(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.

“…Kyo-sama, what happened? You’re making such a frightening face.”

The moment I returned home, Kazari-san spotted me immediately.

“I’ll explain after I get to my room,” I replied.

“…Understood. But before that, how about we take care of your injuries first? They look pretty bad.”

Back in my room on the third floor, Kazari-san disinfected the areas where the blood had already started drying.

She worked skillfully, disinfecting the wounds and wrapping them in bandages. At the same time, she handed me an ice pack to hold against the injured areas to reduce swelling.

Her precise treatment made it almost painless. Or maybe it was still the lingering anger that had numbed me enough to not feel anything.

“Does it feel stiff or hard to move? Or is your fist too painful to use?”

“Not at the moment,” I replied.

“Alright, then I’ll go ahead and secure it for you,” she said as she continued working.

“Thanks,” I said with a nod.

“It’s only natural,” she replied, matter-of-factly.

Kazari-san worked efficiently, and once she was done, she turned to me with a searching look.

“…So, what happened? Kyo-sama, you looked as if you were ready to kill someone when I first saw you—just like back when we first met.”

“Maybe I did,” I admitted.

I didn’t deny it. That’s just how irritated I was right now.

Kazari-san’s eyes widened in surprise at my response.

“…Could it be you’re really that angry this time?”

“Yeah, I’m not in the best of mood,” I replied.

“I see. So, what exactly happened? This morning, you left the house looking completely fine,” she asked curiously.

“Well, to put it plainly, Kuzuryu picked a fight with me just now.”

“Huh?”

Kazari-san’s reaction showed she wasn’t expecting that at all.

“Let me rephrase. Kuzuryu and Takato both came at me,” I said.

“Wait, so now there’s another one involved?”

I explained everything that had just taken place.

The more I talked, the stiffer Kazari-san’s expression became.

“…You held back well, didn’t you?”

“It’s only because it involved my sister. If it didn’t, I would’ve hit him for sure.”

“…And the result of that restraint is the mess on the utility pole, I see. Well, putting that aside, their response deadline is the end of March, correct?”

“Yeah. I’m guessing they want to do the same thing to Hosho-san as they did the last time—pull some kind of stunt during the engagement vote, like crashing a wedding or something.”

They were probably riding high on the so-called “success” of their previous escapade.

It was clear from what I knew of their story that their actions had left a lasting effect on Hosho-san.

“What a distasteful hobby,” Kazari-san commented, evidently sharing my feelings.

“The answer is obvious, so there’s no point in even considering it. The real question is how to destroy them—how to bring about their downfall. But before that, there’s something else we need to figure out,” I said.

“Yes, specifically who is leaking information,” she replied immediately.

Exactly. The fact that Kuzuryu knew so much about us was suspicious on its own.

Him knowing about my sister, especially details like her illness and how long she’d been battling it, was downright bizarre.

I’d never spoken about that to anyone, and my sister went out of her way not to burden others by keeping quiet about it as well.

Also, when I’d almost lost control and went to hit him, I’d noticed someone watching the scene from a distance.

“It’s also possible they were trying to film the incident,” Kazari-san added.

“Film it? …To use as blackmail material or something?” I asked.

“That’s certainly one possibility, but I think it’s more about leveraging it against Hosho-sama,” she explained.

Ah, I see. Lowering the reputation of an engagement candidate like Hosho-sama would indirectly bring her value down in the votes.

In other words, they were trying to make me drag her down with my actions.

“They were probably planning to use anything they got as leverage in negotiations too. Honestly, such underhanded tactics,” I muttered.

“Yes, very much so… But something about this feels off,” Kazari-san remarked.

“Yeah, I feel that way too. Kuzuryu doesn’t seem like the type to come up with such a convoluted plan. His methods are more direct, more reckless… he doesn’t strike me as someone who could pull off something this roundabout,” I admitted.

This was a guy who would crash someone’s wedding ceremony, after all.

He didn’t think of consequences—he just acted impulsively.

This didn’t fit his usual behavior.

“…So, there’s someone working behind the scenes?” Kazari-san asked.

“Probably,” I said.

But who could it be?

“Still, it has to be someone very close to us—someone who noticed that you went out for a run this morning and who knows about your sister’s condition… C-could it be… me? Am I being suspected?” she asked, her voice trembling just slightly.

“Of course not. Kazari-san would never suggest targeting Mio-nee in the first place. You’d know that would ensure I’d never cooperate with them again,” I replied.

“…You’re right. Completely going against you, or even worse, targeting your sister, would only make you an enemy. Saying something to insult your sister would be a complete dealbreaker. For someone as devoted to your family as you are, that’s an obvious taboo.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“That wasn’t a compliment,” she shot back.

But it was true.

Anyone who tried to threaten me by talking about my family would only succeed in making me furious.

There’d be no chance of cooperation after that.

Even if Kazari-san were to betray me, she wouldn’t do it in this way. Not only did she see things differently when it came to women, but she also knew me better than anyone else.

And besides, I didn’t even need to theorize.

“—If Kazari-san ever betrayed me, I think I’d just accept it as my fate,” I said with a wry smile.

“…Kyo-sama…”

That’s how much I relied on her.

She was the one who supported me when my sister’s condition worsened.

“That’s why, excluding Kazari-san, it’s not Hosho-san either. And Kurokawa-san wouldn’t be involved.”

There was no way he’d cooperate, not with how much he disliked him. They’d even had arguments.

“No, Kurokawa-sama still can’t be completely ruled out. She could be acting. So probably only Hosho-sama is truly in the clear, isn’t she?”

“True. In that case, it’s likely someone connected to Hosho-san or someone from the government, like the NAZ agency.”

“What should we do?”

“Well, for now… let’s file a complaint.”

“A… a complaint?”