Clunk, clunk.
Dragging her carry-on bag, Yuri’s steps were heavy with irritation as they thudded against the ground.
Perhaps it was the discomfort of the skirt she rarely wore, or maybe it was because she had been forced to go to the Vermont mansion, but whatever the reason, Yuri was in a foul mood.
‘I didn’t expect that Mr. Black would have such childish sides…’
She never imagined that he would give her the “order” to stay at the Vermont mansion during the vacation.
When she protested a little, she couldn’t have imagined that the order would be even more strict instead of being canceled.
Isn’t it because I’m rebelling that Mr. Black is being so petty? That must be it.
She had always seen Mr. Black as gentle, so to be treated like this was quite perplexing.
‘The letter… Did I write it too rudely…?’
What bothered her the most was the letter.
She had declared that she wouldn’t send letters during the vacation…
Was that too harsh?
‘No, wait. Mr. Black brought this upon himself.’
Just as she was about to soften, Yuri shook her head vigorously, steeling her resolve again.
This was something Mr. Black had insisted on first.
So, isn’t boycotting the letter just a light response?
Though it felt like she was being a bit harsh, Yuri had no intention of retracting her declaration to not send the letter.
‘Why the Vermont mansion though…?’
As the carriage entered the highway.
Yuri leaned her chin on the window sill and suddenly thought about how often Mr. Black and Aslan Vermont seemed to be involved with each other.
Well, they were close friends, so it made sense.
Perhaps the reason for the order to stay at the Vermont mansion during the vacation was because he trusted Aslan Vermont enough to leave her there.
‘Mr. Black must not know how devious Aslan Vermont is.’
Aslan Vermont was definitely not someone to be trusted.
Although he was loyal, courageous, and mentally strong, as much as Yuri could admit that, it seemed like Aslan Vermont had some feelings for her.
Mr. Black didn’t know this, that was clear.
If he had known, he wouldn’t have sent her to the Vermont mansion.
‘But maybe this will turn out to be a good thing…’
Even though she felt forced into her actions and was upset, looking at it from another angle, it wasn’t all bad.
At the Vermont mansion, there was Charlotte and Julia too.
It was an opportunity to learn more about Charlotte and Julia’s situation in detail.
Up until now, every time Yuri met Charlotte and Julia, Aslan Vermont was always with them.
Maybe because Aslan Vermont was there, there were things that had to be hidden.
If she stayed at the mansion, she could face Charlotte and Julia without Aslan…!
This was the perfect opportunity to unmask Aslan Vermont!
Since she was going there anyway, Yuri decided to push her irritation aside.
If she didn’t receive a letter throughout the vacation, Mr. Black would certainly be the one in the wrong…
Just as she thought that, the carriage stopped.
Outside the window, there was the signature feature, or rather, the eyesore of the Vermont mansion, a giant brown-colored spirit filling the view.
“Ah, hello… I’ll be staying at the Vermont mansion for the vacation from today… I look forward to your kindness, Count…”
“Right. I heard from your sponsor. Come on in.”
“….”
As soon as she got off the carriage, carrying her suitcase, Count Vermont greeted her.
His faint smile on his face somehow felt unpleasant.
Ah, so this person always just looked unpleasant, no matter what.
Yuri quickly understood.
“By the way, what did your sponsor tell you…?”
“That you’ve been causing a lot of trouble, so they asked me to keep an eye on you. Especially with that Imperial Guard field training, right? They insisted you shouldn’t go near those rough, young, and brash thugs who have no abilities.”
“…?”
Really?
It sounded plausible, yet there was an oddly distorted feeling to it.
If Mr. Black were really involved, he wouldn’t have opposed field training for such trivial reasons.
At this rate, it almost seemed like Mr. Black was jealous that she might become close to the Imperial Guards.
But Mr. Black wasn’t that petty…
Well, you see only what you want to see.
Perhaps because of Aslan Vermont’s petty nature, Mr. Black also seemed to view her like one of them.
“As a member of my staff, I agreed to take the request without any back-and-forth. Feel free to think of this mansion as your own and stay comfortably, as long as you promise to follow the mansion rules.”
