Is That True?
Rattle, rattle.
Yuri dragged her carrier bag along, stomping her feet into the ground with every irritated step.
Whether it was the unfamiliar skirt she almost never wore, or the fact that she had been forced to go stay at Belmont Manor, Yuri was thoroughly annoyed—her temper had climbed all the way to the top of her head.
I never knew the Dark Mister had such a childish side…
She never imagined he would issue an outright “order” for her to spend the entire vacation at Belmont Manor.
When she pushed back a little, far from withdrawing the instruction, he only made it stricter. She hadn’t seen that coming at all.
This is him getting petty because I talked back, right? That’s what this is, isn’t it?
Having always known only the Dark Mister’s gentle side, being hit with this full force left her more than a little flustered.
That letter… did I write it too rudely…?
The last letter she had sent weighed on her mind.
Saying she wouldn’t send any letters during the vacation…
Maybe that had been going too far.
No, no. The Dark Mister brought this on himself first.
Just as her resolve started to soften, Yuri shook her head hard and steeled herself again.
He was the one who dug his heels in first.
So a letter boycott was a pretty light response, wasn’t it?
Even while thinking she might have come on a bit strong, Yuri had zero intention of taking back her declaration that she wouldn’t write.
Why Belmont Manor of all places…?
Around the time the rattling carriage entered the highway, Yuri rested her chin on the window frame and found herself thinking how often the Dark Mister and Aslan Belmont seemed tangled up together.
Well. They were best friends, so maybe it was only natural.
Telling her to stay at Belmont Manor for the vacation was probably because they were close, and because he trusted Aslan Belmont that much…
The Dark Mister must not realize just how sly a man Aslan Belmont really is.
Aslan Belmont was absolutely not a man you could trust.
Granted, contrary to appearances he was loyal, courageous, and strong-willed—she would give him that much.
But no matter how she looked at it, Aslan Belmont seemed to like her…
The Dark Mister clearly didn’t know that.
If he had, he never would have sent her to Belmont Manor.
Still, looking at it another way… maybe this is a good thing.
Being ordered around felt unpleasant, but when she thought it through, it wasn’t entirely bad.
Charlotte and Yulia were at Belmont Manor, after all.
This was a chance to find out more clearly what kind of situation those two were in.
Until now, every time she had met Charlotte and Yulia, Aslan Belmont had been right there with them.
Maybe there were things they had no choice but to hide because he was present.
If she stayed at the manor, she could meet Charlotte and Yulia without Aslan around…!
The perfect chance to peel off Aslan Belmont’s final mask!
Since she was going anyway, Yuri decided to bury her irritation for now.
If he didn’t get any letters the whole vacation, even the Dark Mister would have to admit he’d gone too far…
Just as she thought that, the carriage came to a stop.
Outside the window, Belmont Manor’s famous—no, infamous—landmark filled her entire field of view: a gigantic dung-colored spirit.
“Ah… hello. Starting today I’ll be imposing on Belmont Manor for the vacation period… Please take care of me, Count…”
“Yes. I heard from your patron. Welcome.”
“…”
The moment she stepped down from the carriage with her carrier, Count Belmont came out to greet her.
The faint smile playing on his lips somehow felt unpleasant.
Ah. This man just always looked unpleasant for no particular reason.
Yuri accepted that fact immediately.
“Um. What exactly did you hear from my patron…?”
“That you’ve been causing so much trouble he wants me to keep an eye on you. Especially that Imperial Guard field training, was it? He begged me not to let you go anywhere near a place packed with rough, young, hot-blooded thugs who have no real ability.”
“…?”
Really?
It sounded plausible on the surface, yet something about it felt oddly distorted.
The Dark Mister would never have opposed field training for such a petty reason.
The way he put it, it almost sounded like the Dark Mister had banned her from going because he was jealous she might get friendly with the guards.
The Dark Mister wasn’t that small-minded…
You see only what you want to see, as they say.
Because of Aslan Belmont’s own petty nature, he was projecting the same traits onto the Dark Mister.
