Chapter 2
Sue clamped her mouth shut. Having unintentionally ignored Hella’s sarcastic remark, she found herself experiencing rather mixed feelings about this whole sequence of events.
A familiar yet strange sensation.
A scene both novel and familiar.
Sue Byron, yet not Sue Byron – herself.
Why did she realize this was the infirmary just by looking around the room?
Why was she so unfazed by the strange clothes she was wearing?
Why was she Sue Byron?
The more she observed the room, the more puzzle pieces she fit together, the more questions arose, their answers elusive.
Her mind, having just awakened in this world, felt like a blank white sheet of paper upon which two spirals of different colors were being drawn, their lines intertwining in a dizzying dance.
And soon, someone appeared who would silence all of Sue Byron’s confusion and questions.
“Teacher, may I come in?”
From beyond the marble door, carved with the face of a lion, came the sound of two knocks. A high-pitched, beautiful voice reached the ears of both Sue and Hella. It was delicate yet undeniably imposing.
“Gasp!”
The sound had come from none other than Hella. Her body, which had been casually going through the motions of her work, hoping for Sue’s swift departure, visibly flinched.
But Hella wasn’t the only one. At the sound of the youthful voice emanating from behind the ferocious lion’s head, Sue felt a shiver of fear run down her spine, making her straighten her hair instinctively. Sue clutched her side and bit her lip.
“Y-yes, come in~!”
Hella spoke, breaking the brief, tense silence. She forced herself to lift the teacup to her lips, attempting to ease the sudden stiffness in her body. The black tea, which had been warm just moments ago, now felt ice-cold.
*Sigh. This is difficult. Lady Lopetrefer is…*
Feeling a cold sweat trickling down her back, Sue fixed her gaze on the entrance to the infirmary.
*Why am I afraid of that voice?*
That was the last question that came to mind that day.
She still didn’t have the answer. But the two spirals swirling within the blank canvas of Sue Byron longed for one thing: that the ferocious lion’s head wouldn’t open its mouth again.
At the same time, she had a paradoxical certainty that all her questions would be answered once the door opened.
And that, regardless of what Sue Byron desired, she herself would be powerless to do anything about it.
Soon, the door opened silently.
“…You’re awake, Sue.”
Standing beyond the open door was a petite girl with a ramrod straight posture.
Sue stared at the small figure approaching her.
“Ah…”
Her intuition hadn’t deceived her. The confusing memories and pain that had been tormenting Sue vanished from her mind in an instant. All the jumbled emotions settled down at once.
“Are you alright?”
Sue looked at the girl who was coming closer. Or rather, her gaze was stolen, drawn to the girl. It was inevitable. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful.
“Lady Enzhe…”
Jet-black hair that seemed to reject any impurity, a bob cut as sharp as a blade, skin as white as snow in stark contrast, and red lips as seductive as those of a princess who had just bitten into a poisoned apple.
The same white uniform as Sue’s, yet hers was pristine, without a wrinkle or a stain.
The moment those black eyes, like bottomless pits, locked onto Sue,
“I’m alright, Lady Enzhe.”
Sue Byron regained all her lost memories.
* * *
Sue Byron.
Or, Sue Byron Chiqmefriar.
She was the only daughter of Viscount Byron, and in the academy and social circles, she was known as ‘the dog of the unbelievably arrogant and stupid Lady Enzhe Lopetrefer’.
There was no falsehood in that assessment. It would’ve been better if it were even slightly exaggerated.
Swallowing down a touch of bitter amusement, Sue admired the evening scenery of the imperial capital from the carriage on her way back to her townhouse. It was indeed a breathtaking view, living up to its reputation in the novel.
“The dog of Enzhe Lopetrefer…”
Sue mumbled mindlessly, her head turned towards the small window.
That was all there was to Sue Byron. Both in “Beyond the Tiny Droplet” and in the real Atlantis.
Sue recalled the black-haired girl she had just seen. That child was Enzhe. Just as she was depicted in the novel, she possessed a beauty that could bewitch even the devil.
“Haha…”
A chuckle escaped her lips.
It was truly absurd.
Just like a fleeting childhood dream, she had become a character in her most beloved novel.
And of all characters, it had to be ‘Sue Byron’.
Sue Byron was a very one-dimensional supporting villain who acted as if she were part of the Lopetrefer family, willingly becoming a pawn for the main villain, Enzhe Lopetrefer.
Sue tried to recall the vague ending of ‘Sue Byron’.
