“You’re not Aslan Vermont, are you?”
“…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is startled and panics, exclaiming that you’re in big trouble!]
The moment I heard those words.
I felt my heart racing.
Could it be?
This time, have I been found out?
Excitement surged through me at the thought.
To be honest, I never had any serious plans to hide the fact that I’d possessed this body.
If I wanted to keep it a secret, I’d have done something more villainous to maintain appearances.
Instead, I acted in ways completely unlike the original Aslan Vermont.
Yet no one suspected me.
Everyone knew that Aslan Vermont had changed drastically.
But they just assumed he had reformed or had finally come to his senses.
No one considered the possibility that his personality had completely swapped.
The reason was simple.
No one had anything to lose from Aslan Vermont, the scoundrel, becoming a better person.
People’s perceptions are often shaped by their desires.
When a change aligns with what they wish for, they unconsciously accept it as natural, without questioning it.
In other words, nobody cared enough about the true nature of Aslan Vermont to notice.
They didn’t know him well enough to suspect anything.
They just thought, ‘Oh, he’s changed a lot’, and moved on.
But Irene was different.
She hated Aslan Vermont more than anyone.
Her hatred made her the one person who understood his true nature better than anyone else.
That’s why Irene alone realized the truth about me.
“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?”
I was silently admiring Irene’s keen insight and observation skills when her words threw me off completely.
Wait. What?
I treat Irene like I’m interested in her?
What nonsense is this?
“What are you talking about? I was just acting like a normal sibling.”
“…Huh?”
“…”
When I blurted out the truth out of sheer disbelief.
Irene let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a sigh, her face turning bright red in an instant.
No way. I thought she was joking.
But she was serious?
Did she really believe I was trying to flirt with her?
“N-no! That’s not what I meant! Ugh! Ugh…”
“…”
Irene frantically waved her hands, trying to explain, but all that came out was incoherent babbling.
She covered her flushed face with her hands and turned her head sharply away.
‘This is unexpected…’
Still, who would’ve thought Irene had that much of a soft spot for me?
Every time she clicked her heels and glared daggers at me, I braced myself for another stomping.
To think it was all a front… I’d never imagined it.
‘If I tease her more, she’ll probably grab me by the collar again.’
I considered shaking Irene’s composure further, but
knowing her, she’d crumble under the pressure and die of embarrassment.
For now, I decided to show her some mercy.
“Well, I guess that’s understandable. I mean, if you’re an inexperienced maiden, even a small act of consideration might spark feelings of attraction…”
“Ahhh! Stop joking! That’s not comforting at all!”
“…”
…And so, she ended up grabbing me by the collar anyway.
The main reason I was discovered was completely unexpected,
but I didn’t feel regret or shock that Irene had figured me out.
I’d known this day would come.
In fact, I had secretly hoped someone would notice.
“But… are you okay?”
“Okay with what?”
“Possessing that bastard’s body… doesn’t it bother you?”
“You’ve seen how I’m living, right? I’m pretty content. If anything, I was a bit frustrated that no one realized I wasn’t Aslan Vermont, so you noticing helps ease that a little.”
“Uh… Could you not call yourself you? It feels weird all of a sudden…”
Irene avoided my gaze, suddenly speaking awkwardly, as if imitating Julia’s formal tone.
Was she flustered because her perception of me had shifted so quickly?
Her reaction made sense—it’s hard to adjust to such a sudden change.
“Alright, I’ll keep calling you sister for now.”
“W-well, that’s still a bit weird, too…”
“Then how about Lady Irene? Shall I address you formally?”
“…Actually, big sister is fine!”
Irene shuddered like she’d heard something spine-chilling and quickly waved off the idea.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem interested in being called Lady Irene.
“But what about you, Sister? Is it really fine? Waking up one day to find that someone else has taken over your brother’s body?”
“I’m fine. No, I’m actually relieved. I hated that guy so much I wanted to kill him…”
“So, you weren’t angry at me for taking over? Your chance for revenge disappeared, after all.”
“I don’t care. That bastard was always full of self-pity, blaming his talent and background for everything. But now you’ve taken over his body and turned everything around. Honestly, I’m a little disappointed I won’t get to see his face if he knew, but it doesn’t matter. Your existence alone is the best revenge I could ask for.”
“…”
Irene said this with a wry smile, and I was left momentarily speechless.
The fact that my very existence was Irene’s ultimate revenge…
I’d never thought of it that way.
I had always assumed I’d stolen her chance at revenge.
But when I saw Irene smile—
For the first time since I met her, a genuine, unguarded smile—
I felt oddly grateful to have been reincarnated into Aslan Vermont’s body.
At first, I cursed this wretched body and its mediocre talents.
But now, I see how trivial that all was.
Thanks to this body, I’ve earned both Irene’s revenge and her trust.
I have bright, charming, and promising fiancées by my side.
I even saved a hero candidate who was on the brink of being discarded.
Really, I should be grateful.
“That aside… I have one last thing to confirm.”
“…?”
“You. Look me in the eyes and answer.”
“…”
Suddenly, she tilted my chair back, pinning me in place, and grabbed my face to force eye contact.
Wait, what is this?
Is she… planning to kiss me?
She said she felt some attraction earlier…
Could it be she’s about to act on it?
‘Oh no! I knew I should’ve kept Sylvia close by!’
I trusted Irene wouldn’t harm me physically,
but I wasn’t so sure about her respecting my… boundaries.
So this is it.
I’m about to be overpowered, helpless against her strength.
With a resigned sigh, I braced for the inevitable.
“It was you, wasn’t it? Back then.”
“…What?”
“It was you. Answer me. Was it really you? I don’t know if you came from the past or messed with my memory, but you were the one, right? The one who appeared before me when I was a kid and gave me hope. The one who told me to stay strong, to hold on until you arrived. That was you, wasn’t it?”
“…”
Tremble.
Irene’s hands trembled as she held my face, her voice shaking with desperation.
It was clear why she insisted on eye contact.
With Laura’s power, she could tell if I was lying.
Her question left no room for evasion.
It demanded a clear yes or no.
Her desperate expression revealed how deeply she had longed to find the person from her dreams.
“…Yes. That was me.”
“…!”
She had pieced it all together, and I couldn’t bring myself to deny her.
As soon as I confessed, Irene’s eyes widened like saucers.
Then, they trembled, and large teardrops began streaming down her cheeks.
“You… you bastard! If it was you, why didn’t you say so?! I waited for you! You told me to hold on until you came, so I did! I kept waiting, wondering when you’d show up! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”
“…”
Irene threw herself into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
She buried her face in my chest, and I simply held her, gently patting her back.
When I first arrived in this world, I had no idea what was going on.
It wasn’t until recently, during my trip to the past, that I realized I was the one Irene had been waiting for all along.
But this wasn’t the time for explanations.
“You jerk! How could you toy with my feelings like this?! I hate you so much! Waaahhh!!!”
Irene’s cries weren’t from genuine resentment, though.
I knew her well enough now to understand.
This was her way of saying, ‘Thank you for finally coming’.
Even without words, I could tell.