BXBX NOVEL Chapter 74 - Take It Off
Chapter 74 - Take It Off
"Look! There\'s an article about Charlotte and Julia in the newspaper!"
"Oh, let me see. The illustration is so cute...!"
As the morning papers were delivered, the maids gathered around, excitedly flipping through the pages.
There had been a bit of worry before checking the article.
A necromancer and a dark knight?
Just hearing those titles sounded ominous.
What if the article portrayed them negatively?
"Eek! I can’t bear to look! You guys read it first!"
"Huh? It’s full of praise! They wrote that Julia is shy and kind, and that Charlotte is pure and innocent. They’re being hailed as heroes!"
"Really!?"
Thankfully, there was nothing to worry about.
It seemed people recognized how adorable Julia and Charlotte were.
Of course! How could anyone possibly mistake such sweet, good-hearted girls for servants of an Evil God?
The maids nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing Charlotte and Julia becoming so famous made them feel proud, like parents watching their children grow into great successes.
"What’s everyone so excited about?"
“Master...!?”
At that low voice from behind, the maids felt their hairs stand on end.
It was the master.
They’d been caught slacking off by the master himself...!
Even though his temper had softened recently, he had become even stricter about work and diligence.
Not just for himself, but for everyone else too. He had become more demanding when it came to working hard.
The maids, bracing for punishment, nervously lined up.
"We, we’re sorry!"
"We’ll get back to work right away, Master!"
“It’s midday. Take it easy, and don’t overwork yourselves in this heat. You might collapse.”
"Y-yes…”
With a gentle face, Aslan spoke kindly and walked off.
The maids exchanged puzzled looks.
Did the master go mad?
Huddled together, they secretly followed Aslan and were shocked by what they saw.
“He’s smiling…!”
“Something good must’ve happened.”
Aslan, usually scowling as if always angry, was smiling wherever he went.
One of the younger maids had once boldly asked why he always wore such a scary expression.
Aslan had replied, “This is my neutral face.”
If his neutral face was terrifying, seeing him grinning openly was astonishing.
The maids whispered among themselves.
“It must be something to do with Charlotte or Julia!”
“Right. What else could make the master so happy...?”
“Did someone confess to him?”
“If anyone confessed, it would’ve been Charlotte, right? Julia’s too shy for that!”
“They say the quiet ones are the boldest! Julia might surprise you…”
Who could it be that’s making him smile like that?
I wish I could drop everything and follow him all day, just to find out!
‘Maybe I should become his secretary.’
The thought crossed their minds for a moment.
‘Ah. But Lady Sylvia is already doing that…’
They quickly gave up.
Having seen how Sylvia managed everything—from secretary duties to head of Vermont Security, and even some grunt work—they realized they didn’t actually want that job.
Yes, I’ll just stick with my current life.
“But there’s something about the master’s expression...”
“Hmm…”
The maids exchanged glances, all thinking the same thing.
It’s nice to see the master smiling more, of course.
But maybe it’s just because we’ve never seen that expression before, but…
“Your smile is... unsettling. Could you stop grinning like that, please?”
“Is the first thing you do after returning to work complaining about your superior?”
“I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. I’m just saying what all the other employees are too afraid to say. It’s not that I’m trying to insult you—it’s genuinely unsettling. Please stop.”
“…”
Ah! She said exactly what we were all thinking!
At Sylvia’s blunt words, Aslan’s smile faltered, and his lips returned to their usual neutral position.
His face became its usual stern expression, bordering on angry.
Ah, now this is right.
The maids sighed in relief.
It turns out, the master looks better with his usual scary expression.
When he was grinning like that, it made our stomachs churn, made us feel nauseous. It was just… weird.
“Are you just begging for a pay cut?”
“I’ll accept it if that’s the consequence. I felt it had to be said, no matter the punishment.”
“You don’t even feel the slightest bit of remorse.”
“It was an obvious truth, so there’s no reason to regret it.”
“….”
Sylvia stood there, meeting his gaze with a defiant stare, as if daring him to follow through with his threats.
Aslan felt a surge of anger, wondering if he should actually slice her open, but he swallowed it down, deciding to be lenient.
"Fine. I suppose it’s better than being a hypocrite. At least you\'re not a flatterer."
“As someone tasked with monitoring you, my life is already in your hands. What’s left for me to fear?”
