Chapter 366: Side Story — Reunion (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 366: Side Story — Reunion (5)
“My first love… huh? My… first love…”
I gave a gentle, non-committal smile, letting my voice trail off.
Even I, a man who prided himself on his acting skills, found it difficult to suppress the cold sweat trickling down my spine.
It feels like there’s no way out of answering this…
The moment Dorothy, Luce, and Alice heard the words "first love," they hadn't just rushed over—they had practically flown. A topic I had intended to keep buried forever had finally clawed its way to the surface.
Now, the question of "Who exactly was Isaac’s first love?" had taken a death grip on their minds.
More than anything, their real concern wasn't simply whether Amy Holloway was the one; it was the implications beyond that. It was understandable why they were reacting with such intensity.
“Yes, I’m quite curious myself. Depending on who your first love was, it might just settle the hierarchy among us girls, don’t you think?” Alice said smoothly, her voice as casual as if she were discussing the weather.
Her words were like tossing a match into a powder keg, instantly igniting Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya’s emotions.
Alice, you little…!
She’s really pouring oil onto the fire!
She was clearly confident that she wasn't my first love, so she was simply leaning back and enjoying the chaos. She definitely knew I was struggling, yet she chose to stir the pot anyway.
She’s downright wicked.
“Uh, President? You really don’t have to answer…! I’m totally fine without an explanation! I mean, I am curious, but if you just so happened to say that I was your first love, I wouldn’t mind at all!” Dorothy stammered.
“Isaac, just answer. If you do, I’ll forget everything Amy Holloway said,” Luce added.
“Isaac…?” Kaya’s voice was soft, but heavy.
The expectant gazes of Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya weighed down on me like lead. It was proof of just how much they loved me, which was heartening, but I couldn't help feeling utterly overwhelmed.
No matter whose name I called out, the others would be crushed. It would be like putting a massive dent in our marriage before the ceremony even began.
Is this the weight I must bear as the one who wears the crown of the harem king?
…No.
“…This won’t do.”
“Huh?”
“This really won’t do.”
If they were going to push me this far, I couldn't just sit back and take it. Especially not from Alice—I wasn't about to let her play me like a fiddle.
Without realizing it, I let out a cold sigh. The atmosphere in the clearing turned brittle and tense.
Everyone held their breath. Kaya unlinked her fingers from mine and folded her hands politely, looking like a chastened student.
Are they all waiting for my reaction?
I wasn't even truly angry, but they were being surprisingly obedient.
“There are things I don’t want to answer, too,” I said, softening my expression into the warmest smile I could muster while keeping my tone firm. “You’re all going to be my wives, aren’t you? I don’t think this is a topic that should be brought up anymore.”
“…”
“Everyone, don’t you think you went a little too far?”
A brief, heavy silence followed.
Dorothy adjusted the brim of her witch’s hat and let out an awkward, forced laugh.
“Nyahaha…! I mean, really, you don’t have to answer! This kind of mood… well, it’s not exactly what I wanted, you know?”
“I agree. I think I overstepped. Sorry,” Alice apologized, though her smile remained bright and unbothered.
“…Yeah. I wasn't being very level-headed.” Luce shrugged, closing her eyes as she let out a long sigh.
“I have committed an offense. I apologize, Isaac,” Kaya added.
“No, I didn’t say that to force an apology out of you… Honestly, just seeing you all is better than the reunion anyway…”
“Aha. Oh, so you’re really enjoying yourself?”
“Huh?”
As if she had been waiting for that exact opening, Kaya wrapped herself around my arm.
“Then, Isaac, may I offer my own apology?”
“Apology?”
“Yes, with this humble body of mine…”
Kaya’s low, sultry voice crept up and tickled my eardrum in a suggestive whisper. I couldn't quite grasp where she was taking this. Had she been planning to steer the conversation in this direction from the very beginning?
“You… why are you bringing that up now?” Dorothy asked, narrowing her eyes in disbelief.
Kaya’s expression turned ice-cold in an instant as she shot a sharp glare at Dorothy.
“Senior Dorothy. While I was away, did you and Isaac… do it?”
“Huh…? W-wait, d-did it? What exactly do you mean by that…!?”
Dorothy was visibly shaken, her eyes darting away immediately. It was so typical of her; she was absolutely terrible at playing innocent.
“Luce Eltania, you too.”
“Yeah.”
At Luce’s blunt confirmation, Dorothy froze for a moment before yelping, “Wait, what?!”
She seemed genuinely shocked. Had she really only suspected it until now?
“So, it was true after all…” Dorothy muttered under her breath. It seemed she had been desperately clinging to the hope that her suspicions were wrong.
“So, in the end, the promise we made about premarital chastity was meaningless?”
“You’re so naive,” Luce countered. “That’s why you were always in second place.”
