Meanwhile, as Riley and Liyana’s date continued to unfold with an effortless charm, the three girls who had been secretly following them remained quietly on the sidelines—watching.

Watching their boyfriend smile.

Watching him laugh.

Watching him spend time with the one girl in his life who had every right to be at his side.

It was an odd, almost surreal experience for them.

On one hand, it was… nice.

Liyana was graceful, polite, sweet.

She wasn’t overbearing or obnoxious.

She laughed quietly, responded thoughtfully.

She didn’t cling to Riley or act possessive in a way that would provoke hatred.

No, she was likable.

Like it was only natural she’d act that way to him.

And that, in a strange way, made it worse.

On the other hand, it was extremely uncomfortable.

No matter how graceful Liyana was, the image of her so naturally beside Riley—smiling up at him, leaning slightly closer when he spoke—triggered something painful in all three of them.

It was like being slowly stabbed with a needle made of light.

Not sharp enough to scream.

But sharp enough that they couldn’t look away.

A cocktail of emotions brewed inside each of them—a concave of contradictions, if one dared to name it.

Envy twisted into admiration.

Anxiety softened by reluctant understanding.

A strange comfort found in the fact that Riley was smiling, and yet a bitter ache because that smile wasn’t meant for them.

Time passed once again, and so did the day.

Slowly, steadily, the intimacy between Riley and Liyana deepened—not in dramatic bursts, but in quiet, natural ways.

A shared glance. The way Liyana fixed his collar without being asked.

The way Riley leaned in slightly when she giggled.

The sky, once a flat winter grey, began to melt into hues of amber and rose.

A golden-orange light painted the city, the sun’s final rays cutting through the frost in soft, shimmering strokes.

And there, in the heart of Hamen City, Riley and Liyana stepped into an elegant, high-end restaurant nestled between old imperial-style buildings and snowy stone streets.

The restaurant was warm, softly lit with hanging chandeliers and floating orbs of gentle firelight.

Crimson velvet lined the seats, and the scent of spiced tea and freshly baked pastries filled the air.

From where they sat near the large, arched windows, Riley and Liyana truly did look like something out of a painting—a prince and princess enjoying a private, royal dinner after a day of joy.

Even from afar, their chemistry was undeniable.

Every pair of eyes in the restaurant seemed drawn to them, enchanted by the image of such effortless elegance and closeness.

And among those eyes, hidden on the second floor at a reserved table, were three very specific pairs that hadn’t left Riley’s figure all day.

Rose, cupping a delicate porcelain teacup, tilted her head as she peered over the balcony.

Her golden eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unreadable—part curiosity, part irritation.

“I wonder what they’re talking about?” she murmured, her voice barely above the clink of her spoon against the saucer.

Of course, she could easily find out.

All it would take was a subtle flow of mana—amplify her hearing, or cast a simple sound relay spell.

With her level of control, it would be effortless.

But she didn’t.

Because the moment she activated her mana, Riley would probably notice her immediately….

Meanwhile, across from Rose, Snow sat with one leg elegantly crossed over the other, her posture relaxed but her expression anything but.

A half-lidded eye, shimmering in frosty blue, tracked the couple below with quiet scrutiny.

The flickering firelight reflected faintly off her long white lashes, her gaze narrowing ever so slightly as she observed them.

“Riley’s been rather… cutesy, hasn’t he?” she murmured, almost to herself, her voice like the crackle of ice under pressure.

Rose nodded immediately without even looking back, lips pursed in silent agreement.

They hadn’t noticed it at first—how could they?

Riley had always been kind, considerate, and impossibly gentle with all of them.

That was just who he was.

But now, watching him with Liyana… something felt different.

Not overtly.

Not dramatically.

Just… subtly.

Delicately.

Like the way he leaned a little closer when Liyana spoke, even if he could already hear her perfectly.

Like the way he brushed her hair back when the wind caught it—slowly, carefully, as if afraid to miss a single strand.

The soft caresses along her cheeks, the way he kissed her forehead, or her lips, without hesitation and without theatrics. It wasn’t showy. It was natural.

