I Kidnapped the Hero's Women-Chapter 219: Fire. Secret (3)

The carriage slowed down and came to a stop in front of the Vermont Mansion.

Irene took a deep breath before opening the door with a snap.

It still felt like it was never quite home, no matter when she came.

However, when she saw Aslan, who appeared to be pretending to be out for a walk and casually looking over with a bright expression, Irene felt a sense of comfort wash over her.

'I have to keep my promise...'

She had come back only because she didn’t finish the data measurements for the neodymium absorbed into her body last time. It wasn’t that she wanted to see Aslan again...

Anyway, that’s the reason. Irene bit her lip, trying to suppress the smile that almost appeared on her face.

"What’s going on?" "What?" "Ah, nothing..."

At Aslan’s confused gaze, Irene subtly averted her eyes.

'What do you mean, nothing...' She was asking why he had invited her to the mansion and sent a carriage ahead, wasn't she?

In the past, he only ever sent brief letters inviting her to the mansion, and now he was acting like this kindness was expected.

'Aslan. Are you really my brother?'

Something felt off.

It wasn’t just a small change—it was a complete transformation.

It was even strange that he couldn’t remember what he was like before...

Irene couldn’t shake the creeping suspicion that was slowly turning into certainty.

"The mansion feels strangely quiet. Where are the kids?" "They’re out shopping with Sylvia." "Why?" "Well... I thought you didn’t like a noisy atmosphere. You know, the kids come in and out, and they seem to bother you sometimes, so I thought you’d prefer it this way. Was I wrong?" "No... That’s right, but..."

Irene had always been unsure of how to treat the kids. Sometimes, when they would come over and chat, it made her feel a little uncomfortable. But she never imagined that Aslan would send them out just because of that.

This small, considerate gesture felt so unfamiliar.

They were more used to growling and snapping at each other. Why was he being so kind to her...?

Irene began to feel incredibly awkward about being alone with Aslan, to the point where it felt unbearable.

"By the way, why did you send your bodyguard away?" "Needed someone to take care of the kids." "Even so, why send away a bodyguard? Isn’t that careless for someone like you, the head of the Vermont family? Who’s protecting you?" "Why, you can protect me. You’re strong, after all." "Ah... Right... Sure..."

Aslan answered gruffly, as if it was nothing important, and turned away.

Irene was left stunned, her face reddening from the sudden rush of emotions.

Me? Protect you?

What kind of nonsense is that?

I only ever remember grabbing your collar, stomping on your body, and choking you out to threaten you.

You think I’ll protect you?

Last time you entrusted me with all of Vermont’s assets...

Now, your life?

Where does this trust come from?

What kind of confidence is this, as if you can see through my entire being?

I had planned to act boldly and shamelessly toward Aslan after arriving at the mansion.

Forget the sense of guilt and pretend to be the same as before, acting like it was nothing, but for some reason, as time passed, Irene found herself speaking less and less, and her voice shrinking.

"Then, sit here." "Yeah..." "Take off your outer coat and give it to me." "Yeah..." "Hmm. Why are you being so docile? By now, you should be throwing a tantrum or something." "...."

This guy?

He thought what I had done until now was just me throwing a tantrum?

Irene clenched her fist in frustration, trembling, while an overwhelming feeling of shame filled her cheeks, making her blush even more.

I hated you so much, I genuinely wanted to kill you, and yet you thought it was just a cute little tantrum?

The fact that I had hated you so much was becoming one of my most embarrassing memories.

"Why are you doing this experiment?" "Having more samples makes the results more accurate." "No, I mean, why are you doing this research?" "I made a promise with the headmaster of the Imperial Magic Academy. The academic presentation was a condition of the promise." "Since when has Vermont cared about such things? The headmaster probably didn’t believe you’d keep your promise." "That’s why I need to build more trust. Just as you work for the family from your position, I’m working as the head of the family to revive the Vermont family." "...."

He was different.

The Aslan I knew would never say such things.

Young Aslan Vermont was exactly like his father.

He was like a puppet, copying his father’s beliefs and values, taught and raised exactly in his image.

The two of them always spoke about the family’s prosperity, but the prosperity they meant was quite different from the one I knew.

In the past, it seemed their goal was to bring the evil god into this world and turn the present world into hell.

After being discovered by the royal family and having his father executed, the Vermont family fell apart, but Aslan was determined to follow his father’s path.

Now, this Aslan was aiming for the greatest prosperity as a count under the royal family.

People had truly changed.

It wasn’t that his personality had improved or that he had reformed.

He had changed completely in a way that couldn’t be explained in any other way.

The more they talked, the more Irene felt her doubts turning into certainty.

"The measurements are done." "Already? That was fast." "Collecting data is simple. Writing the paper is the hard part... This is my first time, so I’m referencing other papers, but it’s not easy." "Hmm... Sounds tough." "...."

Pat, pat.

Pat, pat?

Irene, testing the waters, gently patted Aslan’s head while he focused on the data sheet. When he didn’t react at all, she pulled back in surprise.

This disgusting guy!

Why didn’t he even flinch when I suddenly patted his head!?

At this point, she was certain that this person wasn’t the Aslan she knew.

"Ah... By the way, I heard something from the underground world. Someone seems to be planning trouble during the academic presentation." "Trouble? What kind of trouble?" "I’m not sure. It seems like some faction that holds a grudge against you. They’ll probably try to mess things up or cause trouble to embarrass you." "Could you track them down for me? If possible, take care of it before the presentation." "Alright. I’ll find them and kill them before the academic presentation." "No, don’t kill them. Just warn them and send them away. It’s too much to kill them." "...."

This guy.

Is he really trying to hide that he’s not Aslan Vermont?

Hearing such an out-of-place response from him, Irene couldn’t help but grab his collar in frustration.

"You...!" "Why the sudden outburst!?" "Enough! You can’t keep acting like this! I can’t keep pretending to ignore it!" "So, what are you saying?" "You... You’re not Aslan Vermont, are you?" "...."

Irene muttered quietly, and Aslan met her gaze.

Without saying a word, he simply gave a faint smile.

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

So it was true...!

"Answer me! You’re not, right?" "So, you figured it out?" "Dammit, you really...!" "How did you figure it out? Tell me." "It’s weird not to have figured it out! You’ve changed so completely...!"

"Besides you, no one knows. Everyone unconsciously accepts it. The bastard who was a complete wreck turned his life around, so no one doubts it anymore. But you’re the only one who dug in so persistently."

Irene had expected Aslan to panic and be embarrassed. But instead, he looked like he was almost pleased.

Could it be that he actually wanted someone to figure it out?

For the first time today, Irene thought that maybe Aslan—or rather, the person wearing Aslan’s mask—wasn’t completely heartless.

"How did you figure it out? One of the main reasons is that you started treating me like a woman you’re interested in, not your sister!"

"Hmm...?"

Irene’s ears turned bright red as she shouted in disbelief.

At first, she had thought her brother had gone crazy and was doing some weird, creepy things. But now, if the person inside wasn’t her brother, everything started to make sense.

All those warm gestures, those small acts of kindness, and the lack of hesitation in physical contact—it all made sense now. It wasn’t because he saw her as his sister, but as another woman!

Irene felt a great relief, like a mystery had finally been solved.

"What are you talking about? I was just acting like a normal sibling..." "...What?"

However, with Aslan’s next response, Irene was left speechless.

He had just been treating her like a sibling?

And she had gotten excited over that...?

Irene felt like she could sink into the ground and disappear.