Tickets
Two letters from the Dark Mister have already arrived...?
Hearing Aslan's words left Yuri feeling strangely unsettled.
It was the second day since she had declared she would not answer the Dark Mister's letters. Right up until the moment she left the mansion she had even reaffirmed her resolve to stick to that declaration. Yet the instant she learned that two letters had arrived from him, her heart began to waver.
Two letters in two days—he must have sent them one right after the other.
Did he get startled because I was sulking?
What would the letters say? Would he sneer that he intended to watch how long her feeble rebellion lasted? Or would he try to soothe her?
She was curious. So curious she could go mad! She wanted to check them at once!
But she knew that the moment she looked at those letters, the urge to scribble out a reply would surge up uncontrollably. So she had no choice but to force it down.
I don't want to look like an easy woman...
She refused to show herself flipping her words as casually as turning over a palm. She hoped the Dark Mister would never think of her as a frivolous girl. With that thought, Yuri groaned silently in distress.
And it's not as if my anger has completely cooled yet, either.
Even aside from that, she still had no intention of conversing with him. She had yet to receive a single apology for being forcibly flung into the Belmont mansion.
Of course, she was beginning to understand why the Dark Mister had sent her here. Since he was an acquaintance of Aslan Belmont, he would naturally have known about Charlotte and Yulia as well. He had probably heard the name Yuri from the two of them—and realized it was her. But she kept wearing a mask and hiding her identity, so he must have grown frustrated. If she stayed at the mansion for two months she was bound to slip up at least once. He had almost certainly intended for her to accidentally reveal herself to Charlotte and Yulia and thereby induce a reunion.
...Though even the Dark Mister could not have known it would happen on the second day instead of after two months.
So he had clearly sent her here for her own sake... but would it have hurt to give her a single heads-up? He could have told her the reason in advance. Cutting off all context and simply issuing an order still rankled, and that anger had yet to fade. If he explained the circumstances later and soothed her, she was willing to let it go... She wanted the full two months to pass so she could finally send a reply to the Dark Mister.
Ah. But I don't want this sweet time to slip away completely...
On second thought, once she left the mansion, when would she ever get to stay so close to Charlotte and Yulia again? She wished they could remain together like this forever—yet she also wished vacation would end...
Yuri wavered back and forth until she could no longer tell which way her own heart was pointing.
"Once your academy business is finished, do you have any other plans?"
"Ah—no. None..."
At that moment Aslan drifted closer. Yuri shrank back a little under the pressure and answered quietly.
"I will leave the carriage. Ride it back when you return."
"..."
Yuri felt her breath catch in her throat. He wanted her to take this same carriage even on the way back? And he was keeping it waiting the entire time...? It was nothing less than silent pressure not to wander off once her business was done and to return straight to the mansion. Well, of course. Aslan Belmont could not possibly trust her, so this kind of restraint was only natural...
Just as she was about to resign herself—
"Do not misunderstand. Having received you as a guest, I would be put in a difficult position if any harm came to you. That is the only reason."
"..."
He read my mind...?
At Aslan's reply Yuri bit down on her pouting lips. She suddenly wanted to know whether he truly meant it for her safety or whether it was merely an adult's convenient excuse for control.
"W-well, actually I do have other plans after my business is finished. I might arrive quite late—would that be all right?"
"Of course. Nine-tenths of a coachman's job is waiting."
"Hmm... I really will be leaving very late. After the coachman's quitting time, even."
"What will keep you so long?"
"..."
Yuri averted her eyes and pressed her lips tightly together. Did she have to report even that? The house rules she had been told upon first entering the mansion had mentioned nothing about curfews or accounting for every move. Didn't that mean she was free to keep secrets?
He's going to get angry, isn't he?
Since things were not going his way, Aslan Belmont was surely seething. She waited for the moment he would shout, "Then do as you please!"—
Instead a soft, mocking little snicker came from beside her.
"The reason you plan to roam the night streets until the late hours... may I venture a guess?"
"..."
"Today is Friday—the busiest day for the theater district. Plenty of houses run performances deep into the night. Once your work is finished, do you intend to spend the entire evening hopping from theater to theater watching plays?"
"...!?"
The uncanny deduction made Yuri's whole body shudder. How on earth did he know? No one except the Dark Mister knew she was so fond of theater... Yet he had hit the mark with so few clues. It had to be pure luck. She turned her head, pretending to be unmoved—only for her eyes to snap involuntarily to the two tickets Aslan drew from his coat.
"Ah, n-no? I have no interest in plays at all—"
"What a pity. If you enjoyed the theater I was going to give you tickets for tonight's ten-o'clock performance by the National Troupe. But since you have no interest, I suppose I have no choice but to dispose of them—"
"W-wait a moment!"
"..."
Just before he could tear the tickets, Yuri lunged and seized them. In that instant Aslan wore a thoroughly sly smile. Yuri squeezed her eyes shut in horror. By reacting she had as good as admitted every one of his guesses was correct... She had walked straight into the trap!
But I really, really want to see the National Troupe's performance...
It was a trap she had no choice but to spring even knowing it was there. After all, once the National Troupe left the capital this time they would never return. After one final nationwide tour they were scheduled to disband; this was the last chance. She had already given up trying to obtain tickets because the competition was so fierce. Who could have imagined Aslan Belmont would have two VIP seats?
Yuri fixed her gaze on the tickets and swallowed hard.
"I-I've suddenly become interested... I just this very moment decided I would spend the whole evening going from theater to theater watching plays... Would you... watch this performance with me...?"
"..."
This is what Aslan Belmont wanted all along, isn't it? He prepared two tickets because he wanted to watch a play with me.
Being with Aslan was still unpleasant... but for a once-in-a-lifetime performance she could endure it.
"I'm afraid I'm too busy to keep you company."
"Wh-what!?"
"Go with Charlotte and Yulia instead."
"...!?"
Snap. The tickets suddenly became three. Ah!? He had simply been holding three tickets stacked to look like two...!
Embarrassment crashed over her in a wave; Yuri's face turned scarlet in an instant.
This makes it look like I was trying to seduce him into watching a play just the two of us!!!
She had been had! She had never once wanted to watch a performance alone with Aslan Belmont! She had been tricked by his sly little sleight of hand...!
Yuri trembled with suppressed fury, fists clenched. Aslan merely watched her and smirked.
"Go back and ask Charlotte and Yulia. If they agree, I will send you to the theater in time for the performance. Today you will serve as their escort and bring the children home safely. I am counting on you."
"I-uh..."
"We have arrived. Did you still have something to say?"
"..."
The carriage creaked to a halt, and Yuri's words stuck in her throat. At last she managed to force her lips apart.
"Th-thank you... That is the performance I wanted to see more than anything..."
"Enjoy yourselves."
"Yes..."
Aslan held out the tickets. Unable to bear the awkwardness any longer, Yuri snatched them up and practically leapt from the carriage. She sprinted toward the research wing, half-ready to scream.
Aaaah! National Troupe tickets are in my hands...!
And she would share that precious time with Charlotte and Yulia! It felt like a dream. Bubbling with joy she let out a little hum before finally calming her excitement.
How unexpected. I was sure he would attach some nasty condition in exchange for the tickets...
She had never imagined he would simply hand them over. She had been certain Aslan Belmont would have some sinister ulterior motive. Perhaps he was not quite the demon she had thought...
Yuri settled her thoughts—and for some reason felt her heart begin to pound hard and fast.