---

“Uheek….”

After the after-party was over, I returned to the room provided by the Imperial Palace and quickly took a shower, half-heartedly, before throwing myself onto the bed.

I buried my face into the pillow and started kicking my legs, rolling around the bed while clinging tightly to the pillow, unable to stay still.

Despite all this, the corners of my mouth refused to drop, constantly twitching and smiling, while I tried to hide my joy from the pillow.

Right. I was acting rather foolishly. Of course, I knew very well that this appearance of mine would be quite embarrassing to show to others.

Even if my friends saw it, especially Selian who had confessed to me, they would probably look at me with disappointment.

I knew that, considering my status as both a Hero and a Duke, it would be prudent to conduct myself with more dignity.

But who cares? This was my personal space provided by the royal family. Even a skilled assassin wouldn’t easily infiltrate this heavily guarded area.

Since it was my room, I could do as I pleased without worrying about prying eyes. Everyone has the right to their privacy after all.

“Uheek….”

So, I decided to relish this moment a little longer while acting foolishly.

After all, days like today are rare.

It wasn’t just anyone, but Selian had confessed to me that she likes me. Of course, I couldn’t believe it at first and asked her to repeat it, but she said she loved me not just as a friend, but as a partner.

It was a confession I never expected, and naturally, it left me flustered. After all, as a guy, I had always seen other women in a romantic light, unlike her who was different from ordinary women.

So, it wasn’t strange for me to be bewildered by a confession from her, a fellow woman.

But setting aside my surprise, I had to give her a response regarding her confession.

“Ah, I’ll do my best from now on….”

Selian is someone precious to me, imbued with a significance beyond mere friendship.

Of course, I can’t say I hadn’t entertained the thought of becoming romantically involved with her. But as mentioned, she is an ordinary woman unlike me, so those thoughts were just fantasies. Like a guy who has never experienced romance picturing grandkids after exchanging a few casual words.

Yet this fantasy became a reality. How could I ever reject her? Without needing to say, my answer was obviously Yes.

Thus, Selian and I became a couple. If it were up to my heart, I’d want to talk to her for much longer. And if possible, I’d like to try some more couple-like actions, considering the mood.

Like… kissing, perhaps?

…Although, is it too soon to jump to kissing right after starting a relationship? Maybe holding hands and a peck would be more acceptable?

No! What am I thinking! Don’t rush things. If I were to hurry and disappoint Selian, that would be a disaster.

But for all my pondering, unfortunately, things didn’t unfold as I hoped. One of the attendants, having noticed that I, the main character of the party, was absent, found me and I had no choice but to return.

“Then let’s continue our conversation another time.”

“Uh, is that so? Then tomorrow morning….”

“Well… tomorrow morning is too early. I’ll come to find you once things settle down.”

Of course, if I had been stubborn, I could have spent a little more intimate time with Selian, but since she got up first, I had no choice but to follow suit.

By the way, didn’t she say she finished her personal business earlier? Come to think of it, she only said that in front of me. Selian, being busy, probably still has a lot to tidy up.

In the end, I returned to my room without having a lengthy conversation with Selian.

As a result, here I am, absurdly alone, acting foolishly in happiness in this hard-to-believe dreamlike reality.

“Hey, Geno?”

“Uhyak!?”

However, amidst my solitary thoughts in my room, a voice startled me and made me scream. Turning towards the direction of the voice, I found my sister sitting in one corner, looking at me with a sympathetic gaze.

“Wha, what are you doing here…?”

“I’ve been here all along, you know?”

…Caught up in thoughts from Selian’s confession, I completely forgot.

I should’ve remembered the presence of my sister, who closely resembles me but still carries the traits of a Demon King and a member of the Demonic Race.

I was trying to avoid the gaze of the attendant who should be attending to me, but I had wound up in the same room as my sister.

“So, does that mean you saw me acting foolishly and smiling to myself…?”

“My sister thinks Geno looks cute when acting like that, but you really shouldn’t show it to others.”

Aaaah, internally screaming, I buried my face into the pillow once again. It was too embarrassing; I couldn’t even face my sister directly. My face was surely bright red.

At least, it was fortunate that the person who witnessed this was my sister. As I mentioned before, she thinks my foolishness is cute.

“And… if you happen to hit your head or anything, don’t just hide it, okay?”

