“Sylvia, issue numbered tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. Have everyone with a ticket wait in the reception room, and bring them to my office one by one.”
“What? But doesn’t that make it seem like we’re treating them as workers looking for jobs at a labor office?”
“Yeah, that’s the idea.”
“…”
Sylvia stared at Aslan, who had completely shifted to a businesslike attitude, with a shocked expression.
Just moments ago, his eyes had been filled with joy as he looked at Charlotte.
But now, glancing at the noble ladies swarming around, Aslan’s eyes were lifeless, devoid of any spark.
“All of them… every single one…”
Aslan muttered incomprehensibly under his breath, looking more exhausted than ever. How many of them are there, anyway?
Just at a glance, there were easily more than 30, and Aslan looked like he was about to pass out at any moment.
Since they were all precious daughters from influential families, he couldn’t just coldly send them away.
At the very least, he had to pretend to exchange a few words. Even if he spent just five minutes with each one, his entire afternoon would be gone.
Which meant he wouldn’t have any time to hang out with Charlotte and Julia for the rest of the afternoon?
Crunch.
His teeth ground together as Aslan barely managed to suppress his rising anger.
“That’s Aslan Vermont…?”
“Yes, the same Count Vermont who inherited his title at such a young age…”
The noble ladies, who had just stepped down from their carriages and were gathered in small groups, stared at Aslan in astonishment.
They were all dressed in extravagant dresses, and their mouths dropped open as they couldn’t tear their eyes away from him. And it was no wonder…
“Are we really supposed to marry him? To someone who looks so terrifying?”
“One of us is fated to become that man’s wife!”
“No! Think about it! That shameless man already has two commoner sl*ves whom he brought in as future wives. He’s already considering polygamy! We might all be sold to that man!”
“Waaah! I want to go home!”
The journey to get here had been ominous enough.
Skeleton soldiers casually roamed the city, and a massive, dung-colored monster stood guard at the city gates.
Add to that the menacing face of Count Vermont, and the noble ladies felt as though they had been sold to a demon’s castle.
‘Father did mention we were in some debt… but I didn’t think it was bad enough to be at the mercy of a man like this!’
Noble daughters without special abilities were little more than bargaining tools for their families.
While the ladies knew this well enough, they had believed, at least, that their fathers would marry them off to a kind man who would cherish and love them.
But to Aslan Vermont of all people?
The notorious Count Vermont, infamous for his cruel hobbies and the terrifying army he commanded?
My father has given up on me! He’s decided to sell me off!
Faced with this sudden reality, the noble ladies were overwhelmed with despair, feeling as though the sky had collapsed around them.
“Here, your number.”
“A number…?”
“There are quite a few of you, so you’ll meet the Count in order of your number. Please wait in the reception room, and when your number is called, follow me.”
“…!?”
A number?
A ticket number for a marriage discussion?
Aslan Vermont doesn’t even see us as guests!
‘It’s true what they say—Count Vermont treats people like objects!’
To Aslan Vermont, we aren’t women, but mere commodities for the sake of family alliances!
As the noble ladies trembled in fear…
“Oh, my button…”
“…!?”
A female knight moved, and a button from her collar popped off, revealing a scar-like mark on her neck. She quickly fastened her collar to cover the mark, but several of the noble ladies recognized it immediately.
“Th-That’s…!”
“It’s the mark they put on vicious sl*ves, the Binding Mark!”
“I’ve heard that slaves branded with that mark are forced to obey their master’s every command until they die! Even if the mark is removed, they’re left with a cursed, shortened lifespan!”
“This is horrifying!”
Aslan Vermont doesn’t even treat his own employees as people!
The noble ladies were speechless with shock and fear. It’s over for us.
A brutal sense of reality swept over them as they began to comprehend the gravity of their situation.
“Waaah!”
“It’ll be okay! As long as we stick together, like we have ever since our days at the Noble Academy, we’ll survive this! Sob…!”
