Looking at Bianca, I could feel a cold sweat breaking out across my neck.
Am I actually an idiot?
It was one thing to let my guard down, but I had let it slip so far that I started rambling about things I never should have mentioned.
I shot a desperate, pleading look toward my wife and the Class Monitor, but the two of them just offered warm, serene smiles. They held up their sketchbooks in unison, showing me the exact same message:
[Good luck.]
Oh, I am so dead.
What am I supposed to do now?
Should I just come clean and tell her the truth?
Should I say, "Actually, Kiana demanded we get married and just started freeloading at my place, and then Mei followed suit for the exact same reason"?
...No, that just makes me sound like total scum.
If I say it like that, I'll look like a married man who couldn't say no to women throwing themselves at him, essentially letting them move in. I'd be the ultimate trash-tier husband.
The reality is that it only happened because my wife permitted it, but to an outsider who doesn't know the specifics? Ninety-nine percent of people would hear that and immediately brand me a degenerate.
And that goes double for any married woman!
Of all people, the one I'm talking to right now—the one who fits that exact description—is Bianca.
Worse, she's a Bianca who came here specifically because she was hurt by her own husband and was looking for some emotional stability.
If I tell her this, what's going to happen?
Forget the plane; I'll be lucky if she doesn't mount Krishna and fly over here to execute me herself this instant.
Should I lead with the fact that my wife gave them permission?
...No, even then, I can already hear Bianca's lecture. "Even if your wife allowed it, how could you let it happen? Clearly, your own heart was swayed, which is why you didn't stop them. If you truly thought it was wrong, you should have stood your ground with an iron will!" She'd hit me with logic, then follow it up with more logic, and then bury me in a landslide of... well, logic.
And even if I argued that I simply couldn't win against my wife and the other girls, she'd just cut me off. "That is simply a lack of effort. Pure and simple."
Bianca's entire philosophy is rooted in the idea that "With enough effort, anything is possible."
Human relationships don't usually work that way, but if I tried to explain that, she'd probably say, "This won't do. A sound mind resides within a sound body. These weak thoughts are a result of insufficient discipline. Come, you shall train with me." Then she'd drag me to the training room.
Back in my prime, I might have been able to keep up, but with this body—weakened after the final battle against the Herrscher of Finality—I'd never survive her regimen.
["Since you're silent, I assume it's true."]
"...It is."
["In that case, would that woman happen to be—"]
"No, wait."
["What is it?"]
I couldn't help but interject.
"Why are you assuming it's a woman?"
I hadn't specified a gender once. Why was she so certain?
Bianca let out a heavy sigh through the comms.
["Didn't you say you were used to two people moving in and living together since the dormitory days?"]
"...I did."
["During your time living in the dorms at St. Freya High, you were the only male. Therefore, any male candidates are immediately excluded."]
Ugh, she's got me there.
I didn't think the fact that I was the lone man in that academy would backfire on me this quickly.
["Furthermore—"]
"Yes?"
She wasn't done yet.
["Since you said it felt familiar, it's highly likely they were people you shared a dorm with. According to what Rita told me, the only people living in that specific dormitory at St. Freya were Overseer Theresa, Senior Himeko, Kiana, Miss Mei, and Miss Bronya. Am I mistaken?"]
"...No, you're correct."
["However, I haven't heard any news of Overseer Theresa moving house. Major Himeko has passed away. Miss Bronya is your wife, so of course she lives with you. You already admitted Kiana moved in. That leaves exactly one person."]
Her voice dropped an octave, sounding as if she had already unraveled the entire mystery.
["That remaining woman... it's Miss Mei, isn't it?"]
"...Are you some kind of Master Detective?"
I was genuinely impressed. If I wasn't the one on the chopping block, I would have clapped. From a single sentence, she deduced the cohabitation and identified the mystery guest with pinpoint accuracy.
Li Sushang was currently acting as my proxy, clapping enthusiastically as if this were a thrilling TV drama.
Meanwhile, as the person actually involved, I felt like my blood was turning to ice.
["So, why did those two end up living with you?"]
At Bianca's question, I glanced toward my wife.
This was a domestic matter, after all. It wasn't something I could just decide to disclose on my own.
Bronya thought about it for a moment, then gave a slow nod. She scribbled on her sketchbook and held it up for me to see.
[Just tell her the truth.]
Seeing as Bianca had already deduced her way this far, there was no point in hiding it. I might as well clear the air. I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and began to speak.
"To be honest... some time ago, I met Siegfried and invited him over for dinner. But when we got to the house, Kiana was—"
["Was she waiting to greet you in a 'Naked Apron'?"]
"...Uh, yes. Exactly. After that—"
["Knowing your personality, you couldn't bring yourself to kick her out, so you had dinner together. Then, for some reason, alcohol was involved, and Kiana stayed the night. From the next day onward, she probably obtained Miss Bronya's permission and informed you that she would be living there... Am I correct?"]
"...That's exactly what happened."
What the heck? How did she know that?
I got literal goosebumps. The way she recounted the events in that low, steady voice made it feel like she had been a fly on the wall that entire night.
Ignoring my internal shock, she pressed on.
["In Miss Mei's case... she's quite meticulous. She likely prepared a marriage registration form and tried to get you to sign it as if it were nothing. However, you're surprisingly sharp in those specific moments, so you would have noticed and refused. But after she found out Kiana was already living there, she wouldn't have given up that easily. Correct?"]
"...Yes."
["Just like with Kiana, she knew targeting the Captain directly would result in failure... Or rather, knowing it would fail, she instead focused her efforts on convincing Miss Bronya to let her move in. Your only—no, your second greatest weakness is your inability to say no to Miss Bronya and Bronie."]
Am I trembling?
I wasn't just getting goosebumps anymore; a cold sweat was pouring down me. Hearing her explain the situation in that hushed tone was enough to make my spine tingle.
If she had been even slightly off, I wouldn't have reacted this way. But she was describing the situation without missing a single detail, as if she had been watching from the shadows. It was starting to get terrifying.
["So, the conclusion is: you are currently living in what can only be described as a harem state, because you simply cannot win against your wife."]
"No, I wouldn't exactly call it a 'harem'—"
["Usually, when one man lives with several women, that is called a harem. If you find that term offensive, shall I refer to it as an 'extramarital affair,' since you are a married man living with other women?"]
"I'm sorry! Please, have mercy!"
["Very well, I shall show mercy."]
Fine. I'd rather be called a harem lead than an adulterer—...wait, thinking about it logically, is there even a difference in this context!?
["Hehehe... Well then, it really was true. Not that I doubted your word, given you were the one who said it, but still..."]
"...Huh?"
["Oh, I'm sorry. I was just talking to myself. Although, I suppose this is your business now as well."]
"What is?"
["Honestly, I want to tell you everything right now, but this isn't a conversation for out in the open... and even if I told you, I doubt you'd believe me. However, I can say this much."]
She continued, her voice tinged with a strange, almost playful energy.
["The truth is, I'm getting a divorce right now. So—"]
—Does a married woman with a cute daughter fall within your strike zone?
Hearing those words, I could only respond one way.
"Wait... WHAT?!"