Fated to Be Loved by Villains

Iliya hummed cheerfully while rummaging through her closet.

She was clearly in a good mood, but that was a given.

After all, she had finally handed over that long-awaited engagement ring to Dowd.

A normal person would probably worry about the possibility of getting rejected, but Iliya never had that doubt.

Whether it was confessing or proposing, it was never about taking a gamble—it was about confirming what was already there. In her case, she was confident that her relationship with Dowd had reached that level for a long time now.

Besides...

Wouldn’t he know better than anyone that he couldn’t handle rejecting me?

Imagining Dowd collapsing while clutching his head if he heard her words, she whistled as she pulled out the lingerie she had recently bought.

Its design was one that would make Margrave Kendride faint straight away, but her mind was completely filled with thoughts of how Dowd would react when he saw her wearing it.

“I wonder what kind of clothes would Teach like...?”

[Wow. That’s quite the girlish dilemma, isn’t it?]

As she muttered such words, a voice suddenly flowed out from the longsword she left on the bed next to her,

Upon hearing that cheerful voice, her face immediately crumpled.

“...What is it? You’ve been quiet for so long.”

Her reaction was curt, but there was a reason for that.

This Seraphim inside the holy sword only spoke up when she felt like it.

Just recently, at the Imperial Palace, when she was duking it out with the Brown Devil, the bastard didn’t even poke her head once.

“...”

Someone actually had pointed this behavior of hers out.

Although it was hard to accept as the Hero...

She had a feeling that Professor Astrid, or whatever her name was, was right about this fella; she was suspicious.

Because she definitely gave off the vibe that she was plotting something.

[Aw, don’t be like that.]

The way she reacted so cheerfully when facing her accusation only added to her annoyance.

[When you hear what I’m about to tell you, none of that will matter anyway.]

“...”

Though the statement was quite an ominous one, Iliya picked up the sword with a sigh anyway.

“...What is it?”

Unfortunately for her...

The Seraphim’s revelation was exactly the kind of thing that made her regret her decision to ask.

●

Mornings in the Kendride’s Margravate started very early.

In other words...

For someone who was held captive by the Evatrice Sisters and Eleanor until extremely late at night, the morning schedule was one hell of a brutal one.

[Think you’re gonna die from this?]

...My whole body feels like it’s been wrung out.

[...]

Even Caliban kept his mouth shut for once—understanding my predicament.

It was because he witnessed firsthand how I got wrung dry by both the Evatrice Sisters and Eleanor.

And now, in front of me, the Margrave Mansion’s Head Maid was standing, mercilessly announcing my upcoming schedule, despite my sorry state.

“Breakfast will be prepared shortly. Shall I have a maid attend to you?”

“...I’ll do it myself. Coming from a Baron’s Household, I’m used to it.”

“As you wish. However...”

Seeing me answering her in half-asleep state, the Head Maid stared at me with concerned eyes.

“I believe it would be better if you get used to it quickly.”

“Pardon?”

“Once you become the young lady’s husband, you’ll be receiving such services often.”

“...”

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

The Head Maid dropped that dizzying bomb, bowed politely, and disappeared beyond the door.

I stared blankly in that direction before opening my mouth.

“...Caliban.”

[Hmm?]

“How would you feel hearing me calling you ‘brother-in-law’?”

[It feels weird, but it’s whatever. I don’t mind if it’s you.]

“...”

[Like I said, as long as you don’t make me see your first night—]

“...Sure, sure.”

I cut him off before the conversation could get any more awkward and got up.

Seriously, though...

Even if he was ready for that, I wasn’t.

“...”

I silently changed my clothes while keeping a straight face.

Marquis Bogut’s words flashed through my mind.

-The past is the past. Every action I took contributed to who I am. Even if, somehow, I managed to bury them all, they would resurface again eventually.

-I don’t think this is something that I’d need to tell you, but...

-Try to think of the reason you can’t go to the ‘last stage’ with your women.

“-”

My mind wandered to a certain event in the past.

There was a kid, barely surviving day by day, eating rats and sewage in the stinking back alleys of the red-light district.

Selling his future just to survive another day in hell.

Tracing back those memories...

The root of everything was...

-Hey, let’s date.

-A few seconds is enough.

My first girlfriend ever...

Our relationship that lasted for only 3 seconds...

“...”

Let’s just go and eat.

I can think about the past later.

●

As Kraut had informed me before, the Margrave Mansion had welcomed several guests that had connections with me.

The dining room was filled with people that I knew very well.

Except for Her Majesty the Empress and Chancellor Sullivan, all the Vessels were present.

...What a crowd.

Come to think of it...

Whatever their intention was, the fact that they could gather in one place to have a meal together was proof that all my efforts so far hadn’t been in vain.

Faenol, Riru, Yuria, and Eleanor—if the scenario had progressed normally, none of them would be here today.

