‘The mark…’
Thud, thud.
Sylvia’s steps toward Aslan’s bedroom were heavy.
She adjusted her collar and reminisced about the past.
“Ugh…”
Kugh.
Her lips instinctively twisted.
Her brows furrowed.
A history of pain and humiliation.
The history of pain and humiliation.
This mark was evidence of that history.
From the moment the mark was first marked, she had wanted to tear it off.
But from the moment she did that, she would immediately be left with a lifespan of less than a year.
If she could destroy Vermont within a year by tearing it off, she would have done so.
But in a state where she couldn’t use mana, even waiting for an opportunity was impossible.
Thus, she lived weakly.
She lived because she lacked the courage to die.
She swallowed her shame, leaving the glory of the past as faded memories.
‘It was possible to do it a long time ago…’
But for Sylvia, one day…
Aslan suddenly granted her mana.
A large amount of mana appeared out of nowhere.
If she wanted, she could use magic.
She could immediately remove this mark.
However, even if she removed the it with magic, side effects would follow.
It wouldn’t be a lifespan of just a year, but no one knew what kind of side effects might occur.
Therefore, using magic was risky.
Making excuses for herself, Sylvia could not bring herself to remove the mark.
But today.
Aslan, as if he had suddenly remembered something trivial, said he would remove the mark.
Since it involved the cancellation of the contract itself, there was no worry of side effects.
Then… there was no reason to refuse…?
Thus, Sylvia was heading towards Aslan’s bedroom.
However, she felt oddly unsettled.
It was an uncomfortable feeling.
An empty feeling.
It was hard to explain the sensation.
“It’s me, Master.”
“Come in.”
Knock.
After a light knock, she opened the door.
It had been a while since she had entered Aslan’s bedroom.
To begin with, did this room even get used?
Aslan spent his entire day going back and forth between his office and the library.
“Why are you in work clothes? It should be a holiday until tomorrow.”
“Oh. It’s a habit…”
Sylvia looked at her outfit and realized she had been in her stiff work clothes even though it was a holiday and late at night.
“On a holiday, you should be in loose clothes and a messy bun.”
“T-That time…!”
“Forget it. Just sit down.”
“…”
It wasn’t that she always dressed so shabbily on holidays, but that day, she had no choice but to use a fork instead of a hairpin, and she wanted to explain, but the opportunity was taken from her.
Sylvia, with a displeased expression, slumped into the chair.
At that moment, Aslan’s hand reached behind her and swiftly unbuttoned two buttons.
“Ah!?”
“Try to avoid making noise at night.”
“No, and also during the day. How can you carelessly touch a lady’s clothes…!”
“I don’t touch a lady’s clothes carelessly. It’s only because it’s you.”
“…”
Aslan muttered and examined Sylvia’s nape.
Sylvia resigned herself and relaxed her shoulders.
This man had been doing this for a while…
She had long given up any hope of being treated like a lady.
Aslan, after fussing over Sylvia’s collar for a while, sighed and withdrew his hand.
“Are you wearing underwear?”
“Y-Yes!?”
“I need to check your back. So, Sylvia. Take it off.”
“…Are you saying that just to get me undressed?”
“Do you really want to get a pay cut?”
“…”
Sylvia flinched at Aslan’s annoyed voice.
He was a man not very good at lying.
He was certainly serious.
Sylvia hesitated but stood up and quietly began to remove her top.
Click, click, click.
As the buttons were undone one by one, her white bare skin began to show.
Through the thin underwear, well-trained back muscles were visible.
Aslan, looking at this, swallowed his saliva without realizing it.
‘Oh. She’s got some well-developed latissimus dorsi.’
Considering she was a woman, her muscles were quite well-developed.
Although her physique was small, it was much more solid than his own.
Aslan secretly felt envy and admiration.
‘H-He didn’t just lose his appetite, did he? He didn’t?’
Sylvia’s pupils were darting around, lost.
Oh, should she have realized it when she was told to come to the bedroom?
After all, this man would not remove her mark so easily!
In exchange for the mark, he’d ask for her body?
Ahhhh…!
Sylvia’s mind was racing with various imaginative scenarios.
Regardless.
Aslan took a dusty book found in the library and placed his hand on Sylvia’s back.
“This book is a magic book used to leave the mark on your nape. I will use it to proceed with the contract cancellation.”
“But is it absolutely necessary to touch my back?”
“My fingers and palms need to be fully spread out and in contact with your body. The only place that’s possible is your back, right?”
“…”
Her thighs are wide enough to be possible too.
…But she kept that thought to herself.
Saying that would seem like bragging about her thick thighs, which she didn’t want.
In the end, it was either her back or her stomach.
But the stomach is the front.
It’s embarrassing.
Her back was an excellent choice.
“Starting now. The book itself has the magic effect imbued, so even if you don’t know how to handle mana, it should be possible as long as you recite the spell correctly.”
Mumble.
Aslan began to recite the spell while turning the pages of the book.
A strange ripple of mana seeped through.
Sylvia felt the mark on her nape heating up.
‘He really is removing it. Without asking for anything in return…’
She misunderstood again.
She had prematurely judged based on assumptions.
Thinking back, it was always like this.
