“Something is annoying…”
Thump Thump Thump Thump.
Lying on the bed in the dark dorm room, Yuri kicked her feet.
She hugged the pillow tightly.
To seduce Aslan Vermont and become a countess.
The plan was clearly progressing smoothly.
But it was so smooth that it made her uneasy.
Recently, Yuri felt that Aslan Vermont’s attitude had changed significantly.
When they first met at the Imperial Magic Academy, he seemed indifferent and uninterested.
Now, he was encouraging her to take baths at the mansion and suggesting they go for walks together…
As clear kindness flooded in, she felt a complicated mix of emotions.
She thought she would feel bad about it.
Receiving kindness from such an arrogant-looking man, who had a bizarre hobby of feeding Charlotte and Julia like animals, should have annoyed her.
Surprisingly, it didn’t bother her as much as she expected.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I like it…’
The more she learned about Aslan Vermont, the more she confirmed he was far from being a garbage villain.
However, that didn’t mean she intended to open her heart to him.
She would continue to focus solely on Mr. Black…
Waiting for the day she could meet him, she decided to endure.
‘I wonder how old Mr. Black is?’
Suddenly, she became curious about his age. From the back view, he didn’t seem that old.
But seeing his antique atmosphere, simple yet traditional suit, and plain carriage, he looked like an elder from a prestigious family.
He was completely different from Aslan.
Yes. That man always dressed in drab clothes.
Aslan had a knack for looking dreadful no matter what he wore, making it almost rude to compare Mr. Black to him.
‘What if he’s a very old, bearded middle-aged man…?’
Suddenly, she felt a pang of worry.
But after thinking it over, it didn’t seem too bad.
Considering his physique, he was at least not a pot-bellied old man.
Even if he was a bit older, Mr. Black still had a dignified charm that made him seem handsome…
“Ugh! I wrote a letter yesterday, but I can’t stand it!”
Suddenly, unable to hold back, Yuri got up from the bed and lit a candle on the desk.
Then she pulled out some paper, dipping her pen in ink.
She began to write down everything she wanted to say to the dark old man, following up on the letter she had sent yesterday.
It’s strange.
She had thought after venting all the things she couldn’t say yesterday, she wouldn’t have to write again for a while.
Yet, the very next day, she found herself with so much to say.
“I miss you…”
She wanted to meet Mr. Black soon.
To be honest, she didn’t want to become a countess.
She hoped that Mr. Black could save her.
Charlotte and Julia, who were about to marry Aslan Vermont, too…
“Ugh…”
Holding onto such hopes, Yuri continued to write her letter.
***
“Two letters this time.”
Today, there were two letters that arrived from Yuri.
For a moment, she thought it was a misdelivery, but upon closer inspection, she saw the dates were different.
While there had been instances where she was bombarded with letters over two days when she ignored them, this was the first time I received letters on consecutive days.
With a satisfied smile, I tore open the envelope.
– Lately, I’ve been quite busy. At school, I’ve participated in a couple of workshops on the recommendation of some alumni, and I’ve been getting frequent missions. Most of the time, I’m assigned to escort noble ladies, and when I asked why, I was told they specifically requested me…
The first letter seemed to be a normal update on her life.
Still smiling, I continued reading the next letter.
– I was about to lie down to sleep, but I suddenly thought of writing you a letter.
– I think you’re quite unfair. I always share my stories with you, but your replies mostly focus on reacting to my stories, and there’s hardly anything about yourself. I want to know more about you too…
She had asked about Mr. Black’s preferences, so it seemed her interest in him had increased significantly.
Whenever she talked about Mr. Black, her face turned red, and she became increasingly shy.
Could it be that she had genuinely developed feelings for someone whose face she didn’t even know?
Suddenly, I felt cheerful, my spirits lifting.
– Also, I’ve been meeting Count Vermont more frequently lately.
– In terms of managing the company and as the lord of a territory, he’s indeed capable and respectable. But from here on out, it’s a secret.
The endless details that followed were all gossip about me.
Comments about me feeding sl*ves in dog bowls, suggesting baths as soon as she arrived at the mansion, and that I seemed to have a hobby of dressing up girls in my clothes…
She seemed to have been holding back a lot, as she joyfully gossiped about me
– Anyway, he’s that kind of person… Lately, he seems to be taking a lot of interest in me. Unlike when we first met, his tone has become very friendly. Does he like me?
– Should I accept the count’s kindness? What would you like me to do? I’ll follow your advice.
This girl…
The message was crystal clear.
Her intense desire to provoke jealousy in Mr. Black was so strong that it transcended the constraints of time and space.
What did Yuri want to hear?
It was obvious.
She wanted to hear that the usually calm and collected dark old man would feel jealous and advise her not to accept all of Count Vermont’s kindness.
‘Ah. What should I do? Should I respond as she wishes?’
Would Yuri show the reaction she wanted?
