Dim phosphorescent light reflected Ryuu's beautiful face.
Yet the gaze carried by her sky-blue eyes was unmistakably cold.
"Ryuu-san, isn't there some kind of misunderstanding here?"
Bell gave a helpless smile.
"Cranel-san, I don't intend to accuse you. But accepting a confession simply because you like someone's legs feels far too rash."
Ryuu didn't wait for the boy to explain before passing judgment on that peculiar [preference].
"..."
Bell complained silently in his heart.
What did she mean by not accusing him? That stare was ice-cold.
It felt like a direct indictment, as if everything about the former golden-haired elf had been a lie.
Ryuu herself was in complete turmoil.
She wasn't wearing her mask, yet she appeared before everyone without concern. That alone was proof enough.
Unable to accept the fact that the boy had agreed to the confession, Ryuu redirected all her shock onto his supposed [preference].
After all, that had been the critical moment of a confession. There was no way Bell would have looked away.
In Ryuu's mind, only a fetish could barely explain his behavior.
Her words quickly drew agreement from the other girls.
"Bell-sama, tell Lili… this has to be fake… right…?"
Lili's voice wavered badly.
"Captain…"
"Bell-dono?"
Cassandra and Mikoto stood frozen in place.
More than suspicion, what wrapped around their hearts was sheer embarrassment.
Bell likes girls' legs?
Just from Ryuu's words alone, the girls who had been standing firmly a moment ago suddenly didn't know where to place their feet.
Unlike the others, Lefiya shook off her shyness and angrily stepped forward.
"Is what she said true?! Why were you staring at Filvis-san's calves?!"
Accusations came one after another.
Even Filvis, who had only just confessed, was swept up in the atmosphere and didn't know how to respond.
Her meeting with the boy had been pure coincidence, and the confession itself had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
What followed unfolded like falling dominoes, far beyond anything Filvis had anticipated.
She stood there silently, thinking about what she could possibly do to help the boy escape this hellish situation.
Bell glanced at Filvis, his thoughts in chaos.
Facing this predicament, he couldn't reveal why he had accepted her confession.
His safest choice would be to make up an excuse and flee the scene as quickly as possible.
"..."
Was retreating from this battlefield of judgment his only option?
Feeling the girls' icy stares, Bell let out a small smile.
No.
If his goal was the smiles of a harem, how could he back down in a place like this?
It was just a harmless preference. Just idle talk.
Only by overcoming this predicament could he truly be called a man.
Bell took a deep breath and responded.
"Ryuu-san, I think preferences are like flowers. The beauty of a rose doesn't diminish the fragrance of an iris."
"As you said, I do like Filvis's legs, but that's something unique to her."
"She carries both a wand and a dagger. The lines of her calves, never exposed, are proof of the effort she's put in all this time."
Bell's words reached everyone present.
The girls' expressions turned complicated.
Surprise, embarrassment, hesitation…
After a brief silence, Bell continued.
"Lili's small frame is always burdened with heavy packs. Like a dandelion, she looks fragile, yet she's incredibly strong."
"B-Bell-sama…"
Even as Lili called out shyly, his words didn't stop.
"Daphne-san has phoenix-like eyes. She often notices the smallest details on the battlefield, like a wild aster, full of wisdom."
"Cassandra-san may seem timid, but beneath her loose black hair lies friendship and kindness as pure as a lily."
"Captain…"
The two human girls quietly looked away.
"Mikoto-san, your nimble hands carry your martial arts, your cooking, and the countless nights you've devoted to training. Like orchids, they're delicate and beautiful."
"U-Um… Bell-dono?! I… I'm just a warrior…"
His words flowed so quickly it felt like a magic chant.
By the time Mikoto tried to respond, she had already turned away in embarrassment.
"That's how I see my [preferences]."
Before Ryuu could speak, Bell added,
"Ryuu-san, I really like how you look with long hair. It's like a plum blossom weathered by the cold, revealing the unbroken purity and justice hidden beneath the snow."
"..."
Ryuu instantly realized that Bell had already seen through the fact that she had dyed her hair.
What followed was a rush of joy and embarrassment she couldn't suppress.
How could he say something like that in front of so many people?
And more importantly, why did it make her so happy?
[Blonde hair] represented Ryuu's past, something she had never been able to fully let go of.
And yet, the boy had acknowledged it.
The topic might have been preferences, but it was also about what made each girl unique.
What Bell sought wasn't a single dazzling flower, but a scene of countless blossoms in full bloom.
"Cranel-san, please stop… I'm sorry. I misunderstood you."
Ryuu steadied her racing heart and accepted the boy's actions from before.
The girls unconsciously smiled, and the tense, hellish atmosphere faded away.
However, one person in the back was quietly brewing with anger.
Lefiya gripped her wand tightly, muttering to herself.
Dark emotions surged, even warping the air around her.
"Filvis-san must have been charmed…"
"How could someone so noble say something like love at first sight…"
"That's right, Bell Cranel must have done something…"
"Why did he even accept it?"
"Staring at someone's legs the first time you meet them, then accepting the confession…"
"This has to be a dream."
"Bell Cranel would never do something like that, hehe."
"Ah, I get it. Maybe it's a new type of mimic monster from the Dungeon…"
"That must be it… yeah, right!"
"There's no way that explains it!"
"Talking about preferences… he just likes pretty girls…"
"And he says things like that to everyone else too?"
"Why does he notice so many people? He should only be looking at me…"
"No, I didn't think that?!"
"It's all Bell Cranel's fault…"
"He falls in love with every girl he sees!"
"When he saw how pretty Filvis-san was, he accepted her confession without hesitation."
"Was Ais-san the same?"
"Then… Riveria-sama, who's even more beautiful than a goddess, must be a target too…?"
"Hehehe… hehehe…"
"Unforgivable… unforgivable…"
"Unforgivable!"
"I'll burn him to the ground!!!"
"You eternally horny rabbit!!!!"