“I’m going to take a short break.”
Creeeak, the carriage came to a stop.
Charlotte stretched her stiff body, though the luxurious carriage was spacious enough to almost lie down comfortably, sitting there for a long time had made her quite fatigued.
“Julia! Let’s go get some fresh air!”
“Uuuh. I’d rather sleep more…”
“Don’t you feel stuffy at all? It must have been really uncomfortable for you.”
“Not everyone feels confined indoors like you do…”
Julia replied drowsily, lifting her eye mask slightly.
Charlotte seems to think that everyone in the world is as active as she is.
She prefers staying indoors all day, reading books, studying, and lounging around.
Charlotte, however, always makes a fuss about being inside even for a short while.
“Knight Sister! Let’s make a campfire!”
“A campfire? There’s no need for that since we’re just stopping briefly. If we light a fire, we might get discovered by bandits, which would be tiring.”
“Huh? What about food then?”
“We’ll have to eat preserved food. Do you want beef jerky or bread?”
“Ah.”
No campfire?
No roasting wild boar on a spit?
No sitting around a campfire playing musical instruments?
Then what about the adventure stories from the folktales…?
Charlotte’s world seemed to crumble at that moment.
“Julia. Are you really just going to sleep? Let’s go for a walk to get some fresh air.”
“Ugh, it’s so dark, what kind of walk is that?”
“Hmph. By the way, where did Mister go?”
Charlotte looked around, but Aslan was nowhere to be seen.
Where could he have gone?
Given how calm Knight Sister seemed, it didn’t seem like he went far.
“Come to think of it, Yuria is also missing.”
“Huh? Really!”
“Are they fighting? He was really angry about the mask earlier. Ugh. I guess they don’t get along well…”
“Hmm? I don’t think so?”
Charlotte tilted her head in confusion.
Julia had a puzzled expression.
It was obvious that they had a very antagonistic relationship, so why couldn’t she see it?
“Didn’t you sense the hostility? When Aslan gets angry, his aura becomes overwhelming.”
“But it felt more like he was frustrated rather than furious.”
Hmm? Is that so?
It seems reasonable upon reflection.
Julia also became uncertain.
“Remember when we stole bread in the market last time? Mister was really angry then too.”
“That was really scary…”
“Back then, it felt like Mister was angry for our sake. It felt similar this time!”
“Ah!”
Indeed. she had never seen Aslan angry for his own sake.
He was always angry for others, always full of rage.
Initially, I didn’t think much of it, but listening to Charlotte made her realize it was indeed the case.
He wasn’t trying to take off the mask because it bothered him…
It seemed like he was trying to remove it for Yuria’s sake.
Thinking like that made the atmosphere between them seem delicate.
“What exactly is their relationship…?”
“Maybe it’s just a special attachment?”
“Maybe it’s more than that, Julia! We need to be on guard!”
“What do you mean?”
“It could be that Mister and Yuria are flirting!”
“Huh? Flirting? Yuria is a guy, right?”
“What!? Where do you see him as a guy?”
A disagreement arose.
Charlotte and Julia’s voices grew louder.
Anyone can see that she’s a woman?
How can she see her as a guy?
Charlotte and Julia seriously began to doubt each other’s perceptions.
“Why on earth is she a guy? She’s just a slender girl.”
“Just looking at her body, she’s definitely a guy. There are no curves.”
“I don’t have curves either.”
“Oh, right.”
“Hmph! See! I was right! My words are… right…”
Julia was left speechless by the successful rebuttal. Charlotte, initially feeling triumphant, suddenly felt a bit down.
What is this feeling of losing even though I won?
“Anyway, it’s dangerous!”
“Dangerous? How?”
“I might lose the position of Countess…!”
“…!”
Julia’s eyes widened.
Perhaps because she had been wearing the mask all along, she hadn’t considered such possibilities.
“The maids said that Mister has a dark taste for taking in innocent and pure commoner children, showering them with kindness, and then making it so they can’t refuse his proposals when they grow up! Maybe he’s doing the same thing with Yuria as he did with us!”
