“…”
Charlotte stretched as if all her fatigue had melted away and left the room.
After even Yuri had departed, only Aslan and Sylvia remained in the room.
Unconsciously, Sylvia swallowed hard.
‘Is it finally my turn?’
She had always thought that the only talents their Lord had were ruthlessly overworking people and distinguishing the scent of a child.
Who would have thought he also had a gift for massage and stretching?
If he had been hiding such a skill, he could have at least given her a hint…
Since they were lord and escort knight, it must have been difficult for him to offer massages in front of others.
But now, they were finally alone.
Sylvia’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked at Aslan.
“Haah. My hands hurt from doing something I’m not used to. Go brew some tea.”
“Yes, my Lord. Will you wait here?”
“Wait? No. I’m heading to the office. Why?”
“There’s nowhere to lie down in the office.”
“Why would I lie down? I have work to do.”
“…”
Aslan let out a sigh of disbelief and immediately started leaving the room.
Sylvia was left standing there, frozen in place.
Charlotte had received a personal massage.
Julia had walked away with a massage coupon in the end.
Even Yuri had somehow managed to get Charlotte’s massage coupon.
And yet, she was left with nothing…?
Without a word, Sylvia strode forward and deliberately blocked Aslan’s path.
“Ahh, since I often use my body for work, my neck and shoulders have been really stiff lately. I think I need a massage…”
“Make sure to get massages regularly. Don’t forget to stretch, too. If you get injured, it’ll be troublesome for me.”
“There are places I can’t reach on my own.”
“That’s quite unfortunate.”
“…”
Aslan looked down at her with eyes as emotionless as a machine, answering flatly.
Sylvia pouted and clenched her fists.
Why was she always the one being treated like an afterthought?
Maybe it was time to formally protest.
“I also demand that you personally give me a massage, my Lord!”
“And why should I comply with your demand? Bring me a coupon. Then I’ll give you a massage.”
“Then at least issue me a coupon!”
“No.”
“…”
With a stern, serious, and unyielding expression, Aslan firmly refused without hesitation.
He immediately tried to step past her again, and Sylvia’s face crumpled with disappointment.
She believed she had devoted herself to this household.
Of course, she understood that as a servant, expecting compensation beyond her wages was excessive…
But seeing the stark difference in treatment right in front of her eyes made it impossible not to feel slighted.
Would she throw herself on the ground and wail in protest?
There were probably few things in the world more pathetic than that.
Even if this was unfair treatment, the others were just children.
A grown adult throwing a tantrum over being treated differently from children?
Aslan would probably look down at her with an even colder, more disdainful gaze than before…
Just the thought of it made her heart ache.
‘I really wanted a massage too…’
Was there truly no way?
Did she really have to give up like this?
Just as she was about to swallow her disappointment and move on—
‘Ah!?’
Sylvia suddenly had an idea.
“Um…”
“Tch. What is it now?”
“I really, really want a massage… Is there really no way…?”
“I told you—bring me a coupon. How many times do I have to—huh!?”
Feeling something tug at his sleeve, Aslan clicked his tongue and turned around.
But where Sylvia’s face should have been, there was nothing.
Lowering his gaze, he let out a deep sigh.
Standing there, dressed in loose, oversized clothes, was a young Sylvia, clinging to his sleeve with a pleading gaze.
Aslan’s eyes wavered wildly.
His hesitation lasted only a moment before firm resolve settled in his gaze.
“This time is special. You’ve contributed to the household, so as a performance bonus, I’ll issue you a one-time massage coupon, valid only for immediate use.”
“Huuh!?”
In an instant.
The icy voice that had just coldly rejected her now carried a gentle smile as Aslan suddenly scooped Sylvia up by her underarms.
The abrupt shift in attitude left Sylvia so stunned that she forgot how to speak.
She had been sure this plan would work, but she hadn’t expected it to take effect so quickly.
“Wait, my Lord! Hold on—!”
“The coupon expires in ten seconds. Decide quickly. If you don’t use it, it’s gone.”
“I-I mean… I’ll use it, but—”
“Then that’s settled. Just relax.”
“But this is too sudden—!”
Plop.
Aslan gently placed Sylvia down onto the sofa and rolled up his sleeves, preparing for the massage.
Wait a minute. Wasn’t he the one complaining just moments ago that his hands hurt?
Sylvia wriggled slightly in confusion at the sudden enthusiasm, but—
For some strange reason, she couldn’t move at all.
Wait. Since when was this so-called weakling this strong?!
Was this that rumored burst of superhuman strength fueled by determination!?
“Uwaaah…! My Lord! Your eyes look terrifying!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.”
Sylvia continued to struggle in vain.
