I was cuckolded by my childhood friend, but I want to create a harem in a world where chastity is reversed and be happy.

Chapter 123: If This Is What Will Make Iwashimizu Happy From The Bottom Of Her Heart

While Hina went to fetch the others, I took the opportunity to speak with the woman who had introduced herself as Saionji Shizu, but whom I knew to be Iwashimizu Shizuku.

“Just so you know, I recognized you as Iwashimizu Shizuku from the very beginning. The first clue was that the two women chasing you initially were Fujioka and Marukawa.

When I asked them what they were up to, they told me about your desire to pretend to be someone else, so I played along and pretended not to know it was you, Iwashimizu, because I wanted to help with your consultation. If I had asked, ‘What are you up to, Class Rep?’ back then, you probably wouldn’t have confided in me about this arranged marriage, right?”

“Ugh… So, you knew all along. I feel a bit embarrassed now. As you may have guessed, ‘Saionji’ is my mother’s maiden name, and the matriarch here, Kotono-obaa-chan, is the head of the Saionji family.

I was taught the manners and graces of a lady to fit in with my grandmother’s lifestyle, but this is just me being myself.”

Saying that, she stuck out her tongue playfully. The destructive power of this mischievous young lady is off the charts. In the world I’m from, the elegance of a lady is probably something like what they teach in imperial studies.

“Well, there were plenty of other hints too. Like when you tried to introduce yourself with a fake name and said ‘Saionji’ followed by a pause and then ‘Shizu…’, as if you were about to say your actual name, Shizuku.

The existence of a wealthy grandmother who dotes on her granddaughter also matched the story you told during lunch break the other day about being given an expensive iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The fact that you’re using a silver iPhone without a case, among other things, gave it away. It’s unlike the smart Iwashimizu to make so many slip-ups… or were you secretly hoping to be recognized?”

There was also the matter of her confession about falling in love with a boy in the same class this year.

Though I didn’t want to sound conceited, I assumed she was talking about me. However, with Madam Kotono present, I refrained from confirming it directly.

“So, you saw right through me… I feel a bit disappointed, but also happy. If I had changed my glasses, makeup, and hairstyle, and you didn’t recognize me, it would be like my true self was defined by those external things, like my glasses,” she said, referencing a scene from the manga “Gintama.”

“Mio-chan and Maru-chan promised to help me escape this arranged marriage. They knew that if I ran away with you, Kyousuke, on Saturday afternoon, and pretended to be your lover, my grandmother might give up on the idea.

I initially did not ask them to help me because I didn’t want them to know about the arranged marriage and all the family stuff. But they insisted on helping anyway.”

I had pretended to be fooled because I could understand her feelings to some extent.

“Now then, young man, you there, Kyousuke, or should I say, Tatara-kun? I don’t appreciate the way you keep calling my granddaughter by her full last name, Iwashimizu.

Using ‘Saionji’ would be confusing, as it’s my name too. Isn’t there a more appropriate way to address her in this situation?”

Hmm… Was this grandmother subtly trying to help her granddaughter? She had a cute side to her after all. If I were to ignore the situation and call her “Class Rep” right now, it might complicate things further.

“Alright, Shizu… ku, let’s continue to get along well from now on,” I said, scratching my cheek, and Iwashimizu’s face lit up with a delighted smile.

While I felt a bit outmaneuvered by Madam Kotono, seeing Iwashimizu truly happy made it all worth it.

From this point on, I intended to be completely honest and straightforward.

T/N: To explain things, since the sentence structure might have been confusing. Iwashimizu Shizuku is Class Rep’s actual name, if she took the last name of her father. Saionji Shizu or Shizuku would be her legal name considering how it was mentioned that she would be given to her grandmother due to what her mom did, which was elope with the man she loved. Kind of how gender doesn’t play a role in the mixing of last names in the middle age, those with the higher status in life has their last name remain after marriage, even if they were a woman.