I think you¡¯re the one who needs to be careful.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay out in the sun for more than ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was so bad. You don¡¯t look so good. Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    His eyes and facial expressions were completely different from what I had seen in my dreams. The word ¡®hunting¡¯ didn¡¯t suit the man in front of me. Even so, it seemed that the strength in my legs would crumble from making eye contact. After taking a steady breath, I barely responded.


    ¡°Give me the schedule for the first class.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Here you go. The first class is Introduction to Economics.¡±


    He held out the paper to me. The movement reminded me of a figure wielding a knife, I flinched instinctively. Tears welled up before I realized it.


    Will you kill me again this time? If so, will I get stabbed again? Will it be possible to keep up this act?


    I stumbled as my body trembled in fear. Noah Ashford caught me, and I cried out in surprise. He was startled and released his hold immediately.


    ¡°Are you okay? Do you need a doctor-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I know my body well!¡±


    ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re in a lot of pain. I am here for that.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Is that so, Theo? Do you have anything else to say?¡±


    His blonde hair glimmered brilliantly in the sunlight. At first glance, he seemed to have no reason to kill me.


    But his copper-toned, healthy skin told him that he was spending quite a bit of time outdoors and in need of quite a bit of money.


    Was it because of money? Why on earth¡­


    Noah hesitated for a moment before replying.


    ¡°¡­Nice to meet you?¡±


    Would we be happy to see each other? As my head became numb, courage I didn¡¯t know I had sprung up. Maybe the medicine is starting to work now.


    Noah didn¡¯t blink an eye at my sarcasm. Just kept silent with a closed mouth. When I didn¡¯t say anything, he spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a table. Class will start soon. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Noah took the lead. Walking alongside I thought to myself.


    ¡®You have to be firm. If I fail, Isaac dies too. Let¡¯s kill him first. Then everything is fine.¡¯


    I won¡¯t be stabbed to death five times again.


    I fiddled with the magic bullet for self-defense in my pocket. It was a magic bullet specially made in the shape of a pen by Scott.


    ¡°Is there any reason why you decided to major in economics?¡± he asked. I deflected and responded with my own question.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    Countless newspaper articles made several assumptions about the admission of the youngest member of the White family, who wasn¡¯t the subject to rumors or frequent any social circles, would attend Iodes. It was speculated that I was trying to take full action in management like my brothers and sisters and had their own expectations as to what field I would enter.


    But my goal was to keep an eye on him and get rid of him at the right time, there was no other reason.


    ¡°Because economics are fun,¡± Noah answered in a cynical way as he opened the classroom door.


    Then dozens of pairs of eyes focused on me.


    ¡°Theo, this way,¡± beckoned a man sitting in the front row, who seemed to be acquainted with him.


    I immediately took a step back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t sit in the front row.¡±


    I found a seat in the far corner and sat down. It was exhausting enough just to come by horse-drawn carriage.


    In the midst of this, Noah tried to take the seat next to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sit next to me until class time!¡±


    The sound of my heart rang in my ears. My hands shook subtly. He seemed to blush slightly out of embarrassment and then asked with a stiff face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just a little nervous today.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take some more sedatives?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it, so don¡¯t be presumptuous.¡±


    Eventually he sat down next to me.


    My heart was pounding, and my chest tightened. All my nerves were focused on the person sitting next to me, and I couldn¡¯t focus on anything. The memory of being killed was repeated in my head dozens of times.


    Even after swallowing a sedative, I still couldn¡¯t calm myself down. As my body trembled, he cautiously called.


    ¡°White?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Do you have medicine in your bag?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    It was bearable.


    John, Aaron, Susan, Scott, Andrew, Abigail, and Isaac.


    I recalled the names of my family members in my head. As I remembered the faces of my loved ones, I felt more at ease. However, when I saw the murderer with a worried face, I wondered how weak I was to receive this kind of attention and became angry with myself.


    Meanwhile, the professor came in and the class began. Professor Diego called each student one by one and checked their faces.


    ¡°Scarlett White. Oh, if you were that White, you would be the sister of Aaron White.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s one of my older brothers.¡±


    ¡°He was a great student. I still think Aaron would achieve amazing results if he continued his economic research. It¡¯s a pity that I missed out on the corporate research.¡±


    Aaron didn¡¯t like Professor Diego. He said Professor Diego, a foreigner, often discriminated against students based on class due to his strong sense of identity. He swept a hand over his white beard and looked at me intently.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Aaron had such a young sister.¡±


    The White family had no security before our generation. My mother and father were quite the reputable lovebirds, so Alex White¡¯s affair decorated the capital buzz at the time.


    Little was known about her mother¡¯s premature birth, but given my age, I guess there was reason for curiosity. But instead of addressing it, I turned the topic around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send your regards to Aaron.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. And tell him that the wine I received as a gift last Thanksgiving was very good. By the way, I heard you¡¯re not in good health. Are you okay?¡± (TL: why is this professor telling her business to the entire class??)


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Noah Ashford was scanning a book while Professor Diego was preoccupied with me. Even in the midst of this, I was twisted with anger as I watched him tensely.


    ¡°Thankfully someone who knows me, applied to help. I was lucky.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a helper.¡±


    Noah raised his head. A look of embarrassment flashed across his face for a moment.


    Our eyes met and I forced a smile. Professor Diego¡¯s gaze turned to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Theo¡­ ¡­Grisham. There seems to be a misunderstanding, but Miss White and I don¡¯t know each other-¡±


    ¡°You are the top student!¡± Professor Diego exclaimed. ¡°What is your relationship with Miss White?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my childhood friend,¡± I answered in his stead.


    I think it would be better to say that we are childhood friends rather than strangers in order to get sympathy or the others will cause us all kinds of trouble in the future. If we¡¯ve known each other for a long time, there won¡¯t be much gossip.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never heard of the Grisham family name¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a family that will make a name for itself.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. That¡¯s true too.¡±


    Professor Diego continued taking count of each student in attendance without inquiring more about Theo Grisham. He seemed to think that Noah¡¯s interaction with the White family was for personal gain.


    Professor Diego took a long time to judge his students before starting his class. Throughout the class, the eyes of some students were on me. Curiosity wasn¡¯t the only emotion contained within those gazes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have Miss White read the next paragraph.¡±


    As I searched through the passages to find our place, Noah spoke up.


    ¡°Professor, Miss White seems to be not feeling well because today is the first day of class. So, as a helper, may I, read it for her?¡±


    ¡°Oh, then let¡¯s do that. It¡¯s nice to see you help as an old friend,¡± he smiled awkwardly.


    I was ashamed to receive help from Noah Ashford. While moving to the next classroom after class, I spoke to Noah again.


    ¡°Your help earlier was unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Really? It looked like you needed it.¡±


    It was a cynical tone. That tone was annoying. It seemed like he was bothered by my lie, but it was he who bothered me. Even before I met Noah Ashford, my life was swayed by just his existence, so was lying such a big deal?


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help,¡± I retorted. I was furious so my fear was forgotten in the moment.


    ¡°Then I should quit being your helper.¡±


    What kind of guts is this again? He was trying to appear calm, just as I was trying to force myself to relax in front of him.


    From what I investigated; he needed a lot of money. He had a lot of debt and had to pay for living expenses and medicine for his mother. A spiteful laugh flowed out.


    ¡°You need the money. Can you afford to quit?¡±


    His eyebrows rose. I asked again.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you apply for help because you needed money?¡±


    ¡°Right. But I don¡¯t need-¡±


    ¡°The need is for me, not you. You just need to lift your feet and stay by my side.¡±


    ¡°I am a helper, not a servant.¡±


    As if the sentenced was shaped with pride, his shining eyes turned to me. I gave him an emotionless smile.


    I took a step closer to him while struggling to resist myself from trembling. The closer I got, the more his eyes appeared blue.


    But weren¡¯t Noah Ashford¡¯s eyes violet? The color was different from the dream. But I didn¡¯t give it much thought because it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. As I get older, my eyes often change color. And in the past my vision was obscured by blood as I was being chased.


    ¡°What¡¯s so bad about being a servant? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re being forced to live as a slave.¡±


    His eyebrows twitched.


    ¡°Did you do a background check on me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason not to.¡±


    ¡°I will formally report this to the school. This is something that can¡¯t be overlooked.¡±


    ¡°No. You can¡¯t.¡± I grabbed Noah¡¯s arm as he was about to walk away from me. I felt a chill travel up my arm.


    ¡°You owe me a debt.¡±


    ¡®You owe it just by existing. Your mother committed the original sin. If that wasn¡¯t enough you also killed me.¡¯


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    I had a good idea. A very good way to get proper revenge.


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­ ¡­Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°I am dying because of you and your mother; how can I not know you?¡±


    The corners of my lips went up. His face hardened in an instant, and his eyes filled with darkness as he had not heard something he thought he would ever hear.


    ¡°I missed you a lot.¡±


    Andrew often told Scott: ¡®Forgiveness is the best revenge.¡¯


    But I don¡¯t believe that. So, I won¡¯t forgive you. I¡¯ll just pretend to forgive and give you everything, then take it back and throw it in the gutter. After that, you can die just like me.


    You¡¯ll beg me not to kill your mother, like I beg you not to kill Isaac.


    I will make you wait only for the moment when you run out of breath, howling in a pool of your mother¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    I will kill you and fall into hell, after I remove you with these hands.


    ¡°Noah Ashford.¡±


    I will live in the same hell as you.


    ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± I murmured and moved to the classroom for the next class.


    I am the one who should be embarrassed.


    When I checked the timetable, the next class was World History, and then a liberal arts class. Noah, who had been nailed to the spot behind me, chased after me.


    ¡°How do you¡­¡±


    Looking at the pale complexion and the wrinkles on his forehead, I thought I was approaching a little fairness now.


    ¡°Why did you appear before us?¡±


    Noah Ashford, who had a stubborn and proud impression, really resembled that woman. She had eyes that didn¡¯t seem to be easily broken and a beautiful appearance.


    Objectively, Noah Ashford was quite handsome. His cool and friendly atmosphere was something that girls my age would especially like. But to me, who was murdered by him, his coolness came across as unnerving. A man with such a face and eyes killed me.


    ¡°I was curious about the person who caused my body to be like this, why? It¡¯s classroom 1303, it¡¯s right here.¡±


    I opened the door and went in. I sat in a seat where there was no place for Noah to sit next to me.


    Dark blue eyes stared at me. Ignoring his gaze, I greeted the boy sitting next to me.


    ¡°Hi. Isn¡¯t the weather really nice?¡±


    ¡°It will be autumn soon. I¡¯m Wilhelm Hoffmann.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Hiebergan name. I think you have the accent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you speak Hiebergan?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Wilhelm¡¯s eyes widened. I swept my thick hair over my shoulder and burst out laughing.


    ¡°It¡¯s Scarlett White. If there¡¯s a White you¡¯ve ever heard of, I¡¯m that White.¡±


    Wilhelm Hoffmann laughed as if my words were funny.


    ¡°I bought the textbooks in advance. Would you like to look at them together?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    When I glanced sideways, Noah was sitting nearby flipping through a book. Occasionally, our eyes would meet. I pretended to be relaxed and smiled faintly.


    The control must be on my side. And I was in the beginning stage of that.


    * * * * * *


    After class was over, it was lunch time.


    Wilhelm and I found one thing in common: we were both the youngest in a family with many brothers and had no interest in business. Also, Wilhelm was not fluent in the language here, but I knew the native language of Wilhelm¡¯s homeland, Hieberg.


    That means we could have been pretty good friends.


    ¡°Since Hieberg is far away, it is not often that people come to Wieland to study abroad. I never thought I would meet someone who knew the language of Hieberg in Wieland.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because my nanny was from Hieberg.¡±


    ¡°Really? My nanny was a Whiplander.¡± (TL: I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what that means!)


    It was a muffled remark, but that little sympathy narrowed the distance towards Wilhelm.


    The world outside my home was special to me, who had no friends and thought only of family as everything in the world. The first friend I met there, Wilhelm, might be a little more special than I thought. Because I never assumed I¡¯d venture out into the world.


    ¡°But who was that? He was glancing at you all throughout the lecture.¡±


    ¡°My helper, Theo Grisham. Theo, say hello. This is Wilhelm Hoffmann.¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t spare Wilhelm a single glance.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­Look at me,¡± Noah said


    ¡°It¡¯s lunch time. I can¡¯t skip meals even because of my medication.¡±


    Wilhelm and I walked pass Noah Ashford.


    Noah grabbed my arm and made eye contact. The deep blue colored eyes resembling the sea and sky made me flinch away without realizing it. Wilhelm struck Noah¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite rude.¡±


    Hieberg, where Wilhelm lived, was an allied country with small territories. And the Hoffman estate resided within a clear class system. It was natural for him to say something to him.


    ¡°This is between the two of us. It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    My body trembled with a terrifying sensation, as if I had placed my arm between the teeth of a beast. That memory of being hunted overlapped. The memory where I held Isaac and ran away with blood dripping from my feet was clear. His friendliness was terrifying. It was unbearably scary.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are? Who do you think you¡­¡±


    Who are you to make me break like this?


    Noah Ashford¡¯s cheek was slapped.


    My mind, body, and soul were caught up in the afterimage of the past and I was struggling inside.


    It was a quagmire, an eternal darkness from which there was no escape.


    Oh, my god Please have mercy on me.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    Wilhelm held me back. My heart was beating fast. My chest tightened and I quickly became breathless. I shoved Wilhelm away and shouted fiercely.


    ¡°Get off!¡±


    I search my bag for the sedatives with trembling hands. Noah hastily took out the medicine from my bag. I grabbed my chest as I chewed the bitter pill. Numerous eyes were directed this way. It was so shameful to show this side of me.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡±


    I made an excuse, but Wilhelm¡¯s startled gaze turned his head. Just imagining what those people seeing me for the first time would think of this made my lips ache.


    Ordinary people wanted one of two things from me. Influence of the White family or money.


    A sincere heart was not worth much to them. But they couldn¡¯t stand my ferocious temper and anxiety, so they left me alone.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t try to befriend them. There is no warmth to give to those who had no sincerity. So, I couldn¡¯t even befriend Wilhelm.


    After all, the Hoffman family would have no regrets, there was nothing to gain by being by my side.


    I didn¡¯t want to be touched by the murderer, but there was no other way. I was so miserable that I bit my lips harshly.


    ¡°You, Theo Grisham. Help me.¡±


    Noah quickly grabbed me as if he had been waiting. My body was frozen by the intense tension and fear that I had to endure all morning. He moved me without any struggle.


    He found an empty classroom and sat me in a suitable place.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Do I look okay to you?¡±


    In order not to be discouraged, I deliberately straightened my back and stared straight into his eyes.


    Noah Ashford had an upright posture, stubborn eyes, and an atmosphere that would never be broken by anyone. Perhaps that¡¯s why, no matter how deeply I glared at him with eyes full of hatred, it never reaches the depths of his heart.


    It felt like a sense of defeat, and tears threatened to fall.


    When I opened my eyes wide and bit my lip to hold back my tears, he handed him his handkerchief in embarrassment.


    ¡°I do not need it.¡±


    Noah chose to stay silent and tapped the floor of the classroom with the nose of his shoe. But I decided to break the silence first.


    ¡°Do you feel sorry for me?¡±


    There is nothing more miserable than being pitied by someone like you.


    ¡°I feel sorry for you. And for the poor person whose identity you¡¯ve saddled with mountains of debt. Hmph. Such trash.¡± (Still Scarlett)


    Noah¡¯s lips were dry, and wrinkles deepened on his forehead.


    Between regret and shame, wounded pride, and guilt, I couldn¡¯t figure out what to do.


    But to me, it was too ridiculous. Someone who can make a face like that, murdered me so cruelly. Slashing Isaac, slaughtering the servants¡­


    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sorry? Are you just shy? Or are you afraid? What am I going to do about your identities?¡±


    ¡°Why are you in front of me¡­ ¡­No, why in Iodes¡­¡±


    ¡°Say it correctly! What do you want to ask?¡±


    I tried to speak as calmly as possible while pressing down my boiling anger, but a hysterical tone came out.


    Noah took a deep breath and collected his emotions. When he spoke, his voice had a more relaxed tone.


    ¡°Is this why you came to Iodes? No way.¡±


    ¡°Did I come to see you? There are dozens of ways to make you kneel down at my feet, so why would I have come all the way here with a body like this?¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­¡±


    It hurt my pride to say that I had come to monitor Noah Ashford with my own eyes. I took a deep breath and pretended as if nothing was amiss.


    ¡°As soon as you saw me, you should have gotten down on your knees first. What are you doing? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re unaware? What your mother has done with my father.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know¡­ ¡­I¡¯m ashamed.¡±


    Noah hung his head in shame. Sweeping the bright blonde hair, he spoke as if he was in pain.


    ¡°What should I do to make your heart¡­ ¡­Damn it.¡±


    Noah Ashford didn¡¯t appear to be the same person as the murderer who killed me. It made me so angry. It¡¯s absurd for him to feel guilty about his mother¡¯s actions and his existence, and not kneel in front of me begging for forgiveness.


    ¡°Beg.¡±


    Noah Ashford raised his head and looked at me.


    ¡°Plead for forgiveness for the sins of your mother who gave birth to you. Otherwise, I will erase you from this world. I have the power to do that.¡±


    ¡°Will that make you feel better? Will it comfort you?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what? I won¡¯t last more than a year.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Thank to you, I have a serious condition that started from birth. It¡¯s all because my mother gave birth to me prematurely. And the reason for that was because of your mother¡¯s affair. Oh, it¡¯s not just her fault. You can¡¯t really deny your appearance or your mother¡¯s sins. So, let¡¯s say you¡¯re also half responsible for this dying body.¡±


    A complex emotion flashed across his face. Seeing his face full of pain, it was hard to pinpoint why it made me feel so nauseous.


    ¡°Get me some water. I feel sick because I took the medicine on an empty stomach.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Just a moment.¡±


    While Noah went out, I found more tranquilizers in my bag and took them.


    Tonight, I think I¡¯ll be killed ten or a hundred times in my dreams before Marie wakes me up.


    Soon he bought back water and simple bread. I set aside the cheap bread and wet my mouth with the water.


    I slowly opened my mouth to the man who was standing in front of me like a sinner.


    ¡°Listen. You have two options.¡±


    Die now and or die later.


    ¡°Will you become a slave and live like a dog, or will you receive my forgiveness and take responsibility?¡±


    Forgiveness? Take responsibility?


    I laughed at myself for spouting such nonsense.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you would do that. Being forgiven is something I¡¯ve never thought about. Will that make you feel better?¡±


    ¡°You are my half-brother.¡±


    ¡°We really¡­ ¡­Do you really think we¡¯re half-siblings?¡±


    ¡°Did you not ask your father?¡±


    ¡°Mr. White just said I was his son.¡±


    What kind of life did my father lead? To be called ¡°Mr. White¡± by the adopted son he abandoned his own children for.


    ¡°You are my brother. I found something while rummaging through my mother¡¯s belongings. A letter recognizing you as your father¡¯s son.¡±


    Scott brought it out the day I met Julia Ashford. I¡¯ve kept it a secret so far because I was shocked, but I think there¡¯s a limit to keeping it a secret.


    I hate to admit it, but we were siblings.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you look like your mother. How disgusting it would have been if you had resembled my father. I would have dealt with nausea every time I saw your face while accepting that we shared the same blood. Now, decide. Will you become a slave and live like a dog, or will you pay for your sins by my side until the day I die?¡±


    Choose. Whatever it is, your end is already decided.

 Chapter 1.1

    Chapter 1. The humble beast


    Noah Ashford understood his situation well.


    He was an illegitimate child. The result of a dirty, prohibited act in Wieland, someone who is guilty of almost killing somebody without even knowing it


    He had grown up and knew his own plight, so Noah knew why Scarlett had come the moment she recognized him.


    ¡°Did you think forgiveness would be easy?¡±


    Forgiveness. The more the word came out his mouth, the more his tongue froze from the weight of it.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes were full of cold, burning anger. She asked Noah to attend her 24 hours a day, and Noah responded to Scarlett¡¯s request:


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m willing.¡¯


    ¡®I wonder if I can be forgiven this way.¡¯


    Scarlett White¡¯s health was worse than he thought. The rumors that she was ill due to poor health seemed to be true.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll make you uncomfortable. If I stay by your side all day¡­ I think it will be harder on you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see whether it will be hard for me or for you. And the villa I live in is a mansion with 24 rooms. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give you the top attic, so I don¡¯t see your face.¡±


    Noah¡¯s face was strangely distorted. He felt hopeless trying to understand Scarlett.


    The carriage rolled smoothly along the pavement. Scarlett didn¡¯t take her eyes off the window and Noah only stared down at the floor of the carriage.


    No matter how hard life is, time always passes. So, he had to accept the hardships of the world in order to move forward. Therefore, Noah could endure this much suffering in order to relieve the deep-rooted guilt he had towards Scarlett.


    No, compared to what he¡¯s been through, this is just like pebbles by the roadside


    ¡®What will happen in the future?¡¯


    I thought it would be a little better if I lived as Theo Grisham, but it wasn¡¯t.


    At the very least, he wanted to finish his studies, but that depended on Scarlett¡¯s mood. She didn¡¯t care about his future. She was dying and her sickness could be seen on her face. For such a person, the life of a wretched person was not more important than an enemy.


    Scarlett warned Noah as she sorted her thoughts in silence.


