[Kyaaak! What on earth is happening here! The moment the milk-like substance went into my mouth, it melted away instantly!]
“Hehe! It’s called ice cream!”
[Ice cream…! A food that melts and disappears the moment it enters your mouth! How extravagant!]
With wide, sparkling eyes, Dirt-Dirt continues to devour the ice cream.
That guy, when he was shrunk by Julia’s command, didn’t he cause a fuss about wanting to be returned to his original size?
Now, he’s strutting around the mansion, proudly small.
“Wow! Look at him waddle, so cute!”
[It’s not cute!]
“Great Spirit of Earth, would you like some castella?”
[Seeing as you made it with such effort, I can’t refuse!]
Moreover, even though he’s being called cute now, he doesn’t get as angry when offered treats. Dirt-Dirt sits on the laps of the maidens who adore him, sucking down the castella.
That guy.
Eating snacks and being adored all day has become his routine. If this keeps up, isn’t he just a pet spirit at this point…?
‘It’s better than causing trouble.’
Still, it’s a huge improvement from the time he used to cause earthquakes and create chaos.
It’s a relief that he hasn’t left the Vermont mansion. I
f the Empress’s prized Vermont spectacle were to vanish, it would be a disgrace.
It seems Dirt-Dirt will continue to play the role of Vermont’s mascot perfectly.
“Ta-da!”
“…”
Whoosh!
At that moment, Charlotte appears behind me, poking her head in upside down.
When I turn around, she’s balancing precariously on the sofa backrest, bending over in an almost impossible position.
And she doesn’t even look strained?
How good is her core strength…?
“…You startled me.”
“You’re late! I wasn’t really surprised!”
“I was surprised. Though, in a different sense.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s just a thing.”
“Hmm. Are you not working today, Mister?”
“I’m taking a short break.”
“Then… Do you have time to spend with me?”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is threatening that you’ll run out of time if you don’t comply.]
Tsk.
Charlotte tilted her head and made an earnest expression.
There’s no way I don’t have time. I
f I don’t have time, I’ll make some.
Is work important? Playing with Charlotte is far more important.
“Of course, I do.”
“Oh! Then, could you do me a favor?”
With a bright, expectant expression, Charlotte looks up at me.
A favor?
It’s rare for Charlotte to ask me for something.
Having prepared to say ‘Okay, let’s do it.’
I asked Charlotte.
“What’s the favor?”
“Please engrave a mark on me too!”
“Okay. What… Wait, what?”
I hesitated, almost blurting out a pre-programmed response.
Wait a second.
Did I hear that right?
My expression stiffened involuntarily.
“…What do you mean by that?”
“You know the mark that’s engraved on Knight Sister. I want to have that one too.”
“Do you know what that mark signifies, what role it plays?”
“Uh… I’m sure I heard about it. But I forgot!”
“…”
Another bright, innocent smile.
I sighed deeply and lowered my voice seriously.
This is not something to be taken lightly.
I needed to explain it clearly so she’d never forget it.
“Listen carefully. The mark engraved on Sylvia is not just a simple tattoo. It’s a symbol of a vow to serve Vermont for a lifetime. Anyone with that mark cannot leave Vermont or defy its commands.”
“Well… Isn’t that a good thing? I don’t want to leave you, Mister. And I don’t want to defy your commands either.”
“…”
I was at a loss for words.
Does she think the mark is like a pledge of loyalty?
Does she not realize, seeing how Sylvia always buttons up to her neck even on hot summer days, that a mark is a humiliation to the bearer?
“It’s not what you think. That mark is a contract that takes away a person’s free will. Your freedom shouldn’t be given away so recklessly.”
“But you already have my freedom, don’t you?”
“…What?”
“I’m already your sl*ve, isn’t that the same as having the mark engraved?”
“…”
Once again, I was left speechless.
This kid.
Usually acting like a fool, but she has a surprisingly sharp side.
As I was searching for the right words to explain to Charlotte, she suddenly giggled, covering her mouth.
“Ahaha! Just kidding. Even though I’m a slave, I know you don’t treat us like ordinary sl*ves. Even with my lack of common sense, I understand that much.”
“It’s only natural to give special treatment to a capable sl*ve.”
“Hehe. But, Mister, there was something that wasn’t a joke.”
“…?”
“Wanting the mark engraved. That wasn’t a joke.”
Swish.
With a smooth motion, she crawled closer and whispered quietly.