“Oh.”
“…?”
Suddenly, as if something had come to mind, Aslan stopped walking.
Sylvia tilted her head in confusion.
‘Come to think of it, she still has that brand, doesn’t she?’
He’d forgotten.
The brand from Vermont, still engraved on Sylvia’s neck.
Aslan rubbed his temples, glancing toward the maids who were watching them from a distance, and whispered quietly so only Sylvia could hear.
“That brand. I’ll remove it.”
“…Pardon?”
Swish.
With a soft touch, Aslan undid one of Sylvia’s collar buttons, revealing the brand on the back of her neck.
Sylvia immediately recoiled in shock, instinctively stepping back and clutching her collar to rebutton it.
"I wasn’t the one who branded you, but I inherited my father’s power, so I can probably erase it. Come to my room tonight, in secret."
“….”
Sylvia froze, staring at him in a daze as Aslan turned and walked away.
The maids, eavesdropping from a distance, began whispering again.
“D-did you hear what the master just said?”
“I missed the beginning, but I heard the end clearly.”
“What did he say!?”
“He said… ‘Come to my room tonight, in secret…’”
“…!?”
No way. Seriously!?
The maids were speechless, momentarily stunned by the shock.
For some reason, they suddenly felt like grabbing some popcorn and watching how this would all play out.
***
“Earthy’s not coming back…”
As the sun set and dusk fell, Charlotte, who had been lying on the lawn waiting for Earthy, suddenly stood up.
Earthy hadn’t returned.
Ever since he’d left last night, he hadn’t shown up.
“Well, he did say he’s no longer bound by my command… I guess he’s stronger now.”
“Still, isn’t it rude to just disappear like that? He could’ve at least said goodbye before leaving.”
“…”
Julia watched Charlotte’s sad expression with a somewhat awkward look.
It makes sense that he wouldn’t want to come back here. You tortured him the whole time he was around…
“I treated him so well, though! I even played with him so he wouldn’t get bored. Ugh. I miss him already…”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll come by someday, won’t he?”
“I wish he’d come back now. I’m getting sleepy. What if he comes by while I’m asleep and leaves because I’m not there…?”
Charlotte sniffled, and Julia gazed at her with a mix of pity and exasperation.
Sure, she’d teased him, but Earthy also seemed to enjoy being around Charlotte despite all his complaints.
Maybe they had developed a bit of a love-hate relationship.
And, as Charlotte said, it would’ve been nice if he’d at least said goodbye.
Did he leave for good…?
As the sky grew darker and stars began to faintly twinkle, Charlotte brushed off her clothes and stood up.
“I’m going to bed now. That way I can wake up early tomorrow to wait for Earthy!”
“You’re waking up early just for that…”
“Goodnight, Julia! You could always rub your cheeks against Mister’s palm if you want a good night’s sleep. Hehe.”
“Hey!!!”
Julia yelled as Charlotte dashed away, giggling.
She just told the truth, so why was Julia getting so mad?
By now, Julia’s cheeks had turned bright red.
“Ugh. Seriously. How ridiculous… Does she think I sleep near him because I want to? It’s just become a habit, that’s all…”
Tap, tap.
With a sulky pout, Julia trudged toward Aslan’s office.
How could I possibly like Aslan?
That’s impossible…
“Huh?”
When she reached his office, it was completely empty.
Julia glanced around at the sofa, then under the desk, and confirmed that Aslan really wasn’t there.
What’s going on? He’s always so obsessed with work…
Did he decide to actually rest for once?
Could he have gone to bed early?
Suddenly, Julia remembered the sight of Aslan lying down with his eyes closed, practically passed out.
She hadn’t had the chance to get a good look before, thanks to Charlotte’s antics.
But now… I want to see him again…
Without realizing it, Julia found herself heading toward Aslan’s bedroom.
“Oh.”
“…Shh.”
Someone was already there.
Julia opened the door slightly and spotted Charlotte kneeling outside the bedroom, peeking inside with a shocked expression.
Julia tilted her head in confusion, and Charlotte gestured silently for her to come over.
“…!”
Kneeling down, Julia peeked through the door and saw two people inside.
It was Aslan.
And Sylvia…
“Take it off.”
“…!?”
At Aslan’s command, Sylvia was unbuttoning her top.