Chapter 006
“What’s with that look?”
Why am I the one who is feeling wronged?
Mumbling to myself, I headed to the next classroom.
According to my schedule, the next class was a general education course—World History. Noah Ashford, who had been standing frozen behind me, followed closely.
“How did you…?”
Seeing his pale face and the wrinkles on his brow, I felt like things were finally starting to balance out.
“Why did you show up in front of us?”
Stubborn and full of pride, Noah Ashford really resembled her.
His unyielding gaze and youthful yet handsome appearance made that obvious.
Objectively speaking, Noah Ashford was quite good-looking. His cool but gentle vibe would be especially attractive to girls his age.
But since he killed me, his coldness only felt creepy. That face, that gaze—this person killed me.
“You were curious about the person who did this to my body. Why else? Oh, here’s room 1303.”
I entered the classroom and sat in a spot where Noah Ashford couldn’t sit next to me.
His sharp eyes were locked on me. Ignoring his stare, I turned to the male student beside me and greeted him.
“Hey, the weather’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Well, autumn’s almost here. I’m Wilhelm Hoffman.”
“That’s a Hiberk-style name. You’ve got the accent too.”
“Oh, do you speak Hiberk?”
“Of course.”
Wilhelm’s eyes widened. He swept his thick hair back and burst out laughing.
“I’m Scarlett White. If you’ve ever heard of a White, it’s probably that White family.”
Wilhelm Hoffman chuckled, clearly amused by what I said.
“I already bought the textbook. Wanna share?”
“Sure.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Noah Ashford sitting not far away, flipping through his book. Occasionally, he glanced in my direction, and our eyes met. I pretended to be calm and gave him a faint smile.
I needed to keep the upper hand. And now I was just getting started.
***
Once class ended, it was lunchtime.
Wilhelm and I discovered we had a lot in common. We were both the youngest in big families, and neither of us had any interest in business.
Also, Wilhelm wasn’t fluent in the Wifland language, and I loved the language of his homeland, Hiberk.
In other words, we could become pretty good friends.
“It’s rare for people to study abroad in Wifland since Hiberk is so far away. I never thought I’d meet someone here who speaks Hiberk.”
“My nanny was from Hiberk.”
“Really? Mine was from Wifland.”
It was just idle chatter, but that small sense of connection helped me feel closer to Wilhelm.
For someone like me, who had lived her whole life thinking only about family and without friends, the world outside home was something special.
Wilhelm, my first friend from that outside world, might be a little more special than I expected—probably more than just a little. I’d never imagined leaving home before.
“But who’s that guy? He kept glancing at you during the whole lecture.”
“He’s my assistant, Theo Grisham. Theo, meet Wilhelm Hoffman.”
Noah didn’t seem to care about Wilhelm at all. Without even glancing at him, Noah spoke.
“…Can we talk?”
“It’s lunchtime. And I can’t skip meals because of my medications.”
I walked past Noah Ashford, with Wilhelm by my side.
Noah grabbed my arm, forcing me to meet his eyes. That piercing blue, like the sea and sky, made me shrink back instinctively. Wilhelm knocked Noah’s hand away.
“How dare you.”
In Wilhelm’s home country, Hiberk, each territory was like a small, independent nation. And in the Hoffman estate, the class system was strict. So, saying “How dare you” came naturally to him.
“This is between the two of us. It’s none of your business.”
“Don’t touch me!”
It felt like I had just stuck my arm between the jaws of a wild beast. That terrifying sensation made my body tremble. The moment I was hunted flashed through my mind.
I could clearly remember holding Isaac, running with blood splashing at my feet. The warmth of Noah’s hand made my skin crawl. It was unbearable.
“Scarlett?”
“Who do you think you are… who do you think you are…?”
Who do you think you are to ruin me like this?
I slapped Noah Ashford across the face.
My body, my mind, and my soul were all trapped in the shadows of the past, struggling in that darkness.
It was a swamp, with no way out—an eternal void.
Oh, God. Please have mercy on me.
“Scarlett.”
Wilhelm tried to calm me down. My heart was pounding wildly. My chest felt tight, and I started to struggle to breathe. I pushed Wilhelm away and screamed sharply.
“Stay away!”
With shaking hands, I rummaged through my bag, looking for my sedatives. Noah Ashford flustered, hurriedly pulled the pills out of my bag and handed them to me.
I crunched the bitter, sour pill between my teeth and clutched my chest. All eyes were on me. It was humiliating to be seen like this.
“Hah… hah… I’m… fine.”
I said I was fine, but I quickly turned my head away from Wilhelm’s shocked gaze. Just imagining what people who were seeing me for the first time might think of me like this made me bite my lips.
People usually wanted one of two things from me: my influence within the White family or money.
In this world, genuine feelings weren’t worth much.
And those people, unable to tolerate my awful temper and my nervous, irritable personality, always ended up leaving.
“…”
I didn’t stop them. There’s no warmth for those who have no desire to be sincere. So I wouldn’t stop Wilhelm either.
Anyway, the Hoffmans were a family that didn’t lack anything, so he wasn’t going to stick around hoping for scraps from me.