“You said you tried to erase Knight Sister’s mark and failed. But isn’t it actually that Knight Sister refused?”
“…”
“I think I can understand Knight Sister’s feelings. It’s about having a link with you. Even if there’s a mark or not, I’d be loyal only to you and focus only on you. So it seems wasteful to erase a sign that shows it belongs to you. It’s not that the mark is good. It’s the mark that you engrave that is good.”
“…”
This kid.
Now that I see it, she’s quite a master at leaving me speechless.
Amazed, I stared at Charlotte’s devilish face.
Finally, I sighed and began to explain calmly.
“Did I mention that I don’t like sl*ves?”
“This is the first I’m hearing of it…”
“As you can see, there are no sl*ves in my mansion. Except for you guys, who ended up here by chance. Why do you think I go so far as to pay wages to hire free people? If I filled the place with slaves—maids, butlers, coachmen—I wouldn’t need to pay anyone.”
“Hmm… So, you don’t like sl*ves?”
“That’s not entirely wrong, but fundamentally, it’s because I dislike the rotten mentality ingrained in sl*ves. People who live without receiving fair compensation for their labor end up with a sl*ve mentality rooted in their minds. Once someone develops that mentality, they don’t put their best effort into anything, and they don’t even try to break a sweat. I really despise such people.”
I’m truly grateful that I could save the children immediately after they were handed over to the sl*ve trader.
The sl*ve mentality is almost impossible to uproot once it takes root.
Once a person relinquishes their own decision-making authority, regaining it is that much harder.
I want the children to live their lives not for me, but for themselves.
It would be dreadfully boring to have sl*ves who were originally mine and would follow any order I gave.
My heart only races when a woman with her own decision-making power chooses to dedicate everything to me of her own free will.
That’s why I don’t treat Charlotte and Julia like sl*ves.
“I don’t want you growing up as adults with that sl*ve mentality. That’s the only reason.”
“What about Knight Sister?”
“She’s already beyond help.”
“Oh, I see.”
Charlotte finally seemed to understand and nodded in agreement.
I’m relieved she got it.
“I’ll give up on the mark. What about a tattoo then…”
“Absolutely not. It’s not allowed until dirt gets in my eyes. If you leave a permanent mark on your body, I’ll confiscate the Super Super Strong Sword, so keep that in mind.”
“Hehe. Just kidding. There’s no way I’d do something you hate.”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ lets out a sigh of relief.]
For once, I share Kali’s sentiment.
A tattoo on Charlotte’s fair skin?
That’s beyond a joke. Such things are absolutely unacceptable and inhumane.
Was it too harsh of me to admonish her after she gave up playing outside and came to me?
I was about to use a massage coupon to reconcile when—
“Master!”
“What is it? Is it something important enough to interrupt this rare, relaxing time with Charlotte?”
It better be.
I gritted my teeth in frustration.
The maid, trembling and seemingly scared, answered.
“Y-Yes. A messenger from the Imperial Palace has arrived.”
“…!”
A messenger from the palace?
That’s definitely a major issue. It looks like I missed my chance to use the massage coupon today.
I swallowed my tears and got up from my seat.
Hastily putting on my coat and stepping outside, I found the messenger waiting at the front gate without moving an inch.
I wondered why he couldn’t come in and have a cup of tea while discussing matters.
“I will now deliver the Empress’s message to Count Vermont.”
“Yes, please proceed.”
“Ahem, Aslan Vermont. I have heard about the monster rampage in the Ariente territory, your security company, and the activities of your sl*ves.”
“…”
“I am greatly impressed and would like to assign a task to Vermont Security.”
“I’m afraid Vermont Security is not yet at the level to undertake official duties. If you could inform Her Majesty that we are not prepared to take on the mission…”
“I will refuse on your behalf. Upon investigating the source of the monsters, it seems there is suspicion that it might be your own scheme. While I know you are not someone who would disregard human life for personal glory, not everyone trusts you as deeply as I do. If rumors spread about a Vermont scheme, you might find yourself in quite a predicament…”
“…”
Am I being threatened right now? My mouth went dry.
“This will be a beneficial proposal for you as well, so come and hear it. The Imperial Palace is always open to you. …That’s all the Empress had to say.”
“May I head to the Imperial Palace right now?”
“I will provide a carriage to guide you.”
I decided to head to the Imperial Palace immediately.
What’s going on, Empress Sister?
Please explain.
