Kyle was the only person in the world who truly understood her.
Alexis knew her through the lens of the adapted novel Scarlet had written, but Kyle knew her from years of shared days and nights before life had separated them by an ocean.
Hearing his question now, Scarlet couldn’t help feeling a bit defeated. “Meiko told you, didn’t she?” She asked, resigned.
“To be precise, she reported it to my mum - your grandma - and your grandma kicked me out of bed this morning to ‘comfort’ you about it,” Kyle teased. “See how precious you are to her? When are you heading back to Japan? She misses you terribly.”
Scarlet couldn’t help but cheer up slightly. “Next Friday. I’ve got to meet the Longbottoms and Harry to sort a few things out here first. But I’ll be back soon. Tell grandma not to worry - and I miss her too.”
“I’ll let her know,” Kyle replied with a sigh. “Meiko didn’t say much. She doesn’t know the full extent of your plans, does she? All she mentioned was that the meeting didn’t go as you’d hoped and that you looked rather disheartened about it. She was worried it might discourage you, and she was also a bit concerned that her ‘bright prodigy’ lady might fall into despair, so of course, she told your grandma.”
Scarlet leaned back against the headboard, her eyes fixed on the night sky outside her window. “She’s right. Things didn’t go as I expected...I made a miscalculation.”
“Let me piece this together,” Kyle said thoughtfully, gazing at the sunrise from atop a hill. “Your initial plan for going to Hogwarts was twofold. First, William suggested it would benefit you, and from what I gather, I agree. There’s nothing wrong with learning more, and it fits your role as the Queen’s priestess, especially since she herself practices magic. A magical school in Britain seems ideal. And second, you remembered fragments of a story from your past life – a boy and a villain. You were wary of the impeding danger and resolved to intervene because, as the priestess of death, you felt responsible for preventing unnecessary loss of life. Is that right?”
“Yes,” Scarlet affirmed.
“Then you noticed the odd connection between the boy and one of your teachers – how they shared parts of the same soul, albeit spilt in two. You deemed it a cowardly defiance of death and vowed to track down every soul fragments down to put an end to it all. Correct.”
“Yes.”
“And here’s where it gets interesting,” Kyle continued, a touch of amusement in his voice. “You’re not the only one in this world with memories of a past life. A transfer student from America also recalls hers. She just so happens to be a fan of the story and kindly pointed out all the potential landmines to you. Your task is to carefully unearth each one, ensuring everyone’s safety. Meanwhile, you’re using your school days to hunt down the villain’s lackeys, though that part’s for later. For now, your focus is on destroying the soul fragments. Have I got that right?”
“Yes.” Scarlet confirmed once again.
“Now, based on what I know about your progress: the diadem, destroyed; the ring, destroyed; the locket, destroyed; your evil teacher, gone; the fragment on Harry’s forehead, set aside for now until you find a safe way to deal with it. And since the cup is locked away in a vault with top-notch security...the diary? You met the old-money family for the diary, but you didn’t manage to destroy it? Was it because he refused to hand it over?”
“No, he gave it to me,” Scarlet replied. “I used a few tricks to persuade him and managed to burn it to ashes.”
“Well, that’s the goal achieved. So why are you so unhappy about today?”
Scarlet hesitated for a moment before answering. “Because, according to my plan, Lucius Malfoy was supposed to be my ally in hunting down the lackeys. I wanted to ensure his safety, remove that ugly tattoo, and, at the same time, rescue a house-elf from that wretched place.”
“I see...hmm,” Kyle mused for a second. “But those things you just mentioned – they’re bonuses, aren’t they?”
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Scarlet didn’t reply.
“They are bonuses,” Kyle continued, sounding as though he’d been the one to devise the plan in the first place. “Will you stop hunting the lackeys if the Malfoys don’t help you? No. Can you still hunt them down without their help? Absolutely. Our Lady of Red is more than capable! And as for the house-elf, if that valley-accented girl is so determined to save him, she should come up with a way to do it herself. It’s not your responsibility. As for keeping Lucius safe--”
Kyle sighed. “Young priestess, what makes you so arrogant as to think you can shoulder someone else’s life? You’re just a young priestess. You’re the one who told me that you’re not even a Druid and that you’re nowhere near as skilled as Cú Chulainn or any of the Queen’s other students. Honestly, not even Akahime would make such a bold claim.”
