I stayed where I was for another minute, staring blankly at the bedroom door.
My fingers drifted unconsciously to my lips again.
"...Get it together, Amelia."
I let out a long breath before forcing myself to stand and walked into the bathroom.
The bathroom lights flickered on, bathing the marble walls in a warm golden glow. I peeled open an SK-II Facial Treatment Mask and smoothed the cool sheet over my face before lowering myself into the marble bathtub.
Steam curled lazily toward the ceiling, carrying the faint scent of vanilla bath oil. The heat loosened the tightness in my shoulders, easing the tension in my neck and back.
For a few moments, I closed my eyes.
But no matter how long I stayed there, it still couldn’t quiet my heart.
Every time I relaxed, Sylvia’s face slipped back into my thoughts.
The way she’d looked at me.
The way she’d smiled.
The way her lips had...
"No."
I opened my eyes immediately.
"I’m not thinking about that."
I stayed in the bath until the water began to cool before finally climbing out.
After drying off, I changed into a loose cotton pajama set and sat in front of my dressing table. I plugged in the hair dryer; a soft hum filled the room as warm air swept through my damp hair.
When it was dry, I finished my usual skincare routine, gently pressing a few drops of Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate into my skin.
Once it was dry, I finished my usual skincare routine, gently massaging a few drops of Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate into my skin.
When I finally looked up, my reflection stared back at me.
My eyes drifted to my lips.
Almost instantly, my stomach fluttered.
"..."
Why did I keep thinking about it?
I quickly looked away and stood up.
I walked over to the small refrigerator tucked into the corner of my room, which hummed quietly as I opened it. Cold air brushed across my face while I reached for my favorite orange juice and Ryvita Crispbread biscuit.
Just as my fingers touched the bottle—
Click.
The bedroom door opened, and I turned around.
Sylvia walked in carrying a plastic tray.
"I knew you hadn’t eaten since this afternoon," she said as she walked straight into the small sitting area in my room and placed the tray gently on the small round table.
"None of your business," I muttered, closing the fridge before walking over to the sofa.
The moment I sat down, Sylvia reached over and quietly took the orange juice and biscuits from my hands.
"I know you’re dieting," she said. "That’s why I made this."
She slid the tray toward me. And I looked down.
A warm bowl of oatmeal sat in the middle of the tray, topped with neatly sliced bananas and crisp apple slices. Beside it was a cup of plain Greek yogurt.
I blinked in surprise and then looked back at her. "...You made this?"
My voice came out softer than I intended.
She smiled proudly. "Yeah." She said, sitting down beside me, crossing one leg over the other. "I can actually cook."
I looked at her in surprise.
"When I lived with my godparents, they made sure I learned how to cook." She shrugged. "This is probably one of the easiest things I know how to make."
I couldn’t help smiling. I didn’t even know how to wash dishes properly, let alone cook.
Growing up, we had servants for everything.
Cooking.
Cleaning.
Laundry.
I had never needed to learn.
"Go on," Sylvia said, leaning back against the sofa with her arms folded. "Try it."
I nodded and picked up the spoon. The first bite melted in my mouth.
The oatmeal was creamy without being too thick, the bananas added just enough sweetness, and the apples gave it a light crunch.
It was...
Really good. Much better than I expected.
"How’s it?" Sylvia asked, watching me carefully.
"It’s good," I answered casually, pretending not to be impressed.
Sylvia furrowed her eyebrows, and a smile spread across her face. "Just good?"
I ignored the question and scooped up another spoonful.
She laughed quietly. "I’ll take that as a compliment."
I reached for the cup of Greek yogurt and took a sip before setting it back on the tray.
Just as I lowered my hand—
Sylvia leaned closer, making my breath catch.
She reached up and gently brushed her thumb across the corner of my mouth.
"There."
She licked the yogurt from her thumb before leaning back against the sofa. "You had yogurt here."
I froze. Every thought inside my head disappeared. And the only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat.
"..."
Did...
Did she really just...
Heat rushed straight into my face.
"What..." I swallowed. "What did you just do?"
Sylvia blinked innocently at me. "Hm?"
"You..." I pointed vaguely toward my face.
"I wiped yogurt off your mouth." She shrugged as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world. "There was nothing strange about it."
I opened my mouth and closed it again. Then looked away before she could see how red my face had become.
I picked up my spoon and started eating much faster than before.
"Slow down," Sylvia said, laughing softly. "I don’t want you choking on your food, Minnie."
I refused to look at her because I was afraid she’d see the smile I was trying so hard to hide.
When I finished eating, I carried my bowl to the tray, but before I could pick it up, Sylvia reached for it first.
