The carriage slowed and came to a stop in front of the Vermont estate. Irene took a deep breath and abruptly opened the door.
This place… It never felt like home, no matter how many times she came here.
But when she spotted Aslan pretending to notice her by chance, as though he’d just been casually strolling nearby, she felt her heart ease a little.
‘Because a promise is a promise…’
She had only returned because she hadn’t finished measuring the data on the Neomium absorbed into her body last time.
It wasn’t because she wanted to see Aslan again.
Absolutely not.
Irene bit her lip hard, barely suppressing the upward tug of her mouth.
“What brings you here?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, never mind…”
“…?”
Seeing Aslan’s bewildered expression, Irene quickly averted her gaze.
What do you mean ‘what’?
You sent a carriage ahead and invited me over—what else could I be asking about?
In the past, you only sent curt letters summoning me to the estate. When did you start acting like this kind of courtesy was second nature?
‘Aslan, are you really the same brother I know…?’
Something was definitely off.
Not only had he changed completely, but he seemed to have no memory of how he used to be.
Suspicion crept into her mind, impossible to shake.
“The estate feels oddly quiet. Where are the kids?”
“Sylvia took them shopping.”
“Why…?”
“I thought you didn’t like noisy environments. I figured you’d find it uncomfortable if the kids kept running around and talking to you. Was I wrong?”
“Well… no, you’re right, but…”
It was true Irene sometimes felt awkward around the children, unsure how to interact with them.
Their attempts to strike up conversations or hover nearby had often left her feeling uncomfortable.
But to think Aslan had sent them out just for that…
This kind of thoughtfulness was entirely unfamiliar to her.
They were supposed to clash, bristling at each other like rivals.
Why was he now showering her with these unilateral gestures of goodwill?
The thought of spending time alone with him made Irene unbearably uneasy.
“By the way, why did you send your bodyguard away?”
“Someone had to accompany the kids.”
“Still, sending your bodyguard? Aren’t you being careless as the head of the Vermont family? Who’s protecting you?”
“You are. You’re strong, aren’t you?”
“Ah… uh… yes…”
Aslan responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, then turned away.
Irene, caught off guard, found herself at a loss for words, her face turning a deep shade of red.
Me? Protect you? What does that even mean?
All she could remember was grabbing him by the collar, kicking him where it hurt, or threatening to choke him out.
And now he believed she’d protect him?
First, he entrusted her with the Vermont family’s entire fortune.
Now, it was his life?
Where did this blind faith even come from?
It was as if he could see straight into her very essence, and the confidence he exuded was almost unnerving.
She had resolved to walk into the estate boldly, casting aside any feelings of guilt.
She’d intended to face Aslan with the same brazen attitude as always.
But somehow, the more time passed, the less she spoke, and the quieter her voice became.
“Here, sit down.”
“Okay…”
“Take off your coat and give it to me.”
“Okay…”
“Huh. Why are you being so docile? By now, I’d expect at least a bit of snark from you.”
“…!”
This guy…!
Did he think all her past outbursts were just harmless tantrums?
Irene’s hands trembled with frustration, and yet, for some reason, a wave of embarrassment washed over her, deepening the flush on her face.
I hated you with all my heart, enough to want to kill you… And you thought it was just me being cute?
The realization that she had harbored such intense hatred for someone who saw it as mere petulance made her mortified beyond belief.
“Why are you even conducting this experiment?”
“The more samples, the better the accuracy.”
“No, I mean why are you doing this research in the first place?”
“I made a promise to the Imperial Magic Academy’s dean. Participating in an academic conference was part of the deal.”
“Since when does the Vermont family care about such things? I doubt the dean even believed you’d keep your word.”
“That’s why I need to build trust. Just as you work for the family from your position, I’m doing my part as its head to restore our prominence.”
“….”
He’s different.
This isn’t the Aslan I knew.
The Aslan Vermont she remembered had been a spitting image of their father.
A puppet molded by their father’s teachings, parroting his values and beliefs without question.
Their father and Aslan had always proclaimed the family’s prosperity as their highest goal.
But the version of “prosperity” they envisioned had been far from what Irene thought it should be.
In the past, it seemed as though the sole purpose of both Father and Aslan was to summon the evil gods to this land and turn the world into hell.
Even after Father was executed by the Imperial Family for being discovered, which left the family in ruins, Aslan still tried to walk the same path.
But now, this Aslan was striving for the greatest prosperity for the county under the Imperial Family’s rule.
He really had changed.
It wasn’t just that his personality had improved or that he’d been “reformed”.
It was as though the person himself had become someone entirely different.
The more Irene spoke with him, the more her doubts transformed into certainty.
“The measurements are done now.”
“Done? That was quick.”
“Collecting the data is simple. Writing the paper from it is the hard part. It’s my first time, so I’m trying to reference other papers, but it’s not going well.”
“Hmm… Sounds tough.”
“…”
Pat Pat.
Pat Pat?
Irene tentatively reached out and patted Aslan’s head while he was engrossed in the data sheet.
When he didn’t react at all, she stepped back with her mouth agape.
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
Why wasn’t he startled when she suddenly patted his head?
At this point, she felt certain—this wasn’t the Aslan she knew.
“By the way, I heard something interesting from the underground world. It seems like someone is planning to cause trouble at the academic conference.”
“Trouble? What kind of trouble?”
“I don’t know. It seems like it’s from a group that has a grudge against you. They might try to sabotage you or cause a scene to humiliate you.”
“Could you track them down for me? If possible, take care of it before the conference.”
“Got it. I’ll find them and kill them before the conference.”
“Wait, kill them? That’s too extreme. Just give them a proper warning and send them on their way.”
“…”
This guy…
Did he even care about hiding that he wasn’t Aslan Vermont?
The way he spoke was so incompatible with the real Aslan Vermont that Irene instinctively grabbed him by the collar.
“You, you little—!”
“What’s with you all of a sudden?”
“Could you at least try to tone it down? There’s only so much pretending not to know I can do!”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re not Aslan Vermont, are you?”
“…”
Irene muttered quietly.
Aslan met her gaze, offering no response, just a faint smile.
That bastard… it’s true!
“Answer me! You’re not him, are you?”
“And you’re only figuring this out now?”
“You little—! How did I figure it out? Want me to spell it out for you?”
“It’d actually be strange if you didn’t notice. A person doesn’t just change completely overnight…”
“No one else has noticed but you. Everyone else unconsciously accepts it because there’s no reason to doubt it. After all, if the spoiled brat suddenly turns over a new leaf, no one’s going to complain. But you, Irene, you’ve been the only one to dig this deeply.”
She had expected him to panic at being discovered, but instead, he seemed almost… delighted.
Did this guy actually want someone to figure it out?
For the first time, Irene felt a small pang of pity for this person—this man masquerading as Aslan.
“How did I figure it out? One of the biggest reasons was this: you keep treating me not like a sister but as if I’m someone you’re interested in!”
“…Huh?”
Irene shouted, her face flushing all the way to her ears.
At first, she’d thought her brother had lost his mind and was acting creepy.
But if this wasn’t her brother, everything made sense.
All the warmth he showed her.
The small, thoughtful gestures.
The casual physical affection—all of it was because he saw her as a woman, not a sister.
Finally, one of the mysteries that had been nagging at her was resolved, and Irene felt a sense of relief.
“What are you talking about? I was just acting like a normal sibling.”
“…Huh?”
But then came Aslan’s reply, and Irene froze.
He had only been pretending to act like a sibling?
And she had… fallen for it?
Irene suddenly wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear.