As a Reward for Saving the World, I Was Reincarnated Into a World Where Girls Are Super Aggressive and Chastity Roles Are Reversed!! …Or So I Thought, Until It Turned Out to Be an Overbearing Yandere Harem of My Former Companions Who Loved Me Too Much - 13

Chapter 13: Kazuki and Shinon

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Pulled along by Shinon, I was dragged back to the mansion like a child caught red-handed in some mischief. When we arrived at the front gate, there was an unusual commotion. Standing there was a carriage so lavishly decorated with gold and silver it seemed almost excessive, obviously extremely expensive. On its door was emblazoned a gaudy crest I had never seen before.

“Hmm? A carriage at the castle… Do we have visitors?”

“That crest… It belongs to a marquis family from the royal capital. Could it be…?”

Shinon furrowed her brows warily. At that moment, the carriage door opened, and a woman stepped out gracefully. She wore a pink dress adorned with roses, her long blonde hair curled into ringlets. Her makeup was thick, and although she hid her mouth behind a fan, her eyes stared at me intently, appraising me like prey.

“Oh my! You must be Kazuki-sama, the hero who defeated the Demon Lord, are you not? Even more gallant than the rumors… It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Isabella von Baldot.”

The noble lady, who introduced herself as Isabella, approached me with an enraptured expression and pinched her skirt to offer a lady’s curtsy. Her theatrical gesture made me feel a little excited. After all, back in the day, nobles used to treat me like I was a pebble on the ground. As expected of this gender-reversed world.

“Yes! I am Kazuki, the rare and precious existence who saved the world as a hero!! What business do you have with me?”

“Precious existence…? Ah… Indeed, while there were many heroes, the only one who truly defeated the Demon Lord was you.”

When I introduced myself with high spirits, Isabella gave me a puzzled look for a moment, then forced a smile.

“Of course. I came all the way from the royal capital to meet you. I wish to be welcomed as a member of your harem…”

Whoa, straight to the harem request! This world really gets to the point fast!

Just as I was admiring her boldness, Isabella noticed Shinon standing beside me and gave a contemptuous snort.

“My, why is Kazuki-sama accompanied by a girl with demon blood?”

“Eh, demon blood…?”

“Kazuki-sama… I…”

Shinon trembled as though struck by something, but Isabella raised her voice sharply.

“Silence, maid. I am speaking to Kazuki-sama. Blue hair that no human could have and those red eyes… The very marks of a half-demon! Surely you have tried to worm your way into his favor, taking advantage of his ignorance as someone from another world!? How utterly despicable of you!”

I could see the blood drain from Shinon’s face at Isabella’s words. Her beautiful blue eyes trembled with despair, and her usually expressionless face twisted with fear and sorrow.

Just looking at her, I understood what kind of treatment she must have endured in the past.

“Kazuki-sama… I am so sorry… but I…”

Seemingly satisfied with Shinon’s reaction, Isabella fanned herself with smugness and pressed herself closer to me, her tone dripping with flattery.

“Kazuki-sama, you must cast away such a girl of unknown origin at once. Instead, welcome me, with my pure and noble bloodline, as the head of your harem. I promise I can offer you a service that will fully satisfy you.”

“…”

So that’s how it is. In this world, women try to knock each other down using ‘bloodline superiority.’

Back on Earth, men tried to one-up each other with education and income. This was probably the same thing. I had gained yet another piece of knowledge about this gender-reversed world. But knowing something in theory and accepting it emotionally were two very different matters.

“Silence, Isabella.”

“…What?”

I slapped her outstretched hand away with a snap. I could not forgive her for insulting Shinon, the maid who gave her all for my sake. When I had just been thrown into this world, unable to tell left from right, she had been the one to support me. Only her.

The king had cast me off with only minimal supplies after hearing my skills. The other nobles hadn’t lifted a finger to protect me. It was because of Shinon that I resolved to remain a hero.

“Whether or not she carries demon blood doesn’t matter in the slightest. Shinon is my trusted personal maid, and to me she is an irreplaceable, precious person to me.”

“W-What!?”

Both Isabella and Shinon behind me gasped at my words.

“But Kazuki-sama, humans have ranks. If you include her in your harem, your own status will fall. Besides, your domain is still developing, isn’t it? If I, a great noblewoman, join your harem, I can provide financial support and resolve such problems at once.”