Kyle’s words struck a chord.
He’s right. If she’s still the “Akahime” in her previous life, she wouldn’t care whether the Malfoys became her allies or not. It wasn’t her area of expertise, and it certainly wasn’t her responsibility.
And the “Scarlet” in the present...Scarlet was the weakest follower the Queen had ever taken under her wing. The Queen had even been forced to downgrade the weapon granted to her. She might have a few hidden tricks, but she was no match for truly skilled wizards, such as the Aurors who occasionally steeped in as substitute teachers.
“I...” Scarlet stammered. “I...I might have gotten a little ahead of myself.”
“Because everything’s gone so smoothly since you started making your plans? And now, for the first time, you’ve stumbled and taken a fall – bruises and all?” Kyle chuckled. “When you think about it, things have gone your way ever since you were seven and joined our family, haven’t they? Or maybe even earlier...five, perhaps? Around the time you won that novel contest? It feels like yesterday, and back then, I was wondering if I could even parent a child like you - or if you even needed parenting at all. And now, here we are: me comforting my girl because the phoenix chick had fallen from the Parasol Tree and dampened her wings.”
“...Stop it.” Scarlet pouted, “I’m no phoenix.”
“Tell that to your grandpa,” Kyle said with a smile as he noticed his mother approaching. She cast him a questioning look, clearly asking with her eyes if Scarlet was alright. Kyle nodded in reply. “I suppose you don’t need me to spout all that ‘chicken soup for the soul’ stuff about how failure is normal, and that rest will help you regain your strength to stand again, do you? Akahime’s story hasn’t vanished from your mind because you put it in a book. She’s always inside you. Think back to the mistakes she might’ve made at your age, and be kind to yourself, alright? Don’t go hurting your grandparents’ precious grandchild, will you? And do take care of my dear daughter – mind and body, alright?”
“I will.” Scarlet replied with a smile, her gaze drifting toward the night sky.
“Good. Say hi to your grandma, and off to bed with you now.”
The phone shifted hands from Kyle to Lady Sato, who tentatively took the receiver. After clearing her throat, she spoke in Japanese, “How’s my dear granddaughter today? Still unhappy after speaking with your father?”
“Not anymore,” Scarlet chuckled, “I was just...caught up in the little details.”
“Then you must take a step back,” Lady Sato replied at once, her voice soothing, “and you’ll find the sea vast and the sky endless.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
After a brief conversation with her grandmother, Scarlet ended the call. She fell asleep almost immediately and, unsurprisingly, woke up a little later than usual the next morning.
She found Meiko tidying up the living room and took a moment to thank her. “Thanks for letting my family know about yesterday.”
Meiko smiled shyly. “I’m glad milady isn’t upset with me for reporting the matter to the chief.”
In times past, a servant sharing information about their master – even with the master’s family – might’ve been considered betrayal. Such actions were often seen as a breach of trust, especially in households embroiled in political power struggles. A servant could even face severe punishment, sometimes death, to set an example.
But these were modern days. Scarlet sometimes wondered what sort of education Meiko had received in the shrine or the Jutsushi Academy; the maid seemed to take her role as a guardian – or a shinobi – with utmost seriousness.
Chūnibyō? Or just roleplaying?
Scarlet couldn’t help but smile. “I’m alright with it. Don’t overthink.”
Meiko responded with a slight bow. Scarlet wasn’t entirely sure if it meant “yes” or something else, but she decided to leave it at that. Japanese culture, was vastly different from what she knew in her past life, and sometimes it was difficult to fully grasp the nuances.
Later, Scarlet drafted a proper letter to Professor Dumbledore to inform him of the good news: another Horcrux had been destroyed. She finally had the clarity to compose the letter properly, unlike the frazzled state she’d been in when she returned from Malfoy Manor the previous day.
Her schedule was packed: staff meetings today, visiting Neville’s parents tomorrow, trips to some places after that...and, at some point, she needed to call Alexis to let her know about Dobby.
Speaking of which...had Dobby already started bothering Harry?