Under the Mansion

“Brought-in child. Brought-in child. Brought-in child.”

“Brought-in child. Brought-in child. Brought-in child.”

The mechanical voice repeated unpleasantly.

‘Father clearly said it was a machine that sealed something…’

“Sophia, what did it say to you?”

“Destiny is Scarl!”

Unlike Scarl, who thought, ‘What kind of strange sound is that?’, Sophia seemed to understand the meaning of the words, giggling and laughing.

Scarl’s long-held questions while looking at the portraits of the successive Bernatores were resolved.

“I’m not a Bernatore…? You mean I’m not a descendant of the Hero?”

To that, young Sophia asked innocently.

“But Brother is already Baron Bernatore, how can he not be a Hero?”

Regaining his composure, Scarl forced himself to speak.

“I… I guess I wasn’t the real Bernatore. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Sophia.”

His head hung low, he looked powerless.

But Sophia recalled that the way he had saved her from danger was no different from a real Hero.

“It’s okay! Brother is a real Hero to me.”

At those words, Scarl raised his head, and Sophia patted his shoulder.

“Cheer up!”

“Sophia…”

“Anyway, that thing is too noisy!”

“Brought-in chil. Brought-in chis. Brought-ong chis.”

“Brough-ong chis. Brough-oh chis. Zzuh-oh chis.”

The mechanical sound gradually became garbled, then black smoke poured out, and it fell silent.

Young Scarl knew instinctively.

‘Is this what you meant by sealing, Father?’

No matter where you started, you are Bernatore now.

Have pride in being a descendant who carries on the name of the first Hero Bernatore.

The secret of those words he always said was revealed.

Why he looked different from the ancestors in the portraits, why Father wouldn’t let him enter the study…

Suddenly, Scarl’s head began to ache as if it would explode.

“Brother, are you okay?”

“…Yeah. I’m okay.”

Supporting the staggering Scarl, she returned to the study.

“I’m okay now, Sophia. What happened inside is our little secret, okay?”

“Okay!”

She and her brother made up an excuse that they had fallen while treasure hunting.

‘It was the first time I had hurt my head, so I was scolded severely, and the treasure hunt ended there.’

After that, the train was repaired, and the short trip with her brother in Bernatore came to an end.

“Brother! Goodbye! Let’s do it again next time!”

At that time, she was too young to realize that she would see him again in about ten nights.

So she was able to part with her brother coolly.

‘Not ten nights… but more than ten years.’

“Be careful! Sophia… Princess! Empress Mernia! And Jeanne!”

After going to the secret separate palace, she learned that the name of that device was the Obelisk of Truth.

It was a treasure that told the user the truth of the world they were most curious about, but it was said to be an evil object made by the demons that required an unknown price.

‘Brother must have paid the price. What was it?’

Over the past five years, after becoming Empress, she, Flare, and Luna had searched the basement of the Bernatore mansion again, but the Obelisk had completely disappeared.

Brother probably got rid of it.

Thus, the only truths left in the world were two.

‘My destined partner is Scarl, and Scarl Brother is a brought-in child.’

She didn’t know why her brother started tormenting Flare and Luna after that.

However, she could guess that the Obelisk had done something to her brother.

And her brother, who awakened late…

Sophia didn’t tell Scarl all the stories of the past.

Anyway, he was gradually regaining his memories, and there was no need to stimulate him by bringing up bad memories. Still, she secretly hoped that he would recall at least some of their only childhood memories and the happy times they had shared.

Since there were only two people in the world who knew about that incident…

“…Do you remember, Brother?”

And she secretly wanted to know what price the Obelisk had taken.

“I don’t remember.”

‘…Is it a memory with me?’

At those words, Sophia bit her lip tightly.

The betrayal and loss of the only happy memory of her childhood being forgotten by the other person. And the anxiety that he might have lost his memories forever as the price of the truth.

Scarl’s eyes seemed indifferent when they didn’t reflect anything, but they were full of life when they captured Sophia’s image.

“But I think I know.”

Before she knew it, all the food had been served.

“…Know what?”

“You. Seeing you smile so happily, treasure hunting must have been fun.”

“…Right?”

“If I’ve forgotten the past, you can just overwrite it with your memories, can’t you?”

A very Scarl-like statement.

“Huh? What nonsense…”

“Let’s do it again next time. I didn’t know there was such a secret under the mansion… Thank you for telling me, Sophia.”

Sophia forcibly held back her tears.

As expected, my destined partner is Scarl.

Even if he doesn’t remember, Brother is still Brother.

If someone like him had died… she would have resented and cursed the person who killed him for the rest of her life.

No matter who it was.

