(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 29: The Circumstances of Sayaka Hosho 3

“As an epilogue, of course, the engagement was annulled. As for their family business, it relied heavily on us, the Hosho family, for support. Since most of their transactions were tied to our company, reducing the volume of our dealings by even a little pushed them to the brink of bankruptcy.”

“To prioritize breaking off the engagement, even with the family business in such a state… well, what can I say?”

What exactly were they thinking?

“It’s incomprehensible, isn’t it? Truly, their thinking was foolish.”

“…So, did that company end up collapsing?”

They had sullied the reputation of the Hosho family. Simply reducing their business volume seemed like a very mild response to me.

“No, they managed to keep it going, albeit on a much smaller scale.”

“Huh, was that thanks to the parents’ management skills?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Her answer was firm and unequivocal.

“Takato’s parents were, if anything, rather sentimental people. They left the management of the business to their subordinates. When Takato ran away, they immediately came to apologize, but even then, they said, ‘We want to respect our son’s choices in love!’ while bowing low enough to touch the ground with their foreheads. As individuals, they were likable people, but when it came to their child, they completely changed. They apologized for what happened to the young lady, but they didn’t take any concrete action to make amends.”

“Parents, huh…”

I’d never had proper parents in either my previous life or this one, but I had my grandparents to rely on.  

Still, I believed that it was a parent’s responsibility to correct their child if they ever strayed off the path. Pampering them wasn’t what being a parent was about.  

Well, this was all from the Hosho Family’s perspective, so I couldn’t fully judge.

“Anyway, Takato’s parents chose to prioritize their child over their company. They even said they wouldn’t mind if the company collapsed.”

“But in the end, the company is still standing?”

Why?

“It’s thanks to the young lady. The Hosho family was prepared to see it go under, but the young lady gave them time to gradually reduce the volume of transactions so they could secure alternative business partners and protect the livelihoods of their employees.”

…You’re kidding, right?

“She herself must’ve been hurting so much… and yet she still didn’t hold a grudge. Not only that, she even considered the well-being of strangers who had little to do with her.”

What incredible kindness… or perhaps one might call it naïveté. No, it was genuinely a virtue.

“Later, I asked her why she did that.”

“…And what did she say?”

“The young lady said, ‘The ones at fault in this matter are Takato and Kuzuryu. And me, for failing to hold onto his heart. Everyone else was just caught in the crossfire, so it would be unfair to cause them any trouble’.”

“She smiled so bravely when she said that,” Kurokawa-san murmured as she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

A saint—there was no other word for it.  

A “villainess”? Where? That was just her image; it was completely unfounded.

“The young lady may have sharp eyes and a stiff tone, but she’s not a bad person.”

“Yeah, I can see that clearly.”

“That’s the story of the fallout with Takato-sama. And today…”  

Kurokawa-san began recounting what had happened after my absence.

And I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“I will become your husband!!”  

“Perhaps I should take that man away as well—it might be amusing?”

“You bitch! How dare you speak that way to us men, a rare and precious species!”

Wait, what?  

That was just… genuinely terrifying.

“Wait, am I a target now too?”  

I hated this so much.  

I liked girls—they were definitely my type.

I really wanted Kurokawa-san to deny it, but…

“Yes, it seems so.”

She confirmed it immediately.

“My condolences, Kyoya-sama.”  

“Seriously? Well… after everything that’s happened, I guess they won’t act so soon.”  

Even Hosho-san was on high alert.

“Ordinarily, yes, but please remain cautious. Of course, we will also protect you.”

“Understood.”

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

“No, nothing else… but I do have one request.”

“A request…?”  

He looked at me curiously.

“Could I get a chance to make up for today’s date with Hosho-san? Even something small, like just dinner.”

“…Hehe, you really are an unusual person. Very well, I’ll coordinate with Kazari-san to arrange the schedule—will that work for you?”

“Yes, that’s fine with me.”

“Then, until next time. Thank you for your hard work today. Goodnight.”

Kurokawa-san bowed gracefully and left the room.  

Her footsteps echoed down the hall as they faded away.

“What a tumultuous past,” Kazari-san said.

“Yeah… and we’re only halfway through.”  

“There’s still one more, isn’t there? According to Kurokawa-sama, someone equally despicable.”

“Yeah.”

Another person who had hurt Hosho-san, adding to her already painful history.

“…You’re making a scary face, Kyo-sama.”

Kazari-san placed her hand on my arm, as if to calm me. Her slender, graceful fingers.  

“Ah, sorry. Thanks.”

“If you’re angry, then make sure you’re the one to make her happy. After all, she is your fiancée… The goal is still the same, right? For everyone to be happy.”

That’s right. Just because it was a formal engagement didn’t mean it was superficial. I wanted to make her as happy as possible.  

That’s what I’d been aiming for.

So no matter how heavy the burden of her circumstances might seem, it didn’t faze me.

“Thank you, Kazari-san.”

Naturally, we drew closer and shared a gentle kiss.  

As our tongues were about to entwine—

“No, let’s stop for today. Kyo-sama, you’ve had a long day and must be tired.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

I was thoroughly cut off.