Instinctive.

Genuine.

That was the word Snow had been trying not to say.

Genuine.

The way he moved with Liyana—spoke, smiled, touched—it felt less like a performance and more like second nature.

As though he had long since memorized the perfect rhythm of her heart and was playing it effortlessly, moment to moment.

A part of Snow understood.

Of course she did.

They were childhood friends.

They’d grown up together, got closer together, and had been promised to one another since long before any of the other girls ever met him.

Their bond was older.

Deeper.

So it only made sense that there would be… history.

And….

Intimacy.

But understanding it didn’t stop the sting.

Why does it seem like he shines just a little brighter beside her?

Why does every smile he gives her feel like it holds more weight?

Why does it feel like he only looks that happy when he’s with her?

Snow sighed softly and shook her head, trying to dispel the trail of thoughts that had begun to spiral.

Her white hair shimmered faintly as she looked down at her near-empty plate, absently pushing her fork across it.

Then, she noticed.

Alice hadn’t touched her dessert.

“Alice?” Snow called softly.

“…”

No response.

Her brows furrowed.

“Alice!”

“H-Huh?” The pink-haired girl blinked as if waking from a daze. “O-Oh… Snow? What is it?”

Snow gestured slightly with her fork. “Your dessert. You’re just letting it sit there. It might melt, you know.”

“A-ah… that’s right,” Alice mumbled, blinking again before letting out a sheepish, nervous laugh. “Yes. Right. It’s… important to eat. Of course.”

But her movements were stiff, uncertain.

She picked up her spoon and forced a bite of the dainty creamy dessert, but it was clear her thoughts weren’t on the taste.

Her golden eyes, dimmed under the glow of candlelight, flickered subtly—faint traces of red surfacing as her mana stirred unconsciously in response to the storm of emotions at the two lovers she was watching.

Alice didn’t speak again.

Her gaze was once more fixed on Riley and Liyana.

‘…Cheshire…. That darkness…’

‘Yes…. She’s not human master….’

……

My date with Liyana went… surprisingly well, to say the least.

Though, if I’m being honest, she was the one who carried most of it.

Liyana had always been the type to move with confidence, to take initiative with no hesitation, and I found myself getting swept along by that momentum more than once.

Still, I managed to find my stride again—to act like the proper fiancé I was supposed to be.

A proper lover, too. Not just some distant figure dragging his feet out of obligation.

I’ll admit, I was expecting the whole thing to be awkward, especially after everything that happened earlier today.

With all that tension still fresh in my mind, I thought the date would feel like walking on glass—every word, every gesture carefully measured and stifled.

But it wasn’t.

It was… fun.

Genuinely fun.

It’s been a while since I interacted with Liyana like this.

Back then, most of what I did was just to keep her happy, to play the role of the ‘good fiancé.’

Smile here. Compliment there. Entertain her whims and maintain appearances.

But today felt different.

Today, I found myself doing those little things not out of duty—but because I wanted to.

The way I reached for her hand.

The way I brushed her hair back when it got in her eyes.

The way I pulled her closer when the wind picked up.

All of it just… happened. Natural. Unforced.

Somewhere between walking hand-in-hand through the city and sharing quiet laughs under the amber sky, I stopped playing the part.

I simply… was.

And despite everything—despite the fact that the woman sitting beside me was a world-ending, devouring Chaos Dragon who could reduce nations to ash with a flick of her finger—Liyana felt strangely normal today.

Almost painfully so.

When she wasn’t cloaked in chaos or threatening existence with her presence… she was just a girl.

A girl who wanted to hold hands.

A girl who laughed too loudly at bad jokes.

A girl who leaned her head on my shoulder when the crowd got a little too noisy.

It was… nice?

Now, our date was nearing its end.

We sat inside a high-end restaurant nestled in the heart of the city—luxurious, tasteful, and far more expensive than my usual choices.

Still, it felt appropriate.

If I was going to take a woman like Liyana on a date, this was probably the only venue that fit—not because she demanded it, but because of how others might perceive it.

Not that I think she’d care much where I took her.

