"Yuria... Yulia! This little one! She’s working as a guard for the mansion!"
[Kyaaah! How dare you treat me like a dog guarding the house!!!]
"Huh? You weren’t just a lazy snack-eating, rolling critter...?"
[Kyaaah! You’ve gone beyond rude, little brat!!!]

The morning was filled with the pitiful shouting of the little critter.
Has Yuria now been officially dubbed the "big brat"?
No matter how much the critter raged, Yuria boldly reached out and patted its head.

[Big brat! Now that you live here, you have an obligation to give me half of your snacks! If you skip out, I won’t let you off lightly, so keep that in mind!]
"It feels soft and pleasant to the touch..."
[Kyaaah! Are you listening?!]

The critter leapt towards Yuria as if to show who’s boss, but it was immediately held back by Yuria’s long arm, with its short limbs flailing helplessly in the air.
That was when the hierarchy was firmly established.

By the way, the critter was a high-ranking spirit, so it must have had some strength.
It had been crushed by Yulia’s binding magic, and it was subdued by Charlotte, Sylvia, and Yuria’s overwhelming force.
No wonder the critter might feel aggrieved.

'Wait a minute. But Yuria... she’s not wearing her mask...?'

Yuria had always been quick to hide her identity behind a mask and change her voice when she was around Charlotte and Yulia.
But now, she wasn’t wearing a mask and was acting naturally?

'Did she finally reveal her identity to Charlotte and Yulia?'

This was quite a big moment.
When Yuria first appeared wearing the mask, her blood pressure almost shot through the roof, and she almost fainted.
But now, it seemed like Yuria was truly comfortable, and this was the result of Aslan Vermont’s bold move to force her to stay in the mansion.

Two months—two whole months.
If Yuria had stayed in the mansion for two months, she would be forced to face Yulia inside and Charlotte outside every day.
Would she really be able to keep up with wearing that uncomfortable mask and using the voice-modifying spell every single day?

That was impossible.
And Yuria must have known that too.
So, being the clever girl she was, she probably gave up the pointless resistance and took off the mask on her own.

'But surely she wasn’t caught by some silly mistake?'

Surely, after two months of perfect disguise, she hadn’t been caught because of some clumsy slip-up?
No, it was only the third day—there was no way that happened.
She must have taken the mask off willingly.
At least that’s what I believed.

"Yuria."
"Ah, yes. Ba-... Count..."

Unable to stop herself, she hurriedly approached, trembling, and hiccuped.
Could it be that she was nervous about her relationship with the kids being discovered?
If that’s the case, she should have been caught already, so there was no need to worry.

"Where is your mask? You wore it all the time the first day."
"Ah, well... should I wear it again?"
"No. I’m glad it’s gone. Before, you said you wore it to avoid unnecessary relationships. But I just wanted to say thank you for getting along so well with the kids."
"..."

Yuria’s face, which had been partially hidden by her hair, was gently swept aside as it was pushed behind her ear.
When I thought she was a guy, her hair had seemed so short.
But now that I was touching it, it was actually quite long.
...I still don’t understand how I mistook her for a guy back then.

"I... I should thank you too!"
"...?"

Just as she was about to turn away,
Yuria suddenly spoke loudly, her head lowered.
Shaking, her hands trembled as she struggled to speak.

"I... really thank you..."
"Was it about the tickets yesterday? Don’t worry about it. If you want to see something else later, just tell me."
"Huh? You mean...?"
"Don’t refuse. I saw how happy the kids looked when we went out together, so this is my way of showing my support for that."
"Yes... I’ll graciously accept your kindness..."

[The Evil God, ‘Cali,’ smiles approvingly at Yuria’s change.]

Finally, Yuria obeyed my words without hesitation.
It wasn’t that I was supporting her out of a sense of guilt—everything I did was for her sake,
but of course, if I had said that directly, she would have rejected me. So I made sure to give excuses, like saying it was for Charlotte and Yulia’s sake.

When I said I’d support her as the mysterious “dark uncle,” she rejected everything except a small allowance.
But now that I had successfully inserted myself into her life, I couldn’t help but smile at the strange feeling of satisfaction.
‘This is how she’ll get used to receiving my kindness...’

