(Chastity Reversed) The Legitimate Wife War: How I, a Harem-Hater, Ended Up Creating an Ultra-Eccentric Harem with a Villainess, a Sadistic Beauty Teacher, a Scheming Classmate... etc. - Chapter 22: "A Strange Man" - Villainess's POV

That day started off with a feeling of dread.

It all began with what he’d suddenly suggested.  

Out of nowhere, he said:  

“I want to get to know everyone better as my potential fiancées!! Before the Fiancée Voting, I’d like to go on… eh, not a date, but, um, an outing with each of you, so I can understand you all better!”

The moment he said that, all the women had the same thought:  

What a hassle. 

Tachibana-san and Akitsuki-san let their annoyance show on their faces.  

I, on the other hand, just barely managed to keep mine neutral.  

Perhaps picking up on our expressions, he continued:  

“I think this isn’t such a bad idea for any of you either. Since we’re participating in this Fiancée Voting under the government’s system, it’ll look good externally if we show that we’re properly doing this. I think going on dates is something we should consider.”

He spoke sheepishly, almost as if embarrassed about bringing up something like this.  

To be fair, there was no inherent disadvantage to the idea—at least not for public appearances.  

There were downsides, sure, but those were mainly personal. For me, it was that I simply didn’t want to spend time with men. 

I could separate my feelings from my reasoning.  

This might be worth agreeing to.  

Since we lived in a society where male opinions tended to carry weight, it was important to take this request seriously.  

It was better to agree now than to risk being criticized later on.  

“Alright, I’m fine with it.”  

“I get what you’re saying,” Akitsuki-san added.  

“…Understood,” I said.  

Hearing our responses, his face lit up with delight as he nodded.  

“However.”  

“However?”  

He tilted his head at my words, looking genuinely puzzled.  

“Let us decide on the destinations.”  

“Huh?”  

Was he planning to choose the locations himself?  

That was not happening.  

To be honest, I didn’t trust men to make decisions like this.  

I didn’t know what his intentions were behind suggesting this outing. While I didn’t sense the same malice as the men from my past, there was no harm in being cautious.  

“There’s no problem with that, right? After all, this outing is to help you get to know us better, isn’t it?”  

“Well… yeah, I suppose so…”  

He didn’t look upset, but more confused than anything.  

If he had gotten mad, that would’ve made more sense. Was this unexpected for him?  

“Is everyone else okay with that?” I asked.  

“I don’t mind.”  

“Ugh, this is a pain, but sure, whatever,” Tachibana-san chimed in.  

With everyone’s agreement, the Second Fiancée Family Meeting concluded with that decision.  

It concluded, but—  

—Why am I the one going first?

Reflecting on it now, I regretted not managing my schedule better.  

Of all things, I had left my weekend completely open.  

“…Do I have any work lined up?”  

Even when I asked my staff, they simply replied no. Thanks to how capable they were, there wasn’t much left for me to do.  

It was a luxurious problem, but one that left me with a completely free weekend.  

As for the other two?  

I could understand Akitsuki-san. As a teacher, her work didn’t stop just because it was the weekend. Prioritizing her schedule made sense. 

But Tachibana-san?  

She claimed she was hanging out with friends.  

That left a sour taste in my mouth.  

If it were a pre-scheduled plan, I could understand, but something tells me that was not the case. I happened to glance at her phone’s calendar—it was empty.  

Then again, pointing that out would just be petty.  

…Might as well get this date over with sooner rather than later. The faster it’s done, the less I’ll have to deal with it in the future.  

Thinking positively, I decided to just go along with it.  

After all, someone like me lacked any sort of charm.  

Just like before, this was bound to end in another broken engagement. 

If it was going to end anyway, I decided to take him to places I actually enjoyed—art museums, libraries, things like that.  

It was better this way.

****

The plan was finalized.

We agreed to meet at the park that day.  

As instructed, he arrived 10 minutes early, waiting obediently at the meeting spot and curiously looking around the area.  

Was this really okay?  

He was wandering deeper into the deserted parts of the park.  

The world wasn’t as safe as it used to be.  

It was one thing to be on the main street, but deliberately heading into dimly lit, deserted areas was something I couldn’t comprehend. I might understand it if it were someone from decades ago, but…  

“Excuse me!”  

I hurried to call out to him.  

But he didn’t respond, as if he couldn’t hear me.  

“Excuse me, please wait!”  

After calling out several times, he finally turned toward me hesitantly, as though unsure if I was addressing him.  

It seemed he only just realized I’d been calling him this whole time.  

“Don’t ignore me! You’re the one who invited me, aren’t you?”  

“Huh? Wait… are you, Hosho-san?”  

“Who else would it be?”  

I didn’t think my appearance was that unremarkable. My blonde hair, inherited from my mother, was quite striking, after all.  

He reluctantly got into my car, looking unsure of himself.  

Had he never done something like this before?  

Then again, I hadn’t had many opportunities to give people rides either.  

In general, society regarded having a man sit in the passenger seat as something of an honor.  

But honestly, I didn’t feel happy about it at all—not when I’d rather avoid interacting with men altogether.  

“…By the way, where are we headed?”  

My fiancé prospect asked me this, curious about our destination.  

I’d already decided on a place—a spot men were sure to dislike.  

“That’s a surprise for when we get there.”  

I smiled faintly.  

Ah, when did I become so bitter?  

Plotting to lead someone into an unpleasant situation like this…  

And yet, despite all of this, why did he have such an innocent expression?  

It annoyed me even more.  

It felt as if he was forcing me to confront the bitterness within myself.  

After some casual conversation, we arrived at the destination.  

From my brief interactions with him, he seemed like a straightforward person—exactly as he appeared to be.  

Not that it mattered much to me.  

Once we reached the destination, I was convinced his expression would sour.  

…At least, that was what I thought.  

But instead, he seemed utterly fascinated.  

His eyes sparkled as he admired the shelves of books and soaked in the environment.  

Men should hate places like this.  

Normally, I came here whenever something was weighing on my mind—it was a place that helped me feel at peace no matter how upset I was.  

But today, my heart felt clouded, as if shrouded in mist.  

I didn’t need to ask why.  

I hated men.  

Or rather, I detested them.  

I didn’t always feel this way.  

But as for why… well, that’s…  

Before my thoughts could turn any darker, I forced myself to refocus.  

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on the past. I had something I needed to accomplish.  

I needed this man to dislike me—even if it didn’t result in a broken engagement right away, I needed him to walk away from this.  

If I pushed him away now, I wouldn’t have to deal with…  

With that thought in mind, I decided to change locations.  

This place was far too charming—it seemed he actually understood its appeal.  

The next location would also be one I enjoyed, but…  

I couldn’t let my love for a place stop me from achieving my goal.  

Still, despite my efforts, he kept smiling.  

Finally, I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Why are you smiling?”  

I hadn’t meant to say it with such intensity.  

But the words came out heated nonetheless.  

His eyes widened in surprise.