In the midst of it all, her leg suddenly kicked up—
And her small foot struck Aslan’s face.
Slap!
The sound echoed in the room.
Sylvia froze.
‘Ack!?’
Even if it was an accident, she had just kicked her Lord in the face.
This was bad. Really bad.
At the moment Sylvia’s face turned pale.
“It seems you’ve stopped struggling. That means you’re ready. Just relax now.”
“Ah!?”
She had been bracing herself for a scolding.
But instead, Aslan seized the moment to push forward even harder, completely shattering Sylvia’s will to resist.
Before the sheer wall of his unwavering determination, she found herself utterly overwhelmed.
And so, after all her futile resistance, she finally received the massage.
The verdict?
“AAAHHHH!!!”
“Be quiet. I merely pressed your shoulder slightly. A Sword Master screaming from a regular person’s touch—how ridiculous.”
“B-But! Haah! This feels… really strange…!”
“Your muscles are severely knotted. I’m surprised you can even walk around like this.”
“Agh… What is this…?”
Absolute satisfaction.
***
“Hmm?”
My eyes were drawn to one of the envelopes stuck in the mailbox.
It had been a long time since I had seen the imperial seal.
News from the palace usually arrived through a messenger, or I would hear it directly when I visited the palace myself, so receiving something via mail was quite rare.
– Your request regarding the Neomium-related regulatory bill has been received.
– The following is the compromise proposal decided upon after consultation with the ministers. Review it, and if you have any objections, present yourself at the palace by tomorrow.
.
.
.
– If there is no further response, I will assume you have no objections, and the bill will be proposed as is.
“A clean resolution, huh.”
Since legislation always involved clashing interests from various factions, I had prepared myself for a drawn-out, exhausting process.
But this compromise reflected most of my key demands, leaving me with no real reason to object.
If I wanted to push for more, I probably could, but…
I didn’t want to make Empress Sister any busier than she already was. So, I decided to let it go.
‘She really must be busy these days.’
Rumors said the palace was in utter chaos lately.
Even under normal circumstances, the Imperial Court functioned as the legislature, judiciary, military command, and executive branch all rolled into one, making it an incredibly busy place.
And recently, they had been overseeing the construction of power plants based on mana fission theory, restructuring relevant regulations, and drafting laws regarding Black Magic and Neomium distribution—leaving them utterly overwhelmed.
Both issues had shaken the world to its core.
Neither had precedent, making them unfamiliar concepts, and everyone seemed to be struggling with how to handle them.
‘For Empress Sister—who usually summons me for every little matter—to send something this important remotely? That says it all.’
Normally, she wouldn’t hesitate to drag me into a debate with the ministers or even hold a full hearing.
The fact that my demands were largely accepted despite my absence suggested that even the ministers were too exhausted to argue much.
“…!?”
At that moment—
SWOOSH!
A sharp gust of wind cut through the air, and before I knew it, Sylvia had ‘teleported’ right in front of me.
I was still processing what had just happened when I noticed she was clutching a pigeon in her hands.
“This bird was flying straight at you, my Lord. I intercepted it… but it appears to be a royal messenger pigeon.”
“Seems like it.”
Sylvia looked a bit awkward as she removed a note tied to the pigeon’s leg.
I took the note, unfolded it, and—my eyes widened.
“What is it?”
“Empress Sister is summoning me. And judging by this… it seems urgent.”
“I will accompany you.”
The note was brief to the extreme.
– To my chambers.
There was no greeting, no explanation—just a single command.
And she had sent it through a messenger pigeon instead of a courier or official letter.
Empress Sister had never acted this hurried before. It was deeply unsettling.
Had something happened in the palace?
Or was she sick?
As my mind raced with possibilities, the carriage reached the palace before I knew it.
I ascended the stairs without hesitation and pushed open the door to her chambers.
“Your Majesty!”
“Ah. You’re here already? I just sent the note…”
Seated before her vanity, Empress Vanessa turned to face me.
She was still in her nightgown, suggesting she had yet to finish getting ready.
She didn’t look troubled or distressed in the least.
In fact, she looked… completely at ease?
“Your Majesty, I hurried here assuming it was urgent. What is the matter?”
“Must I always have an urgent reason to summon you?”
“Well, not necessarily, but—”
“Are you busy?”
“I have no scheduled appointments today, so no need to worry.”
“Perfect. Let’s spend some time together.”
“…?”
Empress Sister turned her chair toward me with a bright smile.
I froze on the spot.
What… was happening?
The Empress, a woman obsessed with efficiency, had summoned me for no reason at all—just to “spend time together”?
‘An imposter?’
Oh-ho.
This wasn’t Empress Sister.
Someone had kidnapped her and was pretending to be her.
And I had just figured it out.