Sophia’s story was interesting.

‘The Obelisk of Truth…’

It probably refers to that thing that was based on the Well of Mimir in Norse mythology.

The item that exists in the dummy files has a durability close to 0, and when you forcibly summon and use it with cheats, it just spouts strange sounds…

‘Flare’s panties are white. Kasha is a virgin. It only told me things like that.’

A useless item in the game.

I just thought it was a simple Easter egg, but it turns out it was a treasure hidden in the basement of the Bernatore mansion. I thought there were only Bernatore portraits there.

Anyway, the story was interesting, and the food was plentiful.

And Sophia’s face was somehow a little more beaming.

‘Was she that happy about going treasure hunting together?’

Luna and Flare were at the annex.

‘Act like I don’t know.’

“Where have you been?”

The two flinched at the same time.

“W-We had some errands outside…”

“Professor, you don’t have to know too much. We had some things to do between sisters. Hahaha…”

I should bring up Drake Sharkline.

“Sharkline will attack―”

“Master, Drake Sharkline is dead.”

At Kasha’s words, he blinked slowly.

“What are you talking about, Kasha?”

“News has spread in Sanuf that unknown individuals killed Sharkline, who had turned into a demon.”

Luna and Flare raised their hands at the same time.

“I heard it too! Scarl!”

“Professor! The market is in an uproar about it!”

Already…?

‘Flare and Luna must have done something.’

Scarl doesn’t know anything.

“Baron Brookrudi and his family were all annihilated as well.”

He pretends not to know.

“Suddenly…? That’s quite something.”

“Indeed.”

Nothing changed just because Sharkline died.

The sea was as blue as ever, and our vacation would continue until the end of the break.

“Brother!”

“Professor!”

“Master!”

Don’t they get tired of going to the pool every day? It’s also amazing that none of them get sunburned.

Scarl’s body has already been tanned this much and has been bronze for a long time.

The only thing that changed was…

Sophia revealed her identity after leaving Sharkline’s mansion.

There were so many people who recognized her outside the annex, which was our accommodation.

‘If it’s not private, just make it private.’

He had Kasha boldly flex from behind.

With the Princess’s name and Aiden’s funds, things that seemed impossible became possible.

At first, he tried to buy the resort by mentioning Sophia, but the building owner begged him not to, so they agreed to rent all the rooms for the remaining period.

‘The cost of sending the guests to nearby hotels and resorts for free and upgrading the rooms was even higher.’

Who cares?

There’s plenty of money to spare.

The leisure of having only us, with even the staff only appearing at set times.

Enjoying the vast sea in the midst of nature is good, but it’s much better to have your eyes pleased with colorful swimsuits in the convenience full of the benefits of civilization.

While he was lying leisurely on the sun beach under the parasol, watching Sophia, Flare, and Kasha, Luna came trotting up to him.

“Scarl, I made a sandwich, would you like to eat it?”

He hurriedly sucked on the ice-filled drink next to him to numb his tongue.

“Were you very hungry?”

“…Give me one.”

It seems fishy, but his numbed tongue can’t recognize it.

He quickly swallows one and rings the bell to call the staff.

“I brought a drink too.”

He receives a drink of a normal color and drinks it without resistance.

‘That’s more like it.’

He runs away.

“…I’m going to swim now too.”

“Okay.”

He runs away into the water, leaving the sulky Luna behind.

Why does fun time pass so quickly?

There were many people who questioned Drake Sharkline’s death, but as his actions were exposed by Aiden’s investigation, the nobles and merchants who had defended him also went down the path of ruin.

In particular, the inhumane slaughter that took place under the mansion and the fact that the disappearance of tourists was secretly done by the magistrate of the Empire…

‘It’s all their own fault.’

The long vacation is over, and the second semester of the academy starts tomorrow.

“Go to bed early, Luna.”

“But look at this. Does the uniform look good on me?”

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that question today.

That means Luna is worried about it too.

This time, she tucked the blouse into the skirt, making her chest even more prominent.

“So-so.”

“Oh~ really! You said this one looked better earlier?”

I wonder how comfortable we’ve become with each other.

“Wear the maid outfit at the mansion.”

“You only allowed me to wear it today.”

“That’s true, but―”

Luna looks at herself in the mirror in the study and slyly pulls her skirt up.

The top button of her chest looks like it’s about to burst, and her luscious thighs are clearly revealed by the raised skirt.

“Scarl, how do I look? Should I go around like this?”

‘…Who is she trying to seduce at the academy?’

“No.”

“Phooey― This is not allowed. That is not allowed. What is allowed for me?”

“Wear the uniform neatly, Luna.”

“Yeeees. I’ll go now.”