“I know you’re here. I don’t know who you are, Mister… but there’s something I absolutely want to say.”
“…”
“I love you. Please marry me. …When I grow up, that is.”
“…!?”
With a smile on her lips, Yuri’s words instantly turned the church into utter chaos.
Marry her!?
Was that… just now… a proposal? Was it?
Charlotte and Julia, utterly dumbfounded, pinched each other’s cheeks to confirm whether they were dreaming or awake.
‘No, wait… there’s only one person here who could be the “Mr. Black”…!’
Yuri had said she didn’t know who he was.
But everyone present was female.
…Except for Aslan.
If there was a “Mr. Black” here, it could only be Aslan!
Wasn’t it just too obvious!?
“Then…”
Enjoying the reactions in the room, Yuri slowly turned around again, spinning lightly on her heel, before facing Aslan directly.
She looked up at him, his eyes filled with astonishment, and smiled brightly.
“That’s all I wanted to say. Now, please proceed with the coming-of-age ceremony, Count.”
“…”
She addressed Aslan as “Count” so casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
For a brief moment, Aslan could only let out a helpless chuckle in disbelief.
It was already obvious that Yuri had figured out his true identity.
But what was she playing at now?
Was she pretending not to know on purpose?
She had basically declared it to the whole world just moments ago, yet now she was acting oblivious?
It was so ridiculous that he was left speechless.
But it wasn’t like he could just demand, Why are you pretending not to know?
If he did, it would be the same as openly admitting his identity—a thoroughly disgraceful and pathetic move.
Feeling conflicted, Aslan could only offer a wry smile.
“Fine. Then, as your godfather, I shall preside over your coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Hmm. But I’d rather have Mr. Black as my godfather instead.”
“…”
Grinning mischievously, Yuri continued to look up at Aslan without even attempting to hide her amusement.
The more Aslan stared at her, as if demanding an explanation for this absurdity, the harder it became for her to hold back her laughter.
What am I up to?
Oh, that’s obvious.
I want you to reveal it yourself.
You’re dying to be discovered, yet your pride won’t allow you to admit it outright.
‘Can you really hold out?’
Just now, I proposed to Mister in black.
Not Count Aslan Vermont, but Mister in black.
If you want to accept my proposal, you’ll have no choice but to reveal your identity.
Can you do it?
Yuri felt her heart race with excitement.
“Well, if Mister in black doesn’t want to step forward, then I suppose the Count can preside for now.”
“…”
Maybe she had pushed him too hard all at once.
She decided to give him a moment to breathe.
Aslan closed his eyes tightly for a moment before letting out a small sigh.
“Very well. Let us begin. This ceremony marks your coming of age, acknowledging that you are now responsible for yourself…”
So he was going to keep up the act and see how far his pride could take him.
Fine.
If it’s a battle of patience, I accept the challenge.
Gritting his teeth, Aslan carried on with the coming-of-age ceremony as if nothing had happened.
***
The ceremony, which doubled as a baptism, concluded without incident.
Though she was still at an age where calling her an “adult” felt somewhat premature, she was no longer a mere child.
For nobles, the coming-of-age ceremony was often followed by engagement arrangements.
While it was still too soon for marriage, many families preferred to secure future matches in advance to prevent unwanted suitors from interfering.
In Yuri’s case, she was an outstanding bride-to-be—so much so that there was no woman who could rival her.
It was obvious that a pack of hungry wolves would be lurking, eager to claim her.
An early engagement would certainly be wise.
But…
“I never expected to be the one receiving a proposal instead…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ sheds tears of joy!]
To think she would propose to me on the very day of her coming-of-age ceremony—no, even before the ceremony had begun.
I had anticipated that Yuri would eventually uncover my true identity.
But everything beyond that had completely thrown off my calculations.
“So, if I want to be engaged, I have to reveal my identity myself…?”
The reason Yuri hadn’t outright exposed me was clear.
She had figured out not just my identity, but the fact that I secretly wanted to be discovered.
So instead of making it easy for me, she was forcing me to do it myself.
And the bait she set was none other than engagement.
If I wanted to be engaged to Yuri, I had no choice but to reveal my identity.
