The Emperor's Unexpected Decision
The moment the door opened and the Empress emerged alone, Irene reflexively bowed her head.
"Your Majesty. I trust the tea time was enjoyable..."
"Do not fret. Aslan Belmont did not commit the grave discourtesy you feared."
"...!"
Had her anxiety been so plainly written on her face? Irene flinched in surprise. The Empress's piercing gaze seemed to bore straight through her.
"When you say it was not as grave a discourtesy as feared, does that mean some discourtesy was still committed...?"
"Indeed. I found it most displeasing, and have decided to strip the Countess of Belmont of her position as acting Count, along with the proxy head of household title held by the Count's proxy."
"...!"
"In exchange, it has just been decided that Aslan Belmont will formally succeed to the title of Count. You may inform him accordingly."
What? She had thought something catastrophic had occurred, but it was nothing of the sort. Was this... a joke?
Irene stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded. The Empress let out a soft chuckle as if amused by her reaction and walked past.
Her Majesty has never made such a joke before...
Her usual stern and sharp expression had not changed, so Irene had not even realized it was a jest at first. She had never heard that the Empress enjoyed humor. What on earth had happened inside for the Empress's mood to improve so dramatically?
It was not merely a slight improvement. To elevate Aslan, who had been deputy head for ten years, straight to Count in one stroke...? The Empress was famous for her unconventional personnel decisions, but she never made impulsive ones.
I thought he was a brainless monster hosting some grotesque gathering by exploiting children...
Why had that worked? Had there been something she did not know? Had Aslan anticipated this outcome and orchestrated this bizarre scheme?
"Sister. It worked out somehow."
"Oh, uh..."
Aslan emerged from the audience chamber, wiping the sweat from his brow. Irene flinched, the corners of her eyes trembling. The instant their eyes met, an unforgettable, long-buried fear resurfaced, sending a chill down her spine.
Grinding her teeth, Irene grabbed Aslan by the chin.
"What did you say to make her grant you the Count's title in one go?"
"I don't really know either. It just... happened."
"Bullshit. You approached this with calculation from the start. You knew the Empress's preferences, and you knew how to get on her good side. You, you fucking... fucking..."
Her throat trembled uncontrollably. She could not finish her sentence.
Was this really the Aslan she knew? The brainless, good-for-nothing scoundrel who possessed neither social skills nor intellect?
Is Sister truly a Belmont?
Damn it. The nightmares of her childhood came creeping back. Irene's mind began to turn a blinding white.
She quickly turned her head, lest the fear in her eyes be read.
"...Congratulations. In the end, you pushed me aside and became Count."
Thud, thud, thud. To hide the sound of her hiccuping sobs, Irene deliberately stomped away with heavy footsteps. Watching her retreating back, Aslan rubbed his chin and muttered.
"She really holds a grudge..."
Afterward, Empress Vanessa Friedrich formally inspected the territory's condition and departed with a meaningful remark about looking forward to active exchanges with Belmont in the future.
They had hastily prepared a banquet and dinner, yet the Empress declined, either because she felt she had seen all there was to see or because she simply did not enjoy such events. That was the end of it.
The Empress's chaotic visit to Belmont territory, which had felt as long as an eternity, was thus concluded.
"Hoo."
Secretly clutching his chest, Aslan let out a sigh of relief. On the surface he had maintained a calm and composed demeanor, but throughout the audience with the Empress he had been so tense that he could not even remember exactly what he had said.
As the Empress said, the position carries not only rights but also immense responsibilities.
Whether he had wanted it or not, he was now in a position where the livelihoods and lives of many people rested on his shoulders. As someone of such status, he could never show his anxiety outwardly. If his composure wavered, the entire Belmont territory would waver with him.
Anyway, everything turned out well.
The Empress showing excessive interest in him had been unexpected, but everything else had gone far better than anticipated. Especially obtaining the Count's title in one stroke—he still could not tell if this was a dream or reality.
The difference in authority between deputy head and head was like heaven and earth. Until now, the Countess had been acting as Count in his stead, but her current whereabouts and means of living were unknown. Therefore, the Count's seat had effectively been vacant.
That was why even during Leon's time, he had struggled because he could not openly dismiss the embezzler. But as Count, he would wield absolute power within Belmont territory. He could appoint whoever he wished and dismiss anyone who displeased him. Everything would be at his discretion.
"Bring my carriage. I am leaving now."
"The sun has already set. Why not stay the night?"
"I refuse. I have no desire to sleep under the same roof as you."
Grinding her teeth, Irene openly displayed her hostility. He had wondered if she was secretly pleased about his becoming Count and was merely being prickly, but—
> Irene Belmont's favorability has decreased by 10.
Yeah. She was not. Absolutely not. Irene disliked him both outwardly and inwardly, without exception.