In fact, I’m fairly certain Liyana would be just as happy in a hole-in-the-wall café if it meant spending time with me.

But the murmurs around us, the ever-watching gazes from nobles and commoners alike… they wouldn’t see it that way.

To them, this was a spectacle.

A scene from a royal fairytale.

As if reading my thoughts, Liyana leaned slightly forward, her fingers gracefully wrapping around the stem of her wine glass as she gazed at me with amused curiosity.

“So,” she began, her voice soft but laced with mischief, “aside from my dear cousin—Her Highness, Princess Snow—you’re also dating the daughter of Duke Brilliance, and…” she paused, a teasing smile curling at her lips, “the ever-famous Queen of Hearts herself. Future archmage, if I’m not mistaken. Alice Holloway, was it?”

I met her gaze.

There was no malice in her tone, just amusement—and a certain quiet edge of interest that made it hard to look away.

“…Yes.”

She hummed, swirling the wine in her glass thoughtfully as if digesting the simplicity of my response.

Her red eyes glimmered under the chandelier light, but she didn’t press the issue right away.

“Hmm…” she murmured again.

And that was it.

We had finally arrived at the unspoken conversation hovering between us all evening—the one topic we had both been avoiding.

My relationships. With the others. With her.

The tangled, complicated web that was steadily tightening around all of us.

The air grew heavier for just a moment as I waited for her next words.

Would she be angry? Disappointed? Curious?

But instead, Liyana leaned back, eyes still locked with mine—calm, composed.

Still smiling.

Her reaction to my explanation was… unexpected.

I had mentally braced myself for an outburst—rage, jealousy, a frosty silence—anything but this.

Instead of getting angry, Liyana looked… amused.

No, more than that—she looked entertained. Like she was listening to the most fascinating plot twist in a play she’d already memorized, but still wanted to hear just to see how I’d explain it.

I gave her a concise—well, mostly concise—summary of everything that had happened with the other girls back at the academy.

I told her the truth… or at least, the version of it that wouldn’t get me incinerated on the spot.

A few details were softened.

A few events were carefully reframed.

But overall, I tried not to lie.

Snow, Rose, and Alice. All girls I had come to care for.

It wasn’t just about attraction or affection.

It was more than that.

And yes, I knew how tangled and wrong it must all seem from the outside.

Especially in an empire like ours, where harem politics weren’t just a real thing, they were a legal labyrinth.

Nobility, bloodlines, hierarchy… there were unspoken—and very spoken—rules.

Things like how the “first wife” had to come from the highest-ranking house among the group.

How a relationship with Snow, the imperial princess, could strain the political tension between the emperor and the dukes—and vice versa.

Especially considering the Brilliance family’s ambitions as well as Alice’s future influence and potential that might rival the high-ranking nobles soon.

It was an entire nest of complications I hadn’t fully thought through.

Or maybe I had, and I just didn’t care at the time.

I expected Liyana, of all people, to throw the first metaphorical punch.

To demand answers. To put me on trial.

Afterall in the past she’d been rather extreme with her actions….

But instead, she simply sipped her wine, smiling.

“I can understand it, darling~,” she said after a moment, tilting her head as her red eyes sparkled with mischief. “Being fawned over by so many girls—it makes sense. There’s a reason I fell for you at first sight, after all~.”

“….”

‘Didn’t you just found me appetizing back then?’

But then… her smile shifted.

Subtly.

A tiny curl of her lip.

A glint of something darker in her eyes.

Not quite anger. Not quite jealousy. Something quieter… heavier.

“…But, marrying such influential girls—ones who could threaten my position in your life… Darling, did you do it on purpose?”

I blinked.

“…Of course not.”

“…..’

“…..”

She simply stared at me, letting the silence stretch between us like a taut string.

Then, she giggled.

Softly at first.

Then with that playful energy only she could summon.

“Fufu~hahaha I guess that’s true. There’s no way you’d do something so bold and reckless—at least, not openly,” she teased, resting her chin on her palm. “Besides… you love me more than anyone else, right, Darling?”

“…Yes.”

