I Kidnapped the Hero's Women-Chapter 274: Hope (1)

"The mansion is... awfully quiet."

A heavy silence blanketed the estate.

The library was eerily still.

The garden was empty except for the occasional chirping of birds.

The training grounds were deserted, devoid of the usual clamor.

Normally, Charlotte or Yulia would be running around, filling the mansion with their endless noise.

Now, seeing it so quiet all of a sudden... I couldn’t help but feel strangely melancholic.

"Is this how parents feel when they raise their children and send them off into the world...?"

"How long has it even been since they left for the academy? They’ll be back soon. Don’t be so dramatic... tch."

"···."

A voice behind me shattered my train of thought.

Turning around, I spotted Irene, casually munching on snacks while reading a newspaper.

Wait a second...

"Sis."

"I’m not your sister anymore."

"And yet, why are you still here?"

"Am ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) I not allowed to be?"

"Of course not. You’re currently a wanted traitor of the Vermonte family."

"Ah, right. That’s a thing."

"···."

Irene raised her eyebrows as if saying, So what?

I was speechless.

She had embezzled my entire stake in the Vermonte Investment Corporation and fled.

And yet, she wasn’t even pretending to be on the run.

"Where’s my share?"

"What share? It’s all mine now."

"When are you planning to return it?"

"Never. Like I said, it’s mine now."

"···."

What the hell was she thinking?

Before I could even process my frustration, Irene lowered the newspaper, giving me a mischievous smile.

"If you want it back, you can take it anytime, can’t you? If you take me, then my company becomes yours too. Isn’t that right?"

"···."

I was at a loss for words.

She wasn’t wrong.

If we got married, my stolen shares would automatically return to me.

Was this her way of pressuring me into marriage?

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

"You’ve already been erased from the family registry. You’re officially a fugitive. What’s stopping us from getting married?"

"Just wait a little. I need to coordinate the wedding schedule with Her Majesty."

"Hmph. I couldn’t care less about Her Majesty’s schedule. Do I really have to wait until after you marry her? I was the first to love you, you know...?"

"Oh. I’m not delaying the order of marriage. I just want to coordinate the ceremony so we can all get married at once. You, Sylvia, and Her Majesty—excluding the kids for now. Having multiple brides at my wedding has been a dream of mine."

"Ugh..."

Irene shuddered like she had just witnessed something horrifying.

Too bad.

This was every man’s fantasy.

A grand wedding hall, filled with countless guests.

As the processional music plays, I turn around to see three brides in pure white dresses, walking toward me in unison.

Ah. That romance.

How could I possibly give it up?

If I had intended to give up on this, I wouldn’t have pursued a harem in the first place.

"You’re so stubborn about the weirdest things. Fine, I’ll wait a little longer. I’m used to being treated like a traitor by now."

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"Thanks for understanding."

"Hmm... If you’re grateful, shouldn’t you repay me somehow? The kids won’t be back for quite some time..."

"···!"

Slowly.

Irene wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me toward her.

Her pleading gaze made her intentions crystal clear.

The kids were away at the academy.

Sylvia, who had transformed into a child to blend in with them, was also gone.

That meant Irene and I were the only ones in the mansion.

She wasn’t about to let this rare opportunity go to waste.

Just as she parted her lips, revealing her sharp fangs—

"Count Vermonte. Are you there?"

"···!?"

A voice from outside shattered the moment.

We instantly pushed each other away.

Just as the door swung open, I turned my gaze toward the distant mountains outside the window, while Irene hastily grabbed her crumpled newspaper and pretended to read it upside-down.

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"Ah, Yuri. You finished your schedule early today?"

"Yes... But this room feels oddly warm. Did you turn on the heating in this weather?"

"Ah, no. I guess it’s because I forgot to ventilate."

"···?"

Yuri tilted her head, clearly suspicious.

I hurried to open the window, letting the cool breeze in.

Had I really sweated that much?

Her keen senses were always a pain in the ass.

"And who is that—? Oh. It’s you, Irene."

"‘Oh’? Did you just frown at me, kid?"

"···I did no such thing."

Yuri’s expression tensed as soon as she saw Irene.

Huh.

Had she always been this uncomfortable around her?

"What brings you here?"

"Am I not allowed in my own home?"

"It’s not your home anymore. You’re not a Vermonte anymore."

"I’ll be one again soon enough. Unless... my presence bothers you?"

"···It doesn’t."

The tension in the room spiked.

Yuri and Irene’s voices grew sharper, and they locked challenging stares.

It felt like a fight was about to break out.

Should I step in?

Just as I was about to—

[···!]

"Huh?"

Suddenly.

From inside Irene’s clothes, Laura’s avatar popped out.

Like a tiny referee, she frantically flailed her tiny arms, trying to break the tension.

Wait a second...

Had Laura been living inside Irene’s clothes this whole time?

For a brief moment, I wondered—

Maybe reincarnating as an Evil God wouldn’t be so bad after all.

"Lady Laura. We weren’t fighting, so don’t worry."

[···!!]

"What... is that thing?"

"She’s not a spirit. She’s an Evil God’s avatar."

"Wha—!?"

Yuri instinctively knelt forward, cupping Laura in her palms.

Then, realizing what she was actually holding, she flinched, trembling.

This was the first time Yuri had seen Laura in person.

She must have assumed that anything small and cute-looking was a spirit.

Only to find out she was cradling an Evil God.

"So... this is what an Evil God’s avatar looks like...?"

[···!]

"I can’t understand what she’s saying. But even if she looks cute, I bet she’s saying something horrifying."

"Nah. She’s just purring and saying she likes being petted by you."

"···What?"

Yuri’s face twisted in disbelief, but she continued stroking Laura regardless.

Laura simply lay in her palms, purring contentedly.

Hah.

Laura’s texture was addictive.

A perfect balance of softness and elasticity—it reminded me of Yulia’s cheeks.

And since Yuri had already fallen for Yulia’s cheek texture, it was no wonder she was now obsessed with Laura’s.

Yes.

She was a girl who knew quality.

"I always thought Evil Gods were all wicked and only lived to torment humans."

[···!?]

"Not at all. Though, they do enjoy messing with people constantly."

"Hmm... Maybe I misjudged both Evil Gods and Lady Irene."

Yuri muttered, her gaze softening toward Irene.

So that was it.

She had disliked Irene because she thought she was a devotee of a wicked deity.

Good thing that misunderstanding was cleared up.

[The Evil God 'Kali' screams, saying they want to be petted too and demands immediate descent into the mortal realm!]

[The Evil God 'Kali' wails, regretting not creating an avatar like Laura!]

[The Evil God 'Kali' cries in jealousy!]

Tch.

Kali was being obnoxiously loud today.

Clearly, she was seething with jealousy.

"If Kali ever descended, things would get out of hand..."

This crazy woman adored the kids even more than I did.

If I let her loose in the mortal realm, Yulia and Charlotte’s cheeks wouldn’t survive.

For the sake of public safety, I should banish Kali from ever descending.

...Though, I was a little curious about what she looked like.

If she did descend, she better be cute.

If she showed up as some grotesque tentacle monster, she’d traumatize the kids and die from heartbreak on the spot.

[The Evil God 'Kali' collapses in despair.]

Hah.

Maybe I should help her out a little.

"Now that I think about it... Yulia’s been researching Evil Gods alongside dark magic. She might attempt an Evil God Summoning Ritual soon."

[The Evil God 'Kali' brightens up immediately!]

...Well.

Whether it worked or not, hope was important, wasn’t it?