“Huh? Really!? If that’s true, it’s a bit troublesome… Wait, why am I troubled? Whether Mister flirts with another girl or not! Hmph! What a bother!”
Julia fanned her flushed cheeks and huffed in frustration.
It’s ridiculous.
Why should she care if Aslan flirts with someone?
A mysterious irritation welled up inside her.
Looking at Julia, Charlotte shook her head.
“Well, whether Aslan shows interest in Yuria or not, it’s not my concern. But we still need to go look for them. Yuria might not like Mister’s advances…!”
“Jealousy disguised as excuses.”
“Charlotte…!”
So what are they really doing?
It’s unbearable to not know.
Charlotte and Julia decided to team up and go look for the two of them.
.
.
.
“…Is anyone here?”
Step, Step.
Yuri, who had walked into the quiet forest, looked around.
Since he had come this far, he thought no one would be around.
He felt reassured and snapped his fingers.
Then, a byproduct of mana began to glow and float in the air.
It was one of the simple spells taught by Instructor Sylvia.
Originally, he was supposed to say a command word like “Shine!” but found it too embarrassing to say aloud, so he had figured out how to cast it without reciting the spell.
“It’s a letter from the Mr. Black. I thought I’d leave before getting a reply, but it came really early. Heehee.”
Laughing lightly, Yuri sat on a fallen tree and unfolded the letter.
He was already smiling.
His mood, which had been sinking, seemed to lift.
– Dear Yuri,
– It’s been a while since your last letter. I was worried because the usual three-day intervals had turned into a week, and I thought you might be very busy.
I’ve been busy with exams.
Mr. Black is really something.
He seemed to be bothered by letters at first, but now he seems to like them more than I do.
– I heard about your exam results, and once again, you’ve maintained your position as the top student. I am continuously impressed that I sponsored you. Good job.
“Hehe.”
That’s right. I did well.
At first, I didn’t really start attending the academy with the intention of studying.
But I ended up enjoying it, and I worked hard. Receiving praise makes me want to work even harder.
– I would like to congratulate you on being selected for the mission, but… I understand how painful it must be to hide your identity with a mask in front of the friends you cherish. I sympathize with your concerns. Given the rumors circulating and the image of Vermont, it’s understandable to be afraid. However, let me tell you one thing: Count Vermont may not be as malevolent as you think. How about revealing your relationship with him and the others? If things don’t go well, I’ll handle the aftermath, so muster up your courage.
“What, what!?”
Yuri was startled and almost fell behind the tree.
He had thought that a kind and dignified Mr. Black would handle things gently.
But not only did he suggest revealing his identity, he also said he would take care of the consequences…?
‘Does that mean Mr. Black is at least a count? Or maybe a duke…? Could it be an archduke!?’
His imagination ran wild.
If someone can face a count, they must be at least that high in rank.
He knew he was an impressive person since he had the authority to decide admissions to the Imperial Academy, but this was beyond Yuri’s imagination.
How many people are there above a count in the Empire?
The list of candidates quickly shrank to less than 20.
Ah, including royalty, there might be many more.
He failed to narrow down the possibilities.
‘If Mr. Black uncle says so, maybe it’s okay…’
Yuri hesitated, twirling his hair with his fingers.
Maybe he… wanted someone to push him like this.
Yuri was just scared.
Afraid that he might lose everything he currently had, he might have turned Aslan Vermont into an unforgiving villain based only on prejudice.
Thanks to that, she gained courage.
Should he say something?
…It was at that moment.
“There you are.”
“C-Count!?”
Evil.
With a chilling voice that made his skin crawl, Yuri quickly stuffed the letter into her pocket.
Ugh.
He wanted to keep it in perfect condition, but Aslan Vermont had crumpled the letter.
The fading hatred flared up a little.
“Don’t go too far. Charlotte and Julia are included in the escort. If something happens to the carriage, it will be difficult to handle.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll return near the carriage.”
“Before that, let’s have a talk. Let’s talk, man to man.”
“Yes, Count. You want to… wait, what?”
Aslan put his arm around Yuri’s shoulder and sat down beside him.
Yuri’s gaze turned fierce.
This man. What did this man just say?
