"Nice to meet you. I’m Yulia."
"Something sounds strange..."
"I’m Charlotte! But what’s with that mask?"
"…Don’t touch it."
"Ah."

Yuri's body instinctively reacted and pushed Charlotte's hand away.
Charlotte's bright expression suddenly froze in surprise.
At that reaction, Yuri felt her heart ache.

"…I wore the mask to focus on the mission."
"Why not take it off? I want to get closer."
"That’s not included in my mission."
"Charlotte, it seems there’s a reason she doesn’t want to take off the mask. Let’s wait for now."
"Umm..."

Slowly,
as she nodded at Yulia’s words, Charlotte stepped back.
Her face clearly showed her sulkiness.
Yuri bit her lip behind the mask, letting out a soundless groan.

'Seeing her up close, it doesn’t seem like she’s changed much...'

Surely, there were some changes.
While not flashy, she wore a neat and elegant dress.
And although it might seem simple, her light armor had a clean charm to it.
Both of them radiated an air of confidence, a far cry from the timid appearances they had during their orphanage days.

But it wasn’t just appearances that defined a person.
Yuri could see it.
Though their appearances had changed slightly, it was clear from their short conversation that Charlotte and Yulia's inner selves hadn’t changed much.

There didn’t seem to be any brainwashing.
Or maybe they had simply been released from it now.
Yuri held onto a sliver of hope that maybe it would be okay to reveal her identity if she took off the mask.

And in that moment...

"…!"

Feeling an intense pressure enveloping her, Yuri flinched and looked back.
Aslan Vermont.
The intimidating noble was staring directly at her.
A distinct aura of menace radiated from him, approaching Yuri.

Yuri's instincts told her that Aslan Vermont was just a mediocre human.
He didn’t seem particularly powerful physically, nor did he appear to excel at magic.
So there was no reason to be afraid.
Yet strangely, Yuri felt her entire body shrink, and her hands began to tremble.

Even though it was a faint aura of menace, it was enough to make her feel this way.

'They said that the Vermont family exudes an aura of menace when angry. If it’s this faint, it means he’s suppressing it significantly.'

Aslan Vermont was angry.
But what could be the reason?
As Aslan approached Yuri with determined strides, her mind went blank.
Ah! What do I do?!

"…Ugh."

Yuri swiftly dodged Aslan’s outstretched hand toward her mask.
She was startled.
She hadn’t expected him to try to remove her mask immediately...!

Aslan spoke, demanding her to remove the mask,
but Yuri had no recollection of how she fumbled her way around it afterward.
She was just rambling mindlessly.
Exposed to the raw aura of Aslan Vermont, Yuri was on the verge of mental collapse.

'Aslan Vermont suspects me...!'

Has he already caught on?
Does he suspect that I know Charlotte and Yulia?
Is that why he’s desperately trying to remove my mask...?!

Yuri readjusted her mask and swallowed hard.
She absolutely couldn’t let it come off.
No matter what happened, she must not.

'If I’m found out, it’s over...!'

How did I come this far?
Would I give up on Charlotte and Yulia after coming this far?
I’ll face Aslan Vermont’s suspicions head-on...!
Yuri gritted her teeth and resolved herself anew.

...

"Head of the family, shouldn’t you suppress your anger a bit?"
"Angry? Did I seem angry?"
"No, it doesn’t show outwardly, but there’s... that aura of menace."

Sylvia approached cautiously and spoke to me.
Aura of menace?
Was that a metaphorical expression?
It seemed that strong individuals like Sylvia had means to detect if someone was angry beyond just facial expressions.

If Sylvia could sense it, then Yuri likely could too.
Perhaps the reason Yuri flinched earlier was that.
No. That monstrous guy couldn’t possibly be scared of me.

Anyway, it was concluded that it was better to suppress my anger in front of Yuri.

"Got it. I’ll try to control myself. I didn’t expect that brat to come wearing a mask."
"Should I forcibly remove it?"
"No. Don’t do that. There’s nothing more disgraceful than using force on a child."
"Head of the family..."

Sylvia looked at me with a gaze that seemed to discover an unexpected side of me.
There are surprisingly many ways to remove that mask.
I could have Sylvia force it off, or I could threaten Yulia or Charlotte as hostages.

