Chapter 35
“There goes my dignity,” I muttered, my shoulders sagging in defeat.
I thought I’d hid those novels flawlessly. How the hell did she manage to find them? They were pure guilty-pleasure trash—the kind where the main character collects admirers like stray cats and the plot exists solely to indulge the author’s fantasies.
“Pft. That’s quite the face you’re making there,” the woman said, a smirk tugging at her lips as she held one of the books between two fingers,
“Don’t worry, I’m not one to judge someone’s personal preferences.” She set the book down with a light thud. “But that’s beside the point. How are you feeling right now?”
My body still felt sore all over, but it was the nerves creeping in that unsettled me the most now that I was talking to her face-to-face.
“I’m… okay, I guess. But who are you?” I asked hesitantly.
“That’s the first thing you say after waking up?” she said, raising a brow. “I go out of my way to save you, and I don’t even get a ‘thank you’?”
“Uh—right. Sorry," I said, scratching at my cheek. “And… thanks for saving me back there.”
“Relax, I was just teasing,” she replied with a small smile. “As for who I am… My name’s Shirayuki Tsukigane. I’m an old friend of your mother.”
She stood up and began pacing slowly around my room, while I sat watching her move, wary but unable to look away.
“It makes sense, if you don’t remember me. You were just an infant back then when I last saw you.”
I felt a twinge of skepticism—my late mother had never mentioned having someone like her as a friend, and not even Elysia had ever brought her up.
“So, uh… Miss Shirayuki?” I addressed her carefully.
“Your sister always called me Auntie Shira. I don’t mind if you do the same, Caelith.” she gave a light shrug.
‘Auntie Shira…’ I echoed in my head.
“Then Auntie Shira, what are you doing here in Eldreth?”
She paused mid-step, shooting me a sideways glance. “You can thank Thalor for that. He managed to convince me to work at the academy—mostly because of you.”
I blinked at her, trying to process her words. She knew Headmaster Thalor too? On top of that, being an old friend of my mother’s? Just who is she really?
“Other than that,” she continued, her voice lowering slightly, “I came to visit your mother. It’s been a decade since I last saw her.”
The edge of Auntie Shira’s lips curved slightly, “Fortunately or unfortunately, I got lost and happened to stumble upon little Elysia.” She turned her crimson eyes toward me.
“Speaking of your mother. I’ve been wondering where she is. I asked Elysia earlier, but she hesitated before telling me she’s ‘away somewhere.’ What exactly did she mean?”
The air in the room suddenly grew heavy. I didn’t know how to answer her, so I averted my eyes. Auntie Shira seemed to notice my reaction. Her expression tightened ever so slightly as she took a slow step toward me.
“Did something happen to your mother?”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then I finally forced the words out. “My mother… she passed away five years ago.”
I noticed her tremble slightly. She muttered, “W-what did you just say? Tell me you’re joking, Caelith.”
I shook my head.
As I stared into her eyes, I saw the denial drain away, leaving only regret and a quiet, aching sadness.
A memory resurfaced, the words my mom said before she took her final breath. Auntie Shira deserved to know.
“Auntie Shira… before my mom passed, she said she wanted to see someone one last time. I think… she meant you.”
Upon hearing that, she let out a bitter laugh, as if the words were too absurd or painful to accept. She lowered herself back into the chair, leaning back as she tilted her head toward the ceiling, eyes unfocused.
With a quiet sigh, she unhooked a bottle from her waist, setting it on her lap without a word.
“In the end,” she murmured. “I didn’t even get to say my goodbyes to Seraphina. If only I had come to visit sooner…”
“…”
Then she lowered her gaze toward me. “Then why did your sister Elysia try to hide this from me?”
I shook my head. “She wouldn’t hide it out of malice. She probably just didn’t want you to worry. That’s just the kind of person she is.”
I hesitated, then added quietly, “She had it the hardest after Mom passed. Working long hours and still taking care of me. She just never shows it.”
Auntie Shira took a slow sip from the bottle and said nothing. The room fell into silence again. I turned my gaze toward the window, watching as the first light of dawn crept over the rooftops, soaking the room in pale gold.
“What about your father then?” she asked after a long silence. “What happened to him?”
“He left shortly after Mom passed away.”
“What?” Auntie Shira’s voice sharpened. “You mean he just abandoned both of you?”
I gave a small shrug.
“We were never that close to begin with. He was always quiet—kept everything about himself locked away. Looking back, it almost feels like he was hiding something. In the end, I just accepted it.”
Auntie Shira clicked her tongue, a bitter sound. “Tch. I knew I should’ve stopped your mother from marrying him.I always felt something was off about him.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy with frustration. Then her tone softened as she looked at me.