    ¡°You better not think about trying to harm me. The will has already been written and the villa is full of professional bodyguards and employees. You can be a faithful servant by my side. You can bring what I tell you to bring and throw everything else away.¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t want anything from the White family. He had no intention of threatening Scarlett. He just wanted to relieve some of her anger by staying by her side. Although the series of events weren¡¯t caused by his actions, it was true that his mother¡¯s sins also were his, and that she was hurt just by his existence.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m going to ask you to do? Are you going to silently obey it all?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you ask me to do.¡±


    ¡°What if I ask you to kill someone?¡±


    ¡°Will your anger be relieved then? Will there still be revenge?¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t want to commit a crime. It wasn¡¯t because it was morally wrong, but because it¡¯s clear that it will create a scarlet letter in his life and cause him to get caught up in the past again and again.


    ¡°Then what do you think you should do? What do you think will soothe my anger?¡±


    Noah couldn¡¯t bear to say what he thought.


    He was afraid Scarlett might make it a reality at all costs if he said he would have to give up his life.


    He did in fact want to pay for his sins, but he didn¡¯t want to give up everything. That was something he couldn¡¯t do.


    He was very attached to his life and is full of ambition to be successful in the future. So, he could give Scarlett a part of his time, but he couldn¡¯t give her his very existence.


    After hesitating, Noah finally answered.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t forgive. I¡¯ll do this only for you.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? For me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to say it was because they were family as the White Family was far removed from his life. Since he had lived under the shadow of the White family all his life, he was also resentful of the White family.


    However, on the first day in Iodes, the moment he saw Scarlet¡¯s deathly pale complexion, Noah realized what his mother had done.


    Scarlett looked so fragile, as if she would break if slightly touched. And he must have contributed to her suffering in some way.


    ¡°We¡¯re half-siblings.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re my brother So I¡¯m trying to forgive you. If I die, my death and your existence will surely become the seeds of strife. So, I have to forgive you. Get off now because we¡¯re here.¡±


    The carriage stopped. Noah swore it was the first time he had seen such a place in the capital.


    Beyond the gigantic lawn and garden, stood a majestic mansion that resembled a castle. The wealth of the White Family, who called such a mansion a villa, rubbed him the wrong way.


    ¡°My Lady, you¡¯re early. Are you sick?¡±


    A woman dressed as a maid quickly approached. The woman examining Scarlett¡¯s complexion, paused after catching sight of Noah, who was standing behind Scarlett.


    ¡°Does he look like Julia Ashford?¡±


    ¡°My Lady! How can you bring him here!?!¡±


    ¡°This villa belongs to me. Whoever I bring into my house is my business.¡±


    ¡°What if other people find out?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I filled it with new employees. Even if my brothers and sister find out, it¡¯s my business, not theirs.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I feel tired. I want to go in and rest. Wake me up when dinner is ready. I¡¯ll give him the attic to use.¡±


    Scarlett left Noah with her maid, Marie, and went into her room. As soon as Scarlett¡¯s shadow disappeared, Marie muttered.


    ¡°How can you bring such a vulgar lineage into your home¡­¡±


    Forgiveness.


    It was essential to the life of Noah Ashford. Many curses were heard from those who knew about the scandal in the ¡®Ashford¡¯ castle.


    So, if he receives forgiveness from her, something may change. At the very least, his sense of debt will be relieved, and at the most, his life will be different.


    He wanted to change his life. He didn¡¯t want to remain as a lower-class citizen at the bottom of society. Yes, it was a lie that she didn¡¯t have to forgive him. He needed that forgiveness more than anything else.


    ¡°Wieland does not recognize illegitimate children. So, if you¡¯re seeking status, you better give up.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am. All I want is for Scarlett to feel at ease.¡±


    Wieland did not recognize illegitimate children. Wieland often erases the existence of illegitimate children. The consequence of being a sin born against the will of God. In particular, Noah Ashford was the illegitimate child of a woman who behaved like a prostitute seeking money.


    ¡®A guy like you should have been wallowing in a pigsty for the rest of his life!¡¯


    One of his childhood friends found out that Noah was an illegitimate son and expressed disgust.


    Noah lived with the shame of that day. It was a feeling that couldn¡¯t be described in a few words. It was a shame that deeply unsettled him.


    ¡°Hmph! Follow me.¡±


    As Scarlett said, Noah was given the attic, which was very spacious. It wasn¡¯t long before the servants brought luggage from Noah¡¯s house. By the time he unpacked his belongings, it was dinner time.


    Around that time, a tearing scream was heard from downstairs. It was Scarlett¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Does that make sense?¡±


    A sharp cracking sound was heard. There were shards of broken glass on the floor. Marie was staring at Scarlet with a completely different expression than when she was dealing with Noah.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same capital, so why can¡¯t he come here? He¡¯s a doctor! Bring him here!! Bring him no matter the cost!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s elderly, it¡¯s too difficult for him to come back and forth. Calm down, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I can calm down? What if I fall down? The young guy here is a pure quack. Are you sure he¡¯s really a doctor?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a well-known doctor. Please, My Lady, please don¡¯t fall down again!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? Do you want me to die!?¡± Scarlett began to hyperventilate.


    ¡°No, My Lady!¡±


    Noah quickly found Scarlett¡¯s bag, retrieved the medicine, and pushed the pills into her mouth. After swallowing her pills, her asthma symptoms went away. Marie helped Scarlett to her feet and led her into the room.


    ¡°You there. Please follow me.¡±


    At Marie¡¯s words, Noah stepped into Scarlett¡¯s room. Scarlett¡¯s room was as colorful as her red hair. The bed with a large canopy was particularly impressive.


    Scarlett was lying prone on her bed. She opened her mouth, staring only at the ceiling of her bed, without sparing Noah a single glance.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I asked how you felt.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    In the past, his existence alone almost killed an innocent child, and now his existence drove that child into hell.


    Scarlett was Noah¡¯s past and present. Her hold on Noah¡¯s present was a threat to his future.


    ¡°I will tell you what to do. There should be a book on the side table. Read it aloud until I fall asleep.¡±


    A faint look of embarrassment crossed Noah¡¯s face as he read the title.


    The book Scarlett spoke of was a storybook for young children. From the look of the printing method, it had to be at least 30 years old.


    ¡°What are you doing? Read it.¡±


    Noah opened the book. He cleared his throat and began to read.


    ¡°¡­This marvelous and mysterious adventure took place a long time ago.¡±


    A calm but powerful voice filled Scarlett¡¯s room.


    It was as calm as Scarlett¡¯s excitement and as calm as Noah¡¯s undulating emotions. But before long, Scarlett intervened.


    ¡°Read it livelier.¡±


    ¡°Because Louisa couldn¡¯t misunderstand Daniel¡¯s words¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®misunderstand¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®understand¡¯. You can at least read the text.¡±


    ¡®Why do I have to read a book that she has already memorized, especially one meant for children?¡¯


    Scarlett seemed to be having a hard time just being in the same room with him.


    In Noah¡¯s eyes, Scarlett wasn¡¯t a very reasonable person. She looked stubborn but weak and wasn¡¯t even rational enough to overcome strong emotions.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand, so read it again,¡± she demanded.


    Scarlett was as fiery as her red hair. A flame that would extinguish if there was nothing left to burn¡­


    A fire that turns everything into dust and disappears, making its form unrecognizable.


    Noah had seen many people like Scarlett in the slums. They all met a similar end.


    If her ending was a tragedy, it would be because of him. Then he would be stuck in the past, struggling forever.


    He didn¡¯t like that very much. Noah wanted to move forward.


    Therefore, Noah read sincerely. He even imitated a theatrical actor to add the vitality Scarlett wished for. He stopped her reading when he heard a faint choking and wheezing sound from Scarlett¡¯s breathing.


    ¡°Why did you stop? My mind is still awake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought you were sleeping.¡±


    ¡°If I fall asleep, you¡¯ll know.¡±


    ¡°¡­How?¡±


    Her pale lips formed a sly smirk. With her eyes closed, Scarlett laid motionless under the blankets. Her blazing red hair was the only way he could identify her presence.


    ¡°Just read it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ furious, Louisa huffed and asked. Why should I have to go on an adventure with Daniel? I¡­¡±


    The story continued. As the evening passed and hunger subsided, it became night.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t sleep until then. She occasionally held her pillow and sighed a little or tossed and turned to change her position.


    In the meantime, Noah read until his voice grew hoarse. Then the first volume of ¡®The Adventures of Daniel and Louisa¡¯, ended and closed the book.


    Scarlett, who had an exhausted expression, sat up helplessly. She rummaged through the narrow drawers of the nightstand, pulled out her pills, and swallowed them.


    ¡°Do you know why I asked you to read that book?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a book you read when you were younger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a book my older sister and brothers took turns reading to me when I was younger.¡±


    Her curly hair flowed down her shoulders. Scarlett¡¯s eyes focused on the old book.


    ¡°Before I was born, John said our mother and father read this book to him before bed. But I didn¡¯t have either parent, so my brothers read it to me. Today, you¡¯re my father¡¯s substitute.¡±


    Noah realized that Scarlett¡¯s eyes were gray like ashes. She was burned and now only ashes remain. A gray color supported by evil.


    Having him substitute the parents stolen from her was truly a terrible revenge.


    Noah had a gut feeling that the end of this story would be tragic.


    Noah¡¯s mother, Julia Ashford, had an unusual candor.


    ¡®Noah. It is clear that you are Mr. White¡¯s son. No one can shake this fact.¡¯


    That fact may not be important to the governments. But Julia Ashford was particularly obsessed with this fact. Then, after Mr. White¡¯s death, she desperately went back and forth between this man and that man. She thought she had found a man to settle down with and she failed each time.


    ¡®You deserve protection under a strong man.¡¯


    Was it because Wieland didn¡¯t recognize her illegitimate child, or was she afraid of the White Family?


    Whatever it was, Noah felt lonely in that empty house due to his mother, who went back and forth.


    It had the feeling of love, but it didn¡¯t take the proper form of love. That¡¯s how Julia Ashford¡¯s maternal love was thus explained.


    * * * * * *


    Noah thought about Scarlett all night.


    Scarlett had no parents and was raised by her siblings. He grew up neglected by his mother, but he questioned who was unluckier, and vaguely imagined their future lives.


    After a sleepless night, the morning came. Noah filled his stomach with the dry bread and milk that someone had left in front of his door.


    When it was time to go to Iodes, Scarlett visited Noah.


    ¡°Your clothes are always ugly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°After class, let¡¯s go buy some new clothes. You¡¯re a member of the White family, it¡¯s unacceptable to wear clothes like that. And Marie, be careful with your mouth.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Have a safe trip.¡±


    A carriage arrived at the door. Scarlett proudly climbed up first, followed by Noah, who sat on the other side. As the carriage sped forward, the mansion faded into the distance. Then she opened her mouth.


    ¡°What kind of person was your father?¡±


    ¡°He was a good person.¡±


    ¡°How? Where? Wasn¡¯t he just good to you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. But what¡¯s clear is that Mr. White¡­ He was very sweet.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. It was so sweet that it was a mask. ¡®I¡¯m just having an affair¡¯.¡±


    He thought of Scarlett¡¯s age when she scoffed. The two were only one year apart.


    Noah had stolen Scarlett¡¯s father, but Scarlett had a higher social standing. Of course, Mr. White was also Noah¡¯s father, but the two came from different backgrounds.


    ¡°When I was young, I thought John was my father. John replaced my father. No, John, Aaron, and Scott were all my fathers. But I don¡¯t know how similar they looked to my real father. I¡¯ve never really seen my father properly.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ My memories of Mr. White are hazy, too.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to say that this isn¡¯t your fault? No, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t answer, I¡¯m tired and I need to sleep.¡±


    Scarlett crossed her arms and laid down deep in the sofa. Noah remained silent while alternating his gazes between the scenery outside the window and Scarlett. Her brothers and sister must pity her as much as she is pitied for herself.


    Because he understood her deep feelings, he would bear the weight of the original sin, swallow his words, and act as she pleases.


    Noah recalled the murmurs of the employees he heard in the hallway yesterday.


    ¡®I heard the rumors, but she must be out of her mind.¡¯


    ¡®Shh. Quiet. It¡¯s forbidden to talk about those things in this house. That¡¯s why you get paid three times the normal salary.¡¯


    ¡®No matter how much you are dying, it¡¯s too much. Who can handle that temper? Every word she says has a thorn in it.¡¯


    ¡®No way. Scarlett White makes me think it¡¯s better to live as a healthy poor person than to live with a lot of money.¡¯


    The servants sympathized with Scarlett, ridiculed her, and used her as a tool to comfort themselves. It was very pitiful. And Noah thought he may also have sympathy for Scarlett.


    ¡°¡­No¡­¡±


    Scarlett talked in her sleep quietly. She seemed to be in a bit of pain as she dreamed. Only then did he realize what Scarlett meant by him being able to recognize when she fell asleep.


    As soon as Noah tried to wake Scarlett up, the carriage stopped. They had arrived at Iodes. Scarlett reacted instinctively and opened her eyes as he drew near.  She clutched her chest and scrutinized her surroundings with a terrified expression.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Reluctantly, Noah exited the carriage alone.


    He headed to the Economics Department building. Upon entering the classroom, the students gathered by the window stared at Noah. Edwin whistled and shouted.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you two were riding the White¡¯s carriage together!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Everyone has the same eyes.¡±


    Edwin praised Noah for his handsome looks, saying Noah knew what to do, while others chimed in, arguing that Noah intentionally became Scarlett¡¯s helper.


    Their teasing ended only after Noah gave a serious warning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that. It is a great insult to tie me up with White.¡±


    ¡°More than that, Grisham. Someone is looking for you at the school gate.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Well. He didn¡¯t look like a good person. Be careful.¡±


    Oh no.


    Noah¡¯s mother loved her son in a strange way, but she wanted to ensure his safety even at the risk of her life. She must have caught his tail the last time he went to her house.


    But this was bound to happen. Throughout his class, Noah devised a number of measures to solve this problem. However, when the situation occurred, everything was in vain. As he was heading to his next class, a familiar voice called out to him.


    ¡°Theo Grisham.¡±


    It was a loan shark with a mustache and a cut over his eye that called out to Noah.


    ¡°Gosh. I didn¡¯t expect it, but I hoped I was right.¡±


    ¡°You were alive.¡±


    After Mr. White¡¯s death, Julia Ashford, obsessed with the idea that his children might kill her son, purchased expensive security gear. His mother said that her home was stocked with magical self-defense items from Natalia, the magical powerhouse, and she sometimes invested directly.


    Her struggles and efforts were in vain, and her investment came back in debt, and she came back. She disposed of all of her fortune she owned, but the loan shark¡¯s interest wasn¡¯t easy to pay off.


    ¡°It¡¯s this wretched bastard. He should have sent us a letter if he was alive.¡±


    They tapped Noah and continued.


    ¡°We almost paid a visit to your incompetent mother. You know your mom, right? What an idiot she is.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±


    ¡°You have to answer, Theo. No, now that you¡¯re an adult, it¡¯s Mr. Grisham,¡± one loan shark said while the others laughed.


    ¡°Grisham¡­ Who is that?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Just some acquaintances, Edwin, you go first.¡±


    Noah thought it was fortunate that Scarlett had gone to the infirmary on the pretext of not feeling well.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Noah led the loan sharks to the back of the school. As soon as they arrived in a sparsely populated area, he was grabbed by the collar.


    ¡°You have grown taller, Noah Ashford. It means that you have been thinking a great deal about how incompetent your mother is and whether you should continue with this project because you have not been able to receive a penny.¡±


    ¡°You mean you did that to me and then went to visit your mother?¡±


    ¡°Then? How much debt is left in your name?¡±


    ¡°Ha. Debt? Don¡¯t say such nonsense. I don¡¯t have any more debt, I have no reason to pay it back, and no money to pay it back.¡±


    Noah¡¯s voice grew harsh. The loan shark, who had shoved Noah against the wall, squeezed his neck and growled.


    ¡°You really will have to die to come to your senses. Do you want to die? Yes, even that useless body should be sold to repay the debt.¡±


    ¡°Philip, you have to say it right. You can be sold as a slave even without knowing it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already sold me without telling me. How much did you get from selling me? If I had done that, the interest would have at least been paid,¡± Noah said as pushed the man who had a hold of his neck.


    He couldn¡¯t hide his anger because he was still a bit angry that he had been sold into slavery in the past. The loan sharks cackled as if they found Noah¡¯s anger funny.


    ¡°How much does it cost to sell a bastard like you? An old mother or a son with no bloodline, doesn¡¯t make sense anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ha. It¡¯s been a long time since I paid back the principal, you f**king trash bastards. If it¡¯s so unfair, file a lawsuit.¡±


    ¡°This bastard!¡±


    One of the loan sharks punched Noah in the stomach. Noah grabbed his stomach and bent over.


    ¡°Hey, if you keep messing with me, you could be in big trouble.¡±


    Noah, who seized the arm that was holding his neck, clenched his teeth and spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s settle this according to the law. Which is the bigger crime? Trying to sell an innocent person into slavery or falsifying your identity?¡±


    ¡°Crazy punk!¡±


    His fists flew towards Noah and there was a popping sound. Noah slumped to the ground, spitting out blood. Scarlett appeared in the direction he turned his head. Noah¡¯s eyes widened. But he quickly turned his head, pretending not to see her.


    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±


    Noah, who cursed, looked like a completely different person from the calm and docile figure he had shown Scarlett. He didn¡¯t show any sense of guilt, and he didn¡¯t have the restraint to be courteous.


    Scarlett, who came to find Noah after hearing he was meeting suspicious people, stood at a distance, and watched Noah get beaten.


    Wilhelm, who came looking for Scarlett, found them and ran to stop them.


    ¡°Stop it. Stop.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh, a young master who doesn¡¯t know anything is here.¡±


    ¡°Do not interfere, Hoffman. This is my business.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that, young master? Our debtor says don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    Meanwhile, something in Scarlett¡¯s eyes stimulated Noah. Maybe it was her sarcastic attitude. His pride was wounded, and his stomach was in pain. He bit the inside of his cheek harshly.


    ¡®Why am I living such a pathetic life?¡¯


    This was not what he wanted. It was unbearably upsetting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. I can take a leave of absence, but a life like yours¡­¡±


    Noah chuckled and smiled. The madness of the world was shrouded in the smile of the man who was driven to the ground by the weight of his life.


    ¡°Crazy bastard. Do you want to be sold to Natalia as a human subject? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Sell me. You dogs. ¡±


    The low voice was as bleak as the atmosphere of a graveyard. Goosebumps climbed up his arms.


    ¡°Grisham!¡± Hoffman exclaimed.


    ¡°Because I have nothing more to lose-¡±


    ¡°That debt, I will pay it.¡±


    Scarlett intervened between them. She didn¡¯t seem to find it surprising or interesting.


    Approaching with her expressionless face, she took the ring from her hand and threw it at the loan sharks. The ring flew through the air and was caught by their blunt hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s a deposit.¡±


    ¡°Did you come all the way to a prestigious school to seduce a rich girl?¡±


    ¡°Shut your vulgar mouth. How much is the total?¡±


    Scarlett took her wallet from her pocket and threw checks in their faces. The bundle of checks fluttered like petals as they fell to the ground.


    The inside of his cheek burst open, and he tasted blood. Noah¡¯s blood was like the essence of the world.


    A wild world of eating, killing, and dying, it was survival of the fittest and he was at the pyramid. No matter how low the bottom of the pyramid was, there was still pride.


    And Noah was a man of particular pride.


    ¡°What you need to care about-¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Noah Ashford.¡±


    Scarlett glared at the loan sharks and spoke.


    ¡°I paid Noah Ashford¡¯s debt. Bring the paperwork. You bastards.¡±


    When the loan sharks, who were frowning, exchanged glances when they saw the amount on the checks.  They hurriedly took the check. A sly smile appeared on their faces.


    Scarlett was so arrogant that she took it as a great insult to be in the same space as a loan shark.


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    ¡°Our debtor has a good friend.¡±


    Among them, the bearded loan shark pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and threw it at Noah¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Thank you for using our services. Sir. If you¡¯re ever in urgent need of money, please use our services anytime.¡±


    The loan sharks laughed loudly as they left. As soon as they disappeared, Scarlett slapped Noah¡¯s cheek. The slap echoed through the vacant lot. Wilhelm¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Is this the only way you know how to live? Why did I have to deal with that trash because of you?¡±


    Noah stubbornly clenched his lips together and fixed his gaze on the ground. Noah looked very miserable because his pride was hurt.


    ¡°First of all,¡­ Let¡¯s go somewhere else and talk.¡±


    Wilhelm proposed to Noah and Scarlett as he searched for a suitable empty classroom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go buy some snacks. You two¡­ ¡­ Just talk, okay.¡±


    He had also heard of the ¡®Castle of Ashford¡¯. It was thanks to Scarlett appearing at Iodes, that the rumors about the past scandal spread.


    As soon as Wilhelm disappeared, Scarlett spoke up.


    ¡°Is this all you owe? Tell me if there¡¯s more.¡±


    ¡°I will pay you back gradually.¡±


    ¡°Will you pay me back after I die? Do you think you can pay me back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to go get your money back.¡±


    ¡°You are declaring that you will be sold into slavery. Before I die, you have to pay for your sins and be forgiven. No, you have to be patient until I can forgive you.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡®I feel a lot of pity for you, but I don¡¯t want to be complacent.¡¯


    The words that climbed up to his throat were swallowed down the moment he saw Scarlett¡¯s pale lips. Cold gray eyes stared at Noah.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? ¡°She asked.


    ¡°Why did you pay off my debt?¡±


    ¡°Is it wrong to reach out in the first place? Don¡¯t you think doing evil acts because you have regrets is the same as looking at people with black and white logic?¡±


    ¡°But it was too much money.¡±


    And Scarlett was a person who deserved to see herself in black and white.