But if I went that far, Yuri would undoubtedly harbor a significant grudge against me.
If her hostility towards me so far was merely a vague suspicion and conjecture,
then that would transform into genuine animosity.

'If that happens, I’ll never gain permission for the engagement.'

That can’t happen.
To eventually accept Charlotte and Yulia as my wives, Yuri’s support would be essential.
If I lost any chance to improve my relationship with Yuri, that would be the worst-case scenario.

"Let’s depart. I’ll find a way to remove that annoying brat’s mask later."
"…Brat? Did you just call me a brat?"
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"No, just..."

Sylvia tilted her head, showing a subtle reaction.
Why is she acting like this?
It’s not like she hasn’t seen me curse before.

Having delayed for quite a while under the pretense of writing a letter,
I hurriedly put on my coat and stepped outside.

"…."

When I stepped out, Charlotte and Yulia were keeping a bit of distance from the masked figure.
At first, they had been trying to approach and engage in conversation.
But it seemed they had gotten tired of the cold shoulder defense and had ultimately given up.

It was frustrating.
If she would just take off the mask, everything would be resolved.
Was it because that brat was too cautious?
Or was it because my face looked too sinister, causing her to succumb to strange suspicions and delusions...?

It would be hard to determine who was more to blame.

"Coachman. Head toward the northern fortress city of Esther."
"Yes, we will depart now..."

"Wait a moment! I’m Jacob!"
"…?"

Just then, there was a hurried sound of footsteps, followed by a knocking at the carriage door.
When Sylvia opened it slightly, Jacob, panting heavily, appeared.

He was carrying something large on his back.
Ah. Could it be...
Maybe having the same thought, Sylvia’s expression brightened considerably.

"The sword for Sir Sylvia has been completed."
"Is that true!?"
"But it will be troublesome if you open it now! I used a special finish to slowly cool the sword, and it will disappear when exposed to sunlight. So please don’t unwrap this leather wrap for at least the next 24 hours."

As Sylvia prepared to rip open the wrapping with sheer strength,
Jacob managed to stop her just before she could, as if he was pleading with her.

"What kind of sword is it? At least give me a rough description!"
"Um... Aagh. I’m not sure! Just like when I channeled my grandfather, my body moved on its own and I created the sword...! This is my first time, so I’m not sure how it turned out! I’m sorry, head of the family! I will definitely repay the advance fee as soon as possible!"
"No. You’ve done well."
"Hah...!"

I handed Jacob an envelope filled with checks.
It was half of what I promised as the advance payment.
I had been carrying it with me all this time, unsure of when I would receive the completed product.

Jacob’s eyes grew wide as he received the envelope.
His expression seemed less about being touched and more...
Hmm. It was closer to fear.

It seemed he really had no confidence in the sword's quality.
I patted Jacob on the shoulder and offered him words of encouragement.

"Don’t worry too much. If you don’t like it, you can always make another. Right?"
"Y-Yes?"

Jacob’s face turned pale, and his pupils widened in shock.
Infinite redo.
To the casual listener, it might sound like I was tormenting Jacob, insisting on endless remakes,
but in reality, it was just a way to help him improve his skills.

If not now, when would he practice?
I was doing this because I cared for Jacob.
Someday he would understand.

Leaving the half-dazed Jacob behind,
the carriage door closed, and we soon departed from the mansion.

'This is awkward as hell.'

Before I knew it, the carriage was filled with silence.
Sylvia, hugging the leather-wrapped sword, wore a face akin to a lovestruck young girl.
Charlotte and Yulia were stealing glances at Yuri across the aisle, hesitating.

Were these the same kids who would become rowdy every time they got into a carriage?

'Right. I can’t forcibly remove that mask anyway.'

To be precise, it was impossible for Aslan Vermont to remove that mask.
No matter what trick I pulled, Yuri would only strengthen her suspicions and defenses.
Aslan Vermont might not be able to do it, but I knew someone who could.

"Yulia."
"Yes, Count Vermont."
"I received a letter addressed to the training ground. It was for you."
"…!"

As I handed her the letter, I noticed Yuri flinch.
I was relying on the trust of the kind old man.
This was the best course of action for now.