Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Aftermath of the Epilogue
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"...And just like that, I ended up indulging in three days of thoroughly indecent heterosexual relations."
Once my explanation wrapped up, I swallowed hard and scanned the others' reactions.
"..."
Agnes wore an inscrutable, stoic expression, her eyes gently closed as she sank deep into thought.
"...Haa."
Lin Shaomei... had a complicated look on her face. Was it because she was the first one to suggest I build a harem?
Violet was mouthing silent words of encouragement at me: "You got this."
Seeing that gentle, supportive expression made my conscience prick like a needle, and I found myself involuntarily turning my head away.
It would've been easier if they'd just yelled at me. This was undeniably my fault, yet here they were—staying silent or even taking my side. It didn't sit right with me at all.
'...What the hell was I even thinking?'
Replaying those three days in my mind, I couldn't fathom what had possessed me to do something so insane.
Al'Miraz's temptation? Cirka's succubus sex beam? Honestly, I could've resisted those.
Someone who'd withstood Liliet's seduction wasn't about to buckle under that. If I'd really tried to hold back, I absolutely could've.
'...I must've been way too hyped up. Three days straight with four women in a mindless sex party? I really lost it.'
Agnes, Shaomei, Violet—they'd all stepped up for me, meeting with officials and bigwigs to explain everything. I'd given them three days to rest easy, and instead, I...
And excluding Unicorn, the other three were massive problems.
Al'Miraz was Violet's familiar. The issue? Her actual owner—the girl I'd confessed to directly, Violet herself—and all we'd done was hold hands and kiss. Honestly, I couldn't even look her in the eye.
Sion... didn't even need explaining. To Jorba and Shaomei, she and Rexton were unforgivable enemies. That discomfort flickering on Shaomei's face since earlier? That was probably the biggest reason.
And Succubus Cirka? She was the mastermind behind trying to kill me and Unicorn, Liliet's subordinate to boot. If word got out that the empire's princess's fiancé was keeping a demon as a familiar, the Northern Church and the empire itself might flip upside down.
'Wow, fuck... the lineup's straight-up insane now that I think about it... I must've gone crazy...'
No one speaking just made my thoughts spiral. And the more they did, the more the aftershocks of that mindless sex party hit me like a truck.
——Of course I was happy. Fucking thrilled. But yeah, the guilt still stabbed at me. Living purely on instinct without a single thought? That's beast shit.
"Arthin."
"Y-Yes! Yes!!"
At that moment, Agnes softly called my name, and I blurted out a polite response without thinking.
"Honestly... this whole thing doesn't sit well with me."
Agnes slowly approached me. Her gait was straight out of the novel—elegant poise that never faltered, no matter the situation.
But her expression was nothing like the book's description.
The proud imperial princess who always stood tall and sharp with everyone, only ever showing vulnerability to the protagonist in fleeting moments, hiding her weaknesses deep inside...
'...She's crying.'
Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at me. Those ruby-like, radiant red irises brimmed with sorrow.
"But I was the one who suggested the harem to you in the first place. If there's blame, it falls on me."
Seeing Agnes on the verge of tears chilled my blood. What the hell had I done?
In my 4th regression, heading to the Demon King's castle, I'd promised her. That when we met again, I'd never let her cry—that I'd make her smile and be happy for life, so please get engaged to me.
"And hearing you were happy... that makes me so glad. In this life, all I want is for you to live happily."
Agnes knelt down, pulled me into a tight hug, and the warmth of her body seeped into me as she nestled in my arms.
"So don't get all down and mopey. I love seeing you stand tall and proud, my Arthin."
"...Agnes."
As I hesitated in her warmth, someone else approached and took my hand.
"Yeah, Arthin's always my cool prince! I just want to see you looking awesome forever!"
"Violet..."
Violet beamed at me, just like always—her smile bright, as if she'd completely shaken off any doubt or insecurity.
"...Ugh! Seriously! With this vibe, how am I supposed to stay mad?!"
Lin Shaomei, who'd been watching Agnes and Violet from behind, wrapped her arms around my neck from the side and pouted.
"Shaomei..."
"Just so you know, I haven't forgiven you yet, Big Brother. If you start putting other girls above us, I'll really lose it."
Seeing that made my chest tighten.
These girls loved me so much, and here I was, screaming I couldn't resist succubus sex while getting swept up by other women.
As a man leading a harem, I was a total failure.
"I'm sorry, girls! I must've lost my mind leaving you behind...! I'll snap out of it—no more eyeing other women outside the harem!"
"...You don't have to force a promise like that. Just having you by our side makes us happy..."
"No! I promise! And since I screwed up this time, hit me with any punishment—I'll take it gladly!"
Overcome with emotion, I shouted with all sincerity. If it meant forgiveness from these loving women, I was ready for the Inquisition's torture package all over again.
"...For real? You'll gladly take any punishment, Big Brother?"
"Yeah, he said he'd do anything! Right, Arthin?"
"I didn't mean it like that, but if Arthin insists on punishment..."
But the second those words landed, Shaomei grinned mischievously at me. Agnes wiped her tears and flashed a disarmingly sweet smile.
