Crunch. Grind.
After receiving the hospitality of the Great Spirit of Earth, as Empress Vanessa walked towards the mansion, her teeth were grinding relentlessly.
The complexions of her attendants turned pale.
‘What are we going to do about this chilling atmosphere!’
The insane Vermonts!
Everyone knew they weren’t in their right minds, but this was beyond expectations.
They didn’t just irk the Empress; they outright provoked her.
The Vermonts would soon be destroyed.
Everyone sensed this and was petrified.
Only Aslan remained calm.
“So, what was that creature just now?”
“Dirt-Dirt…?”
“That’s the name of the Great Spirit of Earth you saw. It used to live in the mountains where the roads were built, but our Spirit Master temporarily isolated it with an incantation.”
“Ha. What a crude naming sense.”
She laughed! Was it a sarcastic laugh?
Did it mean she intended to kill him?
The attendants behind murmured nervously.
‘Oh my. I let my guard down. I almost burst out laughing.’
Barely managing to suppress her laughter, Vanessa swallowed it back down.
She restored her expression to a neutral one.
To think that shabby thing was a Great Spirit.
And it was even a mascot!
She wished to converse more deeply with the so-called Great Spirit.
But she feared that lingering longer would reveal her true feelings, so she turned away.
At any rate, she endured it.
Though Vermont’s taste was unexpectedly peculiar, having overcome and endured this crisis, she believed she could handle the remaining schedule without issue.
…Or so she thought.
“Now, let me guide you to the mansion. How about a cup of tea in a cool place?”
“That sounds good. Make it chamomile tea.”
“Yes, I will. These are the children who will prepare the tea today.”
“Ah, hello!”
“…!”
Julia and Charlotte timidly emerged from behind a corner.
The Empress’s eyes widened.
Damn it! They’re adorable!
Feeling a sudden rush as if about to have a nosebleed, Vanessa quickly pinched her nose.
‘You wretched Vermont. Are you trying to sway me like this repeatedly?’
Clench.
Vanessa discreetly pinched her thigh hard, forcing herself to keep the corners of her mouth from rising.
Seeing the children in matching maid outfits, clumsily brewing tea!
Was Lord Vermont a p*dophile? Was that it?
Otherwise, why would he employ such young maids!
But they’re cute!
So cute she wanted to just bite them both to death!
“How is the taste?”
“Ugh.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Forget it. I’ve had severe migraines recently, that’s all.”
“Peppermint tea is good for headaches! I learned that from the head maid! Would you like some peppermint tea, Empress?”
“Hey, Charlotte. You should say ‘Your Majesty’. That’s disrespectful…”
“Majesty!”
“It’s not ‘Majesty’…”
“Ugh. Just brew the tea.”
Damn, damn.
One is the innocent type, and the other is the smart type!
To be using such adorable children.
The Vermonts truly are a den of evil dark mages. Vanessa’s eyes were starting to turn darker as Aslan began to look increasingly gloomy.
“Your Majesty, I have something important to discuss.”
“Speak.”
“I’ve heard you are funding orphanages and daycare centers with the national treasury.”
“It’s being done through the church. What of it?”
“It appears many of these business operators are corrupt. Even the orphanage where these children were from was like that. They pocketed the funding, abused the children, and then, using financial difficulties as an excuse, closed the orphanage and sold the children to slave traders. The fact that such unscrupulous and heinous individuals were able to run orphanages for so long suggests a lack of oversight. I dare to presume this might be a widespread issue across the nation.”
“…Is that true? If you’re lying, you won’t escape the severest punishment.”
“I swear that everything I have said is true.”
Growl. Even under Vanessa’s warning, Aslan bowed his head, unfazed.
Vanessa swallowed her anger and returned to her expressionless facade.
That such corruption was happening in the orphanages.
She had no idea.
When Vanessa looked back at her attendants with a questioning gaze, their faces turned ashen.
“I understand your concerns. I will personally review and take action against these operators.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
So, this guy wasn’t a p*dophile but just liked children?
