Chapter 41
The first thing Gilliam said after getting kicked out of the house and then coming back was:
“I went out to meet some women.”
Of course, Gilliam meant that literally.
Professor Kadisha was a woman, Professor Silon was a woman, and Professor Mella was a woman, too.
Since all three were women, he’d only gone to meet women.
Hmm. Logical. Nothing but the truth!
Of course.
To the three waiting at home—
Maron, Elettra, and Lucy—
his words sounded like this.
「Don't cross the line, okay? I’ve got plenty of women besides you」
“Ugh….”
“Ngh….”
“….”
Maron, Elettra, and Lucy each groaned in their own way.
Was this man’s womanizing really never going to stop unless they killed him?
“Um….”
Gilliam scratched his head.
“Sorry. I guess I was thoughtless and messed something up.”
Ah, sure. You were thoughtless.
Every time I hear that, I think the same thing: that’s a pretty convenient excuse, don’t you think?
We all know you can’t really be that oblivious.
There’s no way an oblivious man could charm women left and right like this.
“But…”
Gilliam looked a little aggrieved.
“You know I’ve always been like this.”
And, well…
The troublesome part was…
What Gilliam was saying right now was exactly true.
If Gilliam had pretended to be a good guy at first, they could’ve called him out.
Why didn’t you keep your promise? You said you’d only look at me before we started dating, so why are you cheating the second we’re together? Why have you changed? Are you not interested in me anymore? Should we just break up?
And so on.
But…
Gilliam hadn’t been like that.
Maron, Elettra, and Lucy.
How many of the three hadn’t known Gilliam was a piece-of-trash delinquent?
None.
How many had fallen for him despite knowing from the start that he was a piece-of-trash delinquent like this?
…All three.
And how many were still unable to break free even though Gilliam kept acting like the same womanizer afterward?
……Also all three.
Ma’am, did we sell you a misrepresented product? Did we hide something in the fine print?
We didn’t, did we? You bought it knowing exactly what kind of product it was. So how can you complain now that the trash is acting like trash? Even you have to admit you don’t have a leg to stand on, right?
“Ngh….”
“Ugh….”
“Mmm….”
They had no comeback.
“Hmm… I guess I really did do something wrong. Is there anything you want? Maybe I could buy you dinner tomorrow?”
Ah, ma’am, we get it. We didn’t do anything wrong, but since you’re unhappy, we’ll throw in a little something. Want some extra fries?
“…Hmph.”
Elettra crossed her arms and spoke.
What Elettra meant to say:
‘Do I look like the kind of easy woman who’d forgive you over something like that?’
What Elettra actually said:
“Fine. But I get to choose where we go.”
Elettra was suddenly swept up in overwhelming self-loathing.
It was like an alcoholic groaning, ‘Ugh, I shouldn’t drink…!’ while reaching—not to pour alcohol into the bottle, but for the bottle itself.
To think she was hoping for his attention without even realizing it, while telling herself, ‘I mustn’t fall for a man like this…!’
She was ashamed of how honest her own body was.
‘…I can’t help it. Gilliam is practically my only ally.’
Elettra had thrown down the gauntlet to Roderick in the struggle for the throne.
But…
No matter what, Crown Prince Roderick, the eldest child and only son, still had the upper hand.
In truth, nobles preferred an emperor who was moderately incompetent and somewhat lacking in character over one who was too capable. That way, there’d be more for them to line their own pockets with.
‘Right. It’s not like I’m surrendering to Gilliam without any pride. I’m the one making him do what I want. I’m a princess, and Gilliam is my subject. Yes. That’s our arrangement.’
She could almost hear someone asking, ‘Isn’t that just rationalizing?’ but she ignored them with all her might.
That was where her rationalization reached its conclusion, though.
“Um… Tomorrow… won’t work. I have a meeting with the new professor….”
As Lucy hesitated, Maron whispered something in her ear.
“Oh.”
Lucy nodded.
“Then tomorrow, you and the boy can go together, Princess Elettra.”
“…?”
Elettra suddenly felt uneasy.
What was this?
Why were the two of them suddenly acting like this?
‘This is suspicious….’
“But we’ll go separately with the boy the day after tomorrow… Saturday, I mean. You can let us have that much, can’t you, Princess?”
Lucy said with a gentle smile.
Gilliam had already made plans for Saturday.
Bunny girls.
What Maron had whispered to Lucy was that they should keep Elettra from appearing in a bunny-girl outfit, too.
Of course, Maron wasn’t doing this to be considerate of Elettra.
Quite the opposite.
She wanted to deny Elettra the chance to appeal to Gilliam in a bunny-girl outfit.
In other words, it wasn’t consideration. It was taking away an opportunity.
But Elettra knew nothing about what was going on behind the scenes, so…
“Heh. Fine.”
Interpretation: So you two admit I’m the first wife, then?
“Ahaha.”
“Hehe….”
Maron and Lucy brushed it off with appropriate laughter.
And then, the very next evening…
“…Ah.”