At first, Charlotte and Yulia had been the same.
They were wary of even the food I gave them, and I had to serve it in a dog bowl for them to eat it.
But as time went on, they got used to my kindness and eventually realized there was no ulterior motive, no malice behind it.
...I sincerely hoped that would be the case with Yuria as well.

"Ah?"
"...!?"

As they passed the corridor,
a maid suddenly screamed and ran into me, causing her basket to spill over me.

"...Ugh."
"I-I'm sorry! I’m really sorry, Master!"

The maid, bowing repeatedly, apologized profusely.
I wondered what she had been in such a rush for, only to realize it was a laundry basket.
The contents of the basket spilled all over me, causing chaos.

And then, I felt something soft cover my face...

"Ah! That’s mine..."
Embarrassed, Sylvia quickly tried to hide the bra she had been holding, which was now covering my face.
I was at a loss for words for a moment.
I knew Sylvia was big, but... was it that big?

The size of it completely covered my face, and it seemed impossibly large.
I hadn’t realized just how big Sylvia was getting so used to being around her.
But now, seeing it up close, I couldn’t help but be struck by its sheer power.

'How massive must she be in person?'

I’d never actually seen Sylvia’s bare chest, but if I did...
What would it feel like to hold it in my hands, or how heavy would it be?
Suddenly, the thought made my heart drop, and a wave of fear swept over me.
What if it was shoved right into my face?

"Agh!"
"Master! Are you alright?"
"I’m fine... I just had a terrifying thought..."
"...?"

I could hardly breathe under the weight of the bra on my face.
If I had actually been buried in it, I probably would have suffocated.
Just the thought of it made it hard to breathe and filled me with an unspeakable terror.
For a moment, I couldn’t help but respect Sylvia’s strength and muscular back, knowing how hard it must have been to carry that around.

"Is there a hygiene problem, Sylvia?"
"Huh? There’s nothing wrong with it... Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"It smells like sweat. Is it because you don’t change often, or is it just the scent itself? If it’s the former, there’s a hygiene problem, and if it’s the latter, it could be a health warning. You should definitely get a check-up..."
"Aaaah! I’ll take care of it myself!!!"
"Ugh!"

Sylvia quickly interrupted me as she pulled her bra away.
Was this how it was going to be now?
Just as I was about to scold her, she suddenly blocked me with her sword.

"Master, step back."
"...!"

The atmosphere shifted instantly.
From behind Sylvia, I saw a carriage parked at the main gate.
And the moment my eyes landed on the passionate red high heels stepping out of the carriage,
a chill ran down my spine.

‘This sensation... it’s definitely my sister.’

As I confirmed it, Irene stepped out of the carriage.

"Sylvia. I know you're being cautious, but calm down. There's no need to draw your sword. Surely, my sister wouldn't attack us..."
"Understood, Master."

Irene, after the incident, had become more friendly with me, so I wasn’t worried.
...Or so I thought.
Just as Sylvia’s trembling voice warned me,
a sharp whistling sound cut through the air, and Irene’s new sword-like blade shot towards us.

"...!"

In an instant, Irene vanished from my sight, only to reappear right in front of me, bypassing Sylvia.
Before I could even react, she was right in my face, looking at me with urgency.

"Aslan! Laura’s familiar is in pain, and I have no idea why! I can’t take her to the hospital, and I have no one else to talk to! I need your help—what should I do?"

"..."

[The Evil God, ‘Cali,’ sneers at the triviality of dealing with such a small familiar.]

I stared at Irene, unable to process what she had just said.
Was she telling me that her familiar—a pet—was in pain? She was practically crying, asking for help?
I was speechless for a moment, completely caught off guard.
Had she really come all the way here just because her familiar was hurt?

I took a moment to gather myself, my brain struggling to comprehend the situation.

"Please..."

She held her palm out in front of me, and lying in her hand was the tiny familiar, barely moving, looking weak and lifeless.
It was definitely unwell—its energy was drained, and it looked fragile.

"I beg you..."

Looking up at me, Irene’s face was covered in tears.
So, she was asking me to help her pet... this familiar of hers?
I couldn’t quite believe it.

I stared at the tiny creature in her hand, wondering what I could possibly do to help.
This situation was so far beyond what I was prepared for, and yet, I couldn’t turn away from Irene’s pleading eyes.

[The Evil God, ‘Cali,’ laughs at the situation.]