Smack!
Yuri’s palm struck the Pope’s balding head.
The Pope, who had been wasting away and teetering on the brink of death, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
“Ugh…”
“Your Holiness! Have you regained consciousness?”
“My body… feels completely invigorated…!”
No matter how many renowned physicians, healers, or shamans had been summoned, none had been able to cure him.
Yet, with just a single indifferent touch from Yuri, the Pope shot up from his bed, leaving everyone in the room in utter shock.
Yuri herself waved her hands in denial, but the conviction that she was indeed a Saint only grew stronger.
“Your Holiness! The Saint has bestowed her grace upon you!”
“Ohh! Thank you! How can I ever repay this blessing…!”
“Regarding that, perhaps it would be best if we had a conversation, Your Holiness.”
“…!?”
At that moment, Aslan Vermont strode confidently into the room.
Yuri froze for a moment in bewilderment.
Why are you coming in now?
You just attacked the Vatican’s forces!
The situation isn’t even fully cleaned up yet, and now you’re walking in—are you here to fight!?
“I am Count Aslan Vermont. I heard you were in critical condition, Your Holiness. However, it is truly fortunate that my employee’s special ability happened to restore your health. I regret not visiting sooner, and I apologize that my assistance came so late.”
“What are you saying, Count? You speak as if you were the one who extended kindness…”
“Isn’t that precisely the case? Yuri is under contract with Vermont Security. According to the contract, her special ability may only be used within the scope permitted during work hours. If she wishes to use it for any other purpose, she must obtain prior authorization.”
“Ah…!”
Recalling this forgotten fact, Yuri let out a sigh.
Aslan was right.
Now that she thought about it, wasn’t she required to report any use of her ability outside of work hours and designated purposes?
However, in her haste to treat the Pope, whose condition was dire, she had completely overlooked that requirement and followed along without question.
Yet, the fact that she had a healing ability was already exposed.
If Aslan had denied her the right to use her power and taken her away, it would have meant letting the Pope die.
Thus, Aslan Vermont had no choice but to allow her to use her ability.
The one who had put him in a difficult position wasn’t Aslan Vermont—it was actually herself.
Feeling guilty, Yuri bit her lip.
“I… I didn’t know such a contract existed…”
“Of course, you wouldn’t. After all, the fact that she possesses a healing ability is classified information. Why would we openly disclose such a contract? However, it seems you were aware of Yuri’s healing ability beforehand and approached her with that knowledge. Should I take that as an admission that you were secretly surveilling my employee without permission?”
“N-No…!”
“Moreover, by pressuring a young girl in an emergency, you caused her to forget the proper reporting procedure. This seems like a deliberate act. Is it acceptable for adults to exploit a child in such a manner?”
“…”
The Pope and the priests turned pale, momentarily lost for words.
They had no idea such a contract existed, so in a way, they were unfairly accused.
However, because the matter involved a child rather than an adult, all the blame was inevitably shifted onto them.
They had assumed that, since she attended university and had a job, she wouldn’t be under any sort of protective contract.
But now, it seemed as if they had stalked a young girl, discovered her healing ability, and then tricked her into using it.
None of this was intentional, yet every word Aslan said was technically true.
If word of this got out, the Vatican’s reputation would take a severe hit.
This had to be prevented at all costs…
Cold sweat began trickling down the Pope’s forehead.
“Do you still think I did not extend kindness here? In that case, there is no other option but to make this public—”
“W-Wait! Please, calm down, Count! Now that I think about it, it is indeed thanks to your kindness that I am alive!”
“Good. Then let us forget about today’s events, and the Vatican shall handle the road repairs. Additionally, I would like to discuss appropriate compensation for the healing ability provided…”
With a chilling smile, Aslan clasped the Pope’s hand.
The Pope shuddered, his body covered in goosebumps.
Ah. I have made a grave mistake in provoking this madman—
That was the only thought filling the Pope’s mind.
***
The unprecedented event of Vermont forces attacking the Vatican’s convoy while they were escorting the Saint ended surprisingly amicably.
The Vatican did not pursue any responsibility for the attack, agreed to take care of road repairs, and officially announced that the Pope’s miraculous recovery was simply due to divine intervention.
For now, they decided to keep the Saint’s existence a secret.
That concluded the negotiations.
Satisfied, Aslan took his leave.
The Pope and the remaining priests let out a deep sigh of relief, their tension finally easing.
“Saved a dying man. The attack was smoothed over. Everything somehow worked out. Now, let’s go back.”
“E-Excuse me, Count…”
“What is it?”
“I… I’m sorry… I forgot about the contract, ignored the reporting procedures, and carelessly revealed my ability to outsiders…”
Yuri bowed her head to Aslan.
Even if they had already known about her healing ability, she should have denied it outright and asked Aslan Vermont what to do.
Yet, caught up in the urgency of the situation, she had acknowledged her ability without thinking.
In the end, she had contributed to Aslan Vermont’s predicament.
Yuri had caused a great deal of trouble.
She tensed up, bracing herself for the scolding she was about to receive, and tightly shut her eyes.
“I already told you. The ones who forced you into making a rushed decision are the ones at fault. This is a common scam that even adults fall for. The fact that the Vatican used such a trick on a child makes it even more reprehensible. You did nothing wrong.”
“B-But… because of me, you suffered losses…”
“Who said that? How is saving a sick person considered a loss?”
“…”
Aslan laughed heartily, ruffling Yuri’s hair as if it were nothing.
But Yuri wasn’t naive enough to take his words at face value.
The Pope wasn’t just an ordinary person—he was an incredibly influential figure, and his survival inevitably carried political implications.
From Aslan’s perspective, he might not have wanted to heal him at all.
But because she had carelessly admitted to having a healing ability, Aslan had been left with no choice but to extend his goodwill.
And yet, he showed no sign of displeasure.
Instead, he only defended her.
She hadn’t expected him to stand up for her this much…
Yuri bit her lip, at a loss for words.
“But… did you come after me because you realized I violated the contract?”
“Of course not. At first, I genuinely thought you’d been kidnapped. But after observing the situation, I realized they were the ones at fault, so I just pushed back accordingly.”
“Oh…”
So in the end, he really had rushed in to save me…
It just so happened that the Vatican was also in the wrong, so things worked out smoothly.
But considering Aslan Vermont actually launched an attack, he must have been prepared for war.
“Ugh…”
Yuri’s lips trembled as she tried to ask why he had gone to such lengths.
But in the end, she didn’t need to ask.
She already knew the answer.
The way he constantly showered her with attention to the point of overwhelming her.
The way he treated her with kindness far beyond what an employer would.
There was no way she could ignore it.
Until now, she had brushed it off, thinking he was just a flirt.
That he was only being kind to her on a whim, without any real sincerity.
But now, she had no choice but to admit it—
Aslan Vermont was being serious.
‘What do I do…? I think I finally understand why Charlotte and Julia adore Aslan Vermont so much…’
This was bad.
She had made up her mind to give up on Aslan Vermont.
She had resolved to only look at Mr. Black from now on.
She had always thought Aslan Vermont’s constant advances were just an annoyance…
But then why—
Why was her heart pounding like this?
Why did his touch feel so warm?
‘Damn it… So this is how he lured in Charlotte and Julia…!’
Afraid that he might notice her face turning as red as a tomato, Yuri kept her head down, unable to meet his gaze.
And for a long while, she simply let Aslan gently pat her head in silence.
