“Do you have any equipment that can detect curses or black magic?”
Nod, nod.
Julia nodded vigorously.
Sylvia remained silent for a moment, trying to grasp the intent of the question.
‘Does she think she’s been cursed?’
How did she come to that conclusion?
She almost asked Julia directly but bit her lip and held back.
If she did ask, Aslan’s name would likely come up.
It was a bit awkward to bring up.
“Here. This magic orb will light up if it detects the activation of a curse. I’ll lend it to you for a while.”
“Oh! Thank you! Is it okay if I return it tonight or tomorrow?”
“Do as you like.”
Thud.
Julia received the rosary from Sylvia.
This was the magic orb that detects curses…!
So something like this really existed!
Julia clutched the rosary tightly in both hands, not wanting to lose it.
“I’ll take good care of it and return it!”
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Julia hung the rosary around her neck and tucked it inside her clothes.
This should do it.
If Aslan tries to curse her, she’ll catch him on the spot!
Julia glanced at the rosary by pulling up her clothes slightly and confirmed that it wasn’t glowing.
For now, it seemed that no curse was activated on her.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
She marched straight to Aslan’s office and knocked on the door.
Come to think of it, she was really sleepy! So very sleepy!
“Come in.”
“Hand!”
“…?”
“Hand! Give me your hand! …Please!”
“…”
Aslan ignored Julia’s bold demand.
Why is he pretending not to care? He’s the one who goes to ridiculous lengths just to be alone with her…!
Striding confidently, Julia marched into the office, pulled a sofa next to the desk, and immediately placed her shark plushie on the desk.
Then she closed her eyes and leaned her head forward.
Hmph! Just give me that big, warm hand of yours!
“When we go out, I’ll buy you the teddy bear you wanted. On my last visit, I noticed the owner had stocked one of each type of doll.”
“…I don’t need it.”
“Don’t be stubborn and just accept it. You’ll regret it later.”
“No, really, I don’t need it. This one is enough…”
Ah! Does he think she came here to beg for a plushie?
Does he think she’s sulking because he bought a teddy bear for Charlotte?
Does he really think she’s that petty and childish?
How ridiculous.
…Now that she said it, she did feel a bit disappointed.
She wanted that teddy bear.
A soft, fluffy teddy bear.
Hah.
“Stop being stubborn and just take it. You’ll regret it later.”
“No. I’m not being stubborn; I really don’t need it. The shark is enough… please.”
Aslan persisted, but Julia responded in a serious tone.
She did feel a little regret, but that was all.
She didn’t want a new plushie.
Even though the shark plushie looked a bit silly, it started to seem cute after a while.
Maybe it was because it was the first plushie she ever had.
To ask for another one so soon felt like cheating, and it made her feel strange.
For now, it seemed best to focus on loving her shark plushie.
‘It’s coming.’
And finally, Aslan nonchalantly extended his hand.
Swoosh.
Impatient, Julia leaned in further, making contact with his hand.
Oddly enough, as soon as she did, her eyes began to close, and sleepiness washed over her.
Gotcha! You’re trying to curse me right now, aren’t you?
Julia quickly glanced inside her clothes.
‘What? It’s not glowing…?’
But the rosary remained unchanged.
It didn’t light up or move at all.
Julia’s mouth hung open in confusion as her thoughts momentarily stalled.
‘It wasn’t a curse or black magic…?’
It wasn’t a curse, nor was it black magic.
Recently, she had been practicing spirit spells and had become sensitive to the movement of mana, so she would have noticed if any magic was used.
This meant it wasn’t magic either.
How could she explain this strange phenomenon where she instantly felt sleepy whenever Aslan touched her?
‘No matter how I think about it, it’s strange…!’
The voices of the spirits had long since gone silent.
But the trauma of insomnia lingered, and Julia still heard echoes of those voices whenever she closed her eyes to sleep.
Even without the voices, she couldn’t fall asleep.
The fear that the voices might wake her up again at any moment was always with her.
‘Could it be that, next to Aslan, I finally forget that fear and can actually sleep…?’
Julia was stunned by the shocking realization.
That she feels a sense of security when she is touching that man?
That she feels comfortable enough to forget her deep trauma?
That can’t be true…?
She only denied reality for a moment.
