I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

"Waahhh! The Super-Powerful Sword is back...!"

Charlotte cheered, literally jumping up and down in excitement. Jacob and I stood there in a daze. Just moments ago, the sword had been glowing with a pure, immaculate white light, unmistakably a holy sword. Now, seeing it transform into a hideous dark sword in Charlotte’s hands was something we couldn’t believe—twice.

'Is there some kind of dark magic on Charlotte’s hands...?'

Charlotte was overjoyed, thinking that the Super-Powerful Sword had returned to its original form. But to my eyes, it seemed like the sword itself was turning dark, screaming in agony.

I couldn't help but feel a deep, ethical, and fundamental doubt—was it really right to leave this sword in Charlotte’s care?

"The more I look at it, the more ominous it feels... Should we really leave it like that, Master?"

"It looks cool, so it should be fine, right?"

"Ah, I can’t resist."

[Evil God, 'Kali' agrees with your opinion, saying that coolness is a matter of great importance!]

Well, if it looks cool, then the issue really doesn’t matter, I guess. Perhaps the Super-Powerful Sword, with the blessing of the gods, would rather be wielded by Charlotte, releasing a dark, violet aura, than shining with pure white light in the hands of a blonde knight.

It seemed like a win-win situation for both sides.

'Actually, if I could become the Super-Powerful Sword...'

Suddenly, my imagination wandered into forbidden territory, sending a shiver down my spine. What if I became the Super-Powerful Sword?

I could end up being grabbed tightly by Charlotte’s sweaty hands every day, only to be held in a firm grip during training. Thinking about that made me feel a sense of jealousy, and I felt an uncomfortable twist in my stomach.

'Calm down... I’m a civilized person with intellect...'

There are things to be jealous of, but this... I never thought I would envy an inanimate object. If I were to go that far, then I should be more envious of the dirt-digger who looks up at Charlotte and Yuria from a lower angle.

After taking a deep breath, I was finally able to calm myself down.

"Well, I’ll be leaving now, Master."

"Ah, Jacob. Since you’re here, why not write up the contract?"

"The... contract?"

The moment I mentioned the word "contract," Jacob's voice trembled, and his pupils began to shake violently. Anyone would think I was forcing him into an exploitative agreement with murderous workloads.

What a drama queen...

"Didn’t we agree? The revenue share ratio would change from 60:40 to 70:30 after a certain period."

"Are you really going to change it? Was that a real promise, not just something you said?"

"What do you think I am? I’m someone who keeps my word. When we first made the agreement, I wasn’t sure of your abilities, so I set the ratio a bit harshly. But now that you’ve proven yourself and become the top contributor to Vermont's exports, don’t you think you should be treated accordingly?"

"Master! Is that really true? Thank you! Thank you so much...!"

Tears streaming down his face, Jacob bowed deeply in gratitude. After bringing the contract and changing the revenue ratio, Jacob kept thanking me, bowing as he left the mansion.

Watching Jacob’s retreating figure, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Hehe. After keeping quiet for 9 months, I finally agreed to change it, and now he’s thanking me."

[Evil God, 'Kali' admires your wicked sense of humor and applauds silently!]

I had already finished the promised contract change, after all.@@novelbin@@

‘Just a little while,’ I said, and it took me a whole 9 months to make the change. The difference of 10 percentage points surely brought me quite the profit over that period.

Jacob had no idea that he had been fleeced, and instead, he was crying tears of gratitude.

"Jacob doesn’t even realize that a 70:30 split is still pretty unfair. Maybe I’ll lower the ratio again in about a year."

[Evil God, 'Kali' did not think of that, but she admires your deep thoughts and gives you a standing ovation!]

Honestly, apart from the initial investment in the forge equipment, I haven’t reinvested much. So even a 70:30 split is already quite an unfair ratio.

At this point, it would be more reasonable to change it to 80:20 or even 90:10, but of course, I plan to keep quiet for now and adjust the ratio again after a year.

