(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 68: The Villainess and the Older Sister - Part 1

We held hands.  

This might be considered a groundbreaking development. For the first time, the fiancée system had yielded actual, tangible progress.  

…Well, we stopped holding hands as soon as we entered the building, though.  

The duration? Thirty seconds.  

Thirty seconds. It might seem like a small step for a couple or a married pair.  

But for someone like me, who started from a negative position in this fiancée situation and had zero romantic experience, this was a monumental leap forward.  

If I were to put it in Neil Armstrong-esque terms, it might go something like that.

“Kyoya-san, what are you doing?”  

When I looked ahead, Sayaka-san was already walking a little further ahead of me.  

Looking around, I realized what kind of place this building was… Oh, it was a hospital.  

It was late in the evening, so most of the patients were already gone.  

The lobby was open and spacious, with a glass roof extending up to the third floor, giving it an airy feel.  

The sunlight from the setting sun shone through the windows, painting everything in a beautiful golden hue.  

“Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought.”  

“It’s fine to think, but please make sure to follow along properly… I’d hate to have to use the facility’s intercom to look for you.”  

“Just call me on my phone before you resort to the intercom, okay?”  

Why was her first instinct to use the intercom? I could picture it now—”Takeda Kyoya, age 17, our large lost child, please come to the front desk.”  

“Come on, let’s hurry along. We’re almost at the appointed time.”  

“Appointed time?”  

I didn’t recall us making any sort of plans today. How did she even know I was free today?  

“I made sure to inform Kazari-san, so it’s fine. She said, ‘Understood,’ you know?”  

Why did Kazari-san know about this, but I didn’t?  

This was a perfect example of how the power dynamics of a master-servant relationship played out. Of course, I was the one at the bottom.  

Important matters were relayed to me, sure, but minor things were deliberately withheld as a prank. She must find joy in watching me struggle. That sadistic maid… I’d get back at her later.  

Before I had time to dwell on that thought, the elevator reached the top floor. The twelfth floor, apparently the highest.  

We exited the elevator and headed to the corner room at the far end of the hallway.  

There were two women standing guard at the door, clearly bodyguards. They bowed upon seeing Sayaka-san.  

“Welcome, milady. And greetings to you as well, Kyoya-sama.”  

K-Kyoya-sama?  

It seemed they were already informed about me.  

Sayaka-san, accustomed to this sort of treatment, casually told the bodyguards to relax.  

“How is everything?”  

“Everything is proceeding smoothly. However, the guest seems a bit uncomfortable due to the room’s spacious and upscale nature.”  

“I see. Thank you.”  

The nameplate on the door bore no name.  

Just who were we meeting that required such heavy security? I started to feel nervous.  

Noticing my uneasiness, Sayaka-san gave a faint smile.  

“Why are you so tense?”  

“Well, I have no idea who we’re meeting. I don’t want to make a bad impression.”  

“A bad impression, huh?” she murmured softly.  

“Ah, Kazari-san probably kept it a surprise because she enjoys that sort of thing…. You’ll be fine, Kyoya-san. If anything, I’m the one who’s nervous.”  

Wait, Sayaka-san was nervous?  

Just who were we meeting?  

The nerves were starting to make my stomach hurt.  

“Well then, shall we? It wouldn’t do to keep them waiting.”  

Three knocks. After a brief pause, a voice responded.  

“Come in.”  

The voice was soft, drawn out, and carried a gentle tone. Just from the voice alone, I could tell the person was kind.  

Ah, I got it now. If it was someone like that, I could understand why Sayaka-san would be nervous. And why Kazari-san remained silent about this.  

This really was a pleasant surprise.  

Because…  

“Kyoya-san, why don’t you go in first?”  

“I’ll do that, then.”  

I placed my hand on the door to the hospital room.  

It’s been a while since I’d last seen her. Or had it? We did talk briefly before the fiancée voting event, but it felt like it’d been a long time ago.  

A lot had happened since then. There was so much that I wanted to say.  

“Nee-san is here, huh?”  

The room was spacious.  