Julia was ready to accept the truth right away.
“…”
Slurp.
Slowly, she lifted her head to sneak a glance at Aslan.
One hand was resting on Julia’s head.
Occasionally, he would stroke her hair. Sometimes, he would touch her ear.
And sometimes, pretending it was a mistake, he would pinch her cheek, all while continuing his work indifferently.
‘You look uncomfortable…’
Aslan had never shown signs of being troubled, nor had he ever voiced any complaints.
Julia had always believed that Aslan had deliberately created this situation, thinking he had cursed her to ensure she would have no choice but to come to him.
But now, realizing that Aslan was also enduring discomfort, Julia felt a pang in her heart.
‘Why doesn’t he show it…’
Surely, he must dislike it.
It must be uncomfortable for him.
He must have thought a hundred times, “This little brat is annoying.”
So why had he never once let that show?
Suddenly curious, Julia asked,
“Aslan.”
“…”
“Aren’t I a bit of a bother?”
Unable to hold it in any longer, she voiced the question she had been struggling with internally.
As soon as she said it, she regretted it.
The answer was obvious.
“Hmm? Answer me. Am I a bother… please?”
“You’re very much a bother. You require a lot of attention.”
“…”
…Just as she expected.
Julia’s shoulders slumped.
Right. She should stop coming here.
She should find a way to sleep on her own.
She was about to make that resolution when…
“So, what if I can sleep without you? …?”
“It would be very convenient.”
“…”
“And maybe a bit lonely.”
Huh? Really?
Is he serious?
Julia’s shoulders lifted slightly.
“I don’t particularly care.”
“…You don’t care? Really? After sleeping yesterday, I realized that if I force myself to close my eyes, I can sleep for a while. Maybe in a few days, I’ll be able to sleep without your hand. Should I stop coming at night?”
“Just keep coming.”
“…Okay, I will.”
Aslan’s firm response made Julia’s lips curl into a small smile.
Hehe, she’s not a bother after all.
In fact, he’d feel lonely without her.
It wasn’t that Aslan saw her as a nuisance after all.
Thinking this, the heavy feeling in her heart lifted, replaced with warmth.
‘Wait!? But why am I relieved?’
Hold on? Why is she feeling bad about being a burden to Aslan?
If she is being a nuisance to that villain, isn’t that a good thing?
So why is she happy about this…?
In an instant, Julia’s emotions became a tangled mess.
At that moment, Charlotte’s words echoed in her mind:
‘Julia, which side are you on? Is it just that you want to sleep peacefully? Is that really the only reason you want to monopolize Mister?’
She didn’t know…
Which side is she on?
Why does she get so irritated whenever Charlotte spends time with him?
Julia closed her eyes tightly.
Unable to resist the incoming tide, she gradually lost consciousness.
Just like always, it was a pleasant sensation.
.
.
.
“Pardon me, Master. I need to retrieve something quickly…”
Step, step, step.
Sylvia entered the office, scanning the room before walking over to the sleeping Julia without hesitation.
“She’s asleep. Don’t touch her; she might wake up.”
“The item I need is with her.”
“Hmm.”
“I’ll be careful not to wake her.”
“You can touch her, but if she wakes up, your pay will be cut.”
“…”
Swoosh.
With trembling hands, Sylvia carefully reached toward Julia’s neck.
She retrieved a rosary hidden under her clothes.
That rosary was definitely…
“I have an urgent matter to attend to. After investigating, it appears that a newly hired candidate is involved in some unsavory activities. I will head to the site now, and if confirmed, I will dismiss them.” “…Good work.”
That rosary…
Sylvia always kept it with her. While I didn’t know what it meant to her, it was obviously something precious.
She could leave it behind for a while, but apparently, she couldn’t go out without it.
But why was it with Julia?
“Does that rosary have any special abilities?”
“This rosary? No, nothing at all. It’s just an ordinary rosary.”
“I see. Understood. Make sure you catch them in the act.”
“By your command.”
Thud, thud, thud.
After bowing respectfully, Sylvia exited the office.
An ordinary rosary, huh?
“Time to pinch her cheeks.”
It’s nothing important.
He decided not to dwell on it.
Spending that time pinching Julia’s cheeks seemed like a much better use of his time.