Which meant, in a way, being able to see them all in one place, looking perfectly fine, was an incredible blessing in itself.

[Well, they’re all fine, except for the beastkin sisters.]

...

[I mean, the Lady quite literally folded them in—]

Let’s not talk about them, okay?

I let out an awkward smile as I said so inwardly. But then, I noticed something...

...Where’s Eleanor?

[Who knows? Maybe she’s sleeping in?]

That didn’t seem like something she would do, though.

When it came to her own schedule, she was extremely meticulous, so it was unlikely that she’d oversleep.

With that though in mind, I headed downstairs.

“Hello.”

“Mr. Dowd!”

The moment I arrived at the dining hall on the first floor, Faenol waved her hand like a child, wearing an inexplicably bright expression on her face.

“...”

Just when I was having a pleasant train of thought, my brain cruelly reminded me of what this punk had tried to do to me not too long ago.

How she had a fetish to get hit and was trying to make me hit her—

“...”

Enough.

Stop.

After telling myself that, I glanced around and noticed the other women greeting me in a similar manner.

[You know, when you think about it...]

Hm?

[Everyone here has done something similar to what that red-haired lady did to you at least once.]

...

[All of them went on the aggressive and tried to squeeze yo—]

Stop.

Just, please, stop...

Don’t make me regret my life choices, please...

“Teach.”

“Hmm?”

As I sat down while having these thoughts, Iliya, who was sitting next to me, suddenly called out to me.

Her expression looked terrifying. It felt like laser beams would shoot out of her eyes if left alone. That was how fierce she looked.

Then, she opened her mouth with an almost solemn look.

“Let me suck it too.”

“...”

At that moment, everyone at the table shifted their gaze to Iliya.

The Saintess, Yuria, Faenol,and even Riru.

“...”

I hadn’t even touched my food yet, but I already felt nauseous.

Oh, for fuck’s sake!

If you want to talk about that, do it when we are alone! Why are you bringing it up here...?!

I felt dizzy for a moment, but I took a deep breath to calm myself.

“...What?”

“I heard you let the others suck it yesterday.”

“...”

“I-I want to do that kind of thing with you too, Teach-!”

“... What the hell are you on about...?”

“Lady Seraphim told me! The assassin sisters proposed to you by giving you oral—!”

Ah, right...

Once this punk’s brakes came off, she was worse than Eleanor.

Wearing an expression of utter indignation, she banged on the table while everyone was watching her. This alone was already terrifying enough.

Considering that she was one of humanity’s strongest, chosen by a high-ranking angel, it was even more so.

And I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

After silence enveloped the table for a moment, an enormous reaction erupted a beat later

“...S-Such a thing...happened...?”

“Y-You! W-What did you do when we weren’t there...?!”

The gazes of Faenol, Riru, and even Yuria and the Saintess were somewhat unsettling.

The Saintess stared at me with her mouth agape, Riru’s face turned bright red as she stumbled over her words, while Yuria just gave me a blank stare, seemingly unable to register what she had just heard.

“W-Wait, before that! W-What does ‘proposed by giving oral’ even mean?!”

Hearing Riru shouting that, Faenol, who was next to her, rubbed her own face with an expression of disbelief and answered.

“...There’s such a custom in the empire.”

After saying that, she began to tell everyone the same thing that the beastkin sisters told me last night.

In this godforsaken strange country, there was a weird culture of ‘sex first, marriage later’ that was spread among the nobility.

“That’s why...”

Iliya gritted her teeth before opening her mouth.

She posed an unyielding attitude, as if she wouldn’t give in to anyone.

“I’m going to do it too! Come to my bedroom tonight!”

“...Wait a minute.”

Riru, who had been listening quietly, spoke up with a stiff expression.

“...Everything’s so sudden, I might not follow this conversation well, but... If such a custom exists, doesn’t that mean everyone here has an equal right to demand that?”

“What?”

“I mean, didn’t some kind of special clause come down for this guy? Like, how all his wives can become his legal wives? That means we all have the right to, uh, you know... Sleep...with him...?”

Despite her blushing face, Riru continued to speak resolutely.

For someone who was probably the weakest among everyone when it came to such topics, she was putting up a good fight.

“Well, about that...”

Iliya let out a snort before continuing.

“I knew that some of you would misunderstand. That’s why I’m going to say this.”

“...What?”

“Just in case anyone else tried to cut in line again, I’m making this clear while you’re all here.”

She folded her arms. There was a glint in her eyes.

“You can do whatever the hell you want later, but this is my hometown, I’m the host, and you’re all my guest. Don’t get the order mixed up. I have the home advantage here!”

“What does that even–”

“If you have a problem with what I have just said...”

She continued calmly.

But, of course.

Despite her calm tone, the aura she was exuding was like a fierce beast growling.

“Then prove yourself with your skills.”

“...”

Somehow...

I have a bad feeling about this...