Chapter 68

Luluka is waving at me.

...No, that's fine.

However, there is one critical oddity.

Luluka is walking over here, side by side with Eris.

The sight of Luluka and Eris being together voluntarily.

This is quite rare.

Luluka seems to have some sort of inferiority complex towards Eris due to the incident at the clinic where she was secretly giving discounts behind Eris's back, and Eris doesn't think highly of Luluka either.

Why are they together?

"Well, you see, the Holy Maiden... Shiki was almost caught in a very obvious honey trap this early morning, so she told me to come along and keep an eye on you. If I take my eyes off you for a moment, who knows what you might do, so I have to watch you all the time."

I see.

"I think she told me, but I don't think she told you."

"W-well, she glanced at me too!"

...I get the gist of it.

Probably, the Holy Maiden, as a temporary succubus countermeasure, wanted Eris to stay by my side.

And at that moment, Luluka happened to be near Eris.

Luluka, sensing the danger of Eris staying by my side, followed along.

That's what happened.

"Also..."

Luluka leans in and whispers in my ear.

"We've already... kissed, you know."

Then, her face turns red, and she quickly pulls away.

She's probably referring to the cheek kiss during the Miss Contest.

Luluka looks at me for a moment, blushing, but then her expression shows a slight sense of superiority as she glances at Eris.

It's as if she's claiming ownership, even squeezing my arm between her breasts.

It's soft.

...Come to think of it, Luluka wasn't there when I was being tempted by the succubus.

Luluka returned to the capital after I had regained my senses.

In other words, Luluka doesn't know what Eris and I were doing at that time.

However, Luluka continues to send Eris a superior look.

...I can see that Eris, at the receiving end of Luluka's gaze, has a visibly irritated expression.

"Hey, hey, Shiki. Let's go see Dragon. She's in the courtyard. Let's feed her together? She's super cute when she eats goblins, you know?"

"Hey, hey, Luluka, wait a minute..."

Luluka, still squeezing my arm between her breasts, tries to pull me somewhere.

I don't really want to go there, as I'm afraid I might be shown something terrible, but with my arm trapped in her cleavage, my body moves on its own.

I have no choice but to go.

--However, my feet are forcibly stopped.

There is a shock that forces my feet to stop.

"I see... So, you stop Shiki when he's being invited, right?"

"!?"

On the opposite side of where Luluka is squeezing my arm, Eris is squeezing it with her overwhelming, large breasts.

Eris, as if trying to pull me closer, deeply squeezes my arm between her breasts.

No good.

I can't move.

I don't feel like I can take a single step from this spot.

"...I'm not setting a honey trap. I just want to go see Dragon with Shiki."

"Yes... But I was told by the Holy Maiden to stay with Shiki."

Eris glares at Luluka, and Luluka glares back at Eris.

What is this situation?

The atmosphere is very tense.

I feel like I need to do something, but the rich sensation in both of my arms is severely hindering my thoughts.

Flowers in both hands.

Large breasts in both arms.

Very soft.

I'm starting to feel like I don't need to do anything.

"I want to go see Dragon with Shiki, just the two of us."

"But I can't go back on my promise to the Holy Maiden. Besides... I want to talk to Shiki a little."

"Can't you talk now?"

"I want to talk to Shiki alone."

"That, that... Absolutely not! That's absolutely not okay!"

Eris and Luluka are arguing about something.

Both Eris and Luluka are looking at each other with serious expressions, which is a bit scary.

Well, they've never really gotten along, and I've never seen them talk properly before.

...Still, Luluka, who usually runs away as soon as she sees Eris, is stubbornly refusing to back down today.

There's a sense of thorough resistance.

What is Eris talking about, anyway?

I should probably intervene and break this tense atmosphere.

But if I prioritize one over the other, it will inevitably create a rift in my relationship with the other.

I'm starting to think that the best option is to suggest a third choice, to observe Yuell's growth together.

As I'm thinking this, I suddenly make eye contact with Yuell.

It seems that Yuell has been watching the three of us, Shiki, Luluka, and Eris, the whole time.

Yuell has a curious look on her face, as if wondering why we're fighting.

The reason for the fight is just that Luluka feels threatened by Eris and me being close, but...

--I remember something serious.

"Miss Eris, Miss Luluka, it's okay, you don't need to fight. Master is, well, a harem... Hey, hey, breakfast hasn't been eaten yet!! Eris, Luluka, let's go eat breakfast together!! Yeah, let's do that!!"

I immediately assess the situation and assert myself loudly, covering up Yuell's voice.

It was close.

The third option was the most dangerous.

I was almost exposed for trying to create a harem with Eris and Luluka.

Yuell aside, there's no way Eris or Luluka would easily accept polygamy.

The situation was about to shift from Eris and Luluka being at odds to me being at odds with both of them.

"Look, you must be hungry, right? Let's go, let's go! We shouldn't disturb Yuell and Astel who are studying!!"

