Chapter 16
“If he found out that Father’s affair had actually been orchestrated by Mother…”
“…Let.”
“Father’s affair… actually planned… by Mother…”
“Scarlett!”
Only then did Scarlett seem to hear her name being called, gasping softly as she caught her breath.
Noah was watching her with concern. She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head.
“Just… got lost in thought.”
Noah naturally took the book from her hands. Scarlett’s gaze fixed on him.
Maybe, just maybe, Noah Ashford was innocent. But that was only a possibility.
Scarlett didn’t want to shift the blame to her mother. She couldn’t, and she shouldn’t. Noah Ashford was guilty. At least, to her he was.
But if the affair had truly been Mother’s doing… then what about the premature birth? And how do you even go about planning an affair?
Scarlett suppressed the urge to rush over to John and hurl a dozen questions at him.
“Tired?”
“No, not really.”
She shook her head. Noah extended his hand.
“We need to turn in the assignment. Give it here.”
“Why do you assume I did it? You know I never even go to class.”
“Right. Today’s club registration day. Got one in mind?”
“Nope. You?”
“Hmm…”
“Spit it out. Why are you acting like I’ll bite you?”
Scarlett teased, and Noah shot her a look before muttering,
“Maybe… history club or math club…”
“You’re out of your mind.”
Scarlett stared at him like she truly believed he’d lost it, eyes wide as she covered her mouth in disbelief.
It was the kind of moment that hinted at a budding bond or closeness between them. That expression made something flutter unexpectedly in Noah’s chest.
If the kidnapping incident had clarified one thing, it was that their relationship had grown closer—and that to Noah, Scarlett had become a little sister he felt the need to protect.
“No, really. I think it’d be fun.”
“…Do what you want. I’m not joining anything like that.”
Scarlett shook her head, visibly recoiling. The two of them talked as they made their way to another building.
Though her words were still cold, there was now a quiet ease in the way she addressed Noah.
“I don’t get why first-years have to join a club. What about people like me who don’t want anything? It’s such an outdated tradition.”
“If it’s hard to choose, why not join a club your siblings were in?”
“Aaron was in equestrian. What if I fall off a horse?”
She glanced over the recruitment board with little interest, fiddling with her fingers, clearly annoyed.
She felt no affection for Iodes and didn’t believe she’d even make it to the next term.
“If I don’t join, you won’t either, right?”
She asked, as if testing him. Noah paused, then gave her a faint smile.
“I will. Everyone has to.”
“So boring.”
Scarlett sighed and looked back at the board more seriously this time.
She didn’t want to owe Noah anything. She couldn’t even tell what she was feeling anymore.
Hatred and resentment, ease and unease—it all tangled together into something unrecognizable.
One thing was certain: she had to keep an eye on him a little longer.
Her gaze landed on a flyer barely hanging from the edge of the board.
Noticing her interest, Noah’s eyes trembled faintly. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
“This one.”
Noah felt his mouth go dry. For the first time, Scarlett’s eyes sparkled. She looked around, intrigued.
This was all unfamiliar to him. The rustling of paper, the faint smell of paint—it was a world he had never known.
“If I’d known there was an art club, I would’ve joined ages ago.”
Scarlett quickly took out a pen and filled out the application. Watching her scribble away, Noah felt a strange unease.
“You should go where you really want to.”
“Nope.”
He couldn’t leave her alone. She was still recovering, and it hadn’t been long since the ordeal. She needed support.
“I like this one too.”
Scarlett looked up at him after finishing her form. Her gray eyes searched his face seriously, as if trying to read past the lie. But eventually, she looked away, accepting his choice.
“Suit yourself.”
Noah took her pen and filled out his own form.
There were only five new recruits, including the two of them.
Each newcomer had to introduce themselves and do a quick drawing to gauge their skill level.
Noah sat frozen in front of his paper, sneaking glances at Scarlett. She was effortlessly sketching the apple in front of her.
He mimicked the way she held her pencil, but it felt awkward, unnatural.
His apple was a lopsided mess of shaky lines.
Noah sighed. If there was one thing he’d learned from sketching with sticks in the dirt as a child, it was this: he was hopeless at drawing.
“Alright, four minutes left.”
With time running out, he scrambled to add more.
He had no idea how to shade or why they started with something as hard as an apple. Even basic shapes were a challenge for him.
“Time’s up. We’ll collect them now.”
Damn.
Noah glanced around at the others’ drawings and felt his face freeze.
Scarlett’s sketch was surprisingly good. Even he could tell she had real skill—probably formal training.
“You…”
She looked at his drawing and glanced between it and his face, incredulous.