"I’ll take it," she said.
"...Okay."
I climbed onto my bed instead, pulling the blanket over my legs.
Sylvia glanced at me for a moment before carrying the empty dishes out of my room.
The moment the door clicked shut behind her. I buried my face in my pillow, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face.
"If having a sister feels like this..." I hugged my pillow tighter. "...then maybe it isn’t so bad."
A minute later, the door opened again, and Sylvia walked back in. She switched off the brighter lights, leaving only the warm glow of the bedside lamp before walking toward the bed.
Normally, I always placed a long body pillow between us whenever we slept. But tonight, I hadn’t.
Maybe I wanted to know what it felt like to have someone sleeping beside me.
The mattress dipped as Sylvia climbed in and lay down on the other side of the bed without saying anything.
The mattress dipped slightly as she moved closer. I felt her arms wrap gently around my waist from behind.
At first, I smiled. But I felt something was wrong.
I felt her body was trembling. I quickly turned to face her. Her eyes were barely open. Her breathing was heavier than usual.
"Sylvia?
I frowned and reached out, pressing the back of my hand against her forehead.
She was burning up.
"Sylvia..." I called feeling a little scared.
I sat up so quickly the blankets slid into my lap. "You’re really running a fever," I said softly.
"You made dinner for me even though you’re sick?"
She didn’t answer. Instead, she moved closer, burying her face against my shoulder and tightening her arms around my waist.
"...You’re clingy when you’re sick." A small helpless smile crossed my face as I gently stroked her hair away from her forehead.
The silky strands slipped between my fingers.
I didn’t really know what to do because I had never taken care of someone before. Whenever I got sick, which was actually rare, the family doctor and the servants handled everything.
I hardly even caught a cold.
I reached for my phone on the bedside table and quickly called Mom.
She answered almost immediately.
"Honey?" she said. "Is everything alright?"
She still sounded worried after the way I’d rushed upstairs earlier.
"No... not exactly," I said, looking down at Sylvia, who was still quietly clinging to me.
"Sylvia has a fever."
"What?" Mom’s voice rose immediately. "I’m coming."
The call ended.
I placed the phone down and touched Sylvia’s forehead again. She felt even hotter.
"Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?" I whispered.
She didn’t respond. Instead, she buried her face against my shoulder and hugged me even tighter.
I sighed softly and continued stroking her hair.
A minute later, someone knocked.
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
"Come in, Mom."
The door opened and Mom hurried inside. Dad followed right behind her.
"Dad?" I called out in surprise. "I thought you were still at work."
He just smiles. "I was." He said walking over to the bed. "But work can wait when it’s about my girls."
Mom leaned over the bed and touched Sylvia’s forehead.
"Oh dear..." she said, her expression immediately changing. "She’s burning."
Dad had already taken out his phone and called our family doctor while Mom stayed beside the bed.
After explaining Sylvia’s symptoms, Dad listened for a moment before nodding.
"I’ll be there shortly," the doctor said over the speaker. "For now, wipe her down with warm water."
"Understood," Dad said before ending the call.
Mom immediately instructed one of the servants to bring warm water, towels, and a fresh change of clothes.
The servant stepped forward to help Sylvia change into lighter clothes, but the moment she tried to move her, Sylvia held onto me even tighter.
"...She won’t let go." The servant said and looked at me helplessly.
"I’ll do it."
The servant and I helped Sylvia change before gently wiping her arms, neck, and forehead with the warm towel.
Little by little, her temperature began to drop.
About twenty minutes later, the family doctor arrived.
He checked her temperature, listened to her heartbeat, and examined her eyes, then prepared an injection.
Sylvia barely reacted, because she was already half asleep.
I stood beside the bed the entire time.
"...How is she?" I asked the moment he finished.
The doctor smiled reassuringly. "She’s alright, Miss Winston."
He packed away his equipment.
"She’s simply exhausted. It looks like she pushed herself too hard today."
He handed me a small packet of tablets. "If the fever returns later tonight, give her two of these. She mainly needs fluids and plenty of rest."
I nodded carefully. "I will."
"Thank you. We’ll keep an eye on her," Mom replied.
After giving Mom and Dad a few more instructions, the doctor excused himself.
The room gradually became quiet again. Mom squeezed my shoulder gently before she and Dad followed the doctor downstairs.
Silence settled over the room again. Only the quiet hum of the air conditioner remained.
I climbed back onto the bed and looked down at Sylvia. She looked so different like this. Quiet and fragile.
Nothing like the mischievous girl who had spent the entire evening teasing me.
I brushed a few loose strands of hair away from her face and leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Please..." I whispered softly.
"...get well soon, Sylvia."
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