Jacob will probably be crying tears of gratitude once more, completely unaware of how much he’s losing.

"Hehe..."

[Evil God, 'Kali' follows suit and laughs without reason.]

Now that Jacob is tied to the materials and equipment I supply, he can’t even think about leaving Vermont. He’s essentially in servitude, though he has no idea...

The thought of exploiting him without him realizing made me smile uncontrollably.

"Waaah... It’s so warm..."

Yuria, sitting in front of the crackling fireplace, basked in the warmth. She was just soaking up the heat from the flames, yet her face was full of contentment.

‘Well, back at the orphanage, surviving the winter must have been a struggle.’

The orphanage where Charlotte and Yuria had lived was in such poor, dreadful conditions. The children were constantly forced to gather firewood, and sometimes, donated books were burned for fuel.

In contrast, the mansion, regardless of how cold it was outside, always maintained a warm, comfortable interior. It must have felt like a whole new world to them.

‘Winter has definitely come.’

As December rolled in, the chilly weather began to bite, and I could see the fogged-up windows, marking the arrival of winter. Another sign was how my skin no longer stung after being outside for a long time.

In summer, the sun’s rays beat down harshly, and with the long daylight hours, it was hard to be outside for too long. But now, I could be outside all day without feeling any discomfort on my delicate skin.

‘That means Yuria’s vacation is coming up soon.’

As December draws to a close, it means the second semester of the Imperial Magic Academy will be finishing soon. Yuria will be heading into her long winter break.

Maybe I should invite her to the mansion again. This time, I might be able to offer the invitation as Aslan Vermont, rather than under the guise of the dark, imposing man. It might work this time.

"Ah! It’s snowing! Aslan, Aslan! Look outside! It’s snowing!... Hey!"

"Yeah. I see it too."

Outside the window, snowflakes began to fall, and Yuria, who had only noticed it late, grabbed my sleeve and pointed outside.

It was the first snow I’d seen since reincarnating... Or maybe, the first snow I’d seen since bringing the children into the mansion.

It felt nostalgic.

"Do you want to go play outside?"

"Huh? No. Why would I go out in the cold? The warm inside is the best... hey."

"..."

For today, I had been ready to run outside and play in the snow with the children, but Yuria, who had been excited moments ago, quickly calmed down and returned to her seat in front of the fireplace. I stood there in surprise, at a loss for words.

"I’ll go out for a bit."

"Okay... hey."

"..."

I put down the pen and trudged out of the office with sluggish steps.

It wasn’t that I was excited about seeing the first snow. I wasn’t planning to go out and play either.

But for some reason, I felt empty inside, like a part of me was missing.

‘Charlotte would probably be running around in the snow right now...’

Just as I was about to go out and find her, I realized that Charlotte was at the training ground. I let out a sigh.

She wouldn’t be back until after the sun sets... Looks like playing in the snow today is out of the question.

I hope the snow doesn’t melt overnight and builds up.

It’s not that I wanted to play in the snow for the sake of it—it’s just that I wanted to create memories for Charlotte, who can’t control her excitement. ‘I have no choice’ but to play with her.

With that, I left my regrets behind and returned to the office.

When I opened the door, I saw Yuria sitting by the fireplace in the same position I had left her in.

I walked to my desk, but the fountain pen I had just placed on the desk was gone.

"Ah! The pen is here... hey!"

"...?"

At that moment, Yuria rushed over and handed me the pen.

The moment I took it, a soft warmth spread through my hand.

It was strange.

The pen, given its material, should have cooled down quickly if left alone...

"Why is this warm?"

"Oh, that... I was afraid it would get cold, so I tucked it between my thighs... hey."

"..."

When I heard Yuria’s answer, my thought process completely stopped.

She tucked it where...?

My gaze fixed on the pen, and my hand holding it began to tremble uncontrollably.