Noah had the face of a fairy tale prince—like he could do anything perfectly.
And up until now, he’d proven just that. He was already a favorite among the professors thanks to his academic excellence.
Which made his amateur-level sketch all the more shocking.
“I, uh…”
He started to speak but trailed off, realizing anything he said would sound like an excuse. Scarlett struggled to stifle a laugh.
Noah couldn’t take his eyes off her face, now tinged a peachy pink. It was the first time he’d seen real life on her features.
Just for a moment, with her cheeks flushed and trying not to laugh, she looked like any ordinary girl.
Not someone sick or lashing out to hide her weakness. Just a normal girl who smiled and joked.
Noah felt a deep, aching guilt in that moment.
“Yeah, go ahead and laugh.”
He sighed, pretending to be unbothered. Scarlett giggled softly.
Then the door opened, and a familiar voice rang out.
“Sorry I’m late.”
The smile on Scarlett’s face vanished instantly. It was Wilhelm’s voice.
He rushed in, dropping his things and handing in his pre-filled form.
“Hoffman. I thought you chickened out.”
“I went to the sculpture club by mistake.”
He seemed to know the club president, chatting casually before being introduced.
“This is Wilhelm Hoffman. He was the first to sign up during the first round. Be good to each other—you’re all part of the 34th cohort.”
Wilhelm scanned the room and found Scarlett. She sat with arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Since their fight in the dining hall, they hadn’t spoken, sat together, or even made eye contact.
“You’re still sticking close to her, Grisham?”
“Don’t talk like that.”
Noah warned him, but Wilhelm just shrugged and greeted the others.
Scarlett bit the inside of her cheek. Noah leaned in and whispered so only she could hear.
“Wanna leave?”
“No. Why would I?”
“Because I’m uncomfortable.”
Noah shrugged, giving her an excuse to leave while sparing her pride—he knew she wouldn’t back down herself.
Scarlett turned to him, her eyes subtly trembling. Noah saw the turmoil within.
“Let’s go. I want to. You saw my drawing—I’m kind of embarrassed.”
“Just thirty minutes of fresh air, then.”
“Fine.”
They stepped out to the quad, where the autumn air had grown crisp. Scarlett sat on a bench, eyes closed in fatigue.
Noah took a blanket from his bag and draped it over her. She spoke softly.
“You don’t hate me?”
“I told you—no.”
“Even if you had nothing to do with it?”
If the affair wasn’t real, then Noah might not have been the cause of the premature birth.
Scarlett looked at him, conflicted.
“Would you like it if we really were siblings?”
“It’s not about liking it—it’s just the truth.”
“But regardless of truth, feelings matter. Like how I hated Andrew being my brother. He was always so annoying—I wished I were the older one so I could smack some sense into him.”
“…I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it. Your other siblings feel distant, but with you… it just feels like we are siblings.”
If that was true, it was incredibly naïve.
If she wasn’t hated, why was she killed? What had driven it?
Scared to even say the words, she asked slowly,
“…Have you ever… truly hated someone…”
But her question was cut off by Wilhelm’s return.
“Grisham. Can we talk?”
Wilhelm approached, face cold. Scarlett stood up.
“You two go ahead. I’m heading back.”
She wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and walked away. Noah watched her go before turning to Wilhelm.
“What is it? I told you to stay out of things between me and Scarlett.”
“Oh right, you did say that. Willingly playing her doormat—how noble.”
“Don’t twist it. You wouldn’t understand.”
“She has every right to be angry, but the way she treats you is still wrong.”
“If that’s all you wanted to say, I’m going.”
“Wait.”
Wilhelm sighed and brushed his wheat-colored hair back.
“Last week—when you both last showed up to class—Scarlett poured milk over a history major’s head. Her fiancé’s furious and planning to humiliate her. Be careful.”
“Who and where?”
“Her name’s Jane Poldy from History, and her fiancé is Archer Davidson from Political Science. Knowing you, you’ll go apologize for her. But if you really care about her, maybe teach her how to do that herself.”
The sun lit up Noah’s golden hair, and his sea-like eyes were full of innocence and melancholy.
But his face was more severe than Scarlett’s, stern and unyielding.
“I’ll be the one to get angry. I’ll be the one to take the blame. But don’t go provoking her with your self-righteous advice. Her well-being comes first. And if anything threatens that, I won’t stand by.”
Wilhelm didn’t know Noah well, but the boy in front of him didn’t seem like the Noah Ashford he once knew.
Noah had changed. He couldn’t say exactly how—but he had changed.
And Wilhelm suspected it had everything to do with Scarlett.