    ¡°For you, it probably is. When Wilhelm arrives, tell him that I headed to the classroom first.¡±


    Scarlett passed Noah with a look of displeasure as if she was offended. Not long after, Wilhelm returned. Noah looked at him and shrugged.


    ¡°Keep it a secret, please.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Wilhelm said no more. He didn¡¯t ask anything. Noah stood still, swallowing a sigh, while trying to figure out what to say.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to class. It must have already started.¡±


    ¡°Just a second.¡±


    Noah¡¯s deep blue eyes carefully examined Wilhelm. There was not a single sign of evil in Wilhelm¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m Scarlett¡¯s friend. I¡¯m prepared to be silent about whatever happens between you two.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    * * * * * * *


    The events occurred behind the building, but it seemed that there was someone watching the three by chance.


    Perhaps because the detailed conversation wasn¡¯t heard, Noah was labeled as a ¡°problematic student being chased by a loan shark¡± and became an insecure person on campus.


    Bullying started from trivial things.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sit there. I hate having you around.¡±


    Scarlett hated Noah being in a position where he could watch her from behind. In addition, she said that she was reluctant to draw the professor¡¯s attention because of having an honor student sitting next to her.


    When the students saw Scarlett¡¯s attitude towards Noah, they realized she had ill feelings towards him and began to sympathize with her behavior.


    Scarlett was the youngest and most beloved in the White family, the most respected family in Wieland. She had everything including wealth, fame, and power.


    So, it was only natural for them to try and please and get her attention.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s the son of a prostitute or a courtesan.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Grisham! You said you¡¯d do anything for money? I¡¯ll give you 10 million bergs. Will you lick my toes?¡± (TL: Eww wtf, beat his a** Noah!)


    Noah, who grew up in the slums, was accustomed to this kind of insult. Because there were lots of sewers, worse things happened. Scarlett had an unreadable expression when she heard their insults, but she didn¡¯t take any special action. But Wilhelm was different.


    ¡°Stop it. Your words and actions are so vulgar.¡±


    ¡°Where the hell did you learn the Wieland language?  So now you can use words that your people couldn¡¯t use a hundred years ago?¡±


    The war of words continued. About the time the fist-fighting atmosphere was forming, Scarlett stepped out.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    In a few words, the commotion was settled. With that, both Noah and Wilhelm realized the enormous influence the White family had on Wieland. Railroads, mines, banks, mines, armaments and even parliament. There were few places where the White family had not infiltrated.


    Meanwhile, Wilhelm was furious. Scarlett, who leads a school life with the help of Theo Grisham, caused a scandal against him and wouldn¡¯t come forward to clear the air. The more Wilhelm thought about it, the meaner Scarlett appeared to him..


    It wasn¡¯t right. The least Scarlett could do was the bare minimum for Theo Grisham.


    Not only was her behavior not justifiable, but it went against his values. Above all, she showed no respect or gratitude towards her helper.


    ¡°No matter how bad you are, it¡¯s cowardly to stand still when Grisham is insulted like that. Everyone treats Grisham badly because you ignore him.¡±


    ¡°Those who treat him like that are wrong. I introduced him as my childhood friend, so they should line up to show off to him, he should be standing proudly. If he¡¯s still being treated like that, then there¡¯s something wrong with Theo,¡± Scarlett stated in an uninterested tone.


    ¡°And it¡¯s his responsibility to quell the half-truth and half-false rumors that he was hit by the loan sharks with extra debt.¡±


    ¡°Because it looks like you gave in with money.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    Wilhelm kept his mouth shut as he was disgusted with her arrogant attitude and languid gaze.


    Then Scarlett¡¯s eyes showed a flicker of emotion. But she pressed her pale lips together and turned away from Wilhelm.


    Theo Grisham. No, Noah Ashford was a line she could never yield.


    Unable to stand it Wilhelm raised his voice.


    ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s your half-brother!¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re family just because we have the same blood? If you don¡¯t know anything, shut up and get out!¡±


    A fire flared in Scarlett¡¯s gray eyes. She went to find Noah in her fussiness. He was eating a meal of cheap sandwiches at the Iodes¡¯ cafeteria.


    Scarlett made sure that Wilhelm was following her, and before she approached Noah. Then she opened her bottle of milk and poured it on Noah¡¯s head.


    ¡°Look Carefully. This is what cowardly looks like.  Even if I do this, he won¡¯t say anything to me.¡±


    ¡°You really!¡±


    Wilhelm quickly took out his handkerchief and wiped the milk. Noah raised her hand to gesture that it was okay. Then he handed the handkerchief he had received from Wilhelm to Scarlett.


    ¡°There¡¯s milk on your skirt.¡±


    Scarlett took her handkerchief as if it was natural and wiped the hem of her skirt. The gap between them was clear. Wilhelm could not contain his astonishment.


    ¡°I think I misunderstood you. If I had known you were such a cruel person, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten close to you.¡±


    ¡°Your friendship is not needed.¡±


    Scarlett pretended not to hear anything else and left the cafeteria. She then returned to her home, not her villa, where she left Noah.


    The White Mansion, where her brothers could not be seen, felt very lonely. The silence that filled the large space was even emptier. It was the deepest emotion that resided in Scarlett¡¯s heart. A feeling of emptiness that could not be filled by anything was now combined with fear as she prepared for death alone.


    She was afraid that she might be killed. And of death itself.


    As she had just entered the house, she ran into Susan, who had come out to drink her tea for a while working from home. Susan approached Scarlett and asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the time you attend classes?¡±


    ¡°I came because I missed Isaac.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s taking a nap. What about classes?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you ask me how I¡¯ve been?¡±


    ¡°You stopped by the house a few days ago and I saw your face. You looked pretty good then. You were like a girl who had looked delighted to have moved away from her family.¡±


    When Susan spoke disappointedly, Scarlett smiled helplessly.  She walked over and put her arms around Susan.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time living alone, so there are times when I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of being robbed?¡±


    ¡°Afraid of not being able to capture my family in my eyes the moment I die.¡±


    Susan lightly pinched the back of Scarlett¡¯s hand. She was displeased with Scarlett¡¯s talk of dying because she believed spoken words had the power to come true.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with you.¡±


    ¡°You never know what¡¯s going on with people.¡±


    ¡°If your health is like that, come home right now.¡±


    ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    ¡°By the way, what did you get on your skirt?¡±


    ¡°My classmate accidentally spilled milk.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. He must be clumsy.¡±


    Not all the single parents felt this way, but Scarlett had been on the verge of dying several times as she grew up, and her siblings felt a sense of guilt because they were clumsy with her parenting. Because of that, they are particularly gentle with Scarlett.


    In fact, Scarlett White wasn¡¯t a very docile person. On the contrary, the anxious and hysterical Scarlett was the most docile of her siblings.


    Since each of her brothers was the executive director of a large corporation, there was an awful lot of tempers flaring.


    Susan alone was the largest shareholder of White Bank, and on the day of the shareholders¡¯ meetings, she would relentlessly push those who were old enough to be her father over her interests.


    So, Scarlett had to keep it an even bigger secret that she was with Noah at school. If they knew, they wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°How¡¯s your school life?¡±


    ¡°I thought Kravitz knew everything.¡±


    ¡°Kravitz is Scott¡¯s intelligence network. And I don¡¯t want to dig into your private life.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you promised not to do that. Classes aren¡¯t fun, but the way people live is fun. How pathetic it is for everyone to look at me and rant.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Isaac should grow up like you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even raise me. And Isaac will grow up very honest, just like his father. But Sue, there is something I want to ask you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You meet all kinds of people at the general shareholders¡¯ meeting. There are times when you have to unite with those you don¡¯t like very much, how do you deal with them?¡±


    At the unexpected question, Susan stared at the naive Scarlett, trying to figure out what was behind her parable. But she only shrugged her shoulders and grinned. Susan raised her lip to one side, knowing that Scarlett didn¡¯t want to elaborate.


    ¡°In that case, think about the benefits you will gain and the things you need to protect through unity. They wear masks for the same purpose as each other, so no matter how foolish it is, you can only look at the purpose.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡­ I want to see Isaac; I miss him so much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wake a sleeping child.¡±


    ¡°Seeing Isaac gives me strength.¡±


    If there was any benefit in killing Noah, it was Isaac¡¯s safety. Didn¡¯t she approach Noah with that purpose in mind? Scarlett had a secret she couldn¡¯t tell anyone.


    Her brothers would send her to her hospital If she told them she went back in time.


    And if she tells Noah about her revenge, he may intercept her chance of revenge by saying that she dips her feet in dirty things.


    If revenge had its own shares, Scarlett wanted to secure her share no matter how her brothers reacted. Because the loneliness firmly entrenched in her reputation was due to Noah Ashford.


    ¡°I have to be nice to him.¡±


    ¡°Nice to someone you don¡¯t like?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They give me something money can¡¯t buy.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you what it is?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I will explain later.¡±


    When revenge is over, she would confess some of it.


    Scarlett thought that as soon as she went to Iodes tomorrow, she would clean up those who were tormenting Noah.


    When I see that face, I will only say sweet words, I only have 200 days left, it was time to be rational for revenge.


    She eventually found Isaac sleeping and kissed his curly hair. She carefully laid down next to Isaac with her complicated heart.


    ¡°Isaac. Auntie will protect you.¡±


    For Isaac, Scarlett would even hold Noah¡¯s hand and dance. She could do anything for Isaac.


    Now if only she could hold back her simmering emotions and act rationally as Susan said.


    This is a play that would take a long time. An act to deceive Noah, wins his favor, and then reveals that everything is a lie, dropping his life into the abyss.


    Starring Scarlett White and Noah Ashford. And the finale would be the death of Noah Ashford.


    Scarlett vowed once again. She would stop harassing him and try to win his favor. The time had come for her to control her anger and sharp words.


    The next day Scarlett went straight from the White Manor to Iodes, and she contemplated the words she had been repeating all night long.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry for yesterday.¡¯


    It was a simple apology, but it meant a lot to her.


    However, when she saw Noah entering the classroom, she struggled to suppress her urge to be mean.


    Dozens of pairs of eyes alternately watched Scarlett and Noah. As if nothing had happened, Noah sat next to Scarlett and opened his book. Scarlett¡¯s lips twitched when Noah wore a nonchalant expression. Another girl from the Economics Department approached Scarlett.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    Scarlett was wary but accepted her with an attitude that she wouldn¡¯t be friendly.


    ¡°Hi. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Well. I¡¯m Jane Floyd.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Scarlett White.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a girl group meeting. I was wondering if it would be okay to invite you to join.¡±


    ¡°Girls meeting?¡±


    When Scarlett showed interest in her, Jane¡¯s cheeks turned red as she explained.


    ¡°There are few female students in Iodes. So, a sorority was formed a few years ago. Of course, club students aren¡¯t the only ones attending. Any female student in Iodes is eligible to attend the regular meetings.¡±


    ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s at 4pm., in the A-26 building.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go if I¡¯m feeling well.¡±


    ¡°Good! Then see you later!¡±


    Jane returned to her seat with a smile, while Scarlett clenched her jaw and scribbled in the corner of her book.


    She didn¡¯t have any attachment to Iodes, so she wasn¡¯t very interested in sorority clubs or anything, but she envied the ordinary activities enjoyed by her peers. Noah was also avoiding her gaze on herself and acting nonchalant, so there¡¯s no reason why she shouldn¡¯t be herself.


    However, the class was an exception.


    Scarlett was not at all interested in what the graph was like and what the demand was. Those were the things Aaron and Susan loved.


    What Scarlett loved was the changing seasons, eating dinner with her family, and playing card games with Isaac.


    As she sat there absent-minded, Professor Diego watched Scarlett again and again with a disapproving face. However, he weighed the fact that Scarlett was Aaron¡¯s sister and his position as her professor. This allowed Scarlett to rest comfortably and doze off throughout the class.


    ¡°Next time there will be a note test, so it would be better to thoroughly review and prepare.¡±


    Professor Diego left the classroom with a face blue in anger.


    Scarlett finally got up and called Noah, who was organizing his things at his seat.


    ¡°Theo.¡±


    It was a tone in which the usual hostility had disappeared. It was the result of hard work for Scarlett.


    Scarlett thought of Isaac. His warmth and playful voice. Then her heart calmed down. She felt confident that she could bear anything when she thought of the fragile being she needed to protect.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit together next time.¡±


    ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°There are things like that, but I don¡¯t want to sit alone anymore ¡­ I promise I don¡¯t mean to bother you.¡±


    There were no suspicious glances in her eyes, but Noah¡¯s inner doubts and curiosity toward Scarlett were reflected in his eyes as he stared at her.


    Scarlett raised the corners of her lips. Noah looked at that smile and thought he couldn¡¯t understand Scarlett anymore.


    Wilhelm apologized for the spilled milk yesterday. He was at a loss, saying that he seemed to have provoked Scarlett to take her anger out on him.


    However, Scarlett¡¯s anger was not Wilhelm¡¯s fault, because his very existence was the source of her anger. He understood her anger but was confused by her capricious behavior.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if Scarlett wanted to do something to him or if it was something else.


    After all, Scarlett was his half-sister and was unhappy because of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about yesterday.¡±


    What kind of world do you see through those gray eyes?


    The world reflected in Noah¡¯s blue eyes was literally blue. The cloudy sky had subsided and had become a sunny day, a subtle hope arose along with the freshness.


    ¡®Someday I will get out of the slums, and in the future, I will be able to regain my identity. If I succeed to obtain wealth and honor, no one in the world will be able to shame me or my mother¡­¡¯


    But when would Scarlett forgive him and wash away his debts?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Scarlett spoke loudly again, as if she wanted everyone to hear.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday. You know how hysterical I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­ Are you okay? I couldn¡¯t find you yesterday and was worried.¡±


    ¡°I went to visit Susan. I wanted to see Isaac because I missed him.¡±


    ¡®Who is Isaac?¡¯


    Noah decided to go along with Scarlett¡¯s act. Looking at the heat in her gray eyes, the situation seemed too precarious to do anything else. If he went against her mood, not even his ashes would remain.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Give me your books, I will hold them for you.¡±


    Scarlett handed Noah her books as if it was natural to do so. The fingers of the two touched. Scarlett flinched and frowned for a moment. Noah checked her body temperature, which was cooler than he thought.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    ¡°Sleep in class then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so sincere. Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±


    It was a sarcastic fight as usual, but Noah didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Why do you like studying?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    For Noah, Iodes was the last bastion that would change his fate. Noah really wanted to get out of the slums. But that wasn¡¯t all he wanted.  He wanted to be a man with money and honor.


    He was only a little over nineteen, and while he was still standing on the border between boy and young man, he was full of ambition. It was different from the defeatist attitude he had when dealing with Scarlett.


    Noah¡¯s ambitions were as aggressive as Scarlett¡¯s dealings with Noah, and it was constantly overwhelming.


    And the kind of fire that fueled his ambitions was the resentment of being an illegitimate child, the mother¡¯s love for herself, and the denial of his existence.


    It boils down to a still, hot, unknown darkness.


    Therefore, Noah wanted to be a perfect gentleman to Scarlett, even for himself. Scarlett¡¯s wrath was an aria that would comfort him forever.


    Noah simply laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡±


    In fact, Scarlett¡¯s existence was terrifying to him.

 Chapter 1.2

    ¡°I decided to participate in the girl¡¯s meeting until 4 o¡¯clock. You can¡¯t come with me, so wait until it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait in the library.¡±


    Scarlett nodded in response and headed towards the meeting location. Scarlett soon realized that the A-26 building had an attached cafeteria and was used as a student lounge.


    ¡°White! Welcome.¡±


    Jane came outside to greet Scarlett. After calming the tension in her body, Scarlett entered and found herself a seat under the warm sunlight.


    As the appointed time drew closer, more students gradually began to arrive. After about thirty people had gathered, Scarlett spoke stiffly to Jane.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were so many female students.¡±


    ¡°Economics is a male-dominated major. If you visit the Sociology or Humanities departments, you¡¯ll find a lot more female students¡±


    ¡°Foldy, how did you find out about this meeting?¡±


    ¡°There was a notice posted on the bulletin board a while ago, but I guess you didn¡¯t check it. By the way, please call me Jane.¡±


    Scarlett ignored Jane Foldy¡¯s request to be addressed by first name and continued speaking.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t usually check the bulletin.¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s meeting is for freshmen only. You have no idea how sad I was when you missed the last meeting.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Every single female student is precious, Scarlett. Then¡­¡±


    Scarlett abruptly interrupted Jane as she was displeased with being addressed by first name without her permission.


    ¡°Foldy, can you please pass me some milk?¡±


    Scarlett drew the line by addressing Jane by her surname.


    She was used to setting boundaries with those who were conscious of her and showing a peculiar familiarity to those who were not. The habit developed at an early age, greatly influenced by the sight of her older brothers and sister struggling with the White Family¡¯s reputation.


    After she exchanged greetings with the girls sitting nearby, the meeting began. During the meeting, the girls chatted among themselves freely while enjoying some light refreshments.


    Scarlett decided to chat with Jane and her close friends.


    ¡°Professor Mason assigns too much work. He gives out assignments every class, so I have to do homework twice a week.¡±


    ¡°White, I heard your brother also majored in Economics here at Iodes. Does he have any good tips? I feel like school is more difficult because of Professor Manson.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea; Aaron is too busy to even show his face.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s understandable.¡±


    ¡°By the way, can I ask you about something?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± The girl named either Alice or Amy asked with eyes filled with curiosity.


    ¡°What is your relationship with Theo Grisham? I saw you pour milk on him yesterday.¡±


    Scarlett dismissed the questions by simply stating, ¡°We spilled milk on each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I heard that he¡¯s a close childhood friend, is that true?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to be concerned about. I have to go, see you tomorrow, Foldy.¡±


    The atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad, so her mood cooled down instantly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the entrance.¡±


    ¡°¡±No. I¡¯m not an idiot, I can find the entrance on my own,¡± Scarlett replied as she brushed past the girl offering to escort.


    The girl rolled her eyes and bit her lip. She seemed embarrassed by Scarlett¡¯s disregard.


    ¡®I think it¡¯s over here,¡¯ Scarlett sighed as she moved towards a possible exit. She was not a person who paid close attention to her surroundings.


    She hadn¡¯t moved very far from the table before the girl opened her mouth again.


    ¡°It seems like White is obsessed with a man who uses shady methods to borrow money. Well, when you have nothing, the only way you can make a living is by using your face. Maybe White planned in advance to have him as her helper because she came here to only date and play. If not, why would she use a donation to bypass admissions and attend with a sickly body?¡±


    The girl was parroting the rumors floating around campus.


    According to the rumors, Theo Grisham had used his handsome looks to seduce Scarlett during their childhood. Then he distanced himself to rile up Scarlett, who exploded in response and poured milk on him.


    There was also a widespread perception that Scarlett had become Theo¡¯s foolishly loyal admirer for paying his debts. Unfortunately, these rumors were started by the male economics students who knew Theo Grisham well.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Scarlett asked as she approached the girl again. The girl flinched and straightened her back. ¡°I fell for Grisham? I came here only to date?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re famous for doing other things in class, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Surely you came to Iodes to become a great scholar. However, it will be impossible for an idiot, who solely believes in rumors, to even graduate with a bachelor¡¯s degree.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you done talking?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m far from done. If you say anything about Theo Grisham and me again, I won¡¯t let you go.¡±


    ¡°I was just telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling the truth? Grisham doesn¡¯t play Casanova with his face, and I¡¯m not naive enough to fall for his looks. Get it straight.¡±


    Scarlett grabbed her milk from the table and poured it over the girl¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡±


    Scarlett spoke forcefully to the screaming schoolgirl.


    ¡°I am the only one who can blame him. Spilling milk on him is also a matter between us. I don¡¯t have the patience to deal with a bothersome girl, so be mindful of your words¡±


    * * * * * * *


    Noah was sitting in the library doing his homework when he noticed Scarlett¡¯s striking red tresses as she approached from afar. He had intended to go find Scarlett himself after finishing his work, but Scarlett showed up first, much earlier than he expected.


    Noah quickly grabbed his books and ran outside. When he reached Scarlett, he silently observed her and tried to gauge her mood. Apart from her usual disdain for him, there seemed to be something else bothering her.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Noah asked cautiously.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±


    Rather than answering, Scarlett climbed into the carriage, settled into her seat, and silently stared at Noah. She looked closely for any similarities that indicated the two looked like siblings, and whether Noah Ashford was attractive enough to seduce a woman, but she couldn¡¯t tell.


    Objectively, Noah was a very beautiful person, but Scarlett¡¯s eyes were blinded by revenge.


    Noah tapped on his cheek shyly as he endured the weight of her stare. Scarlett sighed and finally said, ¡°You don¡¯t resemble your father in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°I hear that a lot.¡±


    ¡°There are no similarities between us either. You don¡¯t resemble John, Aaron, Scott, or Andrew either. How do you think we look in the eyes of the Iodes students? Friends? Enemies? Or siblings?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡±


    This time Noah was silent.


    ¡°I heard some very disgusting rumors today. They say that I¡¯m an idiot for being tricked into giving you money. That sounds very cheeky.¡±


    Scarlett closed her eyes and laid down on the couch with her arms crossed,


    ¡°When we arrive in the city, stop the carriage. I¡¯m going to buy some food before going home.¡±


    Noah studied Scarlett¡¯s expression as she stretched and rested.


    He did not feel any type of brotherly affection for Scarlett, but he couldn¡¯t disregard her due to the recognition he received from Mr. White.


    He was the reason for most of the despair in her life, so he wanted to atone for it somehow and lessen his guilt.