“You’re also one of my employees, so I accepted the request without further back-and-forth. Think of this as your own home and make yourself comfortable. As long as you promise to follow the manor rules, that is.”
“Rules? What do you mean…?”
“The two who were already staying here first are following them, so making an exception only for you might leave them feeling deprived. First: every morning starts with three laps around the training grounds. Second and last: no allowance will be issued separately, so earn it yourself. Room and board are provided, but any other expenses are entirely on you.”
“Ah! I, um, I already receive an allowance every month from my patron…”
“During the vacation it will be sent to this address, so I’ll confiscate it and return it when you leave the manor. With interest, of course.”
“…”
Confiscating her allowance…
What right did he have to take the money the Dark Mister gave her?
Not even five minutes after entering the manor and her mood had already plummeted.
“Any other restrictions?”
“None. Live freely. Your room is prepared in the basement, so unpack on your own. I have business at the academy, so I’ll be going. Silvia.”
“Yes, my lord. I will accompany you.”
“Ah… ah…?”
At that moment Aslan Belmont hastily threw on his coat and left.
In the blink of an eye Aslan Belmont and his knight escort were gone, leaving Yuri alone at the front gate with nothing but her carrier.
Ugh…
She had hoped for a picture of Aslan leaving the manor so she could stay with Charlotte and Yulia, but she never imagined that moment would arrive this fast.
She had assumed Aslan would be wary of her and rarely leave the manor empty…
Anyway, this works out!
There might be some scheme behind it, but either way it was convenient.
From now on she could investigate more closely how Charlotte and Yulia lived in this manor…!
“…!”
In that instant she felt a prickling presence.
Every hair on Yuri’s body stood on end; a chill ran through her.
An animal instinct warning of danger.
Yuri’s body moved on its own. She quickly pulled a mask from her carrier and yanked it over her face.
Then she turned around.
“Ah, damn. I almost got a look at her face.”
“Her hands really are crazy fast…!”
Just as she expected.
Peeking out from behind the door were Charlotte and Yulia.
Whew. That was close—she almost had her identity exposed.
Yuri patted her nonexistent chest and let out a sigh of relief.
“You’re staying with us the whole vacation starting today!? For real? Is that it, Yuri? Ah—no! Yuria?”
“Ehehehe! Welcome! I was praying I could get closer to Yuria, and now it’s actually happening!”
“Ah…!?”
Clatter-clatter!
They came running over in a flurry and closed the distance in an instant—Charlotte and Yulia.
Had Charlotte and Yulia always been the type to get friendly with people this easily?
They had met quite a few times, sure, but until now she had always worn the mask and treated them coldly…
The unexpectedly warm welcome left Yuri more than a little bewildered.
Did their personalities change a lot after coming here?
Back at the orphanage, Charlotte had been lively but full of wariness.
Once you spent a long time and effort becoming close, she showed her chatty, bright true self without reservation—but until then she always seemed quiet and well-behaved.
And Yulia was so introverted she would never approach someone first like this.
The only people she ever came to first were Yuri and Charlotte…
Maybe life at the manor had unexpectedly brightened Charlotte and Yulia’s personalities.
She had come to strip away Aslan Belmont’s final mask, yet somehow she felt she was going to end up reevaluating him.
At this rate… maybe I can just ask?
Originally she had planned to close the distance more and only throw the question out near the end of the vacation.
But with the atmosphere like this, it didn’t seem like it would be a problem.
And Aslan Belmont wasn’t even here right now…
Yuri took one deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and just blurted it out.
“Um, um! There’s one thing I’m curious about!”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Ask away!”
“I heard a rumor that Count Belmont is raising you two to make you his wives someday… is that true…?”
“…”
She had done it!
She actually said it!
Silence settled for a moment.
Just as Yuri carefully opened her eyes—
“H-hm. Th-that? That’s of course…”
“It’s true!”
“It’s not true…”
“…?”
Their answers didn’t match…?
Confronted with yet another completely unexpected situation, Yuri felt a splitting headache coming on.