Or would she maintain a cool demeanor and keep up the air of mystery?
Either way, it seemed like it would be fun, leaving her in deep thought.
Could there be a happier dilemma than this?
“Something feels off. Why are you smiling so much? What kind of letter is it…?”
Julia frowned and leaned toward the letter.
I smiled as I folded the letter and put it in my pocket.
“I received a thank-you note from a student I personally sponsor.”
“Huh? You’re smiling so happily over just a thank-you note? It’s not someone you’re particularly fond of, is it? I’ve never seen Aslan smile that much before…”
“Well, isn’t a thank-you note something special and pleasant to receive? It’s not just a formal greeting; it’s a heartfelt thank-you through a handwritten letter from a student. It’s not because it’s a particularly special person.”
“Huh…?”
Julia continued to regard me with a suspicious look.
Sharp girl…
In my flustered state, I almost failed to deliver a convincing response, but luckily I managed to pull off a reasonable answer.
“So you do sponsorships… Why don’t you tell people around you about this? Everyone thinks Aslan is a miser who only looks after himself.”
“Well, I am a miser… Hmph. I can’t bear to see a talented and promising student wasting away just because they don’t have money. Thanks to the sponsorship, they’re making great strides at the Imperial Magic Academy, so isn’t that enough of a return?”
“Wow! The Imperial Magic Academy? That’s the place you mentioned sending me to before? Since a student you sponsor went there, I might want to go too…!”
Julia reacted strongly to the mention of the Imperial Magic Academy.
When I had asked her before if she wanted to visit the school, she had been indifferent.
But hearing that another student had gone there sparked her interest.
It seems children become proactive when there’s a competitive aspect involved.
I should have brought this up earlier.
“So you’re interested now. Then taking the entrance exam with Charlotte next year would be…”
“Yes! That sounds great!”
Julia couldn’t hide her excitement, shouting before I could finish my sentence.
For someone like Julia, her knowledge and intellect far surpassed that of her peers.
If we’re just talking about intelligence, she could easily outshine Yuri.
So Julia would pass the entrance exam without any trouble.
The real issue was Charlotte…
‘No, just showing the power of the Super Super Strong Sword once should guarantee her acceptance.’
Thinking back, the entrance exam for the Imperial Magic Academy wasn’t just a written test.
With a sword powerful enough to slice through mountains, and having nearly perfected her ability to control that power recently, the professors wouldn’t be crazy enough to let such talent fail the practical exam.
As long as both Charlotte and Julia applied, their acceptance was practically guaranteed.
“Hah. But even after a few days of rest, I have no idea how to proceed with my research…”
“…”
Julia groaned, leaning helplessly on the desk.
We had both taken two days off as a breather. Yet, the black magic research was still stuck at the stage of securing Neomium with no progress.
What would happen if they found out Neomium was absorbed into my body?
There was no way to take it out. Just as I felt a sigh escape me…
“By the way, Aslan, you have the ability to kill spirits, right? How did you get that?”
“This…”
I was about to answer immediately but got stuck.
Now that I think about it, what exactly is the source of the ‘Touch of Death’?
It’s not magic, nor is it purely physical force—it’s a bizarre power.
At first, I thought it might be a special trait from possession.
However, other abilities all seem to be Aslan’s inherent traits, like ‘evil laughter’ or ‘villainous nature’, rather than special perks bestowed upon me.
It seems strange that only the ‘Touch of Death’ is an odd ability that breaks the laws of this world.
So, if I wanted to explain it more naturally…
This immunity to mosquitoes is also one of Aslan’s physical characteristics…
At that moment, a hypothesis sparked in my mind, and my eyes widened.
“Come to think of it, one of the characteristics of Neomium described in various texts is that it repels mana.”
“Uh-huh. But why does that matter…?”
“If the reason spirits die is that I momentarily eliminate the mana around me…?”
“Ah!?”
Julia clapped her hands as if she had figured it out and jumped up.
“So! Neomium is absorbed into Aslan’s body while maintaining its properties!?”
“Probably.”
“Wow! Wow! Wow!!!”
Julia was all hyped up, exclaiming in excitement.
Neomium wasn’t gone; it had absorbed into my body and still retained its properties.
So right now, it’s almost like my body is essentially a mass of neomium.
“Let’s experiment quickly! Experiment! Aslan, here! Lie down on the bed!”
“Let’s experiment quickly! Experiment! Aslan, lie down on the bed!”
“Uh, uh.”
“I’ll tie your hands and feet! We can’t let you accidentally move and mess up the results! First, we’ll experiment in the same position to see which part of your body shows the properties of Neomium the most, and then check if you can control the degree of that property by yourself…”
“J-Julia?”
As she hurriedly pulled out a notebook and started taking notes, Julia began tying my limbs with ropes, looking excited.
I was left momentarily speechless in astonishment.
Isn’t this really human experimentation…?
