"Is this the first time such a phenomenon has occurred?"
"Yes. I’m really surprised as well..."

Still somewhat in a daze, Silvia kept clenching and unclenching her fists.
Since it was Silvia saying it, I could be certain.
It wasn’t a mistake or an illusion, it was real.

Silvia’s sword had truly cleaved the spot where Reinhardt’s face had been, and the sword’s edge had cut through the past.
I could tentatively conclude that much.

Was there something special about the sword itself?
Or was it Silvia’s own ability?
I couldn’t tell for sure right now.

From the way it was described as the first time this had happened, it didn’t seem like she could control it at will.
If she could use it freely, she wouldn’t have had so much trouble at the palace.

"I’ll practice it well! If I can use this power at my will, it will surely be a great asset!"
"Good luck."

Silvia’s eyes sparkled as she shouted with enthusiasm.
She must have been excited since this was the first hint of a power boost she had discovered after all this time.

By the way, a sword that cuts through the past...
What exactly is this Jacob guy doing?
The super strong sword, and the impressive performance of the swords he crafted, these things are no joke.

‘I need to strengthen the security of Jacob's guard and the forge.’

By now, there might even be weapons delivered to the outside that are far beyond what anyone could imagine.
Once those start circulating, rumors about Jacob’s skills will spread fast.
Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Jacob gains a reputation that surpasses that of even a famed master blacksmith.

‘I wonder if Yuria is getting along with the kids by now.’

By now, Yuria must have already unpacked.
Since I had left the mansion empty, only Charlotte, Yulia, and Yuria would be there now.

Since Yuria was wearing a mask to hide her relationship with the children,
I thought that if I stayed away for a while, she might take it off and speak openly with them.
That way, I could ease her wariness quickly.
If a friend, with no ulterior motive or pretense, told her that Aslan Vermont was a good person, Yuria would have no choice but to believe it.

‘Should I hope for that...?’

When I returned, the three of them were in a cheerful mood, playing together.
Yuria’s mask was off.
Could it be that, instead of the contemptuous expression Yuria had always shown when looking at me, I would see a look of affection?

My heart raced with excitement.
As the sun set and the sky grew dark, the carriage arrived at the Vermont mansion.

"How are the kids?"
"Oh. They’re in the storage room right now..."

Hearing the report from the maid, who seemed somewhat flustered, I immediately headed toward the storage room.
Let's see what’s going on.
I threw the door open.

"Stop being so unreasonable, Charlotte!"
"It’s not me, it’s Yulia who’s being unreasonable! Why won’t you admit it?!"
"..."

[The Evil God, 'Kali,' expresses great displeasure, complaining about a pain in the chest!]

An entirely unexpected scene unfolded before me.
Charlotte and Yulia, both with flushed faces, stood facing each other, shouting at the top of their lungs.
This wasn’t some playful quarrel or acting—it was a genuine argument.

They fought over trivial matters every day,
but they’d always been close, like sisters. So why...?

I was at a loss for what was going on.
It seemed like I couldn’t make sense of it, and I felt confused.

"Both of you, quiet down. What’s going on in the storage room?"
"..." "..."

As I approached, making my presence known, Charlotte and Yulia quickly shut their mouths, ceasing the argument.
But neither of them relaxed, both still shaking with tension in their shoulders.
I glanced over at Yuria, wondering what was happening.

‘Why is she like this again?’

Yuria was trembling, her fists clenched tight, staring up at me.
I couldn’t see her expression through the mask, but it almost seemed like there was a murderous glint in her eyes.

Charlotte and Yulia were fighting fiercely,
and it seemed like Yuria was becoming more hostile toward me.
The once cheerful atmosphere was now completely soured.
I felt like I might cry.

"Let’s eat first."
"...Okay."
"...Yes."

Before asking about the situation, I led the kids to the dining hall.
The cause of the fight was probably 99% stress.

And hunger always triggers or amplifies stress.
When people are hungry and annoyed, a meal might make everything seem like a trivial issue.
To reconcile, the priority was to make sure they ate well and felt comfortable.

"..." "..."

