Chapter 517: The Aftermath
Chapter 517: The Aftermath
“Hee hee hee! Are you awake!”
The next morning, Diana seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.
Well, of course she was. I hadn’t teased her at all after our first round last night, and in the end, she had been the one to take the lead for the entire duration.
She probably felt like she had won against me.
Seeing her so happy, the devil on my shoulder started whispering in my ear again.
It would probably be incredibly fun to use my skills to utterly break Diana right now, while she’s in such high spirits.
Especially since Diana had yet to experience my newly strengthened skills.
Well, maybe I’ll let it slide for today.
A smug and triumphant Diana was also quite cute.
“Yeah. Did you sleep well? You look happy.”
“Hee hee! Do I now?!”
I’m telling you, don’t look so happy. It makes me want to mess with you.
“Yeah. Is it because you’re thinking about filming our next video?”
“That’s…! Of course not! What video! What are you talking about!”
Diana, who had been beaming just a moment ago, turned beet red and started pounding lightly on my chest with both hands. I decided to ignore the fact that the sound effects were kind of cute, because it was Diana.
“You said you wanted to film one yesterday.”
“Ugh…! That was! That was…!”
“I think it would be nice to have a record of you like you were yesterday, too.”
“...Perhaps it would… Ahem. If you insist, then I suppose I have no choice.”
Diana, who had been blushing and trying to argue, instantly cooled down at my quiet murmur. She nodded with an expression that said she was reluctantly agreeing just for my sake.
This girl… she’s dead set on recording herself ‘beating’ me in bed, isn’t she.
Does she really think she can win against me like that again?
No, it’s not like she really won yesterday, either.
Where on earth does she get this confidence?
“In that case, Diana, I’d like you to improve the magic orb a little.”
“Hmm? Improve it? What do you mean? Was there something inconvenient about it?”
“More than just one or two things. There’s no zoom function, so I can’t emphasize certain parts, and I can’t hold it, so I can only film from a fixed angle, and also…”
“W-Wait! What part are you trying to emphasize?! And what kind of angle are you planning to film from?!”
As I quickly gave her feedback based on my experience watching the video yesterday, Diana waved her hands in a fluster.
“For me, you’ll do it, right?”
“Ugh… I-I mean, that way of talking is just cheating…”
“I love you.”
“Ugh… honestly, this perverted husband of mine, starting so early in the morning…”
After spending some more time bantering with Diana, we finally left the room when Vanessa came to get us.
Alright, then. Now that I’ve safely done the deed with Diana, it’s time to get to work.
With my date with Rachel coming up tomorrow, today was going to be a very busy day.
I steeled my resolve and opened the door, but the moment I saw the person standing in front of me, I felt my carefully composed expression crumble.
“...What is it?” Vanessa uttered shortly, with a tone that said, I don’t want to pay any attention to your staring, but you’re looking so intently that I have no choice but to ask.
“No. You… are you wearing makeup?”
That was right. Our iron-blooded butler was, for some reason, wearing makeup. Full makeup, at that.
Vanessa always seemed to take care of her appearance, perhaps thinking that her own conduct could tarnish Diana’s reputation, but she had never worn makeup like this before. She never needed to in the first place.
On top of that, this girl was staring intently at me, as if she had something to say since early this morning.
“Oh! You’re right! Vanessa, what’s the occasion?”
Even Diana seemed to have rarely seen Vanessa with makeup on. She looked at Vanessa with a pleased expression.
“...Is there a problem… No. It’s nothing in particular. I just did it lightly for a change of pace.”
While she had responded to my question with a cold glare, Vanessa immediately changed her tune when Diana asked and answered normally.
This girl, her attitude is still just a little bit insincere only when she’s dealing with me.
“Makeup for a change of pace, you say. I didn’t know you did things like that, Vanessa. Did you perhaps meet a man you liked when you went out yesterday?”
But I didn’t let her attitude deter me. I threw another joke at Vanessa with a playful smile.
In response, Vanessa glared at me with eyes that burned as if to say, don’t talk nonsense.
If the answer is no, it’s no. Why are you glaring at me like that?
“I will escort you.”
When I gently pushed Diana ahead of me, Vanessa’s eyes narrowed into a glare before she began striding toward the dining room.
But still, something’s suspicious.
She’s not the type to wear makeup for no reason.
And her stride, too, seemed to have more force in it than usual.
…Is she just angry at me?
No. I don’t think I said anything that would make her that angry.
“...Hmm.”
Diana also seemed to think something was a little off about Vanessa. She placed a hand on her chin and stared at Vanessa’s back, lost in thought.
In any case, with the morning starting off so unusually, I found myself growing even more nervous.
Especially when I thought about what I had to do from now on.
There was a lot to do, but I decided to prioritize my actions and tackle them one by one.
First, get permission from my girls to welcome Rachel.
Second, ask for Sara’s understanding about the date.
And finally, have a serious talk with Matilda.
This priority wasn’t set because Rachel was more important than Matilda.
To me, welcoming Rachel and discussing Matilda’s return to the Holy See were equally important.
It was just that the date with Rachel was tomorrow.
As long as Matilda’s curse wasn’t lifted, I could make plenty of opportunities to talk with her later. So for now, I decided to handle the matter concerning Rachel first.
“Alright, about the swimming.”
“Is that all you can talk about right after a meal?”
I was so nervous I could barely taste the food. I brought up the topic as soon as we finished eating, and Diana immediately grumbled.