Did she want to succeed to the Count's title herself?
If that was the case, he could understand. He could understand, but... was that really all there was to it? A suspicion arose.
Above all, the way Irene had flinched and trembled earlier bothered him. She was a woman who had always seized every opportunity to berate him like a dog whenever she saw him. Yet that same woman had trembled slightly as if frightened upon seeing his face, only to roughly grab his chin moments later, as if trying to hide her own mistake with exaggerated behavior.
If he put all of this together—
"Are you on your period?"
"Do you want to die?"
Ah. He had meant to say that in his head.
"I have seen Irene off. You may lower the alert status now."
"Young Master. One of your cheeks is swollen. Did you fall, perhaps?"
"...Ignore that. Also, I am no longer the deputy head."
"My apologies. You are now the head of the household."
Silvia bowed her head slightly in respect. Previously, she had followed him with a reluctant expression, maintaining only the bare minimum of courtesy out of necessity. Now, even her smallest gestures conveyed genuine respect.
"That aside, we must urgently reinforce the mansion's defenses. The Evil God's avatar we saw yesterday may have looked ridiculous, but the power it contained was anything but."
"You think Irene will attack again."
"Yes. She is a woman who has employed every trick in the book to prevent you from inheriting the title. There is no way she would give up so easily now. Retaliation is certain to come."
That was true. Their temporary alliance had been born of the special circumstance that the family's survival was at stake. Once the Empress left, he and Irene would return to being strangers—nay, something far more lethal.
What was this? They were just ordinary siblings, were they not?
"However, since the security company has not yet been established, there is no way to immediately recruit guards. In that sense, it seems necessary to strengthen the combat power of our existing forces. The sword I currently use is excellent, of course, but a swordsman should always have a spare sword for emergencies, should they not? Only then can we properly protect the mansion and your life..."
"If you want a new sword, just say so. No need to add unnecessary words."
"I want a new sword."
Silvia straightened her shoulders and spoke boldly. She wanted a new sword? Then she could simply buy one herself, could she not? The thought crossed his mind for a moment before he belatedly remembered that Silvia's wage deduction period had already extended to an uncountable length.
"What kind of sword do you want? Tell me."
"I have no particular preferences regarding appearance. However, if possible, I would prefer a dark color. It gives the impression of high-carbon steel, which makes it look stronger, does it not?"
"..."
He knew nothing about that.
"I will not be strict about durability. However, I would like it to remain usable even after ten years of use and repeated sharpening. Also, I would prefer it to have a decent weight. The heavier it is, the easier it is to swing using the center of gravity without expending much strength. Furthermore, though it is not strictly necessary, I would prefer a sword classified as a holy sword or magic sword..."
"You mean something like Charlotte's Super Strong Sword?"
"..."
Silvia nodded shyly, her face flushing as if she were a teenage girl gossiping about a boy she liked.
This girl. Had she really reached the point of coveting her disciple's sword?
"Mister, Mister! Can I take off this frilly skirt now? Can I change into comfortable clothes and go train outside?"
"Do as you like. Ah. If you are going to use the Super Strong Sword, go to the training ground in Arient territory."
"I know! Geez. You don't have to say it every single time. I won't forget..."
Charlotte laughed brightly as she ran off, hugging the Super Strong Sword to her chest. Watching her retreating figure, Silvia swallowed hard, her throat bobbing visibly.
...He would have to get Silvia a new sword as soon as possible.
"Ah, right! Mister!"
"Aslan..."
"...?"
He had thought Charlotte had just left for the training ground, yet when he turned around, she was standing before him alongside Julia. Julia fidgeted, unable to meet his eyes directly, while Charlotte wore an unusually calm and polite expression.
These kids... This was the stance they took when they wanted something, was it not? Just as the thought crossed his mind—
"Thank you, Mister!"
"W-we just wanted to express our gratitude... that's all. ...yo."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"You told Her Majesty about the orphanage director, didn't you?"
"That person... might open another orphanage somewhere else and torment children the same way again. No. If it's that person, he definitely will. I'm sure of it. Thank you for stopping him. Th-that's all! We're done here! I'm leaving! ...yo!"
The Evil God 'Kali' smiles contentedly.
Charlotte beamed with a bright smile, while Julia blushed and fled. Faced with their innocent expressions, Aslan stood rooted to the spot in a daze.
The orphanage director was someone who no longer had any connection to these children who had escaped. Yet they had come to thank him. Why?
Because they were worried other children would suffer. It was for the sake of complete strangers whose names and faces they did not even know.
Just how pure-hearted are these kids?
The result of witnessing their untainted goodwill was a slight pang of self-reproach. And a sense of satisfaction that would likely keep his mood pleasant for the rest of the day.