“It must have been hard on you and Elysia, how did you two manage?”
I tilted my head, thinking for a moment before answering. “Mm… we survived. Elysia worked hard, and I did what I could to help. It’s been years already. No point in dwelling on the past.”
“I see,” Auntie Shira sighed, closing her eyes.
Twirling the contents of the bottle in her hands, she hesitated, as if weighing her next words carefully, before finally speaking again.
“Caelith… I’m sorry for not being there for you and your sister when you two needed it most. But that won’t happen again. This time… I’ll stay.”
Hearing that, I wasn’t sure how to feel. Part of me felt bitter—wondering if those words were born from guilt and regret alone. And yet another part of me couldn’t deny that it felt nice to hear them.
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” I said. “But you don’t have to force yourself into this.”
She reached out and gently patted my head. “I’m not forcing myself to do anything,” she replied. “So don’t worry. This is the least I can do.”
Knock, knock.
The door to my room slowly opened, and Elysia peeked in, her eyes scanning the room anxiously—until they landed on me. Her face immediately softened in relief as she rushed over.
“Thank God… you’re finally awake.”
“Don’t look down on me, your little brother isn’t going to die that easily—ACK!?” I yelped.
She grabbed my ear without hesitation and yanked it hard. “You still have the nerve to joke?! Do you have any idea how worried I was?! Why didn’t you listen when I told you to run?!”
“W-wait, sis! You’re gonna rip my ear off!!!”
Just when I genuinely thought my ear was done for, she suddenly pulled me into her arms instead. Her grip was tight—almost desperate.
I could feel her body trembling.
“Caelith, promise me—don’t ever do something reckless like that again…” Elysia whispered. “I can’t afford to lose you too…”
This was awkward. I glanced around the room, but Auntie Shira was nowhere to be seen. Apparently, she had slipped out while we were distracted—leaving just the two of us behind. I let out a quiet sigh and placed a hand on her back.
“Yeah, yeah… I promise. I won’t do it again.”
Elysia lingered in the embrace a little longer before finally letting go, rubbing her eyes as she looked into my eyes.
“Thank you for saving me, Caelith,” she said softly, her voice low and sincere.
I blinked, caught completely off guard. “…Huh? Did my illustrious older sister just thank me?”
Elysia’s cheeks flushed faintly as she turned away. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
I couldn't help but grin. “Hold on—were those tears I saw? Don’t tell me you were crying over little old me?”
“Shut up, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Elysia snapped. “Since you’ve got the energy to mess around, go wash up and come downstairs. Breakfast is ready.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
With that, Elysia left the room. I glanced down at my left arm and noticed it was wrapped in fresh bandages. It still ached when I moved it, but I supposed this was the least severe outcome I could have hoped for.
I leaned back against my pillow and let out a long sigh.
‘Having her angry at me is better than having her constantly worrying about me.’
When I finally made my way downstairs, the first thing I saw at the table was my “good” friend Kaelon, sitting there and eating a plate of grilled sausage as if nothing had happened. He noticed me and casually waved.
Sitting beside him was his sister, Lilith, who quietly greeted me with a small nod.
“I see you’re finally awake, Captain Self-Sacrifice,” he said. “So tell me—how does it feel being the main character?”
I could already feel my mood starting to sour at his remarks.
“Care to explain what you’re doing at my house?” I asked, pulling out a chair.
“Your benevolent sister offered us a place to stay for the time being,” Kaelon replied smugly. “Naturally, I couldn’t refuse such a wonderful opportunity. You should’ve seen yourself last night—getting carried like a princess.”
“Huh?” My brows furrowed. I had no idea what this guy was yapping about, but I do know he was looking for a beating.
Ignoring Kaelon, I noticed a small figure half-hidden at the corner of the table—it was the little girl from the alley. When she realized I was staring, her face flushed red, ducking her head, as she tried to hide behind her plate.
“Why is she here?” I asked, lowering my voice. “And where’s her parents?”
Before anyone could answer, Elysia suddenly flicked the back of my head.
“Ow! What was that for?!”
She shot me a sharp look, but it softened the moment her eyes returned to the little girl. I glanced at Kaelon, silently hoping he’d fill me in. He swallowed the last bite of his sausage, wiped his lips, and finally spoke.
“Long story short—her name’s Yuna. Her father… recently passed away, so she’s now an orphan with nowhere to go. Your sister decided it’d be best to let her stay with you guys for now.”
I stared at Kaelon, then back at Yuna, who sat tucked into the corner. Elysia knelt beside her, gently brushing crumbs from her face. Yuna’s small hands fidgeted with the edge of her plate as she peeked up at me shyly, then quickly ducked her head again.
I looked back at Kaelon, silently trying to process it all.