    ¡®Do we look alike?¡¯  Noah stared at his half-sister.


    It would be easier to point out their differences rather than looking for their similarities.


    Neither he nor Scarlett had a pointy jaw. Scarlett¡¯s jaw was smooth while Noah¡¯s was a little angular.


    Scarlett¡¯s figure was considered very delicate among women. Noah was no less beautiful than a woman. Their pale skin was similar, but Scarlett¡¯s skin had a bluish-tint while Noah had lost his original pearl-like complexion and was now completely tanned.


    Noah completely agreed with Scarlett¡¯s observation. They didn¡¯t look alike.


    ¡®Ha. Really we¡­¡¯


    There were so many differences that they shouldn¡¯t even be considered siblings. Scarlett¡¯s body seemed brittle and fragile, while Noah looked underweight and tired.


    ¡®¡­ Are we really siblings?¡¯


    Both Noah¡¯s mother and Scarlett claimed that they were siblings. But Noah found it difficult to accept because of the lack of similarities.


    He probably resembled Scott, Scarlett¡¯s cruel older brother, more.


    Like Kravitz¡¯s cruel master, Noah is not so innocent either. Noah looked down at his hand. It was a hand he didn¡¯t hesitate to stain with blood for his survival.


    The biggest difference between him and Scarlett, is that he didn¡¯t mind getting blood on his hands.


    Scarlett chose the painful path of acceptance and forgiveness instead of burying him. This seemed to be the biggest indicator that they weren¡¯t siblings.


    ¡°Scarlett, we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Scarlett opened her eyes and wore an exhausted expression. She pulled a watch from her pocket and checked the time.


    ¡°Good, there¡¯s still an hour before dinner. Let¡¯s go make a reservation and then get rid of your trashy clothes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°If a servant wears shabby clothing, the master will also be disregarded.¡±


    Noah hated when Scarlett referred to him as a servant. His jaw twitched at the feeling of his pride being trampled.


    Scarlett snorted and pushed open the carriage door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget. I¡¯m here to drag you down.¡±


    Scarlett took Noah to a luxury tailor and ordered his clothing made with the finest fabrics he had ever seen in his life. The feeling of tape measuring his shoulders, waist, and even arm length was unusual.


    Afterwards, the two headed to a fancy restaurant for a meal. Noah wasn¡¯t familiar with any of the foods on the menu. After Scarlett skillfully finished ordering their food, she took a sip from her glass of milk.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Can I kill you?¡±


    Noah couldn¡¯t answer. Scarlett smiled at Noah¡¯s bewildered face.


    ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°I know. I understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very annoying when you talk back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Scarlett contemplated her current situation, and then she came up with an appropriate lie.


    ¡°But hearing you get insulted made my anger rise to the same level as my hatred for you. Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because we¡¯re siblings?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t consider you as a brother. You¡¯re nothing like John, Aaron, Scott or Andrew. Do you know what kind of significance my brothers have in my life? They were the ones who held and protected me in my father¡¯s absence.¡±


    She took a deep breath and then spoke quickly.


    ¡°When I refused to be tended to by a nanny, they equally set aside the time they didn¡¯t have, and took care of me themselves. They spent many nights comforting me as I cried over the confusion of my missing parents, until I collapsed from exhaustion. My brothers are like that. They¡¯re more than just my brothers.¡±


    Scarlett regarded them as her parents.


    Noah knew Scarlett was seventeen years younger than the eldest, John. It¡¯s understandable why Andrew, the youngest brother, favored her. There was only a seven-year gap between them.


    Noah briefly recalled how Mr. White would carry him on his back as a child.


    There was nothing he could say. He couldn¡¯t lift his head due to the guilt he felt over robbing Scarlett of her childhood.


    What was Scarlett like without parents? How did it affect her and what kind of childhood did she have? Noah could not imagine it.


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d rather you not say anything. I will still feel sick regardless of what you say.¡±


    ¡°¡­He was also my father,¡± Noah said boldly.


    This was his small rebellion against Scarlett and his struggle to relieve the guilt.


    Scarlett¡¯s expression turned ugly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He was my father as well. Even if I¡¯m an illegitimate child, I am also Mr. White¡¯s son. Yes, Wieland doesn¡¯t acknowledge my existence, but that¡¯s another matter.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So, does that make you feel good?¡±


    ¡®How can you ask that while knowing about my situation, how I struggled to survive, and how I¡¯ve always lived with guilt?¡¯


    But Noah was silent.  He knew Scarlett wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cross the line if he spoke those words.


    After a moment of silence, Scarlett sighed because her anger suddenly lost its steam, and changed the subject.


    ¡°It should have arrived by now.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The medicine for your mother.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ ¡­You don¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°Think about why I would even care about your mother.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to make me feel indebted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even after I die, I want you to feel a sense of debt forever. You will live with the regret of accepting favors from someone you helped kill, until the day you run out of breath. You will live in hell for the rest of your life.¡±


    Scarlett laughed and smiled, but she looked terribly sad.


    She resembled a beautiful red flower that was wilting. Like a flower right before its petals began to fall.


    It was painful, but at the same time, Noah was satisfied. He would be set free when Scarlett embraced her pain.


    Therefore, Noah decided to eat the food Scarlett ordered, even if it tasted like rough grains of sand.


    * * * * * * *


    After the meal, Scarlett succumbed to her fatigue and drifted off to sleep.


    ¡°¡­Save me¡­¡±


    Whenever Scarlett fell asleep, she would always talk in her sleep. Most of her words came in the form of begging and pleading.


    ¡°Save me. Or at least Isaac.¡±


    ¡®Did she go through something terrible in the past?¡¯


    Even if that was the case, there wasn¡¯t anything Noah could do about.


    So, he turned off his emotions and pulled a textbook from his bag. As long as he remains at Scarlett¡¯s side, he would never have enough time to sleep, let alone study.


    Attending Scarlett was a lot of work. In his eyes, she lacked the ability to take care of herself. He had to take care of every little thing, along with the housework.


    ¡°Cough. cough.¡±


    Noah swiftly took out a blanket and draped it over Scarlett¡¯s body. She always needed a blanket, even in warm weather, due to her body temperature dropping whenever she was in a shaded place.


    As Scarlett¡¯s helper, he had to carry all sorts of medicines, water, a list of nearby hospitals, blankets, and fans, and even her share of the textbooks.


    And all her needs had to be addressed in a timely manner.


    The carriage shook constantly as it traveled towards the villa.


    Noah was reading a textbook when he suddenly noticed that the carriage was unusually shaky.


    The road outside the window looked different than usual. He opened the window to the coachman¡¯s seat and asked the coachman.


    ¡°The road is different, what happened?¡±


    ¡°The city is carrying out construction on the usual road, so it¡¯s not in good condition.¡±


    ¡°How much longer will it take?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there in thirty minutes. Stop worrying and go check on the lady.¡±


    The coachman seemed a little nervous about Scarlett¡¯s health.


    After Noah eased his worries and assured him it was okay if it took a little longer until they arrived at the villa since safety was a priority, he closed the window.


    Scarlett was sleeping deeply, and her face was covered in sweat.


    ¡°Save me¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­. Please save Isaac¡­.¡±


    ¡®Should I wake her up?¡¯


    It looked quite painful. Her sweaty face contorted as a moan flowed from between her lips.


    But¡­


    ¡®I enjoy watching you suffer.¡¯


    It was a cowardly and ugly thought, but it gave him a little bit of happiness.


    Apart from the sins of his existence, Scarlett¡¯s terribly abusive words were also equally painful. He pretended it didn¡¯t bother him, but he was tired of it.


    ¡®You will live in hell for the rest of your life.¡¯


    It was because he had no relief from the intrusive depressing thoughts triggered by her words.


    In reality, his life was already hell. His existence was denied, and he was forced to feel guilty for something he did not do¡­. No matter how hard he tries, he is always in a mess.


    Nevertheless, Noah has a strong attachment to life, so he nurtured his ambitions and dreams of hope.


    ¡®I can tolerate your abusive language, but don¡¯t curse me.¡¯


    Because he struggled to accept his existence, he wanted to passionately embrace life.


    Noah couldn¡¯t keep his eyes on the textbook. Scarlett didn¡¯t wake up even though she seemed distressed. He didn¡¯t want to see Scarlett weeping in her sleep, so he avoided glancing in her direction.


    When the carriage stopped, Noah put away his textbook and moved to rouse Scarlett. Just as he was about to wake Scarlett up, the carriage door rattled and opened violently.


    The bright light pouring in was blinding. Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed at the face slowly revealed in the backlight. The man chuckled as he swept a hand over his thick beard.


    ¡°Long time no see, Sir.¡±


    ¡°This time, we urgently need money.¡±


    ¡°So, we decided to visit our old customers.¡±


    They were loan sharks. Noah exhaled sharply when he realized that they had been kidnapped.


    Then, a flat voice was heard from behind Noah.


    ¡°Noah, my medicine.¡±


    Scarlett let out a hoarse voice with a face drenched in cold sweat. She finished the remaining water in her water bottle to awaken her hazy mind. She repeatedly said.


    ¡°Give me my medicine. Even if you¡¯re dragged away, you should make sure I have my medicine.¡±


    Her heart was pounding. How many more times will she have to get entangled with loan sharks? This is all Noah¡¯s fault.


    ¡°Move quickly.¡±


    Philip, one of the loan sharks, nudged Scarlett forward. Scarlett frowned and coughed because the warehouse was very damp and dirty.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Noah quickly draped the blanket around Scarlett¡¯s shoulders.


    Scarlett helplessly relied on Noah because she was close to collapsing. Her eyes darkened as she spoke cautiously.


    ¡°I won¡¯t resist so there¡¯s no need to restrain me. I need to take my medicine.¡±


    ¡°What medicine? Oh my. Don¡¯t worry because you won¡¯t be taking any medicine.¡±


    Scarlett was sitting in a chair with her hands tied up behind her back. She glared at the loan shark as he tied her feet together. The moment he tried to blindfold her, she hastily said, ¡°Don¡¯t cover my eyes. What do you think will happen to you if I have a seizure? It¡¯s only possible for you to escape with your life if I¡¯m alive. You know that murderers who flee are executed as soon as they¡¯re found, right?¡±


    Phillip looked at Scarlett with a slightly shaky expression on his face.


    He checked her complexion and covered her mouth with a cloth. Then he snickered and covered her eyes with another cloth.


    Noah thought she would scream and resist, but Scarlett complied with them. She seemed like a person who was well educated about what to do in this type of situation.


    On the contrary, it was Noah who got beaten for rebelling. They blindfolded him and bound his arms and legs together and then beat him, with many of their blows landing on his stomach.


    Noah was worried that Scarlett could not endure it. If she suddenly had a severe seizure, she would definitely die in this state.


    ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡±


    Noah twisted his body to untie the rope binding his hands. He couldn¡¯t speak properly with the cloth stuffed into his mouth.


    They would die.


    He could predict their future because he knew how evil their kidnappers were.


    They have no intention of letting them both live. That¡¯s why they carelessly revealed their identity.


    If they had planned to leave them alive, they would¡¯ve put more effort into concealing their identity since Noah would be able to recognize them based on the voices and faces.


    Above all¡­ It¡¯s clear that one of the two had decided to sacrifice themselves for kidnapping Scarlett. After all, she¡¯s none other than the beloved youngest daughter of the White family.


    They didn¡¯t have much time. The kidnappers would try to wrap up everything before they¡¯re caught by Kravitz.


    Will Scarlett be okay? She could be terrified and already experiencing seizures by now


    Noah grew more panicked.


    ¡®I have to hurry and free my hands.¡¯


    Noah recalled a time when he was sold as a slave to a whaling boat in the South. Within the experience of continued explorations and dangerous situations, he discovered a secret.


    ¡®Should I use my strength? But¡­¡¯


    It was something that he kept hidden his entire life. He¡¯s afraid to use something so dangerous so he decided to bury it deep within himself.


    Meanwhile, Scarlett endured the fear that threatened to swallow her whole.


    No matter how frightened she was, it was nothing compared to the feeling of being hunted down and killed every night. Nevertheless, a weak heart is still a weak heart.


    ¡®Last time, I was murdered by Noah Ashford, and this time I will die because of Noah Ashford.¡¯


    The face of her nephew, Isaac suddenly flashed in her mind.


    ¡®Ah¡­No¡­ I can¡¯t die here. Abigail¡¯s illness needs to be prevented and Isaac¡­ Isaac¡­¡¯


    If she dies like this, the terrible and painful future may repeat again. That is unacceptable.


    She quelled her agitation and tried to calm her breathing, which was gradually becoming erratic. After some time, tears began to stream down her face.


    ¡®Kravitz knows everything. They¡¯ll come rescue me soon.¡¯


    The more her distress increased, the more she struggled to breathe. A sharp pain filled her chest as her heart began to race. Her vision grew blurry as she fainted.


    The blood dripping from Isaac was warm. The metallic scent of blood was heavy in the air, the sound of heavy breathing surrounded her¡­


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Scarlett jerked awake. She was trembling and the blindfold was soaked with her tears.


    ¡®John! Susan! Scott!¡¯


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡®Help me! I can¡¯t die now. I still need to kill Noah Ashford. I have to get rid of him to ensure Isaac¡¯s safety.¡¯


    Scarlett began to struggle frantically against the binds. She felt faint from all the hyperventilation.


    She heard the sound of footsteps. The sound triggered the memory of Noah Ashford chasing after her and Isaac¡¯s ragged shallow breathing.


    ¡®Why did you kill me? Why did you hunt me down like an animal? What is the reason?¡¯


    ¡°Urgh. Ugh.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s vision grew blurry again.


    She felt dizzy and like her heart was about to explode. When her strength started to fade, her arms and legs grew numb. Also, the air was heavy with the scent of death.


    Scarlett struggled one last time. Suddenly, the chair toppled over, and her head slammed against the floor. Her head throbbed with pain as fresh tears began to fall again.


    ¡®Soon, I¡¯ll die miserably. It appears that I won¡¯t be granted an ordinary death in this life either.¡¯


    At that moment, she felt someone remove the rope around her wrists. Soon, the blindfold and the cloth covering her mouth disappeared.


    When the light came on, the sudden brightness blinded her. The moment Scarlett realized it was Noah who freed her, she grabbed him and started crying and pleading.


    ¡°Not Isaac¡­. Please spare Isaac. Kill me instead.¡±


    She repeated the words incessantly, even though her breathing was haggard, and her pale face was covered with tears.


    ¡°Just kill me.¡±¡®


    Noah was momentarily bewildered and speechless by Scarlett, who seemed to be hallucinating and shook her belatedly.


    ¡°Scarlett. Wake up. It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Not Isaac¡­. Isaac¡­ ¡­ Noah?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s okay. Everything will be okay.¡±


    ¡°Please kill me. Please just kill me instead. Save the little one.¡±


    Scarlett seemed to be in a complete panic. Her eyes were cloudy and the hand that desperately clutched his arm was as cold as ice.


    Noah had no idea how to soothe Scarlett, but his attempts were relentless.


    ¡°You and Isaac will be safe.¡±


    Nevertheless, Scarlett trembled and continued to cry. Her cries sounded desperate and full of despair, as if her entire world had come crashing down.


    She didn¡¯t look like she could calm down on her own, so Noah carefully hugged her and gently rubbed her back.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re not going to die here.¡¯


    It was how Mr. White soothed Noah when he was a child. Whenever Noah was surprised by the thunder and lightning, he hugged Noah and gently rubbed his back.


    ¡®No matter what happens, I will protect you.¡±


    He was merely returning the affection she should have received from her father.


    Noah desperately wished for Scarlett to find her sanity so she could calm herself down. He was convinced that he would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her.


    Mr. White had abandoned his family and became the only one to protect Noah from his prodigal mother.


    Because of this, Noah felt obligated to protect Scarlett.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s breathing gradually started to stabilize. She was no longer crying, and her confusion had begun to subside.


    Within his arms, her body felt cool. He found it perplexing that even while her heart was racing, she felt only slightly warm.


    ¡®If I also lost the will to live, would I become like Scarlett?


    The tension slowly left Scarlett¡¯s body. She stumbled for a moment and then rested her head against Noah¡¯s chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re only going to kill me, right?¡± Promise me that you won¡¯t lay a finger on Isaac,¡± Scarlett mumbled weakly.


    ¡°You and Isaac will be safe.¡±


    ¡°Swear it.¡±


    ¡°I swear¡­ Are you okay now?¡±


    ¡®Why does Scarlett seem so much younger now? Is it because of Mr. White?¡¯


    A strange feeling began to stir within Noah when he thought of how much Scarlett relied on him.


    Every word she uttered was laced with poison, but he still had deep pity for his weak younger sister. His guilt, regret, and affection towards her were intricately woven together. Scarlett was like a helpless, young deer caught in a trap.


    ¡°Give me a piggyback ride.¡±


    Usually, her voice was firm and resolute, but she was very exhausted, so her voice sounded like whimpering.


    As Noah carried Scarlett on his back, she hugged his neck with her weak arms. It was an undeniable fact that his warmth reassured Scarlett. It was also true that his whispered oath also eased the heavy burden weighing on her mind.


    Scarlett burst into tears again when she realized that it was only Noah Ashford who could bring an end to her nightmare.


    The conviction that he would not touch Isaac may have ended her nightmare, but only his death will reassure her.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get out of here alive.¡±


    Noah thought Scarlett was still frightened by him, so he continued to use comforting words.


    Her long red hair tickled his cheeks. When he felt her overly small body tremble against his back and her tears streaming down his shoulders, his heart ached.


    Noah was certain that their current situation was the reason for his conflicting emotions and decided to not dwell upon it.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll protect you no matter what. We will return safely.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to die,¡± Scarlett replied tensely.


    ¡°Think about Isaac and how you¡¯re going to see him soon,¡± Noah said as he looked around the warehouse.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. My poor croissant.¡±


    Noah¡¯s mind grew even more chaotic at Scarlett¡¯s sniffles and weak voice.


    Scarlett felt much younger than her age. She has an eccentric personality but also seemed immature and vulnerable because of her weak heart. Noah felt some sense of responsibility for that fact.


    At the same time, he was glad that she had no choice but to rely on him. For the first time in his life, he felt forgiven and accepted.


    ¡°You love Isaac so much.¡±


    ¡°He deserves a lot of love.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know where they were, but Kravitz would surely be looking for them by now. The White family may have been contacted as well.


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Noah asked. He wanted to distract Scarlett while he devised a plan that would help them escape their current situation.


    ¡°Isaac lost his father before he was born. His father, Chris, had been sick even before he met Susan. The moment I saw my little croissant, my first thought was, ¡®I don¡¯t want this kid to be lonely like me.¡¯¡±


    Noah¡¯s heart tightened.


    After all, Scarlett was projecting herself onto a boy named Isaac since they both lacked a father. Because she endured loneliness throughout her childhood.


    Scarlett continued to ramble without giving much thought to what she was saying. She was just talking in order to distract herself from her fear.


    ¡°Aaron is rarely at home. I guess he still finds it too painful to stay at home. He told Andrew that he wasn¡¯t confident he could have a normal family.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°Isaac acts like Scott is his father, rather than his uncle, since Scott is the only man in the house who plays with him. John has his own family and is too busy. Aaron never comes home, and Andrew has gone to the seminary. I think I understand him more because I recognize his feelings.¡±


    ¡°Were you the same?¡±


    ¡°I used to call John ¡®Daddy¡¯ until I was Isaac¡¯s age.¡±


    Noah felt the magical energy gathering at the fingertips. The sensation reminded him of his blood-stained hands and how the ship he boarded that day was completely destroyed and sank.


    Noah kept talking to Scarlett.


    ¡°Why do you refer to Isaac as a croissant?¡±


    ¡°His curly hair reminds me of a croissant.¡­¡±


    The warehouse door creaked open.


    ¡°Scarlet, close your eyes!¡± Noah shouted.


    Scarlett immediately closed her eyes and buried her face into Noah¡¯s shoulder.


    Noah¡¯s eye color slowly changed to violet.


    Noah Ashford is a wizard.


    Wizards are individuals who have the ability to absorb a certain type of energy in the air and convert it into magical power. With that power, they were able to turn almost anything they imagined into a reality.


    There were no special requirements for wielding magic, only the ability to apply magic power and innate talent was needed.


    And Noah used to say that his talent showed ¡®how much unrealistic magic can actually be implemented¡¯.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    It hasn¡¯t been long since Noah discovered that he was a wizard. When he was a slave on a whaling boat, he used magic without realizing it.


    The first time he used magic, he committed murder, and he hadn¡¯t used it since that day. After he escaped from slavery and started living as Theo Grisham, he rarely used harsh words or violence.


    Noah didn¡¯t hesitate when he used his magical powers to create and shoot flames at the man rushing towards him. The flames exploded on impact and engulfed the man, burning him alive.


    He sprinted toward the entrance with Scarlett¡¯s long hair fluttering over his shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes.¡±


    Since Scarlett was very sensitive, Noah was concerned that if she saw the gruesome scene, it would cause another seizure.


    Noah noticed that Scarlett was trembling, and her breathing was shallow. Her arms tightened while wrapped around Noah¡¯s neck.


    The screams of the kidnappers reminded her of the nightmares that were filled with the sounds of her servants screaming as they died.


    ¡°Scarlet, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ Not Isaac¡­. Spare Isaac¡­ ¡­ He didn¡¯t do¡­.¡±


    ¡°Isaac will be fine. Are you okay?¡±


    Scarlett inhaled deeply and then exhaled harshly. She thought she was going to faint at any moment.


