“What did that mean…”
Tap. Thwack.
While making a sandwich with leftover ingredients in the kitchen, Sylvia’s foot kept rolling on the ground the whole time.
Her mind was already lost in contemplation long before she stopped eating the sandwich.
Sylvia’s entire mind was occupied with what Aslan had said earlier.
‘You’re worrying over nothing. You will wield your sword for me for your entire life. I’ll make sure to use you to your full potential, so keep that in mind.’
It was startling.
Wielding a sword for the rest of her life?
Aslan wasn’t that kind of person.
Of course he wouldn’t be…
‘Hey, you b*tch. Are you watching me? Was it father’s orders? B*llshit. I’m going to make you quit being a knight. I’ll make you beg and plead, crying for me to stop. Just wait.’
Aslan disliked her.
And as much as he disliked her, he detested the sword she loved.
He was so determined to make her put it down.
It was really frightening and heartbreaking at the time, so she even shed tears.
Even though she never cried from a threat to my life on the battlefield.
She cried secretly like a baby at the fear of possibly having to put down the sword.
Now she has nothing but this sword.
With her mana core damaged and unable to use magic, her remaining identity is just a knight.
If she put down the sword, what will become of her?
How will she live?
She didn’t even want to imagine.
“Even though you’ve changed, you’ve changed so much…”
At first, she saw Aslan’s change positively.
Spreading negativity throughout the mansion, constantly berating servants and tenants.
He was a human scum who brought goat heads and performed strange rituals.
Aslan then came to his senses.
He wanted to do something himself.
She thought that was pretty impressive, but only to a point.
Sylvia had never trusted Aslan once, nor had she ever considered trusting him.
She thought he had gone from human garbage to barely human.
As a guard and a watcher, she thought that if it were someone else, he wouldn’t even be considered trash to be taken care of.
But he was changing.
Steadily. And definitely.
At first, she tried to deny it.
It couldn’t be true.
He wasn’t really changing, just pretending to.
Taking care of children is ultimately meant to be used.
He said he was just pretending to be nice.
She believed so, but that belief quickly began to waver.
“I’m confused, why are you doing this, really…”
Squeak.
Her teeth were clenched.
If you’re bad, be bad to the end, and if you’re good, be good from the beginning.
What kind of nonsense is this that confuses people?
What should I do?
Can I trust you?
To trust and be betrayed?
Even though her mind was telling her that she should never trust it.
Her heart was being drawn in.
It tempted her to trust Aslan once.
He was certainly still as sharp and coarse as ever, but inside, he had clearly changed.
No, how can you tell if a person’s inside has changed or not…
Sylvia just felt it that way.
“For my whole life, for the young master…”
He said she would wield a sword for the rest of her life.
He definitely said that.
Even though she can’t produce mana.
Her skills are at a mediocre level, only among Sword Experts.
Despite Charlotte, who handles a Magic Sword, or a Holy Sword, appearing, there was only one reason he continued to employ her.
‘Did he see the potential of a Sword Master in me?’
A path that she gave up on a long time ago without being able to overcome it.
Perhaps he saw the qualities to become a Sword Master.
In the past, it was something she couldn’t believe and ignored.
Now that both Julia and Charlotte, whom Aslan had his eyes on, had awakened, she could not ignore it.
Can she challenge it again?
With this half-body, can she become a Sword Master?
Feeling her heart pounding, Sylvia blushed with excitement.
“Ah, what should I do! Look at your face turning red!”
“Hey! What if you shout like that!”
“…?”
Huff.
The sound of bustling.
Outside the kitchen door, the maids were running away noisily.
Why are the maids in such a fuss?
Sylvia tilted her head and stuffed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth.
***
“Hungry… ”
“Come out to eat. If you’re hungry.”
“But if we go out to eat, we’ll run into Mister!”
“…”
Charlotte mumbled with her face buried in the pillow and pulled the blanket over her head as if memories from a little while ago had come to mind.
Julia looked at Charlotte with an expression of pity.
She thought Charlotte was shameless, but apparently, she wasn’t the type to be embarrassed.
Acting like the heroine in a drama might be a bit embarrassing?
“What should we do? We can’t keep starving.”
“Um, what should we do…”
“Food. Can you bring it?”
“Please… And if possible, could you also help me find out where the Super Super Strong Sword is?”
Charlotte muttered under the thick blanket in a voice barely audible.
