"Are you angry with me?" Marie asked.


    Helix gave Marie a hopeless smile when he saw her face.


    She was wearing brown leather battle armor that closely hugged her body.


    Her red hair made her look like a powerful general ready to lead a battalion to war.


    Yet her face was unbearably cute.


    Helix shook his head.


    "I''m not angry with you. I''m genuinely thankful for what you did today." He replied with a gentle smile.


    "Thank goodness…. I was worried when you didn''t leave the library for another hour." She replied nervously.


    Helix smiled bitterly.


    "I was just having a discussion with someone." He exined.


    "Was it that girl you''re always talking to?" She asked hesitantly.


    Seeing her painfully panicked expression, Helix decided to take a gamble.


    "Marie, can I kiss you again?" He asked awkwardly.


    "Y-Yes!" She replied without hesitation.


    Helix walked up awkwardly to her.


    After some hesitation, he reached out and grabbed her leather-d waist.


    She closed her eyes, and their lips met.


    The experience felt more intimate and vulnerable, and it washed over his body with a vibrant sensation.


    After a moment, he released his lips and stared into her beautiful green eyes.


    They were puffy from her tears and bloodshot from her frustration.


    "Marie…. I like you. A lot." Helix announced awkwardly.


    Marie''s eyes sparkled at his confession.


    "I… love you, Helix." She said softly.


    "I''ll gratefully ept your feelings." He replied with a gentle smile.


    "Will…." He replied with a wincing expression.


    "Will… I also ept the special people in your life?" She asked with a conflicted expression.


    Helix sighed.


    "I''m… exponentially more shameless and hypocritical than I''ve ever realized." He chuckled bitterly.


    "If you ask me to choose between you and a harem without you, I''ll choose you."


    Marie''s eyes glittered with shock.


    "You''re kind to your friends equally.


    You''re powerful and confident in the face of adversity.


    I''m desperately attached to your beauty.


    You''ve protected me for weeks and I''ve fallen for your leadership skills.


    So if there can only be one person, I''ll choose you." Helix confessed.


    Marie gave him a bright smile and then fell silent with thought.


    Helix allowed her to think patiently.


    After a moment of conflicted contemtion, Marie decided.


    "If... the temporary harem bes permanent… I''m…." She began hesitantly.


    "I''m okay with that. I don''t want to rip you away from Emelia.


    She''s… special." Marie said in a low voice.


    "As for Charlotte and Riley, I… enjoyedst night, and it was attractive.


    But I honestly wouldn''t want anyone else.


    epting ancient lolis, cats that can transform into women, or dragon women period is a deal-breaker."


    Helix burst intoughter and wiped slight tears from his eyes.


    "You don''t have to worry about lolis, transformers, or dragon women.


    If a loli arrives, I''ll call the FBI." Heughed.


    Marie giggled like a schoolgirl in response.


    Afterughing, he gazed into her eyes and continued.


    "I had funst night too." He said with a charming smile.


    "I never thought that the dynamic could be so much fun and endearing."


    "Me… either. I''m surprised." She said with true contemtion.


    "I''m surprised, amazed, and genuinely shocked that you share my feelings.


    I''d be grateful for just you. So the fact that you''re willing to ept Emelia especially means a lot.


    I promise you that I won''t ask for other people." He vowed.


    "We''ll see about that,dy killer." Marie huffed.


    Helixughed.


    "So… Marie. Will you go out with me?" Helix asked with a genuine expression.


    Marie burst intoughter.


    Helix watched the young woman bending over,ughing with a terror-filled expression.


    "This… isn''t the time where you dere you were just teasing me, is it?" Helix asked with a mortified expression.


    "No! No!" Marie cried between breaths.


    "It''s… It''s just… It''s just that I epted to be part of your harem, and now you''re asking if I''ll be your girlfriend." She cried.


    "Is… that wrong?" He asked with wide eyes.


    "No! I love it!" Sheughed while wiping tears from her eyes.


    "It''s just… that harem… hahaha." She cried.


    "I''ve just dered that I''m willing to be a one-dimensional side character that shamelessly follows and tries to please you… hahaha!" She exined between breaths.


    "And you''re asking for something eightyers lower.


    That''s like us having a passionate night of kinky sex and then asking if you can kiss me." Marie dered while gasping for breath.


    Helix gave her a hopeless smile.


    "I…. don''t see you as a one-dimensional side-character." He chuckled.