Even Violet, who'd been my sole defender until moments ago, smirked in total sync with them, grinning ear to ear.
"For punishment... that one's gotta be it, right?"
"G-Girls? This flow feels off..."
"Don't worry, Big Brother. Would we ever make you do something bad?"
Poke. Shaomei prodded my chest with her finger, then started caressing my muscles.
"They say a man's sex drive drops when he's ~super~ exhausted... Hehe."
"Sh-Shaomei? Agnes? What're you talking about? Violet?"
No one answered my bewildered cries.
I frantically glanced at Unicorn and the others, hoping for backup, but they avoided my eyes like they feared getting dragged in. Even Sion ducked her head silently, terrified of pissing off Shaomei more and getting booted from the harem.
"Don't worry, Arthin. Just tough it out for a week. Got it?"
Violet's kind encouragement... felt utterly terrifying right now.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So this is the 'punishment' you're dishing out?"
Kaiyen Silversword and Jorba Pelkas sat under a parasol set up by Jorba's servants, sipping black tea while watching Arthin from afar.
"Come on, Big Brother! Five more sets! Tense your legs tight and throw your weight into the punch!"
"Argh!!!"
Under Shaomei's guidance, Arthin punched the air. Sweat poured off him in the blazing outdoor training ground sun, but the workout didn't stop.
"Yeah, apparently he's alternating physical training, etiquette, and various studies with Shaomei, Violet, and Princess Agnes for a full week—18 hours a day, minus sleep."
"What's the point? Arthin's way past academy-level stuff."
"He got sidetracked with alchemy instead of martial arts for a while, and Shaomei was pissed about it. Etiquette's to nail down what the crown prince called him out on last round."
The punishment the three women proposed? A week of intensive private tutoring.
After realizing the dangers he'd faced in that mess—and the regression risk—they'd puzzled over what to do, then jumped on his voluntary punishment offer to "properly train" him.
"...But it's basically dates. That doesn't even look like martial arts instruction!"
Kaiyen gripped his teacup handle so hard it cracked.
"Come on, come on—if you push hard, it's 10 seconds face-in-boobs!"
"Aaagh!!! Aaaagh!!!! I'll give it everything!!!"
Arthin, weighed down by training restraints from Shaomei's family, could barely walk. But with Shaomei pressing her ample chest against his back in "encouragement," he poured on the effort with a demonic roar.
"Eh, the other two aren't much different. Anyway, they're all way too soft on Arthin."
"...They block me from even approaching, but let these three corrupt him however they want..."
As Kaiyen glared at Shaomei and Arthin with dead eyes, Jorba felt a chill but kept his cool, calmly sipping tea to steady himself.
Truth be told, Jorba found Kaiyen off-putting too.
Ever since that dream he had in the Rose Pavilion—where he was kidnapped by the succubus and turned into a woman getting ravaged by Arthin (aka TS female corruption)—once it leaked out.
Arthin's harem made no secret of keeping him at arm's length from Arthin, watching warily.
'...Arthin's too soft. Asking me to look after someone with that... no, that deviant fetish.'
Jorba, a straight-up heterosexual, found Kaiyen's tastes just as uncomfortable. But he'd volunteered to keep an eye on him at Arthin's request.
-"Please, I know it's not ideal, but I can't stand bullying or anyone getting left out in our group."
'Begging me to watch out for him the second he heard about the treatment... Guy's got a soft spot.'
Thinking that, Jorba unconsciously smiled brightly and reached for a cookie on the table.
Right then, his hand brushed Kaiyen's—he'd been eyeing the same cookie with fiery eyes fixed on Arthin.
Flinch!
"Ah, s-sorry, Jorba."
"N-No, my bad, Kaiyen. I was distracted watching Arthin."
Jorba startled at the contact and forced a casual face, but Kaiyen felt a pang of hurt at the reaction.
"...More tea, Kaiyen?"
"Ah... yeah, thanks, Jorba."
...One thing Arthin had overlooked.
In the original story, avenging him made those two thick as thieves. But in this timeline where Arthin lived, they weren't close at all.
Arthin had always lumped Kaiyen into the group, assuming they'd naturally bond. Quick on the uptake, Jorba found Kaiyen's occasional female-gazing looks at Arthin deeply unsettling.
"...Hurk."
"Here, have a scone or cookie. Uh... the girls are heading out later. Wanna join, Kaiyen?"
"...Nah, thanks for the invite, but I'm not into that."
Of course, Kaiyen found Jorba uncomfortable too. Always surrounded by women, reveling in them, the academy's top socialite was too flashy for the quiet Kaiyen.
"Ah... got it. No worries."
"...Sorry."
An awkward silence followed.
But Kaiyen was too nice to bail even if uneasy, and Jorba had to babysit at Arthin's request.
"...Oh, looks like Arthin finally nailed a full set."
"...Skinship again! Get off him already...!"
"..."
In the end, their unwanted camaraderie dragged on.
-"Even if he's a bit off-putting, I prefer everyone having fun."
No. What Arthin had created was a world where everyone felt uncomfortable.