Julia sighed and pulled the blanket off. Crash!
Charlotte tumbled under the bed with a loud noise.
“Alright. Terminally ill heroine.”
“Ah! Really!”
Embarrassment lasted only a moment.
It should get better after a while.
Julia thought so and left the bedroom.
“Why isn’t Charlotte coming out?”
“Well, she’s not hungry. Maybe she’s still recovering from mana exhaustion… ”
“Hmm…”
“I can bring some bread later, since she might regain her energy…?”
“Fine, do that.”
In the dining room, Julia elegantly wielded a fork over a dog’s food bowl, idly circling around.
Aslan, who was watching the scene closely, smiled faintly.
At first, her eating manners were quite appalling, but soon her fork movements increased.
[The Evil God, ‘Kali’, feels uncomfortable.]
What? Why again?
Aslan tensed up.
[The Evil God, ‘Kali’, yells the kid looks too skinny and needs to eat more.]
Considering Julia’s figure, she wasn’t exactly slim, right?
Even accounting for her growth phase, she should be eating enough…
Aslan shook his head.
‘Julia and Charlotte seem to be on our side now. They’re quite demanding.’
Necromancer and Dark Knight.
Maybe it’s because they look rough and ready, but Kali seemed to consider Julia and Charlotte as allies.
Before, it would give suspicious looks when they were treated well.
Now, if they weren’t treated well, it would be up in arms.
[The Evil God, ‘Kali’, insists our dark knight is starving and demands you summon her immediately!]
Ah, she’s not eating.
What should I do?
I can’t force feed her, can I?
Aslan felt a throbbing headache.
“And by the way, about the Super Strong Sword…”
“It’s the Super Super Strong Sword.”
“Yeah. Super Strong Sword…”
“It’s the Super Super Strong Sword. Pay attention to the pronunciation.”
“Hah. Anyway, that long-named sword! Where is it right now? Um?”
“Charlotte asked you to ask.”
“Huh, huh? No, right? Just… out of curiosity… um.”
Are you curious about where that sword is?
Even though you have no interest in swords, nor do you know much about their types?
Aslan immediately saw through Julia’s lies.
“Tell Charlotte. The Super Super Strong Sword is in my possession. If she wants it back, she’ll have to come to me directly.”
“…”
Aslan replied with a sly smile.
If Charlotte continued to avoid showing her face, there were plenty of ways to force her out.
But it would be more amusing to make her come on her own.
It was also an opportunity to start a conversation.
‘What a childish…’
Julia shook her head.
That man, sometimes he can be childish.
‘Julia, you’re probably sleeping, right?’
Late at night.
Movement under the blanket, and gently the blanket was lifted.
Julia’s bed was lumpy, indicating she was peacefully asleep.
To avoid waking her, Charlotte stealthily slipped out.
“He said the Super Super Strong Sword is with him…”
Thanks to Julia, she obtained valuable information.
If the Super Super Strong Sword is with him, did he think she would immediately go to him?
If he thought that, he made a big mistake.
She was not a fool.
‘Anyway, he’s weak, not strong enough to carry the Super Super Strong Sword around. It must be stashed somewhere.’
Even though it’s said to be with him, that doesn’t mean he carries it on his person.
Then, there’s only one place the Super Super Strong Sword could be kept.
The most likely candidate was his study.
Charlotte moved quietly, avoiding the maids working until dawn, towards the study.
“Hehe, I’m not stealing… just retrieving my stuff…”
Certainly not stealing like a thief.
It’s just a bit awkward to face him.
Charlotte swallowed nervously and gently pushed open the study door.
‘Phew. It’s dark.’
Surely he wouldn’t be working until this hour.
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and fully opened the door.
“Ah…”
“I’ve been waiting.”
The one who greeted Charlotte was Aslan, engrossed in paperwork with a small candle lit on his desk.
And…
“Why is Julia over there?”
“Hmm, um. Huh…”
“If you ask me that, I’d have a very hard time answering.”
Julia was sleeping with a satisfied expression, with Aslan’s hand on her cheek.
Charlotte was initially stunned into silence for three seconds.
The next moment, a smile appeared on Charlotte’s lips.
“Hehehe. I see. Julia was a spoiled child that can’t sleep without Mister.”
She found Julia’s weakness!
All of a sudden, Charlotte had forgotten what had made her so uncomfortable to face Aslan.