There was a king-sized bed, an expensive-looking chair and desk, and even a sofa for visitors.  

The glass windows offered a breathtaking view of the city, illuminated by the warm hues of the setting sun. Standing by the windowsill, my sister turned to look at me.  

“Welcome, Kyoya. And is this the lady you mentioned, Hosho-san?”  

My sister smiled warmly. It was a radiant smile, as if she were a saint bathed in the light of the setting sun.  

“Yes, this is her—my fiancée, Sayaka Hosho.”  

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hosho Sayaka. I look forward to getting to know you better.”  

Sayaka-san gave a graceful bow.  As expected of her. She truly looked at ease in situations like this. Nee-san, straightening her posture, introduced herself.  

“I’m Takeda Mio, Kyoya’s elder sister—though technically, I’m his stepsister. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”  

“I wouldn’t call it ‘everything’… If anything, this all started due to my own mistakes. It was only natural to take these measures. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for causing trouble and putting both Kyoya-san and you, Mio-sama, in danger. I am deeply sorry.”  

This time was different from before—she bowed a full 90 degrees in apology. Before I could even say, “You don’t need to apologize,” my sister spoke up first.

“Raise your head, will you? There’s no need for you to apologize. From what I’ve heard, you’re completely a victim in all this. If anyone should be blamed, it’s the people who did wrong, not you. You’ve done nothing to apologize for.”  

“But I…”  

“Do you feel like there was more you could have done?”  

“Yes…”  

“That’s just hindsight talking. The thoughts of ‘I could’ve done this’ or ‘I should’ve done that’ are things you only realize after everything is over. And looking at the results? Nothing happened. Isn’t that enough?”  

“It’s not that it isn’t enough, but…”  

“If it still bothers you, then just make sure not to repeat the same mistakes in the future. After all, humans are creatures who learn from their failures.”  

“…Understood.”  

“Then this matter is settled. I don’t hold anything against you. From now on, no more apologizing about this, okay? Honestly, I’m even a little lucky—this new room is huge and kind of nice.”  

She started talking animatedly about how fluffy the sofa and the cushions were, her tone cheerful. Really, Nee-san’s smile was so unfair.  

It had this magical ability to lighten the hearts of those she talked to. I smiled as I listened to their conversation,  

“Oh, Kyoya, we’ll need to talk about this later, okay?”  

“Uh, what?”  

She was still smiling, but the air around her shifted completely.  

Oh no. This was that vibe.  

I was definitely going to get scolded. This felt just like the tense atmosphere before someone got chewed out.  

“This whole situation—couldn’t you have handled it better? I mean, was it really necessary to let yourself get hit? You know self-defense techniques, don’t you, Kyoya? I don’t think using your body as bait is something to be proud of.”  

“But, but…”  

“But what, exactly?”  

Her smile grew sharper, her pressure intensifying.  

“I figured that was the best way to catch them.”  

I had my reasons.  

“And the real reason?”  

“…”  

“The real reason?”  

The excuse I’ve given so far might be true, but if I were to be honest…  

“I wanted to ruin them.”  

“See? That’s what I thought. It’s fine if you wanted them to face ruin.”  

Sayaka-san was making a face as if to say, Oh, that’s okay, then?

“But, Kyoya, I want you to take better care of yourself. Not just your body, but your heart too, okay?”  

“Got it.”  

“Let me guess—you snapped because they insulted me or used me as a hostage, didn’t they?”  

“…”  

Even in silence, she could figure it all out. That’s Mio-nee for you—she’d always been like this.  

“Kyoya’s been like this since forever,” Mio-nee said with a slightly exasperated expression.  

“You never get mad over things done to yourself, but when it’s about me… Thank you for getting angry for my sake.”  

In the end, she smiled at me gently. Mio-nee had always been like this, ever since we were kids.  

That said, Mio-nee didn’t have much room to talk, either. After all, she only got angry on behalf of others, too.  

“You’re such a good pair of siblings,” Sayaka-san said, watching us with a look on her face as if she were gazing at something precious.