‘It was kind of unexpected…’
Carried on Sylvia’s back, Aslan left.
Yuri, who was left alone in the garden, stood there for a moment, stunned and unable to move.
Aslan Vermont, I thought he would want to monopolize and exploit my abilities, desperately trying to take advantage of me.
But, without a hint of regret, he made it clear he had no intention of forcing me into anything, leaving me feeling bewildered.
‘That doesn’t mean I want to go anywhere else…’
Of course, just because I was given freedom, I didn’t want to leave Vermont Security.
It was unfortunate, but what Aslan Vermont said was true.
Vermont had a history of successfully developing Charlotte and Julia’s superhuman talents.
Of course, just because I had been given freedom, it didn’t mean I wanted to leave Vermont Security.
It was unfortunate, but Aslan Vermont’s words were true.
After all, he had successfully drawn out and developed the superhuman talents of Charlotte and Julia.
For example, Charlotte’s Demon Sword is said to be based on an almost priceless Holy Sword.
And for Julia, he built a special facility for Dirt-Dirt and her Undead army.
This meant that he was willing to invest generously in developing their abilities.
Was there anywhere in the Empire that could develop my abilities as well as Vermont could?
Even if such a place existed, could I trust them completely?
Aslan Vermont, being a close acquaintance of Mr. Black, at least I believed I wouldn’t be betrayed…
‘This is really unlucky! He knows full well I’m in no position to go anywhere else!’
When it came to the most reliable and productive place, there was no option but Vermont Security.
Aslan Vermont, knowing that I had only one option, was so relaxed because of it!
Yuri, for a moment, clenched her fists, boiling with anger.
‘What was that at the end…?’
Suddenly, Yuri remembered Aslan’s hand brushing over the top of her head and bit her lip.
It had been such a natural gesture.
It was almost as if he was petting a dog, a casual, everyday motion.
He patted her head so casually that she was too surprised to respond.
What was that all about?
Had he become so accustomed to petting Charlotte and Julia that it was now a habit?
Or, was he intentionally narrowing the distance between them?
Was he trying to treat her like he did Charlotte or Julia…?
The thought sent a chill down her spine, and her body shuddered.
‘Is he trying to seduce me too!? Not a chance…’
Aslan Vermont! I can see right through your intentions!
You probably think that with a little head pat and by offering good employee benefits, I’ll end up liking you and becoming weak for you.
But I won’t fall for it that easily!
I might marry you to achieve my goals, but I will never give you my heart!
Yuri kept thinking this in her mind, and for some reason, she was desperately trying to calm her excited heart.
‘But just now… Aslan Vermont seemed to know a lot about my power…’
Suddenly, the odd feeling returned to her.
It was when she was first shocked by her newly awakened powers.
Aslan Vermont had calmed her down and taught her how to handle this new ability she had never seen before.
At first, she thought he was just talking nonsense, so she refused to listen.
But when she followed his instructions just to see, she gradually became skilled in handling her power.
It was as if he was giving advice that only an experienced person could offer…
Could it be that Aslan Vermont, who couldn’t even handle mana himself, had actually gained some ability?
Or, perhaps, by helping Charlotte and Julia awaken their powers, he became an expert himself?
‘Tsk…’
Was this another habit from always being around Charlotte and Julia? It felt unpleasant… He patted me with the same hand he had patted Charlotte and Julia with.
And now, he was teaching me based on his experiences of awakening them… I didn’t know why, but it felt uncomfortable…
I didn’t even know exactly why it was uncomfortable, but it just was. Perhaps it was the skill itself that bothered me…
If Aslan had been uncertain and anxious while awakening my powers, I wouldn’t have felt as unpleasant as I did now.
What on earth is his game here?
Yuri, confused and unable to understand herself, was caught in a whirlwind of thoughts.
“Yuri!!! Did you really heal the Mister’s wound? Is it true? Is it really true? Huh? Huh-huh-huh?”