    ¡®I have to calm myself. In order to survive¡­ to escape with my life, I have to get ahold of myself.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯


    ¡®It will be okay¡¯


    ¡®It has to be okay. I have to endure it until the day I die.¡¯


    Scarlett raised her head resolutely and worked to control her breathing.


    ¡°Kravitz knows everything. Scott would already be on the move,¡± Noah said meaningfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes¡­. please,¡± he urged when Scarlett started to lift her forehead off his shoulder.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want you to see even a glimpse of this brutal massacre.¡¯


    At that moment, Scarlett was someone Noah had to protect. She was his younger sister, who was close to shattering like a piece of glass.


    Above all else, he is the only one who can save her.


    ¡°I think the kidnappers were colluding with the capital mafia,¡± Noah muttered.


    ¡°¡­I need to take my medicine.¡± Scarlett hated that her voice trembled when she spoke. She felt like she could have a seizure at any moment.


    ¡°Are you in a lot of pain?¡±


    ¡°I need a sedative. Give me a stabilizer.¡±


    ¡°Hold on for a little bit. It¡¯s in my pocket. I¡¯ll give it to you once we get out of this situation¡­¡­¡±


    Scarlett groaned in response. Noah focused his attention on using his ice spears to penetrate the hearts of the mafia members, who drew their weapons against them.


    Scarlett tightened her hold on Noah and burst into tears at the sounds of bodies being pierced, people collapsing, screams and groans, and the overwhelming scent of blood surrounding them.


    ¡°Scott! Andrew! John! Susan!¡±


    Confused, Scarlett desperately cried out the names of her brothers and sister, who she regarded as her parents, like a lost child wandering around the road. She felt that she would soon collapse.


    When they exited the warehouse, a forest cloaked in darkness appeared. She shivered when the cold night air seeped through the layers of her clothes.


    Noah hid behind the tree before he lowered Scarlett and took the medicine out of his pocket.


    ¡°Wake up.¡±


    ¡°Cold¡­ It¡¯s so cold. When is John coming? What about Susan?¡±


    Noah watched as Scarlett looked around as if she was expecting her brothers and sister to show up at any moment and noticed that her gray eyes were red and swollen. She was in a panic, trembling and weeping incessantly while struggling to push Noah away with her weak hands.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°How do I call for help?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an intruder in the house¡­ ¡­I need a doctor. It¡¯s my fault¡­. Can you smell the blood?¡±


    Noah decided that Scarlett had gone completely crazy. He forced her mouth open and pushed a yellow tranquilizer pill between her lips.


    She spoke slowly, ignoring the pill in her mouth.


    ¡°Why did you kill me?¡±


    ¡°Chew it.¡±


    ¡°How much longer are you going to continue killing me?¡±


    ¡®You kill me every night. I died yesterday and the day before yesterday. And I¡¯m going to die again today.¡¯


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She cried like the time she fell and hurt her knee as a child.


    ¡± Jo-oh-on! John, save me! I¡¯m going to die! Save me!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    Noah grabbed Scarlett¡¯s face with both hands and met her gaze. Scarlett couldn¡¯t take her eyes off his deep blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.


    She stiffened like an herbivore standing in front of a wild beast. She was completely captivated by the mysterious light in his eyes.


    ¡°Scarlet, listen carefully.¡±


    Deep wrinkles formed in Noah¡¯s forehead. He wasn¡¯t the calm and docile Theo Grisham. Deep down, Noah Ashford is a tenacious man with relentless strength and a slightly rough side.


    His hands caressed Scarlett¡¯s cheeks. The cold night air and his warm touch made her shiver.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go back alive. No matter what happens, I will save you. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything, I can protect you.¡± Noah¡¯s blue eyes did not waver as he spoke.  His low, powerful voice radiated with his deep conviction and intense energy.


    ¡°How?¡± Scarlett asked as if possessed.


    ¡°Because I will protect you.¡±


    Noah¡¯s large fingers swept away her tears and then rose slowly to remove the stray hairs stuck to her forehead.


    Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened at his delicate touch. However, when his blue eyes met hers, something inside of her snapped, and she started screaming.


    ¡°How can you protect me?! You make me feel like I¡¯m dying everyday!¡±


    ¡®What do you mean? Is my existence that painful?¡¯ Noah¡¯s face was torn apart in agony.


    Scarlett let out another scream. She couldn¡¯t believe Noah, who murdered her repeatedly in her dreams every day, would protect her. She couldn¡¯t even accept it.


    ¡°Please stop coming into my dreams! Leave me alone!¡±


    ¡°Scarlet, wake up. Please, calm down. Shhhh¡­ You¡¯re okay. Shhhh¡­ You¡¯re fine.¡±


    Noah firmly hugged Scarlett as she struggled. She clawed at his back, pinched his sides, and bit his shoulder. However, Noah ignored it all and continued to whisper calmly.


    ¡°Hush. Shh. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll protect you. Shh. Everything will be okay.¡±


    Scarlett was still hysterical and wrestled to get away from him. But the more she struggled, the stronger Noah¡¯s arms became.


    She was undeniably weak against Noah, who gained a great deal of strength while working on the whaling boat.


    Trapped in his arms, she wept bitterly and slapped him on the back. He then pressed his right hand against the back of Scarlett¡¯s head until her face rested against his chest.


    She continued to cry while Noah¡¯s warm hand caressed her back. His hand was so tender that it only added to her despair.


    ¡°Let go¡­¡± Scarlett shouted helplessly.


    She felt like the dream Noah, who killed her every night, was a completely different person from the current Noah, who treated her with kindness and consideration.


    No, were they not the same person in the first place? Before her death, Noah was a stranger, but now she was deeply involved in the life of the current Noah. It would be very difficult and too confusing to separate the two.


    ¡°Let go of me¡­¡±


    ¡°Once you calm down,¡± Noah replied while he alternated between patting her head and shoulders.


    ¡®Why does she feel so fragile? How is it possible for her to be this small?¡¯


    She wasn¡¯t even that small in stature, but he considered her as too small because her existence was pitiful like a candle that¡¯s burning out. As a result, he became affectionate and pitied her.


    ¡®Why did you have to be so small and fragile? I would feel less guilt if you were stronger. I would have been more selfish, too.¡¯


    ¡®I thought you were just insensitive and mean, but I guess it was all just self-defense. It must be very difficult to overcome hatred with a sick body.¡¯


    Noah felt miserable and was close to crying. In the end, he had no choice but to kneel in front of Scarlet, because she was so weak and pitiful.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re fine, Scarlett.¡±


    Noah soothed Scarlett as she cried like a child. After a few moments, she sniffed and spoke in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡±


    ¡°You are a kid,¡± Noah said jokingly. For the first time, a smile appeared on his face. It was a mischievous but light smile.


    His unique beautiful appearance, strong impression, and relaxed aura made her feel tense in a way that was hard to explain.


    ¡®Could this be the fairy of the night, that excels in deceiving people?¡¯


    ¡°Shall I give you a piggyback ride?¡± He asked affectionately. His eyes were sparkling, and his voice was seductive.


    Noah was completely unaware of the expression he had on his face and the way he treated her. She was overwhelmed by all the rising complex emotions.


    ¡°I have no strength in my legs. Why isn¡¯t anyone here? What about the carriage? The kidnappers?


    He had killed them all. But Noah remained silent. Scarlett didn¡¯t need to know.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been paying attention.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°I can do it all. When you live at the bottom, you learn a lot.¡±


    Noah grinned and carefully removed the hair stuck on her tear-stained cheeks. Scarlett flinched noticeably at Noah¡¯s touch.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.


    Scarlett, who was extremely exhausted from all the struggling, crying and screaming, felt like she would faint at any moment. After the tension in her body relaxed, she was gently carried on by Noah.


    She decided to not think about the two very different Noahs. She was exhausted and had a headache from crying too much. She would have a seizure if she got any more agitated.


    Noah began to navigate through the forest. He read the stars to determine their direction and recalled maps to guess their location.


    ¡°Scarlet. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±


    ¡°The moment I get home, I want to eat chicken soup.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I eat when I have a hangover. Have you ever had a drink?¡±


    ¡°I secretly stole Aaron¡¯s 2 million Berk wine and drank it with Andrew. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried a lot of alcohol. In winter, I dilute rum and drink it.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink such cheap alcohol.¡±


    Noah brought up mundane stories to calm Scarlett down. She carefully rested her head on Noah¡¯s shoulder. Her body felt heavy from the intense fatigue. However, due to the situation, she was too nervous to fall asleep.


    ¡®How did I end up relying on Noah Ashford?¡¯


    She decided not to think more because her head was dizzy. More importantly, she is still alive.


    ¡°If we get back safely¡­  ¡­I¡¯ll invite you to Scott¡¯s cocktail bar. It doesn¡¯t belong to me, but all of Scott¡¯s stuff is all mine anyways.¡±


    ¡°What kind of person is Scott? He seems to be your best friend.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re 13 years apart. Scott and Susan are twins, but they have very different personalities.¡±


    Scarlett sighed and continued.


    ¡°If Susan is cold and stiff, Scott is sweet and gentle. That¡¯s why he gets along well with all his brothers. He¡¯s totally different from the selfish Aaron. I often wished Scott was my dad. He¡¯s warm, kind, and nice¡­. Although he¡¯s not playful like Andrew or blunt like John.¡±


    ¡°You love him a lot.¡±


    ¡°Scott is¡­¡±


    As Scarlett was about to speak, a faint figure appeared between the trees in the distance. Thinking it might be someone from the mafia, Noah quickly hid her behind a large tree. Crouching on the ground with her arms wrapped around her knees, Scarlett trembled and looked closely at the figure approaching through the trees.


    Noah stared intensely into the darkness. If they were kidnappers, he planned to cover Scarlett¡¯s eyes and then kill them all at once.


    However¡­


    ¡°Scott¡±!


    Scarlett darted from behind the tree. The hem of her skirt brushed against Noah¡¯s hand.


    Even in the dark, Scott seemed to be clearly visible to her. At that moment, Noah could see the difference between a real family and a family with only a blood connection.


    Scarlett was immediately embraced by Scott, who appeared from the darkness. Scott recognized Scarlett as she ran towards him, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly.


    ¡± Scarlett!  Oh God, thank you.. Oh my gosh. Thank you.¡­.¡±


    Scott repeated the prayer as he smoothed Scarlett¡¯s hair and stroked her cheeks. The sound of his voice was heartbreaking.


    ¡°Did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so late? Kravitz knows everything. Why are you only here now¡­?  I thought I was going to die. I was so scared.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Oh my god¡­ I was so late. I¡¯m sorry. Are you okay? What about your body? Did you get hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened.¡±


    Scott took out a magic stone and checked Scarlett¡¯s condition. When he saw her haggard face, Scott¡¯s face collapsed for a moment and his jaw muscles twitched.


    His eyes darkened as he thought about catching and killing the criminals.


    However, when Scarlett¡¯s gaze turned, Scott skillfully hid his expression.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head back.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Scarlett turned and shouted at the bushes.


    ¡°Noah, come on out.¡±


    Scott¡¯s eyes narrowed when Scarlett shouted in the direction of the dark forest she appeared from.


    Noah approached Scarlett with a slow gesture of embarrassment. Scott White always made Noah nervous.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Why is that guy¡­¡±


    ¡°We were kidnapped together, and Noah Ashford saved me. So, we should leave together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking why you¡¯re with him.¡±


    ¡°Kravitz knows everything. I¡¯m tired. How long are you going to keep at this?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s talk about it later.¡±


    Scott sighed and carried Scarlett. Scott seemed accustomed to holding her. As they walked, he somewhat gave her an explanation.


    ¡°Before the mafia was able to announce the kidnapping, I put an end to it and got here first. Thanks to that, the rest of the family is still unaware.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. If Aaron had known, there would have been an uproar.¡±


    ¡°The capital mafia would have been destroyed by this time tomorrow. He would have used the military to attack.¡±


    Scarlett giggled and burst into laughter. Scott sighed with a weak smile.


    ¡°You must be tired, so close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was a very tiring day.¡±


    Scarlett fell asleep as if she fainted, relaxed by Scott¡¯s familiar scent.


    Before Scott climbed into the carriage, he ordered the mercenaries that accompanied him to drag out and beat the kidnappers.


    Scott laid Scarlett down in the carriage, stroking her long hair as he examined her closely. It was a careful touch as if dealing with a very fragile animal.


    ¡°How did you escape?¡±


    ¡°¡­I had just enough strength¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll find out naturally when I receive the results of the investigation.¡±


    Scott¡¯s eyes were different from Scarlett¡¯s.


    It¡¯s the same gray color, however, Scarlett¡¯s eyes always held a hint of frantic emotions, while Scott¡¯s eyes were like a large icy rock at the end of the snowy field. He freezes everything that approaches and exudes cold energy with just his presence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re expecting from this kid, but you¡¯ll never get what you want.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from Scarlett. To be honest, I just want her to feel at ease.¡±


    ¡°Ha. Can you prove it?¡±


    ¡°I saved Scarlett¡¯s life today. How much more proof do you need?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that just to appease her?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett approached me first. If there is something she wants, I will give it to her.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have much of anything. If you have nothing to give, you will repay her, even if you have to sell your body, mind, and soul.¡±


    ¡°I never wanted this!¡±


    ¡®I never wanted to be an illegitimate child. I didn¡¯t ask to be born. If my existence alone is a sin, why did God create me?¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, maybe you didn¡¯t want this, but your mother acted on her free will. My father abandoned his children and was kicked out of the house because of his affair, but your mother is still around. You still have a long way to go.¡±


    Noah bit his lower lip until it bled.


    ¡°Scarlet is an adult. So, don¡¯t try to influence or control her. How much will her forgiveness cost? ¡­You can judge for yourself.¡±


    Forgiveness.


    For Noah Ashford, that word meant everything.


    ¡°Yes, she is an adult, but you only see Scarlett as a little girl.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put her name in your mouth.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett is also my sister. There¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t say her name.¡±


    Scott grinded his teeth. Noah twisted his lips. His deep ocean-blue eyes glowed brightly. In Scott¡¯s eyes, it was clear that Noah Ashford¡¯s stubbornness was deeply ingrained.


    ¡°Scarlett keeps crying about saving Isaac and begging for someone to kill her instead. What the hell happened? The White family doesn¡¯t seem to have the power to protect their beloved youngest sister. That¡¯s why even a guy like me is wary.¡±


    After taking a deep breath, Noah spoke firmly.


    ¡°But I saved Scarlett today. She may be a half-sibling, but she¡¯s still my sister.¡±


    A fierce anger crept across Scott¡¯s face. Noah always thought that he would have to kneel before a member of the White family, it was the first time he had taken a shot like this.


    Noah smiled contentedly like a purring beast. It was a smile of victory.


    Scott took Scarlett to her villa as requested.


    ¡°You have to keep it a secret,¡± Scarlett muttered while lying in bed.


    Scott promised to do so, and after taking all types of medicine, she instantly fell asleep.


    After Scarlett fell asleep, Scott silently walked past Noah. Early the next morning, after receiving the investigation reports about kidnapping, he called for Noah.


    Scott¡¯s features were shaded by the light emitting from the magic stone that had been nailed to the wall.


    Scott had very distinctive features. He was a particularly handsome man with puffy eyes, a defined jawline, and full lips. If there was a male god depicted in ancient mythology, it would describe Scott perfectly.


    Perhaps that¡¯s why Noah felt burdened by Scott White. No, the atmosphere he exudes was heavy, and caused him to stiffen his shoulders for some reason.


    ¡°You managed to hide that you were a wizard.¡±


    ¡° ¡­ ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha. The White family lineage has no wizards, so you must have inherited it from your mother!¡±


    Scott¡¯s tone resembled Scarlett. Although Scarlett seemed to resemble Scott only in appearance.


    ¡°Even if I were a wizard, nothing would change. I¡¯ll still do whatever Scarlett wants.¡­ I want to make it clear that I have no intention of threatening her.¡±


    ¡°If you make a threat, I will make it as if neither your mother nor you ever existed in this world.¡±


    Kravitz has the power to do that. Scott White was by no means a pushover. He was a beast, ready to tear his opponent apart at any moment.


    However, Noah was formidable. He¡¯s much younger than Scott, but he¡¯s grown taller and hides his claws well, waiting patiently for the opportunity to bite his foe¡¯s neck.


    However¡­.


    ¡°You can¡¯t deny that Scarlett is also my sister. And don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re brothers and I¡¯m also your younger sibling.¡±


    Scott¡¯s fists clenched tightly until both of his fists turned white. A bulging vein made an appearance on his forehead.


    ¡°How can I forget? I¡¯m very fortunate,¡± Scott replied sarcastically.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just a little luck among an ocean of misery. I had the misfortune of meeting you, but I still have hope for something better with Scarlett.¡±


    Noah left the room after saying he would not allow any further conversation.


    Scott watched Noah as he left the room. Once he was alone, he closed his eyes and succumbed to his emotions.

 Chapter 1.3

    ¡°Here¡¯s today¡¯s newspaper.¡±


    Traumatized by the incident, Scarlett dared not leave the villa until all the kidnappers were caught.


    In the end, she stayed in bed all day. However, since she could hardly fall asleep without anyone by her side, Scott had to fetch the documents from his office and take care of them next to her.


    When Scott had another matter to attend to, Noah would take his place and accompany Scarlett. Perhaps because he was the one who¡¯d saved Scarlett, she no longer expressed great resistance to Noah.


    ¡°Were all of them caught?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s said that the military was unexpectedly mobilized and all of them were caught.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone run away?¡±


    ¡°No. Everyone will be locked up on Christo Island. It has the worst prison on earth.¡±


    Nevertheless, Scarlett still looked anxious. Rubbing her eyes, she put on her scarf.


    ¡°Do you want to go to school?¡± She asked Noah.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Liar. You love studying.¡±


    Noah opened the book she¡¯d made him read last time. However, Scarlett shook her head, not wanting to sleep anymore.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try out psychological counseling?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it. It¡¯s pointless.¡±


    For Scarlett, going for psychological counseling would be meaningless if she was going to die soon. But she was in fact skeptical of herself.


    The misery of owing her life to Noah was so devastating it made her stomach turn, and all the confusion about which one was the real Noah made her head spin.


    Was Noah Ashford, who killed her in the past, and the current Noah Ashford the same person? If both of you are the same person, why would you do such things for me? What is the truth? Which one is the real Noah¡­?


    ¡°Let¡¯s attend classes tomorrow.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes shook subtly. Watching carefully, he tried to discern whether her words were genuine.


    ¡°No¡­ You need more rest.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go alone.¡±


    ¡°You have anxiety. Can you honestly handle it?


    ¡°Why are you pretending to be worried about me all of the sudden? I¡¯ve lived like this my entire life.¡±


    ¡°¡­ How about a trip home?¡±


    ¡°No. How can I go home looking like this?¡±


    Scarlett chewed on her nails. Despite her words, her expression was an indication of anxiety. Seeing this, Noah called her name as if telling her to calm down.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    Glaring at him with a dissatisfied expression, Scarlett raised her voice. She often unleashed her anger on the people around her when she was a child, and like a habit, she did the same to Noah.


    ¡°I¡¯m attending school tomorrow! I¡¯ve already made up my mind. I made plans to go, so I will. Am I supposed to ruin my day-to-day life because of them? How ridiculous is that?


    Scarlett panted as she rose from the bed. Then, she put on a coat over her dress, preparing to go out.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I can go outside.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t suggesting that you couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m saying you need more rest.¡±


    ¡°How dare you? Who do you think you are?¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s expression turned dreadful. She seemed frightened and confused about what she was supposed to do. Her breathing was ragged, while her body tensed up like a cat desperately raising its tail to intimidate its enemy.


    ¡®I thought I knew who you were, but your presence has changed everything. All the confusion you¡¯ve caused me is driving me insane and my thoughts are full of ridiculous things.¡¯


    ¡°Calm down, Scarlett.¡±


    Noah approached Scarlett in an effort to placate her. Struggling to disentangle all her emotions, she withdrew, widening the distance between them.


    ¡®I can¡¯t accept the feelings I have. Why do I have any concern or gratitude for Noah Ashford?¡¯


    It was also disconcerting that his blue eyes had a different light from those that killed her each night in her dreams.


    ¡®It¡¯s so hard for me to go out, and being powerless makes me feel like the most useless person in the world¡­¡¯


    Scarlett collapsed on the ground, her body trembling. Pulling up her knees and pressing her face against them, she spoke helplessly.


    ¡°Regardless of what happens, I¡¯m going to Iodes tomorrow.¡±


    She was a desperate, stubborn woman. Noah had no intention of stopping Scarlett, thinking that going to ideas might be her way of overcoming her trauma.


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go to Iodes tomorrow. Perhaps you should join a club. This is around the time when clubs recruit new members.¡±


    When Scarlett looked up, Noah offered his hand to help her stand up. Now, her gaze was fixed on Noah¡¯s hand.


    She had died by that hand.


    Those hands, drenched in blood, had stabbed her five times. But, at the same time, those hands also belonged to the person who saved her.


    Scarlett remembered how his warm hands caressed her back. The pair of hands that were stained horribly red with her blood.


    Her expression fell apart. She shook her head and bit her lower lip. Then, she stood up abruptly to pick up her bag and started walking away as if she was heading out on her own.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital. If Martin won¡¯t come here, I have no choice but to go to him myself. I can¡¯t trust the quack doctor here. You want me to see a psychiatrist? How ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go on my own.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m going alone. Don¡¯t tell me what to do. ¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I am¡­¡­.¡±


    Noah¡¯s blue eyes shook violently. Even though he said it himself, he doubted his qualifications. However, there was no denying it.