“Rules? What kind of…?”
“The two who have been staying here before you have been following some rules, so if I make an exception for you, they might feel deprived. First, every morning, you start with three laps around the yard. And second, no allowance is provided; you’ll have to earn it yourself. Your basic food and shelter are provided, but any additional costs are your responsibility.”
“Ah! But, I receive an allowance from my sponsor every month…”
“During the vacation, it will be sent to this address, and I’ll confiscate it. I’ll return it to you with interest when you leave the mansion.”
“…”
Confiscating the allowance…
What right does he have to take the money that Mr. Black gives her?
It hadn’t even been five minutes since she entered the mansion, and Yuri was already upset.
“Are there any other restrictions?”
“No. Live freely. Your room is in the basement, so unpack your things. I have some things to attend to with the academic association. Sylvia.”
“Yes, my Lord. I’ll accompany you.”
“Ah, ah…?”
At that moment, Aslan Vermont hurriedly threw on his coat and left.
In the blink of an eye, Aslan Vermont and his bodyguard were gone, and soon, Yuri was the only one left by the front gate with her carry-on bag.
Ugh…
She had expected the situation where Aslan Vermont would leave and she would stay in the mansion with Charlotte and Julia.
But she never imagined that the moment would come so quickly.
She had assumed that Aslan wouldn’t leave the mansion unguarded because he would be cautious about her, but…
‘Anyway, this works out fine!’
There might be some hidden agenda behind it, but regardless, it worked out in her favor.
Now, she could investigate how Charlotte and Julia were living in the mansion… more closely!
“…!”
At that moment, she felt an ominous energy.
Yuri’s body tensed, and a chill ran down her spine.
Her animal instincts warned her of a dangerous situation.
Yuri’s instincts kicked in, and her hand moved automatically.
She quickly took a mask from her suitcase and put it on her face.
Just as she turned around—
“Ah, too bad. I almost saw your face.”
“Your hands are really fast…!”
Sure enough, she spotted Charlotte and Julia peeking from behind the door.
Phew, that was close.
Yuri sighed in relief as she brushed her chest—though she didn’t have one to speak of.
“Are you really going to be staying with us for the whole vacation!? For real? Is that true, Yuri? Ah, no! I mean, Yuria?”
“Hehehe! Welcome! I begged to stay closer to you, Julia! I can’t believe it’s actually happening!”
“Ah…!?”
Thud, Thud, Thud!
At that moment, Charlotte and Julia rushed over, quickly closing the distance.
Had Charlotte and Julia always been this quick to get close to others?
Sure, they were familiar, but Yuri remembered them as being cold while wearing a mask until now…
Yuri was taken aback by their unexpected warm welcome.
‘Has their personality changed a lot since coming here?’
Charlotte, back in the orphanage, had been a lively but wary child.
Once you spent enough time and effort to get close to her, she would open up and show her bright, talkative side.
Before that, she always appeared quiet and composed.
And Julia, she had always been introverted and never approached anyone like this first.
The only time she ever did this was with Charlotte or Yuri…
Could it be that living at the mansion had unexpectedly brightened both Charlotte and Julia’s personalities?
Yuri had originally come to unveil Aslan Vermont’s last mask, but now, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she might see him again.
‘Maybe I can just ask now?’
Originally, she had planned to wait until later, maybe near the end of the vacation, before asking.
But given the current atmosphere, it seemed like it wouldn’t be a problem to ask now.
Aslan Vermont wasn’t here…
Yuri took a deep breath, closed her eyes tightly, and blurted it out.
“Um, I have a question!”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Say anything!”
“I heard rumors that Count Vermont is raising you two to be his wives someday… Is that true?”
“…”
She asked!
She finally said it!
For a moment, there was silence.
When Yuri slowly opened her eyes—
“Heh, heh. Th-that? Well, that’s… of course…”
“It’s true!”
“It’s not true…”
“···?”
The answers were all over the place…?
Once again, Yuri found herself caught in an unexpected situation.
She felt an intense headache coming on.