Extra’s Rebirth: I Will Create A Good Ending For The Heroines - Chapter 362

Chapter 362: Girls Talk [II]
“What do you mean?” Esme asked quietly.

The nurse had told her that Azel came here to visit Sybil so why was the girl crying like her world had ended?

“I don’t know.” Sybil’s voice cracked as she rolled over, pressing her face into the soft white sheets. “You see, in my clan… we have this tradition.”

Esme sighed.

She wasn’t exactly close to Sybil… if anything, they rarely met each other but the Astra girl sounded like she needed someone to listen.

So Esme walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“What kind of tradition?”

“If you have a strong guy that you like,” Sybil said, turning onto her back and staring at the ceiling, “and you’re serious about him, you have to test him yourself before bringing him home.”

Esme frowned. “Test him?”

“Yes.” Sybil’s voice grew softer, like she was recalling something that hurt to admit. “I really like Azel… and I want to marry him.”

Esme choked on her own saliva. “Wait… what?!”

Sybil turned her head lazily, looking at her with glassy eyes.

“What?” she asked flatly.

“Aren’t we a little too young to be talking about marriage?” Esme said, waving her hands. “That’s a serious thing! You’re talking about choosing who you’ll spend the rest of your life with… it’s sacred. You should be absolutely sure before you even consider it.”

“With that sort of definition,” Sybil said, sitting up slightly, “you’ve just made it clear you’re not a real noble.”

Esme blinked. “Excuse me?”

Sybil sighed and smiled. “But that’s not a bad thing. You should be happy about it. For us nobles, marriage isn’t about love or choice. It’s about politics. You don’t get to pick your partner… sometimes your fate is decided when you’re still a baby.”

Esme’s face twisted in disgust. “That’s awful.”

“It’s how things are,” Sybil said, her voice sounded cold but bitterly honest. “There are only a few chances to marry someone you actually love. That’s why so many nobles run away to be with commoners. But do you know what happens then?”

Esme stayed silent.

Sybil continued. “The commoner is killed. The child… if they have one is disposed of unless they show magical potential. And the runaway noble? They’re dragged back home and if they’re lucky, they become a concubine. If not…” She trailed off. “They disappear.”

“That’s… crazy,” Esme whispered.

“Flare is lucky,” Sybil said quietly. “The only reason she isn’t engaged right now is because her father is holding her as a bargaining chip. She doesn’t have much magic even though she’s from a great noble clan. Otherwise, she’d have been sold off years ago.”

Esme shuddered.

She suddenly felt grateful for being a commoner. Grateful for the life she had built with her own hands, with her own alchemy. “And what about your clan? What makes the Astra different?”

Sybil smiled sadly. “Our rule is simple. If you don’t pick your husband in time… the clan picks one for you.”

“That’s terrible,” Esme said. “Who are they trying to marry you off to?”

Sybil’s lips trembled. “My mother wants me to marry Reinhardt.”

Esme’s face twisted instantly. “Reinhardt? That arrogant idiot?!”

Sybil laughed weakly. “He’s powerful. That’s all that matters to them.”

Esme crossed her arms. “So if you don’t find someone stronger or at least equal in status, you’ll be forced to marry him?”

Sybil nodded. “Exactly.”

Esme stared at her for a moment. “So Azel is just an opportunity to you then? A convenient way out?”

Sybil’s eyes snapped open, completely filled with offense.

“Are you crazy?” she shouted, sitting upright instantly with her face completely flushed red. “I love that fucker! Not only does he fit all the checkboxes my family demands… he’s kind, strong, and unpredictable but I actually love him.”

Esme arched an eyebrow. “And what’s your definition of love?”

Sybil hesitated. “Being strong? Having a nice body? All that stuff.”

Esme groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?” Sybil pouted, genuinely confused.

“Sybil,” Esme said softly, turning to look at her. “That’s not love.”

“Then what is?”

Esme smiled.

“Love isn’t about strength or appearance,” she said. “It’s about choice. It’s the quiet decision to care about someone even when you don’t have to. It’s staying when things get hard. It’s being willing to understand someone’s pain instead of comparing it to yours. It’s about finding comfort in their presence, not because they’re perfect… but because they make you feel seen.”

Sybil blinked.

“Love isn’t power,” Esme continued softly. “It’s patience. It’s the small things… listening when they talk, worrying when they’re hurt, trusting them when no one else does. If you only love him for his body or strength, that’s admiration, not love.”

The words hit Sybil like a brick.

Her confident mask cracked. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

“I don’t… love him?” she whispered.

Esme smiled gently. “Not yet. You just think you do. Because that’s what you were taught… that power equals worth, and worth equals affection. But real love doesn’t work like that.”

Sybil looked away, her face was red with embarrassment and confusion.

Esme stood up, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I won’t stand by and let you hurt him because you don’t know what love is. Figure yourself out first before you pull someone else into your storm.”

Before Sybil could reply, the door opened.

The sound made both girls freeze.

Azel stepped in, looking tired but smiling.

He was holding a small paper bag in one hand.

“Sybil,” he said, rubbing his temple with his free hand, “sorry I’m late. I got held up, but I brought cookies. I don’t know if you—uh—” His eyes flicked between them. “Did something happen?”

Esme froze.

Sybil’s heart began to race. Esme’s words still rang in her head, bouncing around like lectures she couldn’t ignore.

She sat up straighter.

“Please forgive the fact that I attacked you,” she said stiffly. “I was not in my right mind, and I have been enlightened. I’m sorry, but I cannot marry you. Our fight is invalid. Can you please not show your face to me anymore?”

The room fell silent.

Azel blinked.

Once… then… Twice.

He glanced at Esme who looked like she’d just watched someone commit a social crime and then back at Sybil, who was staring at him with red cheeks and a deadly serious expression.

‘What the hell did I walk into…?’ he thought. ‘When did she start talking like a priestess?’

He rubbed his forehead, exhaling loudly. “Whatever. You’ll be back to your senses tomorrow.”

And then he turned around and walked straight out, closing the door behind him.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Esme slowly turned her head toward Sybil, eyes wide. “What… what did you just do?!”

Sybil blinked, looking lost. “I… apologized?”

Esme yanked at her sleeve, shaking her violently. “I didn’t tell you to do that!”