Chapter 266: Side Story – ‘Fathers-in-Law’ Please Give Me Your Daughters! R-18 (2)

They kicked me out with nothing but insults.

Yes, obviously it had to end like this.

For the first time, I understood one hundred percent how Duke Marde must have felt in this kind of situation.

If I were in his place, I would’ve blown his head off with a shotgun.

As long as the one involved wasn’t me, of course.

“Then, Sir Corin. If you need anything, just call me.”

It was the same guest room they had given me during my previous visit. I think it was called the Verdure Room. I was lying on the enormous bed when I heard someone knocking on the terrace window.

“Corin! It’s me! Open up!”

“Senior Marie?”

Marie came in through the terrace, smiling foolishly as she hugged me.

“Why are you coming in through here and leaving the door untouched?”

“Because Dad said that you and I absolutely must not— that we shouldn’t even see each other.”

“I get that, but at this hour of the night?”

“And what does it matter? I’m going to marry you.”

It really doesn’t seem easy to get that approval.

“I’m sorry… My dad treated you really badly. He loves me so much, truly, but… sometimes he goes too far.”

“No, the duke is exactly a perfect example of a proper and normal father.”

It’s not common to see a father who loves his daughter so much and is willing to do anything for her.

“And what does the duchess say?”

“Mmm… I don’t know.”

Well, even though she always treats me so warmly, even the duchess must have been left speechless after the harem declaration.

“She wants to see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll talk to her as best I can.”

The duke and duchess were the people I had to consider most when putting this absurd harem plan into motion. Just seeing how they treated their daughter’s lifesaver showed how much they adored her.

“Senior.”

“Hmm?”

“Is this okay for you?”

“…”

At my question, Marie gave a bitter smile.

“I can’t help it. I couldn’t let Corin die.”

“I’m sorry it ended like this.”

I thought I would be a good husband.

Even I knew I didn’t have any particular flaw.

I was a good person, relatively sincere and also capable.

That’s why, if I were to become someone’s partner or husband, I trusted that I could make that person happy. I could give myself completely to a single love.

“All of this is completely my fault.”

I had no tact.

Just as Yeona and Lac always told me, I was pathetically clumsy when it came to love.

I didn’t understand the feelings of the women who loved me and showed me affection; I just thought, “They’re good friends.”

Now that I think about it, Park Sihu… no, Park Sirin must have also been another victim of my clumsiness.

“If… if I had noticed your feelings earlier, if we had been a couple…”

The others would have given up a long time ago. And we wouldn’t have ended up in such a tangled relationship.

But Marie shook her head after thinking for a moment.

“No, that wouldn’t have happened.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because we’re all the same. We all love you. They never would have given up. Even if they had to wait a hundred years, even if they had to commit adultery, even if they had to take you by force… one way or another, they would have taken you.”

She said it with a strange conviction. In fact, she said it with such accuracy that it was scary.

“Come on~, they’re all good girls. They wouldn’t go that far…”

“No, they absolutely would. Corin, you still don’t understand a woman’s heart.”

…Really?

Suddenly I got scared.

“Hehe, did I scare you a little? It’s because Corin goes around dazzling them without meaning to.”

“I’m sorry…”

It wasn’t on purpose!

“I know you didn’t do it intentionally. Corin is more insensitive and shameless than he looks, but…”

Marie gently ruffled my hair and then smiled purely.

“You always treated us with sincere kindness.”

“The vow you made for yourself too, right? Not abandoning anyone, being honest with everyone, saving whoever you can… A ridiculous and pure vow, like that of a storybook hero.”

“Kindness. That pure kindness saved me and everyone else. How could I resent you?”

“Marie…”

She might have been upset about the chaos of my love life, but she never doubted my good intentions.

And the others know it too.

It’s because of that almost infinite faith in me that they’re willing to participate in this harem nonsense.

“Thank you.”

I hugged her, grateful.

A person to whom I owed so much, whom I regretted hurting, and whom I wanted to protect.

Thanks to her affection and dedication, I was able to make it this far.

She was truly adorable.

“Marie.”

“Yes.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve done… that, hasn’t it?”

“Really?”

Without hesitation, Marie sat on my lap. That was our best position for drinking blood.

“Hehe…”

She smiled widely and buried her face in my neck.

The sound of her fangs sinking in softly. Thanks to my skill 【Pain Resistance】, all I felt was the gentle brush of her lips.

— Gulp-gulp! Gulp… haaah…

The sound of her throat swallowing, her warm breath as she eagerly drank my blood. I felt her heart trembling against mine.

We got excited.

Both she, and I.

“Haah… Corin’s is still the most delicious…”

Her voice tangled as if her tongue had gone numb from something too sweet. After drinking without pause, she collapsed exhausted on my chest, panting.

“It doesn’t hurt, right?”

“I’m used to it now.”

While resting her chin on my shoulder, she looked at the mark she had left on my neck and licked it.

“Am I your puppy?”

“…Marie.”

“Yes?”

“We’re going to get married, right? Don’t call me ‘senior’ anymore… better call me by my name.”

It was a deeply ingrained habit. And I was much older than her.

Even so, with a strange shyness, I pronounced her name carefully.

“Marie.”

Just changing the way I called her was enough to make her heart beat hard. Naturally, we lifted our gaze and fell silent, both blushing.

“…”

Marie closed her eyes. A silent signal, permission.

Carefully, as if touching ancient porcelain, I pressed my lips to hers.