“Ughhh. This is driving me crazy. My pride or the engagement—I have to choose between the two…?”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ suggests that your pride has always been nothing more than a scrap of tissue paper and that you should just throw it away.]
My pride is a scrap of tissue paper?
Are you serious?
Considering the enormous dignity and reputation I have painstakingly built over the years, this was not a decision I could take lightly.
Should I give in to my desire to be engaged to Yuri right now?
Or should I protect the image I have cultivated as the cold, capable Count?
It was a dilemma—one or the other.
“Ah, wait. Do I really have to choose just one?”
A brilliant idea suddenly struck me.
.
.
.
“Fufufu… Puhuhuhu…”
At the Imperial Magic Academy dormitory.
Lying face-down on her bed, hugging a pillow, Yuri couldn’t stop her legs from flailing wildly as she kicked at the mattress in excitement.
“Aslan Vermont was Mister in black all along…!”
Two people had been making her life extremely difficult lately.
The one she liked was Mister in black.
But after discovering his identity, she realized she wouldn’t be able to meet him properly for another three years.
Meanwhile, the one persistently pursuing her now was Aslan Vermont.
She had been torn, feeling conflicted about how she didn’t completely dislike Aslan Vermont’s advances either.
And just when she thought she was at her wit’s end…
It turned out they were the same person all along.
.
.
.
Now, she no longer had to suffer through emotional turmoil.
“Ughhh!”
Relief flooded her heart, but at the same time, an overwhelming sense of euphoria surged through her, making her let out an uncontrollable squeal of happiness.
Why had she suspected that Aslan Vermont might be Mister in black before?
Back then, she had thought it was just an inexplicable hunch, a baseless intuition.
But now, she understood.
It wasn’t just instinct—it was her subconscious recognizing how similar the two were.
On a conscious level, there was a stark disconnect between her perception of Aslan Vermont and Mister in black.
But in the realm of the subconscious, where everything is processed more objectively, the similarities had already been noted.
That understanding had manifested as intuition.
Looking back now, it was strange that she hadn’t considered the possibility earlier.
Ever since then, he had avoided wearing suits, but his silhouette was identical.
And his physique hadn’t changed at all…
“Ugh. So the incredibly cool person from back then was actually Aslan Vermont…?”
Now that the mystery was solved, the illusion was completely shattered.
She could no longer picture Mister in black as the kind, dependable, and dignified man she had admired.
But at the same time, the opposite was also true.
She could no longer think of Aslan Vermont as the shady, insufferable man she had believed him to be.
No matter how hard she tried, the noble and charismatic image of Mister in black overlapped perfectly with Aslan Vermont.
What was this nonsense…?
Shouldn’t one of their images have been ruined by now?
Why did they end up overwriting each other instead…?
Yuri was left feeling utterly confused.
“Hmm? A letter?”
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.
A moment later, an envelope was slipped under the door.
It was a very familiar-looking envelope…
And as expected, it was a letter from Mister in black.
Tilting her head in curiosity, Yuri picked it up.
“Well, now that I know it’s actually from Aslan Vermont, there’s no need to be careful about opening it…”
She smirked and was about to tear the envelope open without hesitation—
But then, her hand froze, as if caught on something.
Hmm…
Maybe just this one letter.
I’ll open this one carefully and keep it safely in my drawer…
Changing her mind, Yuri fetched her special letter opener and carefully extracted the contents.
– Congratulations, Yuri.
– You have finally undergone your coming-of-age ceremony and shed the mark of childhood.
– Some say that this marks the age where one can take responsibility for their own choices.
– In that sense, your proposal cannot be considered a light matter.
– Traditionally, this is something a man should propose… but fine. I shall accept your proposal.
– The engagement ring has been left with Count Vermont. Come to the estate and retrieve it.
“…Hah!?”
A gasp escaped Yuri’s lips.
What the hell was this man saying!?
Did he just accept the proposal via letter?
A written engagement agreement? Is that what this was!?
“This sneaky bastard…!”
So he didn’t want to reveal his identity outright, and instead resorted to this pathetic trick…!?
At this rate, who was the adult here and who was the child?
Slapping her forehead in disbelief, Yuri could only let out a series of incredulous chuckles.