As expected of a one-dimensional supporting villain, Sue was the first among the antagonists in the story to meet her downfall. The reason for her downfall was almost comical – Enzhe had simply framed Sue for all her evil deeds.
In a way, it was perhaps the most fitting ending for a character who acted as if she were Enzhe herself.
“We have arrived, Miss.”
The slowly moving carriage came to a halt at the gate of the townhouse. Ten, Sue’s personal maid who had accompanied her, was the first to open the door and get off, assisting Sue in disembarking.
As Sue carefully stepped out of the carriage, Nine, a maid who had been waiting by the entrance, rushed towards them with hurried steps.
“Welcome back, Miss. Allow me to take your coat.”
Nine removed the stained cloak from Sue’s shoulders and held it in her arms.
“Ah, thank you.”
Sue, who had been observing Nine’s elegant movements with wide eyes, blurted out.
“Huh?!”
Ten and Nine, who had been wearing indifferent expressions until that moment, instantly raised their heads. It was then that Sue realized her mistake.
She had unconsciously expressed her gratitude. However, those words were something that would never come out of ‘Sue Byron’s’ mouth.
“M-miss…”
Ten and Nine, who had taken care of Sue since she was a child, knew this fact better than anyone else.
“Are you alright, Miss Sue… right?”
Ten asked with deep concern in her voice. Nine, standing beside her, could only stare at her master with wide, startled eyes, at a loss for words.
‘She’s… thanking us?’
Reading their thoughts, which were clearly written all over their faces, Sue smiled wryly.
“Ah… yes. Who else would I be…?”
Their reactions succinctly illustrated how ‘Sue Byron’ had lived her life.
A young lady who had never once expressed gratitude in her life. That was Sue Byron.
“Ahem… ahem. Anyway, I want to rest. Let’s go inside, quickly.”
“Yes, Miss. What about dinner?”
“No, it’s fine…”
“…”
“No, it’s really fine. I’m not hungry. I’m not feeling well.”
She had mumbled those words to avoid revealing her true way of speaking, but Ten and Nine had no choice but to take Sue’s words at face value.
‘Just how unwell is she to be speaking politely to us?’
Finally bringing the situation to a close, Sue entered the townhouse.
Though it was a luxurious residence that would make commoners gawk in awe, the townhouse where Sue lived was relatively small compared to the average aristocratic mansion. The number of guards and servants was also significantly lower than average.
Sue lived alone in this townhouse. She had run away from her family home after a huge argument with her parents five years ago.
The most surprising thing was that Sue was currently only fifteen years old, her birthday not yet passed, and her running away had happened five years ago. In other words, she had robbed her family’s safe and run away from home at the tender age of ten.
‘Crazy woman…’
After bathing and changing from the strange uniform into her everyday clothes, Sue threw her emaciated body onto the bed.
“Argh!”
And at that moment, a piercing pain shot through her entire body as if to punish her for letting her guard down. Sue let out a strange yelp and twisted her body in reflex. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Ow… damn it…”
Overwhelmed by drowsiness, she had completely forgotten about her battered state.
“Come to think of it… what are all these wounds?”
Finally coming to her senses, Sue rolled up the sleeve of her pajamas. Underneath were countless cuts and bruises. Some were covered in dried blood, while others on her wrists, thighs, and waist were wrapped in bandages.
She hadn’t been able to get a good look at herself in the infirmary because of the uniform, but Sue had been horrified by the state of her body while bathing earlier. What was even more surprising was that the maids who helped her bathe didn’t seem to think much of those wounds. As if they were used to seeing her like that every day.
Indeed, Sue’s body was covered in wounds. New ones, and scars from old ones…
“Abuse… no, is she being bullied at the academy?”
It was a very plausible guess.
‘No… but in ‘Sue’s’ memories, there’s no recollection of being openly bullied. …Not yet, anyway.’
To be honest, her memories hadn’t fully returned yet. The memories of her past and present life were mixed up, making it difficult to extract information accurately.
There was no information about Sue Byron’s physical condition in “Beyond the Tiny Droplet” either. It was only natural since she was a cheap supporting character; such background details were never explored.
“What in the world is going on? On top of that…”
Swallowing her words, Sue let out a deep sigh.
She carefully examined her body once more. Making sure not to aggravate her injuries, she lay down on the bed and pushed aside the complicated thoughts swirling in her head.
Because, enveloped in the soft blanket, drowsiness washed over her weary mind once more.
Lmao author did not give a flying f abt their names.