“Hey, I’m back, Raphne.”
After wrapping up the funeral that followed my visit to Hyde, it took longer to return to Epiris Academy than planned.
I promised to explain things to Raphne in at least three days.
But I only arrived five days later.
“Ken━!!”
Maybe that’s why, when I opened the tower door, Raphne’s face looked extremely gloomy.
She had a long face, with tears welling up in her eyes—it’s been a while since I’ve seen such a gloomy visage.
“Why did you take so long…!”
I opened my arms, ready to embrace her as she normally comes running, but then Raphne paused upon seeing my face.
“W-What happened…?”
She then cautiously approached me, wrapping her arms around my waist and looking up at me with worry.
It’s a bit admirable. In the past, she wouldn’t have even checked my condition before hugging me and acting like a spoiled child.
“It’s just… a complicated feeling to explain.”
I said that vaguely as I wrapped my arms around Raphne’s shoulders and buried my face in them.
I could smell her familiar scent.
Of course, I only talked to Mr. Raymond for a day, and even that was only for a few minutes.
But I witnessed Mary crying beside him as he took his last breath, my own tears spilling over.
It was just painful.
Not as much as Mary, who just lost her father, but the thought that I couldn’t help her at all piled up, reaching Raphne, who seemed to read my emotions.
“I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”
“No, it’s okay…”
Raphne hugged me tightly, as if understanding my mood.
Her warm body and familiar fragrance calmed my troubled heart.
“I don’t know what happened… but…”
Then Raphne kissed my neck and quietly began to speak.
“No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side, Ken.”
She seemed to want to offer me her best comfort, and those words felt like they unraveled the tangled threads in my heart.
I wish I could have said something like that to Mary.
“Really, you’ll be by my side no matter what?”
“Y-Yes! Of course! I only have you, Ken.”
“What if I do something terrible?”
“Even if you become a national traitor, I’m staying right by your side.”
Her kind and calm voice overflowed with strong confidence.
She really seemed to mean it; no matter what happens, she would keep that promise.
“Because I can’t be without you, Ken.”
Raphne pulled back from my shoulder to look at me with an innocent smile.
Her adorable smile made my previously gloomy face break into a smile as well.
。
It’s been a week since I returned from Mary’s family home.
Fortunately, Mary seemed to be regaining her spirits after returning to the academy—she looked upbeat enough that it seemed like she hadn’t changed at all.
Of course, whether that was just a forced appearance or if she was trying to stuff her sadness away, I couldn’t tell.
“It’s surprising. Raphne giving up Ken’s lunch break?”
“Right? I was shocked when she suddenly asked to eat lunch together today!”
And now, a week later, Mary, Emily, and I were having lunch together.
For the record, I had two lunch boxes in front of me.
Each filled with love from two girls.
“Well… nobody decided to bring anything, so…”
“When I came to my senses, I realized I had already made it.”
“No! Don’t worry! I can eat both! Haha, you know how I eat!”
I tried to smile at the two apologizing girls.
It’s true that I could manage.
Back when I was chubby, I could handle this amount laughingly, and even now, two lunch boxes wouldn’t be too much for me.
‘This might happen often from now on…’
Today, I had negotiated with Raphne to eat lunch separately.
During the remaining time, I invited Emily and Mary to eat together.
As a result, we found ourselves sitting on a bench in the small garden behind the academy’s history museum for lunch.
The menu was lunch boxes.
Due to my negligence, both Emily and Mary had each prepared a lunch box for me.
I was truly filled with joy, but as I ate both girls’ lovingly made lunch boxes, a strange guilt weighed on me.
“How is it? I-I worked hard on it.”
“The rolled omelet is my specialty. Does it suit your taste?”
As I tasted each lunch box, I was met with the tense gazes of both girls.
“Wow! This is the best! It’s the tastiest lunch I’ve ever had!”
“Isn’t it contradictory to say it’s the best if there are two?”
“Cough!”
Without realizing it, I choked on something I shouldn’t have.
Seeing that, Mary hurriedly handed me a drink, and I took a sip, finally regaining my composure.
What a shame.
Both boxes really were top-notch according to my standards.
Is this the dilemma of juggling two loves?
No, typically, having two loves doesn’t mean you end up having lunch with both at the same time; this is a dilemma only I face.
