Mio did not respond to him.
Her eyes were fixed on his face, but he wondered if it was truly there.
After all, he could feel her hands roaming around his chest, while she discreetly rocked her waist back and forth.
It was adorable.
And yet he needed to make sure of something first.
“Mio,” he clasped her hands. “Listen to me.”
The woman blinked once, then twice, before the heat rushed to her cheeks.
The bed creaked slightly as she immediately tried to get off of him.
“—?! S-Sorry! I’ll—!”
He let out an amused breath. “Calm down, it’s okay.”
“I just don’t want you to be too hasty.”
Julius caressed her hand with his thumb, trying to calm her clearly racing heart.
A fond smile crossed his face.
“I must admit, in hindsight, we probably should have taken a different approach to show you how it works in the family. Doing this in front of a maiden like you would surely stir up some desires.”
“M-Maiden…”
His features softened as he raised a hand to brush a few strands of hair behind her reddening ear.
“It might have been too much for you, but it was important for you to know what exactly you’re getting into.”
His gaze lingered on her innocent brown eyes.
But he knew that there was a certain flavor behind them. A particular bite that would, well, bite him.
"From what Bea has told me, it's not exactly common in this era to go straight to marriage. There's supposed to be a courting period—being lovers first—before a couple truly commit to each other."
"But you, my dear Mio,” he playfully poked her cheek. "You ran straight into me without a moment's hesitation."
"You accepted my proposal even after I told you I have multiple wives. That's even less common."
Julius let out a quiet laugh. “How can I not be worried that you’re not thinking straight?”
He lightly squeezed the delicate hand that he had come to adore.
Mio refused to look at him.
“...It’s common for protagonists to have a harem…” she mumbled.
“But do you want to be in one?”
“...”
He studied her expression and was pleased to see serious contemplation on her face.
While this was going on, Bea silently slipped into the space beside him, her head next to his chest while her legs stretched past his head.
Propping herself up on one elbow, she rested her cheek against her hand as she watched her new sister with quiet amusement.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, she didn’t even bother to cover up any of her intimate parts.
Thankfully, his maid wife had at least cleaned up traces of their previous activities so that he wouldn’t be reminded of them in this serious moment.
But that didn’t really matter because with her current position, her exposed breasts were right next to his face, heaving slightly every time she breathed.
He gulped.
‘Focus, Julius.’
‘I don’t mind if you suckle on them for comfort.’
‘But I mind!’
Amusement flickered in her eyes.
She playfully flicked a nipple. ‘...Are you sure?’
His lips began to unconsciously part, but he quickly swallowed his desires.
Julius even had to intentionally restrain his length so that it didn’t hit Mio in this crucial phase.
That was an arduous task.
He narrowed her eyes at the smirking maid.
Was she planning for the next punishment session already?
“Julius.”
Suddenly, his name left Mio’s lips. When he looked at her, her eyes had gained some clarity.
“...Yes?”
“How much do you know about me?”
His eyes drifted away, trying to draw out the memories, only to sigh. “...Not enough, I assume.”
“From what I’ve extracted, I only know that you enjoyed…those kinds of media, you study fashion at the academy, and that your parents are wealthy.”
“Oh,” a playful smile spread across his face. “I also know that you love this cheeseburger food.”
Her expression visibly relaxed. “...I did say that.”
“But just as expected,” her gaze suddenly sharpened. “He really didn’t know anything about me.”
That was true.
He purposefully excluded the fantasies that man had for her.
It was disgusting, even for him.
“Julius,” Mio leaned down, cupping his face. “Listen to me.”
He nodded solemnly.
Not even the dangling breasts right next to him, with the soft peaks still erect and ready for him to devour, would ever—
Wait. He was already getting distracted.
‘The offer still stands~’
‘...Please stop.’
Thankfully, Mio didn’t seem to notice.
“I wasn't very good with people." she began.
“My parents have…certain businesses overseas, so they never had time for me. I only ever talked to my caretakers and that scum, since everyone at school was terrified of saying the wrong thing to me...or about my parents."
