Chapter 65: A Strong-willed Woman... (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: A Strong-willed Woman... (6)
“Ooh… Ohh… Ohhhhh!”
The next morning, Mikhail, who had come to visit me, let out a series of exclamations.
He was watching the final scene of the footage recorded in the crystal ball from yesterday.
Looking at his face, which was practically exploding with dopamine, I couldn't help but think:
I feel like I’ve become an AV actor or something…
Pushing aside that indescribable, awkward feeling, I focused on the crystal ball's footage for a moment as well.
Maybe Valeria would have liked it more if I did this then.
Or, So Valeria likes it when I do that… and so on.
As I was having this moment of analysis and appreciation, I noticed Mikhail looking at me with a slightly dissatisfied gaze.
“Is something wrong, Lord Mikhail?”
“Ah, well, it’s just… I can’t see my wife’s or Lord Leon’s faces very well…”
Ah, the faces.
Naturally, I had applied a mosaic.
Of course, it wasn't the kind of method where I manually applied a mosaic to every frame like video editing in my past life.
‘Heh heh heh, I am the creator of magic. Leave it to me. It is a task that requires but a snap of my fingers!’
It was thanks to Sitri, who had recently increased the synchronization between her avatar and her main body.
Specifically, she had subtly woven recognition inhibition magic into the crystal ball’s foundational spell...
As a result, a hazy mist covered Valeria’s and my faces in the video.
And… naturally, I didn't have the knowledge to dispel this magic, and even if I did, I had absolutely no intention of doing so.
“It cannot be helped. If, by some slim chance, you were to lose this crystal ball or if someone were to steal it… you understand what would happen, don’t you?”
“That… that is true, but…”
Isn't that a bit too unlikely to happen… Mikhail muttered hesitantly.
Well, he had a point.
Regardless of the circumstances, Valeria was the daughter of the only Ducal family and held the highest rank in the imperial order of precedence.
Even if it wasn't a marriage of love, Mikhail was still the husband of such a woman.
Lastly, although they had moved into a separate branch house, Valeria’s mansion maintained a high level of security and guards, and the servants were of a corresponding caliber.
However, an object like this was a danger just by existing.
Therefore, I had no choice but to take out some insurance.
Hmm… but it feels a bit wrong to ignore Mikhail’s contribution.
It didn't seem like Mikhail had helped much, but that wasn't true.
He had told me everything I didn't know about Valeria.
For instance, how Valeria was treated as a problem child in the Duke’s house, which led to her being practically discarded into a marriage with someone from an insignificant family like Mikhail’s.
How her sadistic and arrogant personality worsened because her parents, and even the servants, whispered behind her back.
Thanks to those stories, I was able to scrap my initial plan of putting in a lot of effort and instead boldly took charge of her.
Because what Valeria had wanted most her entire life was love.
As I reached that thought, Sitri, who was stuck right by my side today as well, sent a telepathic message.
‘If you’re thinking that far, you’re planning on giving this scrawny human something, aren’t you?’
‘He did help me, after all. So… I was thinking of doing this. Can you help?’
‘Lifting the recognition inhibition and putting a timed spell in its place instead… Oho… I see. That would work.’
Sitri gently stroked the crystal ball.
The crystal ball immediately flickered with a red light once before returning to its usual transparent sphere.
Of course, since Sitri was invisible to Mikhail’s eyes, he immediately sent me a sparkling look of anticipation.
“Lord Leon…?”
“I don’t know if it’s right to put it this way… but I also had a truly wonderful time with Lady Valeria. Since you are the one who made that time possible, Lord Mikhail, I’ve found a compromise.”
“Y-you mean?!”
“I have deactivated the recognition inhibition spell on the crystal ball. Instead…”
“Yes, yes.”
“Once viewed, this crystal ball will be destroyed. You’re fine with that, right?”
Mikhail’s expression turned ambiguous for a moment, but it soon brightened.
Valeria would continue to visit me, and he could always buy another crystal ball.
It seemed that even a man as weak, timid, and incompetent as him could manage that much calculation.
“T-thank you. Haah… finally…!”
Well, the scene Mikhail probably wanted to see most wasn't actually the sexual intercourse, but the introduction.
The sight of that Valeria kneeling before me and begging was what Mikhail truly wanted to see.
I watched Mikhail, who was grinning ear to ear with that thought for a moment…
‘Hmm…’
‘What is it, Sitri?’
‘That man named Mikhail… he won’t live much longer.’
‘Huh? You can tell that too?’
‘Take a good look at him yourself.’
Since she mentioned it, I scrutinized Mikhail closely.
First of all… his hair was incredibly brittle. His body was skin and bones.
He had deep dark circles under his eyes, and they were severely bloodshot.
I only noticed it now because I had no interest in men.
‘Certainly…’
Valeria was slightly younger than Natalia.
Of course, since they married as soon as they became adults, Mikhail had been living under Valeria’s thumb for over ten years now.
So he had ended up in that state… Tsk, tsk.
I handed the crystal ball back to Mikhail and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I am returning this crystal ball to you now. And… Lord Mikhail.”
“Yes? Is there something you wish to say…?”
“I understand your joy, but please do not overexert yourself. They say there is an order for entering the world, but none for leaving it.”
“Entering… leaving…? A-ah, I understand. Then, I shall take my leave. Huff, huff…!”
Usually, when people say they understand, they don't.
Well… believing that he understood well enough, I sent Mikhail off… but.
I didn't even have time to watch him walk away because Sitri immediately dove into my arms.
“Fufu, I can finally be held in your arms.”
“I just sent off a man who might be dying…”
“Whether that man lives or dies has nothing to do with me. The only person important to me is you, Leon, forever. And… isn't it better for you if that man dies?”