She opened her lips without resistance, accepting my invasion as our tongues intertwined.

She was sweet like a cake. Time slowed down.

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Morning came.

The light filtered through the curtain and illuminated her body.

Her white skin, her perfect curves—spending the night with such a beautiful and adorable woman was hard to believe, so I touched her cheek to make sure.

“Mmm… Corin?”

“Marie.”

“Why are you laughing?”

Still half asleep, she mumbled tenderly. I hugged her under the blankets.

The scent of warm skin, the softness of the touch, and the way she curled up in my chest like a little bird filled me with happiness.

“For nothing.”

Ah, now I can finally say it.

This woman is mine.

Without a doubt.

***

“…..”

“…..”

A heavy silence spread.

I missed the shouting and cursing from before; I preferred that. Now I missed Duke Marde.

Dunaleff Ducal Residence.

In the center of a greenhouse so luxurious that it might have been the most beautiful on the continent, I was having a tea hour with Duchess Ellencia.

“Ehm… Duchess.”

“Oh, shouldn’t you call me mother-in-law? Mother is fine too.”

“R-really, can I?”

“Of course.”

Her gaze was full of affection.

Her voice radiated kindness.

And honestly, that scared me. I had already learned firsthand what someone of her direct blood could do—meaning, Marie.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Oh, son-in-law~ why are you apologizing?”

“It’s just that… to your precious daughter—”

“You’re not planning on taking only my daughter, are you?”

“Hiiik…!”

The duchess’s smiling yet sharp gaze terrified me. Could it be that when Marie grew a little older she’d be able to crush people with just an elegant look like that?

“I’m sorry! Not only your daughter… I also promised marriage to six others!”

“Well~, son-in-law Corin.”

The duchess spoke to me in a reassuring tone.

“When a man lives, he may look away sometimes. Youth and hot blood are like that. And if it’s someone as capable as you, even more so.”

“That… it’s just that…”

“But if my husband had done that, I never would’ve forgiven him.”

“Pardon—”

“I will give you time to put everything in order.”

“Pardon?”

Duchess Ellencia smiled as she said it.

“The girls who aren’t Marie. Keep them all away. If you don’t…”

Clack! The sound of the cup hitting the plate echoed like a threat.

“You know very well how far the Ducal House of Dunaleff can go… don’t you, son-in-law Corin?”

I swallowed. Of course I knew.

Last winter, during that war for the son-in-law that almost overturned the capital, I had already seen their power.

The Dunaleff Family could shake the economy of the entire continent if they wished.

What the duchess was saying was simple.

If I didn’t get rid of the other women, they would overturn the whole kingdom.

That someone so elegant and kind would say something so terrifying made it even worse. But even so—

“I’m sorry.”

I had to firmly reject a demand that, in theory, was completely reasonable.

“Why? Are you an incorrigible womanizer?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then is it because my Marie isn’t enough?”

“Never.”

“…”

The duchess observed me intently and then, unexpectedly, relented.

“Alright. I won’t ask anymore.”

“Eh?”

Her response was so clear and quick that it left me disconcerted.

“Ehm… Duchess.”

“Mother.”

“M-mother… why…?”

Ellencia smiled softly.

“If you make that face full of guilt and still insist on continuing with polygamy, then you must have your reasons.”

“I… even I think what I’m doing is garbage.”

“Those who are truly twisted don’t even imagine their actions are bad. They justify them by saying they’re the privileges of the strong.”

The duchess stroked my hair as she spoke.

“I know my son-in-law’s character very well.”

Her gaze was filled with infinite confidence. Such was her faith in me.

“Three years ago you said something, Corin. That you saved Marie simply because your hand arrived in time. And that you wanted Marie to be even happier. Is that still true?”

“Of course.”

“Then that’s enough. If Marie agrees, I won’t oppose it.”

“Mother…”

“But my husband… I don’t know. Try to convince him.”

“Will I be able to…?”

As if wanting to calm my anxiety, the duchess placed her hand over mine.

“You will. With your sincerity.”

Her hand was so warm it made me feel guilty.

***

A week had passed since I stayed at the Dunaleff residence.

Seeing Duke Marde wasn’t easy.

He was a great noble of the south, in charge of the reconstruction of the entire kingdom.

But above all, it was clear he had been avoiding me on purpose.

Only after a week did he call me to a café in the city.

The café occupied two entire floors, quite large.

But there wasn’t a single customer. He must have reserved it completely.

Except for the guards and knights, the duke was sitting by the window, immediately visible.

“Duke.”

I called him carefully so as not to irritate him.

“Sit.”

I sat down, measuring each of his gestures.

“…”

“…”

Uncomfortable.

Extremely uncomfortable.

A meeting with a father-in-law is already complicated, but this was like saying, “Father-in-law, I want to form a harem, can I include your daughter too?”

It was a thousand times worse.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“A-ah, yes…”

“Our Marie is so good she doesn’t know how to say no. She always gives herself to others.”

“Of course, of course.”

“But even at her age to still be acting like that in r-r-romantic matters? Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“Eeeh…”

While I didn’t know how to respond, the duke took something from his chest and placed it in front of me.

A thin envelope.

“D-duke, is this…?”

“I put enough so you won’t feel bad. Take this and break up with my daughter.”

“…Pardon?”

So this was that cliché where the father-in-law gives you an envelope so you’ll break up with his daughter?

Except that…

Well… I already slept with his daughter.