“…”
As the rift opened dramatically, Sylvia’s mouth dropped open in shock.
Aslan crossed his arms and sighed deeply.
After a momentary pause, Sylvia’s face flushed even redder until it resembled a ripe tomato.
“Wh-why is this happening? Ah! Ahhh! It must be random! It just activates without any rules!”
“…”
Sylvia fanned her face frantically, speaking in a flustered, incoherent manner.
This can’t be right.
Absolutely not.
Sylvia’s thoughts came to a halt as panic consumed her.
She clearly remembered that when she first swung the sword in the study, she had wished to return to the past.
Though she knew it was impossible.
She had thought about how wonderful it would be to stop her mana corruption by going back in time. Suddenly, the sword’s tip began to crack open a rift.
But it was just a coincidence.
She had believed it wasn’t related…
‘D-did I secretly wish to stay alone with my Lord forever…?’
Now that it was being proven right before her eyes, she was utterly speechless.
Did I really harbor a wish to stay alone with my Lord forever?
What kind of absurd thought is that?
Staying here forever would be the worst-case scenario.
To avoid altering the present, she would have to live quietly in the mountains, with no contact with anyone, just the two of them.
Sharing warm meals together like today…
Sipping freshly brewed tea while chatting leisurely…
Forgetting all the annoying chores and responsibilities, spending time alone with the Count…
Would you want to live like that for ten years?
Ah… Uh… Hmm…
“Aaaaah!”
“Don’t feel too bad about it. It happens sometimes. There’s even something called Stockholm Syndrome, where oppressed individuals develop feelings for their captors—”
“That’s NOT what this is!!!”
Sylvia clutched her head, flailing about in embarrassment.
Even if it was for just a moment, how could I think so fondly of the Count?
As his bodyguard, I absolutely shouldn’t feel that way…
Hearing Aslan stifle a laugh behind her only made it worse, and Sylvia couldn’t bear to lift her head.
“But are you sure this rift leads to the moment a month ago when your mana corruption began?”
“Uh… probably?”
“…”
After calming down slightly, Sylvia, her ears still burning red, peered into the rift.
The scenery inside was barren and desolate—a parched and withered land.
No matter how hard she looked, there was nothing else to be seen.
“It does seem like the Demon Realm…”
“Yes, but there’s nothing that can pinpoint the exact time period…”
It was unmistakably the Demon Realm.
But determining the exact timeline of the Demon Realm was impossible.
Whether it was ten years ago or a hundred, the Demon Realm always looked this desolate.
The only way to confirm if the rift led to the correct time was to enter it directly.
There was no other option.
“First, we should change into proper attire.”
“Ah, yes. We should do that.”
Aslan glanced at their current outfits and shook his head.
They were currently disguised as ordinary travelers.
If they were to cross over and confront Sylvia from a month ago, who was about to plunge into a mana storm, they would need attire that proved their identities.
So they had to change back into their original clothes before crossing.
Still, leaving the rift unattended made Aslan uneasy.
What if someone else discovered it while they were changing?
“This place is remote, so I doubt anyone will come across it if we leave briefly.”
“Right. Let’s make it quick.”
The location was an isolated dead-end alley with little traffic.
But they decided not to linger, just in case.
Aslan returned to the lodging, retrieved their belongings, and took out a jacket adorned with the Vermont family crest on its buttons.
Wearing that jacket openly here would cause a commotion, so he had avoided it until now.
“Don’t look this way!”
“Understood.”
He hadn’t intended to look anyway.
Behind him, the rustling sounds of Sylvia changing were accompanied by her unnecessary fussing.
When they first crossed over, she had no qualms about changing without a word.
It seemed her girlish modesty was growing over time.
“Are you done?”
“Yes, my lord. We’re ready to go.”
“Then let’s—”
“Apologies for the intrusion!”
“…!?”
Just as they were about to leave, a bold voice interrupted, and a small figure barged into the room.
Startled, Sylvia instinctively reached for Aslan’s sword but hesitated.
The intruder was too small to be a robber.
“Who are you?”
“Shh! Please, hide me for a moment! I’ll repay you generously!”
“…”
Outside, commotion could be heard.
Guards were scouring the area, evidently searching for this intruder.
Why should I involve myself in such a troublesome matter?
Aslan sighed, about to send the child away when—
“Get out of here…”
“Please! I beg of you!”
“…”
The hood slipped back, revealing a young girl’s face.
Her earnest gaze froze Aslan in place.
“If you’re asking so earnestly… I suppose I have no choice.”
“My lord?”
“Hide under the bed quickly.”
“Thank you! I won’t forget this kindness!”
The moment the girl squeezed herself under the bed, there was a loud, insistent pounding at the door.
“Is anyone there?”
“Yes. What’s the matter?”
“Have you seen a girl with blonde hair about this tall?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“May we search the room?”
“By all means.”
Aslan discreetly covered the buttons on his sleeve, bearing the Vermont family crest, and opened the door for the guards.
The guards only glanced around briefly before retreating hastily.
Lingering any longer might provoke the dangerous-looking man with the intimidating demeanor—and none of them wanted to find out what he was capable of.
