Chapter 292: Bigamy (2)“I heard the jewel embedded on the ring is a very expensive one.”

    “...”

    “I envy you, man.”

    “...”

    Margrave Kendride, who had requested to meet me separately after that hell-like dinner, said those words to me.

    The way he snickered at me with a smoking pipe in his mouth, blowing the smoke upwards, was so hateful. But, I couldn’t do anything other than making a long face.

    “So, what happened after Iliya said that?”

    “...Do you even need to ask?”

    After that, the atmosphere at the dinner turned so cold to the point that I legitimately considered escaping to the far east.

    One silver lining was that Eleanor just silently glared at Iliya before storming out. Back then, I really thought that they’d be having a sword fight or something—

    “...”

    Wait. Now that I thought about it, that reaction was extremely strange...

    Considering what Eleanor usually did, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had just pulled out her sword, lunged at Iliya and dragged her to a life-or-death fight right there. And yet...

    “You didn’t follow her?”

    “What?”

    “I’m not sure about this, but that Lady seems to take pride, or rather, feel the most confident over the fact that she is the closest woman to you. That’s why the situation completely got on her nerves in the first place.”

    “...”

    He wasn’t wrong.

    The biggest reason why she was able to overlook the other women being around me was the fact that she was the only one who wore an ‘engagement ring’.

    “I don’t know what kind of tricks you played to win the favors of so many women, but keep in mind that at the end of the day, they’re all humans. They can’t tolerate the situation forever.”

    Hearing Kraut said so, I could only scratch my head silently.

    What he said was true.

    However...

    “...Honestly, I’ve also tolerated her attitude a lot. Enough is enough.”

    I was also a human. This wasn’t the first time this sort of thing happened, so I knew that going to calm her down right now would only be like burying my head in the sand.

    That was why...

    This time, I opted to wait and see how she’d react and respond accordingly.

    In fact, that was why I just coolly signed that special law about bigamy thing that Iliya held out to me.

    I’ve told Eleanor multiple times that I’m going to create a harem. If she’s still making a fuss about it at this point, then there’s nothing I can do.

    “...”

    “...What?”

    Seeing how Kraut looked at me as if he was looking at trash, I asked that question. He let out a sigh before opening his mouth.

    “So, what you’re trying to say here is that you aren’t going to calm her down anymore because this is just who you are? And she needs to suck it and accept it?”

    “Yes.”

    “...”

    This was something unavoidable, she should just accept it. I was being shameless? Yeah, I knew.

    Anyway, I had various abilities, I could do all kinds of things if I wanted to, but I still couldn’t do anything about people’s feelings. Whatever it was that Eleanor was feeling, I just needed to listen to it after she decided to talk to me about it properly.

    Even though my life might be at risk by doing this, that was how it is.

    “I don’t know. If I was that Young Lady, I would’ve put on handcuffs and shackles on you, locked you up somewhere, and told you to stop messing around.”

    “...It’s scary because I can see you doing it.”

    I said, letting out a deep sigh. White steam came out of my mouth due to the temperature of the place.

    Anyway, time to get to the main point.

    “You didn’t call me just to tease me, right?”

    “I did, yeah.”

    “...”

    “Well, I do have something else to talk to you about. First...”

    Kraut let out a chuckle as he handed me a guestbook.

    It was the list of people who were going to stay in Kendride Margraviate for a few days.

    “The Saintess sisters, the Grand Assassins or whatever, you know, the Beastkin sisters, and the Chieftain’s daughter. All of them have come.”No?v(el)B\\jnn

    “...”

    “Can’t be sure about this, but at the very least, one incident will occur, right?”

    “...Yes.”

    I couldn’t bring myself to deny that.

    Because all women who were connected to me had gathered here, save for Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and Sullivan.

    “If it happens, handle it yourself. Don’t trouble Iliya and the servants.”

    “...You won’t even say that you’re going to lend me a hand as lip service, huh?”

    “Sure, I can lend you the biggest bedroom in the palace. Duke it out there, or do whatever you want.”

    What the fuck is he on about...?

    As I held my head, feeling dizzy upon hearing what he said, the margrave snickered as he looked at me.

    “There’s something else.”

    “...What is it?”

    “A contact from Chancellor Sullivan. She told you to start your preparation to enter the Magic Tower, and that she’d notify you soon.”

    “...”

    “You can expect that you’ll be going there right after your vacation here is over.”

    Hearing that, my eyes immediately narrowed.

    This matter must’ve been related to Marquis Bogut.

    “...”

    “F-For now, I-I think it’s quite reasonable for us to start finding out our bodies’ compatibility—”

    Seras said so while fidgeting, meanwhile Victoria could only look at the floor, unable to bring herself to look at Seras due to the embarrassment. Seeing them, I started to lose my mind

    What...?

    What are these punks—?

    “-We should, um, take our time to make such an important decision—”

    “So, we’re looking forward to it...!”

    “You two, listen to me...!”

    A wave of dizziness struck my head.

    Yeah, I got that they liked me a lot, and I got rid of two of their biggest grudges in one fell swoop during the previous chapter, but...

    That was one thing, and them sneaking into my room while saying, ‘Thank you, I’ll repay you with my body’ was another!

    In the first place...!

    “We haven’t gotten married, engaged ,or anything yet!”

    “...Um, Senior?”

    Hearing what I said, Seras replied in a perplexed tone of voice.

    “For high-ranking nobles, sleeping together is considered a kind of declaration of an engagement, you know?”

    “...”

    “...You can think of this as you’re doing the ‘engagement’ and the ‘duty’ at once.”

    “...”

    “W-We also agreed on our way here that it’ll be okay if it’s Senior, so—”

    Kraut’s face when he cunningly said ‘Have a good night’ earlier flashed through my mind.

    That guy...!

    He knew this would happen, didn’t he?!

    “...”

    My head was spinning.

    If the punks who had just got involved with me were this proactive...

    It was very obvious how Faenol, Yuria, or the other punks who hadn’t gotten engaged with me yet would behave.

    They would throw themselves at me trying to squeeze me out using all means necessary—!

    [Oh.]

    What is it now...?!

    [Nothing. Just thinking that it’s about time for you to be fucked by those ladies.]

    ...

    [Have fun. I won’t see you off.]

    Today, I learned a valuable lesson.

    From now on, I have to think twice, no, ten times before signing a contract, no matter what it is...!

    “...Now that I think about it, it’s kind of unfair.”

    As I tried to hold onto my sense of reality, Victoria narrowed her eyes and glared at me.

    “Last time, you told my sister and I to suck your fingers in a very sensual way.”

    “...Wait, I didn’t tell you guys to do that.”

    “But we did anyway, so what?”

    “...”

    “Anyway, after all that you still didn’t want to sleep with us? Are you looking down on us?”

    “This and that are two different—”

    “...”

    Victoria and Seras’ eyes narrowed at the same time.

    And the next moment...

    They grabbed me by the collar and slammed me right onto the bed.

    “Hey, hey, wait...!”

    “You talk too much.”

    “...”

    Victoria said with a smirk.

    Her expression was filled with joy.

    Or rather, it would be better to describe it as a sense of conquest.

    “I’m the kind of person who gives as much as I receive.”

    As soon as she finished her words,

    A window popped up before my eyes.

    [ A life-threatening situation detected. ]

    [ ‘Skill: Desperation’ raised to EX-Grade! ]

    “...”

    What, wait...!

    You punks!

    What the fuck are you going to do to me that the Desperation is raised to EX just because of that one sentence...?!

    “Unnie, hold him—!”

    At the same time as I heard those words...

    The sisters held my limbs tightly and pinned me down.