"Me too. You saved me, and... I've had feelings for you for a very long time."
As Rain said this, she glanced at the other girls, wondering if, since they were willing to share, perhaps her choice was not so wrong after all.
Ellen was the last one, and she'd been pretty quiet. Even after watching Koleda and Rain speak up, she still looked unsure about everything.
She cared about Wise because of how he treated her. Losing her family when she was young left her craving love in a way that felt different from most people.
The care she received at Victoria Housekeeping was sincere, but it felt different from the warmth Wise showed her.
She cherished that difference and loved him just as deeply. Still, people are selfish by nature. Ellen could not bear the idea of dividing his affection.
After experiencing what happened during her period of "unconsciousness," she even entertained the idea of pushing the others away and keeping all of Wise's love to herself.
But she knew that was impossible. After a brief hesitation, Ellen finally spoke.
"This wasn't how I imagined my first time would go, but since it happened... I'll accept it."
Once Ellen voiced her decision, the tension that had gripped her melted away instantly, leaving her feeling somewhat languid.
Although she had rested well the day before their date, the physical strain had still taken its toll.
Even the sugar she had eaten to recover her energy could not fully chase away the drowsiness settling over her.
Upon hearing her words, Wise released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
The outcome he feared most had been avoided. He turned to the girls, his expression solemn.
"Thank you. I truly appreciate your trust..."
"Hmph! Instead of thanking us, Brother, you should promise you won't go chasing after other girls in the future."
Belle's sudden comment transformed the atmosphere entirely.
What had seemed ambiguous just moments ago now carried a heavy tension as the girls fixed their gazes on Wise, their expressions hinting that another explosive argument could erupt at any second.
Luckily, the crisis passed. Wise smoothly dodged the question before it got worse. After all, no one knows what the future will be like.
"Oh, where are Ruby and the others?"
After things calmed down, Ellen remembered her three friends who had been with her earlier.
Since waking up, she had carefully looked around, yet she had not seen them anywhere—not on the bed, not beside it, not even underneath.
Thinking back to how she'd felt while "unconscious," it was like she'd been drugged with some kind of aphrodisiac or something.
If her friends were still trapped in that strange state, the consequences could be disastrous.
Ellen didn't want to think about it anymore. Thankfully, Wise spoke at that moment, and his words eased her mind.
"Don't worry about it. I moved all three of them to the room next door. They're just sleeping, nothing bad happened," he told her, maintaining a composed tone.
However, inwardly, he was far less composed than he appeared.
'Uh, I just hope wetting the sheets doesn't count as a problem... anyway, I got really lucky that Koleda booked the room next door,' Wise thought.
He remembered spotting a keycard among Koleda's clothes just as he was about to go to sleep after his exhausting "workout."
Afterward, he carried the sleeping girls from the small couch to the other room.
Even in their sleep, they reacted faintly to his bare touch, dampening themselves slightly as he settled them onto the bed.
The girls felt a wave of relief upon hearing his words. At the very least, he was not the sort of man who would take advantage of every pretty girl who crossed his path.
Then again, maybe there were just too many people here already and adding three more would've been impossible.
Either way, it was quite late, and going back now would be inconvenient.
Their gazes drifted toward the large bed before them, spacious enough to fit everyone comfortably.
Ellen and Rain shared a hesitant look. Noticing it, Wise calmly told them they were welcome to stay and get some rest.
If they felt uncomfortable, however, he would drive them home himself.
In the end, both chose to remain. Since they lived alone, there was no need to send messages or come up with explanations.
As for Koleda, she had already booked the room and informed her family that she would not be returning that night.
Ellen also handled things with Ruby and the other two, sending messages to their parents explaining they'd be staying at her place for the night.
Everyone who'd woken up was getting sleepy again—well, everyone except Wise, who still seemed full of energy.
"I'm going to the restroom," Rain said, climbing out of bed and heading for the bathroom.
The second she tried standing up though, her legs completely gave out.
She almost hit the floor, but Wise managed to grab her just in time. Leaning on him for balance, she wobbled her way to the restroom.
A few moments later, the sound of running water came from inside.
Ellen watched the whole thing while rubbing her thighs. Luckily, since she was in better shape physically, she wasn't nearly as bad off as Rain, who looked like she could barely stand.
While waiting for Rain to finish her bath, Wise suddenly thought about Fairy.
Earlier, he had gone into cyberspace and spent some time with his lovely AI. Since part of his attention had stayed in the real world, he had not fully enjoyed it, but he could always talk to her about it later.
Not long after, everyone returned to sleep. Although Koleda, Ellen, and Rain had said they would try to accept the harem situation, it was obvious they still needed time to adjust.
They had not fully adapted yet. Even without voicing their discomfort, the subtle shifts in their expressions betrayed them.
However, none of these were major concerns.
'Give it time and they'll adapt naturally. Maybe I should make this a regular thing?' Wise mused to himself.
While everyone else fell asleep, he remained awake, restless. After tossing and turning for a bit, he decided to visit the cyberspace and look for Fairy.
The instant he showed up, Fairy walked straight to him. Even if her expressions were limited, her happiness was obvious.
|"Master, welcome back. What would you like me to do? Search for information, infiltrate someone's account or perhaps..."|
Fairy gently lifted the hem of her skirt while letting the strap of her dress slip from her shoulder.
"Would you like to eat me first?" Her words carried clear seductive intent despite the mechanical tone.
Wise was mentally exhausted and physically drained from the recent events. However, Fairy's provocative display quickly reignited his interest.
So, without wasting another word, he stepped forward to finish what they had started earlier.
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