    ¡°I¡¯m your brother.¡±


    Scarlett stared intently at Noah with her mouth ajar. She couldn¡¯t believe the words that she just heard.


    Noah¡¯s head dropped. Not knowing what to do, he rubbed his cheek with one hand and continued with a clueless expression.


    ¡°¡­ Sorry. I made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We can go together.¡±


    At the end of the sentence, Scarlett began to shove all sorts of things in her bag. She couldn¡¯t even accept the way Noah made her feel.


    His claim that he was her brother was unpleasant to hear, but it didn¡¯t sound too bad.


    What was clear was that regardless of the emotions in her heart, her body was not well enough to venture out alone.


    She refused to think anymore. Even if she thought about it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to draw any conclusions right now, so now she¡¯s decided to concentrate on her health.


    After getting into the carriage, Scarlett covered herself with a blanket and closed her eyes.


    But she was unable to sleep. The horror and anxiety of the nightmare, which constantly engulfed her, forced her eyes to remain open. She hid under the blanket, blocking out the world to make herself feel more secure.


    ¡°Noah, do you have a twin?¡± She asked carefully.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m an only child.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I see.¡±


    Then why did you kill me? What¡¯s the reason for killing in such a brutal manner?


    It was a question that she couldn¡¯t bear to ask. Her thoughts caused the nightmare of being murdered to replayed in her mind. She, therefore, decided to ask a different question.


    ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    ¡°No. What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°You despise me.¡± Right? There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡±


    Noah confessed slowly, thinking how fortunate it was that Scarlett was hiding under the blanket.


    ¡°It feels weird to have an additional sibling now.¡±


    The other White siblings, blood-related or not, would never be siblings with him.


    However, Scarlett was an exception. He now regarded her as his real sister. A poor younger sister living a wretched life.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t hate me, do you hate my siblings?¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep asking that?¡±


    ¡°You might kill me.¡±


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never hurt you.¡±


    ¡°No. One day you¡¯re going to want me dead.¡±


    ¡®Otherwise, there¡¯s no way to explain my death.¡¯


    In his former life, Scarlett was unaware of Noah. However, after Noah killed all the of the family servants, he attacked Isaac and hunted her.


    Noah Ashford swore no harm, but she didn¡¯t believe the oath. At the same time, her heart told her that the Noah she had met in her past life and the present Noah were two different people.


    Then, another question annoyed her: if they were completely different people, should they be considered as separate individuals?


    While Scarlett silently fell deep into confusion, the carriage stopped. They had arrived outside the hospital.


    To give Scarlett some reassurance, Noah got out the carriage first. After confirming that everything was secure, he opened the car door.


    ¡°Just wait in the car.¡± I will meet with him on my own. ¡±


    ¡°Will you be okay? ¡±


    The hospital is filled with people who understand who I am. If we go in there together, what kind of rumors do you think will spread? You haven¡¯t lost sight of who you are, have you?


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll wait here for you then.¡±


    Scarlett went into the hospital alone. Even though she insisted, in reality she was trembling and nervous to walk alone. She feared that someone would show up immediately to threaten her for money or knock her out and kidnap her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything¡¯s okay, Scarlett White.


    The St. Bernard General Hospital was the largest and most prominent hospital in Wieland.


    Scarlett¡¯s cardiologist was on the second floor. Upon going to the reception counter, she climbed the stairs with a receipt that had been given to her. As she turned around the corner, she found a familiar person on the stairway to the third floor.


    Dressed in a perfectly styled three-piece suit, combined with a messy hairstyle, was John. He was talking to somebody as well.


    ¡°I came to visit someone in the hospital. An acquaintance is hospitalized here on the 9th floor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. I can¡¯t believe you have to climb to the ninth floor. That¡¯s a great deal of work for him and you, Mr. White.¡±


    If the room was on the 9th floor, it must be a VIP room. Scarlett wanted to greet John but believing that it was not the time to do so, she slipped down the corridor.


    ¡°If St. Bernard had more donations, we could put in a patient elevator. It¡¯s a pity that there are too many patients from all over the country right now, so they can¡¯t afford to use the funds to invest in building improvements. I¡¯m going to organize a charity event to raise funds.¡±


    John explained his plans for the charity event with his unique charismatic voice before excusing himself, then proceeded to climb the stairs. Scarlett, who was hiding in the hallway, discovered late that John had departed and pursued him.


    John was a senator, so even if Scott blocked the media, he should already be aware of the Mafia kidnapping her.


    John¡¯s failure to contact her meant that he was very upset about this incident.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t want to disappoint John.


    If Aaron is the rich uncle-like brother and Andrew is the playful friend-like brother, John is the reliable father-like brother.


    Scarlett desperately wanted to explain and voice her opinion, so she tried to catch up with John with her weak body. She climbed the stairs, panting, but John seemed to have already entered the hospital room.


    She kept walking back and forth in the hallway where the VIP room was located, but she soon turned around and decided to wait for John by the stairs to save her energy.


    However, when John¡¯s voice came out of the slightly opened hospital room, she had no choice but to stop walking and listen.


    ¡°You have to live a long and healthy life. If you die, Mr. Nicholas, then I¡¯ll be the only one alive who knows the truth. Because the others who notarized my mother¡¯s will have already passed away.¡±


    Scarlett was familiar with the name of the lawyer, Nicholas Johnson. On Thanksgiving, he was often invited by the White family to dine together. He has been a stylish gentleman with a white beard since his 40s. Scarlett found his iron-sounding voice amazing.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to find a younger lawyer¡­ But isn¡¯t this what Mrs. White wanted? A lie which would ultimately become a truth.¡±


    ¡°The lie may become the truth and threaten us. This is the only thing I¡¯m still afraid of.¡±


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯


    Scarlett knew eavesdropping was a bad habit to have, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself when she heard the words ¡°mother¡¯s will¡± come out of his mouth.


    ¡°Mrs. White was an incredibly strong woman. Therefore, there¡¯s no doubt that you, who resemble your mother, would be as strong as her. John, I have faith in you. You can endure the lies.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett nearly died.¡± I don¡¯t understand how the value of the lie is comparable to her life.¡±


    ¡°It was through Ms. White and Mrs. White¡¯s preservation. They showed everyone a very good play. I thought it was worthwhile to protect even to the detriment of many things, so trust your parents.¡±


    ¡°But because of that play, we¡¯re all living in hell. Mr. Nicholas. You won¡¯t be able to say that if you knew what kind of things that they had to do just to live another day.¡±


    As John spoke, his voice shook. Scarlett¡¯s heart began to pound upon seeing the change in his demeanor, which did not correspond with his usual calm temperament.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s so terrible. I feel guilty every day. I feel horrible that I¡¯m deceiving my younger siblings and that I ruined their lives¡­¡­. Oh my god.¡­ God¡­ I doubt even God will forgive me.¡±


    ¡°John. Calm down. Do you plan on telling them the truth?


    Only after a long while did John reply. With his next words, the tension diminished a little, and Scarlett was able to continue breathing normally.


    ¡°No, I must endure the truth alone. This is too heavy a burden for them. Meeting you has made this clear. Yes, it¡¯s too late for me to go back now. This was never for our sake, but I can¡¯t let my younger siblings resent our mother. I must bear all her sins.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s heart began to beat even more till she could hear it in her ears. Her breathing was harsh, and she felt suffocated.


    ¡®What does this mean? What¡­¡¯


    ¡°If they knew that our father¡¯s affair was actually planned by our mother¡­ My family would be completely destroyed.¡±


    Her heart sank when she heard his words.


    ¡®If they knew that our father¡¯s affair was actually planned by our mother¡­¡¯


    ¡®Father¡¯s affair was actually planned by mother¡­?¡¯


    * * * * * * *


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    At that moment, she heard a voice calling her name, and it was only then that she remembered to breathe.


    She turned to see Noah watching at her with a face full of concern. To reassure him, Scarlett closed his eyes, nodding as she said, ¡°I was just thinking about something, that¡¯s why I was distracted.¡±


    Noah naturally listened to Scarlett¡¯s words. Meanwhile, Scarlett¡¯s gaze was nailed to Noah¡¯s chest as she got lost in her thoughts again.


    ¡®Perhaps Noah Ashford is innocent. But that¡¯s just an assumption.¡¯


    Scarlett didn¡¯t want to turn the arrow to her mother. She couldn¡¯t do that and she wouldn¡¯t do that. Noah Ashford was guilty. At least in her eyes.


    ¡®But if the affair was planned by our mother, was my premature birth also planned?¡­ How can you plan an affair?


    Scarlett tried to calm herself, suppressing the urge to immediately go to John and demand answers to her questions.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not tired.¡±


    Scarlett shook her head. Noah continued.


    ¡°You have to submit your assignment. You can give it to me. I¡¯ll submit it for you.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I have done any of my homework? You know that I don¡¯t take these classes seriously.¡±


    ¡°I see. Today is club membership day. Do you have any idea which club you want to join?¡±


    ¡°No. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Say it. Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I¡¯m going to eat you up?¡±


    When Scarlett grumbled and glared at him, Noah finally relented and spat out, ¡°The History Research Club or Math Club¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    Scarlett seemed to believe that Noah was really crazy. She even opened her eyes so wide that the white part could be seen and covered her mouth to express how shocked she was. The action showed how much their intimacy and bond had grown since their time together. Seeing that, Noah¡¯s chest tightened for some reason.


    If there was one good thing that resulted from the kidnapping case, it was that the two became closer and Scarlett had become a sister for Noah to protect.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s going to be fun.¡±


    ¡°¡­You take care of yourself. I won¡¯t be attending.¡± Scarlett shuddered, shaking her head.


    The two moved from building to building, discussing the different clubs. Scarlett was still cold in every word she uttered, but the comfort was obvious in her attitude towards Noah.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know why there¡¯s a rule that required first-year students to join a club. What about someone like me, who doesn¡¯t want to do anything? This is a really old fashioned school.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too hard for you to choose, why not join the club your brothers used to?¡±


    ¡°Aaron was in the horseback riding club. What if I slip off the horse?¡±


    Scarlett skimmed through the recruitment announcements posted on the bulletin board. She couldn¡¯t hide her boredom and fiddled with her fingertips. She had no affection for Iodes and didn¡¯t think she could hold on until next semester.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t sign up, you won¡¯t do it either, right?¡± She asked Noah as if testing him. Noah seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before smiling faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sign up. Everyone has to do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so boring.¡±


    Scarlett swallowed a sigh and carefully scanned the announcements once again.


    She didn¡¯t owe anything to Noah, but she couldn¡¯t tell what state her mind was in. Her feelings were a mixture of hatred, comfort, and tension, which made it difficult to recognize.


    What¡¯s clear is that I decided to watch him for a little while.


    Scarlett¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the recruitment announcement, which was barely hanging onto the board.


    Noah¡¯s eyes trembled slightly as he looked at Scarlett. Then a faint smile crept upon her face.


    * * * * * * *


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    Noah felt his mouth dry. It was his first time seeing a twinkle in her eye, prompting his curiosity.


    All of this was unfamiliar to Noah. The environment, combined with the sound of crumbling paper and the smell of paint was something Noah had never seen before.


    ¡°If I had known there was an art club, I would have gone for it sooner.¡±


    Scarlett took out a pen and quickly filled out an application. Noah felt uneasy watching Scarlett as the pen scratched along the paper.


    ¡°You can leave and do whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t leave Scarlett alone. She was sick and had only been out of trouble for a few days. She still needed a lot of help.


    ¡°I like the space here, too.¡±


    Scarlett completed the application and looked up at Noah. Her gray eyes were observing Noah as if she was trying to detect his lies. Nevertheless, she turned away, accepting that this was Noah¡¯s choice.


    ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±


    Noah received the pen from Scarlett. He filled out his application and submitted it.


    There were only five new students, including the two of them. The newcomers took turns greeting each other and had to draw a simple picture to gauge their skills.


    Noah held a pencil against the paper, not knowing what to do next, he glanced at Scarlett. She was drawing the apple without any hesitation.


    Noah tried imitating the way Scarlett held her pencil. However, it was not easy to follow the very uncomfortable posture. He clumsily imitated the shape of an apple, but his lines were crooked.


    Noah heaved a sigh. If there was anything he recalled from the days he spent painting on the dirt floor with tree branches as his paintbrushes, it was the fact that he was terrible at drawing.


    ¡°There are four minutes left.¡±


    With not much time left, he drew quickly.


    He wondered how to add shading and questioned why they had to draw such difficult objects such as apples. His skills were so terrible that even the simple shapes he drew were a mess.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up, pencils down. I¡¯ll collect the drawings now.¡±


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    Noah had a bewildered expression on his face as he looked around at the other drawings.


    Scarlett was quite good at drawing. As if she had been taught by a professional, her workmanship was excellent.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Scarlett looked at Noah¡¯s drawing and alternated between the paper and Noah¡¯s face, astonished by the contrast.


    Noah had the appearance of a fairy tale prince sitting on a white horse, who seemed to have the capacity to do anything.


    In fact, Noah had been proficient in everything so far. Particularly, when it came to studying, he was already the favorite student among many of the professors. Therefore. Scarlett was very surprised that Noah¡¯s drawing abilities were worse than a child.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Noah realized that whatever he said next would be an excuse, so he stopped speaking. Realizing this, Scarlett tried hard to contain her laughter.


    Noah couldn¡¯t avert his eyes from her face, which became pink as a peach. It was the first time Noah saw Scarlett¡¯s lively face.


    Scarlett, with her blushing cheeks and a brilliant smile, resembled an ordinary woman. An ordinary woman who laughs and speaks normally, who was neither sick nor nervous that she needed to conceal her weakness.


    Noah felt pity for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go ahead and laugh.¡±


    Noah sighed deeply and pretended not to hear Scarlett giggling softly.


    Suddenly, the door opened, and a familiar voice was heard.


    ¡°Forgive me for being late.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s smile, which was sweet just a second ago, hardened. It was, of course, due to the familiar voice. It was Wilhelm.


    Wilhelm hastily placed his bag on the floor and handed in the application he had written in advance.


    ¡°Hoffman. I thought you ran away because you weren¡¯t here on time


    ¡°I mistook the room and ended up at The Sculpture Club.¡±


    Wilhelm had a natural conversation with the club manager, as if they were an acquaintances. After the conversation, the manager introduced him to everyone.


    ¡°This is Wilhelm Hoffman. He was the first one to join during the first round of recruitments. Let¡¯s get along well, all 34 of us.¡±


    Wilhelm found Scarlett while checking on the members one by one. She sat there, her arms crossed, with an indifferent expression. After the argument at the restaurant last time, the two didn¡¯t sit together in class, talk, or make eye contact anymore.


    ¡°Grisham. I see you¡¯re still hanging around with her.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tone,¡± Noah warned Wilhelm. Wilhelm shrugged his shoulders and greeted the other students.


    Scarlett clenched her teeth tightly. Noah whispered in her ear to avoid others from overhearing.


    ¡°Shall we leave?¡±


    ¡°No, why should we?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m uncomfortable.¡±


    Noah shrugged his shoulders. Out of consideration for Scarlett, who thought she would lose face if she left, he became the excuse instead.


    Scarlett turned and looked at Noah. Her eyes shook subtly. Staring into her eyes, Noah tried to read the confusion contained in it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to leave. You saw my skills, I¡¯m still a little embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s take a 30-minute break and get some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    The two went out on campus for a while and breathed in the cool autumn air. Scarlett sat on a bench and closed her eyes to relieve the fatigue.


    Noah took a blanket out of his bag and wrapped it around her.


    ¡°You hate me, don¡¯t you?¡± She asked carefully.


    ¡°Once again, no.¡±


    ¡°Even if I blame you when you¡¯re not the one at fault?¡±


    If what she heard about her father¡¯s affair was true, Noah couldn¡¯t be blamed for her premature birth.


    Thinking that she might have misunderstood everything, Scarlett stared at Noah with a slightly disturbed expression.


    ¡°Do you want us to be siblings?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not whether I want it or not. It¡¯s a fact.¡±


    ¡°Disregarding the facts, you can like or dislike a situation. For example, I use to hate having Andrew as my brother. He was so mischievous that I often wondered if I would have stuck with him if he weren¡¯t my brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never thought about it. Your other siblings are unfamiliar, I only consider you as my sister.¡±


    If that¡¯s true, I was too naive.


    If he didn¡¯t hate me, why did he kill me? What would you kill me for?


    Scarlett wanted to ask Noah these questions, but it was something that required a lot of courage to even bring up.


    ¡°¡­¡­Um¡­have you ever hated someone¡­¡± she started to ask in a low voice.


    However, Scarlett¡¯s words were cut off by the appearance of Wilhelm.


    ¡°Grisham. Can I see you for a second?¡±


    Wilhelm approached them with a cold face.


    ¡°You two can talk. I want to go back in,¡± Scarlett stated and went inside wearing the blanket. Noah watched Scarlett walk away and asked Wilhelm.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I told you not to get involved anymore because this is a personal issue between Scarlett and I.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean how you¡¯re willing to comply with Scarlett¡¯s wicked behavior, even if that means you¡¯re treated like a slave?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sarcastic. You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Her anger could be justified, but what she did to you was not right.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s all you had to say, I¡¯m going inside.¡±


    ¡°No, wait a minute.¡±


    Wilhelm sighed and ruffled his thick hair, which was the same shade as a wheat field.


    ¡°Last week, the last day you were here, Scarlett poured milk on the head of a girl in our school. Her fianc¨¦ is determined to punish Scarlett. It appears that he¡¯s planning to humiliate her a lot, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°What? Who was it?¡±


    ¡°Jane Foldy from the History department, and her fianc¨¦ is Archer Davidson from the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy. Since it¡¯s your personality, go apologize in her stead. But I think it¡¯ll be better if you teach Scarlett how to apologize and ask her to go and ask for forgiveness personally.¡±


    Noah¡¯s blonde hair shone brightly in the sunlight, and his blue eyes resembling the sea were full of innocence and excellent sensibility. But his expression was colder than Scarlett¡¯s.


    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t like it and it makes me angry, I will do what needs to be done. Don¡¯t provoke me by saying something presumptuous about me again. I will never overlook her health or safety,¡± he said with a stern tone that would not permit any rebuttal.


    While Wilhelm didn¡¯t know much about Noah, but he knew this wasn¡¯t Noah Ashford he had seen so far.


    Noah has changed. I can¡¯t describe it, but he¡¯s changed.


    And Wilhelm knew it was due to Scarlett.

 Chapter 1.4

    The initial club activity was to group off into pairs and draw portraits of each other.


    Noah insisted on being paired with Scarlett since he was worried that her condition might worsen.


    ¡°You should draw first.¡±


    At Scarlett¡¯s suggestion, Noah had no choice but to comply. He wanted to avoid showcasing his disastrous skills again, but he remained calm.


    ¡°If you start after me, you¡¯ll be even more embarrassed, so just do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will. Where should we go?¡±


    ¡°The B-8 building is often vacant. The light is on, so we can draw inside.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    They found an unoccupied classroom, pushed aside the desks, and unfolded their easels.


    Scarlett pulled a chair in front of her easel and tidied herself, smoothing her long hair and clothes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why they¡¯re asking a person who doesn¡¯t even know the basics of drawing to complete this assignment, but it¡¯ll be a good experience. Can you do at least this much?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. That¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this poorly, you have to pay attention to detail and draw well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Noah smiled faintly, his eyes twinkling as if he was speaking with a close friend.


    At that moment, Scarlett realized the discomfort between her and Noah had decreased considerably.


    And it was the same for Noah.


    However, even though his guilt was deep, his friendship with Scarlett had also deepened, so he dismissed it, thinking she was unaware of her kindness. He picked up the pencil, realizing he should be more cautious in the future.


    ¡°Draw me beautifully.¡±


    A golden light came through the closed window, illuminating the transparent dust floating in the air.


    Scarlett¡¯s gray eyes turned towards Noah. She studied him with a peculiar expression that was neither a frown nor a smile.


    Scratch Scratch


    The sound of the pencil on canvas filled the awkward silence between them. As classes commenced, the hallway also became quiet.


    Noah suddenly noticed his hands shaking. In fact, he wasn¡¯t nervous, but due to the subtle tension in the air, he could feel the pulse in his wrists.


    Noah¡¯s gaze alternated between Scarlett and the canvas.


    He found it ridiculous to have to draw someone when he couldn¡¯t even draw an apple.


    ¡®How can I capture that rich hair in a drawing? No artist would be able to depict that cynical, yet fragile gaze.¡¯


    Scarlett watched him, her gaze was unfathomable.


    Suddenly she brought it up again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hate me.¡±


    Noah¡¯s hand seemed to stop momentarily, but it began to move again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hate me. Even if you don¡¯t like me, have pity on me,¡± Scarlett repeated.


    ¡®Only then will you not kill me.¡¯


    Feeling depressed, Scarlett lowered her gaze.


    Unaware of his own strength, Noah nearly crushed the pencil in his grasp.


    Nevertheless, he resumed his task.


    As he drew a meaningless line he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I¡­¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m not sure who you are or what haunts you in your dreams.¡¯


    ¡°You.¡±


    Usually, she couldn¡¯t speak too much without relying on lies in the end. But now was the perfect moment to appease Noah.


    This was the perfect time. Her dislike for Noah had diminished. Plus, now she had a reason to give him a chance.


    This could save her life down the road.


    Scarlett had no choice but to acknowledge that Noah had come to her rescue, so she finally decided to accept it.


    An angry Scott had messed up and hidden things from her, but Noah Ashford had risked his life to save Scarlett White.


    That was the reality of the situation.


    ¡°I want to forgive you.¡±


    She spewed out a lie mixed with a drop of diluted sincerity.