Recently, the Master had not done anything with real malice.
…Well, maybe one thing?
No, two. Three?
In any case, this time, Aslan’s intentions were not at all sinister.
Those who didn’t know Aslan well would still think of him as a cold-blooded individual and fear him.
But Aslan was surprisingly warm-hearted.
Even those white hands were unexpectedly warm.
She had felt that clearly when she was tightly embraced and buried underground for a long time.
‘Ugh…’
The sensation of Aslan’s broad chest at that time.
And the sensation of his thighs entwined, the feel of his groin touching her thighs, all came flooding back.
Sylvia’s cheeks turned red.
Ah, that was indeed too much of a gamble…
“Your pulse is quickening. I don’t know what you’re imagining, but whatever it is, control yourself. If you get agitated, healing won’t be possible.”
“W-What…!”
“Calm down, will you?”
“If you could answer one question, I think I could calm down.” “
Speak.”
Sylvia’s lips trembled. After hesitating for a long time,
Sylvia opened her mouth.
“What’s the sudden whim to remove the mark? I’m curious about that.”
“Is it so surprising that I’m showing you favor?”
“…”
“Well, it would be surprising. I must have misjudged.”
Aslan gave a self-deprecating laugh.
He kept forgetting.
The fact that he had originally been a despicable, rotten scoundrel.
“As long as this mark is marked, I cannot harm you. However, I am filled with a lot of resentment towards Vermont. Aren’t you afraid of what might happen once the mark is removed? Especially since I still have a lot of mana left in me.”
“What do you want me to do by saying that? Are you suggesting that my mind might change and I might give up on healing?”
“I’m just… curious. What has caused the change in your feelings? Why do you trust me…?”
“Do you really think I trust you?”
“…What?”
Sylvia’s eyes widened.
“I don’t trust you; I’m trying to earn your trust. What if my neck is on the line the moment I heal you? That can’t be helped. I’m willing to take that risk to earn your trust. A relationship bound by trust is much stronger than one bound by a mark and a contract, don’t you think?”
“…”
Taking risks…
It was not typical of Aslan.
He always seemed calm and prepared.
To risk his own neck in a dangerous situation was unusual.
Certainly rare.
But it wasn’t the first time Aslan had risked his life.
Apart from being buried underground to create the opportunity for the children, there was another instance.
‘When you came to save me. Your hands were definitely shaking…’
She remembered it clearly.
Last night, surrounded by monsters and facing death, Aslan had walked in calmly to save her.
At that time, Aslan acted as if he was just picking up an annoying burden, as if it was a task with no reason to be afraid.
But Sylvia had seen his other hand, which was trembling uncontrollably.
In that moment, Sylvia had a gut feeling.
Ah, this person wasn’t certain about what he was doing.
He was risking his life in a place where death lurked.
Not for anyone else, but for her.
And then, he had acted as if it was no big deal.
‘Why…’
She suddenly became solemn.
She always doubted and monitored him.
Sylvia bit her lip in guilt and sighed deeply.
She still didn’t deserve it.
The right to complete freedom…
“Huff…”
“Stay still. It’ll be over soon… Hey! I told you not to move!”
Sylvia suddenly stood up.
Aslan’s expression twisted in frustration.
She had moved just as he was about to recite the final part of the spell.
“What on earth are you doing!? The magic book’s effect has ended with that! This means we can’t proceed with the contract dissolution through normal means anymore!”
“That’s fine with me.”
“…What?”
“What Master always says is true. I am foolish and easily swayed by emotions. The mark might be removed, but I might suddenly turn on you and attack. I don’t want that to happen. So I will prevent that possibility entirely. As long as I am bound by the mark, I can’t betray you even if I wanted to.”
“Y-You, you… You’ve just willingly thrown away your freedom. Do you even understand that?”
“Even if I’m a fool, I understand that much. I’ve decided to forgo my freedom and live my life watching over you. Please respect the decision of a humble knight.”
Sylvia, with a face full of determination, looked at Aslan.
As much as you trust me, I must trust you too.
If there is something given, there must be something given back in return.
You risked your life, so I will stake my life.
I will prevent the future I feared, where you might turn into a villain.
That was the essence of her decision.
“…Hmph.”
Looking into Sylvia’s resolute eyes, Aslan chuckled.
His gaze had shifted from Sylvia’s eyes to lower down.
Only then did Sylvia look down and flinch.
“Eek!?”
“It’s nice to talk grandly, but with how you are dressed, it’s just ridiculous.”
“Did you see it?!”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t see it, so just put your clothes back on.”
“You really saw, didn’t you!?”
“Even if I did see it, it’s not going to change anything. If there’s nothing more to show, just get dressed and leave. Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone refuse freedom before. I don’t know if it’s stupidity, ignorance, foolishness, or all of the above.”
“…”
If you say you want to see more, I might be willing to show it. But at that moment, Sylvia pouted and was busy putting her clothes back on.
“Julia! If you push like that… Eek!?”
“Yah!”
“…”
“…”
Thud.
The door burst open, and Charlotte and Julia tumbled in.
Aslan’s brow furrowed as he made eye contact with the children.
Sylvia’s face, still in her underwear, turned bright red in an instant.