I hated being touched by the hands of the man who killed me, but I didn’t have any other options. I bit my lips again, feeling miserable about my situation.
“You, Theo Grisham. Help me up.”
Noah Ashford, as if waiting for this moment, quickly picked me up in his arms.
My body had frozen stiff from the intense tension and fear I’d been enduring all morning, so I couldn’t even struggle against him.
He found an empty classroom and sat me down in a suitable spot.
“Are you okay?”
“Do I look okay to you?”
Not wanting to seem weak, I straightened my back and glared at him with fierce eyes.
Noah Ashford had an upright posture and a stubborn look, an atmosphere that made it seem like he would never bow to anyone, no matter who he was facing.
Maybe that’s why, no matter how much hatred I directed at him, I felt like it would never reach the depths of his heart.
It felt like defeat, and tears began to well up in my eyes.
I widened my eyes and bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears. Seeing me like this, Noah awkwardly offered me a handkerchief.
“I don’t need it.”
Noah just tapped his shoe against the classroom floor, thinking about what to say. But I spoke first.
“Do you pity me?”
There’d be nothing more humiliating than receiving sympathy from someone like him.
“Well, I pity you. With that mountain of debt, both you and your mother are stripped of your status. Hah, you’re filthy blood.”
Noah’s lips tightened, and wrinkles formed on his forehead.
He looked lost, caught between guilt, shame, wounded pride, and remorse. But to me, that expression was nothing short of laughable.
That same face, that same person had killed me so brutally. Slaughtered Isaac, murdered the servants…
“…”
“Are you sorry? Or just ashamed? Or are you scared? Scared I’ll do something to you and your precious mother?”
“Why did you come in front of me… no, why did you come to Iodes?”
“Speak clearly! What is it you want to ask?”
I tried to speak as calmly as I could, pushing down the anger bubbling inside me, but my voice came out hysterical.
Noah took a deep breath, calming his emotions, then spoke in a more collected tone.
“Why did you come to Iodes? Don’t tell me…”
“Do you think I came to see you? There are plenty of ways I could bring someone like you down to my feet, so why would I come all the way here in this weak body?”
“Then why…”
It hurt my pride to admit I came here to keep a direct eye on Noah Ashford. I forced myself to keep my voice casual as I replied.
“After seeing me, shouldn’t you be kneeling by now? Don’t tell me you don’t know what your mother did with my father.”
“I know. I know… I’m ashamed.”
Noah’s head dropped, his forehead almost touching the ground as he ran a hand through his bright blonde hair, which had fallen over his eyes, looking pained.
“What can I do to make you… Damn it.”
Watching him rub his face with frustration, he didn’t even seem like the same person who had killed me. That only made me angrier.
The fact that instead of begging for his life or kneeling, he was feeling guilt over his mother’s actions and his existence—was absurd.
“Beg.”
Noah lifted his head to look at me.
“Beg for forgiveness for your mother’s sins as well. If you don’t, I’ll erase you from this world. I have the power to do that.”
“And if I do that… will you feel better? Will it make you feel any kind of relief?”
“You know, I won’t last another year.”
“…What?”
“Thanks to you. The illness I’ve had since birth is getting worse. It’s all because my mother gave birth to me prematurely, and she only gave birth early because of your mother’s affair. Oh, but it’s not just her fault. It takes two to tango, after all. Still, you can’t completely deny your mother’s crimes. So let’s say you’re partly responsible for the fact that this body of mine is dying.”
A complicated expression flickered across his face. Seeing the pain etched there made me feel sick.
“Go get me some water. Taking that pill on an empty stomach made me nauseous.”
“Okay. Just wait a moment.”
While Noah Ashford was out, I took more tranquilizers from my bag. Tonight, I’ll probably dream of being killed ten, no, a hundred times before Maria comes to wake me.
Not long after, he returned with some water and simple bread. I pushed the cheap bread aside and took a sip of water.
He stood there like a criminal, and I slowly began to speak.
“Listen carefully. You have two choices.”
Die now, or die later.
“Become a slave and live like a dog, or receive my forgiveness and live for both of us.”
Forgiveness? Live for both of us?
I almost laughed at how ridiculous I sounded.
“I don’t understand why you’re going this far. I’ve never even thought about asking for forgiveness. Will it really ease your heart even a little?”
“You’re… my half-brother, aren’t you?”
“Do you really think… we’re half-siblings?”
“Haven’t you asked Father?”
“Mr. White only ever said I was his son.”
What kind of life did my father live, that the child he abandoned would end up calling him “ Mr. White”?
“You’re my brother. I found a letter among my mother’s belongings. She admitted you were Father’s son.”
The day I met Julia Ashford, Scott had handed it to me. He said he’d kept it a secret all this time, afraid of how I’d react, but that it was no longer possible to hide it.
As much as I hated to admit it, we were siblings.
“Lucky for you, you take after your mother. If you looked like Father, I’d be disgusted. Every time I looked at your face, I’d have to fight the urge to throw up, knowing we shared the same blood. Now, choose. Become a slave and live like a dog, or stay by my side and atone for your sins until the day I die.”
Make your choice. Whatever it is, your end is already decided.