She laughed derisively. “Even the teachers avoided me.”
That seemed…lonely.
He couldn’t imagine waking up in an empty house with only practiced warmth.
“But that was when I began watching anime.”
Her face brightened.
“This might be weird to watch as a child, but my first show was a harem. I don’t even want to say the title because it’s embarrassing, but I remember being invested in the plot, and even developed a small crush on the main character.”
Bea leaned closer. “Is it My Lovey Dovey Curvy Valkyries?”
Mio recoiled back in horror. “H-How did you—?!”
“Heh, just an educated guess based on the timeline and your reaction to the title.”
She exchanged looks with Julius. “One of the characters in it looks like Rin.”
“Oh? Should we—”
“A-Anyways!”
She fanned her rosy cheeks and then exhaled, regaining her composure.
“...Back then, I was fascinated by the idea of a harem. But it’s not because I want to join one, or have one for myself.”
Mio smiled with a tinge of longing. “It’s because I love the thought of having a big family.”
His eyes widened in understanding.
Even Bea had straightened slightly, her teasing smile fading as she listened.
"Little me couldn't stop imagining it. My children running around with everyone else's, while my sisters and I sat together gossiping and teasing each other...or our husband."
She smiled softly, clutching her heart. "Just thinking about it made me feel so warm inside."
Julius pursed his lips.
He had a strong urge to embrace her, but he didn’t want to interrupt the story.
That was why he settled for caressing her hand with his thumb.
Mio bloomed at the gesture, holding his hand tighter.
“...From that point on, I began to actively search for more harem anime. After a while, I branched out to other genres, switching to manga, novels, games, or anything else that might interest me.”
She smiled cheekily. “And the rest is history.”
His lips couldn’t suppress a smile.
“You’re a dream come true, Julius,” Mio leaned down, her eyes sparkling. "Forget dating! I want to marry you already!"
“So, don’t worry. I understand what I’m signing up for. In fact, I can’t wait to meet your other wives!”
Her gaze flicked to Bea, her excitement so contagious even the maid laughed softly.
“I promise you’ll love them.”
“And they’ll love you,” Julius added.
Mio shyly scratched her cheeks. “Y-You really think so?”
Bea also gently covered Mio's delicate hand with her own. “Absolutely.”
“I can already see Severa and me fighting over who’s going to spoil you next, while Isolde keeps trying to string you along with one of her usual pranks.”
Julius let out an amused breath. “Oh, I can definitely see that. And Fleur? She’ll have you sitting through personal concerts from every show you've ever loved, all the while Rin grumpily, though no less happily, builds you new devices to watch them on."
Bea nodded thoughtfully. “Althea will probably buy you an animation studio. No...multiple animation studios. You can just tell her what you want to see and she’ll make it for you.”
With their every word, he could feel her excitement bubbling all over as she bounced on his abdomen.
He didn't even need to mention their names. The conversation would probably derail endlessly.
“I want to meet them! Can I meet them?!”
His laughter came easy. “You will. I’ve told you this before, but I’m searching for them right now. Have you packed your things for the journey?”
“Ah, yes, I did! I just used your shadows to store everything in my room. It’s so convenient!”
Dark tendrils materialized behind her, swaying proudly.
‘Thank you. Please continue to protect her from now on.’
The shadows bowed before seeping back into the ground.
Julius returned Mio’s smile. “That’s good. Then there’s nothing else to worry about.”
He extended a hand to her cheek, caressing it lovingly.
“Welcome to the family, Mio.”
She froze.
Then, her eyes turned misty, tears streaming down her cheeks.
But it was clear to everyone that it wasn’t out of sadness.
“Glad to be here!”
Warmth settled in his chest.
He silently vowed that, from this day onward, she'd never have to feel alone again.
He greeted his newest wife with the gentlest smile the night had seen.
But just as he was about to open his mouth, a head full of obsidian hair rested on his chest, her face glancing up at Mio.
“So when are you two going to fuck?”