Alisha never appeared before me again, no matter where she disappeared to.
Of course, if I wanted to find her, it wouldn’t be that difficult.
If I spread the light of the ultimate technique, I could probably find Alisha in an instant.
But Alisha must have her reasons for avoiding me.
There must be something that makes it difficult for her to face me now.
I did receive a favor from Yerina.
But that seems like something I should put on the back burner for a bit.
For now, wouldn’t it be best to have a deep conversation with Alisha?
‘Now that I think about it, it’s all just hearsay, isn’t it?’
I haven’t heard anything directly from Alisha.
My guess that she might have feelings for me is purely speculation.
The idea that she admires me is also just something I heard from Yerina.
In the end, this is something we should discuss thoroughly.
Maybe I was being too hasty.
The topic of affairs is quite sensitive, just like what Mia went through earlier, so I should think it over more before making a decision.
‘It was definitely a day just like today, raining.’
It’s a rare day of heavy rain in Palana.
I closed my eyes amid the pitter-patter of rain hitting the window, recalling that day.
The day Alisha sat in front of the mansion in the Clockwork City, drenched in rain, waiting for me.
At that time, I had no thoughts.
All I could think was how I ended up in a place like this, abandoned by Yerina, with nowhere else to go.
She completely despises me.
But considering I was just thrown out on the street, she had to come looking for me out of necessity.
But no matter how cornered I was, couldn’t a high-ranking officer from Evgenia manage to live without any means?
Even selling just one piece of jewelry would keep someone alive for years, wouldn’t it?
Then why on earth did she come to rely on someone she considered an enemy?
‘I really had no sense at all.’
It was an obvious story.
What Alisha needed was not food or a place to stay.
She needed someone to lean on.
She needed someone to endure the sense of loss of being abandoned by the sister she had devoted herself to.
And that someone was me.
When Alisha was pushed to the brink,
when she was at her weakest,
the first person who came to her mind was me.
Perhaps at that time, Alisha didn’t even know her own feelings.
But subconsciously, she was already showing it outwardly.
Did I really fail to notice it then?
Was I so focused on the goal of leaving this place that I was just pretending not to see it?
‘This is driving me crazy…’
I seduce women whenever I get the chance.
Yerina’s words poked my chest like poke-poke.
I never dreamed I would accumulate this much karma while living.
In the end, it’s a simple story.
I seduced Alisha and took advantage of her feelings for me.
And now, I’m trying to act like I don’t care anymore.
‘That makes me a complete jerk, right…?’
So you just realized that? What could I even say to that?
Well, I truly only just figured it out.
Actually, I was somewhat aware, but it was the first time I genuinely felt how I appeared to others.
Since I decided to think simply about it,
let’s make it even simpler.
Tay once asked me.
Did I make my wives while watching others?
In the end, wasn’t it my own lust that brought me here?
That’s a valid point.
So when it comes to taking on wives or concubines, is there any need to care what others think?
Nope.
That conclusion came to me in an instant.
Now there’s only one thing I need to sort out.
How do I feel about Alisha?
‘Alisha…’
I picture that Rabbit Demihuman in my mind.
With her long rabbit ears drooping down, hesitating,
getting irritated easily while hiding her sensitivity.
Pretending to be indifferent, yet overflowing with emotions, unable to ignore injustice.
‘Whatever else, she does drive me wild…’
Hmm… I messed up.
All I can see is the image of Alisha being pinned down, and the blood is rushing down below.
Why can’t I remember anything else?
It’s all Alisha’s fault.
Shouldn’t she make sure to visit the restroom regularly to avoid trouble?
If she insists on appearing needing the restroom right in front of me, doesn’t that imply she’s at fault too?
Ah. This won’t do.
I can’t hold it any longer.
As I unleashed the suppressed light of ultimate technique and pulled the door handle, suddenly…
“Ah…!”
“Whoa.”
Thump.
Something crashed into me from outside the door.
Startled, I caught something soft, fluffy, and long in my hands.