With a loud voice, Charlotte came running across the garden. And following behind her, Julia, panting and struggling with every step.
Yuri, who had been filled with thoughts of Aslan, smiled brightly and greeted her friends.
“Is it magic? Did you develop healing magic?”
“N-no, it’s more like a personal ability… I didn’t study or learn magic. It just suddenly worked today…”
“Wow…”
Charlotte and Julia exclaimed in awe, and Yuri scratched the back of her head, feeling a bit awkward.
For some reason, it seemed like they were even happier than the person who had awakened the power.
“The wound really disappeared completely! Amazing! So, no matter how badly I get hurt, if I come to you, I’ll heal, right?”
“Ah, I’m not sure how much of an injury I can heal yet, so please don’t try to get hurt on purpose…”
“Hehe! Of course, I won’t!”
“I’m really glad, Yuri! We’re so strong, it doesn’t matter, but Aslan is so fragile, I’ve always worried about him… If you have your power, I won’t have to worry about him getting hurt!”
“…”
Even in times like these, Aslan Vermont’s name always comes first…
How much do you think about that man in your daily life…
Yuri felt her discomfort rise again as she noticed how often Charlotte and Julia’s conversations brought up Aslan’s name, revealing their affection for him.
“But it’s really amazing. A power that heals wounds. It feels so… not like something Yuri would have!”
“Yeah. How did you suddenly awaken such a talent?”
“Hmm… Maybe it’s because I really, really wanted to heal the Mister’s wounds. Because of those wounds, we’ve been spending more time with Mister and less with Yuri, and maybe she hated that…”
“I-I didn’t do it for that!!!”
“…”
“…”
While Charlotte playfully joked, Yuri immediately and forcefully denied it.
Charlotte and Julia’s attention turned entirely to Yuri, and silence descended upon the area.
“Ah…”
Yuri realized that she had taken the joke too seriously and felt her face flush red with embarrassment.
***
‘It sounds like they’re talking about the healing ability.’
As I looked out at the garden where I could hear the chatter of children, a content smile naturally spread across my face.
Charlotte, Julia, and Yuri.
How long had I waited to see the three of them talking and playing without masks or pretenses, face to face?
There were many times when I wanted to give up along the way.
But, in the end, I pushed through and made it so that the three of them could reunite.
At least, in the near future, the chances of me dying by Yuri’s sword are now practically zero.
‘The next challenge is how to secure an engagement with Yuri…’
To be engaged to Charlotte and Julia, I ultimately need Yuri’s approval.
And the most convenient and quickest way to get Yuri’s approval is, of course, to pursue Yuri as well.
Though I’ve been trying my best lately…
I can’t really tell if it’s working.
I can’t just make a surprise confession and check the progress.
In the end, it feels like I’m endlessly filling a non-transparent teapot with water, not knowing when it will be full.
But when it eventually fills, it will surely overflow, and I’ll know it.
That’s when I decided to be patient.
“What are you all doing there?”
“Heek!?”
The maids froze in surprise at my call as they stealthily went down the stairs leading to the basement.
Their reaction was just like they’d been caught stealing.
Why were they being so cautious about going to the children’s room?
Now that I looked closely, one of them was holding a box wrapped in beautiful paper.
“What’s that?”
“Oh, this is a gift for Julia, my Lord.”
“A gift for Julia? Only for Julia? Charlotte and Yuri might feel left out. If you’re going to give something, give it to all of them.”
“Well… you see…”
A gift only for Julia?
I was about to scold them for being inconsiderate, but the maids seemed to have something to say, looking at me nervously while rolling their eyes.
“Considering the type of gift, I suppose there’s no helping it…”
“What do you mean by that? Tell me.”
“Ugh… It’s… underwear… upper underwear…”
“…!?”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ demands that you hold onto your sanity tightly!]
The maid leaned in close to my ear and whispered quietly.
I was engulfed by shock and froze in place for a moment.
Julia… is now wearing women’s underwear…!?
My vision went blurry.
