I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

Chapter 52 - I\'ll Be the Villain

‘Was it a mistake...?’

Charlotte, holding the teddy bear with an innocent smile, made me feel a bit conflicted.

I had promised to buy her a doll, and when she specifically pointed out the teddy bear, I went ahead and got it for her.

But now I’m wondering...

‘What will Julia think?’

Julia had originally wanted a teddy bear, so wouldn’t she feel hurt?

That worry was already starting to nag at me.

But why did Charlotte choose the teddy bear in the first place?

‘Could it be that she picked it just to tease Julia, even though she doesn’t really like it...? No, that can’t be it.’

I quickly shook off that suspicion when I saw Charlotte’s innocent smile.

How could a child who looks so pure-hearted do something like that?

‘I’ll just have to buy another doll for Julia later.’

Either way, it’s something that could easily upset her.

Julia may seem composed and mature, but she has her childish moments too.

She’s at an age where she can still get very emotional over something like a doll.

"I’ve never held a doll before. I thought it might feel similar to Earthy, but it’s much lighter!"

Charlotte was hugging the teddy bear, shaking it around, and marveling at it.

The way she played with it was... well...

It was more like how a boy would play with a robot toy than how a girl would handle a doll.

"It’s warm and soft. Now I can understand why some kids like dolls so much!"

"It sounds like you don’t really like them yourself."

"Ah."

Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise, then she gave a mischievous smile.

"Did you catch that? To be honest, I wasn’t interested in dolls, but when I saw Julia get one, I wanted one too. Hehehe."

"So it would’ve been better to buy you something else."

"It wouldn’t have made much difference. It’s not about what I got, but that you were the one who gave it to me."

"..."

Charlotte hugged the teddy bear tightly, as if it were something precious.

At that moment, she looked just like a gentle, doll-loving girl.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Soon after, the carriage came to a stop.

When I got out and extended my hand inside, Charlotte lifted the teddy bear over her head and cheered.

"Please help me down!"

I picked her up by the armpits and lifted her out.

Her smooth skin was so soft that I couldn’t resist giving it a slight squeeze before setting her down.

Charlotte landed on the ground with a satisfied sigh.

She didn’t seem to mind being treated like a child.

In contrast, it made me realize just how different she was from Julia.

"Hmm..."

Just before entering the mansion.

Charlotte stopped at the door and turned to face me.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke.

"Mister, Julia might come to you soon to throw a bit of a tantrum."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I’m going to provoke her a lot."

"..."

So the teddy bear was part of that plan too.

It turns out she’s got a surprisingly sharp side to her.

Charlotte gave a faint, bittersweet smile.

"But please don’t be too hard on Julia, okay? She’s actually more fragile than she seems. She just doesn’t know how to express affection properly."

"I understand what you’re worried about."

Thud.

I placed my hand on her head, and Charlotte looked up at me with a puzzled expression.

For someone who can’t even take care of herself, she’s awfully concerned about her friend.

She’s both cheeky and admirable.

If she’s worried, she could try being gentler with her words.

But since she’s planning to provoke Julia, it seems Charlotte also struggles with expressing affection.

"But there’s no need to worry. I’m a very patient man."

It’s not like I don’t know that Julia is a bit of a tsundere.

Fortunately, I’m a man who can show nearly infinite patience when it comes to children.

I don’t really expect Charlotte and Julia to make me billions.

All I hope for is that they don’t end up hating me so much that they want to kill me.

If I could wish for a bit more, it would be nice if Julia could say some kind words about me one day.

Anything beyond that...

Well, that might be too much to ask for.

The most surefire way would be to turn both of them into my complete allies, but...

That seems a bit unrealistic.

‘As the maids said, I can’t exactly raise them just to eat them up.’

Who knows, maybe Yuri has romantic feelings for one of them.

And if I were to take one of them away?

Yuri might not hesitate to dismember me.

If only Yuri weren’t so obsessed with being a boy, everything would be resolved.

"Heh. I’m glad to hear that."

Charlotte finally smiled, her face relieved, as she reached for the door handle.

"Wait. How exactly do you plan to provoke Julia?"

