"Master!?"

"…Ah."

For a moment, feeling dizzy and stumbling, the maid rushed over to support her.

What did I just hear?

Unsure if she had heard correctly, Yulia, bracing herself, asked again, afraid of the answer.

"I didn’t catch that properly. Can you say it again? What exactly was in that gift?"

"Oh, Master. Why are you asking me such embarrassing things? It’s women’s underwear. Yulia has reached the right age, after all."

"...!"

[The Evil God, 'Kali', is doing her best to help you maintain your mental health.]

Once again, everything in front of her went dark.

It felt like being struck hard on the back of the head. Yulia almost lost consciousness, but thanks to Kali’s help, she managed to stay alert.

"Yulia is wearing a bra…?"

She was dumbfounded.

Was she hearing this correctly? Was this really happening?

The shock was so great that she started doubting reality itself.

She had prepared for this moment, or so she thought.

After all, it was natural for a child to grow up.

Time passes, and children grow.

It was an inevitable process, a natural order.

So, she had believed that she was prepared for the shock when it would eventually come, but this shock was far more overwhelming than anything she had expected.

"Why am I so shaken? This is exactly what I anticipated."

Time passes.

Even if you don’t like it, it must pass.

Everyone knows this, but it’s easy to forget until it manifests as a noticeable change.

Although the children grew quickly, perhaps she had become desensitized to it, living together and constantly facing them.

Now that this change was thrust into her face as an undeniable reality, the passage of time she had ignored seemed to hit her all at once.

Her growth.

Part of the second sexual characteristics.

Since Yulia had been so promising, it was not surprising that these changes came early.

If said negatively, it was the growth of a child.

But positively, it was the process of becoming a full woman.

"Don’t forget your goal..."

Clenching her teeth, she reminded herself of her ultimate purpose.

In the end, her goal was to raise Charlotte, Yulia, and even Yuria and marry them.

The growth of these children was an essential part of that.

Living with pure, innocent children, still untrained, was indeed enjoyable.

There was a wish deep in her heart that this life would continue forever.

But it must never be forgotten.

This was only one part of the process toward the ultimate goal.

She must not become consumed by the process toward the goal.

Time must flow as it naturally does.

"Master... Are you okay? Your face looks pale, and you don't seem well..."

"I've always had a pale face. I’m fine. Don’t worry. You can go now."

"Yes, understood, Master. I’ll leave the gift and return to my duties."

Despite the heavy feeling in her chest, Yulia answered with a firm resolve, ignoring the worried gazes of the maids.

She was fine.

She would be fine.

This pain, too, was just a passing trial.

For now, it was frightening and painful to see Yulia change, to feel like she was slipping away, but the grown-up Yulia would surely become a beautiful lady.

If she had shared enough moments with Yulia, if she had not wasted time in these fleeting moments...

If she had engraved every moment of Yulia’s growth into her memory, then there would be no reason to regret.

Now, it was time to rejoice.

It wasn’t time to despair over the fact that the childhood version of Yulia—her limited edition, as it were—was slowly disappearing.

It was a time to rejoice that she was growing old enough for marriage.

"I can overcome this..."

After the maids left, Yulia shut her eyes tightly, and a small tear rolled down her cheek.

This was the fate she had chosen to bear.

She wasn’t turning a woman into something commonplace, something that would become a lady under someone else’s care.

She had chosen to raise these children herself, to shape them according to her own tastes, and that belief came with unavoidable pain.

Just as no reward comes without hardship, no happiness is gained without pain.

Once this pain passed, she would likely look back on it with a smile, reminiscing about it as a fond memory.

That’s how the world worked.

[The Evil God, 'Kali', expresses great concern over your mental shock.]

"I’m fine..."

[The Evil God, 'Kali', sighs in relief.]

In an attempt to ease Kali’s worry, Yulia muttered to herself, smiling faintly.

It had been a big shock, but she had managed to overcome it.

Her mental strength was certainly strong.

That was the moment she confirmed it once again.

"Still, it’s a relief that Charlotte and Yulia seem far off from this point. Or maybe they won’t need it at all..."

Yulia had grown so fast, perhaps even to the point where she now needed women’s underwear.

But Charlotte and Yulia didn’t seem to need it yet.

Perhaps they wouldn’t need it even when they became adults...

Of course, that didn’t mean they didn’t need it.

No matter how small, a woman’s chest was vulnerable and required protection.

Perhaps it would be time to buy some for Charlotte and Yulia soon.

Of course, she would have to ask Sylvia or the maids to do it.

As much as Yulia enjoyed leaving her mark on the children’s growth and felt satisfaction every time that mark was evoked, she had a principle of not invading their private space.

After all, she wasn’t raising a daughter; she was raising a wife.

"So the children are becoming women now... It’s a new feeling."

She swallowed the bitter taste that lingered in her mouth.

She let out a faint, hollow laugh.

Four months felt like such a long time.

It was all Charlotte, Yulia, and Yuria’s fault.

Because of them, every day there was something to worry about, and it never stopped piling up. No wonder each day felt so long.

"The day of the engagement must be near."

Marriage would come after they were adults, but perhaps it was time to start preparing for the engagement.

She wanted to aim for the engagement within the next two years.

It was time to start planning and drawing up the roadmap.

"Huffff!"

Hiding behind a large flowerpot, Yulia held her breath, trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to scream.

What did I just see?

"Aslan cried...!"

Aslan, the man who seemed incapable of shedding a single tear, had just clearly squeezed his eyes shut and cried.

Aslan crying…?

She had almost never seen him like that, had she?

And the only reason Aslan would cry, if she considered the context, could only be one.

"Was he moved by the fact that I’ve grown up...?"

The maids had recently measured her chest and asked her all sorts of things, and it seemed that, little by little, she was getting to the age where she would start needing women’s underwear.

It looked like that was the reason Aslan had gotten so emotional, crying over how she had grown.

It was almost like a father moved to tears by his child’s growth.

Was Aslan really raising them with nothing but pure intentions?

"Are we really like children to him...?"

Yulia’s pupils shook violently as she tried to make sense of the confusing sight of Aslan, who seemed both sad and happy at the same time.

She couldn’t shake the suspicion that Aslan had been trying to seduce her and Charlotte into marrying him. But now, seeing him struggle with mixed emotions, Yulia felt deeply confused.

"Has he been raising us like a father would?..."

They were nothing but strangers to him.

They weren’t even noble, born into humble circumstances.

And yet, Aslan had taken them in, regardless of the malicious rumors circulating outside or their own misinterpretations of his intentions.

He gave them nothing but kindness.

Yulia felt ashamed.

After receiving so much from him, she couldn’t believe she had doubted him.

Aslan had never harbored any ill will toward them.

"Yes. I must be brave."

If Aslan didn’t have any intention of making them his wives, then she would take the first step forward.

As Charlotte had said, sometimes, you just have to be proactive to resolve things!

This was how Yulia would repay Aslan for his kindness.

Clenching her fist, Yulia prepared herself.

"The day of the engagement isn’t far off."

"...!?"

The sudden words, like a thunderbolt, froze Yulia in place.

Was he... planning to marry them off to another noble family?