“Then that settles it~” She clapped her hands softly, looking entirely satisfied with herself. “I’m perfectly fine with you dating those three girls, even if you already have me, Darling~”

“…”

“…”

“……”

“…Huh?”

My brain stalled.

Completely.

I stared at her, trying to process what I just heard.

She smiled like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Like she had just approved of me buying a second sword or adopting a stray cat—not acknowledging the existence of three very real, very complicated romantic relationships alongside hers.

This… certainly wasn’t the reaction I had prepared myself for.

Not even close.

“Uh… Liyana,” I said carefully, watching her expression. “Did you… perhaps misunderstand everything I just said?”

She tilted her head playfully, as if I had asked her something silly.

“What’s there to misunderstand? You like them, right?”

“Well… yes,” I admitted, slower this time.

“Then that’s all there is to it~,” she said, her voice as light as air, her ruby eyes glittering. “If you like them, I’ll like them too, fufu~. I can’t exactly force you to give up a relationship that’s born from love, now can I, Darling? That would just be cruel. And I don’t want to break your heart… especially not because of something selfish like my own jealousy~”

“…Is that so…?”

She nodded, smiling sweetly like she was praising me for choosing a good meal.

“And from what you’ve told me… you already have a plan, no? Not just a whim or coincidence. A way to marry all of us equally, though the holy kingdom’s priests are one thing will the saintess really accept such a proposal?”

“…. I’m fairly close to her so…”

“Oh, my really? How?”

I wondered if I should release info regarding Emilia especially to Liyana but…. considering she’ll know anyway I just spoke out… trying to assess the truth in her gaze and reaction.

“Don’t tell anybody but the saintess is secretly attending the academy….”

“Hmm~ that is certainly news worth a bunch of controversies hehe~ now I can see why you were so confident facing the emperor and my father in the imperial palace so everything’s practically guaranteed in a sense huh~”

“You’re position—”

“Fufu~ I don’t really care about none of that stuff darling~ and despite you saying you’ll love us all equally, I’m still fully expecting some bias in your love, Darling~ It’s only natural. But truly I’m fine with you having a harem. Really. Because in the end, you’ll still love me the most… right?”

“…”

I wasn’t sure what to say anymore.

“…Liyana,” I finally asked, voice barely above a whisper. “You’re… not mad?”

“Why would I be?” she replied instantly, as though the idea itself was absurd then took back her words. “Well, I was at first but…”

Then she smiled.

Not just a smile.

The smile.

The one that made my chest tighten without warning, that warm, almost childlike grin filled with adoration and dangerous sincerity.

Her ruby eyes shimmered under the soft glow of the restaurant lights, reflecting something… too bright, too honest to ignore.

“If it’s for Darling, then I’m happy. If it’s something that will make you smile… then I’ll support it. After all, I love Darling the most~” she said cheerfully. “Ah, but… don’t tell Papa, okay? If he hears about this, he’ll probably try to behead you or erase your bloodline or something extreme like that, hehe~”

“…R-Right. Noted.”

So that was it?

All that tension I’d carried with me into this conversation—just gone?

All my worries about how Liyana would react, the calculations, the pre-prepared explanations…

Did I really overthink this? Was I just being paranoid?

But then again…

What about the future I had seen—the so-called “fated end” with her?

The inevitable collapse, the part of me that whispered this couldn’t end well.

Had something changed?

“Eat slowly, okay? My love~”

Did that version of her no longer apply?

Or…

Was she playing me right now?

But no—my instincts weren’t sounding any alarms.

My senses, even the subtle ones I relied on for survival, were quiet.

She wasn’t lying.

At least, not at this moment.

“I have a feeling I’ll get along with all of them once we meet~”

Liyana said, swaying gently in her seat like a girl planning a tea party.

“Hehe~ now I really can’t wait to meet them, Darling~ I’m sure it’ll be so much fun.”

She giggled, all light and sparkle.

But despite the laughter, despite her smile, despite how perfect the evening had gone…

The doubt inside me remained.

Even after the date ended, even after she leaned into me like everything was normal.

That sense of something off never really left my mind….

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