Charlotte and Yulia were silent, not even looking at each other, maintaining a cold atmosphere.
But it seemed like the situation wasn’t serious enough for them to refuse food.
Both Charlotte and Yulia brought their food bowls and sat down at the table.
For some reason, though, Yuria was glaring at me, her hands trembling even harder.

‘Oh no. Is it because of the food bowls?’

Could it be that Yuria was angry because I gave Charlotte and Yulia food bowls for pets?
I must have been insensitive.
Realizing my mistake, I quickly switched the regular plate in front of Yuria with an extra custom pet bowl I had ordered just in case.

"What is this...?"

[The Evil God, 'Kali,' gives you a thumbs-up for your considerate action.]

With a clink, Yuria’s clenched fist relaxed.
Although I couldn’t see her expression, she must have been deeply moved, maybe even on the verge of tears.
Proud of myself, I wiped my nose and returned to my seat.

"So, why did you two fight today, on Yuria’s first day at the mansion?"
"..." "..."

As I slowly finished the main dish and dessert started to arrive, I broke the awkward silence in the dining room and gently brought up the topic.
But, instead of answering, both of them kept glancing at me uneasily.
"It wouldn’t make sense for me to not know about the conflict happening in my own mansion. If you don’t tell me, you both won’t get snacks starting tomorrow. So, you’d better start talking."

[The Evil God, 'Kali,' asks you not to be too harsh.]

There would be no mercy.
When I pulled out the joker card of snack deprivation, Charlotte and Yulia finally flinched and stopped to speak.
It worked.

"Well... Yulia keeps saying ridiculous things!"
"Hah!? It’s Charlotte who started it! ...Right?"
"Both of you, lower your voices. One at a time, tell me what happened. Charlotte, you go first."

Just as their voices were rising again, I quickly quieted them down.
This didn’t seem like a short-term conflict at all.
It felt like a long-standing grudge had built up over the years, and now it had erupted.

"Well, it’s because Yulia won’t admit it! Anyone can see that she’s more feminine, prettier, and cuter than I am! Her only flaw is that she’s a little too shy, but other than that, she’s perfect! And yet she keeps denying it!"
"See! You’re the one saying it yourself! You’re saying she’s perfect but pointing out flaws! That’s a contradiction! Of course Charlotte, who’s always outside in the sun and moving around a lot, would have more vitality than I do! Anyone would prefer bright and cheerful Charlotte over me, the quiet and introverted type!"
"Ah! You’re mad at what I just said, aren’t you!?"
"What? No! I’m not!"
"You’re upset because I called you shy and annoying, right? You repeated it twice, so it’s clear you’re upset!"
"Anyway, you’re cuter!"
"No, I’m not...!"

In an instant, the dining table erupted into chaos again.
I could only let out a dry laugh, unable to do anything to stop it.
I was so stunned I didn’t even know what to think.

‘So, these two... were fighting over who’s prettier...?’

I’ve seen people fight over who’s more beautiful, but I’ve never seen anyone argue like this over admitting it.
Maybe it was an issue of excessive affection for each other, or perhaps low self-esteem...
It was such a strange conflict that I couldn’t even begin to understand it.

"They still won’t admit it! You pointed out my flaws and then called me perfect!"
"Where’s the flaw in that? Yulia’s shyness and annoyance are part of her charm! Who wouldn’t love a tsundere suddenly becoming honest?!"
"Are you calling it ‘charm’...? That’s absurd!"
"Should I ask Aslan? Who’s right?"
"Fine! Aslan, tell us! Of course, Charlotte is cuter, right?"
"No, Yulia is prettier."
"..."

Both Charlotte and Yulia turned to look at me.
The bomb was now in my lap.
I was so stunned that I let out another dry laugh.

"Look at you two, arguing over something so meaningless..."

Oh no, I ended up speaking my mind without filtering it.
In that moment...

"That’s right! That’s exactly what I meant!"
"Ah!?"

Hikari suddenly stood up as if relieved, then quickly covered her mouth as she realized her outburst.
Charlotte and Yulia both turned to stare at her.

...hiccup.
The sound of Yuria hiccuping echoed throughout the quiet dining room.