Chapter 5: ⑤ Lord Karou Stands in the Harem

“My name is Miledi von Glanz. I was recommended by the New Nobility faction, and I currently hold one of the Twelve Star Consorts’ seats.”

There was a mischievous lilt hiding beneath her polished words.

And all the while she smiled, her gaze—shot straight through Yuuri.

No escape. No looking away.
It was a “siege” waged under the banner of a smile.

“I believe a person’s worth isn’t defined by what they have now, but by what they can create from here on out.”

(…Wait—am I being evaluated right now? Or am I being appraised?)

Her smile offered no clear answer.
And yet those eyes seemed to see through everything—leaving him with nowhere to run.

“So, if I may, I’d like to invest a little… in Lord Karou’s future.
As for returns—oh, I’m in no rush. I’ll take my time collecting.”

Her delivery was smooth.
But that last line alone was strangely sweet, strangely heated.

(W-Was that… her hitting on me?)

His muddled brain couldn’t process it.
Because—
Being approached like this, as an individual—as a man—
Outside the shop—he’d never experienced that, not once in his life.

(No, no, no. It’s definitely a joke. Pro-level social niceties. Believe this and you’ll get burned…)

Yuuri told himself that.
Even so, the warmth of that one line wouldn’t leave his chest.

“…And someday, if you would, please let me experience firsthand just how the market moves after dark?”

Wink.

In that instant, his heart did a weird skip.
His throat clicked. His breath almost stopped.

(…That look… that way she laughs…)

Where did the act end, and the real feeling begin?
He couldn’t tell at all. Couldn’t tell—yet he couldn’t look away.

(Anyone would fall for this…)

There was no way someone like him should believe it.
And yet, deep down, he’d already started to think in “what ifs.”

(What if she was even a little serious?)
(What if she really saw the person called “me”?)

(…Not the pumped-up stats from my reincarnation perks,
but the plain me—am I allowed to think she’s seeing that?)

It was almost laughable, even to himself.
That feeling was so precious it scared him.

When Miledi bowed, a gentle quiet spread through the room again.
Riding that afterglow, Celine stepped forward with soft poise.

“—With that, the greetings from the Twelve Star Consorts currently present have all concluded.”

Celine’s voice remained calm as ever.
But beneath it—she was delivering reality.

“Originally, the Twelve Star Consorts’ seats are set at twelve.
However, at present, only three seats are filled.”

(…Wait, there are still nine more to add…?)

Celine spoke evenly,
while a cold sweat crept down Yuuri’s back.

“And above the Twelve Star Consorts stand the Six Flower Consorts.
Below them are the Thirty-Six Beauty Consorts of the middle rank.
And further below, the One Hundred Eight Virtue Consorts of the lower rank.”

(H-Hold on, hold on—one hundred and eight!? I didn’t mishear that, right!?)

“Additionally, lower-ranking consorts not counted among the Virtue Consorts are called ‘palace consorts.’
Day by day, they polish themselves to serve at your side, my lord.”

Faced with this smoothly stated “reality,” Yuuri felt a chill spread from the core of his head.

(How many people is that…?
And if I don’t choose someone, will they take it as being… cast aside?)

Celine smiled gently.
Her expression didn’t change, yet her words—quietly pierced the heart.

“…My lord. The harem is not merely a garden of dreams.
What lies there are pride, conviction—and the nation’s future.”

(Huh? A harem isn’t a rom-com?)

“For you to stand at its pinnacle means you are the one who chooses—and at the same time, the one who judges.”

(‘Not choosing’ still counts as a choice… is that it.)

“If you accept a heart, a faction will rejoice.
But refuse someone, and you may end up denying that pride—bloodline and all.”

(That’s heavy… Wait—this was on that level!?)

“Of course, we are still in the process of selecting the inner palace consorts.
It will be a while yet before every seat is filled.”

(‘A while yet’—so it’s a given they’ll be filled… and before the country collapses, apparently!)

Yuuri almost clutched his head, but somehow he kept his face composed.

(It isn’t just a money problem…)
(More than that, as Lord Karou I’ve got ‘night duties’ too…)

(In a game I’d hit the ‘Harem Management’ command and both affection and stats would tick up with a click…)
(In reality, nothing works unless you actually share skin—hang on a second.)

(Over a hundred.)
(Faction balance.)
(Affection.)
(Limit break (physical).)

The former king’s fate flashed through his mind.

(What, I’m supposed to make shadow clones like a certain someone?)
(No—this isn’t a game. I’m flesh and blood. I have to love them properly… That’s the only way.)

(…Except I’m going to be the one who collapses first!?)

While Yuuri was contemplating the limits of his stamina—
Elsewhere.
A lone girl, on the verge of losing her place, stood face to face with her reflection in the mirror.