Not with any ulterior motive, but purely out of genuine care?
Then you passed, you rascal.
So he was like her after all.
Vanessa internally smiled in satisfaction.
“I have a feeling we might get along well. Can you arrange for us to have a proper conversation without these noisy onlookers?”
“Y-Yes?”
“I meant for everyone to leave because they are being a hindrance. Wasn’t that how you politely ask for privacy?”
“I, I’ll clear the room immediately, Your Majesty…”
Irene and the attendants hurried out of the room.
Alone with the Empress, Aslan’s eyes dulled.
How did it come to this?
***
“The aroma of this tea is quite pleasant. I am not well-versed in tea ceremonies, so I’m not sure how to describe it, but it certainly is a taste I like.”
“I’m relieved that it suits your taste, Your Majesty…”
Alone in a narrow reception room with the Empress.
Sitting in front of her as she leisurely sipped her tea, I was frozen.
It felt like being a child sent to the thinking chair.
I could only think of what I did wrong.
“Aslan Vermont.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve looked into your background a bit. You showed an aptitude for magic as a child but lost all your talents after your father’s execution. You then became a recluse, immersing yourself in black ma… no, magic for ten years. You showed no intention of taking over the family until two months ago when you suddenly became active again.”
“…”
She seems to know more about me than I do.
“I won’t ask what prompted this change. I don’t care about the reason. I’m curious about what kind of person you are. As far as I can see, you seem to be a rather simple young man despite appearing sinister.”
“…May I ask why you think so?”
“I can tell by looking at your eyes. A person who loves children is never a bad person. Similarly, from the eyes of the children who served me tea, I can roughly gauge what kind of life they lead here.”
Her tone was confident.
Eyes? Can you really read emotions through them? While it was good that I won the Empress’s favor, it made eye contact with her 500 times more daunting.
“Look into my eyes, Aslan Vermont.”
“Yes…”
“You have a lot to hide. I won’t pry. Both of us are busy, so let’s get to the point. The road you built, connecting the border and the capital, is of great significance. Considering its immense value in commerce, I will grant you a tax exemption on the road for the next 100 years as a reward.”
“I am deeply grateful, Your Majesty.”
It was an extraordinary reward.
Typically, when building national infrastructure, the imperial family covers about half of the construction costs as a reward.
Receiving a 100-year tax exemption was akin to receiving a reward amounting not to billions but hundreds of billions.
“Also, it bothers me that you are still a minor head of your family. This way, I can’t assign you any tasks.”
“Oh, no. I will inherit the title of count soon after an internal meeting with the elders.”
“Seeing your sister’s eyes, that process will take over ten years. Just inherit it now.”
“Pardon?”
“I, Vanessa Friedrich, hereby declare that you inherit all rights and responsibilities of the Count of Vermont. Therefore, Vermont will transition from a regency to a full-fledged countship. Do you have any objections?”
“N-None at all!”
“…Stand up. Damn it. That bowing of yours, don’t ever do it in front of me again.”
I found myself bowing deeply.
To suddenly inherit the title of count? Ignoring all procedures, it was a seamless succession with no issues in validity.
Because the Empress herself bestowed it.
I effectively received a lifelong tax exemption.
And became both a count and head of the family.
Everything was overwhelmingly positive, but I couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding.
“Once again, you’ve inherited not only all the rights but also the responsibilities of the Count of Vermont. As my vassal, you cannot refuse my summons under any circumstance.”
“I completely understand.”
“Then don’t think about disappearing suddenly. Stay put and wait. One day, I will call for you.”
“…”
Swoosh.
With a chilling smile, the Empress stood up.
Despite her beauty, her smile filled me with dread rather than admiration.
Even after she left the room, I couldn’t move for a long time, frozen in place.
‘Ah.’
I’m screwed.
Winning the Empress’s favor was too much.
I should have done it moderately. I should have used only Dirt-Dirt and left Charlotte and Julia out of it.
A sudden wave of regret overwhelmed me.