At times like this, I truly realized that Sitri was a demon.
Whether a mortal lived or died mattered not to an immortal.
The only person important to Sitri was me, who had become a fellow immortal.
And…
“Only when that man dies can you truly take Valeria into your arms, can you not? Fufufu.”
I couldn't push away Sitri as she whispered while licking my ear.
Because those words were an undeniable truth.
Even when Mikhail was beside me, and even at this very moment… I was thinking, How can I keep Valeria by my side?
“Furthermore… you are a man who might embrace me, but you would never push me away. Is that not so?”
“…Yeah, that’s right. How could I ever deny you?”
Sitri and my women are my goals, my dreams, and my love.
If nothing else, I could never betray that.
As if those thoughts were conveyed… Sitri kissed me.
“Fufufu, fufufufu… mwah, chuu… slurp… nnh…”
Of course, I gladly and happily returned Sitri’s kiss.
To put it bluntly, it’s not like I’m going to kill Mikhail.
‘Well… Valeria probably won’t lay a finger on Mikhail anymore either…’
She’ll undoubtedly visit this evening as well and stay in my arms all night long.
Thanks to that, she’ll be too busy sleeping from exhaustion during the day.
So, as long as Mikhail doesn't do anything to kill himself, he’ll be fine.
Having settled that, I finally focused on Sitri.
*
“Honey~ I’m here~”
That was the greeting Valeria gave me as soon as the sun went down.
Her bright smile and the love-struck gaze she had never shown before were quite lovely, but…
The women who were with me glared with sharp eyes.
“Sister, just now…”
“Yes, Lady Sitri heard it too, didn't you…?”
“Honey…?”
In the midst of that, Valeria walked into the consultation room, linking her arm with mine.
Not only that, she even sat on top of me in front of everyone.
“I missed you so~ much, honey. How about you?”
“I missed you too, but…”
“Oh my, really? I love you~ mwah, chuu…”
I felt this with Natalia too, but… man… a late-blooming passion is truly terrifying…
Valeria herself probably didn't know.
That she would end up being held in the arms of someone much younger than her, kissing him of her own accord, acting spoiled, and cooing with a nasal voice.
So… for now, I accepted Valeria’s kiss.
Of course, I gave a slight hand gesture to appease the anger of the other women.
“Nnh… mwah… mm, honey… hold me… please? Can’t you hold me?”
“Lady Valeria.”
“Nnh~ Don’t call me Lady Valeria~ Call me Lea~”
Whether she had no shame, or if she couldn't see anyone but me.
Or if she was trying to show off as per her usual personality…
Valeria kissed me repeatedly and slowly began to undress me.
Now… then, it’s about time…
Time to fix her habits.
—Grab.
I caught Valeria’s hand as she tried to completely strip me.
Then, Valeria stared at me with a face that didn't understand why.
“Wh-why? What’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you? I-I’m sorry. Don’t be mad, okay?”
“I’m not mad, Valeria.”
“Nnh, I don’t like that name… call me Lea…”
Leaving behind the sweetly whispering Valeria, I approached Helena, Natalia, and Sitri.
Then, I kissed all of those women right in front of Valeria.
“H-honey…! Don’t do this…!”
“Haah, Young Master…”
“You… you! I won’t let you get away with this!”
“Mwah… Master…”
“Ugh, uuu…! Natalia…! Get your mouth off him! Don’t touch him! I’ll tear you apart!”
“Now, shall I see what she says to me? Fufufu. Mwah… nnh…”
“Y-you…! Let go! I said let go!”
Stopping the lunging Valeria with one hand, I continued to kiss Sitri.
I had expected a moment like this would come someday.
That a woman who wanted to monopolize me would appear.
That someone who wanted me to love only her and look only at her would appear.
So I had once thought about whether I should give up on such a person… but I had naturally forgotten such thoughts.
“Helena, I can’t love only you, but you must love only me. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Natalia.”
“Yes, Master.”
“And Sitri?”
“Fufufu, of course.”
Finally, I turned back toward Valeria.
Embracing Valeria, who was miserably distorted with tears and rage, I whispered in her ear.
“Let go! I said let go! Hic, ugh…”
“Lea.”
Valeria’s arms, which had been flailing and hitting my chest, slowed down.
When I whispered her nickname once more, only then did Valeria gradually hug me back.
“As you can see, I am a man who cannot love only you.”
“Hic… sob…”
“However, the moment I stop loving you will never come.”
Once again, Valeria wept uncontrollably in my arms.
She pounded on my back and even bit my chest.
Cries of Why won't you look only at me? Why won't you love only me? could be heard.
However, I never let go of Valeria.
Because Valeria didn't ask me to let her go.
By the time the front of my clothes was completely soaked, Valeria slowly lifted her head.
“Hic… sob… hic…”
I brushed back her messy hair.
I gently wiped away the corners of her eyes, which were a disaster from smudged makeup and tears.
Finally, I kissed Valeria’s mouth, which was covered in snot and saliva.
“Mwah… mwah… nnh… mmph…! Hah, slurp…!”
At first, she rejected and turned away from my kiss.
But eventually, Valeria accepted me, entangling her tongue with mine of her own accord.
“Haah… I love you, Lea.”
“…Me… me too…”
“Thank you.”
“B-but…! I haven't given up yet! Got it! Someday, I’ll make sure you look only at me!”
“Hahaha, sure.”
“You guys better listen up too! I’ll use whatever means necessary to make sure Leon loves only me… Gyah?!”
My current homeland is the Roycen Empire, but in my past life, I was a proud son of Korea.
And in the country of my past life, there is a saying.
A strong-willed woman has a weak backside.
“Th-there… ngh…! Y-you can’t…!”
“Tonight is going to be very long, Lea.”
“H-hieek…!”