“Status, huh… You sound just like those people who sneered at me, saying a hero with my skills was beneath them.”

The memory left me irritated. But more than that—if I stayed silent now, I’d be looked down on both as a lord and as a man. And above all, I could not let Shinon remain wounded by such words.

I stepped forward, shielding Shinon behind me, and spoke in an icy tone.

“I don’t need you. Someone who only thinks of herself and casually tramples others has no place in my harem. Get back in your carriage, return to the capital, and never show your face to me again.”

As I glared at her with killing intent, Isabella let out a short shriek, her face twisting with fury and humiliation.

“Y-you will regret this! I swear you will regret making a fool of me!”

Spitting her parting words, she turned sharply, flipped her skirt, and fled into the carriage. Soon after, the carriage dashed hastily away from the mansion gates. Once the storm had passed, I turned slowly to face Shinon behind me.

She stood frozen, tears spilling endlessly from her beautiful eyes.

“…Are you all right, Shinon? Don’t let anything that woman said bother you.”

When I gently spoke to her, she answered in a trembling voice.

“…Why…? Why would you defend me…? I am… I’m just a filthy half-breed, tainted by demon blood…”

Her voice carried the weight of all the wounds she had borne. I found her unbearably precious in that moment, and I couldn’t help but place my hand on her shoulder.

“Of course I defended you. What kind of master would stay silent when his precious maid was being insulted? And besides…”

I flashed her a broad grin to reassure her and continued with words fitting the ‘common sense’ of this world.

“You said you would always support me, right? Well, I can’t even imagine a life without you anymore. So please… Stay with me, forever.”

Of course, I wasn’t deluded enough to think she harbored romantic feelings for me. But I did respect her and I truly wanted her to stay my maid for life.

“And you know… Isabella said what she did, but I always thought your blue hair was beautiful, and your eyes… They’re like jewels. They’re amazing.”

“…Ah… Kazuki-sama… But my blood… I carry demon blood…”

“That’s what makes it great, isn’t it? It makes you unique, and that’s unbelievably cool. Didn’t you know? Boys love that kind of thing.”

I said it half-jokingly, but I looked her straight in the eye. From Shinon’s eyes, instead of tears of despair, a different kind of warmth overflowed. She buried her face against my chest and began sobbing like a child.

I stroked her head gently. It had worked with Celestia too, so surely it would comfort her as well.

“…Kazuki-sama’s hands are so large…”

Eventually, Shinon stopped crying. She pulled back and looked straight at me with tear-soaked eyes, then smiled. It was the first smile I had ever seen from her.

“Thank you, Master. From this moment on, my life belongs to you, and you alone. For eternity.”

“Yeah! I’ll be counting on you, Shinon! Still, while your usual expressionless look is nice… Your smile is really cute too.”

“Honestly… How much more do you plan to make me fall for you?”

I couldn’t quite hear what she whispered under her breath, but she seemed happy, and that was enough. Gaining such a precious companion was a real relief, considering I had to work hard at managing both my domain and my harem from now on.

★★★

When that woman Isabella exposed my origins, I thought it was all over. Hearing about it in stories was one thing, but being confronted with it in reality was terrifying. And yet, Kazuki-sama far exceeded anything I had expected.

“Whether or not she carries demon blood doesn’t matter in the slightest. Shinon is my trusted personal maid, and to me she is an irreplaceable, precious person to me.”

When he said that, the tears I had been holding back welled up uncontrollably.

“You said you would always support me, right? Well, I can’t even imagine a life without you anymore. So please… Stay with me, forever.”

“I always thought your blue hair was beautiful, and your eyes… They’re like jewels. They’re amazing.”

“And the fact that you carry demon blood… That’s what makes it great, isn’t it? It makes you unique, and that’s unbelievably cool. Didn’t you know? Boys love that kind of thing.”

These words… He affirmed my very blood. Even I, who knew little of love, understood. After the talk of a harem, this was practically a proposal. I was truly happy. 

Of course, I still felt a little resistance toward the idea of a harem. But if that was the case, I would simply have to become the most important one within it.

Celestia-sama… Forgive me, but I will seriously pursue Kazuki-sama.

He told me my demon blood did not matter. There was no reason to hesitate anymore.

“Ah, but… He has always been like this from the very beginning…”

I remembered the day I first met Kazuki-sama.

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