‘Some spoiled noble brat, no doubt.’
Judging by his elegant attire, the man was likely the son of some aristocrat.
A troublesome sort, clearly concealing his identity and bound to retaliate against rudeness with outrageous demands.
The guards hurriedly left the lodging, eager to avoid trouble.
“You can come out now, kid.”
“Whew! To think you’d use that terrifying face to chase them off. You’re more resourceful than you look, young man.”
“Terrifying…?”
As the girl sighed in relief and crawled out from under the bed, Sylvia frowned at the mention of “terrifying face”.
Sure, his face might look a bit harsh and stern, maybe even devious and unpleasant—but at least part of that isn’t entirely true!
He’s still a good person!
“Now, tell me what reward you’d like for helping me. Anything you want, it doesn’t matter.”
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look ridiculous to you? I assure you, the moment you learn who I am, you’ll be stunned speechless. Ignorance is bliss, so just name your reward.”
“…”
The blonde girl maintained her haughty demeanor, her tone brimming with arrogance.
Aslan, watching her closely, responded only with a faint smile.
‘Empress Sister hasn’t changed a bit since childhood.’
From her golden hair to her overconfident—or perhaps self-assured—manner and distinctive speech pattern, there was no mistaking her.
It was unmistakably Empress Vanessa.
At this time, she would have still been a princess.
But why was she dressed so poorly and being pursued by guards?
“I don’t want anything in particular. I’m more curious why you’re being chased. Tell me about that.”
“Hah. Even if I offered gold or jewels, you’d prefer to know some boring family drama?”
“Yes.”
“What an odd fellow… It’s nothing special. I simply ran away because I couldn’t stand the disgusting people in my family any longer. But it seems the outside world isn’t much different.”
“Disgusting?”
“Adults are disgusting. Two-faced adults…”
Vanessa clicked her tongue and bit her lip in frustration.
Noticing the conflicted look in her eyes, Aslan quickly understood and nodded.
In her left pupil, a peculiar pattern was faintly visible.
It seemed this was shortly after she had received the Spirit’s Eye from the Spirit King.
Her expression was weighed down with worry.
‘Adults are disgusting, huh? That makes sense.’
With the Spirit’s Eye, Vanessa had started peering into the hearts of others.
She must have been deeply shaken to see the insincere, blackened intentions of those who had always treated her with sweet words and kindness.
Liars, manipulators, and exploiters.
Vanessa likely realized the palace was filled with such people and fled.
But she hadn’t anticipated the outside world would be just as corrupt.
Despite her seemingly confident and brazen demeanor, Vanessa’s distrust of humanity had grown into a festering wound.
“Do you truly believe adults are disgusting?”
“Yes! They’re all the same! I’ve never met an adult who wasn’t!”
“Look at me. Am I just like all the others?”
“Ugh…”
Vanessa stared intently at Aslan’s face, then faltered, unable to respond.
Having already passed one of the Empress’s infamous tests in the past, Aslan was confident in his purity of heart.
He waited smugly as Vanessa recoiled slightly, then spoke with a grimace.
“You’re definitely different. You’re the most disgusting person I’ve ever met.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s really, really disgusting… but… Pfft! It’s a different kind of disgusting than the adults I know.”
“…”
Vanessa briefly furrowed her brow before bursting into laughter.
The man’s inner thoughts, as seen through the Spirit’s Eye, were peculiar.
They were too chaotic and scattered to discern clearly, but one thing stood out: his intense fondness for children.
It was revolting, yet strangely not unpleasant.
For the first time, she looked into an adult’s heart and didn’t feel repulsed.
“That’s just how it is. People inevitably develop some selfish traits as they grow, but if you look more closely, you’ll find there’s still good in them.”
“Look more closely…? I hadn’t thought of that…”
Vanessa’s lips parted slightly in realization.
Could it be that behind the darkness of adults’ selfishness lay redeeming qualities?
She had been so shocked by the blackness she saw that she hadn’t thought to look deeper.
“Hmm. Thank you. I’ve learned a great deal from you.”
“It’s an honor.”
“Yes. If adults disgust me, I can find solace in the purity of children like you. At first, I thought it was a vile hobby, but now I see it’s a gentlemanly and refined pursuit!”
“…”
How could this be.
Was Vanessa’s fixation on children something he had inadvertently inspired?
Aslan shuddered at the thought.
Even this brief conversation seemed to have profoundly influenced Vanessa’s personality.
If they lingered any longer, who knew what changes might ripple into the present?
Aslan decided they needed to leave immediately.
“We must be going now…”
“Wait! At least tell me your name!”
“It’s not necessary to remember.”
“But I want to know who you are!”
Vanessa reached out and grabbed Aslan’s sleeve but lost her grip as the fabric slipped away.
She felt her fingers graze the edge of his sleeve as he turned and left without looking back.
With a loud slam, the door closed, leaving Vanessa alone in the room.
She puffed her cheeks in frustration but quickly noticed a button on the floor.
Picking it up, she examined it closely.
“Which family crest is this?”
It had fallen from that man’s coat…!
Her face lit up with curiosity as she clutched the button tightly.