    Noah¡¯s eyes grew wider and his lips parted. Suddenly, Scarlett noticed how Noah¡¯s gentle expression did not match his personality. In fact, Noah was only pleasant to Scarlett, but his mask was so thorough that he was not conscious of it.


    ¡°But I still hate you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Scarlett¡¯s heart began to race.


    As long as her heart continued to beat, she would yearn for vengeance and Noah Ashford¡¯s death. It was like a fate set from birth.


    Therefore, revenge would always remain in her heart.


    ¡°Nonetheless, I want to forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Forgiveness¡­¡±


    ¡®How dare Noah Ashford dream of receiving forgiveness.¡¯


    Noah was paralyzed by Scarlett¡¯s stare. At the same time, he felt an odd sense of joy.


    Scarlett stared at him. Noah returned her gaze with an empty look, not knowing what expression he should make.


    Noah remained silent for a long time before eventually opening his mouth.


    ¡°¡­¡­Only you can save me.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    A subtle crack was heard in Scarlett¡¯s voice.


    It was difficult to face her, so Noah continued to speak calmly, paying attention to the tip of Scarlett¡¯s pencil, rather than her stormy gray eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who committed a crime against you. So, your sincerity determines where my soul will go. With your words, I may fall into hell, but with your eyes, my soul can enter an earthly paradise.¡±


    He was trembling as he spoke. After some time, he took a deep breath and continued.


    ¡°I will not force you to be merciful. My point is¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I apologize if my existence has harmed you.¡±


    Noah¡¯s words were like the confession of a wounded soul that had been denied the freedom to exist. His tone was calm, but the words were strong and carried the impact of a storm.


    Scarlett felt burdened. Her mouth had a bitter taste as if she was on the verge of vomiting.


    ¡®How did it feel to have your existence denied? How painful would that life be?¡¯


    Scarlett had merely sought to blame Noah and had never attempted to understand him.


    However, Noah¡¯s flesh was suddenly exposed, all the way to his skin and bones. Scarlett had finally caught a glimpse of the real Noah Ashford.


    His words and expression clearly showed his misery.


    For the first time, Scarlett suffered heartbreak, and it was because of Noah.


    Rather than sympathy or pretense, it was pure regret.


    ¡°¡­¡­What am I supposed to say when you put it that way?¡± Scarlett¡¯s face contorted painfully.


    Meanwhile, Noah continued drawing as if nothing happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You have nothing to apologize for,¡± Noah replied, smiling faintly.


    His smile was indistinguishable, torn between sorrow and laughter.


    His drawing began with her eyes.


    Noah carefully observed Scarlett¡¯s eyes, eyebrows, nose, and lips.


    While her eyebrows rose sharply, the eyes underneath emanated a fragile impression. Furthermore, they seemed to be clouded by a misty fog.


    Her eyes were framed by long lashes. Her nose was straight and beautiful, which was a source of envy for many. In addition, her lips were plump with a pinkish tint.


    However, her beautiful features didn¡¯t entirely define her.


    Apart from her upright posture, her presence was very noble. With her haughty attitude, her slightly arrogant gaze, and her fragile, but delicate aura, she easily turned the heads of many.


    The striking contrast between her pure, fragile face and bright red hair made her unforgettable.


    Objectively, Scarlett was an amazing beauty.


    With a pale skin that glowed beneath the sun, she never looked dull.


    Rather, she seemed completely free from everything.


    No, that was his own perspective.


    From her aura and scent to the atmosphere around her, Scarlett had transformed in Noah¡¯s eyes.


    After a period of hesitation, Scarlett made a confession.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to forgive you.¡±


    It was a truth that did not contain any lies.


    If forgiveness was the only solution, then she was completely at a loss.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know where the road began or how I ended up walking along it either.¡¯


    At this point, Scarlett was aimlessly searching for the end of the road.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    Noah had given up on forgiveness.


    After witnessing how much damage his mother had inflicted upon Scarlett, he had come to terms with the truth of his existence and was ready to accept the consequences.


    Now, however, regret had formed on Scarlett¡¯s face, and Noah didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡®Why do you look like that?¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be forgiven?¡±


    ¡°If you feel more comfortable hating me, then it won¡¯t bother me.¡±


    ¡®You can speak ill of me and hate me. I¡¯m not shameless enough to ask much of a dying girl.¡¯


    He wanted forgiveness, but at the same time, he knew he shouldn¡¯t because it would be too much.


    ¡®Since I have thrown someone¡¯s life into the mud, a part of my life should always stay in the mud.¡¯


    ¡°Why? Why do you want to give up on seeking forgiveness?¡±


    ¡°No. This is something I can¡¯t force. I have to leave it up to you because it¡¯s your choice. I want you to have the freedom to choose without influence.¡±


    Noah¡¯s opinion was of little importance.


    He would never escape Scarlett White¡¯s clutches. Even if she forgave him and his mother, he would always live in Scarlett¡¯s shadow.


    Because the scars he had left on her were so apparent.


    Scarlett took a deep breath, clearing her thoughts


    ¡°Freedom¡­¡±


    She reflected on Noah¡¯s words for some time. Her hands started shaking, perhaps because she was close to spewing something unpleasant.


    Afterward, her shocking declaration rang in Noah¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Then, with my forgiveness, I¡¯ll allow you to be a humble beast on earth, despite my feelings of resentment. Depending on your own actions, you can go to hell or heaven. Congratulations, Noah Ashford. You¡¯re free. You don¡¯t have to follow me anymore.¡±


    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t the end of the world, but at the same time, it would be the end of some of the suffering in his life.


    Scarlett had finally broken his shackles.


    Despite everything, Scarlett had suffered the most damage, but she buried those deep feelings of loathing, anger, and hatred she had for him.


    After that, everything felt strange.


    It was as if she and Noah had just met for the first time.


    As if he had never existed in the world before.


    Everything had changed.


    His world had turned upside down. The air shifted around him and even dust particles were seen under a new light.


    His senses were no longer dull and now the world around him seemed completely new.


    The sunlight was dazzling, and the dust particles in the classroom floated about like flower petals in the wind.


    And Scarlett was the reason for it all.


    It all started with a whisper of false forgiveness.


    The moment was bright, but woefully beautiful.


    Noah memorized that precise moment because he wanted to lock the memory in his heart forever. He allowed himself to feel every sensation. The warmth of sun and the dryness of dust.


    Scarlett¡¯s complex expression looked pained, yet peaceful. He took it all in and etched it deeply in his heart.


    He had been intertwined with Scarlett since birth. Noah was convinced that regardless of how their paths changed, he would always be swayed by Scarlett.


    That was their fate.


    Thus, Scarlett became the center of Noah¡¯s world.


    Several weeks later, Noah returned home.


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    He looked at the rotting door, which was more appropriate to call a curtain rather than a door.


    The state of his house had deteriorated. If Scarlett hadn¡¯t paid their debt, Noah and his mother would be on a slave merchant ship headed for Natalia by now.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    After a series of steady knocks, the door suddenly opened.


    Julia Ashford, Noah¡¯s mother, was on the other side of the door. She looked better than before. She hugged Noah with a big smile plastered on her face.


    ¡°How have you been? Oh my god. You look thinner.¡±


    ¡°You seem better. The medicine¡­ You took it, right?¡±


    She still looked thin and unkempt, but Noah noticed that his mother had a healthier complexion. Julia caressed his cheeks, her smile twisted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if I should take the medicine from Ms. White, but¡­ There was a letter. She said that if my health improved, she would pay off our debts. If her only requirement is for my health to improve, I can give her that.¡±


    Back then, Scarlett had wanted revenge.


    Noah recalled those sparkling gray eyes. The biting remarks, paired with her burning red hair, were like sharpened blades.


    Perhaps Noah still didn¡¯t know how Scarlett actually felt. Nonetheless, Scarlett had forgiven him.


    That was a fact.


    ¡®I¡¯ll allow you to be a humble beast on earth.¡¯


    Those words saved Noah.


    Since he was bound by her, it was his destiny to be saved by Scarlett alone. Now that his fate had been rewritten, the second act could begin.


    Scarlett White¡¯s shackles, which used to be wrapped around his ankles, had now slipped into the depth of his existence.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. You don¡¯t have to worry about that. By the way, I¡¯ve learned how to legally reinstate our status¡­¡±


    Noah¡¯s words were cut off by Julia¡¯s terrified cry.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no more loan sharks looking for us. Scarlett¡­ I regret that she paid off all our debts.¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not the problem. You must live as Theo Grisham. Mr. White is no longer here to protect you. You should remain as Theo Grisham and I will be Ann Thompson.¡±


    Noah¡¯s expression fell, he suddenly felt ill and exhausted. However, a deep frown line formed on his forehead, and his eyes glinted intensely.


    It was true that Mr. White shielded them from the White Family. The only reason they had been safe during that time was due to the White siblings being young and ignorant of their whereabouts.


    But Noah¡¯s mother still believed Scarlett¡¯s father, Alex White, had been the only one keeping them safe.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. We can¡¯t live with these fake identities forever. And never speak of Mr. White again. You know how terrible he was.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s dangerous. It¡¯s too risky. Don¡¯t do it, ever.¡±


    ¡°Kravitz knows everything. Isn¡¯t that how Scarlett found us in the first place? There¡¯s no point in hiding. It just makes us look more cowardly.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. Oh, it¡¯s true, they were cruel, but¡­.it¡¯s not over. Also, I¡¯m not afraid of them.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it? What are you so afraid of?¡±


    After Mr. White had passed away, Noah¡¯s mother became obsessed with their safety. They moved several times a year, bought security supplies, and lived like fugitives.


    Noah believed it was because she was wary of the White siblings. With their rough demeanor and cruel personalities, they had the power to do anything.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. I can never say it. You are¡­.¡±


    Julia immediately shut her mouth. As if there was dirt on her hands, she vigorously rubbed her hands against her skirt as if she was trying to wipe them clean.


    As long as Noah could remember, his mother had hidden many secrets from him, especially during his childhood.


    ¡°Okay, but we have to restore our status. I can¡¯t continue living as Theo Grisham. As long as we pay a fine¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do we really have to do this?¡±


    ¡°Mr. White is dead! He passed away more than 10 years ago! How long will you mourn him? Do you think we ended up in this state because he wasn¡¯t here? No! Mother, your excessive spending and poor investments are the root cause of our present situation! You don¡¯t have to live like this! Let¡¯s live normal lives.¡±


    Julia frowned, releasing a forlorn sigh, and took a step back.


    ¡°You¨C You know nothing! Do you even understand the risks?!¡±


    ¡°What risks? Tell me! How many more secrets will you keep secrets from me?¡±


    ¡°Noah¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m Noah Ashford. Not Theo Grisham!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god¡­ Noah. Not now. We can¡¯t expose ourselves to the world yet.¡±


    Julia pulled out a chair and sat down, rubbing her temples. Noah swallowed a sigh.


    Noah lit a candle. Candles were only used by the lowest class. It was neither a mana stone, nor a lamp, but an ordinary candle.


    Wasn¡¯t it a relic of the old times?


    Winter was coming. His mother had amassed piles of newspapers because she had no money to buy firewood.


    Noah eventually let out another sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m earning money by working as a helper at the school. I¡¯ll send you some money, so use it to buy firewood in preparation for winter.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Noah sat across from his mother. With his arms on the table, he gestured towards his mother as he wanted her to hear him clearly. When he spoke again, he spoke each word carefully.


    ¡°I will be successful.¡±


    This was also a pledge to himself. He was sick and tired of living in poverty and shame. He wanted to elevate his status to the point where no one could bring him down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to live like this anymore.¡±


    Julia buried her face in her palms. But Noah did not budge.


    ¡°And I want to live as Noah Ashford, not Theo Grisham.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I have a question.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Am I truly¡­ Mr. White¡¯s son?¡±


    Julia raised her head, fear flashing in her eyes.


    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s your father! Why would you ask me that? Does it have to do with Scarlett White?


    ¡°I look nothing like him.¡± Not even in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°No, you resemble him a great deal.¡± How can you say that when he passed away when you were four?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have the same features as Scarlett or Scott White. It¡¯s what I think when I look at myself in the mirror. How could someone have traits from their mother, but none from their father? Please be honest with me.¡±


    ¡°Noah Ashford!¡±


    ¡°I remember Mr. White saying I ought to be his son.


    Julia took a deep breath and clenched her fists. For a brief period of time, Noah¡¯s powerful confession left her speechless.


    This was their first conversation about Mr. White.


    ¡°There is something.¡±


    ¡°When he said that, he meant¡­ It¡¯s probably because, back then, another man claimed you as his biological son. He must have meant to say that you are his son and cannot be taken away.¡±


    Julia blushed. Seeing that, Noah¡¯s face sank with disappointment and his tightly-closed mouth formed a deep scowl.


    Noah looked at the shadow of the candle swaying in silence. Watching the flame made him think of Scarlett.


    ¡®I wonder what she¡¯s doing now?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Julia wanted him to stay a little longer, but Noah left the house without another word.


    The autumn wind was particularly cold, and the dry scent of fallen leaves made his stomach hurt.


    After passing through the entrance of the villa, he walked across the courtyard. On an outdoor swing chair, Noah found Scarlett sleeping soundly. The color of the setting sun kissed her skin. Both of her cheeks were rosy, and her pale hands were tinged with red.


    She was sleeping so peacefully that Noah couldn¡¯t bear to wake her up.


    It was getting dark, but Scarlett was sleeping like a baby. For this reason, the servants had covered her body with several layers of blankets. Noah carefully sat next to her.


    Scarlett looked as innocent as a child. She looked free from any pain and anxiety as if the nightmare that had disturbed her every night no longer existed.


    And the sound of her breathing felt like the only sound in the world.


    There was still the whistling of the autumn wind, the rustling of the fallen leaves, the creaking of the withering trees, and the cries of crickets as the evening ascended.


    However, all these sounds paled in comparison to Scarlett¡¯s peaceful breaths.


    Noah was sincere in wanting her to be at ease. Regardless of his status.


    Even after she had said those words to Noah.


    ¡®You¡¯re free. You don¡¯t have to follow me anymore.¡¯


    ¡®Scarlett.¡¯


    ¡®Scarlett.¡¯


    Noah tasted her name in his mouth.


    Whenever her name, which he could not utter out loud, was on the tip of his tongue, a strange feeling resounded within him.


    It was strange and unfamiliar.


    He looked away in an attempt to stop the overwhelming emotions.


    Noah clutched his chest.


    The indescribable and overwhelming sensation he felt whenever he looked at Scarlett must be occurring because she had forgiven him.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t genuine forgiveness, it still meant a lot to Noah.


    ¡®Scarlett.¡¯


    His younger sister, Scarlett.


    His younger sister, but with a different surname.


    Scarlett White.


    The gentle cool breeze blew back her hair, exposing Scarlett¡¯s neck. Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the sight.


    At the same time, Scarlett began to awaken with a faint moan. A dreamy gaze lingered on her face.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°¡­Noah?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You came back early.¡±


    ¡°I thought you went home.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m afraid to face John right now.¡±


    Scarlett yawned, rubbing her eyes, and pulled the blankets up, burying her weak, slender fingers under the blankets.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep inside,¡± Noah suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m too sleepy to move.¡±


    ¡°You might catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Not that one. Abigail is in danger.¡±


    Scarlett sometimes says incomprehensible things.


    Like ¡®Save me,¡¯ and ¡®Not Isaac.¡¯ But this time it was, ¡®Abigail is in danger.¡¯


    ¡°You have to be careful, otherwise you¡¯ll get a fever.¡±


    Drowsy from her nap, Scarlett closed her eyes again, not willing to fully wake up.


    The scent of autumn filled the air.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you on my back. Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Noah finally said.


    Noah knelt down on one knee and bent his back. Even in her drowsy state, Scarlett still managed to climb on Noah¡¯s back. It was the first time since her kidnapping that she was carried on his back, but this time, she didn¡¯t resist. Apart from her feelings toward Noah, it was true that her sense of unfamiliarity and caution towards Noah had diminished by a large margin.


    When Scarlett pressed her face into Noah¡¯s shoulder, strands of her soft red hair brushed against his face. All the while, her arms were wrapped around Noah¡¯s neck.


    It was such a strange sensation for Noah.


    Soft yet ticklish, it was the first time he felt something like this in his entire life.


    ¡®Is this how it feels to have a younger sister?¡¯


    Once again, Noah tested her name in his mouth, this time in a low voice because Scarlett had fallen back to sleep.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    Red flame, burning ashes. His sister, his family, his freedom, his salvation.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


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    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    Such an overwhelming emotion made Noah breathless.


    At that moment, Noah wanted to succeed, more than anything else. He wanted to be a brother that Scarlett could be proud of. He wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with her older sister and four older brothers.


    Noah walked towards the villa with Scarlett on his back, not realizing that the unfamiliar emotion was love.


    That day marked 170 days before her death.

 Chapter 2.1

    After spending the weekend together, Scarlett and Noah returned to Iodes by carriage.


    Scarlett knew people were giving her condescending looks, but she really didn¡¯t care about rumors.


    ¡°Just ignore them.¡±


    Noah didn¡¯t care about gossip either, however, he couldn¡¯t ignore Davison¡¯s intentions to get revenge on Scarlett.


    ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s stay together for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s because I feel anxious.¡±


    He had no idea what Archer Davison would do. So, until then, he had to protect Scarlett.


    On the other hand, Scarlett wasn¡¯t aware that Archer had targeted her. Instead, she thought Noah was worried because of the kidnapping incident.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. Anyway, I hear Professor Diego wants to see me. Is it during lunchtime?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°He probably wants to buy me lunch and take the opportunity to nag me.¡±


    Scarlett frowned. She knew her attitude in class was terrible. She could already feel herself getting a headache at the thought of hearing his nagging.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there something you wanted to ask the professor? You should go see him.¡±


    Many pages of Noah¡¯s book had been folded, which made her wonder how he was able to study when they were pretty much together all the time.


    Scarlett decided to acknowledge Noah¡¯s sincerity.


    Noah had the diligence that she lacked. He was full of ambition and lived his life passionately.


    Scarlett was envious of that. For her, just enduring each day was already too much. While the simplest of things were too intense for her, it required no effort for ordinary people, which Scarlett yearned to experience.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t need to go now.¡±


    ¡°I have something to discuss with Wilhelm in private, so go ahead.¡±


    It was a lie, but Noah was hesitant to leave Scarlett alone, but since their first class was a Liberal Art course with Wilhelm, he decided to give her some space and made his way to the lab.


    Scarlett headed to the classroom alone. She paused right before turning the corner of the hallway when she heard someone mention her name in a conversation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think she would still participate in club activities since doesn¡¯t come to class anymore. You¡¯re in the same club, right? From what I¡¯ve observed, you two seem awfully close. Do me a favor and introduce me to her.¡±


    ¡°That would be up to her, it¡¯s not something I can just decide. If you¡¯re that interested, then just approach her yourself.¡±


    ¡°What are friends for? Come on, in exchange, I¡¯ll introduce you to Jeff Wood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have a class to attend, so I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    It was Wilhelm¡¯s voice. Scarlett stepped between them without hesitation.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m only worth an introduction to Jeff Wood? Aren¡¯t you belittling the Whites? If you want to get closer to a member of the White Family, you¡¯ll have to prepare a bigger card than that.¡±


    After replying to him with a sharp tone, she switched her gaze to Wilhelm.


    ¡°What are you doing? We have to hurry up and get to class.¡±


    Wilhelm followed Scarlett with a bewildered expression. Before opening the door, she looked him directly in the eyes.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to apologize? You arrogantly interfered in someone else¡¯s family affairs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that, but your behavior and attitude were the absolute worst.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you still don¡¯t understand Wieland.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand your actions. No one that nice deserves to be treated so horribly.¡±


    ¡°Even if that person killed your family?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke, don¡¯t be stupid.¡±


    As Scarlett tried to open the door, Wilhelm placed his hand over hers and prevented her movement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Do we have anything more to say to each other?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think there are many topics we need to discuss.¡±


    They walked towards the end of the corridor. Scarlett folded her arms over her chest while Wilhelm stood in front of her with a hand on his hip.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s not Grisham¡¯s fault. This is your parents¡¯ story. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Maybe it¡¯s normal to have multiple lovers in Heiberg. But here, in Wieland, our society has been monogamous for more than 1 000 years. ¡¹


    ¡¸ But it¡¯s not right to blame Grisham. You can hate him, but you can¡¯t bully him. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Who are you to keep interfering with us? Are you in the same situation as Grisham? ¡¹ Scarlett asked sharply.


    She seemed to be barely holding in her anger that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she had an outburst right then and there. Whereas Wilhelm seemed uncomfortable with her aggressive attitude.


    Scarlett, in fact, somewhat agreed with him. If being born could count as a sin, wouldn¡¯t that be an indication of God¡¯s absence? Yet she still hated the Ashfords and her hatred was strong enough to make her discard all the doubts she had.


    ¡¸ Stop meddling and keep your nose out of other people¡¯s family affairs. ¡¹


    ¡¸ How can I not care about my friend? ¡¹


    ¡¸ You¡¯ve said previously that we aren¡¯t friends. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, I¡¯m disappointed in you, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we are no longer friends. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I don¡¯t want to play with friends at my age. Plus, I have only known you for a few days. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Why are you like this? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Why don¡¯t you try losing your father because of an affair and being born prematurely, with a weak body due to your mother¡¯s shock. You don¡¯t even want to understand me, so don¡¯t call yourself a friend. I¡¯m sick of pretentious hypocrites like you. ¡¹


    Scarlett was clearly hurt by the disappointment on Wilhelm¡¯s face.


