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Chapter 44 - Hosting the Empress (2)

The moment the door opened and the Empress walked out alone, Irene instinctively bowed her head.

"Your Majesty, did you enjoy the tea time...?"

"Don\'t worry too much. Aslan Vermont didn\'t commit as grave an offense as you feared."

"...!"

Was my concern so obvious?

Irene flinched in surprise.

The Empress\'s intense gaze seemed to pierce through her.

"Not as grave an offense, you say... Does that mean he did commit some offense...?"

"Yes. It was quite displeasing, so I\'ve decided to strip the Countess of her positions as acting head and caretaker."

"...!"

"Instead, Aslan Vermont has just been officially appointed as the new Count."

What? I thought something serious had happened, but that wasn\'t the case?

Is this... a joke?

Irene was dumbfounded, rooted to the spot.

The Empress smirked slightly as if amused by Irene\'s reaction and walked past her.

\'I\'ve never seen Her Majesty make a joke like that...\'

Her usual stern and severe expression hadn\'t changed, so at first, Irene didn\'t even realize it was a joke.

There had been no rumors of the Empress enjoying humor.

What had happened in there to improve the Empress\'s mood so much?

It wasn\'t just a slight improvement.

The Empress had abruptly elevated Aslan, who had been a young lord for ten years, to a Count.

The Empress was known for making bold personnel decisions, but she never made impulsive decisions.

\'I thought using that ridiculous monster and those kids for such bizarre hospitality was a terrible idea...\'

Why did it work?

Was there something I missed?

Did Aslan know this would happen and planned this bizarre approach?

"Sis, it worked out well."

"Uh, oh... yeah..."

Aslan wiped the sweat from his forehead as he emerged from the reception room.

Irene flinched, her eyes twitching.

The moment she met Aslan\'s gaze, an unforgettable, old fear resurfaced, sending a chill down her spine.

Gritting her teeth, Irene grabbed Aslan by the chin.

"What did you say to get yourself appointed as Count so quickly?"

"I don\'t know. It just happened..."

"Bullshit. You planned this from the start. You knew the Empress\'s preferences and how to win her favor. You, damn... damn..."

Trembling uncontrollably, Irene couldn\'t finish her sentence.

Is this the Aslan I knew?

The idiot who lacked social skills, intelligence, everything?

\'Am I really dealing with the same Aslan?\'

Damn. The nightmares from childhood began to resurface.

Irene\'s mind started to go blank.

She quickly turned her head away, not wanting Aslan to see the fear in her eyes.

"...Congratulations. You finally pushed me aside and became the Count."

Thump, thump, thump.

To mask her hiccuping sobs, Irene stomped loudly as she walked away.

Aslan, watching her retreating figure, rubbed his chin and murmured.

"Such a sore loser..."

***

Empress Vanessa Friedrich formally inspected the state of the territory.

She left, stating that she looked forward to active exchanges with Vermont in the future.

Though a banquet had been hastily prepared, the Empress declined.

And that was it.

What felt like an eternity of the Empress\'s chaotic visit to Vermont territory ended just like that.

"Phew."

I sighed with relief, clutching my chest where no one could see.

Outwardly, I had maintained a facade of calm and composure.

But facing the Empress had made me so nervous I barely remembered what I had said.

\'As the Empress said, this position carries not just rights but heavy responsibilities.\'

Whether I wanted it or not, I was now in a position responsible for many lives.

As such, I couldn\'t afford to show any anxiety.

If I faltered, the entire Vermont territory would falter.

\'Anyway, everything turned out well.\'

The Empress showing excessive interest in me was unexpected, but everything else went far better than anticipated.

Especially being appointed Count in one go still felt like a dream.

The difference in authority between a young lord and a Count is vast.

Previously, the Countess acted as the de facto head, and since the Countess\'s current whereabouts were unknown.

Thus, the Count\'s seat was practically vacant.

Because of that, even during Leon\'s time, I couldn\'t dismiss an embezzler openly.

But as Count, I held absolute power in Vermont.

I could appoint or dismiss anyone as I saw fit.

"Bring out my carriage. I\'m leaving."

"But it\'s already dark. Won\'t you stay?"

"No. I don\'t want to sleep under the same roof as you."