Suddenly, the room was filled with tears. From now on, the only ones they could rely on were each other.
The ladies, who had once been divided by petty rivalries, now hugged each other, regretting their past squabbles.
Why had they wasted time on meaningless power struggles?
At last, the bitter feud that none of them could even remember the origins of came to an end.
In this beautiful moment, the noble ladies found true respect and reconciliation among themselves.
“Alright, Number 1, please follow me.”
“Waaaaah!”
“You have to be strong!”
“We’re here, so…!”
Finally, the knight called Number 1.
The noble lady, clutching her ticket, wiped her tears and stood up.
As she followed the knight toward the office, her back looked just like a cow being led to slaughter.
“So many pretty older sisters…”
“Shh, Charlotte.”
Meanwhile, the back door of the reception room creaked open.
Peeking through the gap, Charlotte and Julia covered each other’s mouths, afraid their whispers would be heard.
When Aslan was seated, the reception room had been a dim and gloomy place.
But now, filled with beautifully dressed women in colorful gowns, it had transformed into a ballroom.
Each one of them boasted exceptional beauty without any shortcomings.
“This is bad, Julia! Those older sisters are all here to marry Mister!”
“W-What!?”
“The position of Countess is in jeopardy!”
“…!”
Julia’s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected news.
So those ladies were all here to marry Aslan?
No way.
Why would such beautiful women want to marry him…?
“Those who have come to discuss marriage with Count Vermont, please enter this way and wait. Don’t forget to take a ticket.”
At that moment, Sylvia arrived to guide the newly arrived noble ladies inside.
As the shocking realization sunk in, Julia felt her heart plummet.
Aslan… is getting married…?
Even women who want to marry him are lining up like this…?
She was so stunned it felt like she had been hit on the back of the head.
‘She’s really shocked!’
As Charlotte looked at Julia, who was clutching her heart, she struggled to stifle her laughter.
It seemed that Julia, who had been holed up in the room until now, was still trying to grasp the situation.
These ladies were all being dragged in against their will, even though they didn’t want to marry!
“Hehe. You’re feeling the pressure, aren’t you?”
“Shut up. That’s only natural. The position of Countess is strategically very important. I can’t let it be taken away. I’m just feeling a little anxious…”
“Uhuhuh. Excuses, excuses.”
“…You’re so loud.”
With Charlotte’s giggles, Julia’s irritation flared.
Ugh!
This girl was getting way too much enjoyment out of teasing her…
It was so annoying.
Why was it that she always seemed to be so perceptive at times like this?
“Are you, are you not worried, Charlotte? Your beloved Mister is about to get married.”
“Not particularly? If he wants to, he can.”
“…”
Charlotte replied with an overly relaxed smile, and Julia’s counterattack fell flat.
Charlotte looked at Julia, who was genuinely annoyed, with a smirk.
Well, she was not particularly worried.
After all, she heard everything when he was talking with the knight. Mister clearly has no intention of marrying any of them!
“Is it possible that he doesn’t have to marry!? If so…!”
“Number 2, please enter.”
Just then, the office door swung wide open, and the first noble lady rushed out as if fleeing.
She hadn’t even been in there for a full minute.
The second lady who entered didn’t last three minutes either.
Number three, four, five… it was the same for all of them after that.
‘As expected. They’re all pretty, but they’re not Mister’s type.’
A relaxed smile spread across Charlotte’s face.
I knew it! Mister has that trashy preference for innocent, untouched commoner girls to whom he can show kindness, making it impossible for them to refuse when he proposes later.
This whole situation with the noble ladies rushing in was just a passing incident.
…Or so she thought, until…
“Oh? Hasn’t it been ten minutes since that lady went in?”
“Yeah, it’s well past ten minutes.”
“But why isn’t she coming out!?”
The smile disappeared from Charlotte’s lips.
Her face began to pale.
Emergency!
It seems Mister’s twisted and trashy preferences are changing!!!