    She quickly concealed the pain in her expression, and raised her eyebrows as if to say, ¡®What will you do about it?¡¯


    ¡¸ It¡¯s all an excuse. People like you, who play the victim despite being the one in the wrong, are pathetic. Scarlett White, it seems like I was wrong about you. ¡¹ Wilhelm answered.


    Wilhelm stormed off and left Scarlett behind. She clenched her hands as she saw him walk away.


    But Noah forcibly pried open her fingers, which had turned pale from the lack of blood circulation.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get in.¡±


    When Noah appeared, she turned away and walked ahead.


    Scarlett thought it was fortunate that the two had spoken in Hiebergan. Thanks to that, Noah knew nothing. If he understood Wilhelm¡¯s words, she would¡¯ve died from the embarrassment.


    ¡°Wilhelm says that I¡¯m pathetic. Do you think I¡¯m pathetic, too?¡±


    It was a meaningless question. After all, why would she care what Noah Ashford thought of her?


    ¡°Never mind. Don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Upon entering the classroom, Scarlett felt her stomach turn when she saw Wilhelm casually talking with his friends as if nothing had happened.


    During class, Scarlett thought about her situation, wondering whether she had any redeeming qualities, but ultimately concluded that, unlike her siblings, she had nothing.


    She had spent her whole life sick and waiting for the moment she died. That was how Scarlett White¡¯s existed.


    A familiar feeling of helplessness and depression overtook her.  Scarlett couldn¡¯t concentrate on any of the class material. Her classes changed multiple times, but it was all a blur.


    She only came to her senses after Noah tapped her on the shoulder during Economics class.


    ¡°Read page 159 starting from the second paragraph.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°From here,¡± Noah spoke quickly.


    Noah even pointed out the paragraph for her. The old professor raised his eyebrows and glared at her through his monocle as he waited.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor. I¡¯m not feeling well. I think I need to go to the infirmary.¡±


    The professor sighed deeply.


    ¡°Grisham, accompany Miss White,¡± he ordered, his voice filled with annoyance.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Noah packed his bag swiftly. As Scarlet left the classroom, she stumbled, and for a moment, fear flashed in her eyes, but Noah caught her in time.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you anxious? Do you want a sedative?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t need it¡­.¡±


    ¡®All I want is to end his life and get revenge before my life ends. Is this wrong? Is my life pathetic?¡¯


    How would Scarlett White be remembered?


    As a weak, worthless girl or as someone so horrible and terrifying that everyone rejoiced in her death?


    Scarlett started to feel nauseated. She ran to the bathroom with her shaky legs and vomited everything in her stomach. Noah stood in front of the bathroom and called out to her.


    ¡°Are you okay, Scarlett? Oh my gosh¡­¡±


    After rinsing her mouth, Scarlett looked in the mirror. A pale, pitiful woman that was nearing death stared back at her.


    ¡°No.¡±


    All she needed was her family. Only her family needed saving. They were her only reason for living. It didn¡¯t matter what anyone else had to say. Regardless of her how her opinion and relationship with Noah had changed, if there was even the slightest possibility that he would murder her family, she would kill him first.


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    Scarlett quickly organized her thoughts as the class bell rang. Shortly afterward, she exited the bathroom and drank the water Noah had prepared.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the infirmary.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright now. I just felt sick suddenly.¡±


    ¡°We need to get you checked.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to go see Professor Diego.¡±


    Upon entering the lab, contrary to her expectations, Professor Diego invited her to sit on the sofa.


    ¡°So, Miss White. Have you become accustomed to school?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to your efforts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I was genuinely concerned about your poor health. Miss White, if you¡¯re feeling up to it, please look this over.¡±


    The professor handed her a stack of papers. After reviewing the contents, she remained quiet. It was her results from the tests that were taken at the start of each class.


    ¡°You rarely score higher than 50 points. As you know, admission to our school is difficult, but graduating is even more challenging. If you don¡¯t raise your score average, you will not be promoted to the next year, even if you get a high score on the midterm exams.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with repeating a year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an option. There will be an evaluation after the exam is over, you could get expelled.¡±


    ¡°Expelled?¡±


    The midterm exam was only a month away. Scarlett turned pale.


    In order to lessen Noah¡¯s chances of betrayal, she had to spend as much time with him as possible and build a bond. If she got expelled from school, Noah Ashford would not leave school to follow her since first years could not take a leave of absence. She had no other choice but to stay in Iodes no matter what.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Aaron tell you?¡±


    ¡°He never talked about exams.¡±


    ¡°He was a brilliant student.¡±


    Scarlett looked at her exam scores again.


    ¡°There are 7 tests left until the midterm exams. If you score more than 90 points on each test, you probably won¡¯t be expelled even if score poorly on the midterm exam.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Thank you for your concern.¡±


    As she left the lab, Scarlett¡¯s head started to throb. In front of the door, Wilhelm and Noah were talking about something.


    ¡°Hoffman, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you accept your friend¡¯s request? An introduction to Jeff Wood is a fantastic opportunity for a foreigner like you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use my friend for those sorts of things. Besides, we¡¯re not friends anymore.¡±


    Scarlett let out a laugh that held a sense of madness.


    Wilhelm was a very naive and righteous person. He hadn¡¯t been defiled by the filth in this world. But unlike him, she was a bird trapped in a cage and slightly twisted. That¡¯s why she envied him. If she was in his shoes, would she become as free as him?


    ¡°Do you want to date me?¡±


    A look of surprise spread across Wilhelm¡¯s face and Noah¡¯s eyes showed a hint of anger. But Scarlett ignored him and focused her attention on Wilhelm.


    ¡°I like you, go out with me.¡±


    At this point, Noah¡¯s eyes were trembling with anger. This anger came from a place so deep that even he was unaware of it.


    ¡°If you think you can just make fun of me, you¡¯re wrong. You and your nasty pranks really are the worst.¡±


    After replying coldly, Wilhelm left the place.


    She pouted after watching him walk away.


    Scarlett ate lunch as if nothing had happened. The next day during class, she took some notes, but soon dozed off until Noah came to wake her up so they could go eat lunch together.


    Noah observed her carefully while wondering if she was sincere about asking Wilhelm to date her. During the day, no matter how many times Noah replayed that scene over and over again in his mind, he just couldn¡¯t forget it. The class had already finished so he watched Scarlett sleep.


    ¡°¡­ Help me, please.¡±


    It was the same dream again.


    ¡®What happened for her to keep having the same nightmares?¡¯


    Noah was reminded of his mother because she was very afraid of something too. Her anxiety was endless. His mother used to say that they needed protection. But, from what?


    How could that be worse than being sold as a slave and forced to work on a whaling boat?


    Noah couldn¡¯t understand his mother. He knew his mother had many secrets that she had kept from him his entire life, but he had given up on hearing about any of them from her.


    ¡°Just¡­ Kill me¡­ Please¡­ Spare¡­ Isaac¡­¡±


    He knew that Isaac was Scarlett¡¯s nephew. It seemed to be a dream where this kid was about to be killed, and she was begging for his life to be spared.


    Scarlett¡¯s brow was wrinkled, and her forehead was covered in sweat. However, Noah didn¡¯t wake her up because he wanted to find out more details about her dreams.


    The confession she made to Wilhelm was so mean, that he wanted her to endure her nightmares for a little while longer.


    Noah laid his head down next to Scarlett, unaware of the emotions it would spark within him.


    In the sunlight, her hair was shinier than usual. He felt the urge to sink his hands into that redness. It was such a beautiful color that it made him want to watch it flow between his fingers.


    ¡°Not Isaac¡­¡±


    ¡®What is bothering you so much?¡¯


    Every time Scarlett groaned, the sadness also spread to Noah. Nevertheless, he wanted her to suffer a bit more.


    ¡®If I¡¯m suffering, you have to suffer too.¡¯


    At that moment, he started to wonder why he was suffering. Why did Wilheim and Scarlett¡¯s meeting fill him with sorrow? As he was questioning himself, she started crying.


    ¡°¡­No¡­¡±


    His mind went blank.


    ¡®I never wanted her tears. I don¡¯t want to see her cry.¡¯


    Noah stood up and tried to wake her up.


    ¡°Scarlet. Wake up.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s time to go to the club.¡±


    As Scarlett struggled and suffered, his heart sank.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I wake her up sooner?¡¯


    When tears began to stream down her face Noah grew more desperate and started tapping her.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Scarlett was still shouting when she woke up. After opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Noah¡¯s eyes, which resembled the eyes of the murderer in her dreams. She met Noah¡¯s gaze, staring into those dreadful blue eyes.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡±


    When she heard Noah¡¯s friendly voice, she was able to take a few deep breaths.


    But then¡­


    ¡°Aaaahhhh!¡±


    ¡°¡­Scarlet.¡±


    ¡°Aaahhh! Nooo!¡±


    The moment she woke up, another nightmare had begun. The murderer wasn¡¯t just in her dreams, he existed in reality too. It was a nightmare that never ended even after her death. She couldn¡¯t accept such reality, otherwise, she would lose her mind all at once.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Scarlett. I¡¯m sorry. Oh my God, I¡¯m so sorry. Please calm down.¡±


    Noah tried to calm her down, but she cried, and he could see the tears, confusion, and fear in her eyes.


    He pulled her against his chest, just as he did during the kidnapping incident and hugged her tightly to quell her struggles.


    ¡®Shh.. Shh.. Everything is going to be okay.¡¯


    Scarlett tried to scratch his back, pull his hair and bite his neck.


    But Noah let her do as she pleased. Scarlett was so thin that a scratch or a bite from her didn¡¯t hurt much.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me! Leave me alone!¡±


    ¡®Did I appear in her dreams? Am I the one killing Scarlett?¡¯


    He wanted to know the answers to those questions, but now wasn¡¯t the time for it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it anymore.¡±


    Seeing Scarlett have a panic attack made his heart ache.  After all, she was his little sister, his own flesh and blood.


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    ¡°Shh. I¡¯m sorry, Scarlett. Please, calm down.¡±


    ¡°Please, stop appearing in my dreams. Please¡­ Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ****

 Chapter 2.2

    Whether he did it or not, Scarlett was projecting the villain in her dreams onto him. Her slender shoulders were trembling as if she was experiencing something painful. Noah hugged her tightly until she calmed down.


    As he held her in his arms, Scarlett wept for a long time. Every teardrop filled him with an indescribable feeling.


    The fact that he could be a haven for someone so small and fragile, was satisfying, gratifying, and exhilarating.


    Suddenly, Noah had an incomprehensible desire to have Scarlett tamed like this, to keep her completely dependent on him until he was the only one she trusted. Then, Wilhelm would become meaningless to Scarlett.


    ¡°Is it you, Noah?¡± Scarlett asked in a rather timid and hoarse voice.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    In this vast world, they only had each other at that moment. At least that¡¯s how it felt to Noah, which made him want to hold her more tightly.


    He concluded that ¡®I am starving for familial affection¡¯ to be the cause of his dark, twisted feelings.


    All the pity, compassion, and guilt he felt towards her had twisted his sense of sibling bond. Therefore, he believed it didn¡¯t mean anything special.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m okay now.¡±


    ¡°Do you have nightmares often?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you hear me talking in my sleep?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What did I say?¡±


    ¡°¡­Save me please¡­  And you were calling for Isaac.¡±


    Unable to breath, Scarlett stiffened and escaped Noah¡¯s arms before her swirling emotions could overwhelm her. Then she turned away, fixing her expression before speaking again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for the club meeting.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to go home early and rest for the remainder of the day?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to draw.¡±


    Noah had recently learned about Scarlett¡¯s love for art. Although she had very little interest in studying, she did enjoy painting and observing nature.


    Scarlett once said she found beauty in the swaying wildflowers, and she seemed to find nature peaceful.


    Which is why he accompanied Scarlett to the club room without further dissuasion.


    There they ran into Wilhelm while collecting their easels. However, Scarlett and Wilhelm ignored each other, and went their separate ways without saying a word.


    ¡°Let¡¯s draw here.¡±


    After she found an empty classroom, Scarlett picked up her pencil, and said she would draw Noah this time. She seemed accustomed to holding a pencil, her hand moving along the canvas with ease.


    The autumn wind blew through the slightly open window, causing Scarlett¡¯s hair to flutter around her face. However, it seemed to bother her since she took out a hair tie and used it to pull her hair into a high ponytail.


    Small red curls, resembling passion and fire, framed her face. Noah found himself unable to look away.


    Her neck and collarbone were exposed, revealing her beautiful pale skin. Her ash-gray eyes were a mixture of darkness and pain.


    Noah felt a sense of pity as he watched Scarlet. She seemed strangely unfamiliar.


    ¡®Is she really my sister?¡¯


    ¡°Keep still and straighten your posture.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­sure.¡±


    Noah tried his best to fix his posture, but whether it was due to his residual intense emotions or his unfamiliarity with being the subject of a portrait, his body was very stiff.


    Scarlett couldn¡¯t believe how awkward and ridiculous he looked as he sat in the chair and burst into laughter.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    As a result, the tension on her face disappeared, and a different side of Scarlett White was seen.


    When a faint set of dimples appeared on her cheeks, her icy demeanor melted, revealing a mischievous expression. Her eyes, which had curved into the shape of crescent moons, were cheerful and her laughter was contagious.


    Noah was at a loss for words. He never thought he would ever see this side of Scarlett.


    The sound of her loud laughter was enough to make his chest tighten and absence of the melancholy that usually enveloped Scarlett seemed to be the reason.


    ¡®I want you to laugh like this every day.¡¯


    With a broad smile, her eyes slightly closed, and her cheeks flushed, just as they were now.


    ¡°You are so stupid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡±


    Noah deliberately posed more foolishly than before, and Scarlett giggled while clutching her stomach.


    Her laughter was like the sun, warming everything in its path, including Noah¡¯s heart.


    ¡°I always found you to be really boring and uninteresting, but you seem to have a surprisingly fun side.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m annoying and selfish, don¡¯t you? I can already tell, you don¡¯t even have to say it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡­.¡±


    ¡®I think you¡¯re very pretty.¡¯ Noah swallowed the words of his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re my little sister.¡±


    ¡®Why does my heart ache whenever I say the word ¡®sister¡¯?¡¯


    Noah couldn¡¯t decide if his feelings were due to his sense of responsibility for her well-being as an older brother, or because she seemed more affectionate and pitiful.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Scarlett arranged her blanket with a hint of discomfort. She didn¡¯t see Noah as her brother. In her eyes, Noah was still the target of her revenge, and an enemy she had to defeat.


    Despite this, she felt a sense of closeness to him. Noah had become a comfort in her life and before she realized it, she found herself relying on him. Even her desire for revenge had ebbed a bit.


    And that terrified her.


    Scarlett corrected Noah¡¯s pose with a stern tone and continued to draw his portrait in a businesslike manner.


    Noah noticed her change in demeanor and bit his lip. When he realized Scarlett was simply avoiding his gaze, he knew his words had made her uncomfortable.


    Which made him feel miserable. He couldn¡¯t understand why the subtle way she avoided meeting his gaze bothered him when it was a trivial act that he ignored in the past.


    ¡°I apologize if my words made you uncomfortable earlier.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re free to say whatever you want,¡± Scarlett said with a cold expression.


    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t like it, we¡¯re still siblings. After all, we share the same father, right?¡±


    Suddenly, a rope made of sorrow, grief, and disappointment tightened around his heart.


    Noah crumpled up the newspaper he was using as a prop. His mouth went dry, and his chest tightened.


    He felt like crying.


    He wanted to scream and didn¡¯t understand why.


    ¡®Why do I feel this way?!¡¯


    He wanted to know what made her act this way.


    So, he decided to be a bit mischievous and bully Scarlett.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you like Wilhelm?¡±


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    Scarlett grimaced.


    ¡°Why are you asking that?¡±


    ¡°I was just curious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°I can help you reconcile with Wilhelm if you want.¡±


    Noah stared at Scarlett, growing more nervous as he waited for her answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    The corners of Noah¡¯s lips twitched slightly as he struggled to hold back his laughter.


    ¡°Then, why did you ask him to date you?¡±


    Scarlet put down her pencil and glared at Noah. She seemed a little angry, but soon her lips curved into a smile.


    ¡°Are you trying to play the role of an older brother?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Scarlett was the one with the power to drive a wedge in their relationship at any time. She had control over the conflict and distance between the two. Noah had no choice but to concede to Scarlett every time.


    ¡°Then, why are you asking me these types of questions?¡±


    ¡°¡­curiosity?¡±


    ¡°Ha. I¡¯m speechless.¡±


    Scarlett resumed drawing, her gaze alternating between the canvas and Noah.


    ¡°Do you and I have a close relationship? Are you the older brother who raised me and changed my diapers? If not, don¡¯t question me. I¡¯m not going to tell you.¡±


    Scarlett said that to him in a fierce tone of voice, but she didn¡¯t appear to have any intention of hurting him. He found the way she was nagging very feminine, that¡¯s why he chuckled while apologizing.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You seem to apologize for everything. It¡¯s always, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll be careful¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯m so sorry¡¯. Don¡¯t be such a bore.¡±


    After dramatically expressing her feelings, Scarlett kept quiet and picked up her pencil.


    While drawing, Scarlett became more serious than usual. She drew her lines carefully, and one could see that she genuinely enjoyed drawing just from the way she was looking at the paper.


    The sight of Scarlett focusing on her passion was more beautiful than a flower in full bloom. He loved seeing the spark in her eyes and the way her brows furrowed as she measured the proportions with her pencil.


    ¡°Noah.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time staying still, can you at least read the newspaper to me?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I move?¡±


    ¡°You can lower your head slightly, but only move your eyes when reading.¡±


    It was a very demanding request, but Noah happily accepted it.


    Surprisingly, Scarlett read the newspaper often. Perhaps it was due to her family¡¯s involvement in the political and business world. Noah quickly skimmed through the newspaper and summarized the contents.


    ¡°There is another civil war in Natalia. The army of Viktor Rebezef, the leader of the aristocratic faction, clashed with the wizards of Mastop, resulting in the death of four magicians and fifteen soldiers.¡±


    ¡°That country has seen constant conflict for nearly twenty years.¡±


    ¡°Also, Viktor Rebezef is missing. Although he is only 46 years old, he was supposed to retire due to his decrepit health. It is assumed that he perished in the explosions caused by the wizards.¡±


    Scarlett grimaced at the word ¡®explosions¡¯. She trembled as if the mere thought terrified her.


    ¡°If I were Viktor Rebezef, I would have executed the wizards the last time I captured them. They were only able to escape because they were sentenced to life in prison in accordance with the law.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a very rational person. There must have been a reason behind his decision.¡±


    ¡°His reason holds no value. The wizards rebelled and tyrannized the people for ten years. They also killed Viktor Rebezef¡¯s best friend. Viktor is a truly admirable person for his part in liberating the slaves, but he seems to be old-fashioned.¡±


    Scarlett clicked her tongue out of frustration.


    ¡°Can you raise your head a little more? Yes, that¡¯s perfect. Also, I had enough international news. How are things in our country?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a possible epidemic outside the capital. It is accompanied by a high fever¡­¡±


    Scarlett dropped the pencil and her face turned white as a sheet. She wrung her hands and pursed her lips, the pencil on the floor was the least of her concerns.


    At first, Noah thought Scarlett was worried about her weak immunity, but her expression wasn¡¯t that of fear, but terror.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I need to go home¡­ Not to the villa, but the main residence. Abigail¡­ Oh my god! It¡¯s already time¡­¡±


    Her hurried movements caused the easel to fall sideways, and a loud thud rang out in the empty classroom.


    Scarlett covered her ears, but then she suddenly grabbed her chest and fell to her knees. Noah swiftly brought her medicine.


    ¡°Ugh. Ugh.¡±


    Thump. Thump.


    Scarlett pounded her chest and grabbed Noah¡¯s arm. Although the drug had calmed her breathing, it did not quell her fear. She tightened her grip, her pale fingers digging into his arm.


    ¡°I have to go home.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Let¡¯s go outside first.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No. I¡­you¡­ I need to go back home first. I won¡¯t be coming to school for a while.¡±


    ¡°Are you sick? Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I need to go back home. Abigail is in danger¡­ How! How could I have forgotten about Abigail!¡±


    ¡°I will accompany you.¡±


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m going alone. I have to go alone. Alone¡­¡±


    Scarlett left the room in a hurry, leaving Noah behind. He watched from afar as she disappeared through the open door. The autumn breeze coming through the window made him feel more lonesome than usual.


    Noah was reaching down to pick up the fallen pencil when his eyes fell on the torn canvas lying on the floor. He smiled; his expression full of affection as if he was admiring something lovely.


    Scarlett had drawn a picture of him reading the newspaper. Unlike him, she was quite talented. However, it felt strange that there was evidence of the time they spent together.


    As his fingertip carefully swept across her skillful drawing, Noah finally realized something.


    ¡®My feelings for Scarlett are wrong.¡¯


    Noah placed a hand on his chest, directly over his racing heart.


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s for the best that Scarlett doesn¡¯t appear at Iodes for a while.¡¯


    A dark feeling lingered beneath his hand, and it was slowly suffocating him.


    His hands were trembling. Noah knew his feelings weren¡¯t normal, but he couldn¡¯t control himself.


    Perhaps the reason he felt overwhelmed and burdened was because these emotions shouldn¡¯t exist within him, but poisonous flowers always exude a sweet scent.


    Like a forbidden fruit.


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    Scarlett¡¯s hair resembled an apple. It was so luscious, red, and smelled sweet.


    Therefore, Noah ran away from those dark feelings that sprouted when Scarlett left to protect her family. Noah knew the moment he allowed himself to be engulfed in that darkness, he would never be able to escape again.


    ***