Perhaps she was still a little bothered by what I said about her chest when I was about to go to the bathroom yesterday.
Don’t worry. I’m not talking about joining the swimming practice today.
“Vanessa. Sorry, but could you watch Silvia and Matilda by yourself today?”
I made my request to our fully made-up butler standing behind Diana.
“...Pardon?”
Even Vanessa seemed a bit surprised by my words, looking at me with an expression that asked what I was plotting.
Why does she have to be so suspicious of everything I do? I’m not plotting anything.
And you over there. Silvia, in the corner.
Don’t give me that lonely look when you’re trembling so much you can’t even come near me.
If you’re going to make a face like that, at least do it after you’ve clung to me in a tight hug.
Well, you’d have to risk your life to do that, though.
“We have something to talk about.”
“‘We’… you mean with the three of us?” Leia asked, her triangular ears twitching atop her head. She must have inferred that from my earlier request for only Silvia and Matilda.
Our angel is so smart.
“Yeah. There’s something I need to say.”
“Ugh… I-Is that so…”
When I nodded with a serious expression, the faces of Sara, Diana, and Leia all darkened at once.
Don’t tell me they have a vague idea of what I’m about to say.
Then again, I did gather the three of them before to make my harem declaration. Maybe they’re just thinking I’m about to say something stupid again.
But even if they were onto me, I couldn’t back down now.
“Let’s go to my room for a moment. Vanessa, I’m counting on you.”
“...Understood.”
I stood up from my seat and headed straight for my room.
The three of them followed quietly behind me without a word.
“I’m sorry!”
The moment we entered the room and the door closed, I dropped to my knees with a thud and bowed my head, starting with an apology.
With things like this, it’s best to start by begging for forgiveness from the get-go.
“G-Guwon?! What’s wrong? Please get up.”
“So, what did you do this time?”
“...”
How can their reactions be so polar opposite?
Leia was flustered and tried to help me up, while Sara just stared at me with cold eyes. Diana, meanwhile, crossed her arms and said nothing, as if she would hear me out first.
“I… I think I need to take another concubine.”
Feeling like a criminal, I confessed to my three official wives that I needed to take another concubine.
Then, I cautiously raised my head and peeked at their expressions… all three of them wore a look that said, ‘that figures.’
Huh? Wait. Don’t tell me you actually, completely saw this coming?
For that to be the case, isn’t your reaction a little too mild?
I mean, sure, you all gave me permission, but honestly, I thought you’d be a little angrier.
“...You’re not mad?”
“...We already told you it was fine, and yet you’ve made this decision. And so soon after we gave you our permission. Doesn’t that mean you perceive this as a necessary situation?” Diana said, as if she knew this day would come.
Grandma Dia—I mean, Diana…
“...Yeah.”
“Guwon. In that case, we have nothing more to say.”
Beside me, Leia looked at me and pulled on my arm, as if telling me to stand up now.
But I was so dumbfounded by how readily my girls were giving their permission that I didn’t feel like getting up right away.
Have I been underestimating them all this time?
The idea of these three beautiful, kind-hearted archangels getting angry at me for something they already approved of… of course that would never happen.
“Y-You guys…”
“Haaah… What’s with that dumb look on your face? So, after Silvia, is it Matilda?” Sara said with a deep sigh as I was too overcome with emotion to speak.
“Huh? No. It’s Rachel.”
The moment I said that, the air in the room froze.
“Huh? Who?”
H-Hey. Sara. Your expression is terrifying. I’m not kidding, for real.
“Did I mishear something just now? I thought I heard the name Rachel.”
Even Diana, who had been maintaining her calm, mature mode, muttered with a vein popping on her pretty forehead.
“Guwon… you said before that it wasn’t like that, didn’t you?”
Even Leia, who had been nothing but an angel and hadn’t shown a hint of anger until a moment ago, now seemed to be shrouded in a faint, dark aura.
Come to think of it, Leia had caught me having dinner with Rachel before.
And at that time, I had clearly stated that Rachel and I were not in that kind of relationship.
No, it was true! I wasn’t lying! I really didn’t have those kinds of feelings when we had dinner back then.
Wait. More importantly, you all thought I was talking about Matilda?!
No wonder you weren’t getting angry. So that’s what it was?!
Because Matilda had been with us for a long time, you had mentally prepared yourselves for it.
But I had unintentionally launched a surprise attack on their hearts, and the backlash meant that all three of them were now unbelievably furious.
“H-Hey, everyone? Why don’t we all calm down and listen to what I have to say… Hey! Sara! What’s with your hand?! Since when was your mana so black?! Wait! For real?! I’m against violence! Against viole—Gahk!”
“Then what was that yesterday?! What? You won’t do anything I can’t see?!”
“No, what I meant by that was, since I was going to tell you like this, it wasn’t something you couldn’t see—Wait! Hey! You hit bone!”
“Don’t make excuses!”
It’s not an excuse…
“Rachel, of all people. Isn’t that just your one-sided idea? I heard that Rachel already has someone she’s serious about.”
Perhaps seeing Sara so magnificently smacking my back calmed her down a little, as Diana threw a sharp question my way.
“Ah, if you’re talking about what she said at the restaurant, the person she was talking about was me—Gyaaaah! Wait! I can explain! For real, time out! Time! I’m tapping out! Referee!”
“You said it wasn’t like that…”
“Sara! More! Harder!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Of course, no matter how much I yelled, there was no referee in this place to mediate the situation.