Grinding her teeth, Irene openly expressed her hostility.

I wondered if she was secretly happy about my appointment as Count and just being grumpy, but...

[Irene Vermont\'s favorability has decreased by 10.]

Nope. She genuinely hated me, both outwardly and inwardly.

\'Was she hoping to become the Count herself?\'

If so, I understand.

I understand, but...

Is that all there is to it? Doubts lingered.

More than anything, Irene\'s flinch earlier bothered me.

She was always quick to berate me whenever she saw me.

Yet, she trembled with fear when she saw my face, then suddenly grabbed my chin roughly as if trying to cover up her mistake.

Considering all this...

"Are you on your period?"

"Do you want to die?"

Ah. I meant to say that to myself.

"I just saw off Irene. You can relax the security now."

"Young master, your cheek is swollen. Did you fall or something?"

"Ignore that. And I\'m no longer the young master."

"My apologies. You are now the head of the house."

Sylvia gave a slight bow.

In the past, she followed me with a reluctant expression, barely showing respect.

Now, even her small actions conveyed genuine respect.

"However, we urgently need to reinforce the mansion\'s security. The fragment of the Evil God we saw yesterday may have looked ridiculous, but its power was no joke."

"Are you saying Irene will attack again?"

"Yes. She has done everything to prevent you from inheriting the title, so she won\'t give up now. She will definitely retaliate."

True.

The recent cooperation was due to a crisis threatening the family.

Once the Empress left, Irene and I would return to our hostile relationship.

Wait. We were just a typical sibling rivalry, weren\'t we?

"However, with no security company established yet, there\'s no immediate way to bolster our forces. Therefore, it seems I need to strengthen my own combat abilities. Although my current sword is excellent, a swordsman should always have a spare weapon, even in emergencies, to protect the mansion and your life..."

"If you want a new sword, just say so. No need for the extra explanations."

"I want a new sword."

Sylvia said, standing tall with her shoulders back.

A new sword?

She should just buy one herself, I thought, until I remembered her pay had been docked so many times it was impossible to keep track.

"What kind of sword do you want? Describe it."

"I don\'t have specific preferences for the design, but I would like a dark-colored blade. It gives the impression of high-carbon steel, which seems stronger."

"..."

I don\'t know about that.

"I won\'t be too strict about durability, but it should last about ten years with regular sharpening. Also, it should have a good weight. Heavier blades allow using the sword\'s center of gravity for easier swings. Additionally, though it\'s not a must, it would be great if it were a Holy Sword or a magic sword..."

"Are you talking about a sword like Charlotte\'s Super Strong Sword?"

"..."

Sylvia blushed, nodding shyly.

She was now coveting her disciple\'s sword?

"Mister, Mister! Can I take off this frilly dress now? I want to wear comfortable clothes and go outside to train!"

"Do as you please. Ah. If you\'re going to use the Super Strong Sword, do it at the Arient training grounds."

"I know! Geez, you don\'t have to remind me every time..."

Giggling, Charlotte hugged her sword and ran out.

Watching her retreating figure, Sylvia gulped.

...I need to get Sylvia a new sword soon.

"Oh, right! Mister!"

"Aslan..."

"...?"

I thought Charlotte had left for the training ground.

Turning around, I saw her standing in front of me with Julia.

Julia couldn\'t look me in the eye, fidgeting.

Charlotte, uncharacteristically, was calm and polite.

What\'s with them?

This is their stance when they want something, I thought.

"Thank you, Mister!"

"I-I just wanted to say... thank you... Mister."

"What\'s this about all of a sudden?"

"You told the Empress about the orphanage director!"

"That person... He might set up another orphanage somewhere else and continue abusing children. No, he definitely will. I\'m sure of it. Thank you for stopping him. That, that\'s all! I\'m done! I\'m leaving!"

[The Evil God \'Kali\' smiles warmly.]

Charlotte beamed, and Julia blushed as she ran away.

Facing their pure gratitude, I stood there, dumbfounded.

The orphanage director was someone they had no more ties with.

Why thank me for that?

Because they were worried about other children suffering.

For complete strangers.

\'What incredibly kind-hearted kids.\'

Seeing their untainted sincerity filled me with a bit of self-reproach.

And a satisfaction that would make my day.