"Oh, nothing much. I’m just going to cast a little magic to make Julia more honest."

"...?"

"I’ll be the villain!"

Charlotte’s eyes gleamed with determination.

Somehow, that makes me uneasy.

"Hand!"

"...?"

"Your hand! Give it to me!... Please!"

Thud, thud, thud.

Julia suddenly burst into my office, demanding something incomprehensible.

When I didn’t respond, she wedged the shark plushie under her arm, marched over to my side, and...

"Ugh! Uuugh!"

"..."

She dragged a large sofa next to my chair.

Then she plopped down on it, clutching the shark plushie as she boldly leaned her head toward me.

...Her demand for my hand had become rather aggressive.

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Not at all..."

"Do you think you’ll be able to sleep now?"

"I don’t know... Hmph."

Julia placed the shark plushie on my desk, in clear view.

When I looked at her, she turned her head away, avoiding eye contact.

It was a pretty blatant protest.

"I’ll buy you the teddy bear you originally wanted next time we go out. The shopkeeper now has a stock of different types of dolls."

"I don’t need it."

"Don’t be stubborn. Just accept it, or you’ll regret it later."

"I’m not being stubborn. I really don’t need it. This one is enough... Hmph."

Julia, clearly annoyed at being misunderstood, spoke with a serious expression.

This one is enough, she says.

It seems she’s grown attached to the shark plushie.

Yeah. There’s nothing that can replace the bond you’ve formed over time.

So please, could you try forming a bond with me too...?

That’s what I’d like to ask her.

‘It smells like Julia.’

Haah.

I quietly buried my nose in the shark plushie and took a deep breath.

The scent was so distinctly Julia’s that it felt like I was pressing my nose against her shoulder.

It was proof that she’d been hugging it often and for a long time.

"Hey, Aslan."

"..."

For someone who came here to sleep, she sure is talking a lot.

But it doesn’t seem like she came just to be difficult.

What’s she trying to do?

"Am I annoying to you?"

"..."

Damn. She came to throw a fit.

"Hey? Answer me. Am I annoying... Hmph?"

"You’re very annoying. You’re a lot of work, too."

I meant it literally.

Every night, Julia’s presence basically immobilizes one of my hands.

"Then what if I could sleep without you? What would you think of that... Hmph?"

"It would be much more convenient."

"..."

"And maybe a little lonely."

Twitch.

I felt Julia tremble against my hand.

Humans are creatures of habit.

At first, it was really uncomfortable, and I couldn’t get much done.

But now, I can perform my duties just as efficiently, even with one hand occupied by Julia.

Plus, when she falls asleep, I can secretly enjoy her soft, squishy cheeks.

There’s even a boost in productivity from that, I think.

So, all things considered, it might actually be beneficial.

"I don’t really mind."

"...You don’t mind? Really? I tried forcing myself to sleep today, and I managed to doze off for a bit. In a few days, I might be able to sleep without your hand. Should I stop coming to see you at night?"

Why is she asking me this?

The way she’s talking, it sounds like she’s reluctant.

"Just keep coming."

"...Okay. I will."

Julia nodded obediently, still lying with her back to me.

...I think I’m starting to understand what’s going on in her mind.

"You little..."

"Eek!?"

I grabbed Julia’s cheek and pulled it long.

She squealed in surprise and jumped up.

"What are you doing...!? Hmph!"

"I just got annoyed at the nonsense you were spouting."

"What are you talking about...!"

"Were you afraid I might start favoring Charlotte? That you’d fall behind and wouldn’t be able to save up your 10 billion larks?"

"N-No... That’s not it..."

It’s obvious what this girl is thinking.

She’s constantly plotting her escape.

The moment she feels like I’m neglecting her, she’ll start worrying about losing her source of income.

"Unfortunately for you, I don’t plan to let anyone fall behind. I’ll make sure both of you become useful to me, one way or another. The only one who needs to worry is me, not you two. Got it? Now go to sleep and stop talking nonsense."

"..."

Did I hit a nerve?

Julia quietly lay back down on the sofa, pulling my hand closer to her face.

"Heehee."

"...?"

Did I just hear a silly laugh?

Must’ve been my imagination.