Luce, Luce…! That’s a forbidden word!
“Aha?” Kaya let out a small smirk.
Unexpectedly, her reaction wasn't explosive.
“Is that so? Always the runner-up… Hearing that from you is quite surprising.”
“What?”
“The person who couldn't even remember me now seems to at least recall who I am. You’ve even learned how to deliberately get on my nerves?”
For some reason, Kaya didn't seem upset at all.
“That means… I’ve finally become someone significant enough for you to pay attention to, right?”
“…You’re optimistic. Think whatever you want.”
“Huhu.”
Luce was left at a loss for words.
“By the way, Isaac…!”
Kaya turned back to me, puffing out her cheeks in a pout. With her eyebrows raised and her lips turned down, she looked the picture of a sulky lover.
“You were quite busy while I was gone, weren't you?”
“I… don’t really know what to say to that.”
“It can’t be helped. It was my fault for being away. And honestly, it was obvious things would turn out this way.”
Whether the sulking was an act or not, the corners of Kaya’s lips soon curved into a triumphant smile.
“And there’s no need for you to reveal who your first love was, Isaac. It doesn't matter anyway, does it?”
“…?”
For some reason, Kaya wore the smug expression of a victor. Suddenly, a glimpse into her psyche crossed my mind.
Kaya, this girl… why is she so convinced that she was my first love?
Perhaps that was why, despite me sharing passionate moments with Dorothy and Luce first, she only felt a twinge of disappointment rather than true jealousy. In her mind, she had already won the most important title.
“Now then, my dear oath-breakers? Just for today, why don’t you two step aside?” Kaya said, resting her head against my shoulder as she addressed Dorothy and Luce with firm authority. “Because today, I’m going to have Isaac all to myself.”
It was a one-sided declaration of war.
“All to yourself?! Just like that?” Dorothy protested.
“…” Luce simply shot her a frigid glare.
“Just for today, that should be okay, right Isaac?”
Just a moment ago, I had intended to take control of the situation… but somehow, the conversation was flowing exactly where the "Dark Kaya" wanted it to go. I didn't particularly mind, so I didn't see the need to argue.
“I mean, if everyone’s okay with it.”
Dorothy and Luce would be heading back to Düpfendorf soon anyway. Neither of them had any real interest in the reunion; they had only rushed here to interrogate me over a misunderstanding.
“I see… How interesting.” Alice gave a cryptic smile. “Then, Baby, have a great time. I’ll be heading back now.”
Alice turned her back and began to walk away, everyone’s eyes following her.
“I enjoyed seeing you, even if it was only for a little while.”
“Wait, you’re leaving already?” I asked.
“I still have a lot to do. But I think I’ll drop by from time to time. Now that I’ve seen you, I’ve lost a bit of my self-control.”
“Self-control…?”
“Take care.”
At that moment, a covert communication spell tickled my ear. It was Alice’s magic.
[Enjoy yourself with the others while you can. In the end, you’ll only have eyes for me.]
The voice echoed only in my mind—a secretive, heavy statement. Then, the mana dissipated.
“What are you saying…? If anything, just hurry back. I miss you too.”
Alice didn't look back, simply waving a hand over her shoulder before disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
“The most troublesome obstacle is gone,” Kaya noted.
“Obstacle?”
“Never mind. Now then, Isaac~ I’ll clean up the inside of the hideout with my wind magic.”
“But the others are still here?”
Dorothy and Luce were staring intently at us. They couldn't bring themselves to argue with Kaya’s logic, but they weren't moving either.
“That makes it even better.”
Whoosh!
Kaya cast a simple wind spell inside the hideout. With surgical precision, the gale swept up the accumulated dust and sent it swirling out the window. Kaya’s light green hair fluttered in the draft.
Then, her crimson eyes locked onto mine, shimmering with a playful, predatory smile.
“I’ll just have to make louder noises~”
“…!”
Dorothy and Luce’s eyes widened in unison. It was a rare sight—Kaya, who was physically the weakest among them, had landed a devastating blow.
Kaya glanced at the two women and smirked. She fully intended to let them hear every explicit sound of our night together.
“P-President…” Dorothy trembled, her face turning bright red, unable to form a coherent sentence.
“You really think I’m just going to sit here and listen to that?” Luce asked, her voice dripping with cold contempt.
Kaya, unfazed, furrowed her brows slightly and sneered back.
“Are you saying you intend to interfere with Isaac’s private affairs? Luce Eltania, as someone who is also going to be his wife, shouldn't you refrain from being such a nuisance? Imagine how disappointed Isaac would be…”
“…”
“Not to mention, you had your turn with him before I even got the chance. Stop being so selfish. It’s irritating every time I see it.”
Kaya scoffed, and the light gradually faded from Luce’s eyes.