Soon, I felt a warm sensation spreading over my legs with the sound of sshhh….
“Hey.”
“Ah, ahh—I’m s-s-so sorry…”
Alisha, trembling against me, apologized with a strange tone.
Though she tries to apologize, it seems like she can’t stop what’s already flowing out.
I sighed and released her rabbit ears.
I caught Alisha as she was about to collapse, her legs giving way.
“Why are you here?”
“Th-that’s…”
I shouldn’t have asked.
Between the liquid she just released and the rich scent of pheromones lingering in the air,
Her gaze fixed on me and the desires radiating from her all told the same story.
I knew without her needing to say it.
This girl.
She came here with intentions to assault me.
And I couldn’t argue since I was thinking the same thing.
The next day.
I would deliver the news of a new engagement to my wives.
*
After a tumultuous journey in Palana,
we boarded the train heading south once again.
‘I think we’ve become a bit closer.’
On our way here, everyone kept their distance awkwardly while sipping tea and making ha-ha sounds in an oddly tense atmosphere.
But now, it seems we were all tired, as we leaned against each other and fell asleep.
It’s said that to become close, you must engage in physical activities.
It seems we played so hard all day until exhaustion that we’ve grown closer in both body and spirit.
Of course, this is all due to our skiing and snowboarding adventures.
Nothing weird about that.
‘Now I really need to restrain myself.’
I now have two new wives from this trip…
Looking at Jill’s blissful sleeping face makes me feel a poke-poke of guilt in my chest.
Even though this happened before my reunion with Jill, it still feels like infidelity.
That’s why my wives have been so graciously (?) accepting.
If I try to pursue a new woman after our engagement, I’d likely face a beating.
Of course, it won’t come to that.
As long as I’ve decided to stay in this world, I’ll treasure my wives above all else.
Sometimes I think about this.
If I had fallen into this world without the ability of regression or a system,
Would I have had a normal marriage with one of the heroines?
Who knows.
It’s all futile speculation.
In the end, I went through 12 regressions and ended up charming so many women, whether on purpose or not.
Technically speaking, shouldn’t that mean I have 12 wives?
Having 7 is pretty damn restrained, right?
Yeah. Thinking that way makes sense.
For someone like me, I did really well to hold back.
“…When are we having the wedding ceremony?”
“I suppose we’ll start coordinating dates soon. It should be scheduled for next year. Why do you ask? Since when are you interested in my wedding?”
“…If you get married, won’t I have to live apart?”
Mi Jeong looked up at me with her twinkling eyes.
Had she been worrying about this all along?
Unbelievable.
“Have you already forgotten where I’m going?”
“…I’ll go with you.”
“And where you are.”
“…Yoo Jin will be there too.”
“That was the promise. I’ll never abandon you. No matter what.”
“…”
Why is Mi Jeong, who always watches over me when I do the intimacy stuff with Yerina, acting so surprised now?
Just because I’m getting married doesn’t mean I plan to separate from Mi Jeong.
We’re basically one and the same now.
Then Mi Jeong hugged me tightly.
Forever like this, unchanged, a Mi Jeong who won’t grow up.
No matter how much time passes or the seasons change, Mi Jeong will never change.
The Guardian Knight is already gone.
Though I won’t receive any trait buffs due to Mi Jeong’s presence,
It doesn’t mean the strength and memories gained from being with Mi Jeong will disappear.
“I am your hero, after all.”
“…Yeah.”
For Mi Jeong, I can be anything, even a hero.
That’s who I am.
Mi Jeong, once filled with worries, now has a smile on her face.
Her complexion begins to take on a slightly reddish hue.
That can’t be right.
It must be my misunderstanding.
Thinking so, I tried to laugh it off.
“Ah?!”
“…What’s wrong?”
“Linda’s emergency transmission.”
I received an unusual mana wave through the light of the ultimate technique.
This is… Linda’s frequency.
An emergency signal meant only for me during crises.
What on earth is happening?
I left my wives asleep,
quietly splitting the space to leap forward.