“So, what’s up with you, Ken? Setting up lunch with us… and even waiting for Emily and me?”
“Yeah, I’m also really curious about that.”
“Oh, about that…”
Today, I intentionally postponed lunch plans with Raphne.
That meant I would have to spend the night cuddled like a doll in her arms after a tough fight.
But still.
This wasn’t just for the sweet lunch event.
There’s something important to discuss.
That is…
“…How do I tell Raphne?”
“Ahh…”
“And come to think of it, Raphne doesn’t know yet.”
Mary, along with Emily, didn’t question why we had set a lunch appointment with the three of us.
After all, I had confidently declared my intention to pursue a relationship with all three of them, and Mary accepted it.
So, it was fine for me to spend time with Emily as if we were lovers.
“Definitely tricky… Raphne is tough to handle.”
Emily’s comment hit right at the core of my worries.
Yes.
Emily and Mary accepted my declaration.
I had to present the same to Raphne as well.
Of course, I doubt she’d try to attack me once she hears this or go berserk to try and kill me.
That’ll never happen as long as the Earth is still whole.
But still.
Raphne has a history.
What comes to mind is the day I first gave her the Goddess’ Pendant.
Yeah.
That day, I was imprisoned by Raphne in the tower.
It’s an unforgettable incident because it was also the day Raphne confessed her feelings.
I managed to convince her then to escape the confinement.
“…This time, I might really end up trapped deep underground.”
“Well, we wouldn’t just sit and do nothing again.”
“Right, so don’t worry too much about that.”
My shoulders trembled as the two gentle ladies patted my head.
Their calming touches brought me some peace.
“Anyway, the reason I wanted to meet you both today is to discuss that part together.”
The two who accepted my declaration were, after all, my companions for the future.
If that’s the case, Raphne’s dilemma should also be something they ponder.
I wouldn’t carry all the burden alone.
If we could overcome it together, I’d gladly share it with them.
Of course, excluding anything dangerous.
“Surprisingly, she might give her approval easily, right?”
Emily showed a slightly positive reaction.
“Why, after all, the main topic is Ken’s marriage proposal. We two are just side characters… maybe it won’t be too hard to overlook it?”
“Isn’t that a pretty favorable line for us?”
“Hmm… is that really it?”
“…Thinking back to how Ken fell into the trap before… it could be pretty tough.”
Mary’s statement made me tilt my head, and Emily shivered as if a chill ran down her spine.
“D-Did Raphne’s state get serious?”
“Yes, as soon as Ken disappeared, she turned into a wild beast with no restraint.”
Mary referenced when I fell into a trap alone in the Tower of Tarros.
I had spent a year at the bottom, so I was unaware of what happened above.
So Raphne lost control back then, huh?
Now I felt even more uneasy.
“W-What do we do?!”
I started wrapping my head around the hopeless question again.
The two girls also began pondering their own solutions.
Then, Mary was the first to reach a conclusion.
“Well, we’ll just have to confront it directly.”
“…Huh? What do you mean by that…?”
“Literally. No matter how you try to persuade, Ken’s intention to marry all three won’t change.”
“Cough…”
“No words would change that, and all that’s left is Raphne’s choice.”
Mary’s words were indeed the truth.
I hadn’t considered schemes, but I was hoping for some appropriate persuasion.
As always, she answered boldly, leaving the consequences to Raphne.
“But don’t worry too much, Ken.”
Then Mary, seeing the tension on my face, reached out to hold my hand while smiling kindly.
“I’ll be there when you tell Raphne. …We’ve decided to stay together from now on.”
“M-Mary…”
That was reassuring.
In the terrifying moment of needing to confess, Mary’s warm hand and smile made me feel like she would always be there for me.
…Is this what marriage feels like?
“I-I’ll go too! After all, I was the one who brought it up first!”
Then, as I was gazing at Mary with a touched expression, Emily suddenly grabbed my hand.
Her face was flushed as she nervously glanced at me.
Though not as reassuring as Mary, she was pretty cute.
She seemed keen not to fall behind on points with Mary.
I was already set on treating all three equally since I made my multi-love decision, so she didn’t need to worry about that.
Anyhow.
The conclusion was that there was no answer other than to face it head-on.
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