    "You''re a normal girl from the real world that I like.


    I''ve never had a girlfriend, but I''d like to have one.


    So… even if this turns into a harem, will you go out with me?" Helix asked shyly.


    "Yes!" She cried while trusting herself into his arms excitedly.


    After a moment of awkwardness, he epted her grasp.


    A momentter, they kissed.


    The kiss was much more powerful and romantic, and they both enjoyed it.


    "Okay, harem leader. What are you going to do next?" Marie asked.


    "If… I told you I n to leave Alzeria, would youe with me?"


    —


    "Part-time?" Charlotte asked.


    "I… don''t know how to answer that question." Helix replied.


    "It''s like… how would I exin this?" Charlotte said while putting a finger to her lips.


    "It''s like I''ll be part of your harem, but not your girlfriend."


    Helix''s eyes widened, and he aggressively pulled her into the nearest room.


    "Woooooah. You''ve gotten bold." Charlottemented with an impressed expression.


    "Wait… what? No. You understand that you''ll spark a war saying that, right?


    That''s every man''s dream!" Helix replied with a bewildered expression.


    "So, is it your dream as well?" She asked with a yful smile.


    Helix stared at her seducing mannerisms with wide eyes.


    "It… is now." He confessed.


    "How do you not hate me for this level of shameless behavior?"


    Charlotte put her fingers to her lips yfully.


    "What? Do you think that you''re the only person that''s gaining enjoyment from this? Hmmm?" She asked with a grin.


    ? "That…." Helix replied.


    He looked to the ceiling and gave a blessing to the non-Elise gods.


    "Charlotte. Will you be part of my harem?" Helix asked after refixing his gaze on her.


    "May~be." She replied yfully.


    Helix sighed.


    "Can you give me a dating sim walkthrough on how to earn your willingness to join my harem?" He asked with a wry smile.


    "Hoh? Hellie has the Earth Queen and the most gorgeous, loyal woman that will do any~thing for him.


    Yet you''re willing to earn me as well?" She asked yfully.


    Helix sighed.


    "Yes. I''ll try to win you over if you''re interested in me.


    There''s a word for someone like me. [Degenerate]." He confirmed.


    "I used to think that I was a Cicero, but I turned out to be Alcibiades.


    A shameless degenerate that somehow attracts beautiful women and sparks violent conflict.


    I now know that I should never engage in gambling or excessive drinking."


    Charlotteughed when she saw his self-deprecating smile.


    "Your face is truly pitiful right now." Charlotteughed.


    "Here, I''ll help you hide it!"


    Before Helix could react, Charlotte grabbed his neck and pushed his lips against his.


    Helix pushed her against a wall in the room, and their passion increased further.


    Charlotte fed the newfound side of him that hungered for excitement and passion.


    ''I''ll take this as a yes. Maybe. Hah, I couldn''t care less.''


    —


    "You want [me] to be your girlfriend?" Riley asked with wide eyes.


    "Well, yeah…. I''m desperately shameless and aplete hypocrite, so you''ll have to ept the other three as well…." Helix replied awkwardly.


    "But yeah…. I''d like you to be my girlfriend too…."


    Riley gave him a gentle smile.


    "I ept. What do harem girlfriends do?


    Is it more like a girlfriend or more like a harem?" She asked with an honest expression.


    "That… I don''t know." Helix responded with a wry smile.


    "I guess… can we just figure it outter?"


    Riley giggled and gave him a bright smile.


    "Then we''ll just figure it outter.


    You don''t have to worry about me.


    I''m just happy to join." She replied thoughtfully.


    "I''m a sucker for your gentle simplicity." Helix sighed.


    "Can… I kiss you?"


    Riley blushed lightly.


    "I see. So harem girlfriends follow a leader that doesn''t dodge them." She giggled awkwardly.


    Helix''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "If… that''s what you want. I''ll happily kiss you.


    I was selfish before, so I''m surprised you''re asking me." She confessed shyly.


    Helix almost cried out in bewilderment.


    He couldn''t believe she epted to be part of his harem without believing he''d pay attention to her.


    "Close your eyes." He requested.


    Rileyplied, and a secondter, she felt his lips on hers.


    —


    "Emelia…." Helix called out in the darkness.


    "Yes, Helix?" She replied.


    "If I buy your way out of royal servitude, will you still stay by my side forever?"