Elettra, who’d arrived first, was pleased to see Gilliam’s gaze drawn straight to her.
‘Hehe. Good thing I chose such a daring design.’
A dress with a side slit was ordinary enough.
But the outfit Elettra had chosen had long slits up the front of both thighs.
If anyone were shameless enough to lift the front panels, her panties would be exposed just like that.
But…
‘So Gilliam really does like provocative outfits.’
Hmph.
‘What a vulgar man, honestly.’
Even as she thought that, Elettra felt a tingling pleasure at his gaze.
She was drawing the attention of the man she liked with her body.
The man she liked was paying attention to her body.
The pleasure that came from that was not something she could easily ignore.
“You’re late.”
“Sorry. Shall we go in?”
And…
Elettra enjoyed some time alone with Gilliam to her satisfaction.
The meal was excellent, as always.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was lovely, too.
And…
“You’ll keep walking the same path as me from now on, right?”
“…If we’re headed to the same place, won’t we end up walking the same path?”
She’d also gotten a clear assurance that he’d help her in the fight for the throne…
“I think Elettra looks best when she’s confident and dignified.”
“…Y-you always say things like that so suddenly. Honestly.”
And she’d heard a few of Gilliam’s signature compliments that suddenly pierced straight into her heart.
“Oh, so that three-times multiplier really is something….”
“Hmm?”
“It’s nothing.”
It was a satisfying evening in every way.
Yes.
Very.
Satisfying.
Swirling a glass of fragrant wine, Elettra smiled.
‘I should thank those two.’
Maron Clearias.
Lucy Merhantia.
‘It seems they’re each making sure they know their place.’
Both the Clearias and Merhantia families were impressive.
They had money and power. And Maron and Lucy were talented in their own right, too.
But even so, neither could compete with a princess.
They must have known that and decided to yield.
‘They’ve accepted me as Gilliam’s first wife.’
And if they were the ones to yield first, there was no need for her to be harsh with them.
‘There’s no way I could control a womanizing delinquent like him anyway.’
Trying to control him would obviously fail. Even if she went so far as to lock him in some basement, he’d surely escape somehow and go right back to flirting with women.
That was just the kind of man he was.
If so, wouldn’t it be better to introduce him to women who wouldn’t go after his first wife?
It was like tending a garden for a child obsessed with flowers. ‘It’s dangerous to wander all over the fields, so just stay in this garden, okay?’
‘Right. That’s better.’
Even Elettra thought that was rational…
‘…Wait.’
Elettra suddenly felt something was off.
‘But is that really right…?’
In other words…
To put it plainly…
Wasn’t she saying she’d personally choose the women her (future) husband would cheat on her with?
“….”
Huh?
That’s strange.
When you won the competition for a man, weren’t you supposed to get the right to keep him all to yourself?
Because… that’s what romance is. We’ve agreed to call it romance. It’s a social convention.
But was she about to win the competition for a man, only to end up giving him away to other women?
Was that really a victory…? Huh? What even was a first wife?
“Ugh, my head….”
“Are you okay?”
Gilliam naturally placed his palm against Elettra’s forehead as she bent over.
“!”
She jolted.
Heat spread across Elettra’s face.
“Hmm… You do feel a little warm.”
“I-I’m… fine….”
“But since you’re already in a good position, stay like that a moment.”
“?”
She kept her head bowed, as he’d said.
This time, she felt something slender and metallic.
Gilliam had put a necklace around her neck.
“Oh, it really suits you. Excuse me, could you bring us a hand mirror?”
It was an upscale restaurant. They brought a hand mirror over in no time.
And in the hand mirror, Elettra was wearing a beautiful necklace, just as she’d thought.
It was the necklace Gilliam had put on her.
“…Is it a present?”
“Of course. I upset you all yesterday, after all.”
“….”
Elettra touched the necklace.
Blankly.
She just kept staring blankly.
“…If you don’t like it—”
“No!”
She shouted before she could stop herself, then flinched.
“Th-that’s not it. It’s just… I like it so much.”
She clutched the necklace tightly.
“Thank you. I… really like it. I really do….”
She whispered.
“I like you.”
Gilliam smiled.
With that handsome face of his.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“…Gilliam Everchess.”
“Yeah?”
Elettra’s lips were hot.
Her breath was hot, too.
“You really are the worst kind of man.”
You might as well have stayed a bad man.
You might as well have stayed a piece of trash.
“…Did I do something wrong again?”
“Shut up. Don’t talk. Don’t open your mouth.”
Her chest was hot.
Her body was hot.
Aching deep in her lower belly.
Throbbing.
Unfamiliar.
She’d never felt anything like it in her life.
It was a feeling she’d only ever experienced with Gilliam.
Because it was unfamiliar, it frightened her, and because she was frightened, she couldn’t help acting rough.
“…Are you sure you’re okay?”
Gilliam reached out again and pressed his hand to her forehead.
“I’m fi—”
“You really do feel warm, though.”
Gilliam’s face was right in front of her.
‘…Ah.’»