This situation with both arms trapped in breasts is a shame, but I need to act immediately to save my reputation.

I pull away from Luluka and Eris and retreat into the mansion at full speed.

---

Although I managed to escape from Yuell, the cause of the conflict between Eris and Luluka remains unresolved.

They have been at odds over the treatment fees, to say the least.

...The breakfast atmosphere will likely be tense and explosive.

I braced myself and headed to the dining room, but fortunately, things didn't go as I imagined.

"..."

At one of the dining room seats, Eris, sitting across from me, is looking down with her face hidden, blushing and looking like she's enduring something.

She's trembling silently, looking embarrassed.

Since we entered the dining room, Eris has been like this.

The reason for Eris's state is the presence of many knights in the dining room.

Currently, the mansion is under strict security.

There are dozens of knights stationed inside the mansion alone.

During the succubus attack, the seduction battle between Eris and the succubus was witnessed by multiple knights.

...And it seems that one of those witnesses was among the knights in the dining room.

"That's the Holy Maiden who was seduced by the succubus and was saved by a single body."

"It seems she's now staying with the Holy Maiden to resist the succubus."

"Compared to that chopping board succubus, she's much more succubus-like..."

--Eris quickly became the subject of rumors.

"Succubus-like...!?"

While looking down, Eris's hand, which was fumbling with her food, drops the fork.

It seems that the last comment was something Eris couldn't ignore.

Eris bows her head even lower, hiding her body, which is covered by a modest nun's habit, and her ears turn bright red.

It's clear that her mind is filled with embarrassment.

She doesn't seem to have the energy to pay attention to Luluka.

Luluka, too, seems to be listening to the knights' gossip, ignoring Eris.

At this moment, Eris is getting more attention in the dining room than I am, the Holy Maiden.

...It was different at first.

At first, the knights were saying things like,

"That's the Holy Maiden who used a large-scale healing spell repeatedly during the succubus battle!"

"The area healing spell during the Crankheight Turtle incident was also from that Holy Maiden, right?"

They were talking about the rumors of me using human-scale healing magic during the succubus battle.

They were talking about the power of my healing magic and the title of Holy Maiden, and I was the center of attention.

But the knights didn't keep talking about the same thing.

"Speaking of the Crankheight Turtle, didn't Lady Fran risk her life to protect it? You saw her receiving commendations from the lord, right?"

"I heard she killed a mutated Armored Ogre by herself."

Gradually, the conversation shifted to a slightly misunderstood direction,

"He doesn't look that strong, but you can't judge a book by its cover... I heard he's extremely fond of women, though."

"I saw him being manipulated by the succubus."

And then,

"By the way, the blonde lady next to the Holy Maiden... She seduced the Holy Maiden and defeated the succubus, right?"

"Seduced a man to defeat a succubus!?"

It went like that.

Probably, many of the knights had read the Bible as part of their education.

The statement "seduced a man to defeat a succubus" by one of the knights was apparently hard to believe.

Since then, the knights have been talking about succubi and Eris while having breakfast.

...The knights aren't looking at Eris with lecherous eyes or talking about lewd topics.

It's more like they're confirming details about their protection target, and they can't just stop the conversation.

Well, there's no real harm, so it's fine, I suppose.

On the contrary, it's better for the knights to share information for our safety.

Besides, there are already strange rumors about me reducing the pay of one of the knights.

Ignoring the knights' conversation, I try to continue eating, reaching for the food with my fork.

"By the way, what's the relationship between those two and the Holy Maiden?"

"I saw that red-haired adventurer confess to the Holy Maiden once."

"So, should we treat them as the Holy Maiden's lovers? If so, the priority for protection is quite high."

Suddenly, I heard the conversation of a few knights sitting nearby take a strange turn.

"Hey, Shiki... L-lovers!?"

Luluka, sitting next to me, wriggles her body happily.

It seems she heard it too.

Her face is slightly red, and she pokes my side.

"But the blonde lady was also hugging and kissing the Holy Maiden during the succubus incident, right? Isn't she the main lover?"

"It looked like a French kiss, didn't it?"

--This time, Luluka's fork fell.

...This is bad.

I quickly avert my gaze from Luluka.

This is a dangerous topic.

"Kissing... while hugging!?? Tongue!?? What's tongue!??"

But in vain, Luluka questions me loudly.

"Hey, Shiki, what's going on? Did you kiss Eris!? Did you French kiss!?"

"I, I, Luluka, that's... "

I don't remember if the tongue was involved.

I was being manipulated by the succubus, after all.

Eris and I make eye contact, and Eris looks like she can't bear it anymore, bowing her head.

She pulls her arms inward, hunching her back, and her ample chest is squished in a dangerous way.

"That means one of them is the mistress, right?"

I hear a knight mutter.

No good.

That word is a landmine.