…Maybe if I hit my head hard enough on the ground right now, I could erase this embarrassing history from my mind?

*

The next morning, I had some expectations, but as Selian mentioned, she didn’t come to find me.

Yet I soon realized what she meant by needing to settle the situation.

“El… or should I call you Geno? I like you….”

Yuli’s unexpected confession came early in the morning.

I followed her, worried, thinking something serious had occurred, only to find out that indeed something big was happening.

Who would have thought that not only Selian but Yuli also had feelings for me? I was just as shocked as when I heard Selian’s confession.

Unfortunately for Yuli, I already accepted Selian’s confession the night before. Of course, if I had confessed to Selian first, things would have been reversed right now.

You might call me a scoundrel, but I couldn’t favor one of them over the other—they are both invaluable to me.

But what can I do? What’s been done is done.

It’s not like I can juggle two relationships like trash, so it was only natural to decline her.

I pondered how to express my refusal without hurting her too much, considering how to soften the blow a little bit.

However, before I could even voice my rejection, Yuli, who had been looking at me keenly, opened her mouth as if she could read my thoughts.

“I know Selian confessed to you yesterday. She also knows I’m confessing to you right now.”

“Uh…?”

I blurted out a foolish sound in response to Yuli’s shocking words.

“If it’s fine with El, we’ve already concluded that we don’t mind.”

“Wait! Wait a minute!”

Since I couldn’t logically follow her words, I raised my hand to stop her.

So… you mean to say that the two of them had already noticed they both liked me and had settled that? That sounds like…

“Isn’t that like having your cake and eating it too?”

Right. Having my cake and eating it too.

Of course, in the Empire’s laws and religious doctrines, polyamory isn’t particularly a problem. Especially since it’s not marriage, being in a romantic relationship is casual enough.

But that’s just the theoretical aspect—actual cases are extremely rare, and the public eye doesn’t look favorably upon such situations.

“Eh. What’s the big deal about having two?”

But Yuli responded nonchalantly. Had she always been this open-minded?

“But still….”

“Just answer me without thinking so much. Do you like me?”

In the end, I couldn’t refuse Yuli.

Right. Who cares if the world calls me a scoundrel? As long as I’m good with myself and both of us are happy, isn’t that what matters?

Suddenly, I ended up becoming a couple with both Selian and Yuli overnight, but of course, I have no intention of neglecting either. I can simply work twice as hard to ensure neither feels left out.

Thus, under the approval of the two, I found myself juggling two relationships.

There was a time when I thought I could handle it.

“Um, I like you!”

“Let’s stay together for life as per our agreement….”

“Can I hear your answer to the confession I made a while back?”

Just as Yuli left, one by one, my other friends started calling me, each beginning to confess in turn.

From two relationships, it became three, and soon even four—before I knew it, I became a veritable octopus, sprouting legs in every direction. Who would’ve thought all my party members collectively harbored feelings for me….

Not to mention, when on earth did they even manage to discuss this amongst themselves without me knowing?

*

“Pu hahah!”

“Hey, aren’t you being a little too obvious for someone else’s affair?”

This was just after receiving a title of Duke and while meeting the Emperor to discuss various rewards and territories.

During some personal talks before the official matters began, Cecilia, quick on the uptake, immediately caught onto what had happened to me.

And then, without regard for the presence of the involved parties, she laughed her head off without concealing anything as the Emperor.

“It’s just ridiculous that the hero who defeated the Demon King is flustered over having multiple lovers!”

“As the person involved, I’m actually quite troubled.”

“They said it was fine, so why are you still worried?”

Of course, my friends agreed and I had no intention of treating them differently, but I might make a mistake unknowingly.

So even though I just recently started a proper romantic relationship, there’s a lot to think about.

“Hehe…. In return for making me laugh, I shall only further add to your troubles.”

“How could Your Majesty possibly add to my troubles… no, wait a second. Are you saying you’re about to help solve them?”

Thinking I might have misheard her, I looked at her face, but she was smiling in a way that didn’t look like a mistake at all.

No way….

“Are you serious…?”

“Anyway, since I’m the Emperor of this Empire, as long as I occasionally show my face, I’ll keep busy. If you want, I could formally announce you as the Emperor’s mistress across the Empire.”

Oh my goodness.