(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 27: The Circumstances of Sayaka Hosho 1

“…Why do you feel the need to dig into the young lady’s wounds? …Are you—”

Kurokawa-san narrowed her eyes sharply.

“—an enemy?”

Enemy, huh.

She was asking whether I had any intention of harming Hosho-san.

The answer to that was obvious.

“I’m not an enemy.”

“…Are you really not?”

She looked at me skeptically.

“I’m not. However—”

However… yeah.

“—If I were to put it precisely, we’re not enemies at the moment, but we’re not exactly allies either. That much is true.”

“Not an enemy or an ally… neutral, then?”

“Neutral isn’t quite the right term either. It’s just that we have no intention of harming Hosho-san, at least for now. But even in the future, you can trust that this fact won’t be exploited. If possible, I’d like you to trust me on that.”

“…”

“And you don’t have to tell me everything. If it involves sensitive matters like the company or other confidential information, feel free to leave those out. Just tell me what you can… What I really want to know is about the people who went out of their way to ruin my date with Hosho-san.”

“Was the date with the young lady truly enjoyable for you? …No, it’s not that I doubt you, but among the men I’ve known, well, none of them would have enjoyed a date to an art museum.”

Even Hosho-san had mentioned something similar.  

Considering that they shared the same environment and values, it wasn’t surprising that they thought alike.

“It really was fun. That’s precisely why I was so upset.”

“…I understand.”

Kurokawa-san nodded slowly.

“Kyoya-sama, you’re far too kind. You didn’t have to answer my questions, yet you responded honestly.”

“Wait, I didn’t have to answer?”  

I whispered to Kazari-san beside me.

“Of course not. Strictly speaking, as a butler, Kurokawa-san doesn’t have a formal standing, so you could have ignored her entirely and just ordered her, like, ‘Answer my questions only’. Generally, butlers fall into two categories: the assertive, domineering type who do that, and the shy type who don’t engage at all. Also, since Kurokawa-san came here on her master’s orders, forcing her to provide a quick answer wouldn’t technically be wrong either.”

Ah, I see.

This was what they meant by a male-dominant society, huh.

I still couldn’t get used to this dynamic with maids and butlers.

Seeing that our private conversation had concluded, Kurokawa-san began to speak.

“I now understand that Kyoya-sama’s current demeanor is genuine. I deeply apologize for my earlier disrespectful behavior.”

She bowed deeply at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

“Please don’t worry about it. Just raise your head. What’s more important is giving me answers quickly before it gets too late. Surely that would be less exhausting for you, Kurokawa-san, given everything that has happened today.”

“Thank you for your consideration. In that case, I will begin at once.”

At that moment, Kazari-san appeared, carrying one coffee and two teas.  

The coffee was for me, and the teas were likely for Kurokawa-san and herself.

“As you may already know, Kyoya-sama, the young lady has been through two broken engagements in the past.”

Yes, that much I already knew.

But Kurokawa-san’s expression carried a heavy mix of frustration and anger.

“I cannot say how the general public views it, but I doubt the rumors are favorable. In today’s society, where men are scarce, failing to make the most of limited opportunities often leads to jealousy and resentment, particularly toward women. They are quick to blame them. While it’s true that neither party is ever completely at fault, my understanding is that there’s no such thing as a situation where the blame is 100 to 0. Both sides always bear some responsibility. That is how we perceive it as well—”

“—But knowing this, and even if you interpret my words as biased favoritism, let me say this anyway.”

“—In neither case was the young lady at fault.”

Kurokawa-san’s voice was filled with barely-contained fury as she clenched her teeth.

It was clear that a powerful wave of emotion was surging within her.

This also drove home just how much Hosho-san was loved and cherished.

For someone to be this devoted to their master, it was clear that she must treat her subordinates well.

Hosho-san might be referred to as a “villainess” in the eyes of society, but I realized there was a significant gap between that label and her actual character.

Though, I guess there was still the possibility that she was only kind to those close to her.

Even so, the impression I got from interacting with her didn’t align with that idea.

“I can’t determine whether there’s any fault on either side myself, but I understand that this is your perspective… Tell me more.”

“…There’s no way I’d stop explaining at this point… The young lady’s ex-fiancés were, though different in type, all awful. That’s how we perceive them—”

“—And among them, the one who ruined today’s outing with Kyoya-sama was her first fiancé, Koichi Takato. He is also the one who stole the young lady’s radiant smile and made her unable to trust men—a fragment of that harm.”

The words “stole her smile” made it clear that Hosho-san had been deeply hurt.  

Seeing her in that state must have left a profound impression on Kurokawa-san. I could relate—if something like that happened to my sister… Well, I wouldn’t let anything like that happen in the first place.

“Huh? But there were two men there earlier, right? Was one of them Takato?”  

“The first fiancé of the young lady… he’s the smaller one you saw today. How did he come across to you?”

How did he come across?  

I didn’t see him up close, but from a distance… hmm, let’s see.

“…Fragile? Like a delicate vibe?”

“Not entirely off the mark. Fragile, easily broken if touched—that’s how he appears. Indeed, he’s small in stature and weak-hearted, so that impression is understandable. He’s not sickly or anything, though—physically, he’s average. But to be more precise, I’d say he’s someone who can’t make decisions or accomplish anything on his own.”

The way she spoke, as if spitting out those words, made it clear this was something she didn’t want to say.

A man who couldn’t do anything, huh.

“He’s a person without opinions of his own—someone who just listens to others and acts like a weather vane, swaying whichever way the wind blows. That’s the kind of man he is. Frankly, I doubt he’s changed. He was like that from the moment he met the young lady—”

“—Perhaps that’s why he was selected: because he seemed unlikely to harm the Hosho family. Essentially, he was chosen as a stud horse.”

A stud horse… that was quite a blunt way of putting it.

“However, since the young lady wasn’t an adult back then, nor was he, nothing sexual occurred between them. Oh, though I believe he provided sperm donations through official institutions. Whether that’s still the case now, I don’t know.”

“Since the young lady was only sixteen, the master—her father—didn’t push them. Instead, he encouraged them to spend time together and nurture a relationship. The young lady was given many opportunities to talk with him.”

“But that was the mistake,” she said, speaking as though reflecting on a distant memory.

I see, so her parents had tried to ensure it wasn’t just a marriage of convenience—they had tried to foster a real connection between them.

“At that time, the harem system wasn’t as structured as it is now. The process was different—it was more like formal matchmaking. Afterward, wives would gradually be added to the harem, shaping the system we see today.”

So, the first wife would have a significant amount of power in the household.  

For a family like the Hosho house, that setup would work to their advantage. It would give them leverage when other families joined later.

“At first, it seemed to be going well—or at least, it appeared that way. Initially wary of women, the young man gradually opened up to the young lady. She, in turn, listened to his concerns, and their relationship didn’t seem bad. It looked fine… for about six months.”

So far, it didn’t sound like an unusual story.  

A reserved man and a supportive woman—almost like an older sister figure.

“But then… that man appeared.”

That man.

From the context, it would be—

“Um… the other man we saw today?”

“Yes, that’s right. Seiichi Kuzuryu. That man destroyed everything!”

Destroyed everything…?