"Mistress!?"

Luluka shudders as if a trauma has been triggered.

Her eyes widen, and her mouth opens and closes.

The knights, on the other hand, have a "Oh, the Holy Maiden is in a love triangle" kind of expression, as if it has nothing to do with them.

These guys.

...I should have stopped them earlier.

I'll have to ask the lord to reduce their pay later.

But it's too late to regret now.

"The Holy Maiden is quite something. Who's the main lover, I wonder?"

The knight's mutter, "Who's the main lover," triggers Eris and Luluka to look at me simultaneously.

This is bad.

A critical crack is about to form in my harem plan.

The atmosphere is demanding that I choose one as the main lover and clearly state who I like.

But I can't choose one.

Given my personality, if I choose one and the other one pressures me later, I will undoubtedly be seduced, and my relationship with the first one will break down.

I confirmed this when I was easily seduced by the succubus.

In the end, the harem is the only option for me.

As I'm pondering how to respond,

"...Shiki... I have something to talk to you about."

Eris speaks first, with a serious expression, as if she has been struggling with her thoughts.

"...Actually, I wanted to talk to you alone. But I don't want to regret not talking now."

...I remember she said she had something to talk about.

What could it be?

At this point, I'll take any topic to divert the conversation.

I'll listen to anything.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I really, really hate your womanizing ways."

--I don't want to hear this anymore.

"...You give discounts at the clinic without permission, you touch girls' breasts when I'm not looking, and you look at me with those eyes every day."

...No doubt about it.

This is a lecture.

Eris has a distant look in her eyes, as if reminiscing about the past.

Perhaps she's recalling the troubles between us in the past as she watches this love triangle.

"Especially that time, to be honest, I still get quite irritated when I think about it."

Eris lets out a small sigh.

That time, she's probably referring to the period just before I was kicked out of the clinic.

...But is this really bad?

If this conversation leads to a lecture from Eris, then...

"Hey, is the Holy Maiden being rejected?"

"Does he usually cheat? It's understandable if she's had enough of him."

I hear the knights' conversation.

...Is that what's happening?

Am I being rejected?

--No, it's not confirmed yet.

I can't give up on Eris.

I can still resist.

"Stop! Let's talk about this later! Look, you said you wanted to talk alone, right?"

I can't let Eris's conversation proceed from here.

I can't let her make a definitive statement.

There might be a chance for her to reconsider and make amends in the future.

I need to buy time until then.

That's the only option.

"I won't stop."

But Eris says with a determined expression.

I've seen this expression before.

It was when I was kicked out of the clinic.

...Eris, with this look, never changes her mind.

"Wait, Eris! Let's talk calmly, we can understand each other if we talk calmly."

"...But, things are different now."

"Wh-What...?!"

What did she just say?

Things are different now?

That means...

"I like you. I still don't like your womanizing ways. But even with that, I like you."

Her words echo in my mind, which has gone blank for a moment.

As I understand the meaning of her words, my heart seems to thump loudly.

Looking at Eris again, I see her cheeks slightly flushed, but her eyes are strong as she looks at me.

My heart thumps again as I meet her gaze.

I can feel my face turning red.

I hear a whistle from one of the nearby knights.

"Wh-What does that mean...?"

"I might not be believed after kicking you out of the clinic, but..."

Eris meets my eyes, shudders, and looks down, hiding her red face.

Then she speaks in a strained voice.

"I was very grateful when you bought back the clinic for me. I was very worried when I heard you were going deep into the forest with the knights. I was very jealous when other girls confessed to you. And when you cast an area healing spell in the city, and when you used an Ex-Heal on Farah at the orphanage, you chose to save someone over revealing your true strength. I found you very endearing."

As Eris continues, the surrounding knights cheer her on.

Despite blushing again, Eris doesn't stop speaking.

"And when you saved me in the church... You were so beaten up, but you kept getting up over and over again. You could have run away by yourself, but you didn't even show any sign of running. You protected me until the end."

Eris raises her head.

"That's why I like you. I want to marry you. I want you to choose me, and no one else."

Then, she looks at me and says that.

Not only Eris, but the surrounding knights are also looking at me.

"E-Eris... I..."

I want to accept.

The words "Let's get married right away" are almost out of my throat.

The image of marrying Eris and building a happy family is vivid in my mind.

--But I can't.

If I accept now, I will definitely see Eris's sad face later.

In the worst way possible, through my infidelity.

Besides, I've already told Yuell that it's okay because it's a harem.

Yuell will cry too.

"It's no good... It's no good, that's not right!"

A scream comes from the side.

Luluka is looking at Eris, her lips pressed together, trembling.

Her expression is one of anxiety.

Perhaps she has sensed that my feelings are leaning towards Eris.

Luluka is clawing at her chest in pain, slamming her hands on the table as if to vent her pent-up emotions.

The sound and impact make me close my eyes for a