I'll Be the Villain!
"Was this a mistake...?"
Charlotte beamed with an innocent smile as she hugged the teddy bear. Watching her, I felt a sudden pang of complicated emotions.
I had already promised to buy her a doll, after all. When she pointed at the bear and said she wanted that one, I went ahead and got it for her, but...
What would Julia think?
Julia had originally wanted the teddy bear. Wouldn't she feel quite hurt? That worry started creeping in right away.
No, more importantly—why did Charlotte pick the teddy bear of all things?
Don't tell me she chose it even though she doesn't like it, just to tease Julia...? No, that couldn't be it.
Faced with Charlotte's pure, guileless smile, I immediately dismissed the suspicion. There's no way a child who looked that innocent would do something like that.
I should buy Julia another doll later.
Still, it was the kind of thing that could easily hurt her feelings. Julia might seem sharp and proper, but she had a surprisingly childish side. She was at an age where she could laugh or cry over a single doll.
"This is my first time hugging a doll. I thought it would feel like Heuk-heuk-i, but it's much lighter than that...!"
Charlotte squeezed the bear tightly, shaking it this way and that, lifting it up and down with little sounds of wonder. The way she played with it felt less like a girl with a doll and more like a boy with a robot toy.
"It's warm and fluffy. Now I understand why some kids like dolls so much!"
"You sound like you don't really like it yourself."
"Ah!"
Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise, then she flashed a mischievous little grin.
"You caught me? I wasn't really interested in dolls, but when I saw you buy one for Julia, I wanted one too. Ehehe."
"Then I should've bought you something else instead."
"It probably wouldn't have made much difference. It's not about what I get—it's that you bought it for me that matters."
"..."
Charlotte hugged the bear tightly, as if it were precious. If you looked at her like this, she seemed like a gentle, doll-loving little angel. I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it.
Soon after, the carriage came to a stop. As I got out first and reached back inside, Charlotte raised the doll high above her head in triumph.
"Help me down!"
I slipped my hands under her arms and lifted her out. Her armpits were smooth and oddly tempting to squeeze. When I let go, she landed with a little "Hup!"
She didn't seem to mind being treated like a child at all. It was the complete opposite of Julia's personality.
"Hmm..."
Just before entering the mansion, Charlotte stopped at the door and spun around to face me. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke.
"Sir, Julia might come to pick a fight with you later."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Because I'm going to provoke her a lot."
"..."
So the doll was part of that plan. She could be surprisingly ruthless.
Charlotte smiled, a hint of bitterness in her expression.
"But please don't hate Julia too much, okay? She's more delicate than she looks. She just expresses affection in a clumsy way."
"I understand what you're worried about."
I placed my hand on her head. Charlotte looked up at me, puzzled. Here she was, worrying about her friend when she could barely take care of herself. Cheeky, but endearing.
If she was worried, she could've just said so nicely. But if she was planning to provoke Julia, then Charlotte wasn't much better at expressing affection either.
"But you don't need to worry. I'm quite patient."
Of course I knew Julia was a tsundere. Fortunately, I was the kind of person who could show near-infinite patience when it came to children.
It's not like I actually wanted Charlotte and Julia to earn a billion larks each. I just didn't want them to hate me enough to want me dead.
If I were to be greedier, I'd hope that one day they'd say something nice about me to Yuri. Anything more than that would be asking too much.
The surest way would be to make them my complete allies, but that seemed far from realistic.
It's not like I can raise them and eat them like the maids said.
For all I knew, Yuri might have romantic feelings for one of them. And if I tried to steal them away? Getting torn limb from limb wouldn't be surprising.
Ah, if only Yuri weren't that little brat...
"Hehe. That's a relief."
Charlotte finally turned around with a lighter expression and reached for the doorknob.
"Wait. How exactly are you planning to provoke Julia?"
"It's nothing big. I'm just going to use a little magic to make her a bit more honest."
"...?"
"I'll be the villain!"
Charlotte's eyes gleamed with determination. Somehow, that made me uneasy.
"Hand!"
"...?"
"Hand! Give it here! ...yo!"
Julia burst into my office without warning, spouting nonsense. When I didn't respond, she stomped over with the shark plush tucked under one arm.
"Nngh! Uuuugh!"
She dragged the large sofa right up next to my chair, then flopped down on it with the shark in her arms, boldly shoving her head toward me.
Her protest demanding my hand had become quite aggressive.
"Did you sleep last night?"
"Not at all...yo."
"Think you'll be able to sleep now?"
"I don't know...yo."
Julia placed the shark plush on my desk where it was clearly visible, then turned her head away when I looked at her. It was a very deliberate protest.
"If you want the bear when we go out again, I'll buy it for you. I checked again, and the owner seems to keep at least one of each type in stock now."
"...I don't need it."
"Stop sulking and just take it. You'll regret it later."
"No. I'm not sulking. I really don't need it. This one is enough...yo."
Julia spoke with a serious expression, as if offended by the assumption that she was being petty. So this one was enough, huh? She must've grown attached to the shark already.
Yeah. Nothing beats the bond formed from spending time together. So please, don't get attached to me...
It smells like Julia.
I secretly pressed my nose into the shark plush and inhaled. The scent of Julia was so vivid it felt like I'd buried my face in her shoulder. Proof that she'd been hugging it often and for long periods.
"Um, Aslan."
"..."
She said she came to sleep, but she sure had a lot to say. And it didn't seem like she was just here to be difficult. What was she after?
"Am I a bother?"
"..."
Damn it. She came here to throw a tantrum.
"Huh? Answer me. Am I a bother...yo?"
"Very much so. And high maintenance."
That was literally true. Every time Julia fell asleep, one of my hands got sealed away.
"Then what if I could sleep without you? ...yo?"
"It'd be much more convenient."
"..."
"And maybe a little lonely."
Julia's body trembled slightly against my hand. People adapt, after all. At first it had been so inconvenient I couldn't get any work done, but now I could handle business at nearly the same speed even with one hand occupied by Julia.
Once she fell asleep, I could secretly squish her soft cheeks. That buff effect seemed to boost my efficiency too. All things considered, it might even be a net gain.
"I don't really mind."
"...You don't mind? Really? I tried sleeping on my own today, and if I force my eyes shut, I can manage for a little while. In a few days, I might really be able to sleep without your hand. Should I stop coming at night from now on?"
Why was she asking me that? Her tone dripped with reluctance.
"Just keep coming."
"...Okay. I will."
Julia agreed obediently, still facing away from me.
...I think I know what she's thinking.
"You little—"
"Aah!?"
I grabbed Julia's cheek and stretched it out. She jumped up with a high-pitched yelp.
"What are you doing!? ...yo!"
"You were saying such ridiculous things, I couldn't help it."
"What do you mean...!"
"Were you afraid I'd favor Charlotte? Worried you'd fall behind and not be able to collect your billion larks?"
"N-no... That's not it..."
It was obvious what she'd be thinking. She was always plotting her escape, so the moment she felt I was neglecting her, she'd worry about losing her money source.
"Unfortunately, I have no intention of leaving either of you behind. I'll make sure both of you become useful to me somehow. The one who should be worried is me, the one who has to make it happen—not you two. If you understand, go to sleep. And stop saying weird things."
"..."
Had I hit the mark? Julia quietly lay back down on the sofa without another word, pulling my hand closer to her cheek.
"Ehehehe."
"...?"
I could've sworn I just heard an incredibly silly laugh. Must've been my imagination.